23 July 2011

Weekend Short Story: Twist in the Tale


As you know, I do not post any serious stuff on the weekends! This weekend, I have a short story, for a change.
About three years ago, Srinivasan Nagarajan, a dear friend and IAS officer (he topped the IAS in the country in 2005!), shared a short story with me. I was intrigued with the way the story ended, with a sudden twist - like those we find in the short stories of Jeffrey Archer.  Both of us do not know the actual source of the story.
Of one thing I am sure: you will enjoy this short story! 
In 1986, Mkele Mbembe was on holiday in Kenya after graduating from Northwestern University. On a hike through the bush, he came across a young bull elephant standing with one leg raised in the air.
The elephant seemed distressed, so Mbembe approached it very carefully. He got down on one knee and inspected the elephant’s foot, and found a large piece of wood deeply embedded in it. As carefully and as gently as he could, Mbembe worked the wood out with his hunting knife, after which the elephant gingerly put down its foot.
The elephant turned to face the man, and with a rather curious look on its face, stared at him for several tense moments. Mbembe stood frozen, thinking of nothing else but being trampled.
Eventually the elephant trumpeted loudly, turned, and walked away. Mbembe never forgot that elephant or the events of that day.
Twenty years later, Mbembe was walking through the Chicago Zoo with his teenaged son. As they approached the elephant enclosure, one of the creatures turned and walked over to near where Mbembe and his son Tapu were standing.
The large bull elephant stared at Mbembe, lifted its front foot off the ground, then put it down. The elephant did that several times then trumpeted loudly, all the while staring at the man.
Remembering the encounter in 1986, Mbembe couldn’t help wondering if this was the same elephant.
Mbembe summoned up his courage, climbed over the railing and made his way into the enclosure. He walked right up to the elephant and stared back in wonder.
The elephant trumpeted again, wrapped its trunk around one of Mbembe’s legs and slammed him against the railing, killing him instantly.
Probably it wasn’t the same elephant.
Stumped? I too was, as much as most of you are! Happy Weekend!

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8 comments:

Vardhman said...

if the story ends here,then this is not cool.

Balendu said...

Stumped :O :O :O :O Outrageous !

pavani said...

the way the story ends is not cool

venkat said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Ratnadeep said...

I thought There is Always a Happy Ending to a Story.... May Be as Shahrukh Says " Picture abhi Bakhin Hein Mere Dosth"

lingadhar said...

Moral of the story : Forget the favor which is not acknowledged instantly otherwise it can turn hostile in future..:P

joy_literally said...

Remember this.. Was also on the last page articles of one of the TIME magazines.. always loved the last page articles.. :)

jemima said...

dis is called testing ur luck to the hilt :)