Page 124 - Courage Redifined

delicate young lady. He wore thin silky clothes and reached
the jungle in vicinity of Parashar’s hut. He started screaming,
“Hey! Hey! Arre, I am going to die. Please someone save
me.”

Sage Parashar heard the fearful scream, left all his chores and
came running out. As he moved ahead towards the direction
of the noise, he saw a young woman lying in the middle of the
path, wet in the rains and crying out loud. The sage was kind-
hearted and hence he melted on hearing the woman’s pitiful
cries. He approached her and asked, “Lady! Who are you ?
How did you arrive here ? Are you scared of anything ?”

The melodrama :

The woman cunningly made up a fictional story, “I am a
princess married to a charming prince. We were going towards
my in-laws’ house when we lost our way and ended up in this
scary forest. Suddenly a ferocious tiger came by and seized
my husband away.” Save him! Save him! Someone please
save my husband,” saying this, she started crying loudly
again.

How would the sage know that this was all a drama ? He
considered the princess’s pain to be real and started consoling
her, “What is the use of crying over spilt milk ? Destiny can
change colours anytime. It is raining heavily and you are
shivering due to cold. Come with me to my hut. I will show
you the way once this rain stops. But no one can rescue your
husband. Stay calm and handle the situation courageously.”

The woman continued crying and said, “What! Won’t I get
my husband back ? My happiness is now destroyed.”
The sage again consoled her, “As of now come with me to
my hut or you will catch a cold.”

114 Courage Redefined