45
The
War
of the Marsh Waters
Billi sat there, hiding in the marsh
grasses, waiting for some really fat birds to show up. He had got injured in a
fight with the village dogs, and had decided to hide outside the village for
the day. Billi planned to catch some food that he usually was not able to taste
in the village. He had heard Naag tell his wife and children that the marsh was
a good spot to catch unsuspecting birds. He had come very eagerly to hide out
in the marsh and try his luck in catching some fat birds. His plan was to hide
in the grasses surrounding the marsh and pounce upon birds who were not
expecting him to attack them.
Billi suspected that his luck may not
be good on this day. Strangely, there had been no birds visiting the marsh
through the day. There was only that absolutely irritating flock of more than
hundred mynas, who had been chattering throughout the day. Not the entire day
actually, for about an hour there had been peace and silence near the marsh.
The mynas had gone away and seemed to have spread out all over the grassland. It
seemed like some strange ritual among the birds in the grassland. They seemed to
have gone crazy all over the grassland. Why did they not repeat that crazy
behaviour in the marsh? He could have had his pick of the birds, and decide
which ones to catch and which ones not to.
The peace was gone once again over the
past five minutes. The mynas were back at the babool tree chattering again. They
seemed to be spread all around the marsh, some on the trees, while some were
feeding on the ground. He could not run after them all over the grassland with
his injured leg. If only some of these silly birds would enter the marsh, his
stomach would then stop growling. He needed some food, needed it urgently. As
if in answer to his prayers, the grasses in front of him parted very
hesitantly, and a jungle bush quail stepped out, very nervously.
Not realising that the birds had begun
a war against him, Billi looked happily now at the sudden appearance of Bater
in front of him. The mynas were chattering away, while a drongo perched on the
topmost babool branch, was calling out in a low unfamiliar syllable. This was
most unlike the usual calls of the drongo. A bulbul sat on a low perch, silent,
watching him and Bater. Billi looked once again at Bater. This jungle bush
quail looked very silly, standing there frightened, lost and nervous. This bird
could be easily caught, Billi thought. He looked around once again, at the
chattering mynas, at the drongo sitting up very high, at the bulbul nearby, and
felt that there was no harm in trying to catch the jungle bush quail. He could
not keep waiting for more birds to come inside the marsh.
