A Dance in the Forest

Raju

In a very big forest there lived many animals and birds. One day the some of the birds were discussion about the way the animals live. The parrot said, “Look at me I do not eat any bird or animal I just like fruits and eat them all the time. I hate looking at these animals as they hunt other animals and eat them”. I feel that we the birds are the best in the forest as we do not eat other birds for our survival”.

Many birds agreed to this argument and narrated their own opinions:

The sparrow said: I eat the small insects that do harm to others that does not mean that I am like these animals who kill all other good animals.

The woodpecker said: See I protect trees by eating the white ants under their bark. If I do not do so many trees would have been eaten away by these white ants and other insects.

The weaver bird: You are aware that I am the best in the forest in making the nest. Show me any animal that can do like me. These animals are lazy and live like rocks in all seasons.

The humming bird said: I drink the nectar from the flowers and while doing so I do not harm the flowers. If help in pollination and make the forest look colourful with many flowers.

Thus many birds narrated their own stories and ways of living. Meanwhile they saw a herd of elephants passing under the trees. The parrot yelled at them: Hey big beasts do you know that birds are the best ones in the forest. You animals destroy forest, eat other animals and create bloodshed for your survival.

One of the elephants responded by saying : I do not know what you are talking but I can tell this to other animals as I am going to attend the meeting called by the Lion.

The Lion – the king of the forest – is sitting on a big rock surrounded by many animals. The meeting began with the topic “How shall we celebrate the onset of sprint”. Then the elephant intervened and said: we feel that we are the great in the forest. I heard a parrot saying that the birds are the best because they do not eat other birds for their own survival. Lets first solve this problem and by deciding who is the best in the forest, the birds are we the animals.

All the animals got irritated at the statement of the parrot shared by the elephant. The wolf said: Lets call the birds here and we all can kill them and eat them at once then there is no problem. Haa Haaa joined the other animals.

Cool down: said the Lion. If the birds feel that they are the best in the forest, we shall allow them to prove. They said that they do not eat other birds but it is false. They do eat other birds for their survival. You are aware that the eagles are always on the look out for chicks of hens and peahens. They eat mercilessly all the chicks. Birds are fools and incapable creatures. I pity them. Lets play with them for some time and prove our might. Dear fox, call all the birds at once here.

The fox approached the mangrove and yelled at the birds. You seem to be having a feeling that you are the best in the forest. Lets us prove who is best in the forest. All of you can come to our meeting place near the lake and prove yourselves.

Hearing this the birds felt challenged. All of them flew towards the meeting place.

In the meeting place the most heated arguments took place.

Seeing the heat generated, the Lion said. Meeting is adjourned to tomorrow in the morning and asked all the animals and birds to disburse.

In the evening the grand old man who often visits forest and help animals and birds by treating them came to the meeting place and asked some of the birds still sitting there: I heard a commotion in the afternoon what happened to you all. I heard the loud sounds of animals and birds too. Do you have any problem and can I be of any help to you?

The birds said: we had problem to solve between the birds and the animals. We shall prove who is best in the forest. We argue we are the best but they argue as cruelly as they can for their superiority. It is good that you have come. Why don’t you come for the meeting tomorrow and help us.

The grand old man said Ok, I shall come tomorrow.

The next day morning all the birds and the animals gathered at the meeting place. The grand old man took some time to arrive. His arrival was welcomed by the Lion who was once save by the grand old man. Dear grand old man I am glad that you are here, hear all our arguments and tell us who is the best in the forest.

Both the sides amply briefed the grand old man. The birds and the animals became silent and await the judgment of the grand old man.

The grand old man said: The argument of the birds that they do not eat other birds is both wrong and write. So in the arguments the birds and the animals both win and lose. That makes the problem nil. The birds and animals got confused at this. Seeing their faces particularly of the Lion’s the grand old man clarified it further:

Though the hens and pen hens come under the family of birds they live mostly on the ground and they do not fly for their survival they run for their survival so actually come under the family of animals. The chicks of the birds also do not fly they just run on the ground so they are also animals. Since Eagles eat these chicks it amounts to eating other birds for their survival like the animals do. Which means birds eat and do not eat other birds for their survival.

Most important thing is this: If the animals like Lion, tiger, cheetah, fox and wolf do not eat other animals like sheep, goat, etc the population of these grass eating animals increase making the forest dry and difficult for all to survive. Similarly the birds help in pollination and cross-pollination, propagation of trees and help add beauty to the forest. The forest becomes dull without any one of you. So neither the birds nor the animals are best in the forest, the forest itself is the best because it gives us food, shelter and protection from the human beings.

Hearing this the Lion said: what a brilliant man are you my dear grand old man. I agree with you that it is the forest that is the best. The birds do chirped the same opinion.

Then the squirrel said: this is the best time to celebrate the onset of spring. Lets dance….

All the animals danced and make merry…..