Once upon a time, there lived a poor old woman. She loved eating Panta Bhat (water-soaked rice). Every night, she would soak some rice in a bowl to eat the next morning with a little salt and lime.
However, a thief started stealing her rice every night. The poor woman became very sad and decided to go to the King to ask for justice.
On her way to the King's palace, she met several unusual friends:
A Wood Apple (Bel): It said, "Grandma, keep me in your hearth (stove) on your way back."
A Scorpion: It said, "Keep me in the bowl of water."
A Razor: It said, "Stick me in the mud near your door."
A Cow Dung: It said, "Spread me on your porch."
The old woman did exactly as they said. That night, the thief came again to steal the rice.
First, the thief felt cold and went to the hearth to warm his hands. BOOM! The Wood Apple heated up and burst, hitting him in the face.
The thief ran to the water bowl to wash his face. STING! The Scorpion bit his finger.
In pain, he tried to run out of the house. SLIP! He fell face-first on the Cow Dung.
Finally, as he reached the door, the sharp Razor cut his foot.
The thief screamed so loudly that the neighbors woke up and caught him. From that day on, no one ever dared to steal Panta Buri's rice again