The one where Ashus tells a story.

Yesterday was special. Yes, Hd returned from India in the afternoon but something happened in the morning. Ashu told a story.

Just the other day, I was talking to my dad and telling him about Ashu and how she has nt reached the stage where she spins stories from her imagination. I was big on telling stories when I was a child and people within one mile radius would just run helter skelter if I ever say, "Naan oru kadhai solren". (I ll tell a story) My sister would shudder at the thought of hearing me tell a story. I remember my uncle had recorded some of my story telling in audio cassettes and I listened to them when I was a little older. The whole family knew about my story telling fascination. Even when I grew up and stopped talking altogether, relatives would still talk about the time I used to tell stories and roll around the flooor laughing remembering the silly anecdotes. So the child in me was really looking forward to hear Ashu spin tales. So far no luck. She would nt even repeat the Crow and the Vadai story even after hearing it a thousand times.

Yesterday something triggered her and she started talking about this wolf. Wolf irundhudhaa? Adhu jungle ku pochu... is how the story began. (There was this wolf. It went to the jungle...) And then the wolf met this lion and asked "Ennoda play panna variyaa?" but the lion said "I dont want to play with you". Then the wolf met the tiger and asked the same but the tiger said "I don't want to play with you". Then it met a bear, elephant, monkey, snake, rabbit, puppy, hippo, giraffe, ... and everyone refused to play with the wolf. She told the "I don't want to play with you" in exactly the same tone how I say it while reading the little tiger book where the tiger would say "I dont want to go to bed". I was in the midst of making lunch. I switched off the stove and came and sat down on a chair to listen to her. I was so excited and wondered how the story is going to go. She walked in circles around the dining area and told the story without any interruption. She did nt pause even for a second. Remember how Kamal Hassan would narrate some nonsense walking non stop in circles and driving us crazy in the movie Guna? It was exactly like that. I was half expecting her to say, "Abhirami, Abhirami" in the end!! So the story kept on going. She would say things like "Then the wolf looked up a tree." and with an excited tone "And what was on the tree"? As if she knew. She has nt even made up her mind on what it is thats going to be on the tree until she asked the question. Then she would say, "A snake". I played the part of a good audience and gasped. But she was quick to add "a good snake. Not bad boy". Then the wolf met an owl and cried and told the owl that no one is playing with him. (Why she chose owl as the agony aunt? Why did nt she let the wolf ask the owl to play with him? - thats your homework for today!!) By the time the wolf came to the owl, she has named around 20 animals already. I was wondering what shes going to do now. Then the owl said "Come on. I ll take you to your friends who will play with you". And the story began again. Except now all the animals said "Ok. I ll play with you". 25 minutes had gone by now and we were nowhere near the end. I even dared to interrupt her and ask "So when "the end" will come Ashu" and she sternly said, "Tomorrow". Ok! I thought so too! I switched on the stove again and continued the cooking while making the necessary comments to her story. Then the story took new turns and she started including things in the house like her house slippers, the coasters, the plant, etc... and suddenly she said "The End." Before I could break into an applause, she began ANOTHER story. This time with a Bee. And even Pillayaar showed up in this one. But mercifully, this was a short one. I gave her a big hug and told her that the stories were fantastic. She was all flushed by the whole exercise. 40 minutes of non stop walking in circles and non stop talking while the little brain worked over time. Who would nt be? I cant wait to unleash her to my sister! *evil laughter*

ps.
I Don't Want to Play with You starring The Little Wolf and A Bee Story with a special appearance by Pillayaar are copyrights of Ashu and All Rights Reserved! ;)