The
Joke When in Bali
Now,
Bali is full of references to Elephants. There is the Elephant Cave
at Bedulu, and, of course, the legend of the elephant-headed god.
Not unnaturally then, I accepted the name of this Festival. Until,
as the celebrations drew to an end, Sana, my houseboy, reminded
me....
. "Nancy
want to make more pictures in temple? Festival finishes tomorrow."
"But
I saw many new offerings arriving this morning. Are you sure?"
"Of
course. Festival only on for elephant days .... today tenth day....
tomorrow elephant day .... Festival finish."
The
Eleven Day Festivall
Greedy
Heron
Curiosity
killed the cat - but something totally different put
paid
to Henry the Heron.
Actually,
living in Bali, his name wasn't Henry, but if I told you his real
one, you'd never remember it - so let's make do with Henry, shall
we?
During
his short but colourful life, Henry was called many things, but
never once was he accused of being a great thinker. Rather, he was
an ideas man. And it is ironical that his best idea should have
brought about his downfall. Not that Henry was ever short on ideas.
It was just that they all tended to have a certain sameness of purpose
- how to get the most for the least.
It
would be uncharitable to say that Henry was greedy. Let's
ust
say he had a very healthy appetite, and many were the ways in which
he sought to satisfy it, without, of course, putting himself to
any undue effort.
Sad,
therefore it is to reflect, that Henry might have lived to a
ripe
old age, had not one day he chanced to gatecrash a temple festival,.
Having run a critical and appraising eye over the tempting array
of offerings, he stood transfixed watching the vast group of people
kneeling in prayer before the Pedanda. Ahl If only he was a Pedanda
and the worshippers were fish - how simple life would be.
With
Henry, thoughts headed action only by a fraction. Why shouldn't
he be a high priest?
He
got himself a Pedanda's crown and a bell, even a couple of rings
to slip over his toes, and a string of beads to sting around his
neck. And, before you could say Mewi Sri", he was standing
at
the
edge of his favourite pond, his toes temporarily hidden beneath
a blanket of waterlilies.
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