It happens in a wild forest. Many
animals and birds live there peacefully. When I say peacefully, the wild world
is always ruled by jungle laws. Still life there is comfortable.
There comes the summer. Birds and
animals fear summer. Summer is hot and dry. Dry means, it has no rain and
moist. It draws up water from their rivers and lakes. Usually they do not feel
short of food, but water is scarce in summer.
It is dangerous to go for water in some
areas of the forest. They are afraid of wild animals stronger than them and men
with weapons. They know that men are not stronger than them, but their weapons
are deadly. That’s why animals and wild birds attack men from the back. It is
the law of their existence. When it came to existence, anything is wild law.
Summer has another blow in its sheath. Even
in the hot sun, trees stand high to the sky to give shelter to the forest and
its inhabitances. Trees hold up their head and fight against the heat. Their
weapon is water drops that they throw up and around from their green leaves. Water
has to come from the earth via their roots. That is why they grow long and
winding roots deep into the earth. But what it the earth fails to give them
sufficient water. They fail like soldiers without ammunition. They stand naked
to the scratching fire of the summer sun. Still they stand around to protect
their forest.
This cannot go long. If rain fails,
trees get hot and hot and finally catch fire. It is called wild fire. It spread
quick and wide. Air is heated and further produces wild wind. Wind takes the
fire to more trees. Finally the forest stands burning. Only rain can stop the
fire and save the forest. God used to interfere for the sake of His creatures. Forest
survives because of God and His mercy. God has much rain in His store. He can
open up his treasury and pour down rain on the forest and save the trees, animals
and birds. He has done it many times and will do it again, till He forgets all about
the earth. All animals and birds and all other inhabitants, small and big know
this wild law. They look up in times of danger and cry for help. God always
answer.
Such a wild fire is the background of
this story.
All birds, animals, worms, reptiles and
trees lifted their eyes to God and cried for rain. The fire was spreading wider.
They prayed and prayed. The heat of the fire increased more. They took their
belongings and ran for life, away from the fire into the next forest. All were
running, creeping and flying.
A small bird, black in color cried for
rain to God. He closed his eyes, with shivering lips and in quivering voice he
said his prayers. Then he opened his eyes, looked at the yellow flames of the
fire. The wind is taking it to more trees. He flew over the fire. It is hot
like hell. It is dangerous to fly near it.
He flew to a lake nearby. The lake had
nothing much to offer. Water in the lake functioned as life blood of the
forest. But now the lake was breathing its last. It cannot refill itself. It is
like no man can refill his body with a new life. Still the lake was willing to
offer whatever it has to save its dear forest.
The bird flew low to the lake. He talked
one or two words with the lake. He picked up little water in its beak and flew
high towards the wild fire. He went as far as he could. He understood that no
water from its beak may fall on the fire. Still he threw all water he had in
his beak towards the fire. Then he turned again to the lake for another take.
A big bird came that way. He was in a
hurry to fly away to another safe place. He noticed what the small bird was
doing. ‘How foolish is this little boy’, he thought. He shouted to the small
bird: “Hey, there! What a crazy thing you are doing. No water from your beak
can quench the fire. If you want to do something to save the forest, come with
me. We are going to another forest and pray to God to send rain.”
The little bird, stopped, looked up at the
big bird and replied: “I have prayed to God for rain. I am sure that He loves
the forest and will save His creatures. I also feel that I should partner with
God in saving the forest. I am doing a small thing, may not stop the fire. But I
am working in partnership with God.”
Then he went down to the lake for
another beak of water.
Professor Jacob Abraham
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