Rice-Tusker
(A Tusker treads through the villages in search of rice and other cereals. Rice is the food of his choice and hence now his name is Rice-Tusker. He strides here and there and breaks open Ration shops. He grubs rice full of his stomach and merrily returns jungle. If at any night he cannot locate a ration shop, he breaks open houses and eats their stock.)
Runs he gaily, twists, turns and takes rounds,
wanders and enters all ration shops,
he trots for his food, with no sweats;
sure a royal look, the elephant owns.
Roams among bushes, swims in streams,
breaks foliage that softly flutters,
finds mirth with birds; in hilarity but
he has nothing for his waist's succour.
People in and around the forest,
fight tightly in rage, as the beast,
the huge majestic elephant,
any place, any time, may visit.
Now, the dutiful Rice-tusker, the
food inspector checks the stock,
May be he may see the logbook
for finding any faults in one look.
People made attempts aplenty
of brilliant kinds to win him gently.
Tears away, his duty-mind and might
all sorts of tricky nets made by man.
Trained she-elephants with skills,
play Yoga-Coaches with magic spells,
failed in adding this master to their lots,
clever is he, not other mammals.
His hobby of grabbing rice from homes
steals from every man's eye the slumber.
Captured, he should be with no wounds,
the answer may be sedating gunshots.
