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Fighting The Drought

The forest had hardly received any rain that year. Roro rabbit’s farm that yielded sweet carrots every year produced tasteless carrots this time. 

Rambo elephant’s sugarcane fields were drying up. The yield of papayas and oranges from Bobby beaver’s field was getting spoiled.

The residents were getting severely affected and took their concerns to King Sheru who was aware of the situation. 

He and his ministers had been discussing the problem but they failed to come up with any solution to save the crops and the residents.

“My king, our forest is on the banks of a river that has enough water. If we could find a way to bring that water to the fields, our crops can be saved,” suggested Twinkle mynah. She flew to places nearby and was aware of water bodies around the forest. 

“You are right. But how do we get the water to the fields?” asked the king. 

“My king, if you give the command, all the birds will bring water in buckets made of leaves,” said Twinkle, excitedly.

“That’s very kind of you, Twinkle. I know you are working hard but the birds won’t be able to carry much water and we need more for the fields,” said King Sheru. 

“My king, the elephants can do it. They are huge and will be able to fill water in their trunks and bring it to the fields,” said Twinkle, after a little thought.

Sheru liked Twinkle’s suggestion and he looked at Rambo elephant who said, “My King, Twinkle’s suggestion sounds possible. I will put all the elephants to task immediately but…”

“But what?” asked King Sheru.

“We too won’t be able to supply enough water to the fields,” explained Rambo.

King Sheru had to think of another plan. Gabby bear, Browny leopard, Tyson rhinoceros, Jackie jackal and Sweety deer were thinking of ideas but none of them could reach any practical solutions.

“My king, with your permission I would like to say something too,” said someone in a meek voice.

They all looked around and saw tiny Momo mouse standing with folded hands. 

King Sheru said, “Yes, of course. Tell us what you have in mind.”

“My king, the mice can get together and dig a drain from the river to the fields. It will allow the water from the river to come here easily,” said Momo. 

“Excellent, you have solved the entire problem. This will save our crops from drying,” King Sheru jumped with joy.

While everyone was praising Momo, he looked a little troubled.

“What is troubling you?” King Sheru enquired.

“My king, digging the drain is not a problem but…” 

“But what is it?” King Sheru asked.

“But since the current in the river is very strong, the water will enter the drain with great speed and it will wash a lot of soil with it. It may flood the fields as it will let huge amounts of water into them,” explained Momo. 

Momo’s concerns dampened everyone’s spirits. They realised that in an effort to prevent a drought, they may create a flood. 

This thought disappointed King Sheru the most. Rambo sat with his head in his hands.

Suddenly, Twinkle broke the silence and said, “My king, Momo’s idea is good. We just need to make a few changes.” 

“What kind of changes?” a few animals asked in a chorus.

“First, we can dig a large pit close to the river while Momo and his friends can dig a drain from that pit to the fields. Then the elephants can fill up the pit by bringing water in their trunks. This way, we will control the current of the water and it can reach the fields without causing a flood or harming the crops,” chirped Twinkle.

“That is an excellent idea. We, too, can help to fill the pit with water!” Gabby bear and Bobby beaver said in unison.

“And we can make buckets for the other animals to fill the pit,” Dinki Deer added with excitement.

Tyson rhinoceros came forward and said, “My king, please allow me and my friends to take the responsibility of digging the pit. We can start today.” 

King Sheru happily permitted him. The unity between the animals convinced him that the crops would be saved. 

Everyone performed their tasks immediately. Rambo and his friends joined Tyson to dig the pit. Momo’s team dug a drain to the fields. The rest of them made buckets.

The job was completed in one week. King Sheru filled the first bucket and poured it into the pit. All the others followed his lead. 

Soon, water reached the fields. Roro rabbit received water first and started dancing! Each field was given enough water to grow the crops. Water wasn’t wasted. 

All the animals celebrated their victory against the drought. They even managed to plant some trees. Soon, the weather changed and it started raining! The animals had defeated a drought with their unity.

Food For Mosquitoes

The monsoon rains had made many puddles of water on the street. 

Mosquitoes bred in these puddles and came out of their hiding places in search of food in the evening.  

But one day, a fogging vehicle roamed these streets and let out smoke to get rid of mosquitoes. Many of them suffocated and fell on the ground while many hurriedly left the human public places and flew towards the forest to save their lives. 

The mosquitoes sat in their groups. The Anopheles group leader, Molly female mosquito, was relieved that many of them survived. The Aedes group leader, Pushpy female mosquito was happy looking at her swarm of mosquitoes. Mosquitoes belonging to the Aedes group transmit various diseases to humans like dengue and yellow fever. Anopheles is a group of mosquitoes that are commonly known as malaria mosquitoes. 

After coming a long way, they were feeling hungry. But there was no food for them. 

Molly saw all the mosquitoes hungry and said, “It is just a matter of time before we are wiped out. Today, we were forced to flee human settlements and hide before some of us could fill our stomachs.”

“But why did we have to leave in such a hurry?” asked Coco mosquito from her group.

“Did you not see that every morning and evening, the fogging vehicles spray smoke to kill us? A large number of us breathe the smoke and die! We had to run away from it!” said Molly.

“What will happen to our eggs, which we left behind in the gutter?” asked Sally mosquito with tears in her eyes.

“If we survive, we can ensure our group grows bigger. I have heard that humans are suffering from dengue fever spread by mosquitoes,” said Coco.

“What is dengue?” asked Sally.

“Humans get a headache, fever and red patches develop on their bodies. They also get very weak. Some of them die due to dengue while some survive,” informed Molly. 

“But our group spreads malaria. So, who is responsible for dengue?” asked Sally.

“Dengue could be spread by the Aedes group. If they are causing so much harm, why are we forced to flee from human settlements?” asked Coco.

Aedes mosquitoes, resting nearby, heard this. Their leader, Pushpy said, “What are you talking about us?”

“We said nothing wrong. You must have heard the announcements on the roads that your group of mosquitoes are spreading dengue in human settlements,” said Molly.

“This is not true. We don’t spread dengue or anything. We just suck a little blood from human bodies when we are hungry,” said Pushpy.

“This is exactly what bothers humans. When you suck their blood, your saliva enters their bodies. This saliva contains a virus that causes dengue. The virus gets into their blood and starts growing fast. They fall sick and have to be rushed to a hospital,” informed Molly. 

“Then must we stop sucking human blood and stay hungry?” asked Pushpy.

“As long as your saliva contains this virus, you will have to,” said Sally. 

“But we can’t do this,” Pushpy said.

“If you can’t do it, then be prepared to bear the consequences. Humans will continue to kill mosquitoes and one day, we won’t exist,” replied Sally, sobbing. 

“You are right. But what will happen to us? We’ll stay hungry!” said Pushpy, worried.

“We will have to think of a solution where we don’t bother humans so they don’t bother us,” suggested Molly. 

Pushpy agreed. But before she could leave, she asked, “Do you know why this dangerous virus doesn’t harm us?”

“The virus uses you as a medium to travel from one place to another. You help it to get into human bodies. That’s why it doesn’t harm you,” said Molly.

“Okay. But when humans held you responsible for spreading malaria, they did everything they could to destroy your homes. They used mosquito nets, smoke and devices at every home. How did you all survive that? Can you help us with any solution?” Pushpy asked.” 

“Just leave human settlements and arrange for your food elsewhere. Humans, too, need to survive and they will keep finding new ways to destroy us,” said Coco.

Pushpy nodded and left to discuss with her group. She was afraid the spread of dengue was worse than malaria. 

She gathered all the mosquitoes from her group and said, “In the human settlements, a disease called dengue is spreading because of us. You must have heard the announcements on the loudspeakers that water should not be allowed to collect near houses. They are destroying our puddles so that this disease doesn’t spread. We have to think of a way to survive this. All suggestions are welcome.” 

“If we don’t bite humans, we’ll go hungry!” sobbed Minti, the youngest mosquito. 

“But it’s natural for us to suck human blood. We don’t have any other option, do we?” asked Koko. 

“I, too, can’t think of a good plan,” said Pushpy, losing all hope.

“Wait a minute! We need sugar and blood to survive. But sugar is what we need the most. I’d say, we all only feed on sugar and not humans. This way, we will help humans control the spread of dengue and live in peace. Once humans recover from dengue and stop cleaning the puddles, we’ll go back and settle there,” said Natty, the smartest female mosquito. 

“But where will we get sugar from?” asked Minti, wiping away her tears.

“Oh, Minti. You have only known human blood but for us to survive we need sugar. We get it from flowers and plants in this forest,” said Pushpy. 

“Then, we won’t go hungry?” asked Minti.

“We will have to be strict and stay away from human settlements at least for some time. Whenever we get a chance we will surely go to that side,” said Pushpy.

The other group members were happy with Natty’s idea and flew looking for flowers so that they could fill their stomachs. 

“In future, when humans can fight dengue just like they fight common fever, we’ll be able to go back without any fear,” said Natty, giving hope to the full group.

A Cyclone In Forest!

I need to speak to the King right away! I must meet him now,” said Cheeku rabbit to the King’s guards.

King Shersingh heard and called him in. “Cheeku, what’s the matter?” he asked.

“A cyclonic storm is gaining speed and will soon reach Champakvan. We should take precautions or we’ll end up in big trouble. Many homes will be destroyed,” said Cheeku in a hurry.

King Shersingh was worried. This was the first time a storm was approaching Champakvan forest.

“What will happen when this storm hits Champakvan?” asked King Shersingh as he wanted to know what they should be prepared for.

“The cyclonic storms are moving towards us and will hit Champakvan in 2 days. It will bring heavy rain and strong winds that will destroy trees, homes and may cause floods,” informed Cheeku.

“That’d be terrible! We should alert all the animals right away and build a shelter for them to stay till the storm calms down,” said King Shersingh.

And soon, the news about the approaching cyclonic storm spread through Champakvan. All the animals stocked up on food in their homes.

“What can we do, Cheeku?” asked Blacky bear.

“We have to stay alert. It’ll start raining before the storm arrives. There’ll be strong winds. We have to ensure all the animals have moved to the safe shelter before that. We must keep our mobiles fully charged. We have to move the animals who live in weak houses.”

“Why so, Cheeku?” asked Meeku mouse.

“Because weak houses might break due to strong winds. Not just that, electric poles can also fall during thunderstorms and cause more damage so the electricity supply to the entire forest will be cut until the storm passes. There may be floods, so we have to stay on higher grounds,” explained Cheeku.

“My house is in a bad shape,” said Jumbo elephant. “Where can I stay when it rains?”

“We have built shelters for the animals on the hill. Food has also been arranged. There’s enough space for everyone to move there,” said Cheeku.

“My house is on the mango tree. And the mango tree is very strong. Be it cyclone or thunderstorm, I’ll stay right there!” said Jumpy monkey with a grin.

“Jumpy, your house is closer to the sea. It’s important to keep ourselves safe. Come to the shelter with us,” said Cheeku.

But Jumpy did not listen.

Two days later, all the animals took shelter on the hill except Jumpy.

Soon, strong winds began to blow and it rained heavily. The animals were happy that they were safe. At the end of the day, the winds grew stronger and stronger.

Meanwhile, Jumpy was still in his house. When the storm hit the mango tree, he began shaking terribly.

“Oh, dear!” Jumpy trembled in fear.

He regretted his decision. He, too, should have gone to the shelter along with the other animals.

The strong winds uprooted the mango tree. Jumpy’s house collapsed. He managed to escape but there was a flood.

He took shelter on a strong tree as he was injured and couldn’t travel too far.

After some time, the storm was calm.

“Looks like the storm has passed. We can go back now. But we need to be careful. A lot of trees may have fallen on the way,” said Cheeku to all the animals.

“Be careful!” said King Shersingh. “If anyone needs help, my guards are around to help you.”

The animals returned home.

“Who knows what condition Jumpy is in?” said Cheeku. He was worried about him and set out in search of him.

“Cheeku, look! The mango tree has fallen down! The storm must have uprooted it,” said Roma sparrow.

“Jumpy’s house was on this tree! I hope he’s fine,” said Cheeku, anxiously.

All the animals started looking for him. Jumpy was lying on the branch of another tree. His head was bleeding. They rushed him to the hospital.

He was weak as he had not eaten anything the entire day and had hurt his head. The doctors gave him medicines and saved him.

“I’m sorry, Cheeku,” Jumpy apologised as soon as he woke up. “If I had listened to you, I wouldn’t have had to suffer like this.”

“Come on! You are fine now!” said Cheeku, patting his head.

Jumpy smiled and hugged him.

Greenery Returns!

Once, a fierce fire broke out in Green Forest. All the plants and trees in the forest got burnt in the fire.

The animals of the forest somehow saved their lives, left the burnt forest and started looking for more habitable areas. Within a day after the fire, the forest was deserted.

The only animal who did not leave the forest was Jaggi tortoise. He did not wish to leave his native land. He was born and brought up in the forest.

All his friends and relatives left and went away. They all asked him to come with them before they left but Jaggi wanted to stay.

Jaggi managed to survive the next few days on simple meals he could find. But the nights were unbearable. The loneliness of the forest was frightening. He could not sleep. The memory of good old days kept him awake all night.

Finally Jaggi could not bear it any longer and he too decided to leave the forest.

As he was preparing to leave while sitting under the shade of a thick, burnt out tree near the pond, the thick tree shook violently, scaring him.

Two vultures had come and they were sitting on one of the branches of the tree, looking for dead animals to feast on. When they saw the tortoise sitting below, they were pleased.

One of the vultures said to the other vulture, “Tortoise meat is very soft
and delicious.”

“But the outer covering shell is hard and difficult to break open,” replied the other.

“I have a plan by which we can take this tortoise and break his shell,” said Tom, the first vulture, looking at Jaggi.

Jean, the second vulture, asked eagerly, “What is the plan? Tell me quickly.”

Tom said, “Have you heard the story about the talkative tortoise who was carried by two birds on a stick? He was holding it with his mouth and he fell down when he opened his mouth to speak. We too will offer to fly him to his friends by holding a stick in his mouth. Then we will drop him down and enjoy a good party.”

Jean said, “Let’s not delay our plan. Come, let’s go.” Both of them flew down to where Jaggi was sitting.

“Where are you preparing to go, Jaggi?” asked Tom in a friendly tone.

“After our forest burnt down, all the animals left to go to other places. I did not want to leave this forest but now I feel I too need to leave,” said Jaggi.

Tom said, “With your speed, you may not reach your friends even after a year.”

Jean said, “Meanwhile, you may die of hunger and thirst because you will not be able to find water and food on the way as the land in between is dry and barren.”

“Are my friends so far away?” asked Jaggi.

“Yes, they live very far,” both the vultures said together.

Jaggi sadly said, “That means I will not be able to reach them.”

“Not if you were to walk to them. But you may reach them if you fly,” said Tom flapping his wings.

Jaggi became sadder and said, “Why are you making fun of me? You know I cannot fly.”

“If you agree, we can fly you to your friends,” said Tom looking towards the sky.

“How will you hold me?” asked Jaggi.

Tom picked up a stick and explained, “You hold this stick in your mouth. We two will catch the two ends of this stick in our paws and fly you to your friends.”

Jaggi agreed to the idea.

The vultures brought a strong stick and asked Jaggi to catch it tightly in the middle by his mouth.

But suddenly just then, the wind started blowing strongly and the thick burnt tree started shaking violently. The next moment it tilted and was about to fall on the two vultures.

When Jaggi saw the tree falling on the vultures, he rushed and pushed them away. Both got saved but the tree fell on Jaggi who became motionless. Both the vultures were shocked to see this.

“I feel sorry and ashamed that we planned to take the life of such a good and virtuous tortoise. He sacrificed his life to save our lives,” said Tom sadly.

Jean started sobbing. He said, “Jaggi died to save us.”

Just then Jaggi came out from under the tree and said, “There is no need to cry. My strong shell has saved me. I am perfectly alright.”

“Oh great! You are safe! So wonderful!” they both said joyfully.

“We are very happy to see you alive. Come, let’s go. You will be with your friends,” said Tom.

“No friends, I have decided that I will not leave the forest, my motherland. I will start planting new seeds and saplings and make this forest green again,” said Jaggi, filled with positive thought.

“Like you, your ideas also are great. Both of us will also help you in it,” said Jean.

“Yes, we are with you,” Tom joined in.

From that day onwards all three of them started planting new saplings.

When Jaggi’s friends and relatives heard about this, many returned and joined in making the forest green again.

In a few months the whole forest got filled with small green plants and trees. The animals too looked forward to the day when the forest would become their old forest with big trees and shade.