A well- known Forest had come to an end; however, in the absence of a king, the situation had deteriorated into a state of lawlessness—a veritable "jungle king"—where everyone did exactly as they pleased.
Unrest, violence, and filth spread so rampantly throughout the forest that it became nearly impossible for the animals to survive there.
Some animals began to reminisce about Sher Singh(A king of forest), thinking, "As long as Sher Singh held the reins of power, there was such peace and unity throughout the entire forest.
If things continue like this, one day this forest itself will cease to exist, and we animals will be left homeless and perish."
Golu the Bear spoke up: "We simply must find a solution. Why don't we all come to a consensus and elect a king—someone who, like Sher Singh, can once again bind us together in unity and ensure that the echoes of peace and harmony resound throughout the forest once more?"
All the animals were convinced by Golu the Bear's suggestion.
However, a new problem arose: who should be made king? Every animal began claiming that they were superior to the others.
Sohil the Peacock suggested: "Why don't we assign a specific task to everyone for the duration of a fortnight? Whichever animal performs their task in the most examplary manner shall be crowned the king of this forest." The animals agreed to Sonu's proposal, and tasks were subsequently assigned to each animal based on their individual abilities.
Bimpy the Fox was tasked with clearing away soil; Bholu the Monkey was assigned the job of removing cobwebs from the trees; Soni the Elephant was entrusted with lifting stones and depositing them into a pit; and Monu the Rabbit was given the responsibility of clearing the grass.
When the fortnight had passed, all the animals gathered in a clearing, each bringing with them the results of their respective labors. Every animal had completed their assigned task with great diligence and precision—with the sole exception of Soni the Elephant, who had failed to place even a single stone into the pit.
Now, yet another dilemma presented itself: whose work, ultimately, should be deemed the best? The wise Monu the Rabbit offered a clever solution: "Why don't we hold a vote? Whichever animal receives the highest number of votes shall be the one we elect as our king." The very next morning, the election was held, and all the animals and birds gathered in a large clearing to cast their votes. An hour after the voting concluded, the counting of ballots began. Lo and behold! Sonu the Elephant was leading the count, and when the tally was complete, Sonu emerged victorious with the highest number of votes. All the animals simply stared at one another in bewilderment.
Just then, Eagle—the King of Birds—appeared on the scene. Addressing all the animals present, he spoke: "Every day, Sonu the Elephant would carry stones to the pit; however, when he discovered that my eggs lay within it, he refrained from dropping the stones inside and instead piled them on the ground nearby. Sonu set aside his own ambition to become king, deeming it far more important to save a living creature. Witnessing this spirit of benevolence—and reflecting the collective sentiment of us birds—we decided that only one who renounces personal greed to care for the well-being of others is truly worthy of becoming a ruler.
And since the bird population in the forest outnumbered that of the animals, Sonu the Elephant won the election."