The human world is full of miseries that are deliberately created by humans themselves. Therefore, I always turn my attention towards the non-human world and feel that animals and birds are more civilised than humans. You may be wondering what the connection between ghosts and birds is. Be patient.
Recently, at midnight, I woke up hearing a fluttering sound of wings. I switched on the light in the bedroom and the sound stopped. Switching off the light I lied down and the sound started again. I don’t believe in the existence of ghosts, especially flying ghosts; yet the sound at midnight was really fearful. This time, I listened without switching on the light and discovered that the sound came from the kitchen. With a torch in hand, I went to the kitchen.
I was surprised to see a red-whiskered bulbul that was trying to fly out. As the moonlight came through the window glass, it thought that it could go out through the glass. Just outside the kitchen window, there is a sprawling hibiscus plant. I have seen many birds perching on its twigs. The bulbul might have entered the kitchen through the window, to catch spiders, before the windows were closed in the dusk.
Switching on the light, I opened the windows. But when it saw me, it was upset and flew all over the room in fear. At last it was exhausted and virtually fell down. I took it in hand and put on the grills. It sat there for a while gasping and when its fear was over, instead of flying out, flew into the room as if to thank me and then flew out. Birds understand our good intentions and become friendly very soon. The following is another example, though the bat is not a bird.
Two or three years ago, my daughter and I had an enchanting experience of befriending a bat. Bats never land on earth and they can’t stand on earth as birds and other animals do. One day when my daughter and I were coming home from her school, we saw a bat lying on the roadside and crows were attacking it. I could not ignore the poor creature.
I told my daughter not to be afraid of the bat, went near the poor being and inserted the lower end of my big umbrella that I usually carry with me between its strong claws and lifted it from the road. It was afraid of us and flew but fell down just four or five metres away. I tried to lift it again; it flew again and fell down. Once more I helped it and by this time it learnt that I was not harming it and clung on to the umbrella. We brought it home and it even allowed me and my daughter to touch its claws, ears and the fur. At night it flew away.
Sukumaran C V
Email: lscvsuku@gmail.com