Ramlal was a cloth merchant. He often sold cloth on credit in nearby villages. One day Ramlal was returning from a nearby village after collecting his dues. He decided to rest for a while under a tree. Being tired he soon fell asleep.
When Ramlal awoke, he saw a flock of parrots around him. ‘How nice it would be if I took one of them home as a pet,’ he thought. Ramlal threw his shoulder scarf on the flock of parrots and caught one. Reaching home Ramlal named the parrot, Totaram.
He brought a beautiful golden cage for the parrot, which had a bar, a swing and a bowl for water. In the golden cage, parrot was given its favourite food—chillies, guavas and pomegranates. Ramlal and his children would often talk to the parrot, and the parrot learnt to speak a few words.
After some time once again Ramlal decided to go to villages to collect his dues. He said to Totaram, “I am going on the same route. Do you have any message for your friends?”
The parrot answered, “Master! Please tell them that the parrot enjoys delicious food and drink, and he is living in a golden cage.”
While returning, Ramlal rested again under the same tree. When he awoke he saw parrots flock to him. One of them asked Ramlal, “Where is our friend? How is he?”
Ramlal repeated the message of Totaram,‘‘The parrot enjoys delicious food and drink, and he is living in a golden cage.”
As the parrots heard the message, they dropped themselves down and lay like lifeless birds. Ramlal thought that all the parrots have died of shock.
Reaching home, Ramlal said to Totaram, “I repeated your message and your friends dropped down like lifeless birds.”
As Totaram heard Ramlal’s word, he too dropped down on the floor of the cage. Ramlal thought his parrot too had died of shock, so he took the parrot out of the cage and put it under a tree. Suddenly the parrot flapped its wings and flew away saying, “I have got the message of my dear ones and I am going back to them.”

Moral : A small hint is enough for clever fellow.