The Cheese Eater of Hellen

Long ago, in a town called Hellen, there were
a lot of rats. The people tried to get rid of
them but they didn’t know how. In the next
town, there lived a young man named Tom.
Everybody called him Cheezy because he
always ate a lot of cheese. One day, he came
to Hellen to visit his grandfather who had a
cheese shop. He was walking towards the lake
while eating a piece of cheese. When the rats
got the smell of cheese, they started following
him. Tom had reached a cliff when he suddenly
heard some squeaking sounds. He turned around
and was surprised to see many rats. He got
scared and dropped the piece of cheese that he
was eating into the lake. All the rats jumped
into the lake to get that cheese. Some people
who saw this informed the mayor. The mayor
appreciated Tom and rewarded him with
a bag full of diamonds.
Anagha Dhar, 14 years
Karnataka

The Spring Season

Among all the seasons, spring is my favourite.
Unlike other seasons, it is neither cold, hot nor
wet. In spring, I go to the river near my house and
spend some time there. The birds
chirp, the flowers bloom, the sun smiles and
the butterflies flutter. The fishes and swans swim
happily in the water. The cool air
blows against my face. I see squirrels playing
and running around trees. Spring gives joy to
everyone. This is why I love
this season.
Khanshifa Afzal, 11 years
Mumbai

Hostel Life

This is our hostel life,
we think it’s strict and full of routine,
but staying without parents,
is great experience and fun.
With friends in hostel
everything is set and done.
At night, outside our room,
sounds can be heard.
The best birthdays are in hostel,
with the birthday song at midnight,
and parties with never-ending supply of
pizza and chocolates.
With friends of my school,
hostel life is the best.
Parth J Bhatia, 12 years
Gujarat

Shine

Rudeness, ego, greed,
let go of it all and do a good deed.
Give up everything bad,
if you can’t, your future will become sad.
Practise today and start straightaway,
soon you will see the result of your action.
If you ever fall, don’t worry,
just get up and chase your goal.
After a while, you will learn the basics,
and you will shine throughout.
Sharan Shetty, 7 years
Gujarat

Friends

Friends are hidden treasures full of happiness,
friends are the sea of fun,
friends are the river of pleasure.
Friends are with whom we enjoy life,
they are more precious than diamonds.
Grandma and grandpa can also be your friends,
and so can your mom and dad.
Prajyapati Naik, 15 years
Odisha

My Favourite Water Animal

My favourite water animal is fish. Fishes
are colourful and harmless creatures. One can
learn so much from these beautiful creations.
The way they swim is very interesting. Their
movements are organised. It is said that people
with high blood pressure should observe fishes
in an aquarium. This helps calm them and
improves their health. Fish oil too has
many advantages.
Kartikay Thukral, 11 years
New Delhi

The Mighty Machine

What can be as strong as this?
What can be as powerful as this?
Huge monster using its skill,
moving its iron muscles at our will.
Sweating out oil as it toils,
the magic of labour cannot be spoiled.
Long and shining arms of metal rods,
moving boulders, yet so gentle.
The sure-fingered rods that never miss,
watching it work is bliss.
Slave of man with no other need,
without any fatigue, working as per our wish.
It lives to earn its master’s bread,
for its maker, profits it adds.
What can be as obedient as this?
What can be as loyal as this?
Kanishka Gupta, 12 years
Jabalpur

If You Wish

If you wish to see,
see the greatness of Bose and Nehru.
If you wish to hear,
hear the speeches of Gandhi and Martin Luther King.
If you wish to speak,
speak the truth.
If you wish to be brave,
be like Rani Laxmi Bai and Azad.
If you wish to love,
love the beauty of nature.
If you wish for ornaments,
wear the ornaments of kindness and tolerance.
If you wish to destroy,
destroy cruelty and falsehood.
Astha Kumari, 12 years
Mandla

Peter Pan Goes on a Ride

Peter Pan brushed his teeth as he was in a rush.
He had to travel on a ship,
as he had to go to Neverland.
Peter Pan then had food which was good.
He saw Timmy and Tommy,
who gave Peter Pan a bug,
that looked like it could do with a hug.
Peter Pan went blank when he saw Alack, the goat.
He then ran as fast as he could.
He went to his house and saw his mouse.
He opened a book and fell asleep,
and in his dreams, he leapt from cloud to cloud.
Hanu Varma, 11 years
Bhimavara

Wonderful Nature

Oh wonderful nature!
I wonder how you are so beautiful,
with green trees,
and buzzing bees.
The grass is so green,
and everything so clean.
The wandering butterflies,
makes my thoughts fly.
The waterfalls are so cool,
just like a swimming pool.
I love nature,
that is so tall in stature!
Sannidhi Venkat Sai, 12 years
Andhra Pradesh

My Dream Holiday

Once I dreamt that I was in a garden. There, I
saw many rides. I went on all the rides and played.
I also swam in a river and I climbed up a hill. I
saw butterflies and many colourful flowers. The
garden was very beautiful and I thought that it
was the perfect place to be.
Kunj Patel, 8 years
Gujarat

Ideas for a Better Planet

responsibility to save it. Pollution is the process
of making air, water and soil dirty with harmful
substances. Pollution poses a threat to our
lives and takes a toll on our health. Once, my
friends and I went on a picnic to Atal Park. This
park is beautiful. We played many games there and
had lots of snacks. We threw the waste on the
grass itself, when a man came and told us not to
do so. He told us many good things about our
Earth and why and how we should keep this place
clean. After that we cleaned up the park and went
back home. I asked my father about pollution and
he said, “We can control pollution by planting
trees, using eco-friendly items etc.” Let us pledge
to decrease pollution and make our lives
healthier and happier.
Raghav Goel, 11 years
Karna

Save Water

Life on Earth is possible because of water.
Hence, water is very important to man. We should
save water and stop misusing it. 97 percent of the
water available on Earth is salt water and hence,
cannot be used. Only 3 percent is usable and so we
must be careful in the way we use it. There are many
ways to save water. We can make underground tanks
at our homes to store rainwater. We should not
throw waste products into rivers as they are our
main source of water. Even by repairing leaking
taps in our homes will help us save water.
Aman Choudhury, 13 years
New Delhi

Seasons

January is cold,
filled with snow.
February is pleasant,
so very pleasant.
March is filled with flowers,
it’s time to play!
April is so hot,
it’s time to swim!
May is just like April,
I keep myself cool and fresh.
June is monsoon time,
so plants are always green and fresh.
July is rainy,
one hears the pitter patter of drops.
August is rainy,
but our tricolour flies high.
September is autumn,
the leaves turn brown and fall.
October is also autumn,
but Diwali brightens up the month!
November and December,
are months of snow and cold!
Pakhi Priyamvada, 8 years
Pune

Lamentation Of A Tree

I was your true friend,
but now our friendship ends.
I gave you shade,
and you use me for your trade.
I gave you oxygen and fruits,
and you just pulled out my roots.
You cut me to make furniture,
you don’t care for the future.
In your life, I played a vital role,
but did it affect your soul?
I’ve been working day and night,
to make your life bright,
but still you cut me with all your might.
Isn’t it a dreadful sight?
This story is not fake,
one day you will realise your mistake,
and then it would be too late.
Aastha Kumari, 12 years
Jabalpur

A Day at the Ant’s Bakery

Today the Ant’s Bakery is full of fuss!
Why do these insects shout and buzz?
Mr. Ant made a big mistake,
and forgot Mrs. Bug’s birthday cake.
Mr. Firefly screamed at Ms. Bee,
for spoiling all the green tea.
Mrs. Worm came to help and fix,
while other insects ate cake and chips
Aryaa Sirdar, 6 years
Bengaluru