IX
THE FIRST DANCE
Everything was whispering secretly, everyone was preparing feverishly The flowers pleaded with the butterflies to stop bruising their petals flitting in and out and taking away their pollen; the grass scolded the hoofs that trampled on them unthinkingly; the birds fluttered in and out of the lakes ripples shaking themselves, laughing and twittering, brightening up their plumes; all the more merrier when the huge elephant good-naturedly sucked up water in his trunk and sprayed them playfully. The water buffalos waded deeper into the pool and snorted at the hippopotamus that scanned them carelessly through its tiny eyes and let out an answering snort of disdain. The jackal volunteered to let off a wild wail even though it was daylight , hoping it sounded like a whoop of joy!
Everybody and everything was getting ready for the music and the dance in memory of the day, when the forest was saved from the wild fire. Everybody, except, of course, the gloomy wild cats, the slithering snakes, the snarling lioness, their lions and their broods, and, of course, the wicked gleaming -eyed panther. They watched from their special lairs, grouse and dampened in spirit. They did not dare go near for they knew the elephant would dash them to pieces against the rocks. The far away forest was happy and relaxed. It could now flap the branches of its trees and not be worried and anxious about the animals, the birds, the flowers and the streams under its care. As if by common understanding the elephants were now the caretakers, at least for that night, the night when several years ago there was a wild forest fire, and it was the elephants that had saved the forest.
It was those several years ago, when a careless man built a fire to cook a poor dead rabbit to eat. That careless man had forgotten to stamp out the fire. A little breeze also carelessly blew the sparks into the dried bushes on the edge of the forest and soon there was a fire, small in the beginning, but crackling and blazing as it swept wickedly into the forest trees. It was the elephant and his friends who saved the forest.
At first there was a stampede, everything and everybody was running wild, helter skelter. Nobody knew what to do; till finally the mighty elephant raised a tremendous trumpeting, and called all the frightened animals together, except the animal eating animals, the lions, the tigers, the black cats and the panther that ran as fast as they could to the top of the mountains to save themselves. The old elephant quickly ordered the frightened animals to create an open space in the long savannah grass to make a fire break.
He organized the giraffe, the deer, the wilder-beasts and any animal that could chew, to break as quickly as they could the tall grass and leave it there, while the elephants loaded the grass on the backs of any swift animal like the deer, the zebra and wilder-beast to carry the grass to the between his horns to the edge of the clearing. It was really a sight, a magnificent sight, to see them all organized and fleet-footed and soon there was an open space; so that when the flames reached the open space, grumbling and protesting, and all the animals cheered and laughed and clattered their hoofs, and the birds who had carried bits of grass during the cutting and collecting, so as to put in their own little bit, chattered and chirped; and the far away forest, though damaged and pained, smiled wearily through its remaining trees and bushes while there was much dancing and joy.
So this day was remembered every year. Even the rhino that carried the grass also danced and whooped that night. The master of ceremonies was, of course, the mighty old elephant.
And when the fiery sun got all rosy and dreamy, ready to retire and just before he met and parted from the moon, the music began. At first, the elephant with his elephants all standing in a ring around the clearing in the forest gave long mighty trumpet upon trumpet, one dissolving into another, till the whole forest shook to the 8sound with glee — “trump trump,. trump.. trump.. trumpety trump”, and then all the rivers and their streams gurgled together “gurgle -gurgle splash splash”, after which the rhino, the hippo and the water buffalo went ‘snort, snorty -snorty hup”, and then the fox, the hyenas, the rabbits and the mice went “squeal scream, squeal scream”, and the birds went “chatter -chatter chirp cheep, chatter- chatter chirp cheep”; with the grand finale of the clatter of the hoofs of the deer and the zebra.
This was what Nayantara and her little friend liked the best. They had practiced for so many days to the exact heat and rhythm “tap, tap, tappity tap tip tip, rhum rhum tappity dham.
So you can imagine the excitement and the quiet of the other listening animals, birds and flowers, the trees were still. There — they were only supposed to come in at the end with a soft “swoosh rhyrr rhyrr rhyrr wham wham” — it had to be soft otherwise they would have blown things around; and so went the music “trump trump, trump, trump, trumpety trump”: “gurgle gurle splash splash”, “snort snorty snorty hup”: “squeal scream, squeal scream”: “chatter chatter chirp cheep, chatter chatter chirp cheep”: “tap tap tapity tap, tip, tip, rhum rhum tapity, dham”: and a “rhyrr rhyrr, wham, swoosh”.
It sounded delightful. The sounds were repeated over and over again one after another beginning with the elephant ending with trees, again with the elephants and ending with the trees; around and around went the sounds, making the most unusual music, yes it was music, so much so that even the evil animals on the top listened in a mellowed fashion, feeling very kindly to the animals they otherwise would have liked to have eaten. The music rose to the heavens, the evening star smiled brightly, the sun sank with a brighter blush in appreciation of the music, while the gentle moon, sprayed the clearing with silver rays. Finally, the sounds stopped with a mighty trumpet from the old elephant and then began the delightful finale — the dance of the deer.”
There was a hush, the deer gathered into a circle, softly and delicately in the middle, each with a strong vine in his or her teeth one end knotted at the top of a pole placed in the middle. Yes, you can guess: the may pole dance (some say that’s how beings learned about!) and the dance began to a delightful rhythm of trumpets, soft loud, baritone saprono, hollow, full, low, high, all in unison like the notes in a music book.
Trump trump — poo poo — bomb da bomb hump hump trumppo blow blow da blow. The deer weaved in and out to the notes, stopping, bowing their horns, stepping aside lightly, circling each other, weaving in and out, the vine held tightly in their teeth, till the vines formed a tighter and tighter pattern. Nayantara who was one of them was so excited and delighted, fearful she might miss a step but happy and amazed that she knew what to do after what.
Finally, the deer were so close to the pole that they were not getting their horns entwined. So with a blast the trumpet stopped, the deer let go the vines, and lo and behold: a pretty patterned May Pole stood in the centre. Everyone clapped, that is as best as they could, the horned animals stamped their feet, the scampering ones clapped their claws, the birds tweaked each other’s beaks, the frog croaked specially loud. Nayantara smiled at him as he was her first acquaintance. The squirrel tapped his claws. Nayantara was his friend. The little wilder-beast with whom Nayantara had shared her grass stamped her little hoofs. Nayantara was her friend. Even the woodpecker who was not so friendly, tapped the bark as loud as he could.
There was a hush and silence now. Everyone knew what was to happen. Every year after the music and the dancing, the wise old elephant would have a conferring with the far away forest for a few minutes, and then with a loud harump and a trump, he would announce the bestest of dancers. The bestest deer would be presented with a grass cake of the juiciest and most prized grass, a layer cake of green grass of all colours of green, and a garland of flowers draped around the horns by the old elephant himself.
The conferring began and stopped with several flappy nods from the elephant. He raised his trump and gave a loud bellow. There was a hush, and Nayantara couldn’t believe her ears. She heard words as if from far away.. “Nayantara the bestest of the best .. honour to present… cake and this garland.” She was so surprised, and gave a start when she was nudged gently forward by her mother.
The moon who called her Tara shone brightly… the air waved around her gently, swooshed by the trees… the bright eyes of the animals gleamed around her, as she stepped forward to receive the prize amidst much chattering and gurgling and swooshing and snorting and tip tapping. The garland was around her horns, the huge grass cake in front of her. This was a moment to be treasured always. It would not probably come again, but it had come at least this once; and for that she was grateful.
So with eyes shining with unshed tears of joy, Nayantara looked around and treasured the scene the night and the moon, the stars and her friends and said softly: “Thank you, Oh, thank you”, she thought how delightful it would be to share the prize with all the deer around, who worked so hard and so happily to make this another years for the dance of the deer.
* * *
X
THE FIRST MUSIC SESSION
The forest was feeling lazy, so it told all its trees to hush themselves to sleep, as he was tired after his morning work of settling little disputes between the badgers that built little holes along the water’ edge and the rabbits that were a little further away and wanted their rabbit holes to exclusively be theirs. The badgers to tease them would scurry into the rabbit holes when the rabbits were away finding their patches of dandelions which was their favorite, and mischievously scurried back into their water holes when they heard the rabbits coming back, They perked up their little pointed ears, looked this side and that with little darting movements and scurried back into their own holes. Then there was the oak tree that said that the poplar was stretching its branches too tall, and this they went on all morning. Now with the plea of the forest, there was a hush hush among the trees and a sweet lullaby was sent up to the afternoon air by the madgril with its sweet tempered notes in a musical fashion.
The far away forest woke up with a start as the sun said he was tired also and wanted to get into the cosines of the night. He would tell the grandfather her elephant to hold a music session and they would listen to the music of the birds who would wish to enter into the competition. The far away forest did not want to be entertained.
Before the meeting, the keekar tree in whose branches lived the cuckoo and the banyan tree in whose branches lived the gentle dove, and the tree in whose trunk the woodpecker had made a painful hole, whispered to these birds that, all musical birds were holding a special meeting .. The cuckoo and the dove decided to go because they felt it was their duty to do so. The woodpecker decided to go because he felt that the meeting would be incomplete without his presence. So the woodpecker spruced himself up with his beak and strutted up and down the lakeside, peering in to see if he was looking his best.
When night fell, he was the first among the birds to alight on the best silver-leafed branch of the peepal tree. He took care to see that he was sitting on the most brightly lit spot, and the moon shone more brightly, and laughed quietly for he knew of the plan that was to unfold. The gentle creatures tripped in one by one, laughing and chattering. And when the elephant was near, he trumpeted with his trunk raised high, to warn the little creatures that he was coming, and to move out of his path, so that he would not stamp upon them unknowingly in the dark.
“Meeting will now come to order, but…’, he added, “before we come to the business part, Nayantara has arranged a little surprise musical evening, and so we shall be entertained first.”
Nayantara who was sitting among the deer and listening in a half-hearted manner, because she was looking at the vain woodpecker, and remembering sadly about its rude behaviour, was quite startled to hear her name being called. She shifted herself to a standing position very quickly and stammered:
“I had no idea, Mr. President… really….” She broke off confused.
“That’s all right, Nayantara”, said the kindly elephant, “a surprise is meant to be pleasant, so let us hear these musical creatures. Are they here…?”
“Yes, sir,” said the woodpecker, promptly preening his feathers, “I am.”
“And who are the others”, asked the elephant.
When Nayantara heard the vain woodpecker, still thinking too much of himself, she said boldly: “Well, sir, the cuckoo and the dove are also taking part. And if I might be bold enough to say so”, she said gathering courage, “I would like the audience of the gentle creatures to judge who is the best.”
“Certainly, certainly,” answered the elephant, “it will be done, for these birds certainly cannot judge their own performance.”
And so the forest stood quietly to listen, while the audience settled itself comfortably. The dove and the cuckoo felt shy and timid, while the woodpecker looked around with great contempt. The moon washed the gentle faces with long silvery strokes, playing with the leaves and their inky shadows. And so it happened that the dove and the cuckoo were filled with stage fright, and decided to finish with their part quickly. But when they sang separately and together — the audience listened with delight, and felt a kindness for all creatures, good and bad, springing up within them. The songs so gentle and clear brought pleasant thoughts and banished the unpleasant, so much so that even the tiger and the lion and the snake, stirred guiltily in their sleep, and awoke feeling very uneasy, when these silvery notes reached their ears.
After it was over, the audience, the moon and the night, were so spell-bound that for a few moments there was an awed silence, and then applause filled the breeze that carried it to all parts of the forest. The elephant clapped the earth, with his trunk, the rabbit danced with the squirrel, the frog laughed at the fish, which hung entranced by the water’s edge and the peacock pranced in glee. Then the sounds died down as the elephant nodded at the woodpecker to begin his song.
The woodpecker cleared his throat, gave the audience a confident nod, lifted his beak, and tapped it into the peepal tree – tick… ticks… tick. The tree howled in his branches, the elephant looked dismayed, the audience shifted uneasily, and the crow hid his head in his wings. At last the giraffe could stand it no longer, so lifting up his long neck, he took the woodpecker off his perch, gently with his teeth, and placed him on the ground. The cat called boo, and the zebra threw slimy mud, and the audience laughed at the unmusical sounds of the woodpecker.
The president thumped on the ground to call the meeting to order. The woodpecker certainly looked sorry for himself, his feathers were upset, his eyes downcast, and he wished he could fly away, if only he were allowed to.
“Well,” said the president, “speaking for myself , this is the silliest and stupidest bird I have ever seen, to dare to compete with the cuckoo and the dove. He will be banished from the friendship of other birds — away with you. Nayantara, see that he is off at once.”
But the woodpecker did not want to face Nayantara for all the rude things he had said to her.. It was enough that he had learnt his lesson, and so he flew away as fast as his wings could carry him. And from then on he was a lonely little bird, pecking away monotonously at wood trunks, wishing he had not been so proud because now he was so alone.
But, still in that far away forest, Nayantara stood watching him quietly, and hoping that one day he would feel sorry enough to take the first step towards admitting his folly. For she knew that to feel sorry was not enough. He had still to show it in actions that were humble.
XI
THE FIRST MIGRATION
The animals were getting ready for the great migration.This happened once in a year. When was the time? When certain things happened, that was the time; for to animals in the forest there was no such thing as a time; a time to do this and a time to do that, unlike human beings who did things according to hours, minutes and seconds.
When it rained, the grass grew longer; when the sun shone fiercely, when it rose and went to sleep, almost endlessly with no clouds in the sky, and no rain, then the river-beds would dry, and there was not enough grass to eat, and not enough water to drink. Then only had the animals to move in groups to look for grass and water.
Across the dusty flat lands they moved, the zebras, the wilder beasts, the deer and even the sly hyenas, trailing behind them, hoping that some of them would not be able to make it, so they could feed on those who could not survive the great passage.
One morning when the sun rose and shone, grandfather deer who was the leader of all the deer, called the elders of the families, and told them that the great forest had called all the leaders of the migrating animals to the largest spreading peepal tree, and through it spoke of the great route they would take across the wide plaints to beyond the mountain passes where fresh green pastures lay. The time when they would begin the great trek would be at the next sunrise.
He advised the mothers and fathers to get their families together, and to instruct them to stay close, especially during the nights for two full moons, at the end of which they would reach the green fields and stay for another six full moons, before returning.
All was excitement in each group of migrating animals: the wilder beast, the zebras, the deer, and others. The wild buffaloes who had joined them promised the great forest that they would not cause a stampede, for their great fleeing bodies would crush the others underfoot. They were friends, these different animals hobnobbing with each other, helping each other. So it was a great sight, the next sunrise to see them all ready, some licking their hoofs impatient to be gone, others sharpening their horns against tree trunks preparing for the unseen enemy. Mothers and fathers were anxious nudging their little ones to be close to them.
All were happy about the adventure that was about to begin. Only the great forest was not happy. Although when they were all there with him, there were some difficult problems he had to solve from time to time, and although often he would sigh tiredly through the leaves, not being able to solve some of them successfully, he would miss them. The great forest would be quiet without them.
The trees would be still, and those animals like the elephant, and the giraffes who did not migrate, would call plaintively now and again. Some birds migrated in a clever fashion, they would fly a while and then rest on the backs of the animals, almost, but not quite like a free ride.
However, it would not do for the great old forest to show his sorrow. Soon they would come back, as they did every year, after the full six moons, when the arms of the trees would be covered with fresh leaves, and the waterbeds full with gushing water, and the sides of the hill clumps trickling with shiny silver lines of water. So the old forest put up a brave front, and with a wave of his branches he flagged them on.
What a whooping and a thumping and a squealing there was, as with a wind of dust trailing behind them, the animals bounded onto the great plains, on their northern trek.
Nayantara, her great eyes shining with excitement, huddled close to her parents who huddled close to the other animals, as their hoofs sped lightly and swiftly. For Nayantara here was another great adventure. She was sure it would be quite unlike the adventure she had with the eagle up on the mountains. But, an adventure of another kind it was certainly bound to be.
Tthe great plains were different from the great forest, to which the animals were so used to. Here were the great stretches of stubbly grass, in most places brown, but with hardly any trees, just clumps of acacia with twisted arms, and browning leaves.
The plains stretched right up to the edge of the great valley where the deep river flowed eternally. It never got really very dry, and there was plenty of grass all along its two banks. That was their destination, and towards it the animals went, traveling during the day and resting at night. During the day there was not much fear, the lions and the hyenas stayed away, but nights were always watchful, as the glowing eyes of the animals appointed to watch by turns, kept looking around, with perked up ears and dilating nostrils for the sound and the scent of the dreaded devourers. They knew that however watchful they would be, some of them would be pounced upon and dragged away, especially those who were along the edges of the group or had accidentally strayed away.
Nayantara tried not to stray away, but she had a little secret this little Nayantara. She was in love.. in love with a very handsome young deer, who had grown up with her. In the past few moons, he used to come up to her, and nudge her with his wet nose gently, whisk his tail against her, and lock horns with her playfully. When no other deer was near, he would whisper nice things into her ear… While listening to him she would paw the earth with her hoof, and toss her horns, and did all kinds of things to show that she was not unwilling, but would take her time.
On the slightest pretext, this handsome young deer who liked her very much, found every occasion to be near her. They bounded across the plain together, or stood still whisking their tails, while they nibbled the short tufted grass. At one point the young deer even dared to ask her to nibble at grass which he held up to her between his strong teeth. Nayantara, so shy ordinarily made bold to take the grass from his teeth and nibble with him. This way they could look deep into the pools of each other’s eyes, and speak of love through them.
Nayantara’s fancy for the young deer did not go unnoticed by the deer herd. There was much humorous whisperings and sly nudges and twinkling eyes among them. The elders looked upon them tolerantly, for this was how courtship went on among them; and did they not know. They did the same in their younger days
So along the plains traveled the animals, stopping at water holes, nibbling at grass, before they moved on again. Even though he was said to take a long time before making a decision, the leader of the deer, a fine strong big stag, with curled long horns, know exactly what path to take, when to stop and when to go on. He sniffed at the air, pawed the ground, trotted up to the herds of the water buffalos, the zebras, the wildebeest and conferred with them, bobbing his horns this way and that.
When he was fully satisfied that the air in a certain direction carried a damp whiff, which meant water, and every important also, no scent of the dreaded lions, he would nod his magnificent horns to the rest, and set off at a brisk trot, and the follow on began. There was no thunderous hoofs like the buffalos, who followed, but a gentle whispering pad.. pad.
Nayantara managed to be close to her beloved deer, so that with the rush of the breeze, sweet whisperings also flew into her ears, which twitched and perked up.
Every evening the herds found resting places under acacia tree groves, none dared go near the water holes, because that was where the dreaded lions crouched and peered through the reeds, or so Nayantara was told.
Nayantara, as every deer knew was her father’s pet. Of course, she had many sisters and brothers, but somehow, may be because her eyes were so wistful than the others, he rather preferred her as his favorite child. When he was resting in the late evenings, and just as the sun disappeared behind the horizon, he would call her to his side. She would come trotting shyly, and gently scratch his back, very much the way in the olden days, human children pressed the legs of the elders. Nayantara used her little horns to scratch his back. His skin would ripple under the lines she drew, and he would nod with satisfaction, for it did spruce him up quite a bit.
rOne evening when Nayantara came to him, he turned his wise eyes on her and said, “My child, what ails you these days, you are so absent minded.” Nayantara flushed the way the deers do, and putting her head down gave her attention to the soft lines she drew on his back and said nothing, for you know and I know that Nayantara was indeed a shy little deer.
Now, there was a group of crows which traveled with the animals. They loved sitting on their backs, pecking off little fleas or sand-flies, that sat all over the animals and created an itchy nuisance. The animals were grateful to the crows, for then they could stop switching their tails at least for some time to ward off these bothersome flies.
They were a cheeky group, these crows.. They were also resting in the branches of the acacia trees, and were looking around for any juicy bit of gossip to caw on for their nightly meeting. One perky little crow hopped off the branch, and sat on the back of one of the deer, saying cockily…” Oh! Don’t you know… Nayantara is in love. ..”
As soon as Nayantara’s father heard these words, he gazed harder and longer at Nayantara’s bowed head, and smiled, that is his long lips grew longer over his sharp teeth, and he asked, “Nayantara.. is this true Nayantara.. answer me.. Nayantara, and Nayantara reluctantly lifter her bowed head, and because she could not tell a lie or pretend she nodded her head.
At once the crows all cawed simultaneously, the other half resting lifted their heads, the zebras sat up thinking that this was a signal that the dreaded animals were near, but then with sighs of relief they settled down again, while the crows flew up and down cawing.” Nayantara is in love.. Yes she is.. is Nayantara.. Good for her… and the one she loves…”
The crows flapped their wings and jumped up and down saying, “Caw.. Caw.. croak caw… caw… croak..” They knew Nayantara, and loved her, but they loved all the more to tease her, she was so gentle and teas able. The young deer who also listened and understood, thought that this was the time to speak up boldly to Nayantara’s father, so he got up from the edge of the herd, and trying to put on a brave face, the approached Nayantara’s father. “Sir,” he said looking straight into the father’s face, “I wish to marry Nayantara.”
Nayantara’s father got up slowly, and walked right around the young deer, looking at him carefully up and down, while all the other deer watched with curious amusement. “Hm”, said the father thoughtfully, looking at the young deer’s long tails, which was so still. “Ha.. ha,” he said looking at the young deer’s hind legs. “I do declare, you have strong legs.”
Then he went around and looked close into the eyes of the fearless deer. The young deer not to be outdone stared back, fearlessly, without twitching an eyelid.
The father deer said, “Young man, you are much too young… I’d say you should wait a season or two..”
The young deer dropped his eyelids in disappointment, and said nothing, but trotted back to his corner, head downcast and sad.
Nayantara stood still for a while and then went and cuddled up close to her mother for comfort. Everyone looked away from the father, who thought he had shown who was master of the situation. But no one nodded in agreement, no one shook their horns. There was silence. And soon the night was silent too, as everyone thought his or her thoughts and dropped off to sleep, but four did not.. the two deer who were kept on watch.. and you can guess who the other two were….
The morning star shone brightly. Soon it too would fade away from sight as did the night. The morning dew stood upon each acacia branch, and the stillness continued. But it was an ominous stillness. The fireflies withdrew to the clumps of the prickly pear bushes, and the crows stirred uneasily. Even the slight morning breeze hushed its rise, and the far way forest which was far away and lonely without its animals, shuddered in its sleep.
Slowly and stealthily two long biscuit colored bodies stood up on top of the hill rising against the shrinking moon. Then with a roar they leapt off the rock straight into the resting animals, so clever were they to avoid leaving their scent on the direction of the night air where the two watching deer were keeping guard. In that split second between waking and moving the deer knew what was gong to happen and at once there was a pandemonium, a squeaking and a roaring, as the two lionesses straightened up, and with gigantic paws slammed themselves against the deer nearest to them in the crowd. But the crowd did not last for a second, so swift they were to act when in danger. Fleet-footed, they scampered away in long strides to form an ever moving circle closer and closer, so that the lionesses while striking out, were not able to clutch onto any one firmly.
In all this flurry, a noise that was distant at first, but was growing louder every second, was at first not heard by the deer ,so scared were they. and so desperate were they to protect themselves.
The noise was not heard, neither by the pursuer the lioness… nor by the pursued, the deer. It was fortunate that this was happening. Very fortunate for the deer.. in fact. In the seconds while the lionesses were trying to gain an entry into the circle of moving der, the noise grew into a heavy thudding… it was a stampede.. a stampede of elephants.. who padded noiselessly, for their leader had forbidden them to trumpet, until he gave the signal. And within about five hundred yards away, he gave the signal.
Big and small elephants came trumpeting into the path of the struggling animals. The elephant leader raised his trunk, and slashed right and left as he trotted forward, so did the followers, knowing that this was the only way to frighten the lionesses. These evils animals were not their friends. On the contrary, the gentle deer were their friends, and they would know that the elephants had come to rescue them. And true enough, in the flash of an eye, the two evil snarling beasts slunk away, their tails between their hind legs and what was left was a bewildered group of huddled frightened deer. Some were still lying prone on the ground, pushed down by the milling of deer hoofs, others were trying to bound back.
All looked gratefully at the elephant herd, who now stopped short at one long trumpet call of their leader. He stood mildly swishing his trunk and flapping his big ears, as if to say… “Tut.. tut… you should have been more alert you know… Where are your ears if not turned up to danger. Where is you nose if not in the direction of smell of those dreaded animals who would only tear you apart?
The leader of the deer came up to the old elephant, who went down on one knee to hear what the deer leader had to say. What was said was never known, perhaps… “a sorry.. a you were right… but most certainly a grateful thank you. The leader elephant rose, turned his head and trumpeted loudly, and with an about turn, they ambled off into the direction of the valley over the rocky hill. The deer leader looked about anxiously to see if everything was alright.
But it was not. One deer had been badly mauled and had already closed his eyes, stretched still. In another corner was Nayantara’s mother with her leg oddly twisted under her. Nayantara friend who loved her, was crouched over her trying to lick her wounded leg. Nayantara’s father said to he leader deer, “She would have been dead if this young deer,” he repeated, “had not thrown himself over her during the stampede, and I do not doubt that he is also hurt on his shoulders.”
Nayantara’s eyes turned wide with concern, and she made a step towards him, but remembered yesterday and the stern words her father had used with the young deer. Her father went on to say kindly. This young deer has been very brave and no doubt should be rewarded, but first we need to attend to Nayantara’s mother…”
The crows flew hither and thither, and brought along strong lengths of grass. Some strong stags organized themselves to drag four logs, and with their teeth criss -crossed the lengths of grass into a strong web. Some wise deer who knew which grass was healing, searched for them and chewed them into moist bits to spread over the wounded leg. Nayantara’s mother was made to eat some pain-killing weeds, and she felt more comfortable.
Then began the big task of getting her onto the make-shift bed, strapping it to two steady young deer, who had practiced to trot side by side in step as if in a circus. For travel further they had to, in search of precious water holes, since the one at which they had stopped had almost dried up, and they had to get to the next one very soon.
To get Nayantara’s mother onto the bed, four buffaloes with long strong horns, dug through the ground under the mother deer, very gently so that she would not be hurt. When their horns touched each other under her, they snorted one, two, three… and lifted her onto the bed. With their teeth, two most skillful deer wound the bed around the middle of the trotting rehearsed deer who knelt beside the bed, and with another… one… two… three.. they stood up with the bed between them, and off they went at a slow pace, resting in between carefully so as not to jolt the mother deer.
On the third day, they sighted the valley of the great river, and there was a loud thumping of hoofs, and a great babble of sound from all the animals, as they hooted, grunted, squealed and whooped with great joy. So excited was the mother deer, that when she was placed down gently, she rolled off the bed and stood up shakily to the great joy of Nayantara’s father, sisters and brothers and of course Nayantara herself.
The joy of the animals knew no bounds. They frolicked and pranced and shinnied against each other, pawing and nibbling the ears of friends, and locking and unlocking horns playfully. In a few days, rested and exercised, the mother deer could hobble along, but a little less each day.
There was a stunned silence for a moment, but not for long. There was such a resounding cheer, and such a pattering and pounding of hoofs, that even the far away forest could feel it in his roots, and knew that something good was happening to his precious animals. What a gathering there was around the young couple, who were shy and embarrassed at so many good wishes spoken in so many different noises, could only look down at the ground shyly, and yes look into each other’s eyes…. shyly.
Soon night had fallen and the winds were rushing back from the far away forest… They had carried the good news of Nayantara’s wedding, and the good far away forest through its whistling trees, linked one to another carried the good news. He longed to be there. The winds swished into the herds, saying, “the old forest misses you, and wishes you well and back soon, and as a wedding present we are going to bring you fresh cool rain, and to the far way forest too, so that when you return, the earth and the air, will greet you with cool fragrant embraces…”
The moon came out eagerly in the evening, and said, “I could hardly wait Nayantara to tell you how happy I am! The Tara in your eyes shall sine more brightly now. But I wish to be present at your wedding, so let it be in the early morning before I go back to sleep, and also at the time when the rosy sun will greet you in the mist. I’ve already spoken with him through my ray messages. He asked me to tell you about the time as he is also anxious to be present. Say yes, Nayantara…” Nayantara nodded eagerly, for were these not the two heavenly friends who had given her name?
And it came to pass that the moon had all kinds of discussions with the sun through his rays, as to how they would bring light and rays on the wedding ceremony, and the animals were happily busy all night. The cheeky crow got along his gang of squirrels who festooned the branches of the beautiful trees in the valley hollow, with flowers of all kinds and all types. The zebras practiced a chorus dance, the wildebeest said they would play the wedding march with their hoofs, and the buffaloes threatened to bellow in unison, which the moon and the sun both agreed would only irritate the whole valley int eh early hours of the morning.
And so it came to pass that the sky was turning a shade lighter, and the sun could not wait to burst open the day, all shiny and scrubbed, and the moon began to pale into a sleepy shadow, when the ceremonies began.
What a beautiful sight it was. The rosy beams of the sun caught the young couple in the flower bedecked circle. The waning moon silvered the beautiful coat of Nayantara’s skin, and t he air was fresh with the scent of the old forest’s messengers; the breezes, who requested the trees and the leaves to shimmer and dance for the couple. The couple locked horns gently as a symbol of marriage, while the mother and father and brothers and sisters of the bride and groom did a slow step dance around the two in the centre. The clouds stood hushed on the rims of the earth, the wind sighed romantically. And while the singing and dancing was going on in the valley, other things were happening at the same time in the old far away forest. stopped here
The old forest”Ahemed.. Ahemed” from time to time as if to clear his throat, but that was only to hide the tears of joy that threatened to fall down his trees, and drizzling was not in order, certainly not for this day.
The birds began to sing a slow hushing song in the early morning, a twitter here and a twitter there, and yes in between a crow caw a crow caw. And guess who was in time and tune with that crowing and cawing, and cheeky old crow of course. In the old forest, Nayantara’s friends, the frog and the squirrel were so excited that they tried to embrace each other, but could only brush and claw each other. The parrot strutted about, and actually hobnobbed with the proud peacock, who for once was not so proud as they fluttered up and down trees to the unison of the singing birds. Nayantara’s friend, the good eagle, few all the way from the mountain to be with his dear adventurous deer.
As a present, he brought her the finest, shiniest pebble from the mountain top. If Nayantara was a human being she would have gasped at it priceless value, but as an animal she could only admire nature’s beauty caught in the rays. What she and her young husband cherished most was the love and the warmth of understanding in the animal world. True there were sorrows and crises, especially of those wounded and those from whom they were parted forever, but for the time that it existed it was the most beautifully experience for them all this love in harmony.
Select Page below to Continue Reading…
