Rohan,a young army captain,could not wait for the journey to end. It already was long enough and he was dying to meet his Mumli and Dadu...his grandparents , to whom he was going to, after almost 5 years. He loved them dearly and his postings had kept him away from them for so long. His grandparents lived in a small village . He just had to cross the river and he would be there.It was a surprise visit so he could not help smiling ,thinking of their faces when they would see him.
As he was to set his foot on the bridge to cross the river ,he saw a fairly old man bending over the river,trying to pull something. He looked down to see exactly what the man was up to . The saffron clothes made him some sadhu. Rohan saw the sadhu trying to help a scorpion that was struggling to come out of the water. The sadhu picked up the scorpion by his hand and was about to drop it on land when the scorpion stung the sadhu on his finger . The pain shook the sadhu's hand and the scorpion fell in the water again,this time slightly farther away from the shore.
To his surprise, Rohan saw the sadhu wading through the water and reaching out to the scorpion ,picking it up again and on returning to the shore ,when he was just about to drop it ,the scorpion stung hard again.The burning pain involuntarily shook the sadhu's hand again carrying the scorpion even farther away in the river water.
On seeing the sadhu setting off to rescue the creature again,Rohan called out to him. The sadhu stopped in the water and waited for Rohan to come down . Rohan ran down and on reaching the sadhu asked him,''You are trying to save this creature maharaj, that has stung you twice? Will it not sting again?''
The sadhu answered with a smile,''It is the nature of the scorpion to sting but it is my nature to help. How can I let go of my nature that I have nurtured over the years with such dedication for a lowly nature?''saying this the sadhu turned to move towards the struggling scorpion.
Rohan said,''Maharaj, just a minute please.''
Saying this he broke a long twig from a tree close by,got down into the river ,stretching his arm pulled the scorpion with the twig and swirled it away to the neighboring bush.
Rohan looked at the sadhu smilingly,came out of the water and set out to finish his journey.
It always pays to be Smart,when we use it to be Good.
We can always retain our characteristics that we have nurtured by choice .
It is foolish to throw away our strentgh for other's weaknesses.
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