Tuesday, October 14, 2008 | |

An Epic Quarrel Between Two Varieties of Rice

December 30, 2008 | 9.15 AM IST | Version 1.0

Short Story - An Epic Quarrel Between Two Varieties of Rice

There, in an obscured corner of India called Nitainagar, lay a small paddy field. Two varieties of rice – softly shook their golden stalks to the sway of a gentle wind.

Everything was peaceful until one afternoon, a few weeks before harvest-time, when the thin-scented variety of rice began to shake their stalks with a proud and lofty sway. Now, this caught the attention of the other group of rice – the sticky variety of rice.

The sticky ones could no longer withstand the pride displayed by the thin-scented ones and they shouted to their counterparts, ‘Hey – you weak and of the smelling kind – what is that makes you so restless?’

Highly annoyed by the vulgar remark, the thin-scented rice plants replied, ‘Ha – you – ha – offspring of filth – of the nose-less kind! What do you know of smell – the heavenly aromatic smell?’

The war of words started. It continued for quite a while when a group of returning sparrows overheard the ongoing skirmish and their leader halted the flock. He whispered something into their ears.

And the leader of the sparrows with all his folks advanced towards the paddy field.

Seeing the sparrows arriving, the rice plants stopped their quarrel.

‘Friends – mates – why – what’s the matter?’ The leader of the sparrows asked the rice plants with a childlike simplicity and friendliness.

‘Matter – what’s the matter – ask them – the nose-less kind!’ The thin-scented rice plants replied to the leader of the sparrows.

‘Weaklings - they are – they are weaklings. See their husks – they have got no shine on them,’ the sticky ones shouted loudly.

‘Friends – mates – wait a little. Everything shall be decided now and here. Why not let my fellows decide who among you is more better? By tasting a little of your-’ at this point the leader of the sparrow’s mouth watered but he continued, ‘yes, by tasting a few grains, we can decide it all. So, are you ready?’

The thin-scented rice plants looked towards their sticky counterparts with a disdainful stare and gave the nod of affirmation to the leader of the sparrows. The sticky ones followed suit.

And the leader of the sparrows could no longer resist the open-invitation. He jumped at once with his kind and ate some of the grains from a few thin-scented rice plants with a greedy relish. Then he did the same from a few of the sticky variety of rice-plants.

And after a long breath he declared, ‘Our friends, the thin-scented ones prove to be of worthier ancestry and are better than our sticky friends.’

The other sparrows assented to his declaration.

At this declaration, there arose clamorous cries and abuses and the war once again started after the momentary peace.

Once more, the leader of the sparrows was heard speaking with his thin, shrill and high-pitched voice, “Wait – my friends – wait – don’t quarrel. We have only tasted a few grains. Maybe the other ones prove to be entirely different.’

The rice plants once more assented to his plan.

In this way the sparrows continued, sometimes declaring the thin-scented rice plants the winner and sometimes the sticky ones when a fresh spate of quarrelling would start once more and they would again taste a few more grains in the pretense of solving the problem.

And when it was dark, there was not a single grain of paddy left on the field except the empty stalks. The sparrows were nowhere near the field now, only the cries and shrieks of the rice plants prevailed over the melancholy atmosphere, and pain with darkness made it more painful.

-----------------------------------
Version 0.1

Short Story - An Epic Quarrel Between Two Varieties of Rice

There, in an obscured corner of India, called Nitainagar, lay a small paddy field. Two varieties of rice – softly shook their golden stalks to the sway of a gentle wind.

Everything was peaceful, until one afternoon, a few weeks before harvest-time, when the thin-scented variety of rice began to shake their stalks with a proud and lofty sway. Now, this caught the attention of the other group of rice – the sticky variety of rice.

The sticky ones could no longer withstand the pride displayed by the thin-scented ones and they shouted to their counterparts, ‘Hey – you weak and of the smelling kind – what is that makes you so restless?’

Highly annoyed by the vulgar remark, the thin-scented rice plants replied, ‘Ha – you – ha – offspring of filth – of the nose-less kind! What do you know of smell – the heavenly aromatic smell?’

The war of words started. It continued for quite a while when a group of returning sparrows overheard the ongoing skirmish and their leader halted the group. he whispered something into their ears.

And the leader of the sparrows with all his folks advanced towards the paddy field.

Seeing the sparrows arriving, the rice plants stopped their quarrel.

‘Friends – mates – why – what’s the matter?’ The leader of the sparrows asked the rice plants with a childlike simplicity and friendliness.

‘Matter – what’s the matter – ask them – the nose-less kind!’ The thin-scented rice plants replied to the leader of the sparrow.

‘Weaklings - they are – they are weaklings. See their husks – they have got no shine on them,’ the sticky ones shouted loudly.

‘Friends – mates – wait a little. Everything shall be decided now and here. Why not let my fellows decide who among you is more better? By tasting a little of your-’ at this point the leader of the sparrow’s mouth watered but he continued, ‘yes, by tasting a few grains, we can decide it all. So, are you ready?’

The thin-scented rice plants looked towards their sticky counterparts with a disdainful stare and gave the nod of affirmation to the leader of the sparrows. The sticky ones followed suit.

And the leader of the sparrows could no longer resist the open-invitation. He jumped at once with his kind and ate some of the grains from a few thin-scented rice plants with a greedy relish. Then he did the same from a few of the sticky variety of rice-plants.

And after a long breath he declared, ‘Our friends, the thin-scented ones prove to be of worthier ancestry and are better than our sticky friends.’

The other sparrows assented to his declaration.

There was an outbreak of clamorous cries and abuses and the war once again started after the momentary peace.

Once more, the leader of the sparrows was heard speaking with his thin, shrill and high-pitched voice, “Wait – my friends – wait – don’t quarrel. We have only tasted a few grains. Maybe the other ones prove to be entirely different.’

The rice plants once more assented to his plan.

In this way the sparrows continued, sometimes declaring the thin-scented rice plants the winner and sometimes the sticky ones, when a fresh spate of quarreling would start once more and they would again taste a few more grains in the pretense of solving the problem.

And when it was dark, there was not a single grain of paddy left on the field except the empty stalks. The sparrows were nowhere near the field now, only the cries and shrieks of the rice plants prevailed over the melancholy atmosphere, and pain with darkness made it more painful.

0 comments: