A very long time ago in India, at a riverside inn, a drunken traveler spilled his bowl at a table in shade of a large tree. The liquid flowed from the table onto the ground. Some small portion of it settle in the hollow of a stone.
A dung beetle, on his way to the river, was attracted to the aroma of the spilled beer. The beetle tasted the stuff and found it very pleasing. He drank it all and very soon lost his good sense.
After finishing the beer in the stone, the beetle staggered down to the riverbank where he fell over the animal droppings. When he finally got to his feet he sank into the soft mud beside a small mound of dung.
"I am so mighty," the drunken little beetle called out, "that the Earth cannot bear my massive weight!"
As luck would have it, at that moment a bull elephant was making his way to the river for a drink and a bath. The elephant, seeing the foolish beetle stumbling and falling about in the animal droppings, turned aside and took a different path to the river.
When the beetle saw the elephant avoid him he called out, "You coward! Come back and face me. I can see you fear my power. Come back and fight me, you coward!"
The elephant realized the beetle was drunk and decided to teach him a lesson.
"I accept your challenge Mr. Beetle," the elephant said, "and I will choose the weapons of our fight."
So saying the elephant turned, lifted his tail, and covered the beetle in a huge pile of dung.
"You are in your element now, Mr. Beetle, and I claim the victory."
With that the elephant went down to the river, had his drink and bath, and returned to the forest.
Meanwhile, the the drunken beetle struggled under the mound of dung.
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