Baa

Have I ever told you about my maternal grandmother, from Calcutta? Once she told me a story about a sparrow and an elephant. The sparrow would talk to the elephant for hours together, sitting on his back. Everymorning she would come flying, sit on the elephant's back, feast on the parasites and sweet-talk. Also, everyday, she would shit on the elephant's back. Then at dusk she would fly back to her nest.

One winter day, when it was very cold, the sparrow did not come to chat with the elephant. The elephant waited and waited and waited. But she did not come. It was already noon. The elephant started looking for the sparrow and set forth for her nest.

On the way, the elephant saw the sparrow lying on the floor, shivering and cold. The elephant immediately went ahead and shat his load on her. After a while the sparrow managed to dig her way out - bruised and aching beacuse of the immense weight of the elephant's shit. But the warmth of the shit saved the sparrow.

I was all of three or four years old and found the description of "potty" very funny and loved this story solely for that reason. I would have her tell me the story over and over again. I just realise how much this story has shaped me as an individual.