The Banyan Tree
Debopreeta Bhattacharya (9 years)
Once there was a village in India. In that village happened to be an old banyan tree. I know this tale
might sound fictional but that nobody knows. In that tree lived a ghost and his wife. They’d spent many
years in the banyan tree after dying. There is one thing strange about the banyan tree though. None of the
animals in the tree were vicious. The snakes never bit anyone or they never ate chicks. The owls and the
other birds never pecked anyone. Everything was peaceful and calm in the banyan tree. That is very
strange for it to be peaceful and calm for a ghost and his wife lived there. Nobody ever disturbed the
banyan tree because a few people said that they had seen the snake and was afraid it would bite but the
snake never bothered anybody. That tree was very peaceful. The banyan tree was happy with plenty of
company. There was something very queer about the ghost and his wife. They were like humans. They
slept at night and they were awake in the day. So as I was saying.
One night the ghost’s wife was awaken by a strange sound. Then she awoke the ghost.
“Do you hear a strange sound?” asked the ghost’s wife.
“Yes I do. It sounds as if someone is whispering” said the ghost.
The two of them scurried down from the top of the tree. They looked down and saw two men whispering
about something. The ghost and his wife got a little closer to hear what they were saying.
“I heard that in this banyan tree we are standing in front of lives a ghost and his wife, a snake, and some
birds.” said one of the men.
“Yes. I heard that too.” said the other man.
“I have a plan.” said one of them.
“We can call the “sapurhe”, “ojha”, and the “byadh”. That might help us catch all of these creatures.
Then, we can sell them at a market and get lots of money in return.” he said.
The ghost and his wife looked at each other and trembled with fear. Their lives were in danger. So
quickly they woke all the animals up.
“We need to have a meeting. Our lives are in danger.” said the ghost.
So the ghost told everyone what the men were talking about and what was going to happen to them.
Everyone was very scared.
“Fear not.” said a tiny voice. Everyone whirled around to see the squirrel standing there. “Do you know
when all those people are coming?” asked the squirrel.
“Well they did say that this was going to happen on the full moon.” said the ghost.
“I’ll tell you my plan then. You have to wait.” Everyone grumbled when the squirrel said this.
“I have an idea!” said the snake. “I can bite them”. He said.
“No”, said the ghost,” they can die.”
“I know.” piped up the owl. “I can peck their heads really hard”
“No. Their heads might crack open” said the ghost. “We don’t want to do things that will hurt them” said
the ghost’s wife.
All of them were out of ideas. The only ideas they did have involved hurting all those people.
“Let’s just wait until the squirrel tells us her plan.” said the ghost’s wife.
All of them were very eager to hear the squirrel’s plan. Some of them even wondered what such a small
animal could do about it. So they waited for many days and nights. Finally the night of the full moon
came. The squirrel appeared in front of all of them.
“Okay. Here is my plan.” she said. “When all those people come, together, all of you have to scream as
loud as you can.”