This story is an interesting folk tale from Tamil Nadu that shows how cleverness and presence of mind can save people from danger. It begins late at night with an old man and his wife getting ready for bed after a hard day's work. Suddenly, they hear strange noises and realize that a thief has dug a hole through their wall to enter the house. The burglar hides quietly in the dark, waiting for the couple to fall asleep so that he can find and steal their money.
Instead of panicking or shouting in fear, the old couple acts very calmly. The husband quickly thinks of a smart plan and whispers it to his wife. They pretend to have an ordinary conversation about what they would name their child. The wife suggests that if they have a boy, they will call him Rama. In their village, Rama is also the name of the Kotwal, the local police guard.
The couple then begins practicing how they would call their son in different situations. The husband first calls out softly, "Rama! Rama!" as if the boy were inside the room. Next, his wife asks what he would do if the child were out in the yard, so he calls out the name a little louder. The impatient thief listens closely, wishing the couple would stop their silly chatter and fall asleep. Finally, the wife asks what he would do if the boy were far away in the street. At that moment, the old man shouts "RAMA! RAMA!" at the top of his voice.
Hearing his name called loudly through the night, Kotwal Rama runs to the house at once. He spots the hole in the wall, enters quietly, and catches the thief red-handed. The police officer places the burglar under arrest. Through their intelligence and calm thinking, the old man and his wife protect their home and save themselves from being robbed.