Solu climbed up the tree like a squirrel.

He was very fast! He had been climbing trees since he was a child. Now he was ten, a big boy.

That’s why Father had brought him here today…

Solu had covered his face with a cloth. Only his eyes showed. His chest was bare and he wore tatty old shorts.

“Careful!” cried Father from below. Solu was afraid to look at him, for it was a long way down!

He climbed up further and further, until he reached the honeycomb hanging tight by the branch.

The bees were very clever. They always made their combs in places that were difficult to reach. But his father had taught him how to keep a lookout for them.

Solu would have to be very careful, or the bees would sting.

He lifted the handle of the comb very quietly while one hand still hugged the tree for support. It was small enough for him to carry alone.

As soon as he had it, Solu crawled back down faster than he had climbed up. In the last bit, he jumped off the tree altogether!

Appa slapped his back happily. “Well done, Solu, I’m so proud of you!” he said.

Solu smiled so wide, all his teeth glowed out of his dark face.

His skin was the colour of dark coffee, shiny and brown. He had jet-black eyes and rough, black hair.

They hurried back to the podu. But before that, Appa offered prayers to the trees.

The Soligas always did that — offer prayers to nature — for she was always helping them find or grow their food. They prayed to the streams, the trees, the mountains, even to fire.

The Soliga tribe lived in the jungles of the BR Hills. The jungle was a very cool place, with lots of tall trees and shady branches. And lots of animals, wild animals!

Father carried the honeycomb and Solu carried his big stick. They were very quick and very quiet.

They reached the podu. It was a clear area in the midst of the jungle. The trees had been cut off by their ancestors, who had made small huts of jungle mud, leaves, branches, wood, and hay. All the families lived close together. The podu had a strong, wooden fence to keep the wild animals off.

A stream ran nearby. The birds sat up in the trees and sang songs. In the rains, the peacocks would fly nearby and dance.

The air smelled so clean and fresh. Solu loved the jungle. He would never leave it.

“Look at what Solu found!” Appa showed off to Amma, pointing to the honeycomb.

Amma was happy for Solu, but she looked sad.

“Grandma has been bitten by a small snake. She is unwell!” she said. “Please fetch the doctor.”

Grandma had been at the stream when the snake bit her foot. It was a small snake, but she was sick, all the same.

Appa went off to the edge of the jungle in search of the doctor. Soon, he returned with Dr. Sudarshan.

“Let me have a look,” said the doctor.

He checked Grandma’s chest, eyes, and wrist. He cleaned and covered the snake bite with a bandage and gave her an injection.

Ouch! Solu hated injections! But it made her better already.

“Please stay for supper, Doctor,” invited Appa. “It is Rotti Parva, the bread festival!”

“Sure!” said the doctor. “But I must get home before it gets too dark."

Dr. Sudarshan was afraid of wild animals, but not Solu! He had grown up in the jungle.

“Don’t be afraid, Doctor, I will protect you!” he said.

Everyone laughed.

“Solu, why don’t you go to school?” asked Dr. Sudarshan.

“School?” Solu asked. He had never been to school before!

“We have opened up a school where I live," said the doctor. "Other Soliga boys and girls come there, too. They learn, read, play, or paint, or just sing and dance!”

Ooh! That sounds like fun! Solu thought.

“Appa, Amma, can I go, too?” he asked his parents.

“Yes,” agreed both.

“Good, then I’ll admit him tomorrow,” said the doctor.

Yes! Now it was party time!

Everyone came outside in the yard to sit in a curve and share their meal. The Soligas always shared their food, but today was a special festival, Rotti Parva.

There was homemade bread, or rotti, and goat meat curry. It was served on fresh banana leaves.

The meal had first been offered to the sacred Champak tree which stood with a hundred stones at its feet. And now it was served to everyone present.

The women folk sang songs. The men dressed up in white lungis. They wore flower and leaf garlands around their necks and waists.

Solu’s uncles brought out a cymbal, tambourine, and a drum to play upon. The rest of the men formed a circle-chain with their hands and danced. They bent their knees and twisted left and right, singing songs of their ancestors who had lived in the jungles before them.

Solu dashed in and did a spin-jump! He was very happy. It was a beautiful night under the shiny moon. He danced merrily.

Later, Appa and Solu walked Dr. Sudarshan home safely. They had a fire torch with them, so there was no need to fear. The animals were afraid of fire.

Tomorrow, Solu would start school!

Solu was so excited! Today was his first day of school.

He had gotten up early so that he could make it in time. School was just at the edge of the jungle, where Dr. Sudarshan lived. It was a long way off, but if Solu was quick he could make it just before 8:00, when school started.

Amma had given him a new white cotton shirt to wear. He had his blue shorts on already. He was not very sure about the shirt, for he felt very hot. But he wore it anyway.

He drank his milk quickly, without wasting any time, and said goodbye to his family.

“Wait!” said Appa. “I’m coming, too! I have to go pick wild berries and collect turmeric. I shall leave you at the end of the forest.”

"OK!" said Solu. He was pleased to be going with his father now.

On the way, they stopped at the large Champak tree. Appa bowed down and lit incense. He offered prayers and then circled the tree. He told Solu to do the same.

“You must take its blessings, for it is the first day of your school,” he said.

Solu was impatient, but he wanted blessings, all the same. He ran around the tree even more quickly than he could climb it and said, "Let's go!"

Father did not like Solu’s speed, but they would be late, so he hurried.

At the edge of the forest, Appa said, “Solu, be good. Study well, and remember to get home before dark or the animals will roam free.”

Solu nodded "Yes" and ran.

On the edge of the forest was an open ground, with few trees and huts. Dr. Sudarshan lived in one of those huts.

The school was a large, brick house with many rooms. It said School, but Solu didn’t know how to read yet.

He saw all the children standing in neat rows singing Soliga folk songs, so he joined them. All the Soliga children like him came from near and far to the school to study. They wore white shirts and blue shorts, like him. But they also wore white socks and black shoes.

Solu looked at his feet. He had never worn shoes, not even today. He had come with bare feet!

But this was it! Yippee! He was in school.

As the lessons started, Solu was asked if he knew any of the alphabet. He didn’t.

He didn’t know A, he didn’t know B, and he didn’t know C. So Teacher gave him a slate and chalk to practice ABC.

Solu found it so boring!

But then, he had chalk. He drew on the slate. He drew a balloon. It was flying off in the sky.

He loved balloons. Appa had taken him to the town fair once and bought him a red balloon. Solu had wanted to fly off with it into the sky. It was so light!

Soon, he filled up the slate with the things on his mind. And Teacher saw. She liked Solu’s drawings. She gave him some paper and crayons. Since it was only his first day, he could draw for today.

Solu had never seen coloured crayons before!

He scribbled colours and laughed with joy! He loved the blue and red and green and yellow. And then he filled the whole sheet with beautiful designs.

Teacher was amazed! Solu was very fast. He was also very good with art. Teacher told him to go outside and do as much artwork as he wanted for today.

Solu drew and drew, until he finished all five sheets of paper. And he wanted to do more. But he had no more sheets. So he picked up the crayons and started to draw on the outer wall of the schoolhouse!

He drew and drew and drew some more, until the whole wall was full. And then he began to fill it with his colours. He had twelve of them! Red, blue, orange, green, black, and so many others, whose names he didn’t know.

By the time school was over, Solu had covered the entire wall.

But what had he drawn? The jungle in which he lived.

His podu! His parents and his grandmother! And all the wild animals whom they lived with! Monkeys and birds in trees. Snakes and bison, deer and water buffaloes. The Champak tree with its hundred stones.

His father fishing, his uncles hunting, his mother and aunts weaving bamboo baskets.

Even the fearful tiger, who roared out loud sometimes at night.

It was so beautiful, everyone came to see it in hushed whispers.

Teacher was surprised at Solu’s talent and hugged him. She gifted him a whole new box of crayons and a whole new pad of paper.

Solu was joyful.

But now it was late afternoon. Appa had told him to get home before dark.

He told Teacher he must run off, and she let him.

Solu ran and ran through the jungle quickly, until he was safely back at the podu. He showed his gifts to his parents proudly and said he was now ready to learn alphabets!

That night, Solu slept with excitement and sweet dreams for his next day at school.

That night, the tiger, too, opened up its claws and roared out loud in the jungle.

Solu had been going to school for a few days now. He was very happy.

He had learned the alphabet and was starting to learn numbers. It was fun!

And there was always plenty of art.

Solu loved art. He loved to draw and fill in colour, and he loved to paint with watercolours as well. Teacher gave him lots of paper to draw on as he wished.

But today, all the children had learned something new in school. They had learned how to make paper from sabbe grass themselves! Sabbe grass grew all around in the jungle. What fun it was to make paper out of it!

Solu was skipping back home in the afternoon.

He now had black shoes and white socks to wear, just like the other children did. Dr. Sudarshan had gifted them! He was getting used to them, although they did feel tight and hot around his large feet sometimes.

Suddenly, he heard something pass through the bushes.

Solu stopped.

Again! And there was a purr!

Solu grabbed the thick vine hanging down by the mango tree nearby and leaped up in one jump. He was quick, and jumped on top of a strong branch.

The tiger came out of the thick trees and looked angrily at him.

Tiger!

Solu had heard it roar only a few nights ago.

Yes, there was an old tiger that lived in the jungle. It had been there ever since Appa was a child just like Solu, Appa said. But Solu had never seen it so close!

It was big, yellow with black stripes. And it showed all its sharp teeth to Solu. It was hungry!

The tiger growled loudly. It wanted to eat the man-child.

It was old. The deer were too fast for it. They ran away so quickly. The water buffaloes were too strong for it. They always moved in a herd. But Solu was alone and weak. The tiger could hunt and eat Solu easily!

The tiger showed off its paws and sharp claws to Solu.

Solu sat without moving, but holding the branch tight. He would not ever go down. He was lucky to be up in the mango tree! Tigers couldn’t climb tall trees.

The tiger circled the tree impatiently. Once. Twice. Three times. Then, as if to wait for Solu, it sat down under the tree. It was tired!

Solu watched the tiger, with only his eyes moving.

Appa and Amma would be waiting for him. Would they know that Solu was in danger here? How?

Solu sat and waited. The tiger watched and waited.

Time passed by very slowly.

Only the wind moved the leaves.

Soon, it was evening. The sky was now turning red and dark blue. But neither Solu nor the tiger had moved.

Solu’s feet were sweaty. He wanted to take off his shoes. He wasn’t used to wearing them for so long. But he didn't dare. The tiger sat right below him, waiting for any chance it might get to pounce at Solu.

And evening fast turned into night. The owls had started hooting.

But wait!

What was that?

Solu could hear some distant sounds! They were coming nearer…

It was the sound of their tribal drums and cymbals! And the sound of moving feet!

It was Appa, and his uncles and cousins! They had come to find Solu!

Hurrah!

They came closer and closer. Solu saw the fire torches moving through trees from the top.

The tiger was getting nervous. It saw the fire torches moving, too. It got up and shot evil looks at Solu, purring loud. It moved here and there for a few seconds.  Then, when Appa and the tribe came too close, it dashed away through the trees.

It was afraid! It had run away!

Solu cried loudly, “Appa! Appa!"

The men raised their torches even higher and saw Solu sitting on the tree. They had brought their hunting spears along, to protect themselves from the tiger.

Solu cried again, "Appa!"

He climbed down the tree and hugged Appa. The others hugged him too.

“Well done, Solu! You did the right thing to climb up the tree and wait!” said Father.

“Appa, there was a big tiger…” Solu told them what had happened as he returned from school.

But the group did not stay there. They formed a line and moved quickly back to the podu, playing their drums and cymbals louder and louder to keep the wild animals away.

Solu reached home and hugged Amma, and finally took off his sweaty socks and shoes.

From now on, he would have to be more careful on his way back, but he would still go to school.

He loved it, and he loved the jungle, too. And he always would, even with all its dangers.