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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.

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.