7 Science Fiction Stories by Various

Author:Various [Various]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2012-08-06T13:12:00+00:00

Back on Earth, Amrita's father had told her stories of his adventures. Once, he told her about a difficult climb he had made on Kanchenjunga, when a high wind had left him without a tent, in the dark, on a steep, snowy slope.

`Were you frightened?' Amrita asked, wide-eyed.

`Of course,' her father said, giving her a hug. `But I knew that although there was no one with me, I was not alone. Do you know what I mean?'

She shook her head.

He had told her another story then, one from the Mahabharata. Amrita loved it when he told her tales from the ancient epics.

`Remember the king, Yudhishtir? Well, after he finished ruling his kingdom, he and his brothers and wife decided to climb a mountain to get to the abode of the gods. As they climbed, everyone but Yudhishtir fell back because of some weakness of character, such as pride or greed. Only Yudhishtir kept on going, although the terrain got more and more difficult. The only company he had was a strange dog, who had accompanied them from the city. Near the summit of the mountain it was so steep and so cold that he nearly gave up. But the dog guided him through the narrow passes and past the high cliffs, ever upward.'

`Did you find a dog on Kanchenjunga, then?'

Her father laughed. 'Of course not! Listen, listen to the story. Well, Yudhishtir and the dog finally made it all the way to the summit, where stood the gates of the abode of the gods. After such a hard climb he had finally met his goal. Can you imagine his relief? Yet the gatekeeper wouldn't let him in with the dog. He said Yudhishtir could come in by himself, or not at all.'

`What did Yudhishtir do?T

'Well, the abode of the gods looked utterly wonderful through the gates, and Yudhishtir was very tired. But he just looked at the gatekeeper and said: `This dog is my friend and my companion. He guided me up these treacherous slopes. If he can't come in, neither will I.' And Yudhishtir turned wearily aside to leave.

'But then, guess what happened! There was a flash of light and the dog turned into Indra, the king of the gods himself! He had been testing Yudhishtir. And of course Yudhishtir was welcomed into the land of the gods.'

Amrita was silent for a while. Then she said, `Did you meet Indra on Kanchenjunga, then?'

'No, I didn't. But what I want to tell you, Amrita, is that even though I was alone, up on that steep cliff in the dark and cold, I had a guide with me-not an animal or person, but my deepest self. I know that sometimes you are very much alone, Amrita, and I want you to know that within each of us is a wise teacher, a guide formed by our own experiences and the love of the people in our lives. When I was up on that mountain, what kept me going was the thought of you, and the memory of your mother, and the love of your grandmother and aunts.

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