23-04SomuManiBalaPonni
Somu, a semi-retired clown from All-India Circus, was let go with a pension and his favorite circus animals, Bala the bear, Mani the monkey, and Ponni the parrot. He went back to his village with these animals, hoping to find a new way to make a living.

One day, as they traveled from village to village in Tamil Nadu, Somu and his animals came across a coconut tree. Somu was tired and thirsty, and he wondered how he could quench his thirst. Suddenly, an idea struck him: he could send Mani the monkey up the tree to bring down some coconuts. Mani was quick and agile, and he would be able to retrieve the coconuts easily.

So, Somu taught Mani how to twist the coconuts on their stems and make them fall to the ground. Mani was a quick study and soon brought down ten coconuts. They all shared the coconut water, and Somu went on his way, carrying some uncut coconuts with him.

As Somu reached his village, he met his brother Sambu and the other villagers. They were surprised to learn that Mani the monkey had brought down the coconuts. However, as Somu inspected Mani's left thumb, he saw a scratch and realized that it had happened while the monkey was twisting the coconuts. He quickly applied some antibiotic ointment to help Mani's thumb heal.

Although they were grateful for Mani's help, they soon realized that the injury made it impossible for him to continue bringing down coconuts. Somu and his animals needed a new way to make a living.

That's when Ponni, the parrot, suggested they use her fortune-telling skills to find a solution. Somu was skeptical at first, but Ponni assured him that the cards never lied. After shuffling the deck, Ponni revealed that they needed to train Bala the bear to climb the coconut tree and retrieve the coconuts.

Somu was hesitant at first, as he had never seen a bear climb a tree before. But with some encouragement and treats, Bala quickly learned how to climb the tree and bring down the coconuts. People from all over the village came to see the amazing bear climb the tree and retrieve the coconuts.

With Bala's newfound talent, Somu and his animals became quite famous in the villages. They were no longer just circus animals but had become a part of Somu's family. And Mani, though no longer able to retrieve coconuts, still helped out in other ways and remained an important member of the group.

Years later, after Somu passed away, his legacy lived on. People still talked about the amazing bear and the clever monkey that could retrieve coconuts. And Ponni, the fortune-telling parrot, remained a trusted advisor, helping Somu's family overcome any obstacle that came their way.