The Brave Street Dog

Stray dogs are often treated badly. Timmy was one such dog. He lived with his family and friends near the garbage bins. People from the nearby colony would dump their garbage there. The dogs would search for leftover food. In the afternoon, kids from a nearby school would throw stones at them. The kids would laugh, watching them run.

But Sonu was not like the rest. Timmy was surprised when eight-year-old Sonu offered him some chapattis. Timmy wagged his tails as a gesture of thanks. Sonu was immensely happy and waved bye to Timmy.

Soon, both became friends and every morning when Sonu would board his school bus, Timmy would wait by him and see him off. He would then receive him every evening when Sonu would return from school.

Mittu, the pet dog

One morning, as Sonu waited for the bus, a van pulled up next to Sonu. A man stepped out and asked him for directions. As Sonu turned to give him the correct directions, the man grabbed Sonu and pulled him towards the van.

Seeing Sonu kick and struggle, Timmy quickly pounced at the man and bit his leg. The man shouted in pain and let go of Sonu, who ran back home. Timmy ran with him. Sonu ran to his mother and hugged her tight.

“A man tried to kidnap me,” he said between sobs. “But Timmy bit him and rescued me.”

Sonu’s mother pacified him and walked up to Timmy who had been watching from outside the gate. She patted him on his head.

Sonu’s family took Timmy in as a pet and he began living with them.

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Days passed and the bond between Timmy and Sonu grew stronger. Timmy started following Sonu everywhere once he’d come back to school. Timmy would go with Sonu to the park every evening and play with him.

One evening, Sonu saw that Timmy was behaving strangely kept barking at a backpack in the trash. The backpack was almost brand new and seeing Timmy barking at it, Sonu recalled all the instructions his mother had given him after the incident with the stranger.

She had told him that if he ever saw an unattended bag or a parcel, he should immediately alert the police or a grown up as it could be a bomb.

Sonu and Timmy quickly ran to the nearby police station and informed the inspector thereof the mysterious bag. The inspector immediately alerted the bomb squad and ensured that nobody tampered with the bag until they arrived.

The bomb squad arrived in record time and discovered that it really was a bomb and quickly defused it. The day was saved.

The next day, all the newspapers published the story of how a boy and his dog saved the city from a terrorist attack and on 26th January, the following year, Sonu and Timmy were awarded the President’s Bravery award and waved at the crowd as they were paraded down Rajpath.

 

 

Here ‘n’ There

Damru & Camera

Damru learns a lesson

Damru & Air Conditioner

Beauty lies within

Daisy was kind-hearted and friendly. She lived in harmony with all the animals and birds. Everybody used to praise her beauty and her pleasant nature. On the other hand, Suzy was an arrogant bird. She was proud of the way she looked.

Daisy often used to tell Suzy that physical beauty was nature’s gift. It wouldn’t stay the same forever. She also said that living in harmony was more important than being beautiful, but all this had no effect on Suzy. Instead, she used to make fun of Daisy.

Suzy said, “You are a fool to live with these animals and birds. Look at me; I live alone on that tree. I am its queen.”

Daisy kept quiet after hearing Suzy’s words, but felt sad for her.

One day, a hunter came to the jungle. He saw Daisy. He had never seen such a beautiful bird in his life. He thought, “It’s a stunning bird, I will take it along with me. I will get lots of money if I sell it.”

He hid behind a tree and waited for a chance to throw his trap on the bird. However, he couldn’t hide from Chintu, the bear’s eyes. He saw the hunter prepare to trap Daisy. He immediately started shouting ‘help, help’. On hearing the alarm, all animals and birds gathered together. They beat the hunter until he ran away. Daisy thanked everyone for saving her life.

 

After a few days, another hunter visited the jungle. He spotted Suzy. He was surprised to see such a colourful bird with golden wings. He wanted to catch it by all means. He thought, “If I can take it home with me, my children will be very happy.”

After trying hard for quite a while he finally succeeded. Suzy was trapped

Suzy made a lot of noise by chirping helplessly, but nobody heard her voice. She used to live alone and had no friends to look out for her.

As the hunter was walking past the Champa tree, Daisy heard Suzy’s cries for help. She thought, “This is Suzy’s voice. She seems to be in danger.

She called out to all the animals and birds loudly. They collectively released Suzy from the hunter’s clutches.

Suzy finally learnt the benefits of living together. She apologised and thanked all the animals and bird and promised to live together with them.

 

Damru & Whatsapp

Damru

Jimbo Saves the Day

Jimbo was a baby elephant. Every day, his mother would bathe him in the river. She would spray water on Jimbo with her trunk. He loved it when his mother did that. He also tried to do it, but couldn’t get it right-either the water would spray in another direction, or he would sneeze and end up splashing water all over.

“Ha ha! Don’t worry, Jimbo. You will soon get the hang of it. Just keep trying,” encouraged his mother.

One day, his mother had to visit her sister in the neighbouring forest.

“Jimbo, I’ll be back by evening. Be safe and stay away from trouble,” said his mother and left.

Instead of staying at home, Jimbo decided to go to the river to take a bath. Later, while walking back home through the forest, Jimbo stepped into a muddy pond and his legs got stuck. He was unable to get out as the mud was too slippery.

Jimbo started crying out loud for help. Dona, the deer who was grazing nearby, heard Jimbo’s cries and rushed to help.

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“What happened?” asked Dona.

“I am stuck in this marsh and I’m unable to get out of here. Can you please help me?” asked Jimbo, crying.

“Of course, my friend. I’ll be back with some help,” said Dona, rushing back into the forest.

After a few minutes, she came back with a few of her friends and had also brought along a rope. Jimbo held on to one end of the rope with his trunk, while the other animals held on tightly to the other end. The animals used all their strength and finally pulled Jimbo out. Jimbo was extremely happy and relieved. He thanked all the animals.

Then on, Jimbo and the animals became friends. Every day, they all gathered near the river and played. Jimbo would spray everyone with water and they all had a lot of fun.

One day, while they were playing, Bobo, the rabbit came running to them.

“Please help me! My house is on fire!” said Bobo.

Everyone except Jimbo rushed to his house to help.

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They tried to put out the fire but they couldn’t. Suddenly, they saw Jimbo rushing towards the house. He had gone to the lake to fetch water to put out the fire. Jimbo sprayed water with his trunk till the fire was completely put out.

“Thank you for saving my house, Jimbo,” said a grateful Bobo.

Everyone applauded Jimbo’s bravery and presence of mind.

The Magic Ring

“Hey, where are you off too in such a hurry?” Tillu asked.

Bholu, who looked lost, said, “It is 8’o clock. I am going home as I am already late.”

“You run around all day long. Is there any benefit from all your hard work?” Tillu asked.

“What do you mean?” Bholu asked.

“I have a magic ring. If you wear this ring, you can do whatever you want,” Tillu whispered into Bholu’s ear.

“That doesn’t happen,” said Bholu and burst out laughing.

“If you don’t believe me, come and see for yourself.”

Tillu then lifted his hand on which he had worn the ring and pointed it towards the moon and said, “Make the moon disappear.”

Bholu stared at the sky and immediately the moon started to disappear from one end. An astounded Bholu said, “Wow! How did you do this?”

He couldn’t believe his eyes that the moon completely vanished.

“Please bring back the moon. I believe you! The ring is indeed magical,” Bholu pleaded.

“All right, if you say so. I will bring back the moon right away,” Tillu said. Within seconds, with the help of the ring, the moon was back to where it was. Bholu was amazed.

Lattu Gets Fooled

“I am ready to sell it for Rs. 5,000,” Tillu said.

“I have Rs. 5, 000. Please sell the ring to me,” Bholu said.

Tillu gave him the ring and immediately snatched the money from him.

When Bholu reached home, his wife, Rani, asked, “Why are you so late today?”

“Get a big bag now!’ Bholu said excitedly. He then kept the bag on the bed, wore the ring and said, “Fill this bag up with lots of money.”

Rani was irritated with what he was doing, She said, “Tell me what the matter is.”

He repeated the entire procedure. But the bag was still empty. “Now, tell me what is happening,” Rani said. Bholu was almost teary-eyed. He told Rani the entire story. ”

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“Why did you listen to Tillu? Don’t you know that it is lunar eclipse today and that the moon will disappear for some time?” Rani said.

Bholu understood that Tillu had made a fool of him. He was angry with himself. The next day, he talked to his friend Bunty, the monkey and told him the whole story. Bunty was disappointed with his friend for falling into Tillu’s trap. He decided to teach Tillu a lesson.

Couple of days later, Tillu was happily sitting at Jimi, the giraffe’s restaurant when he noticed Bholu walking towards it. Tillu hid his face with a newspaper. At that moment, Hanu, the elephant appeared in front of the restaurant and asked Bholu to get out of his way.

“Hanu, don’t bother me. I have a magic ring. Go away or I’ll make you disappear,” Bholu said sternly.

“Magic ring?” Hanu laughed out loud.

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Bholu was so angry that he kicked Hanu. Hanu fell to the ground. All the animals, including Tillu stood still. They were in shock that a donkey could fight an elephant.

“This ring is indeed magical,” Tillu thought.

“How are you, Bholu?” Tillu asked.

“Tillu, thank you for giving me this ring,” Bholu said.

“That’s okay, Bholu. But I want the ring back,” Tillu said.

“Why? I paid for it. I’ll not return this magic ring,” Bholu said.

“I will give you Rs. 10,000 for it,” Tillu said.

Bholu was hard to be convinced but he eventually agreed and gave the ring to Tillu. Tillu was very happy. He then went to Rocky, the rhino’s sweet shop and started to eat a lot of sweets.

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“You have eaten a lot. Now pay for the sweets.” Rocky said.

Tillu was confident that the magic ring would work and so argued with Rocky. Upon hearing the commotion, many animals came ahead to figure out what was wrong. At that moment, Tillu kicked Rocky but it was Tillu who got hurt. Rocky was annoyed and kicked Tillu. This time, Tillu fell to the ground with a thud.

Tillu didn’t understand what was going on. He thought his ring had stopped working. He then noticed Bholu, Hanu and Bunty laughing across the window.

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Hanu stopped laughing and asked, “Is the magic ring not working, Tillu?”

Tillu understood everything and was so embarrassed that he ran off to another jungle.

Find your music

Saving Rainwater

The sweltering heat had reached its peak and all the animals of Sonavan were going through a hard time. This year too, there was a shortage of water in the jungle. Ponds and lakes were drying up. Sona Lake was the only water body in the jungle that still had some water.

Sitting under the shade of a tree and wiping away his sweat, Bebu, the monkey said, “As if the heat wasn’t enough, now there is water shortage as well. I hope it starts raining soon!”

Pinto, the dog said, “I haven’t taken a shower in a week. It’s all because of this heat.”

“I can understand. There is hardly any water to drink and bathing seems like a faraway dream,” Golu, the elephant said.

The King of Sonavan, Yuv, the lion was worried about the situation as he was receiving complaints with each passing day.

A meeting was organised to resolve the entire situation. Yuv urged everyone, “There is a scarcity of water in the jungle. We are trying hard to get rid of this problem. If any of you have a solution, please let us know.”

Ronu, the rabbit said, “We’re responsible for this problem.”

“How?” Yuv asked.

“We have sacrificed nature for our own comfort and now we will have to pay the price. Most trees have been razed down for new buildings. The ones that are left should be conserved. As they have been cut down recklessly, there are no rains anymore,” Ronu said.

“Ronu is absolutely right. Also, a few years ago, there were many lakes and ponds in the forest and now there are none;’ Golu said.

“It’s true, Ronu. But is there a solution to this grave issue?” Yuv asked.

“We will have to understand the value of water. Maybe if we conserve rainwater, we will be able to solve our problem,” Ronu said.

“You’re right!” Yuv said.

“The monsoons will start soon. We will have to place tanks on the terraces of all houses to store rainwater. Later, we can boil the water and use it regularly. The water bodies that have dried up to be filled with water,” Ronu said.

“Your solution is brilliant. We never thought of storing rainwater,” Golu smilingly said.

Next day onwards, everyone got together to work towards saving water. Due to everyone’s effort, within days there were new water bodies and tanks available in the forest. Now, everyone was waiting for the rains to arrive.

After a few days, the sky was filled with dark clouds and it started to rain. The water bodies were filled with water again and the tanks were full of water.

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The animals of Sonavan understood the importance of saving water and pledged to be more careful about it. They all danced happily in the rain.

Cricket Fun

Cheeku

Cheeku

Saving Tini

Tinku, the monkey lived with his wife and daughter atop a mango tree in Samratvan. Tinku was a spendthrift. He would uselessly spend his money here and there, and when his money got over, he would borrow from his friends.

His wife, Jenny, would often be worried about him. She said, “Spending without thinking is not good. We need to save something for the future.”

But Tinku wouldn’t pay any attention to that.

One day, he got back home with lots of vegetables. Jenny asked, “What is the point of buying so many vegetables when there are just three people at home?”

“I don’t like going to the market every day, so I got everything at one go,” Tinku said.

“But the market is not far away. You’re spending a lot instead of saving, which will help you during tough times,” Jenny argued.

“All right, all right. Stop giving me advice. I know what I’m doing,” Tinku said to Jenny.

Jenny, however, was smart. She would try to save a bit of money every day.

One day, on a sunny afternoon, Tinku was walking back home along with Mitku, the rabbit. Tinku decided to eat an ice cream on his way but ended up buying 10 ice creams at one go.

“Isn’t it great to be able to enjoy an ice cream in this heat?” Tinku said looking at Mitku.

A Unique Birthday Gift

Mitku asked, “That’s fine, but why did you have to buy so many of them?”

“I am not a miser like you. Money is for enjoying life,” Tinku said.

And by the time, Tinku reached home, the ice creams had melted. Jenny was angry. She said, “We will be on the road one day for this habit of yours.”

So what if the ice creams melted? I will get more,” Tinku said carelessly.

One day, Tini, Tinku’s daughter, was playing on the tree. She suddenly slipped and fell off.

Tini was taken to Nino, the bear’s nursing home where Tinku was informed that she has to go through an operation immediately. “You will have to deposit Rs.2,000,” Nino said. Tinku was shocked.

Saving-Tini2

“Yes, that is the admission charge. You will have to pay more after the operation is done, but she needs to be operated soon,” Nino said.

“Doctor, I don’t have the money right now. But please start the procedure. I will arrange for it,” Tinku pleaded.

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“All right,” Nino said. Mitku told Tinku to borrow money from his friends. “I had already borrowed money. I don’t think I’ll get any more from anyone,” a worried Tinku said.

Saving-Tini3

At that moment, Jenny said, “Don’t worry, I had saved up some money that might help.” Tinku was surprised.

 

Jenny came home and counted the amount of money she had. She had almost saved up Rs.3,000. Later, they deposited the money in the hospital. Tini’s operation was a success and she was fine in two days.

This incident changed Tinku. He said to Jenny, “I now understand that it is really important to save up. I will not spend uselessly anymore. I promise.”

Banana Slip

 

Cheeku

Cheeku

City’s Lungs

Raunak went to his Grandpa’s house in Lucknow for his – summer holidays. Grandpa lived there with Raunak’s uncle. Every morning, Grandpa would go out for walks and Raunak would laze around on his bed. His exams had just got over and he was in a holiday mood; he would wake up late in the morning and watch movies all day long. His aunty too would pamper him a lot.

Raunak loved eating and most of all, he loved fast food due to which he was gaining a lot of weight. “A little bit of exercise would do him good”, thought Grandpa. He was worried about Raunak’s health. He asked Raunak to wake up early in the morning and go running. But he wouldn’t listen. Thus, Grandpa thought that he must teach Raunak a lesson.

One day, Grandpa asked Raunak, “Have you seen the city’s lungs?” Raunak said, “The city’s lungs? No, I haven’t even heard of it.”

“Do you want to see it?” Grandpa asked.

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“Yes, why not! Where will I get to see it?” Raunak asked inquisitively.

“Here in Lucknow itself,” Grandpa said.

“Here in Lucknow itself,” Grandpa said.

Raunak asked, “So when will you take me out to watch it?”

“Tomorrow morning but you will have to wake up early. Will you?” Grandpa asked Raunak.

“Yes, Grandpa. Why not?” Raunak said.

The next day, Raunak woke up on time because he was scared that Grandpa might go out for his morning walk without him.

Raunak said, “I am ready, Grandpa.”

“Oh, very good,” exclaimed Grandpa.

City's-Lungs2

Both of them took a walk to the Buddha park. “Here we are. We’ve arrived at the city’s lungs,” Grandpa said.

“Where? But this is a park, Grandpa. I have come here a lot of times before,” Raunak said.

“Parks built inside the city are called city’s lungs,” Grandpa said.

“Why so?” asked Raunak.

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At that, Grandpa asked Raunak, “What do our lungs do?”

“Our lungs throw away the toxic carbon dioxide from our body,” Raunak said.

“Very good, and what else?” Grandpa asked.

“They pull in the fresh air, through which our body receives oxygen. Without oxygen, we will not be able to survive, Grandpa,” Raunak spoke with a lot of excitement.

“Very nice, Raunak. You know everything. But just like your lungs, these parks do the same thing. The parks in the city absorb all the carbon dioxide. Do you know what the process is called?” Grandpa asked Raunak. “Yes, it is called photosynthesis. Plants make their own food. For this, they need chlorophyll, carbon dioxide and sun. While they make their food, they release oxygen, Raunak said.

“So, doesn’t that make parks the city’s lungs?” Grandpa smiled and asked.

“Yes, Grandpa. You are right. I never thought about it that way. These parks give us oxygen just like our lungs do,” Raunak said.

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“So, what do you think of our morning walk?” Grandpa smiled and asked.

“It was a lot of fun, Grandpa. Now, I shall always come along with you for morning walks,” an excited Raunak said.

Hide & Seek

Taking Indian Music Global

Ravi Shankar was born Robindro Shaunkor Chowdhury on 7 April 1920 in Varanasi to a Bengali Brahmin family. He was the youngest of seven brothers. His father, Shyam Shankar, was a barrister who worked in London. Shankar met his father for the first time when he was 8 years old!

Every day as a child he would wake up to the sounds of songs on the ghats of the Ganges. This instilled in him a deep love for music. He was a quick learner and soon, began to play a number of instruments.

As a boy of 10, he joined his brother Uday’s dance troupe in Paris. There he was exposed to a whole new world of music and he started to understand and appreciate Western classical music, jazz and cinema. He met great musicians and dancers, including Anna Pavlova, the famous Russian ballerina, the prima donna of The Swan Lake!

In Paris, he shortened his name, Ravindra, to Ravi, which means, “sun”.

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His world changed when his brother Uday persuaded Allaudin Khan, the great sarod player, to tour Europe as a soloist along with them. Shankar was fascinated by the great maestro and began taking lessons from him. Seeing his interest and talent, Baba, as Allaudin Khan was affectionately known, offered to teach Shankar.

Shankar went to live with Baba’s family in Maihar, Madhya Pradesh. Under his guidance, Shankar’s talent bloomed. He learnt to play not only the sitar but also the surbahar. He learned ragas and the musical styles like dhrupad, dhamar and khyal. He was taught the techniques of the instruments like rudra veena, rubab, and sursingar.

A Dance for Granny

And finally, six years later he had his first public performance on the sitar in December 1939—a jugalbandi (duet) with Ustad Ali Akbar Khan.

After that, Shankar was unstoppable. He went on to win many national and international awards and also composed several new ragas, including Tilak Shyam, Nat Bhairav and Bairagi, which are still very popular. He also incorporated ragas from the South Indian Carnatic music.

Later, he moved to Mumbai and joined the Indian People’s Theatre Association, for whom he composed music for ballets. He recomposed the music for the popular song “Sare Jahan Se Achcha at the age of 25! He began to record music for HMV India and worked as a music director for All India Radio (AIR).

As luck would have it, one day, the director of AIR introduced the Western violinist Yehudi Menuhin to him. Menuhin invited Shankar to perform in New York City (United States of America).

Seeing the great interest in Indian music, Shankar toured the United Kingdom, Germany, and the United States of America, educating the western audiences on classical Indian music. No wonder he was invited to perform during the 10th anniversary of the United Nations and the UNESCO* music festival in Paris—a great honour!

Even George Harrison, of the Beatles band, the heart-throb of millions, the world over, became attracted to Shankar’s music and became his disciple.

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Harrison’s wife once said, “His meeting with Ravi was not just between two individuals, but of two cultures.”

In 1968 the Beatles won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year for Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Ban. It included “Within You Without You” by Harrison, a song influenced by Indian classical music.

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Shankar opened a Western branch of his Kinnara School of Music in Los Angeles, California and also taught music in many universities in the United States of America. Shankar also performed at the Woodstock Music Festival, but the hippie culture did not appeal to him.

“Get high on music,” Pandit Ravi Shankar always urged the audiences. Even at the age of 90, one would often see him strumming the chords of the sitar in riyaaz.

 

Mice in a cage

Fanny, the cat, had just come back from the city, and she had completely changed. She wore a fancy hat, had on a pair of dark sunglasses and wore a bright pink suit.

All the other cats at Kittyville surrounded her. “Where have you been?” “You look so stylish!” “Were you at the city, mausi?” they asked.

“Call me aunty,” said Fanny. “I was in the city. I had a fashion show there. I just got back.”

“Aunty, what did you get us from the city?” asked Gullu.

“A mouse cage trap,” said Fanny.

“A mouse cage trap?” the other cats murmured amongst themselves.

“With this, chasing mice is a thing of the past. All you need to do is put some food on the hook inside. When a mouse enters and pulls on the piece of food, the door slams shut and the mouse is trapped,” explained Fanny.

“That’s amazing!” exclaimed Minnie, the cat.

“I’ve brought enough for everybody and it can be yours for the tiny sum of Rs. 1000, only,” said Fanny pulling more traps from her car.

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Soon, all the cats began using the mouse traps to catch mice. Wherever they would see a burrow, they would leave a piece of bread in the mousetrap and place it nearby. The mice being simpleminded would get caught.

Seeing the number of mice in the area dwindling sharply, Manny, the mouse decided to bring all the mice together for a meeting.

“Brothers and sisters, you must be aware of the trap Fanny, the cat has distributed among all the other cats. We need to get the word across to all the mice that they need to avoid the trap at all costs,” said Manny.

“But how?” asked Jimbo, the mouse rubbing his fat tummy. “We are mice. If we see food, we jump at it immediately.”

“We have begun maintaining a stockpile of food in the burrows,” said Pinky, the mouse. From now on, the only thing we must worry about is not getting trapped.

Soon, all the mice began thinking twice before approaching any food placed inside a cage. The cats were very unhappy about this.

With the cats no longer needing to chase after mice, they had all grown fat. They would grow short of breath very quickly. They realized that their lives were much better before Fanny brought them the traps.

“I have a solution to this,” said Fanny. “The problem is that you have all grown fat. But I have a special tea that I brought back from the city. If you drink it for a month, you’ll be as slim as me and it only costs Rs. 1000, only!”

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The cats may have fallen into her trap before, but they weren’t going to this time. They all ran after her and chased her away back to the city.

 

 

 

Best Nest

No Place to Play

The first park was used by Jimmy who had set up a gym there. Every morning, he and many other people would exercise at the park. Jimmy earned a lot of money from his clients.

When the children told him that they wanted to play inside the park, he replied, “What is the use of playing? If you want to stay fit, join my gym.”

“But uncle, this is a public park. It is meant to be used by everyone. You should set up your gym somewhere else,” said the children.

Jimmy got angry at their comments and turned them away.

The second park was used by Raju and his friends. They would sit there the whole day and play cards. They did not allow the children to come into the park. When the children tried to reason with him, Raju would shout at them and shoo them away.

The third park was used by a political party for their meetings. They locked the gate when they did not use it so that no one could go inside. The children tried talking to the party secretary, Manish but he paid them no heed.

“Manish uncle, please let us use the park. We want to play,” the children requested.

The Problem in Champakvan

“We have an important meeting coming up. I have no time for your silly pleas. Go away!” replied Manish.

Rahul, Nayan, Riya and Nina decided to do something about the problem. They held a secret meeting.

“We will have to stop them from using the parks,” said Riya.

“But what can we do? No one listens to us,” said Nayan.

“How about we publish a newspaper?” suggested Rahul.

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That’s a good idea! We can report the news and let others in the colony know about this,” said Nina.

“Exactly! We will have to write, print and distribute it ourselves,” said Rahul.

“But where do we get the money for all this?” asked Riya.

“We will collect money from all the children in the colony. We will do some chores at home and earn extra pocket money as well,” explained Rahul.

Everyone liked the idea. They formed a team and divided their work. Nayan and Nina went around collecting money and Rahul and Riya prepared the content for the newspaper. Nina and Riya then got the newspapers printed.

Early in the morning on a Sunday, the children went around delivering the newspaper at everyone’s doorstep.

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When the people opened their doors to collect the daily paper, they were surprised to find an extra newspaper. The newspaper had essays, sketches, and poems by the children of the colony—everyone loved it! There was even an article about how the parks were taken over by Manish, Jimmy and Raju and how others were not allowed to use the parks.

Slowly, the residents of Akash colony understood that they too had the right to use these parks, and especially the children who had no other open space to play in. The children had made them understand that public spaces such as these parks belonged to everyone.

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The children’s newspaper became popular and the residents soon began looking forward to each week’s issue.

The residents stopped using Jimmy’s gym due to which he had to shut it down. The Mayor of the town came to know about the issue and immediately took action against Jimmy, Raju and Manish, who were banned from using the parks. The parks were now free to be used by everyone. People began enjoying going to the park again.

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The Mayor appreciated the efforts of Rahul, Nayan, Riya and Nina for solving the problem in a novel way.

The Ghost of Penupuram

Nikhil and Neelu could meet their cousins Alekhya and Anirudh only once a year at their family home during the winter vacations. They would really look forward to meeting them!

Nikhil’s family would come down from Mumbai and Alekhya’s would arrive
from Hyderabad. They would meet every winter in Penupuram, a village deep in the interiors of Andhra Pradesh.

The holidays were a glorious period of about twenty days for the kids. There were no studies, no homework, no special classes, no assignments. They would just eat, sleep, and play in their grandfather’s mango orchard. In the evenings, they would listen to the stories narrated by Tatagaru (Grandpa) while munching on snacks made by Bamma (Grandma).

One evening Tatagaru said, “Children, today I am going to tell you the story of the ghost of Penupuram.”

“That’s awesome Tatagaru,” the children said together.

“This happened in the 1970s,” said Tatagaru.

“Oh Tatagaru, we were not even born then,” said Anirudh.

“Even your parents were not born, children,” said Tatagaru, laughing.

“My dad was born in 1978,” said Nikhil proudly.

”And my father was born in 1979,” said Alekhya, not wanting to be left behind.

“Okay. Keep quiet now and let Tatagaru start his story,” Neelu said impatiently.

“Well children, I was about fifteen years then. In those days we did not have buses or taxis to go to the nearest town. We either had to go on a bullock cart or a bicycle.

One night my father fell ill. My mother was very worried. My brother and sister had gone to a nearby village to attend a wedding. I was unwell, so I could not go.

Mother started crying. It was ten o’clock at night. All our neighbours had gone to sleep. The nearest town, Tenali, was about an hour away, on a bicycle.

With a severe cold, I decided to cycle to Tenali, to get our family doctor.

My mother went to my friend Bheem’s house to request him to give me company because I was not well.

Bheem was a very close friend of mine, who lived two houses away. He would boast about fighting robbers single-handedly, killing venomous snakes, controlling bulls and many other feats which many people would not even think about doing. I had a feeling that he was a big braggart but I could never prove that he had not done what he said.

My mother believed all his stories, so maybe that’s why she wanted him to accompany me on the dark country road.

Bheem came over to my house. He had been awake but did not seem very eager to give me company on the pitch-dark road. When he saw my father struggling to breathe, without saying anything, he agreed to ride the cycle and I sat behind him.

We started out on our journey. There were no street lights. Bheem started showing off again.

“Nothing scares me. I can fight any wild animal,” said Bheem. But as we rode along, his confidence seemed to fade. We were talking and joking to prove to each other that we were not afraid, but in reality, we were very trembling with fear.

Halfway through, we reached a dried up well. Bheem told me that people had strange experiences like hearing the sound of payal and dancing steps. He declared loudly that he was not afraid of ghosts but suddenly became quiet.

I also started feeling a little uneasy because suddenly we heard a tinkling sound. It was not the sound of payal which would also be scary in such a place. It was the loud sound of ghungroos! The sound was now coming closer to us.
Bheem stopped the cycle.

“Wha… what happened?” I asked nervously.

“I don’t know. The cycle is not moving… and I can’t see anything,” said Bheem. He was shaking like a leaf. I could feel his body rattling. We left the bicycle and ran. The tinkling sound followed us.”

Neelu moved closer to Tatagaru. She grabbed Tatagaru’s hand was getting scared. Anirudh started teasing her.

“It is only a story, silly,” said Anirudh.

“But it happened to Tatagaru and his friend,” said Neelu, clinging on to Tatagaru’s arm.

Grandfather did not smile but continued.Children fiction

“We ran at lightning speed. We were running blindly on the dark road. Suddenly Bheem screamed, “Aaaaaaaaargh … Someone pushed me aaaaaaaaagh!” I was so scared I did not know what to do. We kept running in the general direction of the town. And then, something hit me on my back. I scream­ the loudest I had done in my life, and fell forward. The sound of bells was still coming from behind us. After that we don’t remember what happened to us.

When we opened our eyes, we were in Dr. Rao’s house. A lady was massaging our foreheads and backs. Somebody offered us hot milk. We drank without any hesitation.

THE GULAB JAMUN GHOST

After a few minutes, the doctor said “Yes, young men. Now tell me the entire story.”

We narrated the entire story. We were still feeling very nervous. The doctor asked Bheem, “So young man, whose ghost was it?”

“I do not know sir, but people say it is the ghost of a young woman who died recently,” said Bheem.

“Look here,” the doctor said. “I have been living here for the past 45 years and I have not seen any ghosts. As far as I know, no young woman has died. I am a doctor so I should know.”

“Then those bells?” I asked, still nervous.

Dr. Rao took us to the verandah. “There is your ghost,” he said pointing to a playful bull-calf tied to a tree. He was covered with bells and beads and was grazing on some dry grass which Dr. Rao’s servants had put for him.children fiction

Dr. Rao continued ”At about eleven o’clock, I heard some sounds. I came out and saw the two of you lying on my doorstep talking that a ghost was chasing you and wanted to kill you. So, we got you inside and you know the rest of the story,” he said smiling.

Dr. Rao said, “Boys, there are no such things as ghosts and ghouls. People just imagine them. All such experiences can be explained. This poor calf was probably separated from its herd. Tomorrow we will know who his owner is.

Actually, this is not the first time that cattle is lost in that area. When these animals see human beings, they run behind them.”

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Dr. Rao drove us back in his jeep. On the way, we found our bicycle. One of its tyres got punctured. We now understood why it had stopped last night! Dr. Rao helped us put it in the jeep.

My father soon became better. The doctor said it was just an allergy. Mother thanked him with tears in her eyes. The doctor was an old family friend. He asked us not to worry. But a great change came over Bheem. From that day onwards, he never talked about his brave adventures.”

Tataguru took a deep breath as he finished the story.

“Oh Tatagaru, what a great story!” clapped the children.

Rose Becomes Humble

Hurrah! I’m on top of the sky,” the red kite said flying high.

“Hey, don’t go higher. There is a chance of strong wind. You may tear apart or break your thread,” advised the black kite.

“You are just jealous of me because I am higher. Accept that I am the queen of kites. I declare myself the Rose Queen,” said the red kite.

The black kite did not like this boasting.

The black kite tried again to make Rose understand, “Don’t be silly. I only want you to be safe.”

Pando’s Kindness

“You are talking too much. Wait, I will teach you a lesson,” said Rose as she suddenly swirled in the air and came near the black kite. She started circling the black kite and said, “Fun starts now.”

Rose crossed the Black kite’s thread. The black kite was shocked by Rose’s attack. She did not get a chance to escape. Her thread broke and she fell on the ground.

“Wanted to teach me a lesson, did she?” said Rose, making a face. “I am the queen of the sky. I don’t have to listen to anyone.”

After seeing this, the other kites kept their distance from Rose.

“I want nothing to do with these small kites,” said Rose to herself, looking up at the sky.

Aarav was flying Rose. He was still learning to fly kites but Rose was smart. The moment Aarav gave her a free hand, Rose would go up in the sky and that’s how she was flying on the top.

Rose thought to herself, “The scene below me is so beautiful.”

Flying in the sky, she was unaware of the trouble approaching her.

“Hey look, those clouds are coming towards us. There may be a storm coming,” said the other kites to each other. Kite flyers started getting down their kites.

Aarav also saw the darkening sky and started to pull on Rose’s thread but Rose wanted to be in the sky longer.

While Aarav was trying to pull her down she was using her full strength to fly in the sky. Aarav got tired and stopped pulling the thread.

Suddenly the wind pitched up. Rose was unable to control herself. She started fluttering like a leaf in the wind.

When Rose turned her back, she was stunned to see the entire sky covered with dark clouds.

“Hey Aarav, what are you looking at? Get me down fast,” shouted Rose but Aarav was not looking at her.

Suddenly, a storm hit. Now Rose was blowing away with the wind. She was scared of falling down in faraway place. It started to rain.

“What should I do now?” thought Rose. The rain made her paper heavy and she started falling down quickly.clever-rose-kite

In the midst of this, Rose got stuck on a tree’s branch and there was a tear in her. Rose’s arrogance had washed away. By the time she reached the ground, she was hurt.

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Luckily, a boy saw Rose soaking in the rain and took her home with him.

“I will mend this kite and fly it,” he said to himself as he applied tape on the torn places to mend her.

“Thank you,” Rose said slowly.

“I may have been pretty earlier, but now I have become humble,” Rose said to herself. “I will never be arrogant again.”

A Holiday without Computers!

It all began one evening when Kala said to her mother. “Why can’t we take a break and go for a holiday somewhere? All my friends are off-  ‘getting away from it all’ they call it.”

“Why not?” said her mother with equal enthusiasm, adding, “On one condition—no computers! Once in a while, you have to get off that gadget for health reasons. I shall take my mobile only for an emergency.”

“Sure,” replied an excited Kala.

Her mother had only to get in touch with her elder sister Sunitha and her husband Prabhu who lived in Pune. “Come over and we will plan something,” they said. So Kala and her mother took a flight to Pune. The holiday had begun!

There were discussions. “Let’s go by road to Mahabaleshwar. It is just a short drive from here,” said Uncle Prabhu. “It’s a nice hill station with pleasant weather. We have our own cottage there and that makes it all very easy!”

Sunitha added, “We have already alerted our caretaker to get the place ready.”

So they set off in their car and reached the place in no time. Kala was in awe at the spectacular scenery that spread before them. Nestled in the Western Ghats, it was a serene place with lush vegetation, thick woods, hills, forests, valleys and wonderful views of the river winding its way through the green landscape.

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The cottage itself was in the middle of the woods, just like in a fairy tale. Their caretaker had the place sparkling clean for them; he had laid out new sheets, pillows and even stocked-up the kitchen.

“This is simply marvellous!” exclaimed Kala.

Breakfast was hot and delicious, piping vegetable upma a—South Indian special and filter coffee. Her aunt said, “Tomorrow, we’ll have masala dosas. A new menu every day! ”

Uncle Prabhu took Kala to explore the woods around their cottage. Kala was very happy strolling along the little pathways among the woods wearing a woollen jersey and cap—all given by Aunt Sunitha!

A Green Holiday

Soon it was time to get back and lovely smells greeted them as they stepped in.

Gopi had made parathas and a pulav with a delectable vegetable preparation and curds to go with them. Strawberries and ice cream were served for dessert! Aunt Sunitha had brought an array of chutneys and pickles.

She said, “This place is famous for strawberries! It’s been years since we took a holiday like this.”

A-Holiday-without-Computers!3

After lunch, Aunt Sunitha brought out two board games for them to play. One was ‘Snakes and Ladders’ and the other was called ‘Ludo’.

“Aunt Sunitha, you are great, planning so many surprises for us!” Kala exclaimed gratefully.

Her aunt said, “I looked in an old cupboard and took only two out for your sake, Kala. Your mother and I used to play these games as youngsters. I find many people going back to these games because computer games are sometimes violent!”

Later the elders went off for a snooze. But thoughtful Uncle Prabhu gave Kala a nice book to read. “I have some more books. You can take your pick.” He offered kindly.

A-Holiday-without-Computers!4

It was the first time she was reading a book on plants and trees. In the evening they took a ride on ponies to reach some particular points for gorgeous views. It was 6:00 p.m. when they got back. Aunt Sunitha said “Music time!” and switched on her shruti box* and sang a few songs for her audience.

“How well you sing!” exclaimed Kala in admiration. She had an ear for classical music. She liked some ragas, too.

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“It’s good to have a hobby!” remarked her aunt. “Kala, I think you are the nicest teenager I have met. You are so full of compliments.”

Kala was quick to say, “But that’s because you are so full of goodness yourself and you keep us engaged with all nice things!

The brief holiday packed with a lot of fun things was almost over. How nicely time had flown by! Her loving aunt and uncle had opened her eyes to new things and new experiences!

A-Holiday-without-Computers!5

There was another big surprise on the day they caught their flight, as her Uncle had packed two cartons of fresh strawberries and mulberries for them to take home.

*A shruti box is a small wooden instrument that works on a system
of bellows. It resembles a harmonium and provides an even-toned hum.
It is used in during practice sessions of Indian classical music.

Jungle Fun

Billy, the wise goat

When Manmanjari had given birth to kids last time, the jackal had taken them away. Since then, Manmanjari had been despondent.

She gave birth again, this time to two cute kids, but her past experience made her extremely worried.

She was apprehensive about the jackal killing her kids. Which mother could bear that?

“Think of something soon so that the jackal can’t take away our kids,” she expressed her fear to the billy-goat. “I won’t even go for grazing. I’ll just stay with the kids and protect them.”

“We can’t live in fear all the time. I have thought of a plan,” the billy-goat assured Manmanjari. “I’ll climb the hill and watch. As soon as I see the jackal coming, I’ll call out to you ‘Manmanjari, why are the kids crying?’ Then you pinch the kids so that they cry even harder.

The Escape Plan

“Then you say ‘What should I do? The kids are demanding a fresh, jackal liver to eat. There is a stale liver available in the house, but from where should I get a fresh one at this hour?’ Then I’ll say ‘Be quiet. Don’t make a noise. A jackal is coming here. I’ll get his liver for the kids to eat.”

After explaining the entire plan to Manmanjari, the billy-goat went on top of the hill. When he saw the jackal, he shouted loudly, “Manmanjari, Manmanjari, what’s the matter? Why are our kids crying?”

Manmanjari pinched the kids and said as already planned. The billy-goat shouted again, “Ask them to stop crying. I’ll go and get the liver of a jackal for them to eat.”

billy,-the-wise-goat2

Upon hearing his words, the jackal got so terrified that he didn’t even wait for a second. He ran as fast as he could with all his might.

While the jackal was running, he met a gibbon on the way. “Brother Jackal, what happened?” The gibbon asked. “Why are you running like this?” The jackal narrated the entire incident to him.

The gibbon burst out laughing, “Brother Jackal, you must be out of your mind! Is it possible for a goat to kill a jackal?”

“Dear friend, I heard quite distinctly that the billy-goat told his wife that he was going to get a jackal’s liver for their kids to eat,” the jackal replied petulantly.

“If that is so, then I would like to see that billy-goat,” the gibbon declared. “You tie our tails together, and I’ll sit on your back and come with you.”

They knotted their tails to each other, and the Jackal set about carrying the gibbon on his back.

billy,-the-wise-goat3

When the billy-goat saw them coming from the hilltop, he pondered at the new development and came up with a solution to the problem. He called out loud to Manmanjari, “Manmanjari, please pacify the kids somehow. My friend, the gibbon, is bringing the jackal here itself by tying their tails together. Do not worry at all. I’ll get the jackals liver in just a short while.”

The jackal got alarmed upon hearing the billy, goat’s words. The billy-goat again called out, “Hey Gibbon! You are so useless! You had told me that you would get many jackals, but what is this? You have just got one!”

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Now the jackal couldn’t wait any more. He began running at full tilt.

The gibbon couldn’t keep his balance and fell off the jackal’s back. Furthermore, as their tails were tied, the gibbon got dragged behind the jackal.

billy,-the-wise-goat4

In an attempt to run away quickly, the jackal jumped downhill, but this move proved fatal for both of them. The gibbon and the jackal lost their steadiness and died after falling in the trench below.

Now Manmanjari felt relaxed as she felt her kids were safe and secure.

 

 

 

What’s Odd

Play Time

Bathing in the Tea

Several biscuits kept in a plate were dozing. Suddenly Motu got up from his sleep and counted the number of biscuits just to find that one of them was missing. He then asked Miss Tea in the cup, “Where is Chhotu?”

“I do not know any Chhotu, Motu,” replied Tea.

To this, Motu said, “I am Motu but you tell me where is Chhotu? Is it that you have eaten him up?”

“I do not eat biscuits,” said Tea.

Motu did not believe her and went ahead to find Chhotu inside the teacup. The moment he came in contact with the tea, he started drowning.

“Fool!” said Tea with a grin.

Hearing the murmur, Teetu got up and found that Motu and Chhotu were not to be seen in the plate. So he asked Tea, “Where are my two friends?”

Tea replied, “One sank in me and I do not know about the other.”

Teetu said, “You are telling a lie, Miss Tea. Both the fools must have drowned in you. I will find them out.”

Bathing-in-the-Tea2

Teetu called out to Chhotu and Motu, “Friends, do not worry. I am here to save you.”

Saying this, he inserted his hand inside the tea and he too sank into it.

Gol Guttam Lakkad bottom

Petu was the last biscuit left in the plate. After a couple of minutes, he too woke up and found himself alone. So he asked Tea, “Where are all my friends?”

“They are all taking a bath here,” said Tea.

Petu laughed at her reply and said, “Biscuits never take a bath. They all might be drinking tea and having a good time. Let me join them too.”

He said this and bent down to drink tea. No sooner did he come in contact with Tea, he too sank into it.

Tea could not help laughing and said, “That was a big gang of fools!”

Just then Chhotu came running and stopped near the plate. He seemed tired and was gasping for breath.

Tea asked him, “What happened to you Chhotu? Why are you so scared?”

“That rat I tell you…..” said Chhotu trying to calm down and regain his balance, “He had pulled me away to his hole while I was asleep. With great difficulty have I freed myself and come back.”

Chhotu looked at the plate and found no one in it. He, therefore, asked Tea, “Where are all the others? The last I saw them, they were all dozing in here. Where have they suddenly disappeared?”

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Tea replied, “Chhotu, they have all drowned in me. You must help them come out of it.”

Bathing-in-the-Tea3

“No, no, Miss Tea….” Said Chhotu, “If I come near you, I am sure to sink in too, so I shall not commit the same mistake that my friends committed.” Saying this, he sat into the plate and went off to sleep.

Tea smiled the widest and thought, “What an intelligent little biscuit!”

The Apples

By the time the fall season came, there were only three apples left, waiting for someone to pluck them. When the wind blew, the tree sang, “We are apples three, anyone who uses one, shall a treasure see!”

One morning, as Gaurav was passing, he saw the tree with the apples and wanted to taste one. Just then, the wind sang through the leaves, and a plump, an apple fell to the ground!

Gaurav picked up the sweet fruit, took a great bite and threw the core away. The wind in the apple tree sang, sorrowfully, after him: “Here in the orchard are apples two, but gone is the treasure that fell for you.”

The-Apples2

The next day, Heena too came down the lane that passed by the orchard wall. She saw the two beautiful apples that hung on the branch.

She heard the wind sing in the branches, “We are apples two, a treasure they hold for you.”

With a plonk, an apple fell down. Heena picked it up and held it carefully. She thought it was a pity to eat it and decided to keep the apple instead and left.

No Pain, No Gain

The wind sang after her, “Only one apple where once there were two. Gone is the treasure I gave to you.” When she reached home, she hid the apple in her drawer and, after many days, it spoiled.

On the third day, Rudra too went down the lane and spotted the last apple. The wind in the tree also sang to him, “On the apple tree, a wonderful treasure, hanging, just see!” Suddenly, the wind blew harder and down fell the last apple.

Rudra took his jack-knife out and cut it in half. Inside, he could see the small black seeds.

The-Apples3.

 

He carefully took out all the seeds and climbed over the orchard wall, holding them in his hand.

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The earth in the orchard was still soft, for the frost had not yet come. Rudra made holes in the earth and in each hole, he dropped an apple seed. Then he covered up the seeds and climbed back over the wall to eat his apple.

As he walked down the lane, the orchard wind followed him, singing to him from every tree and bush, “A planted seed is a treasure won. The work of the apple is now well done.”

 

 

 

No Pain, No Gain

It was a sunny afternoon of the summer season. The Sun was out spreading its scorching heat all over the place. At the end of a quiet road was Asha Apartment. One of the flats there had a lot of plants on its balcony.

One of these plants was a Hibiscus plant was called Tinku. He was feeling tired and sleepy when it spotted another little Hibiscus plant at the end of the road below the apartment.

It called out to that plant and said, “When were you born? There was no plant here before.”

To this, the little plant said, “I am here since the last two months. You are situated at a height and thus, couldn’t see me at all.”

“Oh! I pity you so much,” said Tinku. “It is so hot, and in this climate, you are standing on the road tolerating the terrible heat of the sun. And there is not enough water in the soil too. How are you going to survive this summer?”

The plant replied, “These are my days of struggle. I am working really hard to spread my roots as much as possible in search of moisture. How are you doing my friend?”

“I am really happy here”, said Tinku “Since I am in a pot situated in the balcony, I do not have to face the dangerous heat of the sun. Also, my master and his family take care of me. They water me from time to time and also feed my soil with fertilisers for my better growth.”

Days passed by, and the two plants became friends. They used to keep chatting with each other regularly. Tinku named his new friend Rinku.

Tinku said, “Rinku, you are becoming weak day by day. Are you not getting enough moisture from the ground soil?”

Jamun’s Prudence

Rinku replied in a sad tone, “No Tinku, the ground soil is drying very quickly and now I have to work all the more to spread my roots deeper in order to find some more moisture.”

The summer season eventually ended and the monsoon season arrived.

Rinku danced happily in the rain whereas Tinku couldn’t enjoy the monsoon showers as he was tethered to a pot in the balcony.

After some days, on one fine morning, the chatter of some women and kids on the road woke Tinku up. He looked down and was astonished to see that Rinku had grown really huge.

He was full of red colored beautiful flowers, and the women were plucking his flowers to make garlands and also to offer them in the temple.

He said to Rinku, “You have grown so big with so many flowers on you. And I am still the same. How did this all happen?”

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Rinku replied, “I have worked very hard to set my roots deep in the soil to get water, even during the dry summer months.

During the monsoon season, my roots get water even more easily and help me to grow. I will keep going deeper into the ground, and in some years, I will grow into a big tree.

On the other hand, you have not faced any difficulty until now. You have become the slave of that pot. You never had to take pains to survive in the extreme weather conditions, and thus you are still the same, although you are ten years old now.

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And you will forever remain the same. If you do not take pains, you do not even gain anything.’ Tinku understood what Rinku had to say and started feeling sad about his own condition.

He wanted to grow like Rinku. All he could do now is hope day he would be able to break free from the pot and grow into a tree.

 

The Kind Parrot

“You keep sitting idly all the time. No wonder you have become such a prankster. Why don’t you do something constructive with your life?” One day Tenten’s friends advised him to seek work and Tenten agreed.

He loitered around the jungle the entire day. It was almost dusk now. As Tenten began to return home, he felt thirsty. Whitey Rabbit was writing something by dipping his pen in the inkpot.

As Tenten descended to drink water, his wings bumped the inkpot and ink got on his body. Blue spots developed on his green body.

He began crying and rolling on the ground. The ink which had fallen on the ground made his body completely blue. When Tenten reached back, nobody could recognize him.

“Hey look, a blue-colored parrot! Maybe he has come from a different planet.” The parrots sitting on a tree noticed Tenten’s unusual colour.

“They can’t recognise me. I should take advantage of their ignorance,” Tenten thought “You are right. I have come from Mars and my name is Neelu,” he said.

“Our friend Tenten is not to be found from yesterday. Do you have any idea where could have he gone?” the parrots asked.

“I had seen him go towards Mars. Maybe he has stayed there itself,” Tenten replied, laughing inwardly. “He might not come back again.”

“But why?”

“One doesn’t have to work there. You get everything without sweating. It’s a fun place to be,” Tenten boasted.

“We too want to go there. Will you help us in that?” The parrots became desperate.

“Yes, why not, but only 4-5 parrots can go there, not everybody. Only those, whom I will like, will get a chance to go to Mars,” Tenten said.

After that day, all the parrots began competing to serve Tenten. In a bid to go to Mars, they agreed on anything he would say. In a way, he had become like their king. They would be always ready to fulfill any wish of his.

The Naughty Duckling

“Brother, when will you take us to Mars?” After serving Tenten for many days, the patience of the parrots was now wearing out.

“Wait for some more time. I’ll definitely do that as soon as the time comes,” Tenten dodged their demand. That made them quiet.

It had not rained in Sundarvan for quite some time now. All the inhabitants were extremely restless because of the scorching heat.

“You have come from Mars. At least tell us when will it rain in Sundarvan?” All the animals and birds came to Tenten for help.

“Rain? It will definitely rain day after tomorrow,” Tenten replied looking towards the sky. Everybody became very happy.

Fortunately, the sky became overcast on the third day. It started to rain after a short while. The animals, who had been waiting for the rain for a long time, danced in happiness.

Everybody thanked Neelu; they thought he had brought the rains. They made him sit in the center and danced around him, gleefully.

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Tenten too couldn’t stop himself. He spread out his wings and began enjoying the cool raindrops on his body.

He had forgotten all about the ink. As soon as he got wet, the ink washed off by the rainwater. After a while, the entire blue colour had gotten cleaned and he was back to his normal self.

“Hey Tenten, when did you come back?” When the parrots found their lost friend amidst them, they were delighted.

“It seems they haven’t recognized me,” Tenten thought and said, “I have just returned from Mars. It doesn’t rain over there. When I saw that it was raining in Sundarvan, I couldn’t stop myself and left all the luxuries to be here.”

“You did a sensible thing, Tenten,” they all chorused happily. “We too don’t want to stay at a place where it doesn’t rain.

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We are content to be here.”

“Where is Neelu Parrot?” Tenten asked the parrots. They realized that he was not amidst them and began searching for him. But how could they have found him when he was not there?

“I think he had come to give us rains and has gone back now. Whatever, but he was a kind parrot. We’ll miss him,” the parrots said simultaneously.

Tenten smiled at their innocence. His eyes welled with tears at their love. I’ll never ever bother them again and will live amongst them, working hard to sustain my life.” He made this resolution to himself and decided on following it.

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