Once upon a time in the Gir forest

[Guest guest]

(This story didn't originate with me, but I translated it.)

 

 

Once upon a time in the Gir forest there was a bureaucrat who

became severely embarrassed because the old dog who lounged in his

doorway was smarter than him.

 

First all the cars in the motor pool broke down, and while

the bureaucrat frustratedly walked to work because there was no car

to take him, the old dog trotted alongside saying " Rough! Rough! "

 

Finally the bureaucrat noticed how rough the road was, and

wrote to the District Collector, who promised to have the road

resurfaced within the bureaucrat's next lifetime.

 

Then the barracks for the forest guards flooded during the

monsoons, even though the river did not rise that high. While the

bureaucrat puzzled over this, the old dog said, " Roof! Roof! "

Finally the bureaucrat looked up and noticed big holes in the roof.

He wrote to New Delhi, and was promised a new roof for the forest

guards within their next two lifetimes.

 

The problems were being solved, but the bureaucrat felt the

dog was making a fool of him, so he asked the old dog, " Do you know

your place? "

 

The dog said " Girrrr! "

 

So the frustrated, angry, and embarrassed bureaucrat

dragged the dog deep into the forest and abandoned him there near the

bones of a lion someone had recently poached. Then the bureaucrat

climbed a tree, expecting another lion would soon come along to eat

the aggravating dog.

 

Sure enough, a young lion appeared within minutes, and

began stalking the old dog.

 

The old dog saw the young lion about to pounce, turned his

back, and began gnawing the bones. Just as the lion was ready to

leap, the old dog said " That was sure one delicious lion! I wonder

if there are any more around here? "

 

The young lion stopped abruptly, looked at the bones, and

slinked away as quietly as he could.

 

The bureaucrat waited until he thought the old dog had

forgotten about him, then jumped out of the tree and ran after the

lion.

 

" Lion, lion! " he yelled, " that dog has made a fool of you! "

 

When he caught the lion, he explained the old dog's trick.

 

" I'll fix that dog! " the lion declared. " Hop on my back,

and you can watch me! " And the lion galloped back to where the old

dog was, with the bureaucrat holding onto the lion's mane.

 

The old dog pretended he did not see them coming. He just

stood with his back to them, and said " Where is that damned

bureaucrat? I sent him more than an hour ago to fetch another lion! "

 

 

 

--

Merritt Clifton

Editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE

P.O. Box 960

Clinton, WA 98236

 

Telephone: 360-579-2505

Fax: 360-579-2575

E-mail: anmlpepl

Web: www.animalpeoplenews.org

 

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