By C. N. Vaze, Chartered Accountant
Leo Tolstoy was a great Russian thinker and writer. His short stories are very famous. The following story is based on one of Tolstoy’s short stories which I vaguely remember. This is an adaptation of his theme.
Bunty and Pinky – both studied in the first standard in the same school. They liked each other and did many things together. Occasionally, they used to quarrel since they were good friends!
Once they quarrelled on occupying the first bench in the classroom. Pinky got angry since Bunty ran to capture the first bench. She wrote in her note book that 'Bunty is a mad boy'; and showed it to him. Bunty wrote –‘Pinky is a dull girl’ and showed to her.
Bunty opened her tiffin box and ate something. Pinky took his water bag and poured half the water on the floor! Pinky hid Bunty’s pencil; Bunty threw away her eraser. Likewise, the fight went on!
Both walked separately back home without talking to each other. They were in ‘katti’. They narrated everything to their respective mothers. Mothers got furious! In the evening, after their husbands came back from office, parents of both of them met each other. They were staying quite close to each other. The ladies held their swords on the tongues! Husbands merely escorted them. Bunty and Pinky also accompanied them.
The ‘war’ started! Bunty’s mother blamed Pinky’s parents for lack of culture. Pinky’s mother retaliated by calling unty’s parents ‘uned
