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Kids? Org That strange voice By M.V. Kolhatkar It was a long desert. The lone traveller was moving ahead on the back of the camel. The sun slowly went down and the air went on cooling. Soon the stars started twinkling. The traveller had wrapped his whole body with a robe to protect himself from the sand storm and the gush of the wind. The journey was tedious. There was no trace of anybody around. The thick broad feet of the camel made a typical sound while pressing the sand. A gently breeze from the East went sweeping. The traveller tightened the head-cover. It was all dead dark around. The destination was far ahead. The wind was arising and mellowing down from time to time. A wave of wind came from behind making a whistle sound and disappeared slowly. This was followed by some strange words. The traveller felt that somebody was whispering in his ears. He was shocked and frightened. He turned his neck behind. There was nobody in the vicinity. Nobody can be present in this desolate desert at such odd hours too. Is it hallucination? Is it a ghost? The traveller went on guessing. He concluded that it was all a web-work of timid mind. So he uttered the name of God. He tightened his head-cover. He hinted the camel to increase its pace. Surprisingly, soon once more he heard the whispering sound. He gathered the courage. He carefully tried to hear the words. The voice was fading. Somehow it appeared the strange voice was saying repeatedly ?lift the stones?? and the subsequent message was not audible at all. Terror went down the spines of the traveller. He was puzzled. Who could be the strange spirit? Why is he after me? What is it that the spirit wants to suggest me? Everything strange and incomprehensible! He was alone in the desert and he had to face the situation howsoever. Frightening it may be. Once more there was a gentle wind followed by whispering sound. This time the pronunciation was a little more clear. The words were, ?Lift the stones today. They will turn into gold tomorrow.? The message was repeated. The traveller brushed aside the message considering it as a nasty play of timid mind. But the words chased him. There was a clash of two minds with the traveller. One mind argued ?Don?t get fooled. Be bold. Be not a victim of illusion?. Another mind pleaded ?After all it?s a matter of lifting a few stones. That will cost you nothing. It will cause no harm to you. Stones of today will be gold of tomorrow. Nobody is watching you. Nobody will be there to call you a fool. Lift a few stones and move ahead..?. The mind went on tossing. Finally the traveller stopped for a while, lifted three small stones, placed them in his bag over the back of the camel and started his journey ahead. Surprisingly the strange voice did not reappear. The traveller continued his journey further. He almost forgot the incident. After few hours there was day-break. The eastern sky started glittering with golden hue. The climate was pleasant. The traveller reached an oasis soon. He made the camel to drink the water. Thereafter he tied the camel to a nearby tree, washed his hand and feet, drank water and had a brief nap in near by caravanserai. The traveller awoke after a little while. He felt fresh after the little rest. He was happier still to find himself in the green piece of land with men moving here and there. He felt as if he was in the heaven. All of a sudden the traveller remembered the strange event of the previous night. He laughed at his foolishness in lifting the stones in response to that imaginary voice. With self-deriding smile on his face, he went to the baggage separated from the back of the camel. He put his hand inside the bag with and intention to throw away the three stones which formed a proof of his foolishness. But lo and behold the stones had turned into gold?a real gold. The traveller jumped with joy. But soon the joy disappeared and he felt miserable and he almost wept with sorrow. First he was happy because the three stones had turned into gold. Later on he was overtaken by grief because it did not occur to him to lift lot of stones then. Had he done so, the traveller would have been the richest person of the land. Now there is no use repenting over the lapse. ??Little Friends?? The stones are pieces of advice addressed to you in your childhood by your elders. You consider their words of advice such as, Always speak truth; Work hard; Pray to God: Study sincerely; Take the exercise regularly, etc. as pieces of useless stones. But friends, when you grow-up, you get convinced that had you followed those advices sincerely, your life would have turned into gold. (The author can be contacted at 16, Jeevanchchaya Hsg. Society, Opp. Civil Hospital, Satara-415 001 (Maharashtra)

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