Unanana and the Elephant

Many, many years ago there was a woman called Unanana who had two beautiful children. They lived in a hut near the roadside and people passing by would often stop when they saw the children, exclaiming at the roundness of their limbs, the smoothness of their skin and the brightness of their eyes.

Early one morning, Unanana went into the bush to collect firewood and left her two children playing with a little cousin who was living with them. The children shouted happily, seeing who could jump the furthest, and when they were tired they sat on the dusty ground outside the hut, playing a game with pebbles.

Suddenly they heard a rustle in the nearby grasses, and seated on a rock they saw a puzzled-looking baboon.

Whose children are those?’ he asked the little cousin.

‘They belong to Unanana,’ she replied.

‘Well, well, well!’ exclaimed the baboon in his deep voice. ‘Never have I seen such beautiful children before.’

Then he disappeared and the children went on with their game.

A little later they heard the faint crack of a twig and looking up they saw the big, brown eyes of a gazelle staring at them from beside a bush.

‘Whose children are those?’ she asked the cousin.

‘They belong to Unanana,’ she replied.

‘Well, well, well!’ exclaimed the gazelle in her soft smooth voice. ‘Never have I seen such beautiful children before,’ and with a graceful bound she disappeared into the bush.

The children grew tired of their game, and taking a small gourd they dipped it in turn into the big pot full of water which stood at the door of their hut, and drank their fill.

A sharp bark made the cousin drop her gourd in fear when she looking up and saw the spotted body and treacherous eyes of a leopard, who had crept silently out of the bush.

 ‘Whose children are those?’ he demanded.

‘They belong to Unanana,’ she replied in a shaky voice, slowly backing towards the door of the hut in case the leopard should spring at her. But he was not interested in a meal just then.

‘Never have I seen such beautiful children before,’ he exclaimed, and with a flick of his tail he melted away into the bush.

The children were afraid of all these animals who kept asking questions and called loudly to Unanana to return, but instead of their mother, a huge elephant with only one tusk lumbered out of the bush and stood staring at the three children, who were too frightened to move.

‘Whose children are those?’ he bellowed at the little cousin, waving his trunk in the direction of the two beautiful children who were trying to hide behind a large stone.

‘They…they belong to Una…Unanana,’ faltered the little girl.

The naughty elephant took a step forward.

‘Never have I seen such beautiful children before,’ he boomed. ‘I will take them away with me,’ and opening wide his mouth he swallowed both children at a gulp.

The little cousin screamed in terror and dashed into the hut, and from the gloom and safety inside it she heard the elephant’s heavy footsteps growing fainter and fainter as he went back into the bush.

It was not until much later that Unanana returned, carrying a large bundle of wood on her head. The little girl rushed out of the house in a dreadful state and it was some time before Unanana could get the whole story from her neice.

‘Alas! Alas!’ said the mother. ‘Did he swallow them whole? Do you think they might still be alive inside the elephant’s stomach?’

‘I cannot tell,’ said the child, and she began to cry even louder than before.

‘Well,’ said Unanana sensibly, ‘there’s only one thing to do. I must go into the bush and ask all the animals whether they have seen an elephant with only one tusk. But first of all I must make preparations.’

She took a pot and cooked a lot of beans in it until they were soft and ready to eat. Seizing a large stick and putting the pot of the food on her head, she told her little niece to look after the hut until she returned, and set off into the bush to search for the elephant.

Unanana soon found the tracks of the huge beast and followed them for some distance, but the elephant himself was nowhere to be seen. Presently, as she passed through some tall, shady trees, she met the baboon.

‘O baboon! Do help me!’ she begged. ‘Have you seen an elephant with only one tusk? He has eaten both my children and I must find him.’

‘Go straight along this track until you come to a place where there are high trees and white stones. There you will find the elephant,’ said the baboon.

So the woman went on along the dusty track for a very long time but she saw no sign of the elephant.

Suddenly she noticed a gazelle leaping across her path.

‘O gazelle! Do help me! Have you seen an elephant with only one tusk?’ she asked. ‘He has eaten both my children and I must find him.’

‘Go straight along this track until you come to a place where there are high trees and white stones. There you will find the elephant,’ said the gazelle, as she bounded away.

‘O dear!’ sighed Unanana. ‘It seems a very long way and I am so tired and hungry.’

But she did not eat the food she carried, since that was for her children when she found them.

On and on she went, until rounding a bend in the track she saw a leopard sitting outside of his cave-home, washing himself with his tongue.

‘O leopard!’ she exclaimed in a tired void. ‘Do help me! Have you seen an elephant with only one tusk? He has eaten both my children and I must find him.’

‘Go straight along this track until you come to a place where there are high trees and white stones. There you will find the elephant,’ replied the leopard, as he bent his head and continued his toilet.

‘Alas!’ gasped Unanana to herself. ‘If I do not find this place soon, my legs will carry me no further.’

She staggered on a little further until suddenly, ahead of her, she saw some high trees with large white stones spread about on the ground below them.

‘At last!’ she exclaimed, and hurrying forward she found a huge elephant lying contentedly in the shade of the trees. One glance was enough to show her that he had only one tusk, so going up as close as she dared, she shouted angrily:

‘Elephant! Elephant! Are you the one that has eaten my children?’

‘Oh no!’ he replied lazily. ‘Go straight along this track until you come to a place where there are high trees and white stones. There you will find the elephant.’

But the woman was sure this was the elephant she sought and stamping her foot, she screamed at him again:

‘Elephant! Elephant! Are you the one that has eaten my children?’

‘Oh no! Go straight along this track—-’ began the elephant again, but he was cut short by Unanana who rushed up to him waving her stick and yelling:

‘Where are my children? Where are they?’

The elephant opened his mouth and without even troubling to stand up, he swallowed Unanana with her stick and the cooking-pot in one gulp. And this was just what Unanana had hoped for.

Down, down, down she went in the darkness, until she reached the elephant’s stomach. What a sight met her eyes! The walls of the elephant’s stomach were like a range of hills and camped among these hills were little groups of people, many dogs and goats and cows, and her two beautiful children.

‘Mother! Mother!’ they cried when they saw her. ‘How did you get here? Oh, we are so hungry.’

Unanana took the cooking-pot off her head and began to feed her children with the beans, which they ate ravenously. All of the other people crowded round, begging for just a small portion of the food, So Unanana said to them: ‘I haven’t got enough for all of you. Why don’t we help ourselves and get out of the elephant’s tummy? Once out of here, I’ll invite you all to a feast at my place tonight.’  They asked her how that was possible. She said: ‘All of you bang against the tummy walls with your feet and with all the strength you can.’

And they did, creating a huge ruckus kicking and stomping with their feet. Some of them poked the insides with their horns. Unanana too joined them putting the stick to good purpose. 

The groans of the poor elephant could be heard all over the bush, and he said to those animals who came along to find out the cause of his unhappiness:

‘I don’t know why it is, but ever since I swallowed that woman, I have felt most uncomfortable and unsettled inside.’

The pain got worse and worse. The wise fox suggested: ‘Why don’t you put your trunk deep into your mouth and induce a vomit? You’ll be rid of whatever isn’t agreeing with you in the tummy.’

The distressed elephant followed the fox’s suggestion, let out one giant roar of vomit and dropped like a wet rag in exhaustion, Unanana, her children, the animals and the people were spewed out like a fountain and they fell into a nearby pond. They quickly swam to the shore clean. It was a large assembly of dogs, goats, cows, men, women and children, all blinking their eyes in the strong sunlight and shouting for joy at being free once more.

The little cousin was delighted to see them, for she had thought they were all dead. And that night they had a feast and merry making as Unanana had promised. The animals and the people came in dressed in their best. The animals barked, bleated or mooed their thanks, while the human beings gave Unanana all kinds of presents in gratitude to her for setting them free, Unanana and her two children were no longer poor.

The naughty elephant troubled them no more.

End

This is a South African children’s story taken from the book “African Myths and Legends,” retold by Kathleen Arnott.  A number of animals is cleverly woven into the story. At these points, the narrator could add more on these animals without straying too far from the story-line.

It is edited only so far as to keep the elephant alive! If you liked it, you may wish to check out the book. 

I came across this story at a site I subscribed to: http://backyardzoologist.wordpress.com/ – an informative and an instructive site passionate about animal life, big or small and their protection.  Thanks to the blogger Tippy Jackson for the story and the appropriately interspersed pictures.

If any copyright laws are inadvertently violated, the post will be removed as soon as it is brought to attention.

The Scene And The (Un)Seen

This tree standing out there all by itself surely means something:

Perhaps, a fighter who has survived where others around have perished? Buffeted by the elements and time as evidenced by the foliage blown leeward and up, its twisted trunk defiantly pushing its way skyward. To be overwhelmed by the falling snow? Not quite likely, going by its past.

Firm grounding and adapting to its surroundings appear to be the message for survival.  Sounds contradictory?

Or, is it the Tree of Life without its birds, standing up on its last legs in the face of imminent ecological disaster?

End

It could even be symbolic of the lonely struggle waged by a soul reaching for a higher plane,

Check it out at 

 http://redtreetimes.wordpress.com/2011/06/06/ratio-decidendi/

for the true story of this fine painting from the artist GC Myers (its creator)!

Again on ‘Scenery’ of two short of  hundred words in response to Aheila’s challenge at: http://thewriteaholicblog.wordpress.com/.

Scenery

They were lucky to get the cottage, he thought, at surprisingly affordable rates, with a live-in house-keeper. It was at once beautiful and scary, perched on craggy rocks, with large glass windows opening onto a view of the small beach below.  Brilliant white sand shimmering under a cloudless sky, caressed ceaselessly by the gentle waves of turquoise-blue waters, swaying fronds of towering coconut trees and the summer sun kept in check by a light breeze,

But it was the painting in the bed-room that troubled her. She was sure the peasant girl was sitting by the stream, when she had looked at it last night.   

End

Five over hundred words on ‘Scenery’ in response to Aheila’s challenge at: http://thewriteaholicblog.wordpress.com/.

Man proposes, Minister disposes

Another one, four over hundred words on ‘Seek’ in response to Aheila’s challenge at: http://thewriteaholicblog.wordpress.com/.

‘Next, please.’

 ‘The proposal is for schools, colleges and even companies to adopt heritage sites. At one stroke, it creates awareness in the students for our past, solves the shortage of hands in the archeology department and boosts revenue from tourism.’

‘A great idea…I think we should green-light it right away.’

The minister for tourism turned to his secretary: ‘Quick, come up with a way to knock this.’

The bureaucrat rose to the occasion.

The minister pointed out: ‘Don’t you all think we should instead moot the idea of adopting our impoverished villages? Remember our socialistic agenda?’

The silence was finally broken.

‘Next, please.’

End

Connecting The Dots

Four over hundred words on ‘Seek’ in response to Aheila’s challenge at: http://thewriteaholicblog.wordpress.com/.

It took them an hour to get there, walk into a shop to make a purchase.

Far away,

It was an outer suburb, not the one where purchases were customarily made.  And the time, noon.

There were less than three items – in fact, just one item in the purchase.

The charge was twenty-eight times the average made over the last six months and the category, never bought before in the period.

Crunch, crunch…something the fuzzy logic would never  miss – the syndrome.    

Behemoth paused its sifting and matching for a tenth of a microsecond to sound off – the card was certainly not kosher.

End

PS: This is about a back-end computer applying predefind rules to detect a fraudulent use of a credit-card in real-time.

Genesis

 

There once was a little boy who wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed his suitcase with cupcakes, several cans of fruit juice and started on his journey.

When he had gone about three blocks, he saw an elderly woman. She was sitting on a park bench watching the pigeons. The boy sat down next to her and opened his suitcase. When he was about to take a drink, he noticed that the lady looked hungry so he offered her a cupcake. She gratefully accepted and smiled at him.

Her smile was so wonderful that he wanted to see it again, so he offered a fruit juice as well. Once again she smiled at him. The boy was delighted!

They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling without saying a word.

As it began to grow dark, the boy realized how tired he was and wanted to go home. He got up to leave but before he had gone no more than a few steps, he turned around and ran back to the old woman, giving her a big hug. She gave him her biggest smile ever.

When the little boy arrived home, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked, “What has made you so happy today?” He replied, “I had lunch with God.” Before his mother could respond he added, “You know what? She’s got the most beautiful smile in the whole world!”

Meanwhile, the old woman, also radiant with joy, returned to her home. Her son was stunned by the look of peace on her face. He asked, “Mother, what has made you so happy today?” She replied, “I ate cupcakes in the park with God.” And before her son could reply, she added, “You know, he is much younger than I expected.”

A smile, a hug, a thought…a god is born! 

End

Another from Gul, edited – source not known.

Amazing Presence Of Mind Or A Prayer Answered?

Wet Pants

Come
with me to a third grade classroom…… There
is a nine-year-old kid sitting at his desk and
all of a sudden, there is a puddle between his
feet and the front of his pants are wet. He
thinks his heart is going to stop because he
cannot possibly imagine how this has
happened. It’s never happened before, and
he knows that when the boys find out he will
never hear the end of it.. When the girls find
out, they’ll never speak to him again as long as
he lives…

The boy
believes his heart is going to stop; he puts his
head down and prays this prayer, ‘Dear God, this
is an emergency! I need help now! Five minutes
from now I’m dead
meat.’

He looks
up from his prayer and here comes the teacher
with a look in her eyes that says he has been
discovered.

As the
teacher is walking toward him, a classmate named
Susie is carrying a goldfish bowl that is filled
with water.. Susie trips in front of the teacher
and inexplicably dumps the bowl of water in the
boy’s lap.

The boy
pretends to be angry, but all the while is
saying to himself, ‘Thank you, Lord! Thank you,
Lord!’

Now all
of a sudden, instead of being the object of
ridicule, the boy is the object of sympathy.. The
teacher rushes him downstairs and gives him gym
shorts to put on while his pants dry out. All
the other children are on their hands and knees
cleaning up around his desk. The sympathy is
wonderful . But as life would have it, the
ridicule that should have been his has been
transferred to someone else –
Susie.

She
tries to help, but they tell her to get out.
You’ve done enough, you
klutz!’

Finally,
at the end of the day, as they are waiting for
the bus, the boy walks over to Susie and
whispers, ‘You did that on purpose, didn’t you?’

End

Received on the Internet without identifying the source (thanks, Gul, for the forward).  

 

Man’s Scheme Of Things

Here’s another one on ‘Garden’ – four over hundred words.

‘Look at the chinar-lined vistas, blooming flower-beds, shallow terraces, smooth sheets of falling water, and wide canals studded with the stepping stones. Beautiful! Breath-taking! If only man had created this world…’

‘Well, our four-legged friends, also the finned and the winged ones, would be very nervous about it. They would want to be more than ending up as garden curios, gawked at in zoos, farmed for meat, or reared as house-pets, assuming they don’t figure in circuses or in labs anymore.’

‘Animal rights, eh?’

 The stray dog behind them morosely thought, ‘Forget it, he wouldn’t have another man around to share his world and women.

End

The Shalimar Gardens in Srinagar was built by the Mughal Emperor Jahangir for his wife Nur Jahan, in 1619, and later, extended on the order of Emperor Shah Jahan. ‘Shalimar’ meant ‘Abode of Love’ or ‘House of Joy’.

On sighting these Gardens, the Emperor was believed to have recalled Amir Khusrau’s farsi couplet:

‘Gar firdaus bar rue zameen ast / hameen asto, hameen asto, hameen ast’
If ever there is Paradise on Earth / It is here! It is here! It is here!

More at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shalimar_Bagh_(Srinagar)

A ‘Natural’ Art

A hundred and five words on ‘Garden’ in response to Aheila’s challenge at: http://thewriteaholicblog.wordpress.com/.

The Garden is an intricate blend of nature’s bounty and subtle human creation, a celebration of aesthetic expression and appreciation, a forum for seamless dialogue between the creations of man and nature inviting interaction and exploration, an ideal retreat for public leisure and awakening of human sensitivity to the environment.

Touch the rocks, partake the fragrance, feast on the landscaping, hear the rustle of the leaves, the bubbling streams and call of the birds, and savor the fruits right off the trees!

An evocative bouquet that awakens the mind to the beauty of life, to a grateful prayer for the gift of the five senses!

End

Well, I had never looked at a garden before in these terms. Was bowled over by this alluring imagery.

Would the real be a climb-down? Perhaps, not. This is about ‘The Garden of Five Senses’, a project of Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation.

Visit http://www.vigyanprasar.gov.in/5senses/develop71a.htm for the original and more.

I stood by your bed last night…

I stood by your bed last night, I came to have a peep.
I could see that you were crying, You found it hard to sleep.

I whined to you softly as you brushed away a tear,
“It’s me, I haven’t left you, I’m well, I’m fine, I’m here.”

I was close to you at breakfast, I watched you pour the tea,
You were thinking of the many times, your hands reached down to me.

I was with you at the shops today, Your arms were getting sore.
I longed to take your parcels, I wish I could do more.

I was with you at my grave today, You tend it with such care.
I want to reassure you, that I’m not lying there.

I walked with you towards the house, as you fumbled for your key.
I gently put my paw on you, I smiled and said “it’s me.”

You looked so very tired, and sank into a chair.
I tried so hard to let you know, that I was standing there.

It’s possible for me, to be so near you everyday.
To say to you with certainty, “I never went away.”

You sat there very quietly, then smiled, I think you knew …in the
stillness of that evening, I was very close to you.

The day is over… I smile and watch you yawning
and say “goodnight, I will see you in the morning.”

And when the time is right for you to cross the brief divide,
I’ll rush across to greet you and we’ll stand, side by side.

I have so many things to show you, there is so much for you to see.
Be patient, live your journey out … then come home to be with me.

End

This moving poem by an unknown author is reproduced here, thanks again to ‘A Doggie Bloggie’ at

I stood by your bed last night…

Update (28th Aug 13): Fortunately now it is known to me who wrote this poignant piece – it’s by Colleen Fitzsimmons in memory of her dear Shadow. Thanks, Colleen, for letting me know.