Not unlike Little Ganesh, it was a sweet little Mickey
that shared the room with the Guru!
But Mickey had a problem!
Every day, without fail, he would turn up at the feet of the Guru
And tumble around in supplication. “Palti khata tha”.
Mujhe bachao! Mujhe Bachao! Save Me! Save Me!
Mujh ko Belli bahut tang karti hai.
The Cat troubles me very much.
Jeene nahi deti!
Doesn’t allow me to live!
Main kamare may kaid rehta hoon.
I remain imprisoned in my room.
So Guruji asked: Kya chahate ho?
What is it that you want?
Please, Mujhe Billi bana do.
Please, make me a Cat!
No problems! With one swipe of His Hands
Mickey or you could call him Jerry,
was transformed into Tom!
Now Jerry had the freedom to move around the house with impunity.
No fear of the Cat!
But soon enough, Jerry-turned-Tom came back to visit the Guru again
On a daily basis, purring and rubbing his body against the Guru’s feet.
What do you want now, asked the Guru?
Well, it is great being a Cat inside the house
but the Dog at the gate does not allow me to come outside!
I am still trapped in the house!
I want to discover what lies in the street ruled by the Dog.
Well, no problem. Another swipe of the His Hands
And presto!
Tom turns into a canine!
Ahhh…. It feels so good to be out there in the world
Now with this new-found freedom
Discovering a whole new reality!
But that was short lived too…
As Jerry-turned-Tom-turned-Doggy
Was back again at the feet of the Guru.
So, what’s your problem now?
Ahhhh Guruji, it is the Leopard….
What about the Leopard?
The Leopard does not allow me to get out of the city.
It controls the outskirts…..
I am very curious to see the outlying areas.
No problems. Another gentle sway of His Hands
And there you go – the feline with spots!
Wonderful! In one leap and bound
Jerry-Tom-Doggie and now Leopard
disappears in surrounding periphery of the town…
What lies ahead….
But alas!
The Leopard was still not satisfied.
Every day the Leopard would wait for Guru
to come on his constitutional walk at the edge of the town
an approach him with a swishing tail
With another request written all over his face.
Now what do you want, asked Guruji?
Oh Guru ji….
It is the Tiger!
It is threatening me all the time and refuses me entry inside the Forest.
But why do you want to enter the Forest?
I want to see and meet all those who live there….
Be careful, it is Curiosity that killed the Cat…..
Oh no Guruji, just one last time.
Okay…. So Be It – “Ta-Thas-Thu!”
And lo and behold
Jerry-turned Tom-turned Doggie-turned Leopard
was instantly transformed into the stripped predator
with deadly claws and teeth.
Unbelievable! Is it for Real?
There arose a growl. And baring fangs and talons,
Jerry-turned Tom-turned Doggie-turned Leopard
Roared at Guru ji to demonstrate his power!
Well, well, well.
With one sleight of His Hands
the tiger turned into a Rat.
And disappeared in the gutter forever….
This is an endless universe.
I also wanted to see the earth from the International Space Station.
But no more….
I am happy as Little Ganesh, sweet Mickey
At the feet of my Guru
