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“Children, I have an announcement to make. A new student is joining our class today,” said Neha Ma’am.

A strikingly fair boy walked into the classroom.

“This is Varun,” introduced Neha Ma’am.

Varun smiled shyly. Some students smiled back while others turned their faces away.

“He looks like a ghost! I don’t want to be friends with such a weird-looking person,” said Rahul.

“Me neither,” said Shriya.

Rahul and Shriya avoided Varun. They would have lunch together and play together, but they did not invite Varun to join them. They began to avoid Sandeep as well as he was friends with Varun.

“Because of me, Rahul and Shriya have stopped talking to you,” said Varun sadly.

“So what? You are such a good friend to us. We don’t understand why they don’t speak to you,” replied Sandeep.

Soon, most of the students became friends with Varun. He was friendly, helpful and good at studies too. But Rahul and his friends constantly gave him trouble.

One morning, in class, Shriya saw Varun talking to a classmate. She went to Rahul and said to him, “Now is your chance. Varun is busy talking to Sheetal.”

When Varun got up to go for the assembly, Rahul quietly stuck a label on his back. As Varun walked towards the auditorium, the other students laughed at him. Varun was puzzled.

Sandeep pulled the label off Varun’s back and said, “Rahul stuck this on your back.”

The label read “Snow White”. Varun became sad.

Later that day, Varun and his classmates were in the Chemistry lab. Their teacher, Shilpa Ma’am was demonstrating the reactions caused by combining different liquids.

“Observe what happens when I mix these two liquids,” said Shilpa Ma’am, adding liquid from one test tube to another. “See how its colour changes and its gives off a pungent smell. Now, all of you try this for yourselves using the liquids set on the table before each of you. I will be back in five minutes,” she said and went out of the lab.

Rahul opened the cupboard and took out a beaker with some liquid in it. He poured the liquid into the test tube he had in his hand.

“Rahul, don’t!” Varun tried to stop him. But it was too late.

The smoke from the liquid scared Rahul. He screamed and fainted. The other students gathered around Rahul helplessly. Varun held him up and loosened his shirt.

“Open all the windows. Rahul needs to breathe fresh air,” Varun told his friends.

Shilpa Ma’am rushed into the lab. On seeing Rahul lying unconscious, she sprinkled some water on his face. Rahul slowly woke up.

“Are you alright?” asked Shilpa Ma’am. Rahul nodded his head weakly.

“Why did you use the liquid that was inside the cupboard? The reaction it caused was too strong. That is what made you faint,” said Shilpa Ma’am.

Rahul apologised to his teacher.

“You must thank Varun. His timely actions helped you recover faster,” said Shilpa Ma’am.

Rahul went up to Varun and said, “Please forgive me. You helped me despite the way I have been treating you. You are a good friend. ” Varun smiled and hugged him.

“See what my father gifted me!” said Sonal, excitedly waving a red pen.

Her classmates gathered around to see it.

“Wow! What a beautiful pen!” exclaimed Ruhi.

The others nodded their heads in agreement.

“Let me show you a trick,” said Sonal. As soon as she unscrewed the pen’s cap, a light shone from the pen—like torchlight—and a song started to play. Everybody stared at the pen in disbelief.
Later that day, after the lunch break, Sonal looked for the pen in her bag, but it was missing. Bewildered, she checked every compartment in her bag, but her pen wasn’t in any of them.

“Where could it be?” Sonal wondered to herself. Just then, the class teacher, Rashmi Ma’am entered the class.

“What happened, Sonal? You look worried. Have you lost something?” asked Rashmi Ma’am.

“Yes, Ma’am. I have lost the pen that my father gifted me,” said Sonal.

“You may have kept it somewhere and forgotten about it. Why don’t you check your bag thoroughly again?” suggested Rashmi Ma’am. Sonal searched her bag again but she still couldn’t find the pen.

“It isn’t there, Ma’am. I kept it inside my pencil box before stepping out during the lunch break. But when I came back it wasn’t there,” said Sonal.

It may have fallen down. We’ll help you look,” said Raman. All the kids in the class began looking for the pen.

When it still wasn’t found, Sonal began crying. “What if someone stole it?” she said.

“Don’t cry, Sonal. If somebody has taken it, then we’ll surely find out,” said Rashmi Ma’am. She then turned to the class and said, “I want all of you to form a queue. I’m going to check you all one by one.” The students started queuing up. Suddenly, they heard someone say, “What is going on here?”

It was Principal D’Souza. He was walking by when he heard the commotion inside the classroom and decided to check. After Rashmi Ma’am told him about Sonal’s pen, Principal D’Souza said, “But making everyone stand in a queue and checking each one of them is not right. It’s like giving punishment to all of them instead of the wrong-doer.” Addressing the children, Principal D’Souza said, “It’s wrong to take others’ things. See how bad Sonal feels about losing her pen. If any of you have taken her pen, admit your mistake and return it to her; I assure you that you will not be punished.”

Ruhi stepped forward hesitantly. She took the red pen out of her pocket and held
it out.

“I’m sorry. I stole the pen when Sonal had stepped out during the break. I liked the pen so much that I wanted it for myself,” said Ruhi and burst out crying.

“I am proud of you, Ruhi. It takes a lot of courage to admit one’s mistake, that too in front of everyone,” said Principal D’Souza. “I hope you will not repeat
the mistake.”

Sonal felt bad for Ruhi. She went up to her and said, “Ruhi, if you like this pen so much, then please keep it. My father got my brother a similar one. We’ll share.”

“Well done, Sonal!” said Principal D’Souza and Rashmi Ma’am. All the children clapped appreciatively.

The station master blew his whistle. The train was about to start. People rushed to board the new coach attached to the end of the train. Seeing the crowd, the new coach got scared.

The new coach had comfortable seats, clean curtains, high-speed fans, and LED bulbs. The windows, flooring, and ceiling were newly designed. It had internet connectivity as well!

The engineer looked at the new coach and said, “Your strength will be put to test today.”

The train chugged along and it stopped at many stations on its way. More passengers preferred to board the new coach and soon, it was full.

When more people tried to enter the new coach, it screamed at them.

“Hey stop! There’s not enough room for everyone! Why don’t you go and sit in the older coaches?” it said.

But none of them listened to it.

“Wow! You look beautiful,” said an old coach next to the new coach in one of the stations.

“I know I am! But you are so dirty!” said the new coach, making a face.

“I didn’t choose to be dirty. It’s the passengers who made me dirty. If they stop throwing trash and instead treat me like they do their homes, I too would have looked bright and clean,” said the old coach.

“You are just making up excuses,” said the new coach arrogantly.

Just then it saw a passenger blow his nose and wipe his dirty hand on the window. The new coach became angry.

“Hey, you! Stop making me dirty!” it shouted.

But the passenger didn’t listen. It then understood what the old coach had said was true.

“You are right! It is people who make us dirty,” it agreed.

The old coach was very happy that the new coach understood its problem.

“I am being taken for a wash today. But even after that, I will not become as beautiful and clean as you,” said the old coach.

When it was time to leave again, many passengers crowded the new coach.

“Enough! Please stop,” screamed the new coach. But the passengers didn’t listen.

The new coach was so angry that it refused to move. The passengers and the engineer wondered what was wrong.

“Please don’t do this,” warned the old coach.

“Why shouldn’t I?” asked new coach stubbornly. “It is not my responsibility to carry so many people. I will only take 50 people otherwise, I refuse to move. I will not take anyone beyond my capacity,” said the new coach.

The old coach tried to make the new one understand but it refused to listen. The engineer checked the new coach and found nothing wrong with it. He was puzzled.

He then finally said, “This coach cannot be used anymore. We’ll have to take it to the shed where the other useless coaches are kept.”

At the shed, the new coach was happy. But its happiness was short-lived. It was gathering dust and its metal frame was beginning to rust as it lay on the tracks unused.

The new coach waved to the other trains that passed by pleading them to stop.

“Please take me along,” it would cry.

The old coaches would respond saying, “Sorry but we cannot take you along with us. You are new, but you are not able or ready to take the load that we carry.”

That is when the new coach remembered what the old coach had said: “People only care about things that work and are of some use to them. No one cares about things that are lying around unused.”

“The old coach was right. Now, I’m doomed to spend the rest of my life in this shed without being used or cared for,” the new coach thought to itself.

A few days later, the new coach saw a flurry of activity. It was fastened with ropes and lifted from the shed by a crane. When the new coach learnt that it was being taken to the workshop to be fixed and used again, it became elated.

This time, the new coach resolved to work without a protest.

Zizu, the zebra came from the city to Sonavan. Soon he became friends with Banjo, the elephant and Rebu, the rabbit.

Zizu liked the atmosphere of the forest. It was less polluted and there was greenery all around.

Zizu had no place to live. He spoke to Rebu about this problem, “Rebu, can you please help me find a house?”

“Don’t be troubled. There is a vacant house near my home. You can stay there,” said Rebu.

Zizu came to the new house with his luggage.

Early next morning, Zizu was sleeping when Banjo and Rebu came in.

“Zizu, it is morning. Wake up! Let’s go for a walk,” said Rebu.

Zizu woke up rubbing his eyes.

“Why did you wake me up so early? I have not slept properly. I never woke up before ten o’clock in the city,” Zizu complained.

“Zizu this is not a city, it is a village. Here everyone sleeps early and wakes up early. You should get into the habit of waking up early too.

It is good for your health,” explained Banjo.

“I do not want to go anywhere. Let me sleep,” refused Zizu.

“Excuses won’t work. We will not leave without you,” said Rebu.

Zizu had to agree after Banjo and Rebu insisted.

“Okay. I will come along,” said Zizu.

They started to take rounds of the ground. Upon completing just half a round, Zizu started to pant, “Stop! Stop! I can’t walk anymore.”

“Walking in the morning is beneficial for your health,” explained Rebu.

At first, it was troublesome for Zizu to wake up early in morning. But later, he started to enjoy his morning walks.

“Banjo, the environment here is so fresh,” Zizu said with a deep breath.

“Yes, there are a lot of differences between a city and a village,” Rebu said with a smile.

One day, the three friends planned a picnic along the river.

On Sunday they packed things to eat, a ball and bat to play with and also a football. When they reached the river, a cold breeze was blowing.

Spotting a place, Rebu put laid a mat and placed all the things on it.

Banjo too started to relax. Just then Zizu spotted a mango tree, a little far away.

“You both wait here. I will go and get some ripe and juicy mangoes,” said Zizu as he ran towards the tree.

“Zizu, that is a dangerous spot. Please stop. There are muddy puddles around,” said Banjo trying to stop him.

Zizu was greedy for the mangoes. He ignored them and ran towards the tree.

“Wow! I’ve seen ripe mangoes after a long time. I will eat them till my stomach is full,” said Zizu looking at the mangoes.

There were many mangoes on a low branch. Zizu started to pluck them with his arm extended.

He filled his pockets with the mangoes and grabbed some with his other arm. He leaned a little forward to pluck the mangoes when suddenly his foot slipped.

He lost his balance and fell down. His legs got stuck in the muddy puddle.

Zizu tried to free his legs with all his might but he was unsuccessful.

Banjo and Rebu ran to help Zizu.

Banjo shouted angrily “I told you not to go there!”

“Banjo please calm down. This is not the time to get angry. Zizu is in danger. We should think about how to pull him out,” explained Rebu.

Hearing the noise Chirpy, the bird came down. Seeing Zizu stuck in the puddle, she got worried.

“There is a dangerous marsh near the mango tree. That is why no one goes there. If someone gets stuck in the marsh, then it is difficult for them to get out,” said Chirpy.

“Chirpy, Zizu is new to the forest so he did not know about the marsh,” said Banjo worriedly.

“But you are not new to the forest. You should have stopped him,” scolded Chirpy.

“Honestly, even we did not know about the marsh. What has happened cannot be undone but we must think of a way to save Zizu as fast as we can,” said Banjo softly.

On the other hand, Zizu looked nervous. He was continuously trying to pull his leg out. But because of his heavy body he was sinking deeper in the marsh.

Rebu tried to explain to Zizu, “Zizu, do not worry. We will get you out. Please don’t move around.”

Rebu collected some tree vines. He tied them together to make a rope.

He threw the rope to Zizu and said, “Zizu, hold on to the rope.”

At the other end, Rebu and Banjo slowly started to pull the rope. But, Zizu’s body was stuck deep in the marsh. Despite many attempts Zizu could not be pulled out.

“What should we do now? Zizu is stuck quite deep in the marsh,” said Banjo.

“Rebu, if we put water in the marsh then the mud will loosen up. It will be easier to pull Zizu out,” Chirpy suggested.

Everybody liked Chirpy’s suggestion.

Banjo immediately rushed to the river. He filled his trunk with water. He started to spray water near the marsh. Banjo repeatedly poured water in the marsh.

After half an hour, Banjo’s hard work started to pay off. The mud started to loosen up a little because of the water.

Rebu and Banjo made another attempt to try and pull Zizu out. This time Zizu started to come out slowly.

After a while, Zizu was pulled out of the marsh without any injuries.

Rebu and Banjo sighed in relief once Zizu was out.

With teary eyes Zizu said, “Please forgive me. You all had to suffer because of my mistake.”

Rebu smiled and replied, “Zizu, your life was saved because of Chirpy’s practical thinking.  It was upon her suggestion that we were able to save you from the marsh. You should thank her.”

Zizu thanked Chirpy. Chirpy too fluttered her wings and started to chirp.

A long time ago in a village called Bulgaria, there lived a trader named Kultaai. He was very intelligent. He had a horse named Koni, upon whom he would travel for his business trips.

On a cold day, Kultaai was riding the horse on his way to the city. The horse was galloping, so it did not feel cold. But, Kultaai was shivering.

Kultaai wanted to reach the city as soon as possible. He patted the horse’s back and said, “Koni! Run faster.”

Koni ran as fast as it could but Kultaai ended up feeling colder and started shivering even more.

Just then Kultaai passed a hotel outside the city and noticed some people sitting around a campfire, feeling its warmth. He stopped outside that hotel.

Kultaai went near the campfire, but there were too many people already sitting around it. There was no space left for him. He then shook his hand with the people there and said, “Hello! I am Kultaai.”

The people also said, “Hello!”

Kultaai had imagined that people around the campfire would scoot over and ask him to sit next to them. However, he was in for a rude shock as they didn’t invite him to join them. He felt upset and was left shivering in the cold.

Kultaai then thought of an idea to ensure that he too got a seat around the campfire to bask in its warmth through this cold evening.

Kultaai went inside the hotel.

“Is there anything to eat?” asked Kultaai.

“Yes! Why not?” said the hotel owner, “What will you eat? We have roti, sabji, soup among other things,” said the owner as he recited the names of the food items on the menu.

“My horse is very hungry. Can I get some hot soup for him?” he spoke loudly.

Hearing what Kultaai said the people sitting near the campfire started to wonder if a horse could drink soup too.

Just then the waiter who was sitting around the campfire went in and got some hot soup for the horse.

All the people got up from around the campfire and went close to the horse and said, “Let’s see how it drinks the soup.” But the horse didn’t drink the soup.

Right then the waiter screamed and said, “Sir! The horse is not drinking the soup.”

“No problem! Maybe Koni does not feel like drinking soup today,” said Kultaai loudly.

“Bring the soup here, I will drink it. You can give the horse some chickpeas and grass,” said Kultaai and sat near the campfire, soaking in its warmth and feeling better in the chilly weather. Everybody came back and sat around Kultaai.

The intelligent Kultaai got a seat near the campfire because of his clever idea.

Mimi, the young mouse lived with his parents near a tree on which Squeaky, the squirrel lived with her son, Neo. Mimi’s parents and Squeaky were good friends. Whenever Mimi’s parents went out of town, Squeaky would look after him. She loved Mimi like a son.

One day, when Squeaky was returning home from the market, she saw Mimi on the way.

“Hey, Mimi! Could you please help carry the bag to my house?” asked Squeaky.

“I’m sorry, Aunty! I have a severe stomach-ache. Please ask someone else,” said Mimi and ran away.

“How strange! He has a stomach-ache and yet he can run so fast!” Squeaky thought to herself. After she reached home, Squeaky handed the bags to her son, Neo and requested him to put the things in their place.

“Mum! I hope you remember your promise to buy me a bicycle,” said Neo while arranging the items on the shelf.

“Yes, I remember. I will buy you one soon,” assured Squeaky.

Neo had been asking for a bicycle for several days now. Since Squeaky was running short of money, she was unable to buy one as yet.

One evening, Mimi was riding his bicycle outside his house.

“Mimi, can I please ride your bicycle for some time?” requested Neo.

“If you want to ride a bicycle, why don’t you buy one?” said Mimi and rode away. Squeaky who heard the two talking, went up to Neo and explained, “Mimi’s bicycle is too big for you. You won’t be able to ride it until you’ve grown a bit older.”

“All right, mum!” said Neo and went away to play with his friends. Right then, Mimi’s mother, Milli stepped out of her house and saw Squeaky standing outside.

“Hello, Squeaky! I need your help. I’m going out for a few days. Mimi is old enough to stay home alone. But if something comes up and I give you a call, will you be able to check on him?” asked Milli.

“Of course, Milli. Don’t worry. I will keep an eye on him,” assured Squeaky.

A couple of days after Milli left, Mimi fell ill. Milli called Squeaky at once and requested her to take Mimi to the doctor, as she would take another two days to return. Squeaky rushed to Mimi’s house and called the doctor. The doctor arrived and checked Mimi. The doctor prescribed some medicines and advised him to take good rest.

Squeaky did not want to leave Mimi alone, so she brought him to her house. She took great care of him by giving him the medicines as prescribed and cooking his favourite dishes. When Mimi saw how Squeaky looked after him without expecting anything in return, he felt ashamed.

Mimi apologised to Squeaky. “The other day, I did not want to carry your bag. So, I lied about having a stomach-ache. I did not let Neo ride my bicycle either. But you still love me and take great care of me. I’m really very sorry, Aunty,” he said.

“You don’t need to apologise, Mimi. I didn’t feel bad when you refused to carry my bag. If Neo refuses to help me out, will I feel bad? Of course, not!” said Squeaky.

“But I should have helped you, Aunty. You are older to me, and I should have listened to you. I shouldn’t have lied to you either. You are too kind to me,” said Mimi and hugged her. Squeaky smiled and hugged him back.

Milo, the monkey was very cunning. He enjoyed taking away things from others.

One day, he chanced upon Freddy, the donkey. Freddy had recently shifted to Sundervan. As he was new, he did not know about Milo’s cunningness.

“Namaste Freddy! How are you?” Milo said with a loving voice, so Freddy greeted him with a smile too.

“I just came here to tell you to be careful in this forest. I will take your leave now,” said Milo and he started to leave.

Now Freddy became very restless.  He stopped Milo and asked, “What do you mean?”

“I cannot tell you about it out here,” said Milo after checking both sides for onlookers.

“Ok. Please come inside. Let’s have tea and snacks, and talk,” said Freddy as took Milo to his house.

Taking sips of tea, Milo said, “It’s not a good idea to make friends with anyone in this part of the forest. They are all selfish. They spread false rumours about each other.”

Listening to Milo, Freddy got cautious. He started believing trusting Milo’s words. In the beginning, Milo would come only once a week to meet him, but slowly he started coming over every day. Freddy was a kind person and he believed everything that Milo said.

But Milo had not changed his nature.

One day when Freddy was about to leave for work, he was surprised to see Milo at his doorstep.

“Oh! Milo, you’re here at this hour? Do you have some important work?

“Freddy, actually there is no water in my house. I thought I might take a bath at your place.”

“Ok, I am leaving for my office. You can take a bath. I will take the keys from you later.”

Freddy handed over the responsibility of his house to Milo and left. Now Milo was free to have fun. After taking a bath he comfortably lay down on the sofa and started to eat his breakfast. He took out all of the food and drinks from Freddy’s freezer and tasted them. When Freddy returned in the evening, he was surprised to see Milo in his house.

“What happened Milo? Are you feeling well?” he asked.

“Actually, I felt so dizzy that I could not get up from the sofa,” said Milo holding his head. “Now that you have come back home, I will leave for my house,” said Milo as he got up and reached for the door stumbling.

Just then Freddy stopped him and said, “Are you crazy? Stay here tonight. You can leave tomorrow morning.”

Freddy forgot about his exhaustion and started taking care of Milo.

The next day, Milo kept sleeping till late in the morning.

“How are you feeling now?” Freddy asked Milo.

“I feel better but still a little dizzy,” said Milo making an excuse again.

Freddy was concerned.  “I’ll take a leave from work and stay with you at home,” said Freddy and started to call his boss.

“Oh Freddy! Why would you go through all that trouble? I’ll be fine. You should go to work. I will return to my house anyway. Can you just get me some juice before you leave?” said Milo slowly.

He did not want Freddy to stay back at home or else he would not be able to eat his favourite food or watch his favourite TV channel.

“Ok!” said Freddy and before leaving for his office, he went to buy juice from Meera, the mouse.

“What happened Freddy? You always buy curd. Why are you taking juice today?” asked Meera casually.

“Milo is not feeling well. I am taking this juice for him.”

Hearing Milo’s name Meera replies angrily, “Don’t talk about him. He is a very cunning liar.”

Listening to Meera say this Freddy got very angry. “Meera! How can you say these things about my friend?”

Meera was baffled at Freddy’s loyalty and said, “Okay, tell me the whole incident.”

Freddy then told her everything that had happened until now.

Meera understood that Milo was fooling around again. She explained, “Look Freddy, you need to be careful. Have any of your belongings disappeared? Just confirm that. If you find something missing then understand that Milo is fooling you.”

After buying the juice, Freddy returned back home. He gave the juice to Milo and checked the refrigerator.  He saw that the stored food was missing, so he became very alert. He thought of something, looked at Milo and said, “I am leaving for work. It will be very late before I return. Take care of yourself.”

“You don’t need to worry. I will return to my house soon,” said Milo.

Now Freddy left his house and went around to the back. There was a small window from where he could easily see what’s happening inside the room. He saw that Milo immediately got out of the bed, switched on the TV, took out some ice cream and juice from the refrigerator and started to eat.

“Now I understand what he was up to,” said Freddy.

Freddy was very angry at Milo. He immediately called his friend Dani, the bear who was a doctor and asked him to come to his house. Soon after, he entered the house with Dani.

Seeing Freddy and Dani in front of him suddenly, Milo got confused.

“I was not feeling too well so I was watching TV. But why did you come back so early?”

“I thought that we should get you treated by Doctor Dani,” said Freddy as he gestured.

Dani immediately made Milo lie on the bed and started to examine him.

“Oh! His health does not look too good. He needs an injection quickly,” said Dani. He took out an injection from his briefcase.

“After taking this injection, you will have to get admitted in my hospital. You treatment will go on for a week. Then you will be perfectly alright. Now give me my fees of 500 rupees”

Listening to Dani, Freddy immediately took out and gave a 500 rupees note from Milo’s jeans.

“What did you do? Why are you giving my money away?” said Milo protesting.

“Milo, you shouldn’t get angry. If you are alive, you can earn a lot of money.” said Freddy. “I will get you admitted in the hospital. At the most it will cost you 3-4 lakhs. But your health will be perfectly alright.”

Listening to this, Milo started to shiver. He understood that his actions had been exposed. Immediately, he began to run away.

When the phone rang, both Monu and Renu ran to attend it, but Renu reached it first. “Hello! Dad, have you reached Tokyo? Yes, I’ll tell mom,” she spoke to her father who was travelling to Japan for work.

“I want to talk to him. Give me the phone!” Monu tried to snatch the phone from Renu.

“Take it, you little brat!” said Renu with irritation.

“Hello! Dad? Please buy me lots of science-fiction comics and also the new Alien Wars video game,” said Monu. He then put down the phone with a satisfied smile.

Renu frowned. “Dad has gone to Japan on work; not for your science-fiction shopping,” she told Monu.

“Don’t worry, I’ve asked Dad to buy you a doll,” replied Monu with a wink and ran to his room. Renu ran after him, shouting, “How dare you…you know I don’t like dolls!”

This was the usual banter between 11-year-old Monu and his sister Renu, who was five years older to him.

The Aliens Are Coming!

Later that evening, when their mother returned from work, Renu told her about their father’s phone call.

“Dad has reached Tokyo safely,” Renu told her mother. “And Monu is reading a science-fiction comic again,” she said, pointing to her brother who was reading a magazine oblivious to his surroundings.

“Monu, you should also pay attention to school work; you need to be regular with it or you will find it difficult,” explained Mom.

“Mom, these comics are based on Science; I learn a lot from them,” Monu replied.

The following day was a Saturday. Mom unexpectedly received a call from her office and had to go.

“I have an important meeting. I’ll be back by evening. Please take care of your brother till then,” Mom told Renu.

“But Mom, I’ve got my school play rehearsal today,” said Renu. “And Monu is old enough to take care of himself.”

“I don’t want you to leave him alone at home. Please cancel your rehearsal and stay back with him,” said Mom and left for the meeting.

Renu paced back and forth. Suddenly, her eyes lit up. She dialled a number on her mobile phone.

“Hello! Vasu, listen…” she whispered on the phone. Monu became alert. He tried to listen but Renu closed the door to her room.

After some time, Renu came out and told Monu, “I am going to my rehearsal. A friend will come over shortly to take care of you. Lock the door after me.”

“Hmm! Seems like my evil sister is up to something,” thought Monu. He forgot to close the door.

Meanwhile, in the next street, Chappu, the thief had snatched a woman’s purse and was now being chased by a policeman. As he was running, he saw the door to Monu’s house wide open. “I better hide in there till the policeman goes away,” he thought to himself.

“Hey! Who are you and what are you doing here?” asked Monu upon seeing Chappu.

The thief was taken by surprise.

“Hmmm… He must be Renu’s friend Vasu. Very well then, I’ll show him what I can do,” thought Monu with a stifled grin. “Hello! You must be Mr. Alien from planet Xoxo,” he said to Chappu.

“Why is that boy talking weirdly?” wondered Chappu. “Since the policeman is still outside, I better play along,” he thought.

“Yes, I am Mr. Alien,” said Chappu.

Monu tried hard not to laugh.

“Of course, you are. Please sit down. I’ll get you something to drink,” said Monu and went into the kitchen.

“What luck! It looks like this boy is alone at home. I’ll wait here till the policeman goes away and then escape with a few valuables from this house too,” decided Chappu, suddenly feeling happy.

Monu returned and offered him a green drink. As soon as Chappu took a sip, he spat it. “What is this? It’s horrible!” he said.

“That’s the favourite drink of people from your planet— the juice of bitter gourd,” Monu replied innocently. “Come on, now don’t be shy; drink it up,” saying this, Monu made Chappu finish the entire glass.

Then Monu brought out his mathematics book and started asking questions which Chappu failed to answer.

“Hmmm… I think you are not adjusted to Earth’s environment yet. You need some exercise,” saying that, Monu took Chappu up to his room and made him clean it. Since the policemen were still patrolling the streets, Chappu went along with Monu’s whims and cleaned up the room. By the end of it, Chappu was very tired.

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“If I stay here any longer, this boy will make me do the dishes and wash the clothes too,” he thought.

“I think you are fully active now,” Monu said to him. “Time for some science questions…let me get my book.”

Chappy moaned in horror. Fortunately for him, just then, the doorbell rang and Monu went to answer it.

Seizing the opportunity, Chappu pocketed some watches and other valuables and looked for a window to escape from. At that time, Monu was talking to a girl at the door. “How can your name be Vasu? You are a girl!” he said puzzled

“My name is Vasudha—Vasu for short, and I’ve been requested by your sister to babysit you till she returns,” said the girl.

“Oh! Then I wonder who that other person is!” said Monu running to his room.

By then, Chappu had jumped out of a window and was running through the street.

“Hey! Mr. Alien, please wait. I am sorry! Please come back,” Monu ran after him.

When Chappu saw Monu, he started running faster. Chappu spotted the policeman at the end of the street and ran towards him.

“Sir, please save me from this boy. Please arrest me and take me with you!” Chappu pleaded with the policeman.

Monu reached them, panting heavily. “Why are you handcuffing him?” Monu asked the policeman.

“Because he is a notorious thief and thanks to you we have caught him,” replied policeman said.

“A thief?!” Monu was shocked.

“Yes. And I think these belong to you,” said the policeman, handing over the things that Chappu had stolen from Monu’s house. “Come to the police station tomorrow and collect your cash prize.”

By the time, Mom and Renu also reached the spot as they had returned home and Vasu had told them that Monu was out.

“Didn’t I tell you not to leave him alone?” Mom scolded Renu. “A thief tried to break into our house. What would have happened had the policeman not reached on time?”

Monu tried to act cool. “It’s okay, Mom. You have a grown up son now. See how cleverly I handled the thief!”

While Mom was talking to the policeman, Renu dragged him alone and said, “Vasu told me that you chased after the man shouting ‘Wait, Mr. Alien’. Shall I tell Mom? Because, I think I have a clear idea as to what exactly happened.”

Monu’s face turned white. “Please, don’t tell Mom anything. I’ll share my prize money with you,” pleaded Monu.

“And you have to promise me that you’ll stop obsessing over science-fiction. Just read the books and enjoy; don’t get addicted to them,” Renu advised him.

“Oh! Don’t worry about that. Sci-fi is over. I am now ‘Monu, the detective’. I’ll read only detective books from now on,” said Monu.

Renu rolled her eyes and said, “This boy is impossible!”

Only a few days were left until Dussehra. The entire forest of Sundarvan was being decorated in time for the festivities. The fair had begun and all the animals were happily shopping and preparing for the festival.

Every year, the Sundarvan Drama Company put up plays on Dussehra. Zizo, the zebra was the director for this year’s play, and was selecting the cast. After she was done, Mongo, the mongoose came in hurriedly saying, “Zizo, I too want to take part in the play. Please give me a good role.”

“I have already selected the cast for this year’s play, Mongo. If you had come a little earlier, you may have had a chance too. Let me see if I can fit you somewhere,” said Zizo.

“But you give me a good role every year. You know I am a good actor!” persisted Mongo.

“There’s no doubt about that, Mongo. But to give you a role now would be unfair to the others who came on time for the audition,” reasoned Zizo.

Mongo was angry. He stormed out without saying a word.

Zizo then turned to the other actors and said, “Okay, listen up! Dussehra is in a few days and we have to practise and put up a good show. Read up your scripts today and learn your parts; we shall start our rehearsals from tomorrow.”

The next day, Chucky, the squirrel, Robby, the rabbit, Reena, the crow and the other actors arrived at Zizo’s house for the rehearsal.

Hiro, the horse was in-charge of the actors’ costumes and make-up. He handed over masks to help the actors get into their characters. For the next few days, they all rehearsed diligently.

On the morning of Dussehra, the cast and crew reached the ground where the play was set to take place.  The stage had been set up and decorated with painted backdrops of mountains, palaces, forests, waterfalls and trees arranged behind the stage in the order required for each scene.

A makeshift green room was built near the stage where the actors could change and get ready for the play.

“Hiro, please see to it that all actors look like the characters they are playing,” said Zizo.

“Don’t worry, Zizo. Our audience will believe that the characters are real,” said Hiro confidently.

In the evening, the crowd started coming in. Being a much-anticipated event, there was a large gathering. King Leo and Queen Leona were also expected to attend.

Hiro was finishing up the actors’ make-up, when suddenly, there was a power failure.

“What a time for a power failure!” exclaimed Hiro.

In the dark, the actors could hear Zizo saying, “Don’t worry! We have a generator. The power supply will be restored soon. Just stay where you are.”

Within a few minutes, the power was back. Everyone heaved a sigh of relief. Hiro quickly finished applying make-up on the actors.

With only a few minutes left for the curtains to go up, Zizo asked her actors to go to the stage. However, Chucky and Robby seemed distraught. They were looking for something.

“What are you looking for, Chucky? The play is about to start. Go to the stage,” said Zizo.

“I can’t find my crown. It was here only a moment ago,” said Chucky.

“What? You can’t find your crown?” said Zizo shocked.

Just then, Tommy, the dog said, “I can’t find my cape.”

“And I can’t find my shield,” joined Reena.

“Oh no! What do we do now? How did so many props go missing?” asked Zizo.

“We can’t let our actors go on stage without their props,” said Hiro worried.

“We don’t even have enough time to go to the market and get new ones,” said Tommy.

No one could figure out what to do. The audience was waiting for the play to start any moment now. Even the King and Queen had arrived.

While they were racking their brains, trying to find a solution, Bob, the bear entered the green room, dragging Mongo along. Bob was in charge of security.

Bob was also holding a cape, crown and a few other missing props.

“Where did you get these? We have been looking for them,” said Zizo surprised.

“When the power went off, I was on my way to check the main switchboard when I noticed someone rush out of the green room. In the dark, I couldn’t make out who it was. But I had a feeling that something was not right so, I started following the figure. It was Mongo! I searched his bag and found some props and costumes. He confessed that he had stolen them. So I brought him to you. He was the one who had switched off the main power source as well,” explained Bob.

“Why did you do this, Mongo?” asked Zizo angrily.

“I was angry because I did not get a role in the play and wanted to take revenge. I plotted to steal your props to ruin your play,” said Mongo.

By then, King Leo had come to the green room to find out the reason for the delay.  When he heard what Mongo had done, he said, “You should be punished for your actions, Mongo. But since today is a day of celebration, I have a different kind of punishment for you—you shall clean up the entire ground after the fair ends! I don’t want to find even a small piece of waste paper lying around.”

Mongo moaned at the punishment.

Zizo and the actors thanked Bob for catching Mongo. And they all went on to stage the play which turned out to be a grand success.

Balu was a poor farmer who lived with his wife Radha and son Sohan in a village. Both Radha and Balu loved their son a lot. They worked hard to provide for Sohan. Everybody in the village teased Balu because he did not allow his son to work in the fields and would ensure that he spent all his time studying.

“There goes Balu with the future IAS officer!” the villagers would joke whenever Balu and Sohan walked by.

But that was not what worried Balu. Sohan was not interested in studies. He would only sit down with his books when his father was around and then run off to play with his friends.

Balu worried about his son’s lack of interest in studies. One day, he went to Sohan’s school to talk to the teacher. “Madam, Sohan does not seem to enjoy his studies. What can we do? Would you give him extra attention?” Balu requested her.

“Sonu hardly comes to school. I thought you had stopped him from attending school,” said the teacher surprised.

On hearing this, Balu became very sad. That evening, when Sohan came back home after playing, he saw his father upset. Balu gently tried to make his son understand the importance of going to school and gaining education.

Sohan did not like seeing his father sad, so he decided to go to school regularly.

Even after a few weeks of going to school, Sohan did not find school interesting.

A few days later, Ramdin, their neighbour, fell sick. Ramdin’s wife, Saya came running to Balu’s house and said, “Can you please fetch the village healer? Only he will be able to cure my husband.”

“Saya, we need to call a doctor, not the healer. Remember what the government health worker advised us last month? Only a doctor can diagnose the illness correctly and give medicines,” said Radha.

Sohan was surprised to hear this. “How can a doctor find out what is ailing Ramdin uncle?” wondered Sohan.

Meanwhile, Balu, accompanied by another neighbour, went to the town immediately and came back with the doctor. After being treated by the doctor, Ramdin felt better.

The next day, Balu and Sohan paid a visit to Ramdin’s house. The doctor was also there to check up on Ramdin.

“Hello, Ramdin. We dropped by to see how you are doing. We were quite worried about you,” said Balu.

“I am feeling much better, thanks to Doctor Madam who treated me,” said Ramdin, smiling gratefully at the doctor.

Sohan kept staring at the doctor, curiously observing all that she was doing. The doctor too noticed Sohan looking at her.

“Hello!” said the doctor smiling at Sohan.

“Doctor aunty, can I ask you a question? How did you know how to treat Ramdin uncle?” asked Sohan.

“I am a doctor. I should know how to treat my patient, right?” replied the doctor.

“But who taught you what medicine to give?” asked Sohan.

“I studied all about that in a medical college. There, we were taught how to diagonise an illness, its treatment, and how to prevent some diseases,” said the doctor.

“Does one need to study in a medical college to become a doctor? Can anyone become a doctor?” asked Sohan with a newly-kindled interest.

“Yes, you need to study in a medical college to become a doctor. And anyone can become a doctor if they study hard and get good marks right from school,” said the doctor. “When you become a doctor, you will be able to help so many people in your village.”

That night, Sohan kept thinking about what Doctor aunty had said.

“What happened, son? Why haven’t you gone to sleep as yet?” Radha asked worried. “Is something bothering you?”

“Ma, I talked to Ramdin uncle’s doctor today. She told me many things about how to become a doctor. I too want to become a doctor, Ma,” said Sohan.

Radha smiled and said, “Why not? That is why your father has been asking you to study well. We are lucky that the doctor who came today has offered to come to our village regularly, but there are so many people out there who do not receive proper medical care. You will be able to help them all if you become a doctor,” said Sohan’s mother.

“Ma, from now on, I will study well and aim to become a doctor!” said Sohan confidently.

From that day on, Sohan’s attitude towards school changed for the better. He looked forward to going to school every day and he put his best effort to study.

After a few years, Sohan grew up to become the first doctor in his village.

Friends Kiran, Renu, Meera and Naveen were excited. They had all been assigned the same dorm room at the school N.C.C camp organised in a forest area outside the city.

As they were unpacking their bags in the room, they realised that there were five beds.

“I wonder who else is sharing the room with us,” said Meera.

Just then, they heard a voice at the door. “Hello, friends! Here I am!” Pranav greeted them with a wide smile.

The four friends were a little shocked. Pranav was infamous at school for being ignorant, yet arrogant. Now, they were stuck with him at camp.

“Eh…Hello, Pranav! Welcome!t” Kiran managed to utter.

“Oh, really?” said Pranav, dragging his bad inside and unpacking it.

On the first day, Sapan sir, the N.C.C. sergeant ordered all the cadets to pick up the garbage and clean the area around their respective dorms. Everyone started working in their groups, picking up and collecting the garbage in plastic bags. Only Pranav refused to take part in the activity.

Sapan sir noticed that Pranav’s group had not completed the task. He advised all five of them about the rules of the camp and the importance of keeping the surroundings clean.

After Sapan sir left, Pranav continued behaving irresponsibly by throwing wrappers and packets of foods outside the dorm room which his friends had just cleaned. The next day there was a heap of garbage right in front of their door as the other cadets also began dumping their garbage there.

That afternoon, before heading to the picnic, Pranav hung his clothes to dry on a wire outside the dorm. Later, at the picnic, Pranav littered all over the place. Renu angrily pointed to a board that read ‘DO NOT LITTER’. But Pranav paid no heed.

When they all returned to the camp later in the evening, Pranav found his clothes among the pile of garbage. The wind had blown his clothes there. He picked up his clothes and suddenly remembered that he had put the keys of his suitcase inside the pocket of his pants. He immediately checked his pants but the keys were not there.

“What shall I do now? The keys may have fallen in the garbage pile,” he thought. “But how will I find the keys in this dirt?”

Pranav regretted throwing the garbage near the dorm. He felt like crying. His roommates Kiran, Renu, Meera and Naveen offered to help him look for the keys. Sapan sir came to know about Pranav’s lots keys and said, “Pranav is responsible for the garbage. So Pranav shall do the cleaning and searching.”

Pranav started picking up the garbage carefully as he did not want his keys to get mixed up in the garbage and get lost. Pranav not only had to pick up his own garbage but the garbage that the other cadets had thrown as well. Pranav’s misery upset his roommates.

“Pranav, did you check the pockets of your pants carefully?” asked Kiran.

“Yes, I did! But will you please check it once more?” requested Pranav.

Kiran checked the pockets again. The keys were not to be found. Then he asked,

“Pranav, what else were you wearing this morning?”

“This shirt,” he replied, shaking it.

To his surprise, a bunch of keys fell from his shirt pocket on to the ground with a resounding clunk.

“Oh, there are my keys!” Pranav exclaimed in joy. Exhaustion and worry were gone from his face now.

“Thank you, Kiran, for helping find my keys. Not only did I get punished today, I have also learnt my lesson. I will not litter and keep my surrounding clean,” said Pranav, as tears of regret welled up in his eyes.

“Don’t worry, Pranav. We’re happy that you have realised your mistake. Let’s now celebrate with another picnic,” said Naveen, trying to cheer him up.

“And this time, I will carry a bag with me to throw all the waste inside,” said Pranav smiling.

The four friends cheered.

Musu, the little mouse lived with his mother inside the hollow of a mango tree. His mother worried about him a lot as he was quite gullible and careless. So, she constantly had to keep an eye on him.

One day, Musu’s mother had to go out to run an important errand. Before leaving, she told Musu, “Son, I’m going out for a while. Don’t go out of the house till I’m back. And do not open the door to any stranger. There are wild cats around. They are always looking for an opportunity to prey on us.”

“I will be careful, Mom,” assured Musu.

As soon as his mother left, Musu locked the door from inside. He laid down on his bed and started reading a story book.

Only a few minutes had passed when he heard a voice outside the door: “Free sweets for everyone! Free sweets!”

Musu ran towards the door but then he remembered his mother’s warning and stopped.

A while later, Musu heard the voice again: “Free sweets for everyone! Come and get your free sweets!”

This time, Musu could not resist going out and getting the free sweets. Overcome by greed, he opened the door. He peeped outside but could not see anyone.

“Whoever was giving away free sweets must have gone on ahead,” thought Musu, stepping out of the house.

Suddenly, Bobo, the scary, black cat, who was hiding behind a tree, jumped right in front of him. Musu panicked.

“You foolish mouse! There are no free sweets. Instead I get you as my free dinner,” said Bobo, eyeing Musu greedily.

Musu regretted not listening to his mother. Tears welled up in his eyes. He wouldn’t be able to outrun Bobo. Just as Bobo was about to strike him down with her paws, Billu, the cat arrived at the scene. His mouth started watering at the sight of Musu.

“This is my neighbourhood. Only I have the right to this mouse, not you,” Billu told Bobo.

“I lured this mouse out of his home. So, rightfully, he’s mine!” snapped Bobo.

Both Bobo and Billu started arguing.

“As if one cat wasn’t bad enough, now, I have to escape from two cats!” thought Musu, trembling in fear.

Musu remembered his mother’s words. “When faced with a difficult situation, keep calm and think rationally,” she had told him.

So, Musu thought calmly and came up with an idea.

“Stop fighting, you two! I have come up with a way to settle this,” said Musu, interrupting the cats’ quarrel.

“What is it?” asked Bobo.

“Let’s toss a coin and decide. If it’s head, I will be Bobo’s prey. If it’s tail, then I am Billu’s,” said Musu.

The two cats agreed.

Musu took out a coin from his pocket and said, “I am going to toss the coin now. You have to accept whatever the outcome will be.”

“Alright, toss it quickly! I can’t wait,” said Billu, flashing her claws.

Musu deliberately tossed the coin so high that it got stuck in the branch of a tree.

“Oh no! The coin’s stuck in the tree. I’ll climb up and get it,” said Musu.

“Do you think we are stupid? What if you run away? We will come with you too,” said Bobo.

“You are right, Bobo! This mouse is trying to fool us. We shouldn’t let him go alone,” agreed Billu.

Thus, the three of them climbed up the tree and Musu managed to retrieve the coin.

“Come, let’s go down and toss it again,” said Bobo.

“If we go down and toss it, it might get stuck in the tree again,” said Musu.

“What do we do then? How will we decide without a toss?” asked Bobo.

“Let me drop the coin from here. Then we can go down and see the result,” said Musu.

Musu deliberately threw the coin a little further away from the tree. Billu and Bobo immediately ran after the coin to see who won. That was exactly what Musu was waiting for. He quickly climbed down the tree and ran towards his house.

After reaching for the coin, the cats realised that Musu was running towards his house.  They tried to catch him, but it was too late. Musu had already reached his house and quickly shut the door behind him.

Musu heaved a sigh of relief. He was amused at how he managed to fool the two cats. Bobo and Billu were disappointed that they let their prey get away from right under their noses.

One day, Toto, the tortoise saw Monty, the monkey walking slowly.

“What’s the matter, Monty? Why are you walking like a tortoise?” asked Toto. “If the tiger comes by, you will be an easy prey. Quickly run and climb a tree!”

“I hurt my legs while playing this morning, so I can’t walk fast,” replied Monty sadly.

“In that case, sit on my back. I’ll drop you wherever you have to go,” offered Toto.

Monty brightened up at the idea. “Thank you, Toto. Please drop me near the mango tree on the banks of the river. It has low branches so I will be able to climb it easily,” said Monty, climbing onto Toto’s back.

Toto dropped Monty near the mango tree and told him, “Do let me know whenever you need to go somewhere. I will be happy to take you there on my back.”

Then on, whenever Monty wanted to go anywhere, he would call for Toto who would promptly shuttle Monty from one place to another on his back. This went on for several days.

Chintu’s Astuteness

One day, Toto said to Monty, “Now that your legs are fine again, you should walk on your own. Otherwise, you’ll forget how to walk!”

“Just because you helped me out for a few of days, you have started lecturing me now? I don’t have to listen to your advice!” said Monty angrily. He kicked Toto so hard that he fell on his back.

“What have you done? Put me back on my feet or I won’t be able to move!” said Toto, struggling.

“I will help you only if you promise to continue carrying me from one place to place,” said Monty sternly.

“I am the one who helped you out in the first place, and now you are bullying me! Just put me back on my feet,” said Toto, waving his legs in the air.

“In that case, you can lie upside down until you agree to what I said,” threatened Monty.

Just then, Egor, the elephant happened to pass by. “Hey, what’s happening here? Why are you laying like that, Toto? That too, in the middle of the path! What if I or some animal steps on you by mistake?” he said.

“I am not lying upside down on purpose. Monty pushed me,” said Toto.

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“Why?” Egor asked puzzled.

When Toto narrated the whole story to him, Egor was enraged. He caught Monty with his trunk and hung him upside down. “How do you feel now, Monty?” asked Egor.

“Please put me down! It’s very uncomfortable!” pleaded Monty.

“You did the same to Toto. You threatened to let him lie like that until he agrees to you.  Now, I am going to let you hang upside down till you realise your mistake,” said Egor.

“I realise now. Toto, I am sorry for bullying you. I will not behave that way again,” said Monty.

Egor put Monty down and helped Toto get on his feet, and went on his way. Toto and Monty continued to remain friends.

Early one morning, when the animals of Lush Meadows were just getting ready for the day, two woodcutters stealthily made their way through the forest.

Mike, the rabbit was the first to spot them. “Look! Those two humans with axes are eyeing our trees,” he alerted his friends.

“Woodcutters! They must have come to cut down the trees in our forest. Our homes will be destroyed. What do we do?” asked Bella, the squirrel.

“Let’s ask King Leo, the lion. He is sure to have some idea,” said Tina, the rabbit.

And so, Mike, Tina, and Bella, along with Ellie, the elephant, and Mini, the bird set off for King Leo’s cave.

“Sir! We are in trouble. Please help us,” Tina called out from outside King Leo’s cave.

“What’s the matter?” asked King Leo, coming out. “All of you look so worried. If you’ve come to me so early in the morning, it must be something serious.”

“Sir, two woodcutters have entered our forest. They are eyeing the trees that have borne most fruits. We have built our nests in those trees. If they cut those trees, we will be homeless. You must help us!” said Mini worried.

“It is indeed a serious matter. Let’s ask Neel, the cloud and his friends for help,” said King Leo.

The animals brightened up at the idea. Neel surely had the power to help them, they thought. They immediately reached out to him.

“Neel, can you help us? Two woodcutters have entered the forest. If they cut our trees, we will be homeless,” said Ellie.

“Look who’s here!” said Neel amused. “Only the other day, all of you were making fun of our shapes. And now you want our help? Sorry, but we don’t want to help you.” Neel’s friends nodded in agreement.

“Please forgive us. We are sorry. We shouldn’t have made fun of you,” said the animals, feeling bad for making fun of the clouds.

Seeing Neel and his friends unresponsive, the animals began to walk back, worried about their homes.

“Wait, friends!” they heard Neel call out to them. “This forest belongs to us as well. While I was angry that you made fun of my friends and me, we cannot turn our backs on you when you are in trouble. So, tell us. How can we help you?” asked Neel.

Arrogant Cloud

“Thank you for not deserting us in our time of need, Neel. Please make it rain so heavily that the woodcutters get frightened and are forced to leave the forest,” requested Bella.

“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it,” said Neel.

He and his friends moved swiftly to drink up as much water as they could from the lake until they became dark and heavy. They then floated over to where the woodcutters were and rained over them heavily, followed by thunder and lightning.

“What’s this? How is it raining at this time of the year?” the woodcutters were taken by surprise. “We won’t be able to go back to our village in this rain. Let’s take shelter under this tree for the time being,” said one woodcutter to the other.

They sat under the tree for a long time. They plucked a few fruits from the tree and started eating them.

“Imagine what would have happened if this tree was not there to give us protection from the rain. We would have got drenched and fallen sick,” said the first woodcutter.

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“You are right, my friend. We had come to cut down these trees, but those same trees have protected us. They also provide us with oxygen to breathe, and fresh fruits to eat. We have learnt a lesson today: If you cut the branch you are sitting on, it is you who is going to fall down,” said the other. “Anyway, it has stopped raining. Come, let’s go back home.”

The two woodcutters left Lush Meadows and started walking towards their village. All the animals of the forest came out in the open and started celebrating. They thanked the clouds who had helped save their precious forest. They apologised to Neel and his friends for making fun of them earlier.

“We must remember something—there is nothing shameful about accepting one’s mistake and apologising. And there is nothing better than forgiving those who repent their mistake and giving them a second chance,” said King Leo, addressing everyone.