Little Sham's Friend - A Short Story

Cool breeze was blowing from the river side by the side of the mountain where in vast pasture cattle’s were grazing. Their tail unconsciously danced on their back as their biological clock was signaling to return to the cowshed as Sun was slowly sinking below the horizon.

When Gopal the cowherd gathered the cattle’s they voluntarily began to move in the route known to them to the farmhouse.

Lakshmi was one among them. Gopal kept a close eye on it as it was pregnant.

Laksmi had borne three calves earlier. The twelve years old Sham the only son of the farmer loved Lakshmi a lot.

When he had holiday be would accompany Gopal to the pasture and would play with Lakshmi.

Thus a bond between them was strong.

As cattle’s reached the cowshed Sham came running as he heard the sound of the bell in the Lakshmi’s neck.

He brought dried grass to feed the cows. He fed Lakshmi first.

That night older members of the farmer’s family woke-up to hear Lakshmi bellowing.

Sham’s father holding the torch without waking Sham headed to the cowshed.

Lakshmi was giving birth. By what he saw he knew that Lakshmi’s days are coming to an end.

Lakshmi with great difficulty gave birth to a female calf and then died.

Farmer’s heart sank as he knew what Lakshmi meant to his son.

He returned to house and without waking Sham told his wife Lakshmi is no more.

They both decided to break the bad news to their son only in the morning.

Next day with along with the chrip of the bird Sham heard a calf cry from cowshed.

Sham shouted, “Lakshmi has given birth, Lakshmi has given birth”.

Sham’s mother called him near her and said, “Sham, Lakshmi has presented you with a new friend in the form of her offspring”.


“ I knew it, I knew it”, Sham shouted.

“ But……”, his mother paused. Sham looked at his mother.

“Sham, Lakshmi is no more”, it died giving you a small Lakshmi”.

Tears began to flow in Sham’s face.

“Don’t cry son, the young Lakshmi is in the shed, take it to the meadow where Gopal is with the rest of the heard”, saying Sham’s mother gave the bell which was on Lakshmi’s neck.

The young calf innocently looked at Sham. He hugged it affectionately and tied the bell to its neck.

While he led the calf to the pasture, bell was ringing with the same sound he used to hear in Lakshmi’s neck.

Sham happily looking at the calf said aloud, “You are my new Lakshmi!”.


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