mani and loki - joysree das

8/9/2019 Mani and Loki - Joysree Das

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Mani and LokiJoysree Das


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There was a village named Jamboni .It was very close to a forest. The

people who lived in this village were not very rich but they were quite

happy with their life. But everything changed when it did not rain for

one long year. There was not even a single drop of rain. The crops driedin the field. Trees did not grow in the forest. Grass dried up and looked

like hay. The fields dried and cracked up and looked like wrinkled faces.

Most of the villagers decided to leave the village and go to some other


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land.”There is a curse of some gods upon this village. That is why it is

not raining!” they said and went away with tears in their eyes.

But Mani and his parents had nowhere to go. They were sad but hopedthat it will rain soon. Mani was a young boy who helped his father in

farming the small plot of land close to their small hut. He also helped

his mother by gathering fire woods and dry leaves from the forest with


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which she lighted the fire too cook their food. Mani did not go to a

school because there was no school in their village or anywhere near it.

One night Mani woke up when he heard his parents talking .They were

sitting outside the hut .He heard his father say “The seed has not

sprouted in the field this season. The land is scorching and the plants


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have all dried up. There is not a single rain cloud in the sky.”Mani heard

his father sigh and mother weep.

Mani decided to go to the forest next morning and talk with his animal

friends about what to do to end this draught. He often played with

them and they could understand one another’s language very well.


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First he went to the elephants, who said that the leaves on the trees in

their area was still green and was enough for them to eat for another

two to three months. After that they may think of leaving the place but

not now. They were a selfish lot.


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Mani next went to the place where rabbit and fox were playing catch-

me –if- you-can. They stopped playing when they saw Mani and came

close to him. Mani told them what he heard his parents say the other

night. Perhaps they will starve to death. Rabbit thought for a long time

and said “Perhaps you should go and meet Hudum Deo.He lives on the

top of a hill at the end of the forest. Talk loudly for he is short of

hearing.”Mani left his friends and decided to go and meet Hudum


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Deo.He came back home, took his drum and his goat Loki with him and

set out for the hill at the end of the forest on top of which Hudum Deo

lived.

Hudum Deo was the god of rain. He kept the dark rain filled clouds

locked in a cave and when he opened the cave by removing the big

boulder kept at the mouth of the cave that served as a door, the clouds


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fled to the sky like big water buffalos and showered the earth with

rain.Hudum Deo had not opened the mouth of his cave for a long time.

Mani and Loki reached the foot of the mountain on top of which

Hudum Deo lived and beat his drum very very loudly. Rabbit had told

him that Hudum Deo was short of hearing.Drimi-drimi-dum-dum/drimi-

drimi-dum-dum ,Mani went on repeating his drum beats till HudumDeo

came out of his hut and standing at the edge of the hill peered at


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“Who are you? Why are you making such noise?”he asked. Mani

stopped playing his drum, and bowing his head he said “I am Mani. I

have come to you to beg for rain. It has not rained in our village for one

long year!” “Which village?”Hudum Deo asked. “It is Jamboni”Manireplied. Hearing the name of his village,Hudum Deo shook his head and

got very angry. “You people have forgot the ritual of dancing and

singing before me on the first day of the Rainy season for three

years,so you must suffer,”he said. “Please,please god ,have some pity

on us.Every one is leaving the village and soon it will turn into a

desert”Mani pleaded.Hudum Deo was a cruel god and he was feeling

hungry.His eyes fell on Loki who was standing silently beside Mani,andafter thinking for some time he said “It will rain ,if you sacrifice this goat

to me”.Loki began to tremble and Mani touched him warmly. “How can

I?He is my pet.”Mani cried out loudly. “Then go away!”Hudum Deo

shouted and was about to go away, when Loki said in a soft voice

“Please god, take me and let there be rain in Jamboni.” “Loki No!”Mani

said. Loki looked at him and said “There is no other way”.Hudum Deo

gave a crooked smile and waited for Loki who climbed the hill slowly,

and stood before him and then both of them vanished. Mani could not

see them anymore. He walked back to his village alone and his eyes

filled with tears.

It rained heavily that night, and for seven more days. The small

brook flowing inside the forest and the puddles which had gone dry

were filled with water to the brim.


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The people who had gone away from the village returned and stood

before the small pools of water watching the small fishes playing in

them. The birds also came down from the sky to bathe in them, after

such a long spell of summer heat. Everyone was happy, only Mani

secretly wept for Loki.


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Name-Joysree Das

Age-55years

Language of Entry-English

Category of Entry-Above 16 Years.


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mani and loki - joysree das

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