In the sleepy little hill station of ‘Tea and Biscuits’, there lived a herd of elephants who munched on leaves and grass all day. You could spot their grey backs standing out against the tiny tea bushes. This town, where rain drops melted into coffee pods and monkeys looked like Sour Lions produced the best tea in the world.
The highlight of the day was the evening tea-party. Having foraged in the forest all day long, the elephants would arrive at sunset. The mothers nudged the nervous babies forward, while teenage ellies scurried down the hill, their legs not keeping pace with their heavy bodies. Balancing the biscuits gingerly on their trunks, the elephants would dip them in lukewarm tea. The party continued till the sun rolled down the hills, making silhouettes against their backs. What a fine end to a day!
But as all parties do, sometimes they became too unruly. In their frenzy, elephants would trample on tea bushes or knock down homes, sending the hoo-mans in town into panic. Scared of troubling the hoo-mans, the Elephant Council sought scientist Ananda’s advice. “How can we hold our party without disturbing our friends, the hoo-mans?”
Ananda did not fit into the regular look of a scientist. He didn’t wear a white coat, or work in a laboratory. He came with a paper and a pen, and wore a hat. To help the elephants, he climbed trees and spent long hours crouching behind a tea bush, taking notes on a sheet of paper.
“The peace of the town of ‘Tea and Biscuits’ is getting disturbed”, Ananda reprimanded the pachyderms. “You have trampled the tea bushes; the babies have even squashed some of the flowerpots, and laundry that was left out to dry is now caked in mud. They are making plans to send you away” he whispered, “but I have a plan”. “I am all ears”, said the matriarch leaning forward. Almost 70 years old, with her long lashes and big ears, she was the wise one. No wonder the herd had selected her as their leader.
“Why don’t you alert me every evening with the location of your tea party and I will make sure no one disturbs you”, volunteered Ananda. He suggested they set up a lantern that would be hoisted on the top of the hill. When it was red, it meant the elephants were camping on this side of town and hoo-mans should avoid the area.
When it was green, it was safe for the hoo-mans to move. “These hoo-mans have phones, so I can also send them a message alert”, said Ananda.
And that’s how the elephants in the sleepy town of ‘Tea and Biscuits’ continued to enjoy their daily tea party. Ananda would send an ‘SMS’ to all the hoo-mans in town to alert them of the elephants’ festivities. Here’s what the message read:
The elephants are having their tea party in Long Garden Tea Estate today.
Those living close by should be careful.
He also set up a big lantern that blinked like a lighthouse on top of a hill, sending out a clear warning to the people of ‘Tea and Biscuits’.
Soon, a year had gone by and not a single disaster had been reported; Ananda was delighted. “Science can often help solve complex problems”, declared Ananda as he sipped tea with the matriarch.
Excerpted with permission from Planet Protectors: Stories of Green Heroes by Bahar Dutt published by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI)
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