Ruskin Bond’s Children’s Omnibus

In Conversation with Ruskin Bond

ONE

Ranji was up at dawn.

It was Sunday, a school holiday. Although he was supposed to be preparing for his exams, only a fortnight away, he couldn’t resist one or two more games before getting down to history and algebra and other unexciting things.

“I’m going to be a Test cricketer when I grow up,” he told his mother. “Of what use will maths be to me?”

“You never know,” said his mother, who happened to be more of a cricket fan than his father. “You might need maths to work out your batting average. And as far as history, wouldn’t you like to be a part of history? Famous cricketers make history!”

“Making history is all right,” said Ranji. “As long as I don’t have to remember the date on which I make it!”

Ranji met his friends and teammates in the park. The grass was still wet with dew, the sun only just rising behind the distant hills. The park was full of flower-beds, and swings and slides for smaller children. The boys would have to play on the river bank against their rivals, the village boys. Ranji did not have a full team that morning, but he was looking for a “friendly” match. The really important game would be held the following Sunday.

The village team was quite good because the boys lived near each other and practiced a lot together, whereas Ranji’s team was drawn from all parts of the town. There was the baker’s boy, Nathu; the tailor’s son, Sunder; the postmaster’s son, Prem; and the bank manager’s son, Anil. These were some of the better players. Sometimes their fathers also turned up for the game. The fathers weren’t very good, but you could tell them that.

After all, they helped to provide bats and balls and pocket-money.

A regular spectator at these matches was Nakoo the crocodile, who lived in the river. Nakoo means Nosey, but the village boys were very respectful and called him Nakoo-ji, Nakoo, sir. He had a long snout, rows of ugly-looking teeth (some of them badly in need of fillings), and a powerful scaly tail.

He was nearly fifteen feet long, but you did not see much of him; he swam low in the water and glided smoothly through the tall grasses near the river. Sometimes he came out on the river bank to bask in the sun. He did not care for people, especially cricketers. He disliked the noise they made, frightening away the water-birds and other creatures required for an interesting menu, and it was also alarming to have cricket balls plopping around in the shallows where he liked to rest.