The time has come . . . . . . . . .!

"O Oysters, come and walk with us!"
The Walrus did beseech.
"A pleasant walk, a pleasant talk,
Along the briny beach:
We cannot do with more than four,
To give a hand to each."

by Victor Karunairajan

(December 19, Toronto, Sri Lanka Guardian) Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Anderson, Lewis Carroll and several others wrote marvelous tales for children and young people that apart from their values in formal educational instructions, made a far richer impact on the capacity to imagine strange factors in one’s life, recognize fantasy as facts, pursue dreams and the impossible and appreciate the challenges and pleasures they provide. Above all these stories fired up our skills in imagination.

Likewise there were the Panchatantra tales that used the world of the lesser beings a great deal and intertwined them in the lives of the mortals and in the process became a source of moral and ethical instructions to young people. Another source of instruction was parables and in the traditions of the Hindu, Christian and Buddhist faiths they abound a great deal. This is true of Islam too and many other faiths as well.

They serve their purposes in various ways depending on the age at which they are read and understood. There is a child’s understanding of them and that is enjoyable with fiction appreciated as facts. There is a young adult understanding of them hoping fiction could be factual and finally the elders see them as facts fictionalized to relate real events of life they have gone through and often wondering with disbelief how they have gone through them.

Whether they are Grimm’s, Anderson’s, Carroll’s and others or from Panchatantra or other sources from various cultural roots worldwide, they provide enjoyable reading for all ages and retain powerfully the love we have for them. Of particular interest to me are all the crazy stories from Alice in Wonderland and many of the writings of Lewis Carroll.

When I first learnt the evergreen poem, The Walrus and the Carpenter, I was touched to tears about the fate of the oysters. So much so my teacher had to assure me that it was only a poem written from the imaginative skill of the author and such a thing never happened.

Of course such a thing as the two taking the oysters for a ride, rather a walk on the sandy beach that can’t be mopped off even by several maids in several weeks never happened. But the reality in nature that I began to understand as I grew up is that it happens everywhere for the very survival of the various species. Today when I read the same poem, I see the world more realistically and there are so many lessons to be learnt from an entirely different point of view. So much so, the understanding of these could mean a great deal to save the world from ecological disaster that is threatening us all around.

When one of them in the poem “The Walrus and the Carpenter” says “the time has come,” after having assembled the poor oysters some of which had to struggle panting along the sandy way with dreams of so much expectations, we see so many realities in our lives.

The politicians will say, “the time has come” for particular reasons, the fraudster will say the same thing with evil designs in his mind and even others will have the same chorus to achieve ends that may not be for the larger good. Without exception are worldwide corporations bent on profits immaterial whether the environment is polluted with noxious or deleterious substances or even destroyed.

When we hear such a chorus as “the time has come” we have to go back in time to our childhood days and remember what happened to the poor oysters.

The Walrus and the Carpenter

By Lewis Carroll

The sun was shining on the sea,
Shining with all his might:
He did his very best to make
The billows smooth and bright--
And this was odd, because it was
The middle of the night.

The moon was shining sulkily,
Because she thought the sun
Had got no business to be there
After the day was done
“It’s very rude of him,” she said
“To come and spoil the fun!”
The sea was wet as wet could be,
The sands were dry as dry.

You could not see a cloud, because
No cloud was in the sky:
No birds were flying overhead--
There were no birds to fly.

The Walrus and the Carpenter
Were walking close at hand;
They wept like anything to see
Such quantities of sand:

"If this were only cleared away,"
They said, "it would be grand!"
"If seven maids with seven mops
Swept it for half a year.

Do you suppose," the Walrus said,
"That they could get it clear?"
"I doubt it," said the Carpenter,
And shed a bitter tear.
"O Oysters, come and walk with us!"
The Walrus did beseech.

"A pleasant walk, a pleasant talk,
Along the briny beach:
We cannot do with more than four,
To give a hand to each."

The eldest Oyster looked at him,
But never a word he said:
The eldest Oyster winked his eye,
And shook his heavy head--
Meaning to say he did not choose
To leave the oyster-bed.

But four young Oysters hurried up,
All eager for the treat:
Their coats were brushed, their faces washed,
Their shoes were clean and neat--
And this was odd, because, you know,
They hadn't any feet.

Four other Oysters followed them,
And yet another four;
And thick and fast they came at last,
And more, and more, and more--
All hopping through the frothy waves,
And scrambling to the shore.

The Walrus and the Carpenter
Walked on a mile or so,
And then they rested on a rock
Conveniently low:

And all the little Oysters stood
And waited in a row.
"The time has come," the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:

Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--
Of cabbages--and kings--
And why the sea is boiling hot--
And whether pigs have wings."
"But wait a bit," the Oysters cried,
"Before we have our chat;

For some of us are out of breath,
And all of us are fat!"
"No hurry!" said the Carpenter.
They thanked him much for that.
"A loaf of bread," the Walrus said,
"Is what we chiefly need:

Pepper and vinegar besides
Are very good indeed--
Now if you're ready, Oysters dear,
We can begin to feed."
"But not on us!" the Oysters cried,
Turning a little blue.

"After such kindness, that would be
A dismal thing to do!"
"The night is fine," the Walrus said.
"Do you admire the view?
"It was so kind of you to come!
And you are very nice!"
The Carpenter said nothing but
"Cut us another slice:

I wish you were not quite so deaf--
I've had to ask you twice!"
"It seems a shame," the Walrus said,
"To play them such a trick,
After we've brought them out so far,
And made them trot so quick!"
The Carpenter said nothing but
"The butter's spread too thick!"
"I weep for you," the Walrus said:
"I deeply sympathize."

With sobs and tears he sorted out
Those of the largest size,
Holding his pocket-handkerchief
Before his streaming eyes.
"O Oysters," said the Carpenter,
"You've had a pleasant run!

Shall we be trotting home again?'
But answer came there none--
And this was scarcely odd, because
They'd eaten every one

- Sri Lanka Guardian