Toon, Toony and Other Animal Stories

An extract

(Trans created from Upendrakishore Raichoudhurys Tuntunir Boi in Bengali published in 1911)

With the authors original illustrations from 1911

I Darzee, the tailorbird, and his wife made their nest in a corner of the back garden of a bungalow by stitching together the leaves of an egg plant. Darzee was sitting on the lower branches of a palm tree just outside the garden and musing on times past. He was thinking of little Red-Eyes and the Great War, when that brave little mongoose fought Wrinkled-Skin, the hooded snake. He spread out his tail feathers, and started singing his favourite song Singer and tailor am I-Doubled the joys that I know-Proud of my lilt to the sky, Proud of the house that I sew-Over and under, so weave I my music--so weave I the house that I sew.1 A loud hiss from below interrupted him. He looked down. His wife, feathers all ruffled, was looking at him not at all pleased. Oh! Dear, gasped Darzee, how very remiss of me. The chicks were sleeping in the nest below. Two tiny faces stuck out from the nest. Toon and Toony were all that remained of this years brood. They could hardly open their eyes, let alone fly. Poor little chicks, thought Darzee, who knows what danger lies in wait. The danger was in the shape of the resident cat. As if on cue, the cat was ambling across the lawn, heading towards the egg plant. Darzee looking up to the heavens said, not again. He has got the rest, not these two. The cat struck out one of her front paws and shook the egg plant. With an evil grin she looked up and asked menacingly, how are the common tailorbirds doing today, my darling? Darzees wife bowed with her tail feathers spread and said in her nightingale voice, very well, thank you your majesty, for asking.

Darzees song from Kiplings Ricki Ticki Tavi

The cat, which was very vain, felt flattered and went away happy. But she came again the next day and the next and the day after till it became a daily routine. She asked the same question and always, without fail, Mrs. Darzee bowed with her tail feathers spread and said in her nightingale voice, very well, thank you your majesty, for asking. Each time the vain cat felt flattered and went away happy. The chicks soon grew up into fine fledglings. They could now see well past the palm tree and were itching to fly. Do you think, their mother asked them, you can fly to that tree. Yes, mother, they said flying out of their nest and perching on a branch of the palm tree. Mrs Darzee smiled. Wonder when the cat will come today? she said to her husband. Soon enough the cat was back at the bottom of the eggplant. And how are the common tailorbirds doing today, my darlings? , she asked, flashing her evil grin. Get lost, you dirty, useless bully, shouted Darzee and his wife in unison and flew away. The wicked cat bared her fangs and pounced on the eggplant. But gone were the tailor birds, chicks and all. The rough edges of the eggplant leaves tore into the cats face, and she turned back fuming, to the house, to lick her wounds.

II Toon chose a corner of the garden in the kings palace to build his nest. On bright, sunny days, he saw some men bring out the kings money and put it on the grass to dry. In the evenings, they took the money back inside the palace. One evening, the men forgot a gold coin. Toon, swooped down, picked it up with his beak and took it back to his nest.

Crickey, he thought, I am rich now, rich as the king. Raising his beak to the sky, he started to sing: The king is in his counting house Eating bread and honey Down came a tailorbird And took away his money. The king heard Toons song and asked his men to investigate. The kings men went out to the garden and found a coin in the nest. The king was very angry. How dare it steal my gold? the king thundered. Catch it, I will have it for my dinner, baked in a pie. The kings men rushed out to the garden and caught Toon. On their way to the kings kitchen, they met the queen. What a lovely bird, she said; Can I hold it?

The men opened the cage and Toon slipped through the queens hands and flew out into the garden.

Everyone looked at one another. The king would be furious if he was to know. They saw a rat slinking past. They caught it, gave it to the royal chef and asked him to make a pie fit for a king. As the king finished his dinner, he heard the tiny tailorbird singing: Poor and dirty black rat baked in a pie And when the pie was opened did the rat not stink? Oh that was a dainty dish to set before the king. As soon as the king heard this he felt very sick. Clutching his throat he ran up to his bedroom and stayed there for the rest of the day.

He came down the next day and ordered his general to catch Toon again. This time, to make things absolutely sure, the general was to bring it to straight to him. The king would swallow the bird and a guard would stand in front with his sword drawn out, ready to strike, if the bird dared escape. Toon was caught again and brought to the king. The king opened his mouth very wide, took some water and put poor Toon in his mouth and gulped him down.

Toon tumbled down the royal food pipe. He had given up all hope when suddenly, the king, burped. So mighty was the royal burp that Toon was pulled all the way up and out of the kings mouth. The guard brought his sword down as soon as he saw Toon emerge from the kings mouth but the sword missed the bird and landed on the kings nose.

Ouch, shouted the king, blood squirting from his nose. Toon flew out of the window to his

nest and taking the baby chicks flew away to another kingdom.

III It had been very hot for a few days but when it started to rain, it rained all morning and made the air cool and fresh. After it stopped, Toony emerged from her nest and started dancing on the branches of the egg plant.

She should have been careful, but she was so happy that she forgot all about the thorns. Soon enough, she fell on a thorn and it got lodged in her breast. Toony grimaced in pain. She went to the kings surgeon. The kings surgeon was livid. What? Do you know I am the kings surgeon? How could you even think I will pull out the thorn? Get out! Angry, Toony went to the king to complain. The king roared with laughter. You want my surgeon to pull out your thorn? And you want me to punish him because he refused? Ha, ha ha, that is the funniest thing I have heard all week. Toony was furious. Seething with rage the little bird went to see rat. Rat, you home? She shouted. The rat was delighted to see her. Tiny twitty! Have some tea, take a seat, put up you feet. Will drink tea, said Toony, but only if you gnaw into the kings pot-belly. What! Gnaw into the royal belly? Oh no, I wouldnt dare; besides I have a toothache. Upset, Toony went to see the walking stick.

You home? She cried. The walking stick was delighted to see her. Tiny twitty! Have some tea, take a seat, put up you feet. Will drink tea, said Toony, but only if you beat up Rat. I am sorry, I am tired. I have walked a lot. Cant beat up anyone anymore, said the walking stick. Not one to give up little Toony flew in through the window and sat on the hearth. The fire was delighted to see her. Tiny twitty! Have some tea, take a seat, put up you feet. Will drink tea, said Toony, but only if you burn the walking stick. The fire nodded his flames. I am sorry, he said. I am turning in for the night. Toony flew out of the window and went flying far away to the sea. The sea was delighted to see her. Tiny twitty! Have some tea, take a seat, put up you feet. Will drink tea, said Toony, but only if you put out fire. I am so sorry dear Toony, the sea said. I am quite full. I cant eat anything more. Not today. Not tomorrow. Come back next week. Sad, Toony flew to where the kings elephant lived. The elephant was delighted to see her. Tiny twitty! Have some tea, take a seat, put up you feet. Will drink tea, said Toony, but only if you drink up the sea

What, drink up the sea? Am afraid cant .Too salty. Sad and in pain Toony flew into the little forest behind the kings garden and perched on a high branch and started singing a sad song. A little mosquito came up buzzing, delighted to see Toony in the forest. Dear twitty! Have some tea, take a seat, put up you feet.
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Will drink tea, said Toony, but only if you bite elephant. Bite elephant! Done, if thats what you want. The mosquito buzzed around calling his mates, come on all, we have got to bite the elephant. Soon the sky became dark with mosquitoes from everywhere flying in to the forest and then heading out to the elephants stable. The elephant looked up; saw the dark cloud of mosquitoes coming at him with Toony at their head. Scared, he shouted, Stop, dont bite me. I will drink up the sea. The sea heard the elephant and taking fright, screamed, I will put out the fire. The fire hearing the waves rushing in cried, hang on! I will burn the stick. The stick seeing the flames dancing toward him, yelped, I will beat rat into a pulp. The rat hearing the stick walking towards him ran towards the palace. The king was sleeping in his room. He woke up to find Toony at the window and rat on his tummy. Call the surgeon, he shouted. The surgeon heard the king, shook in his shoes, took a knife and ran to take the thorn out. Toony went back to the egg plant and started to dance again. But this time she was careful and avoided the thorns.