TGT Desk
Manish is twelve years old. He is a careful boy. He has a piggy bank; he saves every spare coin in it. Whenever his mother sends him to the store to buy stuffs, he brings back all the return money, and hands it over to his mother. If there are coins in it, the mother gives them back to Manish, and Manish banks it in the piggy bank.
One day, Manish’s father tells Manish to accompany him to the market. Manish counts cash in his piggy bank. They are a little more than a hundred. Manish takes about ten coins in hand, and accompanies his father to the market. Though it is not a very far place, they do not often visit the market.
There, they walk along many busy streets, and see many things. They see pedlars shouting to sell out their stuffs. Jugglers are seen shouting to attract people to see their stunts. Far away, in an open lawn, there is a park for children; many children are engaged in various lively pastimes there. Some are up there in the air on the round wheel of merry-go-round, while others are playing see-saw! Some are munching on ice-creams, while others are busy eating various types of fruits.
Manish and his father then enter a narrow street. At a corner, Manish stops; his eyes are caught by the sight of a bird-seller. The bird-seller is a young man, about thirty-five years of age. He has kept various cages, and inside them are birds. The birds are tiny and lovely, and are of various colours. They are chirping inside the cages, while the customers are bargaining with the bird-seller to reduce the prices.
Though his father calls Manish to move ahead, Manish is reluctant. He also demands his father to stop. Father thinks Manish is interested in buying a bird. So he asks, “Which one would you love to buy? The green parrot? The red and green love-birds? The brown baya? Or the yellow and brown finches? Tell; I will get you one.”
But Manish does not speak. He keeps staring at the birds, and listening to the conversation between the bird-seller and his customers. He takes information about the range of prices the man charged for each type of birds.
When Manish does not show his willingness to buy any bird, his father pulls him away. After buying some household stuff, they go home.
Back home, Manish is not at peace. His mind is badly disturbed. He cannot even sleep. He looks out of the window and watches the free birds flying in the air. His mind reaches out to the birds that are kept for sale in the marketplace.
Early one morning, Manish clears his piggy bank and walks out of home. He goes straight to the marketplace and buys as many birds as he can. He puts all the birds he buys into one cage, and saves money for buying more cages. People who have gathered around the bird-seller’s shop look at this small boy with wonder; they cannot understand why the boy is buying so many birds at once. Someone asks, “Do you own a bird shop in your village?”
But Manish does not listen. He walks out of the market. Instead of going home, he goes to the forest a short distance away from his home, and releases the birds, one after another, into the chestnut forest. The birds fly out of the cage, sit and hop on the trees, singing beautiful songs. Manish’s heart leaps up with happiness. The joy of seeing the birds fly in the air is far higher than the joy of keeping them confined to cages hanging at one corner of a room. He congratulates himself. He thinks the purpose of saving coins in his piggy banks has been finally fulfilled.
Manish continues to save money. He starts compromising on his afternoon snacks and saves even more. Every month, he goes to the same place in the market, buys birds and releases them.
After a few months, Manish’s mother asks Manish how much money has been collected in the piggy banks. Manish is answerless; there is not a single coin left in it. Mother doubts that Manish has become a spoilt boy. She informs her husband. Manish’s father inquires what is wrong with the boy. When Manish tells him the real story, he does not believe. So, he drags Manish to the marketplace to ask the bird-seller if the story is true.
“It’s true, master. He has bought dozens of birds from my shop. I thought he himself has a bird shop now.”
“Why did you do that, my child?” the father asks.
“Daddy, I love the birds. I love their freedom. Their songs sound better when they are in the woods.”
The father is deeply moved. Only now, he can see the great heart his son has. He lifts him up and kisses on his cheeks.
Today, Manish and his father have become bird and animal right activists. They work for the right and freedom of animals and birds.