A story in three episodes by Vagmi Shah, Class IX B
Episode1
I doubted if I was on the right path, or even on a path for that matter. I had walked for ten hours straight without stopping and nowhere could I see a visible path leading me out, from this labyrinth of trees. I had started before dawn and the clock’s hand was now a little closer to noon. I had packed my gear according to the forest guide’s book and had also started to follow a simple route that would take me on a mini tour of a part of this vast forest, but I seemed to have diverted from the path. I had a compass, but did not know in which direction I should go. All around me, there were countless trees, all merging together. The sunlight filtered through the leaves and reached the ground in patches. The undergrowth was also of no help. It was so thick, that I had to untangle my legs every five minutes. It was very frustrating. I was untangling my right foot when I heard a sound.
I looked up and my eyes directly met those of an elephant`s. It was a baby elephant. It gently approached me, curious to know which kind of an animal I was. It lifted its trunk and placed it on my head as if blessing me. I stood still and did nothing except throw some suspicious glances around my surroundings. The elephant seemed to be rather pleased at my presence. I started to move forward and it started to follow me. This continued for some time. After a while, I began to grow irritated and impatient. Assuming, that the elephant was still behind me, I swung back to yell at the insolent elephant but it was nowhere to be seen. It had disappeared in thin air! Just then, I realised that the sun had almost set and soon it would be night. The trees were blending into the darkness above. Soon, the nocturnal animals would come out of their dens and begin their hunt. I hadn’t thought about what I was going to do for the night- where would I rest? This was a very disturbing question.
Suddenly, as if in answer to my question, I spotted a little cottage ahead, on top of a small knoll. At least, I assumed that it was a cottage. I was at a distance from it. I picked my way across, towards it, hoping to find some habitation. I reached the foot of the little hill and looked up towards the cottage. I was very, very wrong! It was not at all a little cottage, but a huge and magnificent castle! It was one of its kinds and was very much like the ones which we have read in fairy tales. It rose to almost three storeys high and had grey brick walls. I approached it and knocked twice on the wooden door made of ebony, embedded with various jewels, with my bare knuckles. The door opened as if it possessed a mind of its own. I entered the foyer quietly. The floor was covered with a thick carpet woven of so soft a fabric that I do not have the words to describe it. It was a long corridor, lit only by the flickering flames of candles. I made my way towards the end of the foyer. It led me to a grand living room. There was a huge sofa in the centre of the room which could accommodate atleast fifteen people at a time. The most unusual thing that I noticed was the absence of windows.
I continued my exploration and climbed the massive steps to the first floor. On either side of the landing, there was a suite of rooms. I was very tired and was feeling equally drowsy. I entered the first room towards my right and gave a joyful cry. There was a big double bed complete with white sheets and thick fur blankets and soft, fluffy pillows. I fell face down on it and fell asleep immediately.
