Bahut samay pehle ki baat hai. Himalaya ki talhati mein basa tha ek chhota sa gaon — Haripur. Is gaon ke paas se hi ek shaant nadi baha karti thi, jo gaonwalon ki pyaas bujhati thi, kheton ko seenchti thi aur janwaron ko jeevan deti thi.
Gaon mein sab kuch theek tha, par ek saal barish nahi hui. Dheere-dheere nadi bhi sookhne lagi. Gaonwalon mein haahaakaar mach gaya. Khet sookhne lage, kuen khaali hone lage aur log door-door se paani laane lage.
Isi gaon ke paas jungle mein rehta tha ek chaalak moher, jiska naam tha Pochatu Moher. Uska sharir chikna tha, daant majboot the aur uski ek khaas aadat thi — woh hamesha nadiyon mein baandh banakar paani ikattha kar leta tha. Uski is kala ke kaaran jungle ke saare janwar usse bahut maante the.
Ek din gaon ke kuch bachche jungle mein lakdi beenne gaye. Wahan unhone dekha ki moher apne pairon se mitti, lakdi aur patthar ikattha kar raha hai. Bachchon ne use gher liya.
Ek baccha bola, “Ae Moher! Tu kya kar raha hai?”
Moher ne apni chhoti si aankhen ghumai aur bola, “Main apna baandh bana raha hoon. Taaki mere parivaar ko paani ki kami na ho.”
Ve daude-daude gaon laut gaye aur sabko bataya ki jungle mein ek moher hai jo paani rokne mein maahir hai. Gaon ke buzurgon ne yeh baat suni to unhone socha, “Agar yeh moher hamari madad kar de to gaon bach sakta hai.”
Usne moher ko dhoonda aur haath jodkar bola, “O Pochatu Moher! Hamara gaon sookh raha hai. Khet barbaad ho rahe hain, bachche pyaase hain. Kya tum hamari madad karoge?”
Moher ne socha — insaanon ne kabhi jungle ko nahi chhoda, ped kaate, nadi gandi ki. Lekin use bachchon ki masoom aankhen yaad aayi, jo kal use dekh kar hans rahe the. Usne faisla kar liya.
Pochatu bola, “Main akela yeh kaam nahi kar sakta. Tumhe bhi meri madad karni hogi.”
Mukhiya ne wada kiya — “Hum sab tumhari madad karenge.”
Moher ne unhe sikhaya ki pedon ki shaakhon ko kaise jodna hai, mitti ko kaise dabana hai aur paani ko kaise ek jagah rokna hai.
Din-raat mehnat hui. Kuch hi hafton mein ek majboot baandh ban gaya. Barish to nahi hui, par pahaadon se bahkar aane wala paani ab baandh mein jama hone laga. Gaon ke kheton ko phir se paani milne laga, kuen bharne lage. Gaonwale khushi se jhoom uthe.
Ek din gaon mein utsav manaya gaya. Bachchon ne moher ke liye ek sundar sa chhota ghar banaya, jahan woh aur uske parivaar ke moher aaram se reh saken.
Mukhiya ne gaonwalon ko ikattha kar kaha, “Dekho! Yeh moher humein sikha gaya ki agar hum milkar kaam karein to koi museebat badi nahi hoti. Aur sabse badi baat — paani ki kadar karni chahiye. Humein ped kaatna band karna hoga, nadi ko saaf rakhna hoga aur barish ke paani ko sambhal kar rakhna hoga.”
Gaonwalon ne wada kiya ki ab se ve har saal naye ped lagayenge, nadi ko saaf rakhenge aur jungle ke janwaron ka khayal rakhenge.
Pochatu Moher ne bhi rahat ki saans li. Ab use pata tha ki ye insaan sach mein badal rahe hain. Ab use apna baandh akela nahi banana padega, kyunki gaonwale khud apni nadiyon ko bachayenge.
Samay beetta gaya. Haripur gaon phir se hara-bhara ho gaya. Kheton mein anaj lahlahane laga. Bachche moher ke saath khelne lage. Pochatu Moher ab sirf jungle ka nahi, poore gaon ka saathi ban gaya.
Kehte hain, aaj bhi jab Haripur mein barish kam hoti hai, to gaonwale aur unke bachche jungle jaate hain, moher ko dhoondte hain aur milkar naye baandh banate hain.
Pochatu Moher ki yahi kahani sabko yaad dilati hai —
Agar hum prakriti ke saath milkar chalein, to koi bhi sookha humein hara-bhara banne se nahi rok sakta!
Seekh:
- Milkar kaam karne se koi bhi museebat badi nahi hoti.
- Paani bachana sabse zaroori hai.
- Jungle aur janwar hamare dost hain, dushman nahi.
- Jo prakriti ko bachata hai, wahi asli hero hai.
