The Jungle and the Loggers

Juno was, as usual sitting on the banks of the river, reading a large loob. This volume had been sent to him by a feeow historian from across the world. The birds were chirpping above and the leaves drifted down lazily. Megha the Crow was engaged in an animated conversation with the Crane that was building its nest high above the water level. Juno found their conversation rather disturbing. "Ah" said he, "why does that crow think that her voice is so melodious".

A sharp gust of wind blew the book that Juno was reading and he lurched forward to hold it as the pages fluttered in the breeze. Megh who was watching Juno from her perch at the top of the canopy flew down and glided gently to the rock against which Juno was leaning. "Juno" said she, with a chuckle, "you never seem to get tired of reading." Before waiting for an answer she said, "you seem to be quite unconcerned about the goings on in the Jungle Kingdom." " Even Michael the Monkey was seen wearing a mien of concern", said Megha with a sigh.

"What re to talking about, Megha" asked Juno, looking surprised.
"I have been here since morning and have seen and heard nothing", said Juno.

"Well, there are a number of trucks and heavy earth moving tractors parked near the ruins of the ancient temple" said Megha, her voice laced with apprehension.

"Does Karadi know about this development". "No" said Megha. "We are afraid of going to his cave as he is hibernating and may not like to be disturbed".

"I will tell him" remarked Juno, as he adjusted his scarf firmly around his neck.

To be continued

The Jungle Kingdom: The Setting and the Characters

This blog is dedicated to the adventures of four friends who live in a forest on the banks of a river. They live peacefully in the lush green forest under the benign leadership of their king ,Sher Khan, a tiger with a fierce roar but really a warm gentle soul. This tiger limps from an old would caused by a hunter who shot the tiger several yers back, but the animals carried their king to safety. The king of the jungle has a wise and cynical councellor, Juno, who by training and inclination is a serious cademic and a trained historian. Juno loves to sit with his back against the rock on the banks of the river reading a book or a manuscript sent to him by his friends. He is the historian of the jungle kingdom and this blog is based on his records and documents. The third character is the hardworking Prime Minister of the JJungle Kingdom, Karadi, a large beat who love honey tea and who is dedicated to the service of the animals in the Kingdom. Even during the long months of hiberanation, Karadi, is always ready to leave his cave and help the denizens of the forest. Though not really a mature democarcy, Karadi enjoys widebased support among both the hoofed animals, the animals with claws and the feathered creatures. Though not too well educated, Karadi, has a friend and advisor in Juno the jackal, the historian of the Jungle Kingdom, who is ready with wise advice and is willing to throw his research at a moments notice and help Karadi in his hour of need. Karadi the Prime Minister will act only on the advice of Juno the Jacawl much to the chagrin of the other members of the Animal Council like Raja Fox, the Defence Minister, Bhaloo Bear the black bear rescued from a travelling circus who is the Foreign Minister and Murali the Monkey who was the finance minister of the Jungle Kingdom.

The stories that we record in this blog are records of the life and struggles of the animals in the Jungle Kingdom as they strive to protect their way of life and environment from being destroyed by the humans. Juno the Jackawl, the historian of the Kingdom is capable of interacting with human being because he had studied in a human University and was trained as a medieval historian by one of the most prominent historians of the human kind. Juno has a very simple way of slippinmg into the human world, cross the boundry as it were from the animal world to the human world by wearing a mask and tucking his bushy tail in his trousers. He speaks with a rasping voice but no one can see that Juno is really a jackal and not a human being when he transgresses the boundry between humans and animanls.

During the course of my travels I have come across many adventures involving Juno, Karadi and Sher Khan. Through this blog I will recapture some of their adventures.