moral stories for children Archives

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Problem Solved

“See, Nini, what I got. We can use it as a boat.” shouted Pilu mouse, joyfully dragging half a coconut shell that looked like a cup.

“Won’t this sink in water?” asked Nini.

“No, it does not,” and Pilu dropped the coconut shell in the river. It floated.

“Oh, good. Now our work is done,” said Nini taking it out of water. “Come, let us fill it with maize and wheat grains.”

Both got busy and filled the coconut shell with grains and put it on the water.

“Where are you going, taking these grains?” Kalu crow asked from the
tree above.

“Kalu bhai, some of our friends live across the river; we are taking these grains to them and will bring barley and millet from there,” Pilu explained.

“Yes, millet and barley grow in plenty there,” Nini completed the information.

“But why don’t you use the bridge?” asked Kalu.

“The bridge is very far from here. And we will have to carry the grains all the way to the bridge. It will take a lot of time and effort,” Pilu said.

“Taking the grains across the river is closer and easier. That is why we got this boat,” Nini explained.

“But how will you row it on water?”

“See these two sticks. We will use them as oars,” said Pilu, showing him
the oars. Then both of them got on to their handmade boat and left.

The next day, the king of the Champakvan forest, Shersingh lion, called a meeting of all forest dwellers.

He then called Pilu and Nini to the front.

Both started trembling with fear, “What mistake have we made, your majesty?” they asked.

“Don’t be afraid, Pilu and Nini. You have made no mistake. Your intelligence has made me think of a solution for the forest.”

“We didn’t understand, your majesty.”

“I’ll explain,” Shersingh addressed the audience. “You all know the roads of our Champakvan forest are crowded. Because of the traffic jams, our animals are not able to reach their workplaces on time. Pollution has also increased. We tried to solve the problem by making more use of two-wheelers, car-pooling, using double-decker buses on busy routes and constructing flyovers. We made green corridors by planting trees on both sides of the roads. We also made vertical gardens on the pillars of the flyovers. There has been some difference by these methods but the problem has still not been solved. Yesterday, you both showed me a way to solve the problem with your intelligence.”

“And what is that, your highness?” asked Minister Jumbo elephant.

“You all know the river that flows through many parts of our forest. If we use the river for our transport, then we can solve the traffic problem.”

“Transport on the river? I do not understand,” said army general
Blacky bear.

“We will operate boats on the river. Small boats can ferry light goods and passengers and bigger boats will carry heavy goods. This will also provide employment to many persons, ease traffic jams on the roads and reduce pollution. We will construct ports where passengers and goods can embark and disembark from the boats.”

All applauded.

“I am not the person you should applaud. Pilu and Nini deserve it. Yesterday, when I was on tour of the forest, I saw these two using a coconut shell as a boat and exchanging grains with their friends across the river. I wish to award them
for this.”

Pilu and Nini were thrilled. They had been of use to their Champakvan forest.

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.

Food For Mosquitoes

The monsoon rains had made many puddles of water on the street.

Mosquitoes bred in these puddles and came out of their hiding places in search of food in the evening.

But one day, a fogging vehicle roamed these streets and let out smoke to get rid of mosquitoes. Many of them suffocated and fell on the ground while many hurriedly left the human public places and flew towards the forest to save their lives.

The mosquitoes sat in their groups. The Anopheles group leader, Molly female mosquito, was relieved that many of them survived. The Aedes group leader, Pushpy female mosquito was happy looking at her swarm of mosquitoes. Mosquitoes belonging to the Aedes group transmit various diseases to humans like dengue and yellow fever. Anopheles is a group of mosquitoes that are commonly known as malaria mosquitoes.

After coming a long way, they were feeling hungry. But there was no food for them.

Molly saw all the mosquitoes hungry and said, “It is just a matter of time before we are wiped out. Today, we were forced to flee human settlements and hide before some of us could fill our stomachs.”

“But why did we have to leave in such a hurry?” asked Coco mosquito from her group.

“Did you not see that every morning and evening, the fogging vehicles spray smoke to kill us? A large number of us breathe the smoke and die! We had to run away from it!” said Molly.

“What will happen to our eggs, which we left behind in the gutter?” asked Sally mosquito with tears in her eyes.

“If we survive, we can ensure our group grows bigger. I have heard that humans are suffering from dengue fever spread by mosquitoes,” said Coco.

“What is dengue?” asked Sally.

“Humans get a headache, fever and red patches develop on their bodies. They also get very weak. Some of them die due to dengue while some survive,” informed Molly.

“But our group spreads malaria. So, who is responsible for dengue?” asked Sally.

“Dengue could be spread by the Aedes group. If they are causing so much harm, why are we forced to flee from human settlements?” asked Coco.

Aedes mosquitoes, resting nearby, heard this. Their leader, Pushpy said, “What are you talking about us?”

“We said nothing wrong. You must have heard the announcements on the roads that your group of mosquitoes are spreading dengue in human settlements,” said Molly.

“This is not true. We don’t spread dengue or anything. We just suck a little blood from human bodies when we are hungry,” said Pushpy.

“This is exactly what bothers humans. When you suck their blood, your saliva enters their bodies. This saliva contains a virus that causes dengue. The virus gets into their blood and starts growing fast. They fall sick and have to be rushed to a hospital,” informed Molly.

“Then must we stop sucking human blood and stay hungry?” asked Pushpy.

“As long as your saliva contains this virus, you will have to,” said Sally.

“But we can’t do this,” Pushpy said.

“If you can’t do it, then be prepared to bear the consequences. Humans will continue to kill mosquitoes and one day, we won’t exist,” replied Sally, sobbing.

“You are right. But what will happen to us? We’ll stay hungry!” said Pushpy, worried.

“We will have to think of a solution where we don’t bother humans so they don’t bother us,” suggested Molly.

Pushpy agreed. But before she could leave, she asked, “Do you know why this dangerous virus doesn’t harm us?”

“The virus uses you as a medium to travel from one place to another. You help it to get into human bodies. That’s why it doesn’t harm you,” said Molly.

“Okay. But when humans held you responsible for spreading malaria, they did everything they could to destroy your homes. They used mosquito nets, smoke and devices at every home. How did you all survive that? Can you help us with any solution?” Pushpy asked.”

“Just leave human settlements and arrange for your food elsewhere. Humans, too, need to survive and they will keep finding new ways to destroy us,” said Coco.

Pushpy nodded and left to discuss with her group. She was afraid the spread of dengue was worse than malaria.

She gathered all the mosquitoes from her group and said, “In the human settlements, a disease called dengue is spreading because of us. You must have heard the announcements on the loudspeakers that water should not be allowed to collect near houses. They are destroying our puddles so that this disease doesn’t spread. We have to think of a way to survive this. All suggestions are welcome.”

“If we don’t bite humans, we’ll go hungry!” sobbed Minti, the youngest mosquito.

“But it’s natural for us to suck human blood. We don’t have any other option, do we?” asked Koko.

“I, too, can’t think of a good plan,” said Pushpy, losing all hope.

“Wait a minute! We need sugar and blood to survive. But sugar is what we need the most. I’d say, we all only feed on sugar and not humans. This way, we will help humans control the spread of dengue and live in peace. Once humans recover from dengue and stop cleaning the puddles, we’ll go back and settle there,” said Natty, the smartest female mosquito.

“But where will we get sugar from?” asked Minti, wiping away her tears.

“Oh, Minti. You have only known human blood but for us to survive we need sugar. We get it from flowers and plants in this forest,” said Pushpy.

“Then, we won’t go hungry?” asked Minti.

“We will have to be strict and stay away from human settlements at least for some time. Whenever we get a chance we will surely go to that side,” said Pushpy.

The other group members were happy with Natty’s idea and flew looking for flowers so that they could fill their stomachs.

“In future, when humans can fight dengue just like they fight common fever, we’ll be able to go back without any fear,” said Natty, giving hope to the full group.

A Lesson Learnt

Cheeku rabbit, Meeku mouse and Jumpy monkey were having lunch in their classroom.

“Wow Meeku! The kachoris you bought for lunch are tasty!” said Cheeku, munching on the piece.

“My mother cooked these. She packed enough for all of us,’’ said Meeku, delighted.

Just then Baddy fox passed that way. “What’s that aroma?” sniffed Baddy. He glanced in the direction of the trio. They quickly tried to hide their lunch boxes. But it was too late.

“Hey Meeku, don’t hide your lunch box. Kachoris are my favourite!” said the sly fox, quickly swooping into Meeku’s lunch box.

“Baddy! You cannot snatch someone’s lunch without asking first. It’s not good manners!” said Jumpy.

“Snatch?” mocked a shameless Baddy. “I would never use my strength against my dear friends.”

He dipped his paw into Meeku’s lunch box again for another helping of kachoris.

The three friends felt helpless and angry.

Baddy was a greedy fox. Often, he helped himself to the lunch of others. Yet, no one had the courage to utter a word to him.

Many of the students had complained about his behaviour to the school authorities. But he never tried to mend his ways. He was turning more troublesome by the day.

“Baddy’s behaviour is terrible. I find it rude!’’ said Cheeku.

“Yes, we have had enough of his bad behaviour,” said Jumpy, agreeing with Cheeku.“But, what can we do?”

“Let’s teach him a lesson,” said Jumpy.

He quickly gathered his friends around and whispered a plan.

The next day, they sat in class with their lunch boxes spread out in front. They waited for Baddy to walk into the trap.

As soon as they spotted Baddy approaching, Cheeku began munching a paratha. “Jumpy, this paratha is very tasty!” said Cheeku, between mouthfuls.

“Yes, this is the most delicious paratha I have tasted by far!” said Meeku as he licked his lips.

Hearing this, Baddy’s mouth started to water. He grabbed a paratha from Jumpy’s lunchbox. “Let me taste these delicious parathas too!” he said.

He gobbled up the first paratha and then reached for the second. That’s when things went crazy.

“Oh! It’s spicy! My tongue is on fire! Give me some water! Please!” begged Baddy. He had tears in his eyes.

“Here, Baddy,’’ replied Meeku, handing him a water bottle.

Baddy gulped the water. Little did he know that it was laced with chilli powder.

Now Baddy was huffing and puffing.

“What did you offer me?” said Baddy, panting heavily. “Someone please give me some water. My mouth is on fire!’’

“No, Baddy!” replied Cheeku, “You snatch our food without the least concern. Now, enjoy the fruits of your actions.’’

The rest of the class gathered around Cheeku and nodded in agreement.

“I am sorry! I promise to never take anyone’s lunch again!” cried Baddy.

Cheeku gave Baddy a box of sweets and a glass of chilled water. “You must stop snatching food from others, Baddy,” said Cheeku.

Baddy felt relieved after drinking the water and eating the sweets. He then apologised to his classmates.

He vowed never to take what did not belong to him.

From that day on, the three friends never had to worry about Baddy stealing their lunch again.

Anti-Child Labour Day

Myra was sitting deep in thought that afternoon when her elder sister, Mandira, who was studying law came into their room. Seeing her sister sitting quietly, Mandira asked, “What’s the matter, Myra? What are you thinking about?”

“In school today, we were given a topic, ‘Anti-child labour Day’. We have to collect and share information about this day. We also have to paste some pictures. Didi, you are studying law. Do you know about ‘Anti-child labour Day’?” asked Myra.

“Yes, sure! But let’s eat our food first, and then we’ll talk,” replied Mandira.

After lunch, Myra cleaned up and went with her sister to sit on the lawn in front of their house. Her sister pulled up two chairs at the table. Mandira had carried fruits and milk as an afternoon snack for them.

“The International Labour Organization-is an international body formed to study and talk about labour. It started the ‘Anti-child labour Day’ in the year 2002. Many people take work from small children under 14 years. This is called ‘child labour’. Children are kept as servants in homes. Some children are employed in shops, hotels and garages. Children clean and wash cars. Some children are employed in hazardous jobs like mining; though this has become much less these days. In the olden days this was more common,” said Mandira.

“But why do people take work from small children?” asked Myra. “There may be some compulsions for these children, like they may be poor and may require money. Also, people pay less to small children and hence, don’t mind employing them,” replied her sister.

“But didi, then how do these children go to school? And what about their life, like play and games. What about those activities?” asked Myra.

“This is the objective of ‘Anti-Child Labour Day’, so that we recognize rights of children. Every child has the right to go to school, to play and enjoy life. We cannot deny them these rights by employing them for work. Childhood has a great impact on a person’s personality. The people who employ them often do not treat them well. For their small mistakes, they shout at them. Very often, they beat them. That is why Anti-child labour day is celebrated,” explained Mandira.

“Didi, after hearing you, I just remembered one thing. Near our school there is a hotel. I have seen a small boy working there,” remembered Myra.

“Really? Tomorrow I will come to pick you after school. Then we will go to the hotel and meet the boy. In the meantime, you can use the information I shared with you and prepare your report. I will help you download pictures from the internet or take them from magazines,” said her sister.

Next afternoon after school, Mandira and Myra went to the hotel. They saw the boy cleaning tables and serving food to the customers.

Mandira asked the hotel owner, “Who is that boy?” The hotel owner replied, “He is Ram, my elder brother’s son. My brother who lived in the village passed away last year. His mother also lives in the village. His education cost had increased and she was unable to meet the expenses. So I brought him here. He goes to school in the morning and helps me with my work in the afternoons. In the morning my wife stays here to help me. But she has the house to look after. So, Ram helps me take good care of the hotel.”

Mandira said, “You brought Ram to study here. That is very good. But along with the studies you are taking work from him and this is wrong. Do you pay him? Does his mother know all this? It is a crime to take work from him. From tomorrow you must stop asking him to work for you.”

Then the hotel owner said, “How does this matter to you? He is my own nephew. His mother will not say anything.”

“You are snatching his childhood from him. He needs rest after coming from school. Besides, he needs to complete his homework and studies. And for him play and games are also necessary. His childhood will not come back,” insisted Mandira.

The hotel owner then said, “Alright, didi. From tomorrow I will not take work from him.” They saw a smile on Ram’s face.

While going away Myra told her sister, “At least, Ram benefited from my project.” “Yes!” said Mandira and they returned home happily.

The Joy of Simplicity

Once upon a time, there lived a King named Leonar who loved eating delicious food. He would send messengers to different kingdoms in search of recipes and special ingredients.

When his messengers returned, King Leonar would give those recipes and special ingredients to his cook and ask him to make those dishes. If the dishes were good, he would reward his cook, but he would punish his cook if he didn’t enjoy the taste of the dishes.

“Make many dishes. I want to taste all of them! Don’t forget to add the exotic ingredients and lots of dry fruits and nuts to all desserts,” the king ordered.

“But Sir, some dishes will lose their unique flavour if we add all ingredients to them! Sometimes, simple recipes are tasty,” the cook replied.

King Leonar was displeased with such words and ordered a harsh punishment for the cook.

The cook could not leave the palace because King Leonar kept guards to keep an eye on him as he was the best cook in the whole country. The poor cook was tired.

One day, King Leonar went hunting and got lost. The soldiers tried to find him but failed.

For once, the cook was happy. He cooked lovely dishes with simple ingredients everyone in the palace enjoyed them.

Meanwhile, King Leonar, after walking for a while, reached a hut in which an old lady lived. He was hungry and tired.

He wanted a good meal and said, “Hello, I am King Leonar of the country. Make me a delicious meal and I will reward you.”

The old lady smiled and welcomed the king. She had a mango tree in her garden and luckily, it being summer, the tree had lots of fruits on it.

She arranged a cot under the tree for the king to rest and served him a glass of aam panna. King Leonar sipped it and exclaimed, “Wow! This is delicious! What is it made of?”

The old lady replied, “Raw mango, salt and pepper.”

King Leonar was surprised that such simple ingredients could bring out such a unique taste. And so thinking, he dozed off to sleep.

The old lady continued cooking. After a while, King Leonar woke up to delicious aroma coming from the kitchen. He was eager to taste the dishes.

The old lady served King Leonar hot rice, a ladle of ghee, mango chutney, mango dal and mango rasam.

King Leonar relished each bite and kept asking her for the exotic ingredients that she had used.

But the old lady said, “Your majesty, I am poor and cannot afford exotic ingredients. I use the mangoes from my tree and cook whatever I can. I am glad you liked my simple dishes.”

King Leonar realised his mistakes. He had been collecting exotic ingredients, nuts, and fruits and trying to mix them all to create tasty dishes instead of enjoying each flavour’s uniqueness.

He realised that everything has its own speciality and it need not be mixed with something else to make it special.

Soon, King Leonar’s soldiers came to his rescue. The king thanked the old lady and rewarded her.

After reaching his palace, he hugged his cook and apologised. He asked the guards to step aside and gave the cook his freedom. The cook was happy and relieved. He chose to stay and cook for the king.

King Leonar asked him to cook as he wished.

From that day, the cook made simple dishes and King Leonar enjoyed each one of them.

The Spotted Puppy

Abhay was fond of puppies. He demanded and pleaded with his parents to get a pet dog, but every time they gave him some reason and turned him down.

“It’s not easy to have a pet, Abhay! It’s a lot of responsibilities. Humans can speak and ask for what they want, but pets can’t.

Just imagine if we do not understand the needs of the animal, how miserable it will be for him here,” dad explained.

“That’s not all! If we go out on vacation, there will be no one to take care of it. We won’t be able to take it with us, nor leave it alone,” said mom.

Abhay would get sad. He knew his parents were right, but he really wanted a pup.

One day, Abhay left for school when he heard a low cry. He looked around. In a shallow drain near Uncle Sharma’s house were some tiny puppies! Abhay carefully looked at them. They were of different colours—black, grey, white, spotted—all huddled together.

Abhay stared at them for a while and then started counting them. Before he could count, the puppies huddled together, making him forget his count.

Abhay giggled. He separated them and started counting again.

While he was counting, their mother came back and looked at Abhay, bared her teeth and growled.

Abhay stepped back. He knew the mother was being protective about her babies.

His school van also arrived so he left for school. But throughout the day, Abhay’s mind was occupied by the puppies.

After returning home, he quickly changed, had his lunch, and sat down to finish his homework. Mom was pleased to see him studying and went for her usual rest.

“Mom will take a nap for an hour now.

I’ll go and play with the puppies till she wakes up,” thought Abhay as he smiled and went out.

Bobo, the mother of the puppies, was not around. She had probably gone out to eat.

Abhay picked up the puppies and started petting them. He loved the spotted puppy and picked it up and walked home with it.

Mom was still asleep when he entered.

Abhay took an old shoebox, placed some towels inside and put the puppy in it. He put some milk in a bowl and tried feeding it to the puppy, but it could not drink properly.

Abhay could not take the puppy inside the house, for if mom came to know she would ask him to take it back. And Abhay did not want that.

He started thinking of ways to convince dad and mom so they would let him keep the puppy.

An hour passed. Abhay was still playing with the puppy. He heard his mother wake up. He covered the shoebox and quickly started riding his bicycle. Mom did not suspect anything.

When dad came home from work and called Abhay, he went inside the house, keeping the shoebox covered with the puppy still in it.

Meanwhile, Bobo came back and started looking for her lost puppy who heard his mother and came out of the shoebox.

Bobo realised that her puppy was inside Abhay’s house but couldn’t get in as the door was shut.

Bobo stood outside the main door, barking. The pup ran to the door but could not go out. Bobo tried to get inside but she could not either.

Mother and child, each on one side of the door, were helpless.

Bobo’s barking made a lot of noise. Mom went out and saw the puppy and the shoebox.

She realised what had happened. She opened the door and the pup ran out to its mother. Bobo picked up the puppy gently by its neck and went back to her other pups.

Abhay saw the whole thing. He was upset when he saw the pup leave. Mom called him inside the house but did not say anything about this.

“Abhay, I’m going to grandma’s place for a few days. She’s not keeping well. You will be here with your sad,” she said, while packing her bag.

Abhay started thinking. He had never been away from mom. From the time he woke up in the morning till he went to bed at night—mom was there for his meals, homework and games. The thought of spending even one day without her around gave him shivers.

Then he saw the pups and Bobo pass by the house.

“How selfish of me! I can’t live a day without mom, and I was planning to separate the pup from its mother forever,” thought Abhay, feeling bad about what he had done.

“Abhay! Let mom go! We’ll bring the spotted pup home tomorrow. You can play with him and you won’t even notice that mom’s gone,” said dad.

“No, dad! Even that pup wouldn’t want to stay away from his mom. I saw how much he was crying today. I don’t want the pup to be separated from his mom just like how I don’t want mom to go,” said Abhay and hugged his mom.

“I’m not going anywhere! I was just trying to show you that just like you can’t stay away from me, baby animals also need to stay with their mothers,” smiled mom.

The spotted pup stood outside the door and wagged its tail.

Best Teacher

Hey buddy, Roli squirrel, the teacher is too strict. She scolds us all the time,” said Piyu, the tortoise.

Denko, the donkey added, “She lectures all the time.”

Tom, the dog could not stay from saying, “There are so many teachers in school. But, Roli keeps such a stern eye on us as though we are culprits.”

Piyu said, “On Sunday, I met her in the market. She asked me why I was roaming around in the bazaar. She also asked whether I had informed my parents before setting out. She wanted to know about my friends; who they were and where were they studying? I was tired of answering so many questions.”

Denko said, “We can do what we want when we are not in school. Why should that bother our teachers?”

Teachers’ Day Gift

Suddenly, Roli appeared in front of them. On seeing her, Kapil, the mole stammered and said, “Good Morning Madam. I didn’t say anything. I…I…I was just listening to them.”

Hiding her laughter Roli replied, “Classes were dismissed quite a while ago. You should’ve gone to your homes by now.”

Denko, Piyu and Tom quickly scampered away.

Roli said, “Kapil, you are good in studies. Denko, Piyu and Tom have more interest in mischief rather than studies. They don’t concentrate on their school work. You are their friend. While talking with them, advise them to take interest in studies as well. Alright?” Kapil nodded his head in agreement.

The half-yearly exams were over. The results were declared. Kapil’s results were satisfactory; whereas Piyu, Denko and Tom’s results were disappointing.

Soon, it was Teachers’ Day. The parents of all the students had been called to meet the teachers. This was the first time that the parents were meeting the teachers. Denko, Piyu and Tom were sitting together in the hall.

Grinding his teeth Tom said, “Where is Roli? I hope she doesn’t lecture to our parents as well. My father doesn’t like listening the lectures.”

Denko laughed and said, “My father gets angry easily. I hope he doesn’t get into an argument with Roli. Look, she has gone to sit on the stage.”

Piyu whispered, “My father doesn’t like people who talk a lot. He wasn’t even ready to come to school. I had to persuade him to come.”

That’s when Denko exclaimed, “Goodness! What’s happening? Look Piyu, your father is touching her feet!”

All of them were surprised. Not just their parents, but also many other parents were touching Roli’s feet as a sign of respect.

Roli looked at Kapil and indicated that he should come towards the stage. Kapil ran towards the stage. She said something to him and Kapil immediately ran back to where his friends were standing.

He said, “Ma’am is calling the three of you on stage.”

Piyu said “What’s going to happen now? We have no idea what Roli must have told our parents about us.”

Denko said, “Come on, let’s go. Can’t you see? Our parents are also looking in our direction. Things may not go well for me.”

Tom said, “I am scared. Both of you walk ahead. I will follow you.”

Piyu, Denko and Tom reached the stage. Roli was surrounded by parents.

Seeing Piyu, Denko and Tom on the stage Roli said, “These three students are the pride of our school. They have done well in extracurricular activities. I am confident that they will perform very well in the annual examinations. They will score higher than all the other students.”

Piyu’s mother said to Roli, “You taught Piyu’s father too. He was just telling Tom’s father that whatever he has achieved so far, has been due to your efforts in teaching him.”

Denko’s father said, “Like me, there were several backbenchers, who were motivated by teacher Roli. She gave us advice, as well as a direction to our lives. We are confident that our children will make this school proud of them.”

Piyu, Denko and Tom listened silently. They thought to themselves, “Roli is the Best Teacher.”

Teachers’ Day Gift

Chimpu, the hedgehog, Shanu, the squirrel, Renu, the sparrow and Mani, the rabbit’s favourite teacher was Priya, the jackal. They wanted to gift her a card.

On the other hand, Manu, the pigeon, Pranshu, the mouse and Gopu, the fox wanted to please their teacher Akshay, the bear. They hoped that he would consider them his favourite students and praise them.

The principal of Andavan School, Aju, the lion had already put up a notice in the school that no student was allowed to buy a gift or a card. If the students wished to give their teacher something then it had to be something handmade.

Unlike the other children, Raki, the crow and his friend Chinnu, the eagle were to their usual mischief. They were unaware of the fact that the other children were earnestly preparing to celebrate Teacher’s Day.

They neither paid attention to their studies, nor did they submit homework on time. They didn’t participate in any school activity. Priya, the teacher often asked them to participate in sports, but they usually ignored her.

Trip To Cave

The children also had to prepare for their upcoming examinations. Koko, Shanu and Renu decided to make a card together so that they could make it quickly and save time. They could spend that time studying for the exams.

Priya had also said that working together in a group made each one learn something from the other, as well as saved time.

Manu, Pranshu and Gopu thought of making a huge bouquet of flowers. They gathered a lot of flowers from the jungle and arranged them together. They even decorated the bouquet with a few fancy items they bought with their pocket money. They finally presented this huge bouquet to their favourite teacher on Teacher’s day.

Seeing the huge bouquet Akshay thanked them and also told them that if they had given him a single flower with genuine respect he would have accepted that as well. He told them that the size of a gift, whether it was big or small didn’t matter, as much as the sincere intention with which it was given.

The other children at the school had also brought gifts for their teachers; some had brought sweets, some had brought fruits. All of them presented their gifts to their teachers.

That day all the children were happy. Seeing the others wish their teachers with cards and gifts, Raki and Chinnu thought that they should have brought a gift for their teacher.

They were the only ones who had come empty-handed to class. Priya knew what was on their mind. However, she thought it would be sensible not to say anything to them.

Two weeks later, the examinations began. All the children except Raki and Chinnu worked hard. When Priya declared the results in class, everyone except for Raki and Chinnu, had passed with good grades. That day, both of them felt ashamed. They asked her to forgive them for their poor results.

Priya told them that if they wished to gift her a Teachers day gift they should promise her that they would study every day and they would listen to their elders. Raki and Cheenu promised they would do so.

Priya thought that if these two became studious and obedient, then that would be the best Teachers Day gift.

Kavya’s Umbrella

Since morning, Kavya had been looking out the window to check if Uncle Rakesh had arrived. Every year, Uncle Rakesh would visit from Dubai, and bring Kavya her a unique gift.

“Mummy, Uncle Rakesh is here!” Kayva called out to her mother excitedly, when she saw a cab stop outside the house.

Kavya ran to open the door. Rakesh too was excited to see his favourite niece. He gave her a big hug. They both sat down on the sofa, while Kavya’s mother brought a cup of hot tea and some onion pakoras.

“Kavya has been eagerly looking forward to your arrival. Ever since she got up this morning, she has been looking out the window,” said Kavya’s mother.

Rakesh laughed and said, “That is because I am her favourite uncle! And as always, I have brought a gift for my favourite niece.”

Kavya’s eyes widened with excitement as he took out a gift from his bag.

“Thank you, uncle! Can I open my present now?” asked Kavya impatiently.

“Of course!” he replied.

Kavya immediately unwrapped the present and found a beautiful pink umbrella inside.

“Wow! What a beautiful umbrella!” she exclaimed. “It even has ears and eyes! I shall take it to school every day.”

“I am happy that you like the umbrella,” replied Rakesh.

Next day, Kavya carried her new umbrella to school. She showed it to all her friends. They were happy for her.

Soon, Kavya started carrying the umbrella wherever she went—to school, her friend’s house, the market, and even the garden outside.

One evening, when Kavya returned from her friend, Disha’s house, her mother said, “Kavya, I need to go out for a couple of hours. May I borrow your umbrella as mine is broken?”

Rose Becomes Humble

“Sure, mom,” said Kavya and went to get her umbrella from her room.

“Oh no! I think I left it in the auto-rickshaw while returning from Disha’s house,” she said and began to cry.

“Don’t cry. We will try and find it, Kavya. Till then, you can use your old umbrella,” consoled her mother.

“But mom, it was a gift from Uncle Rakesh,” said Kavya sadly.

“I know it was your favourite. Let’s see if we can find it,” said her mother.

Kavya calmed down a bit but she was still sad that she had lost her favourite umbrella.

More From Champak: Help Yourself

Just then, the doorbell rang. Kavya’s mother opened it and saw a man wearing a khaki dress standing at the door.

“Ma’am, my name is Ramu. I dropped a little girl here in my auto-rickshaw a while ago.

I found this umbrella in the seat and I think it belongs to her,” said the man.

On hearing him speak, Kavya rushed to the door and saw the man holding her new umbrella. She was beaming with joy. “Thank you very much, uncle!” she said with a big smile. “But how did you know it was mine?”

“You were my last passenger before lunch after I dropped you, I went home. When I reached to take out my umbrella from behind the seat, I saw yours. That is when I remembered seeing it in your hand when you got into my auto. So, I immediately came here to return it,” he explained.

“Thank you, sir. It was very nice of you to come all the way back to return the umbrella. Kavya was very sad thinking that she had lost it,” said her mother.

Kavya and her mother fed the uncle some tea. Kavya was happy to have her umbrella back and also to know those good people are always there in this world.

Cheating the Teacher

Abhi and Rishi, King Sher Singh’s sons ran up to him. They were panting and sat down to catch their breath.

The King asked, “What happened?”

Abhi replied, “We are very tired. We lost the game we were playing.”

Sher Singh asked in surprise, “How did you lose the game?”

Rishi replied, “Father, we were playing ‘catch me if you can’—along with Cheetu, Jeetu and Deepu. As we came close to catching them, they climbed up a tree! Since we don’t know how to climb a tree, they defeated us many times. We got tired of trying to catch them.”

“Children, this is our biggest weakness. We tried learning to climb trees, but it didn’t work. Listen to this story,” said Sher Singh and started narrating his tale:

“Long ago, tigers and lions were unaware of different hunting techniques. So, they would often have nothing to eat. Due to starvation, our species became physically weak.

Bondhu Seeks His Own Identity

The cheetah, the leopard and the wild cat had a great reputation in the jungle. They were excellent hunters and experts in hunting techniques like cornering, catching and eating the prey. They were feared. These wild animals had claimed their right over a larger part of the jungle and had huge settlements.

One day, an old tiger thought, ‘Let’s send our children to the wild cats to learn the art of hunting.’

Everyone felt that if their children learnt hunting, they would never have to fear starvation.

The lions and the tigers went to the wild cats with their request. They agreed to teach the children. They put a condition that they would only teach two students!

The tigers and lions thought that this would be enough. In future, those who learnt could come back and train the rest.

A wild cat called Sonu was appointed as the teacher. Two bright and restless tiger cubs started their training. Sonu trained them in different exercises; bouncing, jumping and knocking down each other. Sonu also introduced hunting techniques.

The tiger cubs learnt skills like cornering the prey, nabbing and the proper use of claws and jaws. The training made the tiger cubs skilled in many hunting techniques. They grew up to be fearsome hunters.

One day, during a practice session, the tiger cubs suddenly attacked Sonu. Sonu was clever. She had already sensed their intentions from their attitude and gestures. As soon as the tigers rushed towards her, she quickly jumped back and climbed up a tree that was near.

The tigers stared at her in surprise. They too tried to climb, but couldn’t succeed. They asked Sonu in frustration, “Teacher Sonu, how come you didn’t teach us how to climb a tree?”

Sonu said, “Dear students, we teachers give the most valuable knowledge only after testing and being sure about our students. Both of you felt that you have mastered everything. However, this one lesson that I had kept for the last saved my life.”

“It’s too bad that you didn’t prove to be good students. If you had, you could have learnt this technique too. Go home now with whatever knowledge I have given you and never come back.”

The Stubborn Sea

He thought that the dirty rivers were polluting him. He warned the mountains to change the flow of the rivers.

Sumit, the chief of all the mountains explained that the river water was clean. It was necessary for the rivers to flow into the sea, as otherwise the land would get flooded. This, in turn, would make life difficult for the birds, animals and humans. However, Sindhu was stubborn.

Once Sindhu got so angry that he told Sumit, “I am warning you. If all the rivers flowing from the mountains on earth do not change their path, I will swallow all the mountains along with their rivers.”

Sumit did not reply. He remained silent and quietly returned to his abode.

Stubborn King

When the other mountains and rivers heard about this incident, they were very disappointed. Everyone knew that Sumit was a peace-loving mountain. He stayed away from fights. The mountains knew that whatever had to be done, would have to be done by the rest of them. They called for a meeting under the leadership of Vindhya, the Mountain of the East.

Some mountains said, “It is necessary to teach the sea a lesson. He has lost his common sense. Many humans live on the banks of our rivers. By refusing to accept the waters of our rivers, the sea is disturbing the fine balance of nature. He spoke rudely to Sumit, a kind-hearted and honourable mountain.”

The leader of the Lahori Mountains, who was also present at the meeting said, “He is proud of his clean and healthy water. Leave it to us to teach him a lesson. We will reduce him to such a state that he will not be able to survive without the help of the rivers.”

The others asked, “What will you do?”

He replied, “Give us your permission to work on a plan. We will find a solution.”

Vindhya looked at the other mountains for their approval. They nodded their heads in agreement.

He said, “Alright, all of us agree to your proposal. However, do bear in mind that the balance of nature should not be disturbed.”

The leader of Lahori Mountains replied, “We will keep your words in mind before acting on our plan.”

The next day all the salt mountains proceeded towards the Sea. One of them said, “How could you speak so rudely to the respected mountain? You spoke of swallowing the mountains and the rivers. What do you think of yourself?”

Hearing this, Sindhu became angry and swallowed the entire mountain. Following this, the other mountains also provoked it. Soon, he ate up all the mountains that had come to him. He did not know that these were salt mountains. Meanwhile, the mountains dissolved in the seawater and became a part of it.

More From Champak: Stubborn Water

A group of herons came to drink seawater. The moment they took in a sip of water, they spat it out. The sea looked at them in confusion.

“Why are you looking at us in surprise? Your water is no longer sweet. No one will want to drink it anymore. You swallowed your brothers and sisters in anger, but did you realise the result of your action?” The cranes said.

The sea now realised how foolish he had been. He knew that he had acted carelessly and now he couldn’t undo what he had done.

By then Sumit, Vindhya, Shivalik and several other bigger and smaller mountains had reached the Sea. They saw the Sea hanging its head in shame.

Sumit praised the Lahori Mountains for their sacrifice.

“Now, what is your plan, O Mighty Sea? Will your body become dirty or clean with our rivers flowing into it?” Sumit questioned him.

“Please forgive me. I have made a big mistake and I have paid the price.

My pride has been crushed. I accept the laws of nature. I will no longer try to interfere in nature’s order,” replied the sea.

After that incident, the rivers flowed into the sea happily.

In Search of Uncle Pat

Late one evening, Popo started crying because his father had not yet returned. The neighbours began searching for Pat.

The next morning, Pat had not yet been found. Bobo, the monkey’s father said to Bobo, “Take Popo out to play with you. He has been crying all night. We will continue to search for Pat.”

Bobo, Popo and their friends got together at the ground nearby to play hide and seek. It was Popo’s turn to seek while everyone hid. Popo was peering through a bush looking for his friends when he suddenly heard Ricky, the rabbit’s voice.

“Look what I found! Come over here quickly!” Ricky called out to everyone.

All of them ran towards Ricky who was pointing at something.

“Look! Isn’t this Uncle Pat’s feather?” asked Ricky.

“Yes, this can’t be Popo’s as this feather is much bigger,” said Bobo.

Popo studied the feather and immediately brightened up.

“Yes. This is my father’s feather,” he declared. “This means he must have been here before he went missing.”

“Let’s split up and look for Uncle Pat. Let’s see if we can find more clues,” said Bobo.

All of them agreed and began searching the area.

“I have found another feather. Uncle Pat must have gone this way,” shouted Dana, the deer.

All of them walked together in the direction where the second feather was found. Soon, they found more feathers along the way which led them to the edge of the forest.

“We have reached the outskirts of the forest. If we walk any further, we will enter the village,” said Bobo.

In Search Of the Sparrows

“Come! Let’s go to the village. I am sure my father is there,” said Popo eagerly.

“No, Popo!” said Piku, the parrot stopping him.

“Humans can be dangerous. They have caught animals from our forest earlier too and taken them away,” said Bobo.

“So what? I am not afraid. I want my father back!” said Popo.

“We understand, Popo. But it is not safe to go there now. First, let Piku fly over the village and see whether your father is there or not,” suggested Mimi, the rat.

Popo agreed. Piku flew into the village, while the other children waited anxiously for him to return.

Piku returned after a while. “Popo, I saw your dad! He has been captured by a human. He is tied up to a tree in the courtyard of a house. I saw some humans roaming nearby, so it is not safe to go there now,” informed Piku.

“I want my father back. How do we get him out of there?” asked Popo.

“When the humans were not around, I flew down to talk to Uncle Pat. He said we can help him escape after the humans go to sleep at night. Till then, we will have to wait,” said Piku.

“In that case, let’s start preparing. I have a plan,” said Ricky, discussing his plan with the group.

After the sunset, all of them set out for the village.

“Do remember the house, Piku?” asked Mimi.

“Yes, but once we are in the village, we must walk carefully without making any sound. We should not talk too loudly either,” warned Piku.

As they walked through the village, Piku pointed to a house and said, “This is the house where Uncle Pat is.”

When they reached the house, Bobo said, “Ricky and I will go in and free Uncle Pat. Meanwhile, the rest of you hide here and warn us if you see any humans.”

Piku flew up and sat on a tree to keep an eye out for humans, while the others hid behind the bushes nearby

Ricky and Bobo sneaked into the house where Pat was tied. “Uncle Pat, we’ve come to free you. After we untie the rope, be ready to run,” whispered Bobo.

“Where is Popo?” asked Pat worried.

“Don’t worry, uncle. He is right here, hiding behind the bushes with our other friends,” replied Ricky.

Bobo and Ricky bit through the rope and freed Pat.

“Now run!” said Bobo.

Ricky ran ahead, leading the way for Pat and the others. Bobo climbed up the tree and escaped by jumping from one tree to another. Piku flew above the rest towards the forest.

But as Pat was running, he tripped over a bucket and fell.

“Who is it? Is anyone out there?” called out a man, coming out of his house to check the noise.

Popo quickly grabbed a stone and threw it far away from where they were. The man went in the direction where the stone had fallen. By the time the man got back, the animals were safely outside the village.

Once inside the forest, everybody heaved a big sigh of relief. Pat gave Popo a tight hug.

“Thank you all for helping me escape,” said a relieved Pat. “I made the mistake of venturing close to the village. I am glad you found the feathers that I dropped along the way. I hoped somebody would follow the trail of feathers and find me.”

“How clever you are, dad!” exclaimed Popo.

All the animals were happy to see Pat back. Everybody appreciated the children’s bravery, but they were told to inform the elders first before they set off on such adventures.

Find or Fined?

Brownie, the fox loved troubling animals smaller than her. She was an expert when it came to turning their weaknesses into her strengths.

Brownie always had her eyes on the rabbits that lived in the forest. She’d walk up to their burrow every day and all the rabbits would run helter-skelter.

One day, Gary, the rabbit worked up the nerve and said, “Hey Brownie, what brings you here at this time?”

“When I was passing through last night, I seemed to have dropped a golden ring. I’ve come to look for it,” lied Brownie.

“You lost a ring? Hmmm, I don’t think any of us saw a ring here,” said Gary.

“Don’t lie,” said Brownie. “I know you’ve hidden it somewhere in your burrow. I can see right through your act.”

“I promise we haven’t seen any ring here. I think you’re looking in the wrong place,” said Gary.

“Well, I’ll believe it when I see it. I’m not going to rest until I’ve explored every single room in your burrow,” said Brownie and stepped forward.

Gary had fortunately seen through Brownie’s plan and said, “Stop! We cannot let you enter our home. You have to believe me when I say that we do not have your ring.”

“If you don’t return my ring immediately, I will have to call the police,” said Brownie.

Manny, the jackal, the sub-inspector of police was a good friend of Brownie. She had won him over promising him lots of rabbits. She brought him to the scene and narrated her version of the story to him.

“If you don’t have the ring then you have nothing to hide,” said Manny without listening to Gary’s version. “You will have no reason not to let her in and check for herself. Now let her in and search your burrow.”

Seeing Manny’s behaviour Gary realized that the two of them were in on it together. He instructed his friends to keep arguing with Brownie and not to let her in and set off to inform the Leo, the lion, the king of the jungle.

“Don’t worry Gary,” Leo assured him. “I will ensure that Browny doesn’t get away with this so easily.” He went with Gary to the burrow in order to sort things out.

Seeing Leo, Browny got scared, but she tried working her story on him as well. “Your Highness, I’m glad you’re here. I have full confidence that you will deliver justice. Gary and his friend have my ring in their burrow and are neither returning it nor are they letting us search their borrow,” she said.

“Alright I will let you search their burrow, but if you don’t find your ring inside, you will need to face the consequences and pay a fine,” said Leo.

Brownie was getting nervous, her plan was backfiring. Leo instructed all the rabbits to step out of their burrows and instructed Brownie and Manny to go in and search. As they entered the burrow, the narrow entrance starched their skin.

Inside, it was completely dark and it was pretty hot too. Brownie and Manny didn’t like being inside and quickly got out.

When they stepped out, Leo was waiting. They ended up paying a huge fine which Leo used to buy lots of carrots and gave them the rabbits. He gave both Manny and Brownie a final warning that if they troubled the rabbits ever again, they would end up facing dire consequences.

The rabbits were safe and they thanked Leo for saving them.

Trip To Cave

One afternoon, Anusha came running back from school with a trophy in her hand.

“Mamma, look! I won the first prize in the painting competition at school,” said Anusha excitedly.

“That is great! I am so proud of you, Anusha!” said her mother.

“I must thank Neha didi for this trophy,” said Anusha. “I would always be in a hurry to complete my painting, therefore miss out on the finer details. She encouraged me to take my time and add details. Now my paintings are appreciated by everyone.”

“Yes, you can thank her in person. You can meet her when you go tomorrow for your morning class,” said her mother.

“Oh yes! Neha didi is taking us on a field trip. Last month, she took us to an art gallery. I wonder where she will take us tomorrow,” said Anusha.

“Wherever it is, I am sure it will be as good as your last trip,” assured her mother.

Next morning, Anusha and her art school friends were seated in the van along with their art teacher, Neha didi. Each one carried along with a small bag packed with their drawing tools, lunch box and a bottle of water.

“Didi, where are we going today?” asked Diksha.

“You will know once we reach the place in about 40 minutes,” replied Neha didi with a smile.

After a while, the van stopped and Neha didi called out, “We have reached our destination! Let’s explore.”

The students looked around confused.

“Where are we?” asked Riya puzzled.

“It looks like some historical place,” mumbled Dev.

Ratu, the Artist

“I think I know where we are. This place was excavated by archaeologists just a few months ago. I read about it in the newspaper recently,” said Anusha.

“But what are we going to learn in these old caves?” Anirudh wondered aloud.

Neha didi, who was listening to their conversation, said, “I promise that you will really like this place. There is so much to see and learn here, especially for people like us who are artists.”

“What is this place, didi?” asked Anusha.

“As you rightly said, it’s a recently excavated natural cave shelter. Inside, you will see proof of what great artists our forefathers were, even at a time when there was no technology, said Neha didi, leading them into the cave.

Once inside, everyone was surprised. The walls of the caves had magnificent paintings and sculptures of kings in their chariots, common folk going about their daily lives, and of animals like fish, lion and elephant.

Neha didi turned around to them and said, “Aren’t these paintings wonderful? Natural caves and shelters like this one contain several prehistoric paintings. Some of the paintings here are thousands of years old.”

“How did these paintings survive for so many years?” asked Dev curiously.

“These kinds of caves are generally carved out of tough rocks like granite and basalt which form the perfect base for painting. Since these frescoes—that’s what we call paintings on walls—are made deep inside the cave, they get shielded from harsh sunlight and other weather elements, and so they last long,” explained Neha didi.

The children listened in awe.

More From Champak: Veggie Art

Neha didi continued, “Another reason why the paintings last long, is because of the different techniques used. The stone surface of the famous Ajanta caves in Maharashtra, for example, were chiselled and then plastered with a combination of clay, lime, hay and dung. This formed the canvas for the paintings. The unusual shine was achieved by adding powdered conches and seashells. Kuda Caves—also in Maharashtra—were plastered with a mix of mud and rice chaff.”

“But how is it that they have used so many colours? They certainly must have used some chemicals,” said Anusha.

“The colours are natural dyes made from plants and minerals that don’t change colour when mixed with the lime surface,” explained Neha didi.

“Were all the paintings done by one artist?” asked Anirudh,

“Actually, one artist would draw the outlines, another would fill it with colours and a third artist would give it finishing touches and add details,” said Neha didi.

As they walked along the cave, Diksha took out a pen to scribble something on the cave wall. Neha didi quickly stopped her.

“These paintings are very old and fragile. This type of graffiti can damage them. We must respect the art and the artists,” said Neha didi.

Diksha apologised and put her pen away.

Later, they all sat down in the garden outside the caves and drew some sketches.

“So, did you enjoy the trip?” asked Neha didi, while they were on their way back in the van. “We loved it!” said the students together. “We want to go on more such trips to learn about Indian art.”

“Great! I will start planning the next trip right away!” said Neha didi.

Chirag’s Feathered Friends

When Chirag found out that his dad was getting transferred to the city, he was very excited. He couldn’t wait to start studying at the big schools there, roam in the fancy malls and watch movies at the theatres.

Ma was packing their things and Chirag was helping her. He wanted to move as quickly as possible and live life in the big city. But Ma knew that the novelty of the big city would wear off soon and Chirag would start missing Roohi, a friendly sparrow that lived in a tree outside their home.

Chirag and Roohi knew each other very well and Chirag would refuse to eat before feeding some rice or some grains to Roohi.

Soon it was time to move and Chirag and his parents reached the city and moved into their new home. Dad went to the office the next morning and Ma was busy setting up the house. Since he hadn’t made any new friends yet, Chirag sat at home getting bored.

A couple of days went by but on the third day when Chirag sat down for lunch, he remembered Roohi and felt sad. He remembered how he would leave a few pieces of rotis and how she would pick them up one by one and take them to her nest. He missed her sweet chirps. Chirag missed her so much that he went to sleep without finishing his dinner.

Even though he didn’t say why he didn’t feel like eating, Ma knew the reason. When dad came home that evening, she told him about Chirag. Dad suggested that he should try making friends with another sparrow just like Roohi, here in the city.

The Kind Parrot

The next evening, on the way from work, dad brought home a birdhouse. He installed it outside their home and left a bowl of water outside it for the birds to quench their thirst.

In less than a week, the birdhouse had a tenant- a sparrow. Chirag named this sparrow Roohi too and she’d flit in and out of the sparrow house. Soon, she built a nest and laid some eggs which hatched into little sparrow chicks.

Dad installed another sparrow house for the other sparrows too. Seeing all the sparrows around Chirag’s house, all the kids in the area came to watch. They made sure there were enough food and water for the sparrows and took care of them.

In Search Of the Sparrows

One day, members from the “Save the Sparrows Group’ came to their colony. When they found out that the sparrow populations were rising in the area, they tried finding out how. When they found out that it was because of Chirag’s efforts, they praised him and presented him with an award.

The next morning, the papers carried a story about Chirag and his sparrows. Chirag’s parents were proud of him and praised him for his love for birds. They told him that if he continued his efforts and made the birds and animals around him happy, they would fill his life with happiness.

Chirag hugged his parent and thanked his dad for bringing him a birdhouse and making him happy.

Learn From Your Mistakes

“All this rain has left the entire forest flooded!” exclaimed Coco, the rabbit as he stepped outside.

You should just be thankful that the forest didn’t flood and that we didn’t get washed away,” said his neighbour, Miko, the mouse.

“That said,” continued Miko, “This portion of the forest is lower than the rest and gets flooded easily. Before the next spell of rain hits us, I think we should cross the river and head to higher ground on the other side.”

“I’m afraid this plan of yours will never work,” said Mojo, the monkey.

The animals of the forest quickly turned to him for an explanation.

“I just came from the bridge and it broke in last night’s rain. In fact, it’s in bad shape. We’d never be able to fix it up in time. Also, I’ve got a feeling that this side of the forest is definitely going to flood. I heard that all the bigger animals moved to the other side a couple of days ago.”

“Isn’t that just perfect,” said Coco. “While us smaller animals are the ones who’ll be hit the hardest by the rains, the bigger animals have left us and crossed the river to safety.”

“I think they’ve done the right thing. They must have decided to play it safe and move to higher ground just in case,” said Mojo.

“That’s fine, Mojo, but what can we do now?” asked Coco.

“All we can do is hope that we don’t get any more rain,” said Mojo.

Just then, Piko, the butterfly piped in, “That will just be wishful thinking. I just heard the humans talking, apparently, there’s going to be more rain coming in hours.”

“What are we going to do now?” asked Miko,

“Bridge or no bridge, let’s go to the river anyway. Maybe there’s another way across the river,” said Coco.

All the animals went to the river, but at the riverbank, things were worse than they had expected.

“There’s water everywhere!” said Miko. “And I don’t see any way across the river.”

“You’re right, I don’t see anything either. All I see are these turtles really enjoying themselves,” said Coco, a little annoyed. “But why wouldn’t they? They’re aquatic creatures after all.”

“Why don’t we ask them where the river is the shallowest and try crossing from there?” asked Mojo.

“Do you really think they’ll help us?” asked Miko.

“It’s at least worth a shot,” said Coco and walked up to the turtles.

But when Coco asked for help, the leader of the turtles, Kittu said, “What made you think we’d want to help you? Don’t you remember what you did when we asked you if we could be friends? It’s been a few months, so let me refresh your memory, you made fun of us and chased us away.”

Coco, Miko, Mojo and Piko hung their heads in shame. They turned to go back to their homes and find another way when Kittu turned to the rest of the turtles.

Kittu said, “My friends, we are not so petty that when an animal comes to us for help that we’d turn him away. Coco and his friends need our help crossing the river. Let’s help them out.”

“Kittu, they made fun of us. Do we really need to?” asked a turtle.

“When we offered them our friendship, they brushed it away and that was their mistake. These animals have come to us seeking help because their lives are at risk. If we don’t help them now, it will be the biggest mistake of our lives,” said Kittu.

All the turtles were convinced and they agreed to help them out.

“The water is too deep for you to cross on foot, but I have a plan,” said Kittu.

He ordered all the turtles to line up one in front of the one another from their side of the river to the other. Only their shells peeped out from under the water, forming a bridge. Coco, Miko, Mojo and Piko hopped across to the other side to safety.

“You have saved our lives, Kittu. We’re really grateful and we’ll never forget this,” said Coco. Along with Miko, Mojo and Piko, he apologised for making fun of them. Kittu and the turtles were happy that all of them had become good friends.

Where Are The Rains?

“Few months ago, the jungle was green with trees, rich with water. But today, it is gasping for some fresh, cool air,” Blacky, the crow said.

All of them finally decided to leave the jungle as there was nothing left for them.

“Uncle Banyan, aren’t you going to come with us?” Hoppy, the frog, asked.

“Trees and plants can’t move, didn’t you know that? Don’t make him sad now,” Blacky said.

Uncle Banyan said, “Don’t scold him. But even if I could move, I wouldn’t have left the jungle.”

All the animals were shocked to hear this.

“Would you have stayed in this heat, Uncle Banyan?” Harry, the bear asked.

“Yes, I would have stayed here. I can’t leave the land where I grew up. It has given me everything. This is my jungle and I love it more than myself,” Uncle Banyan said.

Khokho, the monkey then asked, “Uncle, if we stay here, how will the problem be solved?”

“If we think of a solution, we could do something about this grave issue. All of you have lost hope and this is why you are leaving. Don’t forget that we are responsible for damaging our own environment. The reason for late monsoon is pollution,” Uncle Banyan explained.

All the animals were shocked to hear this.

“Would you have stayed in this heat, Uncle Banyan?” Harry, the bear asked.

Our Own Land

“Yes, I would have stayed here. I can’t leave the land where I grew up. It has given me everything. This is my jungle and I love it more than myself,” Uncle Banyan said.

Khokho, the monkey then asked, “Uncle, if we stay here, how will the problem be solved?”

“If we think of a solution, we could do something about this grave issue. All of you have lost hope and this is why you are leaving. Don’t forget that we are responsible for damaging our own environment. The reason for the late monsoon is pollution,” Uncle Banyan explained.

All the animals agreed that this was true.

“Uncle Banyan is right. It is because the environment has been polluted that the rains are late. Earlier, it used to rain regularly, and we never had any problems,” Harry said.

“Please understand that it is not possible to change the condition of the environment in a day. But slowly and steadily, we can surely improve the situation,” Blacky added.

Everyone agreed.

“We should plant more trees here,” Khokho, the monkey said.

“We will also have to see that the ponds don’t dry up. We should dig up new wells to store rainwater, so we don’t face this same problem next year,” Hoppy, the frog said excitedly.

More From Champak: Saving Rainwater

“Yes, let’s work towards improving and helping the environment, so we don’t have to suffer next year,” Harry, the bear said.

Everyone agreed and decided not to leave the jungle. Just then, a few drops of water fell from the sky. Everyone looked up and saw that it had started to drizzle. All the animals were happy and started dancing in the rain.

Fearless Mongoo Gets a New Home

“May I stay here for a few days?” asked a trembling voice.

Beaky, the crow turned to see who this was. She saw a mongoose sitting below the tree.

Beaky asked, “Who are you? Why do you want to live here?”

“My name is Mongoo. The forest is flooded. The rains washed away my home. I have nowhere to go. May I live here for a few days?” Mongoo, the mongoose replied.

“I can’t let a stranger stay here,” Beaky said.

By then, other birds had gathered and tried to shoo Mongoo away.

Chilli, the parrot said, “We have eggs in our nests. You can’t stay here. We can’t trust anyone these days.”

Popo, the pigeon said, “Also, you aren’t clean. You have mud on you and it looks as if you haven’t taken a bath in a while.”

Mongoo was upset. She had tears in her eyes. She said, “Please, believe me. I’ve just lost my home and my belongings. Let me stay here for a day or two. I promise I won’t be of any trouble. I will leave once the water drains out.”

Owlie, the old owl was sitting on the branch and watching all this. He said to everyone, “Let her stay for a while. She needs help, can’t you all see that? Mongoo, you can stay here for tonight. There are a few stones below this tree. Make space for yourself there and sleep.”

Friends Of A Feather

The other birds didn’t say anything. Mongoo was relieved to hear this and thanked the old owl. She burrowed herself between the stones.

However, Mongoo couldn’t sleep very well. She kept tossing and turning. She was too hungry to sleep. She got up and sat to think what to do. Just then, she noticed a large black snake. It was crawling up the tree and was very close to Beaky’s nest.

Without thinking twice, Mongoo climbed the tree and pounced on the snake. They both fell on the ground. The snake was long and it wrapped its tail around Mongoo. But Mongoo did not give up.

With the help of her teeth, she bit the snake’s tail. The snake loosened its tail and Mongoo managed to escape from its grip.

All the birds woke with the clatter.

“Oh, what is this noise?” Chilli, the parrot asked.

“I think there is a fight going on,” Popo, the pigeon said.

The birds were shocked when they saw Mongoo fighting the snake. No one knew what was going on.

The snake tried to attack Mongoo but she dodged its attack. She pounced on the snake and bit it. The snake shook itself loosely, retreated and was gone in a few seconds.

Mongoo was wounded. There were many marks on her body.

“Why were you fighting that snake?” Popo asked.

“That snake was about to attack Beaky’s nest. I had to fight the snake, otherwise it would have eaten her eggs,” Mongoo said.

“I don’t believe what you’re saying. What if you are just pretending to be on our side? You will say that as you wanted to stay here,” Beaky, the crow said.

“Yes! That’s what I think too.” Popo said.

Chilli agreed with them too. None of them wanted to believe her. Mongoo didn’t know what to say. She felt too weak to say anything.

Owlie, the owl had seen all that had happened. He came down and said, “I watched Mongoo fight the snake to save your nest and eggs, Beaky. She could have died today. She did this in front of you and still, you don’t believe her.”

Owlie continued, “She needn’t have done that. You all were rude to her, but she still helped us.”

And They Became Friends

Chilli, Popo and Beaky realised their mistake and apologised.

“I’m sorry that I thought you were our enemy. But you turned out to be a true friend,” Beaky said to Mongoo.

Chilli got medicines and cotton. They gently treated Mongoo’s wounds. They gave her some food to eat as well.

“Mongoo, you don’t have to go anywhere. Please live with us,” Popo said.

Mongoo was delighted to hear this. She didn’t just get home, but a family as well.

The Power of Intelligence

There was a dense forest on the way. While the old woman was walking she met a tiger in the jungle. The tiger said, “Granny, where are you going? I am hungry.”

The old woman smartly answered, “Grandson, what is the point of eating me now? My thin bones won’t satiate your hunger. I am going to my daughter’s home. She will feed me delicious food. When I will come back after a month, I will have gained a lot of weight. You should eat me at that time.”

Saying so, she kept walking. The old woman had just gone a little further when she met a bear. The bear said, “Come, Granny, come. Satisfy my hunger.” The old woman gave the same reason to the bear too. He too got fooled into thinking that she was saying the right thing. The bear too let the old woman go like the tiger.

When she had walked further, she saw a lion. The lion said, “Granny, it seems to be your turn today.” The old woman fooled him too in the same way and reached her daughter’s village.

She didn’t say anything about what had happened on the way to her daughter. When one month passed, she became worried about how she would dodge the tiger, bear and cry lion now.

One day her daughter asked, “Mother, I am taking good care of you, making such scrumptious meals for you, but even then you are regularly losing weight. What is the matter?”

Then the old woman told her about whatever had happened on the way. “Daughter, Sam the tiger, bear and the lion will be waiting for me in the way. Even if I’ll be lucky to escape from one, the other will surely eat me. That is the reason why I am worried.”

The daughter said, “Worrying won’t help you in any way, mother. I’ll tell you about a plan. Just follow it and those animals won’t be able to harm you at all.” The daughter took a huge pumpkin and made it hollow. She made her mother sit in the hollow pumpkin and gave her a bag of salt and chilli powder. Then she closed the pumpkin properly and rolled it on the way.

The pumpkin kept rolling and rolling. The lion saw it first. He asked, “O Pumpkin, an old woman was supposed to come on this way today. Did you see her?” The old woman replied from inside, “Pumpkin, keep moving. What do I know about the old woman?”

The lion moved aside for the pumpkin and the pumpkin rolled over again. It met the tiger on the way. The tiger too asked the same thing from the pumpkin. The old woman replied from inside, “Pumpkin, keep moving. What do I know about the old woman?”

The bear too was waiting for the old woman. He asked the same question as soon as he saw the pumpkin. The old woman too replied the same from inside the pumpkin. The bear got furious upon hearing the answer and hit the pumpkin hard with his leg. The pumpkin broke into two pieces and out came the old woman!

By that time, the tiger and the lion too came over there in search of the old woman. They saw the old woman sitting inside the pumpkin. All of them leapt towards her and began fighting among themselves to eat her.

The old woman said, “If you will fight like this, who will eat me? I will climb up on that big tree. All of you stand underneath it. I will jump from above. Whoever will catch me will be eligible to eat me.”

They all agreed on this. The old woman climbed a tree and they sat under it. When they all were looking up, she opened the bag and said, “Here I come.” Instead of jumping down, she began throwing salt and chilli powder.

When this powder went into the eyes of the lion, tiger and bear, they couldn’t open their eyes. They went mad with the pain and burning it caused. The old woman quickly got down from the tree and hurried towards her home. That is why they say, neither the tiger nor the bear is the most powerful. It is intelligence which is the most powerful of everything.

Our Own Land

There were dark clouds in the sky. The winds were blowing fast and the clouds were moving with it. Even though all the signs of rain were there, it didn’t rain.

Vaasu, the sparrow was looking up at the clouds. A partridge peered through his glasses and counted the number of clouds in the sky. The woodpecker counted the days on his feathers. It had been a month since the signs of rain had started but not a drop had touched the earth.

Everybody was suffering because of the heat. The ponds and rivers had dried up and the leaves had all turned yellow. All the animals were gloomy and there was not a single light moment to be shared.

“With each passing day, the forest looks worse than it did before. I really don’t feel like staying here,” said Minnie one day. The animals of the forest felt the same and they all decided that it was time to move to another place. They decided to give it one last chance and waited for the rain. But seeing that not a single drop fell from the dark sky, they started packing

“Mr. Banyan tree, aren’t you coming with us?” asked Chutku, the frog.

“Stop talking nonsense,” said Danny, the bear. “Don’t you know that plants and trees can’t walk? Don’t make him feel bad by asking such silly questions.”

“Don’t scold him, Danny,” said the banyan tree gently. He’s asked a very good question. But even if I had feet, I wouldn’t have joined you son.”

“But why?” asked all the animals.

“What would you do staying here in this heat?” asked Meechu, the mouse.

“I’d stay right here,” said the banyan tree. “How can I leave the very land that has got me where I am? Sure it has shown me some bad times, but the good times I have had here more than make up for it. Also, if I leave this land, then it will become even worse than it is right now. I cannot allow this to happen. I’d rather forgot my comfort than see this land become fallow.”

Hearing the banyan tree’s words, all the animals hung their heads in shame.

Lallu, the langur said, “But staying here isn’t going to make things any better. What’s the point in staying back then?”

“You feel this way because in your mind you’re certain that going somewhere else will make things better and that there’s no other solution. But if you put your mind to it, you’ll certainly think of a solution. Let’s also not forget that we are responsible for making our forest like this. We throw our garbage everywhere and are polluting everything. If we trouble Mother Nature, she will fight back.”

Saving Rainwater

“It is up to us to make things right,” said the banyan tree. “If we start now, then we can change things soon. It will definitely take time, but it will be time well spent.”

Silence spread among the animals of the forest. They realized the mistake they have made and felt bad for deciding to leave their beloved forest.

“He’s right. If it hasn’t rained yet, it’s due to our actions,” said Danny.

“Let’s plant more trees,” suggested Vaasu, the sparrow. “This will help bring down 5 the heat.”

“Yes! And let’s dig more wells and ponds. We will collect rainwater in these and use them in the summer months,” said Minku, the mouse.

“You’re right. Let’s bear the heat this year and when it rains, let’s not only collect water in ponds and wells, let’s also save water by spending it wisely.” Jaggu, the elephant said.

All the animals decided to stay back and get started on conserving rainwater. Suddenly, a drop landed on Minnie’s head. She looked up and a few more drops landed on her head. Soon, everybody had their heads turned up to the sky and were greeted by raindrops.

Soon, the few drops grew to a drizzle and then into the rain. All the animals enjoyed the refreshing rain. They picked up their belongings and went back home.

True Beauty

Penny, the rabbit had just given birth to a baby boy. A fluffy ball of fur, with big blue eyes and the rosiest cheeks anybody had ever seen, he was instantly loved by everyone. As soon as he was born, Penny’s husband Donnie received a huge raise at work. Linking the inflow of wealth to the arrival of their new baby, they named him Richie’.

Richie was so cute and so loved that all the neighbourhood kids wanted to play with him. He was also an instant hit at all the places he would visit with his parents. With all the attention he was getting, Richie grew up to be a spoilt little rabbit.

Soon, Richie turned four and started going to the nearby school. Though he was loved by all, they all had only one complaint about him. Whenever he would get angry, Richie would lose control and say mean and hurtful things. His parents tried to explain to him that it’s not nice to be mean to people but nothing changed.

Days passed in a flash and the news he just heard left Richie hopping around in excitement. Richie’s aunt, Aunt Bonnie, who lived abroad was coming to visit next Sunday. He loved her a lot and she loved him very much too. Richie was sure that she’d bring him a lot of gifts and chocolates too.

When Sunday arrived, so did Aunt Bonnie. She came with lots of gifts and even more love for Richie. He was very happy.

In the evening, Richie’s friends Yaami, the bulbul, Kaachu, the mouse and Chinki, the sparrow had come over to play. As they were playing together, Chinki damaged Richie’s eraser by mistake. Richie grew furious and shouted at Chinki.

Richie’s parents tried explaining to him that it’s wrong to treat guests this way. But Richie was still upset.

Aunt Bonnie had heard of Richie’s foul temper from his mother. So the next morning, Aunt Bonnie called Richie to her side.

No Fee for This Chore

She had two boxes in her hand. One was beautifully packed with wrapping paper and the other was a plain, uninteresting box. Both contained sweets and she asked him to pick one.

Richie immediately reached for the gift-wrapped box and ate a piece. It tasted bad and he returned the box back to her.

When she offered the plain box, he popped a piece in his mouth. It tasted wonderful and he took the box to school, promising that he would share it with his friends.

In the evening, when he returned, Aunt Bonnie asked him which box of chocolates he liked better? He immediately said “The plain one.”

When she asked him why he said it was because it tasted better.

“Do you think other kids would feel the same way too?” she asked.

“Of course, it’s the taste of the chocolate that matters. Not the packaging,” said Richie feeling proud.

“Do you know why I made you choose between the two boxes?” asked Aunt Bonnie

Richie shook his head.

“You see Richie, we may be praised for our looks, but if we aren’t nice to others, nobody would want to be our friend. True beauty lies on the inside,” said Aunt Bonnie.

Richie understood what she was saying. He felt bad for the all times he hurt someone by saying mean things to them. He apologized to Chinki and to his parents and promised never to be mean to others ever again.

DOUBLE TROUBLE

Rango, the fox had just returned to Sundarban from the city with brand new clothes and an expensive car.

Rango’s friend Dummy, the donkey said, “What’s the matter? Did you win any lottery?”

“I got a job in a big bank. They’ll soon open a branch in Sundarban and I shall be the bank manager,” Rango said.

“Oh, that’s great news! A bank will do good to everyone here,” Dummy said.

Within a few days, there was a bank in Sundarban. Dummy along with his friends Montu, the monkey and Ricky, the rabbit went to the new bank to get their accounts made.

“Our bank has a new scheme. If you deposit Rs. 1,000 in your account, it will get doubled in a month,” said Rango.

They were shocked to hear this.

“Yes, of course. It will get doubled. Each of you will get Rs. 2,000. You can get your money after a month, Rango assured them. Dummy and Montu decided to deposit Rs. 1,000.

“How is it possible for money to double in a month? I have a bad feeling about this,” Ricky said to Dummy and Montu.

“You’re just doubtful about everything. The bank manager wouldn’t lie.” Dummy said.

“All right, then. Both of you go ahead and double your money, but I won’t. I don’t trust Rango,” Ricky said.

Both Dummy and Montu deposited Rs. 1,000 each. A month later, their money got doubled. They were very happy to receive double the amount they had deposited. However, Ricky was still suspicious about the whole thing.

Slowly, the news about the money being doubled reached everyone in the forest. Rango soon became popular among everybody in the forest. Customers started queuing up at the bank in the hope of getting their money doubled. One day, he put up a board outside the bank that said “There is a new scheme. Deposit one lakh rupees within two days and get three lakhs after one month!”

The Expedition to RoboPlanet

On reading the notice, Dummy and Montu each decided to deposit one lakh. Dummy tried convincing Ricky but in vain.

Dummy said, “I understand you were suspicious the first time but didn’t you see how we got back double the amount then?”

Ricky replied, “Yes, I did see. But this is a huge amount, Dummy. And you are thinking of depositing your entire life savings.”

Dummy wasn’t worried and both he and Montu deposited their savings.

After a month, they went to the bank to collect their money. But they were shocked to see a big lock on the door. Other customers who stood there looked worried.

“This bank has shut down. Bank manager Rango left the forest yesterday,” the security guard said.

“What do you mean? Now we’ll never get our money back! Has he really run away with our money?” Montu exclaimed with fear.

“Oh no! I had put all my savings into this. What am I going to do now?” Dummy said.

Ricky said, “There’s no point crying now. I tried to warn you. All this happened because of your greed.”

Montu and Dummy didn’t know what to do. Ricky tried to console them.

“But what do we do now? Where do we find Rango?” Dummy asked.

“I think the best thing to do now is to file a complaint against Rango at the police station,” Ricky said.

All the animals went to the police station together. Upon hearing everyone’s complaint, Inspector Gummy, the bear said, “It’s your fault. You should have been careful with your money,” Inspector Gummy said.

“Inspector, we are aware of our mistake and we regret depositing all this money in that bank. But please help us,” Montu said.

“All right, I will help you. But do not repeat this mistake ever again,” Inspector Gummy said.

All the animals promised that they would never repeat this.

At that, Inspector Gummy smiled and said, “You’ll be happy to know that Rango is behind bars now. And your money has been recovered too.”

All the animals breathed a sigh of relief. Dummy asked, “How did you catch him, Inspector?”

Inspector Gummy said, “Actually, it’s because of Ricky. He had informed me about Rango. We had our eye on him since then. When he was trying to run away with all the money last night, we arrested him. We found all the money and documents too.”

Everyone congratulated Ricky and pledged to never be greedy again. They learnt that there is no quick way of earning lots of money.

No Fee for This Chore

“Rohit, please get me a glass of water,” said Rohit’s father.

“Dad, I’m doing my homework. Please ask Divya to get it for you,” replied Rohit from the living room, while continuing to read his book.

“Alright, son. At least do come over to collect your pocket money,” said Dad.

Rohit immediately went up to Dad and stretched out his hand to collect the money. On seeing him, Dad started laughing. He knew that though Rohit never helped around the house, he was always ready to collect his pocket money.

After collecting the money, Rohit went back to his books. Later, Dad called out again, “Rohit, will you please get me today’s newspaper?”

“Dad, I am studying. Please don’t disturb me,” replied Rohit.

A Unique Birthday Gift

“Rohit, I forgot to give you money to buy the books you had asked for. Please come over and collect it,” said Dad.

Rohit ran up to him. Dad knew that whatever money was left after buying the books, Rohit would add them to his piggy bank.

Dad kept laughing as he gave Rohit the money. Although Rohit was puzzled by Dad’s behaviour, he did not ask him about it.

As Rohit walked back to the living room, his father called him again. This time too, Rohit went running to him. He thought that his father was going to give him more pocket money. But his father started laughing,

Rohit was annoyed. “Dad, why are you laughing?” he asked.

“I am laughing at your greed, son,” replied Dad. “I did not even tell you why I called you, but you came back running thinking I was going to give you more money. You would not get up to help me, but you were willing to interrupt your studies to collect your pocket money.”

Rohit felt ashamed of his behaviour. He quietly walked away. He came back with a glass of water and the newspaper, and quietly placed them on his father’s desk. Dad then offered some money to Rohit, but he refused to take it.

“I am sorry, Dad. I should have given you the water and newspaper when you had requested for them. I will not take money for this,” said Rohit.

Dad hugged him and said, “It’s alright, son. Remember, never be greedy about money and always respect your elders.”

Rohit nodded and hugged his father back.

SEO Keywords: moral stories for children

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The Power of Intelligence

Our Own Land

True Beauty

DOUBLE TROUBLE

No Fee for This Chore

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