THE MEETING POOL

RUSKIN BOND
Ruskin Bond is a Prolific Indian writer in English with many stories to his
credit. The story The Meeting Pool by Ruskin Bond conveys the message that life
goes on, come what may The story The Meeting Pool is in the form of the
recollections of Rusty the narrator.
Rusty, Anil and Somi were close friends. Anil was a wild and little dangerous
boy. He was often moody and impulsive and had an animal charm. Somi, on the
other hand, was sensitive and gentle in his ways. However, both of them shared a
similar sense of fun and an instinct for adventure. Rusty was just one who involved in
the adventure chosen by Anil and Somi.
Rusty once discovered a pool which was later called Rustys pool by somi.
The trio played and swam in its water. Somi used to swim quite beautifully whereas
Anil would swim with much vigour for he had long legs and arms. Rusty dived off a
rock and usually landed on his stomach. The pool was full of slim silver fish. The trio
tried to catch them with rod and hook as well as a bed sheet but in vain. But once
Anil got it done exploding some gun powder. Next they tried to enlarge the pool by
building a dam across one end. But the torrent of the mansoon rain water burst it.
They had then the fun of wrestling on a strip of land and enjoying bufallo rides.
They used to bathe in the pool by moon light .Those were the happy days of
Rusty, Anil and Somi. But they had to depart once. Somi suggested that they should
next meet at the pool in ten years time. Both Rusty and Anil too joined the promise
that they would meet at the pool at midday on the fifth on April 1964.
Over the years following the company of the trio broke up. They went different
ways. After his matriculation Somi joined a Military school. Anil and his family went
away to Delhi and Rusty could not see him again. Anil and Somi did not keep their
pledge. They might have been living their lives the way they wanted, But Rusty kept
his pledge. He returned to the pool at midday on the fifth of April 1964.
Rustry found the stream without any water. Over years it too had changed its
course of life. As he had just begun to return disappointedly, he heard the splashing
of water and shouting of boys from a nearby spot. There were half a dozen boys
playing in the water of another pool. Rustys memories rolled back. His eyes were
seeing another team of somi, Anil, he himself and the comfort loving bafalloes there.

A past had died out only to give way for a present. Rusty, Anil and Somi even
continue to live despite the change of times.

ALL AVOIDABLE TALK

R.K NARAYAN

R.K Narayan is one of the best known Indo Anglian writers. He is a born story
teller. All avoidable talk is the story of an average middle class Indian who
believed in astrology.

Sastry was a middle class man. He lived with his wife and three children. He
was an accountant in a big jewellery shop. He believed in prophecies. One day
he dropped in for a moment to gossip with a friend near his house who affected
great knowledge of stars. Many predictions that he made proved to be true. He
warned Sastry that the stars were out to trouble him, and even the mildest of his
remarks was likely to offend and lead to a quarrel. He advised Sastry to avoid all
avoidable talk.
Next morning Sastry took his friends advice so seriously that he refused to
converse with any one. He remained passive to the misdeeds of his children and
ignored his wifes appeal to correct the misbehaving children. He avoided all
avoidable talk.
At the office he was only two minutes late, but his employer glared at him and
behaved as if he had been two hours late. At about two 0 clock in the fternoon,
A customer came in. He held up a trinket and asked Sastry if the diamond could
be taken out and reset in platinum. Sastry said that he knew nothing about it.

The troublesome customer complained to the proprietor against Sastry. The

proprietor called Sastry and warned him against discourtesy to his customers.
Lest he should get out of the shop. Sastry saw him holding a leaden paperweight
his grip.
Sastry felt hurt as his master insulted him before every one. He wondered why
he had to put up with insults. The humiliation was so hurting that he made up his
mind to extract an apology from his boss or to throw off his job. He went to his
masters bungalow. But the master thought that Sastry came to make an apology
for his bad conduct at the shop and told him that it was his principle to forgive a
fellow who realized his mistake. Sastry felt surprised by the unexpected event.
He stood there absolutely confused. He thanked his boss for his generosity and
left the place. While going home he felt extremely happy that he had triumphed
over his stars that day.

BONSAI LIFE
Abburi Chaya Devi is a popular feminist writer in Telugu. The writer pleads, in
this story, that we should educate girls and free them from their Bonsai life.
The narrator of the story , a working Andhra Woman in Delhi is overjoyed to
receive letters from any of her friends or relatives. One day, however, she had a letter
from her not so educated elder sister, a typical village house wife. The elder sister
hardly wrote to her so it was with some apprehension that she opened the letter.
The letter told her that her Akkayya and Bave garu were visiting her and Delhi
for the first time . The elder sister was just literate whereas the younger sister was
highly educated and employed. Akkayya brought with her all home made food. She
could never get rid of the feeling that she had lost a lot by not being educated . They
talked about Akkayyas daughters education which upset Akkayya very much. She
would have her daughter educated at any cost.
As the two sat in the balcony the bonsai pomegranate and turayi trees in the
flower pots drew the attention of Akkayya. While the younger sister prided on her

bonsai art, Akkayya would not just understand why the growth of a tree should be
stunted. The bonsai art appealed little to Akkayya. She found a parallel between the
stunted plants and the stunted education.
A little later, looking through the window she pointed to a tall turayi tree under
which a large number of people sought shelter from the pouring rain. Akkayya told
the younger sister that the tree having grown so tall was able to afford shelter to so
many people from sun and rain . The bonsai plants on the contrary were delicate to
protect themselves, let alone provide shelter to others. The younger sister realized
the truth in Akkayyas words. She felt a strong urge to free the plants from the bonsai
prison. An uneducated or undereducated persons growth is as stunted as that of the
bonsai plants. It is unkind to restrict the free growth of a tree as of a persons mind.

The Cherry Trees

Ram Kumar

The short story The Cherry Trees, is written by Ram kumar, a well known
painter and short story writer in Hindi. He was awarded the Padmasree for his
contribution to art and literature.
This story contrasts the city life to the life in the lap of nature. It deals with the
issue of deforestation and the necessity to preserve nature. At another symbolic
level, it deals with the issue of early marriage of girls. The narrator of the story, a boy,
was very much excited to see an orchard of tall trees in front of the rented house.
The children, alongw

ith their elder sister, made merry and plucked a few fruits. They came to know
through their father that they were cherries which they thought peaches or some
other fruits earlier. Their father told them that they were unripe.
After moving to the new place, the elder sister was so happy because the
stars seemed to be close to her at night time. But soon there was a discussion about
her marriage . She was depressed with the decision of her parents to get her married
at such a young age. The joy of children was spoilt with the entry of the contractor,
who wished to pluck all the cherries. The children were annoyed at his behaviour
who walked through the garden confidently as if it belonged to him. After coming to
know that he bought the cherry trees from the landlord, they were very much upset
for they had thought that the trees belonged to them. However, there was no way for
them to protest as the house did not belong to them. They remained silent spectators
while the cherries were being taken away by the contractor. They became sad for
they saw a bird being killed in the process. Their sister felt it as much a sin to pluck
raw fruits and flowers as it was to kill animals.
The narrator could not sleep that night. Suddenly the sky seemed to sparkle
with millions of stars. But his sister was disturbed and did not notice the stars. Her
mind was pre-occupied by the fact that her parents were going to get her married
soon. The writer made an interesting comparison of the marriage of a young girl
against her wishes to the plucking of unripe cherries. The killing of the bird was also
symbolic of the freedom of the girl which was likely to be curbed after marriage.

THE ADOPTED SON

Guy De Maupassant is considered the best of the French short story

writers.The themes of his short stories were incidents from every day life of ordinary
people . This short story is an interesting presentation of human bonds.
The vallins and Tuvachees were two neighboring families of peasants . Each
had four children . They could not afford to provide even a square meal to their
children. The children were all good looking in spite of their poverty.
One day a childless wealthy lady Madame Henri d Hubieres came in a
carriage along with her husband. She looked at the children playing on the dust. She
liked particurly Charlot , the youngest of the Tuvachees children. She kissed him and
foundled him. Her longing for children was so strong that she immediately decided to
adopt him. She approached his parents, she and her husband pleaded with the
Tuvachees couple to let her adopt Charlot. They offered the Tuvachees handsome
compensation in return, including a pension for them. Madam Tuvachee however
refused to part with her son.
In despair Madame Henri d Hubieres made the same proposal to the vallins.
The Vallins couple agreed to give their child after a bargain for a better
compensation. The d Hubieres left that place with the boy Jean. As time passed, the
Tuvachees continued their poor life whereas life for the Vallins was very happy ,
thanks to the pension they got from the d Hubieres. The Tuvachees envied their
neighbour. They were no more friendly.
Years rolled by. Jean, now a handsome young man of twenty one, with his
faster mother visited his parents. The vallins were very happy. Charlot who was of
the same age now realized what he had missed. He thought that his parents had
been foolish to have deprived him of a happy wealthy life. He was very angry with his
parents. He wished he were not born to his parents who could not understand what
was good for him. In digust he left the home saying that he would look for and get a
better future on his own.
The irony of it all is, a son cursing and leaving the parents for their foolish
affection and another joining his parents for affection.