18 - Sparky’s ‘Tricked’ World

Hello, Sparky here.

Ø  Another week has gone by. We are positively tired of rains now. But the thirsty earth is still soaking up the rain. The vegetation too like the earth is flourishing in the weather. They are stocking up for rest of the year whereas for us in the animal world it is getting all too dull. There is much to eat in terms of fresh buds, tender leaves, tasty roots, yummy shoots, plumpy ants and termites, crocking frogs which advertise their presence and many more such niceties of the season – there’s something for all of us but the possible hours of feeding has shortened – a drizzle is OK but consistent rains put off even the strongest amongst us and makes us choose shelter over food.  

Ø  The mango season has ended. Guess, which fruit grows round the year and is ripe and ready to eat when one desires? Not mangoes, obviously. Guess who didn’t know this? The otters, obviously. Udra was furious at the beginning of the week when he found out that the mangoes are a seasonal fruit. He first ranted and raved at us all then he even went to the mango tree to shout at it. Though the mango season has ended, the mango related problem with the otters is refusing to end. They didn’t realize it was a seasonal fruit. They are furious with us for having started them off on something that isn’t going to be available all year round. When Mr. Drongo asked them if they don’t have fishes that are seasonal, Udra threw a mango at him. Either he didn’t aim well or threw to miss – whatever be the case, I thought we must be glad we introduced the otters to mango and not jackfruit. Not that we have a jackfruit tree on Banyan Island.

Ø  Civvy, the little baby monkey had not met his civet friends for a few days due to the rains which saw the monkeys returning to the Banyan by noon itself for fear of heavy downpour towards the second half of the day. So, one day he went to Mr. Goldback, the leader of monkeys and told him he was really missing the fun days of summer. Mr. Goldback to cheer Civvy up promised him a fun day the next day. As is Civvy’s wont, he went around telling everyone that summer was coming the next day. Initially we were bemused but as we heard more of the story that it was Mr. Goldback who had promised him a ‘fun day’, not just Civvy but the whole of banyan tree residents were excited and looking forward to it. Not for one moment did any of us doubt Mr. Goldback’s ability to create a ‘fun day’ or even summer for that matter, if he put his mind to it.

Ø  The next day was pretty much the same. Morning greeted us with a drizzle, a bit of hazy sunshine in the noon and then the clouds begin to be drawn around us like the curtains that they are. Still, none of us gave up hope. All of us knew Civvy’s ‘fun day’ would include his civet friends who woke up only in the evening, so the fun time could only begin around then. As evening approached all of us kept a close watch on Mr. Goldback, wondering what he would do. Then Gumphu monkey began rounding up all the little monkeys together just as if she were going to teach them something like she used to before the rainy season began. The baby monkeys were so excited by the new activity they didn’t seem to mind the drizzle one bit. As Gumphu started singing a song, Mr. Goldback went to the mango tree and brought the baby civets along with him. Civvy and the baby civets were thrilled to be meeting after a long gap. Very soon all the babies were laughing, chatting and having a good time. Almost miraculously, the sky cleared and stars shone bright and sparkling clean like the rains had cleaned them as well. (It was the atmosphere which was clearer, but when a simile does the job of setting up the images in the readers’ mind so much better then why shy away from it?)  I don’t know if or how Mr. Goldback arranged for the clouds to clear, but it was wonderful, it was in fact, magical. Soon, baby squirrels joined the baby monkeys and then all the adults joined in too.

Ø  The surprises for the day weren’t over yet. The otters dragged 4 jackfruits out of their burrow. Soon, all of us joined Udra and Samudra by their burrow. Most of us had only ever heard of jackfruits, never even seen one before that. As the otters cut open the fruit and peeled the individual fruits from within, even the babies stopped playing and watched, mesmerized. It was a fruit within a fruit. Just as the jackfruit was a surprise within a surprise.

Ø  How Udra and Samudra knew how to handle a jackfruit was the question on many of our minds. When someone did ask the question Udra said they had learnt it from the monkey on the other island from whom they had got the fruits. In fact, the real question we should have then asked was why did 2 ‘fish-eaters’ go to such trouble to bring such heavy fruits from another island. But none of us asked that question. Not that knowing the answer to that one would have altered any of our action later on – we were all mesmerized by the jackfruit, its spiky exterior, smooth interior, the tightly packed individual fruitlets within, the strong irresistible aroma which sent our brains into overdrive as it tried to work out what it smelled like – like a pineapple one moment, a banana the next and completely bewildered the third moment which led us to draw another breadth just to get on the same ‘pineapple-banana-wait a moment’ spin again.

Ø  Watching Udra and Samudra work on the fruits then touching the soft and smooth fruitlet, sniffing it before taking a tentative bite, then as if the tricks the brain was playing on us of pineapple-banana was not enough – the taste buds took us on another spin altogether – pineapple-banana-mango-apple-or something in between. Another bite and a seed plopped out. The whole experience was something else, like nothing ever we had experienced.       

Ø  There were quite a few of us gathered for the jack-feast so we didn’t get to eat as much we would have liked to eat but content for the day we all departed to dream of jackfruits. The next day morning many of us made our way to the otters’ burrow to enquire of them where we might get the jackfruit from. The otters weren’t home but there was a paper by their burrow with their message:

‘Now, we are even.

As we dream of mangoes so you can dream of jackfruits.

Udra & Samudra wish you jackfruit-sized dreams.’

Oh, what a wicked trick to have played on us and though we suffer the ‘jackfruit pang’ we acknowledge the brilliance of how the otters have got back at us. Though the difference is stark – none of us were tricking them when we got them mangoes but they tricked us into trying the jackfruit and trapped us into a yearning for the fruit which we have no way of fulfilling though the otters will get their mangoes the coming mango season and the one after that and the one after.

Author’s Note:

A friend complained to me that as I haven’t provided a photo of an Otter in the magazine, it’s difficult to imagine Udra & Samudra. I haven’t provided one because I have never been fortunate enough to see an Otter and photograph it. Anyway, here’s a photo of 2 Smooth-coated Otters from Wikipedia. Photo by Mprasannak Link to the photo: https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=54296297

Here are a few activities for the week if like us, you are in want of a diversion.

·         Solve the riddles one by one and get a word that solves another riddle. The final word describes our present situation where we are longing for the jackfruit and also summer.

	This regenerates the body and refreshes the mind, If overdone, it rusts the body and blunts the mind.
	Always keep your brain this, Else, the brain will soon lose its fizz. The maxim, ‘use it or lose it’, to brain too, it applies.
	To do this is to show that you care, Doing it in hard times, is like a ‘character-testing’ snare.
	This word, with the word above rhymes, By force to pull apart, it means.
	In the rainy season, you can summon a sunny day, You just have to do this and wish the dullness away.
	If you can’t do the above, do this. Pack your bags and go over to the other hemisphere.
	If you are being persuaded to do something, then beware, Nothing good ever comes out of it, it will only catch you unaware. ‘Sour grapes’ is a great idiom to think of then, even if they were to say you have the brain of a hare.
	The final riddle – first letter of the answers above will also solve this riddle below:
	The word has the word which means to relax, sleep and recover, But the word means you don’t have any of it whatsoever. You are impatient, dissatisfied, restless and hot in pleasant November.

·   The crossword puzzle of the week is on fruits – as we are all dreaming of fruits.

·      Similar looking words which ‘could be confusing’:

1.            Good company and good food are ______ (bare/bear) essentials to tide over the dull days of the rainy season.

2.            Mr. Goldback ______ (bares/bears) the responsibility of a leader very cheerfully.

3.            Mr. Goldback ______ (ensures/insures) that his family is well protected from any danger.

4.            Presence of mature trees  ______ (ensures/insures) that we have food and shade in plenty no matter what the vagaries of the season.

5.            When the rain ______ (pours/pores) down, it’s best to safely sit it out in our homes.

6.            Sometimes when Udra & Samudra ______ (pour/pore) over their books, almost _________ (stationary/stationery) it makes us wonder if they remembered to eat and rest.

7.            The other day Gumphu ran out of her favourite black ink but fortunately for her the otters always have a stock of ________    (stationary/stationery) with them.

‘Little readers’ Section’

· From the photos below, could you identify the seasons.

‘Reader’s Write’

Here’s a story written by Mr. Shivam Jotish Pillai. Shivam is studying in 7^th grade in Delhi Public School, Doha.

Author’s Note:

As the story is long and the plot lets me divide it into two parts with maximum effect, I have taken the liberty to publish the story over 2 weeks in 2 parts. I have also taken the liberty to correct a few grammatical errors. Except these aforementioned interferences the story and the narration is Shivam’s. Thank you for the lovely story, Shivam.

Leo and the Time Machine

There was a small boy named Leo. He was only 9 years old. He was very smart and creative. He lived in Amsterdam in a medium sized house with a chimney. He had no friends. His mother had passed away in a car accident when he was 8 years old but the poor boy didn’t know about this. Leo’s dad worked in the military so Leo lived with his grandfather and when the boy asked about his mother his grandfather used to tell him that she was away working for a company.

5 years passed…

One day Leo woke up in the morning and was eating a delicious breakfast when his grandfather told him he wanted to show him something which he had been working on for the last 17 years. Leo was amazed and even excited. He was wondering what it could be. Then his grandfather took him to the basement and he came to know it was a time machine. His grandfather still hadn’t finished making the time machine but Leo’s grandfather knew that Leo would get the time machine ready. When Leo saw the time machine he was shocked but he understood that the time machine was not working. Leo’s grandfather told him, “Leo, I could not finish this time machine but I know you can.”

Leo thought his grandfather had worked 17 years on the machine but had not completed it, how would he be able to finish building it? When Leo asked this question the reply by his grandfather was “I know it is going to be difficult but it’s not impossible.” When Leo heard that, he asked his grandfather what he had to do to make the time machine work.

Look forward to the concluding part of the story in the next issue of the magazine.

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. The final word describes our present situation and each other word denotes our activity of the moment.

Preen	Rain or shine we all do this, it keeps us clean and neat. Bird or beast, which takes care of oneself thus, is difficult to beat.
Laze	One activity for a rainy day is to do nothing at all, Conserve energy and effort for later on.
Acquire	One can do this of a new skill, Do this in leisure time, of your own will Someday it will be handy, to your own great thrill.
Create	You do this when you build or design something A DIY or a complex machine, there’s joy in making.
Ideate	Ideas come when you do this, Sit down, imagine and let your mind whizz.
Dream	Sometimes let activity cease, Do this and imagine a world, one better and of peace.
	The final riddle – first letter of the answers above will also solve this riddle below:
Placid	Calm and at peace, Tranquil and at ease. Such that your emotions no one can tease.

· Continuing with the ‘similar looking hence ‘could be confusing’ words’:

With the rise in the water level in the river many bee-eaters’ nest got flooded and was lost. The bee-eaters elected a council to select the best site to build their new nests in.

The tree nesting birds advised the bee-eaters to build a nest in the tree so their nests would not be destroyed in floods but such an advice was of no use as the bee-eaters have never nested anywhere but in a hole in the ground and would not know how to build a nest on a tree.

Without knowing these bare minimum of facts, giving advices is a waste of everyone’s time. So, it is important to know the whole of the facts before giving counsel to others.

·         A puzzle with Metaphors.  

All the world	is a stage
It is raining	cats and dogs
She is the	apple of my eye
A heart	of gold
Noise is	music to his ears
Sea of	Sadness
Light	of their life
He has a heart	of a lion
He swam in the sea	of diamonds

‘Little readers’ Section’

·  As we live in homes, so do animals, birds and insects. Here are a few photos of homes of a few animals. Could you match the animals with their homes.