The Adventures of Kunga: A Picture Book Story From the Himalayas
In a village nestled within the Himalaya forests, a family once made their home. The three children were Kunga, a seven-year-old boy; Dolma, aged thirteen; and Tashi, who was three years old. The father cultivated the farm, while the mother aided him in the fields and in raising the yaks. The parents were exceedingly gentle with their children and provided for them with great care. One side of the farm gave way to a forest that ascended into a mountain, and the opposite side faced a far-reaching chain of mountains. The tallest of these peaks was perpetually crowned with snow.
Every morning, the father and mother rise early and meditate for one hour, chanting “om mani Padme om”. After that, they wake the children and make breakfast. Dolma, a very clever girl, attends the nearby monastery, where she studies Tibetan and basic science. Meanwhile, Kunga spends his time running around the big house at play. The two children, Dolma and Kunga, are quite naughty and playful. As for Kunga's imagination, he pictured the hill as a sleeping man whose snow served as a hat he never removed. On the far side of the farm lay a beautiful blue lake.
After Dolma heads to the monastery, her parents take Kunga to the field directly in front of their house. Filled with curiosity, Kunga dashes about the farm to observe everything around him. He watches the birds soaring overhead and the goats feeding on the pasture, addressing them as if they might answer back. He offers grass to the yaks and then stays still, observing the insects’ movements to understand what they are doing. His eagerness to learn grows stronger with every moment.
After Dolma had departed for the monastery, Kunga's parents brought him along to the farm one day, where they set to work harvesting barley. As usual, Kunga was playing in the field when a small red bird tumbled from the sky, unable to fly properly. Curious to find out what it was, Kunga dashed toward it; spotting his approach, the frightened bird tried to take off again but only managed to flutter a short distance before landing once more. Realizing that his pursuit was scaring the bird, Kunga slowed down and edged closer with great care.
Kunga felt very sad at the sight of the injured bird, whose leg and one of its wings were damaged. “I will take this bird to my father so that he will help him,” he said to himself. As he moved closer, the bird started to fly again and fell at a distance. Kunga pursued it, and although the bird kept flying, he continued until it flew into the forest. Kunga was very scared of going into that forest, but he told himself, “But I have to help the bird,” and so he walked slowly inside.
Kunga walked slowly through the dense forest, with its tall and massive trees. He noticed the red bird and chased it, but it flew deep into the thick woods. After a few more meters, he saw sunlight beautifully shining on the tree's leaves. Some small squirrels were playing there. He sat down to watch them. A few minutes went by before he remembered the bird. He searched for it but couldn't find where it was. Turning around, he realized he couldn't remember the route back.
Kunga was frightened as he ran in circles, yet the path home remained unseen. “How am I to return home now?” he wondered. After half an hour, he grew weary and slumped onto the root of a tree. The squirrels paused and stared at him. “I’m lost and don’t know the way back,” he told them. When one squirrel let go of a pine cone, Kunga took it as a sign of friendship, said “Tuchena,” and began to eat it.
Kunga heard a loud rustling of leaves and the panicked screams of birds. The squirrels, terrified, scurried up the tree. Realizing a dangerous animal was approaching, he cried out in fear, “Amma la, Amma la” (mother, mother in Tibetan). Then an angry, harsh voice told him to stop screaming, and someone grabbed his arms. Startled, Kunga saw a frightening man. The man yelled again, “Stop screaming! I am hunting birds and animals.”
His hair was long, and his clothes were dirty and long. From his shoulder hung a smelly ball of a bag. In one hand he carried a catapult, while the other held a long stick. “If you scream, they will fly away and the animals will run away,” he said. “What’s your name?” “My name is Kunga.” “What are you doing in the forest?” “I was following a red bird that was hurt and I am lost.” “Where are your parents?” “They are working in the farm; they will be searching for me. Can you take me home?” The bad man then devised an evil plan.
Kunga closely watched how the man aimed and shot a stone from his catapult, striking a bird that sat in its nest. The man had raised his weapon to eye level and looked around before firing. In his mind, he planned to take the boy and ask the family for shelter, and he also thought about stealing their house once everyone was asleep. Then he smiled at Kunga, exposing dark brown teeth that frightened the boy. “First, let me hunt a bird and then I will take your home. Now sit here and do not go anywhere,” he said.
Kunga saw a bird on the ground, fluttering in pain, and felt moved to help it. He approached, gently picked the bird up, and softly touched it. The bird cooed, and Kunga said, “Don’t cry little bird, I will take care of you.” The bird’s wing was hurt. In the meantime, a man had told him, “This bird is too small. I need a bigger one. You little boy, do not go anywhere till I return,” before walking into the forest without even glancing at the injured bird.
By noon, Kunga felt hungry. More than an hour had passed, and the dirty hunter still had not returned. Kunga, unsure what to do, had gone on speaking to the bird, pleading with it not to suffer. “I am hungry, I would like to have some food,” he said to himself. Then, from behind, a very gentle and kind voice asked, “Child, what are you doing all alone?” Kunga turned and found a monk standing beside him. The monk’s head was shaved, he wore red burgundy robes, his eyes were bright, and in his hand he carried a bag.
After bowing, Kunga said "Tashi Delek. I am lost in the forest" and showed the bird. "Ough no, the bird needs some medicine," the monk said. He took a bowl of water and gave some to the bird, then brought out leaves and made a bandage. "Why is the bird hurt?" the monk asked. "A hunter shot him!" Kunga replied. The monk said, "All living beings want to be happy and to avoid suffering. Just like all of us. We should not hurt any living beings." Kunga listened to the monk.
The monk asked the child, "Would you like someone to harm you?" The child replied, "No." The monk then said, "Just like you, this bird also does not wish to be harmed." The child asked, "So why did the hunter harm it?" The monk answered, "Unfortunately, he did. Where is that hunter now?" The child said, "He left for the forest and told me to wait here." Feeling uneasy, the monk chose to escort the boy home himself. He said, "Child, I will take you home myself." As he spoke, he placed the bird back into its nest and murmured a brief prayer. Kunga inquired, "Why are you praying?" The monk replied, "So that the bird heals soon." Then Kunga added, "Before losing my way, I was chasing a red bird that was already hurt.
Childishly asking, “Can you also make a prayer for that red one?” Kunga prompted the monk to smile, sit beside him, and say, “Let’s pray for all hunted birds and animals.” Sitting side by side with eyes closed and palms together, they prayed for a while. Afterwards, the two walked through the woods for more than thirty minutes.
As they continued walking, Kunga listened carefully even though he didn't grasp everything, having just asked, "What is compassion?" The monk responded that the phrase is simple yet profound: it means treating every living being as if it were yourself, never harming others, and offering help to those in distress—even if they've wronged you. Suddenly, faint voices reached them from a distance: "Kunga, Kunga, my son where are you? Kunga? Kunga?" Kunga's face lit up as he told the monk, "It is my father." He then shouted, "Appa la" and "Here we are Appa la la," and both he and the monk ran toward the sound of his father's voice.
Kunga ran closer and saw that his father was accompanied by Dolma, who was overjoyed to see him. His father, weeping, lifted him into his arms. 'Where have you been, Kunga?' his father asked. After explaining that he had followed a bird into the forest, Kunga recounted the monk's story and greeted his father with 'Tashi dalek.' The father invited the monk to share a meal of butter tsou and thuppa, thanking him as he did so. The monk accepted and continued on with them, remarking, 'Your boy is very curious and kind.
As the group continued walking, a cry rang out: "Help, Help somebody please help." They hurried toward the sound and found a man lying on the ground—unkempt, with long hair—clutching his leg in agony. "What happened to you Sir?" Kunga's father inquired. Earlier, the monk had smiled and remarked, "too adventurous for a little boy." He added, "Just imagine, if he was lost in the forest and met any bad person, he cannot defend himself. his mother is already very worried about him.
The man recognized Kunga and knew that it was his father, Kunga said "this was the man that was hurt the bird." "Please help me, I slipped down and broke my leg." "He hurt the bird and now he is hurt." exclaimed Dolma. "If we leave him here no one will find him!" Kunga said Father and Dolma were surprised to hear it the monk was happy and the bad man was ashamed of wanting to kidnap Kunga. "Don’t worry" said his father. and the monk and his father helped the man up and they took him to his home.
I shot this red bird," admitted the hunter. Kunga replied, "You shouldn’t hunt other living things." After saying this, he seemed less afraid of the hunter. Earlier, on his way home, Kunga had seen the injured red bird and carefully picked it up, though the bird was too timid to fly. When Kunga came home, his mother was very happy to see him, and his father recounted the entire story. Meanwhile, his mother prepared food for everyone, and the monks and the father helped the man and the bird. The hunter’s leg was placed in plaster, and Kunga’s father gave him clean clothes. The whole family treated him kindly.
Having thanked Kunga for helping him recognize his mistake, the hunter made a firm promise: 'I will never steal and hunt other living creatures again in my life.' Tears of shame welled up as he thought, 'It reminds me of how good my family were when I was young,' remembering that he had once planned to steal their house. Earlier, the mothers had said, 'Let us have dinner,' and served a tasty Thuppa. Everyone ate, while Kunga gave the bird some barley and grains and healed its wing with medicine. The whole family was delighted to host both the monk and the hunter.
Kunga and Dolma approached the red bird and assured it, "we will keep you safe and look after you." In reply, the bird let out a "coo." Their entire group, having overheard this exchange, burst into laughter. And with that, Kunga's day full of adventure came to an end.