The Hindu Business Line : Folktales about unnatural ties

I CHUCKLE when I read a news report that says, "It's not unreasonable to arrive at the conclusion that what has taken the Sensex above 8,000 is not the strength of the Indian economy." Because, there are already three negatives in that sentence to indicate enough confusion. But that's a fact, I mean, the confusion. Or is it delusion, `false or mistaken belief or idea about something,' as Encarta defines, I wonder, especially because in Latin deludere, means `play to your detriment.'

As if to compound my worries, another report says that there are `positive factors' to push the Sensex to the next level, such as "the economy is doing well, corporate performance has been good, interest rates are low and money flow is continuing," and thankfully, the gullible are believing! Yet, another talks of `bullish outlook' on the economy, as if to match equally bullish statements like `the market reflects the underlying value creation potential of the economy,' and `since all major companies trade in the BSE, the Sensex is a great indicator of the state of the Indian economy.' But, misleading correlations and wrong matches aren't new.

For, there's a story of `the scorpion and the tortoise,' that you can find as part of the Baldwin Project Bringing Yesterday's Classics to Today's Children on www.mainlesson.com. The two became such fast friends that they took a vow never to separate. They were travelling, and came by a river. To a troubled scorpion that wondered how it would swim, the tortoise offered its back. Midway, it felt `a strange rapping on his back' and so asked the scorpion, "What are you doing?" The reply was, "I am whetting my sting to see if it is possible to pierce your hard shell." What an ungrateful friend, thought the tortoise, and plunged into water to shake off the scorpion!

You can find this narrative along with `other folktales about unnatural partnerships' in `Folklore and Mythology Electronic Texts' on www.pitt.edu, the site of University of Pittsburgh. Included in the list is Aesop's fable The Mouse, the Frog, and the Hawk, as translated by V.S. Vernon Jones. A mouse and a frog struck up a friendship, and strengthened the bond by tying together their legs. "As long as they kept on dry land all went fairly well; but, coming to the edge of a pool, the frog jumped in, taking the mouse with him, and began swimming about and croaking with pleasure." Oh, what happened then?

"The mouse, however, was soon drowned, and floated about on the surface in the wake of the frog. There he was spied by a hawk, who pounced down on him and seized him in his talons. The frog was unable to loose the knot which bound him to the mouse, and, thus, was carried off along with him and eaten by the hawk." A classic case of pick one, get two!

For those poetic at heart, Jean de La Fontaine's verse The Frog and the Rat should appeal: "He prays the gods; she mocks his woe; He struggles up; she pulls below. And while this combat is fought out, A kite that's seeking all about Sees the poor rat that's like to drown; And pounces swift as lightning down." Moral of the story: "So oftentimes doth perfidy Return with triple usury."

Won't it be better, therefore, if we didn't tie together the legs of Miss Sensex and Mr Economy even as the duo stands on the fringe of the Bay of Bear with a watchful FII kite overhead?

SayCheek@TheHindu.co.in

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