This posting might look like a cartoon story for children. No it is meant for the grown ups who wantonly cut trees and cruelly kill the animals for their selfish motives. I would call them unscrupulous individuals and inhuman beings who indulge in destroying nature………….

  The day dawned with a gloomy look. The sky was overcast. The cool breeze from the west refreshed my spirits. I opened the gate and walked into the dense forest. The board was swaying at the gate in the breeze. It displayed, ”No rifles beyond this point”.  It was my last day at the Rainforest as the Keeper of the Forest, as I had decided to leave it for good. “Will the rifles again be brought into the forest after my departure?” I asked myself with a shudder.

"Sir, we today are deeply distressed to bid you farewell", the grand old tree shook its branches. Dewdrops fell on my head. The tree was crying and shedding tears. I went around the tree and embraced its trunk. A creeper wound against my body affectionately and I caressed it.

"I am overwhelmed by your love towards me," I said in a choking voice.

"We wish you long life and we will never forget you and your love and compassion towards us, Sir". It was a chorus.

I looked sideways. I saw a herd of elephants. The leader came to me and touched my head with its trunk. I kissed the trunk. I could see tears rolling out from its small eyes. I could not contain and I burst into a fit of crying. I hugged its trunk and clung to it very firmly.

“Sir, it is our wish that your good self will sit on my back and I will take you through the forest as all my friends would like to see you and say goodbye to you", the elephant's voice was full of grief. He raised his front foot and stepping on to it I climbed up and sat on his back. The elephant started to move and all his companions followed in a procession.

"We love you, we love you" A parrot said and flew towards me and sat on my right shoulder. It kissed my cheeks with its beak. I ran my fingers through its wings and patted them slowly. My heart grew heavier. "Oh my God, how much love they have for me!" I thought.

The elephant stopped at the cave. I got down from his back. It was the den of the white tigers. Three of them came out.

There was a garland in each one of their hands. They stood up in two legs and put the garlands on my neck.

"We love you from the bottom of our hearts. We will always remember the hard work done by you to protect our species. We are ready to follow you to every corner of this earth. We will miss you from our midst, Sir" The oldest white tiger expressed the feelings on behalf of its community. Its eyes were glowing with tears and soon its grief rolled out in the form of a flood of tears.

"I love you my dear ones," I said in a very emotional voice “I will always be there for you in any kind of emergency. Even though I am leaving, my heart will be amongst you", I could not complete the sentence. I started to sob and tears blurred my vision.

The elephant walked along the forest bearing me on its back. I could hear songs by birds praising me and bidding me farewell. I waved at them blowing kisses all around.

A herd of fawns appeared from nowhere and started jumping and running around the elephant I was riding. I got down and sat on the grass. The fawns, with their bodies pressed against mine, kissed me one by one. I hugged them and kissed them. Their bodies smelled of their innocence and a deep pain rose from my bowels and ended at my throat with a sudden choke. "I will miss all their love," I said to myself.

Holding the tusk of the elephant I walked along. A panda came running to me. "Sir, take me along with you. I don' feel safe in here, once you leave. All my family and friends are ready to come with you. Save us, please" the panda begged.

I said, "I am happy to take you along with me. But it is not the solution. I have done everything for your safe stay in this forest. Don't worry, you and your species will be protected at all cost." My words consoled the panda.

“Good bye, Sir, we will all remember you till the end of our lives and we wish you all the best in this world", with tearful eyes the panda vanished into the forest.

From afar, I could hear the howling of wolves. As I walked along I could hear the noise clearer. There were five of them. There was a fire at the centre and the wolves were dancing around the fire and howling. They stopped the dance when they saw me. The oldest one came near me and said. "We were dancing and praying for your well being. God will bless you. Thank you for all that you have done to us. With your dedicated work, we now are living in this forest without any fear. You have strengthened our hands in unity and we will not any more be destroyed. Long live your love and compassion" With this the wolves started to dance and howl again.

I felt very much relieved by the self-confidence of those animals. Where there is a will, there always is a way.

The sky was completely overcast. Through the canopy of the forest I could see the black clouds rushing eastwards. Then it started to pour heavily. The elephants came around me and with their raised trunks formed an umbrella above me. Streams started to flow.

The elephant said, "Sir, Nature is crying and shedding tears at your departure, look at this rain. The Nature's sorrow is boundless and the tears are flowing all around"

I could not bear any more. I shouted,

“My dear rainforest and all my animal friends. Your love towards me is unfathomable. I cannot bear the agony of separation from you. I have changed my decision. I am going to stay here in my rainforest and I will never leave you. It is a promise".

Lightning flashed. Thunder boomed. It started to shower again. Now nature was shedding tears of joy. Suddenly there was dancing and singing all around and all the animals, birds, trees and the streams started to sing,

"He is a jolly good fellow

He is a jolly good fellow

He is a jolly good fellow... "

PS: No trees should be cut and no animals should be killed. They are also the creations of the Almighty, God who created them with a purpose. They have the full right to live in this world. They are also living beings like us. Long live Forests…Long live animals……..skmmenon