Meaning : An unbelievable tale. In other words an absurd, improbable story presented as the truth or an unbelievable tale that is intended to deceive.
It was a hot summer day, students of one of the local schools were taken out for an educational tour by the school management. Everyone was excited about the tour as though being educational they would get an opportunity to experience a day outside the classroom and boring routine life.
As the teacher announced it was a tour of the state museum and students were expected to research on history and present their reports. The only part that bothered all was that of report but still somehow most of them came to peace with it except for Anita.
Anita was a very naught girl and was often punished for her mischief in school. Wherever she went her reputation always followed. She was not interested in assignment and when a local guide was busy showing around she skipped away trying to explore the museum herself.
While she was moving around, she came across a bust of a king, who ruled nearly 250 years ago in the region. While she was busy reading the description she saw an old man who looked exactly like the king.
She walked up to that man and looked at him in amusement. The man very sweetly greeted Anita and asked her to take a walk with him. He then told her about various events related to the king and his personal stories, how he lost his life and other things which really made her more amused.
Her curiosity made her ask him how he resembled the king so much weather he was a relative to the king and if so why was he in the museum. With a plain look on his face he replied that he was the King and not some duplicate. He liked talking to few people and found her sweet so thought about giving her a personal tour rather than manipulated information about him that was circulating since his death.
Surprised by his answer she asked him if he was ghost, to which he said YES. Anita screamed in horror and ran out of the door without meeting any of his fellow students or teachers.
It was nearly time for the museum to close and all parents were asked to pick their children from the museum itself and therefore teachers were unable to figure out that she was missing as they thought she must have gone home.
After a weekend when student were submitting their report about the museum visit, but when Anita’s turn came, she had nothing to offer. When the teacher asked her the reason she narrated her supernatural encounter with the King’s ghost and as per her reputation the teacher thought that it was a COCK AND BULL STORY as Anita was hardly interested in her school assignments.
Anita was scolded by her teacher and was asked to summit her report on the next working day with a warning.
© Ritanjali Hastir
