Reading Time: 3 minutes
The Dilemma About Whether To Help Or Not
Once upon a time, there lived a leopard called Shera, he was a naughty and sharp-witted fellow. He always used to trouble the people of the Nuagaon village. He used to take away their cattle and also break the pots and other things in the village. The cows, rabbits, monkeys, sheep, and other animals in the village always used to remain terrified of Shera.
Once the people of Nuagaon village were sleeping after celebrating the festival of Diwali with full enthusiasm. And it was a Thursday night. Shera got an excellent opportunity to stray into the village. He was also hungry and looking for food. Suddenly he saw the glimpse of the eight sheeps of Basanta tied outside this home. He slowly went there without making any noise and attacked the 8 sheeps of Basanta and killed them.
Then he slowly moved towards Mr. Sahu’s house and there he broke his aquarium and killed all the fishes in the tank and ate them. The sound of breaking of the fish aquarium was so loud that all the villagers came running to see what happened but by that time Shera had already returned back to the forest and as it as foggy villager couldn’t clearly see anything and they went back to sleep.
The following morning all the villagers were upset due to the things they saw in their village. All the 8 sheep of Basanta were lying dead outside his house, and the fish tank was lying broken outside Mr. Sahu’s house and also pots and earthen lamps made by the potters in the village was lying here and there and also were broken into pieces. There were bloodstains in some places across the village.
Anguished by this sight the villagers requested the Sarpanch to call a meeting to solve this problem. In the evening the lone peepal tree in the village was decorated and a meeting for the Sarpanch and the members of the villagers was organized. Though the sight was looking like some festival was celebrated but actually, it was a Sarpanch meeting.
After the meeting was completed it was concluded that the Sarpanch will request the officials of the forest department to bait a trap inside the village and catch Shera and thus free the village from the clutches of Shera. The next day the Sarpanch of Nuagaon village along with some senior members from the village went to meet the forest officer and there they requested the forest officer to catch Shera and thus free the village from these nuisances.
The forest officer after hearing all complaints by the villagers decided to visit in couple of days along with this team and would tranquilize and capture Shera. Hearing this all the senior members and the Sarpanch returned to the village happily and also announced in the village that soon the village would be free from Shera. Thus, there was optimism among every villager that soon no cattle would be killed or they would also not have to remain worried anymore.
But the same night Shera again entered the village to keep the villagers on their toes and trouble them with his activities. But this time he didn’t know that something bad was waiting for him. Outside Mr. Mishra and Mrs. Mishra’s house, they used to keep the utensils hanging on the roof. But they also had a pet parrot in a cage and that night they had kept the parrot’s cage hanging on the roof.
Thus, in an attempt to attack the parrot Shera tried to jump but his head hit the utensils rack and a big pot fell on Shera’s head and his head got stuck inside and he was unable to remove it. In fear and pain, he started throwing his body here and there. And due to sound created by Shera as his body was hitting different things out the villager’s house.
The villagers came running and saw the sight. And Shera was continuing to free himself from the pot but he was unable to do so. One man in the village said that they should help him get free from the pot. But another man said that he might attack them once he is free. Thus, the people of the village were in dilemma about what to do whether to help him or not. They wanted to help him but due to his activities, they were unable to do so.
But at that moment a wise woman of the village called Ankita who was also a doctor said that they should call the forest officials and ask for their help. Thus, the Sarpanch asked his men to bring his cell phone where he had saved the number of the forest officer. His men went running and brought his phone. He called on the forest officer and described the situation and requested their help.
The forest officer along with his men arrived within 20 minutes and they instantly tranquilized Shera and captured him in their net. And the officer decided that if they free him to the nearby forest he will again return to this village and trouble them. Thus, they would leave him in the zoo where would also live happily and would not get a chance to trouble the villagers, and also villagers would get freedom from this terror.