The only worry that Tommy had was the emergence of a rival. He was always alert and armed. As the days went by and he grew more accustomed to a comfortable living, his worries increased all the more. Often he would get startled at night and begin chasing unknown enemies. He exhorted the animals, ‘God forbid, you fall into the trap of some other rulers. He will simply smash you. I am your well-wisher; I always think about your well-being. Don’t expect this of anyone else.’ All the animals would reply in one voice, ‘As long as we are alive, we will serve you.’
In the end, it so happened that Tommy did not have a single moment of peace. Throughout the days and nights he would pace along the bank of the river from one end to the other. He would run and run, pant for breath and then fall unconscious, but there was no relief from his worry, lest some enemy enter his territory.
But as mating season came, Tommy’s mind became restless to meet his mate. He could not control his mind in any way. He remembered the days when he chased her with some of his friends in the lanes and alleys of the village. For two or three days he exercised patience but in the end his emotions became so strong that he was ready to challenge his destiny. Now he also prided in his energy and sharpness. He could easily vanquish two or three rivals.
But as he crossed over to the other side of the river his confidence began to wane like mist in the morning. His gait slowed down, his head came low and his tail shrunk, but at the sight of a lover he became emotional and began chasing her. The lover did not like his approach. She yelled her complaint. Hearing her voice several of her lovers converged there. They lost their temper at the sight of Tommy. Tommy was outnumbered. He had yet to decide about his course of action when he was attacked from all sides with sharp teeth and claws. He didn’t have the time to escape. His whole body was covered with blood. When he ran he had a whole bunch of the devils chasing him.
From that day, fear entered his heart. Every moment he feared that troops of attackers were coming to destroy his happiness and break his peace. He had had this fear earlier too, but now it was more intense.
One day he was terribly frightened. It seemed as though the enemies had arrived. He ran to the bank of the river and began to run from one end to the other.
The day ended, the night too, but he did not take rest. Another day came and went, but Tommy kept on making his rounds, without food or water.
Five days passed. Tommy’s feet began to fester and his eyes darkened. Hunger made him weak and he fell down, but his worry did not leave him.
On the seventh day, Tommy, obsessed with his feeling of possessiveness, left for the other world. Not a single animal of the jungle came near him. No one uttered a word about him, no one shed a single tear on his death. For several days vultures kept circling over his body. In the end, nothing was left except his skeleton.
Translated from the Hindi by M. Asaduddin
Hidden Wealth1
Babu Haridas’s brick kiln was situated near the city. Hundreds of men, women and children came there from nearby villages, carried bricks on their heads and arranged them in rows. A man stood near the kiln with a basket of cowries. He paid the labourers by counting the number of bricks arranged. If a labourer arranged more bricks, he was paid more cowries. Because of this, many labourers worked beyond their capacity. The sight of old men and children bent down under the weight of the bricks was doleful. Sometimes, Haridas himself sat near the cowrie man and encouraged the labourers to load bricks. This sight was more heart-wrenching when there was a sudden demand for bricks. At that time, the wages were doubled and the labourers doubled the number of bricks they carried. Each step was difficult. Their bodies were drenched in sweat from head to toe and their heads bent low with the weight of the bricks. Looking at them made one feel as if a greedy spirit had thrashed them down and settled on their heads. The most miserable was the condition of a little boy who always carried twice the number of bricks that the other boys his age managed and worked without any rest. His sad face and wiry body filled one with pity. Some boys bought and ate jaggery, some stared at the moving vehicles, while others showed off their martial prowess and verbal skills in fisticuffs, but this boy would only devote himself to his work. He was neither restless nor mischievous like other boys of his age. In fact, no one had ever seen him smile. Out of sympathy, sometimes Haridas would ask the cowrie man to pay the boy some more
