The Selfish Animal by PVV Satyanarayana (ebook reader for laptop TXT) 📕

The Selfish Animal

THE HUNTERS RAMU and Damu were good friends. Everyday they went to the jungle and hunted the animals jointly. The animals and the birds thus caught would be sold in the town and the proceeds shared by them.

Once the two friends came across a deer in the jungle. To make sure that it did not escape, both had shot their arrows simultaneously at the deer. Their aim did not miss and the arrows pierced into the legs of the deer. It fell to the ground injured. Jubilant, the men walked towards their prey.

At that moment, there came to be heard the roar of a lion from nearby. Terrified, the two had hurriedly climbed up a nearby tree and sat at the top of the branch.

After a few minutes, a lion had emerged there and approached the deer. On seeing the lion, the deer trembled with the mortal fear. The lion stood beside the injured deer and stared at it for a few minutes. Then, without even touching the deer, he turned away with a roar and left the place.

Ramu was amazed at it. “How come the lion has left the deer without devouring it!?” he had asked his friend.

“As you know, the lion is the king of the jungle. He hunts his own food and does not touch the one hunted by others. Not only that, the lion does not eat the injured prey,” Damu had explained.

What he had heard, had made Ramu even more amazed. He could not resist his urge to salute the great animal for its majesty.

After making sure that the lion had left the surroundings, the duo had climbed slowly down the tree. They had tied the legs of the deer with a rope. Inserting a long stick under its legs, they carried it putting the ends of the stick on their shoulders.

ON THE WAY, the friends came across the remains of a human body. Found nearby were a colourful turban and a hand bag. From the pug marks seen at the place, it was apparent that the man was killed by a tiger. They looked around in case the beast was still around. Convinced that it had already left the place, they had put the deer down.

Ramu had picked up the bag and opened it. The contents gave the friends a pleasant surprise. For, the bag contained inter alia a fistful of glittering diamonds!

Now it was not difficult for them to guess what had happened…The man was a diamond merchant passing through the jungle and unfortunately encountered and killed by the tiger…The precious stones would be worth a few lakhs, at least. Their joy knew no bounds at the prospect of becoming rich overnight. They thanked their stars for the fortune.

The two hunters came to a decision, then and there. They would sell the diamonds and share the money equally. As they would become rich, they would no longer be needed to hunt animals, risking their lives… They happily proceeded further carrying the deer on their shoulders.

AS THEY WALKED for a distance, suddenly a bear had emerged as if from nowhere, and attached them. The deer fell down from their shoulders at the impact. Damu could somehow manage to escape by climbing up a tree, along with the bag containing the diamonds.

Ramu was, however, left to himself to fight the ferocious animal. He fought for his life, for quite sometime. But he was no match to the beast. He was badly mauled in the process and fell unconscious.

The bear leaned over him and observed him for quite sometime. Finding no movement in him, it roared angrily and left the place.

After a while, Damu came down the tree and looked at his friend. As he sprinkled water on his face, Ramu regained his consciousness. However, he was not in a position to move. He requested his friend to carry him over to the nearby village for medical treatment and to save his life.

Now, Damu thought quickly as the greed had engulfed him. ‘If I save Ramu, the diamonds would have to be shared with him. If he is left here unattended, some animal would eat him up and the entire find would become my own. And no one would know how I got the diamonds,’ he thought.

‘How does it matter even if he is my friend!? I would become a multi-millionaire with these diamonds and that is what is important to me,‘ he told himself, as his conscience tired to prick him.

So Damu had left his hapless friend there to his fate, and went away on his way clutching the diamonds’ bag carefully. He was quite unheeding and undeterred by the pleas and the pitiable cries of Ramu.

The deer which was also left behind had witnessed the whole drama. It felt sad for Ramu. ‘How cruel these human-beings are! The man seems to be worse than the animal. Even though he was hungry, the lion did not touch me as I was injured. He had spared my life taking pity on me. On the other hand, this man is ditching and betraying his own friend, instead of saving his life. What an unfortunate thing! … The man is the most selfish, wily animal I have ever come across!!’ mused the deer, as tears welled up in its eyes at the plight of Ramu.

THE GREEDY DAMU reached the town and tried to sell the diamonds, little knowing what was in store for him.

The previous night a jewellery shop in the town was burgled and some diamonds worth crores of rupees were stolen. The thief ran into the jungle to avoid being caught by the police. While roaming about in the jungle, he was killed by the tiger. What the hunter friends had found were none other than those stolen diamonds.

As all the jewellery shops in the town were alerted about the stolen diamonds, Damu was caught easily while trying to sell them and handed over to police. He was imprisoned, as nobody was willing to believe him when he tried to explain as to how the diamonds came into his possession.

MEANWHILE, IN THE jungle, a chimpanzee happened to see the plight of Ramu. Taking pity on him, it treated him with the herbs and leaves, and protected him from the wild animals by keeping him in a safe place. It fed him with fruits and milk. Thanks to the care and nurturing by the chimpanzee, Ramu soon became all right and was fit to go home.

Ramu was overwhelmed at the kindness shown to him by the animal, in contrast to his own clan. He had resolved then and there not to hurt or hunt any animal any more. He had even decided to start a movement to save and protect the wildlife.

He thanked the chimpanzee profusely, took leave of it and headed home happily.

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Publication Date: 08-19-2010

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