The Proxy King

     

In the Sunderban, the world’s largest mangrove forest, there was a Royal Bengal Tiger Nilla, the king of the forest. He was a very ferocious, agile, and tremendously powerful king. He had aggressively scent-marked his territory. He was known for his protective and problem-solving nature. Every night he used to visit each corner of his territory with his ministers, the old bear, the head elephant, and the peacock. They listened to the various problems of animals and used to solve them after discussion. Animals in his territory used to wait for the king to meet him during his daily night patrol.

With time, the tiger king became old and developed various diseases. He started to feel sleepy during the night, and it hampered his activities at night. His ministers suggested visiting the Assam jungle to meet Raku, the head of the Dhole Pack. The Dhole Pack was a group of wild dogs living in the deepest part of the jungle of Assam. Raku was known to be the best physician among the animal

The tiger king Nilla visited Raku in the Assam jungle. Raku examined the tiger’s eyes and mouth and spoke.

“It seems nothing is wrong, but still, you are feeling sleepy at night. I find it a little strange.”

“I have to see your daily activities in a little detail before giving you proper medicine,” he added.

King Nilla thought for some time and said, “I can’t stay here for long. Why don’t you come with me to Sunderban to know my activities in detail?”

Raku accepted the tiger’s offer, but he brought his entire pack of dogs with him to Sunderban Forest.

The Dhole dog pack lived near the king, taking care of all his necessities. Raku, with his four or five dogs, joined the

king and his ministers during the night patrol. Raku came out to be a troubleshooter. He could suggest the best

possible solution to any problem instantly, while all the ministers of the king kept thinking. King had all praise

 for the Dhole head, Raku.

Therefore, the ministers felt useless and stopped going with the king during night patrols. The tiger king slowly started

 heavily depending on Raku, both for his physical well-being and for solving problems in his territory. All

animals also started to recognize Raku as the principal advisor to the king. He was helpful to the entire jungle,

 suggesting health tips for all.

After a few days, Raku started King Nilla’s medication. King expected improvement in his health condition, but

 to his surprise, he became more debilitated. He started feeling drowsier both in the daytime and at night. He

 developed a stable feeling throughout his body. This led to his inability to do his daily activities, and he stopped

 going to the night patrol.

It gave Raku and his pack the opportunity to take over the night patrol. Raku, with his pack, patrolled the jungle, solving

the problems of animals and advising them to improve their health. All animals also accepted Raku, in the absence of the king, as their problem solver without blinking their eyes.

With time, King Nilla became more dormant, and Raku ruled over the king's territory in the name of King Nilla. Some animals opposed Raku’s decision, but he convinced them that King Nilla approved it. As the king was inapproachable, all had to accept what Raku had to say.

Raku, with the help of his pack, started to arrange easy prey from the nearby jungle for carnivores in the Sunderban jungle. The Dhole pack was very ferocious, and they attacked nearby farmers. Farmers ran away, giving free access to herbivores in their cultivated fields. In this way, all the animals in the jungle got free and easy food. All were happy and did nothing to get food. The total jungle became dependent on the Dhole dog pack for food.

Day by day, King Nilla’s condition deteriorated, and he became a vegetative living thing. After a year, King Nilla’s brother, Royal Bengal Tiger Milla, came to visit him. Milla was surprised to find his brother in such an isolated and neglected condition, surrounded only by dogs. Milla was certain that Nilla’s life was in danger, and now his own life was also in the hands of the dog pack. He decided to take Nilla with him and conveyed his desire to Raku.

“How can you take him? This is his kingdom. I am only serving him at his worst time. If you insist, you can take him with you, but before that, he has to inaugurate his statue here in the presence of all his subjects.” Raku said.

Milla agreed to whatever the dog pack wanted, and within a few days, a statue of Nilla was made by the pack. The dog brought King Nilla in a palanquin, and Raku inaugurated the statue. After that, King Nilla was taken to his brother's jungle...

Raku, with the help of his Dhole Pack, ruled over Sunderban for many years, supplying free food to all dwellers in the jungle. He used to sit at the foot of King Nilla’s statue to give judgment; he never declared himself king but remained the king's representative.

After a year, King Nilla regained some of his health and went to visit his jungle, only to find that he had been forgotten by everyone. Though the jungle was ruled in his name, nobody recognized him. If some animals recognized him, they also pretended not to know him. King Nilla returned to his brother’s place, brokenhearted.

Raku ruled over the jungle for many years as a proxy king. He used to say to his pack, “Feed the jungle with free food, and they would not recognize anyone other than the free giver.”