Animal stories

This is the last part of my series on animals in literature, and I would like to move to insects with a brilliant story, ‘Laal Chiontay’ (Red Ants) by Ismat Chughtai.

The story begins when the writer is looking for unripe mangoes in a garden, and suddenly she feels stings piercing her skin. There are red ants creeping over her body. She goes to a theatre but during the play the actors start talking about social problems and the spectator feels that they are like red ants that sting. She goes to watch a dance performance and there again the rendering of a political theme makes the dancers look like red ants.

Ismat Chughtai concludes by saying that the red ants are the ones who make you uncomfortable and do not allow you to enjoy your life. Applied to Pakistan, you can see that the red ants are being eliminated. Their stings are neutralised, so that those who want to enjoy their lives can do that by curbing political and social themes in art, culture, dance, and drama.

There is a story by Rajendra Singh Bedi, titled ‘Larvay’ (Larvae). The writer is fascinated by some insects in their immature form (larvae) in a ditch of muddy water. The larvae thrive but when some fresh water enters the ditch they die. Again, applied to Pakistan, we see that in the absence of fresh ideas, larvae prosper, and that’s why there are bans and curbs and censorship. Talking about insects, Agha Ashraf’s story ‘Resham ka Keerha’ (Silkworm) – included in his collection ‘Ufaq sey Ufaq tak’ – is also worth reading.

Krishan Chander was a story teller par excellence; his story ‘Maindak ki Griftari’ (The Arrest of a Frog) is the tale of a big frog who gets released from the grand palace. He narrates what habits he had observed in humans living in the palace. With animals, Krishan Chandar’s masterpiece is ‘Aik Gadhay ki Saurgazasht’ (The Tale of a Donkey). I first read it when I was in school and have loved it since then. Dr Aansa Ahmed Saeed in her book ‘Krishan Chandar Kay Novel’ (The Novels of Krishan Chandar) informs us that this novel was published in 1955 in the weekly ‘Aina’, and then in 1956 in the monthly ‘Shama’ from Delhi.

‘Aik Gadhay ki Saurgazasht’ is a unique tale of a donkey, and uses reincarnation as a theme. It is a brilliant piece of humour and satire. In this novel the protagonist is a donkey that incidentally knows how to read, speak, and write just like humans. This donkey is a paragon of straight talk, boldness, and simplicity. Thanks to these qualities, it is an exceptional donkey – but as it happens – it is mercilessly beaten and opposed anywhere it goes. The novel highlights the fact that in this world truth and plain talk invite the wrath of the people.

The donkey departs from Bara Bunki (famous for its donkeys) and goes to the capital of India, Delhi, where it is captured and detained. After its release, it is sold from one master to another, leading to both hilarious and tragic consequences. The funniest part is when the donkey meets the prime minister of Inia, Jawaharlal Nehru. After the meeting, the donkey becomes famous and the same people who used to beat and torture it now suddenly show admiration and respect. It is chased by journalists and then taken to a club where a press conference is arranged. The donkey performs much better than some of the press briefings we have seen recently. If you want to read just one Urdu novel about an animal, read this.

No discussion about animals in Urdu literature can be complete without mentioning Abul Fazl Siddiqui. He has written many stories involving animals but his one story ‘Insaaf’ I like the most. Insaaf is the name of a rich man’s horse that loves his keeper Dullee. Being a poor man, Dullee barely lives on subsistence. One day Dullee discovers a treasure chest in a ditch and stops going to Insaaf. The horse stops eating and Dullee is called again and again to rejoin his duties. The owner of the horse suspects something unusual with Dullee, and an investigation into this leads to unexpected results.

Another story by Abul Fazl Siddiqui is the narration of animals, especially birds near a jungle and a lake. ‘Aik Urhaan Mein’ (In One Flight) starts with the description of an idyllic vegetation full of birds of all kinds who are happy and cheerful. But an owl is not happy and comes out only at night. Some bats encourage the owl to take over the jungle which he does by using its shrieks. This is a story much like Mansha Yaad’s ‘Aik Thi Fakhta’ in which crows drive out the doves. Ghulam Abbas’s story is longer and much more detailed about how societies transform.

About rodents, there is an interesting story ‘Chooha’ (Rat) by Mumtaz Mufti. A old couple lives in a village while their son lives in the city. The old husband and wife are sick and tired of each other and barely communicate. They even avoid looking at each other. Moreover, in their large home they are pestered by rats. Suddenly, the son comes and takes his parents to his apartment in the city. The couple remain as estranged as ever and hardly ever talk to each other. Their son goes to his office and they spend the whole day just whiling away their time.

Then a rat appears from a hole but the couple plug the hole. The rat appears again and they drive it out. But after sometime they start missing it, and then finally they think about the rats in their home in the village. This boredom in their lives forces them to take the drastic decision to leave their son in the city and get back to the village to be with the rats for whom they even bring some cheese from the city. This story is a marvellous reflection of couples, old age and problems of boredom.

A relatively lesser known story involving animals is by Quratul Ain Haider. ‘Lakkarh Baggay ki Hansi’ is an unusual story as it ends with some gory details of how a girl is swallowed by a crocodile in a river. The girl is an aspiring actress who is ready to serve as a concubine or even a prostitute provided her ambitions are fulfilled. She is taken to a mountain region near the Himalayas by her keeper who is a rich but old man. The story takes a turn as she encounters some foreigners and hopes to seduce one of them. How she ends up in a crocodile’s jaws is for you to read.

S M Ashraf has also written some very good stories about animals, such as ‘Numbardaar ka Nela’. There are many more stories and novels in Urdu, but I would like to end this series here. Before concluding, some more stories for you to read are ‘Swarg mein Suar’ by Hameed Shahid; ‘Aik Snow Tiger ki Surguzasht’ (Story of a Snow Tiger) by Mustansir Hussain Tarar; ‘Hazarpaya’ (Millipede) by Khalida Hussain; and ‘Nakel’ by Farrukh Nadeem.

These writers have contributed greatly in our understanding of animals and their role in society; some writers have used animals symbolically to express their anger and dismay at today’s world. As I clarified in the very first part of the series, it doesn’t claim to be a comprehensive literature review on this topic. It was entirely based on the books, journals, and stories that I have read and kept in my collection. Even then I have not attempted to cover all that I have. I am concluding this series before the patience of my editor runs out.

Finally, a challenge to my readers. Can you name the writer who wrote a short story titled ‘Hafeez Jalandhari ki Bhains’ (The Buffalo of Hafeez Jalandhari)? Write to me at the email given below, and if your answer is correct, I will send you the book collection of my essays as a gift.

Concluded

The writer holds a PhD from the University of Birmingham, UK and works in Islamabad.

Email: mnazir1964@yahoo.co.uk