It was Sunday. They were sitting at the dining table. As usual Golu’s mother was berating him for not eating vegetables, salads and concentrating only on pickles.
“You won’t grow properly. Your eyesight will be poor. You must be the thinnest boy in your school. Even a puff of wind will lift you,” she said. Golu did his best to ignore his mother’s advice. It was a part of their routine. Mothers were meant to sermonize.
Next day in the school at lunch time, when the bell rang, Golu shouted, “Hurray!” Forgetting his lunch behind, he ran out of the class room into the ground. Suddenly there came a gust of wind. A very surprised Golu found himself lifted in the air. It was scary. Golu shouted to his friend Atul, “Atul, hold my hand.” Atul tried but could not catch Golu’s hand. Golu was lifted higher and higher by the wind.
Golu felt giddy. He remembered that he had not eaten that day. In the morning he had left his breakfast uneaten on the table. Now, again, he had left his parantha* in his lunch box, eating only the chocolate which was in his pocket. Suddenly he found his eyes growing dim. He realized that his mother’s prophecy was coming true. His eyesight was also failing. But no, it was the shadow of the wings of a big eagle. Golu tried to turn himself into a tight ball out of fear. But the eagle swooped and hooked its beak into Golu’s shirt.
Golu was struggling desperately in the eagle’s claws. As it was flying over a green field, Golu’s shirt came free and the eagle lost its hold. Golu fell with a whoosh. He tried to scream but could not. He landed in the field and the plants cushioned his fall. To his dismay, Golu found brinjals, tomatoes, cabbages and cauliflowers peering at him. They were all laughing at him. But they were kind. They hid him till the hovering eagle, who was searching for Golu, flew away. “You stupid boy!”, an elderly cabbage scolded Golu, “Why don’t you listen to your mother’s advice? Today you could have died.”
“Golu, you eat only chocolates. Did you count the stars you saw today? More than five, weren’t they?” twittered a gourd.
The brinjal tickled Golu with its leaves and called out to other vegetables, “Have a look at this foolish boy who does not realize who his real friends are.”
“You will remain light as feather unless you learn to like us,” said the spinach. “We are your real friends. We sacrifice our lives to serve you. We make it our mission to keep you healthy. Yet, you do not respect us. Now will you include us in your food?” The rustling of spinach leaves reminded Golu of the eagle’s wings. He whimpered, “I will, I will.”
Then somebody shook Golu’s Shoulders. It was mother gently shaking Golu and asking why he was whimpering. Golu had fallen asleep on the sofa.
“Mother, I will eat all the vegetables from now on.”
Mother smiled and said, “Good.”
—
*parantha – wholewheat bread stuffed with boiled and mashed vegetables