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Unique Marks

Humans look different from each other and even have different personalities. We also have something else that is unique to each individual and is used for identification purposes—our fingerprints. Similarly, animals also have unique prints that are used to differentiate one individual from the other.

If you look at a dog’s nose closely, you will notice that it is thick and textured. Made up of three layers of skin, the outermost layer has grooves which give it its textured appearance. This texture is unique to each dog, just like our fingerprints. Hence, a dog can be identified by its nose print.

Animals like tigers and zebras, on the other hand, are identified by the unique pattern of their stripes. No two tigers or zebras have the same pattern of stripes.

Such identification methods help biologists and conservationists to count and keep track of an animal’s age, health, family and movement in the wild.

Box: Whale sharks have dots on their skin that look like stars. These are unique to every whale shark. Biologists identify them by studying these patterns on the body of the whale shark.

Snapped in a Second

After it rains, we can hear the croaking of frogs all around. Frogs love the damp environment during rains and hence are commonly seen during the monsoon. They also hop out into the open looking for dinner. And just like how we stretch our hands to reach for something, a frog stretches its tongue to grab its prey.

A frog usually feeds on flies, moths and grasshoppers. The larger ones even feed on mice. A frog’s tongue generally remains coiled inside its mouth surrounded by soft muscles. When the frog spots a prey, the muscles quickly harden to shoot out the tongue with great speed. The sticky saliva on the tongue helps it grab the prey, after which the tongue immediately snaps back into its mouth. The entire process takes place in less than a second.

A frog’s tongue is attached to the front of its mouth and not connected to the throat unlike humans which adds to its speed. The force with which a frog shoots out its tongue is so great that it can even catch prey that is bigger than itself. A frog has tiny teeth that it uses only to keep its prey inside its mouth. It does not use them to chew its food.

Box: Some frogs don’t even have a tongue; they directly grab their prey with their mouth.

Frightful frills

You have seen frills on dresses. But did you know that particular lizards have frills on their neck?

The frilled lizard is commonly found in Australia and spends most of its time on trees, and it comes down only when it needs food. The frill that this lizard sports is a layer of skin that remains folded on its neck.

The neck frill is supported by lines of strong muscles that are connected to its jaw bone. This loose skin is usually a bright colour like red or orange. It expands when the lizard hunts or goes into defence mode.

When the lizard feels threatened, it stands on its hind legs, opens its mouth, unfurls its skin frill and hisses at its predator. However, if it knows that the predator is not intimidated by this show, it just takes an about-turn and sprints to safety. This behaviour of threatening a predator to scare it off is known as deimatic behaviour.

Box: The frilled lizard is also known as the frilled dragon.

Stunning Advantage

What if your right arm was twice as long as the left arm? Then you could learn to use it your advantage like the snapping shrimp!

The snapping shrimp is known for its disproportionate claws where one is bigger than half its body. The bigger claw cannot be used to attack because it is not shaped like a pincer that most shrimps have. Instead, it looks more like a pistol and hence this shrimp is also known as pistol shrimp. With this claw, the shrimp creates a loud sound, which has the effect to stun its prey. The shrimp snaps its claw shut so fast that a jet of water shoots out and a bubble is formed inside. When it opens its claw, out comes the bubble which pops with a loud bang, thereby stunning its prey.

When it is hunting, the shrimp lies low in an obscure spot and waits for a fish to pass by. When it spots one, it steps out of its hiding place and “shoots” at its prey. When the fish is stunned by the sound, the shrimp pulls it into its hiding place and feeds on it.

Box: The bubble released by a snapping shrimp can also cause a flash of light. This phenomenon is called sonoluminescence.

In-built Tool

We stick out our tongues to see how much it can stretch to lick an ice cream in front of us. Woodpeckers do the same when trying to catch insects. Just that some woodpeckers have tongues that are as long as their bodies!

The average human tongue is 3.9 inches long, which is a fraction of the length of our body. The Grey-Faced woodpecker has a tongue that is almost 7 inches long which is about 2.8 times the length of its beak and longer than its entire body. This species of woodpecker has a barbed tongue that acts like a spear to catch insects, when it sticks its tongue inside trees.

But where does it store its long tongue? The tongue splits into two and curls back into the back of its head, where it rejoins and inserts into its right nostril (as shown in the illustration). In spite of having a long tongue, the woodpecker does not have a vocal song. It makes a drumming sound on hollow trees or logs to communicate.

Box: A woodpecker has a layer of sticky saliva on its tongue to help it catch insects.

Scooping Up a Catch

When we drink water, we take small and big sips from the bottle, definitely not more than half a glass at a time on an average. The pelican though can hold up to almost 11 bottles of water in its bill! That is almost three times the capacity of its stomach.

The pelican is the bird with the largest bill—it can be as long as 18 inches in length. The bottom half of its bill is basically just a frame holding loose skin called gular pouch that stretches to hold water. It especially comes in handy while it is “fishing”.

The pelican locates its prey—mostly fish—and then chases it to a shallow spot so that it can scoop it up along with the water and hold it in its bill. It then opens its bill a bit and contracts the pouch so that only water flows out and the fish remains inside it. This process is important as a pelican cannot eat or fly with its bill full of water. Finally, with a jerk of its head, it pushes the fish down its throat.

A pelican can even turn the pouch inside out by turning its neck!

Box: The pelican also uses its pouch also as a cooling device. When it is warm, it swings its pouch to cool itself.

Beating the sun

Summer is here. As the sun beats down on us, we need caps and umbrellas to shield us from the harsh sun. So, we carry them whenever we step out.

The cape ground squirrel of South Africa too carries its umbrella everywhere it goes. It cannot leave it behind even if it wants to. Do you know why? Because it uses its tail as an umbrella!

The cape ground squirrel lives in the Kalahari Desert in South Africa. It lives in burrows and not trees, unlike the other squirrels we see in our gardens and parks. This is because there are no trees in the desert.

The squirrel spends it day foraging for plants and seeds around it burrow. So, it cannot avoid going out in the sun. That’s when its bushy tail comes in handy. It uses its bushy tail to cover its head while it is searching for food. While foraging, the squirrel positions itself with its back facing the sun and its tail erect and above its head.

Box: The cape ground squirrel spends the hottest part of the day in its burrow, which are much cooler because that are about 60cms below the ground.

Dancing off the heat

Summer is almost here. When the temperature goes up, we turn to cold drinks and ice creams to cool ourselves down. But the shovel-snouted lizard has an innovative way to cool off when the weather becomes too hot—it starts to dance!

The shovel-snouted lizard is found in the world’s third largest desert—Sahara, in Northern Africa. When the sand becomes too hot to stand on, the lizard balances itself on its tail and raises two of its feet at a time— alternating between front left and the rear right, and vice-versa—for about 10 seconds each. It does so to cool its feet. When the shovel-snouted lizard does this, it looks as if it is dancing.

The lizard also uses the sand to its advantage to hide and hunt. When the lizard spots a predator, it dives and buries itself in the sand. It stays hidden under a layer of sand and pops only its head out. It does the same while hunting too. The lizard surprises its prey by quickly emerging from under the sand and grabbing it. It usually feeds on small insects like beetles, moths and spiders.

Box:The shovel-snouted lizard can remain buried deep in the sand for an entire day.

Waste Managers

What purpose do pests like cockroaches serve?

Dear Jane,

There are 4, 000 varieties of cockroach of which only 10 are considered pests. They are omnivore scavengers that clean up our environment and help recycle the organic litter that would accumulate if it were not decomposed by organisms, including cockroaches. They serve to recycle human waste. If they did not exist, the pile up of human waste would be so large that we would die in the filth. They turn all the leaves and paper into soil. Furthermore, they serve as food for small mammals, birds, amphibians and lizards.

Vaccine Side-effects

Are dogs sensitive to vaccinations?

Dear Abhinav,

Some dogs are allergic to vaccinations. The side-effects of vaccinations can vary with the type of vaccine used, and the age and breed of the animal vaccinated. Check with the veterinarian if there is a drug that can be given prior to the vaccination to prevent the allergic reactions. Once home, keep a close eye on your dog to see if there are any signs of pain, swelling, redness, and irritation at the injection site. These effects generally occur within 30 minutes to 1 week of the date of vaccination. If the signs persist, or are severe, contact your veterinarian. Never give more than one vaccine in a day. Give a gap of at least a couple of weeks between vaccinations.

Solitary Hunters

Is it true that tigers like to be on their own unlike the lions?

Dear Nimrat,

Yes. Except for a mother and her cubs, tigers live and hunt alone. Tigers have their own territories and interact only during the mating season to give birth. If tigers encounter each other at other times, they will try to defend their own territories. Scent marks and visual signs, such as scratch marks on trees, allow them to track other tigers in the area, and even identify individuals. A female tiger is also keenly aware of the other females whose territories are around her’s; in many cases, a tiger in the neighbouring territory may be her daughter. However, tigers do get together at times to hunt, especially when the prey is big like a water buffalo.

Wasp Paradise

Garbage attracts crow and rats. Does it attract anything else too?

Dear Nilesh,

Uncovered food, sweets, cola cans and ice cream sticks attract wasps. Wasps require carbohydrates and so are attracted to food smells and that is why they can be commonly found around garbage.  But wasps can spread diseases and so sanitation outside the house is extremely important. Garbage areas need to be meticulously clean. Keep the lids of garbage bins on and don’t put leftovers in open buckets. Spray the area with disinfectant regularly.

Unwanted Guests

Is there anything I can do to discourage lizards from living in my house?

Dear Shailendra,

Lizards feed on the insects that are attracted to the lights in and around your house and thereby keeping them in check. One way you could reduce the insects in the house is by decreasing the lighting or shifting to yellow lights. Reduced lighting attracts fewer insects, and fewer insects mean fewer lizards.

Jealous Pet

We have two rabbits at home. When we pet one rabbit, the other gets angry and scratches us with his paw. Please tell us how we can avoid this?

Dear Kartikey,

All animals are sensitive, especially rabbits. They also get angry easily. So, what you need to do is pet them both at the same time and make sure that you don’t play favourites. I hope they are both being fed at the same time in different bowls. If both the rabbits are male, they will be competitive.

Danger Signals

Why do rabbits thump their feet on the ground?

Dear Mohan,

For rabbits, thumping the back foot is a natural reaction to any danger that they may have sensed through smell, sound or sight. At such times, a rabbit will stand on all four feet, sometimes in a tip-toe position, with its ears perked up, and then thump its back foot to warn the other rabbits in the warren—a network of interconnecting rabbit burrows—that there is danger. Some rabbits will thump just one foot, or thump both at the same time. Rabbits aren’t very vocal animals, so thumping is an important way of communicating with each other. They may remain in the thumping position until they are convinced that the danger is gone.

Patchy Problem

My pet bird constantly pecks itself and pulls out its feathers. It now has bare, red patches all over its body. What should I do?

Dear Pallavi,

Birds usually pluck their feathers to preen and groom themselves. Birds that are bored do it more frequently. For some birds, it is also a means of displaying anxiety. Anxiety can be caused due to various reasons: lack of fresh air or light, loud noises, changes in their environment or loneliness. But feather-plucking in particular could mean any of the following: stress, insufficient diet and internal or external parasites. In all of these, birds resort to plucking their feathers due to discomfort. Thus, to tackle this problem, try keeping your bird busy with toys or by changing its environment to reduce isolation. Talk to your vet about introducing omega fatty acids into your bird’s diet as it has been proven successful in reducing  feather-plucking behaviour in birds.

Surviving the Cold

How do birds survive in cold weather?

Dear Sharmila,

Many birds like storks move to warmer areas before winter and stay there until winter is over. That way, they can stay warm and find food as well. Other birds stay together as a flock in the winter and eat fatty foods, like black-oil sunflower seeds, as much as possible. After they have eaten enough, they get puffy and rest. Feathers, in addition to protecting the birds from the cold air, also help trap body heat, thus keeping them warm.

Small birds look for small nooks to nestle in, while some others like the kinglets and chickadees lower their body temperature to save energy.

Chilli Love

Why do parrots love eating chillies? Can they eat them all the time?

Dear Subarnarekha,

Chillies have a chemical called capsaicin which makes our tongue burn. As a result, we cannot eat too much of it. However, capsaicin has no effect on birds. Chillies contain nutrition and vitamins which are good for them. However, they are not the only food parrots should eat. They have to be given a variety of foods such as grains, fruits, vegetables and nuts.

Helping the Strays

What can we do to save street dogs and cats from the harsh weather?

Dear Avisha,

Try planting as many trees as you can, as trees help protect animals from the harsh weather. Keep bowls of water out for them in summer. During winter, feeding the strays will help them survive the cold. You could also build a small enclosure for the animals outside your house using a cardboard box and leave some blankets inside for them.

Floating Forks

Stuff:

• Two forks,
• Two toothpicks,
• A bottle with water,
• Eraser

 

Do:

1. Fix a toothpick to the eraser by piercing it in the centre with the blunt end of the toothpick. Place eraser on top of the bottle.

2. Take the two forks and interlock them tightly as shown.

3. Insert the pointed end of the second toothpick through the interlocked forks

4. Carefully lift the forks using the toothpick and place its blunt end on top of the pointed end of the toothpick attached to the eraser.

See: When you place the toothpick with the forks attached to it on top of the other toothpick, it does not fall! The entire construct balances on the tip of the second toothpick.

Think about:
Why didn’t the forks fall?
For an object to be balanced the weight must be equally distributed on both sides. In a scale, for example, you can easily balance it on your finger tip by identifying the half-way mark. If one side is longer than the other, the ruler will fall. This half-way mark is called the centre of gravity–the point in an object where the object’s mass is concentrated and can be used to balance it.

In this experiment, the centre of gravity for the two forks is on the point where it is interlocked because that is where the mass is concentrated. When the toothpick is inserted at that point, and placed on the second toothpick, the centre of gravity of the entire structure shifts to the toothpick, because of which it stays balanced without toppling.

Let’s find out:
How important is the centre of gravity in the design of a vehicle?
The concept of centre of gravity finds practical applications in the automobile industry. While designing a vehicle, the centre of gravity is kept in mind so as to ensure the safety and efficiency of a vehicle. In cars, the centre of balance is kept low to prevent them from toppling over on their sides when taking sharp turns. In an aircraft too, the centre of balance is carefully determined during the design stage. It is crucial for the aircraft’s stability and control.

Straw Flute

Stuff:
• A straw
• A pair of scissors

Do:

1. Flatten the tip of a straw at one end as shown.

2. Cut diagonally across the flattened end from both sides so that it looks like a pencil point. This is the reed end.

3. Put the reed end into your mouth and blow into it.

See:When you blow through the straw, it makes a sound like a musical instrument.


Cut two or three holes along the length of the straw as shown. Now, you can manipulate the sound by blocking or unblocking the holes in different combinations.

Think about:
How did music come out of the straw?
Sound waves are created by the vibration of an object. When you blow on the reed end of the straw, the two pieces of the tip vibrate. The vibration travels back and forth along the length of the straw, creating a wave in the air inside the straw. This wave travels through the air till it reaches your ear where it is received as sound. It’s the same science behind speech. When we speak, our vocal cords vibrate, thus creating sound.

Let’s find out:
How does a flute produce sound?
When air is blown into a flute, the air vibrates along the length of the flute which creates the sound. The length of the flute determines the sound, as the time taken for the vibrations to travel long the flute also changes (you can try it with the straw by cutting at various lengths). When you open or close the holes on a flute, it changes the frequency of the vibration, as the air waves escape through the holes instead of exiting through the other end. This helps a musician produce different notes in a flute.

Square-shaped Bubble

Stuff:
• 4-5 Straws (depending on size of the cube),
• 8-10 pipe cleaners/ chenille sticks (depending on size of the cube),
• Liquid dish soap Glycerine, Scissors ,
• A large bowl of water (big enough to immerse the cube)

Do:

1. Take a bowl of water and add 2 tablespoons of liquid dish soap to make a bubble solution. Stir gently. Add 1 tablespoon of glycerine to make bubbles last longer.

2. Cut a pipe cleaner about 5 inches in length and bend it in half.

3. Take a third piece of pipe cleaner about 3 inches in length and fix it to the bent piece to form a pyramid shape as shown. Make three more such pieces.

4. Take a piece of straw and cut it into small pieces. Each piece should be smaller than the length of the pyramid’s legs. You will need 12 such pieces of straw.

5. Put the straws around the pipe cleaners in all the 4 pyramids. The legs of the pyramid should extend beyond the straw.

6. Join two of the pyramid-shaped pieces as shown by twisting their ends together to form a table-like structure. Join the remaining two pieces to it. You now have a cube.

7. Immerse the cube into the bubble solution. When you take it out, you will see flat bubble surfaces have formed on the sides of the cube.

8. Now take a straw, dip it into the bubble solution and gently blow a bubble into the centre of the cube.

See: You will see that a cube-shaped bubble starts forming in the centre. You can increase its size by blowing more air into it.


Think about:
How is the cube-shaped bubble formed?
Bubbles are usually round. A sphere has the smallest surface area, so the walls of the bubbles are thick. Hence, it is the most stable shape for them to be in. When a bubble is surrounded by other bubbles like the flat bubble surfaces of the cube in this case, it sticks to them and forms other stable shapes with corners and sides. Thus, the smaller cube bubble is formed inside.

Let’s find out:
In this experiment, we create bubbles for fun, but blowing bubbles in different shapes is important for the glass industry. Similar to how the shape of a bubble can be changed by blowing into it, glass when molten acts like a bubble. When solid glass is subjected to heat, it becomes molten and flexible. Then glass objects of different shapes can be made by blowing air into this molten glass and shaping it using other surfaces. After it is shaped, the molten glass is cooled to make it hard again.

 

Flame Out

Stuff:
• Cylindrical bottle,
• Drinking glass,
• Candle,
• Match box

Do (I):

1. Place the bottle before a lit candle.

2. Stand behind the bottle and try to blow out the candle.

See: Despite there being an object between you and the candle, the flame goes out.

Think about:
Why does this happen?
The reason the candle goes out despite having a bottle in front of it is because of aerodynamics. When you blow at a rounded or cylindrical surface, the air will tend to stick to the surface even as the surface curves, this is called the Coanda effect. This way the air curves all the way around the bottle, and can blow out the candle.

Do (II):

1. Cover the lit candle fully with the glass and watch the flame go out.

2. Now, try it again without setting the glass down fully as shown.

See: Despite the air supply not being cut off, the flame goes out.

Think about:
Why does this happen?
The flame requires oxygen to burn. The burning candle uses up the oxygen and heats up the air inside the glass. This hot air, which does not have much oxygen left in it, rises to the top of the glass and stays there, instead of circulating. This prevents the fresh air outside the glass from flowing in to supply the flame with oxygen. Thus, the flame eventually goes out due to the lack of oxygen.

Let’s find out:
Why does blowing on a flame put out a candle?
When we light a candle, the flame melts the wax near the wick. This liquid wax is then drawn up the wick and gets heated by the flame until it turns into gas. This gas mixes with oxygen in the air and keeps the flame burning. The heat in turn melts more wax and thus the cycle continues. When we blow on a candle, we reduce the temperature at the wick to a point where the liquid wax cannot turn into gas, and is unable to sustain the flame. Thus, the flame goes out.

Wait, Mr. Alien!

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.

More From Champak: Donkey Golu In Space

“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!”

The Prettiest Garden

In order to encourage the inhabitants of Champakvan to plant more trees and spread awareness about the environment, King Shersingh announced a competition wherein whoever had the best garden would be awarded a prize. It was announced that in a month’s time, Shersingh would personally visit each citizen’s garden and judge it.

All the animals became excited about the competition and started planting several trees and shrubs with beautiful flowers in their homes.

“It’s useless, Jumpy! All your hard work is going to be for nothing,” said Baddy fox upon seeing Jumpy monkey plant trees in his garden.

“What do you mean?” asked Jumpy.

“I mean that I have the most beautiful garden in this entire forest. It has some of the prettiest flowers you would have ever seen! So, I am going to win the competition hands down,” said Baddy proudly.

Jumpy merely ignored Baddy’s remark and continued tending to his plants.

“Oh, look there! That simpleton Damru donkey is walking by with his leaky bucket again,” laughed Baddy. “Almost half the water he carries in it is wasted along the way.”

“I don’t understand why he doesn’t buy a new bucket to carry water instead. What a miser!” commented Jumpy.

The two of them started making fun of Damru but Damru paid no heed to their comments and continued on his way.

After a month, on the day of the competition, Shersingh walked around the forest and visited each house and looked at their garden.

“Your garden is very beautiful, Baddy. I am impressed,” said Shersingh appreciating Baddy’s garden. Baddy was overjoyed and was sure that he was going to be adjudged the winner.

“You are right, Your Highness! But there is another garden which is also beautiful and has lots of different varieties of flowers,” said Minister Blacky bear. “I request you to take a look at that one as well. It’s on the South path leading to the river.”

“The South path? But no one uses that path to go to the river,” said Shersingh surprised.

“That’s true, Your Highness. But on that very path, there are many plants with plenty of beautiful flowers of different colours,” said Blacky.

Shersingh wanted to see the flowers for himself and walked towards the path followed by Blacky and the other animals.

There, Shersingh was mesmerised by the sight—several varieties of colourful flowers lined the path. It was the most beautiful patch of the garden he had seen so far.

A Walk in the Garden

“This is undoubtedly the prettiest flower bed in the forest! If someone had planted these, I would surely have declared them as the winner,” said Shersingh.

“Your Highness, I don’t know if someone has planted these, but someone surely has watered them. This part of the forest couldn’t have gotten water on its own. I would advise that whoever has watered these plants should be announced as the winner,” said Blacky.

“You are absolutely right, Blacky. The aim of the competition is to promote a love for nature and encourage citizens to plant more trees. And someone seems to have done just that, even if it’s not in their own garden,” said King Shersingh.

Just then, Damru walked towards them with a leaky bucket from which water was leaking and falling over the plants along the path.

“Your Highness, there he is! I think he’s the one who waters these plants,” said Blacky.

“But he’s not watering the plants! His bucket is leaking and the water is falling on the plants because of it,” said Baddy in protest. He was afraid that he may not get the prize.

“We’ll find out about that,” said King Shersingh and went up to Damru. “Damru, don’t you know that your bucket is leaking? By the time you reach home there won’t be any water left,” said Shersingh.

“Your Highness, I only need half a bucket of water, and by the time I reach home, the bucket still stays half full,” said Damru.

“But why waste so much water? And why do you bother using this long route to go to the river? There is a much shorter path which everyone else uses,” said Blacky.

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“The thing is, I love gardens but I don’t have space at my home to plant new trees. A few months ago, I accidentally found this spot and decided to plant some saplings here,” explained Damru.

“But the leaking bucket…” Blacky began to ask.

“Actually, I am quite busy these days, and I don’t get time to water these plants. That’s why I carry this leaky bucket to the river so that on my way back, the plants get watered automatically,” said Damru.

Baddy and Jumpy were astonished that Damru, who they thought to be foolish, turned out to be very smart.

Shersingh was impressed by Damru’s efforts and declared him the winner of the competition. Everyone congratulated Damru, including Baddy and Jumpy, who also apologised for making fun of him.

A Festive Punishment

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.

Sohan’s New Dream

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.

A Clean Start

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’s Smart Escape

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.

Naughty Monty

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.

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