Wolf

A wolf had not eaten for many days. Poor fellow had failed to catch even a small rabbit.

Driven by hunger he walked into a village. He thought that he would remain alert and cautious and try to steal a goat or a sheep or a rooster to satisfy his hunger.

He sneaked into a house and saw a goat in a corner. He was about to pounce on it when the goat said, “Don’t even think of eating me. I am suffering from pneumonia. My lungs are rotting. If you eat me you too will catch pneumonia and die. Why don’t you eat the sheep that is in the next house? She is such a fat sheep.”

The wolf had never heard of pneumonia. He got scared and ran away. He entered the next house. He saw a sheep. He was crawling towards the sheep when it said, “Be careful of the hounds; any moment they would be here. Be quick and hide somewhere; they are real vicious hounds.”

Hunger was driving the wolf mad. But he was too weak to face a pack of vicious hounds. He chose to beat a hasty retreat. He went into another house and saw a big rooster.

The rooster looked at the wolf and angrily shouted, “I know you are the witch that walks in the garb of a wolf. My master has been looking for you. He wants to burn you alive. Let me alert my master.”

The wolf ran for his life lest he was caught and burnt alive. He was now disheartened and tired. He thought he would make one last effort to get something to eat. He sneaked into the next house. He saw a big, fat pig in that house and smiled at his luck.

“Did the goat, the sheep and the rooster make a fool of me?” he began to ponder while eyeing the pig.  “But I will not let this pig make a fool of me.”

The pig looked at the wolf and fearlessly turned his back towards him. The wolf felt insulted. He jumped on the pig. But midway he was hit by a blast of hot, stinking air; the accompanying sound was deafening.

The pig was suffering from indigestion and he had just farted.

The poor wolf could not survive the ‘chemical weapon’ released by the pig and collapsed on the ground.

© i b arora

Tooth Ache

Morning was cold

and Sun was late,

rooster under a warm quilt

wanted to wait.

He had to crow

for everyone to rise,

and if he didn’t crow

problems could arise.

But everyone awoke

hearing a cry of pain,

rooster began to crow

he couldn’t now feign.

It was the elephant

who was in tears,

his tooth was aching

first time in many years.

He left his bed and

jumped into his van,

he rushed to a dentist

who lived in a caravan.

Dentist was awake

but was still in bed,

he saw the elephant

and trembled in dread.

Dentist was afraid of

treating the elephant,

he was often careless

and sometimes negligent.

But elephant would hear

no ifs and buts,

for pain in the tooth

was driving him nuts.

Dentist was careful

he examined the tooth,

he was a bit nervous

but he told the truth.

“Sir, it makes me sad

but I have to tell the truth,

one tooth is really bad

I’ll have to remove a tooth”

“Do what you've to do

this pain I can’t bear,

just take a good care

but do first say a prayer .”

Elephant opened his mouth

and closed his eyes,

but poor dentist failed

even after many tries.

He pulled and plucked

twisted and wrenched,

he did his best

and in sweat he got drenched.

When finally tooth came out

dentist let out a cry,

elephant had punched him

in pain and fury.

Elephant was shivering

in wild red rage,

dentist had done him  

a serious damage.

 “You fool of a dentist

what have you done?

Bad tooth is still aching

you took out a good one.”

Poor dentist knew that

he was in deep trouble,

and he thought it wise

to scamper at double.

© i b arora