Journey by Night — PROSE

Journey by Night – Norah Burke
About the Author:
 Norah Burke (1907–1976), an English novelist and non-fiction writer, was born in Bedford, England. She is known for her descriptions of life in India during the early half of the twentieth century. Her father, Redmond St. George Burke, was a Forest Officer in colonial India and consequently she came to India early in her life and stayed in India till the superannuation of her father in 1919. Her early childhood was spent traveling through the Indian forests, often on elephant back. The Indian jungle enriched her interactions with its wild animals inspired her autobiographical travel books Jungle Child (1956), Eleven Leopards (1965), and Midnight Forests (1966).
Summary:
 Sher Singh with his younger brother lay in the hut. Kunwar had a pain in his stomach and it was getting worse with time. The other children of his village Laidwani were dead earlier due to cholera, influenza or by some jungle accidents. Sher Singh’s mother tried to provide some home remedy to Kunwar, but it did not work, so she thought that it was better that Kunwar be carried to the hospital in Kalaghat. Sher Singh thought that his brother was dying as people in the jungle were aware that if someone is to be taken to the hospital then he or she is doomed.
 Sher Singh’s father, Sher Singh Bahadur – the brave, was a famous Shikari (hunter), who had earned the title Bahadur by his prowess in hunting. He was away in the jungle on a photographic expedition. So Sher Singh decided that he would carry Kunwar to the hospital as his mother just stayed behind to look after the cattle and the farming. She Singh’s mother was a hill woman and she knew about carrying loads. She took one of her two saris and she made a sling for Sher Singh to put around his forehead and down his back, and she lifted up the child Kunwar who was doubled with pain and put him into it. Sher Singh felt the weight and wondered how he was going to manage.
 It was evening when Sher Singh began the journey, first he had to cross the village, then the jungle started - scrub at first, rough grass dotted with thorn trees, and then with sal, from which they got sleepers for the railway at Kalaghat. Kalaghat was at least fifty miles away, but Sher Singh thought that if he could get through the jungle and cross the two rivers then he might get a lift in a bullock cart or perhaps even a broken-down truck for the last part of his journey.
 As he was passing through the jungle, an unknown jungle sense made him hesitate between one step and the next, and there was a cobra sunning itself on the path in the last of the daylight. As Sher Singh slowly moved away, the cobra too swayed back. As night fell, he quickened his steps through the forest as fear was gripping his mind and the weight of his brother was too much for him. As he came near the river bed, he was sure that he could go no further without rest. As he put Kunwar on the ground, he heard the jostle and squeal of elephants. As he saw the herd of elephants, Sher Singh was frightened, but he could do nothing. With Kunwar to carry, he could neither climb nor run. If he shouted, it would bring catastrophe upon them. But soon the herd disappeared. He picked up Kunwar with great difficulty and stepped into the shallow river. The water was colder than usual, as snowwater was already coming down. As he swashed up on to the shore, he noticed fresh foot prints of a tiger, but with great courage, he moved forward. Around midnight, the second river was ahead of him. The river was full as snow had melted and the kutcha bridge that he hoped to find was not there. It was submerged. There was a great current of the water, and underneath boulders moved, as if the river was grinding its teeth. Sher Singh gathered some grass and plaited it into a rope. Hetied the rope round his brother and himself so that they would keep together. Then he entered the water just above the bridge. The river seized them and he could not move, but then he began to move forward holding on to this and that. With great struggle he carried on keeping his brother’s head above water, fighting a mortal struggle. At last he succeeded in crossing the river with great difficulty with bruises everywhere on his body. Now he came to the road. Next they were in a bullock cart, then a truck. At last they were at the hospital.
 After admitting his brother to the hospital, Sher Singh went down to the rail yards in the morning to get some work of loading coal. He laboured all day and earned a few pence to buy a little coarse atta flour, some mustard oil and chilies, so as to cook a meal. Then the doctor called for him. The doctor asked him whether he was the boy who brought the child Kunwar in from Laidwani to which Sher Singh replied in the affirmative. The doctor smiled and said ‘Sher Singh Bahadur! Your brother will live. Come and see.’
Critical Appreciation:
 Norah Burke’s short story “Journey by Night” is set in a small village named Laldwani and the nearby town Kalaghat is fifty miles away from the village. Between the village and the town there is a dense forest, populated by animals like elephants, tigers, snakes like cobra etc. and two rivers. The protagonist of the story, twelve year old Sher Singh crosses the jungle and two rivers at night along with his sick younger brother on his back to reach the hospital of Kalaghat. The story was set when India was under Colonial rule and most of the villages in India did not have any medical facilities. When people were ill, home remedies were the only way out. If home remedies did not suffice, it meant death as hospitals were far off.
 Norah Burke’s story portrays India as it was many years back, but more than the portrayal of the backwardness of India; the short story is about the courage of a twelve year old boy, and his love for his brother.
Theme:
 Courage does not merely lie fighting heroic battles; courage lies in successfully reacting to the challenges that life has to offer. Courage lies in overcoming difficulties, in challenging oneself, in braving the odds of life. Twelve year old Sher Singh is one such boy whose indomitable spirit finds expression when his younger brother falls ill and has to be taken to hospital which is fifty miles away from his home in Laidwani village. All the men in the village, including his father, were out in a photographic expedition and his mother had to stay back in the village to look after the cattle and the farms. Therefore Sher Singh had no other choice but to walk through the dense jungle which had cobras, tigers, herds of elephants and other ferocious animals and to cross two bloating rivers. Sher Singh does all that is needed by overcoming all his fears, by reenergizing himself at each moment of the journey to save his brother’s life, by bearing extreme pain while carrying his ill brother on his back. Sher Singh’s father had received the title of “Bahadur” for being a famous ‘Shikari’, Sher Singh’s courage is far greater than that as he is not a hunter who is hunting for passion or profession, but he delves into danger to save the life of his brother. His dedication to what he is doing, his love and concern for his brother are above his fears, his pains and his fatigue. Sher Singh is a true example and a bench mark of courage.
 Affection: Love or affection is a feeling which builds ourselves and bonds us with other people. When we love someone or when we are affectionate to someone; we put that person over and above our own self. We care for that person and do our best for his or her well-being. Sher Singh is one such boy who loves his brother truly and therefore dares all dangers to carry ill Kunwar on his shoulders for fifty miles at night, crossing dense forest populated with ferocious animals and two dangerous rivers to reach the hospital. It is his affection for his brother which makes him overcome the fears and pains.
 One needs to keep in mind here that it is only good natured people having a clean heart who can love someone in such fashion. Here affection or love does not signify that one is expecting something in return or is looking for some credit. It is merely that one feels good that he or she isaffectionate towards someone else. Sher Singh’s gain in the story is that he could save his brother’s life.
Characterisation:
 Sher Singh’s Mother:  Sher Singh’s mother is a typical hill woman, who is an expert in many of the daily tasks. She knows how to work on the land, mind the cattle and carry loads. She is a strong lady who has patience. She has gone through the pain of losing her children; the ordeal of helplessly watching her children slowly pass away before her own eyes, has also made her spirit quite strong.
 She has firm faith in Sher Singh’s abilities and so she takes the risk of sending him alone, with his ailing brother, so far away, that too during the night and through a jungle. She knows that the boy will prove brave like his father, and thus entrusts him with the responsibility. She has made her children self-sufficient.
 Sher Singh :  Sher Singh is a twelve year old village boy who shows immense courage to carry his younger brother to the hospital fifty miles away from his village crossing dense forests having ferocious animals like tigers, elephants, cobras and crossing two rivers. He is heroic in his successful endeavour to save his brother’s life. Life offers us challenges and it is only the brave ones who face those challenges with extreme dexterity and courage and emerge victorious. Sher Singh is one of them who did not care about his own pains, his tiredness, his fears and agonies and walked with the weight of his brother on his shoulders to take him to hospital. He is not only brave, but caring and loving. His love for his brother, his responsibilities towards his own family at an age of twelve is commendable. So when the doctor calls him at the end of the story as “Bahadur (Courageous), the title also conferred to his father for being a successful and brave hunter, the readers feel that he is more courageous than his father as his father does hunting as a profession and a passion; but Sher Sing did the courageous act to save his brother’s life.
 Sher Sing Bahadur :  Sher Singh Bahadur is a brave man. The title Bahadur has been added to his name because of his deeds of courage.
 Sher Singh Bahadur is Sher Singh’s father. He is basically a farmer by occupation, but he is more famous as a shikari. He lives in Laidwani village, grazing his cattle and tilling his bit of land. However, his simple life is occasionally marked by adventure. Whenever there is a shooting or photographic expedition in the jungle, people always send for Sher Singh Bahadur, as he is very well acquainted with the forests at the foot of the hills.