Grace walked unconfidently towards the multi-coloured ball. She lifted her heavy leg and before she could stand on that ball, it rolled way, for the thirtieth time. Grace bent her head down, frightened. As expected, she got another lash from her master on her already injured back for not being able to stand on the ball. Standing on a ball seems impossible, right? Well, go behind the stage of that circus and you’ll find Grace, the elephant and many other desolate animals being persuaded to do so.
Grace was flanked by the dogs Shallie and Juno in considerably smaller cages on either side. Their prisons, which are fondly called cages,were scarcely enough for them.
The circus master was busy talking to someone. Grace went into her cage and was trying to sleep. But that never happened. She was disturbed by Juno’s continuous barking.Don’t blame him for that-He got food after a week. Grace glanced at Juno and smiled faintly. At least,someone is having food. Grace doesn’t remember when she had proper food. But surely, it was many weeks ago. Animals, at that place, are supposed to get food only if they are too ill to perform. To be honest, they aren’t animals anymore. They’ve been transformed into money-making machines that are not expected to have hunger,thirst,pain and emotions.
“Grace!Grace!!”
She ran to Grace’s cage with triumph on her face.An ominous silence was what she faced there. She was puzzled. If pandemonium could kill, everybody over there would die.
She approached Grace with slow steps.Grace was in deep sleep. Or maybe, she seemed to be in deep sleep. Her face was expressionless but her scars spoke so much. Hot tears ran down the young girl’s eyes. The shackle tied to Grace’s leg was too tight and left a red mark on her leg. Her trunk had become thin due to malnutrition. The bruises on her back were apparently uncared for.
The girl wiped her tears and tried to wake her up, but in vain. She ran to the master and informed him everything. The food was still there in front of the cage.
An hour later, the doctor came and checked Grace’s heartbeat.
“She’s no more.”He declared.
The circus master’s face bore disappointment with hardly any traces of sadness. The young girl, who had already sensed something unwarrantable, was the only one crying. Shallie and Juno have almost gone insane. They couldn’t understand what actually happened to their beloved.
“Grace has died.”
Everyone came to know.
Humanity has left their hearts forever.
Nobody knew.
Please!!
A sincere request to everyone who has read this story. Please don’t visit animal circuses hereafter. I know they are banned, but not completely. There are places where animals go through hell of torture in the name of training. It is not at all justified to take advantage of their innocence and fill our pockets. They deserve to live a life like yours and mine. Before you visit an animal circus or a similar thing, ask yourself a question.
Can an animal be USED as a source of entertainment?
–END–
