Section 2

Indian Connect
inthe Forest º
Flames Let us see
human bonds. how these
forces of nature can help forge new
Sometimes the
forces help us see the best in man. Suddenly he spotted smoke rising from
was about to mount his bicycle. fire," said Prem, his friend.
Romi forest
distant lineof trees. "Itlooks like a
behind the
said Romi.
"It's nowhere near the road," leaves swirling across the road.
Prem, looking at the dry
strong wind," said
"There'sa
for several weeks. Thegrass was brown.
was the middle of May, and it hadn't rained was about six o»clock in the
It Even though it
leaves of the trees covered withdust.
the
damp with sweat.
evening,the boys' shirtswere my house."
Prem. "You'd better spend the night at
soon," said
"lt willbe getting dark doctor
tonight. My father isn't keeping well. The 'pills tablets
"No, Isa id I'd be home
pills for him."
has given me some
then. That fire seems to be spreading."
"You'd better hurry,
through the forest. Bye, Premsee you
forty minutes to ride
"It will take me only
tomorrow!"
 Romi mounted his bicycle and set out. His village was about seven miles on the other
gideoftheforest. He rode swiftly out of the village. Ahead of him, the smoke rose from
nect theburningforest and the sky glowed red. He soon left the village far behind. He was
nOwpedalling onthe edge of the forest. This was the part Romi enjoyed the most.
wind was rushing past him, blowing his hair about his face and making his shirt
The
nese billowout behind
him. He burst into a song.
smoke was thicker now, and Romi caught the smell of burning timber. But ahead of
The
the,road
him
was clear. He rode on.

a rough, dusty road through the forest. Tall trees grew on either side. But the
Itwas a

d, spreadingglowoftthe fire on the right lit up the road)

from the
the road was deserted. But this evening wild creatures were fleeing
Usually
wn, The first animal that Romi saw was ahare, leaping across the road in front
forest fire.
band of monkeys ran across,
Khim It was followed by several more hares. Then a
e

chatteringexcitedly.
e" side, thought Romi. The fire won't cross the road. But it was
Thev'llbe safe on the other hour he should be out of
He thought, in half an
blets
roming closer. Romipedalled harder.
the forest.
road, several pheasants rose in the air, and with a
Suddenly,from the side of the
bicycle. Taken by surprise, Romi felloff. He got up
oncoming
whoosh, just in front of the deep cut. He took out his handkerchief
bleeding. It wasn't a
and saw that his knee was again.
bandaged his knee. Then he mounted the bicycle
and coming out of the bushes.
because birds and animals kept
He rode a bit slower now, the road--parrots, jungle crows, owls, magpies
across
Smaller birds too were rushing
their cries.
and the air was filled with and he could hear the
flames from behind the trees on his right,
Romi could see the air was hot on his face.
caught fire. The
cracklíing as the dry leaves passed. Then he
stop until they had
Aherd of deer crossed the road and Romi had to
afraid.
fode on; but now he was feeling
sound. A fire engine? There were nofire engines
clanging
Tom ahead came afaint that the noise came from a small boy who
was
discovered
Within fifty miles. Soon Romi
two milk
running along the forest path with Zbillow out bulge outwards deserted
"pheasant a large long-tailed bird
abandoned t

Cans clattering at his side.

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 "Teju!" called Romi, recognizing a boy. "What are you
doing out here?"
"Trying to get home, of course," said Teju, panting
along beside the bicycle.
"Jump on," said Romi, stopping for him.
Tejuwas only eight or nine-a couple of
years
deliver milk to some road workers, but the younger than Romi. He had come to
and Teju was hurrying home with his workers had left at the first signs of the fire,
cans still full of milk.
He got up on the crossbar of the
bicycle, and Romi moved on again.
"Keep beating your milk cans," said Romi.
"Like
coming. My bell doesn't make enough noise." that, the animals will know we are
"I saw a python in the
middle of the road. It stretched right across!" said
right over it!" Teju. "1 jumped
The fire was much closer now.
Flames shot up. Smoke bilowed out
Romi's eyes were burning but he above the forest.
couldn't stop now. Another fifteen minutes of
riding would get them to the small steady
from the sugarcane fields. Once wooden bridge on the river that separated the torest
across the river, they would be safe.
went Teju's milk cans. But the sounds of
the fire grew louder too.
Clang, clang, Cialis
A tall silk-cotton tree, its
branches leaning across the road, had caught fire. They were
almost beneath it when there was a crash and a burning
afew yards in front of them. The boys had to get off the
branch fell to the ground
bicvcle and drag it througn
the thorny bushes and then return to the road some distance ahead. Ssteady stableandfirm

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"Oh,look!"exclaimed Romi, bringing the bicycle to asudden stop.

elephant was standing in the middle of the road. It moved about restlessly, its big ears
An
fapping, wondering which way to go. forest was still untouched
Fromthe left, where the
raised his
fire,aherd of elephants moved towards the river. The leader of the herd
by
and trumpeted a call. Hearing it, the elephant on the road raised its own trunk and
trunk
trumpeted areply. Thenit walked off into the forest, in the direction of the herd.
much longer!"
"Come, Teju,jump on!" urged Romi. "We can't stay here
Tejusat on the
crossbar. Romi pedalled swiftly.
Teju.
We're nearly there!" said
saw a jackal in the middle of the path. It was either dead or unconscious
On their way they river.
of the heat and smoke. Romi rode at top speed. They were close to the
because
The dry timber had quickly caught fire.
"10ok!" shouted Teju. "The bridge is on fire!"
water was only up to the knees but very cold.
Romiand Tejuwent into the water. The
water.
Together they pulled the bicycle through the
middle. They kicked off their shoes, knowing they would
The river wasquite swift in the the river bed with their toes.
gripped the smooth stones of
be lost. Then they
reached the opposite bank and sank down on the grass.
They
said Romi. "But not all night-'vegot medicine to bsoggy moist; wet
"We can rest now,"
He felt in his pockets and found that the pills had
give to my father." take them with water anyway," he said.
he has to
turned to a soggy mess. "Oh well,
continued to spread. It had crossed the road down which
They watched the fire as it river reflected the colour of the sky.
bright red, and the
they had come. The sky was a
down to the river. They were cooling off by spraying
Severalelephants had found their way
trunks. Further downstream there were deer and other
water on each other with their glow from the fire. They hadn't known
each other in the
animals. Romi and Tejulooked at friends for years.
now they felt they had been
each other verywell before. But
Ruskin Bond
written over ahundredshort stories, poems
Bond (b. 1934) was born in Kasauli, India. He has his
Ruskin few of well-known works are The Room on
essays, and about thirty books for children. A He has recelvedthe Sahitya Akademi Award for
and and Tme Stops at Shamll.
the Roof, Panther's Hoon has also been honoured with the Padma Shri
English writing in India. He

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