Pando was a kind-hearted panda. He would go out of his way to help the other animals in the forest in any way he could. Once, he spent an entire day helping Nini, the sparrow search for her chick who had gone missing.
Many animals liked Pando for his helpful nature, but there were some who would take advantage of him. Ray, the rhino was one of them. He was constantly looking for an opportunity to fool Pando.
One day, Ray got to know that Pando was looking to rent out his house urgently, so he came up with a plan. Ray met Pando the next day.
“Hello, Pando! How are you?” enquired Ray.
“Hello, Ray! I am fine. What brings you here?” asked Pando.
“I wanted to talk to you about the house that you plan to rent out. My friends and I have been asked to vacate the house in which we are currently staying as the landlord has planned to sell it So, if you can rent out yours to us, I will pay you whatever rent you ask for,” said Ray.
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“Of course, Ray. I have been looking for tenants urgently too,” said Pando.
“Good, that works out for both of us then. But I have one condition. If you ask me to leave before three months, you have to pay me three months’ rent as compensation, and if I leave the house, I will pay you the same amount,” said Ray.
Pando saw nothing amiss in the condition, so he immediately agreed. Soon, Ray and his friends Bongo, the bull and Harry, the horse, moved into Pando’s house.
Within a few days, Pando started getting complaints from other the animals. regarding Ray and his friends.
“What kind of animals have you rented out your house to? They play music all night. The house smells, and they throw garbage into the river,” Skippy, the squirrel complained to Pando.
Pando decided to talk to Ray about this.
“Ray, why are you and your friends creating such a ruckus? All your neighbours are complaining about you,” said Pando.
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“So what? We pay rent to live in this house, so we are free to do as we please. But if you want us to leave, we can do that. Just give us three months’ rent as compensation and we’ll be on our way,” said Ray, reminding Pando of the condition they had agreed upon.
It was then that Pando realised that Ray had laid a trap with that condition. Pando walked back home disappointed. As he was thinking how to handle the situation, he met Honi, the honeybee on the way.
“What’s the matter, Pando? You seem upset,” said Honi.
“Yes, I’m quite upset. Ray has put me in a fix,” said Pando sadly. He then explained everything to Honi.
After listening to his story, Honi said, “Ray has tried to take advantage of your kindness, but I have a plan.”
She whispered something into Pando’s ear and he immediately brightened up.
Next morning, when Ray was on his way out, he saw a large beehive right outside his house.
“Where did this beehive come from?” he wondered.
“You look surprised, Ray. Didn’t Pando tell you that this spot belongs to us. We have been building our hives here for years,” said Honi.
“You pests! This is my house! Go away from here!” said Ray.
“You can shout all you want, but we are not going anywhere,” said Honi coolly.
That evening, Harry played music over the radio loudly. All the honeybees came into the house and started to dance over his head. Harry became scared at the sight of a swarm of bees. He hid under the bed and didn’t come out for a long time.
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The next day, Bongo opened a bar of chocolate and was about to eat it, when he was suddenly surrounded by bees.
“Don’t you know that you should share food?” said Honi.
“Get away from me! This is my chocolate,” said Bongo angrily.
“You better share it with us, or else we’ll sting you!” said Honi.
As the honeybees closed in on him, out of fear Bongo dropped the chocolate and shut himself inside the bathroom.
Later that day, Harry and Bongo told Ray about the incidents with the bees. “We’re sorry, Ray. But we can’t live in this house anymore. You have to complain about them to Pando and do something about the menace,” they told him.
Ray went to Pando straightaway and said, “Pando, there are honeybees staying in our house. They keep threatening to attack us. It is difficult to live there anymore.”
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“These honeybees have been building their hives there for many years now. They give me honey as rent. But if you feel uncomfortable, you may pay me three months’ rent and vacate the house,” said Pando.
Ray realised that Pando had outsmarted him. He paid Pando the money and vacated the house along with his friends. He did not try his tricks with Pando again.
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