UNLIKELY BEGGAR

He looked like a beggar. When he stretched out his hand to me, the melancholic look he gave me melted my heart. I fished in my pocket and came up with a five-rupee coin which I promptly handed over. Happy that I had done my good deed for the day, I went to the bus stop to wait for the bus that would take me home. Suddenly, a sleek limousine drew up and came to a halt near the guy who had just been the recipient of my munificence. A driver leapt out of the vehicle and saluted the beggar who, looking around surreptitiously to see whether anyone was watching him, rushed into the vehicle. I stood flummoxed wondering whether the per capita income of beggars in the country had risen so sharply that they could afford chauffeur-driven cars.

I had caught sight of the chauffeur before the car sped off and he turned out to be an old buddy of mine. It was he who let the cat out of the bag. "That was indeed my boss you saw the other day in the guise of a beggar", he began. "My boss is a millionaire but his father had lived and died a beggar. The boss had longed to give a better deal to his father but the old bloke died before our man could make his money. So, as a mark of respect to his father and his profession, our friend goes out begging every second Wednesday. Usually he manages to escape detection. But I would like to sound a warning to you. If you value your well being just keep this to yourself and if at all you see him again and it is most likely that you will, drop a coin on his plate and be done with it. My boss is like Mogambo in real life." A shiver ran down my spine. These days when I spot a beggar and that too a beggar who can be a chooser like the one above, I take to my heels without a second thought.

BEASTLY TALES

Works of painter Nonja are a rage in Viennese art circles today. This is despite the fact that her boyfriend, Vladimir, eats her paintings if he is not locked away in his cage. By the way, Nonja is an orangutan in the Schoenbrunn zoo. She inherited her paints from Johnny the chimpanzee. Let's hold our horses for a moment. When did art venture out of the domain of humans into the paws of animals? For all we know, dinosaurs sketched in the sand, but animal art has certainly come of age now that Leonardo DiCaprio has bought the work of a Thai elephant for $2,ooo. In fact, there are several academies in Thailand that teach elephants to paint. The big name amongst these talented trunks is Ramona, whose works sell for an easy $200. The San Franciscan gorillas, Koko and Michael, use painting as an emotional outlet. They splash red paint when asked in sign language to express anger. Michael's even created a black and white mosaic to portray Apple his pet dog. Usually, however, paintings by animals are abstract expressionist.

So, is there nothing to distinguish Jackson Pollock from mere brutes anymore? The Greeks believed the ability to reason held humans above other species, but chimpanzees solve puzzles with great ease these days. The gift of language is not unique to humans either. Michael may not have the biological equipment to talk but he can certainly communicate through sings. Even creativity is not an exclusive homo sapien prerogative. We knew that when porpoises started improvising with cartwheels and backflips to impress observers. Asian elephants play harmonicas, xylophones and drums. Their music, though considered soothing, does not compare to that of the blue-throated hummingbird. This creature practises its music and develops complex songs. We may have to swallow our arrogance. Nothing differentiates us from animals and we don't even have their impeccable taste and sophistication. Why else would dairy cows in Georgia produce 1,000 pounds more milk while listening to classical music than to rock? Is it time to accept animal connoisseurs too? All I know is that my cocker spaniel is indifferent to Neil Diamond but lies down under my piano and sighs with satisfaction every time I play Mozart.

POTTER PILGRIMS

Pope Benedict XVI has made it quite clear to the Christian world that the Vatican does not approve of Harry Potter. In March 2003, he wrote a letter to Gabriele Kuby, a German critic, where he expressed concern about the 'subtle seductions' caused by the book, which distort Christianity in the soul before it can grow properly. One of the many reactions to the boy wizard, the fear that these books corrupt children, was born almost at the same time as Pottermania. Unlike previous fantasy literature, like that of J R R Tolkein and C S Lewis, the Potter books are accused of not presenting the ideal of good versus evil. instead, they make statements like 'death is but the next great adventure', which alarm pious souls as a certain call to Satanism. The books make occult practises seem attractive and fun. Does this mean that Rowling's novels are actually cleverly packaged enticements to the Antichrist?

Divisions have arisen within the Church at several points in history. after all, protestantism was born when Martin Luther led a group of dissenters to a new church, an alternative to Catholicism. If a deacon of the Presbyterian Church can teach a 'Gospel according to Star Wars', why not institute a Church of Harry Potter? The number of followers will be astounding. A quick look at the sales figures of these books will confirm this. The boy wizard is a hero, fighting the forces of evil for the salvation of his fellow-people. And the potter books do play out a battle between good and evil; Harry, under the guidance of Albus Dumbledore, the lead 'good guy', versus Voldemort, the personification of all evil. Voldemort may have told Harry that there is no such thing as good and evil, that there is only power, but Harry rejects this idea. Where is the relativistic morality? He may break school rules or defy authority, but this makes him a realistic hero. If, according to some, the all-too-human wizard is a threat to their God, they should accept this Potterite Church, which gives its people not only a philosophy but also a whole new world to believe in.

IN TUNE: SEVENTH TRUTH

I was in college when I heard Aziza Mustafa Zadeh's album Seventh Truth. An introspective track, which swings between being fiercely emotional, joyful and sad, it touched me immensely.

There was the charming Ay dilber, the subdued I am sad, Wild Beauty, etc. But the song that affected me the most was Fly with me. This beautiful singer from Azerbaijan(once part of the USSR) sang the English and Azeri lyrics about the adventure to free one's spirits, to the sound of the western classical piano, supported by percussion and the sound of drums. All incorporated to the strains of traditional Arabic melody! There was no boundary to her style, but a beautiful fusion of diverse lyrics, vocals and instruments. It was the most melodious attempt at bridging the gap between world music. I went into raptures every time I heard it.

Not only was the song pleasing to the ears, it made me open-minded about various forms of music. It also taught me not to be limited by favourites and to keep an open mind and listen.