Tuesday, March 26, 2019

THE TALE OF SHANKAR, THE SERVANT






                                                                                                                                                  
                          
                  
                 As an honest servant he earned good name

                 No scope for others his services to blame;

                 How to impress his masters he did know;
                 
                 He greets everyone with a respectful bow; 

                 Though not so strong he was too sharp and shrewd

                 His speech was soft and pleasing without being rude;

                 A lean figure with a sacred mark on his brow

                 With everyone he talked in a gentle voice low;

                 His polite manners, humble speech and style

                 Gave no suspicion to realize his guiles;

                 His prompt service  impressed his master much

                 A decent job he got and need not search;

                 Shankar profusely thanked his master too

                 Who was too strict to take rewards, he knew;

                 He gave his master’s children a pack of sweets

                 Tasty tit-bits in well-decked parcels neat;

                 He sang folk-songs and fairy tales he told with wit

                 With curious eyes the kids around him used to sit;

                 A few years passed and his master retired

                 A large family he had and so he required

                 Some source of means to sustain himself and his home;

                 He looked for a job and many places did he roam

                 He found no work that suits his age and skills

                 He met his friends and pursued his efforts still;

                Shankar prompted his master to purchase

                 A fertile strip of land and give him that on lease

                And promised his master a considerable gain

                Sitting at home without much toil and strain;

               The master felt his servant’s advice as right

                He put all his savings with trust and delight

                Shankar made much profits from his master’s farm

                For a few years he made his master happy and calm;

                By giving true accounts of profits he got

                An upright servant sent by God his master thought;

                 As time went on, Shankar’s ambition grew and grew

                 His master’s blind belief and trust in him he knew;

                 Citing some problems by and by he reduced the gains;

                 Much trust still in Shankar, his master did retain;

                  Shankar visited his master’s home every year

                  To show his gratitude with accounts clear;

                  Expressing regrets for dwindling income

                  Still promising prospects in years to come;

                  He regaled the kids with his gifts and sweets

                  He ever squatted on floor but never on a seat;

                  His humble manners made all trust his words and heart

                  An honest person he was, they always thought;

                  Years passed as Shankar grabbed gains more and more

                  Burdening his master with debts galore;

                  Far away from his farm his master did not know

                  His servant’s cunning hypocritical show;

                  Unable to pursue this failing enterprise

                  At last, he listened to his servant’s advice;

                  The rich fertile land did he sell with grief

                  To stop making more debts and get relief;

                   Shankar procured this farm at a throw-away price

                   Looting his lord he built a mansion nice;

                   He stopped his visits to his master’s door

                   Who lost his savings and became too poor;

                   The credulous master heard not others’ advice

                   Became a poor victim to his servant’s lies;

                   Shankar became a landlord with a rich estate

                   His master found himself in a fallen state.

                     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

                27th march, 2019                                Somaseshu Gutala
                      
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