Kunal Ashok

Once upon a time, on a farm in Himachal Pradesh, lived five cows. Their names were Nithya, Delores, Sandra, Martine and Zeba. They were the best of friends. They used to graze from first light to dusk. They loved to talk. But the one thing they spoke about more than anything else, was about the places they'd love to visit once. Places that weren't as boring as the farm they lived on. 

Nithya, the eldest of them all, loved green valleys. Naturally, New Zealand was her favourite. Delores adored beaches while Sandra loved the walled cities and places of historical importance. Martine was the quiet one. She said she didn't mind anyplace, as long as it had some peace and quiet. The rest suggested playfully that she ought to try Morocco and the deserts of Africa. Zeba was the youngest of the group. She was also the most playful. She loved chasing butterflies and lady bugs. She loved to ski. So, Switzerland was her preferred choice. 

One late afternoon, as they were chomping down on their favourite wild grass on the slopes, they saw a bolt of lightning followed by a loud bang! They were terrified. They were used to thunderstorms, but this looked and sounded sinister. They could see smoke rising from beyond the hill. Although Zeba was scared like the rest, her curiosity got the better of her as she trundled up the hill to see what's going on.

"No Zeba! Don't go there! It could be dangerous", shouted Martine and Delores in unison. 

"If you're going. We are coming too. Let us investigate together", said Nithya. 

And so they set off in search of the source of the lightning. As they got closer, they could see a shiny object - a golden chair! And next to it stood an old man dressed in a purple robe. His frail fingers had rings with bright rubies. But what shone the brightest was the twinkle in his eye. The man had thick white hair, bushy eyebrows and a long nose. He smiled at the gang and waved. He asked them to come closer. 

"Hello there girls! How are we doing today then!", he exclaimed in a booming yet jovial voice. "I am Treoche! I come from Zaeora, from the constellation Antilla." 

The cows looked at Treoche in awe. Only Martine showed some signs of being frightened as her thin legs started to shiver. 

"Don't be frightened Martine. I'm not here to hurt you.", he smiled at Martine. 

"How do you know who we are?", asked Zeba "We've not introduced ourselves to you!" 

"Oh girls... Don't worry. We have been listening to your conversations at an observatory in Zaeora for a long time now. Which is why I've been sent here by the king. To help you get to the places you love to go!"

He pointed his ruby filled fingers to the golden chair. "This chair, will take you to a place you've only dreamed of. You simply sit on it, think where you want to be. Voila! You're at your dream destination in nanoseconds!"

The girls were ecstatic! A chair that could take them anywhere simply thrilled them to bits. So, one by one, they climbed into the chair and off they went in a zap. Zeba went first. Zap! Followed by Nithya, Sandra and Delores. Zap! Zap! Zap! Martine was the last one to be transported to her dream destination. Zap!

As Treoche saw the excitement in their eyes as they waited to be whisked away, he was overcome with joy. Never had he seen such happiness. Their dreams had come true. And it was all thanks to him. So, after all five cows were gone, he packed up his chair and waited for another bolt of lightning to take him back to Zaeora. He snoozed under the shade of an apple  tree. But, he was rudely awoken by a huge bang followed by a flash of light. It couldn't be the transport lightning. It was too early. As the smoke cleared out, he saw Zeba. 

"Zeba! What are you doing here?", he asked in amazement. 

"Treoche! I loved the slopes of Switzerland. It was so white and pure. The air was crisp and the sun shone with a golden glow. But, I felt there was something missing. My friends." She started to cry. "I don't want to be in a happy place all alone. I want to be with Nithya, Sandra, Delores and Martine", she sobbed.

"Oh poor Zee..." He did not complete his sentence because he was startled by another flash of lightning. Followed by another one. And three more. Zeba and Treoche waited for the plume of smoke to clear. What they saw thrilled  and amazed them. The rest of the girls were back! 

"Oh I never want to go anywhere alone. New Zealand was so lonely!", exclaimed Nithya. 

"Me too!", screamed Martine as they hugged each other. 

"Thank you Treoche for helping us find our favourite places in the world. We realised our favourite destinations are each other's hearts.", they said together as they watched a smilind Treoche disappear in a bolt of lightning with his golden chair.



(poster in a children's playground)