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21
THAVACCHAPUTRA
Itwas dusk and Thavacchaputra began to gaze at the
1 setting sun. Flocks of birds were returning to their nests. And then slowly darkness covered the earth. Soon the moon peeped out from the darkness. A gentle wind was blowing through the neem (margosa) tree.
Then he heard sweet strains of music. He heard a chorus being sung and was charmed with its sweetness. On hearing it, he ran to his mother. He asked who were singing and why they were singing.
His mother said, “You know, Sushma lives in the next street. A child is born to her and they are celebrating the event." The boy was pleased to hear this and exclaimed, “Oh, people are singing when a child is born." He then asked her, “Was a song sung at the time of my birth also?"“Yes", replied his mother and added, “Far better songs were sung. There was great merriment, too."
Then, after some time, Thavacchaputra went up to the terrace of his house and heard a song that was tragic and sad. He saw that the moon was pale in the sky and the wafting song seemed to suffocate him. He could not quite make out the change in the musical strains. 72
