R.K. Narayan, the renowned author of ‘Malgudi Tales’, defines Wellesian as a small little frog that has lived in a well for a long time. It’s born and brought up there. The frog is happy, believing that it’s the best and smartest creature alive. For it, the well is its world. It has every reason to feel completely satisfied with the cool surroundings and soft moss-upholstered walls around. For it, the day means the period when the sun appears over the pulley overhead. Wellesian seeks extra social life by moving on to other parts of the well to hobnob with the fellow Wellisians for community (chorus) singing. They croak, dine and breathe air pregnant with water droplets.
“Come out of the well & see the whole sky!” Wellesian gets a call. “Whence are you?” he asks. “I’m from the sea,” the frog-of-the-sea replies. “The Sea…, how big is that?” “It’s very big,” the frog-of-the-sea says. Wellesian stretches its legs and questions, “Ah! Is your sea so big?” “It’s much bigger,” the frog-of-the-sea says. Wellesian then takes a leap from one side of the well to the other and asks, “Is it as big as this, my well?” “My friend,” says the-frog-of-the-sea, “how can you compare the sea with your well?” The Wellsian asserts, “No, there can never be anything bigger than my well. Indeed, nothing can be bigger than this! This fellow is a liar, it must be turned out.” Sitting in its own little well, it thinks the whole world is no bigger than its well.
Frogs are found all over the world, apart from some isolated islands and Antarctica. They’re amphibians, well known for their ability to jump and croak. Why on earth do frogs croak hoarsely into our hardened heads? If you wonder why they make this noise, keep reading to find out. Some frogs croak for a territorial call. Others make a high-pitched noise to distract the predator. Each species of frog has a unique call. Most frogs amplify this sound with their vocal sacs, but some frogs have other ways of amplifying the noise.
We’ve all been guilty of being the-frog-in-the-well at some point, but some people truly do believe that their experiences are the only possible experiences. Wellesian has a knowledge limited to the well he lives in and/or the circular patch of heavens over the pulley above. He doesn’t know anything about the frog that lives in the sea. Nor does he know about his way of thinking, experiencing, understanding and accepting all the highs and lows of life.
Our noisy/jumping amphibian is the loudest in the well, for everyone looks up to him and praises him. “I’m so happy to live here… When I go out, I jump about on the railing beside the mouth of the well… when I come home I rest in the holes of the wall… the water comes up to my armpits and holds up my cheeks when I jump in… if I walk in the mud, it covers up my feet… look around, the wriggly worms, crabs or tadpoles, none can compare with me here… I’m the Lord of the well.”
Wellesian doesn’t have the slightest of doubt that he’s the one who knows every damn thing on earth… Humanity needs his wise counselling/ guidance every moment… he’s the bearer of all the light that the world needs… he’s an expert on everything… and therefore, has a say in any every matter and in any manner. The self-styled whiz-kid, always keen to say something, wants to tell everyone what to do and how to do… he may even advise the army general how to fight and God Himself to manage the universe. Enamoured of the sound of his voice and quite fond of display, he sits inside a chauffeur-driven car on the back-seat, with his neck, rather, body, stiffened as if the car, driver and the road all were under obligation to him. Outside his posh office-chamber, a chic-looking secretary dials for him and fixes appointments with subordinates and visitors.
The male workplace uniform is a badge of belonging to the white-collar class and a symbol of respectability… and therefore the Wellesian’s fascination for high-profile labels, like Anderson Sheppard/ Donna Karen / Louis Lopez/ Bijan Pakzad suits, worn by Prince Charles, Bill Clinton, Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, Obama, Frank Sinatra, and Michael Jordan, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Larry Page, and so on. His persona is an image, howsoever bizarre, that makes a diet of daily news and keeps him in the limelight… the itch to-leave-something-for-posterity, about how to get to the-top-of-the-heap is overwhelming. Wellesian won’t hesitate to go to the extent of calling ghost-writers to lace his life with their own imaginations.
The sea doesn’t change along with time, nor does its level rise or fall according to the amount of rainfall. Ironically, while Wellesian is lost in his world of fantasies and vulgar ostentation, he can’t understand the greatest happiness of a frog that lives in the sea. The tragedy with our Wellesian is that he’s no idea how significant the world outside the well is.

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Tajamul Hussain