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Reconciling Procedural Labyrinth Generation and Narrative
Written by Loïc Cayuela on March 31, 2015
Procedural generation is popular amongst independent developers, and for good reason: It allows the almost infinite generation of new content, and, with the help of well established rules, allows a high playtime without boring the player with too much repetition. Procedural generation can be used in many different areas, from game design to 3D, as well as music. The idea is to generate content by using mathematical formulas and randomness. Thus, we're replacing the act of a person creating content with the machine doing the same thing. Of course all the created content relies on the rules that will create it, the challenge and quality of the labyrinth depends on these rules.
In Subaeria, procedural generation consists of building labyrinths that will connect the important locations within the city. The action/puzzle gameplay, along with part of the game's story (quests, narration, etc) can be found in the labyrinths. It's necessary that the rules of the labyrinth take into account gameplay and narration in order to stay coherent as the player progresses through his run.
Establishing the rules of generation
As said in the introduction, we are going to create the labyrinths according to pre-established rules and, of course, parameters allowing to influence these rules, like the size of the labyrinth or its difficulty.
The size of the labyrinth
In Subaeria the progression of the player happens through a security level system. Difficulty increases as the player advances in the labyrinth, which implies that the labyrinth has to adapt itself and change according to the level of difficulty.
The player will become more powerful as he moves forward and will get rid of enemies faster (by having higher level skills and bettering his stats). Making labyrinths longer helps to compensate for this by giving the player an added level of challenge. Though the number of secret rooms (that contain skills and buffs) will remain constant in order to have better control over the player's progression.
4 directions, 4 paths
The labyrinth has 4 exits: north, south, east and west, because it has to connect to narrative rooms and other labyrinths. The idea is to consider a labyrinth or a narrative location as a "Gate System" that can be connected to 4 other "Gate Systems".
The strategy to generate the labyrinth from this first rule is to start from these 4 "Gate Rooms" and to go towards the center of the labyrinth. It's mandatory to connect the exits and entrances together, we can't leave any unconnected, which would block the progression of the player through the city.
The entrance/exits are in red on this image, the center of the labyrinth is in yellow. A path constructed of rooms will go from each entrance/exit towards the center by using a weight system. Every direction has a different weight attributed to it, the highest weight being given to the path that leads towards the center of the labyrinth. Randomness will then determine, while taking into account the various weights, the direction in which the next room will be created.
Building alternative paths
Once the labyrinth has been created, we're going to randomly open the doors between the rooms that shouldn't necessarily be connected. Of course, the main path is open to allow the player to go through the labyrinth, but by opening more doors, we're adding alternative paths, that don't necessarily reach the exit or the center of the labyrinth.
We're also going to create extra branches that will be dead ends, surrounding the main path, in order to add complexity to the navigation. We like when the player feels like he's in a different labyrinth every time, but we also like the fact that he can understand how the generation works, so he can feel smart within the game (in the same spirit as Binding of Isaac).
A consistent labyrinth
It's important to control procedural generation, most of the time by using precise rules for generation. But often, finding these formulas requires quite a bit of time as well as a thorough analysis. A technique exists that gives consistent results in 99.9% of the cases and it's easy to put in place. It's simply regenerating the labyrinth as long as we don't get the desired result. Obviously there needs to be a limit to the number of attempts, so that we can avoid infinite generation. We've noticed that with a maximum of 10 attempts at generation we avoid ending up with undesirable labyrinths. Over millions of generations, it can happen that a labyrinth won't be as we'd like, but it'll remain playable, just less interesting.
To ensure the quality of the labyrinth, we'll, for example, count the number of rooms created an compare it to the size of the labyrinth to find middle ground. We also determine the ratio of open doors to the number of rooms, in order to avoid having a labyrinth that has all doors opened or on the opposite end, a snake with rooms that only have 2 open doors, which makes for a very linear progression.
Time permitting, we could have developed a neural network based on human validation, in order to distinguish the good and bad results and to simultaneously learn which are the best rules to generate the labyrinth.
Integrating the narrative and special rooms
Subaeria, doesn't only have roguelike gameplay, it's also and mainly a narrative game. The problem with narration as we see it in RPGS, is that it's linear. And this goes against the basis of procedural level generation, which signifies that every playthrough will be different from another. How then can we tell the story of the city to the player, and how can we ensure that he'll be able to fullfill the different tasks of a quest? Multiple tools are at our disposition that allow us to enrich the Procedural death labyrinth with narrative elements, here are some of the most important:
Mandatory rooms
As indicated by their name, these rooms are obligatory and the labyrinth has to place them somewhere. It's a list of rooms, that are prepared in beforehand by the game designer, and once that labyrinth is created these rooms will be placed. Placement rules forces these rooms to be at at least x distance from the entrances/exits, in order to incite the player to search for them throughout the labyrinth. These rooms can be narrative (NPCs, quest elements) or they can be resource rooms, or special event rooms (Boss rooms)
These secret rooms are also part of the labyrinth. Contrary to mandatory rooms, these rooms are placed at the exterior of the labyrinth, in order to ensure that they're only connected to a single other room. If we decide to place it randomly, like the mandatory room, and that we close doors to get the same result (of the room being only accessible by one door), we run the risk of cutting off the main path, and compromising the completion of the labyrinth. Usually these rooms will have more of a gameplay focus, by holding resources for the player, or special challenges. We'll be able to define priorities on the appearance of these rooms as well as their quantity.
We'll see in a second post, how to fill "normal" rooms, as up to now, we've just looked at the structure of the labyrinth, and not so much its content.
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Tags: game dev, illogika, indie dev, narrative, Procedural Labyrinth generation, story-telling, subaeria, video game development Categories: Dev Logs
A roguelike action puzzler where players manipulate robots into destroying each other.
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Safe And Effective Termite Control Options For Protecting Your Home.
Envirosafe Pest Control specializes in two very effective but different termite control and prevention systems. We can help you determine which treatment option is best for you and your home.
The Advance Termite Bait System consists of several unique components that work together to create a localized point of termite colonization and control. The foundation of the system is a next generation Advanced Termite Bait Station (TBS) that consists of in-ground housing secured with a Quick-Lock cap. Inside the station are newly designed Advanced Termite Monitoring Base (TMB) and Advanced Termite Inspection Cartridge (TIC) with Puri-Cell monitoring tablets.
Once our trained Termite Technicians detect termites in the TMB and/or the TIC, the TIC is removed and an Advanced Termite Bait Cartridge (TBC) is installed. This begins the termite baiting process and the start of termite colony elimination. Termite bait stations are monitored by our firm on a quarterly basis to ensure Termites never return. Convenient scheduling is created by the fact that you do not have to be home.
Unlike any other termiticide, Termidor® termiticide/insecticide kills termites through ingestion or contact. Because Termidor is non-repellent, termites unknowingly ingest it along with the cellulose and other material they normally ingest. Since termites can't see, feel, or smell Termidor, they readily contact it as they forage for wood or other cellulose materials. So even if termites are not actively feeding, Termidor will kill them. Typical Termidor application rates contain 0.06% of the active ingredient fipronil, which is substantially lower than any other termiticides. It is not mutagenic, not teratogenic, and not considered a human carcinogen. It is also non-toxic to earthworms and soil microflora. And because it binds tightly to organic matter in soil, eliminating any potential for it to reach groundwater. With our Perimeter Plus Treatment even less termiticide is applied in the soil. Our targeted Termidor Treatments according to the Termidor Perimeter Plus label is the most environmentally friendly liquid Termite Treatment available.
Termites Control is what we do best. Our Termite Technicians are Graduates from Clemson University's esteemed Master Termite Tech School. We have two plans that are effective, safe for your family and pets and environmentally friendly. Choose a Termite Protection Plan that is right for you.
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The Advance Termite baiting is the closest thing we have to true non-chemical termite control. Envirosafe Pest Control will install and monitor the Advance Termite Bait System on the exterior without even entering your home. There is no drilling in floors or foundations are required, and it results in limited disturbances in landscaping.
Envirosafe Pest Control is the leading provider of Termite and Pest Control Services that are safe for your family, home, and pets. For over 30 years we have established ourselves as the areas stand alone provider of green, earth friendly, organic, and low environmental impact termite and pest control services. Envirosafe Pest Control's employees are Master Pest Technicians accredited through Clemson University's esteemed program. With thousands of happy customers in the Charlotte area, our "Go Green" track record and environmental stewardship speaks for itself.
Envirosafe Termite & Pest control stands alone in delivering safe, effective, organic pest control and is pleased and thankful to serve many loyal customers!


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ESRB Video Game Ratings Explained
It's one of the toughest day-to-day problems 21st century parents face: choosing which video games our children should be allowed to play. Where should you start? With your own values, of course. Next, step back and look at your child: every child's different. Then, get some help (heaven knows, these days, we all need as much help as we can get!)
Here's one place to get the help you need: the ESRB rating system.
ESRB is the Entertainment Software Rating Board. It's the self-regulatory body for the videogame industry (just like the organization that rates movies, the MPAA). Nearly every game sold in the U.S. and Canada gets an ESRB rating: many stores won't sell an unrated game and the major console manufacturers (Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony) won't publish unrated games for their systems.
What the ratings tell you
ESRB's ratings are intended to provide general guidance about a game's content and age-appropriateness, but some games allow for online play that can let users add and change a game's content in ways that may not be consistent with its ESRB rating. And, as soon as a player goes online, he or she might be competing with other players who don't "fit the profile," and might use the various chat features (text, voice, and in some cases video) available on many online-enabled games to harass other players, sometimes using harsh language.
Games that allow these types of online interactions among players carry a notice on the package as well as on the game's opening screen that reads "Online Interactions Not Rated By The ESRB," as a warning to consumers that these features may allow for the introduction of content not factored into the game's rating. All that being said, the ESRB ratings will give you a good general sense of whether you'll be comfortable bringing a game into your home, just like the MPAA ratings do for movies.
There are six levels of ratings, from "Early Childhood" all the way to "Adults Only" games that shouldn't be sold to anyone under 18. You'll find these ratings on the front and back of the game box (and if you're buying online, most e-commerce sites display them, too). Official rating category definitions are available on the ESRB's website, but here's our breakdown:
For age 3 or older; nothing inappropriate here! Example: Jumpstart Advanced Preschool Fundamentals
For age 6 or older: you might find a little "cartoon, fantasy or mild" violence and the occasional mean (but not obscene) word. Example: Super Mario Galaxy
For age 10 or older: these titles are likely to contain a little more violence, a little tougher language, and maybe the occasional "suggestive" theme. Example: LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga
For age 13 or older: more violence and suggestive themes, crude humor, a little blood, some simulated gambling, and the occasional "strong language." Example: Medal of Honor: Heroes 2
For age 17 and older: may have intense violence, blood and gore, and/or sexual content or significant strong language. Example: Halo 3
Should not be played by anyone younger than 18; may include "prolonged scenes of intense violence" and/or "graphic sexual content and nudity."
There's one more rating you might see, but only for games that haven't been officially rated and released yet:
Rating Pending
Make sure to check back when the game goes on sale for its final, official rating
Why it got that rating
So why did that game get the rating it got? What type of content might we as parents be interested in knowing about? Look on the back of the box for the details. ESRB uses over 30 "content descriptors": everything from "Comic Mischief" to "Use of Tobacco" to "Strong Sexual Content." Using both parts of the rating (the age ratings on the front and the content descriptors on the back) helps to give good guidance as to whether a particular game is right for your child. But again, use your own judgment and knowledge of your child to make the best choices for him or her.
Rating Summary
If you'd like to go a bit deeper, the ESRB also offers a supplementary source of information about game content called "rating summaries," which provide a brief explanation of the context and relevant content that factored into a game's rating. They're a straight-forward, objective snapshot of exactly what parents would want to know about when deciding if a game is one they deem suitable for their child. Rating summaries are available when searching for games on the ESRB website, via the ESRB rating search widget, as well as right from the video game store by logging onto ESRB's mobile website at m.esrb.org. They're also available through the ESRB's free ParenTools newsletter, which provides subscribers with a bi-monthly list of recently rated titles complete with rating summaries and customized to their selected preference of rating categories and game platforms.
Finally, a tip: don't let your child tell you "everyone's" playing that M-rated game. It's just not true. Six in ten parents "never" allow their children to play M-rated games, and another third of them only do so "sometimes." In fact, parents of children under the age of 13 are more than twice as likely as those of older children to never allow their child to play an M-rated game. If they're not ready, stand your ground!
And there's no shortage of games rated for younger players, either. A couple of years ago, only 6% of all ratings assigned by ESRB were for games rated "M" for Mature, and those games were responsible for only 15.5% of sales. In contrast, more than half of the ratings assigned by ESRB were "E" for Everyone. E-rated games dominate the top-selling games each year, so there's plenty of game choices that are both fun and appropriate.
New rating system for mobile apps
How to choose the right video games
ESRB releases mobile app for easy access to video game rating summaries
5 Things Parents Need to Know About Mobile Gaming
7 Reasons Why It's OK to Play Smartphone Games

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The question should in fact be: Why not recover heat?
Amazingly, 100 percent of the (electrical) energy input to a compressor is converted into heat. Up to 96 % of this energy can be recovered and reused for space heating or hot water production purposes. This not only reduces primary energy consumption, but also significantly improves the total energy balance.
Amazingly, almost 100 percent of the electrical drive energy input to a rotary screw compressor is converted into heat.
Approximately 96 percent of the energy can be recovered for reuse, two percent remains in the compressed air and two percent radiates away from the compressor package into the ambient surroundings. So where does the usable energy in compressed air come from?
The answer is actually quite simple and perhaps surprising: During the compression process and conversion of the electrical drive energy into heat, the compressor charges the air it draws in with energy potential. This corresponds to approximately 25 percent of the compressor's electrical power consumption. This energy is only usable however once the compressed air expands at its point of use and in so doing absorbs heat energy from the ambient surroundings. Of course the amount of this energy that is available for use depends on the pressure and leakage losses within the compressed air system.


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Q: SQL Agent using domain user for Jobs with TSQL I have tried every option but i still cant find out why my sql agent is using a domain user when executing job steps with TSQL and keep getting the following error:
Executed as user: RESOURCE\UXCOLEBSREP$. Login failed for user 'RESOURCE\UXCOLEBSREP$'. [SQLSTATE 28000] (Error 18456).  The step failed.
I have made sure that the agent is running using this acocunt:
NT SERVICE\SQLAgent$UXB
I have made sure that no run as being used under any job stpes.
Please advice! I'm using sql 2017
Thx

A: uxcolebsrep$ is probably the SQL Server name itself.
In this case, as you are using a linked server, that makes sense. Your actual Agent service account is a local account to your sql server. It does not exist on the remote Linked Server so SQL uses the Machine account to try to connect to the remote SQL Server (the one in the linked server).
To get this fix, you have a couple of option:
1 - Change your SQL Agent service acccount for a domain account and make sure it has permission on the remote SQL server (the one in the linked server)  - (Recommanded option)
2 - Give access to the SQL Machine (uxcolebsrep$) on your remote SQL Server
3 - Create a proxy to use in your SQL job and make sure that this proxy will use an account with permission on the remote SQL Server.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


32 new hotels with 6,800 rooms are planned for 2010. End of 2012 are a total 90,000 rooms at the Metropole available. New York offers visitors soon even more selection of hotels. 2010 promises an especially active year in terms of hotel development to be 32 openings and 6,800 additional rooms, including the new Trump Soho, Andaz Wall Street, aloft Harlem, and five new hotels in Brooklyn. The number of hotel rooms in the Hudson metropolis of currently $ 79,000 on 90,000 is expected to increase up to the year 2012. A total of 50 hotel projects in all five parts of the city are planned until the end of 2012.
Regardless of the economic situation, the city's hotel market 2009 greatly expanded with 5.458 new rooms. Including hotel directly at the Highline Park and the Jane are long-awaited projects like the standard hotel in the West Village and Reopenings of renowned luxury hotels like the mark and The Pierre on the Upper East Side. Overall the hotel occupancy in New York 2009 slightly was lower than 2008: an average of 80 percent in the first three quarters of 2009 compared to an average of 86 percent in the same period last year. A positive development emerged in the third quarter, here the city's hotels sold about four per cent more nights than in the same period last year. We provide a list of all planned hotel projects on request available. Learn more about New York and its hotels can be found german and in German at. There are more press releases, as well as press photos under press photos.


"More is an extremely versatile system of modular furniture for internal and external environments with multiple functions, enabling one to interpret their space freely and dynamically, changing the face of the home environment or public spaces. It offers an infinite variety of solutions to its users in the widest imaginable circumstances.
Modularity has been the key to this project, it enables one to create furniture of various shapes and dimensions, it can be used for different contexts, starting with a few base elements that are easy to assemble.
The project centred around the theme of transformability starting from the design of a simple unit, and in the same time close attention was paid to experimenting with new tactile, visual, aesthetic and chromatic effects.


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Rhododendron wrayi is a species of flowering plant in the family Ericaceae, endemic to Peninsular Malaysia.

References

wrayi
Endemic flora of Peninsular Malaysia
Least concern plants
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


What does Ratnanidhi mean, details, origin, short & easy attributes?
Ratnanidhi is baby boy name mainly popular in Hindu religion and its main origin is Hindi. Ratnanidhi name meanings is Lord Vishnu. Ratnanidhi is written in Hindi as रात्नानीधी. Other similar sounding names can be Hridayanand, Ratnangi.
Each letter meanings in Ratnanidhi Name.


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Read A Tiger for Malgudi Online
Authors: R. K. Narayan
A Tiger for Malgudi (5 page)
BOOK: A Tiger for Malgudi
6.3Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
Captain watched them as they left the place grumbling, but afraid to curse openly. The clerk got absorbed in his files once again, muttering, 'The officer is always on tour, what can I do if everyone comes and bothers me? Am I the officer drawing a fat salary?'This was addressed to the Captain, who was at the door, and he just said, soothingly, 'Of course, you are not,'and followed the villagers out.
He followed them a little distance, and threw out a general question in order to attract their attention, 'Are you the headman of the village?'At which they turned round and stopped.
'How did you know us, sir?'
He introduced himself. 'You see that circus there - that's mine and I often come to this office on business. Not bad fellows at this office but they delay. That poor fellow, he can't help it. Only his master has to do things...'
'Every time we come, we bring him some offering - cucumbers or sugar cane, pumpkin, melon, or anything. Never see him bare-handed, and yet he is unhelpful.'
Captain made himself agreeable by listening to them patiently. All that they seemed to want was a hearing. They did not know who he was, but his dress - trousers, bush shirt and the sun-hat - impressed them, and he spoke to them in Tamil, which endeared him to them. He treated them to coloured drinks from a wayside stall, while eliciting information about the tiger. He invited them to come up and see his circus. 'I have work to do, next two days, and then I'll come to your village. If you help me I'll catch the tiger. You will have to show me where he lives.'
'We don't know, sir. We can't say. He is here, there and everywhere. We think he is a devil and has wings and not an ordinary creature. We saw him only once ... We would have burnt him with the torches and cooked him alive but he escaped. He slips in and out, and can never be caught or killed ... He is no ordinary creature. Before we can notice, he snatches away even the biggest buffalo, and vanishes.'
'He is an ordinary tiger, black and yellow, with four legs and only one tail and no extraordinary creature. I'll deal with him, don't worry. I'll see you on Thursday next ...'
He took directions from them to reach the village, and was with them on the appointed day. The village was set far into the jungle, a single street and about thirty homes of bricks or just thatched huts, and a lot of cattle and sheep - mostly a pastoral community. He had gone in a small car, but he had to leave it on the main highway and walk down to the village, which was full of excitement. Women and children stood around him. Most of the men were out working in the fields. Seeing Captain's grey uniform, the boys cried, 'The police have come,'and ran around to fetch the men, who recognized him and cried, 'Oh, it's our hunter, who is going to kill the tiger.'
Captain corrected them. 'I'm not going to kill, but take him away ...'Some rushed into their homes and brought out ancient stools and benches and offered him seats. Some brought him tender coconut and chipped off the top and offered him a drink. Others brought him papaya and banana. Captain felt overwhelmed by their hospitality and promised, 'I will see that you are not bothered by the tiger. But you must all help me. I must know where he is and how he comes and goes and where he keeps himself during the day.'
'Oh, that's difficult, sir. If we follow him, he may turn round and attack.'
'If you don't tell me where the tiger is, how can I catch him? I may also begin to think, like those officials, that you are all fancying the tiger.'
At this they protested. 'Even two days ago, two fellows who were out to cut wood were mutilated - one fellow lost an arm.'
'Will you take me to him?'
'Not in our village, but there on the other side of the hillock...'
'Will you come with me and show me the man and where he was attacked, so that I may find out the tiger's movements?'Strangely they seemed to be averse to this procedure. The victims of the tiger seemed as elusive as the tiger itself. They would complain and pour forth their grievances, but somehow at the same time show reluctance to help him directly. They would not be explicit about the attacks. But Captain would not give up. He changed his tactics. He contacted the forest guards, offered a fee for information about the tiger, followed their tips. Leaving much of his circus work to his chief executive, he unrelentingly pursued the tiger, and finally arrived at the rivulet beyond which was the cave at the tail end of the Mempi range. Captain had taken special precautions to camouflage himself with certain types of foliage. He hoisted himself onto the branch of a tree and stayed there all night in the company of the forest guards, and finally had a glimpse of the tiger returning to his cave.
Although I was cautious and avoided all the traps laid for me, ultimately I yielded to a temptation, and that proved to be the end. After trying many hideouts, I had come back to my original home.
As I emerged from my lair late one evening, passing through the long grass, I heard a bleating and, following the sound, saw a well-fed goat in front of me. I hesitated only for a moment, looked about, took a leap and landed on its back. At the same time I heard a strange, unfamiliar clattering noise - an iron door came down and shut me in. I was trapped. I was at once surrounded by unfamiliar figures and heard strange voices. A flashlight was pointed at me and a man was saying, 'Just what I was looking for. A magnificent fellow."
'Mr Captain, isn't he rather big for our purpose?'
'No, he is just right. Only we may have to starve him for a while.'
'Will you be able to make him obedient?'
'Of course,'said the other. 'You will see, I'll make him a star.'
'It seems to me he is too heavy for our purpose.'
'He is all right. He'll become slim and agile. Leave it to me.' Then he turned round and said to someone, 'Pay off all the men who have helped us in trapping. Give them an extra tip, but make sure that their services are terminated. Keep the six men from our own staff, and they will take care of the business of wheeling this cage to the town. It may take four days, if drawn by bullocks. All along the way crowds will watch and follow; that will be an excellent advertisement for our circus.'
My Master, later in my life, has mentioned hell, describing the conditions that would give one a feel of it. Now, recollecting the day of my trapping and the journey onward, I realize its meaning. The trap was narrow and I felt cribbed and cramped. I, who had lived a full and free life - stretching myself as I pleased, or burying myself in the jungle grass - now had to keep standing as the trap on wheels was drawn along. A pair of bullocks was yoked to it and the driver kept yelling and whipping them; the wheels rolled on rough ground, and I was jolted from side to side. I felt strangely uncomfortable to be moving without the use of my legs! First time experiencing locomotion. They had screened the trap with a lot of foliage, so that I might not see the bullocks or the driver; they had some irrational fear that if I saw them, I might want to eat them up. They forgot that the goat which was the bait was still in my company - although not alive.
Through many villages and towns they took me. My captors walked along behind the cage. Now and then they stopped under a wayside tree and unyoked the bullocks to give them rest. At such times the front portion of the carriage rested on the ground, and the floor sloped forward and I kept sliding down, with the remains of the goat flowing over me. It was uncomfortable, and I had to roar out my displeasure. The noise I made scared the spectators surrounding my cage and sent them running. My guards broke into laughter and shouted at the crowd, 'If you are so scared of the tiger locked up in the cage, what'll you do if we open the door and let it out?'This was their way of joking. And then much talk, inevitable wherever human beings are gathered. For one used to the grand silence of the jungle, the noisy nature of humanity was distressing. In due course, I got used to it. When I imbibed my Master's lessons, I realized that deep within I was not different from human beings, and I got into their habit myself and never had a moment's silence or stillness of mind - I was either talking (in my own way, inaudibly) or listening, and thus became fully qualified to enter human society.
After days, how many I didn't know and could not reckon, we came to a stop. The sides of the cage were still screened with brambles and foliage and I had no idea where we were. I only heard, as usual, a lot of talk and shouting and counter-shouting, and much movement outside. Suddenly all the twigs and foliage screening the cage were torn away and I saw through the bars a new world such as I could never have imagined in my life - a stretch of land with no trees or rocks or long grass or bamboo clusters or
bushes or other undergrowth, but bare and clean ground as far as I could see, ending in what I learnt was a big tent surrounded by smaller tents and shacks, the whole ground swarming with bipeds. I had no notion that the earth contained so many human creatures. Naturally they stared and gaped and talked. I tried to head my way out by pushing, and hurt myself in the attempt.
Now I saw a man with a long staff in hand standing close by, saying, 'Want to get out? All right, come on ...'and he poked with the staff and laughed when I protested. 'Ah, what a beautiful voice. If you were a singer, you could enchant an audience of thousands without a mike,'and laughed at his own joke. Others laughed with him too. I learnt later that they were obliged to laugh at his jokes, being his subordinates. As I went along I learnt that he was the owner of the circus. He was the one who met me when I was trapped, and he was to be my commander for years to come. He now poked the staff through the bars and was greatly amused when I jumped about in pain and confusion. He said with a guffaw, 'Ah, you are a promising dancer too!'He turned to his assistant and said, 'Let us advertise - a tiger
Bharatnatyam,
something that no circus has ever attempted.'
'Yes, sir, that's an excellent idea, sir,'said Captain's 'yes-man' who was always by his side agreeing with everything he said, his second-in-command.
'We will teach this fellow every accomplishment in due course,' said Captain. 'But our immediate job is to drive him into the other cage, which is going to be his new home.'He prodded me with his staff and hit me to the accompaniment of stentorian commands; I was to hear the voice again and again in the years to come. Also he drew the staff along the cage's bars, creating a rat-tat noise which confused me. When I tried to understand what it meant, he withdrew the staff and jabbed my side with it. I was miserable and did not know where to keep myself. He gave me no rest, but drove me round and round with that staff in the narrow space till in sheer desperation, edging away from the probing stick, I dashed on and found myself in another cage, where the door immediately came down. This was my first act of obedience. Captain now withdrew his staff and said, 'Ah, good. Stay there.'He said to his yes-man, 'Take the other cage for cleaning - awful mess, stinks to the high heavens.'
As night fell, I could see more clearly. I heard a lion roar, and the voices of other jungle fellows; and over all that, of course, human talk in different keys. I saw only empty grounds before me and a glow of lights somewhere. I was bewildered and did not know why I was brought here, or what they were planning to do with me. Captain and his yes-man would come off and on, stand looking at me, say something between themselves, and then leave. It was irksome to stay in that cramped space all day and night - my only activity being lying down and getting up, and again lying down and getting up, stretching myself to the extent possible, and turning round and round, grumbling and whining. But no one cared. Being used to the vastness and freedom of jungle life, I found this an impossible condition of living. I could do nothing more than pace up and down in despair.
For three days I did not feel hungry. On the fourth day I felt a stab of hunger and did not know what to do about it: how was my hunger going to be appeased? This was hell, as defined by my Master, an endless state of torment with no promise of relief or escape. I still had no conception that food could come one's way without a chase. These were the stages of knowing attained through suffering. I can hardly describe that kind of suffering, an emptiness, a helplessness, and a hopelessness behind the bars. Now, of course, I have got used to it, after years of circus life and then the zoo. But at that time I just had no conception of that kind of life. Bars of iron, unbending and perpetually pressing against one's face. I had had no contact with any sort of metal in my life; now this combination of man and metal subdued me - metal which in various forms served the evil ends of man as prison bars, traps, and weapons. I desperately tried to smash the bars again and again and only made my head bloody. When Captain viewed me in this state, he only laughed and remarked to his aide, 'All these stupid creatures are alike! They all expect the bars of the cage to be made of butter. No harm if he learns the facts of life in his own way!' And they left me alone.
I began to despair when they left. When Captain showed himself outside my cage, a hope always rose in me, however slight, that some improvement was likely in my lot. That was probably the way he worked, driving me on to look on him ultimately as my Saviour. He was considered to be an expert in animal training and deeply versed in their psychology. I began to look forward to his company. Pacing around that cage, I'd pause to press my nose close to the bars to watch the direction of his coming. He'd look at me and ask, 'How are you, sir? Learn to be a good boy and I'll make you happy ...'I had no idea how to become a good boy and attain happiness. He continued to make me suffer loneliness, immobility, and above all hunger. For the last, I was hoping that he'd let me out now and then to hunt for food. He didn't seem to think that way.
Later, when I explained this stage of my life to my Master, he said, 'You probably in a previous life enjoyed putting your fellow-beings behind bars. One has to face the reaction of every act, if not in the same life, at least in another life or series of lives. There can be no escape from it. Now you have a chance to realize how your prisoners must have felt in those days, when you locked them in and watched them day by day to measure how far you had succeeded in breaking their spirits.'
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