A rustic’s parable.

A rustic’s parable.
P K Routray
Edited by P Gaan

There dwelt a king kind and considerate in an Indian state
He spent his time in serving his subjects whom as sons he dealt
The royal couple was blessed with a daughter after many years of waiting,

She grew into a charming beauty her grace being very enchanting
Like the waxing moon the princess soon attained her age of puberty,
The king got concerned to find a groom matching his daughter’s beauty.
Emissaries were dispatched far and near to search a boy befitting
They brought photographs with looks and manners, to the king the least appealing.
Thus passed days, his anxiety grew in melancholy sat he often
Priests and astrologers were called to palace, his sorrow who can soften
Counting the movements of stars and planets the wise men came to conclusion
The king should practise penance for somedays worshipping god for propitiation
With the king’s austere and sincere prayer the family deity
Appeared in his dream and blessed him satisfied and taking pity
Said the deity the princess would marry with certain condition
The king should arrange among prospective grooms a unique competition
“He will have the hands of the princess who emerges the winner
Those who lose will become your slaves and serve you forever “
Message spread in all directions about the king’s contest
Candidates came in large number “to try one’s luck” in this pretext.
The king then announced the condition to be fulfilled by the contender
A goat has to be trained in two days not to eat grass anymore
He who succeeds will marry the princess also get half of the kingdom
Those who fail will become slaves losing their personal freedom
The task seemed simple, the contestants happy hoping sure prospect of winning
With corns and cereals plenty they started the goat’s belly filling
They thought that when with these superior foods the poor animal’s stomach is full
It will never look at the grass and remain definite cool.
But alas! How mistaken were they when a blade of grass it saw,
It could not resist its temptation and started munching with its jaw,
Soon the contestants became slaves; nobody could fulfill the task,
The king became pensive, what will now happen, whom else will he ask?
But the deity’s edict in his dream would not go in vain,
He couldn’t after all deviate from it for his selfish gain.
So with patience the king waited hoping still somebody to appear
And claim the hands of his dear daughter fulfilling the task queer
At last came a rustic simpleton looking innocence incarnate,
His ragged and tattered destitute look aroused laughter of elite ornate
He begged for a chance to try his luck if he could train the herbivorous animal
The king of course nodded in affirmative with hope feeble and small,
The rustic caught hold of the goat‘s snout and mercilessly beat with a stick ,
The goat groaned with pain striving to escape but the rustic wouldn’t loosen his grip
Extreme pain in its mouth made the goat not to look at the grass,
When offered it turned its face away due to the severe thrash
The rustic’s triumph brought relief to the king his dream’s prediction having friuited
The poor villager married the princess and half the kingdom inherited.
The story’s narration will not be over without telling the moral,
After all it is given the caption as the rustic’s parable.
Human passion likens the goat’s nature to get lured by the grass green,
If thrashed in time will desist from evil deeds developing habits pure and clean.