Bhai Bidhi Chand - Horse Thief for the Guru

Dadi: "Beta Guddu, have you ever seen an elephant?"

Guddu: "Yes, Dadi! At the zoo. They're so big and powerful!"

Dadi: "Imagine a war elephant, beta - armored with iron plates all over its body, a sword attached to its trunk, and drunk on alcohol to make it fearless and violent. Could you stand in its way?"

Guddu: "Never! That would be suicide!"

Dadi: "Yet one Sikh warrior did exactly that - with nothing but a spear. His name was Bhai Bachittar Singh, and he became known as the Elephant Slayer."

Guddu: "Tell me what happened!"

Dadi: "The year was 1700. Guru Gobind Singh and his Sikhs were defending Lohgarh Fort in Anandpur against a massive army. For three days, the enemy couldn't break through. Their commanders were desperate."

Guddu: "What did they do?"

Dadi: "A minister named Parmanand had a terrible idea. "Get a battle elephant," he said. "Feed it alcohol, cover it in iron armor, and tie a sword to its trunk. Send it to break down the fort gates!""

Guddu: "That sounds terrifying!"

Dadi: "It was! The armored elephant came charging toward the fort around 10 in the morning, trumpeting with rage. The ground shook. The Sikhs inside could see this monster approaching, ready to smash their gates."

Guddu: "Was everyone scared?"

Dadi: "There was a wealthy man called Duni Chand who had been selected to face the elephant. But when the moment came, his courage failed. That very night, he tried to escape by climbing down a rope. The rope broke, and he fell and hurt his leg! Later, a snake bit him and he died - the Sikhs saw this as divine justice for his cowardice."

Guddu: "So who faced the elephant?"

Dadi: "Guru Gobind Singh called Bhai Bachittar Singh forward and placed a special weapon in his hands - the nagani barcha, the snake-headed spear. "You are ready for this," the Guru said."

Guddu: "What made Bhai Bachittar Singh so special?"

Dadi: "He came from an extraordinary family, beta. His uncle had been martyred alongside Guru Tegh Bahadur. His grandfather had cremated that Guru's body. From his family alone, 53 members became martyrs for the Sikh faith!"

Guddu: "That's incredible! So what did he do?"

Dadi: "Instead of waiting behind the gates, Bhai Bachittar Singh ordered them opened! He mounted his horse and charged OUT to meet the elephant, crying "Sat Sri Akal!""

Guddu: "He charged AT the elephant?!"

Dadi: "Yes! Face to face with this armored monster, Bhai Bachittar Singh didn't flinch. He raised his spear, aimed at the elephant's forehead - the one spot not covered by armor - and thrust with all his might!"

Guddu: "Did it work?"

Dadi: "The spear pierced through the iron plates and lodged deep in the elephant's skull. The wounded beast went mad with pain! It threw its rider to the ground, turned around, and stampeded back into the enemy's own forces!"

Guddu: "The elephant attacked its own army?"

Dadi: "Exactly! Chaos erupted. The elephant crushed enemy soldiers in its blind rampage. At the same time, Bhai Bachittar Singh's brother, Bhai Udai Singh, killed the enemy commander Raja Kesari Chand in single combat. The whole enemy army fled in terror!"

Guddu: "One man with a spear defeated an armored elephant!"

Dadi: "And he continued fighting for five more years, beta. He was one of the 40 Sikhs who protected the Guru at Chamkaur. In December 1705, during the evacuation from Anandpur, he was severely wounded blocking enemy reinforcements."

Guddu: "What happened to him?"

Dadi: "He was carried to a friendly fort, near death. The Guru himself came and tended to his wounds, laying Bhai Bachittar Singh on his own bed. When the Guru had to leave, a Muslim girl named Bibi Mumtaaz protected the wounded warrior, hiding him from Mughal soldiers by claiming he was her husband."

Guddu: "Did he survive?"

Dadi: "Sadly, no. His wounds were too severe. He died on December 24, 1705. But Bibi Mumtaaz, moved by his spirit and sacrifice, devoted the rest of her life - 131 more years! - to honoring his memory. She visited his memorial every year until she herself died at age 146!"

Guddu: "That's an amazing story of loyalty!"

Dadi: "His snake-headed spear is still preserved at Takhat Sri Kesgarh Sahib. You can see it even today!"

Guddu: "What does this story teach us, Dadi?"

Dadi: "Beta, we all face "elephants" in life - problems that seem too big to handle, challenges that terrify everyone around us. Most people run away, like Duni Chand. But sometimes, the answer isn't to hide behind walls - it's to charge forward with courage. Bhai Bachittar Singh didn't wait for the elephant to break down his door. He rode out to meet it. In your life, don't let fear make you passive. Sometimes the boldest action is the safest one."

Guddu: "I want to be brave like Bhai Bachittar Singh!"

Dadi: "Then remember, beta - courage isn't the absence of fear. It's doing what must be done despite the fear. Now, shall we say a prayer for all those brave warriors who stood when others ran?"