Tuesday, January 26, 2016

SHORT STORY: LESSON FROM A CRANE


Copyright@shravancharitymission

By Kamlesh Tripathi






    A pair of crane used to live in a farmer’s field near a village along with their newly hatched babies. But even before the babies could grow up to fly, the field of the farmer was ready for harvest. This got the cranes worried fearing their nests would now get destroyed.  And, before the farmer cuts the crop they should leave the place and move to a safer place, but unfortunately the babies were unable to fly. The crane told the babies—‘in our absence if any one comes to the field, learn to remember what all he says.’

    One day, when the crane returned home with food for the babies in the evening, they said—‘today the farmer had come. He inspected the fields by walking around it. At one or two places he also halted and kept staring at the field. He was saying to himself that the crop is now fit for harvest. Today I’ll request the villagers to cut my crop.’
    The Crane said—‘you all don’t worry. The crop will not be cut soon. It will be long before it is harvested.’

    After sometime one day when the crane returned in the evening he found the babies nervous. They started saying—‘we should now leave this field immediately. Today the farmer had come again. He was murmuring to himself that the villagers are very selfish. They are not making any arrangements for harvesting my crop. Tomorrow I’ll send my brothers and have the crop harvested.

    The crane, not worried and unconcerned told his babies—‘the crop will not be harvested soon. In a couple of days you will start flying in a proper manner. So there is no reason for any panic.

    Many days had passed. By now the babies of the crane had started flying and were fearless. One day in the evening they started saying—‘this farmer is only scaring us. He had come even today when he started saying, my brothers don’t listen to me and all of them only make excuses. The grains of my crop are drying up and have started falling. Tomorrow morning I will come myself to cut the crop.’

     The crane upon hearing this panicked and said—‘come on! Hurry up! It hasn’t got dark. Let’s fly off to another place that is safer. Tomorrow the crop will definitely be cut.’

    The kids said—‘why will the crop be cut this time. What makes you say that?’

    The crane said—‘till the farmer was depending on villagers and his brothers the hope of crop being cut was not there. People, who leave their tasks for someone else to perform; their tasks never get done. But those who get ready to do it themselves, their jobs, no one can stop from getting it done. If the farmer has decided to cut his crop tomorrow, sure enough he will do it.’

    The crane along with his kids left for another place forthwith.


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