There was once a peaceful village surrounded by fertile farms and flowing streams. The villagers lived happily until a pack of hyenas began attacking their livestock at night.

At first, the hyenas stole a few goats. The frightened villagers gathered and decided to leave meat at the edge of the forest in exchange for peace. The hyenas took the meat and disappeared for a while. The villagers celebrated, believing they had found a solution.

But a few weeks later, the hyenas returned. This time, they took more goats. Again, the villagers offered meat to stop the attacks. Once more, the hyenas accepted and retreated.

As time passed, the attacks became more frequent and more daring. The hyenas no longer waited for nightfall. They entered the village in broad daylight. They had learned an important lesson: every attack brought them rewards.

One day, the village elder called a meeting.
“We have been feeding these hyenas for months,” he said. “Have they become satisfied?”
“No,” the villagers replied.
“Have they become fewer?”
“No.”
“Have they become less bold?”
“No. They have become stronger.”

The elder then explained: “Every piece of meat we gave them was not a payment for peace; it was an investment in the next attack. We thought we were buying safety, but we were financing our own suffering.”

The village then changed its strategy. Instead of feeding the hyenas, they strengthened their defenses, organized patrols, secured their farms, and tracked the predators to their den. The task was difficult and risky, but eventually the hyenas lost their power to terrorize the village.

The lesson is simple: when criminals are rewarded for wrongdoing, they are encouraged to repeat it. Negotiating with bandits and paying ransom may save a situation today, but it often creates a bigger crisis tomorrow. A society that continually rewards kidnappers should not be surprised when kidnapping becomes a thriving enterprise.

Bandits, like the hyenas, do not see ransom as a path to peace; they see it as proof that crime pays.