Hemgiri was a village close to the forest. There was no other village nearby. The people of Hemgiri lived peacefully and more or less happily.
But a time came when their happiness and peace were shattered. A gang of bandits made the forest its home. The gang ransacked the houses of a few wealthy villagers but harassed everybody. They would suddenly invade a villager’s garden and pluck his vegetables. He and his neighbours would stare on helplessly.
“There is no other go for us than to migrate to some other place,” the villagers told one another. A young man named
Subal was asked to look for a suitable site.
Subal went to the headman of the next village and told him of their problems. Said the headman, “My friend, there are wide grounds around our village. Your people are welcome to settle down on these grounds. But that will hardly solve the problem. The bandits will come and strike here when they will not find you there!”
“What is your advice? What should we do?” asked Subal.
“I am not wise enough to give you any advice. Let us meet Swamiji. He may help you to get over your problem,” said the headman.
“But who is the Swamiji?” asked Subal.
“He is a hermit who lives on a distant hill. He pays visits to our village once a year,” answered the headman and he led Subal to the hermit.
The hermit gave a patient hearing to Subal. “Let me meet the people of your village,” he said. Subal and the headman led him to Hemgiri.
The villagers thronged around him. “You must face the bandits. The bandits cannot outnumber you. All of you,
together, must give them a fight,” said the hermit.
The villagers listened to him in silence. Then one of them said, “Swamiji, the bandits are a ferocious lot. How can we the naïve villagers face them? Can you make us brave by the magic of your power?”
The hermit shut his eyes and sat in silence for a minute. He then said, “Yes, I can give you power. Who is the weakest man among you? Let him come to me.”
There were hurried discussions among the villagers. “Where is our Timid? Must be hiding behind his wife. Call him!”
These were the a which reached the hermit’s ears. While the people were talking among themselves, the hermit
asked Subal, “Who is Timid?”
Subal said, “Well, we have almost forgotten his real name. He is called Timid because he never does anything without his wife’s permission. There—he stands behind his wife.”
The hermit shouted, “Silence!”
The crowd fell silent. He looked at Timid and said, “Hello, young man, come here!”
“No, don’t go! Why, of all the persons, is he calling you?” his wife instructed him in a low but firm voice.
All the people laughed.
“Young man, I’m calling you because I see something very special in you. Will you not come to me?” said the hermit
affectionately.
Timid slowly came forward and reached the hermit.
“Friends, can you laugh at him any more? Can’t you see that he is no longer a timid fellow? He responded to my call
despite being asked not to do so!” said the hermit in a resounding tone.
No doubt, the people were surprised. The hermit had powers they felt sure.
The hermit now whispered to Timid, “My boy, this is a golden opportunity for you. Till now the villagers looked upon you as the weakest and the most timid man in the village. Now, if you can emerge as the bravest man in the village, in a minute, will that not be a miracle?”
“Yes, sir, that will be a miracle,” agreed Timid.
“Now, stand erect and look at the crowd and announce to them that you will lead them in their battle against the bandits,” advised the hermit.
Timid hesitated. The hermit whispered to him once again, “My son, God will be with you. Think of the glory that is coming to you. Do as I say.”
Timid faced the crowd, stood erect and raising his right hand, said, “Let us not fear the bandits. God is with us. We will fight them. We will lay down our lives, if necessary, but not flee like cowards!”
The crowd stood stunned. The man whom they considered to be the weakest of all is calling them to act with courage!
Subal stepped forward and told the villagers, “Friends, what more miracle is necessary to assure us of our victory? If
time, what about us?”
“We will fight the bandits!” shouted the villagers in a chorus. They hugged Timid.
“Let us call him Senapati—the Commander!” said the hermit. “And his wife will be the commander over the womenfolk of the village.
I know that she is a brave lady. Otherwise, she could not have kept such a brave husband under control!” he added.
Thereafter the hermit inspected the village and found out the manner of the bandits’ raid. He organized the menfolk and equipped them with stout sticks. He told the women where they should be when the bandits came and how they should throw buckets full of water mixed with the powder of the itching plants.
The bandits came two days later, in the evening. They got the beating of their life! The villagers attacked them with sticks and unnerved them with shrieks and shouts. The loudest voice was that of the ‘commander’ and the most shrill voice was raised by his wife.
