kids stories Archives - Champak Magazine

The Cricket Match

It was the first week of December and it was freezing outside. But Rahul did not care. He was excited about the cricket match scheduled on the coming Sunday, that Shivam’s team had challenged his team to.

“Don’t be so happy. Next Sunday you will not be able to score even 50 runs,” Shivam said after his team had lost the match.

“Next Sunday, Vivek will be playing with us. You know what a great bowler he is! We will see to it that your batsmen are unable to score proper runs,” Shivam’s friend, Ankur said in his support.

“Alright, let Sunday come. We will see Vivek and his bowling,” said Rahul.

Shivam’s team had lost by 22 runs because Rahul’s team had given them a huge
target of 170 runs in 20 overs. Saurav, their best batsmen, had scored many
fours and sixes.

The toss had been won by Shivam but he had opted for fielding first. He thought that his team would be able to reach whatever target was set for them.

But his team could not withstand any of Rahul’s bowlers. All were bowled out, one after the other.

On Sunday, Rahul had packed his cricket kit and by 8am he was on his way towards the ground. His other teammates met him along the way. The match was to begin at 9am. Saurav and his team also arrived on time.

On seeing Saurav, Rahul said, “Come on, Saurav, today we have to see your batting excellence. Last week, Shivam said that you have a friend named Vivek, who is a skilled bowler.”

“I know this Vivek. He used to study with me in the same school. We have
to beat them in this match. I will see to it that each ball of his gets a good hitting,” Rahul’s friend, Alam said swinging his bat.

Everyone had reached the ground and both the teams were ready to start the match.

But there was a problem —a foul stink was coming from the ground.

“It seems there is some dead animal here. It will be difficult to play,” said Lalit.

No one felt like playing because of the stench. Rahul, Saurav and Shivam covered their noses with handkerchiefs and moved towards the spot from where the stench was originating to find out what was wrong. The other boys followed them and they saw that a dead dog lying there.

“Now, what will we do? Today’s match is ruined,” Tushar expressed his worry.
“There is good ground near my school. Let’s go there and play,” suggested Alam.

“No, let’s not play today. It is our responsibility to remove the stench from here. Because if we cannot tolerate the smell, then just imagine how the people who live in the nearby huts will tolerate it,” said Rahul.

Most boys agreed with Rahul.

“But how and what can we do?” asked Tushar.

“My father is an officer in the municipality. I will call him right away,” said Vivek. He then called his father and gave him all the information.

“The arrangements will be made soon,” said his father. Everyone was very happy.

Within a few minutes, a small loading cart, a garbage lifting machine and a few municipality workers arrived at the ground. Seeing the municipal vehicle, people from the locality also gathered there.

The municipality workers lifted the dead dog with the help of the machine and put it in the garbage vehicle. Then they put some soil from the ground on top of the carcass, so that it would not emit stench along the way. Then they spread some bleaching powder on the ground surface and left.

After a while, there was no stench on the whole ground. The cold and light breeze was making the environment around pleasant.

A man from the nearby hut said to the boys, “Children, you have done a great favour to us. We were not able to breathe properly since yesterday.”

All the boys thanked Vivek’s father.

Rahul then turned to Shivam and said, “Vivek has done great bowling today. Just in one ball, he has changed the whole environment of not only our ground but of our whole locality.”

All the boys cheered together. Then the coin was tossed and their game of cricket commenced.

Hassan Cooks Halwa

The chinar trees were dotted with snow, glistening like crystals. The whooshing winds signalled winter was here. It was a Sunday and usually, the children would have been running, chasing each other through the maze of the narrow streets of Srinagar. But Sundays had been deserted for more than three months in this city.

Hassan came and plopped himself on the soft carpet. The school was shut and Hassan missed his friends.

He looks at the clock and wonders if it’s time for lunch. He can hear marching sounds coming from the street. These sounds startled him but before he could react, he heard the sound of pots and pans coming from the kitchen.

He grins and pats his belly and tiptoes to peep in.

Though there had been rationing of potatoes for the last month and a half, because markets had been shut, yet Ammi had been able to cook his favourite dum aloo, this Sunday.

When he peers in, Hassan is surprised to see Abba not Ammi in the kitchen.

“Hassan, have you finished the lesson for the day?” asks Abba as he turns around with a ladle full of dum aloo in his hand. Abba and Ammi have been taking turns at homeschooling Hassan.

“Yes, Abba. But, where’s Ammi?” he asked.

Abba used to ferry tourists on the Dal Lake in his beautiful shikara during the summers and used the boat to transport flowers during the winters. But there had been no tourists for the past three months, forcing him to lock the shikara and help Ammi to weave shawls.

“Where is Ammi and why are you cooking?” Hassan asked suspiciously. While he has seen Abba cook before, he always associated cooking with Ammi.

“It’s my cooking Sunday, beta. Ammi has gone to find some work. Shall I set the table for lunch?” Abba asks and smiles.

“Yes Abba. But what’s for dessert?” Hassan looks at Abba and asks, impatient to hear his answer.

“Ammi didn’t have time to cook dessert and I didn’t cook one,” Abba says, sadly.

Hassan could feel his heart drooping like an autumn flower. Sundays were always about dum aloo and halwa.

Abba pats Hassan’s head, “Do you think we can make some halwa, together?”

“Yes, Abba,” he said, his face lighting up.

“Okay. Which halwa would you like me to make? How about apple halwa?” said Abba and pointed to the huge sack of apples lying in the corner of the kitchen.

Amir chacha had gifted them two sacks of apples a few days ago and Abba had accepted one. Hassan was used to fresh apples from the market in the autumn and winter seasons, but markets had been shut and he was glad to receive the gift.

He remembered the expression on chacha’s face when he had come home. Walking on roads was forbidden, crowds were forbidden, schools and colleges were closed, playing on the roads were not allowed and Hassan barely remembered the ring of a mobile phone.

And then there was a curfew at odd times. He hadn’t experienced silence like this, ever before.

“Abba, why did Amir chacha give us a sack full of apples?” he asked.

“Amir chacha is trying to distribute all his apples because the markets have been shut and he doesn’t want the apples to rot. He sells apples to earn money.”

“But why are the markets shut every day, Abba?” Hassan asks the same question for the nth time.

Abba turns around and looks at Hassan, his eyes bleak, “There have been some huge changes in our lives. It will all be back to normal soon, beta. Let’s make some apple halwa.”

“What changes, Abba?” Hassan asks again.

Abba sighs and responds, “There has been a major constitutional change
in our state, the state of Jammu and Kashmir.”

“What constitutional change, Abba?” Hassan tries to remember if he was taught the meaning of the Constitution at school.

“There was an Article 370, which was specially made for our state of Jammu and Kashmir that has been revoked.”

“What’s revoke, Abba?”

“The meaning of revoke is to cancel, Hassan.”

“Why was the Article cancelled, Abba?”

“Because the Indian government felt that was the right thing to do.”

“What does this ‘revoking’ change mean?”

“Hassan, in simple words, there was a law, which provided Jammu and Kashmir with a special status and a separate set of laws. That has been cancelled.”

“Does that mean we are not special anymore?” Hassan’s asked with his eyes open wide.

Abba says nothing.

“Abba, I miss school. I miss my friends,” says Hassan, his eyes welling up and
he sniffles.

Abba envelops Hassan in a tight hug and wipes his eyes. “Shall we make some halwa, beta?

“How can I help?” Hassan nods vigorously as he wipes his face on his sleeves.

Abba picks up some apples and slices them. “Can you get me some sugar?”

Hassan looks at the colourful jars and sees sugar and lifts his arm and pulls down the small tin.

“Now, we let the apples boil and soften and then add some ghee,” Abba picks some orange strands from a small metal tin.

“What’s that, Abba?” Hassan asks as he pulls the ghee bottle from the counter.
“This is saffron. It’s not only tasty but also very good for digestion. So are apples, they are very healthy,” Abba replies.

“I will have two bowls of halwa today.” Hassan grins back at Abba.

Abba ladles ghee into the pot of stewing apple. The kitchen smells of fresh sweetness and Hassan takes a deep breath. Abba adds sugar and stirs again.

Stirring, stirring, stirring. Hassan looks at the way Abba moves the ladle around. Abba cuts some pistachios and almonds and sprinkles them along with the saffron on the top of the cooked halwa. He scoops up some and gives it to Hassan. Hasan tastes the freshness of saffron, the crunch of pistachios and the sweet deliciousness and feels he is in food paradise.

“Do you like it, Hassan?” Abba asks as he lays out the table for lunch.

“I love it, Abba.” Hassan hugs Abba around his waist and looks up at him.

There’s laughter and chatter as they eat lunch. Later, taking a big bowl of halwa, Hassan holds Abba’s hand and walks up to Amir chacha’s house. Ringing the bell, Hassan waits impatiently.

Amir chacha opens the door and smiles looking at Hassan.

“Chacha, we made halwa from the apples you gave.” Hassan jumps up and down with excitement as he gifts the bowl to Amir chacha who invites them in.

As Hassan walks into the courtyard and looks at the piles of apple bundles lying in an adjacent room, sacks bursting at the seams.

“Chacha, there are so many apples. What are you going to do with them?” Hassan bursts out, unexpectedly.

Amir chacha attempts to cover the look of dejection on his face. “I don’t know, beta. I really don’t know.” Abba places his hand on chacha’s shoulder.

Hassan and Abba return home. With two bowls of halwa, they sit down as the crows’ caw. Hassan bites into the almonds with a loud crunch.

“Do you know about the goodness of pistachios and almonds?” Abba asks Hassan. Hassan shakes his head.

“Almonds are full of vitamins and pistachios have minerals.”

“What do vitamins and minerals do, Abba?”

“They will make you a strong boy, Hassan.”

Hassan grins and gives a generous scoop of his halwa to a beady-eyed crow.

“Do we need vitamins and minerals to become a good person, Abba?”

Abba looks adoringly at little Hassan.

“You just need a good and kind heart for that, Hassan.”

“Abba, I just made up a poem. Would you like to listen?” Hassan bursts into a song before Abba could say anything.

Halwa, yummy and hot, Apples, stewed and soft, Almonds, sprinkle a bunch, Pistas, for that crunch, Saffron’s orange to greet, Halwa, oh so sweet!

The house echoes with their sound while dusk slowly sets in and all is silent again. The sound of marching feet faintly fills up the void.

The Hasty King

King Rudranath’s was sitting in his palace when two men entered, quarrelling with each other and stood before the King and bowed.

“Who are you and what is your problem?” he asked.

“I am Nathu and this man Meshu is my neighbour.’’

“This morning, when I was feeding my chickens outside my house, Meshu was eyeing them from the other side. Our houses just have a wall between them. Then he said something about feeling hungry.

I did not pay attention to his words. But to my horror, in the afternoon, I found one of my chickens that has a limp, missing.”

At first, I didn’t suspect Meshu, but later when I thought what he said in the morning, I realised Meshu had stolen my chicken and had eaten it for lunch. I want justice, my King! It pains me to hurt Meshu but the guilty should be punished.”

Saying this Nathu bowed once again.

The King looked at Meshu and asked sternly, “Did you steal his chicken?”

Shaking his head, Meshu pleaded, “No. No. I am not a thief, Your Majesty. I didn’t steal his chicken.”

“Believe me, Majesty. Nathu is lying,” cried Meshu.

Trying to corner Meshu, the King asked, “But didn’t you mention that you were feeling hungry when you saw his chickens?”

Meshu again shook his head helplessly and said, “No, Sir, you have it all wrong. Please let me explain…”

Nathu grew angrier and said, “Please don’t listen to him. He is nothing but a thief and a liar. Punish him, Your Majesty or else he will only end up fooling you with his smart talk.”

Prime Minister Shabir who had been silent up till now, suggested, “Maybe we should send someone to Meshu’s house to see if a chicken was eaten for lunch. There will be feathers and bones in his house if he stole and ate it.”

Nathu glared and said, “No use. I went to his house and searched well. Meshu was very intelligent and cleared all evidence.”

Meshu pleaded with tears in his eyes, “Sir, I am a poor man and I haven’t stolen anything from anyone. Moreover, I…”

Before he could say anything further, the King said harshly, “Enough. This is what all the guilty say. I, hereby order my men to throw you in jail.”

“No… but… I am not a thief… please listen…” Meshu cried, horrified.

Pleased, Nathu whispered to Meshu “Serves you right.” And then he went
his way.

However, Prime Minister Shabir felt something was wrong. He thought, “This is not right. The King should have ordered further investigation instead of simply believing Nathu’s words. What if Meshu is innocent? The King would have then done injustice.”

Later that evening, the King and the Prime Minister were strolling in the Royal Gardens. A little further, the King spotted a chicken that was limping.

“From where did this chicken come in my garden?” the King asked, surprised.

“It must have strayed into the garden, Your Majesty,” said Prime Minister Shabir.

Looking at it, the King said, “I am feeling hungry.”

“Be careful of what you say lest this chicken goes missing. Nathu might
accuse you tomorrow of stealing and eating it. Jail life is not what Your Majesty is used to if I might say,” Prime Minister Shabir said.

“What are you babbling? Have you taken leave of your senses? You know, I am a vegetarian. It was by chance that I said that I was hungry while looking at it. After all, it is nearing dinner time. And what has Nathu and jail got to do with it?” the King asked, annoyed.

“The same thing happened this afternoon with Meshu. It was by chance he said that he was hungry while looking at the chickens. After all, it was afternoon and nearly lunch time. I sent someone to his house and found out that he and his wife are vegetarians. Nathu accused Meshu to jail him. As you can see, this chicken is limping. I am sure it is Nathu’s chicken. I will ask one of our men to find out.”

Just then, a woman came running.

She bowed and said, “Oh King, someone mentioned that they had seen a limping chicken wandering here. It has been missing since morning. Is it here?”

She then spotted and grabbed it.

“Who are you?” The King asked curiously.

“I am Nathu’s wife. Now, may I please go?”

“Yes, you may,” said the King.

The Prime Minister said, “See, it is all clear. Nathu’s wife was not aware of her husband accusing Meshu, or else she wouldn’t have come here.”

“Then why didn’t Meshu tell that he was a vegetarian?” The King asked, puzzled.

“He tried to, but you didn’t let him speak. You punished him, simply by believing Nathu’s words. An innocent man is now in jail. Do pardon me for saying this,” said Prime Minister Shabir.

The King realised his mistake.

“I have committed a big blunder,” he said, “Poor Meshu. I shouldn’t have passed a judgment without a proper enquiry. Had it not been for you, an innocent man would have suffered and a guilty man would have gone unpunished.”

Then the King ordered, “Prime Minister, have Meshu released immediately and give him a gold coin to compensate for his troubles today. And make that Nathu do community service for a year.”

Needless to say, never again did the King act hastily.

Joys Of Letter Writing

Priyanshi was helping her Grandmother in cleaning the house.

They had started early in the morning and by late afternoon, everything was dusted and old newspapers were collected and neatly stacked.

While dusting Grandma’s diary, Priyanshi found a few old envelopes. She tried reading what was written on them, but the writing had faded over the years.

“What are you reading, Priyanshi?” asked Grandma seeing the envelopes in her hand.

“Look, Grandma, what I found! These were in your old diary. Something is written on them, but the writing is not clear enough to read. What are these, Grandma?” Priyanshi asked showing Grandma the envelopes.

“Oh, so you are reading my letters?” asked Grandma.

“Letters? What are they, Grandma?” Priyanshi said, surprised.

“These are my letters that my friend Indu wrote to me. They are from days before mobile phones, SMS’s, WhatsApp and Facebook came into this world. We really enjoyed writing, sending and receiving letters! We used to wait eagerly for letters. What days those were!” said Grandma remembering the old days.

“So Grandma, you used letters to communicate?” asked Priyanshi.

“Yes, dear. In those days, letters were the only means to communicate. The envelopes that you have in your hand are called ‘inland letters’. Letters were written on them. When Indu and I got married, we moved to different cities. We could talk over phone, but it was very expensive. Letters were the only way to communicate with each other. Our letters were full of love, details about our daily lives, and our emotions and feelings. Tears flowed from our eyes when we read letters,” Grandma said, wiping her moist eyes.

“Grandma, I don’t like to see you cry,” said Priyanshi wiping her tears.

“I am not really crying. My eyes have become watery remembering those old days. You children are lucky that you can easily talk on social media and emails, and also through phone calls,” said Grandma.

“Yes, that’s right, Grandma. But is it wrong to communicate through them?” asked Priyanshi.

“No. there is nothing wrong. But one should not be glued to them the whole day. During our time, we had to wait for weeks to get a letter and the joy of waiting was something else. Now people cannot wait even a minute. That waiting taught us patience,” explained Grandma.

“Yes, that is true. Even before Papa reaches office Mummy phones him four times to ask if he has reached or not,” Priyanshi said smiling.

“Ho-ho-ho! In our time, sometimes letters reached us after months. Once, your Grandpa was posted in Kashmir and I received his letter after six months. By that time he had already come home,” Grandma said laughing.

“Then the days of letters were very slow. Modern days are fast. Things happen now instantly. These days are the best and today’s means of communication are better,” said Priyanshi.

“My dear, every era is better than its previous times. In ancient times letters were sent through pigeons. In our times the postman brought the letters. Our hearts danced with joy when we saw the postman at the door.”

“Grandma, tell me one thing. How do the letters reach their correct destination?” asked Priyanshi.

“Through the magic of the PIN code,” Grandma said.

“What is that, Grandma?” asked Priyanshi.

“My dear, PIN code stands for Postal Index Number. In India, it is a special number of six digits. For instance, the Pincode of our Bhiwani Post Office is 262572. Its first digit 2 indicates Northern Region and 26 indicate our state Haryana, the third digit 2 is for our city and the rest three digits denote our post office. So, the letters easily reach the designated post offices,” Grandma explained.

“I didn’t know that, Grandma. So all post offices have a unique 3 digit number,” said Priyanshi.

Yes. There are in total 155,015 post offices in India.

“PIN Code truly is a magic number,” said Priyanshi.

“Like instant messaging is magic for us,” Grandma laughed and said.

“Grandma, will you teach me how to write letters?” said Priyanshi.

“Yes, sure. But on one condition,” said Grandma.

“What condition?”

“The condition being when you go back home, you will write letters to me,” said Grandma.

“Of course, Grandma. That is why I want to learn to write letters. But you will send me the first letter.”

“Alright dear! Firstly, letters should be written in a legible writing so that the receiver can read them easily. The language should be simple. We may express our feelings in detail in letters. They help us stay connected emotionally. I’ll write a letter and show you, how to do it,” said Grandma.

After a few days, Priyanshi returned home. One day while she was sitting in the balcony, the doorbell rang. Priyanshi opened the door and saw a postman standing outside. He handed her a letter that had her name written on it. She jumped with joy at seeing the letter.

She started running around the house with the letter and shouted “A letter has come…. A letter has come.”

After reading the letter, she wrote back to Grandma and ever since they continued exchanging letters.

Miraculous Curtain?

Dhangarh was a small village in the south. On the outskirts of the village, there lived a farmer with his daughter Dhanni.

The farmer was very poor. He managed to live somehow, working hard on little plot of land he had. In spite of this, he never allowed any hungry person to go away hungry.

One evening a fun looking person came to their hut and asked for something to eat. Dhanni and her father had very little food with them. But Dhanni got the man inside the house and gave him her food. Then they felt that the man was still hungry. So Dhanni’s father gave him his food as well.

It was late in the evening man. Dhanni insisted that the man spend the night in their house. And so, he slept in the hut.

Late into the night, the man heard some sound and opened his eyes. He heard Dhanni’s father telling his daughter to try sleeping and consoled her by saying that he would get some food to eat, as soon as it was morning. Dhanni could not sleep because of hunger. But she closed her eyes and pretended to sleep.

The man now realized that they had given him their own food. Dhanni and her father were hungry because there was nothing to eat in the house. He felt pity for them and decided to do something for them. He looked around but because of their poverty, he found nothing other than a small cloth that served as a curtain on their small window.

Dhanni and her father did not know that the man was a magician. He filled the curtain with special power and said the curtain would solve their problems if any difficulty or need came. But it would do so, only if they said something good after what they asked.

He then went to sleep. The next day he got up very early and went away. When Dhanni and her father got up, they did not find the man. After they finished their morning chores they were hungry.

Dhanni said, “Come, Baba, let us go to the field and search for something to eat.”

“Let us go to find food for you and all the others who come to the house,” her father said.

Hearing this, the curtain presented before them good tasty food.

Dhanni and her father were very amazed, at first. But because of their hunger, they quietly ate the food.

Now, whenever they needed something they wished it and said good things after it, their wishes were fulfilled. They understood that this was due to the blessings of the man. Even after getting all their wishes fulfilled so easily, Dhanni and her father were not greedy and did not stop doing hard labour. They did not take advantage of the powers of the curtain.

Slowly the news that Dhanni and her father had a miraculous curtain that gave them whatever they wanted, spread in the whole village.

This news also reached the robber Shakti. He became greedy and decided to steal the curtain from them and get all his wishes fulfilled.

So, one night he came with his band of robbers to the Dhanni’s and forcefully took the curtain from them. Dhanni and her father could not do anything. Once again,they depended on their hard labour to help themselves and others.

Now at his den, robber Shakti asked the curtain to bring and give a lot of gold. But he did not say anything good, as was ordered by the man. So, the curtain did not fulfil Shakti’s wish.

He made his demand a few times and still when his wish wasn’t fulfilled, he became angry. He moved forward and took out his sword with the intention of tearing the curtain into pieces. The curtain wrapped it around Shakti choking. Seeing this, the other robbers got frightened and pleaded it to go away from them.

The curtain came back to Dhanni’s house. Dhanni and her father were happy to see the curtain in their house again. They started helping needy and poor people with its help, and also continued with their hard labour.

Angel Of Forest!

One day in Chandanvan forest, many four-legged animals gathered together. They were unhappy. Seeing them unhappy, Mittu parrot who was sitting on the tree, asked, “What happened friends, why do all of you look so sad today?”

“Mittu, nature has been unfair to us,” replied Teju horse.

“How has nature been unfair? It has given us a good life, good health and energy. What else could we want?” asked Mittu.

Before Teju could say something, Golu elephant interrupted, “Injustice has been done with us!”

“What kind of injustice?” asked Mittu.

“Nature has blessed human beings with two legs and has taught them to walk upright. They look so beautiful and stately. They can wear different kinds of clothes. But we have to walk on four legs. If we too had two legs, we could walk straight and wear fashionable clothes.”

“But, in spite of having four legs, we all still look so good,” Mittu tried to explain.

“You are only saying this to make us feel better. We don’t look good at all, walking on four legs,” said a disappointed Golu.

The animals started complaining amongst themselves. They were all looking for a solution.

Suddenly, an angel appeared and asked them, “How can I help you all? There seems to be some problem.”

Lambu giraffe asked excitedly, “Can you teach us how to walk on two legs? We want to walk on two legs.”

“Of course! That’s a very simple wish. I can easily make you all walk on two legs,” said the angel.

Saying this, she turned her wand around and chanted something. Then, she asked all the animals to close their eyes for two minutes. After two minutes when they opened their eyes, they were excited to see that they were standing on two legs.

“Thank you, angel! Today our wish has been fulfilled. We are very happy now!” they said excitedly.

“I am leaving now. If you need anything in the future, you can call me by saying ‘Hey forest angel, please come and fulfil my wish and I will appear in front of you,” said the angel and she left.

Teju, Lambu, Bholu, Golu and Ballu were overjoyed, walking on two legs.

After walking for a while, Golu started panting. Mittu came to sit on his back and asked him, “Why are you panting?”

The truth was that, Golu was panting because his two legs could not bear the weight of his body. Without his other two legs, he felt heavier and could not take Mittu for a ride on his back.

“Since morning, I’ve been feeling very tired because I haven’t got a chance to rest. Once I lie down, I will be fine.” lied Golu, as he sat on the ground panting.

Lambu was in a similar situation. As he was tall, walking on two legs increased his height, and his head kept banging against the trees. This was hurting his head. He too sat down in one place to take a rest.

Billu ox was very happy walking. However, his happiness was short-lived.

“You are good for nothing now! At least you could help the farmer earlier to plough the field. Modern machines like the tractors have taken your place,” said Teetu bird, seeing Bittu walk on two legs.

Ballu donkey also started to think about what Teetu had said as he too was in a similar situation. Because he was walking on two legs, no one could use him to carry things on his back.

“If I am not of any use, then what’s the point of being beautiful!” he thought to himself.

Ballu could not hold himself any longer and cried, “Hey forest angel, please come here and fulfil my wish.”

As soon as he spoke, the angel appeared before him.

“What’s the matter Ballu? Is there something that you want me to do?” asked the forest angel.

Ballu said, “Dear angel, please make me walk on four legs like before.” Listening to him, Lambu, Golu and Teju requested for the same, “Yes, make us walk back on four legs.”

The angel asked, “Why, what happened? All of you wanted to look nice. Then, why are you suddenly changing your wish?”

“We have realized that we are of no use if we walk on two legs. We don’t want to live like this. We want our lives to have meaning.” they cried together

The angel smiled when she heard the animals speak. She turned her wand and chanted, and asked the animals to close their eyes. When they opened their eyes, they saw that they were back to standing on four legs.

“We have become like before! Now, all of us have a purpose,” said the animals cheerfully.

They understood that being useful was more important than being beautiful.

Sabarmati Ashram!

Dhruv’s Grandpa was a retired army officer and a patriot. He always told Dhruv stories of bravery of the Indian Army and of India’s freedom fighters. Mahatma Gandhi was Grandpa’s favourite and he would narrate stories on Gandhi’s life and work to Dhruv.

This year, on October 2, which is Gandhi Jayanti, or Mahatma’s birthday, Grandpa, Grandma, and Dhruv decided to visit Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad.

Grandpa and Grandma had visited the ashram many times before, but this was Dhruv’s first time.

“Please tell me about this ashram, Grandpa,” said Dhruv.

“Sabarmati Ashram was initially known as Satyagraha Ashram. Mahatma Gandhi established it in 1915 at Kochrab, Ahmedabad. In 1917, it was shifted to the banks of Sabarmati River and since then, it is known as Sabarmati Ashram.”

“It’s so quiet and peaceful here. There are so many trees around,” said Dhruv.
“Let me tell you about the history of Sabarmati Ashram,” offered Grandma.

“Yes, nani, please do tell me.”

“When it was founded, Sabarmati Ashram had living rooms made of canvas and the kitchen made of tin sheets. By the end of 1917, there were 40 residents living here.

Life at the ashram was based on Gandhiji’s principles of truth, non-violence, self-control, justice, and equality.

Spinning khadi and other village activities were encouraged to improve their economic status. Parts of Gandhiji’s spinning wheel were also built here.

Sabarmati Ashram was an inspiration for the Indian public and leaders. Many movements relating to India’s independence started here at the ashram.

It is from here, that he wrote a letter to the Viceroy of India on March 2, 1930, informing him about the start of the Civil Disobedience Movement.

On March 12, 1930, Mahatma Gandhi set out for the historical Dandi March with 80 others to protest against the tax imposed on salt. He did not return here until India was independent.”

“Yes, I did read about the Dandi March in school. But I did not know so much about the history of Sabarmati Ashram. Thank you, nani!” said Dhruv.

They walked ahead a little, and Grandpa said, “We will now see some important spots. I’ll tell you all about them.”

“Great, Grandpa!”

“That’s the National Memorial. It was established after the death of Gandhiji to preserve his memory.”

Grandma pointed to the left and said, “And that’s Hriday Kunj. It’s a small house located in the centre of the ashram. Kakasaheb Kalekar, an activist, social reformer and follower of the philosophy and methods of Mahatma Gandhi had named it.

Gandhiji and his wife, Kasturba lived in Hriday Kunj for about 12 years. It still has Gandhiji’s desk, his khadi kurta, and his letters.

Another attraction of the ashram is Kasturba’s kitchen. The stoves, utensils, and cabinets used in Kasturba’s kitchen are still kept there.”

“Oh, I see!” said Dhruv.

They walked a little ahead and Grandpa pointed out, “And that’s the Vinoba-Meera Kutir. This is the place where Acharya Vinoba Bhave spent some months of his life from 1918 to 1921. Also, Madeleine Slade, a British woman who was influenced by Gandhiji’s ideals and his beloved disciple, lived here from 1925 to 1933. Gandhiji named her Mirabehn. The cottage was named after these two personalities.”

“That’s interesting!” said Dhruv and they walked towards the prayer ground.

Grandma said, “All members of the ashram assemble at this prayer ground every morning and evening to pray. This prayer ground has witnessed many crucial decisions made by the Mahatma.”

Dhruv stood silently on the prayer ground.

Walking ahead, Grandpa pointed at a hut and said, “That’s the Nandini guesthouse. It’s located a short distance away from the main gate of the ashram. Many well-known freedom fighters of the country lived here when they came to meet Gandhiji. They include Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, Dr Rajendra Prasad, a lawyer and comrade of Gandhi’s, who also became the first President of our country, C Rajagopalachari, an independent activist, lawyer, writer and historian, Charles Freer Andrews, Mahatma’s friend, educator and social reformer, and Bengali poet and writer Rabindranath Tagore, who was also Gandhi’s close friend.”

“Whoa! So many great people have lived here,” said Dhruv.

“Grandma! What’s that?” asked Dhruv.

“That’s Udyog Mandir! Gandhiji had pledged to make India independent by being self-reliant through the khadi industry. He worked using his hands as symbols of self-reliance and self-respect.

At the Udyog Mandir, he started spinning the charkha to make strings for khadi clothes. Gandhiji’s followers from all over the country would come here and stay at the ashram and get trained in using the charkha and in making khadi clothes.

The Udyog Mandir was established in 1918, during the strike by the employees of the textile mill in Ahmedabad.”

“So Gandhiji taught the swadeshi principle by making khadi?” asked Dhruv.

“That’s right!” said Grandpa.

“There’s a Gandhi Memorial Museum here. On May 10, 1963, Jawaharlal Nehru inaugurated the museum near Hriday Kunj. Gandhiji’s letters, photographs, and other documents are kept there.

The collection includes 400 articles written by Gandhiji in magazines like Young India, Navjeevan, and Harijan. Also, there are photographs covering Gandhiji’s life from birth until his death, copies of Gandhiji’s speeches during his travels in India and abroad.

This museum also houses a library that contains 4,000 books of Sabarmati Ashram and a collection of 3,000 books by Mahadev Desai. There is an index of 30,000 letters written by Mahatma Gandhi. The original copies of some of these letters are preserved while the others are preserved in microfilms. Let’s go visit the museum.”

Dhruv really enjoyed the museum.

After completing the tour of all the important places around Sabarmati Ashram, Dhruv said, “I will remember Sabarmati Ashram more than the other places we have been to. I have learned so much today! Can we please visit such places in the future?”

“Of course,” smiled his grandparents.

The Right Path

In 1910, an ashram was established in Phoenix, a town in South Africa. The ashram housed a school for children of all ages. One of the teachers in the ashram had an unusual way of teaching. He believed that education should affect the heart along with the mind.

One day, the teacher gave a questionnaire to all his students. The bright students quickly wrote the answers and returned the questionnaire.

When all the students had submitted their answers, the teacher began correcting them. After correcting all the sheets, he picked up one and announced Sanjay’s name.

When Sanjay came forward, the teacher patted his back and said, “Well done! It seems to me that you have worked very hard.” Then, he showed the answer sheet to the full class. Sanjay had scored 5 out of 10 marks.

Seeing this, Rahul and Vikas, two of the smartest students, who knew they must have scored more than him, were bewildered. “Why is sir praising Sanjay? He scored much less than us,” said Rahul.

Vikas nodded in agreement. He couldn’t understand why Sanjay was being praised for scoring less marks. He asked, “Sir, we don’t understand that instead of praising us, you are praising a student who has got lesser marks than us.”

The teacher smiled at Vikas’ question and said, “I didn’t praise Sanjay for the marks he scored. I praised him for his hard work. He did better than the last time, which is proof of his hard work. I’m hoping this motivates him to work harder in future.”

“And as for praising you, I did not do so because with continuous success and praise, any person can become proud and arrogant. Arrogance is an obstacle to progress. I do not wish that you all stop working hard due to brief moments of success. Stay on the right path and you will be successful,” the teacher explained.

The students understood what their teacher said and this was an important
life lesson.

This teacher was, none other than, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, whom we lovingly call ‘Bapu’.

Unity Is Strength

Champakvan forest was quiet and peaceful. The animals and birds lived happily. They shared and helped each other in times of need.

A few days ago, a group of hunters came inside the forest and started hunting birds and animals, using guns. The animals were scared and cried over the loss of their friends. The fear of being hunted down troubled them the most.

They all decided to go and meet the king of the forest, Shersingh. King Shersingh heard them patiently and said, “I too am worried about your safety. But these hunters are armed with guns. Even I am afraid of guns. We will have to find a way to fight these hunters,” said Shersingh.

Honey hippo who was listening quietly said, “Your Majesty, I have a plan that can drive the hunters away from the forest.”

“What is you plan Honey?” asked Shersingh “Your Majesty, we must all stand together and fight these hunters. We must show – Unity is Strength,’’ said Honey.

“But even if we stand united, we can’t fight them. They have guns to shoot us,” said Lamboo giraffe.

“I know. We must plan cleverly before we act. My thick skin makes it difficult for the bullet difficult to pierce through it. I will go towards the hunters and distract them by walking towards them and the rest of you can attack from behind,” said Honey.

“If I get hurt, Dr Damru needs to be there to quickly remove the bullet from my body,” said Honey.

“You are putting your life at risk. Let us hope we don’t fail you,” said king Shersingh.

As planned, the next day, the crow took up the duty of a spy. He found out the camping spot of the hunters and passed the message to king Shersingh. All the animals hid in different places as planned by Honey.

Lamboo giraffe hid behind a tree, Fatty elephant hid behind a cluster of tall trees and Jumpy hid behind the bunch of bushy leaves. Cheeku rabbit took cover inside a bush. His Majesty, King Shersingh concealed himself behind a big mound.

The hunters were walking with guns in their hands. They looked alert and ready to shoot at the slightest sound.

As planned, Honey came before the hunters, then turned back and started running in the direction of his friend’s hiding places.

The hunters chased Honey, but Honey quickly gave them an escape and hid between the tall grasses.

One of the hunters reached the mound, where king Shersingh was hiding. As he climbed onto the mound to take a better look, his gaze fell on Shersingh. A chill ran down his spine. He dropped the gun and fell down rolling over the mound. The hunter managed to run away. Seeing the plight of the hunter, King Shersingh could not control his laughter.

The other hunters too were shaken when they saw their friend running. Taking charge of the situation, all the animals came out of their hiding places and attacked the hunters. In the chaos that followed, the hunters dropped their guns and ran away. The animals chased them out of the forest.

When the animals returned back to the forest, they saw the guns lying there on the ground. Jumpy collected all the guns and started imitating the hunters. He held a gun in his hands and by mistake pulled the trigger. The animals were in for a shock when they heard the sound of the gun shot. King Shersingh hid himself in a pit.

All the animals started laughing when they found out the reason behind the gun shot. Lamboo said, “We too have guns to fight now and need not be afraid of anyone.”

But Shersingh was lost in his thoughts. He thought about what could have happened if Jumpy had shot anyone.

He said, “We don’t need these guns that take the lives of others. I don’t want any of us to be killed by a gun shot. Let’s not create a situation where someone thinks they are more powerful because they have a gun. It’s better to dump them in the lake.”

Everyone agreed with Shersingh and they collected and threw the guns deep into the lake.

Minti’s Initiative

As soon as Minti mynah came out of her nest, she saw Bizy hawk circling the sky. Seeing him, she flew away in the other direction. After she had flown a short distance, she felt someone was following her. It had to be Bizy, she knew.

Minti suddenly changed her course. Instead of going towards the village, she went in the opposite direction. She increased her speed. She did not lose courage and flew with full might. Bizy chased her for quite some time but when Minti started flying over a barren and deserted region, he stopped chasing her. Bizy knew that it was difficult for him to fly in the open sky on barren land. So, he turned back.

Minti kept on flying. She did not turn her head to see if Bizy was still chasing her. After some time, her strength gave up and she fell down.

For a long time, she laid there motionless. When she came to her senses, she found herself on a barren hill. There were no trees there, not even a plant. All one could see were a few stumps of dry grass. Her throat was parched and she was feeling very thirsty. With great difficulty she pulled herself up. Her wings ached and she was not in the condition to fly. Somehow she managed to drag herself under the shade of a rock.

After resting for a while, she felt better. She said to herself, “Which place is this?”

“This is the Dry hill.” a voice spoke.

She looked around but could not see anyone. “Who is that?” she asked.

“I am the Dry hill,” came the reply. “A living creature has come here after a very long time. Tell me, how can I help you?”

“Just give me some water. I am very thirsty,” said Minti.

“There is no water on this hill,” said the hill.

“Oh, you are really very dry!” said Minti.

“I know. But I wasn’t always like this,” said the Dry hill sadly.

“Really!” exclaimed Minti.

“I am telling you the truth. There were beautiful trees here and greenery everywhere. Birds sang on the trees and water flowed in the rivers,” said the hill.

“Looking at you, no one can believe that!” said Minti.

“Not only you, there’s no one else who believes this. My present condition is due to my beauty,” said the hill.

“How come?” asked Minti.

“Many people from different places came here and settled. Slowly, this place became overpopulated. People started cutting trees for space and other needs. Large scale tree cutting led to a reduction in rainfall,” said the hill.

“What happened then?” asked Minti.

“As long as there was greenery, people stayed. But with no water and trees, I became dry and everyone left. My land became barren. And now, there are no trees and no bushes. There’s only a little dry grass here and there,” said the hill sadly.

“I feel sad for you. You witnessed your destruction with your own eyes. I came here to save my life. I did not know where I was going,” said Minty.

“Who were you saving your life from?” asked the hill.

“A hawk was chasing me. I came to this place because I knew that Bizy hawk would not follow me here.”

“Why?” asked the hill.

“Because, there are no trees here and he would not be able to fly with such a big mynah for too long. He would need to sit down on a tree. So, he stopped chasing me. If there was a tree here, then I wouldn’t be alive today,” explained Minti.

“Well, at least after all these years I have been of use to someone!” said the hill.

“Don’t say that. You can be of use to anyone even today,” said Minti.

“I was saved because of you and for this, I will certainly do something for you,” said Minti.

“After summer is over, I will come here with my friends,” she said.

“And then, what will happen?” asked the hill.

“Just wait and see. This is my promise to you,” saying this, Minti gathered her strength and left the place, bidding goodbye to the dry hill.

After some distance she saw a river and had a good drink.

Dry Hill was very pleased after his talk with Minti.

There were still two months left before summer got over. He remembered Minti and her promise every day. Sometimes, a doubt would come to his mind if she would keep her promise and come back. But he could just wait and see.

Summer ended and it started raining. Dry Hill felt relief from the heat. Then one day, he saw a hoard of mynahs flying towards him. He was overjoyed to see them.

“Hello, do you recognize me?” asked Minti, as soon as she came on the hill.

“Of course! I have been thinking about you all this time,” said the hill.

“I was waiting for the rains. I came here as soon as the rains started,” said Minti.

And she and her friends scattered many seeds that they had brought with them, on the hill.

“What are you doing?” asked Dry Hill.

“We have come here to scatter seeds. They will sprout with the rains and one day, become big trees.”

“Will this really happen?” asked the hill.

“Yes! With rains, the seeds can get a chance to germinate. We will come again and bring more seeds. One day you will see that you have become green again and that you no longer are a dry hill. Lots of creatures will come and live here.” promised Minti.

Whenever Minti could manage, she visited Dry Hill and every time she brought seeds with her.

That year, the rains were good and many seeds sprouted. Then, they started growing. Minti had scattered different varieties of seeds. Some became bushes and shrubs. Others started growing as trees.

Minti visited Dry Hill regularly and saw it becoming green. The dry hill slowly changed to a lush green hill. Small creatures came there and later, bigger ones followed them. Her efforts had given new life to Dry Hill.

One day Minti came there with her children. “These are my children. I will not live long enough to see these plants become big trees. I got my children here to meet you. It will take some time for a forest to grow here. When it does, my children and their children will live here. Promise me, that you will take care of them,” said Minti.

“I promise that I will take care of them,” the hill said in a choking voice.

A small mynah had changed a dry hill to a green forest.

A Lesson Learnt!

Keggy kangaroo ran a grocery store in Champakvan. He was a greedy and shrewd shopkeeper.

He would cheat his customers by charging higher prices for everyday items and would also weigh them incorrectly.

Since there was no other grocery store in the forest, everyone was forced to buy their supplies from Keggy’s store.

One day, Meeku mouse came to the store to buy some rice.

“Two kilos of rice, please.”

When Keggy started weighing the rice, Meeku said, “Keggy, please weigh it properly. Something is wrong with your scales as last time you gave me less quantity of rice.”

Keggy was furious. “Meeku, the scales are just fine! If you don’t trust me, go buy rice from another store,” he yelled.

Meeku quietly took the rice and left as he did not have any other option.

Next day, Blacky bear went to Keggy’s store with his children. It was his son’s birthday. He gave a list of items to Keggy and said, “Please give me these, quickly!”

Keggy put everything in a bag and said, “Blacky, your total bill is `1000.”

“One thousand? But I had calculated the bill to be `800,” Blacky replied.

“The prices of some of the items have gone up. So, it’s `1000 now,” said Keggy.

“How is that possible? The prices were less until yesterday. How can they suddenly increase today?” asked Blacky.

“I don’t know all that. If you want to buy from here, then do so, otherwise, go elsewhere,” said Keggy, arrogantly.

Jumpy monkey was also present at the store. “Keggy, how can the prices go up in one day?” he asked.

Keggy glared at Jumpy and said, “I don’t need to explain anything to anyone. Buy your stuff and leave.”

Finally, Blacky had no option, but to pay `1000.

Two days later, a monkey came to Keggy’s shop. He looked like an outsider with his sunglasses, hat, suit, and boots. A backpack hung from his shoulder.

“Yes? What do you want?” asked Keggy.

“My name’s Peter. I’ve come from abroad. I’ll be staying in this forest for a month. So I need a month’s worth of groceries,” said the monkey, handing over a list to him.

Keggy packed everything and said, “Your bill is `5000.”

Peter took the packets and said, “I’ve spent all my money to come here from abroad and I have no money to spare. But I do have a statue, which I can offer you in exchange for the groceries.”

He then took out a gleaming statue from his bag and handed it to Keggy.

Keggy’s eyes widened when he realised that the statue was made of pure gold.

“This gold statue is worth lakhs! I’ll take it at once!” he thought.

“It’s all right if you don’t have the money,” said Keggy, “I’ll keep this statue and you can take the groceries.”

“Thanks a lot! Here, let me keep the statue safely inside this bag for you.”

Peter put the statue inside the bag and gave it to Keggy. He then took the groceries and went.

Keggy was excited after receiving the statue. He decided to go to the city and sell it.

The next morning, he went straight to the goldsmith, Hatim horse’s shop in the city.

“I have a gold statue worth lakhs and I want to sell it.”

“Show it to me,” said Hatim.

Keggy took the statue out of the bag and showed it to him.

“Keggy, this is a fake statue. It doesn’t even cost `50,” said Hatim, examining the statue.

The ground beneath Keggy’s feet shattered. “A foreigner monkey came yesterday to my shop and bought groceries worth `5000. He didn’t have money so he gave me this gold statue. But I had examined it carefully when he showed it to me—and it was pure gold!”

“These con men are very crafty. He must have shown you a real gold statue but then he must have exchanged it with a fake one, before handing it to you. You have been cheated,” Hatim explained.

“I will not spare him!” said Keggy, furiously.

Keggy went to Shersingh lion, the Prime Minister of the forest. “Sir, I have been cheated by a foreigner monkey named Peter. He bought groceries worth `5000 from my store and in exchange gave me a fake gold statue.”

Shersingh called for Peter and the other animals of the forest.

Peter arrived soon. Seeing him, Keggy shouted, “Thief! He’s the one who gave me a fake statue and cheated me!”

“Sir, I did not cheat Keggy!” said Peter defensively, “After taking the groceries, I asked him if he would accept the statue as payment. I never said that it was made of gold. Keggy agreed to take the statue on his own. I did not force him.”

“Yes, but I had examined the statue and found that it was made of gold and so I agreed to accept it,” Keggy argued.

After hearing both of them, Shersingh said, “It is Keggy’s mistake that he accepted the statue in his greed. Peter didn’t make any promise that it was a gold statue. He only showed him the statue. So, Peter is not at fault.”

Keggy did not have anything to say. He sat down and started crying.

Seeing this, Peter removed his wig, sunglasses, and hat, and everyone was shocked. “Hey look! It’s Jumpy!” they said.

“I disguised myself as Peter to teach Keggy a lesson. I was sure that a gold statue would make Keggy greedy. I wanted to show him that just the way he cheats his customers, it’s possible for someone else to cheat him too. I showed him a real gold statue first, then later while giving it to him, I replaced it with a fake one. If Keggy promises never to cheat his customers in the future, I will give him his `5000,” said Jumpy.

Keggy realised his mistake and apologised to everyone.

“I’ve realised my mistake and I promise to never cheat my customers again. I’ll weigh and charge for the goods honestly,” Keggy promised

I Can!

“I don’t think I can do it,” Dodo donkey brayed loudly. Milo monkey woke up from his evening nap and complained, “Oh, Dodo, you woke me up!”

“How can you be concerned about your sleep, when I can’t do what others can do?” Dodo cried.

Still sleepy and annoyed, Milo asked, “Now, what happened?”

“I can’t walk long distances while carrying heavy loads on my back,” Dodo said,
“I am sure, my bones will break if I do.”

“Can you do anything in your life?” asked Milo, exasperated.

Dodo kept quiet. “You must have some confidence in yourself, Dodo,” said Flora flamingo, who was sitting nearby.

Flora was famous for her bright pink feathers, thin long legs and her S-shaped neck. Flora gave two lotuses to Dodo and asked, “Do you think you can give one lotus to Milo?”

“Yes, I can,” said Dodo, and gave one lotus to Milo.

“Hurray… Hurray… Finally, I heard Dodo say ‘I Can’,” clapped Flora. Both Milo and she laughed, and congratulated Dodo, who also smiled.

“Why are you not confident, Dodo?” asked Flora.

Making a sad face, Dodo replied, “Everyone makes jokes on us, as if donkeys are of no use. Also, people often use the term ‘donkey’ or an ‘ass’ to insult others, to say they are slow or stupid and crack a joke on them.”

Flora flapped her pretty wings and thought for a while.

“Come on, let’s go for an evening stroll,” she suggested, and the three of them started walking towards the lake.

On the way, they met Ansy ant and her friends who were carrying food home.

“Dodo, do you see the load on Ansy’s back? Ants can carry weight that is 10 to 50 times their own body weight.” Dodo watched Ansy and friends, with awe. “Such tiny creatures can do such a wonderful job!” he thought.

“Croak… Croak…” Suddenly Futtu frog came along. “I am practicing for the long jump event in the next Annual Sports Meet,” said Futtu.

“That’s really amazing. Best wishes, Futtu” said Flora.

“A frog can jump almost 44 times its body length,” explained Flora.

Though, Dodo had seen frogs jump earlier, he noticed Futtu’s jumping talent only today.

“Such a small creature can do such a wonderful job!” thought Dodo again. “But, they are talented by birth and I am born a fool,” Dodo still believed.

“You must realise your strength and appreciate yourself,” said Flora. “Because if you believe in other’s negative comments about you, you will always doubt yourself and remain in fear.”

“Dodo you don’t even live with other donkeys,” said Milo.

He then pointed his fingers to the hill and continued, “Donkeys are strong and carry logs and grass. Do you know how long they need to walk and carry the load?”

“I know, yet nobody appreciates them. They are still called fools,” Dodo replied glumly. “I simply cannot bear the pain of being called a fool. So I just walk around and eat and drink whatever I find.”

“Do you know that donkeys are incredible animals who have excellent memory and tremendous physical strength? Believe that about yourself and work hard with a positive mind. Always say ‘I Can’.”

Dodo brayed suddenly, “Incredible animals!” he repeated.

“That’s the problem. Most of us criticise others without knowing their facts,” Flora explained.

“Studies have shown that donkeys can remember a place they have been to or recognise other donkeys who they met, even after 25 years. A donkey will not do something if it considers it to be unsafe. It can live more than 40 years and in various types of places.”

Dodo was quite stunned to hear about his own talents.

Holding his large ear, Flora said, “Donkeys have large ears that help them hear across distances in deserts. In case they sense something wrong while traveling, they will simply not move ahead and will start digging in their heels.”

“Am I really so strong and special?” Dodo wondered. “I just can’t believe it. I have heard something good about me for the first time.”

Flora sat on Dodo’s back and pecked him gently, “Never compare yourself with others or try to copy them. Instead, find your own strengths and talents and believe in yourself. Always say ‘I Can’ so ‘You Can.”

Milo too jumped on Dodo’s back and screamed, “Yes, we can!”

Dodo brayed, “Yes, I can…” and started running, jumping and dancing cheerfully with Flora and Milo on his back.

Dodo thanked Flora. This was a turning point in Dodo’s life. He realised his own strengths and talents that made him smart, strong and confident!

Discovering Talent

Rahul and Ryan lived with their parents in a small town. Rahul, the elder brother, studied in class 4 in a reputed school in the city. Seven-year-old Ryan studied in a special school.

Ryan could not speak or hear. But one could not make out he had any disabilities just by looking at him. His parents Tina and Pawan did not let Ryan feel any less of himself. Everyone communicated with Ryan with the help of hand gestures, a special sign language.

Ryan went to a school for children with special needs from an early age and started learning sign language. There he learnt to read and write using their own way.

Rahul and Ryan never skipped school and were always excited to meet their friends.

Then, suddenly, due to the coronavirus pandemic, all the schools were shut and children had to stay at home due to the lockdown and could no longer meet their friends.

Rahul spent his time playing games on his mobile phone and chatting with his friends. But Ryan was more upset for not being able to go to school.

Ma did not give him a mobile phone to play games, but would talk to him using sign language. But she realised it was getting very difficult for Ryan to stay at home all day.

But she was unable to explain in detail about the pandemic to him. She made him understand that schools were shut due to an infectious disease, and no one was allowed to step out of their homes.

The two brothers would play together for a while in the evenings. However, Rahul would soon get bored and found it hard to play with Ryan since he was unable to communicate with him like other children who could hear and talk.

Rahul spoke to his friends over the phone and often complained, “Mom, I’m getting bored at home! What can I do?”

“Do whatever you like! You anyway play games on the phone and chat with your friends all day.”

“But talking on the phone is one thing, but talking in person is the real deal!”

“Until such a time that this pandemic is over, everyone has to live this way. Why don’t you learn a new hobby during this time, like painting or craft?”

“But I want to play on the playground.”

“I know! But you can play as much as you like with Ryan inside the courtyard of the house. During times like these, none of your friends can come to play with you, neither can you go out.”

“Yes, you’re right!” said Rahul.

Rahul loved playing cricket. But there was not enough space in their house to play cricket inside it. And Ryan was too young to play cricket with him. He could only fetch the ball when his brother hit it too hard and sent it far away.

Rahul could still manage his time, but it was getting difficult for Ryan. He tried drawing, but he would hardly draw two or three criss-cross lines and then would get bored. He could not do it for too long.

Tina tried her best to keep Ryan happy, but could not do it all the time as she also had to do the household chores.

Ryan followed his mother around all day, observing her doing the housework. In the kitchen, Tina would give him some work like peeling vegetables, or washing them. He would sometimes arrange the plates on the dining table and be overjoyed after doing it.

One day, Tina cut some cucumbers, radishes and carrots, placed them in a bowl and gave it to Ryan and signaled him to keep it on the dining table.

Ryan carried the bowl to the dining table. He looked at the salad carefully, then he picked up the pieces one by one and started arranging them on a plate. He decorated the salad on a plate beautifully.

Tina came out of the kitchen after a while and saw Ryan carefully decorating the plate with the vegetables of three different colours. She smiled and put a hand on his head affectionately and praised him with a hand gesture. Ryan too was very happy.

In the evening, Tina cut some more cucumbers, radishes, carrots and onions, and gave it to Ryan. He picked up a plate and again started decorating it on the dining table.

After some time, his father came out to the dining room after finishing his work. He saw the plate of salad and asked, “Who decorated this?”
“Ryan did it,” praised Tina.

Pawan too was pleased to see Ryan’s creativity.

“We should enrol Ryan in a cooking class, Tina. I’m sure he’ll be great at it,” said Pawan.

He kissed Ryan’s cheek affectionately and hugged him.

Tina started adding more ingredients to the salad every day. She would cut everything and give it to Ryan and he would decorate them in different styles. She did not give him a knife yet because he was still very young to cut the vegetables.

Soon other family members and relatives came to know of Ryan’s skill. Tina recorded videos of Ryan decorating the salad and sent it to them. She made a social media account for Ryan and posted videos on it. Ryan was thrilled to read other people’s comments and suggestions. He had found a way to keep himself happy during the lockdown.

Pawan and Tina encouraged Ryan with his creative endeavours. Though he could not speak, his talents definitely spoke for him.

Umbrella To Save Us!

Jeena jackal was one of the richest animals of Bandipur forest. She owned many factories where most animals of the forest worked and earned a living from.

No one in the forest objected to her building more factories as that meant more animals would get jobs.

She had a say in everything that happened in the forest. And to build factories, she kept cutting more and more trees within the forest.

The old Banyan tree was disturbed to see this. He requested Gogo gorilla to call a meeting of all the animals to discuss the matter.

The animals respected the Banyan tree and immediately agreed.

Next evening, the Banyan tree shared his concern about the building of new factories by cutting trees in the forest, as that was leading to a rise in the air pollution levels and was causing breathing problems for all animals.

“We have to control the increasing pollution levels before it is too late and it becomes dangerous and harmful for all of us,” he said.

The Banyan tree reminded everyone that Jeena had promised to plant trees in the open spaces in the forest when she had cut trees to build the factories. Thus far she hadn’t planted a single tree.

His words had a huge impact on all.

After listening to the Banyan tree, Rancho monkey, who was sitting on a tree nearby, said, “We are going to celebrate Ozone Day in our school and have been asked to bring a sapling on that day.”

“Ozone? What is that?” asked Gingy goat, curiously.

“Ozone layer is like a huge umbrella around the Earth that saves us from the harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun,” Rancho explained.

“That is right, Rancho! If we did not have an ozone layer, then life on Earth would not exist. The increasing smoke and pollution from the factories are causing a hole in this ozone layer, which is harmful to animals and plants on Earth.”

Romi squirrel asked, “How is it harming us, Grandpa Banyan?”

“The increase in the size of the hole in the ozone layer is creating an imbalance in the temperature of the Earth. It is making the winters colder and the summers hotter. The glaciers and the frozen caps in south and north pole are melting slowly and sea levels are rising. These imbalances are very dangerous for life on Earth,” explained the Banyan tree.

Roro rabbit also added, “And our teacher also told us that carbon-monoxide from the ACs and the refrigerators is harming the ozone layer.”

Doctor Giraffe, who was sitting there added, “That is correct and that is why it is important that we reduce the usage of ACs and other such things in our daily life.”

Nina sparrow chirped in, “Oh! That explains why we are facing skin problems when we fly higher.”

“Yes, Nina. This umbrella prevents the harmful ultraviolet rays from reaching the Earth. But since the hole in this layer is increasing, these rays are penetrating our atmosphere and reaching us. This is causing skin problems and if we do not pay attention to it now it can create further dangerous problems like skin cancer,” said Doctor Giraffe.

“So, how can we stop this hole from becoming bigger,” asked Deepu donkey.

“We can prevent this hole from becoming bigger by controlling air pollution, not using chemicals that are harmful to the ozone layer and not cutting trees. We have to plant as many trees as we can instead of cutting them. If we fail to do this then the results will be hazardous,” said the Banyan tree.

Gogo was listening to all this and decided the animals had to find a solution to save the Earth. He asked everyone to reach Jeena’s new factory the next day.

Next morning, the animals reached the factory when Jeena was instructing her workers to cut more trees.

“Jeena, have you taken the permission from the forest department to cut these trees?”

“Y…e…sss, Gogo,” said Jeena Jackal.

“Good, let me see the papers,” said Gogo.

Jeena was taken aback by this, but she regained control of herself. Placing a hand on Gogo’s shoulder, she said, “I will build another factory here, which will give jobs to more of your animals.”

This made Gogo furious and he said, “First you want to build a factory without proper papers. Last time when you built a factory and cut trees, you had promised to plant the same number of trees, but you did not plant a single tree. It is because of your mistakes that the rest of us have to pay such a heavy price.”

Jeena jackal laughed guiltily and said, “Oh! If it is only about planting the trees I promise to do so it if you allow me to cut these trees now.”

“It seems you will not give up that easily,” said Gogo and he whistled. Rancho monkey immediately brought Ellie elephant to the site. Ellie was a Police Officer. Her arrival made Jeena nervous. Ellie checked all the documents of the factory and sealed the factory as they were not complete.

“We should not punish Jeena. The mistake is ours too, that we allowed her to go on without understanding how cutting trees is so harmful to all of us. We should make her realise her mistake by asking her to plant more trees in the forest,” said the Banyan tree.

“I agree with grandpa, it is only by planting more trees that we can save this umbrella that saves us,” added Rancho monkey.

Everyone agreed with the Banyan tree and planted more trees with Jeena in the forest. She too understood her mistake and only built factories that were safe for the environment.

Ranu Has Changed!

Ranu was very happy that day. He had just won the 100-metre race in school. Ranu had been the school running champion for the past two years. He was a rich child who boasted about his wealth. His friends followed his lead and troubled other children in school.

Rohan studied in the same class as Ranu. He was an intelligent student. All the teachers in the school loved him. He was helpful, contributed to the cleanliness of the school, conserved plants and inspired others to do so. He gave his best in every competition—be it in drawing or debate.

Ranu was jealous of Rohan. He wanted everyone to love and follow him around. And to achieve that, he looked for ways to trouble Rohan.

One day while Ranu was sharpening his pencil in class, he deliberately threw the pencil shavings on the floor. Rohan saw him doing that and scolded him, “What is this, Ranu? You should not throw trash like this in the class.”

Before Ranu could respond, Dipesh mockingly said, “If it is bothering you so much, why don’t you pick the shavings up yourself?”

“Yes, you should pick them up. As it is you are an expert in cleanliness,” Deepak too mocked.

This was not the first time when Ranu and his friends, Deepak and Dipesh, had picked on Rohan.

Rohan quietly picked the pencil shavings from the floor and threw them in the dustbin.

“Ranu, you will have to pay a price for your wrongdoings one day. Just wait and watch,” Rohan told Ranu. As soon as Rohan said that Dipesh pushed him to the ground.

“What is happening here? Everybody go back to your seats.” They heard the teacher come in and everyone went back quickly.

Rohan could have complained to the teacher but he kept quiet.

The other kids in the class too kept quiet in fear of the teacher and Ranu and his friends.

“Children, I have some good news for you. Ranu has been chosen from our school for this year’s inter-state running competition. Ranu, will you please stand up?” asked the teacher.

Ranu stood up and everybody clapped for him. Ranu was overjoyed.

“Ranu, you have to start practising with dedication. I am confident that you will give this competition your best.” Ranu stood arrogantly when the teacher announced.

“Children, I am going to the principal’s office for some time. Meanwhile, please finish your revision. Ranu, please come with me,” said the teacher.

Ranu followed his teacher while his friends started teasing Rohan. They crossed all limits when they emptied the dustbin in the classroom.

“Come on, Rohan; get down to your favourite job for which you get the prize every year.” Rohan won the first prize for cleanliness every year. He was teased for that by Ranu and his friends.

Rohan understood that only time would teach them a lesson. He could have complained but he did not want to. Rohan picked up the garbage and threw it back in the dustbin and then sat on his seat and started studying.

The inter-state competition was just around the corner. Teachers and students were busy preparing for the competition. Rohan did not participate in sports because he had a foot problem. He either stayed back in his class and studied or took rounds of the school to check for cleanliness. He was on rounds that day too, when suddenly someone threw a banana peel in front of him. He saw Dipesh laughing at him.

“Pick this up too, you cleaning staff,” Dipesh mocked. This made Rohan angry and he said, “Pick it up, Dipesh; otherwise I am going to complain to the principal about you.” This turned into a heated argument between the two of them when, suddenly, Ranu came running towards them and pushed Rohan aside. But unfortunately, he stepped on the banana peel and fell down.

“O dear!” cried Ranu in pain.

Seeing Ranu fall, Rohan helped him to get up and asked, “Are you hurt, Ranu?”

Rohan saw Dipesh quietly getting away from the scene.

“Oh, I think I have sprained my leg. I cannot stand up,” Ranu cried in pain.

Soon, some of the teachers came there and asked, “What happened? How did you fall, Ranu? Who threw the peel here?”

Before Rohan could say anything Ranu said, “Ma’am, Dipesh threw the peel.”

Not only was Dipesh scolded, he was fined for throwing garbage outside the dustbin.

Ranu’s foot had swelled and the doctor instructed three weeks of rest as he had torn his foot ligament. Ranu was upset as he had to withdraw from the inter-state competition but had no choice.

He felt guilty about his behaviour. He never realised he would have to pay such a heavy price for it and started maintaining distance from his good-for-nothing friends.

After his foot healed, he went back to school as a transformed person. During lunch break, when all the children were playing and eating, a boy threw a napkin towards the dustbin that fell outside it. Before Rohan could get up, Ranu picked up the napkin and threw it in the dustbin.

“Thank you, Ranu” said Rohan.

Ranu could not control his tears and started crying.

“It is alright Ranu, there is always a next time. You will definitely win the trophy next year,” Ranu heard Rohan’s encouraging words and hugged him.

He was a changed person now.

The New Teacher!

Bonny Singh had recently become the Prince of the forest. One morning, he decided to take a tour of the forest to learn about his kingdom, especially the state of education.

He disguised himself to look like an old lion with a grey beard and moustache.

He walked slowly with the help of a stick so that no one could recognise him.

As he walked around, he saw many children, both young and old, playing around and disturbing other animals.

A few naughty ones tried to snatch his walking stick. Bonny was taken aback by this nasty behaviour.

“What is going on here? Why are the children behaving so badly and not in school? They are being very unkind,” he thought to himself.

He went to the palace and called Jacky jackal, the Education Minister to ask about the education system in the forest.

“My Prince, we do have a school in the forest, but no teachers are ready to teach despite us giving them high salaries.

Any teacher we hire, resigns within one week of them joining the school. The students too are not interested in studying so we had to shut down the school.”

Prince Bonny spoke to various retired teachers of the school and they too said the same thing, “There is nothing we can do. The children just do not wish to study.”

“What could possibly be the reason for the children not being interested in studies?” thought Bonny to himself.

He decided to understand the problem in-depth and asked permission from the King to do so.

Next morning, Bonny called his school friend Charlie cheetah.

Charlie had just completed his training in child psychology. He loved teaching and being with children.

Bonny requested Charlie to take over the responsibility of teaching the forest children.

The next day, Charlie reopened the school doors and got the entire school cleaned. He hired Chinki cat as an assistant.

A week passed, but no child came to school. Charlie then sent Chinki cat to meet the animals personally and find out why the children were not interested to come to school.

Chinki met and interacted with a lot of children and their parents.

“School is no fun. One has to only study and read books, memorise them and write an exam. What good is going to school then?” complained Robbie rabbit.

“And there are no games, sports, or fun activities and we have to only sit on the bench the entire time. I always have a backache after school,” added Ghazi goat.

“There is no fun during lunch either.

The food that mom prepares for us in the morning goes cold by lunchtime
and doesn’t taste good at all,” said Romi puppy.

“The children are not taught any practical skills and we want our children to know skills like plumbing, carpentry, sewing, and not textbook knowledge only,” added Romi’s father.

Chinki noted all the complaints and came back to school to discuss them with Charlie who smiled as he read all the concerns. He now understood the root cause of the problem.

After a few days, the animals of the forest were surprised to see a variety of swings on the school grounds.

Various sports equipment like balls, footballs, and cricket kits were arranged neatly in sports boxes.

A table had been arranged with colourful books and games like Carrom Board
and Ludo.

Charlie waited for the children to come to school after making all the arrangements.

A few of them circled around and looked curiously at the interesting items. They could not gather the courage to enter the school premises.

Charlie signalled Chinki who ran and kicked a football.

The football flew high and fell out of the school boundary, where Ghazi goat was standing.

“Please pass me the football, but make sure you kick it and not throw it with your hands,” said Chinki, encouraging Ghazi.

Ghazi looked around and kicked the football with all her strength.

The ball went straight inside the school. Ghazi was so thrilled, she called all her friends. Soon, a full-fledged football match started on the school premises.

It was a fun experience for all children.

Next morning, Charlie was pleased to see a few children coming to school.

He allowed them to play, paint and read stories along with studying the school subjects. Soon, the children started to enjoy coming to school.

They learnt tables in the form of songs. Lessons were taught using plays and skits.

Basic mathematics like addition and subtraction were taught by exchanging fruits among the students.

Science was explained using practical experiments while examples from real life were used to teach moral values.

Charlie asked the parents of the children to run the school kitchen for the children.

The meals were sponsored by the King who wanted the children to have fresh and nutritious food.

Soon, the school became popular and started running at full capacity.

As the number of students increased, a need for another school rose in the forest.

When Charlie went to meet Prince Bonny to open another school, Bonny asked, “How did this miracle occur, Charlie?”

“The children were always curious to learn new things. Textbook learning makes studies boring. They find education fun and interesting when practical examples are used. When we included fun activities to classroom learning, the children got interested along with adults,” explained Charlie.

Bonny was delighted to hear this. Charlie truly knew his role as a teacher was to make studies interesting.

He was appointed to handle the education department of the entire forest.

He trained many animals to his method of teaching so that all the children of the forest were happy to attend school daily.

Where’s The Rain?

All the animals at Shantivan were eagerly waiting for the monsoons. Everyone had made plans for the season and shared them with each other.

“Raindrops make me happy! When it rains, I will dance to my hearts content,” said Peeko peahen.

“This scorching heat is making my flesh burn. When the monsoon arrives, I will bathe all day long,” growled Bholu bear.

“Even I cannot wait any longer. How exciting will it be if it rains tomorrow!” Charlie monkey exclaimed.

A week had passed and not even a drop of rain was in sight. Peeko anxiously gazed at the sky, wondering where the rain had gone.

She saw Charlie hanging from a branch and said, “The monsoon season should have been here by now. When will I get a chance to dance?”

Charlie comforted her, “Maybe, the monsoons are late. But don’t worry, it will rain soon.”

A few more days passed and still there was no sign of the rain. Peeko couldn’t take it and thought Harry horse would have an answer.

“Oh Harry, when will the monsoon arrive?” asked Peeko. “Peeko, have some patience. The arrival of monsoon is certain,” neighed Harry.

Peeko walked ahead and saw Bholu bear staring at the sky. Peeko asked Bholu the same question.

“I can’t explain. There are some dark clouds in the sky. But I don’t understand why it’s not raining,” replied Bholu.

Peeko looked up at the sky. The dark clouds were visible.

“Let’s ask Kitey eagle. Perhaps, she will know where the rain has gone,” Peeko said as she saw Kitey fly closer to the clouds.

Peeko called out to her, “Kitey! Kitey!”

“What happened, Peeko? Why are you calling me?” Kitey asked as she landed near Peeko.

“Kitey, there are so many dark clouds in the sky. Then why is it not raining?”
asked Peeko.

“Let me check,” Kitey replied.

Kitey flew up into the sky and returned soon. She explained, “Peeko, the dark clouds that you’re seeing in the sky are not rain clouds.”

“What do you mean? We all know that dark clouds are rain clouds,” interrupted Bholu.

“Yes, Bholu. But these aren’t rain clouds. They are clouds of smoke that have gathered here because of pollution in the environment. The poisonous smoke looks like clouds and has spread like a blanket all over Shantivan. Until this smoke clears, it will not rain,” said Kitey.

Peeko and Bholu were terrified. They began to think of a solution.

“Bholu, we must clear out these polluted clouds. Otherwise, we will never receive rain and our rivers and ponds will dry out,” said Peeko.

“Peeko, how do you intend to clear out these clouds? I think it’s impossible,”
said Kitey.

“It might be a difficult task but I will try. In fact, if we all work together, we will be able to reduce pollution,” said Peeko, confidently.

“What can we do, Peeko? How can we reduce pollution?” asked Bholu.

“The biggest reasons for pollution are the increased number of vehicles, burning of garbage and cutting of trees. We need to make the animals of Shantivan aware of these causes so that they stop polluting the air,” replied Peeko.

They immediately got to work and made posters and pamphlets that listed the causes of pollution.

To make the posters attractive, Peeko added pictures of plants, trees, mountains, barren land and rivers. Kitey helped to distribute the pamphlets.

Peeko and Kitey also hung the posters on the branches of roadside trees. Bright and colourful posters caught the attention of many animals.

Bholu and Peeko went around Shantivan and made announcements of the benefits of being eco-friendly. They appealed to the animals to use bicycles instead of cars and motorcycles to reduce pollution and welcome rain.

Kitey spread the word that if more trees were planted, pollution would lessen. She also monitored illegal activities like cutting trees.

All the animals of Shantivan took up these eco-friendly initiatives. With the help of Peeko, they planted trees and stopped using cars to work. Soon enough, their hard work showed results. The dark clouds of smoke began to clear and the clouds of rain made their way.

The rain clouds rumbled and soon began to pour. Peeko could finally dance! It was the best dance the animals of Shantivan had ever seen. All the animals joined Peeko and danced with joy

Our Jungle?

There was chaos and confusion in Champakvan.

“Don’t crowd around him. Leave him alone. Look, he’s frightened,” said
Jumpy monkey, asking everyone to move to the side.

“He is a stranger. He is not from our jungle. We should send him away,” said Vivi wolf.

“Vivi is right. He could be a spy from another jungle,” agreed Baddy fox.

“We shouldn’t give shelter to refugees. Outsiders shouldn’t be allowed in our jungle,” added Jugoo jackal.

“Friends, let him rest and let his wounds heal. Then, we can find out who he
is and why he has come here,” said Cheeku rabbit.

All the animals stepped back. After a while, Blacky bear came in running and said, “This is a panda. He fell from a tree into the river and ended up here. I don’t think he’s a threat to Champakvan. We should be kind and helpful towards him.”

“Who told you this?” asked Baddy.

Hopping forward, Harry squirrel replied, “I saw him fall into the river. He struggled to get out. Before I could tell Blacky, he came here. I think we should feed him. He looks tired and hungry.”

“We cannot just share our food with him,” retorted Baddy.

“Why not? We don’t have a shortage of food and we should try and do everything to save a fellow being,” said Blacky.

“Harry and Blacky are right. Panda is helpless. We should save him first,” added Cheeku. Baddy, Vivi and Jugoo walked away. Harry, Cheeku, Jumpy and Blacky began cleaning panda’s wounds and dried his wet fur.

“He is shivering. I think because he was in the water for so long, he is also finding it difficult to breathe,” said Jumpy.

“You are right. Let’s take him to my den. We can keep him safe there. I do not trust Vivi, Baddy and Jugoo. They might try to harm him,” said Blacky.

Charmy eagle, sitting on the tree, said, “I too will help. I will sit near the entrance of the den and let you know if anyone is coming.”

Many animals visited the den to see panda and one day, after he had recovered, they asked him his name.

He said his name was Poh and he was from China.

Next day, Baddy said to Blacky, “Now that panda has recovered, ask him to leave Champakvan. Otherwise, it will not be good.”

“Is this your jungle? And his name is Poh. Don’t call him panda. If Poh wishes to leave, then he will go. Till then, we’re his friends and we will take care of him,” said Jumpy.

“Till when will you keep him coddled inside the den? He doesn’t belong here. The day I get my claws on him, he won’t be spared,” threatened Baddy.

Poh had grown stronger, he played in the den and started climbing the tall trees around the den. Blacky showed him where he could get bamboo, Poh’s favourite food.

One day, Baddy saw Poh step out of the den and walk towards the hill. He called Jugoo and they followed him silently. “Today, we will finish Poh. The moment he climbs down the tree, I will grab him. His caretakers are busy bathing in the river,” hissed Baddy.

Suddenly, they heard Poh scream, “Move aside, move aside, a huge rock is falling from the hill.”

Baddy and Jugoo ran out of their hiding places, just missing the huge rock by a second. Otherwise, they would have been crushed under it. Charmy came flying towards Baddy and Jugoo and said, “You should be ashamed. Poh, who you were planning to kill, saved your lives. If he hadn’t warned, you both would have been crushed to death.”

Baddy and Jugoo wondered how Poh knew they were on the hill behind him. As if reading their minds, Poh said, “I could see you both following me, but didn’t want to say anything.”

“We did leave Poh alone on purpose. After all, till when could we protect him. In the end, he has to learn the laws and dangers of the jungle,” Blacky said.

“The Earth belongs to all of us. Thinking that this is ‘my jungle’ or ‘your jungle’ is incorrect. This is ‘our jungle’,” added Charmy.

Baddy and Jugoo walked away after thanking Poh who climbed up the tree to complete his meal!

United We Stand

Putru owl lived in Champakvan forest. One night, he set out to look for food and saw a tent on the outskirts of the forest. A jeep was parked beside it.

“These weren’t here before!” muttered Putru. Before sunrise, he woke everyone and told them about the jeep and the tent.

Blacky bear had interacted with humans before when he was in a circus and had then escaped to the forest. He quietly went to the tent and peeked inside to see guns, axes and a few men sleeping inside. He immediately understood why they had come.

“They are here to cut down trees of the forest,” said Blacky.

Everyone was shocked. If the trees were cut down, there would be no forest for them to live in.

“You used to say that humans are clever creatures. Do they not know that cutting down trees will bring harm to them as well? Trees make up the forests, give us our homes, and bring rainfall. Trees hold the soil together and also clean the air,” said Cheeku rabbit.

“That’s not all. Trees provide food, medicines and many other things,” said Jumpy monkey.

“But today, humans are being short-sighted. They want to cut down the trees for wood to make homes, furniture and paper,” said Blacky.

“We won’t let them cut the trees!” said Jumbo elephant, angrily. “But they have guns. They can kill us!” said Blacky.

“We must be brave but careful. Let us make a plan to save our forest,” said Jumpy.

“Yes, we must do something quickly! Once they wake up, they may start cutting the trees!” said Jumbo.

Meanwhile, Cheeku had come up with a plan. “If we take those guns and axes, the humans will not be able to bring any harm to us or to the trees,” voiced Cheeku.

They all agreed with his plan and started acting accordingly. Meeku called the mice family to use their razor-sharp teeth to make holes in the tent. Jumpy and Monty entered the tent through the holes and took the guns and the axes, and gave them to Blacky who was standing outside.

Jumbo picked the axes and guns with his trunk and dropped them into the river. “Our trees are safe now. We must scare the humans so that they don’t come here again,” said Cheeku.

All the animals surrounded the tent and started making scary noises. The men sleeping inside woke up with a start.

“Animals have surrounded us. Quick, get the guns!” shouted their chief.

“But there are no guns here! Did we leave them in the jeep?” asked another. “I brought them inside the tent myself!” said the third.

“The axes are gone too! What’s going on?” said their chief.

Jumbo pulled the tent from the ground and now the frightened men were surrounded by animals.

Upon receiving a signal from Jumpy, all the animals started moving towards them.

The men didn’t wait anymore. They ran into their jeep and drove away, promising never to return to the forest.

Blacky said, “We stood with each other bravely and defeated those who were stronger than us. We prevented our forest from getting destroyed. I am proud of us all.”

“If anyone ever comes back here with bad intentions, we will drive them away again, together,” said Jumpy.

All the animals then celebrated their victory that day.

The Boy Who Hopes

The cold breeze envelops the sleepy valley of Srinagar. The pine trees with mountain peaks in the background look picture perfect. Hassan sits at his window, staring at the stillness.

The calendar flutters on the wall and Hassan looks at the date. It’s August 15. This is going to be the second year that Hassan hasn’t stepped out to celebrate Independence Day at school. In fact, he can’t remember the last time he stepped outside. Everywhere he turns, he hears the words lockdown and coronavirus.

Over the past year, he has also learnt that lockdowns in Kashmir aren’t new. When the lockdown was announced all over India because of the virus, Kashmir had already been under one for months.

Sneaking out to meet Ali and Imran was strictly not allowed by Abba and Ammi. Ammi’s phone had rung only once or twice over the past couple of months and then there was silence again. The internet connection started and stopped without any notice.

He thinks of the last time he had halwa, yummy delicious halwa. Everything was rationed. This Ramzan, he didn’t get any new clothes, but Hassan understands that clothes are not important. Things were changing; he was growing up.

“Hassan, I am headed to Rukhsar aunty’s home.” Ammi’s warm voice reaches him from the kitchen.

“Ammi, I want to go with you.” Hassan pleads. He hasn’t been to the bazaar or anywhere in a long time.

Ammi looks at Hassan and lets out a deep sigh. She, too, only went to the market, following rules and ensuring everyone’s safety, but looking at Hassan’s face she said, “Okay, go put on your mask and wear the full-sleeved shirt.”

Hassan throws his arms around his lovely Ammi who is frail, thinner than before.

Hassan skips along Dal Lake as he looks around. During summers, Dal Lake usually had the world-renowned floating market, with shikaras floating on the lake carrying flowers, vegetables and people. This year, Dal Lake is deserted. He wonders if this was how Srinagar would always be.

Hassan breathes in the cool mountain air and feels his lungs opening. “Ammi, why are we going to Rukhsar aunty’s?” he asked.

“She offered to give us some vegetables from her garden, Hassan,” replied Ammi.

Hassan looks around and spots a makeshift stall full of bright, red and juicy tomatoes. He tugs at Ammi’s sleeves. Ammi shakes her head and leads him on.

Hassan looks at Ammi and questions, “Why have Abba and you been eating less?”

Ammi swallows a lump in her throat and turns to Hassan. “We don’t have work right now, beta. We are just saving some money.”

“Will you always have to eat less, Ammi? Is it this virus? Will you never be able to go back to work? Will the bazaar never open again?” Hassan asks questions that have kept him wondering for days now.

“The times are a little different, Hassan.” Ammi lovingly touches his face.

“Why are times always different for us?” Hassan almost screams.

He looks around and sees the shops with their shutters down. The tour and ticketing shop run by Uncle Akhil is shut. The photo studio run by his friend Imran’s Abba, where he and his friends went to get their school identity card photograph clicked, is empty. The big building, which had people with heads bent on computers looked haunted by ghosts.

He looks at the small number of people rushing to their destinations, silently. Once upon a time, each one on the street had a mobile and would be talking loudly. Was that just a year ago? Everything feels like a distant memory and that scares Hassan.

“Why don’t we still have proper phone connections, Ammi? Will it always be like this? Will we always stay disconnected? When can I go back to school and write my exams, Ammi?” Hassan’s young voice is pained with his questions.

Hassan can see Ammi’s eyes flood up from behind the mask. Taking a deep breath, she braves the cold wind and turns to Hassan.

“Hassan, we live on hope, on umeed. That’s the only thing that keeps us going. We will continue to believe that one day Kashmir will be back to normalcy and so will this world.”

Hassan hugs his mother tight and both make their way to Rukhsar’s house. The only sound that accompanies the shuffle of their footsteps is the distant sound of the army patrol and the whistle of the wind.

Aunty Rukhsar is Ammi’s close friend. They used to work together with carpet weaving artisans.

“Alia, Hassan. I was waiting for you.” Rukhsar looks at them with eyes full of love but maintains distance. Hassan feels that warm hugs were also exchanged a lifetime ago.

“Here you go. I hope they are enough to get you through the season.” Rukhsar hands over a big bag of green vegetables to Ammi. Hassan sees Cabbages, haak, and green peppers in the overstuffed bag. With quick goodbyes and nods, Ammi and Hassan walk back home.

“What will we have for dinner today, Ammi?” Hassan asks as soon as they step inside their house.

Ammi smiles and adds, “Haak, we will have a yummy, filling and nutritious meal today.”

Once home, Hassan changes into his kurta and pyjamas and puts on a thin woollen pullover. He steps into the warm kitchen where Ammi is picking out the green leaves.

“Ammi, what’s special about haak?” Hassan asks, seeing Ammi clean delicate and tender leaves and stalks.

“Haak is a food of respect, most of the leaves used would be thrown out otherwise, but for this dish, we use all of them. It’s called a poor man’s meal. The ones we are using today is Kaatchie Dal Haak.”

Hassan watches as Ammi heats mustard oil in the pan. The sputtering and simmering remind Hassan of firecrackers.

“Are we poor, Ammi?” Hassan asks quietly. He knew the past one year had been the toughest in his ten years.

“Why do you ask, Hassan?”

“We are eating a poor man’s meal, Ammi.”

Ammi smiles at Hassan and adds asafoetida and dried, long red chillies into the pan.

“Hassan, the times are tough and while abbu and I do not have jobs, at the moment, we are still doing better than so many other people around us. So, can we call ourselves poor?”

Hassan thinks of the stories he has been hearing over the months about people dying, both because of the virus and otherwise.

Ammi switches off the flame, adds water, then switches it back on and adds the haak to the boiling mix. The kitchen is filled with a tangy fragrance. Hassan feels his eyes smarting but enjoys the feeling.

Ammi crushes some green chillies and adds them, covering the simmering greens and letting them cook slowly.

“Aatichooo!” Hassan sneezes in response. Both of them burst into laughter.

Ammi switches off the stove and adds some salt. Hassan’s mouth waters. Laughing, Ammi ladles out a huge bowl of rice and puts haak right in the middle.

Handing it over to Hassan, she waits as Hassan tastes the simple Kashmiri haak and rice.

“Ammi, this tastes magical,” Hassan grins as he gulps the entire bowl.

Ammi laughs, “See Hassan, we got something nutritious and simple out of what we would have been throwing into the dustbin.”

“Ammi, I want to go back to school and lead a normal life. I want to go back to playing with my friends. I want to go back to a year ago.”

Ammi stands speechless as Hassan spells out his wishes and looks out of the window at the starkness of the city, holding his bowl of rice close. He can smell despair and sorrow.

Four seasons have passed but in his little heart, he still hopes for better news. That he will go back to learning lessons, playing games and most of all, living normally like other children of his age are. Hassan hopes that he will again get a chance to celebrate August 15 at school in Kashmir.

Fear Of Coronavirus!

All the animals of Champakvan were scared of at the speed with which the corona pandemic was spreading.

One morning, when Meeku mouse went to the market to buy some vegetables, he saw that everyone in the market was following social distancing while shopping and that they all wore masks.

Meeku always bought his vegetables from Blacky bear’s shop. He stood in the queue like everybody else. When it was his turn he handed over the list and his bag to Blacky and said, “Blacky, here is my list, please weigh the vegetables for me.”

“Right away,” said Blacky.

Blacky was weighing the vegetables when suddenly Meeku coughed.

Blacky stopped immediately and asked, “Meeku, you are coughing! Are you sure you’re not infected by coronavirus?”

“No, I am absolutely fine. Something just irritated my throat and so I coughed,” said Meeku, embarrassed as everyone was looking at him accusingly.

“How is that possible? I am sure it is coronavirus and you are hiding it. I cannot give you vegetables. You go to the hospital immediately and get yourself checked,” said Blacky, rudely.

Jumpy monkey and Damru donkey who were buying vegetables from the next shop moved away quickly. “Run, Meeku is infected by coronavirus. We will get infected too if we stay here,” Jumpy screamed.

“Yes, you are right. It is not safe to stay here,” shouted Damru, trotting away.

Soon, the entire market knew about Meeku coughing and all the shopkeepers started shutting their shops and ran.

Meeku was not able to understand what was happening around him. He tried to stop everybody. “Don’t run away from me, please stay,” he pleaded. “Could they be right, am I really infected?” he thought to himself. He became very upset and sat there and started to cry.

Dola deer was also visiting the market at the same time to buy vegetables. When she heard the noise and saw Jumpy, Damru and Blacky running away, she stopped them and asked, “Why are you all running? What is the problem?”

“Dola, Meeku is infected with coronavirus and if we stay here we will get infected too,” said Jumpy, out of breath.

“If you want to save yourselves you better run too,” Damru added.

Dola tried to calm them and asked, “First you all stop running and tell me who told you that Meeku has coronavirus?”

“I saw Meeku coughing,” said Blacky.
“Yes, we also saw him coughing,” Jumpy and Damru said in a chorus.

“Coughing does not necessarily mean that one is infected by coronavirus and treating Meeku like this based on your suspicion is not right after all he is also a member of our family,” Dola explained.

“Dola, we don’t know all that but we are very scared that we may get infected too,” said Jumpy fearfully.

Dola consoled him and said, “Don’t be scared, Jumpy. Only a doctor can say if Meeku is infected or not. Let us take him to the hospital.”

They all agreed with Dola and took Meeku to the hospital.

Doctor Jumbo elephant screened them all as they reached the hospital. He asked them to sit on the chairs placed at a distance and asked them, “What is it? Why do you all look so scared?”

“Doctor, Meeku has been infected with coronavirus. Please admit him in your hospital,” said Jumpy.

“But how do you know that he has been infected?” asked Doctor Jumbo.

“Meeku was coughing that’s how we know,” Jumpy replied.

Dola then explained the situation to Doctor Jumbo, “Actually Doctor, everybody doubts that Meeku was coughing because he is infected and that is why we have brought him here to know for sure.”

“You did the right thing by bringing him here. Let me check for his symptoms,” and Doctor Jumbo took Meeku inside for a check-up.

After taking a swab test and a full examination Doctor Jumbo came out and said, “The swab test report will take a few days to come. But I have physically examined Meeku and he is not infected by coronavirus. There is no need to hospitalise him.”

“Then why was he coughing? I have heard that Corona patients cough,” asked Blacky.

“Coughing alone does not mean that one is infected. High fever, breathlessness, headaches, diarrhoea, loss of taste and smell are some of the other symptoms of this disease. Meeku always uses a mask and he regularly sanitizes his hands. Also, he has not been in contact with any corona patients in the last few days. He does not have any symptoms,” said the doctor.

“Why was Meeku coughing then?” Damru wanted to know.

“Meeku drank cold water before leaving for the market as it was really hot and he had ice cream last night and that’s why he was coughing. I have given him medicines for his sore throat,” he explained.

Jumpy, Blacky and Damru were all embarrassed after finding out the truth from the doctor.

They all apologised to Meeku, “We accused you without any reason and took you to be a coronavirus patient. We ran away from you and treated you badly, please forgive us.”

Jumpy turned to Dola and said, “Had it not been for you we would have never got him to the hospital and known the truth.”

“Don’t be scared of coronavirus, just be alert. It can happen to anybody but a little precaution can prevent us from this disease. Wearing a mask while going out, washing our hands regularly, maintaining social distancing, covering our nose and mouth while coughing or sneezing are some of the things that can prevent us from this disease. Also, contact a doctor in a nearby hospital if you notice any symptoms. Most importantly, do not treat a coronavirus patient badly, try to help them instead,” advised Doctor Jumbo.

Meeku thanked doctor Jumbo and said, “I am thankful to you for giving us so much information about coronavirus. For a moment even I was scared but now I am no longer scared.” He also thanked Dola for her help.

Little Chichu

Little Chichu mouse was too naughty. She was not scared of anyone. She would proudly jump about without a care in the world. Even in front of Binno cat, she would confidently run around scaring the wits out of Pimpoo squirrel who lived under the ashoka tree. Once Binno almost pounced on little Chichu, and Pimpoo realized that it was only a matter of time before the cat would catch hold of the silly mouse. But every time, Chichu would run into her hole and escape, and Pimpoo would sigh in relief.

Pimpoo appreciated how Chichu could run to save her life, but her running around aimlessly was not the best way to spend time.

One day, Pimpoo stopped Chichu as she was running and said, “Chichu, why do you waste your time every day running around here and there? Don’t you have any work to do?”

“But if there’s no work, why should I work? My parents love me and never ask me to do any work,” said Chichu proudly.

“All parents love their children. What’s special about that? But tell me something—I never see you looking for food. How do you get your food?” asked Pimpoo.

Chichu kept a straight face and said, “I just told you! My parents adore me. When I run back home after playing, my mom has food arranged for me. I eat that and go to sleep without any worry.”

“Don’t you think, Chichu, that you’re grown now, and you should look for your own food?” asked Pimpoo.

“Well, I’ve already told you that my mom arranges everything for me. Why are you so bothered?” said Chichu and tried to run from there.

Pimpoo decided not to let her go and caught her before she could get away and said, “Hey, wait! Listen to me! Don’t get offended! I really like you. I would like to be your friend and so I spoke.”

“Oh, you should just have said that! Even I don’t have anyfriends. I mostly play alone and now we shall play together!

“All right! Let’s play now!” said Pimpoo excitedly. But Chichu had other plans.

“Not right now! I have to go home for lunch with my mom. I’ll come back, and then we can play,” said Chichu and ran to her hole.

After lunch, Pimpoo was resting under the ashoka tree, when Chichu came back. Pimpoo was ready to play and they played for quite a long time. When they were tired, they went back to their homes.

Chichu and Pimpoo continued to play every day. While playing, sometimes when Pimpoo would come across food and start eating, Chichu would become irritated. But Pimpoo explained, “My friend, I don’t have a mother to arrange food for me.

I must look and arrange for my own food. And what about when you run away home whenever you’re hungry? I don’t get irritated by that.”

“I’m sorry! I won’t mind. But I really am hungry now. I’ll quickly run home for food and be back in no time.” said Chichu.

“Take your time. Get some rest. I too am exhausted and need some sleep.” said Pimpoo.

No sooner had Chichu left, Pimpoo fell asleep.

She woke up hearing Chichu calling out to her, “Pimpoo, where are you? Please come out fast!”

“What happened, Chichu? Why do you look so worried?” asked Pimpoo, coming out of her nest.

“A sack of vegetables fell on mom, and she’s injured. She can’t move and is resting. Dad has gone to look for food. He has to work harder now. He would usually look for his own food and then help mom out. What do I do now? I’m really hungry!” said Chichu, worried.

“I can share food with you but from today, you will search for your own food and then eat. I will, of course, help you.” replied Pimpoo.

Chichu did not say anything.

With Pimpoo’s help, Chichu looked for food. Chichu enjoyed herself. Once she was full, she said, “Thanks a lot, my friend! I really enjoyed hunting food with your help. Now I’m sleepy; I must go home,” she said.

“Chichu, why don’t you take something for your mom?” suggested Pimpoo, empty handed?” asked Pimpoo.

Chichu was surprised and replied, “I go home like this every day, so it’s usual. What’s so special about today that I must take something for mom?”

“Well, on other days, your mom is not injured on bed.” said Pimpoo exploding.

“Oh! What do you suggest I do?” Chichu asked.

“Your mom always arranges for food. Today, take some food for her?” said Pimpoo.

“Where will I get food for her? I can’t think of anything,” said Chichu, sadly.

“I’ll help you out,” said Pimpoo.

The two friends started collecting food. When they had collected enough, Pimpoo
said, “Here, Chichu, take these to your mom. That should be enough.”

Chichu ran home, went straight to her mom and asked, “How are you feeling now, mom?”

“I am fine. But you must be hungry. Your dad will soon be here with food. You have to wait a little longer.” answered mom.

“Mom, I got food on my own. And I’ve brought food for you too. Here, have some nuts,” she said and kept the food in front of
her mom.

Her mom had tears in her eyes and she said, “My little daughter is all grown up now. But you’ve never done this before. How did you become so independent?”

“Mom, it’s all because of my friend, Pimpoo. She showed me to collect and cook food.”

“I’m glad that you have such a smart and thoughtful friend. Such true friends are gems. You must get your friend home one day. I want to meet her,” said mom.

Chichu ran to Pimpoo and said, “I’ve never seen my mom so happy, and it’s all because of you. You made me self-confident and self-reliant. Now I’ll not simply depend upon mom, but in fact, help her out.”

Seeing the change that came about in Chichu, Pimpoo was pleased. They went together searching for food every day

Baby Snatcher

Shrishti and Tanmay had been wanting to go for a picnic to India Gate. But with their Dad busy, their picnic would get postponed every time. But finally they decided that the following Sunday they all would definitely go to India Gate with their parents.

When their Dad returned home in the evening, they announced, “Dad, this Sunday we’re definitely going for the picnic to India Gate.”

To their surprise, Dad readily agreed.

“All right, then! Sunday it is, at the India Gate. I have asked my colleague Mr. Tiwari and his family to join us. He has two kids, Romu and Rohit and you may enjoy the picnic even more playing with them.”

Khushi and Tanmay readily agreed.

Soon it was Sunday. Both the children packed football and their badminton kit in a bag and asked Mom if she could make chole and puris for lunch.

At 4 p.m, Dad drove everyone towards the Raj Path.

“Mr. Tiwari and his family are also on their way. I just spoke to them,” said Dad while driving.

“Drive faster, Dad! We want to reach there quickly!” said Tanmay and Shrishti, in excitement.

Since it was a Sunday, the gardens near India Gate were crowded. Many balloon and toy sellers were selling things on the side walk along the Raj Path. Several kids were playing football and badminton and many other picnic goers were sitting on a blanket and enjoying themselves.

Mr. Tiwari had already found a spot and was waiting for them. Shrishti’s Dad coordinated with him and together both families placed their picnic baskets with food on the blankets, which they had carried from home. Shrishti and Tanmay took out the football and badminton kit and started playing with Romu and Rohit.

Rohit was just five years old. He was the youngest. The older kids were instructed to keep an eye on him, and not to let him go too far while playing. Because Rohit could not catch the ball easily, soon Tanmay, Shrishti and Romu started playing with each mostly.

A stranger was observing the children. He slowly walked towards Rohit, and asked him quietly, “Do you want to play with a balloon? I’ll play with you.”

Rohit jumped in excitement and started walking with the stranger.

While Shrishti was playing, she would keep watching out for Rohit. But when she had looked in the direction where Rohit was standing, she realised that he was not there any more.

Shocked, she cried out to Tanmay and Romu, “Where’s Rohit?”

Tanmay and Romu quickly scanned the ground with their eyes but could not see him.

Suddenly, Shrishti spotted Rohit walking away with a stranger and immediately called out loudly to her Mom who was sitting, “Mom! Look! Someone’s taking Rohit away!”

The elders quickly ran towards the stranger. Sensing danger, the stanger left Rohit and fled the scene.

Mr. Tiwari screamed, “STOP! STOP! THIEF! Catch him! He was trying to kidnap my child!”

The crowd responded quickly and caught hold of the man before he could escape. The two families also reached the spot by then. Rohit flew into his Mom’s arms.

The stranger was a baby snatcher. He would spot little kids who were not being watched and promise them balloons and toys, and then kidnap them. The crowd handed him over to the police who too had reached the spot by then.

“We all need to be careful about young children,” said the inspector to the
crowd.

He looked at Shrishti and said, “Shrishti, you are smart and brave, and saved Rohit. If you had not spotted them on time, we could have lost Rohit today.”

Everyone praised Shrishti and Rohit gave her a big hug and a kiss.

Surprise Birthday Party

Dadaji was visiting Aayush for his birthday. Aayush had invited all his friends to his house for a party.

Aayush introduced everyone to his grandfather and the kids played many games. After spending an enjoyable evening, they bade goodbye and left.

“Aayush, all your friends enjoyed the party. But Rohan was quiet most of the time.” Dadaji said to Aayush when they had cleared the room.

“Dadaji, Rohan’s father was a captain in the army. He was killed during the Kargil war. Since then, Rohan remains sad most of the time.”

“Oh!” said Dadaji understanding Rohan’s quietness.

“Dadaji, why was the Kargil war fought?” asked Aayush sitting down.

“In our northernmost region of Kashmir, lies the mountain of Kargil on the line of control with our neighbour, Pakistan. The Kargil War was fought in 1999 from May to July to protect the line of control. It was a very difficult terrain and our soldiers fought bravely for nearly sixty days and finally succeeded in getting back the occupied territory on the 26th of July by fighting Pakistan’s soldiers. Many lives were lost on both sides due to the war.” explained Dadaji.

He continued, “Therefore every year on 26th July we celebrate Kargil Victory Day in memory and pay homage to our brave soldiers.”

“Rohan’s dad died in this war,” said Aayush sadly and added, “Not just that, he died on the day of Rohan’s birthday, which is why Rohan does not celebrate his birthday anymore.”

“He is a young child. He must be torn between celebrating his birthday and the memory of his father,” said Dadaji thoughtfully.

“Yes. And he misses his dad very much. His mother also does not want him to celebrate his birthday,” added Aayush.

“When is Rohan’s birthday?” suddenly Dadaji asked.

“Next Monday, Dadaji,” replied Aayush.

“Alright. Let’s get a good sleep. You must be tired.” said Dadaji.

“Goodnight Dadaji!” said Aayush and went to bed.

The following Monday at Rohan’s house, his mom asked him to wear new clothes.

“Why should I wear new clothes, mom? We do not celebrate my birthday,” said Rohan, quietly looking up at his mother.

Even though Rohan did not understand what was happening, he did what his mother asked, and put on new clothes.

Just then the door bell rang and mom asked Rohan to open the door. When he opened the door, he saw Aayush’s Dadaji, Aayush and his friends standing there. They had balloons, a big cake and gifts in their hands. They all shouted together, “Happy birthday, Rohan!” Rohan did not know what to say and looked at his mother who was standing nearby smiling.

Dadaji told the children, “Come, let’s start decorating this room with balloons.” The children got busy with decorations and soon the room was ready.

“Happy Birthday, Rohan?” said Dadaji.

“But Dadaji, I do not celebrate my birthday.” replied Rohan.

“Dadaji spoke with your mom and explained her that if your dad had been here today, he would have loved to celebrate your birthday. So your mom and my Dadaji got together to arrange this surprise birthday party for you,” said Aayush.

Rohan looked at his mother with tears in his eyes. She just said, “Come, it’s time to cut the cake!”

Rohan cut the cake and the room once again was filled with wishes of “Happy birthday!” pouring in.

Confidence Boost?

Robbie rat was nibbling on some grains under a tree, when he heard Billu cat approaching. He started trembling. He got so busy looking around to see where Billu was coming from, that he forgot all about running away.

Just as Billu was about to pounce on Robbie, Sweety squirrel jumped in and landed between them.

This distracted Billu and Sweety quickly jumped again onto the tree. This gave Robbie a chance to escape and made Billu angry.

Billu mumbled, “That naughty Sweety ruined everything. I’ll take care of her later.” She left from there.

A while later, Robbie came out of hiding and started looking around to see if Billu was nearby.

He was still trembling with fear. He thanked Sweety for her help.

Sweety said, “You could have been killed because of your carelessness. I saved your life today, but I won’t be around every day. Why are you so scared? Listen to me, and stop being so fearful. Billu is not around here anymore and when she is, don’t lose your wits. You must learn to save yourself.”

Robbie took a deep breath and said, “Sweety, I don’t know how to stop being scared. I am never at peace with Billu around.”

“The picture of her fierce face is always on my mind. I feel she will pounce on me any moment,” said Robbie.

“You have called me a friend, and so I’m your friend from today. It is sensible to be scared of Billu. But to be always living in fear—that’s not right! From today onwards, go about your business. We will see how Billu should not scare you again,” said Sweety confidently.

“But if you are not around and I don’t see her coming, and she pounces on me, then what will I do? I wouldn’t even be able to call out for help,” said Robbie, shivering again at that thought.

“No, I mean you should be alert, but not scared all the time. Come with me, I’ll show you how enemies can stay together in many different places. They eat and play, enjoy themselves, but are also alert. They aren’t scared all the time,” Sweety explained to Robbie.

“I never thought about it like that. Look at this tree itself. There are so many birds living here. There are crows, sparrows, hawks and also snakes living in holes in the tree. They all live their lives without fear,” Robbie answered.

“See you understood this yourself. When others are not scared, why are you? Now let’s go a little ahead. Let me show you something,” urged Sweety.

Robbie and Sweety set off together. “Let’s go towards the river bank,” said Sweety.

They reached the river bank and saw many goats drinking water from the river. Ducks and buffaloes were swimming in it.

Suddenly, a crocodile rose from the river, and Robbie cried out, “Oh! What a beast! Does it also live in the river?”

“Yes, it does. The river has many small and big fishes. If they were always scared, they would never be able to live their lives,“ said Sweety.

“You’re right!” said Robbie. They went further.

Sweety said, “Earlier, I used to stay on another tree. One day I was watching some peacocks dance, when all of a sudden a tiger came out of nowhere
and pounced on one of them. I simply shut my eyes in fear. When I opened
them again, I saw that the peacocks had flown away.”

“Similarly, I’ve seen deer giving their predator a slip. When I saw these different animals living without fear and with confidence, I too followed their example. All I do now is stay alert. Carelessness can cost lives. So one should always be careful and alert but not scared,” explained Sweety.

“Yes, I understand you. But tell me something, why did you leave the forest and
come to the city?” asked Robbie.

“When humans started cutting down trees in the forest, I had to leave it and come here. I now live here peacefully, and also I have you as my friend!” said Sweety, happily.

Robbie said, “I too am pleased to have met you. Shall we leave for home now?”

“Yes, let’s go!” and both of them started walking back.

As they neared their home, they saw Billu approaching them.

This time, instead of being scared, they quickly changed course and hid in hollows of a tree.

Sweety said, “That was a nice outing. Let’s rest, and then we can play together.”

“And we’ll not be scared of anyone! Thanks, my brave friend!” said Robbie and went to his bill.

Robbie no longer felt scared and nervous as before. Sweety’s encouragement had made him brave and smart.

Annual Cycle Race!

Like every year, this year too, a cycle race was being organised in Haritvan. All participants had to get their names registered with Jumbo elephant.

Although the race was a week away, Rohan rabbit, Bholu bear, Dumpy monkey and Chunky donkey had got their names registered.

Chunky was taking part in the race for the first time. Rohan, Bholu and Dumpy had been taking part in it every year.

All of them, except Chunky, owned racing cycles.

Last year Rohan had won the race. This year too, he was confident of his victory. He had the best racing cycle in all of Haritvan, as his was from abroad.

Chunky was worried as his cycle had become old and rusty. Although, he had registered himself, he realised that he had no chance of winning the race with his old cycle.

All of his friends gathered at the Haritvan field in the evening for practice and preparation.

When Chunky reached the field, he found Rohan and Dumpy already practicing.

Chunky too joined them. But when they saw his old cycle, they started laughing at him.

“Chunky, your cycle should be put up as an antique in the museum. How do you expect to win with this junk cycle?” said Rohan.

“If you take my advice, Chunky, you should withdraw your name from the race. One needs a good racing cycle like ours to win the cycle race,” advised Dumpy.

Chunky was hurt but held back his tears. He left the field and quietly went back home. As soon as he entered the house, he dropped his cycle on the floor angrily and sat on his chair, crying.

When his mother saw him crying, she came up to him and asked, “What happened Chunky? Why are you crying?”

Chunky shared everything with his mother and asked her for a new cycle for the competition.

Chunky’s mum stroked his hair fondly and said, “Chunky, you know right now, we do not have enough money to buy a new cycle. As far as participating in a race goes, you can do that on your old cycle as well. You can win with it too.”

“Don’t give me false hopes, mum. How can I compete with Rohan and Dumpy’s new cycles with my old rickety cycle?” said Chunky, drying his tears.

“Don’t worry if your cycle is not new. Practice regularly. You still have a week before the race. Don’t pay any attention when Rohan and Dumpy tease you. Concentrate on practising,” said Chunky’s mum.

“We can spend some money and get your cycle repaired by a good mechanic,” his mum added.

The next day Chunky took his cycle to the mechanic who put oil in the chains, changed its gears, and gave it a polish.

Chunky’s cycle looked good and rode smoothly. Chunky started his practice with determination.

Every day, he spent two hours cycling around the ground. At first he would get tired easily but slowly, his stamina built and he was able to take many rounds of the field without getting tired.

Rohan, Bholu and Dumpy were full of confidence of their racing cycles. They did not practice much. Every evening they turned up at the field, but instead of practicing, they just sat there gossiping and laughed at Chunky.

Chunky did not pay attention to their comments and just kept cycling.

On the day of the race, the participants stood on the start line. Chunky was quiet while Rohan, Dumpy and Bholu, boasted of their sure-shot victory.

Cheetah Singh whistled and waved to start the race.

Rohan shot like an arrow and was soon ahead of all.

Just behind him were Dumpy and Bholu with Chunky coming in last.

But a little ahead, Rohan’s cycle started giving trouble and he got down to try to set it right.

Now Dumpy was in the lead. Bholu and Chunky followed him.

Chunky’s mother was there to see the race. She kept encouraging her son, “Well done Chunky! Keep on Chunky!”

After three rounds, Dumpy and Bholu started getting tired and they slowed down.

Chunky, because of his training, kept on cycling and left the others behind, and won the race easily.

Sheru lion went on to the stage and said, “The winner of today’s race is Chunky. Not only did he win the race, but has completed it in the shortest time, setting a new history in the cycling history of Haritvan. He gets a special award along with his trophy.”

Chunky went on the stage with a big smile on his face. He was thrilled when he was presented a brand new racing cycle along with the trophy. King Sheru asked him to speak a few words.

“I won the race because of my mother. If she had not encouraged me, I would not have taken part in the race, because my cycle was old and rusty. I felt I would not win the race on it. But my mother explained to me that to win a race, we need hard work and practice, and that is why I dedicate this to her.”

All the animals cheered him and his mother was very proud and happy for him.

Tinku Saves The Day

Tinku was a clever boy and would think of a new game every day and use his knowledge to lord over his friends who lived in his society.

Tinku’s father was a police officer at the international airport.

One day when Tinku’s father returned home, he looked sad and upset. Tinku looked at him and understood that something wasn’t right. He went close to his father and asked, “Dad, what’s the matter? You look very stressed today.”

“Yes, son. I am, in fact, very worried today. For the first time in 15 years, I met a man who did not speak a single word even though he was being questioned by us for more than 10 hours.”

Listening to his father, Tinku said, “Who are you talking about, dad? Who is not saying what?”

“Tinku, today we received news that a man would get diamonds into India from an international flight. When we caught him at the airport, we searched him thoroughly, but we couldn’t find a single diamond. Even after we questioned him, he didn’t say anything.”

“Then the news that you received may have been false,” said Tinku.

Listening to Tinku’s logic, his father said, “No son. The information we received is correct. And we caught the same bearded guy whose description matched the information we received.”

“Did you comb through his beard to check for the diamonds?” Tinku laughed and said.

“What do you mean Tinku?” his father asked, sitting up.

Tinku said, “Dad, you must have heard the Hindi phrase that goes, ‘a blade of grass in the thief’s beard’. So I asked if you combed through his beard to search for the diamonds.”

Tinku hadn’t even completed his sentence when his father got up suddenly and left on his motorcycle.

When his father returned two hours later, he looked happy.

“Dad, you look very happy. Did your problem get solved?” asked Tinku.

“Yes, son! Today, thanks to you, we were able to catch the thief red-handed,” replied his father.

“So you found the diamonds? Please tell me where they were,” said Tinku.

“They were exactly where you said they would be–in his beard! That smuggler tied together the diamonds with a black thread and made a chain of it. He then tied it to the back of his long beard.”

Tinku jumped up excitedly and said, “Then I should get a prize dad. I helped catch a thief.”

“Yes, sure I’ll give you a prize.” Dad picked Tinku up, placed him on his lap and kissed his head.

Caught In The Snare

Jaggu wolf, Tima jackal and Pengu rhinoceros were skilled thieves.

One day, they were walking down a narrow bylane when they noticed a board hung outside an office that said, ‘Employment for Thieves – Contact this office.’

“Look! Look! This board says, ‘Employment for Thieves’,” Pengu pointed at the board, excitedly.

Jaggu and Tima stared at the board with their eyes wide open. They could not believe it.

“Come, let’s go inside,” said Tima, and all three of them went in.

Montu rabbit was sitting in the office. On the table lay sample applications and stacks of old and new files.

Jaggu, Tima and Pengu did not recognise Montu. Though he belonged to Shantivan, he had spent his childhood in the city.

“Are you looking for employment?” Montu asked when he saw them inside his office.

“Yes. But is the board true?” Jaggu asked him doubtfully.

“Yes, it is true. We provide employment for thieves. If all of you are thieves and have adequate experience in theft, pickpocketing and loot, then you can apply here for work,” replied Montu.

Jaggu, Tima and Pengu felt hopeful of getting a job here.

“What work will we have to do?” asked Pengu.

“Work of theft and loot. A company in a foreign country provides employment to thieves, gangsters, dacoits, pickpockets and robbers. I represent that company,” said Montu.

“Three of us are skilled thieves. It is difficult now to live on small thefts and pickpocketing. Hence, we would like to take up employment. What do we have to do for it?” asked Jaggu.

“Once you fill this application form, you have to appear for a written test and an interview. If you are successful, then I will send you to the foreign country on an airplane. You will be paid a salary and will be given all the comforts in this company.”

Listening to Montu, their eyes brightened with hope and joy.

“But how do we give you proof of our theft, loot and pickpocketing? We have no proof of our work,” asked Jaggu.

“Don’t worry about that. On this form, write the number of thefts, who did you loot and whose houses you broke into. Mention all this in the interview too. That’s all!” said Montu.

The conditions for employment seemed easy. So, all of them submitted their applications and went home.

After a week, all of them came back to Montu’s office for the test and interview. In the test, they wrote about the details of theft, pickpocketing, and loot.

In the interview, Montu asked Pengu, “Tell me the names of the people who were your victims.”

“Tengu tortoise, the teacher, was buying vegetables in the market. I stole his
wallet that had his full month’s salary,” said Pengu.

Then Montu turned to Tima, “And what have you done?”

Tima replied, “It was Diwali night. Kalu bear had gone to the hills to celebrate with his family. I made a tunnel into his house and crawled out with his jewellery, mobile and 20,000.”

Then Montu looked at Jaggu who said, “Actually, all the incidents of theft, loot, dacoity and pickpocketing in Shantivan have been our doings. We have stolen 10,000 from Dodo dog’s shop.

When contractor Ganju elephant was coming out of the bank after withdrawing 10 lakh, we looted him and ran off with the cash. We had worn masks, so no one recognised us.”

“Very well, this is enough proof! All of you have passed the test and have got
the jobs. You all are truly skilled thieves! Next Monday, come with your luggage here. First, we will go to Delhi and then get on a flight. Congratulations!” said Montu.

Next Monday, Jaggu, Tima and Pengu arrived at Montu’s office with their luggage.

Just then a closed van stopped in front of the office too. “Go and sit in the van with your luggage,” said Montu.

All three of them got in the van.

About half an hour later, the van stopped at the main police station.

Jaggu, Tima and Pengu peeped through the window.

“Is this Delhi or a police station?” asked the three of them.

“We are caught in a snare!” Jaggu stammered.

The door of the van opened. “Get down,” ordered Inspector Jagdal elephant. Seven constables were standing around the van with their rifles.

“Why, what have we done?” Tima asked the inspector in a trembling voice as he got down.

“You have committed criminal acts of stealing and pickpocketing. You picked the pocket of Tingu teacher, stole Kalu’s jewellery and mobile and looted Ganju contractor. You yourselves have admitted to these thefts in writing. Therefore, you are arrested,” said Inspector Jagdal and put them behind bars.

Montu was happy with his achievement. He had recently moved to Shantivan and after completing his training as a detective, this was his first successful assignment.

Clever Rizo!

Rizo mouse was returning home. On the roadside, Coco cat was walking with a limp.

“I have sprained my ankle. Will you please help me walk to my house?” Coco requested Rizo.

“I don’t trust cats. What if you eat me?” Rizo said, walking away quickly.

“Oh, kind mouse! Please don’t be afraid. I have stopped eating mice. I am a vegetarian. My ankle is sprained and I am unable to walk. It would be very kind of you to help me walk to my house,” said Coco with an innocent face.

Rizo felt pity for Coco and decided to help her reach home.

After reaching home, Coco smiled and said, “Thank you for your help! You must be exhausted with the heat outside. Come inside and have a cool drink. You’ll be refreshed.”

Since Rizo’s mouth was dry, he agreed and went inside the house with Coco.

She got a glass of cool drink from the kitchen.

After having the drink, Rizo was ready to leave. Suddenly, his head began to spin and he fell down.

Waking up, he found himself inside a wooden rat cage. On one side of the cage was a little door. On the other side, there was an iron net. Besides him, there were two other rats inside the cage.

After a while, the door opened and Coco entered the room. “This cat cheated and trapped me,” Rizo murmured to himself.

Looking at Rizo through the iron net, Coco made a frightening face and said, “To trap clever mice like you, I have to take the path of cheating. Otherwise, what will I eat? I will die of starvation.”

“I made a mistake in trusting you,” said Rizo.

“A cat and a mouse can never be friends. Who makes the mistake has to suffer! Sit here and count your days. I am travelling for two days. On returning, I will eat you as my delicious meal,” said Coco and threatened the mice with her sharp claws.

Coco opened the cage’s door and slid a bowl of water and bread inside.

“I am keeping the food here so that you don’t die out of hunger and thirst,” and Coco locked the door and walked away.

The other two trapped mice were Kukoo and Neeloo. They too had been cheated and tricked by Coco.

“There is no point in crying over what has happened. We have to find a way to get out of this cage. We only have two days,” Rizo said to Kukoo and Neeloo.

“It is impossible to get out of this cage,” said Neeloo.

“Yes, even I have tried several times. My teeth can’t even drill this wooden door,” Kukoo added.

Rizo looked at the two mice and said, “Look, friends, the three of us must find a way out of this trap. Otherwise, the evil cat will eat us.”

They began thinking of ways to escape.

Rizo used a lot of force and tried to break the door of the cage. However, it was sturdy and did not break. Besides, there was also a lock at the door. All his efforts were in vain.

Just then, the bowl of water caught Rizo’s attention. He observed the bowl carefully. The bowl was old. Its surface had a lot of lines and there was a crack in it.

Rizo picked the bowl and started to break it with his sharp teeth. Kukoo and Neeloo stared at him.

After a while, Rizo succeeded in breaking the bowl into two pieces. He then picked up a piece to use it like a knife. He held the smooth edge and placed the sharp end on the other side of the iron net.

“Now, I will try and cut the iron net with the help of these pieces. If we take it step by step, we will be able to cut the net in a short while,” Rizo explained and handed one piece to Kukoo. They began to tear away the net.

When Kukoo got tired, Neeloo took over. And like this, the three mice took turns in cutting the net of the cage.

After a few hours, there was a slight tear in the net.

“Hurray! Friends, we are making progress. Just a few more turns and we will be free from this cage,” Rizo encouraged Kukoo and Neeloo.

The three continued to cut the iron net.

After a few hours, the net had been torn from one corner.

Rizo bent the torn portion with his paws. There was enough space to get out of the cage. First, Kukoo came out, then Neeloo followed and at last, Rizo came out.

Coming out of the cage, the three mice breathed a sigh of relief.

“Now, let’s move out before Coco returns,” Kukoo said.

They spotted a small window-like opening at the top of the room and the three climbed up and escaped.

Coming out of Coco’s home, Neeloo and Kukoo thanked Rizo, “We were able to escape the cage only because of your cleverness. If you hadn’t been there, we would have died.”

“I would not have been able to cut the net alone. Both of you helped me because of which we were we able to escape the cage. This is the victory of our unity and hard work,” said Rizo and smiled.

The three pledged to never trust a cat again and walked towards their homes.

Rina Learns A Lesson

Rina’s dad worked at a bank and was transferred to a small city. As her annual examinations were over, Rina too went to the new city with them and her parents took her admission in a school there.

The infrastructure of the new school was not as modern as her old school’s, though the teachers and education was up to the mark.

On her first day, after returning from school, Rina threw her bag on the sofa and said angrily, “I’m not going to this school from tomorrow!”

“But why? Today was just the first day!” asked mom.

“I don’t like the school nor do I like the students!” she said angrily.

“Rina, you shouldn’t judge people so quickly, before you get to know them. You may make friends here too,” explained mom.

“Huh!” said Rina, and stomped to her room.

Rina was a smart kid, but she could not bring herself to like the new school. She thought that the students here were less than her in the way they spoke, the clothes they wore—in every way.

She wouldn’t mingle with them. She was too proud of her knowledge and intelligence and became a nuisance in class, always looking for weaknesses in others and making fun of them.

The other students avoided her because of her behaviour. Even though the class teacher advised her to make friends, she turned a deaf ear to him.

At home, mom explained, “You shouldn’t look down upon others. Everyone is different and special in their own way.” But nothing could convince Rina to change her behaviour.

A few months later, the school arranged a visit to a historical site, a few hours away from the city. Rina too, put her name upon the insistence of her parents.

The bus left at eight o’clock in the morning with two teachers and students. All the students were excited about the trip and were laughing and talking amongst themselves, except Rina.

After they reached the spot, they all had their breakfast and trekked to see the fort.

As per the teacher’s instructions, they all walked in small groups. Only Rina walked alone.

The rains had started and the hilly region had become moist. Rina was admiring the greenery around when her foot hit a boulder and she tripped and fell.

The students closest to her rushed to help. Her face and head were bleeding. The teachers too came to help her. Some of the students ran and got the first-aid box from the bus. One of the teachers applied to medicine, put a bandage on her wound and asked her to rest in the bus.

Rina was sad because her trip was ruined, and because she was hurt, her eyes
started watering.

After the students came back, they all had their lunch and the bus started its return journey.

Seeing Rina quiet and upset, the other students told her stories about the fort, and asked if she wanted water. One of them told her many jokes to make her laugh. They all looked after her and Rina now regretted her behaviour. She had wasted a lot of time without making friends because of her pride.

After the bus reached school, everyone headed for home. When Rina reached home, she told her mom everything.

Two days later when Rina went back to school, she could not see eye-to-eye with anyone. She quietly sat at her desk. During lunch break, she took her tiffin-box and went to a small group of friends who were surprised to see her approach them.

“I’m so sorry for how I’ve behaved with all of you. Please forgive me. Can I sit with you for lunch?” she asked.

They were stunned for a moment, but then welcomed her warmly and joined as if nothing happened before. Rina was overjoyed because she had made many friends today.

She returned home and told her Mom about her new friends. Ma too was happy seeing the change in her daughter’s behaviour.

SEO Keywords: kids stories