Ayusha Erdyneev - Stories about elephant calf Lanchenkar

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Numerous servants were sent out and they soon found the poorest man in China. He was given beautiful presents, dressed in brocade raiment off the Emperor’s back and all his simple wishes were met. Hardly had three days passed, when the Emperor was cured of his bad illness. Yet he didn’t fulfill the promise given to the Parakeet.

***

No matter how hard the bird tried, the Emperor was implacable. The Parakeet decided to break out. He was thinking hard how to outwit the Emperor but could not come up with any idea: the metal bars were durable and the guards were watchful and vigilant.

“It looks like I am not fated to be free,” lamented the Parakeet looking at the azure sky.

At that very time a tiny Hummingbird was flying by. It heard the Parakeet’s lamentations and said: “Take counsel from the wise Elephant’s Child, Lanchenkar.”

“I wish I could. But how? I feel I’ll be a prisoner for ever,” answered the Parakeet.

“I’ll help you,” promised the kind-hearted Hummingbird and set course for India, where Lanchenkar lived.

***

It was a long journey. It flew across China, over the Tibetan mountains and valleys, and Nepal, and finally reached the jungles in southern India, where the white little elephant Lanchenkar lived. He was known for his sharp mind and the desire to help all living creatures.

It took the Hummingbird long to find the Little Elephant: the jungles are a wild tropical forest. It is dense and dark as its big trees are intertwined with lianas. Luckily for the bird, one day Lanchenkar felt thirsty and came out into a clearing on the way to the river.

“O wise Lanchenkar! Please help the Parakeet out. The Chinese Emperor keeps him in a cage and he has despaired of being free,” said the Hummingbird.

The little bird was hoping that Lanchenkar would tell it how to free the Parakeet from captivity, but no. The Prince didn’t bat an eyelid. Suddenly his legs gave way and he collapsed on the ground. The Hummingbird tried to wake him up, it knew that Lanchenkar was alive. But the Elephant persisted in playing possum. There was nothing the bird could do but fly back to China.

When in the Emperor’s garden, the Hummingbird said to the Parakeet: “It looks as if you’ll be confined to these cages till your dying day. As soon as I asked Lanchenkar how to save you, he fell to the ground. Try as I would, I could not wake him up.”

“Can it be that even the wise Lanchenkar is unable to help me?” asked the Parakeet, thinking about his mode of action and answered himself: “No, it can’t be!” All day and all night the Parakeet was lost in thoughts. The next morning terrible news spread all over the palace: “the Emperor’s pet is dead!”

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The Old Crane wanted to open all secrets of life and get answers to all questions. He wanted to know what life is about.

In order to make sense of the world the Crane tried to ignore and neglect himself so that his desires and wishes did not overshadow the world.

The spirit incarnates many times in different bodies. The spirit that dwelt in the Crane’s body reincarnated in the little elephant’s body.

In this state he could feel and understand things he normally didn’t and, on the other hand, he was oblivious of the world around him.

His parents approved of his plan and blessed him for his journey.