8.THE TURTLE THAT FORGOT THE ADVICE
To take advice from kindly friends
Be ever satisfied:
The stupid turtle lost his grip
Upon the stick, and died.

The Uttrapur thaluka was in the grip of draught. It had been two summers since rain God had turned its face from this once fertile and water rich land of lakes and ponds. There were no flowing rivers in the raised plateau situated in the higher reaches of Randampur province. The inhabitants were dependent on the cool and perennial waters of the lakes big and small that dotted the landscape. There were lot of winged creatures and water animals, which had made Uttrapur and the lakes there as their home.

However the days of plenty seems to have been over. For some reason nature was playing truant and two years of draught had robbed all the luster of the land and the life their in. The once perennial lakes were going dry baring the muddy bottom. The numerous birds teeming the lakeshores were taking wings in search of greener pastures. The trees around had taken a look of mourning dried and dying they seemed crying for water. The land had started cracking like an old lady with wrinkles proclaiming the youthful days are over for the present. The trapped water creatures were having a tough time. They had no choice but to dig underground on the remaining water holes and the ones not so fortunate to perish with quiet dignity.

In a particularly large lake called Salika by the locals lived the turtle Virchika. Virchika had never known anything but the lake Salika right from its birth fifty long years back. It had a history of long living ancestors and it hoped to live for many more summers enjoying the cool waters of Salika. But as fate could have, even the never drying lake Salika had begun to dry. There were small puddles of water here and there. It was hard to believe it was the same old lake once brimming to the banks with water making beautiful patterns in the reflections of the sky and setting Sun. Such beautiful place had now turned in to a graveyard with carcass and skeletons of animals and fishes perished with lack of food.

The shores of Salika were also the abode of two cranes Gunika and Panika. The dwindling fish in the lake was causing them alarm. They did not want to turn out to be one of the skeletons and decided to take matters in their hand. Gunika told Panika `My friend let us go far away from here where rain God would have been benevolent”. If we continue to stay here we may sure go upwards pre maturely.

With years of staying together the turtle Virchika and the cranes Gunika and Panika had developed a close bondage with one another though not of the same color and creed. Today as the two cranes were discussing the situation Virchika was also close by. On hearing his two close friends planning to leave the woe bitten premises, Virchika got alarmed. With out the warmth of the close friends for counseling at the hour of peril `Won’t he feel the situation further unbearable’?


He called to his friends and told `My dear friends, it is not with out reason wise ones have told good friends should be in bond through thick and thin, now that hard days have befallen us, I request you take me also along with you on your journey afar in search of better land.’

Gunika and Panika though good and faithful friends of Virchika and did not have a heart to part the well-trusted and familiar company of the old friend, were however at loss as how this request of the good friend can be accepted.

Nature gives different gifts to different creatures. While they were blessed with long slender body and strong wings to take them along, their friend turtle was blessed with a hard shell, quiet and calm body that can withstand hardships and stay alive for long years.

Gunika replied ` My good friend we would loathe to leave you in this lake which invites death and go our way for better days but how is it possible for us to take you to the shores beyond, were you are blessed with stubby legs and hard shell which are not suitable for flight’

Virchika was wise and clever in his thoughts with experience of advancing years. It replied, `I have thought of a way out, no doubt I am not blessed with flight but a good intellect can help to tide over ones inherent weaknesses.’

I have a plan, I will hold myself in a stick while you both can catch the ends of the stick with your strong legs and take me along the open sky and cross the mountains and land to reach the place you are bound to’

Gunika and Panika thought for a while on this suggestion of their dear friend, which was initially sounding like a fantasy. Nevertheless the wisdom of staying alive many summers in hardships had taught them lessons of life and they knew anything new always sounds initially like fantasy till the same is accepted.

So thinking Gunika told Panika, `My friend this I suppose is the only way to cart our dear friend to shores afar and save his dear life from sure death due to draught.’

Panika replied `Well my friend there is no harm in trying out the idea of Virchika. With determination and strength of our strong limbs we should be able to carry virchika whom we will ask to hold himself in a stick and we in turn can catch the either ends of the stick and carry him as he suggested. I am agreeable to this plan though it is new and never executed before ‘.

After discussion deciding such they turned to their turtle friend eagerly expecting there reply and told
`Virchika our friend we are agreeable to your suggestion. The day after the full moon, next to pournami day we are planning to leave our abode Salika and fly at stretch for 20 `khoz’ to a small lake their which we hear still holds water, we will decide for the next part of journey on reaching their. However we warn you Virchika for no reason or on any provocation you should open your mouth on the flight or else you will loose the grip on the stick and will fall head long below only to meet your death.’

Virchika on hearing his dear friends agreeing to take him in their flight was absolutely delighted. He who had never seen anything apart from the rippling waters of lake Salika, its slushy sand banks and the creatures dwelling their was beyond himself with excitement on hearing he will travel afar and see the sights which he could never dream of seeing but which his friends had often described.

The fluffy clouds in the sky, the sky itself like a blue amber, the swinging trees down below and the green fields stretching endlessly, all that which his friends so often had told him, yes very soon he will get to see all that. Now he need not repent he is a poor land bound creature locked forever in the land of his birth. He can now see new vistas and reach new lands and waters where he can have a complete new exciting life.

Thus the thoughts started slashing in to the head of the turtle and making it hot in the head. He started waiting eagerly for the moon to get its full luster on the day of the Pournami, so that his day of journey will dawn.

The day did arrive with the never failing rhythm of nature and Gunika and Panika arrived with the sturdy stick for their dear friend Virchika to catch on as promised.

Virchika spruced himself up for the long journey. He tested himself up by trying his grip on the stick, all three friends took leave of their old abode Salika with tearful eyes and with Virchika holding the middle of the stick Gunika and Punika holding either ends of the stick started their journey to shores afar.

Before starting the journey once again Gunika warned his dear friend `My friend, please remember no matter what ever happens on the way you keep your hold steadily on the stick and never do the mistake of opening your mouth.’

Virchika was very eager to start the journey and in all probability he did not pay his full attention to his friends well meant advice.

And off the three friends went out in the sky far and high above the ground. It was a clear sky that day, few clouds were making patterns against the blue clear sky and against this clear back ground the strange sight of the three friends traveling together like that made a picture very distinct and noticeable.

They travelled for half an hour and Virchika was beside himself with excitement at all the sights he was seeing. Like a person traveling for the first time in an aeroplane. He could see the vast expanse of land below him dotted with green fields and houses. They were now atop a particularly populated village. People were working in the fields their and children were out in the open on a clear day like that playing and minding the cattle. They spotted this strange sight of the three friends traveling in the air. In great excitement they started pointing fingers and excitedly shouting, the children started chasing the trio.

Virchika seeing such excitement below lost its cool, forgot the advice of the dear friends and opened its mouth to share with his friends what he saw below.

Alas that momentary loosing of his wits caused the end of Virchika who fell headlong below and met his death.

One should keep the needs of a situation always in mind and act accordingly, loosing ones head at the time of need will give us a fate like Virchika whose folly costed him its life.