Shiro was a cute little dinosaur born thousands of years ago. He liked being himself and not imitating what other dinos did. He would play with little animals, show concern if anyone in the jungle got hurt and had lots of friends.
His mother though had a tough time with him when it came to hone his eating habits. Shiro just hated meat and that happened to be the main food for these kind of dinosaurs. Shiro couldn’t gulp down his throat anything that was offered to him on the dining table. He would feel extremely sad at the thought that a goat or a lamb or a buffalo had been killed for his food. His mother, ‘Mama Dino tried hard in explaining to Shiro that dinosaurs were born to eat meat and kill animals. There was nothing wrong in it. But Shiro wanted to find a solution where he didn’t have to eat meat.
One day he saw a few cows grazing at the farms and just went and plucked a bunch of shiny grass to eat. Initially he found it little weird but soon liked the taste. Then a small bird flew near him and said that he could try some berries and fruits that were on the nearby tree.
Shiro perched his long neck and ate the fruits and he really liked them. The bird who was watching him said that it was surprising to see a dinosaur eating fruits and vegetarian food. Shiro asked “What is vegetarian food”?
“Well you don’t eat meat, egg or anything that has to kill animals.”, said the teeny weenie bird. Shiro was delighted when he heard this. “You mean I can live by being vegetarian, right?” he asked the bird. “Yes I think so said the bird skeptically.
Shiro had all the answers now. He went back home and told his mother that he has decided to become vegetarian. His mother, Mama Dino was flabbergasted. How can a dinosaur be a vegetarian she asked?
Shiro said, “ Like all the animals who are vegetarian, I want to be one too but out of choice. Please help me Mama.” His mom decided to give this try as no amount of coaxing and informing Shiro that eating meat will give him strength helped the little dino change his mind. He promised to look into all healthy foods available in vegetarian food and let her know how he could build on his strength too being a vegetarian..
Until Shiro lived he was always a vegetarian. And he had loved it as it dissolved him of the dilemma of not wanting to eat food on the dinner table.
BY RESHMA KRISHNAMURTHY SHARMA