STORYTELLING

How To Cut A Thampala Tree

The importance of precautions before execution

In our country, a saying goes, ‘How to cut a Thampala tree (Amaranth).’ Even though we refer to it as a tree, it is, in fact, a small plant that can be easily cut even with a pocket knife.

So, why has cutting down a Thampala tree become a story?

A long time ago, a farmer had a beautiful daughter, so almost every eligible young man in that area wanted to marry her. They came and asked the farmer for permission.

However, the farmer didn’t want to give away his beloved daughter to just any ordinary guy; he wanted to find a determined fellow as the son-in-law. So, he used a test to identify a suitable candidate.

The farmer asked every suitor seeking permission to follow him to his farmland. In one corner of the land, there was a well-grown Thampala cultivation. The farmer would ask the young man to cut down a selected Thampala plant, handing him a long-armed knife.

Thinking this was an easy task, the young man took the knife and cut the Thampala plant at once, only to find a disappointed expression on the farmer’s face. The farmer then told the young man the usual remarks of ‘We will notify you later’ and struck his name off the list.

Likewise, more than a handful of candidates were rejected during the Thampala test.

One day, another young man came asking for permission, and he, too, was directed to the farmland and shown a Thampala plant to cut. Unlike the others, this young man didn’t cut down the plant with a single strike.

First, he loosened his sarong and dressed it into a loin cloth, our traditional working attire. Then he removed his shoulder cloth and tied it around his head like a bandana. Now, he was dressed for the occasion.

Even after this, he didn’t cut the plant. Instead, he took out betel leaves and areca nuts from his bag. He prepared a betel chewing, offering it to the farmer who observed all his actions. Then, the young man prepared another for himself and took a bite. After savoring and spitting a mouthful, he stood up.

You are mistaken if you think this young man cut the Thampala plant. No, he found a nearby rock and sharpened the knife. Then, he cleared all the small vines around the area where he would swing the blade to prevent them from entangling the knife.

After these preparations, he cut down the Thampala plant with a single swing. There’s no need to explain the rest of the story, as the farmer selected him as the perfect suitor for his daughter.

Today, an incident related to this happened about how to cut a Thampala tree.

We decided to cut down the excessive papaya trees in our office accommodation yard with the help of a few laborers. In the meantime, we also decided to clean the other areas, as the past few days’ heavy rain prevented us from doing so.

During the process, one of our laborers accidentally damaged a water line using the grass cutter. We closed the valve for the particular section and carried out the cleaning work.

In the evening, my roommate and I set out to repair the damaged plumbing area with the necessary tools. I tried to begin the repair work immediately.

However, I struggled due to the lack of space for maneuvering the hacksaw blade. My friend laughed at me and advised me to step away and clear the surrounding area first. Then, he asked me to carry out the repair work while mentioning the saying about the Thampala tree.

Shamefully, I had to admit that even though it took additional time, cleaning the surrounding area helped to conduct the repair work smoothly. Some may think that early precautions are unnecessary for a small task. But, no matter how small our job is, we should follow the proper techniques, as a single incident can cause irreparable damage.

A better example would be a simple day-to-day task like changing a light bulb. You may have to be careful about several safety facts before jumping straight to the job.

In my profession, We are familiar with this system through our mandatory health and safety checklist during the construction industry. Without proper Personal Protective Equipment and safety guidelines, we do not allow the execution of some specific tasks despite numerous worker complaints. Perhaps I should adopt these things more into my personal life, too.

So remember to cut the Thampala tree properly because the easiest method is not always correct.

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