A Humorous Folktale on Stupidity

Click here to read in Gujarati
Before proceeding on for my humorous post today, I’ll pass on the credit of the marvelous theme of the story to be represented below to a local weaver of my village from whom I had heard it in form of simply a joke many years ago. At this juncture, I’ll disclose one more suspense that the same folktale in different episodes was traced out by me before I started to write this post while chatting on I-net. Hans Christian Andersen of Denmark (1805-1875) who was the son of a shoemaker had written the similar story titled as ‘The Emperor’s New Robes’ in his book “Fairy Tales”.

I wonder how and through which source the narrator of this tale to me had collected it though he was illiterate. How strange we feel that no frontiers come across the way of literature to spread globally! Literature is like migrating birds that can fly East to West and North to South with no any hindrance or prohibition. The tale below is a ‘Remix’ of the two above with omissions and additions from my end. According to Lawrence Lessig, a law Professor of Stanford University, California, USA; ‘Remix is a Cultural Right’. Here, I don’t claim any right but merely say that I have enjoyed a little freedom in my humble endeavor here. Please, go on to read the tale.

 

Say ‘Live and Let Live’ with a humanly heart!

Click here to read in Gujarati

Open any news paper or switch on any news channel on TV or chat on your computer to read latest news and you will find a report that somewhere in the world some humans, either individually or in mass, have been killed under one or the other type of conflict. World religions unanimously agree on one point that human is the best creation of God among all creatures. But, it is equally true that when we hear of killing of humans by humans, we are compelled to believe in the naked truth that human is the worst of all creatures in the universe.

It is quite obvious that the most difficult conflicts to be resolved are ethnic conflicts. They are the most violent and the highest numbers of civilian casualties are seen there. If we, calmly in peace of mind, ponder over such internal conflicts among our human race, we are surely to come to the conclusion that such sinful acts of shedding blood of innocents is not only cowardice but foolish also. To clear this point in the minds of my Readers, I would like to give below an exemplary humorous parable somewhere heard locally. It is as follows:

“In some remote rural areas of the country, the marriage procession of a bridegroom was going to the other village, the venue of marriage. The participants of the procession were traveling by bullock-carts. They all were young and had avoided old hand people to join with them just to enjoy marriage ceremony freely. The carts were passing through narrow farm-way one after another.

The very first cart stopped and the riders of the rest carts jumped down to see what had happened. To their surprise, they saw that an iguana (a kind or species of lizard, large, strong and flat) was lying in the middle of the narrow-way. They already knew that it was an innocent and non-poisonous creature and by making slight noise of hitting sticks on ground, it might run away.

One of them was cruel and tried to rush in and kill it, but the rest stopped him to do so. Someone told that they should make a peaceful dialogue with it to leave the way and if it does not agree with them they might kill it.

A young man was just like an improvisator (a poet who can form spot poems) and he instantly made out a couplet in his native language addressing to the iguana. Its summarized translation was as “Iguana ‘O’ iguana of Timbatuda (imaginary village name), please move here or there; otherwise five-ten members from your side or five-ten members from our side will die or get injured if we mutually fight. What is to be gained with this bloody conflict for a very minor cause?”

The iguana did not move from its place and those youngsters decided to start a fight with it. But, one so called wise man took the side of the iguana and said, “There is no justice to fight with the weak. The iguana itself is alone on its side and we are many. Should we the half of us not be the part of its side?”

All agreed with the proposal and they divided themselves into two parts and a terrible fight with long and strong sticks began. All were stained with blood and some were seriously injured in heads, jaws, eyes, arms and legs. Meanwhile, the iguana was frightened with the noise of hitting of sticks and loud cries and ran away. As soon as the iguana cleared the way, the fight stopped and the winners shouted loudly, “The iguana group is defeated, the iguana group is defeated! Shame … Shame! Iguana, your Chief, left away the battle field.”

The above episode may look to be exaggerative, but we should not forget that it is merely a parable. What it may be, but it teaches us a moral lesson that to fight internally for a big or small cause is senseless and foolish also.

Mankind’s insecurity is not from the outside, but from inside. No any enemies from other planets attack on us and suppose that they exist somewhere they need not. Their task is being fulfilled by us. With man-made disasters, we would die together but we would not live together. What any other human tragedy might be more serious than this suicidal tragedy by humans themselves! Human race is passing through hanging swords over heads. There is no surety of safe return of anybody stepping out of the thresh-hold of own home. Sometimes human is not safe even in own home also. Mahatma Gandhi has rightly said, “The world is weary of hate. We see that this song of hate has not benefited humanity.” He further added, “My faith is as strong as ever. There is no hope for the aching world except through the narrow and straight path of Non-violence.”

Summing up, the splitting or joining of the world or society depends on understanding of human being. No any religion is superior to religion of humanity. No any religion teaches its followers to harm or hate others. Religion of humanity is not a new religion or it is not a new name of any religion. This religion of humanity already exists in all religions. Any religion is multifaceted by nature and to limit it to certain aspects of own interpretations is not just.

Let us all propagate and make popular these meritorious words “Live and Let Live” globally for creation of the peaceful world.

Thanks.

– Valibhai Musa

 

My Broken Heart! – A Gujarati Poem (ભગ્ન હૃદય!)

My Gujarati Readers,

As you know – my some Articles (Stories and Poetry) in Gujarati, but preamble in English, have been published on my blog previously. For your convenience, I have re-arranged my categories on right side bar. You may click ‘Gujarati’ or ‘pdf Attachment’ to reach those Articles.

Here is an emotional poem. The poet is internally unhappy and this very truth is known to somebody darling only. In the eyes of the people, the poet is materialistically the happiest man; but, but …..

Please proceed on.

ભગ્ન હૃદય!

અમારા આ જીવનવનને નંદનવન સહુ લેખે,
કિંતુ અમ અંતરે છાયા એ રણને તું જ પિછાણે.

અમારી આ જીવનસરિતાને નિહાળે કલકલ વહેતી સૌ,
કિંતુ કકળાટ અમ દિલનો તું વિણ કોણ એ જાણે ?

ભર્યાભાદર્યા આ ઘરમાં, ટહુકતાં સ્વજનો વચ્ચે,
અમારી એકલતાને બૂઝનારી દૃષ્ટિ તું જ પાસે.

અમારા હાસ્યની છોળો દીસે ઊઠતી ચોતરફ સૌને,
ઘૂંટાતા કારમા દિલના રૂદનને એક તું જાણે.

જીવન વિષે તો ભાગ્યશાળી સૌને હું ભાસું,
જીવન ભવ્ય છે કે ભાર,એ તો તું જ તો જાણે.

ભૌતિક સુખસુવિધાઓ તો ખડકાયે જતી મુજ પર,
પારાશીશી એ સુખની ગણાયે કે ન તું જાણે.

ઊઝરડાએલા આ દિલને શાતા મળે ક્યાંથી,
એ તો હું જ જાણું, પણ પાસ તવ વ્યર્થ એ આશા.

(તા.૦૩-૦૮-૧૯૮૪)
– વલીભાઈ મુસા