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Sunday Parable by Sunanda Mahendra

"Oh my son," said the mother after searching for him all over the place, "Where have you been all this time? I was so worried as to where you have gone."

"I went to the black jungle."

"But that is the area where the most dangerous animals roam."

"But I wanted to know how and where they roam."

"All alone?" asked the mother.

"Yes mother."

"But don't you know that there is a wild buffalo, a man killer, in the black jungle, who chase humans whenever it sees them?"

"I have heard of this, but I am not afraid of wild animals."

"But I advise you not to go into the black jungle, for you are still too young and weak. Don't you know what happened to your father even though he was a good hunter?"

"Yes you told me once about the wild buffalo who had chased my father knocked him down and killed him."

"If you already know that you ought not go into the jungle."

"But I have to know what is happening in the jungle."

"If you don't listen to me the wild buffalo will kill you one day and I have to suffer on account of that. So I plead with you not to go to the black jungle."

The son did not pay any heed to the mother. He was curious as to what was happening in the black jungle. In fact he wanted to see how the animals behaved. The villagers too knew of a certain wild buffalo who was not even afraid of hunters.

The wild buffalo had killed several hunters in their attempt to overthrow the animal. The son knew all that but he was still curious. On the following day too, he entered the black jungle without informing anyone. The mother who felt the absence of the son, cried out.

"Son, oh son where are you?" She was scared when she found that the son wasnot to be seen anywhere inside and outside the house. She instinctively felt that the son had once again entered the black jungle. Then towards evening he came home tired and withered.

"Where did you go without telling me?"

"I went to the black jungle." He said regardless of the sadness cast on his mother's face. "I can't understand why you cannot obey me. You are my only son but I see that I have to disown you for by disobeying a mother bad effects might fall on a child."

Though the son listened to his mother his mind was roaming in the jungle.

"Next time if you enter the black jungle, my son, I am sure you will be chased by that wild buffalo and get killed by it and then I will lose you as well."

She expressed these words in a meditative tone. The following day when the mother went to the market place the son was left all alone in the house. "Look after the house until I return," said the mother pensively. "Mother, shall I go to the black jungle?"

"I told you once before this, and I am not going to repeat that today. If you go to the black jungle, I am sure that the wild buffalo will kill you. Take my word. So Please don't do it." When the mother left the house, the son felt lonely, but restless, and made up his mind to enter the black jungle.

"I like to see that wild buffalo about who my mother speaks so much" thought the son. He slowly walked towards the jungle after closing the front door of the house. The pet dog of the house barked and the pet cat meowed, as if asking him not to go out of the house.

Ignoring their signs of behaviour, the son left the house and thought that he could come home before the mother returned. He went slowly out of the house and entered the black jungle. The black jungle was a vast area hidden in darkness. There he heard something stirring around and stopped to see what it is all about. Then all of a sudden a wild buffalo appeared.

The son ran to hide himself from the creature But the Buffalo was chasing him. He ran as fast as possible and climbed a tree. From the tree- top when he looked down, he saw the wild buffalo roaming around the tree as if trying to pull it down.

Having climbed the tree, the son stood still clinging on to a branch and placed his feet on to another. He knew that if he disturbs the wild buffalo, he would get angry. It looked as if the wild buffalo is not leaving the foot of the tree. The creature was walking round and round the foot of the tree sniffing like a mad creature. He went on watching the behaviour of the creature for he had nothing else to do.

But the creature seemed to be sniffing all the time pacing around the tree. The son was afraid of the circumstances and remembered the words of the mother. What did she say? Did she not ask me to stay at home? But I did not obey her words and came here to meet this man killer the wild buffalo. My mother is so kind and desperate that she tried all the ways and means of rescuing me. She wants to make me live, but I disobeyed her words, and this is what is going to happen to me. If suddenly I fall down, the buffalo will definitely kill me. So what am I to do now?

I must close my eyes and recollect the kind words of my mother. So he closed his eyes for a moment and recollected the words of the mother. She seemed to have appeared before him.

She says "your father who was a good hunter was killed by that wild buffalo. I plead with you not to enter the black jungle for it is a dangerous place." Then he thought "I will never ever disobey my mother. She is so kind hearted that she wants me to live, and she wants to look after me.

Dear mother, please pardon me for my misbehaviour. I will never disobey you here after." Then he prayed to the forest gods "Oh mighty gods of this jungle, please help me to go home. Rescue me from this wild buffalo."

He seemed to be meditating on the words of his mother for a few moments. As time passed, he opened his eyes to see that the wild buffalo had gone from the foot of the tree.

He looked at all sides to make sure whether it was yet to be seen. No, the creature has gone as if understanding the act of truth. The son came down and walked slowly towards his home.

The mother was waiting for her son. The son knelt down and worshipped the mother saying that he will never disobey her.

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