Scientific Forestry With Krutu

"Bleeeaaargh."

I looked up to find my sister staring at me with her gigantic Bambi eyes.

"What?"

She blinked. "Why did you make that noise?"

I groaned. There I was sprawled spectacularly on my bed, on a nice bright Saturday evening, studying History. History. And guess which chapter.

Something about scientific forestry. See? How am I going to remember the notes of chapter, when I can't even remember its name??

"Bleeeaaargh." I repeated. I looked at my textbook, then at Krutu, then at the textbook.

Then suddenly, an idea stuck me.

By now you should know what that means.

"Hey Krutu," I said casually, "Come over here will you?"

Krutu clambered on the bed and plopped down next to me. "Yes?"

"I'm gonna tell you a story. How about it?"

Krutu smiled so brightly that I though my wall mirror would crack. "Ok."

I sighed. "Right. So now once upon a time, the British people came to India."

"British people were bad right?"

"Ummm...yeah...ok..."

"RIGHT?"

"Yes yes, so these british people told everyone to cut down trees ok? They wanted to plant...stuff."

"ok."

"...and they felt that people were not using the trees properly. So they called in a German specialist. What was his name?"

"um..."

"Dietrich BRANdis."

"Datrich Bandiz."

"Good. So what did he set up?"

"uh...."

"The Imperial Forest Research Institute. Reapeat."

"Impeyal...."

"Imperial Forest Research Institute."

"Imperi-al Fores.....Instooot."

"Imperial forest RESEARCH Institute."

"Imperi-al Fores resa...um"

"Institute Krutu...Institute."

"Institewt."

"Imperial Forest..."

"I'M SAYING IT...Impe-rial Forezz Resuch Insti...Insti.."

"...tute."

"Toot. Institoot."

"Good job. Now go tell it to mummy."

"MUMMY!"

My mom poked her head in. "Yes?"

"Impe...wat was it again?"

"Imperial..."

"HAH...Imperia Forezz Resa Intooit."

"Right." My mother walked out of the room.

"Good job Krut!" I smiled. "Now I'll call you during the exam and you have to tell me this answer ok?"

"What answer?"

"Imperial Forest Research Institute...?"

"Ok."

"I'll continue the story ok?"

"Ok."

"So these baaad Britishers put up The Imperial Forest Research Institute In Dehradun. What did they put up?"

"The Imperiyal...um.."

"Nevermind. So over there, they taught Scientific Forestry. ok?"

"Ok."

"They cut down trees..."

"Why?"

"Um...well...they made trains with it."


"Trains?"

"Yes....erm....trains. And so, they stopped villagers from cutting down trees. But villagers needed trees."

"Why?"

"Um...to..."

"To make trains?"

"NO! No, no, um....they needed fruits for eating and wood....to burn....for cooking."

"They ate wood?"

"No Krutu. You know how we have a gas to put our pans over?"

"Yes..."

"So they used to burn wood and then with the fire they used to cook food."

"Oh."

"So why did the British want to cut trees?"

"For cooking!"

"For making trains Krutu..."

"Oh."

"Ok, so the villagers also used to plant stuff. And they used Swidden agriculture. What did they use?"

"Sweeden agriculture."

"Good. Some local names for swidden agriculture are podu, milpa..."

"Podu..." Krutu giggled maniacly.

"Podu, milpa..."

"Podu," Krutu repeated, and then burst into giggles.

"Yes Krutu, podu. Right. So what was Swidden agriculture. Ok, you see, the people used to plant trees and then burn them..."

"For cooking?"

"No Krutu, no. They used to burn the trees and then plant more trees in the ashes."

"Oh. Why?"

"Because...they felt like it."

"Why?"

"Krutu! So anyways...we'll now move on to the next section. Hunting."

"Oooohh...."

"Now, the villagers used to hunt ok? But the Britishers stopped them from hunting."

"Why...?"

"Does it matter?? The British used to hunt animals like lions and wolves..."

"And deers?"

"Yes, deers too."

"Even the bambies?"

"The who??"

"The bambies. The baby deers."

"Uh...no. They only hunted the mama deers."

"Just like in Bambi!"

"Yes, just like in Bambi."

"And the papa deers? Did they hunt papa deers?"

"Yes, papa deers too."

"But then what if the papa deers died?"

"Then they'd hunt the mama deers."

"What if the mama deers died? Then whould they hunt the baby deers?"

"No they wouldn't. They don't hunt baby deers Krutu."

"Why?"

"Because...!"

"So what about baby wolves?"

At the point, I had my head in my hands. "Krutu, do you want to know the rest of the story or not?"

"I want to know."

"Alright. So then the nomadic people who used to hunt for a living, had to...well...stop hunting. They started collecting stuff and selling it to the British traders."

"Really?"

"Yes really. One such nomadic tribe was called the Mundurucu."

"Moondoocu."

"Good girl. Now listen carefully, when I call u during the exam, you have to tell me this answer ok?"

"Ok."

"Alright, that's enough for today. Did you have fun?"

"Yes."

"Good."

"Didi?"

"Mmm?"

" I love you."

"I love you too."

"Didi?"

"Mmm?"

"Can you tell me another story?"