The Story
One upon a time, in the Himalaya forests, there lived a family in a village. The father worked in his farm and the mother helped him in the farm and in rearing the Yaks. They had three children, Kunga, the seven year old boy, Dolma was thirteen years old, and the three year old Tashi. The parents were very kind with their children and took care of them very well.
From their farm, one side was the forest which raised itself to a mountain. One side of the farm was a distant stretch of mountains. The highest mountain always had snow on the top. Kunga imagined that the hill was a man who was sleeping and that the snow was his hat, that he never took off. The other side of the farm was a beautiful blue lake.
Everyday, the father and the mother wake up early in the morning and they do meditation for one hour. They chant “om mani Padme om”. Then they wake the children up and prepare breakfast. Dolma is a very clever girl and she goes to the nearby monastery to learn Tibetan and also basic science. Kunga always runs around the big house playing. Dolma and Kunga are very naughty and playful. As soon as Dolma leaves the house to the monastery, the parents take Kunga with them to the farm that is just in front of the house. Kunga is very curious to know everything around. In the farm, he runs around exploring. He looks at the birds flying and the goats grazing. He speaks to them expecting them to answer him. He feeds the Yaks with grass, and sits quietly looking at how the insects are moving and to know what they do. He is so much inspired to know more.
One day, after Dolma left to the monastery, Kunga’s parents took him to the farm and they started working. They were harvesting barley. Kunga was playing in the field as usual, when he saw a small red bird falling from the sky as it could not fly properly. Kunga wanted to see what it was. He ran towards the bird, and, as the bird saw him running towards him, it was scared and it tried flying, but fell down at a short distance. Kunga pursued the bird, but he understood that the bird was scared of him, so he cautiously approached the bird. He saw that the bird was hurt, its leg and one of the wings were damaged. Kunga was very sad. “I will take this bird to my father so that he will help him”, Kunga said to himself. As Kunga approached the bird, it started to fly again and fell at a distance. Kunga pursued the bird and the bird kept on flying and Kunga pursued the bird until the bird flew into the forest. Kunga was very scared about going into the forest.“But I have to help the bird”, Kunga said to himslef and so he walked slowly into the forest. The forest was very thick and the trees were tall and big. He walked slowly and he saw the red bird. He ran towards the bird but it flew into the thick of the forest. Kunga walked a few more meters when he saw the sunlight beautifully shining over the leaves of the tree. There were some small squirrels playing. Kunga sat there looking at them. After a few minutes, he remembered the bird and looked around for it. He could not find where it was.
He turned around and could not rememver the way back. Kunga ran around and around but the way back was not seen.
“How can I get back home now ?”. Kunga was scared. After half an hour of trying ti find the way out, he became tired and sat down on the root of a tree. The squirrels stopped and looked at him. “I am lost, I do not know how to go home”, Kunga said to the squirrels.
had dropped it. Kunga imagined that the squirrel had dropped it as a token of friendship and said “Tuchena” (thank you in Tibetan) to the squirrel and started eating it. At that time, there was a big noise like rustling of the leaves and there was the noise of some birds screaming. The squirrels were all scared and ran up the tree. Kunga underrstood that there was a dangerous animal approaching. “Amma la, Amma la” (mother, mother in Tibetan). He screamed in fear. “Stop screaming”, an angry and harsh voice interrupted him and caught him by the arms. Kunga was shocked to see a scary looking man. “Stop screaming”, he yelled at Kunga again. “I am hunting birds and animals. If you scream, they will fly away and the animals will run away”. The man had long hair and wore dirty long clothes. He had a smelly ball of bag on his shoulder. He had a catapult in one of his hands and held a long stick in the other hand.
“What’s your name” ?
“My name is Kunga”
“What are you doing in the forest ?”
“I was following a red bird that was hurt and I am lost”.
“Where are your parents ?”
“They are working in the farm, they will be searching for me. Can you take me home ?”
The bad man thought of an evil plan. He thought that he will take the boy and ask for shelter from the family. He was also thinking that when everyone is asleep he will steal their house. He smiled at kunga and his dark brown teeth were scaryfor Kunga.
“First, let me hunt a bird and then I will take your home. Now sit here and do not go anywhere.” Saying this, he looked around with his catapultraised to the level of his own eyes with a stone in it. He shot the stone and it hit a bird sitting in its nest. Kunga looked carefully at how the man threw stones to hit the bird.
“This bird is too small. I need a bigger one. You little boy, do not go anywhere till I return”. Saing this, he walked into the forest, he did not even look at the bird that was hurt. The bird was on the ground, fluttering in pain. Kunga was moved by the bird on the ground and wanted to help it.
He went near the bird and took it in his hands and softly touched it. The bird cooed in pain.
“Don’t cry little bird, I will take care of you”. The bird’s wing was hurt.
Kunga did not know what to do, but kept on talking to the bird asking it not to be in pain. It was more than an hour when the dirty hunter did not return. The day became noon and Kunga became hungry.
“I am hungry, I would like to have some food”, Kunga said to himself.
“Child, what are you doing all alone ?”, asked a very gentle and kind voice from behind.
Kunga turned and saw a monk standing beside him. His head was shaved and he wore the red burgandy robes. His eyes were bright and he carried a bag in his hand.
Kunga bowed and said “Tashi Delek. I am lost in the forest”. He showed the bird.
“Ough no, the bird needs some medicine”. Saying this, the monk took a bowl with water and gave some water to the bird. He took out some leaves and made a bandage for the bird.
“Why is the bird hurt ?”
“A hunter shot him !”
“All living beings want to be happy and to avoid suffering. Just like all of us. We should not hurt any living beings”.
Kunga was listening to the monk.
“Child, do you want anyone to hurt you ?”
“No”
“Similarly, even this bird does not want to be hurt”
“Then why did the hunter hurt it ?”
“It is unfortunately that he hurt it. Where is he ?”
“He went into the forest and asked me to stay here”.
The mond was suspicious and decided to take the boy home himself. “Child, let me take you homeé. Saying this, the monk put the bird back in the nest and said a small prayer.
“Why are you praying ?”, Kunga asked.
“So that the bird gets well soon”.
“I was pursuing a red bird that was hurt before I got lost. Can you make a prayer for that red one as well ?”, Kunga asked childishly.
The monk smiled at kunga and sat down with him and said " Lets pray for all the birds and animal that are hunted"
Kunga and the monk sat next to each other, their eyes closed. putting their palms together they prayed for a moment.
Kunga and the monk started walking and they walked for over half an hour in the woods.
What is compassion?" Kunga asked
It has a lot of meaning in simple words, its taking every living organism as ourselves, not hunting other and helping those who are in trouble even if they have done something wrong to us."
even though Kunga didn’t understand it all, he listened carefully they kept walking.
In the distance they heard faint voices.
"Kunga, Kunga, my son where are you? Kunga? Kunga?"
It is my father , Kunga explained happily to the monk "Appa la" he shouted "Here we are Appla la"
Kunga and the monk ran to his fathers voice. as hey ran closer Kunga saw he was with Dolma, who was very happy to see him.
His father took him in his arm and was in tears.
"where did you go Kunga? " his father asked
"I followed a bird into the forest and..." Kunga revealeed the stor of the monk and said "tashi dalek" to the father.
The father thanked the monk and invited him for a butter tsou and thuppa. The monk accpted and they kept walking.
"Your boy is very curious and kind" said the monk.
"too adventurous for a little boy."
the monk smiled
"Just imagine, if he wasl ost in the forest and met any bad person , he cannot defend himself. his mother is already very worried about him."
As they kept walking they heard a noise "Help, Help somebody please help"
They all ran to the spot and there was this dirty and long haired man lying down on the floor, he was holding his leg in pain.
"What happed to you Sir?" asked Kunga's father.
The man recognized Kunga and knew that it was his father, Kunga said "this was the man that was hurt the bird."
"Please help me, I slipped down and broke my leg."
"He hurt the bird and now he is hurt." exclaimed Dolma.
"If we leave him here no one will find him!" Kunga said
Father and Dolma were surprised to hear it the monk was happy and the bad man was ashamed of wanting to kidnap Kunga.
"Don’t worry" said his father. and the monk and his father helped the man up and they took him to his home.
On the way home Kunga saw the red bird that was hurt and carefully took it.The bird was too timid to fly. The mother was very happy to see kunga.
On the way home Kunga saw the red bird that was hurt and carefully took it.The bird was too timid to fly. The mother was very happy to see kunga.
Father explained the whole story. Mother prepared food for everyone and the monk and the monk and father helped the man and the bird.
"I shot this red bird" The hunter said.
"You shouldn’t hunt other living things" kunga said and was now seemingly less scared of the hunter.
The hunter got his leg put in plaster and he father gave him some clean clothes to wear. All the family was kind to him.
"Let us have dinner said the mothers she served tasty thuppa. Everyone ate dinner and Kunga gave some barley and grains to the bird, and healed it wing with meicine.
The whole family was happy t have the monk and the hunter
"It reminds me of how good my family were when I was young" the hunter thought as he shed tears of shame in his heart that he ever wanted to steal their house.
"I will never steal and hunt other living creatures again in my life" the hunter decided and thanked Kunga for his help in realizing this.
Kunga and Dolma went to the red bird and said "we will take care of you, you will be safe with us.
"coo" the bird said.
the entire company listened to this conversation and laughed.
this ended an adventurous day in the life of kunga.
Concept Designs
Final Stills
One minute clip so far... 28/20/2013
BRAVO... MY DEAR Donna and Benji....your work is excellent and is very interesting and amazing.
ReplyDeleteYou both have created exactly what was in my imagination. Bravo.
It's beautiful. Thanks to everyone who is working on this project. I really appreciated it.
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