Unity
View(s):By Manoshi de Silva
It was a warm and sunny day. The April sun was shining brightly in the sky. A swing was tied to a branch and the Rabana, the big flat drum, was taken out, dusted and kept outside.
The Koha-bird was practicing his high pitched notes on a tree branch. He stopped to take a break after practicing for some time.
“Oh my throat hurts,” said the Koha, “But I have to keep on practicing. If I don’t sing, there won’t be any Avurudu!”
“What?” questioned the Rabana, “No Avurudu without you? Do you really think you’re that important?”
“Of course I am!” exclaimed the Koha, “it’s my songs that remind people of the Avurudu season. Avurudu would not be quite the same without my melodies!”
“I think you’ve gotten it all wrong!” said the Rabana, sounding annoyed.
“No one gathers around you during Avurudu. But haven’t you seen how the women in the village gather around me? My sound is much louder than yours too. Your songs are only heard around the neighbourhood. But when they play me, I can be heard from very far. So I am sure that I’m the most popular one during Avurudu time!”
The Swing who was silent all this while, finally started talking, “You are both equally wrong!” he said. “If sound is the most important thing, then crackers are louder than both of you! Popularity is not based on sound!”
“But people gather around me during Avurudu,” started the Rabana.
“Yes, but only the female folk of the village!” said the Swing, “but haven’t you seen the crowd gathered around me? It’s not just the women but children also fight to be with me. The crowd around me is much bigger than the crowd around you both!”
“Well in that case I am more popular than you both!” said the Koha. “Everyone enjoys my beautiful melodies. It’s not just the women and children.
Everyone young and old loves hearing my voice and listening to my songs. I am the one who brings the message of Avurudu to the entire village.”
“That is nonsense!” said the Rabana sounding angry. “People like listening to me too. It’s true that it’s usually the women who gather around me. But it’s not just the women who enjoy my sound. The whole village and even the nearby villages like listening to my tunes!”
“That is wrong!” said the Swing, “After Avurudu anyone hardly remembers you two. But everyone keeps on playing with me long past the Avurudu day. Therefore I am the most popular one here. You two are only important for a shorter time than me!”
So, all three of them started to fight, claiming that each one of them was the most important during Avurudu. This fight went on for a while, ignoring all the happiness and excitement of Avurudu in the air, the aroma of sweetmeats and the beauty of the red Erabadu flowers in full bloom.
The Sun shining brightly in the sky was watching all this. He heard what everyone had to say. “Listen to me!” said the Sun and the Koha, Rabana and the Swing stopped their argument at once and looked up at the Sun.
“People say that the whole concept of Avurudu starts with me. The villagers believe that the dawn of Avurudu takes place when I travel from one planetary position to another. So I can claim that I am the most important one because the dawn of Avurudu is based on me!”
The Koha, Rabana and the Swing kept quiet unable to argue any further. The Sun was after all mightier than all of them. It was the sunlight that helped the crops to grow and the gathering of the harvest was closely related to the Avurudu activities. The Koha, Rabana and Swing felt that they couldn’t argue with the Sun. “Yes, he is the most important one,” they all said slowly.
“But I don’t want to claim that I am the most important one!” said the Sun and the Koha, Rabana and Swing looked up at the Sun in surprise. “Look around!” said the Sun. “Can you see how most trees are covered with flowers and how the trees are heavy with fruits? Can you not see the happiness on people’s faces?” All this, together with the beautiful melodies of the Koha, the happy tunes played on the Rabana and the laughter around the Swing completes Avurudu. So it’s not just one of you that is important. It’s the contribution of all that gives the true feeling of happiness. Therefore we should all unite and ensure that Avurudu is a happy, peaceful and prosperous celebration for one and all.”
The Koha, Rabana and Swing all agreed with the Sun. “Avurudu is about unity and about sharing happiness,” they all said feeling happy under the warm rays of the April Sun.