Dear diary,
News came out in the papers which was the end of the terror. I went to Tulsi and asked what happened to Bill. He told me that he mixed an extract of chakra-parna with some of the meat he gave the bird. It turns one into a vegetarian,just like how it did to Tulsi.I was shocked.What a strange turn of events!
Monday, March 10, 1980
Monday, March 3, 1980
Twelveth entry
Dear diary,
There wasn't a bird call or cries of cuckoos even though it is spring now. We saw a dead man's body lying on the ground. His head was missing.What a bloody sight! Could he be the missing shikari?I was terrified. It's difficult to identify because his head is missing. We didn't speak for the rest of the way. We walked at least three miles to the neem tree. I noticed that the medical shrub had grown fresh leaves and was back to its old shape. Meanwhile,Tulsi called out for Bill. Then we saw something stirring in the depths of the forest. It was coming towards us, it was Bill! Bill was as tall as a man. Its back was taller than a average man,which means that he grew a foot and a half in a month. I raised my gun but Tulsi hissed at me to put it down.I obeyed. Bill lowered his feathers too and transfered his gaze to Tulsi. He threw him a packet of meat and I hoped he would know how to behave himself.
There wasn't a bird call or cries of cuckoos even though it is spring now. We saw a dead man's body lying on the ground. His head was missing.What a bloody sight! Could he be the missing shikari?I was terrified. It's difficult to identify because his head is missing. We didn't speak for the rest of the way. We walked at least three miles to the neem tree. I noticed that the medical shrub had grown fresh leaves and was back to its old shape. Meanwhile,Tulsi called out for Bill. Then we saw something stirring in the depths of the forest. It was coming towards us, it was Bill! Bill was as tall as a man. Its back was taller than a average man,which means that he grew a foot and a half in a month. I raised my gun but Tulsi hissed at me to put it down.I obeyed. Bill lowered his feathers too and transfered his gaze to Tulsi. He threw him a packet of meat and I hoped he would know how to behave himself.
Eleventh entry
Dear diary,
Tulsi went to find me early in the morning ,and asked me to come along with him to Dandakaranya once again and bring along my gun. I agreed at once. In the excitement, both of us did not mind the discomfort that we were experiencing. He told everything to me, and said that the gun was not necessary but was just a precaution. Today's paper reported that anyone who could capture or kill the creature would be awarded 5000 rupees as a woodcutter's son had been its victim. In Jagdalpur, we got permission from the conservator of forests ,Mr Tirumalai, to shoot animals. But, no shikaris would follow us in because 3 attempted but failed and one NEVER returned. My courage was shaken, but Tulsi insisted that we go in even there is no one to follow us.
Tulsi went to find me early in the morning ,and asked me to come along with him to Dandakaranya once again and bring along my gun. I agreed at once. In the excitement, both of us did not mind the discomfort that we were experiencing. He told everything to me, and said that the gun was not necessary but was just a precaution. Today's paper reported that anyone who could capture or kill the creature would be awarded 5000 rupees as a woodcutter's son had been its victim. In Jagdalpur, we got permission from the conservator of forests ,Mr Tirumalai, to shoot animals. But, no shikaris would follow us in because 3 attempted but failed and one NEVER returned. My courage was shaken, but Tulsi insisted that we go in even there is no one to follow us.
Sunday, March 2, 1980
Tenth entry
Dear diary,
Right after my wife served me breakfast, I ran out of the house and straight to Animesh's flat. I asked for his copies of Readers' Digest. I took a whole bunch of it and flipped through the pages,issue after issue. My finger finally rested on a picture of a conjectural model of a bird kept in the Chicago Museum of Natural History. It was surely Bill. Its name is Andalgalornis which meant terror-bird. It is a huge prehistoric species, carnivorous, faster than a horse, and extremely ferocious.
Right after my wife served me breakfast, I ran out of the house and straight to Animesh's flat. I asked for his copies of Readers' Digest. I took a whole bunch of it and flipped through the pages,issue after issue. My finger finally rested on a picture of a conjectural model of a bird kept in the Chicago Museum of Natural History. It was surely Bill. Its name is Andalgalornis which meant terror-bird. It is a huge prehistoric species, carnivorous, faster than a horse, and extremely ferocious.
Thursday, February 28, 1980
Ninth entry
Dear diary,
I went to Tulsi's house to vist Bill.I was surprised to see the cage was empty!He told me that Bill was gone. I thought that Bill died and felt a tingle of remorse.I told him the photograph would remind him of the dead Bill. To relieve the gloomy atmosphere, I suggested a meal at Mansur's. However, he told me that he had lost his taste for that. I was so surprised. Then he explained that his blood pressure had gone to normal since he took chakra-parna. I showed him today's newspaper.There was a report about an unexpected threat to poultry and domestic animals. It was believed not to be tigers. A witness said that it was a 2-legged animal.I am beginning to suspect something.
I went to Tulsi's house to vist Bill.I was surprised to see the cage was empty!He told me that Bill was gone. I thought that Bill died and felt a tingle of remorse.I told him the photograph would remind him of the dead Bill. To relieve the gloomy atmosphere, I suggested a meal at Mansur's. However, he told me that he had lost his taste for that. I was so surprised. Then he explained that his blood pressure had gone to normal since he took chakra-parna. I showed him today's newspaper.There was a report about an unexpected threat to poultry and domestic animals. It was believed not to be tigers. A witness said that it was a 2-legged animal.I am beginning to suspect something.
Thursday, February 14, 1980
Eighth entry
Dear diary,
I made two enlargements of the photographs.One gave to Tulsi and another I took it to the ornithologist Ranajoy Shome. It was because he had just written an article in the weekly magazine Desh.However, he failed to identify the bird. When asked where can the bird be seen, I lied to him without blinking an eye that a friend had sent this photograph from Osaka and wanted me to help identify it. This reason kept him satisfied.
I made two enlargements of the photographs.One gave to Tulsi and another I took it to the ornithologist Ranajoy Shome. It was because he had just written an article in the weekly magazine Desh.However, he failed to identify the bird. When asked where can the bird be seen, I lied to him without blinking an eye that a friend had sent this photograph from Osaka and wanted me to help identify it. This reason kept him satisfied.
Wednesday, February 13, 1980
Seventh entry
Dear diary,
Both Tulsi and I were having tea and a small chat,I heard from him that ever since Bill arrived, crows and sparrows had stopped coming to the flat. He thought it was a blessing because the sparrows would build nests in the most unlikely places, while the crows would make off with food from the kitchen. All that had stopped.Natobar feeds it meat with pincers. Whenever Bill gets nasty, amazingly, one sight of him calms it down.
Both Tulsi and I were having tea and a small chat,I heard from him that ever since Bill arrived, crows and sparrows had stopped coming to the flat. He thought it was a blessing because the sparrows would build nests in the most unlikely places, while the crows would make off with food from the kitchen. All that had stopped.Natobar feeds it meat with pincers. Whenever Bill gets nasty, amazingly, one sight of him calms it down.
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