(The following was written long back when I had to write the competitive exams like the IITs, The time is ripe now to reproduce it as a blog)
The scene was a lush green jungle with wilderness so deep that the animals had troubles moving around. Among those thick greenery there was a clearing with an old tree at the center and hundreds of animals just lying around in the shade. There was a bird up in the tree so happy with itself that it was singing in glee and doing a tap dance of sort. The animals lazing around didn’t know where the bird came from and why it was gallivanting around. A cat, which was sleeping under the daffodils half opened the eyes and looked up at the colorful bird doing its rain dance.
The cat now was awake from his slumber and he kept on looking up thinking of ways to make a dinner out of the bird, the sweet little voice, the enchanting cabaret the graceful poise didn’t matter all that it mattered was the bird and the dinner it would make. The bird was oblivious of all that was going on, very much like the diva who remain ignorant abt the millions who lust for her. She was just doing what her heart wanted to, sing for the much awaited rains, sing for the much welcomed spring or maybe sing just for some other bird to make notice. Our cat though was now looking at the bird in deep appreciation.
He looked around and saw now many of his fellow animals had half awakened from their slumber. They too had started looking up and were looking at the bird with hungry eyes. He could see the same thought going around in every animals mind, he could feel the twitch across their lips, see those whiskered lips salivating in hungry anticipation. He again looked up at the bird, the bird was still doing her rain dance and he became motivated to go for her, come what may.
His sleepy eyes half asleep could now see everyone geared up for the fight for the goal. In his minds eye he could see the battle happen before it happened. He could see the cats fighting with each other, the claws open, the nails out as if to strike anyone out cold who comes near their vicinity. He could see the cats over each other tearing each other apart, some had lost an eye some had blood all over the face, the tranquil eyes had been replaced by an angry grimace. He shuddered on seeing the battle, he cried at the unthinking war. The bloody skin with the torn eyes, the massacre of his friends and the like was a sight he couldn’t behold.
He leapt back; saw all the other cats still eyeing the illusive dancing bird. But our cat had the vision. He walked away slowly from the crowd with a knowing smile smacked across his lips. The bird was still dancing looking lovely, but our cat now knew the truth. He had the vision from the hill and the Promised Land was no longer enchanting, not at the price it came.
