The Magic Of Cleanliness
(Zeenat Iqbal Hakimjee, Rawalpindi)
Twenty kilometers west of the
bounty road a small lane wound its way to a small castle. The castle looked like
it was built for a prince and princess to stay in. The sky seemed to hug the
earth there. The cheerful sun smiled and beamed on the earth and the flowers
opened up and smiled back. The towers which seemed to reach up to the sky had
music playing in them. Little children danced to the tune, Ho hum ta ra
rum...one leg moved left, one right, hands in the air. The atmosphere was filled
with happiness and cleanliness. The bear with his snowy, clean coat of fur
cuddled up with the monkey who had a well combed tail. King Lion with his
shampooed mane was sleeping and a fly fluttering its wings came and settled on
his nose but that did not seem to bother him. The freshly groomed horses sung,
"Neigh ho, here we go, Right and left, high and low,
On and on till we meet miss doe,
We'll stop her and tell her to come to the show
Sniff, sniff what do I smell in the air?
The sweet smelling flowers nodding their heads from here to there".
Mr Green the plant was as bright as a day just as if the rain had cleansed it.
Freddy the frog sat on the pond and was puzzled to see another frog staring back
at him. He wanted to shake its hand but as he touched the water he found nothing
there. It was only his reflection. Big Wing the butterfly had hurt one of its
legs. Off it flew to the hospital to get it cleaned and plastered. Daisy the cow
sat grazing on the grass. "I'll have a glass of milk shake".
Big Wing told her. "You get some hair for my bald head", said Daisy with a
smile. "I'll get you some from Kaku the lion. Urn, mum" he went as he drank the
milk it was as white as snow.
The brook was bubbling at its seams. Daffy the duck was busy pointing its beak
towards the fish. "I want to play with you", she said. They all went to Popo the
owl's school. Naughty calf had to jump thrice over the fence for going to school
with a dirty uniform and Mammy the mouse was not given cheese to eat as
punishment for wearing dirty shoes.
One day the sky was all dark. The moon hid behind the clouds. The lion growled
and the bear started to fight. The pond water became black as night. The air
started to smell. The grass sprouted weeds and the flowers died. Everything was
gripped with fear. Some aliens from outer space had come to earth to dirty and
destroy it. They sprinkled dust everywhere with their guns and threw litter
everywhere. The animals went to uncle and auntie cleanwallah and begged them to
help them overcome this problem. They advised them to take three elephant trunks
full of soap, two mouthful of happiness; five bucketful of fairy tonic and ten
images of lions paws. Make a potion of this and spray it on the enemy and they
shall beat a hasty retreat. The animals sat down to this task and did as they
were told. Lo and behold! It was not long before they saw the backs of the
aliens.