Sivaprasad tells his tale

Luckily when the cubs got back to the cave, Mum Lioness was so touched by the gift of the stone Bhagavan Ramana's foot had touched that after she had lifted it and kissed it, she could find no fault at all with the cubses or with any part of their story.

When they described Sivaprasad's expression when they had given their first roar, Mum Lioness just smiled and the cubses went on with their story. They told about Spotty, unable to hold back his Father's name.

"Ah, Bhagavan appeared just then, did He?" Mum Lioness asked, licking each cub to freshen them up (and also because they all tasted of Bhagavan).

"I wonder what happened after Sivaprasad followed Bhagavan down the hill," said Arunacub.

"I just want to peek and see if he is still with our Father," said Spotty. He ran to get his binocs, which Tiru had borrowed recently for some birdwatching.

The other cubses followed along behind Spotty, who scrambled up to a special spot where he knew he could sometimes see Bhagavan. He lifted the binocs and peered in, and then a huge smile spread across his face.



"What? What?" the other cubs asked, eager to know what was going on.

Spotty was smiling too happily and hugely to talk, but he passed the binocs to each of his brothers.



"I didn't know Bhagavan had binocs!" exclaimed Omcub.

Mum Lioness, who could hear cub conversations very clearly, even when the cubs were quite a distance away, came bounding up the steep hillside to take a turn as well.

After a while, Bhagavan set the binoculars down.

"No sign of Sivaprasad," said Tirucub.

Mum Lioness could see the cubs would not be able to concentrate on their writing now, so when they turned to her with wistful expressions, not needing to say a word because Mum Lioness could always recognize the look that said, "Oh please let us go and gaze at Bhagavan a little!" she gave a small purr of assent.

The cubs did a small joyful dance and then scampered down the hill. In case Bhagavan was resting, they approached quietly.

Tirucub put his paw to his lips and the others stepped even more quietly, careful not to snap any twigs.

There was Sivaprasad, pouring out his tale to Bhagavan.



"First," he was saying, "I was just trying to get the names and addresses of some monkeys who were not taking the matter seriously when I heard a most alarming sound. I looked up and saw in the distance a huge crowd of lions that were not of normal lion size. They were seventy or eighty feet tall! I could not count them, but there must have been ten or twelve, maybe more. Just when I was trying to decide if it would help at all to climb a tree, I saw a lioness of regular size who appeared to be IN CHARGE of these giant terrifying other lions. I heard her address them sternly and they vanished! All I could see then was the cubs of the lioness whom I had met earlier. A very nice little family indeed, and very generous. I am surprised their little hearts did not stop when those vast and towering other creatures were looming over them. What if the tiny cubs had been stepped on! No wonder the lioness got so fierce, though how she dared to, I can't imagine! Then, just when I thought the lioness had got the situation under control, there was further growling from a tree!"

The cubs were stuffing their paws into their mouths in a desperate attempt not to burst out laughing.

Bhagavan kept his loving gaze on Sivaprasad until he had come to the end of his harrowing tale. Then Bhagavan nodded but did not comment. Sivaprasad prostrated at His feet and offered the Ramana Munch. Bhagavan took a little taste and said, "Take the rest to your little daughter. Oh, and perhaps a piece each for the cubs." He turned to the bushes where they had been hiding and smiled, then reached for the binoculars and gestured for the cubs to come forward and take turns looking through them.