Bhabho the Buffalo

Bhabho’s horns got wet in the rain. The wind blew dirt and dust around which settled on her horns. Bhabho didn’t bother to clean them.

After few days, a bird flying across the sky accidentally dropped a seed from its beak. It got stuck on Bhabho’s horns. Bhabho hardly noticed this little seed.

Slowly, the seed began blooming into a tiny sapling. Leaves began sprouting.

Eventually, that little sapling began to grow into a plant. Branches began spreading their arms. Everyone was worried for Bhabho. But Bhabho was indifferent. She would roam and sit anywhere she liked, just like before.

When the sun shone fiercely, other buffaloes would get hot and bothered searching for shade. But Bhabho didn’t have to lift a leg. She’d giggle and say, "Look, I have my own umbrella!"

They couldn’t help but agree with her. After all, Bhabho now had a splendid tree growing on her horns.

One day, a bird decided to make her nest on Bhabho’s tree. "Don’t shake the tree, Bhabho," she warned the buffalo. "I’ve kept my eggs on it." Bhabho felt irritated. "But I will need to search for food, won’t I?" she asked.

The bird thought to herself, "Bhabho is right." She gathered all her bird- friends and told them, "We will need to bring Bhabho her food so she doesn't move our babies!"

Bhabho would happily chomp the food brought to her by the birds and relax in the shade of her tree. What else could a buffalo want in life?

A tree on Bhabho’s horns, leaves on the tree, a nest among the leaves and two little eggs in the nest. What a quirky sight! People would remark to Bhabho that she was being far too lazy. But Bhabho remained unconcerned. "Is there any other buffalo around who is doing what I’m doing?" she’d ask.

Nobody had an answer to Bhabho’s question. But they all knew that one day, the eggs would hatch, the little birds would grow up and eventually fly away. Bhabho would finally have to get up and roam around for shade and food just like the other buffaloes. But Bhabho had made a secret decision. She would continue sitting at her spot forever. Because Bhabho was like no other buffalo.