He is accustomed to roaming about in the open, even in the gutters. Such type of ghous masts do not like to remain confined within four walls, nor do they like the company of men. At times, they separate limbs of their body during the night, and this is the reason they do not like men to be near them."
The entire Meherabad zoo of birds and animals had been brought to Bangalore and set up in the Links compound. And there were new additions too: Elizabeth bought a peacock from the bazaar one day, which was named Moti . The women were now mostly occupied in looking after the cleaning, feeding and watering of these pets. There were many ducks, hens and a rooster, whose water ponds were to be daily cleaned and refilled with fresh water. One day the pits filled with rain water and a hen fell in and drowned. When Elizabeth found it, she wept and brought the dead animal to Baba, saying, "Baba darling, the hen is unconscious with cold. What should we do now?"
Baba took the hen and went to the kitchen where Katie and Manu were cooking.
He said, "This hen is frozen. Hold her over the fire!"
Katie took the hen from Baba and replied in Gujarati (which Elizabeth did not understand) that the hen was already dead.
Baba winked at her and, after a while, remarked to Elizabeth, "Do you have any idea how fortunate this hen is? It is the hen's great luck that I have held her. If she dies, she will be even more fortunate and will take a more advanced form in her next birth; but she must die here and now in my presence."
Immediately, Katie played along and declared, "Baba, the hen is dead!" Elizabeth thus accepted the accidental death. The fortunate fowl's burial was performed before Baba with a proper ceremony.
During this period, Nonny became seriously ill in Bangalore, and both doctors, Don and Nilu, were treating her according to Baba's direction. Baba would see to her comfort and visit her, which made her feel somewhat better.
On one occasion Baba asked Rano, "If Nonny dies, would you be upset?"
Rano replied, "Whatever your will is will happen." However, after this, Rano started crying, and Baba asked her the reason. She explained that Nonny's death would make her brother in America sad.
Baba assured her, "Don't worry about him. I will take care of him."