RUNNING FOR YOUR LUNCH AND RUNNING FOR YOUR LIFE

Pic.: Chetna Shetty

Years ago, when I had decided to do something about my poor English, one of the things I did – and found very effective – was telling a nice story in two tenses… the Present and the Past. Over the years, I have helped hundreds of people, who were earnest about improving their English, with the same method… Yes, write a nice story down in both the tenses… and, then, tell it to someone…

I had first heard this enchanting story from my dear friend, Dr. Deepak in one of our P.D. sessions. It had inspired me to write a small book by the title – ‘THE CHEETAH’. It was in June, 2007. Ever since then, I have told this story to our young-ones and little-one in our P.D. sessions countless times… I have shared it in my blog, too, several times…

RUNNING FOR YOUR LUNCH AND RUNNING FOR YOUR LIFE

PAST:

Once, in a jungle, a Cheetah was teaching his son the art of hunting. As the training session was on, they smelt a prey at some distance... It was a deer.

“Son, listen,” the Cheetah whispered to his cub, “a deer is on our way… Watch me how I hunt, okay?”

“Okay dad,” said the little-one, excited.

Then, the father and the son hid behind a large bush, where they waited holding their breath. And, as the deer was about to cross their way, the Cheetah, the seasoned hunter, leapt from behind the bush and tried to grab the delicate deer. But, the deer escaped... The chase began...

The faster the Cheetah ran, even faster the deer did... till the dear disappeared completely from the sight of Cheetah...

The Cheetah, finally, returned to his son and collapsed, completely exhausted...

Looking at his father’s plight, the little-one remarked, “Dad you lost and the deer won.”

The father pulled his innocent son close to his bosoms, and gently caressing the soft head, said, “Yes my son, I lost and the deer won.”

Then, with a warmth-filled sparkle in his eyes, the father asked his son, “Do you want to know why?”

“Yes dad,” the son replied, curiously...

“Son, I lost and the deer won,” the father explained to his young-cub, “because, I was running for my ‘lunch’... and the deer was running for its ‘life’...

And, as the little-son was still absorbing the essence of this priceless lesson, the caring father concluded, “And, son, that made all the difference between winning and losing!”

     PRESENT:

(Once), in a jungle, a Cheetah is teaching his son the art of hunting. As the training session is on, they smell a prey at some distance... It is a deer.

“Son, listen,” the Cheetah whispers to his cub, “a deer is on our way… Watch me how I hunt, okay?”

“Okay dad,” says the little-one, excited.

Then, the father and the son hide behind a large bush, where they wait holding their breath. And, as the deer is about to cross their way, the Cheetah, the seasoned hunter, leaps from behind the bush and tries to grab the delicate deer. But, the deer escapes... The chase begins...

The faster the Cheetah runs, even faster the deer does... till the dear disappears completely from the sight of Cheetah...

The Cheetah, finally, returns to his son and collapses, completely exhausted...

Looking at his father’s plight, the little-one remarks, “Dad you lost and the deer won.”

The father pulls his innocent son close to his bosoms, and gently caressing the soft head, says, “Yes my son, I lost and the deer won.”

Then, with a warmth-filled sparkle in his eyes, the father asks his son, “Do you want to know why?”

“Yes dad,” the son replies, curiously...

“Son, I lost and the deer won,” the father explains to his young-cub, “because, I was running for my ‘lunch’... and the deer was running for its ‘life’...

And, as the little-son is still absorbing the essence of this priceless lesson, the caring father concludes, “And, son, that made all the difference between winning and losing!”

GERALD D’CUNHA