Author: Manoj Roy

The moment Roma opened her pencil box, Eraser jumped out of it. Roma was amazed.

“What’s wrong with you?” Roma asked Eraser.

“I will not stay with Pencil,” a grumpy Eraser said.

“Why? What did Pencil do?” Roma asked.

Pencil said, “Eraser does not need me anymore. She is always teasing me. She calls me black Pencil.”

Roma was angry with Eraser for mocking Pencil. She said, “It’s wrong, Eraser.”

“Pencil teases me too. She mocks me because I am white. So if she is indeed black, why can’t I call her black?” Eraser defended herself.

“You’re white too, why can’t I call you white then?” Pencil retorted.

Roma understood that the two would not keep quiet, and it was pointless trying to resolve their fight. She decided to continue with her own work.

“If both of you keep fighting, others will take advantage, so don’t fight,” Pencil Box said.

That night, when everyone was asleep, Pencil and Eraser started quarrelling again.

“Don’t touch me. Keep your lead away from me. I don’t want to turn black like you,” Eraser said.

Pencil asked, “If you have a problem, then why don’t you just leave?”

Eraser was irritated and thought she should leave.

“Listen to me. It’s not wise for you to leave us right now,” Pencil Box tried to explain, but in vain. 

“All right, but don’t go too far. I’ll be on the lookout for you,” Pencil Box said.

It was quite dark and Eraser was scared. But she was infuriated and decided to go on. 

She kept walking towards Roma’s room when a mouse that was searching for food spotted her.

 “Wow! I am lucky today. I will nibble on this eraser,” mouse said and began to chase Eraser.

“Help!” Eraser yelled.

“Oh, that’s Eraser’s voice, Pencil. We must help her.” Pencil Box said.

“I don’t care. She is the one who left us,” Pencil said.

However, Pencil realised that Pencil Box was genuinely concerned. Both went looking for Eraser. 

Just then, they noticed the mouse chasing Eraser. 

The mouse was about to nibble on Eraser with his sharp teeth but Pencil pounced on him and attacked with her lead.

“Ow!” the mouse yelled. 

The attack didn’t help much. The mouse was still after Eraser. 

“Help! Help!” Eraser yelled and kept bouncing in and around the room. 

Pencil attacked the mouse again. 

The mouse was angry and instead started running towards Pencil. The mouse said, “I will not spare you. I will nibble that sharp lead of yours at one go.”

At that moment, Pencil Box jumped at the mouse and the mouse was badly hurt in the entire process.

The mouse thought it would be smart to run away and quickly jumped out of the window to escape.

“Thank God,” Pencil said holding her breath.

“I am sorry, Pencil, you got into trouble because of me,” Eraser said.

“Don’t be silly, Eraser. Quickly get inside before that nasty mouse appears again,” Pencil said with a smile.

Eraser was relieved and both happily got inside Pencil Box.