Page 39 – Champak Magazine

King Potato

A tiny potato emerged out from the soil. It beamed with happiness.

It thought, “Wow, what a world! I have heard a lot about the world. Fortunately, I can now see it. I am going to have fun.”

While it was looking around, it spotted a green coloured round thing, clinging on to a climber. It asked, “Hey, who are you?”

“I am a young tomato.”

“You came out before me?” the potato questioned.

The tomato replied, “I have always been out since I was born.”

The little potato felt bad. However, it soon forgot everything. It was a jolly thing. It got back to its original fun-filled mood.

It thought, “I will see the entire world.”

While it was still thinking, it saw a long, green thing hanging from a straight standing plant.

“Who are you?” it asked.

“I am chilli.”

“You also came out before me!”

The chilli replied, “I have always been out, soaking in the sunlight, breathing in fresh air.”

The potato’s face fell. There were other plants in the garden, on which tiny fruits were swaying in happiness.

The potato asked the little pea, “Have you always been out as well?”

The pea was naughty. It sensed the potato’s restlessness.

It said, “Is this a question to ask? Not only I, but everyone out here hasn’t been buried under the ground. We breathe in fresh air. All of us sleep under the moonlit sky. We wake up with the golden rays of the sun. It’s fun swaying in the breeze.”

“Hmm, this means that I am the only one who has to stay underground. How unlucky we potatoes are! Look at the others. They are all so shiny and beautiful. They live in fresh air. I look so filthy and ugly! Nobody will even notice me.”

The potato felt sad. After talking to the other vegetables, it kept quiet.

A few days later, it was kept in a basket.

It was taken to the vegetable market. All the other vegetables also went along.

“Look, the king of vegetables has been kept near me!” the brinjal exclaimed excitedly.

The potato asked, “Where? Who is it? Please tell me.”

The potato was curious. The brinjal became silent for a while.

He asked the brinjal, “Why are you looking at me like that? Am I that ugly?”

With some hesitation, the brinjal replied, “You are the king, the king of vegetables.”

“Why are you making fun of me? I am an ugly vegetable, who lives underground. How can I be the king?” the potato questioned.

The brinjal replied, “You really are the king. You have all the qualities needed to be a king. Most vegetable preparations are made with you. When there is no other vegetable you alone are sufficient. People can have a satisfying meal by just eating you.”

The pumpkin was lying close by. It said, “You are healthy. How can you not be king? You have Carbohydrates, Vitamin C, Iron, Calcium, Phosphorus, Riboflavin, Carotene and Niacin.

You are enriched with so many nutrients. You are available in every season, every day. We may be here today but gone tomorrow. You are available throughout the year.”

The little potato was pleasantly surprised. It was finding it difficult to believe that it was the king of vegetables!

It thought, “Inner qualities and usefulness are more important than outer appearances. I might be ugly on the surface but my other qualities make me stand apart from others, so much so that I am their king!”

The little potato now understood its self-worth. It regretted its earlier thinking. It felt satisfied, not because it was the king, but because it knew the reason why it was the king.

Mittu, the pet dog

Deepti was very sad. She had lost Mittu, her pet dog. The previous evening, she had gone for her piano classes. She had taken Mittu with her. Mittu was playing in the garden of the piano teacher’s house. When the class was over, Deepti went to the garden to fetch Mittu. However, Mittu was nowhere to be found. She had yelled, cried and shouted out Mittu’s name at least a thousand times. Mittu never replied. She had walked home. She sadly told her Mom that Mittu was missing.

Mom reassured Deepti, “Don’t worry my dear, Mittu is very clever. He will soon come home. Now, eat your snacks and start on your homework.”

Deepti concentrated on her studies. After having dinner, she went to sleep.

A week passed. There was no sign of Mittu. Deepti’s Dad said, “We will soon buy a new puppy. You can play with him.”

Deepti missed playing with her dog. Every day, Mittu used to accompany Deepti up to the school bus. Her friends always played with Mittu. Whenever Deepti’s friends did not come to play with them, Mittu used to play hide and seek with Deepti. It was fun playing with Mittu. Mittu used to sleep under Deepti’s bed. Deepti felt that she could not love any other dog. She only wanted Mittu. Day by day, she became quieter and sadder.

One day, Deepti’s dad took her to an exhibition. He wanted her to enjoy herself. The exhibition was very big and had lots of games. Deepti’s dad got her a new teddy bear.

He said, “Deepti, now you can play with this teddy whenever you feel bored.”

Deepti said, “Thank you, daddy. This is only a toy. My Mittu was real.”

A little later, there was an announcement

“Welcome to the grand exhibition. Here comes our next item, “The Dog Show.’ See cute dogs perform different tricks, stunts and dances”.

Deepti told her Dad and Mom, “Please come with me. I want to see the dog show.”

They went to the centre of the exhibition ground. They took their seats and watched the show. Many dog owners proudly brought their dogs to the stage and ordered them to sit, jump and dance. The dogs obeyed their masters. As the shows went on, Deepti watched with great enthusiasm. Suddenly, she got up from her chair and jumped up and down.

She cried loudly, “Mittu, this is my Mittu.”

Hearing her cry, a cute dog jumped from the stage and started running towards her. It was her Mittu! Deepti was so happy that she cried and hugged Mittu. Mittu also licked Deepti. He showed his affection by barking happily. Deepti’s dad and mom were so relieved. Finally, they could see that their daughter was happy.

Meanwhile, someone from the stage came down and said, “Do you know Tommy? One day I saw him running in the middle of the road. There was a lot of traffic. I thought that this dog would get hurt. So, I took it with me.”

Deepti said, “Yes, it is my pet dog, Mittu. I lost him. Thank you for saving my dog’s life and taking care of him.”

The gentleman said, “Oh, it is my pleasure. Mittu is very cute and smart. I had real fun with him. Anyway, since it is yours, you can now take him.”

Mittu barked loudly. He was also saying thank you to the gentleman. Deepti and Mittu happily walked away.

Warm Abode

The Jolly Snowman

Graffiti’s Intellect

Bhikhu the Bear had come to Champakvan. He was a famous astrologer. The animals of Champakvan were highly impressed by his talks.

Mickey the Rabbit extended his palm and asked, “Please read my palm and tell me as to when will my days turn sunny? I think I am possessed by some evil spirits. Nothing goes right with me. Caty Aunty kidnaps my young ones when we are out for work. Please suggest a way out.”

Bhikhu said, “I will have to perform some rituals to ward off the evil spirits and that will cost some money.”

“We are ready to spend any amount for it,” said Mickey.

Foxy the Fox came to Bhikhu and asked, “Baba, I have heard that you can double money and gold. Is it true?”

Bhikhu raised his head with pride and said, “A powerful being like me can do anything.”

Foxy got excited and gave away all her valuables and money to Bhikhu.

Bhikhu became famous in Champakvan. The animals treated him like a king. They used to get lot of fruits for him. Bhikhu had involved Bhaggu the Horse in his plan. They both enjoyed all the attention from Champakvan.

Bhikhu kept telling the animals that he was performing the rituals daily. He told them that they should come to him two days prior to Diwali and take their valuables and money that will have doubled by then.

As instructed by Bhikhu, Mickey and Foxy went to Bhikhu’s house to collect their valuables. They were astonished to see that Bhikhu and Bhaggu were nowhere to be seen. They became panicky and started to weep.

Old Graffiti Giraffe Uncle had come to Champakyan. He saw Mickey crying and asked him for the reason. Mickey narrated the entire episode.

Graffiti asked, “Did Bhaggu limp while walking? Did he have chickpeas laden on his back? Does any of the two have wounds on his body?”

Some animals informed that a wounded Bhikhu was seen rushing out of his house with a huge bag in the morning. Everyone there was shocked as to how Graffiti Uncle knew so much about Bhaggu and Bhikhu. They pleaded him to take them to Bhikhu and Bhaggu.

Graffiti said, “I have no idea of their whereabouts.”

The animals took Graffiti to the police station. Inspector Shersingh started interrogating him about the case. He said, “You have given quite a lot of information about the two tricksters. Then why are you apprehensive to tell us about their hiding spot?”

Graffiti said, “When I was coming to Champakvan, I saw footprints of an animal. Only three limbs had left prints and so could guess that the animal was hobbling. There were some chickpeas scattered on the way and that made me conclude that the animal was carrying chickpeas on his back. Also, I saw some drops of blood on the way, and that is why I guessed that the animal must have been wounded.”

Shersingh said, “You are indeed very intelligent. Now you all must follow those footprints and nab the frauds.” |

The animals of Champakvan, along with Graffiti, followed the footprints.

They reached a place and Graffiti said, “Wait.

They both must be around this place.”

“How can you be so sure?” asked Mickey.

Graffiti replied, “Look around. There is no grass here. It seems someone has just finished grazing. And also there is a river nearby for drinking water.”

Just then, Bhikhu came out of the river and Mickey nabbed him. Foxy saw Bhaggu nearby and jumped on his back. Bhaggu tried to escape but in vain.

Bhaggu and Bhikhu were taken to the police station. The police seized all the money and valuables from them and returned the same to Mickey and Foxy.

Shersingh felicitated Graffiti Uncle and said, “You have accomplished a lot of things just by using your intelligence. You are an inspiration to all the citizens of Champakvan.”

Troubling trap

Dadaji And Winter

EVERGREEN EMPATHY

Autumn had passed, winter was approaching. All the birds began to fly south. Only one little bird was left behind. It had a broken wing.

“Farewell! We’ll meet in spring,” said the birds. The little bird sighed. It said, “Oh dear! Oh dear! I need a home for the winter. If I can reach those trees, perhaps, they will help me.”

It was very cold with the frost and snow falling steadily.

The first tree that the bird saw was a Birch. It took a deep breath and pleasantly asked, “Oh, dear beautiful Birch, my wing is broken. May I take shelter in your branches?”

“For how long do you wish to stay?” The Birch asked the bird.

“Just until spring,” answered the bird.

“Oh dear! That’s too long. Sorry!” The Birch replied.

“Birch, it’s all right,” replied the bird. “Perhaps, the mighty Oak will help me!”

When the bird reached the Oak, it took a deep breath and politely asked, “Oh, dear mighty Oak, my wing is broken. May I take shelter in your branches until my friends return?”

“Oh dear! Dear me no!” The Oak sighed. “You’re a restless bird; you’ll move around and disturb me throughout the winter!

“Oak, it’s all right,” replied the bird. “Perhaps, the kind Willow will help me.”

When the bird reached the Willow, it took a deep breath and politely said, “Oh, dear kind Willow, my wing is broken. May I take shelter in your branches until my friends return in spring?”

“Oh dear! Oh dear!” The Willow said. “I don’t know you. However, I’m sure you’ll find a few trees somewhere in this forest! that’ll take in strange birds!”

The poor bird was just about to give up looking for shelter. It heard a gentle voice calling, “Little bird, where are you going?”

“Oh dear! Oh dear! I really don’t know!” said the bird, truthfully. “I’m very sad and cold.”

“Come, climb up to one of my branches,” said the soft voice. “I’m the Spruce tree. You can live on my warmest branch all winter, if you choose to.”

The bird said, “Oh dear, oh, dear, how can I thank you enough?”

“It’s time at least one tree helped you, I will keep the cold wind away from you,” said the Pine tree.

Yet, another voice called out and said, “I can also help you.”

“Oh dear, oh, dear, who is that?” The bird asked.

The tree answered, “It is I, the Juniper. I can give you berries all winter long. Birds like you, love my berries.”

“Oh dear, oh, dear, of course we do!” The bird exclaimed in a happy tone.

The Spruce gave the lonely little bird a home. The Pine protected it from the cold North Wind. The Juniper gave it berries to eat. These trees spread some evergreen empathy towards the little bird. That’s why the leaves of the Spruce, Pine and Juniper are always green.

Jolly rejoinder

Q: Which is the oldest animal?

A: The zebra. Because it is still in black and white

______________________________

Q: What kind of food is never on time?

A: A choco ‘late’!

Slippery Stairs

Damru’s Christmas

Reckless Driving

Forgetul Grandma

Grandma lived in a big house. She lived alone. Her children and grandchildren lived abroad. Forgetful by nature, she would often keep something somewhere and forget about it. Then, she would keep searching the entire house. She would be restless till she found what she was looking for. She loved children. She would often call them by wrong names.

The children found this funny. They would laugh. Grandma was very fond of watching movies. One day, she decided to go for a movie. She wore a nice fur coat. She locked the door. She began thinking as to where should she keep the key so that she could find it easily. She knew she was forgetful. She didn’t want to lose the key.

She thought, “I should keep the key in a flower-pot. However, there are so many pots here, so how will I remember in which pot I have kept the key? I can keep the key in the pot in a corner, but then there are pots in every corner. What should I do?” Grandma couldn’t make up her mind.

“I should keep the pot with the key in the car. Then I will just have to remember car and pot.” Grandma thought that this was a good idea. She heaved a sigh of relief.

Grandma kept the pot in the car and began her journey. Unfortunately, she forgot where she was going. She figured that she must have come out for some shopping. She turned left, towards the main market.

It was Sunday. The market was very crowded. Many cars were parked. Grandma thought that there were so many cars here that she would find it hard to remember where she had parked her car. Now she was in a dilemma.

Grandma thought, “It would be better if I keep the car at home and come back in a taxi.”

Grandma returned home.

By now, Grandma was tired.

“How about having a hot cup of coffee first?” she thought.

Grandma loved having coffee, while watching flowers through her kitchen window.

She reached the door.

“Where have I kept the key?’ she thought for a while.

Finally, she remembered the idea of putting the key in a flower-pot. She looked inside all the pots. The key wasn’t in any of them.

Grandma was worried.

“Oh no, what has happened to me? If I remember one thing, then I forget the other!”

In frustration, Grandma banged her hand on the car. This act reminded her that she had kept the pot with the key inside the car! Happily, she took out the pot from the car and searched. The key was nowhere to be found. “Oh my, this forgetfulness is not leaving me. Now, where shall I find my key?” Grandma muttered. Absentmindedly, her hand went inside her coat’s pocket.

“Hey, I kept the key inside my pocket and here I am, searching for it everywhere else!”

Grandma was relieved. While keeping the pot in the car, Grandma had kept the key in her coat pocket. She had forgotten to put the key inside the pot!

Grandma was very happy to have found the key. She went inside to have a cup of coffee. However, she soon forgot her original plan, to go out of the house to watch a movie.

Baba Bhootnath

Idam PudamSudam” Jumpy was repeatedly chanting this when Blacky the Bear came there. He asked, “What strange thing are you saying?”

Jumpy replied, “This is a very effective chant Baba Bhootnath gave it to me and said that if I chant this 100 times, I will score very well in the school exams. He has also given me a talisman to wear around my neck.” Jumpy then showed the talisman around his neck.

Blacky had failed in the previous exam. He thought that if he seeks help from Baba, he would also score good marks. So he requested Jumpy to take him to Baba Bhootnath.

The next day, Jumpy and Blacky went to meet Baba Bhootnath. Baba Bhootnath was sitting under a Banyan tree. He was wearing a Dhoti and had applied ash on his entire body. He was sitting with his legs crossed. His eyes were closed and he was chanting something. He had already seen Jumpy and Blacky coming towards him. He asked them, “How come both of you are here?”

Blacky was stunned at this question because he wondered how Baba could anticipate that they were coming towards him with his eyes closed. Blacky really thought that Baba was a great magician.

Baba gave a talisman to Blacky in return of Rs. 100 and said that if he wore the talisman around his neck and chanted “IdamPudamSudam” 100 times a day, he would pass his exams with good marks. Blacky thanked him and returned home. He became free of tension and chanted “IdamPudamSudam” 101 times a day.

Many other classmates of Blacky also went to Baba to buy the talisman. Some shelled out from their pocket money, while some others borrowed money from friends. Cheeku the Rabbit did not believe in having blind faith or superstitions. He felt sorry that so many school students were wasting money on a talisman which they believed could fetch them good marks in the exams. His teacher and his parents had explained to him that he could score well in the exams only through hard work. He knew for sure that there was no shortcut to success. Studying hard would only help in achieving good marks.

Cheeku was surprised when he learned that even some parents had gone to Baba to buy the talisman for their children.

Cheeku wanted to make everyone realise that belief in such superstitions results in nothing. He also wanted to expose the fake Baba’s truth to everyone. So he started thinking of ideas. In no time, a very good and efficient idea struck his mind and he went to his friend Fatty the Elephant. Fatty agreed to help him with his plan.

As per the plan, Cheeku and Fatty went to Baba Bhootnath. Cheeku said, “Baba, I have an enemy. Do something so that he gets destroyed.”

Baba Bhootnath had only one solution to all the problems. And that was the talisman and the chant. Baba had to do something different as Cheeku had approached him with a different problem. Baba thus doubled the prize of his talisman and said to Cheeku, “Your problem is different, and so the talisman for you will cost Rs. 200. Also, you shall have to chant ‘Cyclones in plenty, destroy my enemy’ 202 times. Then a cyclone will strike and your enemy will be destroyed.”

Cheeku handed over 200 Rupees to Baba and took the talisman.

Cheeku said, “Baba, I will start chanting right away. I request Fatty and you to count the chants and stop me after I chant 202 times.”

Cheeku started chanting. Baba was worried now. He had thought that Cheeku would leave after taking the talisman but that was not the case. Cheeku was chanting right in front of him.

Baba had no choice but to sit there. He then thought of a plan. He thought that when Cheeku would finish chanting, he would send him to see his enemy. And as soon as Cheeku would leave, he would escape too.

No sooner did Cheeku finish chanting, than Baba said, “Go and see your enemy. He must have been destroyed by now.”

Cheeku said, “No Baba, my enemy is still alive. What you said did not happen. Your talisman and your chant are a sham. My enemy is right in front of me. I wanted to destroy you because you are my enemy.”

“What are you saying?” asked Baba.

Cheeku said, “You are a liar and a cheat and such a person is not only my enemy but the entire society’s enemy. People like you fool everyone and cheat them. You have no virtue to be called a saint. Return my money right away.”

Baba threatened Cheeku, ”You talk a lot. Leave from here or I shall turn you into ashes.”
“Oh liar Baba!” said Fatty, “Stop threatening. You are not competent enough to do anything. Let me show you what I can do.”

Fatty lifted Baba in his trunk and threw him on the nearby bush. Baba landed with a thud. By then all the animals of Champakvan had gathered there.

Baba got up and started running away from the crowd to save his life. But unfortunately, he was caught by the animals. They handed him over to the police.

Baba Bhootnath’s fraud had been exposed. All the animals were ashamed of themselves. They appreciated and thanked Cheeku and Fatty for confronting them with the truth. They also swore that they would never fall prey to such false claims and superstitions.

Miraculous Plants in Champakvan

Mimmo was a smart goat of Champakvan. One sunny afternoon when she was returning home from the market, she saw a huge crowd near a tree.

She went there and learnt that there was an old saint sitting there. He was telling about a miraculous plant that makes one wealthy and prosperous.

Mimmo asked Blacky the Bear who was standing beside her, “What is all this?”

Blacky pointed at some plants kept near the saint and said, “He seems to be a great saint. He claims that if we grow these plants in our house and later on return them to him, we can get a lot of wealth from a holy cave.”

Mimmo looked at the plants and laughed. She then turned to Blacky and said, “I don’t find anything unusual or special in these plants. They barely have some leaves and no flowers at all.”

The saint heard Mimmo’s words and said angrily, “Foolish Mimmo, you have humiliated me.”

“How do you know my name?” asked Mimmo.

The saint replied, “Child, I am omniscient. I know Jhingu, the prawn; Chinti, the ant; Kuki, the Cuckoo and Jumbo, the elephant also. I can keep a watch on all the animals of the entire world by merely sitting here.”

The saint correctly guessed the names of all the animals present there. Mimmo was impressed by this. She bowed to him and apologised for her mistake. The saint forgave her and gave plants to everyone present there.

Juju the Giraffe said to Mimmo, “See how great he is! Had he been a fraud, he wouldn’t have distributed these plants for free.”

The saint distributed plants to everyone and told them to take good care of the plants. He also said that he would return to Champakvan after a few months. The saint then returned to his holy cave in the Amazon forests.

Mimmo happily returned home and placed the plant in her small garden. After a few months, the plants grew well and bore a lot of flowers and fruits. Now the animals were eagerly waiting for the saint to come.

One morning when Mimmo was watering the plants, she saw her best friend, Caty the Cat. Two years ago, Caty had gone abroad to study. Mimmo was extremely delighted to see Caty after such a long time.

“Mimmo, you and gardening? I am impressed,” said Caty.

Mimmo told Caty about the saint and the magical plants. Caty was shocked to see Mimmo believing all this. She explained to Mimmo that all this isn’t true in this modern world. She then pulled out a book from her bag and started matching Mimmo’s plant with the ones in her book.

“These seem to be opium plants I guess?” said Caty.

Mimmo said, “Whatever it is! It doesn’t make any difference. The saint said that this is a magical plant.”

“Don’t be foolish, Mimmo,” said Caty, “Opium is also known as “Afeem’.

Planting this is illegal. The fruits of these plants are used to make drugs which are very dangerous to health.”

Mimmo stood dumbstruck for a few seconds. Then Caty and Mimmo went to each and every house of Champakvan and told the truth to everyone.

Blacky informed inspector Panther about the entire episode. Inspector Panther and King Shersingh immediately returned from Amazon where they had gone for a holiday.

They also told the animals that there is no holy cave or saint in Amazon. Inspector Panther assumed that the saint was living in Champakvan itself and that is why he knew the name of all the animals.

Just then, the saint appeared there with a truck. He saw the inspector and started turning his truck around.

Inspector Panther leapt at the truck and pulled the saint out of it. During this brawl, the saint’s false beard came off and everyone was shocked to see that it was Jojo, the fox who was dressed as a saint.

Jojo was caught red handed. He said that these plants were given to him by his brother, Gogo. He had said that they would earn lakhs of rupees by selling these plants in the foreign markets.

“Oh, so that was the reason you came dressed as a saint and tried to fool us? Thanks to Caty and her knowledge of botanical science, we came to know about these dangerous plants. Had we given the plants to Jojo, who knows how many animals would have fallen prey to addiction,” said Mimmo.

King Shersingh also praised and thanked Caty for her timely support. He requested the animals to not encourage such acts that have no scientific proof.

Jojo and his brother were arrested and put behind the bars. The animals of Champakvan started growing papaya, mango, and apple trees. They exported the fruits and started earning profits in plenty. King Shersingh calls these trees as magical and wealth providing trees of Champakvan..

Dadaji And Superstition

Bhediyanand Gets Exposed

All the animals in Champakvan were queuing up since morning to get a glimpse of Swami Bhediyanand.

Cheeku the Rabbit saw that his mother was asking for 1000 Rupees from his father and telling him that she would visit Swami Bhediyanand’s Satsang along with her Sister Meow and Cheeku.

When Cheeku reached the satsang venue, he saw that many animals had gathered in a huge stall. Swami Bhediyanand was sitting with his disciples on a stage, attired in saffron-coloured clothes. Binny the Goat got up from her place and holding the mike closer, said in a choked voice, “Maharaj, my husband is not doing well in his business since the past few days. Please help us.”

Swami Bhediyanand lifted his hand up and said, “Everything will be okay in one week.”

Cheeku was surprised to hear this. He wondered how Binny’s situation could change in one week! All the animals were touching Swami Bhediyanand’s feet and offering him money. Cheeku too, along with his mother, reached close to Swami Bhediyanand and touched his feet to seek blessings from him.

Cheeku couldn’t concentrate on any work after reaching home. He recalled that Binny the Goat lived near his friend Smarty the Tortoise’s house. He contemplated something and went to his mother, “Mom, please give me your mobile phone. I am going to my friend Smarty’s house to play.”

“Okay, Son, take the phone, but don’t be too late. Come home on time,” Mother directed.

“Okay, bye,” Taking leave, Cheeku got out of the house. He spoke to Smarty about the happenings at the satsang and told him about his plan.

As Cheeku threw the ball, Smarty hit it with full force so that it entered straight in Binny’s house. Cheeku entered the house through the gate and said, “Excuse me, Aunty, my ball has come inside your house.”

“Come and take it,” Binny said.

Cheeku saw that Lallu the Wolf was present in Binny’s house at that time, conversing with her.

Cheeku switched on the recorder of his mobile phone and hid it in a flower pot.

He played cricket for half an hour and then again put the ball in Binny’s house. Then he went inside the house again on the pretext of taking the ball and took his mobile phone too from there.

After bidding goodbye to Smarty, Cheeku reached home and heard the phone recording. His suspicion turned out to be true. Lallu was instructing Binny regarding what she had to say on the mike. He even paid her money for the acting, which she had done before.

Cheeku immediately told his parents about it, who in turn informed Inspector Cheetah Singh. Bhediyanand was handcuffed the next day in the satsang. Cheeku’s picture was published on the front page of Champak Times.

MUMMY THIEF

The Bagh Bahadur Museum was a big and famous museum in Champakvan. It was very well known all over the world too. Tourists from far and wide flocked to see the antiques and valuable artifacts that were on display.

Amongst the most famous displays of The Bagh Bahadur Museum, were the mummies of the last twenty kings of Champakvan. They were King Sher Singh’s ancestors and had been embalmed and kept here for many years.

These mummies made quite an unusual sight and the tourists who saw them were both fascinated and frightened.

Baddy Wolf and Laddy Wolf were two wolves who lived in Champakvan. The two of them were thieves who specialised in stealing antiques and valuable artifacts.

They were very dangerous and cunning too. The wolves made their living by selling the stolen objects to collectors in foreign countries.

Baddy Wolf and Laddy Wolf had set their cunning little eyes on The Bagh Bahadur Museum for a very long time. They wanted to steal the mummies and were working on plans to sneak them out of the museum.

One night, Baddy Wolf sat down to make a map of The Bagh Bahadur Museum. He was drawing lines when Laddy Wolf came up to him and asked, “Baddy Wolf, what are you drawing so late at night? Are you working on a plan to steal something big and priceless?”

“You are right, my friend,” Baddy Wolf nibbled on a pencil and said. “I am making a map of The Bagh Bahadur Museum. The map will help us plan how we will steal the mummies. Once we manage that, our dream of growing rich will come true!”

“That is fantastic!” Laddy Wolf said, rubbing his hands with glee. “You have finally started work on our ‘Operation Museum.’ But how will we steal the mummies? There are tourists visiting the museum all day and night.”

“Don’t worry about that, Laddy. We will make sure the tourists run away from the museum and clear our paths,” Baddy Wolf said and laughed.

“Tell me how! I am your partner after all,” Laddy Wolf said excitedly. He was eager to hear the plan.

“Listen then,” Baddy Wolf said confidently. “I am making a map of the museum. I have also chalked out the entire plan of stealing the mummies. We will first dig a tunnel to enter the museum.

This tunnel will directly take us to the museum’s toilet area. Once we are inside, I will wrap you in white bandages that will make you look just like a mummy. You will have to act like a ghost and scare the tourists away.”

Laddy Wolf jumped excitedly. “How wicked you are, Baddy Wolf!” he said, looking thrilled. “The tourists will be scared and flee the museum. We will steal the mummies then and make our way out through the tunnel.”

“That’s right,” Baddy Wolf said and yawned. “Now go and make some tea for me. I want to finish drawing this map tonight.”

Baddy Wolf stayed up that night and after many hours of hard work, he completed the map.

The next day, Baddy Wolf and Laddy Wolf took the map with them and walked to the pond behind The Bagh Bahadur Museum.

Baddy Wolf began digging the tunnel with a shovel. Laddy Wolf took the mud and threw it into the pond so that nobody would suspect that a tunnel was being dug.

The distance between the pond and The Bagh Bahadur Museum was long. It took the two wolves a whole month to finish digging the tunnel.

The tunnel was dug exactly according to Baddy Wolf’s plan. It opened directly below the museum’s toilet.

After that, the two wolves spent some time making a door in the floor of the toilet that they could slide it open and enter.

Baddy Wolf and Laddy Wolf were very confident now. They were ready to put their plan in action.

The next night, Baddy Wolf wrapped Laddy Wolf in white bandages and sent him inside the museum.

Laddy Wolf looked just like the mummies on display. He started walking all over the museum, making eerie sounds. The birds and animals who were visiting saw him and panicked.

“Eek!” they shouted. “There’s a walking mummy in the museum! A ghost!”

Everyone ran out, looking petrified.

Soon, the news of the walking mummy spread like wild fire. Everyone in Champakvan was terrified. The tourists stayed away from the museum too.

Baddy Wolf and Laddy Wolf laughed. Everything was going as per their plan.

Now all they had to do was steal the mummies.

One night, they crept inside the museum and stole one of the mummies out.

When they reached their house, Baddy Wolf said, “Laddy, we should hide this mummy at a very safe place. No one should find it. After we do that, we will steal one mummy from the museum every day.

We will contact the foreign agent after we have a few mummies and sell them for a lot of money.” So, the two wolves started stealing the mummies every night. It took them just eleven days, to steal eleven mummies.

Everyone in Champakvan was shocked when they heard the news of the mummies disappearing from the museum. And everyone had a different story to tell. Some said that the mummies had come alive and were running away from the museum.

Others believed that it was the work of a sly thief. King Sher Singh was pacing to and fro inside his palace. He was very worried about the matter. After all, the stolen mummies were those of his ancestors.

He sent for Cheeku Rabbit. He too had heard of the disappearing mummies. “Maharaj, I’m shocked,” Cheeku Rabbit said. “I’ve heard that the mummies are disappearing from The Bagh Bahadur Museum. Is that true?”

“Yes, Cheeku,” King Sher Singh said with a sigh. “Eleven mummies have disappeared so far. I have asked the police to patrol the museum gates. The security has been tightened too.

But sadly, the mummies are still being stolen. There are rumours of a walking mummy in the museum. The police and security guards have heard it and are scared too. Cheeku, you are very smart. I’d like you to work as a detective and catch the thief.”

“Don’t worry, Maharaj,” Cheeku Rabbit said politely. “I will do my best.” Cheeku Rabbit then left for The Bagh Bahadur Museum. He began investigating and looked for clues all over. Soon, Cheeku reached the toilet. He checked the walls, the ceiling and finally the floor. “Aha,” Cheeku muttered. “I think someone has tampered with the toilet floor. I should tap it with a stick and see.”

Cheeku found a stick and carefully tapped it all over the toilet floor. At one particular spot, the tapping sound sounded odd and hollow.

“Aha! Cheeku shouted happily. “There is something below this floor!” Cheeku bent down and found the sliding door that led to the tunnel.

“This is clearly the work of clever thieves, not ghosts. They have stolen the mummies by entering the museum through this tunnel,” Cheeku said to himself. “I will search the entire area thoroughly. The tunnel must surely have another opening somewhere in the forest.”

Cheeku Rabbit then left the museum and began exploring the entire area. Soon, he found the pond behind the museum. He saw that the water in the pond was unusually muddy. A pile of freshly dug mud was lying nearby too.

“Hmm,” Cheeku Rabbit thought. “The tunnel must have another opening here. The thieves must be using it to enter and leave the museum.” Cheeku Rabbit looked around and found the tunnel’s opening in no time.

“Baddy Wolf and Laddy Wolf are only two thieves in Champakvan who are interested in stealing antiques and museum artifacts. Besides, they are the only thieves who can think so sharply and come up with such a cunning plan.”

Cheeku Rabbit then went to King Sher Singh and told him what he had found. King Sher Singh was furious.

“I will get Baddy Wolf and Laddy Wolf arrested at once!” he roared.

“Maharaj, please don’t do that,” Cheeku Rabbit suggested. “It would be better if we catch them red-handed so that we know where they have hidden the stolen mummies.”

“Alright, Cheeku,” King Sher Singh said.

“We will do as you say. I am giving you the authority to catch the thieves.” Cheeku Rabbit then went to the police station and met Inspector Gendamal. He was the police officer in charge of the case. They started working on a plan to catch the thieves.

That very night, Cheeku Rabbit and Inspector Gendamal took a few constables and hid behind the bushes near the pond. They waited there patiently.

Just as the clock struck midnight, Baddy Wolf and Laddy Wolf came along. They tiptoed towards the tunnel.

“Aha!” Cheeku Rabbit whispered. “So, I was right! It is them!”

Baddy Wolf and Laddy Wolf had no idea that Cheeku Rabbit and Inspector Gendamal were watching them. They walked into the tunnel and made their way to the museum confidently.

As soon as Baddy Wolf and Laddy Wolf returned carrying a mummy with them, Cheeku Rabbit alerted Inspector Gendamal and his constables. The two wolves walked deep into the forest.

Cheeku Rabbit and Inspector Gendamal followed them quietly. Baddy Wolf and Laddy Wolf soon reached an abandoned house. They were hiding the mummies in it.

“Hooray! ‘Operation Museum’is a success! We have stolen another mummy from the museum again today!” Laddy Wolf joyfully said once they had entered the house. “We have twelve mummies now. We should sell them to the foreign agent as soon as we can. If the police get suspicious, then our dream of becoming rich will never be fulfilled.”

“You are right. We shouldn’t be very greedy,” Baddy Wolf said. “I have spoken to the foreign agent. He is coming to Champakvan tomorrow night to buy the mummies.We’ll give him the ones we have. We’ll go on a long holiday after we get our money and return only after the matter has been forgotten.”

Suddenly, the house door creaked opened. The two wolves were startled. No one came to the abandoned house. “Cancel your holiday bookings, if you have any,” Inspector Gendamal shouted. “Your game is over. You cannot go anywhere.”

Cheeku Rabbit followed inside. “You have dared to steal Champakvan’s priceless treasures. King Sher Singh is furious. He is going to punish you for stealing his ancestors’ mummies,” Cheeku Rabbit told the two thieves sternly.

Baddy Wolf and Laddy Wolf tried to escape. But Inspector Gendamal was too quick for them. He pounced on them and had them arrested.

Baddy Wolf and Laddy Wolf confessed to their crimes. The police retrieved the stolen mummies and took them back to the museum.

The following night, Inspector Gendamal arrested the foreign agent who had come to buy the stolen mummies. He too was thrown behind bars and punished.

King Sher Singh was delighted that his ancestors’ mummies were back in the museum. He hosted a party in honour of Cheeku Rabbit for solving the mystery and felicitated him with a medal. Cheeku Rabbit was very proud of himself.

Funny reminders

Q: Ramesh, why are you standing in the sun?

A: I am drying my sweat.

____________________________________________________

Q: What do you call a gorilla wearing a ear-muffs?

A: Anything you like! He can’t hear you!

Damru & Superstitious Gori

Unlucky

Once again, all the ants were accusing Joey the Ant for being the culprit. They said that he was responsible for all that happened. Joey was quietly standing on one side with tears in his eyes. He had just lost his leg and that was the reason why everyone pronounced him unlucky or jinxed.

It had so happened that in the morning, the Queen Ant’s son Nannu was playing where Joey was searching for food.

Nannu lost his balance and fell down and got injured. He said that it was due to Joey that he got hurt. Thus everyone thought that Joey was unlucky.

“We cannot let Joey stay with us anymore. He should be asked to leave our anthill,” said Nikki the Ant. All the ants agreed to it and asked Joey to leave. Joey had no choice but to find a new home for himself. He decided to stay alone.

Joey was proceeding towards his house when he heard someone mourning in pain. He went in the direction of the sound just to find out that an ant was badly injured. He then asked her for her residential address and safely took the ant to her house.

Joey had saved her life. Her family members praised him for his work. When Joey narrated his story, they felt sorry for him and asked him to stay with them. Joey agreed and started staying with them. He was very kind and hardworking. Everyone in his new home respected and loved him. Joey liked his new home but still missed his old anthill.

Gradually, the summer season came to an end and the monsoons arrived. Joey did not face the shortage of food as he had a lot of food in store.

One night when he was sitting in his room, he heard some noises from outside. He went out and saw that the area was flooded with rainwater and the water level was rising continuously. He quickly informed all the ants in the anthill to secure themselves at a height where the water could not rise. Joey’s presence of mind and alertness had saved many lives and once again Joey’s work was appreciated.

Just then, Joey recalled that even the ants of his old anthill might be in trouble. He immediately went there and saw that all the other ants were panicking because Nikki was drowning. He looked around and saw a leaf that was floating in the water. He jumped onto the floating leaf.

He knew that there was a fallen tree ahead and was sure that the leaf would get stuck there and wouldn’t float further. The moment the leaf came near Nikki, Joey pulled Nikki up onto the leaf and saved her life.

The ants saw this and felt really ashamed of their behaviour with Joey. They apologised to Joey and asked him to stay with them. Joey was finally happy and forgave all of them.

BIG TREE SMALL TREE

A long time ago, there lived a tall and mighty tree in a big jungle. The tree was named Big Tree. Big Tree always stood erect and tall and looked down upon the smaller trees. Yes, Big Tree was quite arrogant.

When the wind blew hard, Big Tree would stand upright and tall. His trunk and branches would stay firm and wouldn’t sway by even an inch. The wind could only make Big Tree’s driest leaves fall down. Big Tree would feel proud and boast, “I am the tallest and mightiest tree in this jungle. The other trees should make me their king. My branches are thick and strong and my roots are spread wide and deep. Yes, I should be made a king.

Small Tree was a smaller tree who grew right next to Big Tree. Small Tree was very thin and weak in comparison. When the wind blew hard, Small Tree’s trunk would sway to and fro.

Big Tree would watch this happen. One day, he looked and Small Tree and said, “Small Tree, you really are weak. You must grow up soon. I feel very sorry for you when the wind makes your trunk sway.” Small Tree listened patiently and said, “Don’t worry, Big Tree. A time will come when I too will grow big and mighty like you.”

Big Tree laughed. “Little one, I pity you,” Big Tree said proudly. “Look at how great I am! I help people by giving them shade on sunny days! And there are birds, animals and insects that have built their homes on me! I am very, very important.”

“Well, you are right, Big Tree,” Small Tree agreed. “You are always doing something worthwhile. But I am sure that someday I will be able to help others, just like you do.”

“I will be very happy for you then,” Big Tree said. “You must stand erect then. You must spread your roots deep and far and raise your head high in the air, just like I do.” Small Tree smiled and thought, “I am in no hurry to grow up. I am happy with the way I am right now!” Small Tree enjoyed the rain and the warm air. He had no idea that they were slowly helping him grow. Big Tree grew bigger with time too. But sadly, he became more and more arrogant.

Every day, Big Tree would tease Small Tree and ask him to grow faster. Small Tree on the other hand, would simply smile. One day, when the two trees were talking, Big Tree suddenly said, “Small Tree, you really are of no use to anyone.”

“Why are you saying that, Big Tree?” Small Tree asked, feeling quite hurt.

“No one comes to you for shade. And no creature lives or plays on you. Look at me! There are squirrels running all over me! I am sorry to say but you are quite worthless.” Big Tree said haughtily. Small Tree felt bad but didn’t utter a word.

“One day, I will be of use to someone too,” Small Tree thought everyday as he drank the water from the earth. “One day, people will flock to me for my shelter and shade! Creatures will live and play on me too!” he thought as he made his food with his leaves in the sunshine. Then on, Small Tree ignored the harsh things Big Tree said and concentrated on growing.

All, the other trees in the jungle were growing quickly. “I’m lagging far behind,”

Small Tree realised. “For some reason, I’m taking very long to grow!”

A day came when the other trees in the jungle outgrew Small Tree. They looked far taller and stronger and covered Small Tree completely. But Small Tree didn’t mind. “I’ll grow slowly and steadily,” he thought and kept himself happy. The seasons changed and the trees around Small Tree kept on growing. Small Tree couldn’t even see how tall the others were, but he was still happy for them.

One night, a thunder storm hit the jungle. The wind howled and blew fiercely. Many strong trees found themselves falling down. Some others were uprooted. Many big trees found that their branches were being broken by the wind. There was panic and disappointment everywhere.

Small Tree on the other hand, found that he was still firmly rooted to the ground. His trunk was swaying wildly in the wind but his branches were still too small for the powerful wind to break.

The next day, the sun rose early in the morning. Its very first rays touched Small Tree since there were very few tall trees around now. The sun’s warmth made Small Tree wake up and smile. He felt very happy to be alive. Small Tree realised that his fortune was going to change for the better.

As time passed by, many tall trees kept falling down. But Small Tree grew slowly and steadily in the sunlight. Big Tree was now old and weak. He was no longer erect or arrogant.

One day, Big Tree sadly told Small Tree, “I am old now. I have become useless. Birds don’t make nests on my branches anymore as they fear that my branches will fall down. All my leaves have fallen off and no one comes to me for shade. The squirrels too prefer to skip on you as they find your bark smoother than mine.”

Big Tree then began sobbing uncontrollably.

“Big Tree,” Small Tree consoled his old friend. “Being old doesn’t mean that you are useless. You are still of great worth to me. You guided me when I was growing up. The knowledge you gave me is priceless. And it’s amazing that you are still standing with me, while all the other trees have fallen down.”

“Is that true?” Big Tree asked. “I must say, that you have been very kind to me. The seasons have changed many times and many years have passed. You have remained a true friend all along. While I lost my other friends, you stood by me and made the life of an old tree happy.”

“What I did was my duty towards you, Big Tree!” Small Tree said softly. “You appreciate my friendship and that is my biggest reward!” By now Big Tree had realised that the smaller trees were unnecessarily ridiculed by the bigger trees for not growing as quickly. He felt sorry for all that he had said to Small Tree.

And then, a day came when like the other big trees, Big Tree too fell down on the ground.

Small Tree felt bad for his old friend. He would miss him. But he also knew that a day would surely come when he would become bigger and taller. The birds, animals and insects would make homes on him then. And people would come seeking his shade. Small Tree knew he would become useful for everyone, just like his old friend.

A Match To Dimpy

Elle Elephant was a florist. He owned a small flower shop in Champakvan. Elle was a good-natured fellow and took good care of his customers. He had even hung a beautiful wooden board outside his shop. On the board was painted in bold letters, “ELLE FLORIST. Buy our flowers. They are beautiful and fragrant. They are fresh and will make you feel refreshed through the day.”

Elle Elephant was very courteous to all his customers. “He is always smiling, just like his flowers!” Elle Elephant’s customers would often say.

But Elle Elephant had a rule that he followed very strictly. He only sold his flowers to the animals and birds who paid him right away. He didn’t give credit to anyone. None of the customers even bothered to ask for credit for they knew what a hard worker the young elephant was and that he deserved to be paid right away.

Besides this, Elle Elephant’s flower shop had another speciality. Its fresh lotus flowers. Come rain or shine, Elle Elephant would wake up early every morning. He would wade in the pond and bring fresh lotus flowers from there.

Elle Elephant would sell some of the lotus flowers from his shop. He would personally deliver the others to the homes and shops of the animals who didn’t have the time to come to his shop. He didn’t charge them anything extra.

Everyone was impressed by the trouble Elle Elephant took. This resulted in good business for the shop. Dimpy Monkey was very fond of lotus flowers. He was a tailor and owned a small tailoring shop in Champakvan. Dimpy Monkey liked putting the lotus flowers in a vase that he had on his workbench. He relished their fragrance.

Like Elle Elephant, Dimpy Monkey was an expert at his work too. Everyone liked the clothes he stitched. They looked nice and fitted well. And so, Dimpy Monkey’s shop was always crowded.

But Dimpy Monkey’s nature was quite different from Elle Elephant’s.

Dimpy Monkey was a grumpy fellow. He lost his temper very quickly too. Even the pettiest matter annoyed Dimpy Monkey no end. He wore glasses and every time he got angry and shouted, his glasses appeared like they were dancing on his nose.

HONESTY PAYS OFF

Nobody liked Dimpy Monkey because of his foul temper. But there was no other tailor better than him in Champakvan. And so, all the animals in the forest had no choice but to ask Dimpy Monkey to stitch their clothes.

Elle Elephant would take fresh lotus flowers to Dimpy Monkey’s shop every day. He would politely ask him for the money after leaving the flowers near the vase on the workbench.

Once Dimpy Monkey had paid Elle Elephant the money, he would leave quietly.

One morning, Elle Elephant went to the tailoring shop as usual to deliver a bunch of lotus flowers. He found Dimpy Monkey in the middle of an argument with a customer.

Elle Elephant waited patiently till the customer left and then kept the flowers on Dimpy Monkey’s workbench. “Brother Dimpy,” Elle Elephant said politely.

“Here are your lotus flowers. Please give me my money now. I can’t wait any longer. I have to reach my shop soon. My customers will be waiting for me.” Dimpy Monkey was in a terrible mood. “Put the flowers in the vase!” he scowled and said. “I will give you the money tomorrow.”

“You know I don’t give anyone credit,” Elle Elephant said courteously. “It will take you less than a minute to reach into your pocket and give me my money.”

To Elle Elephant’s surprise, Dimpy Monkey grew furious. “Fatso,” he shouted. “I have already told you that I will pay you your money tomorrow. Now stop bothering me and get out of my shop!”

Elle Elephant lost his temper too now. He didn’t like being insulted or spoken to so rudely. “Well Dimpy,” Elle Elephant said, sounding very annoyed. “I want my money right now. If you don’t pay me right now, I’ll take my flowers back.”

This made matters worse. Dimpy Monkey flew into a rage.

Without even stopping to think, he picked up a pair of scissors and poked Elle Elephant’s trunk. “You want money, Elle Elephant?” Dimpy Monkey shouted. The glasses on his nose danced. “Well, this is your money!”

“Ow!” Elle Elephant howled in pain. He then ran out of the shop.

Dimpy Monkey laughed as he saw Elle Elephant holding his trunk and running on the street. “I’ve scared Elle Elephant away!” he thought and began cutting a piece of cloth.

More From Champak: Help Yourself

Elle Elephant walked back to his shop, feeling very annoyed. “I’ll teach that horrible Dimpy Monkey a lesson!” he thought. “He’ll never dare poke anyone again!”
Later that day, Dimpy Monkey was ironing the clothes he had just finished stitching when Elle Elephant suddenly entered his shop.

Dimpy Monkey was surprised to see him.

But before he could say anything, Elle Elephant threw some muddy water that he had in his trunk all over Dimpy Monkey’s shop. The new clothes that Dimpy Monkey had stitched got dirty and there were small puddles of mud everywhere.

Dimpy Monkey was astonished. “Oh no!” he cried.

“Elle Elephant has ruined my customers’ new clothes! I have taken so much trouble to stitch them. What will I tell my customers now when they come asking for their new clothes?”

Nothing like that had happened to Dimpy Monkey before. No one had dared to stand up to him or teach him a lesson.

“I shouldn’t have poked Elle Elephant’s trunk,” he said regretfully.

When Dimpy Monkey’s customers came to take their clothes, Dimpy had no choice but to tell them what had happened.

“Dimpy Monkey,” each and every one of Dimpy Monkey’s customers said. “You always lose your temper at others. You are always rude to others. Today, you have found your match.”

Dimpy Monkey felt very embarrassed. He decided he would never lose his temper or hurt anyone again. He even apologized to Elle Elephant for poking his trunk and was never rude to him again.

Exploring the Monastery

Hysterical Giggle

Q: What is that everybody does at the same time?

A: Growing older!

__________________________________________________________________________

Q: Name one important thing we have today that we didn’t have ten years ago?

A: Me!

How To Make Glue Out Of Corn Starch

Hello Friends, Welcome to Champak Sci Q .

In today’s episode we’re going to learn about Non-Newtonian Fluids by using the following cheap and easily available stuff:

1. A bowl of water
2. Corn-Starch
3. Large Mixing Bowl

Watch the full video to learn more.

Subscribe for more Easy Science Experiments

Chintu’s Astuteness

Chintu Monkey and his friends studied in a school in the jungle. The school was located far away from where the animals lived. The young animals would have to walk a long distance to reach the school everyday.

Chintu Monkey didn’t like walking even though he was very adventurous by nature.

There were big trees on both sides of the path that led to the school.

One day, Chintu noticed them and had an idea.

“Hey!” he thought. “I can go to school by swinging from one tree to another tree. If I do that, I won’t have to walk to school like the others do.”

So, Chintu Monkey began swinging on the trees. It saved him a lot of time and also saved him the trouble of walking.

All the other animals watched Chintu Monkey with awe.

One day, Tiny Tortoise saw Chintu swinging on the trees and said, “Look at Chintu! He is bold and fearless. He reaches school in just a few minutes by swinging on the trees. Isn’t he lucky? We have a long distance to walk! It takes all our time!”

All the animals applauded Chintu’s decision of swinging to school. They would whistle and clap and cheer for him when they saw him swinging from tree to tree.

But Chintu Monkey had grown very proud of himself and his clever thinking. He would often make fun of his friends and bully them.

It rained very heavily one morning. There was a strong wind blowing too. Like every day, Chintu Monkey and his friends left their homes to go to school.

“My, the wind is really strong today!” Chotu Rat said. “It will surely blow me away. It’s even blowing the leaves and twigs away from the trees!”

Chotu Rat then turned to Chintu Monkey and said, “Chintu, why don’t you walk with us today? The wind is strong and it’s raining heavily.

It will be safer if you walk.”

Chintu Monkey ignored Chotu Rat’s suggestion. “I am an expert swinger!” he boasted and continued swinging on the trees.

“Ah! This wind is so pleasant,” Chintu thought. “The branches are swaying with it! I’m enjoying the raindrops too! Chotu Rat was silly to suggest that I should walk with them to school today!”

But when Chintu Monkey tried to hold the branch of the next tree, he was in for a rude shock. The branch had bent with the force of the wind and grown weak. It snapped as soon as Chintu caught it and broke into two.

Unfortunately, this branch was right above the river and Chintu Monkey found himself falling into the water below.

Fortunately, Chintu was a good swimmer. He managed to save himself from drowning and swam to the river bank.

But he was soaking wet. His books and school bag were drenched too.

“What shall I do now?” Chintu thought worriedly. “I am as wet as a sponge! If my friends see me in this condition, they will surely laugh at me. We are having a school test today so I really can’t turn around and go home!”

Chintu Monkey panicked and looked around, wondering what to do.

He spotted Tiny Tortoise walking slowly and had an idea.

“Tiny, come here!” Chintu ordered. “I want your help!”

Tiny Tortoise ignored Chintu and continued walking. It took him a very long time to reach school and he couldn’t waste even a precious moment by stopping.

Besides, Chintu had made fun of him and bullied him so many times.

“Come here, Tiny!” Chintu Monkey commanded. “If you don’t, I will tell the teacher that you haven’t studied for the test.”

Tiny Tortoise was startled. He knew that Chintu Monkey was capable of doing such things.

“Please, don’t do that!” Tiny Tortoise said and stopped. “I will do as you say.”

“Good,” Chintu Monkey said. “Now listen carefully, Tiny. I am going to tell all our friends that you were drowning in the river. I will also tell them that I got wet because I jumped in to save you. You have to nod when I tell them that. I do not want anyone to know that I had fallen into the river because of a broken tree branch. Is that understood?”Chintu said sternly.

“But…but we tortoises live in water,” Tiny Tortoise said.

“We feel very safe in the water. In fact, we can swim very well. Everyone knows that!”

“Don’t worry, Tiny!” Chintu said with a laugh. “Our friends are quite stupid. They will believe my story!”

Soon, Chintu Monkey’s friends came along. They were shocked to see how drenched Chintu was.

“Chintu, what happened to you? How did you fall in the river? Did you fall from the tree?” Chotu Rat asked, looking very shocked.

“Oh! I can’t fall off a tree!” Chintu lied. “I am an expert swinger! I saw Tiny Tortoise falling in the river. He was drowning. I jumped into the water to save him. That’s how I got wet.”

Tiny Tortoise nodded as he had promised.

All the young animals began to clap. “Oh Chintu! You are a hero!” they said. “You saved Tiny Tortoise’s life! Come on! We will tell the teacher about your brave deed. You should be rewarded in front of the entire school.”

Chintu’s friends then ran to school and told Teacher Dumbo Donkey all that they had heard.

“Well done, Chintu!” Teacher Dumbo Donkey said lazily.

“As a reward for saving your friend’s life, I am giving you a holiday today. I will even exempt you from the test. Go home and play.”

Chintu Monkey ran out of the school gates happily. “Ha Ha! I fooled everyone! They think I’m a hero! And guess what? I don’t even have to appear for the test!” he said and laughed.

He then began swinging on the trees again. •

MANU AND TINU’S BRAVERY

It was a Sunday morning. Manu and Tinu were playing cricket on the playground near their house. Suddenly, the ball bounced hard and went into the adjoining house.

“Oops!” Manu said. “Tinu, our ball has gone into Seth Malmalram’s house. Come on! Let’s go and get it back!”

Both the boys then ran towards Seth Malmalram’s house to look for their ball.

“Look! There’s our ball,” Tinu said and pointed towards the ball that had fallen near a window.

The two boys then went closer to the window to retrieve their ball.

It was then that they heard the strange noises coming from inside the house.

Manu and Tinu were curious. They knew that Seth Malmalram was a quiet person and rarely made any sounds. They peeped through the window and looked inside.

The two boys were horrified by what they saw.

Seth Malmalram was gagged and tied to a chair. There were two men in the house besides him. They both looked very shady.

“Oh no! Seth Malmalram has been gagged and tied to a chair!” Manu said, looking very shocked.

“Those two men must be thieves!” Tinu said as he watched the two men.

“I can see them opening the drawers and cupboards. They are stealing jewels and money from the house.”

“We should do something and save Seth Malmalram from being looted. He is our neighbour after all,” Manu said, looking very concerned “Tinu, why don’t you run to the police station? Tell Inspector Shyam what we’ve just seen. I will stay here and teach these fellows a lesson!”

Tinu did as he was told and ran towards the police station.

Manu stood still for a moment, wondering what to do. He spotted a motorcycle that was parked outside the house.

“Aha! This motorcycle must belong to the thieves!” Manu thought. He found a sharp stick and punctured both the tires of the motorcycle. “This will slow down their escape.”

Manu then looked around and found some stones. He picked them up and put them in his pockets. He then went back to the house and sneaked in after opening a bathroom window.

Manu found a small bucket of water lying in the bathroom.

“This will come handy,” he said, picking the bucket up.

Manu then tiptoed and went into one of the bedrooms. There was a big almirah kept there.

“Hmm,” Manu thought. “The thieves haven’t come into this room as yet. But I’m sure they’ll be here soon.”

Manu climbed on a chair and kept the bucket on the almirah’s top. He then climbed to the almirah’s top and sat there, quite sure that the thieves would come soon.

Manu had guessed correctly. After some time, the thieves entered the room.

“We will get a huge booty today, Chunty!” the thief whose name was Bunty said. “Only this almirah is now left for us to loot!”

“Yes! Let us open it and take whatever we can, Bunty,” Chunty said and grinned.

The two thieves put their hands forward to open the almirah but to their surprise, something fell on them. It was the bucket of water that Manu was taken from the bathroom.

“Ow!” the thieves screamed. They were startled and stepped back at once.

“Who’s there? Who has thrown water on us?” Bunty shouted.

Manu spoke in a throaty voice and said, “I said that. I am the almirah. You both have dared to open me without asking for my permission. I will punish you for doing that.”

The two thieves were astonished. They had never heard an almirah talk before.

“Bunty, did… did this almirah just say something?” Chunty nervously asked.

Bunty was nervous too. But he didn’t want to show his friend or the almirah who he believed could talk, that he was scared. He tried to sound as bold as he could and said, “We are not afraid. You cannot stop us from opening you.”

Bunty put his hand forward to open the almirah again. Manu, who was crouching on the top of the

Manu, who was crouching on the top of the almirah and clearly out of the thieves’ view, pelted the thieves with the stones he had picked up.

The two thieves were terrified now. They were shaking like leaves and wondering how an almirah had stoned them. They ran towards the door.

“Let’s get out of here!” they both shouted. “The almirah must be haunted!”

The two thieves opened the door and ran towards to their motorbike.

But to their dismay, they found it punctured.

“The tires are punctured!” Chunty cried. “What bad luck!”

“Forget about the motorbike! Let’s run instead!” Bunty shouted.

The two thieves turned to run. But they had a rude shock when they saw Tinu standing there. Tinu had arrived at the nick of time with Inspector Shyam.

Bunty and Chunty panicked when they saw Inspector Shyam. He was already pulling handcuffs out of his pocket.

“Going somewhere?” Inspector Shyam asked and arrested the thieves at once.

Manu and Tinu then ran to untie Seth Malmalram who thanked them and praised them for their bravery and intelligence.

Inspector Shyam then invited the two boys to the police station where he rewarded them with a medal and a certificate each.

Manu and Tinu were very happy that day. Whoever thought so much adventure could come from a lost cricket ball!

A sip of freshnes

BLOW HORN

Riya and Manya had gone to their grandparents with their parents. Their car was left alone in the garage.

‘All of them have gone for a vacation but have left me alone here. Now for 20 days, I will be stuck in this darkness. Riya was telling Manya that they are going for 20 days to the grandparents,’ the car thought and felt sad.

The car looked around in the garage to see if there was somebody to talk so that it could pass time. It spotted a rat who was busy eating something.

“Brother Rat, how are you?” When the car called, the rat got terrified and hid inside a box.

“Why are you getting frightened? This is me, the car. You are getting so scared hearing my voice as if I am a cat,” the car laughed, “Anyway leave all these things. For 20 days its just the 2 of us in the house. Everyone has gone out.

Will you play something with me?”

“Later, right now I am going to the kitchen. I won’t get a better opportunity to eat to my heart’s content in the kitchen. I will rule the kitchen for the next 20 days,” the rat said overjoyed and ran out of the garage.

‘I shouldn’t have told him about everybody is out. Now he will not come to the garage,’ the car thought.

It was 12 at night. The car too was trying to sleep. Just then the rat came back running to the garage. “Phew, life saved

“Phew, life saved,” he was panting.

“What happened?” the car was startled.

“You had told me that there is nobody in the house and all will come after 20 days, so I was sleeping in the kitchen. But now 2 people came inside the kitchen. I was about to be crushed under their feet.”

“That’s very nice.”

What? I was about to get killed and you are saying that it is nice.”

“No Brother, the man must be Riya and Manya’s father. I am feeling happy thinking that I won’t have to stay locked in the garage for 20 days,” the car said joyfully.

“But none of them was Riya and Manya’s father.”

“Then they must be the neighbours whom they must have asked to keep a check on the house.”

“Might be possible,” the rat said. The garage opened at that time and 2 people entered inside.

“Appu, there is a car in the garage. Instead of taking 10 small things from the house, it’s better that we take the car itself,” One man said to the other.

“Pappu, in that case, get inside the car. Let us take the car.”

“Stupid, if we start the car then the neighbours will come to know that there is somebody in the house. This can put us in a loop. We will have to push the car and take it away,” Appu hit Pappu’s head with his hand and said.

“They are thieves,” the car panicked.

“Raise an alarm to chase them away,” the rat said and started shouting loudly saying ‘Thief, thief.

“Stop it. Your voice is so soft that nobody will be able to hear you and even if they do, no human would understand you. It’s anyway good that they are not able to understand you, otherwise, these thieves would have beaten you dead.”

“So what shall we do now?”

“Till they don’t start the car, I can’t do anything, but you can do something.”

“What?”

“You blow the horn which will cause a loud sound and the neighbours will wake up. Then these thieves will have to run away,” when the car said this, the rat went inside and stood on the horn but it didn’t blow. By that time Appu and Pappu had pushed the car outside the garage.

“Brother Rat, do something.”

“What should I do? I am standing on the horn but it is not blowing,” the rat said.

Appu and Pappu were taking the car towards the gate. When the rat couldn’t think of anything, he bit Appu’s hand and again stood on the horn. Appu saw the rat inside the car and wanted to punch him.

The rat moved from the horn and Appu’s hand touched the horn which started blowing loudly.

“What are you doing, you stupid? If you will blow the horn at this hour, the neighbours will wake up,” Pappu shouted furiously.

“A rat bit me and I was hitting him.”

“Appu, leave the rat and quickly get out from here,” Pappu said, pushing the car. As soon as they reached the gate, they found the police waiting for them.

“How did the police come here?” Appu was shocked.

“We are here because of your stupid behaviour. We were taking rounds over here when we heard the sound of the horn. We came here wondering who was the horn at this hour and found you two,” the policeman said, putting handcuffs in their hands.

“That means we got caught just because of a rat,” Appu-Pappu said, holding their heads.

By that time, the neighbours also came over. They put the car back in the garage and put new locks to the garage and the house.

“Thank you, Brother Rat. You saved me from those thieves.’

“That was my duty, Sister Car. Now you take rest and I will also leave.”

“Where are you going at this hour?”

“In the kitchen! When else will I get the opportunity to live and eat in the kitchen,” the rat laughed and said. The car too started laughing.