Sneha Pokharel
Geeta is a fourth grader. She obeys her parents, and honestly carries out all the assignments given by her teachers. Besides studies, she is also exceptionally good in extra-curricular activities. She his highly impassionate about reading and listening to stories. Therefore, she often pesters her parents, or even her married aunt who visits her maternals, to tell stories. So, whenever her aunt comes, he always comes ready with many new stories for her loving niece Geeta, and her friends. Whenever classes are off at the school, Geeta tells those stories to her classmates.
One Friday afternoon, when Geeta reached home after school, her aunt had visited them. Geeta had her friends Anupa, Suhan, Sudhir and Saroj with her. Their houses with quite near to Geeta’s. Seeing Geeta’s aunt, they rushed to her and said, they would come to her the following day—Saturday being a holiday—to listen to stories, finishing their homework early.
When they made it certain that they would listen to the stories the following day, they went home happily. The following day, they came to Geeta’s on time to listen to aunt’s story.
“Today, I will tell you the story of a pea fowl’s life,” said the aunt. “You all need to be very attentive,” she added, and without any delay, started telling the story.
“Shyamu had a pair of pea fowls at his home. Pea fowls, you know, are very beautiful birds. Some people say, the peacock is the king of the birds. Shyamu liked the birds, that had beautiful voices. The fowls always danced whenever there was rain. When a peacock dances, it spreads its colorful wings and displays a very beautiful performance.
“One day, Shaymu was watching the peacock’s dance with interest. When the pair had danced for quite a long time, the peacock looked towards its feet, and dropped a pair of tears. The peahen drank the tear drops. The sight took Shyamu by surprise.
“Shaymu and the pea fowls understood one another’s languages. So, coming near to them, Shyamu asked, ‘Why did you cry?’
“The peacock told Shyamu the matter that pained it, ‘See, Shyamu. God has made us so beautiful, but our legs are so ugly. That makes me cry.’
“‘We have a wonderful body movement. The melody we sing is sweet too. What to talk of our wings? People keep them as decorative at home. Many make fans out of them to satisfy God, while many make their use in medicine. But whenever I look at my feet, I am disheartened.’
“Shyamu hung his head low in distress, listening to the peacock. Then he asked, ‘Why did the peahen drink your tears?’
“ ‘My tears? She bears babies after drinking my tears,’ said the peacock in joy, forgetting the story of its legs.
“Hearing the peacock say so, Shyamu said, ‘Brother Peacock! If someone gets all the good qualities of the world in himself, it’s unfair. Everyone has qualities, good and bad. That’s how God’s creation functions.’
“The peacock’s story ends here. How did you find the story?”
“O what a beautiful story! Thank you, Auntie,” said Geeta’s friends in a single voice.
“Tell the story to other friends at school,” said the aunt.
“Sure, Auntie,” said the children and went home.
[Sneha Pokharel is a writer of children’s literature, and a social worker. She enjoys writing poems, songs and stories.]