Monday, October 13, 2014

Fables for Clever Girls - Man, Son & Donkey

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Ishani came to me for another story last night.

And I began thus:


Once upon a time there was this farmer called Ramu in our village, Muthukur. He had a son but no daughter. So he brought up a white donkey. It grew up to become so comely that Ramu loved it as his own daughter and called it his Mohini.

One day Ramu and his son and Mohini were walking side by side to the neighboring village, Modukur.

Then a countryman saw it and heckled them:

"Why are you two walking when you could ride upon your donkey?"

Ramu and his son then got up on their donkey and were riding it happily.

Then a villager saw it and rebuked them:

"Ramu...you have no sense of shame...two people riding a poor donkey!!!"

Ramu then put his son down and he alone was riding his donkey...his son walking by their side. 

Then a bumpkin heckled them and said:

"Ramu, you are heartless...you are such a big man and you are happily riding your donkey while your your son is waking in the hot sun"

Ramu then got down and put up his son on the donkey and started walking by. 

Then another townsman heckled them and said:

"Young Boy! You have no respect for your father and you are jolly riding the donkey while your old father is sweating"

Then they both got down their donkey and, to rest their tired donkey, they started carrying their donkey on a pole.

And they came to a stream which they were crossing on a foot-bridge.







Ishani then said:

"I know how this is going to end"

"How?"

"The donkey gets scared of the stream and breaks loose, falls down in the water, and dies"

"No, no, no...Ramu and his son took the precaution of blindfolding their donkey before they crossed the water"

"What happened then?"

"Oh, they crossed the stream safely and reached Modukur. There they were met by several men who wanted to purchase their donkey"

"Why?"

"There was a heavy demand for donkeys and poor supply in Modukur. So they sold their donkey to the highest bidder"

"What did they do with the money they got?"

"They bought a big bike cheap"

"Why?"

"There was a heavy supply of bikes but poor demand in Modukur"

"What did they do with the bike they bought?"

"They rode on it back to Muthukur and sold their bike which had a heavy demand but poor supply in Muthukur"

"What did they do with all the profit they made?"

"They bought more donkeys and sold them in Modukur and became very rich"

"But Ramu treated Mohini as his own daughter...how could he sell her for profit? Is it legal to sell daughters?"

"It was, during the olden times"

"What was this system called?"

"This famous system among South Indian Brahmins was called Kanya Shulkam (bride-selling)"

"Chee..chee...chee"

"There is nothing chee chee about it...it is approved by the World Trade Organization (WTO) loved by the US"

"Is this story real or made up by you?"

"It is my own original composition and I am taking a copyright on it in your name"

"What will I do with it?"

"When you grow up, sell your copyright in the US and return to Hyderabad and, with all those dollars you make, buy lots of cheap donkeys and launch your own start-up...you will grow very rich"

"Are donkeys cheap in Hyderabad?"

"Yes, it is called our Demographic Dividend...one of the 3 D's championed by our PM"

"Why can't I stay back in the US and join their Microsoft?"

"Then you will get no pay hikes but only sweet lectures on Women's Karma theory by their Hyderabadi CEO"

http://www.tremeritus.com/2014/10/12/microsoft-ceo-asks-women-to-trust-faith-karma-for-pay-raise/










...Posted by Ishani


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