Ambika

Gumpa’s father worked in the forests of Amazon. He cut trees. Gumpa used to accompany his father to the forests and used to watch him work. He owned an elephant named Tutank, who would help his father lift big trunks and trundle them into the river so they would float down to the sawmill. Gumpa learnt his father’s work by watching him closely. Then one day, when his father was away, he took Tutank to the forest and remembering the words of command that his father used, he asked the Tutank to lift a trunk. Tutank was in a very playful mood that day. Instead of lifting the trunk of tree he started playing it. He stood on one leg and did some funny tricks. Gumpa too played along with him and forgot all about work. After spending the whole day playing, Gumpa decided to get some work done. And ordered Tutank to lift the trunk they had played with all day. Tutank tossed the trunk into the river and Gumpa called it a day. I have never been played with like that ever since. People have only cut me into pieces and made new shapes of me. I’m now a chair.


(On a chair)