Further he dig out some more details. He went to the market and bought a book. He had heard big stories about tree of prosperity from his granny when he was a kid, but never thought it can exist in reality. The tree of prosperity brings the prosperity to the whole village and the nearby villages where its being planted. Once planted, it grows within 4 days. It never sheds it's leaves and if someone plucks the leaves, they become white in color.
Hence now after talking to his wife and daughters, he decided to put that sapling on sale, and to sell it to the person who will bid the highest. Many people came to see the plant. Some wishing to purchase it and some who couldn't purchase it came to just see it.
A landlord from a village in south made the highest bid. The gardener settled the deal with him. He went to his village to plant the tree.
After reaching there he noticed the soil is not favorable for the tree and if the tree will be planted there, it will not grow and will die. He told the landlord about the problem, after hearing which he became angry. How can that be possible. He thought the gardener has become greedy and now he is cheating on him. gardener tried hard to make him understand but all in vain.
Landlord called Panchayat to tell people about how the gardener had cheated him, and that he doesn't want his money back but the gardener should be punished and should plant the sapling in his village for the good of rest of the village. The Landlord had a son, who had traveled more than anybody else in the village. For all his decisions he used to refer to his son. So the elderly asked the Son of the landlord about his views on the same.
Son said calmly : " i have been to many places. In such a small age, i have met variety of people, gathered their views, seen variety of trees. All i know is that i plant needs sunlight, water and soil to grow into a tree. And by refusing to plant this tree, the gardener is not just cheating us but also insulting our village and our soil."
The gardener got the gist of the matter. He understood whatever he will say here, no one is going to trust him. Illiteracy is bane but partial education is more devastating. People would have trusted him, if the son of the landlord was also illiterate. But his words of wisdom have convinced everybody in the village that the type of the soil doesn't matter. He suggested that the plant can be grown in some neighboring village as it still will have its impact on their village. People thought hard and asked gardener which will be the suitable village to which he replied the north of that village there is a village that supports the vegetation. Again the people from the south neighborhood started shouting "the gardener is making fool of all us, and he doesn't want the village to prosper and he must have taken some additional money from that village, he is insulting our place and our village has other trees also, how this tree will not bud here. He is only insulting us"
gardener decided to fool the illiterate people. He knew neither they will let other village prosper and hence there is just one way i.e. plant the tree. But since it was the only one of it's kind he thought to trick them in a way that the sapling will be saved and he can also manage to get out of this village. Once he is out he will be saved! He handed a small stem with two tiny leaves to the landlord and asked him to plant it near a well, keeping the root and the main stem with himself. landlord planted the tree. Everyone rejoiced. The feast was given. The landlord's son was praised for his extra-ordinary wisdom. And the gardener managed to get out of that place.
After reaching home, he asked his wife and daughters to pack their bags and sold the sapling to a nearby villager and ran off. After a day when landlord saw that the plant was dead, he cursed the gardener and accused him of cheating. He sent his men to bring back the gardener to him, but they returned empty handed! The landlord and his village continued to live like before.
On the other hand the villager who got the sapling, planted it which turned into a beautiful tree after four days. The village became famous and there were the crowds of visitors to see the unique tree, which increased the income and sale of domestic products of the village. Along with the development of the village the nearby villages also became prosperous.
THE END.
wow.. yu came up with this story or read it somewhere? I've read a similar story, but this sounds like real rural India :)!.. yu know there are so many people who are ignorant and still go by panchayat whereas they dont want to open their minds, yu cant blame them... a proper govt scool around can solve the prob :)! good narration
ReplyDeleteThanx Harry. Your comment has motivated me to write down more fictions whenever they hit my mind :D
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that there are many people who are ignorant and untouched by education. And in many places people are unwilling to change their perceptions or reluctant for change and new theories.
At the end of the story it is upheld that "illiteracy is bane but partial education is more devastating".. Nice fiction and something different!
ReplyDeleteThanQ Shine.
ReplyDeleteBang On!! this really happens.. an illiterate person knows he is not literate. But partially educated thinks he is well informed and hence it is more difficult to educate such crowd, as they live with their rigid and inflexible mentality, not ready to accept the outside world! isn't it??