Kindness Costs Nothing
Harry the Potter
Once upon a time, in a small village named Lonkar, lived a potter, Harry, with his wife and son. He was an honest and righteous man, who loved to make beautiful and elegant pots.
His workshop was filled with pots and vases of different colors, shapes, and sizes, and people from all over the village loved to come to the workshop to admire the beautiful pottery.
— Hello, sir! I'd like to buy that pot you're finishing now. — This one? This one isn't for sale. It's for my son. He's getting married soon. — That's wonderful! — But don't worry, I have something else you'll surely like. Wait a moment, I'll be right back.
Harry went and brought a beautiful pot, painted with flowers.
— Oh, this is wonderful! Here you go!
— Wow! How beautiful it is! Thank you! — You're welcome, little girl!
— Oh, wait! You gave me 20 gold coins, but the pot only costs five. — Oh, thank you, sir! How honest you are! — Thank you, my dear!
Saying this, he returned to the pot he was painting. After he finished, he went back home.
The Son's Wedding
When he arrived home, he saw that it was filled with beautiful decorations and lights for his son's wedding. His wife and son were sitting in the living room, talking with some relatives. Seeing the joy in the room and the wide smile on his son's face, Harry thought of doing something special for him.
— After the wedding, it would be wonderful to offer my son and his wife a parade with an elephant and a large crowd to lead them through the entire village.
In the village, there was an elephant owner. The potter went to him to borrow the elephant for a day.
— Ah, this is a good chance to make some money with my elephant. — Certainly, sir, I will prepare Apu for tomorrow's procession. — Thank you!
The next day, a grand procession, with the bride and groom, set off through the town. There were many men, women, and children, walking slowly, listening to the harmonious sounds of Nada Swaram.
Nada Swaram refers to a melody accompanied by drum beats, bells, and with the help of Kinaram, Shanai, and Melam. Kinaram refers to bell-shaped metals that, when struck, produce a rhythmic sound. Shanai is a well-known musical instrument from the flute category, and Melam is a drum that is struck by hand to the rhythm of the music.
All the people were enjoying the beautiful procession, dancing to the rhythm of the music, when suddenly, the elephant fell to the ground.
— Oh! — Oh dear, what happened? How did it fall? — I don't know, it was fine until now. — Are you alright?
— Yes, father!
Seeing poor Apu fallen to the ground, everyone in the procession felt sorry for him.
— How sad! It seems he was very weak. People took a bottle of water and gave the elephant a drink. Apu drank, but still felt weak, and due to the fall, he hurt his leg. The potter felt very sorry and went to talk to the owner.
The Judgment
— During the procession, your elephant fell to the ground. I am very sorry. From the fall, he hurt his leg. — Apu is my friend! How could you hurt him? — I am very sorry, but, but I had no intention of hurting him. I would never hurt any creature in my life. It's not right. — You should know that tomorrow I will go to the judge, and he will make you pay because you hurt my friend.
The owner left and went to help Apu. He took him to the vet, who confirmed that he was injured in the leg and gave him some bandages.
— Oh, my dear Apu! I am very sorry you got hurt. I will make sure the potter pays for this.
Saying this, the next day he went to court and filed a complaint against the potter.
— Tell us what happened yesterday and why the elephant fell.
— Judge, his elephant Apu, whom I borrowed from him, suddenly fell while the bride and groom were in procession through the village. There was no way I would knowingly hurt the elephant. And I apologized to the owner. — He hurt Apu! It's not enough to apologize! I want him to pay me for this!
— Pay you? Sir, listen. You cannot demand money for hurting a living being. Animals are not things to be used to make money. They are living creatures. They should not be used for entertainment and profit. It is cruel to do so. If you were so worried about the elephant, you should have taken care of him. The elephant got hurt when he fell, and he fell because he was weak. — Yes, Judge, I know, I should take care of him. — Tell me, why didn't you take care of Apu and his health?
— You see, Apu has been in my family since he was a calf. We are very close. You know, in recent years, my business hasn't been doing very well. Because of that, I haven't been able to feed my family or Apu properly. — I'm sorry to hear that. I understand. I have made a decision. Mr. Harry, the complaint against you has been dismissed, as you did not intentionally harm the animal. However, you will be fined 1000 rupees for using a wild animal in the procession. — Yes, Judge, I understand now. Animals should not be used for show. — As for the elephant, this village does not suit Apu, and he will be sent to the wildlife sanctuary, where he will be cared for and healed. Then, in time, he will be released back into the wild. — But, but he's my friend! I don't want him to leave! — But he's not leaving, he's just going home, to the forest, where he belongs. Believe me, it will be best for him this way. The place for wild animals is in the forest. This is the course of nature. And when we, humans, disturb them and clear the forests, we not only destroy their homes but also contribute to global warming, which leads to the disappearance of many creatures.
— You know, I hadn't thought of that. Thank you for opening my eyes. And I know it sounds selfish of me, but tell me something. If he doesn't remember me, I couldn't bear it. — My son, that's what's wonderful about elephants. They never forget.
The elephant owner nodded. He was sad, for he didn't want to say goodbye to his dear friend, but he knew that Apu deserved to be happy and healthy and return to the wild, where he belonged. So, he went home and said goodbye to Apu.
A New Life for Apu
Apu was taken to the wildlife sanctuary, where he was well cared for. His owner visited him regularly and was always warmly welcomed. Here, Apu had his own caretaker, named Pipu, who fed him regularly and took him to the pond, where he bathed him.
— Ah! How happy I am to see that Apu is now healthy and happy!
Several months passed, and Apu became more and more accustomed to his natural environment. He began to make friends with the other elephants and was now part of the herd. He even found a partner, Chimchi, and when the owner came to visit, Apu would bring her along to see him.
— Oh, Apu! It seems you're making many friends! I'm so happy!
— Here, take this! And these are for you too!
Thus, Apu lived happily in the wild, with his friends and his new elephant family. He roamed, ate, and did what all wild elephants do.
And the owner? Well, he became the best friend of Harry the potter, and they sold pots together. The elephant owner would take elephant-shaped pots to the villagers and remind them that animals should be loved and not treated with cruelty.
From this story, we learned that animals feel best in their natural environment, and if we truly want to help them, we just need to be kind to them, because kindness costs nothing, yet its value is immeasurable.
