Gift Is Never Free-Part 2

(Reverie at River Riviera)

The elephant said to monkey, "Go, Travel and Revere on the Banks of Riviera."

Riviera, the great river is flows through valley in the midst of great mountains and vast green plains. It is fresh with water and flows into an unknown distant sea. It is big river as many streams, creeks, brooks and rivulets merge into it at different places.

Nobody knows its source. Nobody knows its course. Nobody knows its mouth. Someone calls it a frozen river that was made live by prayers of elephant sage many many ages before.

Many years ago a monkey had fled from the jungle to save his life. The monkey thought, "My innocence would be making the traitors` bleed."

Far away from jungle, as monkey travelled far off mountains and land, it remembered elephants words, "Oh Wise remove the dust and get free. Cleanse body, soul and attain freedom. Time is the greatest of all. Travel as my fortune awaits you. Freedom is the cure. Go and get free. "

The monkey thought, "Every time someone tried to defeat me, I became stronger. I would return and crush you all. Now it`s time to travel."

It further thought, "First cleanse myself, only then can I be brave enough."

After monkey`s disappearance, in the jungle, the jackal became more powerful with his tricks. The lion king was busy eating, sleeping and basking in Sun. The great sage elephant was busy in meditations in mountain caves. The animals were feeling lonely, as no one told them stories. They wondered, "Where has the ape gone?"

The jackal spread the false rumor that ape had fled away after stealing the royal treasure. None of animals believed in jackal`s stories and all animal`s thought that monkey was devoured by unknown crooked crocodile living in the river.

Unmindful of liesand rumors, the monkey continued travelling. He narrated the stories and also listened to stories of land, mountain, water and sand. He was wizened and mellowed by the hard travels. He was turning more peaceful, calm and spiritual as he could now see beauty all around him. On his travels, he appreciated the Sun, the moon, the stars and the sky. He could now appreciate the sunlight and the shadow. He could listen to birds, winds, waters and the nature. He could run and walk slowly and also could dance in happiness. He could breathe, eat and drink more happily in nature. He now feared nothing as Birth, life and death looked one celestial event to him.

He had songs, stories and messages for animals of jungle, but he often thought, "But I cannot return to my home."

One day as monkey was sleeping and dreaming. It saw in dreams, "A big black rock was standing balanced on the banks of river. The big rock was symbol of power and both lion and crocodile fought over n wanted rock. The crocodile wanted it for basking after devouring his prey, and lion wanted the rock for roaring after drinking water from river."

He saw, "The big crocodile and the lion were fighting on big rock. Suddenly, the lion caught with its mouth, the crocodiles` tale and the crocodile had lion`s leg in it`s` jaws. The crocodile and lion spun and fell with great thud at the bottom of river on sharp rock and both died."

As monkey was dreaming, a giant cobra saw monkey in reverie and cobra slowly crawled towards monkey. It was very close to monkey and silently expected his prey to breathe his last; suddenly, a crow sitting on nearby branch jumped and attacked the cobra with its claws and beak .Itdug deeply in king cobra`s eyes. In split second, the cobra was blinded of one eye and blood oozed out and he writhed in pain. The cobra had now a new enemy and it could not see him. The cobra made its hood bigger and hissed, but monkey had quickly moved to another branch. Cobra

The crow said, "But you can see. Can`t you see the deadly cobra attacking you?"

Finally crow sat at top of tree and spoke to him, "Sage elephant thinks that only you can save the the jungle, your abode."

Monkey said protectively, "What happened to animals?"

The crow said, "They are regularly tormented by evil trio of The Lion, the Crocodile and the Jackal."

The crow flew away as it had delivered the message of the sage elephant and the animals.

The monkey thought for a while, "I have stories to tell to animals. I have travelled enough to make my body lean and soul clean. I was born in jungle, so I must die in jungle. I must finish the evil trio and make animals feel happy. I am now returning to my home."

It could see its win in the formation of clouds in sky. It could see its win in the distant mighty mountains. It could see its blessings in the smiling sun.

....

It travelled back to its` abode jumping and running on trees along the banks of river Riviera. Whenever he got tired, "He prayed and asked the river to save the pride in the jungle."

At last it came across one side of banks of river Riviera. From here, he could see on other side the jungle that he once lived. The monkey now saw solitary deer drinking the water and a silent crocodile approaching it. The crocodile was about to make its final move, the monkey shrilled andthe deer sensing danger suddenly ran away. The crocodile was angry at this creature that had suddenly appeared on tree top.

Now throughout day, the monkey kept his eyes fixed on crocodile. It troubled crocodile as now it had to work hard for food and it made the crocodile very hungry and angry. As days went by, the monkey kept alerting animals of the dangers of crocodile. The crocodile was angry and mad at monkey. It said to monkey, "Why are you keeping vigil on me? Why don`t you leave me alone?"

The monkey smiled and laughed, but kept quiet.

It sung a song,

"I am the servant of the jungle.

I love the leaves, the trees, the river, and the animals of the jungle.

Forest I seek, Forest I know, Forest I see, Forest I call."

Now the monkey was happy as it was serving jungle and its animals. It used to see deep in water. Sometimes he saw his reflection in flowing water and was amazed to see himself unfolding in so many of images.

One day he was calmly watching his image in still water. He was thrilled to see his face, his nose, his eyes and his lean body. He saw in his reflection his best self and also, his worst foe. He saw in his reflection, his best critique and also, his greatest admirer. The monkey could now see deep into river and felt happy at seeing rounded and sharp rocks at bottom of river. It was mesmerized and then suddenly, it saw a distant lion coming to river. It knew that lion was very thirsty. It saw the crocodile and it felt its hunger.

The monkey thought, "Oh! I have seen this before in dreams. I wish them death."

Now everything was in slow motion in front of monkey eyes. The lion stood onthe black rock and gulped the water. The crocodile attacked lion and had its hind side legs. In return, the lion clawed the crocodile`s by it`s` tail. Both were in great pain and blood was oozing out of their bodies. Also both struggled; one in thirst and another in hunger and then suddenly both fell down in river on sharp rock. The monkey saw both lion and crocodile in pools of blood at the bottom of river bed. It thought, "Who died? Lion or crocodile. It is lion as crocodile can survive in water."

After sometime, it saw dead lion and dead crocodile floating at river top and it felt happy.

The monkey thought, "My innocence had made traitors` bleed."

The crow cawed sitting at tree top, "The monkey has returned. The monkey has returned. Monkey killed the crocodile. The monkey killed the lion. The monkey has returned. Now, it is jackals` turn."

Fearing his life, the jackal fled the jungle forever.

Finally, the monkey could now smell the aromatic wind that blew from other side of banks of river. It made him happy. He saw the fruits on trees at other side of bank of Riviera. Finally the monkey crossed the river as it was safe and devoid of crocodile. It stepped on the soil of forest, where he lived once and could feel the touch of soil at its feet.

Now It was hero`s welcome for monkey. Animals had a courageous and trusted story teller now.

(END)