The Jumping Frog
Once, when the memory goes, there was a jumping frog. He was a good, respected and patriotic citizen of his society. He lived in a nearby small pond with other frogs and fishes in it.
The pond was few yards from a street, which was a peaceful place with nice peoples. But for his earning he did a very different and unusual thing. He visits every shop’s in his street at the evening, for there were only 4 shops, and used to eat the insects, flies and other disturbing critters that may cause inconvenience to the shop owner or their emptor.
Thus in this way, he kept the street clean, and people healthy, and when they were healthy they were at peace and with peace they can devote their thinking in development.
Without any leave or delay he used to complete his job every single day, be it the rainy day or a hot and dry day. And as soon as he finishes his job he quietly retires to his home which was the nearby pond.
Since the pond where he lived was also home to other frogs and fishes, the fishes were great admirer of this jumping frog and every single day until his return they would talk about his good deeds. In that pond just few lengths from the jumping frog’s house lived another group of frogs. This group consists of five frogs, and the smallest frog among them, although he had no experience of being a leader, was their chief. But how he became their leader, none of the frogs ever knew, and they never put any effort to find it out.
So days went by, and one day the oldest frog of that group had a meeting and he told his chief, the youngest one, that the ‘jumping frog’ is getting famous day by day, and they should do something to terminate his popularity so that they can make their chief the popular frog.
Upon hearing this, a sudden electrification runs through that clique. All the frogs got gladden and started suggesting their plans. Some said, let’s drown him. Some said, let’s poison him. And some said lets defame the Jumping Frog so that people will start hating him. But in that group, was one frog of middle age, who was not willing to help them with their plan, and thus he said, “why should we do harm to him? What he is doing is good for the neighbourhood and the people. Because of that jumping frog people have started to pay us respect which never happened before. We should brace him in his task.”
Upon listening those words from one of their group member, the remaining frogs got raged and went out of their mind and without asking the reason for his talk, which they took as a insinuation, they started to beat him. And they beat him so bad that he fled the place to save himself.
After that when the traitor frog was gone, the oldest frog suggested a plan to the chief, the youngest frog. He said, “towards the north there is a forest, where lives a snake, his name is Cobra the venomous. We will ask for his help”.
The leader then asked, “why a cobra, why not we do the same as we did with our traitor member”.
The oldest frog said again, “no Sire you don’t understand, if we do any harm to him, people will turn against us and they may also kill us. But if it is done by a snake or any other deadly animal nobody will suspect us and no one will dare to raise a voice against us”.
The group, now four in member, agreed upon the plan. The next day, the older frog and one of the members went to the northern forest to meet up the Cobra. At first he was about to devour both of them, but then he said if only one of them become his meal he will listen to them. The older frog let him eat the second frog and then told him about the plan.
So at evening when the jumping frog was at the street, helping the shopkeepers, the older frog and the cobra reached the pond. When the frogs and their chief saw the Cobra they got frightened and they hid under the water, but then the older frog said, “don’t be afraid Sire, he is our friend and came to help us”.
When the Cobra went in the street to kill the jumping frog, the younger frog, the chief, asked about the other frog that went in the forest.
The older frog replied, “don’t worry Sire, he was eaten by the Cobra, sometimes you have to give sacrifices of your own peoples to get rid of your enemy”. The older frog made a nasty smile while saying this.
The Cobra returned after a long moment. “I have finished your enemy. The Jumping Frog is dead”, he said. The frogs altogether, now only three, gave huge claps and started dancing. The older frog said, “din’t I told you Sire we can get rid of him without letting people know the truth”.
Then the Cobra gave a huge hiss and said, “shut up you idiots, I have helped you removing your obstacle from your path, so from now you will dub me your Sire or else I will devour you all. And every day you all have to bring food for me as I am not going back to the forest. I love this pond, I won’t go anywhere”.
Hearing those words from the Cobra, the frogs realised what a terrible mistake they have made. The jumping frog was never their enemy nor he did any harm to them and now they came to know what an enemy means.
But now there was nothing to be done.
The Farmer
Not so long ago, let me tell you of a prosperous village man. Far from the city and near the mountains, this man built a nice farm land and a barn just below that mountain.
The place where he built his farm land had a river stream with clean water, high trees of mountain giving fresh air, green fields, plenty of vegetables and the best cows which gave the sweetest milk and cream.
In his barn he kept the best horses, cows, as told earlier, and along with them there were sheep, hens and goats.
The farm land was well fenced by him and his son with thick wooden sticks tied with barbed wires. Inside the farm land were big shady trees and plenty of grasses. Every evening he brought water from that small river stream that flowed beside his farmland for himself and the animals would find their way always to that river to drink and bathe.
From every morning and until he sleeps he took care of his farm land, barn, animals and their food. And during the morning his son would go to the nearest city to sell milk and cream.
He let the cows and sheep graze the sloping mountain and the goats would follow them. The hen would scratch the soil along the barn for worms and the cock, swinging their head, would stand beside the hens as a powerless protector.
But the horses were the best and the disciplined of them all. They always obey their keeper as he also pays them a great deal of respect. The horses eat only what is required and they never overeat. In this way they keep themselves in good shape and in a great mind and thus the horses lived peacefully with sheep, hens and goats.
It was one sunny morning, when the sky was much blue with few spotted clouds and the forest was fresh; the farmer brought one donkey and a horse in his barn. These two new member started living with the others. The horse he brought was an old veteran from the military, and thus he was a disciplined and a truthful horse. But the donkey, as he failed to judge, was an undisciplined, lazy, overeating and a jealous character which he brought from a circus to do his tedious tasks. Although they came together, but still the horse was more revered and so hatred was born in the donkey for that old horse.
As few days passed, while the donkey was looking for a prospect, which he finally got. It was one hot day and under a shady tree some herds of sheep were grazing, and looking at this the donkey went in front of them and started offending the group of horses, “What a bunch of idiots they are, grazing under the hot sun. You sheep look smart sitting under the shade and grazing and resting”. His words seem to make an effect on them and all of them nodded yes with him.
He ate some grass along the sheep and then he went in front of the goats who were resting under the shades of another tree. He again started scolding the horses, “just look at those poor horses, no time for rest. You goats are having a privileged time, better than those horses”, the goats looked impressed by the donkey upon his colourful remark which as we know is completely fabricated.
The donkey started to make his impression on the sheep, goats and the hen. After such lionize and lauds, they started being lazy, undisciplined and overeating. Now they wanted everything without any effort. Hatred and jealousy can now be found in them which were earlier a rare element in them.
The farmer and son are now bemused over the changes that overtook their barn. Now only the horses were among those who were disciplined and the rest of the barn has turned into a group of idiots who has no motivation and goal in their life.
Now the donkey turned towards the horses so that he can infiltrate their mind and also turn them as he did with the rest. But the retired horse from military was a hindrance for him. He became aware of the plans the donkey was designing.
The donkey tried a lot to come close to the horses but every time the retired horse fails his plan. After his long quest of failure, the donkey changed his plan and with the help of sheep’s, goats and hens he made them to create a bedlam and demolish the beautiful barn and the farm land. The farmer was unable to control this mayhem and also the horses proved helpless.
Seeing his hard work being destroyed, the farmer went inside his small cottage and started thinking of how to control this devastation. So finally an idea struck his small head.
It was night and the silver moon was up in the sky. The glimpse of the mountain could be seen under that moonlight. A silence dangled over the place, except few crickets who were singing in chores. The farmer in his sneak walk reached the edge of the barn to have a look upon the animals. He saw no activities of any animals, but as he turned to the other side of the barn, at the corner where the donkey sleep’s, he heard few murmurs. He placed his ear on the wooden wall of the barn and heard someone giving instruction to the sheep’s and goats that tomorrow what they have to do. The farmer was witty enough to judge that slight voice which was no other than but of the donkey’s.
Finally he came to the conclusion that it was all done by the donkey and thus he discovered the root of the disease. He went outside and got hold of the donkey and kicked him out of the farm land and far from the territory. Soon after the leader was gone the sheep’s, goats and the hens came to a control as they turned leaderless.
The farmer learned from his terrible mistake of how he brought a donkey when it was lying ill on the road side after the circus party abandoned him. The donkey didn’t payback what his master did to him. The horse’s that always lived under discipline helped the farmer built the farmland and barn again. And till this day he is living in his beautiful barn without any trouble which is far from the city and below the mountain.
Thou Art Broth’rs
The morning lake was calm and a hazy mist was waving itself down the mountain and over that lake which was loved by the morning and evening birds equally. The sky was a little crimson with patches of black clouds with silvery edges and the sun had yet to arrive to scatter its golden glow.
Beside that lake were few houses scattered here and there and these people were better known as fishermen. On that morning, when the cranes were still at their nest and the river banks was as empty as the morning bird’s stomach, someone threw a piece of unknown into that river and with a splash of sound scattering few water in air that thing went all the way till the bottom of the river bed.
As it settled itself on the river bed, few young fishes that were strong with limbs but poor with wit, came gathering it and started their inspection. “It’s a food and we can eat it”, said one young fish. “It looks quite familiar”, said another. “What’s that?” asked another curious one.
And after a long inspection when they were not able to find out the origin of that think, one of the young fish went deeper at the small cave inside to look for the cleverest and the oldest fish. When the oldest fish came who was big, fat and slow in swimming, he inspect that thing with his round eyes under which eyes bags can be seen.
While he was looking at the object few young fishes started dancing so to eat that thing as soon as they can. And after a while the old fish said, “husss, you are young so you don’t know. It’s a gill, a part of fish. Look at the size, it belongs to brother fish, and you are going to eat a gill!”
All the young fishes were stunned and looked at the gill more closely, “is it a gill? Does it look like this?”
“Yes”, said the old fish in a slow manner. “And you were going to eat that!” said the old fish.
There was a scattering voice for a while and then a silence and then again a murmuring started. “Who has killed it?” asked one of the fish. “Its done by these human who lives above the water, and how inhuman they are, they just left that piece to be eaten by us!” the old fish educated the other’s.
“No, no, no, we can’t”, said few fishes together.
“Remember, we are brothers, and we shall, under no condition will eat that, no matter how hungry we are. That belongs to one of our brother”, said the old fish.
“How cruelly they might have killed our brother”, said one fish.
All the young fishes looked at each other and the old fish made all the young ones to take an oath to protect and fight for your brother and for all who are in trouble and are weak. After the oath the old fish went to his cave and the young one turned to be the new protector.
Above the lake the sun started to grew and birds filled it’s bank.
