The cubs tease Aunt Hippo

The cubs were returning from Sri Annamalai Swamy's house after giving him lunch. They were trotting happily humming "Arunachala Siva".
Little Om cub was happily announcing to the trees, "We are married to Arunachala!" (whatever "married" meant).
Little Arunacub looked at a tall tree and told it (pointing at Arunachala Hill), "You see that hill over there? We are married to that Hill forever!"
Little Tirucub pointed in the direction of Virupaksha Cave and told the bushes and birds, "Our Lord Ramana lives there! We belong to Him!"

Then they heard some hoarse voices. "Tell uth a bedtime 'tory, Mum Hippo"


Their ears stood up. Quietly they peeked through the bushes. In a muddy pond, the Hippo family lay floating. It was Aunt Hippolyta and her babies, Rumple and Crumple.
"Perhaps they need a bedtime story for their afternoon nap", whispered little Spotty to the others.

So Mum Hippo began telling Rumple and Crumple their favorite story of Bhagavan. Once Bhagavan had had more breakfast than usual and thought he would have a long walk to help digest it.
The hippos wanted all the details of what was there for breakfast and Mum Hippo used to invent new dish names each time she told the story, which was everyday.
Then on the way some ladies stopped Bhagavan. They pulled out some vessels which were filled with food and forced Bhagavan to eat.
"Mum dearest, why did they have to force Bhagavan?"
The Hippos could never understand this point, of how anyone could refuse food.
The ladies then told Bhagavan that they would be back for lunch.
Bhagavan took a different route thinking that He could evade them.
"Mum dearest, why did Bhagavan try to evade them?"
The ladies appeared again at lunch time. Bhagavan's second breakfast had hardly settled. They forced Bhagavan to eat lunch, too.

At this stage, the cubs could hardly contain their laughter. Little naughty Spotty broke through the bushes.
"Aunt Hippo, may I tell brother Rumble and Crumble a story?"
"Now you get my little darlings' names correct, little tiger!", she retorted annoyed.
"I am a little leopard", Spotty corrected.
"I could not care!", she said lifting her nose, causing huge ripples in the puddle.


Spotty narrated the story of Bhagavan visiting a temple for lunch. But they respected Bhagavan so much that they served Him extra (on a leaf plate). Which He did not like.
"Why did they respeck Bhagavan if He did not like to eat extra?", asked Crumple.
The lion cubs concealed their laughter.
So then, continued Spotty, after that day Bhagavan would not accept food in a plate. He would take it in his hands, so they could not overfeed Him.
Mum Hippo was angry now. "How dare you teach my little darlings bad habits! I have taught them with such difficulty to eat and eat and eat like there's no tomorrow, and you tell them these stories which cannot possibly be true! I shall have a stern word with Meditator Tiger about your upbringing."

Aunt Hippo snorted and lowered herself into the puddle, thus spraying slush all around. The cubs scrambled for cover and came running home.

They came racing home and all crashed into Mum Lioness. Mum Lioness and Unca Stripes were talking. They heard the name "Bhagavan" and quietly settled down to hear.

Unca Stripes was telling Mum Lioness that the previous night he had a dream of Bhagavan. All four cubses eyes opened wide with delight.
Unca Stripes narrated that Bhagavan was sitting cross-legged in front of him. And Unca Stripes was overwhelmed by emotion and burst into tears.
And then what happened, enquired the cubs?
That's it, replied Stripes. I sat in front of Bhagavan. We were both sitting on the ground. And I kept bursting into tears. I was soooo happy!
They all turned towards Arunachala Hill and kept looking at it.
Till Unca Stripes' stomach began rumbling, signalling lunch time.