A True Friend, Indeed!

It was a terrible stormy weather in the jungle. The sky was overcast with dark grey clouds. 

The animals were scared. The lion roared, bats screeched, bears growled, and so did the other animals.

The trees swayed with heavy wind so fast that they seemed to be uprooted. They collided with each other. The rustling sound of leaves scared everyone.

A deer in that jungle had gone to her relatives with her two kids. She was not aware of this sudden storm. On her journey back home, she faced the deadly storm on the way. Limping with one foot, she couldn't walk fast. 

The mother deer urged her babies, ‘Go-go babies, or we can't reach at home.’

‘No, mother. We can't leave you alone. You have a damaged leg. We can walk with you,’ said the babies.

But the mother deer insisted that her babies go ahead. At last, they agreed with their mother's request and went ahead. The mother deer was being watched by her babies at a quick interval.

The weather was going from bad to worse. The whistling sound of the wind increased from time to time. Dry leaves were scattered all around the jungle, mesmerising the walking path. A big pit on the way was completely covered with dried leaves and broken twigs. The fawns couldn't sort out the pit and fell into the pit. They screamed out of fear. After a while, without seeing her babies, the mother deer called their names aloud. But only she could hear a feeble voice. Tracing the sound, she reached the pit. She was aghast at seeing her babies inside the pit. She screamed for help, but no one was in sight. She tried to pick them up with her front feet but failed because of her injured hind feet.

Tears trickled down. For a moment, she felt completely hopeless. Hiding her fright, she told them to be patient and hurriedly went for help. Desperately, she searched here and there to find a source. Suddenly, she noticed a big uprooted tree lying on the ground. ‘How can I drag it?’ she mumbled. She tugged the fallen tree a little distance, but couldn't make it. As the time passed, her heart pounded heavily, thinking about her babies. She went on shuffling her memory to whom she could approach for help. Praying to God silently, she thought for a while. Immediately, she recalled an elephant- her neighbourly friend.

Without any delay the mother deer rushed to her friend. Seeing worried deer, the elephant came out from its nest. Astonishingly he asked, ‘Hey deer, you look so pale! What's up? Everything ok?’

The deer, in a choking voice, narrated the whole incident. She earnestly urged him to help her. The wife of the elephant screamed, ‘How dare you call him now?! In this weather?! Are you insane?’

The deer being humiliated turned her face giving a pitiful look at the male elephant, slowly walked away. But she could hear the voice of the elephant saying to his wife, ‘Stop howling! If tomorrow we face the same situation, then? She is in danger. Being a friend let me help her.’

The female elephant grunted with a weird sound. While walking away, a few minutes later, the crunching sound of dry leaves drew the deer’s attention. She turned around. ‘Oh my God! You?!’

The elephant nodded, and both of them headed towards the pit. Both were struggling against the terrible wind. Before reaching the pit, the deer asked him to pull the fallen tree to the pit. The elephant tugged the tree and put it inside the pit. The fawns climbed over it and came out. All became very happy. Overwhelmed with joy!

The elephant said, ‘Hey, Deer! Why didn't you tell me before? I could have simply lifted them with my trunk itself. Why this tree?’

The deer, overwhelmed with joy, said, ‘Oh, dear! I knew your strength, but I thought it would be easier for my kids to cling to the tree. Whatever, you are my true friend, indeed!

Encouragement is equally important for both the young and the old! It is easy to teach a lesson through the animal characters. The moral of this story is meant for all the categories that-- 'Be generous! Help others in need, and you will be helped by HIM.