13 - Sparky’s ‘Renewed’ World

Howdy, Sparky here.

Ø  The rains have arrived. Experiencing the first rain of the season is like eating a mango - one might have enjoyed eating mangoes in the previous year (or the previous day!) but the anticipation and thrill of tasting a mango again does not diminish in the least, so it is with the rains. Knowing what to expect just makes it more enjoyable.

Ø  Mother Nature first sets up the backdrop, much like a stage that’s set up before staging a drama or musical – the wind, the dark clouds, the drop in temperature and then the rain begins with a few drops at first which come forth like a warning, that ‘more of the same is to follow, those not wanting to get wet, better make haste and seek shelter’.  We, of the animal world have been sensing the change in the weather for a while now, and have been ready well before the first drop of rain fell on us.

Ø  Sometimes, Mother Nature uses special effects as well – thunder and lightning, gusting winds and the season’s special – ‘petrichor’, the heavenly smell of dry land soaking water.

Ø  Talking of special effects, frogs and termites definitely put in an appearance, more than an appearance, if you ask me. I am not very sure if the frogs and termites and the like are Mother Nature’s props or they just happen to put up a spectacle at this time.

Ø  Frogs start crocking, sometimes even before the rains arrive and keep at it for a long while. If they are welcoming the rains, then am surprised the rain doesn’t go away listening to them. Mr. Drongo told me last year that he had it from the pelicans, who had it from the frogs themselves that the frogs think that it is because of their symphony that the clouds rain down on us. That’s pride for you. But if there’s one thing that they can take pride in, it is that they can any day give the barbets and cuckoos a run for their berries.  

Ø  As to termites and some ants who synchronise their ‘taking wings’ to start new colonies with the rains, can’t complain too much, many of us have a feast then. It’s because many of us have a feast, so many take wing at the same time so the important ‘queens’ have a better chance of surviving and setting up new colonies.      

Ø  ‘The Sun enables life and rain grants it a safe passage’. There couldn’t be a truer statement. For the sake of this ‘safe passage’ we celebrate the rain. The thirsty earth after a long summer soaks up the rain, which gives a new lease of life to vegetation and in turn to insects, animals and birds. This season replenishes our food and water supply for the rest of the year as well as our strength and zest for life.  

Ø  I could go on writing about the rain, as it is just the first week and I am still enjoying it. Probably in another couple of weeks, you will not even catch a mention of the word ‘rain’ here, I will be so fed up with it by then. But there’s time for that yet.  

Ø  Anyway, filling you all on some other news, Mr. Goldback was mighty angry with the frogs with their incessant croaking which kept him from having a sound sleep for 2 nights at a stretch. He looked for Madame Coot, the head of the Birds’ Welfare Association and not finding her, walked over to the pelicans and storks, accused them of being lazy and not catching enough frogs for their meal. The mamma pelican asked him to mind his own business and not dictate their diet to them. As in a fight, things were turning nasty but the one who kept a calm mind prevailed and calmed things down. Mrs. Drongo, spoke to Mr. Goldback and said if the frogs were all eaten, he would have to spend the night swatting flies whose number the frogs now keep in check. She offered to bring the cotton from the silk-cotton tree across the island so he could stuff his ears with it at night. Mr. Goldback saw the truth of the matter, thanked the birds for their varied diet and Mrs. Drongo for her kind offer and went back to his favourite perch on the Banyan.

Ø  There was quite a downpour one day, so the visibility was rather poor. It was in these circumstances that it was discovered that a baby monkey was missing. As the word got around, the residents of the Banyan looked around themselves but it soon became clear that wherever the baby monkey was, he wasn’t on the Banyan. Mr. Goldback went to Mrs. Ulukah, a Barn Owl who lives in a hollow on the other side of the Banyan and asked her to ‘listen’ for the baby monkey.  Mrs. Ulukah asked everyone for silence and ‘listened’. Owls have very acute hearing and barn owls have one of the best hearings even amongst the owls. The only ‘out of the ordinary’ noise she heard was a ‘racket’ emanating from the direction of the Mango tree. Mr. Goldback thanked the owl and immediately set off in that direction. Mr. Goldback came back in about 10 minutes with the errant baby monkey secure in his strong arms. The baby restored to his mother, everyone settled down for the night, postponing the narration of the story to the next day in brighter conditions. 

Ø  The next day when the weather cleared and the sun was shining bright, I got a chance to speak to the mother of the baby monkey who told me that the baby had gone to the other end of the Banyan tree to check if it was raining there too and then the visibility being bad, he slipped from the tree and didn’t know which way to turn and before long he found himself by the mango tree. The baby was very tired by then and having reached the familiar tree, he thought to seek shelter on it till the rain stopped and that’s when he saw the 3 baby palm civets in their hollow, all by themselves, warm and cozy, munching on berries. Seeing the drenched monkey they invited him in, helped him dry off with the dry grass lining the hollow and then shared their snack of berries with him and the baby monkey shared the tale of his nightly adventure with them. Soon, they were telling each other a few other tales and having a good laugh over most of it till Mr. Goldback pocked his face inside the hollow making the civets shriek with fear and the baby monkey to shriek with delight. Mr. Goldback heard the baby’s story, thanked the civets for their kindness and brought him back safely home to his mother. Quite an adventure for a little monkey who four days hence still hasn’t stopped talking of the event to anyone who would listen. The event also reminded us of why Mr. Goldback is the leader of monkeys – it takes grit and courage to venture from home in those conditions and to do so without a moment’s hesitation is what makes a true leader.

If you are being rained in as well, here are a few activities to keep you busy for a while.

·         Solve the riddles one by one and get a word that solves another riddle. The final word describes the mood of the moment – of what the replenishing rains bring to each of us.  

	Months that roasted us like nuts. Ended at last, days of heat, exhaustion and dust. Months of calm and plenty, ahead of us.
	We look forward to future with eagerness, Rain fills us up with this and nothing less.
	It was here before, it has come back again. There’s new joy, it feels like everything’s new again.
	What the heat took from us, The rains give back to us all. Plenty of nourishment-to body and soul
	Was here before, nothing that’s not been seen hitherto, Yet it all feels so ……?
	When there’s food and company aplenty for today and tomorrow, We look forward to future with this, there’s to be no more sorrow.
	The final riddle – first letter of the answers above will also solve this riddle below:
	Just last week the sun was our foe, but it’s so calm and tranquil now, The rains have made the sun mild and everything in nature is aglow

·         Match the Animals and birds to the sounds they make:

Bees	Caw
Bears	Bray
Bats	Chatter
Grasshoppers	Talk
Crows	Laugh
Donkeys	Squeak
Pigeons	Sing
Hyenas	Growl
Mice	Chirp
Monkeys	Screech
Parrots	Coo
Whales	Buzz

·         Here are some ‘rain’ related idioms. Some mean what it says, some are figurative. Fill in the blanks with the words in the boxes:

rain cats and dogs	saving for a rainy day	rained in	raining down on
rain or shine	when it rains, it pours	rain check	right as rain

1.    When Gumphu and Rooty invited Samudra to climb up the mango tree, he said he would take a _________ on it.

2.    ____________, Mr. Goldback goes around the Banyan Island to check for any potential danger to his family.

3.    Squirrels are well known for ______________. We collect nuts and stock them carefully to be used when food is scarce.

4.    In the next coming months, there are going to be many days we will be _________. It’s the rainy season after all.

5.    Gumphu monkey’s aunt sent her a collection of books to be used for the baby monkeys. The Otters also lent many books to Gumphu for teaching the baby monkeys. Gumphu was very happy and said, ‘well, ___________.’

6.    Since the coming of Otters, everyone’s been ___________ them. We are all so happy with their taking up residence amongst us.

7.    Mr. Goldback had once said, ‘Humans call mischievous and deceitful behaviour as ‘monkey business’, so calling selfish and thoughtless behaviour as ‘human business’ should the right thing. He’s ___________ on this one.

8.    As the rainy season has started, we are all prepared for when it will ____________.

• Here’s the Crossword puzzle for the week. All the words rhyme with ‘rain’. It does not mean that all the words end with ‘in’, in fact, most of them don’t.

See you all next week with more news, activities and answers to this week’s puzzles.

In the meanwhile, if you would like to write to me, email me at Sparkyatbanyan@gmail.com

Answers to last week’s puzzles:

·         Solve the riddles one by one and get a word that solves another riddle.  

Goodbye	This can be tough, especially of people and things you love extremely, Let them go gracefully and they will come back again cheerfully.
Usurper	The one who takes more than his due, the one who thinks of nothing but his own view, who rules over everyone by force, leaving everything askew.
I	Self-centered and egotistical, There’s only ‘__’, no space for anybody else at all.
Learning	There have been many in the past, To err is human, but to learn from and be better needs a heart.
Time	Lessons there have been many, Only this will tell, if there will be learning, if any.
	The final riddle – first letter of the answers above will also solve this riddle below:
Guilt	The first step to correct a fallacy is to accept this, All things can be made right, that are amiss.

·         Based on the season of ‘mood swings’ here is a puzzle on moods. Match the moods with their meaning.

Sombre	Deep sadness and seriousness
Reflective	Thoughtful
Melancholy	Sad
Idyllic	Happy, peaceful
Whimsical	Fanciful
Ominous	A feeling that something bad is going to happen
Gloomy	Feeling depressed
Pensive	Deep and serious thought

·         There are many words which look very similar to each other and can be confusing, put a little thought and the confusion will soon clear up else if you read a lot, you will not be confused by these words. Try these to see how you do.

1.    The Barbets were uninterested in the literary gatherings around the Otters’ den

2.    There was a competition to see which of the baby monkeys could eat a mango without a mess and the Otters were the disinterested judges.

3.    One of the baby monkeys was disqualified from the competition as he had used a bib while eating a mango which he later removed while the judges came around.

4.    A duck who came over to see the otters’ collection of books asked them if they had a Masters in Library sciences degree. When they said they didn’t, she said they were unqualified to run a library.

5.    The boys, who were throwing stones at the mangoes, didn’t even stop to think that there were unarmed monkeys and squirrels on the tree, they are disgraceful guests.

6.    The boys were disarmed and taken away just in time. They narrowly escaped having Mr. Goldback’s wrath unleashed on them else we would have been witness to them ungracefully shrieking and running around.

7.    Last year there were far fewer birds than this year who visited Banyan Island during summer.

8.    Since the humans are all at home waiting for the virus to go away, there’s lesser pollution in the river this year.

• Here’s a ‘word-hunt’.  Find all the words which mean ‘mistake’:

o   Flaw & Faulty – ‘Samudra thought there was some flaw in his vision or there was something faulty with Udra’s brain.’

o   Blunder – ‘It was the elephant that blundered’

o   Fallacy – ‘The first step to correct a fallacy is to accept this’

The below words are not synonyms but ‘almost there’:

o   Err (error) – ‘To err is human, but to learn from and be better needs a heart’. Though, mind you, ‘err’ is a verb and ‘error’ is a noun.

o   Amiss – ‘All things can made right, that are amiss.’.