How The Grinch Stole Tihar – By Jo Anne Pandey and Bijaya Eaton, U.S.A. (adapted from Dr. Seuss’s How The Grinch Stole Christmas) Posted on November 3, 2015 by Dr. Jo Anne Pandey and Bijaya Eaton- U.S.A. Everyone up in NepalCherished Tihar a lot.But the Grinch living just south of Nepal,He surely did not.The Grinch was a bully! This whole holiday season!Now please don’t ask why. No one quite knows the reason.It could be his head wasn’t screwed on just right.It could be, perhaps, his shoes were too tight.But I think that the most likely reason of allMay have been that his heart was two sizes too small. But,Whatever the reason,His heart or his shoes,As Tihar approached, he started to stewHe stood before Tihar,Staring up at his poor neighbor,With a sour Grinchy frownAt the not-quite-so-dark windowsAbove in their towns. For he knew all Nepalis living up thereWere busy making garlands with utmost care. “And they’re making their sel!” he snarled with a sneer.“Tihar, oh Tihar! It’s practically here!”Then he growled, with his Grinch fingers nervously drumming,“I MUST find some way to stop Tihar from coming!” ForSoon, he knew . . . All Nepal’s rainbow of facesWould join and celebrate in all of the placesBrothers and sisters, and sisters and brothersAll together, Together, TOGETHERThat’s one thing he hated! Together, TOGETHER! Then he got an idea!An awful idea!THE GRINCHGOT A WONDERFUL, AWFUL IDEA! “I know just what to do!” The Grinch laughed in his throat.And he made a quick callAnd he wrote a quick noteFor Minister This to minister that. And he chuckled, and clucked, “Now the border’s all closed!”He grabbed his coat and hat and looked down his huge nose. “All I need is a scapegoat. . .”The Grinch looked around.Scapegoats are not scarce. One soon will be found.There are demonstrations at the borderThey’ll do quite nicelyThat will be on their lipsWhile they drink chai nightly But then he got homeSlipped into his comfy bedAnd another Grinchy ideaPopped into his head. “They’re together, together, which just cannot beThey’re all too different and not just like me.The unofficial embargo is so not enoughTo keep them apart.I must go up and practice my art Of decisiveness, divisiveness, de-nice-ivness.” In the dark of nightHe left for Nepal.He took the last flight‘Cause jet fuel, he vowed,Should be nowhere in sight. All their windows were dark. Muffled groans filled the air.All knew this embargo on Tihar was completely unfair.When he came to the first little house on the square,“This is stop number one,” the old Grinch hissed.Then he kicked down the water tank, “You won’t be filling this.” Jumping to the next roof, he was atop a school.He looked down inside and said “You fools,|This will never open again when I have my say.”Then hackled and cackled and slithered away. He came across a stupa destroyed in the quakeThen he sighed, “Here, there’s no more mess I can make.Or can I?” And laughed such a laugh.He found saffron robes and ripped them in half. He looked in a window and saw garlands hanging“Those won’t go around your brothers’ necks as you’re planning.”He laughed.“They will rot on those hooks,Into your brothers’ eyes you will not soon look. He looked down the street at the empty busses sittingVisiting family shmamily, you’ve got to be kiddingHe jumped on one bus and stomped his big footWhich fell right through.He got an idea, he instantly knew“I can smash all these buses on my way back.No need for me to cover my track.” After all this destruction, the Grinch’s tummy was grumblingHe looked ’round for food and found there was nothingWith no petrol for transport and no gas for cooking|He could search far and wide and he’d still be looking. He found at the airport, the last bit of fuel.So he filled his plane’s tank.But there was a touch left,Which he promptly drank On the way home, in the dawn lightHe saw a very peculiar sightFruits on the ground, veggies all around,No transport to market to be found And then the most peculiar sight of allHerds of cows ready to fall,Milk still heavy in uddersInflicting great pain.No petrol to take milk to marketMay as well pour it down the drain. Safe back in his home, the Grinch checks what he’s doneSearching social media to see how he’s won.On Facebook he finds Nepalis still spreading good cheerFor Tihar, oh Tihar, was finally here.Children singing deusi, their voices so clear. He did not stop Tihar, although he tried.He did not stop Tihar even with his wild ride. The Grinch looked in the mirror and, as he shaved,He thought “If I stop now, they will think I have caved.”He readied himself for the wave that was comingBut what he received was really quite stunning. A crowd had gathered at the Grinch Ministry door,“Please stop this embargo,You need it no more. We love Nepal, as you should too.They are our brothers, let’s do as they do.They’ve made the best of things, even with no-things.Togetherness, you see, really is something.” https://jpandey.wordpress.com/...