Hitopadesa

Hitopadesa

Alias Animal farm

Vishnu Sharma narrates…

Once upon a time there was a jungle. There were several animal in the jungle living peacefully amidst conflicts, resolutions, discontentment, gratification, droughts, floods, hunger and indigestion. Among other jungles, this jungle was known to be most civilized. There were citations on the name of jungle that it cherished and flaunted. 

The Jungle was inhabited by lions, tigers, cheetas and also shared by less fierce animals, ruling less evolved forms of life like butterflies, fishes and termites. Butterflies were colorful and there were few unattractive moths, which no one actually bothered.  Fishes were nourished in specified ponds carefully looked after by herds of animals. Fewer animals were allocated to look after termites. 

There were termites all over but only few animals to look after. Termites were very unpopular, because they were everywhere. The animals that looked after termites were considered useless, since they couldn’t contain termite menace. The King Lion also hated termites that were found in his mane. The king frequently used anti termite treatment on the animals looking after the termites, but with no results. Termite control was always high on the agenda of jungle.

Butterflies fluttered around some lioness adding glamour to ambiance of jungle. Fishes were the highly evolved lower form, not visible like termites. Looked after in closed precincts by highly caring animals. The jungle spent lot of time and resources in up keep of aquaria and ponds.

Every year there was an influx of termites, fishes and butterflies. Soon the jungle will feel contaminated by termites. There were several kinds of butterflies and fishes, looked after by similar looking higher forms. The jungle started treating termites as pests and persons looking after termites terminally ill.

Tigers and lions that looked after lower forms lived in a large den. They shared common problems; occasionally solved simple problems. Normally, animals of similar feather flocked together, eating working and not working together.

Tigers and lions looked for rains each month, but it rained very irregularly. Even during good monsoons, there were scanty rains. The reservoirs never filled. In fact irregular rains didn’t matter much for tigers and lions. Lions hardly needed rains; they saved rain only for the rainy day.

The higher forms of life, meet monthly to highlight their killings and compare and draw jungle law. In this democratic jungle, the lion king prevailed and others democratically accepted. It was wise democracy which made decision making easier, even if were to be ineffective. 

The jungle was managed by king lion and other counsel of lions and tigers. They all worked without caring for their mane. The working life included animals that worked, those who watched others work. There were some lions that routinely dug their nose with one’s own tails and sneezed; felt sick and stayed irregular. There were animals that made loud noise, animals that worked silently, and animals that never made their presence felt.

Frequently, the jungle heard how civilized it was when animals from other jungles visited it. The jungle gave sermons of civilized living showing fishes and butterflies. Termites were avoidable but not often hidden.

Surmise

Hell !! With so many negative things how does the jungle work ?

Thou shalt be positive !

How?

Simple, so many negatives things, multiply to be positive.

If not ?

If not !  Add one more negative, it will be definitely become positive.

Good jungle maths !