THE GRASSHOPPER FAMILY
LT COL NOEL ELLIS
16/VIII/2022
This is the story of a Baby Grasshopper. It was a tiny little speck when I noticed a cluster of them a couple of days back. Their bodies were absolutely transparent. When light passed through, one could see what was inside. No wings, no claws, legs hardly visible. They were just small little dots hanging on to dear life to one of the stems.
Soon the rest of the siblings vanished. A peep into the adjacent pot, then one next to it, then all over where they could have hidden. They were nowhere to be found. I was not sure if they could fly so soon with such dainty and delicate bodies.
Every morning, before the sun would come up, Baby Hopper would be atop the highest branch and on the highest leaf, like a king on his throne. It was for the first time we witnessed the pride of a half a centimetre King. His eyes were now becoming a little prominent and were standing out as contours with a little greyish-greenish tinge. His hind legs too were clearly identifiable and distinct.
The sad part was that his parents, brothers, and sisters had all gone. For such a little being, it must have been difficult to fend for himself. Numerous birds, which are on the lookout for an early morning snack, had missed it somehow. That is when I realised that his light green colour was the reason why Baby Hopper was alive.
I got used to meeting him almost daily, but spotting him at first glance was difficult. He would completely merge with the green stem he used to sit on. If there was danger, like when I watered that pot, he wouldn’t like to get wet. Slowly, he would walk behind a leaf to save himself from getting drenched. Similarly, when birds came out to feed, he would stay perfectly still. Amazing camouflage & survival skills were on display.
One day I chatted with him and enquired about his brothers and sisters. He went gloomy. He told me that mom and dad had left them there to hatch with clear instructions, not to venture out. However, the others did not listen and went exploring the garden. A few of them crawled across to the adjacent pot with overlapping leaves. Birds took them, as they were exposed, never to return.
Some went further away and could not find the right leaf to eat and died of hunger. Those who would have survived had gone too far to trace back their route. ‘I was the obedient one and stayed the way Mama and Papa Hopper told me to, so here I am’. ‘Wonderful’, I said.
Last evening, I found ‘Papa Hopper’ clinging to a leaf of the Champa tree. I was a little annoyed. I asked him why they had left their babies to fend for themselves. It was a tragic story he narrated.
One day mama and papa went looking for food as usual. Tender leaves were fine for the babies but they needed a proper diet to survive. As they stepped out of the garden towards the road, a car went by and crushed mama hopper, who died on the spot. Ants tried to carry it away to hospital but she was too heavy. Then the ants did her final rites and disposed her off.
Papa had gone into mourning and did not come out for several days. Today, when he saw that plant again, he came back to see the babies. I sadly informed papa hopper that there is only one baby left in the ‘Monkey Tail’ plant where they had left them. The rest of them did not adhere to instructions and perished. Some were picked up by birds and some died of hunger.
Papa hopper braved it and said, he would look up Baby hopper. Then darted to somewhere in the bushes. One could understand the turmoil in his mind. Probably he wanted to cry alone at his loss.
This morning I met Baby hopper again. Mind you, he is growing fast and turning into a handsome young lad. Now that he is more than an inch long, he will have to be more careful. I told him that I met Papa hopper last night. He was so happy. Where is mama hopper, he asked me? I said she would be coming soon to meet him. I lied. He got excited and munched the edge of the leaf he was sitting on.
I didn’t have the courage to tell him about mama. Should I have told him? I wonder!!!!!!!!
JAI HIND
© NOEL ELLIS
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