रविवार, 19 अप्रैल 2020

The Adventure of Ricky : 2. I Too Want To Fly

Ricky was sad. He was sitting on one of the rocks in the jungle, below a big tree. His head was down. It looked like, he is in deep agony or thinking.
A peacock came to him seeing him silent and sad. Asked him, “What happened my cheerful boy? Why you are looking sad?”
“I want to fly like you. I tried it with my hands. But couldn’t be able to take off.” Said Ricky without lifting his head.
Peacock smiled, “you need to have wings to fly. You can’t fly by your hand. It’s that simple.”
“Ok, so I will make my wings and try again. Thanks, pretty peacock. I will also fly like you. Just wait”
Ricky started collecting the big leaves from the ground that had fallen from the tree. Collected many. He started weaving all these leaves with thread and made two big wings. He worn it on both his hands. He was happy because now he can fly high like a bird. He took a big run spreading his “new wings” and waiting to take off. Thud… he fell down big. He tried again. Tried to fail only.
Peacock was seeing all these. He smiled again on Ricky.
“Ricky, to make wings you should have feathers and not leaves. Leaves would not help you fly. These leaves if fly is not because of their own will but the wind let them fly.”
“But how can I get feathers?” Ricky was in anguish of his failure.
“Take one from me and start collecting it from other birds. Perhaps this way you may be able to fly like us.” Peacock flied giving him a feather from his wings and advice on how to fly.
Ricky was happy. He was feeling as if very soon he would be able to fly. He was sitting there on the rock; a pigeon came near to him.
“Hello pigeon. Can you help me with your one feather!”
“What will you do with my feather Ricky!” surprised of this demand, pigeon asked him.
“I want to fly like you. I am making my wings and so I am collecting feathers from birds.”
“Who told you this method of making wings and that you can fly with these wings?”
“Peacock. See how far she can fly. I also want to fly like that.”
“But Ricky… Ok take one feather from me as well.” Pigeon held herself and gave him one of his feathers.
Ricky was happy as he has started getting feathers from the birds. Very soon he would be able to fly. He was mesmerized with this thought only.
He got the feathers from sparrow, duck, geese, crow, cuckoo, flamingo, parrot and may such birds. Now he has got many feathers to make it wings. He sat and started binding it with thread he had. Now again he had made big pair of wings. He just had to tie it over his hands and can fly. He will see the world from above. He will fly over river, jungle, his house and where not. His friends will be surprised seeing him fly. He will occasionally share his wings with his friends. But only for few minutes. I will not tell them the method of making wings. He was daydreaming and was feeling happy with those thoughts only. He started tying those pair of wings over his hands. A hen came near to him seeing him struggling to tie the wings over his hand.
The hen said, “Do you require any help Ricky?”
“Yes hen. Can you help me tying these wings over my hands? I could not be able to fix it.”
“Ok. But what is this for? Is there any fancy-dress competition in your school and you are preparing for that?”
“No silly. I will fly with these wings and fly higher than you.” Ricky had a shine in his beautiful eyes while he was explaining this to the hen.
“Ahhhahhhahhahhah” Hen was laughing hysterically.
“So, you are making these wings to fly. But Ricky, we are born with wings so we can fly. Besides, our mom and dad teach us how to fly. I don’t think you could be able to fly with these pair of wings.”
“I know you are saying this because you are jealous of me. You don’t want me to fly higher than you. You are not even bird and that is what is making you discourage me of flying. But I will fly and fly higher than you with these wings.”
“Ok, Ok. But why do you want to fly?”
“Because I want to reach places faster. Any I want to surprise lot of my friends.”
“But Ricky, if you see all birds has got wings by nature because our legs are not that strong to go places. God gave us wings for that reason. But you have got quite strong legs. Why then you require wings?” Hen said it almost in one breadth.
“So, I can’t fly with these wings?”
“No, even if you fly like whom would you fly! You have wings of many birds. Some bird flies higher, some low. Some can fly for hours some can’t fly long.”
“Oh yes, this I haven’t thought of. So, I can’t fly?”
“No but you can run faster than any of the bird. So, run fast and win the race with all of us.”
“Yes, I can run faster. Let’s have a running competition with me. I call all the birds and will see if I can win you all or not.” Ricky was happy again and dumped the wings he made.
All birds came to have a running competition with Ricky. All started from the start line, but within second, Ricky was like running faster than the wind and wings. All the birds were struggling to win though.



- Amitesh

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