A trip is exciting! You get to see new places, explore new activities and have loads of fun! But did you know that you can capture these experiences forever? Not only in photographs, but also in travel journals.
In a travel journal, you can document the trips you’ve taken. From short city tours to week-long adventures, you can note down everything about the trip. You can record your experiences daily and note down what you saw, when you saw it and how you felt. And whenever you open your travel journal, you get to relive the experience!
We spoke to Noorain Ahmed, an illustrator who has been documenting all her trips since the past 10 years! She gave us some cool tips on how you can keep a travel journal and document your memories!
“I started keeping a travel journal because I liked to write about everything I saw when I travelled. Now, whenever I read my journal, I feel very happy as I remember everything I did on my trip. It makes me want to travel more.”
Brooklyn Lopez, 7 years, Dubai
Keep a dedicated book for one particular journey and give it a title. For example, if you’re travelling to Manali, the title could be ‘Manali Diaries’. Mention the date so that when you look back you remember exactly when you took that trip. It’s best to make your own journal by stapling pages together, otherwise, you can use a small drawing book as it is easy to carry around.
One of the first things you could do is draw a map of the place you’re at. It could be the street you’re living near and the shops or landmarks around you. Just draw what you see. You could mark the street name, stores you visited, junctions, eateries or restaurants, places you hung out, or anything you noticed on the street. If you’re doing a tour of an entire state, then you could outline the state and mark places you visited in the state. Drawing maps should be done on the first day of the trip as you can keep adding to it throughout the journey. You can also add symbols to your map to remind you of the places you saw.
One of the things about travel journaling is you do it on the spot, while you’re on the trip as that’s what makes it special. Make an entry every day as your memories are fresh and you will be able to remember every single thing you did. If you make a note and think of putting it down later, you won’t be able to capture how you felt. It makes it special to do it right away because then you have two memories—one of the moment you are capturing and the memory of you drawing or writing about it.
Whatever you’re capturing every day put the date in one corner or a title for each entry summarising your day.
To ensure you maintain your journal every day, use a pen. If you use a pencil, you won’t be able to complete it as you will keep erasing. Use a pen and ensure you finish your journal.
It’s not necessary to only write or draw in your travel journal. You can also stick pictures, bills, tickets or something you found, or anything that describes some part of your trip.
“My travel journal is full of pictures, drawings and tickets to the museum and every single place we went. I even stuck the label of this juice I drank, which is the tastiest juice I ever had.”
Nikhil Singh, 10 years, Pune
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.
Geeta was not aware that Srishti’s grandmother was a poet. Geeta had come to celebrate grandma’s birthday at Srishti’s invitation.
Dadi asked, “If we want to celebrate my birthday, would you all like to do it my way?”
“Yes, why not, dadi,” replied Srishti, “So, will we not cut a cake on your birthday?”
“We will neither cut a cake nor will we blow candles. We will do something more fun!”
“So, how do you want to celebrate it?” asked Geeta.
“We will sing and dance,” said dadi.
“Wow! That sounds like a lot of fun,” said Srishti.
“So, let’s begin with some rhymes,” said dadi.
“What are rhymes?” asked Srishti.
“We have to say something in two, four or six lines, which should end in rhyming words like bad-mad, day-say, couch-pouch.”
“Okay,” said Geeta. “Dadi, you go first and we’ll follow your example.”
Dadi made a funny face and said, “So, listen:
Humans look like owls,
But they don’t growl!
Owls look like me,
Look closely, you will see!”
Everyone laughed. “Wow, dadi! An owl’s face resembles ours. But dadi, you are not an owl. You are our beloved dadi,” said Srishti and hugged her.
Geeta had thought of some lines. “May I give it a try?” she asked.
“Go ahead,” replied dadi.
“Move your legs,
Move ten paces and come back two pegs.
Let’s see who runs fast,
Who goes ahead and who comes back last?”
“Wow!” As soon as Geeta said her rhyme, Srishti, Smridhi and Priyanka stood in line. Dadi said go and everyone ran. Geeta was the first one to come back after touching the wall.
“Wow, dadi, your birthday will be memorable,” said Srishti.
“After all whose birthday is it?” said dadi and started reading one of her poems,
“Come. Come.
We make a circle,
Hold hands, everyone stands
wearing purple.
Let’s play again,
And make a chuk-chuk train.”
Dadi stood in front and the children held onto each other’s shirts and started the train. Chuk-chuk! Rahul was at the back. He was blowing a whistle and then said,
“Kabaddi is a number one game,
played by the wise,
Not for those who don’t exercise,
Whoever touches the winning line,
They will wear the garland of
victory and shine!”
Saying so, Rahul made two teams and started playing Kabaddi. Dadi was quick and touched the winning line and returned.
“Really! Dadi’s game is fun,” said Rahul.
After some time, they all got tired and sat down to talk.
“Dadi! When you were young, were you afraid of exams?” asked Smridhi.
“Yes, like everyone I too was afraid of things I didn’t understand,” said dadi.
“People who didn’t understand the dark were afraid of it. The only reason we still fear things is because we don’t know them.”
“My grandfather used to say exams test our knowledge. They bring out whatever one has learnt.”
“What does this mean, dadi?” asked Geeta.
“Exams are held so that we can ask ourselves what we know and test our memory. So, why should we fear them?”
“Hmm…I did not think of exams that way,” said Srishti, “Now, what do we do next, dadi?”
Dadi distributed sweets to all the kids. She also gave them a storybook.
“My children! If everyone reads their books, I’ll think my birthday was meaningful,” she said.
Srishti then said,
“Let dadi’s birthday come again,
We get to play aboard a train!
May we sing and dance a lot just like this,
And give dadi a hug and a kiss.”
Saying this everyone hugged dadi and sat down to eat dinner.
The students of Champakvan School were excited. Their teacher, Dena deer, had informed them that for their annual trip they would be visiting the ‘City of Nawabs–Lucknow’.
Cheeku rabbit, Meeku mouse, Damru donkey, Roco hen, Sally squirrel, Jumpy monkey, Jumbo elephant, Blacky bear along with their teacher Dena deer boarded the Shatabdi train to Lucknow.
As soon as they reached the Charbagh railway station, the station’s building gave them a clue of the kind of architecture they would get to see in Lucknow.
After checking into their hotel room and freshening up, all the students sat around their teacher. She told them about the places they would visit each day.
“First we will visit the famous Imambara of Lucknow. It is also known as the Asfi Imambara,” she said.
Sally squirrel could not control her excitement and said, “Can we first go and see the Bhul-Bhulaiya or the famous maze of Lucknow. I have heard that it is a lot of fun and most tourists lose their way in it.”
“Just like you have lost patience here Sally,’’ smiled Dena deer. “The maze is a narrow ladder-like path inside the Imambara that leads us to the big dome.”
The others laughed when they heard this and though Sally was embarrassed for not knowing that the maze was inside the Imambara, she was happy because they were first going to the place she really wanted to visit.
Next morning, the students wore colourful clothes and took the city bus with Dena Ma’am towards old Lucknow. Bara Imambara stood close to river Gomti.
Once they reached the Bara Imambara, Dena Ma’am met guide Gogo Giraffe who was going to show them the buildings in old Lucknow. He helped them get the entry tickets to the Bara Imambara.
Sally, in her traditional skirt, was super excited to see the maze. She walked ahead of everyone holding her skirt.
Gogo guide took them on the zig-zag stairways that led to the Imambara. He told them there were 84 steps in all. Sally ran ahead to reach the top. Gogo guide walked behind her. The stairs then branched into a fork that led to two passages—one that went upstairs and the other down.
Sally took the stairs that went up, since they were going up, but as soon as she went further that passage was blocked by a wall. She was confused.
Gogo guide explained, “Yes, this is why it is called a maze. It was built to confuse the enemy. We have to go down from here before we climb up and then we can reach the top of the Imambara. This fork confuses anybody new to this place, just like Sally.”
Sally was embarrassed yet again while the others laughed.
Gogo guide took them upstairs through the correct path. “Now, I will show you the amazing craftsmanship of this building. I suggest you all walk about 50 metres to the other end with your teacher. and I will tear a piece of paper at this end. You will be surprised at how clearly you can hear the sound of the tearing paper.”
The students excitedly walked to the other end with Dena Ma’am to experience the magic.
As Gogo guide tore the paper, they all could hear the sound. They were amazed at how that could happen.
Gogo guide told them that the building had been constructed in a way that even a whisper was clearly audible from far.
Gogo guide pointed towards the windows on the upper floors and said, “Those windows have been constructed in such a manner that anyone coming through the main gate is visible to those standing at the window but those coming in cannot see who is at the window.”
Everyone peeped out of the windows to see.
After this Gogo guide took them down the stairs towards the front of the Imambara.
“This is the main building of the Bara Imambara. It is based on Persian architecture.”
He took them inside the building, and everyone was amazed to see the magnificent structure.
“Mr Gogo, who built this beautiful and amazing place?” asked Cheeku rabbit eagerly.
“This was built by the Nawab of Awadh, Asaf-ud-Daula in the year 1784. It was built in the memory of the Late Hussain Ali, a saint, but the main reason behind building it was something else.”
“What was the reason?” asked Jumbo elephant waving his trunk.
“Awadh faced a terrible drought in 1784. The people of Awadh didn’t have any means to earn. In those days, the people of Awadh lived with pride and didn’t accept charity. But when many started to die of hunger, Nawab Asaf-ud-Daula started the construction of the Imambara, to provide the people with a source of employment. The poor population of the city worked during the day while the well to-do worked at night.”
“Does that mean that construction took place during the day as well the night and that a lot of people worked here? The expenses of building it must have been very high too,” said Jumpy monkey.
“Almost 20,000 people were employed for the construction of the Imambara and about INR 10 lakh, a huge amount in those days, was spent on its construction.”
“This means that Nawab Asaf-ud-Daula was a very kind ruler who helped many people,” said Blacky bear.
“Yes, and that is why during that times it was said that ‘One who doesn’t receive from God receives from Asaf-ud-Daula’,” said Gogo Giraffe.
“There must have been an architect who designed this amazing building. Who is he?” asked Meeku mouse, showing his big teeth.
“The architect of the Imambara was Kifayat Ullah. The Nawab was impressed with his design and the Imambara was built under his guidance.”
“The biggest speciality of this building is that best quality bricks and limestone were used in its construction. And no wood, iron or cement was used.”
The animals could not believe that a ceiling that big could be made without iron, wood or cement.
After this, Gogo took them to see the well and the mosque in the Imambara compound. They also went to see other buildings in old Lucknow, close to the Imambara.
They thanked Gogo giraffe for showing them around, went back to their hotel to rest so that they could go back to Champakvan the next day.
You will need:
Paper cylinder, pencil, scissors, glue stick, red chart paper, crepe paper in different colours, thread, treats
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1. Cut 2-inch strips from all the crepe sheets so that they wrap around the cylinder. Cut slits along the edge of each strip.
2. Cut a circle using red chart paper and cover one end of the cylinder.
3. Stick the crepe paper strips using glue on top of each other to cover the surface of the cylinder.
4. Stick thread inside the cylinder to hang it.
5. Fill the cylinder with treats and cover the other end. Hang the Piñata using the thread.
Your piñata is ready! Hit it with a stick till it breaks and treats fall from it!
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Try making this yourself at home! Send your creations to us at
writetochampak@delhipress.in or take a photo and send it to us at
+91 9619587613
“Do you know me?” Devansh was startled when he heard someone talk.
“Who are you? And why do you look like a ball covered with old nails?” asked Devansh.
“So, you don’t know me,” replied the figure. “I am Corona,” it said, introducing itself.
“What!” said Devansh startled. “So, you are that deadly virus that is spreading so fast in the world!”
“Yes,” replied Corona.
“How do you infect us?” asked Devansh.
“I enter human bodies through their eyes, nose and mouth,” said Corona. “After that, I settle in their throat.”
“Throat!” gulped Devansh.
“Yes,” said Corona. “And when humans cough, I enter their lungs.”
“Aha! Tell me what happens when you enter our lungs?”
“In my ball-like figure, there are nail-shaped proteins. These stick to the cells in the throat and then I multiply myself rapidly. Then when we reach the lungs, the healthy cells inside the lungs start dying. Due to this, the lungs get filled with dead cells and liquids, which make it difficult for humans to breathe. That leads to a decrease of oxygen in human blood and with this the lungs gradually stop functioning,” said Corona.
“You are very mean!” screamed Devansh.
“How can we protect ourselves from you?” asked Devansh.
“Keep your hands clean and wash them often. Don’t touch your mouth, nose and eyes unnecessarily. Then I am not able to spread easily,” said Corona.
“And?”
“That’s all. Keep distance from infected people. Cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough and wear glasses to protect your eyes,” said Corona.
“Anything else?” asked Devansh.
“If you keep yourself clean, stay at home and avoid large gatherings, and keep your hands away from your mouth, nose and eyes, then your chances of being infected by me reduce drastically,” assured Corona.
Devansh’s mother entered his room. “What happened, Devansh? Were you dreaming in your sleep?”
Devansh woke up with a start! “It was a dream!” he said and told ma about it.
“You had a good dream! So, now you know a lot about coronavirus. Make sure we do as it says,” she said and left the room.
Devansh sat up on the bed, happy that he had learned so much.
Before India’s independence, caste discrimination and untouchability were practiced in Hindu society. There were many who suffered because of this. One of those who suffered was Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, who later went on to become the Father of the Indian Constitution.
During his childhood, Bhimrao was travelling by train with his elder brother to meet his father, Ramji Sakpal. The two brothers got off at a small station called Masur in Maharashtra.
Their father lived far away from the station, so Bhimrao and his brother decided to hire a hand-pulled rickshaw, which was common during those days.
The rickshaw-puller made them sit in his rickshaw and started pulling it. He chatted with the two boys and after some distance, asked, “Children, what is your caste?”
“We are Mahars,” said the boys.
The rickshaw-puller was very angry and gave the rickshaw a violent jerk and both the boys fell off.
The rickshaw-puller began shouting at the boys. “How dare you sit in my rickshaw! You have now polluted my rickshaw!”
A crowd gathered there and more people came as news spread that two Mahar children had sat in the rickshaw and made it unholy for the upper caste.
“What can you expect from such low-caste children?” said someone.
“These untouchables have not only polluted the rickshaw, they have ruined the poor man’s day,” said someone else.
Bhimrao and his brother did not know what to do. No one took their side. All they were told again and again was that being born in a lower caste was a sin.
They began getting scared, when the rickshaw-puller began abusing them. After a long time, the crowd moved away and the boys were left alone.
They had no choice now, but to walk to their father’s house. It was hot and dusty. As they walked, the boys began to feel thirsty and tired. But nobody offered them water.
They could not drink water from a well or from the lake as in those days, lower castes were not allowed to touch wells or lakes.
People thought even their touch would pollute the water bodies. So, unless someone poured water for them to drink, the boys had to remain without water.
But since they were so thirsty, Bhimrao forgot all about his caste, drew water from a well and started drinking it.
But before he could drink enough, he heard someone screaming.
The well belonged to the high castes and someone from that caste had seen them drinking water from the well. The bucket and the well both had now become dirty.
Soon, a crowd gathered because of the shouting.
Bhimrao felt he was surrounded by a pack of wolves ready to pounce and eat them up.
The crowd then started discussing how they could recover the cost of the damage done by the boys.
And also they wanted to punish the children for them the crime that was so severe that there was no possible money that the two brothers could give.
The people began beating the boys. Nobody stopped to think that these were two thirsty children. All that they had done was drank some water, which was a gift of nature. But to the crowd, the boys were low caste and deserved to be beaten.
Some in the crowd began saying that beating the boys was not enough. They had to be punished even more severely.
They decided to shave the boys heads and some people ran to look for a barber. But in those days, it was difficult to find a barber who would shave the head of a lower caste person!
None of the barbers in Masur agreed to shave the boys’ heads.
The barbers were scared that no one would come to them if they knew that they had touched a lower caste boy.
The two brothers were beaten up badly, and finally managed to escape the angry crowd.
This incident affected Bhimrao deeply. He started thinking about ways to remove the caste system from Indian society.
He realised that education was the only way to free himself and others like him from such horrible injustice.
Bhimrao became a scholar. He became a doctor in 1927 from Columbia University in New York City for his thesis ‘National Dividend of India—A Historic and Analytical Study’.
In 1923, he did further education in Economics from London School of Economics.
Bhimrao Ambedkar not only drafted the Constitution of India, but he was also India’s first Law Minister.
To make people aware about how badly lower castes were treated in India, he took part in several revolutions, wrote many books, and edited newspapers.
It was on the principal of equality and friendship, he wanted a new India to emerge from the British rule.
Unfortunately even today, lower caste Indians do not get treated equally. In upper caste houses, they are not allowed to sit on chairs, have to eat from a different plate and they still get badly treated in many other ways as if they are lesser.
You will need:
Orange, light and dark green, and red chart papers, scissors, glue, pencil, black pen
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1. Take light green chart paper and cut it in a shape of a leaf.
2. Cut four thin conical strips of dark green paper and stick them on the leaf.
3. Cut two equal size green strips and stick them together on one end. Fold each strip over the other to form a tight spring.
4. Glue this spring in the centre of the leaf.
5. Trace a frog on orange chart paper and cut it.
6. Cut circles from red chart paper and stick them on the frog’s body. Add eyes using white chart paper and black pen.
7. Cut a long strip of red paper for the frog’s tongue.
8. Glue the frog on the paper spring.
Your frog is ready! Press the frog to see it hop!
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Make your own Leaping Frog and send us photos at writetochampak@delhipress.in
Watch this super-awesome video that will clear your doubts and help you fight and prevent coronavirus!
Twelve-year-old Shivani lives under the Jasola flyover in south Delhi. On a usual day, she spends her time making a list of children who cannot get admitted into a school. She explains why going to school is important and what documents are needed for admissions.
“When I was in class 2, I loved going to school: learning different subjects, playing, and spending time with my friends. I used to get up early in the morning and pack my bag and tiffin my mother prepared before she left for work. I would get ready and leave for school with my friends. On the way, we would discuss the new things we learned in school,” says Shivani, who went to a local government school.
Education Denied
But Shivani’s morning routine suddenly changed. One day, her teacher said she couldn’t attend school anymore because her Aadhar card, an identity card issued by the government, carried the address of another locality in Delhi. The rule was that only students from the local area could attend the government school.
Shivani’s parents are construction workers who shift houses regularly and live wherever their work takes them. As they change homes frequently, they don’t have a proof of address, a document that is essential for school admissions in India. But Shivani could not understand why the teacher was asking her to leave school. She repeatedly pleaded with her teacher to allow her inside the classroom so she could study with her friends.
Hopeless Days
Tears ran down her cheeks as she thought of the classes she was missing.
When the school did not listen, Shivani’s parents stopped her from going to school. Her routine changed from studying to household chores. Every day, she would watch her friends go to school and still wonder why she couldn’t go. She kept asking her parents to get the necessary documents that would enable her to go back to school, but since they worked from morning to night, they didn’t have the time to get the documents. But Shivani didn’t give up and kept asking her parents, though they didn’t know how to get the documents.
One day, she heard of a few teachers from an NGO who frequently visited her locality to teach children. Shivani was thrilled and began going there. She was happy she could study without having to submit documents. She spoke to the teachers about her lack of documents and learned how to
get them.
She and her parents were taken by the NGO teachers to a local government Aadhar card camp to update their address proof.
After a few days, Shivani’s Aadhar card was updated. Her address read “Under Jasola flyover,” which now was proof enough for her to rejoin her old school.
She says, “Just because of some documents, I was able to go from class 2 to class 6. I was very happy, but I was afraid that I might have forgotten to read and write.”
Lending a Helping Hand
Now, Shivani helps children like her who don’t have documents. She does this by keeping a record of the children in her locality who don’t go to school and are struggling to get their paperwork done. She then submits this list to the NGO, whose volunteers help the children get their documents in place to ease the process of school admission. Shivani has helped 22 children in her locality get admitted to school. She goes door-to-door, talking to people, spreading awareness on documentation and education. Through street plays and discussions under the flyover, she tells people how girls have to struggle to get an education, a concept deeply rooted in her.
This story was published in the April issue of Highlights Champs.
Until a few months ago, the word ‘pandemic’ largely existed in science fiction. Coronavirus did not exist and we washed our hands for 5 seconds if not lesser. Enter COVID-19. Coronavirus is a severe respiratory syndrome caused by the virus, SARS-CoV-2. Are you feeling lost with this unexpected vacation from school and clueless on how to face this virus? We got your covered. What’s that? The Panic Button? Let’s start by switching that off.
So what can you do?
You do not have to do a hundred things to safeguard yourself, your family and friends against the COVID-19 virus. You can do just a few but VERY important things.
Take a pledge today to join the Coronovirus Intelligence Bureau and debunk hoaxes and bust all myths surrounding the pandemic.
**Please note that as per the World Health Organization’s updated guidelines, the use of masks helps in the prevention and control measures that limit the spread of COVID-19.
Schools were shut for 3 weeks to contain the spread of coronavirus. Prateek was bored at home.
Just then ma came and told him that his best friend Mohit had come back from America.
Prateek picked up the phone and called Mohit.
“Mohit! Hi! So glad you are back. Come to my house quickly and let’s play!” he said, excited.
Hi, Prateek! How are you? I can’t come and play with you. My family and I have been asked to stay at home in quarantine. We all can’t step out of the house for 14 days. Though we are all well, we don’t want anyone to come near us as we may be carriers of the virus. After 14 days, I am allowed to come and meet you,’’ Mohit explained.
“Our holiday was cut short because we were all asked to go back because of coronavirus. I have missed a lot of school work. I called Chirag to ask for his notebook, but he refused. His mom told him not to contact me as I’ve just come from abroad. She said that anyone who comes in contact with me could get infected. What do I do now?” said Mohit sadly.
“Don’t worry! I’ll give you my notebook. I’ll keep it outside your door and once you’re done, you can keep it outside, and I will come and collect it after 24 hours. We all should take precautions, but that does not mean I should stop being your friend. It is said that the virus does not survive on a surface for more than 24 hours so I’ll take my book from you after a day. You’ll get your notes and I won’t have any chance of getting infected,” said Prateek, cheerfully.
“You are my true friend,” said Mohit, with tears in his eyes and his voice shaking over the phone.
“In this hour of need, we should extend all the help we can to each other. That’s all I’m doing,” said Prateek and kept his notebook outside Mohit’s house and came back.
Nilay’s father just informed him that their neighbour, Mr. Gupta had been advised to stay at home in isolation. He was running a fever and coughing, for the past few days. Nilay was worried for Vishnu, his best friend and Mr. Gupta’s son.
“Papa! Is uncle suffering from coronavirus?” asked Nilay.
“He has been tested. We will know once the reports come out in 3 days,” said papa.
“So, if Gupta uncle has coronavirus, does that mean everyone in their house will get? Even Vishnu? Will they all die?” asked Nilay and trembled with fear.
“Of course not, Nilay! Not every cold and cough or fever needs to be a symptom of coronavirus. Mr. Gupta is taking precautions, by keeping himself and his family in isolation so that if he has the virus, it does not spread,” papa explained Nilay, but he was not convinced.
Nilay continued to question his mother and his grandparents about the virus. Papa realised that Nilay was gripped with fear and then thought of something and called him.
“Nilay, viruses have existed on Earth for millions and trillions of years and humans have been infected by them every now and then. This new virus, Covid-19, spreads faster and is more dangerous that other viruses. It enters the human body through contact with the nose and mouth and starts infecting the lungs. Scientists are working on developing a vaccine or a cure against it, but till then we must prevent ourselves from getting infected. By not going out, we reduce our chance of getting infected,” papa explained.
“I know, we need to wash our hands with soap and water for 20 seconds regularly. And we should not touch our face with our hands to protect ourselves from this virus. Also, we should take care when we are with people by maintaining a suitable distance. Right, papa?” asked Nilay, now feeling more confident.
“Yes, Nilay. Excellent! Let’s not fear corona but take steps to prevent it,” said papa and patted Nilay on his back.
Vicky’s school called to inform that it was being shut to control the coronavirus outbreak. Vicky was overjoyed.
“Wow! What fun! This is amazing! I’ll play cricket all day with my friends!” said Vicky and started making plans.
“Ma! I’m going to Kitty’s house to play!” said Vicky.
“Vicky, we have to be at home and not step out. The school is shut so that you stay away from your friends and teachers and stop coronavirus from spreading. We all are required to stay indoors, unless absolutely necessary. Children and the elderly should not step out at all,” ma explained.
“So what will I do all alone at home?” said Vicky, stamping his feet and throwing a tantrum.
“There are many things you can do and enjoy at home,” said ma.
“Like what?” asked Vicky.
“You could draw, paint, sketch, read books. You could write down your thoughts in a diary as you pass each day at home. It’s spring. See so many birds are making nests. Observe how they collect twigs and make nests. At night, we could go star gazing from our terrace as the sky is much more clear and the stars are shining. You could also learn new recipes. You love sandwiches. Maybe we could try and make some together. And you could help me out in household chores,” said ma and smiled.
Vicky liked ma’s suggestions, but he was not completely pleased.
“But meeting friends… going out… I can’t do all that, can I? I’ll be bored!” said Vicky.
“There are many indoor games you can play like ludo, snakes and ladders, carrom. You can video chat with your friends and stay in touch. You always wanted to arrange your cupboards and label all the books on your bookshelf. You could do that. Also, we both love music. We could make our own lyrics and sing songs to keep us busy during this time. And by staying indoors, win this fight against coronavirus,” said ma.
“We will definitely win this fight, ma!” Vicky smiled, understanding ma.
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?”
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!”
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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.”
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.
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.
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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.
“Who is making noises here? Let me sleep,” said an irritated Owlie.
Upon hearing Owlie’s voice, all the birds started looking here and there. Just then, Merlin, the mynah noticed Owlie.
“Look at this owl. He didn’t even take our permission before sleeping here,” said Merlin.
“We cannot let him stay here,” said Gini, the sparrow.
“Let’s throw him out of here,” said the other birds collectively.
“No, let’s not ask him to leave now. Owls can’t see in the morning. We should tell him to leave in the night,” Coco, the parrot explained to the other birds.
“All right then. But if he doesn’t leave by night, it will not be good,” all the birds said and got back to doing their daily chores.
Owlie thanked Coco and slept off. Owlie slept the whole day, but he was feeling sick. He was afraid that once all the birds come back to their nest, they would ask him to leave. So, he quietly hid behind the leaves.
Soon the birds were returned home. Nobody noticed Owlie. They thought he was gone. Everybody got inside their own nests.
It was night and all the birds were about to sleep. Just then, Gini’s little baby was bitten by ants. The little sparrow was so scared that she went out of her nest. Gini got worried and started calling out for help. All the birds came to help. As it was dark, nobody could find Gini’s baby.
“Gini, we will not be able to do anything right now because it’s dark. Let’s try in the morning,” the dejected group of birds said.
“But the wild animals might harm my baby in the night. I can’t leave her alone,” Gini said.
“You’re right, Gini, but we’re all helpless,” Merlin said.
Upon hearing that, Gini was very disappointed. All the birds quietly went inside their nests.
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Owlie who was hiding behind the leaves, all this while, felt relieved.
Just then, he heard the leaves move. He noticed that a small sparrow was sitting on a branch and shivering in cold.
“Oh, I think, she is Gini, the sparrow’s baby, who everyone was looking for,” Owlie thought.
“What are you doing here? Go back to your nest?” Owlie told the little sparrow.
But she did not move and kept trembling.
“Look, I know that you’re scared of the dark. I’ll help you, come with me,” Owlie said. But the little sparrow refused to move and kept sitting on the branch. Owlie thought it wouldn’t be safe to leave the little one alone, so he decided to stay with her. He stayed with her all night long and took care of her.
Next morning, the little sparrow got back to her nest. She narrated everything to her mother and Gini was relieved.
“Is Owlie still here? We need to talk to him,” Gini said.
“You’re still here? Did you think if you hide behind the leaves, we will not be able to find you?” Merlin asked Owlie.
“I am sorry! I was not well last night. I promise to leave today,” a scared Owlie said.
“Where will you go from here?” Coco asked.
“Wherever I get a place to stay,” Owlie said.
“But we will not let you leave this place,” Coco said.
“What do you mean?” Owlie asked.
“Yes, you will stay with us from now on. We don’t want to lose somebody who helped us. We all know what happened last night,” Coco said.
Owlie’s face lit up in happiness, and everyone was happy to have Owlie with them. They all lived on the tree happily.
“Oh my, look at all the idlis and dosas over there. Are you ready to have the feast of your life?” Coco, the crow asked his wife, Kiki, as he looked down at the idli stall from a tree.
Just as he was about to swoop down on the stall, his wife stopped him and said, “We’ve been here a few and I noticed that this city is full of mice and other little animals for us to eat. Do we really e really need to spend our days stealing food from the humans when we could feast on all the food we hunt? Besides, what if the humans caught us stealing?”
“Listen, your words have no effect on me. Whether it’s a mouse or free food, I still put in the effort of going and getting it. If you’d rather starve, then be my guest. Just don’t make me feel bad when I work hard to fill my stomach,” said Coco and swooped down.
A man had just purchased a plate of hot idlis and was having them with sambar. Coco flew past him and in a flash, grabbed an idly with his beak and flew away. The man and all the other people standing nearby were dumbfounded and simply stared at Coco as he perched on a tree and ate the idli.
Kiki shook her head as she watched Coco eat the idli. “It’s not nice to eat food that’s stolen from another,” she said.
“You worry too much,” said Coco after finishing his meal. “Let’s go to the market.
I hear there’s a store called Kallu’s Sweets and that their rasagullas are the best.”
“You’ll never change,” said Kiki, shaking her head. She reached into her back and fished out a golden crown. Placing it on top of her head, Kiki began admiring herself in a pocket mirror.
“Where did you get that from?” asked Coco curiously.
“I was down by the lake, looking for some food and I found this under a tree,” Kiki said.
“Well, I must say, you look fabulous in it. It really brings out your eyes,” said Coco.
Together, the two crows flew back home for the night. Early the next day, Coco was ready to raid Kallu’s sweet shop. Despite Kiki clearly telling him that she wasn’t interested, Coco insisted that she accompany him.
They perched on a lamppost just outside the shop and Coco keenly observed what was going on at Kallu’s shop.
“It looks like Kallu has placed all the rasagullas in that drum full of sugar syrup. I’ll wait here until the moment is right. When Kallu is busy with something else, I’ll swoop down and grab the biggest rasagulla. In a few minutes later, we’ll be enjoying the most delicious meal of our lives,” said Coco.
Even though Kiki tried to dissuade him, Coco was determined to make his plan work. In just a few minutes, the perfect moment had arrived and Coco swooped down towards the rasagullas.
Coco perched on the edge of the drum full of rasagullas and was about to pick out the biggest piece he could see. Sadly, Kallu noticed Coco trying to steal a rasagulla.
Kallu reached for a ladle nearby and in one swift move, threw it at Coco. Coco was a little too slow to realise what was happening and the ladle hit him squarely in the face.
Both the ladle and Coco landed noisily on the sweet shop’s floor. Kallu stepped out from behind the counter and approached Coco.
When Kiki saw Coco fall to the floor, she was shocked. She saw everything that had happened and knew that if she didn’t act fast, her husband would be in some serious trouble. She swooped down from the lamppost and into Kallu’s shop. Fishing out the crown from her bag, she threw it at Kallu. The golden crown caught his eye and he immediately jumped at it.
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Kiki swiftly landed near Coco and helped him up and the two of them flew away to the safety of the shop’s terrace.
“Thank you for saving my life, Kiki,” said Coco. “If only I had paid heed when you warned me of stealing. If I had agreed to hunt for our food like you had suggested, not only would I have not been hit by a ladle, but you would also still have your crown. Please forgive me.”
“Don’t worry, Coco,” said Kiki. “I’m glad that you’re not hurt and that this turned out to be a learning experience for you.”
Having learnt his lesson, Coco gave Kiki a hug, and the two flew off to hunt for food.
In the forest of Champakvan, Jumpy, the monkey sold watermelons every summer. His watermelons were bright red, juicy and sweet, but for some reason, things looked bleak this summer.
Not only did he not have as big a yield as last year, his watermelons didn’t taste as nice as they did last year.
Jumpy’s friend, Cheeku, the rabbit munched on a watermelon and said, “Your watermelons this year aren’t quite as nice as the ones you had last year.”
“You’re right,” said Jumpy. “It’s giving me sleepless nights. If my watermelons are going to taste like this, nobody is going to come to my shop. I’ll barely be able to make any money.”
Right next to Jumpy’s store, Baddy, the fox had opened his store. He had opened it only a few days after Jumpy had opened his for the season and had placed red, juicy watermelons on display.
The mere sight of these watermelons made all the animals’ mouths water and they all lined up in front of Baddy’s store for some.
“Your watermelons are so tasty, Baddy,” said Meenu, the cow.
“Thank you, Meenu. I had them imported from another forest. That’s why they taste so good,” said Baddy.
Even Kamli, the camel couldn’t help but praise Baddy’s watermelons. “Juicy watermelons like these are just what the doctor ordered for this heat. I have never tasted such nice watermelons in my life.”
Soon, all the praise led to lots of customers for Baddy. His watermelons were the perfect treat for the hot, sunny days and his business was doing very well. Sadly, this was eating into Jumpy’s business and only Jumpy’s friends came to his shop.
The next day, Cheeku came to Jumpy’s shop. “Why don’t you try importing your watermelons like Baddy?” he asked Jumpy.
“That sounds like a very good idea. If I keep trying to sell these watermelons, I’ll never be able to make any money at all. I’ll go ask Baddy where he gets his watermelons from tomorrow,” said Jumpy.
The next morning, Jumpy asked Baddy where he bought his watermelons. “No way am I going to tell you,” said Baddy immediately. “If I did, you’ll take away all my customers.”
Jumpy was disappointed that Baddy didn’t want to help, but he was determined to find out where the watermelons came from. So, Jumpy started keeping a close eye on Baddy.
A few days later, Jumpy came running to Cheeku’s house. When Jumpy told Cheeku what he had seen, Cheeku was left speechless.
The next day, Cheeku and Jumpy went to Baddy’s shop. They ordered two watermelons and started eating them. As they enjoyed the watermelons, Jumbo, the elephant came to meet them.
“It’s so hot, Jumbo. Would you mind spraying us with some water from your trunk?” asked Cheeku.
Jumbo put his trunk in a bucket of water and sprayed all the water on Baddy’s shop. As soon as the water splashed on the watermelons, they began to lose their colour. Red colour began to flow down to the ground and all the watermelons looked pretty bad.
“What is the meaning of this? Are you trying to sabotage me?” asked Baddy.
“This is us exposing you to the forest as a cheater!” said Cheeku.
Turning to Meenu, Cheeku said, “If you don’t mind, Ma’am, could you please sample some of Baddy’s watermelons?”
Meenu took one bite and spat it out. “These watermelons taste terrible,” she said.
“Exactly,” said Cheeku. “He’s been injecting the watermelons with red colour and sugar syrup. He’s been cheating you all.”
“That’s a lie! I’m being framed,” cried Baddy.
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“Then how do you explain what I saw? I followed you home last night. After closing your shop, you went straight to Blacky, the bear’s shop and bought some sugar and red colouring. Then late at night, when no one else was around, you came back to your shop and one by one injected all the watermelons with sugar syrup and red colouring. I’ve been observing you for a few days. To teach you a lesson and let the other animals know that you’ve been cheating them, I came up with this plan with Cheeku and Jumbo,” said Jumpy.
Now that everybody was aware of his plan, Baddy decided to make a run for it. But, he wasn’t fast enough and the crowd was too thick for him to make his way out. Jumbo picked him up with his trunk brought him back to the shop.
Baddy was trembling in fear. “Please forgive me. I only did it because my crop of watermelons had come out badly this year. I just wanted to make them taste juicy. I promise to never do this again,” said Baddy.
It seemed like Baddy had learnt his lesson. Jumpy asked Jumbo to let Baddy go. Baddy apologised to all the animals and ran away from the forest.
