Pinku learns a lesson

PUNE, July 10: Pinku, the monkey, was very naughty. He never listened to any advises. He played a lot of mischief. He jumped from one tree t...

PUNE, July 10: Pinku, the monkey, was very naughty. He never listened to any advises. He played a lot of mischief. He jumped from one tree to another, pulling tails and ears of other animals around. The worst of his habit was dirtying the places wherever he went. He loved to eat bananas, peanuts and oranges. He always carried a bag of peanuts and bunch of bananas with him. He would sit on a branch of tree, relish peanuts and bananas and drop the shells and skin right down.

It always angered other animals who would slip on a banana skin or get a shower of peanut shells. The heap of garbage would lie there attracting mosquitoes and flies.

Lumba, the lion king, was very wise and clever. He had arranged lovely red colour dust-bins all over the jungle. The cleaning party would sweep the jungle day and night.

8220;You dirty monkey8230; why don8217;t you use these dust-bins?8221; The other animals would always scold Pinku. Pinku made monkey faces and threw some more shells at them.

One day Bholu bear came complaining that his baby bear had slipped on banana skin and broken his hand. Pinku8217;s parents apologised to him and punished Pinku by starving him for a day.

But it had no effect on Pinku. He remained the same. He continued with his careless attitude.

Lumba, the lion king, sent a circular in the jungle stating that the jungle should be kept as clean as possible so that the animals do not get infections due to the dirt. He even got the bank of the river cleaned up so that animals could get clean water to drink.

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Jumbo the Elephant also would clean himself up by splashing water on his body by his trunk and then enter the river.

Pinku believed that nothing could happen to him. One day he was busy munching his food. Suddenly he heard a very strange sound. He got scared and looked around. To his horror he saw a big giant black mosquito darting towards him. Before he could do anything, it stung Pinku right on his cheek. Pinku screamed with pain and he slipped down from the branch and landed on the big heap of garbage created by him. Pinku had broken his ankle and couldn8217;t get up. He cried and cried for help but no one came near that dirty, stinking garbage.

Lastly animals of the cleaning party picked up Pinku, took him to hospital and also cleaned up the heap of garbage.

Pinku got severe fever that day. He got chills and his body pained a lot. He couldn8217;t eat anything. If he tried to eat, he vomited. Doctors diagnosed that the fever was due to mosquito bite.

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Lumba came to see Pinku. He talked to Pinku in very gentle voice. 8220;I am feeling so bad that a sweet child of my jungle is suffering from fever. But you should know that all the infection you have got is because of your habit.8221;

Pinku had tears in his eyes, and he felt highly ashamed. Lumba added, 8220;It8217;s everyone8217;s duty to care about our surroundings. You are our future. Tomorrow you will take responsibility of jungle. If you have good habits today. We can be assured of better tomorrow.8221;

8220; I promise, I won8217;t do anything that can spoil our beautiful jungle,8221; Pinku said in a low voice.

Pinku had learnt his lesson. When he recovered, he went straight to king Lumba. He had a broom in his hand.

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8220;Can I join the cleaning party?8221; Pinku asked in an enthusiastic voice. The joyous quot;Yesquot; from all other animals made Pinku feel on top of the world. He loved the clean, healthy, fresh air of the jungle.