Raghu: Tricky or Clever? .

- Everyone talked about how Raghu could split wood into seven pieces with just one strike.

- The tigress turned around and quietly left. Raghu and his father sighed with relief.

Anuradha Derasari

I n the foothills of the Western Ghats, there was a village called Dharmapur. It was surrounded by beauty on all sides - tall mountains on one end and dense forests on the other. The forest was full of huge trees, and its greenery made everything look very beautiful.

Thanks to good rainfall, the farmers there grew rice and sugarcane. The land was fertile and perfect for farming.

Dharmapur had a school named after the great freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak. From grade 1 to grade 12, children studied there. In grade 9, there was a boy named Raghu. He was clever and sharp. Not only was he smart in studies, but he always found ways to solve tricky problems. Because of his cleverness, people called him "Chaalbaaz Raghu" (Tricky Raghu). But Raghu did not like that nickname at all.

Raghu loved to wander around the farms and hills in his free time. He often collected various items and treasures from nature. This was his favorite hobby.

His father's farm was near the Western Ghats, surrounded by green rice plants and water-filled fields. It looked truly lovely.

One Sunday, while roaming around his farm, Raghu found a big, golden sickle under a tree. He liked it at once and ran happily to show it to his father.

His father was trying to cut a log but was having trouble. Seeing Raghu's golden sickle, he asked him to try cutting the log with it. Raghu took careful aim and struck the log - and surprisingly, it broke into seven pieces. His father was pleased.

Next door, a carpenter uncle was also facing trouble cutting wood. Raghu offered to help. He took aim and, with one strike of his sickle, broke the wood into seven pieces. The carpenter uncle was very happy.

Soon, the news of Raghu's golden sickle spread all over the village. Everyone talked about how Raghu could split wood into seven pieces with just one strike.

However, the forests near Dharmapur were home to many tigers. During the day, the government kept patrols, so travelers could pass safely. But after 5 pm, the patrols stopped, and nobody dared to enter.

One evening, Raghu and his father were returning late from a nearby village. It was already past 6 pm. Since they had no choice, they decided to take the forest path.

They had crossed most of the forest when Raghu's father felt tired. They stopped to rest under a mango tree. Mangoes were hanging everywhere, tempting and ripe.

Suddenly, from the shadows, a tigress appeared.

Raghu's father was terrified. He thought their end was near. But clever Raghu quickly came up with an idea.

He whispered to his father, "Father, loudly tell me to cut seven mangoes with my sickle at once. Trust me!"

His father shouted, "Son! Use your sickle to cut down seven mangoes at once!"

Raghu, with a clever trick, swung his sickle and made seven mangoes fall down. He picked them up and said loudly,

"Father, with this sickle I can not only cut fruits but also cut any animal or bird into seven pieces easily!"

His father caught on to the plan and replied, "Oh really? Then show me by cutting any animal into seven pieces!"

The tigress heard all of this. She became scared. She had heard about Raghu's magical sickle from other animals before. Now, she thought,

"If this boy attacks me, I will be cut into seven pieces! Who will look after my babies? They must be hungry, waiting for me. I better leave quickly and find some other prey."

With that thought, the tigress turned around and quietly left.

Raghu and his father sighed with relief. They happily went back to their village and told everyone the story.

Hearing about Raghu's cleverness, the villagers were very impressed. They said,

"Raghu, we misunderstood you. From today onwards, we will not call you Tricky Raghu. We will call you Clever Raghu."

Raghu felt very happy with his new title. He had used his smartness and courage to remove the label of "tricky" and earn respect as "Clever Raghu."