BABA DID NOT ENJOY THIS RIDE

 
That year [1928] the rains were late. The villagers of Toka had sown their grain, but only one small shower of rain had come and they were frightened of losing their crop. They heard that Baba was a "great saint," and they decided to ask for His help. Many men came with flowers and bowed down to Baba and asked Him for rain. "It will be a great disaster for us," they told Baba, "if it does not rain. We will lose our grain for the whole year, and that is our food!"

"Be patient," Baba told them, "I will see to it. It will rain." So the villagers went home feeling happy.

Within two days the sky clouded over, and that night it began to rain and rain and rain. Our rooms had just an earthen floor on the same level as the field, and we slept, not on beds, but on bedding rolls on this floor. That night it rained so hard that water came into our room and drenched us and our bedding. We quickly rolled up the bedding and put it on our trunks, but soon it was raining so hard that the trunks were also sitting in water. So we had to pick them up and when Baba came, we were holding up these heavy trunks.

"Bring some earth and barricade the doorway," Baba told us. So we got some mud and made a mound at the door, and the water somehow stopped coming in.

Then Baba said, "Bail out the water," and with our basin and buckets and tin mugs we managed to get rid of the water. But the floor was still damp, and we could not sleep at all that night. Those farmers had asked for rain, and we were drowning!

The next day the rain still did not stop. It was not so heavy, but it rained and rained lightly all day. The farmers who had asked Baba for rain now came to beg Him to stop the rain. Baba gestured, "All right." And by the next day the rain had stopped, and it was clear and sunny. We all gave a sigh of relief and dried our damp bedding.

The farmers were so happy that their crops had been saved. Beating drums, they came to Baba and offered flowers and sweets to Him and requested Him to go to their village. Baba agreed, and they all rushed to Him and lifted Him up in this big seat. Some of the men carrying Baba were tall and some were short, and they gave Baba a very uncomfortable ride.

Every time that they shouted Baba's praises they threw the chair up in the air, and Baba had to cling very tightly to it so as not to be thrown out. In their enthusiasm to thank Baba they forgot His comfort. Baba did not enjoy this ride at all, but to please the villagers and make them happy He put up with all this discomfort.