I Beat Man-Eater
My name is Janaki. I am a 13 years old hill girl of Dodra village of Almora district in Uttarakhand. One day, my mother took me and my 7 years old younger brother Uttam to the jungle as usual. My mother went around to collect grass for our cows while I took care of my brother and played with him. When my mother was gone I felt a need to answer nature’s call. So, I went behind bushes to ease myself.
Suddenly, I heard a stifled cry of my brother. I rushed back. To my horror I saw the dreaded man-eater leopard bending over my brother with open jaws. I screamed and rushed at the beast. I hit the beast on its head again and again and again to save my brother. Then, everything went blank.
When I regained consciousness I found a crowd of women surrounding me thumping by back and head. My brother was safe. He smiled at me. Later I learnt that in a mad rush to save my brother I had hit the leopard at some delicate nerve centre which had stunned it. The man-eater had departed shaking its head in dazed state.
A local newspaper carried my story, told to it by my uncle. I got a state award for bravery. Then, one day our school teacher told me excitedly that I had been selected for ‘President Bravery Award’ for children and would be participating in Republic Day parade at Delhi.
As far as future is concerned, I plan to join army if everything goes right.
