Jumpy, the singing star
SUNILA GUPTE
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Jumpy wanted to sing and dance. But everyone kept telling him `Wait for the rains!' Should he wait?
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MANI
Jumpy the frog was bored. He had been waiting for the rains. He wanted to sing, but his family said, "No, you can't till the rains come.' Jumpy looked sulky and frowned heavily, till his round bulging eyes looked like slits.
"I want to sing and dance and have a blast !" he shouted defiantly. "Try," laughed his mother. Jumpy began singing. Horror of horrors, out came the most dreadful drone, followed by growling groans. Laughter followed him. Jumpy was not pleased. Everyone poked fun at him. "I will see the world," he decided, "and find Rain Land, so I can sing the famous `Rain Song' and dance the `Dashing Rain Dance'."
He set off and his sniggering cousins shouted: "Inform us, Jumpy, about your Rain Land, we will follow. We'll tango, and salsa and rumba all night long!" Jumpy said haughtily, "Oh! Every one will sing my praises, and you'll know that I have found the Rain Land."
Jumpy left his safe little pond, and went to new places. It was fun; he jumped and hopped around, then felt frightened. This was dry, arid, land without streams — where was the greenery? The beautiful purple clouds?
Reaching a little stream he thankfully put his tired little toes into the water.
How cool it felt! He floated, jumped and dived, in this trickle. He was lonely. He missed the fun he and his cousins had together. Never had he imagined that leaving home would be so bad. "I have a dream, I want to sing, dance, I must follow my star... so, I have to find the rain. I shall continue, however lonely I feel." Crawling beneath the shade of a gulmohur tree, he looked at the bright blossoms.
Look for signs
The tree said, "Frog, there is a time for everything. When my blossoms fall, I know the monsoon will come. Learn to look for signs and then make decisions."
"So my mother was right! But I will go to the monsoon, instead of the monsoon coming to me," he said as he set off.
He learnt to look after himself. He learnt patience the hard way. He helped a baby tortoise, and others.
"I have a dream," he whispered, though his feet felt like rags and his arms were leaden, he continued, never despairing. He learnt not to give up., but to consider advice.
Suddenly, there was darkness, thunder and lightning split the sky. He hid under a rock, petrified. He felt the first drop of water — blessed water. The monsoon had broken! He sat subdued, enjoying the water.
There were frogs all around him. He spoke, and strangely, it was a beautiful song! Jumpy danced, overjoyed with the rain hearing his own lovely song. The frogs clapped in time to his dashing dance and spirited song. "Oh you are the best singer we have heard," they shouted.
"No," said Jumpy, "the rain has given me the power to sing."
He sat down. ... he could sing and dance because of the rain but he had to tell his family.
He set off for home, content, with adventurous frogs that wanted to see his world. He was sure that everyone would be so happy to see him again.
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