The Elephant is huge and hungry. They get talking and eventually Bantu helps the new animal find food to satisfy his big appetite.
Story: Manoj Roy
Illustrations: Helena
SEO Keywords: animated stories
Blood Donation Camp
Jumbo, the elephant walked out merrily one morning. While on his way, Leelu, the kangaroo met him and asked, “What is the matter Dadu? You seem very happy. Where are you going?”
“I am going to the grounds for the camp,” told Jumbo.
“Which camp?”
“Blood donation camp,” said Jumbo, as he walked away.
“Blood donation camp!” Leelu was excited. “I will go and see for myself whether Jumbo Dadu is really donating blood or not?” Leelu skipped and hopped towards the grounds. Damru, the donkey saw her on the way and asked, “Leelu, where are you going early in the morning?”
“I am going to the blood donation camp. You can come along if you want.” As soon as he heard this, Damru joined Leelu.
When Jumpy, the monkey saw them, he inquired, “Where are both of you going this morning?”
“We are going to the blood donation camp.” Damru shared. Jumpy laughed and asked, “Are you going to take blood or give it?” Damru’s face fell.
Jumpy spread the news to his friends. Some laughed, while others made fun. When Blacky, the bear heard it, he became serious and said in anger, “When this small lanky Damru can donate blood, why can’t we?”
“Blacky is right.” Geetu, the rhinoceros said. “We should go there too,” said Geetu and both of them walked to the camp. There was a big crowd outside. All the animals, whether small, fat, thin or lean were standing in a queue.
Leelu and Damru soon got a chance to enter. Blacky and Geetu were upset about seeing them go in.
“Big animals like us are standing out, while that tiny Damru is inside.” The two charged in elbowing aside others in the queue. Inside they saw Damru and Leelu talking to Mili, a member of the camp.
“Can we donate blood too?” asked Damru.
“Yes, why not! If all tests are clear you can easily donate blood. By giving blood you maintain good health. You will also come to know how healthy your body is,” Mili explained.
“There is no problem in donating blood?” questioned a scared Damru.
“There is no need to worry if your body is healthy. Besides we take blood from a healthy person only. Blood is not taken from a weak body. We take only one unit of blood which is produced again in two days. There is no discomfort to the donor,” Mili said with a smile.
“Can the donated blood be given to anyone?” Damru inquired.
“Yes! Only to them whose blood group matches the donor,” Mili replied. “Blood group?” he asked.
“Yes. Blood also has groups. They are of four types.” Mili explained.
“I think I have heard about them. Perhaps there are four groups. ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘AB’ and ‘O”, “Damru said thoughtfully.
Mili smiled and glanced at the place where the blood tests were being conducted. A few people were waiting there. She looked at her watch and said, “Come I will show you. You are right. There are four types of groups-A’, ‘B’, AB’ and ‘O’. ‘AB’ is the only blood group which accepts blood from any group, but can give blood only to someone with “AB”. Therefore, it is called the universal acceptor.
“Like our Jumbo Dada who eats everyone’s lunch, but does not give anyone,” Leelu said and all three laughed.
Mili continued, “O’blood group is just the opposite of AB’. It can give blood to anyone, but cannot accept blood from any group. A patient with ‘O’blood group needs blood from ‘O’only.”
“Then this blood group must be very useful. It can help anyone.” They said.
“Yes! That is why it is called the ‘Universal Donor’. No special condition is required for other groups. ‘A’ blood group can take blood from ‘O’or ‘A’ and give to ‘A’ and AB”. Similarly ‘B’ blood group can take from ‘B’ or ‘O’ blood group and be given to ‘B’ or ‘AB’. Therefore the blood group is checked first. Once the blood is collected, it is stored safely and can be used anytime. Now I am taking your blood sample for the test. Do not be afraid,” said Mili and brought the needle near Damru’s finger.
As soon as she did this Blacky, immediately rushed and said, “I will donate blood first, then this tiny one.”
“Okay brother you can get it done first,” said Damru as he stepped aside.
Mili took Blacky’s blood sample. It was sent for testing
First Kanny, the tortoise put the blood sample in a liquid. Within minutes the blood went down, formed a ball and rose up.
She said, “If this comes up in the form of a ball, then the hemoglobin is alright, and if it stays at the bottom then it is less.”
Then she performed three more tests, and then said, “Everything is fine. Get your Blood Pressure checked”.
“Why do I have to check that? It must be alright too. Don’t you see how healthy and strong I am?” murmured Blacky. Then he got his BP checked.
“Your blood pressure is very high therefore you cannot donate blood. Only those who have normal blood pressure can donate blood. It should be 120-90,” Sikku, the fox, a worker at the camp explained to Blacky.
Blacky was staring at her in astonishment. He could not believe that someone as healthy and strong as he could not donate blood. He went and sat in a corner crestfallen. By now Damru’s blood sample was taken and the tests were conducted.
“Everything is normal,” informed Mili and asked for the BP checkup.
Sikku checked and said, “Your blood pressure is normal 120-90. You can donate blood.”
“What if the pressure was low?” Damru asked.
“It would be an issue, as pressure too high or low is not good,” Sikku explained.
“Then there is no problem if I donate blood.”
“No! No! There is no problem. You are absolutely healthy. Go ahead,” said Sikku.
Damru went eagerly towards the bed. Blacky was watching all this with a downcast face.
“Blacky why are you sad? Damru is absolutely fit though he is thin. If you are fat doesn’t mean you are healthy,” said Mili.
Geetu saw Blacky’s fallen face and said, “Forget it! Instead of growing fat, we should look after our health. We should become healthy and strong like Damru. Look he is donating blood. We came here for the sake of our pride, but he had come to help the needy. We should also think similarly.”
Blacky looked at Damru. He went up to Damru and said, “Friend you are doing a very noble thing. We should all come forward to do this without fear. Please forgive me. I tried to trouble you for no rhyme or reason.”
Blacky said this and went out of the camp. Damru heaved a sigh of relief. He was happy for doing a good deed, as well as for bringing about a change in Blacky’s thinking.
Deru has fun in the Snow
Winter had arrived and it started to snow. All the leaves were completely covered with snow.
Seeing this, little Deru bear was scared.
“Papa, what will happen now? It is very cold here. Where will we stay?” asked Deru.
Deru had accompanied his father, Bholu, who was visiting a friend Motu, the polar bear. They had woolen coats, scarves and gloves and were looking for Motu’s house.
“Deru, we will reach there soon,” Deru’s father tried to comfort him.
“But Papa my feet are sinking in this snow, and I can’t walk. My shoes are full of snow. I am feeling hungry, too. I am unable to see any pond where I can catch some fish,” Deru cried.
Suddenly, his eyes fell on a frozen pond. There was a small hole on the surface and some fish were swimming there.
Deru, without a second thought, jumped. Although there were fishes in the water, they were swimming beneath the frozen layer, causing Deru to get hurt.
“Son, be careful. Our destination is close. Look Uncle Motu is coming,” said Bholu pointing to the big, white bear running towards them. Motu patted Deru on his back, but Deru did not smile. He was in a sour mood, as he had hurt himself on the ice.
“Where will we stay? There’s so much snow.” Deru whined.
“In a snow house called the igloo,” said Motu laughing and the three walked off.
“Won’t we shiver in the cold?” Deru asked tearfully. They had reached around the house made from snow, which had a small door. The three entered the house.
“Oh! It is not cold here!” Deru was surprised. “Why is this house not cold even though it is made of snow?”
“Son, because the construction of this house is like the concave lens. The heat from the lamps inside strike the walls.
The warmth is trapped inside instead of going out. This keeps the house warm,” Motu explained.
Deru was relieved. He was happy to finally find a warm house.
“Uncle, I am very hungry,” Deru said.
“Come, let’s catch fish,” said Motu said taking his snow cart.
“There is no pond here. The fishes are swimming in the water that is covered with a layer of ice. How will we catch the fish?” Deru asked Uncle.
Motu explained. “Come with me. I will show you how we can catch the fish.”
Deru was about to leave but suddenly stopped.
“No, Uncle! I will not come, my feet will sink in the snow. I am unable to walk,” Deru said sadly.
Motu took out his sledge and said, “You can sit on this. Now, let’s go.”
“But it has no wheels.”
“Don’t worry son! My friends will move it. You need not to walk.” Then they got out.
Motu’s friends helped pull the cart. Soon they reached a pond where they found many fish swimming beneath the ice. Motu kicked the ice and it broke after a tries, causing the fish to jump out.
“Oh! This is how the fishes are caught!” Deru said surprised.
Deru caught many fish and everyone had a hearty meal. Now he was enjoying himself. After eating the fish, they went for a drive. The snow cart raced along the ice. They saw many spots, snow-covered trees, houses and even an apple orchard. All the houses were igloos. They came home after seeing many beautiful sites.
“Uncle you catch fish every day in this cold after so much work,” said Deru, removing his shoes.
“We don’t work the entire year. We polar bears eat and roam for most of the year. The rest of the year we sleep,” said Motu.
“Why?” Deru was surprised.
“We spend some months sleeping to escape from the cold. It is called hibernation,” Motu said.
“The long hair on our body protects us from the cold. In the summer months, we store enough fat in our body so that we do not have to worry about the winter months. We sleep most of the time to conserve energy. This is the lifestyle of polar bears,” Deru was listening carefully to Uncle Motu.
Though both were bears there was a vast difference between the two.
“It seems that both are created to suit the environment they live in. My friends will be very surprised when I tell them about all that I have learnt,” Deru said.
The next day, Deru wanted to go for a drive again and wouldn’t sleep, as he was enjoying listening to Uncle Motu talk.
“Son, won’t you sleep?” asked Motu.
“Uncle, I will sleep soundly once I return home. At the moment let me enjoy talking with you,” laughed Deru.
Motu also laughed. The three of them continued to exchange stories.
Roshni’s Greedy Lesson
Roshni, the rabbit saw some jars outside a house on her way back from school. She opened one and saw mango pickle in it. “Mango pickle is kept in the sun to dry,” she said to herself. Seeing that no one was around, she picked one piece and went home sucking it.
The next day Roshni did the same too. On the third day when she got up in the morning she had a sore throat. She did not listen to her mother and went to school. She had severe pain in her throat. When her teacher asked her a question, she could not answer. Roshni went to the blackboard and wrote the answer. “I am unable to speak,” she explained to the teacher.
The teacher sent Roshni back to her seat. Roshni’s throat was dry because she had eaten sour pickles. When she went home, her mother saw that Roshni had high fever.
Roshni’s mother took her to the doctor. With great effort Roshni told the doctor the truth. She took the perscribed medicines and lay on bed. She had to take three days leave from school. She stayed in bed the whole day.
That night Roshni remembered that there was a competition in school. She could not take part in it because of the fever. The next day Roshni’s fever was less. Some of her school friends visited her to enquire about her health.
“Do you know there is a race in school tomorrow?” asked her friends.
“My body is weak. I will not be able to take part in it,” Roshni replied tearfully.
“It is my fault. I could have taken part if I had not been greedy.”
She told her friends the whole story. At that moment her mother came in. She touched her lovingly and said, “That is why they say children should not eat pickle. The spices in pickles are bad for their tender throats.”
“You should have told me. I would have made sweet mango chutney for you,” Ma said, as she stroked her lovingly.
“It would have been shameful if someone had seen you stealing the pickle. You would have got into trouble.”
“It is truly said that greed is bad. It always creates problems.” All her friends agreed with her mother.
Roshni’s eyes became moist with tears. “Last year I won a prize in the 100 metres race. Now I have to miss out because of my mistake.”
Roshni promised her mom that she will never steal and eat. Her mother explained to all the children, “Always ask grown ups before eating anything, whether it should be eaten or not. This will keep you away from trouble.”
The Importance of Reading
The teachers of Champs School were upset. The students were good at studies, but they did not read anything besides their textbooks. They were not interested in any books that were there in the library.
If they had any free period they would play in the ground. If any project was given, they would just quickly search the internet for information and not go into details. The teachers had tried explaining the benefits of reading, but they never understood this. The children said, “Internet is the best.” Rest of the time they played games on the net or used social websites.
The children felt bored, as they had to study the whole time. They began their day in school and then tuitions. They felt that there should be some play time too.
Their parents were worried as their children were not interested in reading. The parents and the teachers held meetings. They came up with a plan.
The next day the Principal made an announcement. She said the student who gave 50 interesting facts would be given an award. The children were thrilled to hear this. They thought it would be easy, as they would search online and the work would be over in minutes.
However, she clarified that no one could take the help of the internet for this. They could only use the books in the library. They would have to write the names of the books they referred too.
The information had to be on different subjects. They were given a month’s time to complete the work. The children were astonished to hear this. They whispered to each other, “Now what will happen?”
Each child wanted to win. Therefore, they started going to the library every day. The library remained packed with children whether it was lunch time or a free period. Surfing social sites on the internet had also reduced. They would issue books from the library and read them at home.
They gathered a lot of information on language, mathematics, astronomy, chemistry and physics. No subject was left untouched. The parents and teachers were very happy to see their diligence. All the children submitted their papers within a month.
They eagerly waited for the results. They were feeling anxious.
In the meantime, everyone noticed a change in the children’s behavior. They were still borrowing books from the library and reading them. Besides this, the children were borrowing books from other kids and reading them. They read many stories, essays, poems and biographies.
After a week the day of the results arrived. The intelligent children were sure they would definitely get the award. The children were surprised when the Principal Madam announced Deepika’s name as the first prize. How can she get the first prize?
But it was true. Though she was not bright in studies, reading was her hobby. She had read more books than anyone else and thus provided interesting information on every subject. The information given by other children was nearly the same. Their Principal told the children that it was Deepika’s interest in books that had got her this prize. If the other children formed the habit of reading then they too would get good information.
As an outcome of this competition, the children thus learnt the importance of reading. They said in unison, “Thank you Madam” and clapped their hands.
Now the children frequently visited the library. They had opened a book club near their house and exchanged books amongst themselves to read. Books had become their true friends.
Sara’s New Mom
Christmas was around the corner. Almost everyone in the neighbourhood was busy getting ready to celebrate the festival.
But Sara was upset and was in no mood to celebrate. Sara used to celebrate Christmas with her mother every year and enjoyed helping her mom bake cakes for their family and friends. Her mom had passed away about six months ago and the festival only reminded her of her mother more than ever.
Every year, Sara would ask for something or the other from Santa Claus. Sara’s grandpa would buy whatever Sara wished for and would keep it for her under the Christmas tree a few days before Christmas.
Sara would think that Santa himself had dropped by and left those gifts for her.
Sara sat on the sofa with her teddy bear looking sad.
Grandpa saw her sitting there and came to her and asked, “What’s the matter, Sara? Why do you look so sad?”
Sara burst into tears and said, “I keep thinking about mom. And I heard that dad is getting a step-mom for me now. But I want my own mom. I am going to ask for my own mom from Santa this year. I want to meet Santa Claus.”
Sara’s grandpa felt sorry for her. He hugged her and wiped away her tears.
Grandpa decided that on Christmas day, he himself would dress up as Santa Claus and talk to Sara about her step-mom.
Next day was Christmas. In the evening, Sara sat under the Christmas tree, waiting for Santa Claus. She had a feeling that Santa would indeed turn up.
Soon, Sara’s grandpa, dressed up like Santa Claus, arrived at their home.
She was overjoyed to see him.
Sara ran towards him and asked, “I was sure that you would come. But where’s my mom?”
Santa said, “Sara, I can’t bring your mom. But you’re going to get a new mom. And you will find your own mom in her too.”
“But I’ve heard that step-moms are bad. My friends told me the story of Cinderella, and even in that, the stepmom was such a bad person,” said Sara.
“No, Sara, not all step-moms are bad. I have met your new mom. She’s a kind person. You can teach her your favourite dishes and play games with her. You may want to know what she likes and do those things with her too. Give her a chance and see,” said Santa, before leaving.
Sara took Santa’s words to heart. When Sara’s new mom came, Sara and she took their time to know each other.
Over time, Sara accepted her as her own mother. Not a step-mom; she became like her real mom.
Sara’s grandpa was overjoyed to see Sara’s bonding with her step-mom. He felt that the family was complete.
The New Santa Claus
The residents of Silver Forest were eagerly awaiting their king, Leo, the lion’s announcement that came a few days before Christmas every year.
Next day, the king called everyone and said, “As you all know, every year we select one animal among us to be Santa Claus. So please start preparations, as only two days are left for us to decide who will be the Santa this year.”
For the animals, being Santa Claus was a matter of honour. Everyone began preparing for the competition. Some started decorating their houses, while others started dressing up smartly.
Piku, the peacock, was drying his feathers after taking a bath. Suddenly, he heard a voice.
“Help me! I can’t carry this bag alone!”
Piku looked out to see who it was. An old and dark animal was carrying a heavy bag on his shoulders and was saying, “Please help me! I can’t carry this bag by myself.”
“Help? I’m sorry, but please ask someone else. This bag is so heavy and dirty as well. I have just taken a bath. I don’t want to get dirty again,” said Piku, declining to help him.
“My house isn’t far. Please help me. I’m too old to take this bag,” pleaded the animal.
“I just said no. Can’t you hear me?” said Piku, losing his temper. “Now get moving from here. I’m preparing for the competition to become Santa Claus. Don’t disturb me!”
The animal walked away sorrowfully. Some distance away, he came across Hinni, the deer.
“Please help me! I can’t carry this bag anymore,” the animal cried out. Hinni saw that an old animal was asking for help, but declined. “Please ask someone else. Can’t you see I’m busy preparing for the Santa Claus competition? I’ve just applied the cream on my body. If I help you now, the cream will get dirty and my skin will not shine anymore,” said Hinni, and turned away.
Suddenly, Dabbu, the donkey arrived at the scene. He was passing by and stopped on hearing the old animal’s cry for help.
“Let me help you,” he said. Dabbu took the bag from the old animal.
“Yes, please help him out,” said Hinni, laughing. “Anyway, who’ll choose you to be Santa Claus?”
Dabbu did feel bad, but he chose to ignore her.
“Careful! The bag’s quite heavy!” said the old animal to Dabbu.
“Not a problem,” said Dabbu.
“And it’s dirty as well.”
“Don’t worry! I will wash it afterwards,” said Dabbu, smiling at him. “Where is your house?”
“It’s quite far. You can put the bag down if you want. I’ll ask someone else for help,” said the old animal.
“Don’t worry at all. Let’s go,” said Dabbu, and started walking behind him.
After walking some distance, they arrived near an old house.
“Please keep the bag down here,” said the old animal. “Thank you so much!”
As Dabbu was about to leave, the old animal called out, “Haven’t you prepared for the Santa Claus competition?”
“Who will make me Santa Claus? Neither am I good looking nor do I have any special skill,” saying that Dabbu left.
Dabbu then went and cleaned his house and set up a Christmas tree.
That night, all the animals, including Dabbu, gathered on the ground to hear the results of the competition.
“This time I’ll surely be Santa,” said Piku, spreading his feathers. “Who’s more beautiful than me?”
Everyone admired Piku’s beautiful and colourful feathers.
“You’re really handsome,” some of the animals complimented him.
“Oh, but wait till you’ve seen me! Look how fair I look,” said Hinni, the deer. Everyone turned to her.
“Yes, yes, you too could be Santa Claus,” said the other animals. Hinni was elated.
“Hey, even Dabbu has come! You’ve come just as you are, Dabbu. You should at least have dressed up,” said Piku, laughing at him.
“He’ll never change!” said Hinni, laughing as well.
“Friends!” said Leo, their king from the stage. “The results this year can come as a shock to all of you. This time our Santa Claus is…”
Piku and Hinni both were ready to go on to the stage.
“…Dabbu!” Leo announced.
“What?” everyone at the gathering, including Dabbu himself, was shocked. Leo knew that all the animals were asking why.
“Please Dabbu,” Leo said. “Come up to the stage.”
“All of you must be wondering why Dabbu and no one else can be a better Santa than him. He is kind and helpful. He helped a weak and old animal who was refused help by many others.” Saying this, Leo narrated the whole story.
“But how can you be so sure that Dabbu actually helped out that old animal? It sounds like a made-up story,” said Romy, the squirrel.
“He’s right! He’s right!” said a few others in support.
“No, it’s not a story. Because that animal was me,” said Leo.
Everyone was quiet.
“Yes,” said Leo. “I had set out in disguise to search for this year’s Santa Claus.”
All the animals praised king Leo for his smart decision.
“We’re sorry for being rude, Dabbu,” said Piku and Hinni. “You truly deserve to be Santa Claus.”
“Yes, Dabbu, I wish we realised our mistake sooner,” said Hinni.
“Forget it, friends,” said Dabbu. “Come, let’s celebrate Christmas together!”
Everyone cried out in joy, “Merry Christmas!”
MERRY CHRISTMAS
All the animals in the forest were preparing to celebrate Christmas. Everyone was happy and cheerful.
Except Coco, the crow who was perched on a tree with his friend, Minnie, the squirrel. He was sad, and was thinking, “Neither do I have any gift to give anyone nor does anyone like my continuous cawing.”
“What’s the matter?” Minnie asked. “Why are you sad?”
Coco told how he felt.
Minnie said, “No, you’re wrong! Everyone likes you.”
Coco said, “No, you don’t understand. All the other birds are colourful. They sing sweetly. But both my colour and voice are bad.”
Minnie started thinking about Coco’s words. The trees in the forest were beautifully decorated for Christmas.
Coco was so lost in thought about himself that he did not see the beauty around him. Minnie wished that Coco could see the beauty around him and forget his worries.
Coco was thinking, “I wish I wasn’t so black and ugly, and I too had a sweet voice like the other birds.”
Minnie tried explaining again, “You are so young. All the elderly crows are considered to be wise. Your nests are so clean and beautiful. And you eat up all the insects in the fields and help the farmers too.”
Coco waved his wings and said, “What’s so special about that?”
“Not for you maybe, but it is very helpful for the farmers,” said Minnie as she jumped up and sat on a higher branch.
“All right,” said Coco and went and sat beside her.
Minnie said, “Don’t overthink about your colour and your voice. They are not as important as you think.”
“Even I don’t like sitting in despair during the holiday season. I can hear nice music playing all around. I really wish I could sing!” said Coco.
Minnie replied, “Why are you so afraid of your own voice? Everyone knows how your voice sounds since you were born.”
“In Brazil, they cook chicken and rice during Christmas. The songs and music make even the turkeys dance in joy. In France, they decorate the Christmas trees with balloons, ribbons and lights. All the animals celebrate and enjoy themselves in the moonlight. In Germany, the party is kick-started by piglets and then by the opening of gifts. There is happiness everywhere,” said Minnie.
“How do you know all this?” Coco asked Minnie.
Minnie continued, “Christmas is the time to dance, sing, eat, make merry and have fun. It’s not for being sad like this.”
Coco was beginning to understand Minnie’s words. It was true that Christmas was time to be happy.
He too should mingle with all and enjoy himself.
“You’re right, Minnie,” he said. “I too shall celebrate Christmas with everyone and have a lot of fun.”
“That’s the spirit!” smiled Minnie. “Ticktock, tick-tock… Soon it’ll be Christmas day. Come, let’s enjoy ourselves!”
Coco spread his wings, looked to his left and to his right, and tried crying out in a sweet voice. But instead of his horrible cawing, he indeed cried out in a sweet voice, “Merry Christmas!”
Soon, the whole forest was celebrating the festival. They began singing, dancing and greeting each other. Merry Christmas to all!
Enjoying Christmas
The month of December was on and it was very cold in the forest. The animals and birds were worried. Winter seemed to be very severe this year. There were only a few days left for Christmas and preparations had to begin.
Tilu, the starling sitting on the tree asked, “Brother Goru, how is the preparation for the Christmas coming along?”
“It has not started as yet. Owing to the severe cold nothing could be arranged,” said Goru, the bear.
“It is always cold during Christmas, why are we afraid of it? We should start preparing for it,” said Tilu.
“It’s true. Christmas is a winter festival, then why are we afraid of the cold? Come let us start its preparation from today. Spread the news to everyone in the forest,” said Goru.
“Good, I will inform everyone,” said Tilu and flew off. She conveyed Goru’s message to most of the animals. The mere mention of Christmas spread a wave of happiness.
Harshilvan was known for it’s unique Christmas celebrations. Everyone helped and the idea was always new. The food and drinks were of different varieties and that is why Goru had informed everyone in advance. The plan was discussed in everyone’s house in the forest.
Tina, the doe was expert in making cakes, while Peelu, the peacock was good in making a Christmas tree. Every year they would decorate the tree in a new way and provide delicious cakes to eat. Some would sing and others dance.
As the festival approached the winter became more severe. Everyone was finding it difficult to work and was worried how they would celebrate Christmas this year.
Peelu made all arrangements to decorate the Christmas tree. He also chose the tree. It had to be fixed in the ground in front of the house. Everyone’s eyes were focused on the season. It was becoming colder.
Peelu and Goru fixed the Christmas tree two days before the festival. It was snowing on Christmas morning. No one went out in the snow. The birds sought shelter in their nests.
A thick blanket of snow was spread out everywhere. The plants and trees were covered with snow. Goru did not like to sit at home on a festival. He came out of his house as he could not stay in any longer and called out to all his friends. They wished each other a Merry Christmas. “How will we celebrate Christmas this year?” Teju, the monkey asked. “The Christmas tree is completely covered with snow,” said Tinku, the jackal. “What difference does it make? Are you all ready to celebrate Christmas?” Goru asked.
“Yes! All of us are ready.” Everyone replied in unison.
“You know we celebrate Christmas in a different way every year. This time the snow has given us this opportunity to do something unique,” said
“We have not understood what you said? they asked.”
“Together we will make a Christmas tree of snow,” explained Goru.
“That is a good idea,” said Tinku.
“But how will a tree be made out of snow? We can gather snow and make a mound but not a tree,” said Teju.
“You make a mound and we will change it into a tree,” Goru said. The others could not understand anything that has been told. The branch that had been fixed for the Christmas tree two days ago was now completely covered with snow, and it was still snowing. Everyone helped in gathering the snow and heaped it up to form a mound.
“Make it as high as possible,” said Goru.
All of them made it as high as they could. Meanwhile, all the animals came there. On the instructions of Goru, Teju brought Honey, the horse. Goru explained something which made Teju happy. He climbed up a branch and shaped the mound into a Christmas tree. He cut the pile of snow and gave it the shape of a tree.
“Wow! This is a beautiful snow tree,” exclaimed Chutki, the doe.
“But how will we decorate it?” asked Tinku.
“It can be decorated with plastic flowers and toys,” said Goru.
“Come let us tell Peelu,” said Teju.
“But he cannot come here,” Honey said.
“But why?”
“His feathers will get wet”.
“Their feathers get wet in the rain, not in snow,” explained Goru. Besides their feathers are so slippery that neither snow nor rain can stay on them…”
Peelu joined them within a few moments. Following his example, many birds came out of their nests. All of them decorated the tree with great enthusiasm. The bright white Christmas tree looked very beautiful.
The animals of the forest assembled to celebrate Christmas even in the snow. Everyone was happy. They had not imagined celebrating Christmas in this manner. By then Tina had also come there with the cake.
“Tina, what have you made this time?”
“Look at it!” said Tina and opened the box. It was filled with cakes in the form of small round white balls. Everyone enjoyed eating them. Then all of them made snowballs and hit each other with them. They had never enjoyed so much in the snow before.
Everyone celebrated Christmas together, sang songs and danced. No one felt the cold, but they were filled with the warmth of the festivities. Christmas was being celebrated by all.
A Merry Ride
It was very cold outside, but everyone’s face was lit with happiness. It was Christmas!
There was a lot of hustle and bustle at Lucy’s house. Lucy had a box full of toys. At night everyone at home wished each other ‘Merry Christmas.
At midnight there were a few soft whispers from the toy box. A red coloured toy train came out and said, “I am going out for a trip around the house for Christmas. If anyone wants a ride, he can take a ticket and get into the compartment.” Mickey, the puppy became the conductor of the train. He wore a black coat and stood outside the compartment blowing his whistle.
Sweety, the sparrow came out from the midst of the toys and said, “A ride through the house on the Christmas train! This is a good idea.” She flew over and settled near Mickey.
“Mickey, give me a ticket,” she said.
She took the ticket and took her seat.
Rob, the elephant’s sleep was disturbed on hearing the chatter. “Are you all going somewhere?”
“Yes, we are taking a ride on the Christmas train. But you will need two tickets, in order to get on the train.” Sweety laughed and said.
“Sweety you should not say such things. My compartments are so big that Rob can easily fit in them,” the train boasted.
Rob was happy to hear this. He immediately adjusted his specs and went to Mickey. The puppy felt like teasing Rob. He said, “If the train does not start then you will have to get down and push it.”
“Hey! Why will I have to push it alone? Everyone will get down and push it,” he said. He entered the train and took the back seat. He felt very sleepy.
Harsha, the cow, Soni, the ant, Pia, the squirrel, Cherry, the mouse, Bantu, the monkey all boarded the train the same way. The train had just started when Lottu, the fox boarded the train.
Everyone was frightened when they saw him because he was wicked.
“Eh Sweety! Move from here, otherwise, beware” he said.
“Why should I move? I have a ticket and I sat here first, therefore no one can move me from here” said Sweety.
“How dare you defy me!” Lottu said angrily, he pulled Sweety’s feather. She cried out in pain.
“That is hooliganism Lottu. You should be ashamed.” Harsha, the cow said in anger. “Since you came in last, you get the last remaining seat.”
The fox, however, did not listen.
Baring his teeth, he said, “You stop your nonsense or I will bite off your tail.” The animals sat down quietly. The speed of the train increased. It was going to the garden through the kitchen. All the animals had got into the train comfortably, but their fun was ruined because of the fox. Rob was sleeping snugly, unaware of all that was going.
Suddenly Bantu had an idea. He went to Lottu.
“Leave this seat. This is my friend’s place. He will crush you if he gets angry,” threatened the monkey.
The fox was angry. “Let him come! Where is he?” asked the fox.
“He is sleeping in the back seat.”
It was dark at the back. Agitated Lottu went there and without seeing Rob he sank his teeth in his body. However, due to the elephant’s thick skin, his teeth broke. Rob woke up from his deep slumber. He was very angry at being roused from his sleep. Before Lottu realised anything, he wrapped the fox with his snout and threw him out of the train.
There was a pool in the garden filled with water. Lottu fell in it.
“This was fun.” All the animals shouted together. There was a Christmas tree in the garden with colourful lights on its leaves.
“What a sight,” Rob uttered unexpectedly. “I slept off in vain.”
“How would we have gotten rid of the fox if you had not slept?” Bantu said, and all the animals started laughing celebrating the Christmas spirit.
MANU AND TINU’S BRAVERY
It was a Sunday morning. Manu and Tinu were playing cricket on the playground near their house. Suddenly, the ball bounced hard and went into the adjoining house.
“Oops!” Manu said. “Tinu, our ball has gone into Seth Malmalram’s house. Come on! Let’s go and get it back!”
Both the boys then ran towards Seth Malmalram’s house to look for their ball.
“Look! There’s our ball,” Tinu said and pointed towards the ball that had fallen near a window.
The two boys then went closer to the window to retrieve their ball.
It was then that they heard the strange noises coming from inside the house.
Manu and Tinu were curious. They knew that Seth Malmalram was a quiet person and rarely made any sounds. They peeped through the window and looked inside.
The two boys were horrified by what they saw.
Seth Malmalram was gagged and tied to a chair. There were two men in the house besides him. They both looked very shady.
“Oh no! Seth Malmalram has been gagged and tied to a chair!” Manu said, looking very shocked.
“Those two men must be thieves!” Tinu said as he watched the two men.
“I can see them opening the drawers and cupboards. They are stealing jewels and money from the house.”
“We should do something and save Seth Malmalram from being looted. He is our neighbour after all,” Manu said, looking very concerned “Tinu, why don’t you run to the police station? Tell Inspector Shyam what we’ve just seen. I will stay here and teach these fellows a lesson!”
Tinu did as he was told and ran towards the police station.
Manu stood still for a moment, wondering what to do. He spotted a motorcycle that was parked outside the house.
“Aha! This motorcycle must belong to the thieves!” Manu thought. He found a sharp stick and punctured both the tires of the motorcycle. “This will slow down their escape.”
Manu then looked around and found some stones. He picked them up and put them in his pockets. He then went back to the house and sneaked in after opening a bathroom window.
Manu found a small bucket of water lying in the bathroom.
“This will come handy,” he said, picking the bucket up.
Manu then tiptoed and went into one of the bedrooms. There was a big almirah kept there.
“Hmm,” Manu thought. “The thieves haven’t come into this room as yet. But I’m sure they’ll be here soon.”
Manu climbed on a chair and kept the bucket on the almirah’s top. He then climbed to the almirah’s top and sat there, quite sure that the thieves would come soon.
Manu had guessed correctly. After some time, the thieves entered the room.
“We will get a huge booty today, Chunty!” the thief whose name was Bunty said. “Only this almirah is now left for us to loot!”
“Yes! Let us open it and take whatever we can, Bunty,” Chunty said and grinned.
The two thieves put their hands forward to open the almirah but to their surprise, something fell on them. It was the bucket of water that Manu was taken from the bathroom.
“Ow!” the thieves screamed. They were startled and stepped back at once.
“Who’s there? Who has thrown water on us?” Bunty shouted.
Manu spoke in a throaty voice and said, “I said that. I am the almirah. You both have dared to open me without asking for my permission. I will punish you for doing that.”
The two thieves were astonished. They had never heard an almirah talk before.
“Bunty, did… did this almirah just say something?” Chunty nervously asked.
Bunty was nervous too. But he didn’t want to show his friend or the almirah who he believed could talk, that he was scared. He tried to sound as bold as he could and said, “We are not afraid. You cannot stop us from opening you.”
Bunty put his hand forward to open the almirah again. Manu, who was crouching on the top of the
Manu, who was crouching on the top of the almirah and clearly out of the thieves’ view, pelted the thieves with the stones he had picked up.
The two thieves were terrified now. They were shaking like leaves and wondering how an almirah had stoned them. They ran towards the door.
“Let’s get out of here!” they both shouted. “The almirah must be haunted!”
The two thieves opened the door and ran towards to their motorbike.
But to their dismay, they found it punctured.
“The tires are punctured!” Chunty cried. “What bad luck!”
“Forget about the motorbike! Let’s run instead!” Bunty shouted.
The two thieves turned to run. But they had a rude shock when they saw Tinu standing there. Tinu had arrived at the nick of time with Inspector Shyam.
Bunty and Chunty panicked when they saw Inspector Shyam. He was already pulling handcuffs out of his pocket.
“Going somewhere?” Inspector Shyam asked and arrested the thieves at once.
Manu and Tinu then ran to untie Seth Malmalram who thanked them and praised them for their bravery and intelligence.
Inspector Shyam then invited the two boys to the police station where he rewarded them with a medal and a certificate each.
Manu and Tinu were very happy that day. Whoever thought so much adventure could come from a lost cricket ball!
Arrogant Cloud
Cloudy Cloud was a young cloud. He liked floating in the sky and causing trouble wherever he went. One day, when Cloudy took a whole lot of water from The Old Sea, The Old Sea felt that it was important to give the young cloud an important lesson.
“When you come across people craving for water,” The Old Sea said, “or farmers standing in the fields who are waiting for you to shower raindrops, don’t disappoint them. Open your heart and quench their thirst. For that is the real purpose of being a cloud. And please, don’t cause trouble or harm anyone.
“Well, I shall see,” Cloudy Cloud said and quickly drifted away. He didn’t like The Old Sea telling him what to do.
“Ha! Everybody wants to give you a lesson and impose their thinking on you,” Cloudy Cloud grumbled. “I will shower raindrops wherever I want. I will do what I please. Let The Old Sea say whatever he wants. I don’t care!”
The people of a village saw Cloudy floating in the sky. Their eyes shone with joy. “Look there! There’s a rain cloud in the sky! It will shower raindrops on our lake! We will have lots of water to drink! Our thirst will be quenched!” the villagers said happily.
But Cloudy Cloud ignored the villagers and drifted away. “Why should I bother if you are hungry or thirsty, huh?” he said and left the poor villagers pining for water.
Cloudy Cloud then floated ahead arrogantly.
After some time, he stopped over a field. The farmers in the field looked up and clapped their hands. They were overjoyed. Their field was parched and they had been eagerly awaiting the rains.
“Now we will get the elixir of life! Our field will receive rainfall! Our crops will grow! We will have grains to eat! This cloud will surely shower rainfall!” the farmers sang and danced.
“Surely shower rainfall, huh?” Cloudy muttered. “Why should I shower rainfall on your field? Am I your servant? Do you think I’ve brought the water especially for your field from so far, huh? Well, I really don’t care about you or your crops!”
Cloudy then made a rude face and moved on. The farmers below blamed The Wind.
“Oh! The rain cloud was blown away! Wind, why did you do that? Our crops won’t grow now! We won’t have food to eat!” they wept.
The Wind who had been watching quietly felt very bad. He scolded Cloudy, “Cloudy, I am being blamed for your mistakes. Why aren’t you showering rain? You are disappointing everyone.”
“Mind your own business!” Cloudy Cloud told The Wind rudely. “Don’t you dare meddle with me or poke your nose in my affairs.”
“Don’t be so arrogant, young fellow” The Wind told Cloudy Cloud. “People will be grateful if you shower rain in places where it ! is needed.” Saying so, The Wind went away, hoping Cloudy would understand.
But Cloudy Cloud didn’t care. He had made up his mind to do what he wanted. He wanted to play pranks and have fun.
He found an old potter who was making mud pots and drizzled all over him.
“Oh no!” the potter cried. “All my efforts have been wasted. The rain has softened all my pots even before they could dry and take shape. I am ruined!”
Cloudy Cloud grinned. He enjoyed seeing the old potter cry. The Wind noticed this and felt very upset. But he knew that no matter how he tried, explaining anything to Cloudy was quite useless.
Cloudy Cloud decided that he would cause more mischief. He showered big drops of rain right above a lawn where a marriage reception was being held. The tents fell apart with the rainfall and the guests at the reception found that they were drenched. The food too was soaked with water and became inedible. There was chaos as everyone was running for shelter.
Cloudy Cloud laughed. He enjoyed having fun at the expense of others. He then drifted ahead, looking for more places to cause trouble. The Wind who had decided to follow Cloudy couldn’t bear to see the damage he was causing. He was very annoyed now.
The Wind then went to his old friend, Tall Mountain. “Tall Mountain, we must do something or this wicked, young cloud will go on troubling everyone.”
“You are right,” Tall Mountain said. “I have been watching Cloudy too. He really is wicked. Don’t worry. I have an idea. We will stop Cloudy from doing any further harm.”
Tall Mountain then explained his idea. A short while later, The Wind found Cloudy Cloud. He was showering raindrops above a clothesline full of dry clothes. “Cloudy Cloud, I won’t stop you from doing what you want! But I have a special request!”
The Wind said politely. “I hope you will listen.”
Cloudy stopped and turned around. He was curious and wondered what The Wind would say. “What is it?” he asked arrogantly.
“Please don’t go close to Tall Mountain! He has a high fever and a bad cold! The doctors have warned him not to get wet,” The Wind told Cloudy. “Is that so?” Cloudy Cloud asked mischievously.
“Yes,” The Wind replied, knowing exactly what Cloudy would do. Then, just as Tall Mountain had predicted, Cloudy enthusiastically drifted towards Tall Mountain’s peak. “I will shower raindrops on Tall Mountain’s peak and make him wet,” Cloudy Cloud said and laughed.
Now Cloudy Cloud didn’t know how high and strong Tall Mountain was. He rushed towards Tall Mountain’s peak with all his might and collided into it with a loud bang.
To Cloudy Cloud’s dismay, all the water he had within him splashed out in the form of heavy rain. And soon after that, he began breaking into pieces, like cotton balls.
“Help! I am vanishing! Please help me,” Cloudy Cloud cried as he slowly faded away “I don’t want to disappear!”
The last words that Cloudy Cloud heard before he faded away completely were, “This is what happens to those who cause trouble and try to harm others.”
Cloudy Cloud realized that The Wind and Tall Mountain were talking about him. “I wish I had been a good cloud and listened to The Old Sea and The Wind!” Cloudy Cloud said. He then disappeared completely.
Friends Of A Feather
Browny, the weaver bird, helps little chicks stranded in the rain but her neighbour, Blacky, the crow is against the idea.
Watch to find out how Blacky has a change of heart.
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Story: Indrajit Kaushik
Illustrations: Helena
