KITTU’S TREE FRIEND

Kittu kitten wanted to play.

It was morning. It was also summer vacation time.

“Bhavani’s holidays have started!” Kittu happily thought and ran into Bhavani’s room.

“Hi, Kittu!” Bhavani called out.

“Coming to play?” Kittu kitten asked.

“Sure!” Bhavani said and both of them happily ran outside to play.

They reached a big banyan tree at the end of the street.

A big brown cat was dozing under the tree.

He sleepily opened one of his eyes and said ”Kittu, is that you?”

“Yes, chacha! Coming to play?” Kittu eagerly asked.

“What sort of a cat are you? All awake in the morning! Let me sleep!” Babu brown cat grumbled.

Bhavani laughed. “Yes, what sort of a cat are you, Kittu!” she said.

“Sh… rrrr… sh… rrrr…”Babu brown cat snored.

“He’s slept off! Who will play with us now?” Kittu kitten wailed.

“I Will!”a booming voice said. It was a deep throaty voice.

Bhavani and Kittu were surprised. Who was talking?

“I am talking” the voice said.” I am Bunty the banyan tree!”

Bhavani and Kittu looked up at the big shady tree.

“Hey! I didn’t know trees could talk!” Kittu said.

“If kittens can talk trees can talk too!” The tree laughed.

“Can we play running and catching?” Bhavani eagerly asked.

The banyan tree laughed again.” No, we trees don’t move here and there!”

“Then how do you eat? Someone brings food for you everyday?” Kittu wanted to know.

“Ha ha! We trees make our own food!” Bunty said.

“Where’s your kitchen, then?” Bhavani wanted to know.

“Ha ha! We trees don’t need a kitchen for that! Mr. Sun here gives us some energy”

Bunty banyan tree pointed skywards with one of his branches.

“Then Ms. Earth gives us water and vitamins!” He pointed to the ground with a hanging root.

“That’s great! My daddy told about this. It’s called photo.. something” Bhavani said.

“Photosynthesis ! Photo means light. Photo synthesis means food made from light” Bala said.

“Don’t you feel bored being in one place?” Kittu wondered.

“Not at all!. We plants like it! Only then we can help animals and people! And we help cool the air around!” Bala said.

“Bunty, how many hands you have! You can write your homework very fast!” Bhavani exclaimed.

Bunty laughed hard. His many hanging roots swayed wildly as he shook with laughter

“They are my roots! When they become old enough they hold on to the ground and start growing like me!
So you can say I am not really one tree but a lot of trees! My grand uncle who lives nearby is soo…ooo big!”Bala said.

“Now can we play?” Kittu wanted to know.

“Yes, you both can hold my hanging roots and have a swing! So many children do that and I just love it!” Bunty said.

Bhavani and Kittu had a great time swinging from bunty’s roots.

They also played “rustle-a-leaf” with him.

“Bunty, the elders just laugh when I tell them Kittu talks to me. If I tell them you talked to me they’ll laugh even more!” Bhavani said.

“Well, child, people with a child’s heart can hear me talk! And I am not the only one who talks! The rivers talk, all the animals talk, even rocks talk!”

“And you don’t need specially ordered ears to hear that! Only a nice little heart!” Kittu touched his chest with his front paw dramatically.

The three of them laughed and the sweet sound filled the place like frozen music.

After sometime Bunty said ” Folks! It’s time for breakfast! Your Amma will be waiting! Come here every day and we’ll play a game!”

Bhavani and Kittu gave Bunty a thank you kiss.

“Bunty, We love you! You let us play, you told us about a lot of things, thanks a lot! We’ll come every day!” they said, and ran away happily.

Bunty the banyan tree rustled his leaves with joy. He felt healthier and greener.

Well, there’s a shining Banyan tree, [Yes! Trees can shine too! ] near Indira nagar water tank in Adyar, Chennai.

Yes! It shines because it knows it is loved!
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© Subasri Narendran 2005 All Rights Reserved