Remarkable escape!

 

Sham S.Misri

Arion was a famous singer. He had acquired huge wealth. One day he had to go to a neighbouring country to perform a show. To reach there he had to go by a ship. He boarded a ship, and sailed in the sea. While on the ship the sailors found that he had plenty of wealth with him. They decided to rob and murder him. First they seized his gold and silver, and then told him that he might either kill himself or jump overboard into the sea. If he would kill himself on board the ship, they would give him decent burial when they reached the shore.

Arion, the singer, was at a loss. He had to decide whether to get killed on board or jump into the sea. After having thought for a while, he told the sailors that he would throw himself into the sea. The sailors agreed. Arion was sad. He thought that he had to die. He had passion to sing. He told them that before his death he wanted to sing his last song. For this, he asked their permission. He wanted to sing them one of his melodious songs before he took the fatal plunge. They consented. He went into the cabin, and dressed himself magnificently in the grand and richly-ornamented robes in which he had been accustomed to appear upon the stage. After dressing himself, he reappeared, and took his position on the side of the ship. He had a musical instrument in his hand.  When he had finished his song performance, he leaped into the sea. When the sailors saw him dive into the sea, they divided their plunder and pursued their voyage.

Arion, however, instead of being drowned, was taken up by a dolphin that had been charmed by his song. He was borne by the dolphin that followed the ship up to the destination. There Arion landed in safety. From there he proceeded to the king. He was wearing the same dress in which he had plunged into the sea. On his arrival, he complained to the king of the crime which the sailors had committed, and narrated his wonderful escape. The king did not believe him, but put him in prison to wait until the sailors would be called. The king summoned the sailors into his presence. He asked them if they knew anything of Arion, the famous singer. Arion himself had been previously placed in an adjoining room, ready to be called in as soon as his presence was required. The sailors answered to the question which the king put to them. They said that they had seen Arion but they had left him there. Arion was then himself called in. His sudden appearance, clothed as he was in the same dress in which the sailors had seen him leap into the sea, so terrified the conscience-stricken criminals, that they confessed their guilt, and were all punished by the king.

A marble statue, representing a man seated upon a dolphin, was erected in his name to commemorate this event, where it remained for centuries afterward, a monument of the wonder which Arion had achieved.

Chandragupta Maurya

Sham S. Misri

There was once a village boy called Chandragupta. His father had died and his mother Mura was poor. She had no money either to feed him or send him to school. A cowherd of the village took pity on the boy. He took care of him for a while. Later a hunter brought up the boy. The village boys admired Chandragupta, because he was strong and clever. His favorite game was to play king.

He would call all the boys together and say, “I am the king; you are my subjects. You have to follow me!"

At" that time, there lived a learned Brahmin called Chanakya.

He was so clever that kings came to him for advice. One day Chanakya was passing through this village.

He saw Chandragupta playing king. He watched him for some time. He was struck by the boy's ways. He said to the boy, "Will you come with me? I will teach you how to become a real king?"

The boy said, “Yes.” Chanakya took him to his own house.

Chanakya taught the boy all that kings should know.

‘In a few years he made Chandragupta a great warrior.

Chandragupta fought and won many battles, and drove away all enemies from the country.

He captured many kingdoms and became a great king. He ruled most parts of India from his capital, Patliputra.

He was the first great king to unite India into one big country

India in 4th Century BC.

Sham S. Misri

India has a rich history. In the 4^th century B.C., the Mighty Mauryan Empire ruled in north-eastern India to beyond Khyber Pass in the North West. The capital, at Pataliputra was surrounded by a deep moat and a wooden wall. Sixty four gates gave entrance to the city, and 572 towers guarded it. Streets were laid in an orderly way. At the heart of the city stood the palace, it had a beautifully carved wooden structure. Its pillars were plated with gold and silver and covered with intricate designs. Chandragupta Maurya the king rarely left this place. But on special holidays he toured the capital city.

A Greek visiting in 302 B.C. described one such colorful procession. First came the monarch, riding an elephant. Then came great host of attendants in holiday dress, with golden vessels, such as huge basins and goblets six feet broad, tables, chairs of state, drinking and washing vessels, all of Indian copper, and many of them set with jewels, such as emeralds, and Indian garnets. Others wore robes embroidered in gold thread and led wild beasts, such buffaloes, leopards and tame lions, and rare birds in cage. The visitor was favorably impressed by the prosperity and wealth of the empire.

All land belonged to the state. The tax on farm products was the chief source of government income. Farmers used irrigation and crop rotation to increase crop yields.  Famine was unknown in the land. Trade and handicraft industries thrived. Artisans made textiles, cutlery, and farm tools for export. Products from southern India, China, Mesopotamia, and Asia Minor were sold in the markets in Pataliputra, Taxila and other cities of the empire.

Ganesha*02: the Lord of Obstacles

Sham S. Misri

Ganesha is the Lord of obstacles. All devotes worship Ganesha before they worship other gods. The person who worships Ganesha with devotion will be free from all troubles.  Blessed will be the men who worship you.

There are innumerable legends about Ganesha. There is an interesting story about Ganesha's marriage. Shanmukha and Ganesha, the sons of Ishwara and Parvati, grew up. The parents were thinking of celebrating the marriage of their sons. One day they said to sons: "Boys, you should go around the world once. We shall celebrate the marriage of the one who first completes the round. Do you agree?" The sons agreed.

Shanmukha wanted to win. So at once he started on his vehicle, the peacock, at great speed to win the competition. But the huge-bellied Ganesha found the task quite difficult. But he, too, wished to win. He thought for a moment.  An idea struck him. At once he went and had a bath. Then, he went round his parents seven times with the utmost devotion and bowed to them. Shiva and Parvati were amazed at his behaviour. They looked at each other, smiling. Then Shiva called Ganesha and asked, "Ganesha, won't you start on your journey?"

Ganesha was very intelligent. He said, "Father, all the worlds are within you two. The Vedas and the Puranas are the authority for this. By going around both of you I have completed the task of going round the world. Thus, I have defeated Shanmukha. "

Ganesha's words were true. Ishwara and Parvati were very happy that he was so shrewd and intelligent. They celebrated Ganesha's marriage with Siddhi and Buddhi, the two beautiful daughters of Vishwabrahma.

The Globe Theatre

Sham S.Misri

(On my recent trip to England, 16^th March to 15^th June, 2012, I, had an opportunity to see The Globe Theatre)
Elizabeth I (1533 – 1603) was queen of England and Ireland from November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty. She was short-tempered and an indecisive ruler. Towards the end of her reign, a series of economic and military problems weakened her popularity.Elizabeth's reign is known as the Elizabethan era. This era was famous for the flourishing of English drama, led by the famous playwrights such as William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe.      

Some of Shakespeare’s most famous plays were first performed at the Globe Theatre, which was built on the South Bank of River Thames in 1599. Going to Globe Theatre was a grand experience those days. The building was roughly circular in shape. It had flat sides

The Globe Theatre was an open air theatre. The plays were only put on during day light hours in spring and summer. People paid a penny to stand in the central space and watch a play, and this part of the audience became known as ‘the groundlings’ because they stood on the ground. Some place in the tiers of seating was kept beneath the thatched roof. The place under the thatched roof had a slightly better view. The thatched roof also prevented the people from getting wet if it rained. A person had to pay some extra cost for the place under the thatched roof.

The Elizabethans did not bath very often and the audience at the Globe were smelly. Fine ladies and gentlemen in the more expensive seats sniffed perfume and bags of sweetly – scented herbs to cover the stink rising from the surroundings.

There were no actresses on the stage. All the female characters in Shakespeare’s plays would have been acted by boys, wearing wigs and make up. Audiences were not well behaved. People clapped and cheered when their favourite actors came on stage. The bad actors were jeered at and sometimes pelted with whatever came to hand.

Most Londoner’s worked hard to make a living and in their precious free time they liked to be entertained. Shakespeare understood the magic of the theatre so well that today, almost four hundred years after his death; his plays still cast a spell over thousands of people that go to see them.

In Elizabethan times, any sword scene which would end in a murder would have been seen with full glory visual effects. To make sword fights seem more realistic, pigs’ bladders filled with blood were hidden, in the actors’ costumes, and pierced with the point of a sword or a dagger. The audience would have been spellbound by the murder scene.

The parts of speech ( A poem)

Sham S. Misri
 

Every name is called a noun,

As field and fountain, street and town.

In place of noun the pronoun stands,

As he and she can clap their hands.

The adjective describes a thing,

A magic wand and a bridal ring.

The verb means action, something done-

To read, to write, to jump, to run.

How things are done, the adverbs tell,

As quickly, slowly, badly, well.

The preposition shows relation,

As in the street, or at the station.

Conjunction joins in many ways,

Sentences, words, or phrase and phrase.

The interjection cries out “Hark!

I need an exclamation mark!”

Through poetry we learn how each,

Of these make up the parts of speech.

Bandeh Duaikhaer (Clown’s prayer)

     Sham S. Misri

Long ago, in the valley of Kashmir there was no custom of playing dramas. A group of people called Bandhs (clowns) used to perform shows and were famous throughout the valley. The Bandhs would convey any message to the public through their humour and by funny sayings. They would go to open place, preferably a public garden and perform a show there. Their shows or skits had more of jokes, fun, etc. and less of technical skill. 

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