Author: Lalit Shaurya

Ratty the mouse lived in Anandvan with his cousin, Chinky the chipmunk. Chinky had come from London two months ago. One day, Ratty was sitting in his home, feeling sad.

‘What is troubling you, Ratty? You seem upset. Did anyone bother you? Don’t tell me the big cat hit you! Or are you just famished again? Maybe that is why you look so pale!’ Chinky asked.

‘Chinky, I am very worried about my tail. Just look at it. I want my tail to look like yours instead. So beautiful, velvety and full of hair. I don’t like my tail at all,’ Ratty sighed and said.

‘That’s it?’ Chinky chuckled. ‘Not just hair, you could grow flowers on your tail, too, if you want. I know just the right person for this—Beary, the new bear in the jungle. I heard that he can do many things; he will make a bush of hair grow on your tail!’

‘Really? Can he do that? Can he make shiny and beautiful hair grow on my tail?’ Ratty asked eagerly.

‘Yes, indeed. Beary’s medicine made hair grow even on Ricky the rhino’s horn. The tuft of hair on the head of the goldfish that lives in the nearby river is also the result of Beary’s medicines,’ Chinky explained.

Ratty was overjoyed to hear this. He immediately started dreaming of having a velvety tail.

He imagined roaming around in the jungle, waving his shiny tail while everyone praised it. All the children in the jungle wanted to touch his beautiful tail. He started smiling as he imagined this.

‘Ratty, I am leaving now. You go to Beary as soon as possible,’ Chinky said and left.

Ratty rushed to Beary’s shop and found no customers there. Beary was sleeping in a chair. ‘Beary brother, please get up! I have some work for you!’ Ratty exclaimed.

Beary woke up, startled and cried, ‘What happened? Whose ear got cut? Whose nose got scratched? Whose hair is half-done? Whose moustache got cut?’

Alarmed, Ratty questioned, ‘What are you talking about? Do you do all of that?’

‘Not really, but sometimes when I am sleepy, the scissors act on their own,’ Beary shrugged and said.

Ignoring him, Ratty expressed his desire, ‘I have come to you for a special dream of mine. I want thick, silky hair to grow on my tail. Can you make that happen? I heard you have many medicines,’ Ratty looked at him with hope.

‘That’s it? If you want, I can even grow a horn on your tail, but that is a longer treatment,’ Beary joked.

‘I don’t want any horns, I just want a thick, bushy tail. Let me know if you can make that happen,’ Ratty clarified.

‘Sure. Sit on the chair. First, I will remove all the matted hair from your tail. Then I will give you a cream. You will have to massage it into your tail for a week. Only then will your tail become the most attractive tail in the jungle,’ Beary said as he sharpened his razor.

‘All right. Whatever you have to do, do it quickly. I cannot wait any longer for my beautiful tail,’ Ratty said, climbing onto the chair.

The matted hair on Ratty’s tail began to slide off the razor as the razor’s edges were sharp.

Meanwhile, Beary was feeling sleepy. He could see ten tails as he worked drowsily. He made several nicks on Ratty’s tail, and at one point, his razor made a deep cut.

Ratty jumped up in pain, startled.

Beary looked frightened and nervously said, ‘Your tail seems weak. You need to make it strong. Do workouts and breathing exercises. Only then will you be able to grow hair on your tail. But right now, you must see a doctor.’

Ratty was very angry, and the pain showed on his face. But what could he do?

He got up and angrily left Beary’s shop. He called Chinky to accompany him to Dr Jeffy the Giraffe’s clinic.

Dr Jeffy admitted him to the emergency ward and treated him.

‘What’s the matter? There are a lot of wounds on your tail. How did all of this happen?’ Dr Jeffy asked.

As Ratty told him everything, Dr Jeffy began to laugh.

Ratty and Chinky were confused.

‘Nature gave you such a beautiful tail, and you were going to change it. Changing it is not possible. You look very beautiful with your tail as it is. You have a very special tail,’ Dr Jeffy told Ratty.

‘Also, don’t ever think of going back to Beary. He has hurt the ears and noses of many animals with his lazy work. He does all the work half asleep,’ he added.

Ratty understood Jeffy’s words of wisdom and left the hospital, thinking about how foolish he was. He eagerly waited for his precious tail to recover.