HARIHARAN BALAKRISHNAN
Introducing the author
Hariharan Balakrishna is a writer and columnist. This article x the Literary page of the Hindu, 22 Jan 2006
A legend is a story or a narrative about a very famous person. People are referred to as legends if they have been unusually successful in their own feids work. The title mentions two legends. Who are the two legends mentioned in th unit 7 Why are they termed legends? What did the author plan to do when he came know about the two? Read the following unit of the text to find out the answers
The Text
Khair made the entire forest where she lived famous. She was not a band queen but Khair, the tigress of Jashipur. It was exactly 25 years ago when I spen two days and two nights with Khairi and the menagerie of Saroj and Nihar, I had read a small news item in The Statesman about the latest exploits of a domesticated tigress in the Similipal forests of Odisha.
Suddenly, it struck me that this was happening in my own State. I though "why not attempt to experience it myself?" spoke to N.S. Ayyangar, a senior journalis in Berhampur, and a few other elders. I was told that Khairi was under the care of rather gruff and tough man called Saroj Raj Chaudhury who brooked no nonsens and suffered no fools.
I got his address and wrote asking if I could visit him. For good measure referred to a few itinerant articles I had written for Indian magazines. It was a shot the dark and I did not really expect to hear from him. But, to my utter delight, I got letter within a week inviting me to Khairi-Jashipur, giving precise instructions about.
THE LEGEND WHINDALEKEND
how to reach there. Mr. Chaudhury also asked me to let him know in advanos ho
and when was reaching. I gave him a date and said would be taking a bus from
Bhubaneswar on a particular night.
Glossary
bandit queen
queen of the robbers
menagerie
a collection of wild animals
a hopeful attempt
a shot in the dark
brook no nonsense suffer no fools
tolerate only important and necessary things do not tolerate stupidity in others.
Think it out
1. Who is Khairi?
2. How did the writer come to know about Khairi?
3. Who was the foster father of Khair?
4. Which State does the writer belong to?(Para 2)
5. What did he learn about Saroj Raj Chaudhury as a person?
6. How did he contact Mr. Chaudhury?
7. Why did he refer some of his articles to Mr. Chaudhury?
8. Did Mr. Chaudhury reply to the author's letter? What did he write?
Unit II
Warm up
How did the author reach Khairi-Jashipur? How was his welcome at Mr. Choudhury's house? How did Khairi greet the author? Read the following unit of the text for the details:
12
The Text
1 packed my bag, took the train and boarded the overceged to Bhubaneswar, I arrived somet semdarkness. To my fr before 4.00 am wondering where to go ins a voce welcoming me to Khain Jashpur. The Forest Guard, detailed to son Win a minute there was the click of took me to the guest house, put me in my room, stured that water was in the could sleep as long as 1 wanted and Seeb would see me as soon as I was ready
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I think I had an hour of sleep. woke up with a start when unmistakable voice of the Tiger just outside my door I was terror-struck. minutes, a bearer came to the room with hot fea and biscuits. He smiled at sxpression on my face and assured me that it was only Khairi outside the door, ma fnendy enquiries about the new guest in the house. I finished my tea, had a q shower and went to the main house Sary Plaj Chaudhury was sitting on a large chair. There was a sloth bear behin Thear
him, holding on to his waist and making gurgling sounds. He said, "Get down, Jamb
get down and rose to greet me-a frail man in his fifties, slightly balding on the top
We got talking I didn't find a gruff and rough no-nonsense man. What I found was one
of the most humaine human beings I had ever met in my life.
Glossary
escort
guide
humane Think it out
showing kindness towards people and animals, caring
1. How did the writer come to Bhubaneswar?
2. How did he go to Jashipur from Bhubaneswar ?
3 How did the forest guard receive him?
4. Why was he ferrorstruck?
5. What did the bearer tell him about Khair?
6. What was Mr. Chaudhury doing when the writer met him?
THE LEGEND BEHINDALEGEND
13
7. How did Mr. Chaudhury greet the author?
8. What was the name of the bear?
What was the physical appearance of Mr. Chaudhury? 10. What kind of man did the author find Mr. Chaudhury to be?
Unit III
Warm up
Mr. Chaudhury had many interesting stories to tell about Khairi and the oer pets at his home. Read the following unit of the text for the details:
The Text
Here is the first story that emerged from this very unusual man between sips of coffee: "As you will see, I have different species of wild animals in this house. They all came in at different stages of their lives. I have debunked the theory that they cannot co-exist unless they are together from infancy. One thing wanted to experiment with was the reaction of a young tiger to a snake. One day, when Khairi was much younger we found a baby krait in the house. As you know, krait is one of the most poisonou snakes. I was noting Khairi's reaction to its presence. Khairi was curious to kno more about this strange new creature. Every time the krait got too close to Khairi would pull it back by its tail. This went on for some time. At some point, I must ha Deen a little unmindful. It turned round and bit me. I immediately tied a tourniq bar do bove that and got the poison out. I saw the doctor as soon as possible. Luckily it baby. Still, some of the poison got into my blood stream and as a result, I am no ermanent patient of hypo-glycaemia."
By the time he finished this astonishing story, Jambu took a fancy to me Imbed behind to give me his bear hug. A stern 'no' from Saroj was enou ssuade him from this expression of fondness. As the day progressed, betwee nversations and the intermittent crackle on the VHF wireless set by which h ing instructions to his men in the forests, I got to know a veritable joint fam s living inside the compound-a mongoose, a pangolin, wild cat twins, a d and a blind Hyena. Each had a name.
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