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Surprise Birthday Party

Dadaji was visiting Aayush for his birthday. Aayush had invited all his friends to his house for a party. 

Aayush introduced everyone to his grandfather and the kids played many games. After spending an enjoyable evening, they bade goodbye and left.

“Aayush, all your friends enjoyed the party. But Rohan was quiet most of the time.” Dadaji said to Aayush when they had cleared the room.

“Dadaji, Rohan’s father was a captain in the army. He was killed during the Kargil war. Since then, Rohan remains sad most of the time.”

“Oh!” said Dadaji understanding Rohan’s quietness.

“Dadaji, why was the Kargil war fought?” asked Aayush sitting down. 

“In our northernmost region of Kashmir, lies the mountain of Kargil on the line of control with our neighbour, Pakistan. The Kargil War was fought in 1999 from May to July to protect the line of control. It was a very difficult terrain and our soldiers fought bravely for nearly sixty days and finally succeeded in getting back the occupied territory on the 26th of July by fighting Pakistan’s soldiers. Many lives were lost on both sides due to the war.” explained Dadaji.

He continued, “Therefore every year on 26th July we celebrate Kargil Victory Day in memory and pay homage to our brave soldiers.” 

“Rohan’s dad died in this war,” said Aayush sadly and added, “Not just that, he died on the day of Rohan’s birthday, which is why Rohan does not celebrate his birthday anymore.”

“He is a young child. He must be torn between celebrating his birthday and the memory of his father,” said Dadaji thoughtfully.

“Yes. And he misses his dad very much. His mother also does not want him to celebrate his birthday,” added Aayush.

“When is Rohan’s birthday?” suddenly Dadaji asked.

“Next Monday, Dadaji,” replied Aayush.

“Alright. Let’s get a good sleep. You must be tired.” said Dadaji.

“Goodnight Dadaji!” said Aayush and went to bed.

The following Monday at Rohan’s house, his mom asked him to wear new clothes. 

“Why should I wear new clothes, mom?  We do not celebrate my birthday,” said Rohan, quietly looking up at his mother.

Even though Rohan did not understand what was happening, he did what his mother asked, and put on new clothes.

Just then the door bell rang and mom asked Rohan to open the door. When he opened the door, he saw Aayush’s Dadaji, Aayush and his friends standing there.  They had balloons, a big cake and gifts in their hands. They all shouted together, “Happy birthday, Rohan!” Rohan did not know what to say and looked at his mother who was standing nearby smiling.

Dadaji told the children, “Come, let’s start decorating this room with balloons.” The children got busy with decorations and soon the room was ready.

“Happy Birthday, Rohan?” said Dadaji.

“But Dadaji, I do not celebrate my birthday.” replied Rohan.

“Dadaji spoke with your mom and explained her that if your dad had been here today, he would have loved to celebrate your birthday. So your mom and my Dadaji got together to arrange this surprise birthday party for you,” said Aayush.

Rohan looked at his mother with tears in his eyes. She just said, “Come, it’s time to cut the cake!”

Rohan cut the cake and the room once again was filled with wishes of “Happy birthday!” pouring in.

Confidence Boost?

Robbie rat was nibbling on some grains under a tree, when he heard Billu cat approaching. He started trembling. He got so busy looking around to see where Billu was coming from, that he forgot all about running away. 

Just as Billu was about to pounce on Robbie, Sweety squirrel jumped in and landed between them.

This distracted Billu and Sweety quickly jumped again onto the tree. This gave Robbie a chance to escape and made Billu angry.

Billu mumbled, “That naughty Sweety ruined everything. I’ll take care of her later.” She left from there.

A while later, Robbie came out of hiding and started looking around to see if Billu was nearby. 

He was still trembling with fear. He thanked Sweety for her help. 

Sweety said, “You could have been killed because of your carelessness. I saved your life today, but I won’t be around every day. Why are you so scared? Listen to me, and stop being so fearful. Billu is not around here anymore and when she is, don’t lose your wits. You must learn to save yourself.”

Robbie took a deep breath and said, “Sweety, I don’t know how to stop being scared. I am never at peace with Billu around.” 

“The picture of her fierce face is always on my mind. I feel she will pounce on me any moment,” said Robbie.

“You have called me a friend, and so I’m your friend from today. It is sensible to be scared of Billu. But to be always living in fear—that’s not right! From today onwards, go about your business. We will see how Billu should not scare you again,” said Sweety confidently.

“But if you are not around and I don’t see her coming, and she pounces on me, then what will I do? I wouldn’t even be able to call out for help,” said Robbie, shivering again at that thought.

“No, I mean you should be alert, but not scared all the time. Come with me, I’ll show you how enemies can stay together in many different places. They eat and play, enjoy themselves, but are also alert. They aren’t scared all the time,” Sweety explained to Robbie.

“I never thought about it like that. Look at this tree itself. There are so many birds living here. There are crows, sparrows, hawks and also snakes living in holes in the tree. They all live their lives without fear,” Robbie answered.

“See you understood this yourself. When others are not scared, why are you? Now let’s go a little ahead. Let me show you something,” urged Sweety.

Robbie and Sweety set off together. “Let’s go towards the river bank,” said Sweety.

They reached the river bank and saw many goats drinking water from the river. Ducks and buffaloes were swimming in it. 

Suddenly, a crocodile rose from the river, and Robbie cried out, “Oh! What a beast! Does it also live in the river?”

“Yes, it does. The river has many small and big fishes. If they were always scared, they would never be able to live their lives,“ said Sweety.

“You’re right!” said Robbie. They went further.

Sweety said, “Earlier, I used to stay on another tree. One day I was watching some peacocks dance, when all of a sudden a tiger came out of nowhere
and pounced on one of them. I simply shut my eyes in fear. When I opened
them again, I saw that the peacocks had flown away.”

“Similarly, I’ve seen deer giving their predator a slip. When I saw these different animals living without fear and with confidence, I too followed their example. All I do now is stay alert. Carelessness can cost lives. So one should always be careful and alert but not scared,” explained Sweety.

“Yes, I understand you. But tell me something, why did you leave the forest and
come to the city?” asked Robbie.

“When humans started cutting down trees in the forest, I had to leave it and come here. I now live here peacefully, and also I have you as my friend!” said Sweety, happily.

Robbie said, “I too am pleased to have met you. Shall we leave for home now?”

“Yes, let’s go!” and both of them started walking back.

As they neared their home, they saw Billu approaching them.

This time, instead of being scared, they quickly changed course and hid in hollows of a tree.

Sweety said, “That was a nice outing. Let’s rest, and then we can play together.”

“And we’ll not be scared of anyone! Thanks, my brave friend!” said Robbie and went to his bill.

Robbie no longer felt scared and nervous as before. Sweety’s encouragement had made him brave and smart.

Annual Cycle Race!

Like every year, this year too, a cycle race was being organised in Haritvan. All participants had to get their names registered with Jumbo elephant.

Although the race was a week away, Rohan rabbit, Bholu bear, Dumpy monkey and Chunky donkey had got their names registered. 

Chunky was taking part in the race for the first time. Rohan, Bholu and Dumpy had been taking part in it every year.

All of them, except Chunky, owned racing cycles.

Last year Rohan had won the race. This year too, he was confident of his victory. He had the best racing cycle in all of Haritvan, as his was from abroad. 

Chunky was worried as his cycle had become old and rusty. Although, he had registered himself, he realised that he had no chance of winning the race with his old cycle. 

All of his friends gathered at the Haritvan field in the evening for practice and preparation.

When Chunky reached the field, he found Rohan and Dumpy already practicing. 

Chunky too joined them. But when they saw his old cycle, they started laughing at him. 

“Chunky, your cycle should be put up as an antique in the museum. How do you expect to win with this junk cycle?” said Rohan.

“If you take my advice, Chunky, you should withdraw your name from the race. One needs a good racing cycle like ours to win the cycle race,” advised Dumpy.

Chunky was hurt but held back his tears. He left the field and quietly went back home. As soon as he entered the house, he dropped his cycle on the floor angrily and sat on his chair, crying.

When his mother saw him crying, she came up to him and asked, “What happened Chunky? Why are you crying?”

Chunky shared everything with his mother and asked her for a new cycle for the competition.

Chunky’s mum stroked his hair fondly and said, “Chunky, you know right now, we do not have enough money to buy a new cycle. As far as participating in a race goes, you can do that on your old cycle as well. You can win with it too.”

“Don’t give me false hopes, mum. How can I compete with Rohan and Dumpy’s new cycles with my old rickety cycle?” said Chunky, drying his tears. 

“Don’t worry if your cycle is not new. Practice regularly. You still have a week before the race. Don’t pay any attention when Rohan and Dumpy tease you. Concentrate on practising,” said Chunky’s mum. 

“We can spend some money and get your cycle repaired by a good mechanic,” his mum added.

The next day Chunky took his cycle to the mechanic who put oil in the chains, changed its gears, and gave it a polish. 

Chunky’s cycle looked good and rode smoothly. Chunky started his practice with determination. 

Every day, he spent two hours cycling around the ground. At first he would get tired easily but slowly, his stamina built and he was able to take many rounds of the field without getting tired. 

Rohan, Bholu and Dumpy were full of confidence of their racing cycles. They did not practice much. Every evening they turned up at the field, but instead of practicing, they just sat there gossiping and laughed at Chunky. 

Chunky did not pay attention to their comments and just kept cycling. 

On the day of the race, the participants stood on the start line. Chunky was quiet while Rohan, Dumpy and Bholu, boasted of their sure-shot victory.

Cheetah Singh whistled and waved to start the race.

Rohan shot like an arrow and was soon ahead of all. 

Just behind him were Dumpy and Bholu with Chunky coming in last. 

But a little ahead, Rohan’s cycle started giving trouble and he got down to try to set it right. 

Now Dumpy was in the lead. Bholu and Chunky followed him.

Chunky’s mother was there to see the race. She kept encouraging her son, “Well done Chunky! Keep on Chunky!”

After three rounds, Dumpy and Bholu started getting tired and they slowed down. 

Chunky, because of his training, kept on cycling and left the others behind, and won the race easily. 

Sheru lion went on to the stage and said, “The winner of today’s race is Chunky. Not only did he win the race, but has completed it in the shortest time, setting a new history in the cycling history of Haritvan. He gets a special award along with his trophy.”

Chunky went on the stage with a big smile on his face. He was thrilled when he was presented a brand new racing cycle along with the trophy. King Sheru asked him to speak a few words. 

“I won the race because of my mother. If she had not encouraged me, I would not have taken part in the race, because my cycle was old and rusty. I felt I would not win the race on it. But my mother explained to me that to win a race, we need hard work and practice, and that is why I dedicate this to her.” 

All the animals cheered him and his mother was very proud and happy for him.

Rainwater Harvest!

This summer had been very hot in Champakvan. All wells and ponds had dried up. 

Due to water scarcity, King Shersingh announced, “All citizens of our forest are requested not to waste water. Until the rains start, water will be supplied just for one hour in the morning and evening everyday. Everyone will have to manage with it.”

All the animals of Champakvan realised that the water problem was serious and started using water sparingly. 

But Titu butterfly did not care, and would wash the leaves of her plants and sprinkle the ground with water daily. She loved playing with water.

All tried to persuade Titu not to waste water but she continued to use water carelessly. 

All the animals complained to King Shersingh who called her.

He said, “Titu, you are so small. You need just a little water for drinking and bathing. Then why do you use so much water? Though you are using the water given to you, when you use it for this purpose, it makes all the others angry in the jungle. 

Titu said, “I suffer from dust allergy. When dust is around, I get sick and start sneezing and am unable to breathe well. I cannot sleep. That is why I have to sprinkle water around my house.”

“Even then Titu, try to save water as much as possible. If you can, instead of washing the leaves, wipe them with water. 

In front of the king, Titu agreed but when she went home, she kept using water as per her wish. 

All the animals wanted to go to King Shersingh to complain against her. 

Cheeku rabbit lived near Titu’s house. 

He said, “It is not wise to trouble the King for every small thing. I have thought of a plan so that Titu can continue playing with water and yet it will not be wasted.”

“How is that possible? asked Meeku mouse.

“Let’s see. I will not talk about it!” said Cheeku.

Next day, the animals saw that Cheeku was burrowing beds under Titu’s tree. After two days, he planted vegetable seeds in the beds.

Titu did not realise that she was watering vegetable plants because she was busy watering her leaves and home. 

In a few days, small shoots appeared from the beds. The vegetable garden grew under Titu’s home. 

When Shersingh learnt about it, he too was happy. 

At that moment, he received an invitation from Dara rhinoceros, the Minister of their neighbouring forest, Kanchanvan.

The invite said, “Like every year, this year too, we are organising water sports in our big pond. We request you to be Chief Guest at this year’s water sports.” 

Shersingh was bewildered. He asked the messenger, Nitu porcupine, “In our forest, with great difficulty, we are able to provide water. Our wells and ponds are dry and you are having water sports. How have you kept your ponds full of water?”

“If you too celebrate the Forest Festival like us, then there will be no scarcity of water in Champakvan,” said Nitu.

“Forest Festival? What is that?” asked Shersingh.

“We plant plenty of trees in our forest. And we take care of our existing plants and trees, make the best possible use of objects made from wood. Pencils and paper that are made by cutting trees, are not wasted, so as to avoid cutting trees. Because of this, our forest is quite cool and we don’t need to run air conditions and coolers. That way, we have water and electricity. Most importantly, we collect and store rain water by water-harvesting. We use the stored water for all our needs, and the wells and ponds in our forest never dry up. All these help us in organising water games even in summer.”

“Now I understand. We too will plant trees in abundance in our forest and will collect rain water by water harvesting. We too will celebrate Forest Festival. Please tell Dara that I will surely come and enjoy the water sports. I thank him for the invitation.”

Tinku Saves The Day

Tinku was a clever boy and would think of a new game every day and use his knowledge to lord over his friends who lived in his society. 

Tinku’s father was a police officer at the international airport. 

One day when Tinku’s father returned home, he looked sad and upset. Tinku looked at him and understood that something wasn’t right. He went close to his father and asked, “Dad, what’s the matter? You look very stressed today.”

“Yes, son. I am, in fact, very worried today. For the first time in 15 years, I met a man who did not speak a single word even though he was being questioned by us for more than 10 hours.”

Listening to his father, Tinku said, “Who are you talking about, dad? Who is not saying what?”

“Tinku, today we received news that a man would get diamonds into India from an international flight. When we caught him at the airport, we searched him thoroughly, but we couldn’t find a single diamond. Even after we questioned him, he didn’t say anything.”

“Then the news that you received may have been false,” said Tinku.

Listening to Tinku’s logic, his father said, “No son. The information we received is correct. And we caught the same bearded guy whose description matched the information we received.” 

“Did you comb through his beard to check for the diamonds?” Tinku laughed and said. 

“What do you mean Tinku?” his father asked, sitting up.

Tinku said, “Dad, you must have heard the Hindi phrase that goes, ‘a blade of grass in the thief’s beard’. So I asked if you combed through his beard to search for the diamonds.”

Tinku hadn’t even completed his sentence when his father got up suddenly and left on his motorcycle.

When his father returned two hours later, he looked happy. 

“Dad, you look very happy. Did your problem get solved?” asked Tinku.

“Yes, son! Today, thanks to you, we were able to catch the thief red-handed,” replied his father.

“So you found the diamonds? Please tell me where they were,” said Tinku.

“They were exactly where you said they would be–in his beard! That smuggler tied together the diamonds with a black thread and made a chain of it. He then tied it to the back of his long beard.”

Tinku jumped up excitedly and said, “Then I should get a prize dad. I helped catch a thief.”

“Yes, sure I’ll give you a prize.” Dad picked Tinku up, placed him on his lap and kissed his head.

Caught In The Snare

Jaggu wolf, Tima jackal and Pengu rhinoceros were skilled thieves.

One day, they were walking down a narrow bylane when they noticed a board hung outside an office that said, ‘Employment for Thieves – Contact this office.’

“Look! Look! This board says, ‘Employment for Thieves’,” Pengu pointed at the board, excitedly.

Jaggu and Tima stared at the board with their eyes wide open. They could not believe it.

“Come, let’s go inside,” said Tima, and all three of them went in.

Montu rabbit was sitting in the office. On the table lay sample applications and stacks of old and new files.

Jaggu, Tima and Pengu did not recognise Montu. Though he belonged to Shantivan, he had spent his childhood in the city.

“Are you looking for employment?” Montu asked when he saw them inside his office.

“Yes. But is the board true?” Jaggu asked him doubtfully.

“Yes, it is true. We provide employment for thieves. If all of you are thieves and have adequate experience in theft, pickpocketing and loot, then you can apply here for work,” replied Montu.

Jaggu, Tima and Pengu felt hopeful of getting a job here.

“What work will we have to do?” asked Pengu.

“Work of theft and loot. A company in a foreign country provides employment to thieves, gangsters, dacoits, pickpockets and robbers. I represent that company,” said Montu.

“Three of us are skilled thieves. It is difficult now to live on small thefts and pickpocketing. Hence, we would like to take up employment. What do we have to do for it?” asked Jaggu.

“Once you fill this application form, you have to appear for a written test and an interview. If you are successful, then I will send you to the foreign country on an airplane. You will be paid a salary and will be given all the comforts in this company.” 

Listening to Montu, their eyes brightened with hope and joy. 

“But how do we give you proof of our theft, loot and pickpocketing? We have no proof of our work,” asked Jaggu.

“Don’t worry about that. On this form, write the number of thefts, who did you loot and whose houses you broke into. Mention all this in the interview too. That’s all!” said Montu.

The conditions for employment seemed easy. So, all of them submitted their applications and went home. 

After a week, all of them came back to Montu’s office for the test and interview. In the test, they wrote about the details of theft, pickpocketing, and loot. 

In the interview, Montu asked Pengu, “Tell me the names of the people who were your victims.”

“Tengu tortoise, the teacher, was buying vegetables in the market. I stole his
wallet that had his full month’s salary,” said Pengu.

Then Montu turned to Tima, “And what have you done?”

Tima replied, “It was Diwali night. Kalu bear had gone to the hills to celebrate with his family. I made a tunnel into his house and crawled out with his jewellery, mobile and 20,000.”

Then Montu looked at Jaggu who said, “Actually, all the incidents of theft, loot, dacoity and pickpocketing in Shantivan have been our doings. We have stolen 10,000 from Dodo dog’s shop. 

When contractor Ganju elephant was coming out of the bank after withdrawing 10 lakh, we looted him and ran off with the cash. We had worn masks, so no one recognised us.”

“Very well, this is enough proof! All of you have passed the test and have got
the jobs. You all are truly skilled thieves! Next Monday, come with your luggage here. First, we will go to Delhi and then get on a flight. Congratulations!” said Montu.

Next Monday, Jaggu, Tima and Pengu arrived at Montu’s office with their luggage.

Just then a closed van stopped in front of the office too. “Go and sit in the van with your luggage,” said Montu.

All three of them got in the van.

About half an hour later, the van stopped at the main police station.

Jaggu, Tima and Pengu peeped through the window.

“Is this Delhi or a police station?” asked the three of them.

“We are caught in a snare!” Jaggu stammered.

The door of the van opened. “Get down,” ordered Inspector Jagdal elephant. Seven constables were standing around the van with their rifles.

“Why, what have we done?” Tima asked the inspector in a trembling voice as he got down.

“You have committed criminal acts of stealing and pickpocketing. You picked the pocket of Tingu teacher, stole Kalu’s jewellery and mobile and looted Ganju contractor. You yourselves have admitted to these thefts in writing. Therefore, you are arrested,” said Inspector Jagdal and put them behind bars.

Montu was happy with his achievement. He had recently moved to Shantivan and after completing his training as a detective, this was his first successful assignment.

Clever Rizo!

Rizo mouse was returning home. On the roadside, Coco cat was walking with a limp.

“I have sprained my ankle. Will you please help me walk to my house?” Coco requested Rizo.

“I don’t trust cats. What if you eat me?” Rizo said, walking away quickly.

“Oh, kind mouse! Please don’t be afraid. I have stopped eating mice. I am a vegetarian. My ankle is sprained and I am unable to walk. It would be very kind of you to help me walk to my house,” said Coco with an innocent face.

Rizo felt pity for Coco and decided to help her reach home.

After reaching home, Coco smiled and said, “Thank you for your help! You must be exhausted with the heat outside. Come inside and have a cool drink. You’ll be refreshed.”

Since Rizo’s mouth was dry, he agreed and went inside the house with Coco.

She got a glass of cool drink from the kitchen.

After having the drink, Rizo was ready to leave. Suddenly, his head began to spin and he fell down.

Waking up, he found himself inside a wooden rat cage. On one side of the cage was a little door. On the other side, there was an iron net. Besides him, there were two other rats inside the cage. 

After a while, the door opened and Coco entered the room. “This cat cheated and trapped me,” Rizo murmured to himself.

Looking at Rizo through the iron net, Coco made a frightening face and said, “To trap clever mice like you, I have to take the path of cheating. Otherwise, what will I eat? I will die of starvation.”

“I made a mistake in trusting you,” said Rizo.

“A cat and a mouse can never be friends. Who makes the mistake has to suffer! Sit here and count your days. I am travelling for two days. On returning, I will eat you as my delicious meal,” said Coco and threatened the mice with her sharp claws.

Coco opened the cage’s door and slid a bowl of water and bread inside.

“I am keeping the food here so that you don’t die out of hunger and thirst,” and Coco locked the door and walked away.

The other two trapped mice were Kukoo and Neeloo. They too had been cheated and tricked by Coco.

“There is no point in crying over what has happened. We have to find a way to get out of this cage. We only have two days,” Rizo said to Kukoo and Neeloo.

“It is impossible to get out of this cage,” said Neeloo.

“Yes, even I have tried several times. My teeth can’t even drill this wooden door,” Kukoo added.

Rizo looked at the two mice and said, “Look, friends, the three of us must find a way out of this trap. Otherwise, the evil cat will eat us.”

They began thinking of ways to escape. 

Rizo used a lot of force and tried to break the door of the cage. However, it was sturdy and did not break. Besides, there was also a lock at the door. All his efforts were in vain.

Just then, the bowl of water caught Rizo’s attention. He observed the bowl carefully. The bowl was old. Its surface had a lot of lines and there was a crack in it.

Rizo picked the bowl and started to break it with his sharp teeth. Kukoo and Neeloo stared at him.

After a while, Rizo succeeded in breaking the bowl into two pieces. He then picked up a piece to use it like a knife. He held the smooth edge and placed the sharp end on the other side of the iron net. 

“Now, I will try and cut the iron net with the help of these pieces. If we take it step by step, we will be able to cut the net in a short while,” Rizo explained and handed one piece to Kukoo. They began to tear away the net. 

When Kukoo got tired, Neeloo took over. And like this, the three mice took turns in cutting the net of the cage.

After a few hours, there was a slight tear in the net.

“Hurray! Friends, we are making progress. Just a few more turns and we will be free from this cage,” Rizo encouraged Kukoo and Neeloo. 

The three continued to cut the iron net.

After a few hours, the net had been torn from one corner.

Rizo bent the torn portion with his paws. There was enough space to get out of the cage. First, Kukoo came out, then Neeloo followed and at last, Rizo came out.

Coming out of the cage, the three mice breathed a sigh of relief.

“Now, let’s move out before Coco returns,” Kukoo said.

They spotted a small window-like opening at the top of the room and the three climbed up and escaped.

Coming out of Coco’s home, Neeloo and Kukoo thanked Rizo, “We were able to escape the cage only because of your cleverness. If you hadn’t been there, we would have died.”

“I would not have been able to cut the net alone. Both of you helped me because of which we were we able to escape the cage. This is the victory of our unity and hard work,” said Rizo and smiled.

The three pledged to never trust a cat again and walked towards their homes.

Matter Of Cheap Milk

In those days, Kaalu buffalo’s milk business was profitable. He was very hardworking. Kaalu would sell milk all day long and return home only after checking the accounts. 

The animals of Kanchanvan liked the pure milk sold at his dairy. But Jojo jackal was very jealous of Kaalu. Jojo too wanted to open a dairy but was not successful at it. 

“If Kaalu sells a litre of milk for INR 50, I will sell it at half the price,” Jojo thought to himself. To make milk cheaper, Jojo mixed the pure milk with chemicals and powder, adulterating it. The adulterated milk looked exactly like pure milk.

“Now, no one will be able to doubt this milk,” Jojo chuckled.

The following day, Jojo opened his dairy with a board that read, ‘Pure and fresh milk at half the price’.

Soon, his dairy was crowded with animals who wanted to buy cheap milk.

“Oh wow, good-quality milk at half the price!” Rinki cat exclaimed while reading the contents of a milk packet. “Is this milk fresh?” she asked.

“Do you have any doubt? One of my friends has opened a milk factory in a nearby village. Every morning, I go to the factory and bring pure and fresh milk,” Jojo assured.

There were many customers standing in a long queue outside Jojo’s shop and he earned a huge profit that day.

“So much money in just one day! If my luck works like this each day, very soon I will become a millionaire,” he said to himself.

Very few animals bought milk from Kaalu buffalo’s dairy.

“I wonder why the animals didn’t come to buy milk today,” he thought and sent his friend Chotu mouse to investigate.

After investigating, Chotu explained that all the regular customers had bought milk at Jojo’s shop who was selling milk at half the price. “Should we also lower the price of milk?” he asked.

“No. We sell pure milk at the right price. We earn a small profit from it. If Jojo can sell milk at a cheaper price, let him do so,” Kaalu answered.

Next day, again Jojo’s dairy was filled with customers while there were none at Kaalu’s dairy.

When King Lion came to know about this, he came to Kaalu’s dairy and said, “The milk from your dairy costs too much. Jojo is selling the same milk at half the price.”

“I know, your majesty. But I cannot lower the price of milk,” Kaalu answered.

“By selling milk at such a high price, you are robbing the animals of Kanchanvan,” King Lion roared in anger. “I will see how you should be punished,” saying this he walked away.  Many animals watched this. Kaalu’s eyes filled with tears, but he remained silent.

It was time for King Lion’s son, Sheru’s birthday. To make sweets and kheer for his son’s birthday party, King Lion ordered several litres of milk from Jojo’s dairy. Jojo’s joy knew no bounds.

At the birthday party, the animals licked off the yummy sweets and kheer. But not long after midnight, many animals began to feel sick. Some started to vomit while others had loose motions.

“I am unable to understand. Every ingredient in the food was of good quality. Then, how come everyone is falling sick!” King Lion roared.

“Majesty, I think that there was some problem with the milk,” minister Browny bear said with suspicion. “You see, I did not eat either sweets or kheer, and I am absolutely fine.”

“Hmm, I think you are right. Every year, milk is brought from Kaalu’s
dairy. But this year, we brought it from Jojo’s dairy.”

“Let me investigate the matter,” saying this Browny left the party. 

After keeping an eye on Jojo for a couple of days, Browny saw Jojo mixing chemicals in the milk at his house.

On learning the truth of the matter, King Lion was filled with rage. “The cheap price of Jojo’s milk fooled all of us.” He ordered Jojo to be arrested immediately.

Next day, when Kaalu opened his dairy, he found King Lion standing there. “Majesty, you, in my dairy?”

“Yes. I am here to have a cup of tea from your dairy. And also, to apologise,” saying this King Lion told Kaalu everything. “Kindly forgive me, Kaalu. I insulted you in front of all the animals that day.” Kaalu  immediately forgave King Lion.

“Here is a cup of tea for you, majesty,” said Chotu Mouse cheerily while serving the king.

“Are you sure that this cup of tea has been made from Kaalu’s milk?” hearing this, the entire Kanchanvan was filled with the roars of laughter.

Problem Solved

“See, Nini, what I got. We can use it as a boat.” shouted Pilu mouse, joyfully dragging half a coconut shell that looked like a cup.

“Won’t this sink in water?” asked Nini.

“No, it does not,” and Pilu dropped the coconut shell in the river. It floated.

“Oh, good. Now our work is done,” said Nini taking it out of water. “Come, let us fill it with maize and wheat grains.”

Both got busy and filled the coconut shell with grains and put it on the water.

“Where are you going, taking these grains?” Kalu crow asked from the
tree above.

“Kalu bhai, some of our friends live across the river; we are taking these grains to them and will bring barley and millet from there,” Pilu explained.

“Yes, millet and barley grow in plenty there,” Nini completed the information.

“But why don’t you use the bridge?” asked Kalu.

“The bridge is very far from here. And we will have to carry the grains all the way to the bridge. It will take a lot of time and effort,” Pilu said.

“Taking the grains across the river is closer and easier. That is why we got this boat,” Nini explained.

“But how will you row it on water?”

“See these two sticks. We will use them as oars,” said Pilu, showing him
the oars. Then both of them got on to their handmade boat and left.

The next day, the king of the Champakvan forest, Shersingh lion, called a meeting of all forest dwellers.

He then called Pilu and Nini to the front.

Both started trembling with fear, “What mistake have we made, your majesty?” they asked.

“Don’t be afraid, Pilu and Nini. You have made no mistake. Your intelligence has made me think of a solution for the forest.”

“We didn’t understand, your majesty.”

“I’ll explain,” Shersingh addressed the audience. “You all know the roads of our Champakvan forest are crowded. Because of the traffic jams, our animals are not able to reach their workplaces on time. Pollution has also increased. We tried to solve the problem by making more use of two-wheelers, car-pooling, using double-decker buses on busy routes and constructing flyovers. We made green corridors by planting trees on both sides of the roads. We also made vertical gardens on the pillars of the flyovers. There has been some difference by these methods but the problem has still not been solved. Yesterday, you both showed me a way to solve the problem with your intelligence.”

“And what is that, your highness?” asked Minister Jumbo elephant.

“You all know the river that flows through many parts of our forest. If we use the river for our transport, then we can solve the traffic problem.”

“Transport on the river? I do not understand,” said army general
Blacky bear.

“We will operate boats on the river. Small boats can ferry light goods and passengers and bigger boats will carry heavy goods. This will also provide employment to many persons, ease traffic jams on the roads and reduce pollution. We will construct ports where passengers and goods can embark and disembark from the boats.”

All applauded.

“I am not the person you should applaud. Pilu and Nini deserve it. Yesterday, when I was on tour of the forest, I saw these two using a coconut shell as a boat and exchanging grains with their friends across the river. I wish to award them
for this.”

Pilu and Nini were thrilled. They had been of use to their Champakvan forest.

Toto’s Nest!

One day Toto, a tailor bird, thought of building a nest for herself. She flew around and found a garden on the banks of a river in Champakvan forest. She was delighted to see a variety of plants and trees and animals and birds in the garden.

Toto made introductions with the residents of the garden and thought, “This place is beautiful. I should make my nest here.”

Toto chose a large tree and started to build her nest on it.

She finished stitching half of her nest in no time.

Kallu crow who also stayed on the same tree saw her nest and thought, “Her nest is so artistic and mine looks shabby in front of hers. Anyone who sees our nests, will only praise hers.”

Kallu flew over to her and started to caw mockingly.

“Why are you cawing?” asked Toto.

“Why wouldn’t I?” replied Kallu. “You are working so hard to build a nest on a tree that is not safe at all!” he continued.

“Why do you say that the tree is not safe?” asked Toto.

“This tree is home to many predatory birds who keep coming here,” said Kallu.

“But your nest is here too?” she pointed.

“I too, am looking for a new tree to build my nest,” replied Kallu. This was enough to convince Toto and she left her unfinished nest and started looking for a new tree to build a nest on.

She looked around and saw a mango tree and started to weave a nest on it. While she was still stitching her nest Kutty cuckoo visited her and said mockingly, “O Toto, you are being so stupid!”

“Why do you say that?” asked Toto. 

“This river floods whenever it rains heavily and the nest will get washed away into the river when that happens,” Kutty explained. Toto looked at the rapid river flowing near the tree.

“Look, even I haven’t made my nest. I just hide among the leaves of the mango tree and spend my days here,” said Kutty.

The fear of getting carried away by the flood waters, Toto gave up her unfinished nest and started looking again for a new place.

She saw a cluster of shrubs nearby and decided to build her nest on a nice shrub. As she was weaving her nest, Jumpy monkey came and started looking at her nest in amazement. “What are you looking at?” asked Toto.

“I am observing how hard you are working to build your nest by bringing twigs over one by one and then weaving them into your nest. But, did you check whether the timing was auspicious to do so? You started building your nest at a time which is not lucky,” said Jumpy. His words scared Toto.

“I am a priest; I can tell you the right time to build your nest and can perform the necessary pujas too,” he offered.

Toto was swayed by Jumpy and she broke her nest in the fear of it being unlucky for her and requested, “Jumpy, please tell me the correct time to build my nest.”

Jumpy took out a thick book from his bag and picked out an auspicious time
for Toto and took his fees and left from there.

When the time was right, Toto performed the required rituals and then started to build her nest.

Cheeku rabbit, who stayed nearby, had been observing Toto since morning. He had seen her destroy her nest at Kallu and Kutty’s insistence. 

It was the third time when Toto had broken her nest in the shrubs after being fooled by Jumpy’s words. Cheeku felt sorry for her.

He went to her and said, “You have been trying to build a nest but you leave it unfinished because of what others say.”

Toto looked at Cheeku with tears in her eyes.

“You look tired. Come to my house for the night and take rest. Then start building your nest tomorrow morning,” offered Cheeku, kindly.

“But then the auspicious time for building the nest will be gone,” she said worriedly.

“All this is nonsense! Jumpy fooled you but that’s his business,” Cheeku explained.

Toto was exhausted after repeated attempts at building her nest and had no energy to build a new one. She was extremely hungry too.

She thanked Cheeku for his offer and went with him to his house. Cheeku served her food that she ate to her heart’s content.

“You are sincere and hard working. And you are skilled at making nests.” 

“But…?” asked the Toto looking at Cheeku questioningly.

“You don’t believe in yourself. Anyone who doesn’t have faith in themselves gets easily swayed by other people’s opinions. Not having self-belief makes us think that we cannot finish anything successfully. A person who believes in herself can do things even before starting a project,” explained Cheeku. 

He further added, “You listened to Kallu when he scared you of predatory birds, but the truth was that he was jealous of your beautiful nest. When Kutty told you that your nest will be destroyed by the floods, she said so because she too was jealous of your nest-building skills as she has never built a nest in her life. Later you got carried away by Jumpy’s words of superstition. If you had kept faith in yourself, your nest would have been ready by now and you wouldn’t have to
go through so much trouble.”

Toto understood what Cheeku was saying.

Next morning, she woke up early and built her nest with self-confidence. Her nest was ready in a hours and she hosted a party. 

She did not forget to invite Kallu crow, Kutty cuckoo and Jumpy monkey for the feast. After all, they too had made her realise her shortcomings!

Rina Learns A Lesson

Rina’s dad worked at a bank and was transferred to a small city. As her annual examinations were over, Rina too went to the new city with them and her parents took her admission in a school there.

The infrastructure of the new school was not as modern as her old school’s, though the teachers and education was up to the mark. 

On her first day, after returning from school, Rina threw her bag on the sofa and said angrily, “I’m not going to this school from tomorrow!”

“But why? Today was just the first day!” asked mom. 

“I don’t like the school nor do I like the students!” she said angrily. 

“Rina, you shouldn’t judge people so quickly, before you get to know them. You may make friends here too,” explained mom.

“Huh!” said Rina, and stomped to her room.

Rina was a smart kid, but she could not bring herself to like the new school. She thought that the students here were less than her in the way they spoke, the clothes they wore­­—in every way. 

She wouldn’t mingle with them. She was too proud of her knowledge and intelligence and became a nuisance in class, always looking for weaknesses in others and making fun of them. 

The other students avoided her because of her behaviour. Even though the class teacher advised her to make friends, she turned a deaf ear to him.

At home, mom explained, “You shouldn’t look down upon others. Everyone is different and special in their own way.” But nothing could convince Rina to change her behaviour.

A few months later, the school arranged a visit to a historical site, a few hours away from the city. Rina too, put her name upon the insistence of her parents.

The bus left at eight o’clock in the morning with two teachers and students. All the students were excited about the trip and were laughing and talking amongst themselves, except Rina.

After they reached the spot, they all had their breakfast and trekked to see the fort.

As per the teacher’s instructions, they all walked in small groups. Only Rina walked alone.

The rains had started and the hilly region had become moist. Rina was admiring the greenery around when her foot hit a boulder and she tripped and fell.

The students closest to her rushed to help. Her face and head were bleeding. The teachers too came to help her. Some of the students ran and got the first-aid box from the bus. One of the teachers applied to medicine, put a bandage on her wound and asked her to rest in the bus. 

Rina was sad because her trip was ruined, and because she was hurt, her eyes
started watering.

After the students came back, they all had their lunch and the bus started its return journey. 

Seeing Rina quiet and upset, the other students told her stories about the fort, and asked if she wanted water. One of them told her many jokes to make her laugh. They all looked after her and Rina now regretted her behaviour. She had wasted a lot of time without making friends because of her pride.

After the bus reached school, everyone headed for home. When Rina reached home, she told her mom everything. 

Two days later when Rina went back to school, she could not see eye-to-eye with anyone. She quietly sat at her desk. During lunch break, she took her tiffin-box and went to a small group of friends who were surprised to see her approach them. 

“I’m so sorry for how I’ve behaved with all of you. Please forgive me. Can I sit with you for lunch?” she asked.

They were stunned for a moment, but then welcomed her warmly and joined as if nothing happened before. Rina was overjoyed because she had made many friends today.

She returned home and told her Mom about her new friends. Ma too was happy seeing the change in her daughter’s behaviour.

Unforeseen Drama!

Raj stepped out of his house, swinging his cricket bat and placing a cap on his head, dashed to his friend, Vineet’s house.

As soon as he rung the doorbell, the door was immediately opened by Vineet.

“Hey, I was just waiting for you. Let’s go,” Vineet said excitedly tossing the cricket ball up in the air.

Laughing, both of them headed to the ground.

They took their positions and started to play.

At one point, Raj hit the ball so hard that it went flying through the air.

“What a shot, Raj! Superb!” clapped Vineet.

Raj grinned and said, “Thanks. How about going and getting the ball now?”

“Very smart.” Vineet made a face and left.

Vineet looked for the ball but was unable to find it.

Puzzled, he wondered where the ball could have fallen.

Then he looked at the huge building next to the ground where construction work had stopped and hesitated. 

From the ground, one could see the back of the building.

Vineet wondered whether the ball could have gone through one of the back windows.

He decided to go inside the building and find the ball. As he entered the building, a man with a gruff voice came out from inside it and ordered him to stay out.

“Uh…I wanted to come and find my ball that may have fallen in through
the back windows of the building,” Vineet explained.

Glowering, the man barked, “Go away.”

Vineet got scared and turned away reluctantly.

He wondered who that man was and why he looked so angry.

Vineet walked away and then looked back.

He saw the man was shouting at someone on his mobile phone, looking very tense.

Vineet hid around the corner and waited patiently.

After a few minutes, the man disconnected the phone. With his eyes on the road, the man started walking to and fro, as if waiting for someone to come.

The area around the building was deserted. Suddenly Vineet saw an old beat-up car come in speedily and brake near the gate of the building.

From inside it, three men jumped out, dragging a bound and gagged boy who looked as old as Vineet.

The four men then dashed inside the building with the boy.

Wide-eyed and horrified, Vineet realised that this was a scene right out of a movie. The only difference being that this was no movie but real life.

Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Scared and ready to scream, he turned around. To his relief, he saw Raj and Vineet felt himself go weak at the knees.

“Gosh, you scared me!” Vineet gushed.

“Let’s get out of here,” Raj whispered.

Soundlessly, the boys ran away from there and went to Vineet’s house. In his room, they discussed what they had seen.

Raj too had seen the men drag the boy inside the building and they knew the boy had been kidnapped.

It was decided that Raj would get permission to sleep over at Vineet’s house that night so they help the kidnapped boy.

After everyone had gone to sleep, the boys crept out and walked towards the building site. Both were wearing black clothes and carried backpacks. They paused near the corner of the building and looked around.

Finding the lot empty, they went towards the front. Apart from a scarecrow tied to a pole on the first floor to ward off evil, there was no one around.

They bravely tiptoed their way in. As they went in, they could hear faint sounds of laughter coming from the far end of the building.

Cautiously, the boys reached the end and peeped inside a room there.

The four men were playing cards and cracking jokes. Next to them on a chair, the boy was gagged and tied to it.

Without making a noise, and placing his phone on silent, Raj took several snaps
of the kidnappers and the boy on his mobile phone. 

Asking for help, he forwarded the photos and their location to the local police station number that he had saved on his phone earlier in the evening.

Just as the boys were feeling relaxed, one of the men asked, “Is the car ready, Dev? We have to leave from here in half an hour.”

“Yes, all ready,” nodded Dev.

The boys were shocked to hear this as they hadn’t expected the men to leave.

Vineet whispered, “Now what?”

Raj’s mind raced and then his face brightened.

He whispered, “Go and deflate one of the tyres of the car. And wait there for me.”

Vineet nodded and dashed off.

Raj soundlessly made his way up the steps to the first floor. He reached the edge of the building and untied the scarecrow.

Grabbing it, he went downstairs and flattened it against a tree.

He took out a can of kerosene from his backpack and drenched the scarecrow. And then he left a trail of kerosene from the tree to a faraway bush, where he had planned to hide with Vineet.

Then going up to Vineet, Raj signalled him to follow him to the bushes and wait for the kidnappers to come out.

They came out of the building after some time, pulling the boy with them.

As they neared the car, Dev exclaimed, “Oh no! We have a flat tyre!”

The boss roared, “You idiot! You said the car was ready. Change the tyre immediately.”

While they all waited impatiently, Raj lit the trail of kerosene which caught fire and soon the scarecrow was also on fire.

Horrified, the boy forgotten, the men ran towards the scarecrow.

Taking this opportunity, Vineet and Raj came out of their hiding place and took the boy to their hiding spot. They quickly freed him.

When the men realised the boy was missing, they started shouting at each other.

Just at that moment, with sirens blaring, the police arrived and captured the men.

Raj and Vineet came out of their hiding place and took the boy to the police who then called the boy’s parents. 

The police praised Vineet and Raj but also told them that next time, instead of capturing the kidnappers themselves, they should immediately alert the police and their parents. 

Both boys nodded at that because they realised they could have risked their and the kidnapped boy’s lives in trying to save him by themselves.

The Missile Man

A guided missile was being installed on a vehicle called the missile launcher. The vehicle had seen such a device for the first time. He asked the machine, “Hello, my friend! Nice to meet you. I am seeing you here for the first time. Who are you?”

The missile smiled and said, “I am a machine made by Indian scientists and I can be controlled by computers to hit a specified target.”

The vehicle who did not understand what the machine said, asked, “What is your name? Maybe I’ll understand you better with your name.”

“I’m a guided missile,” said the missile.

“Ah!” said the vehicle and asked, “Weren’t you developed by the missile man,
Abdul Kalam?”

The missile was feeling happy that the vehicle had recognised her and said, “Yes, that’s me! Missile Man Abdul Kalam along with other Indian scientists made me by developing the technology for the first Indian guided missile!”

The vehicle was curious and said, “Tell me more about Abdul Kalam.”

“All right!” the missile said. “I have been with him for a long time. He and his team designed and built me. Do you want to hear the story?”

“Yes,” the vehicle said. “I’ve been alone for a long time. There’s no one to talk to me here. I would love to hear his story.”

The missile loved to talk about his maker. Who would not? He said, “Abdul was born on October 15, 1931, in the town of Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu. Rameswaram is a famous tourist spot. It is at the tip of the Indian peninsula.”

“Yes, Rameswaram is a beautiful town where one can see the three different water bodies—the bay of Bengal, the Indian ocean and the Arabian sea, meeting each other,” added the vehicle.

“Yes,” said the missile. “Abdul’s father, though not formally educated, was a man of clear and simple ideas. He was strong-willed and believed in hard work. Their family was very poor. His father rented boats to fishermen. The family income was limited. Abdul’s family was huge and there were many mouths to feed.”

“Abdul studied in Rameswaram. He told me once his teacher Iyadurai was teaching students about the science of flying, but the children could not understand anything.”

“So Iyadurai took them to the seashore, and showed them birds flying there, and explained the lesson again. This had a huge impact on Abdul and he decided that he would build a career in aviation science when he grew up.”

“His teacher always said—to achieve success in life, one must have strong will power, faith and patience. Once a student understands and masters these three qualities, he/she can achieve anything in life.”

“So true,” agreed the vehicle.

“Abdul made this his life motto. When his family faced money difficulties, he took on the job of distributing newspapers in the morning and then went to school after that to study.”

“Sometimes, his math tutor called him at 4am for extra lessons. After class, he would go and distribute newspapers, and later go to school. After returning from school, he would sit at the flower shop to help his father.”

“He faced many difficulties in life,” said the vehicle, feeling sad for young Abdul.

“Yes,” said the missile. “But he did not let the difficulties stop him. He just kept working on them one step at a time. In 1957, he graduated in Aeronautical Engineering from Madras Institute of Technology.”

“Oh yes! You did say that flying was his childhood dream!” said the vehicle, excitedly.

“Yes, he realised his dream. And now it was time to put to work what he had studied. After graduation, he joined the Defence Research and Development Organisation, an Indian military research institute, as a scientist.”

“Soon, he joined the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), where he worked with a team of rocket engineers to set up a rocket launching station, which is used even today. In his career at ISRO, he built the Satellite Launch Vehicle or SLV. And in July 1980, for the first time ever, India successfully launched satellite Rohini in space using the SLV. India became one of the few countries to have done so.”

“Due to his contributions, Abdul was made the Project Director-General of ISRO. He continued working on his core passion along with other scientists. Their achievement of launching satellite Rohini in space made India an exclusive member of the International Space Club.”

“Wow! That is indeed a great honour for India,” said the vehicle, feeling very proud.

“Yes! But Abdul dreamt India should achieve advanced space technology. He wanted India to be honoured by the whole world. Vikram Sarabhai had made it possible for India to enter the field of satellite and launch vehicles. Abdul worked with the team at ISRO on the designs of target-controlled missiles or guided missiles that built missiles like ‘Prithvi’ and ‘Agni’.”

“Right!” said the vehicle. “And you’re built on the same technology. The fact that you’re installed on me makes me proud too.”

“Thank you!” said the missile. “I’m a guided or target-controlled missile.
Abdul was then entrusted with the development of nuclear technology to strengthen India’s defence capabilities. He was also appointed as the adviser to the Defence Minister from July 1992 to December 1999. And that introduced
him to politics.”

“Yes, I know some of that,” said the vehicle. “He became the President of India on July 25, 2002. And remained the president till July 25, 2007.”

“Yes, and after that, he stepped down from politics. He spent his time studying and writing books. He shared his knowledge with the students and at the same time wrote several books to enlighten and guide the youth. He said that no work in life is difficult. If one is determined, one can overcome all difficulties. His books include Wings of Fire and India 2020.”

“He had clearly defined goals for India in his book India 2020. While teaching a class at the Indian Institute of Management, Shillong, he suddenly had a heart attack.”

“What?” said the vehicle, in shock. He continued working until the last breath of his life,” said the missile and paused. 

“I heard that he received many awards including the Bharat Ratna, Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan and the Hoover Medal. But I don’t know his full name till today. Do you know it?” asked the vehicle.

“Yes,” said the missile. “His full name was APJ Abdul Kalam or Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam.”

At that moment, someone started the vehicle. “Well, it’s time for me to work now! When we catch a break, we will chat again!” said the vehicle.

The missile looked at the scenery around and enjoyed the view and its thoughts on its creator

Dhruv’s Balloon

Dhruv belonged to a poor family. His father was a labourer and his mother worked as a maid. Dhruv wanted to go to school but his father didn’t have money for his education. He barely earned enough to buy food.

Dhruv didn’t understand this. He really wanted to go to school.

“Papa, when will I go to a school? All other children my age go to school. I wish to go too. Even I want to have a school bag, a pen, a notebook. I hate picking trash,” sobbed Dhruv.

“Dhruv, going to school is expensive. How am I going to buy you a uniform or books? I don’t earn enough to send you to school. When I earn more, I will surely send you to school,” replied Papa. 

“You have been saying that for the last two years. I’m nine years old now. When will I go to school? I want to know how to write my name” said Dhruv, in between sobs. 

“I will do something about it very soon,” said Papa and left for work.

Dhruv was sad. His dream would never come true. His father could not do anything and neither could he. 

He took his bag and dustpan and left to collect garbage from the street corners. 

He had a couple of friends who used to collect garbage with him. Dhruv did not like them much. They always fought and Dhruv hated that. They used to make fun of Dhruv since he always talked about studying.

They would say, “Dhruv is only interested in education like rich people. Poor people shouldn’t care about education.”

But Dhruv wished to study. He wanted to be successful in life and do something so that no child had to live like him.

One afternoon, Dhruv saw a balloon seller. He was filling gas in the balloons that rose and flew high in the sky. 

Dhruv saw a mother buy a balloon for her daughter who was crying. She said, “Don’t cry, Sakshi. Take this balloon! It flies very high!” 

Sakshi took the balloon and wiped away her tears immediately. She was happy and played with her balloon.

Dhruv thought the balloon wipes away sadness and maybe it could help him find a way to go to school so that he wouldn’t be sad. 

He had some money in his pocket and went to the balloon seller to buy a balloon.

He asked the balloon seller, “Will this balloon make me happy?”

“Of course! It makes everyone happy! It can fly very high, even higher than the sky. It costs five rupees only,” said the balloon seller.

“Please be honest. Will this make me happy?” asked Dhruv.

“I’m saying nothing but the truth. This balloon goes very high in the sky,” the balloon seller replied.

A teacher was listening to this conversation. He too was buying balloons for his children. He found Dhruv’s questions interesting. 

The teacher asked Dhruv, “Why are you asking the seller such questions?”

“I want to be happy and the only way I can be is if I study. This balloon made that girl happy so I’m sure if I buy it, I may find a way to go to school and be happy,” said Dhruv, full of hope.

“Is that so?” the teacher inquired.

“Yes, I wish to go to school like other children. Even I want to study. Does being poor mean I have no right to get an education?” Dhruv asked, tearfully. 

“Don’t worry, boy. You will start going to school very soon,” the teacher said, gently placing his hand on Dhruv’s head.

“But I haven’t bought the balloon yet,” said Dhruv, confused.

“Don’t worry, my dear boy. I am a teacher at a school nearby. Now tell me, where is your home? Take me there. I will talk to your family about sending you to school,” the teacher told Dhruv.

Dhruv was overjoyed. He and the teacher walked to his house. 

“Our government provides free education to poor children. You should send Dhruv to a government school. You won’t have to pay fees. And if there’s any other expense, related to education like tutoring or buying more books, I will pay for the other expenses. You need not worry about anything,” the teacher explained. 

Dhruv’s parents were delighted to know that. They didn’t know that school admission was free. With the help of the teacher, they completed Dhruv’s admission process. 

After a few days, Dhruv started going to a nearby school. He didn’t have to collect garbage anymore. He was happy and started studying with dedication.

Kinjal’s New School

All schools across the country had been shut due to the lockdown.

But in July and August, schools were reopening in some cities for students in higher grades. Students started preparing for their new school year. 

While most of them were buying new school bags, books, tiffin boxes and water bottles for the new year, Kinjal was nervous about joining a new school this year. 

Kinjal’s father had been officially transferred from Kolhapur to Mumbai in March, before the lockdown. The entire family had moved to Mumbai with him. 

Kinjal was going to grade 6 and school would begin in August this year. 

Her father had enrolled her in one of the reputed schools in the city. When she had first visited the school, she had noticed that the new school was nothing like her previous school. It was huge and had so many classrooms. This thought was making her nervous.

One morning, Kinjal sat in her garden, thinking about her new school. She had many questions that bothered her. 

“How will I adjust to the new school? Will I be able to make new friends? How will my new friends be? How will the new teachers be?” She could not any find answers. 

Ma saw her looking worried and asked, “Kinjal, why do you look so worried? What is bothering you?”

“I am thinking about my new school, ma, and I am really scared. Will I be happy in my new school? I have too many questions and no answers,” replied Kinjal.

“I can help you get answers to your questions,” said ma. 

“How can you help me?” asked Kinjal.

“You’ll see tomorrow. Now, let’s go inside and have dinner,” said ma. 

Next morning Kinjal’s mother took her to their next-door neighbour’s house. They had a daughter named Neha whom she had met when they just moved in. Neha’s mother welcomed Kinjal and her mother. She served them tea and some snacks. 

“Kinjal has been worried about going to her new school so I thought she could meet Neha before school starts,” said Kinjal’s mother. 

Kinjal was confused when her mother said, “This is Neha and she too is in grade 6 with you. She has been going to this school since she was in class one. She knows the school well so you can speak to her and get some answers to the questions you had.” 

Kinjal was relieved to hear this and smiled.

Neha and Kinjal greeted each other and began talking. They became friends in
no time. 

On the first day of school, Kinjal and Neha boarded the school bus together. They chatted on the bus and Neha told Kinjal many more things about the school. 

Once they reached the school, Neha guided Kinjal to their class. She made her sit beside her and introduced her to all her friends before the teacher came. They all welcomed Kinjal. 

Neha even introduced Kinjal to their teacher who knew that Kinjal was new and made her feel welcomed. 

Kinjal had lunch with her new friends and even shared her tiffin with them. Before the recess got over, Neha took Kinjal around the school and showed her the school library, the playground and other classes. 

Kinjal was happy as she learned so much about the school in very little time. 

After the lunch break, Kinjal focused on her studies. She felt confident and responded to the questions in class. 

When school was over, Kinjal felt good about the day. She was grateful to Neha for being so helpful. 

When they sat on the bus, Kinjal said, “I was afraid of joining a new school and feared my first day, but with your help, I feel much better. You helped me sail through my first day in school. Thank you very much, Neha.” 

“You’re most welcome. I, too, had fun being around you and making a new friend this year,” replied Neha. 

Kinjal shared the experience of her first day with ma who was happy that Kinjal had already made friends and was comfortable in her new school. 

Kinjal and Neha started going to school together every day. Kinjal made many friends in her new school and was happy that she overcame her fear.

Will guessing work?

Champakvan Public School was one of the prestigious schools of Champakvan. All the parents wanted their children to study there as it had many good teachers and facilities. Toto turtle too was a student of the school. Though he moved slowly, his brain was fast and he was a sharp and bright student. He usually stood first in his class.

Baddy fox studied in the same class as Toto. Baddy never paid attention to his studies. He would ask others for answers during exams. He spent a lot of his time and energy learning new ways to cheat. He had been punished a number of times for cheating in his exams but he did not mend his ways.

A few days before their half-yearly exams, their teacher Jumbo elephant explained, “The question paper in your half-yearly exams shall carry all objective type questions so you must all prepare accordingly. Each question shall have four answers and you have to choose the correct answer. And remember do not even think about cheating. If anyone is caught cheating he or she will be thrown out of the school,” warned Jumbo.

The children were happy with the multiple-choice paper, as then they wouldn’t have to write long answers. 

All were well prepared for their exams except for Baddy fox. He was nervous as he had not studied for the exams and became worried as the days passed.

Soon, it was the day of the first exam. 

Baddy started sweating as soon as he saw the question paper. He did not know what to do. The question paper had four answers to each question and the students were supposed to write the correct answer in their answer sheet. 

Baddy didn’t know the answers to any of the questions. He started guessing the answers and writing them in his answer sheets. He did the same for each question.

While the other students were writing their answers after carefully thinking about each question, Baddy chose the only way he knew and guessed all the answers.

Some of the students skipped the questions they found difficult and went back to solving them after writing the answers they knew.

After the exams, all the students were excited to know their marks. 

On the day of the result, the students started guessing who would score how much, all in fun.

The results were announced and Toto stood first in his class. All the children clapped and congratulated him.

Baddy’s result surprised everyone including Jumbo Sir. 

Baddy had cleared the exams with good marks. Guessing worked for him. Baddy jumped as he soon as heard he had score 75%. He had scored good marks for the first time and felt very proud of himself.

After school, Baddy teased his friends and said, “You all worked so hard and I cleared the exam without studying. You all should learn something from me.”

His constant boasting annoyed others but they kept quiet. Baddy now stopped studying completely. He started wasting his time even more. The half-yearly results had made him arrogant.

Time slipped and soon it was time for the yearly exams. Baddy had wasted all his time in teasing the others and was now stressed as he had not studied at all.

This paper was very different than the multiple-choice paper. It had questions in which one had to write short and long answers. As soon as Baddy saw the question paper, his mouth dried. He could guess no more. He sat through his exams without writing anything as guessing was of no use this time.

A few days later, the results were announced and the students saw their marks on the notice board. Baddy had failed in his exams. Now, the others made fun of him.

But when Toto saw him crying, he went up to Baddy and soothed him. “Baddy, guessing does not work all the time. There are no shortcuts to success. We can achieve success only if we work hard. Guessing helped you once but it does not work every time. If you study every day, you won’t have to depend on guessing and you will not fail.”

Baddy understood what Toto was saying. “You are right, Toto. From today, I will also work hard and pay attention to my studies. I promise not to take the shortcut.”

Baddy and Toto became friends and Toto started helping Baddy every day with his studies. Baddy was no longer nervous about exams.

Avoiding Diseases?

Kiki camel was fond of eating dates. They were his favourite fruit and he usually ate them without washing either his hands or the fruits.

His grandmother always told him to wash his hands before eating but Kiki never listened.

Kiki was a good student but at home, he was careless. One day, volunteers from a health institute visited the school as part of a health awareness program. The function started at 9am in the school hall. Doctor Gogo giraffe and his team were hosting the program.

Ms Cat introduced Dr Gogo and his team to the students who welcomed them with loud applause.

Dr Gogo was a regular visitor to the school and the children enjoyed his company as he gave them information through fun activities.

Dr Gogo began the program with a skit.

The first scene started with Roko rabbit chewing on some carrots in the field. He was eating them without washing his hands or the carrots. Later, Roko felt sick as he had an upset stomach and was vomiting continuously.

His mother took him to Dr Gogo who checked his stomach immediately.

“But I didn’t eat anything from outside. I just ate some carrots, which I plucked from the field,” Roko said, innocently.

“Did you wash your hands before you ate the carrots and did you wash the carrots in clean water before eating?” asked Dr Gogo.

“No, I did not. I was so excited to see the carrots, I forgot about it,” replied Roko.

In the next scene, Dr Gogo explained the viruses that are found in the surroundings and how these viruses get inside our bodies and make us sick if we eat fruits and vegetables without washing them.

He further told Roko that the worst thing about these viruses is that once you get infected, they spread quickly and can infect his entire family and his friends too! It is contagious and it spreads from one to another.

Roko was surprised to hear what Dr Gogo said and so were all the other children.

He asked, “But how do these viruses get into our bodies?”

Dr Gogo explained, “If we do not wash our hands before eating, these viruses travel from our dirty hands into our mouths and make us sick. Therefore, it is important to wash our hands before we eat anything and to also wash the fruits and vegetables that we eat.”

Roko promised that he will never be careless again and will always wash his hands before eating.

In the next scene, when Dr Gogo offered Roko some red fresh carrots, he immediately ran to wash his hands. He also washed the carrots with clean water.

The skit ended.

Dr Gogo turned towards the children and asked, “Tell me, children, what did you understand from this skit?”

“That we should always wash our hands before eating and also wash the fruits and vegetables that we eat with clean water,” said Harry squirrel.

Jojo elephant asked, “Dr Gogo, can you tell us more about these viruses?”

Dr Gogo replied, “Sure. I will explain it all.”

The children sat silently to hear what Dr Gogo had to say.

“Children, there are various types of viruses that spread just through contact. Our hands touch different surfaces and carry the virus on them. When we sneeze or cough and cover our face with our hands, we should wash them immediately as the virus from our hands can spread to others. Right now, coronavirus is on the rise and it spreads when we don’t maintain hygiene.”

“Another disease called swine flu spreads from pigs to humans and is very dangerous. Pigs first get infected and when a human comes in contact with those pigs, they get infected. Humans can spread these germs when they cough or sneeze as the germs mix in the air and infect others,” explained Dr Gogo.

Kiki camel heard all this and raised his hand to ask a question.

“Doctor, how will we know when we have been infected by the virus?”

Dr Gogo replied, “Each virus has different symptoms. You could get fever, cough, cold, stomach ache, diarrhoea, vomiting and feel weak. You should immediately consult a doctor.”

Rancho monkey asked curiously, “Doctor, how can we protect ourselves from getting infected?”

“It is important that we maintain some distance from people who have been infected. Also, you must cover your mouth whenever you cough or sneeze and wash your hands every time before eating,” Dr Gogo explained.

The children had understood what they were told and they all applauded Dr Gogo and his team. They promised to follow all the rules of hygiene.

Kiki camel realised his grandmother was right and as soon as he reached home, he apologised to her.

She hugged him and forgave him. He promised her that he would listen to what she says.

Fighting The Drought

The forest had hardly received any rain that year. Roro rabbit’s farm that yielded sweet carrots every year produced tasteless carrots this time. 

Rambo elephant’s sugarcane fields were drying up. The yield of papayas and oranges from Bobby beaver’s field was getting spoiled.

The residents were getting severely affected and took their concerns to King Sheru who was aware of the situation. 

He and his ministers had been discussing the problem but they failed to come up with any solution to save the crops and the residents.

“My king, our forest is on the banks of a river that has enough water. If we could find a way to bring that water to the fields, our crops can be saved,” suggested Twinkle mynah. She flew to places nearby and was aware of water bodies around the forest. 

“You are right. But how do we get the water to the fields?” asked the king. 

“My king, if you give the command, all the birds will bring water in buckets made of leaves,” said Twinkle, excitedly.

“That’s very kind of you, Twinkle. I know you are working hard but the birds won’t be able to carry much water and we need more for the fields,” said King Sheru. 

“My king, the elephants can do it. They are huge and will be able to fill water in their trunks and bring it to the fields,” said Twinkle, after a little thought.

Sheru liked Twinkle’s suggestion and he looked at Rambo elephant who said, “My King, Twinkle’s suggestion sounds possible. I will put all the elephants to task immediately but…”

“But what?” asked King Sheru.

“We too won’t be able to supply enough water to the fields,” explained Rambo.

King Sheru had to think of another plan. Gabby bear, Browny leopard, Tyson rhinoceros, Jackie jackal and Sweety deer were thinking of ideas but none of them could reach any practical solutions.

“My king, with your permission I would like to say something too,” said someone in a meek voice.

They all looked around and saw tiny Momo mouse standing with folded hands. 

King Sheru said, “Yes, of course. Tell us what you have in mind.”

“My king, the mice can get together and dig a drain from the river to the fields. It will allow the water from the river to come here easily,” said Momo. 

“Excellent, you have solved the entire problem. This will save our crops from drying,” King Sheru jumped with joy.

While everyone was praising Momo, he looked a little troubled.

“What is troubling you?” King Sheru enquired.

“My king, digging the drain is not a problem but…” 

“But what is it?” King Sheru asked.

“But since the current in the river is very strong, the water will enter the drain with great speed and it will wash a lot of soil with it. It may flood the fields as it will let huge amounts of water into them,” explained Momo. 

Momo’s concerns dampened everyone’s spirits. They realised that in an effort to prevent a drought, they may create a flood. 

This thought disappointed King Sheru the most. Rambo sat with his head in his hands.

Suddenly, Twinkle broke the silence and said, “My king, Momo’s idea is good. We just need to make a few changes.” 

“What kind of changes?” a few animals asked in a chorus.

“First, we can dig a large pit close to the river while Momo and his friends can dig a drain from that pit to the fields. Then the elephants can fill up the pit by bringing water in their trunks. This way, we will control the current of the water and it can reach the fields without causing a flood or harming the crops,” chirped Twinkle.

“That is an excellent idea. We, too, can help to fill the pit with water!” Gabby bear and Bobby beaver said in unison.

“And we can make buckets for the other animals to fill the pit,” Dinki Deer added with excitement.

Tyson rhinoceros came forward and said, “My king, please allow me and my friends to take the responsibility of digging the pit. We can start today.” 

King Sheru happily permitted him. The unity between the animals convinced him that the crops would be saved. 

Everyone performed their tasks immediately. Rambo and his friends joined Tyson to dig the pit. Momo’s team dug a drain to the fields. The rest of them made buckets.

The job was completed in one week. King Sheru filled the first bucket and poured it into the pit. All the others followed his lead. 

Soon, water reached the fields. Roro rabbit received water first and started dancing! Each field was given enough water to grow the crops. Water wasn’t wasted. 

All the animals celebrated their victory against the drought. They even managed to plant some trees. Soon, the weather changed and it started raining! The animals had defeated a drought with their unity.

Food For Mosquitoes

The monsoon rains had made many puddles of water on the street. 

Mosquitoes bred in these puddles and came out of their hiding places in search of food in the evening.  

But one day, a fogging vehicle roamed these streets and let out smoke to get rid of mosquitoes. Many of them suffocated and fell on the ground while many hurriedly left the human public places and flew towards the forest to save their lives. 

The mosquitoes sat in their groups. The Anopheles group leader, Molly female mosquito, was relieved that many of them survived. The Aedes group leader, Pushpy female mosquito was happy looking at her swarm of mosquitoes. Mosquitoes belonging to the Aedes group transmit various diseases to humans like dengue and yellow fever. Anopheles is a group of mosquitoes that are commonly known as malaria mosquitoes. 

After coming a long way, they were feeling hungry. But there was no food for them. 

Molly saw all the mosquitoes hungry and said, “It is just a matter of time before we are wiped out. Today, we were forced to flee human settlements and hide before some of us could fill our stomachs.”

“But why did we have to leave in such a hurry?” asked Coco mosquito from her group.

“Did you not see that every morning and evening, the fogging vehicles spray smoke to kill us? A large number of us breathe the smoke and die! We had to run away from it!” said Molly.

“What will happen to our eggs, which we left behind in the gutter?” asked Sally mosquito with tears in her eyes.

“If we survive, we can ensure our group grows bigger. I have heard that humans are suffering from dengue fever spread by mosquitoes,” said Coco.

“What is dengue?” asked Sally.

“Humans get a headache, fever and red patches develop on their bodies. They also get very weak. Some of them die due to dengue while some survive,” informed Molly. 

“But our group spreads malaria. So, who is responsible for dengue?” asked Sally.

“Dengue could be spread by the Aedes group. If they are causing so much harm, why are we forced to flee from human settlements?” asked Coco.

Aedes mosquitoes, resting nearby, heard this. Their leader, Pushpy said, “What are you talking about us?”

“We said nothing wrong. You must have heard the announcements on the roads that your group of mosquitoes are spreading dengue in human settlements,” said Molly.

“This is not true. We don’t spread dengue or anything. We just suck a little blood from human bodies when we are hungry,” said Pushpy.

“This is exactly what bothers humans. When you suck their blood, your saliva enters their bodies. This saliva contains a virus that causes dengue. The virus gets into their blood and starts growing fast. They fall sick and have to be rushed to a hospital,” informed Molly. 

“Then must we stop sucking human blood and stay hungry?” asked Pushpy.

“As long as your saliva contains this virus, you will have to,” said Sally. 

“But we can’t do this,” Pushpy said.

“If you can’t do it, then be prepared to bear the consequences. Humans will continue to kill mosquitoes and one day, we won’t exist,” replied Sally, sobbing. 

“You are right. But what will happen to us? We’ll stay hungry!” said Pushpy, worried.

“We will have to think of a solution where we don’t bother humans so they don’t bother us,” suggested Molly. 

Pushpy agreed. But before she could leave, she asked, “Do you know why this dangerous virus doesn’t harm us?”

“The virus uses you as a medium to travel from one place to another. You help it to get into human bodies. That’s why it doesn’t harm you,” said Molly.

“Okay. But when humans held you responsible for spreading malaria, they did everything they could to destroy your homes. They used mosquito nets, smoke and devices at every home. How did you all survive that? Can you help us with any solution?” Pushpy asked.” 

“Just leave human settlements and arrange for your food elsewhere. Humans, too, need to survive and they will keep finding new ways to destroy us,” said Coco.

Pushpy nodded and left to discuss with her group. She was afraid the spread of dengue was worse than malaria. 

She gathered all the mosquitoes from her group and said, “In the human settlements, a disease called dengue is spreading because of us. You must have heard the announcements on the loudspeakers that water should not be allowed to collect near houses. They are destroying our puddles so that this disease doesn’t spread. We have to think of a way to survive this. All suggestions are welcome.” 

“If we don’t bite humans, we’ll go hungry!” sobbed Minti, the youngest mosquito. 

“But it’s natural for us to suck human blood. We don’t have any other option, do we?” asked Koko. 

“I, too, can’t think of a good plan,” said Pushpy, losing all hope.

“Wait a minute! We need sugar and blood to survive. But sugar is what we need the most. I’d say, we all only feed on sugar and not humans. This way, we will help humans control the spread of dengue and live in peace. Once humans recover from dengue and stop cleaning the puddles, we’ll go back and settle there,” said Natty, the smartest female mosquito. 

“But where will we get sugar from?” asked Minti, wiping away her tears.

“Oh, Minti. You have only known human blood but for us to survive we need sugar. We get it from flowers and plants in this forest,” said Pushpy. 

“Then, we won’t go hungry?” asked Minti.

“We will have to be strict and stay away from human settlements at least for some time. Whenever we get a chance we will surely go to that side,” said Pushpy.

The other group members were happy with Natty’s idea and flew looking for flowers so that they could fill their stomachs. 

“In future, when humans can fight dengue just like they fight common fever, we’ll be able to go back without any fear,” said Natty, giving hope to the full group.

A Cyclone In Forest!

I need to speak to the King right away! I must meet him now,” said Cheeku rabbit to the King’s guards.

King Shersingh heard and called him in. “Cheeku, what’s the matter?” he asked.

“A cyclonic storm is gaining speed and will soon reach Champakvan. We should take precautions or we’ll end up in big trouble. Many homes will be destroyed,” said Cheeku in a hurry.

King Shersingh was worried. This was the first time a storm was approaching Champakvan forest.

“What will happen when this storm hits Champakvan?” asked King Shersingh as he wanted to know what they should be prepared for.

“The cyclonic storms are moving towards us and will hit Champakvan in 2 days. It will bring heavy rain and strong winds that will destroy trees, homes and may cause floods,” informed Cheeku.

“That’d be terrible! We should alert all the animals right away and build a shelter for them to stay till the storm calms down,” said King Shersingh.

And soon, the news about the approaching cyclonic storm spread through Champakvan. All the animals stocked up on food in their homes.

“What can we do, Cheeku?” asked Blacky bear.

“We have to stay alert. It’ll start raining before the storm arrives. There’ll be strong winds. We have to ensure all the animals have moved to the safe shelter before that. We must keep our mobiles fully charged. We have to move the animals who live in weak houses.”

“Why so, Cheeku?” asked Meeku mouse.

“Because weak houses might break due to strong winds. Not just that, electric poles can also fall during thunderstorms and cause more damage so the electricity supply to the entire forest will be cut until the storm passes. There may be floods, so we have to stay on higher grounds,” explained Cheeku.

“My house is in a bad shape,” said Jumbo elephant. “Where can I stay when it rains?”

“We have built shelters for the animals on the hill. Food has also been arranged. There’s enough space for everyone to move there,” said Cheeku.

“My house is on the mango tree. And the mango tree is very strong. Be it cyclone or thunderstorm, I’ll stay right there!” said Jumpy monkey with a grin.

“Jumpy, your house is closer to the sea. It’s important to keep ourselves safe. Come to the shelter with us,” said Cheeku.

But Jumpy did not listen.

Two days later, all the animals took shelter on the hill except Jumpy.

Soon, strong winds began to blow and it rained heavily. The animals were happy that they were safe. At the end of the day, the winds grew stronger and stronger.

Meanwhile, Jumpy was still in his house. When the storm hit the mango tree, he began shaking terribly.

“Oh, dear!” Jumpy trembled in fear.

He regretted his decision. He, too, should have gone to the shelter along with the other animals.

The strong winds uprooted the mango tree. Jumpy’s house collapsed. He managed to escape but there was a flood.

He took shelter on a strong tree as he was injured and couldn’t travel too far.

After some time, the storm was calm.

“Looks like the storm has passed. We can go back now. But we need to be careful. A lot of trees may have fallen on the way,” said Cheeku to all the animals.

“Be careful!” said King Shersingh. “If anyone needs help, my guards are around to help you.”

The animals returned home.

“Who knows what condition Jumpy is in?” said Cheeku. He was worried about him and set out in search of him.

“Cheeku, look! The mango tree has fallen down! The storm must have uprooted it,” said Roma sparrow.

“Jumpy’s house was on this tree! I hope he’s fine,” said Cheeku, anxiously.

All the animals started looking for him. Jumpy was lying on the branch of another tree. His head was bleeding. They rushed him to the hospital.

He was weak as he had not eaten anything the entire day and had hurt his head. The doctors gave him medicines and saved him.

“I’m sorry, Cheeku,” Jumpy apologised as soon as he woke up. “If I had listened to you, I wouldn’t have had to suffer like this.”

“Come on! You are fine now!” said Cheeku, patting his head.

Jumpy smiled and hugged him.