(AI generated translation of चार गिलहरियां, चार अशरफियां )

By Shikha Tailang, Bhopal

In the Shivika forest, there lived four squirrels—Dhillu, Pillu, Gillu, and Kallu! Each of them had a unique nature and very different lifestyles. One early morning, all four were busy with their usual routines when suddenly, there was some commotion in the forest.

Dhillu, being lazy, simply stood still. Pillu quickly climbed up a tree. Gillu hid behind a bush, while Kallu, fully alert, took cover behind a stone.

Soon, they saw a merchant arrive in an open jeep and stop near a well. He had some food and rested for a while before driving off. After he left, the four squirrels came out of hiding and approached the spot where the merchant had paused.

There, beneath some grass, they noticed something yellow and shiny. Upon investigating, they found four gold coins that had accidentally fallen from the merchant’s purse. He had not realized this and left without checking.

Seeing the coins, Dhillu said, “Who knows what kind of trouble this man has left behind! They look fake to me. Who wants to bother figuring it out?”

Pillu replied, “Sister, these might be real gold coins. They can be very useful!”

Gillu agreed, “Yes, sister! The price of gold is going up every day. These coins could be valuable for us.”

Finally, Kallu said, “Yes, Gillu! I’ve studied a lot about gold coins. These can be easily bought and sold, and we can use the money wisely to live the rest of our lives comfortably.”

Dhillu, being inherently lazy, felt this would be too much work. Going here and there, dealing with jewelers for selling and buying—it was all too much for her. She thought it better to just lie down and enjoy a restful day instead. So, she threw her coin away and went off to sleep.

The remaining three squirrels began to argue over Dhillu’s abandoned coin. Each wanted a share of it. Seeing the tension, Kallu suggested, “Why don’t we sell all four coins to the only jeweler in our forest—Jhumku the jackal—and divide the money equally among us?”

After some discussion and debate, they all agreed. The four of them went to Jhumku with the coins. When he saw the coins, his eyes widened in surprise. He had never seen such pure gold coins before.

(To be contd. …)