The RumourRetold by Nivedita Subramanium

The RumourRetold by Nivedita SubramaniumIllustrated by Ruchin Shah

The hare sat in the shade of the big coconut tree.It was quiet. Too quiet.

The hare could hear his heart beating. Dhuk-dhuk. Dhuk-dhuk.

Or was it the sky falling on his head?

Fudook! The hare jumped. That was not his heart! It had to be

...the sky falling. He ran.

Fast! His ears flew behind him.

The water buffaloes heard him and ran.

Phlooodhoosh! They splashed water on the tigers.

The tigers heard them and ran.

Grijik-grijik-grijik-grijik. Now, the monkeys were wet too.

The monkeys told everyone else. How the animals ran!

Until the king of the forest said, STOP! Why are you running?

The monkeys scratched their heads. We heard the sky is falling!

The tigers bit their claws. Thats what we heard too!

The water buffaloes cried, Dont look at us. Ask the brown hare!

Where did you hear it? asked the lion.

Under the banyan tree, said the hare and he took them there. And what did they find?

A coconut. Your sky is only a coconut! the lion laughed.

A coconut! The animals laughed.

Everyone went home. Except the hare.He looked at the coconut sitting under the banyan tree and asked, But where did YOU come from?

THE END