Few years back, in an ongoing jungle tour, I happened to stay in a cottage located at the core zone of the forest. The zone was surrounded with electric fence and the area was famous for being the hunting ground of tigers. The forest department hence, had to keep trained elephants around the cottages.
It
was a breezy morning, and I came out of the cottage, with a small cup of coffee
wishing to soak in the arresting exteriors. Elusive landscapes, drizzling sound
of nearby waterfalls, and green meadows all around ; it was quite a place to be
in. Not long after, did I get a glimpse of one of the elephants with his
mahout, standing at some distance. And soon during the glance, something struck
my mind.
I
approached the mahout and asked him about the chain in his legs. The chain
seemed really small compared to the size of the elephant. I was amazed as to
how an animal which could uproot such tall, strong trees in minutes was
restrained by that fragile looking chain!
The
mahout said, "Sir, this elephant was born in this jungle. We have been
training him from the time he was 2
months old. The chain was selected for that time. He tried to break the chain
multiple times for many months but did not succeed. After a certain time span,
he stopped trying. He can easily break it now, but he won't. It is very
difficult for him to believe that this chain too can be broken. He has given
his life to this chain."
I
wished so dearly that he understood our conversation. He didn't. I hugged his
trunk one last time in hope. His eyes blinked.
Won't
you try one more time? Won't you let Spring come, one more time?
Comments
Post a Comment