Indigo Coat

The jackal entered the village, a second time.

Last time he was lucky. He had caught a big rooster. He had spied a foolish rooster, who had come out of coop to enjoy fresh in the night. The jackal had snapped his neck in a flash.

But today luck did not favour him. Street dogs had smelled him as he entered the village. They chased him and the jackal had to run for his life. At one place he tripped and fell into huge tub. There was indigo water in the tub.

The dogs could no longer smell the jackal. Once the jackal felt safe, he came out of the tub.

He returned to his den. He lay hidden there for he was ashamed of coming out in the open. He knew everyone would laugh at him. He could not bear being mocked at.

But when hunger became overpowering, he had to come out.

The moment he was out in the open he heard a loud laugh.

The monkey and the bear and the little elephant were laughing loudly.

“I thought you were my friends. Friends never mock each other.”

“We are not laughing at you,” said the monkey.

“We are not mocking you,” said the little elephant.

“We are laughing at your funny indigo coat,” said the bear.

“You think it’s a funny coat? I can only pity you. If only you knew that it is the most expensive coat designed by Zaka Mira Zaprita of Indigo Fa…... But what do rustics know about fashion!” the jackal acted as if he had not felt insulted.

The monkey and the bear and the little elephant looked surprised.

“Rustics? What does that mean?” the monkey asked the bear.

“I think it means someone who is happy even when he is mocked at,” said the elephant and they all laughed.

The jackal couldn’t suppress his laughter.

The jackal and the monkey and the bear and the little elephant, all laughed, as loudly as they could.

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A post for A to Z challenge

Today’s letter I

You may like to read my earlier post here H for Hogwash 

 

Hogwash

“Dadu, What’s the meaning of this word, hogwash?”

“I think it means something which makes no sense.”

“No! My friend was saying that it means a machine in which you can travel to fairyland.”

“Well, what he is said is just hogwash.”

“Why?”

“There is no fairyland and there is no machine in which you can travel to the fairyland.”

“No Dadu, there is a fairyland and my friend has been there, not once but many times. In fact, he has promised that he will take me with him on his next trip.”

“And when is planning to go there?”

“He said hogwash needs some repairs; it got damaged during his last trip. But he can’t find a good car-mechanic to carry out the repairs.”

“Is hogwash a car?”

“I don’t know, I haven’t seen it. He doesn’t let anyone see it. He keeps it locked in his cupboard.”

“How tall is your friend?”

“Very tall, taller than me.”

“And the vehicle in which he travels to fairyland is kept locked in a cupboard. Strange!”

“I asked him once. He said that it wasn’t very big and it can be kept in the cupboard.”

“How does a boy, taller than you, manage to sit in a such a small machine?”

“Dadu, I think you are right. He must be making a fool of me. Yes, hogwash means something that makes no sense.”

“You see.”

“But, Dadu, there is a fairyland, no?”

“Perhaps there is…. Let me share a secret with you. When I was a kid like you, I too loved fairies and I always wanted to go there and play with them.”

“I too love fairies. I wish I could see a fairy.”

“Turn back and you can see one right now.”

The boy turned quickly. His sister was crawling in. She was beaming with joy; she had just learned how to crawl.

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A post for A to Z challenge

Today’s letter H

You may like to read my earlier post  here G for Ghost in the Well

 

 

 

Ghost in the Well

“Dadu, I saw a ghost.”

“When? Where?”

“When I was going to the school, I saw him in the street.

“And how do know that he was a ghost?”

“He told me that he was a ghost, yes. And he looked like a ghost. He had very long arms and very long legs. His hands almost touched his feet. And his face was like that of a very old woman, full of wrinkles.”

“He must be a funny ghost?”

“No, he is a sad ghost. He lives in a well. But he is not happy living there. He said he would like to move to the banyan tree that’s behind the Hanuman Temple. But a nasty monkey would not let him live there.”

“He told you so?”

“Yes, and he wanted my help. He said that if I gave him my fruits and sandwiches that would be very kind of me. He would give those things to that nasty monkey and the monkey would let him stay on banyan tree.” 

“And you must have helped him?”

“Of course, I had to.”

At that moment the boy’s mother came in. She was holding his school empty lunch box. She appeared very happy, “Wonderful! Today you finished everything! I am so happy!” She gave him motherly hug, “Good boy!”

The boy looked at his grandpa and smiled mischievously.

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A post for A to Z challenge

Today’s letter G

You may like to read my earlier post  here F for Fortune-tellor

 

Fortune-teller

The monkey was the fortune-teller. But no one believed him. They rather made fun of him.

The bear was his true friend. “I know they make fun of you. They think that no one can tell the future. But I know you can. Why don’t you predict the future of our beloved king?”

“No, I can’t do that.”

“Why?”

“If I tell him that on full-moon night he will be captured by two-legged animals, he will kill me.”

“Are you certain? I hope you are not making a mistake?”

“No, I am certain.”

“Then I think I we should surely meet the lion.”

They went to the lion’s den. He was sleeping soundly; after many days he had eaten a hearty meal.

They were scared to disturb him in his sleep; they waited for him to woke up.

Suddenly one elephant came that way and trumpeted. The lion woke up with a start.

He looked at the elephant and he got up moved away. The bear and the monkey approached him timidly.

The bear said, “Sir, I think some men are coming to the forest to capture some of us.”

“How do know?”

“My friend, this monkey, is a fortune-teller. He is certain that on the full-moon night some men will come and lay traps. Some of us may get trapped.”

“No one can come to our forest. And if anyone dares to come, I will tear him apart.”

“That you can do, no doubt. But I think it would be wiser if we took some precautions.”

“Well, that makes sense. Warn everyone, everyone must remain alert on the full-moon night.”

On the full-moon night some men entered the forest silently, like ghosts. They laid traps at many places. The monkey was sitting near the lion. He whispered, “Sir, do you see those men? I had foretold that people will come to capture you…..”

The lion glared at the monkey. He looked fearsome. The monkey fell silent

Not one animal got trapped. They were all alert and watchful.

In the morning everyone thanked the monkey.

“You are truly a good fortune-teller,” the lion patted the monkey.

The monkey was very happy. He knew that his reputation as a good fortune-teller had finally been established.

As the monkey entered his home, he was taken aback. A distant cousin was lying on his bed. The cousin smiled, “You must be feeling great, my fake fortune-teller?”

The monkey looked angrily at his cousin.

“If I had not heard those men talking about their plan to trap the lion and if I had not shared that information with you, what could you have done, my dear cousin?” the cousin asked.

The fortune-teller monkey was speechless.

 

 

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A post for A to Z challenge

Today’s letter F

You may like to read my earlier post   E for Elephant in the Room

 

Elephant in the Room

“Ma, there’s an elephant in my room,” the boy screamed.

His mother was busy making breakfast for everyone. She just ignored the boy.

“Maaaaaaa!”

“Ask your grandpa to push him out of your room,” mother responded, nonchalantly.

“Dadu has ……. Dadu is not in his room,” the boy shouted. He was now in the kitchen.

“Where has he gone?”

“How would I know? I am not a magician.”

“Don’t pester me. Ask your papa. He must be aware. Dadu always keeps him informed. Now, let me finish my cooking.”

The boy was nervous. He knew that grandpa had vanished. Behind a closed door, he had tried all kinds of magic words but nothing had worked. The grandpa had not come back from wherever he was.

He quietly went into his room, closed the door, and took out his magic wand.

There was a knock at the door.

“Tinki, open the door.”

The boy jumped in surprise; it was his grandfather.

He quickly opened the door.

“Your Ma is saying that there is an elephant in your room. Do you mean that blue elephant I got for you? It’s just a stuffed toy.”

“How did you come back? You had vani….”

“Let it remain a secret between us. But don’t ever use that magic wand again.”

Before the boy could say anything, he was startled by a strange sound. The stuffed blue elephant was trumpeting majestically.

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A post for A to Z challenge

Today’s letter E

You may like to read my earlier post   D for Duck and Ducklings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Duck and Ducklings

One beautiful duck had five little ducklings

They couldn’t fly but they had wings

 

Duck was hungry, into a pond she jumped

Ducklings were hungry but scared to jump

 

They waddled and waddled around the pond

They quacked and quacked looking at the mom

 

One brave duckling jumped into the water

Four on the bank screamed in horror

 

They looked fearfully from one to other

Quack, quack and they pushed each other

 

One fell in the pond and let out a cry

Others looked down but wouldn’t try

 

But a big dog came running from nowhere

Three little ducklings sprinted like a hare

 

They fell in the pond and let out a yell

Mama duck smiled, “All is well-all is well”.

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A post for A to Z challenge

Today’s letter D

You may like to read my earlier post   C for Chattering Cat

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

C for Chattering Cat

“An irrational number is a number which cannot be expressed in the form p/q where p and q are two integers and…………”

The boy had stopped listening. ‘Why can’t he explain in simple language,’ he thought.

He looked through the window pane. The playground was empty. Not even a bird was there.

Then he saw a cat.

The cat was playing with a stick. No, it wasn’t a stick. It was his magic wand that the bandicoot had stolen from him.

The boy took permission from the teacher to go to the washroom.

The teacher gave him a dirty look and nodded.

He ran towards the playground. He saw the cat. She growled at him.

“Why did you leave the class?” the cat asked. “You will never understand what irrational numbers are. Go back to your class.”

“I hate mathematics. Who gave you my magic wand? Where is that thief, that bandicoot? Give me my magic wand.”

“I hate to tell you that bandicoot was no good. Your grandfather had asked him to bring something from your home. But that rascal just wanted to get hold of this magic wand so that he could turn every cat into a butterfly. I told him that only silkworms turn into butterflies.  But he would not listen. I had to teach him a lesson. But why do you hate mathematics?”

“Stop! Not one more word about mathematics, you chatterbox,” the boy almost screamed.

“How dare you insult me! You are a foolish boy who does not even know the difference between an ordinary pencil and a magic wand. What did you do with your grandfather? Did you turn him into a flower pot? Or a white pigeon?” The cat said, pointing towards a white pigeon that had just landed near the boy.

The boy was taken aback.

“I think I will punish you. Only if I knew the magic word. What is the magic word?” asked the cat.

The boy did not tell the magic word.  

A squirrel came running. The cat dropped the magic wand and ran after the squirrel.

The boy grabbed his magic wand and ran back to the classroom.

When he reached home, he quietly peeped into the grandfather’s room.

He was not there. But he was surprised to see the chattering cat in the room; she was sleeping on the grandfather’s bed.

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A post for A to Z Challenge

Today’s letter C

You may like to read my earlier post B for Bandicoot.