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The Horned Hyena

“O Kalulu,” Moro-goro the Squirrel had said, “I overheard Fisi the Hyena, mumbling to himself, ‘I know the wild goat has given birth to a kid in a small cave below the Black Rock. I’ll make a meal of both the mother and the kid just after sunset ha…ha… ha… But the goat may hit back with her horns. I’ll give her a surprise. She shouldn’t know that I’m coming.’ Kalulu, can’t you do anything to save the goat and the kid?”

“Let me think about it,” murmured Kalulu. After a little thought he spoke to Moro-goro for a long time. The squirrel twitched its whiskers, raised the tail and said, “I’ll do exactly as you’ve told me.

What a wonderful mind you have, Kalulu, only you can find a way through such situations,” the squirrel said.

Moro-goro slithered off and went up a tree trunk as it saw the hyena coming.
“Fisi!” the squirrel called out, “You are very stupid. Don’t you know that your
body gives off a foul odour. It can be smelt even from a distance. The goat might give you a tough fight although you’ll win in the end. Why not play safe and use some trick?”

“So, you know my plan,” growled the hyena.

“Give me some idea about how to hide my presence. I’m dying to have the goat and the kid in my jaws.”

“That’s easy,” replied the squirrel, jerking her head.

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“Cover yourself in black mud to hide the foul odour. Try to fix a pair of goat’s horns on your head and bleat like a goat when you approach the cave. The goat
would not know what you are; she’d be confused, thinking that you are a
strange kind of goat.”

“What an idea,” exclaimed Fisi joyfully. “You deserve a reward. I’ll try to eat you
last as your reward.”

Maddy Wolf was in a bad temper. He was not really mad but his temper gave him
the look of madness. He swore at everything, cursed everyone and snarled
his teeth at his imaginary enemies. He was often overheard mumbling, “I’ll dig my teeth into your neck and tear you from limb to limb. Between my jaws no
one remains alive for long. You don’t know me.”

He even howled at the trees and bushes. “You’re in a dangerous mood but you’ll
have the gentlest and sweetest temper once you have your mate.”

Maddy stopped in his path and howled,

“Who’s that?”

He looked at the thick bush from which someone had spoken to him.

“I think I know the voice,” spoke Maddy.

“Isn’t it Kalulu? What is this talk about the mate? What do you mean?You know how long I’ve been waiting for a mate but she never comes. I’m cursed to remain a lone wolf.”

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“You deserve pity and sympathy,” came the voice, “Listen carefully. Tonight you
should stay in the cave beneath the Black Rock. If you’re lucky you may see a black horned-hyena bleating like a goat. Grab the horned hyena and force him to show you your mate. Don’t let him go before he does it. Don’t be fooled if he plays
any trick on you.”

“A black horned hyena, bleating like a goat!” repeated Maddy, “What wild talk
is this? Are you sure you aren’t fooling me?”

“You’ll see for yourself this evening,” replied Kalulu, leaving Maddy in deep
thoughts.

As the evening sun set behind the hills and twilight covered the jungle, Fisi
walked towards the Black Rock.

The very idea of digging his teeth into the juicy goat meat was making his heart
dance with joy.

“No one can guess what I am,” he said, happy with the idea. “I’ll give wild goat a
terrible surprise. Thereafter I’ll gobble up both the mother and the kid.”

Meanwhile, Maddy was getting restless. He could see the black hyena with two
horns oddly placed upon his head trying to bleat in a horrible way: “Maaa, maaa… he-ha, he-ha, maaa, maaa… he-ha… heha…”

“This strange hyena ‘howl-bleats’. I’m really in luck,” muttered Maddy.

The next moment he pounced upon the strange creature, growling, “Give me my mate this moment.”

His pointed teeth began to rip the hyena’s skin. “Give me my mate,” cried Maddy.

“What mate?” wailed the hyena. “How can I give you something I don’t have? You can’t be the wild goat. I know you now. You are Maddy. Don’t you know me? I’m Fisi, your humble servant. Your dreadful teeth are tearing me part.”

“Don’t try to fool me,” snarled Maddy. “Who ever heard of a black hyena with two horns and ‘howl-bleating’? You have all the signs which assure me that you can give me my mate.”

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Wild Goat was watching the whole scene from a safe distance. She had the kid with her. Kalulu was standing beside her.

“Kalulu, my dearest friend!” bleated the goat, “I can’t thank you enough for saving our lives. If you weren’t there for us, we would be dead by now.”

Fisi lay still under the jaws of Maddy who was tearing and ripping him apart.

Happy Baby Contest

From generations, Himba elephant’s family had won the ‘Happy Baby Contest. All the babies born in this family had a well-balanced body, with correct height and weight. They were healthy and happy.

Therefore, all the babies in Himba elephant’s family used to easily win the competition every year easily defeating all the other babies of the jungle.

This time, it was Timba’s turn to take part in the competition. Timba was only six years old. He could hardly walk properly. Recently, he had been weaned off milk and had started eating various types of grasses.

Timba’s mother was upset. Her baby, though eligible, wasn’t the only one capable of winning the ‘Happy Baby Contest. There were many babies participating in this competition!

A giraffe baby, a tiger baby and a rhino baby were some of the strong contenders. They appeared to be happy and healthy. They were also active and mischievous.

 

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As the competition date approached, Timba’s mother started taking special care of her baby. She started cooking food that Timba liked.

She paid special attention to his sleep and exercise habits. In spite of all these efforts, Timba became dull. He used to cry over small things and throw tantrums.

Timba’s mother was worried. She went to meet their family’s oldest grandmother; who had been a healthy baby contest winner in her childhood.

Grandma lived in another part of the jungle with her maternal family. It was near a pond.

Mother said, “Grandma, I am very worried about Timba. He has to participate in the ‘Happy Baby Contest’ next month.

However, he looks so sad and is inactive. What should I do to make him active and happy?”

Grandma consoled Timba’s mother by saying, “You don’t have to worry about your child. He will perform well. I am sure he will win.”

She added, “There is still some time left for the competition. Why don’t you let Timba stay with me for a few days?”

Timba’s mother was relieved to hear this. She had great faith in Grandma.

The next day, Timba’s mother told her son, “Good news! Your Grandma, who is also a part of the Himba family, has been remembering you. She wants you to go and stay with her for some days.”

Hearing this, Timba nodded his head reluctantly.

Next day, Mother took him to meet Grandma. Grandma was a patient elephant. She smiled and hugged Timba.

She lovingly exclaimed, “Little Timba! I am very happy to see you. I want you to stay with me for a few days, so that I can get to know you better.”

Timba looked at her and smiled. He decided to stay. The next morning, when Timba woke up, Grandma said, “Timba, let’s go for a walk.”

He was in no mood to walk but could not say this to his Grandma.

He muttered, “Okay Grandma!” and got ready quickly.

As they started walking, they came across a lot of animals. Grandma being a happy person, greeted by nodding her head or waving her trunk. She was very popular with everyone in the jungle.

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Timba observed how she behaved. He realised that he was growing very fond of his Grandma.

For a few days, Grandma didn’t say anything to Timba.

Timba had started liking his morning walks with Grandma. He looked forward to them. He also started saying hello to everyone. In fact, he was smiling all day!

Just before the last day of his visit, Timba asked Grandma, “Grandma, How can you be so happy and so friendly with everyone? I have a few friends who don’t talk to me. Some of the others even tease me and call me fatso.”

Grandma replied, “Animals may say anything. However, when we are friendly and confident of ourselves, they will always respect us. When we smile, they will smile in return. If you respect others, they will always do the same.”

Hearing this, Timba became very thoughtful. The next day he returned to his mother. His attitude had changed completely. He began to greet everyone just like his Grandma. In turn, everyone returned the greetings. Everyone was becoming fond of Timba baby!

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Needless to say, Timba won the ‘Happy Baby Contest. And he remained a happy and a healthy elephant.

 

Cleanliness Campaign

Neel and his friends were waiting for siblings Jay and Khushi to join them at the colony park. After waiting a while, the kids decided to go to their house to call them.

When Neel knocked on the door, the siblings’ mother, Reena aunty opened the door and invited them in. Inside, they saw Jay and Khushi lying on the bed while being attended to by the neighbourhood physician, Dr. Kumar.

“What happened to them, Aunty?” asked Neel concerned.

“They fell ill after they came home from the park last evening,” replied Reena aunty.

“Do you know why they fell ill?” Dr. Kumar asked the kids. “It is because of the lack of cleanliness in your society, especially in the park where you play. There is garbage everywhere, old tyres and plastic bottles are discarded in the park. It is the perfect environment for germs to thrive.”

“You are right, Dr. Kumar. Also, water gets collected in the puddles, as well as, inside the discarded tyres and coconut shells where mosquitos breed,” said Reena aunty.

“Mosquitos are the main transmitters of diseases such as dengue and malaria. You kids should stay away from the park,” advised Dr. Kumar.

In the evening, Neel told his father about Dr. Kumar’s advice against playing in the park.

“But Dad, the park is the only open space we have to play in. If we cannot play there, where else can we go?” asked Neel.

“Our society has a committee that is supposed to look into these issues but no one seems to have the time. Only if someone comes forward and starts something, will everyone else join. That is the problem,” said Neel’s father.

Next day, after school, Neel and his friends met to discuss the situation.

“Since the adults don’t seem to have the time, it is up to us to do something to clean up our society. Otherwise, we will not be able to play without our parents worrying about us falling ill,” said Neel.

“You are right. Let’s first start by clearing the scrap materials lying around. I will ask my mother to call up the scrap vendor who comes to our house to collect the old newspapers and bottles,” suggested Nina.

“That’s a good idea. Meanwhile, we will talk to the committee and get their permission,” said Neel.

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The kids met the following evening and sold all the scrap material to the vendor.

“We got a good amount of money from selling all that scrap. But this may not be enough to continue with our plan,” said Kevin.

So, the kids decided to pool their pocket money and the savings from their piggy banks.

The money the kids had collected was insufficient to cover all the expenses, but Jay’s father was impressed by their initiative and agreed to contribute some money. A few other parents came forward to contribute money as well.

Soon, the work was underway in the neighbourhood. Within a few days, the work was completed.

That Sunday, the residents of the colony woke up to a cleaner neighbourhood. The roads were fixed, the pavement was cleaned, there were dustbins placed every few metres and signs asking the residents to keep the society clean were put up. Though the residents knew that the kids had been working on cleaning up the society, they were pleasantly surprised by the results.

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In the evening, the committee convened a meeting and appreciated all the kids.

They also promised to take efforts to upkeep the cleanliness. The kids were happy that their efforts had paid off, more so because they could now play in the park without worrying about falling ill.

Tony Rises to the Occasion

Tony was a naughty tortoise. He was well known in the forest of Sunshine Woods for his mischief.

“We receive so many complaints about your behaviour, Tony. When will you learn to be more responsible?” Tony’s father asked him, one day.

“Your teachers tell me that you are careless and don’t pay attention in school,” added his mother.

“I am sorry. I will try to be more responsible hereafter,” said Tony.

“Good. You can start trying right away. I am going out of town for a week. So, I want you to help your mother take care of the house,” said his father. Tony nodded his head.

A few days later, when Tony returned from school, he saw his mother sneezing continuously.

Achoo! Achoo!

“What happened, Mom? Are you unwell?” asked Tony concerned.

“Yes, son. Since morning I have been feeling tired and slightly giddy, too,” his mother managed to reply between sneezes.

Tony helped his mother lie down on the bed.

He placed his hand on her forehead to check her temperature.

“Oh no! She is burning!” exclaimed Tony.

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He took out the thermometer from the first-aid box and checked her temperature.

“102 degrees! That is not good,” thought Tony. His mother was now shivering, too. So, he covered her with a blanket and wondered what to do.

Tony remembered the first-aid workshop that was organised in his school recently. Paramedic Giro, the giraffe had demonstrated what the kids could do in different situations like fainting and dehydration, till help arrived. For high fever, Giro showed the kids how a wet cloth could be placed on the person’s head, and advised them to change it every few minutes.

As demonstrated at the workshop, Tony folded a handkerchief into a long strip and dipped it in a bowl of water. He squeezed out the water and placed it on his mother’s forehead. He kept repeating it every few minutes for the next one hour. As the temperature dropped, his mother slowly drifted to sleep. Tony, too dozed off.

Tony woke up a couple of hours later to find his mother shivering again. He immediately placed the damp cloth over her forehead and ran out to get help.

Tony rushed to his neighbour Popo, the parrot’s house but it was locked. He then headed to Gus, the goat’s house. But Gus had gone on a vacation with his family.

“What do I do now? There is nobody here to help me,” Tony thought frantically. “I could call Papa, but it’ll be late by the time he gets here. Who else can I call who can reach here within minutes?”

That’s when Tony remembered that his mother had written down a list of numbers he could call in case of emergencies. The list was stuck on a wall in the living room.

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Tony ran back home and referred to the list. He called up the number for the 24×7 clinic.

“Hello! I am Tony, the tortoise speaking. My mother has high temperature and has been shivering on and off all night. I have kept a wet cloth on her forehead,” Tony said in one breath.

“Well done, Tony,” said a voice on the other end of the line. “Now calm down and tell me”

The line got cut. Tony tried the number again but he was unable to get through.

“What shall I do now? The line got cut before I could give them the address. How will they know where to come?” wondered Tony.

Tony then sat beside his mother and continued dipping the cloth in the water and placing it on his mother’s forehead.

In a short while, the doorbell rang. Tony opened the door wondering who it could be.

“Are you Tony—the one who called to inform that your mother is unwell?” asked a bear. There were also a couple of other animals with him.

“Er…yes. Who are you?” asked Tony.

“I am Dr. Bob. We are the emergency medical team from the 24×7 clinic that you called up,” said Dr. Bob.

Tony was surprised and relieved at the same time.

But how did you find out my address?” asked Tony.

“Tony, you are quite famous in our forest for your mischief. So, it was easy to find out where you live,” said Dr. Bob, winking at him. “Now, will you please take us to your mother?”’

Tony led Dr. Bob and his team to his mother. They checked her and diagnosed that she was down pneumonia.

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“You did a good job by keeping her temperature under control and calling us at the right time, Tony,” said Dr. Bob, patting him on his shoulder. “Her condition is not very critical. Yet, we need to take her to the hospital for treatment. She should recover in a couple of days.”

When Tony’s father heard about the incident. he appreciated Tony. “Well done, son. You have proven that you can be responsible when the situation arises,” he said.

Tony beamed with pride.

A Change in Time

Karan came back from the shop after buying a new cover for his mobile. He placed his mobile on the table and went to his room to study. Sensing that no one was around, Karan’s wristwatch slowly peeped out of the draw. It saw the mobile admiring its new cover.

“Hello! Has Karan bought a new cover for you again?” asked the wristwatch.

“Yes! Don’t you just love the colour?” said the mobile. “And don’t be jealous that you don’t get such special treatment. It’s just that I am more useful to him than you are.”

“I was Karan’s favourite before you came into his life as a gift from his uncle. From that day on, he has forgotten all about me,” moaned the wristwatch.

“I still remember how he would tie me around his wrist and take me along wherever he went. He was so proud of me. He would even show me off to his friends,” it remembered. “But look at me now—I am covered in dust and my battery has become weak. I think I will stop working after a few days.”

“Why would Karan want you when you are not useful to him anymore?” asked the mobile phone.

“That’s not true. When Karan was younger, I was used to teaching him to tell the time. His parents and teachers pointed to me to teach him punctuality, to be on time for school and to keep up with his schedule. Through me, he learnt that time once lost cannot be regained. So, he would be very careful about how he spent his time. But why doesn’t he tie me around his wrist anymore?” wondered the watch.

Party Time in Champakvan

“That’s because I do a lot more things for him, besides just telling the time. I can talk, take photos and give him directions to wherever he wants to go. They call me a smartphone for a reason!” boasted the mobile. “So, now that I am here, you are not needed.”

On hearing this, the watch became sad. “Perhaps, the mobile is right. Karan doesn’t need me anymore,” it thought gloomily.

A few days later, Karan’s exams began. He returned home quite upset after his first exam.

“How was the exam, Karan? Was the question paper difficult?” asked Karan’s older brother, Rajeev. brother, Rajeev.

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“No, it was an easy exam. I was happy when I received the question paper because I knew all the answers,” replied Karan.

“Then, why do you look upset?” asked Rajeev.

“I could not finish answering all the questions. I did not have a watch with me, so I lost out on the time I had to answer each question and plan the answers accordingly. I ended up spending a lot of time answering the first few questions. When the examiner announced that we had only 15 minutes left, I realised that I had a lot more questions to answer and could not finish it,” said Karan glumly.

“But why didn’t you wear your watch?” asked Rajeev.

“I completely forgot about the watch. Ever since I had started using the mobile, I had no use for the watch. So I guess, I eventually got out of the habit of wearing it,” said Karan.

“I agree that the mobile phone is very useful, but each gadget has its own

importance and limitation. Last week, one of my friends could not board the train because of the smartphone,” said Rajeev.

Karan was surprised. “What happened?” he asked.

“He was in the waiting room at the railway station and was playing games on his mobile. He was so engrossed that he forgot to keep track of the time and soon, the battery drained off as well and the phone switched off. Only after he asked someone for the time, he realised that he was late for his train and by the time he rushed to the platform, the train had left. He couldn’t even call anyone right away to make alternate arrangements as his phone had no battery,” said Rajeev.

“You are right, Rajeev. Mobile phones can be distracting and divert our attention from important things if we are not careful about how we use it,” agreed Karan.

More From Champak: The Greatest Treasure

“Anyway, now start preparing for your next exam and this time, take your wristwatch with you,” said Rajeev.

“Of course! First, let me quickly rush to the store and get new batteries for my watch,” said Karan.

The mobile phone and the wristwatch quietly listened to the entire conversation between Karan and his brother.

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Both the watch and the mobile realised that they were important in some ways and had limitations in others. They decided to complement each other instead of fighting over who is better.

 

Conversation of the Books

It was afternoon. The books in the library were resting. The story book was the laziest of all and just lay down where it was. Its pages were fluttering in the fan’s breeze, but the lazy one was not at all worried to take care of the pages. The thin Mathematics Book standing just opposite to Cheeky, the story book was looking at its condition of the book.

“Cheeky set your pages properly!” She said.

“Let it be. I want to sleep for the moment,” Cheeky was just saying when Venkat quickly picked her up. “I will read this book. It has many interesting stories.” Venkat said happily. Cheeky was irritated.

“Oh! This Venkat troubles me every day during my rest time. Whenever I think of resting he picks me. I cannot rest during the day or sleep at night because of him. I do not know how to get rid of him?”

Cheeky was upset. She had wanted to rest the whole day and here she could not rest for a moment. What could she do? She went along with Venkat with a long face.

The next day Cheeky, saw Venkat coming towards her as she was about to rest.

“Oh! He has come again today. Let me run away.” Cheeky ran and hid behind some thick books.

“I am safe here.” Cheeky thought. However Venkat was removing the thick books in search of her.

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“Where do I hide now?” Cheeky came out of there and went and sat on the topmost shelf of the cupboard.

“This is just right.”

Venkat was not leaving even the higher shelves. He took the help of a stool to climb up to the shelves that were out of his range.

“Now I will be caught.” Cheeky ran in confusion. “Be careful,” the other books cried out. But Cheeky pushed the other books in such a manner that all the books of that row fell. In bewilderment Cheeky jumped off the shelf.

“Wow! This is a good place. No one will ever know I am hiding here, because no books are kept here.” Cheeky exclaimed looking at the place underneath the almirah. She sneaked and hid herself. The Mathematics book was watching all this. At last it could not keep quiet any longer and said, “Why are you doing all this? Do you not understand the meaning of books? They are not meant for just themselves. Their life is meant to educate others. To show them the right path and you are a story book, full of morals. Whoever reads your pages will learn something or the other. He will find something new in life.”

“The joy one gets in being useful is more than in resting. Venkat likes you because you have a special importance in his life. You should try to go to Venkat. You should not do this, come out.” The Mathematics book tried to make her understand.

Cheeky was listening to her talk. After a long fruitless search Venkat went away empty handed, when he could not find her. Cheeky got a chance to rest. She lay down to sleep. She slept for a while in comfort.

However, soon she felt an emptiness. She was bored for no one was there beside her. She became restless after some time. She came out from under the almirah. She looked at the Mathematics book and said, “You told the truth my friend! But how should I climb up?”

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“Now you will have to wait for someone to come. But do not worry, this is a library where someone or the other always comes in. In any case Raju, the cleaner will come even if no one turns up. Be patient and do not panic,” said the Mathematics Book.

Cheeky calmed down. She smiled and said, “From where have you learnt such good things, my friend?”

“I read all these from your pages, when you were too lazy to put your pages together.” On hearing these words of the Mathematics book, Cheeky felt ashamed. Now she just waited for someone to come, pick her up and place her back in the almirah so that Venkat could read and be happy.

A Taste of His Own Medicine

Chikki, the squirrel, Lonu, the lamb, and Dimpy, the duck were playing with a ball, when Chintu, the monkey arrived and said, “I want to play too!”

“No, you will create some trouble like you do every time you play with us,” said Chikki.

“You always cheat and end up fighting with us. We don’t want to play with you,” pitched in Dimpy.

“How dare you refuse to let me play!” fumed Chintu.

“Just sit quietly and watch us play until you learn to play fair,” said Lonu.

At that moment, one of them threw the ball up in the air. Chintu caught it in a flash and ran away shouting, “Ha ha! Now I’ll see how you continue to play without me.”

Chintu was notorious in the forest of Sonavan for causing trouble. Many animals would fall prey to his mischief. Once during the monsoon, there was a puddle of muddy water under a tree. Chintu sat on a branch of that tree and threw stones into it whenever any animal walked by, splashing muddy water all over them.

“I see that your clothes have gotten dirty,” Chintu commented cheekily after splashing muddy water on Dina, the deer. “But don’t worry; get them dry-cleaned at the laundry. I’ll pay for it!”

A little later, he threw a stone that splashed muddy water on Koni, the fox’s face. Chintu laughed and said, “That make-up looks good on you, Koni! You should do this every day, or just go to the parlour to get yourself cleaned up. I’ll pay for it!”

Koni walked away grumbling, “This Chintu is nothing but a menace.”

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Another time, Chintu had pushed Kitty, the cat off her bicycle because she wouldn’t let him ride it first. Chintu laughed at Kitty, who was moaning in pain and said, “Don’t make a big deal out of this. Go to the doctor and I’ll pay for it.” Such was his behaviour.

One day, after the incident with Chikki, Lonu and Dimpi, Chintu was sitting on a tree and eating fruits when he spotted the three huddled behind a bush and whispering something among themselves.

Chikki whispered something which Dimpy was unable to hear. So she asked loudly, “What did you say? On the tree? What’s in the large bag?” “Shhh! Be quiet, Dimpy! Someone might hear us,” cautioned Lonu.

The three of them started speaking in whispers again. Chintu was curious to know what they were talking about secretively. He tip-toed close to the bush to listen in on their conversation.

“We must reach the spot before anyone else does, otherwise we will lose out on the opportunity,” said Lonu.

“There are three date palm trees behind the mound at the other end of the lake. A short distance from there, you’ll find a lone peepal tree. That’s where we’re going,” said Chikki.

“So, it’s settled then! We will meet tomorrow morning by the lake. But remember, no one should know about this. It should stay just between the three of us,” said Lonu. The trio agreed and left for their homes.

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As soon as they left, Chintu thought to himself, “What could be in that large bag? Money? Food? Whatever it is, it must be something very special. And don’t they know that it’s impossible to hide something from someone as clever as me? When the three go there tomorrow, they will return empty handed because I am going to get my hands on it before them.”

Chintu left for the mound at once. He found the date trees and the peepal tree as described by Chikki. He climbed up the tree and began searching for the bag. It was getting dark, but he continued to search and finally found it. Chintu immediately opened the bag

Dimpy, Lonu and Chikki, who were hiding in a bush nearby, came out and said, “What’s the matter, Chintu?

Are you hurt? It looks like you have been stung by bees. Why don’t you go visit a doctor. We’ll pay for it.”

“You tricked me into coming to this place!” said Chintu, writhing in pain.

“But aren’t you’re the cleverest animal in the forest? Who can trick you?” said Chikki.

A-Taste-of-His-Own-Medicine

Chintu finally felt the pain of all those whom he had troubled and laughed at. “I am sorry,” he said, realising the folly of his ways. “I have been blinded by my own arrogance. Thank you for making me realise it.”

“We just wanted to show you how it feels to be on the receiving end of your pranks. We are happy it worked,” said Dimpy.

The three of them helped take Chintu to the doctor and too care of him for the next few days. Then on, they all remained friends and Chintu did not revert back to his old ways.

REAP WHAT YOU SOW

Skippy, the squirrel lived on a tree in the forest of Aria. Next to the tree was an anthill in which his friend Tiny, the ant and her family lived.

One day, Vicky, the rabbit moved into the forest and made a home for himself near the tree where Skippy and Tiny lived. Soon, the three became good friends.

During spring that year, Vicky said, “The soil here is fertile. Why don’t we cultivate something?”

“Yes, that’s a good idea. But what shall we sow?” asked Tiny.

“Since we like rice, why don’t we cultivate paddy crops?” suggested Skippy.

“Rice is mostly cultivated in the south of India because the soil there is smooth and retains a lot of moisture, which is necessary for paddy crops. If we were to sow rice here, then the crops will need a lot of water and additional care,” said Vicky.

“How about tea? I love drinking tea!” said Tiny’s cousin Teeny.

“I like spicy food; let’s plant some spices,” said Tiny.

“A hilly terrain is best suited for tea, coffee and spices. They can be grown only by way of terrace farming and they require a chilly climate. It’s too hot here to grow these crops,” said Vicky.

A Taste of Their Own Medicine

“How do you know so much about the different types of crops?” asked Skippy in awe.

“I love horticulture. It is the art and science of growing plants. I have read many books on this subject. Currently, I am reading one on the different types of soil,” said Vicky.

“That sounds very interesting. I thought they were all the same. How many different types of soil are there?” asked Tiny curiously.

REAP-WHAT-YOU-SOW

“Broadly, there are six different types of soils in India classified according to their characteristic, composition and region: alluvial, laterite, red, black, desert and mountain soil. Our forest has alluvial soil which is extremely fertile. It is so because rivers like Ganga and Yamuna flow down from the mountains bringing with them rich minerals and rocks. Wheat, sugarcane and pulses are best grown in this soil,” said Vicky

“In that case, how about we plant wheat crops?” asked Skippy.

Everyone agreed and began planning. Next day, Vicky brought along his friend Annie, the mole.

“Hello friends, meet Annie. She will also help us with the farming,” said Vicky.

Skippy and Tiny were not happy about Annie joining them. They did not mention it to Vicky, but later that evening, the two met alone to discuss the situation.

“What work will the mole do in the farm?” Skippy asked Tiny. “You and your family will sow the seeds. Vicky and I will water the crops. We will also use our sharp teeth to harvest them later and you will carry them back to our houses. But what will Annie do?”

“Even I don’t understand why Vicky had to bring her along. The more people there are, the lesser will be our share of the crops. But what can we do? Cultivating crops was Vicky’s idea and we can’t tell him not to bring his friend,” said Tiny.

REAP-WHAT-YOU-SOW

As the two wondered what to do, Tiny suddenly had an idea. She shared her plan with Skippy, who agreed to it delightedly. The following day, all four of them set to work, ploughing the land, planting the seeds and watering it. As weeks passed, the seeds began to sprout. In a matter of months, the tiny saplings had become full-grown wheat crops. They had to take extra care of the crops for fear that it would get stolen or damaged by pests.

During the day, Vicky would take care of it and at night, it was the responsibility of Skippy and Tiny to keep an eye on the crops.

One morning, Tiny and Skippy frantically came running to Vicky and said that some of the wheat crops had disappeared.

More From Champak: Tit for tat

Vicky was shocked. “But how is that possible?”

“I suspect Annie. Two days back, I heard her talking to her friends and plotting to steal some of the crops. We must remove Annie from our group immediately,” said Skippy.

“I think it’s you two who should be removed!” said Vicky.

“Why should we be removed?” asked Tiny and Skippy surprised.

“That is because it was your responsibility to keep an eye on the crops at night. If the crops were stolen during the night, it means that you have not done your work properly,” replied Vicky.

“Even otherwise, while we three were doing all the hard work, Annie was just roaming among the crops and playing in the soil,” said Skippy angrily.

“So, that is the real reason!” realised Vicky. “I began to sense your growing dislike for Annie because you think she does not help with the farming. What you both don’t know is that she is the reason this crop has grown so well,” said Vicky.

On hearing this, Skippy and Tiny were taken aback. “How is that possible?” they asked.

REAP-WHAT-YOU-SOW

“Moles are good at digging. Because of the holes she dug around the land, water and air could mix well with the soil. This ensured that the soil’s nutrition and minerals were replenished, thereby making our crops grow well,” explained Vicky.

Skippy and Tiny realised their mistake and were ashamed about their behaviour. They apologised to Annie and returned the crops they had stolen at night to put the blame on Annie. That day on, the four of them worked together with cooperation and respected each other’s hard work.

Beaten at His Own Game 

Sunny, the bear had opened a sprawling supermarket in Sunshine Woods. The supermarket had everything that the inhabitants of the forest required. 

The small shops that were already there in the forest did not sell all the items. So, the animals would order from the neighbouring forests, and that would cost them a lot of money. Now, since Sunny had opened a supermarket, the animals could buy whatever they needed from the supermarket directly.

Sunny was an honest entrepreneur. He personally oversaw all the operations of his business. Some animals grew envious of his success. Bongo, the bull was one of them.

Bongo had a small grocery store next to the supermarket. He would cheat his customers by tampering with the measurements and giving the customers less than what they had paid for. Soon, word about Bongo’s fraudulent activities spread throughout the forest, and the animals stopped going to his store. Now, hardly one or two customers visited his store in a day.

Bongo grew more envious of Sunny’s success as his supermarket was teeming with customers every day.

A Taste of Their Own Medicine

“If I don’t do something fast, I’ll soon become bankrupt,” Bongo thought to himself. He then came up with a plan and went to meet Sunny that very evening.

“Hello, Bongo! What brings you here?” said Sunny.

“I’m in distress, Sunny! My grocery store is not doing well. So, I want to close it and open a hardware store instead,” said Bongo.

“I am happy that instead of giving up, you are trying something else. Tell me, how can I help you?” asked Sunny.

“I have a lot of unsold stock lying in my warehouse. If you buy them from me, I will have enough money to set up my new store. And don’t worry about the price; I will charge less for you,” said Bongo.

Beaten at His Own Game 

Sunny agreed. “All right, deliver the stock today, I have to go out urgently now, so my manager will collect them and then, tomorrow I shall issue you a cheque, said Sunny

That night, Bongo delivered the unsold stock to Sunny’s manager, Max, the dog. When Max was about to check the stock, Bongo interrupted him saying, “Look, Max, the stock is new. Here are the receipts for them. Anyway, it’s quite late in the night and too dark as well. You won’t be able to check the stock properly.”

“You’re right, Bongo. Just give me the receipts. I’ll check them tomorrow,” said Max. The two then left for home.

More From Champak: Tit for tat

The next morning, Bongo reached Sunny’s house before he left for the supermarket.

Good morning, Sunny. Sorry to disturb you so early in the morning, but I’m going to buy the stock for my hardware store today. I’ve delivered stock worth Rs. 5 lakhs to Max last night. 

 Here is the delivery receipt and your manager’s signature below,” said Bongo.

Sunny trusted Bongo and handed over a cheque for Rs.5 lakhs to him. Bongo immediately went to the bank and encashed the cheque.

Later that day, when Max started checking the quality of the stock that Bongo had delivered, he was shocked. Not only were they old, but many of the products had also become stale. He quickly called up Sunny and informed him.

Beaten at His Own Game 

Sunny was angry. “Bongo has tricked us! He deliberately delivered the stock late at night so we wouldn’t be able to check their quality right away,” he fumed. Sunny then came up with his own plan to teach Bongo a lesson.

The next day, Bongo went to the market to look for hardware products to buy at a cheap rate.

“Hello, Bongo! I heard you are looking for hardware supplies for your new store. Why don’t you buy them from me?” said Rocky, the bear who was a supplier of hardware products. “I’ll give them to you at the cheapest rate you’ll find in this market!”

Bongo was tempted. They were just what he was looking for. He knew he wouldn’t be able to get these products at a better price.

“Why are you thinking? Don’t you trust me? You can check the products yourself,” said Rocky, showing his some samples.

“Of course, I trust you, Rocky. Please deliver the products to me today itself,” said Bongo.

“Okay, but I can deliver them only at night as there’ll be too much traffic right now,” said Rocky.

Bongo agreed and handed over all the money he had got from Sunny. That night, Rocky delivered the products to Bongo as promised.

The next day, Bongo opened the boxes to set up his new store. To his shock, he realised that all the products were rusted and some were badly damaged.

“Rocky has fooled me! No one will buy these products,” he thought angrily and went straight to confront Rocky.

“You should be ashamed of yourself, Rocky. I trusted you and made full payment of Rs.5 lakhs, but you’ve sent me poor quality products! I am going to lodge a complaint with the police,” said Bongo.

Rocky started laughing.

“That’s exactly what you did as well! Have you forgotten already?” said Sunny suddenly stepping forward.

Beaten at His Own Game 

Bongo was left speechless. He now understood that Rocky and Sunny were in it together. Beaten at his own game, Bongo apologised to both of them.

“Bongo, you should not cheat others to make a profit. If you promise not to do so, you can set up a counter in my supermarket,” offered Sunny.

“Thank you, Sunny. I promise not to cheat anyone again,” said the grateful Bongo.

Toto Finds His Way

Deep lived with his parents and grandfather in Delhi. Every evening he played with his beloved pet dog Toto in the park.

After a while, many people stopped playing sports and flew kites. Deep also stopped going to the park with Toto. Instead he started flying his kite on the roof with his friends. Deep loved to fly a golden kite. Many people recognized Deep’s kite because of its unique colour.

Days passed. Toto was bored. He felt neglected. One day, when Deep’s mother went shopping in the morning, she forgot to lock the main gate. Toto saw this as an opportunity to run to the park.

Toto-Finds-His-Way

He slipped through the door and ran out. Toto used to accompany Deep to the park. Hence didn’t know the way to the park himself. Luckily he saw Deep’s friend Shyam going towards the park and followed him.

Mittu, the pet dog

After reaching the garden, Toto ran through the bushes. He was so excited that he ran happily throughout the park.

He was glad that he could return to the park.

Soon it grew dark. Dark clouds covered the sky. Everyone in the park rushed home.

Toto realised that he should get back home through the front gate. But Toto was lost. He looked left and he looked right, but he didn’t know which way to go. Everyone in the park had already left, so Toto couldn’t ask for help. He began to panic and felt a little afraid. He walked around aimlessly.

Toto-Finds-His-Way

It started to rain and Toto was walking alone on the streets. Meanwhile, Deep had come down, as he had thought of playing with Toto. He searched for him everywhere in the house, but he could not Toto.

The whole family wondered where Toto was. As soon as the rain stopped Deep and the other family members went out on the streets, calling Toto’s name.

More From Champak: Damru And The Pet Snake

They went to the park, the market, the badminton grounds, but were unable to find Toto. Deep returned home disappointed and sad.

The family members returned too, failing to find Toto. They were heartbroken and tensed and began to think on ways to find Toto.

Suddenly Deep’s grandfather exclaimed, “I have an idea!” He told the others the plan. Everyone agreed and hoped it would work. Deep and his mother got a big golden kite and attached golden sparkling papers to the thread.

Deep took the kite and ran to his roof. The whole family followed him.

Deep flew the kite higher and made it go further.

Toto-Finds-His-Way

Toto in the meantime was crying as he couldn’t find his way back. He was hiding under a bench when he suddenly noticed something.

Looking carefully, Toto noticed a big golden kite flying in the sky. He was thrilled! Toto knew that only Deep flew golden kites.

Toto spotted the flying thread clearly because Deep had attached golden sparkling papers to the flying thread.

Toto followed the thread in the sky and after crossing a few streets, he reached to a familiar neighbourhood. Toto was happy and found his way home. He barked happily when he landed on the doorstep.

Toto-Finds-His-Way

Everyone was happy when they heard Toto’s bark again.

Deep hugged him. Toto jumped around him. Deep never left his favourite pet alone again and took him to the park to play always.

A Nation’s Identity

One the eve of Republic Day, Aamir went to the market with his father to buy paper flags to put up in his house. Whenever he bought anything for himself, he would also buy one for his younger brother Wasim.

As soon as he reached home, Aamir stuck the flag by the gate, and gave the other to his brother. “Stick your flag too, Wasim. That way, both our flags will be fluttering in the air and it will look nice,” said Aamir.

“No, I will not stick my flag here. I will stick it on the hood of our car. That way whenever Baba drives the car, the flag will flutter,” said Wasim.

“No, Wasim. You can’t do that,” said Aamir.

“You bought it for me and I will do whatever I want with it,” said Wasim and ran towards the car.

Aamir ran behind him but Wasim tripped and fell down. He immediately started crying. When Aamir tried to help him, Wasim pushed his hand away.

A-Nation's-Identity

“Go away! I will not talk to you. You pushed me down on purpose,” said Wasim wailing

Hearing Wasim crying, their mother rushed towards him and asked, “What happened? Why are you crying?” “Aamir pushed me down, Ma!” said Wasim.

“No, I did not! He is lying. He wanted to stick the flag on the car but I told him not to. He didn’t listen to me and ran towards the car and fell down,” said Aamir.

“Wasim, why don’t you listen to your brother?” asked Ma.

“Why should I listen to him? He bought this flag for me and I can do whatever I want with it,” said Wasim.

“Son, it is our national flag and is a symbol of our country. Its respect should never be compromised and that is why there are certain rules to using the flag. Your brother knows about it and he tried to tell you about it,” said Ma.

“What is wrong in sticking the flag to the hood of the car?” asked Wasim.

A-Nation's-Identity

“There is something called the Flag Code of India which states the rules and practices with regards to the display of the national flag. And one of the rules states that only important heads of the government like President, Vice-President, Prime Minister, Governors and the Chief Justice of India can fly the flag on their vehicles,” said Ma.

“Why is that so?” asked Wasim curiously.

“Laying down the rules on the usage of the national flag helps preserve its respect and dignity,” said Ma.

“Why is it important to preserve the dignity of the flag?” asked Wasim.

“Son, each country has its own identity represented by the national flag. Our country’s identity is our national flag. Respecting the flag means respecting our country and the people who fought for its identity. Our country gained freedom from the British after a lot of struggle. The cost of freedom was the lives of several freedom fighters and the sacrifices they made. Because of them, we finally gained independence from the British on August 15, 1947,” explained Ma.

“Then what is Republic Day celebrated for?” asked Wasim.

“January 26 is the date when the Constitution was formally adopted by the Indian parliament,” answered Aamir.

“What is constitution?” asked Wasim.

A-Nation's-Identity

“Let me simplify this for you. We had got our freedom from the British but we were still following their rules and laws. Our own set of laws needed to be written. So, a committee headed by Dr. B. R. Ambedkar drafted our country’s own rules and legislations that we began to follow from January 26, 1950. That is when our country became a republic wherein the power is with the people and their elected representatives,” explained Ma. “That is why that day is celebrated with great pomp and show in New Delhi in front of the President of India.”

“Our school has also planned special programmes tomorrow!” said Wasim excitedly.

“So, now do you understand why you should not play with the national flag?” asked Ma.

“Yes, Ma. Thanks for explaining everything to me clearly. If I had known all this information earlier I wouldn’t have played with the flag,” said Wasim.

“That is what your brother tried to tell you. Next time, just listen to what he has to say before you go running away,” said Ma smiling.

“I will, Ma,” said Wasim. He then turned to Aamir and asked, “Will you help me stick this flag on our gate?”

Of course, I will, little brother. And let’s plan our own Republic Day celebration at home,” said Aamir.

“Yes, let’s! This will be our own way of showing respect to our country,” said Wasim beaming.

The Boastful Parrot

Piku was a handsome parrot. But he took too much pride in his beauty. Whenever he met the other animals in the forest, he would only talk about himself.

One day when he was looking at his feathers and admiring himself, he heard a beautiful voice coming from near the lake. Piku wondered to whom the voice belonged. Unable to contain his curiosity, he flew towards the lake to find out.

There, he saw a beautiful swan with feathers as white as milk and a beak that glistened in the sun. She was singing and dancing in the lake. She noticed Piku looking at her.

“Hello, there!” said the swan sweetly. “My name is Sofi and I’ve just arrived in your forest.”

“Hi, Sofi. I am Piku. Welcome to our forest,” said Piku warmly.

Just when he was about to talk about his beauty, Sofi said, “Look at my feathers, Piku. Don’t you think they are shiny and soft? And my neck—it’s slender and curvy. You may not have seen any creature as beautiful as I am!”

Piku was irritated. “How much she talks about herself!” he thought to himself.

He listened to her talk more about herself, and then finally said, “Sofi, I must go now. I’m pleased to have met you. Hope we meet again. Bye!”

On his way back home, Piku met Mittu, the squirrel. “There’s a new guest in our forest. But do stay away from her,” said Piku.

“Who is this new guest? And why are you asking me to stay away from her?” asked Mittu curiously.

“Her name is Sofi. She’s a swan. All she talks about are her feathers, neck, eyes and how beautiful she is! I don’t like her at all,” said Piku.

“Ha ha! I am used to that, Piku. You do the same with me,” said Mittu.

“Whether you accept it or not, that’s what you do. Ask anyone,” said Mittu, walking away.

Piku then met Bhola, the bear. “Stay away from Sofi, the swan!” Piku warned him.

The-Boastful-Parrot

“But why? What has she done?” asked Bhola.

“She’ll bore you to sleep by constantly talking about how beautiful she is,” said Piku.

“Just like you! Now, do you realise how we feel when you keep boasting about yourself?” asked Bhola.

Suddenly, he heard Sofi’s voice again. It seemed like she was coming this way. Piku quickly left, not wanting another conversation with her.

Later, Piku sat down on a tree and pondered over what Mittu and Bholu told him. “Do I really talk about myself that much?” he wondered aloud. “They must be mistaken. It is Sofi who keeps talking about herself. I’ve never seen anyone so vain!”

Kalu, the elephant, who happened to walk by, heard Piku talking to himself. “Are you boasting about your good looks again?” Kalu asked Piku.

The-Boastful-Parrot

“No, I was talking about Sofi, the swan. She irritates others by talking only about herself,” replied Piku.

“But that is what you do as well, and we get irritated with you. But we don’t tell you about it because you are a good friend and we didn’t want to hurt your feelings,” said Kalu.

Piku finally realised his mistake. “I am sorry. I didn’t realise how vain I was being until today. I am going to change that about myself, and hopefully make Sofi understand this as well,” he said. “And next time, do tell me if I do something wrong. Don’t keep it from me just because I am your friend.”

“Don’t worry, Piku. I am sure we won’t have anything to complain about hereafter,” said Kalu with a smile.

 

 

A Problem of Change

One day, Isha’s mother gave her a 100-rupee note and asked her to buy a kilo of onion and half a kilo of potato from the market. After a while, Isha came back home and handed over the bag of vegetables to her mother and said, “The potatoes cost Rs.10 and the onions were Rs.20 a kilo. So, I paid the shopkeeper Rs.30″

“That’s good, Isha. Can I please have the balance money?” asked her mother.

Isha handed over the change to her mother.

On counting it, her mother realised that it was short by Rs.10.

“Did you spend money on anything else?” asked her mother.

“No, Mummy. This is the change given to me by the vegetable vendor,” said Isha.

“In that case, I think the vegetable vendor has either made a mistake or cheated you. He has given you Rs. 10 less. Did you count the change after he gave it to you?”

“I did,” said Isha.

“Then I think you have not calculated correctly,” said her mother.

On hearing this, Isha became sad.

“Don’t feel bad, Isha. You can improve your arithmetic skills with daily practice. Learning to calculate correctly will help you not just to score marks in your exams, but will be useful in your daily life too,” said her mother.

“I do try to practise, Mummy, but I find it difficult sometimes. Is there an easier way to learn to calculate?” asked Isha.

A-Problem-of-Change1

“Yes, there is. Let me teach you how to calculate using your fingers. Now, try to answer this by counting with your fingers: I have 10 mangoes and you have given me another 20 mangoes. How many mangoes do I have in all?”

Isha counted her fingers one by one. “One, two, three… 10. How do I count further?” she asked.

“Continue counting your fingers again from 11,” said her mother.

“Oh! Okay. So, 11, 12, 13…30!” she said finally. “30 mangoes!”

“Good, Isha. Now, let’s try subtraction. If I have 10 mangoes and I give away 3 to our neighbours, how many mangoes will remain with me?” asked her mother.

Isha held up 10 fingers and folded 3. “Seven!” she replied triumphantly.

“Very good! Now, I’ll teach you how to subtract larger numbers like 100 minus 30,” said her mother and began doing the sum on paper. Isha observed her attentively and then answered, “70!”

“That’s right. See, how easy learning to calculate can be. With daily practice, you will be able to add and subtract faster. Now, let’s go to the market and ask the vegetable vendor for the balance,” said Isha’s mother.

A-Problem-of-Change3

“And perhaps he is weak in calculating too. I will teach him a few calculations,” said Isha.

“Ha ha! You are already a master mathematician!” laughed her mother.

The Sugarcane Ghost

Jumbo elephant loved eating sugarcane. He had planted the sweetest sugarcane plants in his farm and enjoyed sharing sugarcane and its juice with all his neighbours and guests.

One day when Jumbo went to the farm, he was shocked to see sugarcane stalks fallen on the ground. He looked around carefully, but found no sign of anyone entering and walking around the farm.

Next morning, some more of the sugarcane stalks were on the ground. Every night someone entered the farm and broke some of the stalks.

Jumbo started putting a big lock on the door of his farm and the boundary wall around his farm was very high. It was not possible for anyone to jump over and come inside but each morning Jumbo saw that sugarcane stalks were broken.

This troubled Jumbo a lot. On many nights he kept awake and guarded the house, but he did not see anyone going towards his farm. In the morning he found the sugarcane stalks broken and on the ground.

One day, poor Jumbo mentioned this to his friend Jumpy monkey. Jumpy said, “This seems to be the work of a ghost.”

“Why will a ghost break the sugarcane?” Jumbo said, not believing Jumpy.

The-Sugarcane-Ghost

“If a ghost is not breaking the plants, then is the wind breaking them?” Jumpy replied.

“You have stayed awake the whole night and guarded the stalks. You saw no one come or go, and still the stalks were broken in the morning. This clearly means that it is the work of ghosts, because no one can see them if they do not wish to be seen,” Jumpy continued.

On hearing this, Jumbo got frightened. He started getting afraid to go in the direction of his farm even during the day.

One day Cheeku rabbit came to visit him. Jumbo always offered Cheeku sugarcane juice, but that day he did not do so.

Cheeku found this unusual and asked his friend, “What is the matter Jumbo? You look troubled today. I am also missing the sweet sugarcane juice that you always offer.”

“Don’t mention sugarcane,” Jumbo said, looking sad.

“Why?” asked Cheeku. “You were always so proud of the sugarcane you grew.”

“Ghosts have invaded my sugarcane farm.

Every night they come and break many of my sugarcane stalks. I have stopped going to the farm out of fear,” Jumbo explained to Cheeku.

“Jumbo, you are so intelligent. Why do you still you talk like this? There are no ghosts. They are only exist in our minds and stories,” Cheeku tried to explain.

“If there are no ghosts, then who is breaking my sugarcane?” asked Jumbo.

When Cheeku heard the details, his face became serious. He did not believe in ghosts. “But who is breaking them without being seen?” Cheeku thought to himself and decided to find out.

After thinking for a while Cheeku said, “I am going to spend the night in your farm today and try to find out who breaks the sugarcane.”

“Oh no, I cannot put your life in danger,” said Jumbo who was worried.

Cheeku pleaded to Jumbo and at night he hid behind a tree in the farm.

The-Sugarcane-Ghost1

 

 

Around midnight, he heard a faint sound. He could not see anyone. Soon, one of the stalks fell. And after some time another one. Cheeku too started feeling afraid. He was sure there were no spirits and ghosts, but something was there. He tiptoed towards the sound. When he reached close to the spot, he heard the sound of someone chewing something.

Then, he noticed Meeku rat chewing at the base of a sugarcane stalk.

“So you are the sugarcane ghost!” said Cheeku angrily.

When Meeku heard Cheeku’s voice, he tried to run away but Cheeku sprang and caught him. He thundered, “Tell me quickly! Why have you been breaking Jumbo’s sugarcane?”

“I’ll tell you. I’ll tell you. First leave me,” said Meeku, panting.

“Very smart. If I leave you, you will run away,” said Cheeku. Then relaxing his hold slightly, Cheeku said, “Come, tell me now. Why are you doing this?”

“I was living here happily with my family. Then one day Jumbo trampled and broke my house with his huge and heavy feet. I have been breaking his sugarcane to take revenge for that,” said Meeku with a long sigh.

“When did I break your house?” asked Jumbo as he reached the scene on hearing the noise.

“You had come here to take sugarcane to give juice to your guests,” said Meeku. He was frightened and sure that Jumbo would trample on him and break his bones.

But instead of being angry, Jumbo said sorrowfully, “My friend, I must have trampled your house by mistake. I am very sorry and beg your pardon.”

“You called me ‘friend’!” said Meeku, surprised. He could not believe that such a huge elephant was asking for forgiveness and not punishing him.

“Yes, we all are friends. We should live together with love and not take revenge on one another,” said Jumbo. Then after thinking for a while he said, “I will make a hole in the soil with my long and strong teeth. You can make your house in the hole and live happily again.”

“Thank you Jumbo but we have already made a new house,” Meeku said.

“Oh it is nice to hear that!” said Jumbo.

“But what I have done was not right. I should be punished for it,” said Meeku. Seeing Jumbo’s nobility, he felt very sorry for his act.

“Yes, you should get the punishment,” Jumbo closed his eyes for a while and then said, “Your punishment is to taste all the plants in this garden and tell me which one is the sweetest.”

Then Jumbo added, “Cheeku has found the sugarcane ghost. I want to reward him with the juice of the sweetest plant.”

The-Sugarcane-Ghost

On hearing this, Meeku went in the farm joyfully. After some time his voice was heard, “Dear Jumbo, this plant is the sweetest.”

Jumbo quickly went and got that stalk. He squeezed the juice and offered it to both his friends. All felt very happy.

 

Chotu Finds a Home

Dr. Singh was a famous surgeon who lived in Civil Lines in Jodhpur with his wife and two sons. In their garden there lived a cat with her four kittens. The kittens were furry with green eyes and the boys loved having them around.

The kitchen had a door that opened to the garden. The cat and kittens would live in that part and would come near the kitchen step for food that Mrs. Singh would keep outside for them.

The kittens were very playful. They loved playing hide and seek, chasing each other was also their favorite sport. Once tired, they would lick and caress each other. Dr. Singh’s family loved watching their cats play.

Slowly, the kittens began to grow up. The mother cat would leave the home early in the morning after eating milk and bread and would only return at night.

All the four kittens would move around the garden but now, they too wanted to go out, learn to climb the trees and jump from one branch to the another and become independent.

Finally, the day came when the mother cat took the kittens out. The kittens were excited to be outside and see lush green parks, giant trees, plenty of people, lot of birds and squirrels.

Chotu-Finds-a-Home

They ran to catch the birds and butterflies and chased the squirrels. Chotu, the youngest of the four brothers, was scared to run and chase them. He was tinier and smaller than the rest and hence the name.

Seeing the cat with her kittens, the birds on the trees started making calls to alert the other birds about danger. The mother taught the kittens to walk without making a noise, climb a tree, and catch birds.

All the kittens watched, listened and understood but Chotu’s attention was somewhere else. He was thinking it was cruel to kill others.

Somehow, Chotu got through the day’s training but during supper at night, he told his brothers, “Other animals too have a right to live. Is it fair to kill them?”

As soon as they heard the question, the three brothers burst out into laughter.

“If a horse becomes friends with the grass, what will it eat?” they asked, making fun of him.

Young Coco said, “You mean to say, cats should become vegetarian?”

Brownie told Chotu, “If cats turned vegetarian, rats would rule.”

Chotu became quiet and scared. He had not expected such replies from his brothers.

Chotu was extremely nervous every time his mother took the four of them for hunting. He was not able to pounce, catch and kill any animal.

The mother cat was extremely worried that on one hand, Chotu was skinny and on the other, he did not want to hunt. How would he survive?

Chotu tried to climb the tree but became scared and fell when the birds began to make noise. Chotu was always lagging behind whenever their mother took them out.

Chotu-Finds-a-Home

Slowly the kittens started going out on their own. The other three brothers would look for prey in the grassy meadows and shrubs. They would walk into nearby homes but at night, all of them would come back to Dr. Singh’s house.

Chotu would join them at night but, no one knew where he was during the day.

One day, when Chotu did not return at night, all the others became worried. They mewed to call out.

Dr. Singh’s family, who understood that Chotu was missing, searched for him in every possible place. The mother cat feared that Chotu had been attacked by other animals.

After some time, everyone gave up the search. The mother cat’s search too, yielded no results. Dr. Singh’s children got tired and fell asleep.

The mother cat felt that she could not protect her weakest son. She felt that she should have paid more attention to him.

When they woke up next morning, the mother cat could hear Chotu’s voice. She ran in that direction.

Chotu was sitting in one of the houses in the colony. There was a bowl of milk, bread and chapatti in front of him. A small boy was patting him gently. And, Chotu was drinking milk from the bowl.

As soon as Chotu saw his mother, he came running to her. His mother started licking Chotu. Chotu too hugged his mother back. Happy to see her son safe, the mother cat forgot to scold him for not coming home.

Their mother reached home with Chotu. Dr. Singh’s family found out where Chotu spent the night. They felt happy that Chotu had found a cat lover and someone who loves him.

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Chotu’s mother was also happy that her son was in safe hands and that Chotu was happy at his new home.

They all understood that Chotu wanted to spend his life without having the need to hunt.

Sweety Learns a Valuable Lesson

Sundays always saw Sweety in a great mood. Sundays were special as Sweety’s mother would be busy with work during the weekdays. So, on Sundays they would always go to the mall. Although Sweety was a good kid, she did not always listen to her parents.

“Sweety, the mall will be crowded today. Do not go anywhere without telling me. Walk along with me,” mother told Sweety.

“Yes mom. I want to play games and have a softy ice-cream, a savoury pastry and a tub of popcorn!” said Sweety, excited.

The mall was a huge three-storied building. It was crowded as many families had come there, since it was a Sunday.

Sweety and her mother first purchased some clothes for Sweety. Then Sweety’s mother said, “I have to buy this month’s groceries. This place is very crowded. Let’s go to the payment counter with these packages. You just be careful and stick with me.” Sweety nodded her head.

Sweety’s mother packed the rice and wheat that she had purchased and went to check its weight at the counter.

The toy rack behind them caught Sweety’s attention. She thought, “There are so many toys and games on that rack. I can quickly check the toys and come back.”

Sweety went to the rack without informing her mother. Meanwhile, the crowd in the store was increasing. Sweety was so busy examining the toys that she forgot to stick with her mother.

Sweety’s mother paid the bill but she panicked when she discovered that she could not see Sweety anywhere.

Sweety’s mother asked people if they had seen a small, curly-haired girl nearby. But there were just too many people and nobody had seen Sweety.

About half an hour later, Sweety came back to the counter where she had last seen her mother. She got scared and started crying when she did not see her mother.

“I can’t find my mother,” said Sweety, wiping her tears.

The lady said, “Don’t be scared… Let’s go to the first floor. The customer care people will make an announcement, and then your mom will come to pick you.”

Both of them quickly went to the first floor. The lady told the customer care people what had happened.

 

SWEETY'S-LEARNS-A-VALUEABLE-LESSON

One of them made an announcement, “A child has been separated from her mother in this mall. Her name is Sweety, she has curly hair and she is wearing a red frock. If her mother is hearing this, please come soon to the customer care centre.”

Sweety’s mother heard the announcement and rushed over. Sweety was relieved to see her mother again. She hugged her mother tightly and narrated the entire incident. Her mother thanked everyone for helping sweety and they left the mall.

But mother was angry with Sweety. She said, “I told you to stick with me. Despite that, you wandered off. Did you think about what could have happened if somebody kidnapped you?”

Sweety understood her mistake. She said, “I am sorry mom, I made a mistake. I will listen to everything you say henceforth.” Her mother then let her play for some time and later they went to have a soft-serve cone and a savoury pastry.

Sweety had learnt a valuable lesson. She mended her ways and started listening to what her parents told her. •

 

TIGER BILLA

Tiger was an alley cat. He had no home and no one cared or worried about him. He did not even share whatever little he had with the other cats who lived on the streets. Well, this was because all the animals who lived on the streets struggled to stay alive. Their days were spent foraging for food. Tiger too roamed on the streets all day long. He wandered in the back alleys of the city, searching for food. He was always hungry with a terrible ache in his belly. As a result of this, he was never really happy. No one ever seemed to care whether he was tired or thirsty or hungry or sleepy or unwell. Poor Tiger!

“Oh, how I wish I had someone to take care of me,” Tiger would often say. “I am so lonely. I am so sad. No one cares about me or even gives me a second look.”

Each day was as difficult for Tiger. He would wake up feeling famished and go looking for food. Well, food was scarce and Tiger would have to walk long distances and even sift through dustbins. Well, there were too many stray cats and not much food to go around. Tiger felt lucky if he found even a morsel to eat. As time went by, Tiger felt more and more miserable.

He stopped purring like happy cats usually did. And he lost interest in smiling and playing. Whenever he came across children, he ran away. He even stopped trusting everyone he encountered. Well, life was not easy as a stray.

One day, it rained very heavily. Tiger found that he was soaking wet. He shivered and felt terrible when he realised he had to sleep on the wet ground.

Tiger wept and wished he had a better life.

“Life is so lonely without any friends,” he sobbed. “And this rain is making me feel worse. We cats hate water and today, I’m all drenched.”

Suddenly, Tiger heard a voice. “What is a cat who hates water doing outdoors on a wet day like this?” the voice said softly and gently. “The poor thing!”

Tiger wondered if he was dreaming.

“Oh! What a lovely dream I’m having! Someone is actually worrying about me even though it’s a dream!” he thought.

Tiger then felt a pair of dry hands pick him up and cradle him in the crook of an arm. He realised that he wasn’t dreaming and that what was happening was quite real!

Tiger looked up and saw that he was in the arms of a little girl. She had picked him up as she knew that cats hated getting wet. And then to Tiger’s great surprise, the little girl took him into her house.

Tiger’s joy knew no bounds.

“At last I’ve found a friend!” he thought to himself. “There’s finally someone who cares about me!”

Tiger placed him on her lap, as she sat and rocked on a big brown rocking chair.

Tiger was no longer cold or scared, for he had found someone who loved and cared for him. The friendship between the alley cat and the little girl blossomed, and the two soon became inseparable.

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Now all Tiger does is purr and purr. He even smiles a contented smile at everyone who looks at him.

“A little bit of caring was all that it took to make my life happy,” Tiger tells everyone he meets. “My heart felt full of happiness and joy the moment I found that someone actually cares about me.”

Well, Tiger is right. A little bit of caring is all that it takes to make someone’s life happy and joyful. So, when you come across anyone who looks lonely, sad or blue, do something kind and help them feel loved and cared for.

 

 

Root and Branches

There was a huge Banyan tree on the corner of the road that led to the village. It had stood there for years. The passers-by halted under the tree when they became tired. The tree happily gave them shelter, it gave the tree a sense of joy.

One day, the branches of the tree felt proud of themselves and said to its root, “We are so great. We, along with the leaves, give shade to the tired travelers and they thank us in return, Nobody even acknowledges or knows you.” The root replied, “You are forgetting something. I am your strength. You all would not survive without my support. I am the real life of this tree.”

“We agree that you provide us support,” said a branch, “but if we do not take in air and Sunlight with the help of the leaves, then we wouldn’t survive. What role do you play in this?”

The root replied, “Water is necessary for survival and I absorb water from the soil. The water reaches the leaves and the branches through capillary action. This water keeps you and the leaves alive.”

“Whatever it is, we are more important than you are,” said the branches.

The root raised an objection and said, “No, I am more important.”

Amidst this argument, suddenly the ground started trembling. The leaves and the branches started shivering. Clearly it was an earthquake. This was the time for the root to show its might. It fearlessly held on to the ground with a strong grip. The branches and the leaves got scared but the root said to them, “There is no need to worry. I am doing my work very well.”

The tremors vanished after sometime. Everything became peaceful again. The tree wasn’t harmed at all. With all the arrogance, the root said, “Be thankful to me. I saved you all from destruction.”

Before the branches could reply, a violent storm struck the place and winds started blowing fiercely. If the branches fell apart, then the tree would become useless. So it was the time for the branches to fulfill their duty.

The branches strengthened themselves and remained unaffected by the winds. The storm came under control in a few minutes and the tree was still standing intact. Now it was the time for the branches to praise themselves. They turned towards the root and said, “Had we fallen apart, the tree would have lost its value. So do you agree that we are more important?”

roots-and-branches

A squirrel that was sitting on the tree was listening to all the arguments between the branches and the root. The squirrel finally said, “The storm and the earthquake have made you realize that you both hold equal importance. Then what is the point of arguing now? Just fulfill your duties and work collectively to save the tree.”

The root and the branches understood each other’s importance and that they were wasting their precious time in arguing over a petty matter.

They smiled and said, “True, Miss Squirrel. You are absolutely right. Each one holds importance and can help others in need.”

 

Rockstar Guitar

Rockstar Guitar was ready to rock the show. His friends – Stylo Sitar, Bingo Violin and Perky Trumpet were practicing along with him. The concert hall was packed to capacity and the rival group was unusually eager to start the show.

Rockstar Guitar thought, “They seem to be overconfident. I wonder why? We are equal competitors after all. Not less in any manner.” The stage was set. The compere for the show, Chintu Rabbit announced, “And now, for the grand show of the evening, the musical concert- a grand contest between two musical troupes Rockstar Guitar and his band and The Tableturners. Let’s give them all a big hand.”rockstar-guitar

The applause for the start of the show was heartening. The curtains drew apart and there was Rockstar Guitar and his band assembled on stage. Rockstar Guitar introduced himself and his group members. He started his music and singing. He strummed and sang along, “Ra, ra, rume, za, za, zoom,” and the audience enjoyed every bit of it.

Bingo Violin accompanied his singing and music with its beautiful notes. The song went on and on… ‘Ra, ra, rume, za, za, zoom, Let’s all just dance to rock and roll, Ra, ra, rume, za, za, zoom Let’s all just dance with twists and turns,

Ra, ra, rume, za, za, zoom. Yay, yay, yay, ra, za, zoom, Ra, ra, rume, za, za, zoom…’

In the middle of the song, Stylo Sitar tried its music but found itself stuck and no notes came forth from it. It looked at Rockstar Guitar with pleading eyes and Rockstar Guitar understood the situation at once. Rockstar Guitar thought, “Stylo Sitar is in trouble. I should save this situation.”

To save his band member, Rockstar Guitar began playing the musical notes of Stylo Sitar himself. Stylo Sitar was swaying happily and stylishly with a smile on his face and everyone thought that the music was coming from Stylo Sitar, whilst actually Rockstar Guitar was playing Stylo Sitar’s music. Perky Trumpet rendered itself wholly into the beat of the song. No one could make out the faux pas and the band rocked the evening.

The rival group, The Tableturners, was dismayed. “We were here to turn the tables on the other group. How did the tables turn back on us?” they thought disappointedly. Striko Cymbal, which had been given the task of tampering with Stylo Sitar in Rockstar Guitar’s band, was beaten in anger by their group head, Dumroo Drum. “Couldn’t you do this one job properly?” bellowed Dumroo Drum.

rockstar-guitar

“I really did cut Stylo Sitar’s strings,” Striko Cymbal pleaded, but to no avail. The other members of The Tableturners, Gabla Tabla and Trummy Trumpet started quarrelling among themselves backstage, for not having “fixed” the other group.

They all came to blows with every instrument blaming each other. The harmony in the group was lost. When they heard the thunderous applause from the audience for Rockstar Guitar’s band, they became jealous. There were butterflies in their stomach. Now it was their turn to perform.

Rockstar Guitar and his band humbly bowed before the audience and went backstage to their room. Stylo Sitar thanked its group head, Rockstar Guitar for having saved the day with his mind blowing music and presence of mind.

rockstar-guitar

The Tableturners came on stage and started their music and singing. But it was evident that something was missing. The initial excitement to perform well was lost with their plot going haywire. The team spirit was lackluster and nowhere did it have the feel and depth associated with great music.

Moreover, the infighting amongst themselves had tired them out even before the performance. Striko Cymbal couldn’t make any music properly and Trummy Trumpet had an upset tummy. Instead of a sizzling performance, their performance fizzled out. The audience did clap but halfheartedly.

By this time, it was obvious who would win.

The Tableturners realized that they had spent more time in trying to tamper the other group’s performance. This had resulted in their plan backfiring and the tables being turned on them instead. They could have instead utilized the time to build up their practice. They decided that henceforth they would not waste their time in useless pursuits and would build a good band with sincere practice and dedication. Rockstar Guitar and his band stole the show and won the contest. The audience was ecstatically singing “Ra, ra, rume, za, za, zoom.” A good team led by a good leader always wins.

The Tableturner had learnt a lesson. They resolved to play fair and worked hard at becoming good musicians. Last heard, The Tableturners had even changed their group name to The Headturners.

 

Jumbo finds new friends

Jumbo Giraffe was a cute little giraffe. He had recently shifted to Amarvan with his parents.

But Jumbo Giraffe wasn’t very happy in Amarvan, and he often wondered if he would ever be happy.

Well, the reason was that Jumbo Giraffe hadn’t made any new friends as yet, and he felt lonely since he stayed at home all day long.

One day, when Jumbo Giraffe’s parents went out of the house, he decided that he would go out and explore the forest. And so, he went for a long walk. A cool breeze was blowing, and Jumbo Giraffe looked around at the lush green trees that were growing all over. “I don’t know why Mum and Dad still think of me as a baby,” he said with a sigh. “They don’t let me go out by myself. I am so big and tall that even Khemu Uncle looks tiny in comparison,” Jumbo Giraffe muttered when he saw Khemu Rabbit who was his neighbour, gnawing on a big red carrot.

Soon, he spotted some baby tortoises. They were flying a kite together. Jumbo Giraffe really wanted to make new friends and have fun playing games with them, just like he did with his friends in the forest where he lived before. And so, he walked towards the baby tortoises.

“Hello! I’m Jumbo!” he said with a friendly smile. “I’m new to Amarvan. Can I play with you all?” The baby tortoises looked at Jumbo Giraffe and shook their heads.

“Oh no!” one of the tortoises said. “You are so big and tall! We cannot play with you!”

They then turned their backs towards Jumbo Giraffe and continued flying their kite.

Jumbo Giraffe shrugged and sighed. “Well, Mum and Dad think of me as small. And these tortoises think of me as big!” he thought to himself and quietly walked away.

He walked further into the forest, wishing that he had at least a friend or two to talk to, when something suddenly hit his leg.

“Hey!” he then heard some voices call.

“Please throw our football back to us.”

Jumbo Giraffe looked up and saw a herd of elephants calling out to him. They were playing in the forest playground, and the football obviously belonged to them.

He picked up the football and walked towards the elephants.

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“Hi! Will you let me play with you? I’m new to the forest!” he said hopefully.

“No,” the elephants said firmly. “You cannot play with us. You are very small and you might get hurt if you play with us. If that happens, your parents will be very upset with us. So, we cannot allow you to join our games!” The elephants took their football from Jumbo Giraffe and went back to their game.

Jumbo Giraffe sighed. He felt very disappointed but didn’t say a word. He sat on a nearby rock and watched the elephants quietly.

“I really cannot figure out whether I am big or small,” he said to himself. “Some of the animals insist that I am too big to play with them. And there are others who refuse to let me join them saying I am too small! Sigh!”

Tears welled in Jumbo Giraffe’s eyes. He had never felt so sad or lonely ever before. He heard the sound of chattering and looked up only to see a baby monkey hanging from the branch of a nearby tree. The monkey seemed to be enjoying himself thoroughly.

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“This monkey is far better off than I am,” Jumbo Giraffe thought to himself. “He can amuse himself with his own antics. I can’t even hang like him. Hey! Maybe I can ask him to play with me. He might just agree.”

But before Jumbo Giraffe could say a word, the baby monkey jumped on to another tree and disappeared deep into the forest.

“Oh!” Jumbo Giraffe said, feeling quite left out once again. He decided to return home since he could not find anyone to play with. He started to walk away when he saw the elephants’ football fall into a swamp.

“Oh no!” the elephants said, sounding very disappointed. Jumbo Giraffe watched as the elephants tried their level best to take the football out of the swamp with the help of their trunks.

He realised that they couldn’t go very close to the swamp since they had heavy bodies and were likely to get stuck in the swamp. Unfortunately, the elephants’ trunks were not long enough to pull the ball out of the swamp either.

Jumbo Giraffe felt very sorry for the elephants. They had been having so much fun just a few minutes ago. They looked very disappointed now. “May I try taking the football out of the swamp?” he asked politely. The elephants looked at him hesitatingly.

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One of them then said, “We would be highly obliged if you could do that. But please, do take care of yourself and don’t go very close to the swamp. We do not want you to get into any trouble.”

Jumbo Giraffe nodded and went closer to the swamp. He tried pulling the football out with his legs, but wasn’t successful. “I am unable to reach the football on my own,” he told the elephants. “Can somebody hold me from behind please? I will be more relaxed when I try to reach it then.”

One of the elephants then held Jumbo Giraffe tightly from behind as per his suggestion. Jumbo found that he could reach the football easily now. In no time, he retrieved it from the swamp and smartly kicked it towards the elephants.

“Hurray!” the elephants cheered as they picked up and hugged their football. All the elephants then thanked Jumbo for his help and invited him to play with them.

Jumbo Giraffe accepted the elephants’ invitation graciously.

He played with them till it was time him for him to go home. He then left the playground, promising that he would come back the next day, and started walking towards his house.

On the way, he saw the baby tortoises he had met earlier. They were looking at a tree and seemed very worried. “Why are you looking so worried?” Jumbo Giraffe asked the baby tortoises. “And why are you looking at that tree?”

“Our kite is stuck there,” one of the tortoises said and pointed towards a high branch of the tree. “Is that so?” Jumbo said. “Wait, I’ll get it down for you.” Jumbo was quite tall since he was a giraffe. And so, all he had to do was stand on his toes and stretch to be able to reach up to the branch of the tree. In no time, he took the kite out of the tree and gave it to the baby tortoises.

“Thanks a lot!” the baby tortoises said, feeling thrilled now that they had their kite back. “And sorry about the way we behaved earlier. We will be your friends now on. Come, fly the kite with us.”

Jumbo smiled. He was glad that the baby tortoises wanted him to be their friend and join their games. “Thank you,” he said politely. “But I will join you tomorrow. It is time for me to go home now.”

“OK,” the baby tortoises said. “But please promise us that you will come back tomorrow!”

“I promise!” Jumbo said and waved. He then walked back home, feeling quite happy. He was sure that he would be happy in Amarvan too, just like he had been in the forest where he lived before, now that he had so many friends.

 

Moderation is the key 

Chimpu, what are you doing?” Champu Kaka, Chimpu Monkey’s father, shouted as Chimpu Monkey ran away with the box of rasgollas that was lying on the table. Chimpu Monkey chuckled. He knew that his sweet tooth had turned him into the naughtiest little animal in Champakvan.

“What?” Chimpu’s mother Champa Kaki said, looking very annoyed, when Champu Kaka told her about their son’s antics. “Chimpu ran away with a box of sweets again? How can we go to Lalluram’s house emptyhanded now? The rasgollas were for him. I told you to be careful of Chimpu. He’s become very greedy.”

Champu Kaka shook his head sadly. “Chimpu doesn’t realise that if he keeps eating so many sweets, he will fall ill someday,” he told his wife, sounding quite worried.

Champa Kaki was anxious too. She frequently explained the dangers of eating too many sweets to Chimpu and tried to persuade him to eat fewer sweets. But neither Champa Kaki nor Champu Kaka were able to control him. Chimpu would pick up anything that was sweet and gobble it up as soon as he could. He had also developed the bad habit of standing near kitchen windows and picking up sweets as soon as the house owners left their kitchens.

Everyone in Champakvan was tired of Chimpu’s bad habit. They tried to explain to him that sweets, when eaten in excess, could be harmful.

Even King Sher Singh, who was the King of Champakvan and liked to eat something sweet after his meals, had been deprived of his dessert on several occasions, thanks to Chimpu.

Whenever King Sher Singh would finish his meal, he would find Chimpu lurking in the palace, with his mischievous little eyes fixed on the plate of sweets.

Chimpu would try his best to steal the sweets without being noticed. But King Sher Singh would always catch him. Chimpu’s smiling face and naughty eyes would melt King Sher Singh’s heart, and he would simply smile at the little thief. Chimpu would use the opportunity to eat the sweets and walk away.

“Chimpu, too much of anything can be very harmful. Don’t eat so many sweets at one time,” King Sher Singh would often warn. But Chimpu would run off ignoring the King’s good counsel.

One day, it was time for the grand celebration that everyone in Champakvan, including Chimpu, looked forward to. It was King Sher Singh’s birthday.

The jungle was decorated beautifully and there was a huge feast being held in the palace in King Sher Singh’s honour.

This year’s feast, however, had a special attraction. Lambu Giraffe had taken special cooking classes, and had learnt how to bake a cake. But that’s not all. The cake was planned to be as tall as Lambu Giraffe himself!

The cake looked delicious when it was finally complete. It had many layers laden with rich cream. It had chocolate chips and chocolate sauce all over it too.

Chimpu sneaked into the palace. He could not stop himself from eating the cake.

“But it is King Sher Singh’s birthday cake,” he said to himself. “How can I eat it before he cuts it?”

Chimpu tried his level best to stay far away from the cake, but he just could not hold himself back. “I’ll taste just a little bit of the cake,” he said. “If I hang from the branch of a tree, I will be able to reach the top of the cake. No one will know if a small bit is missing from the top.”

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Chimpu climbed up a tree and hung upside down, with his tail around one of the branches. He tried to reach the cake. However, Chimpu found that he had to stretch himself to be able to touch the cake. He kept on stretching and stretching. And then, something terrible happened.

Snap! The branch from which Chimpu was hanging broke. And Chimpu fell right into the cake, smashing it and spilling it all over.

Lambu Giraffe was furious when he saw what had happened. And so were all the animals who had gathered to see the cake. The news spread like wild fire. Everyone was sure that King Sher Singh would punish Chimpu severely.

When King Sher Singh heard the news, he got very angry. He immediately asked all the animals to assemble near the destroyed cake. He then roared loudly and everyone in Champakvan started to tremble.

Chimpu was very scared. He was sure that he would not be able to escape the King’s fury this time. And although everyone loved Chimpu, they felt that he needed to be taught a lesson.

“Chimpu, what you have done today is unforgivable,” King Sher Singh thundered. “You have become very greedy. You have ignored my advice and the fact that you were stealing my birthday cake. You have crossed all limits today.”

Chimpu started shivering. He had never seen King Sher Singh so angry before.

“As your punishment,” King Sher Singh roared. “You will eat what’s left of this cake. Right now, in front of all of us.”

Chimpu was surprised.

“Is that all?” he said happily, feeling certain that King Sher Singh had forgiven him yet again.

All the animals present were shocked. “King Sher Singh is being lenient with Chimpu instead of teaching him a lesson,” they told each other.

But Chimpu was thrilled. He started gobbling the cake immediately. All the animals watched as he ate mouthful after mouthful. In no time, he finished eating whatever was left of the topmost layer of the cake.

Chimpu felt quite full now and was about to walk away when King Sher Singh roared, “I didn’t tell you to stop, Chimpu. Please finish the whole cake.”

Chimpu was really worried now. He was already full and the cake was barely eaten. It had many more layers.

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“How will I eat the rest?” he wondered. He looked at King Sher Singh and smiled but King Sher Singh looked at him sternly. Chimpu realised that King Sher Singh was serious about what he had said. He continued eating the cake till his stomach began to ache and he felt very sick.

Doctor Deer was called to examine Chimpu. He asked Chimpu to take some rest and stay at home for a few days.

All the animals felt very sorry for Chimpu. They knew how he hated being sick. They all visited him, one after the other, and gave him boxfuls of rosgullas, ladoos, burfis, gulab jamuns and other sweets. This, of course, was as per King Sher Singh’s suggestion.

Chimpu felt sick when he saw the sweets all around him. “I feel like throwing up,” he would say the moment he looked at the sweets. He swore that he would never eat sweets again.

When Chimpu felt better, he went to meet King Sher Singh. He apologised for destroying his cake and thanked him for teaching him a worthy lesson. He also told him about his decision to give up sweets.

“No, my dear,” King Sher Singh said. “The lesson was not that you should not eat sweets at all, but rather that you should eat them in moderation.

Moderation is the key to everything. If you eat within limits, you will never feel sick and everything would be fine.” Chimpu understood what King Sher Singh

Chimpu understood what King Sher Singh wanted to say. He promised to practice moderation in eating and never ate too many sweets again.

 

Friends Of A Feather

There was a huge tree in a jungle. Many birds lived on that tree. One day, following a storm, it started raining heavily. The branches of the tree started swaying violently from side-to-side.

All the birds decided to stay within their nests. The warmth of the nests was quite comforting.

Browny, a Baya Weaver bird, had made a very comfortable nest. While she was sitting inside, she heard a cry for help.

When Browny peeped out of her nest, she saw Chillo Eagle’s little baby lying on the ground. He was screaming for help. Looking at his pitiable condition Browny felt sad.

She decided to help the baby. Blacky Crow was watching her from his nest.

Blacky tried to stop Browny. He said, “Don’t go out in such bad weather. Something bad can happen to you.”

Browny disagreed. She said, “Blacky, I don’t think we should be selfish. If we don’t help this baby, the poor thing will die of cold.”

Blacky continued, “I am telling you, forget the baby Eagle. Stay warm in your nest.”

However, Browny couldn’t do so.

She brought the baby Eagle to her nest.

The baby said, “Thank you Aunty. Some of my friends may also be shivering in cold. I am worried about them. I don’t know how they would be. We were playing together when the storm came. Thus, we got separated.”

“Don’t worry. I will try to find them,” assured Browny.

She flew out of the nest to search for the other babies.

Blacky made fun of Browny. He said, “It seems as if your brain has stopped working. Are you making your nest a lodge by bringing all of them here?”

Browny soon found the baby Parrot, the baby Woodpecker and the baby Bat near some bushes. They were shivering. The baby Kingfisher was also crying. Browny brought everyone to her nest.

The nest was quite warm and welcoming. The friends were reunited in Browny’s nest. They were happy.

Browny had some walnuts. The Woodpecker broke the shells with his beak. All of them ate walnuts together. The real fun had now begun!

The Parrot could sing. He sang songs and entertained everybody. The Bat hung down a branch. His actions made everybody laugh and clap.

Everyone was having fun in Browny’s nest. However, Blacky was feeling bored in his nest. He had nobody to talk to. He was feeling lonely and sad.

Blacky thought, “I wish I had helped somebody like Browny.”

Blacky now came out of his nest. He flew to Browny’s nest and said, “Friends, I can neither sing well nor play well, but I can dance. If you wish, I can entertain you.”

friends-of-feather

They welcomed him to the nest. Blacky began dancing. His funny dance moves made everybody laugh a lot. He was very entertaining.

Blacky enjoyed himself in their company. He was happy. From then onwards, he decided that he would always help others.

Champi the Cheat

Ktty was one of the cutest kittens living in Gopalvan. She was very playful. All the birds and animals of Gopalvan were very fond of her. She eventually grew up and became a beautiful cat. Kitty remained a loving and caring cat. She was very helpful.

Once, Kitty visited a fun-n-fair. She bought a cow. She took good care of the cow. She bathed her every day. She also took her out to graze. She made butter out of the cow’s milk. She sold the butter in the market. Kitty earned a lot of money by selling butter. She used this money to build a beautiful house for herself.

Whenever Kitty went to the market with a pot-full of butter, the kids of Gopalvan used to run behind her asking for some butter. Kitty used to give some butter to each one of them. She would then proceed to the market. She never refused to give them butter. Thus, the kids were fond of Kitty.

One evening, Champi the Mouse came to Kitty’s house.

“What is the matter Champi? Why are you upset?” Kitty asked.

“My son Sonu is not keeping well. He wants butter. I cannot afford to buy it as it is very expensive,” said Champi, with tears in her eyes.

Kitty smiled and said, “Don’t worry, Champi. I will give you some butter for Sonu every day.”

Kitty gave her one tablespoon of butter. Champi thanked Kitty. She returned home.

Every morning, Champi went to Kitty’s house. She returned home with a spoonful of delicious butter. Manglu the Fox saw this. He became jealous. He asked Champi, “Can I tell you something?”

Champi wondered what Manglu wanted to tell her. She asked, “Manglu, what is it?”

Manglu said, “I have a fantastic idea. We can steal Kitty’s cow. Then we can use its milk to make butter. We can sell the butter and earn money. This way we’ll become very rich.”

At first, Champi was a little annoyed. However, she soon became greedy. She agreed to be a part of Manglu’s plan to steal Kitty’s cow.

Champi knew each and every entry point at Kitty’s house. That night, Manglu and Champi went quietly to Kitty’s house. They stole her cow. They hid the cow in Manglu’s house.

champy-the-cheat

The next morning when Kitty couldn’t find her cow, she realised that someone had stolen it. Kitty was upset. She asked Kalu the Crow, Bholu the Monkey, Bantu the Dog and a few other animals whether they had seen her cow. However, no one knew its whereabouts.

On the other hand, Manglu and Champi secretly started making money by selling butter prepared from the cow’s milk. They earned a lot of money. Soon they became rich.

One evening, Bantu was returning home from the market. He happened to pass by Manglu’s house. He heard a cow mooing. He thought that the sound came from Manglu’s house. He wondered whether Manglu had stolen Kitty’s cow.

It was quite dark. Bantu peeped through the window into Manglu’s house. He saw that Champi and Manglu were happily relishing butter while the cow was sitting nearby. Bantu knew that it was Kitty’s cow. Therefore, he decided to teach them a lesson.

Bantu told Kitty, Bholu and Kalu about the incident. That night, four of them headed towards Manglu’s house with sticks in their hands. They knocked on the door. As soon as Manglu opened the door, they started trashing him. Hearing his screams, Champi, who was asleep, woke up. She also got a good beating from Bantu.

Manglu’s legs were badly injured. He could barely walk. Bantu hung Champi upside down on a tree because she had cheated Kitty.

champy-the-cheat

Manglu’s legs were badly injured. He could barely walk. Bantu hung Champi upside down on a tree because she had cheated Kitty.

Kitty was happy to get her cow back. She thanked Bantu, Kalu and Bholu for helping her punish the thieves. Kitty returned home with her cow. That night she slept peacefully..

 

The Finder Of Lost Things

Wily Wolf was a lazy fellow. He didn’t like to work hard and took up small jobs now and then for a living. His meager income was not enough for his family to live on.

Wily Wolf often wondered what he could do to augment his income without having to work too hard.

One day, he saw Jumbo Elephant anxiously searching for something. Wily Wolf noticed that Jumbo Elephant looked very worried and wondered if something valuable was missing.

“What are you searching for, Jumbo?” he asked curiously.

“I’ve lost my ration card,” said Jumbo Elephant worriedly.

The Road to Change

“Really? You must have thrown it in the dustbin,” Wily Wolf joked and laughed.

But to his surprise, Jumbo Elephant really peeped in the dustbin. And to his great astonishment, the ration card was really there!

“You were absolutely right, Wily!” Jumbo Elephant said, looking quite amazed. “How did you know the ration card was there? Do you have some special powers?”

“Well, I do have magical powers,” Wily Wolf bluffed. “Er…I can see things that lie even in far off places.”

Jumbo Elephant was quite gullible. He believed Wily Wolf’s tale and told his friends and neighbours about it.

Soon, news of Wily Wolf’s magical powers spread all over Champakvan and many animals went to seek his help.

Wily Wolf enjoyed the attention he got. He began to call himself “The Finder of Lost Things”. He realised that this was a great opportunity for him to make easy money.

“Wily, can you tell me where my missing chain is?” Meeku Rabbit requested Wily Wolf. “I haven’t been able to find it.”

“My nutcracker is lost, Wily,” Softy Squirrel said. “Be a dear and tell me where it is. I’ll pay you your fees.”

“Wily! Oh, Wily! Someone has stolen my cash box,” Whitey Cow cried. “All the money I earned by selling my precious milk is in it. Can you help me please?” she begged for she was anxious to recover her stolen cash box.

“Pay me first,” Wily Wolf told the worried animals. Once he had pocketed the money, he told them to go looking for their missing things in places like high mountain tops, muddy pools and dense woods that could not be reached very easily. Unable to locate their small objects in such places, the animals would soon get fed up and abandon their search. And before they could return, Wily Wolf would disappear conveniently.

“Ah! How easy it is to cheat these simple animals!” he would laugh and say. “They are so gullible!”

One day, Wily Wolf received a message from King Sher Singh. King Sher Singh had heard about Wily’s powers and wanted his help.

“Oh no! I’m doomed now!” Wily Wolf said, panicking. “King Sher Singh isn’t someone who will be conned easily. I won’t be able to escape this time.”

Wily Wolf trembled as he entered King Sher Singh’s palace.

More From Champak: Do Good and have Good

“I need your help,” King Sher Singh told Wily Wolf. “Since the past few days, small things like pens and silver spoons and forks have suddenly started disappearing from my palace. And today, the thief has grown bolder. He has stolen my wristwatch and a bunch of keys that I had left on the garden table.”

Wily Wolf nodded respectfully as King Sher Singh went on. He didn’t want him to guess how nervous he was.

King Sher Singh then said, “O Finder of Lost Things, the missing bunch of keys contains the keys to my safe. I am worried that the thief might open my safe and steal some of my priceless treasures. Can you use your powers and tell me where the keys are?”

Wily Wolf didn’t know what to do or say.

“I need some time,” he finally said, hoping to buy some time. “I must go home and chant some hymns before the answer to this great mystery comes to me.”

“All right,” King Sher Singh said. “Take your time. If you do solve the mystery of the missing keys, I’ll confer the title of ‘The Royal Finder of Lost Things’ on you, and also reward you with a gold medal.”

Wily Wolf nodded even though he was terrified. He then returned to his house and worried all along the way. “Oh no,” he said to himself. “How am I going to solve the mystery? I have fooled the simple animals successfully but King Sher Singh won’t fall for my tricks!”

Wily Wolf stayed at home for the rest of the day, wondering what he would do, when he suddenly heard his son Smiley Wolf enter the house. “Waaah!” Smiley Wolf wailed. “My doll is gone! I was playing with it under the tamarind tree when a strange-looking bird swooped down and picked it up with its beak. It then took it to its nest on the tree!”

Smiley Wolf pounded his fists on a table. “Father!” he wept. “I want my doll back from that bird! Waaah!” Wily Wolf’s wife entered the room. “That bird must be the magpie who has built its nest on the tamarind tree. Don’t you know that I never keep small things outside the house? The magpie always carries them away,” she said.

“Is that so?” Wilf Wolf said and jumped up. He rubbed his hands gleefully and said, “I have solved the mystery then! I’ve found King Sher Singh’s thief!” Both Smiley Wolf and Wily Wolf’s wife looked surprised.

“Well, yes!” Wily Wolf said, running out of the house. “Show me where its nest is! I’m sure I’ll find King Sher Singh’s bunch of keys there!” Wily Wolf then told his son and wife that magpies were attracted to shiny objects. “They are known for carrying away small and shiny things from nearby houses. They like to keep them in their nests,” he explained. “I’m sure that the magpie on the tamarind tree has taken King Sher Singh’s bunch of keys too.”

Wily Wolf then quickly climbed up the tree. He peeped into the magpie’s nest and saw that it was full of shiny objects like toys, glass pieces, jewellery, pens, spoons, forks and pins. And yes, there was a bunch of keys there too.

Wily Wolf got down and ran to King Sher Singh’s palace. “King Sher Singh! I have your answer!” he said trying not to sound very excited. “Your keys are in a nest on a tamarind tree not far away from here.”

finder of lost-things

“Is that so?” King Sher Singh asked. He then ordered his servants to find the tamarind tree and bring the nest to him.

The servants did as told and King Sher Singh was shocked when he peeped into the nest. “The bunch of keys is indeed here!” he said, looking very astonished. “Wily Wolf, you really are incredible! And I’m rewarding you, as I promised, with the title of ‘The Royal Finder of Lost Things’. I’m also giving you a gold medal and several thousand rupees!”

Wily Wolf managed to smile even though he was still feeling very nervous. “Thank you,” he said, bowing to King Sher Singh and accepted his rewards.

“I’ve had a stroke of good luck today,” he muttered as he walked home that day. “But I better give up fooling the animals and do some honest work instead. I’d rather work hard than get myself into a situation like this again!”

King of the Muck

Cheeku was a naughty rabbit. He lived in Champakvan. He played the whole day. He spent the day eating juicy, red carrots. He had become round and chubby. Whenever Baddy the fox saw him, he felt tempted to eat Cheeku.

However, Cheeku knew that Baddy wanted to eat him. Therefore, he stayed away from him. Cheeku spent most of his time hiding in the bushes or playing.

One day, Cheeku was sitting near a mucky pond. He was happily enjoying carrots when he saw Baddy coming towards him. He did not have enough time to escape. So he thought of an alternate plan.

He entered the mucky pond. He covered himself with muck. He applied dirt to his entire body and face. His entire body, except his eyes, was muddy. He looked like a brown lump with red eyes. Instead of running away, he sat in a corner of the mucky pond.

Just then Baddy arrived. He felt that Cheeku was around. He searched for Cheeku in the bushes. However he couldn’t find him. He did not have the slightest idea that Cheeku was hiding in the pond.

Cheeku thought that Baddy would go away as he had not found him in the bushes. However, Baddy came towards the pond. He was thirsty. He wanted to quench his thirst. Cheeku got scared knowing that if Baddy found him, he would definitely kill him.

king-of-muck

Cheeku was a smart fellow. He never gave up easily. He started thinking about what he should do next.

He shouted at Baddy, “You strange animal! Who are you? How dare you come near my pond to drink water? Don’t you know who I am?”

Baddy gazed around. He realised that the sound was coming from a small creature that was half sunk inside the pond. Its eyes were a dangerous red in color. He was stunned to see such a weird creature talking to him.

No one had ever spoken to him in such a manner.

Baddy replied in a nervous tone, “Sir, I have come to drink water from this pond. I was totally unaware that you own this pond. I have never seen you before. May I please drink water from your pond?”

“No,” said Cheeku. He added, “You can drink water from my pond on one condition.”

Baddy was very thirsty. He couldn’t wait to go elsewhere to drink water. He said, “What is the condition, Sir?”

Cheeku said, “I don’t know who you are, but let me introduce myself. I am the King of Muck.”

Baddy became nervous when he heard the word ‘King’. He had seen the Lion who is the king of the jungle. However, he had never heard of the King of Muck. He was surprised to meet another king. He thought that a Lion staying in muck is known as the King of Muck’.

Baddy was deep in thought.

Suddenly Cheeku shouted, “Listen to me carefully. I ate a big fat rabbit a while ago. However, I am not satisfied with it. I did not like its taste.”

Baddy was now very frightened. He was sure that this king had eaten Cheeku since he was around a while ago. He was surprised that he did not like the taste of a rabbit.

He said, “Sir. Rabbits are very tasty. How come you did not like its taste?”

Cheeku replied, “My brother, who stays in the jungle, had come to meet me yesterday. He brought a few pieces of fox’s meat for me. That meat was so delicious. After eating that meat, I don’t like any other type of flesh.”

Hearing this, a chill ran down Baddy’s spine. He started shivering in fear. He thought that if the King of Muck realised that he was a Fox, then he would get killed. He started thinking of ways to escape from there.

“I want to eat a fox,” said Cheeku. “There might be foxes in this forest. You have to get me and my friends a few foxes. I want to treat my friends. They will arrive in a couple of minutes. You can drink water from my pond only after you get me some foxes.”

king-of-muck

By now, Baddy was sweating and trembling. He thought that if the king’s friends came to the pond they might recognise him. Then, they would tear him apart and feast on him. He realised that it was thus best to run away from the pond at the earliest.

Baddy said, “Sir, there are a lot of foxes in this jungle. I shall quickly go and fetch a few for you and your friends. I will be right back with some delicious food for you.”

He began to walk away.

Cheeku said, “I am not in a hurry at all. Tell me your name before you leave.” Baddy replied, “I do not have that much time, Sir. First, let me get some foxes for you. Then, I will sit and chat with you.” Baddy ran away never to return. Cheeku laughed at Baddy’s foolishness. He walked to the nearest river. He washed his body and removed all the muck and dirt.

Cheeku now breathed a sigh of relief. He felt proud of his intellect as it helped him get to rid of Baddy.

 

TELEPATHIC BABA

Rani Deer and Soni Deer were the best of friends. They were neighbours too, since their homes were right next to each other.

Soni Deer was a tailor. She made a living by stitching the clothes for the animals who lived in the forest. Rani Deer was a schoolteacher. She was happy to teach the young animals who studied in the forest school.

Soni Deer was very superstitious. She believed in rituals and would spend all her free time performing rituals. Well, she had been having some tough times lately. The heavy rains that lashed the forest every monsoon, had damaged the roof of her house and made it leak. The house was drenched, and Soni Deer had to stay in Rani Deer’s house, and also pay the repairmen a huge amount of money to repair her roof.

When Soni Deer finally went home, she found that her sewing machine had stopped working. She had to pay a lot of money to repair it, and was out of work for many days.

Soon after that, she had a fall while running to the market, and hurt one of her legs.

One day, Soni Deer saw an old man with a long beard standing outside the house.

“This house has a spirit hovering above it,” the old man shouted. “It is a very evil one! It is causing trouble for the house owner!”

Soni Deer was flabbergasted.

“I’ve had so much trouble of late,” Soni Deer thought. “This old man must be right! He must be a seer and can probably see an evil spirit hovering above my house!”

Soni Deer called out to the old man and asked, “How do you know this, Baba? Are you a seer?”

The old man closed his eyes, and looked like he was lost in thought. He opened them a few minutes later. Soni Deer gasped. The old man’s eyes were flaming red.

“I can see the evil spirit that’s troubling you right now,” the old man shouted. “He has broken your roof and has also made you fall down. I think he has meddled with your sewing machine too. He is very evil and wants to cause more trouble for you!”

Soni Deer’s jaw dropped. Her eyes grew wide. She believed every word of what the old man was saying. “He definitely must be a great seer!” she thought.

“Baba,” Soni Deer then said. “Please tell me how I can protect myself from this evil spirit who wants to harm me!”

“Well, I can help you if you like,” the old man said. “I can come back after two days and perform a ritual. It will take a few hours to complete. But be assured that it will drive the evil spirit faraway from your house.”

Soni Deer trusted the old man. “He will drive the evil spirit away and solve all my problems,” she thought.

“Baba, let’s perform this ritual,” she told the old man eagerly.

“Please tell me what you will require.”

The old man gave Soni Deer a list of things that she needed to buy. He then told her that he would come back to perform the ritual after two days.

As soon as the old man left, Soni Deer ran to Rani Deer’s house. She told her about the old man and the ritual that he would perform to drive the evil spirit away.

But to her great disappointment, Rani Deer grew very upset and scolded Soni Deer harshly. “Soni, since when have you become so foolish?” Rani Deer shouted. “How can you believe this old man, huh? He must be a conman who’s trying to cheat you! There are no such things as evil spirits! You’ve just been having some bad days! We all have them at sometime or the other!”

Soni Deer was not convinced. “If the old man was a conman, how did he know about my troubles?” she asked.

Rani Deer shook her head and replied, “Everyone in the forest knows about your leaking roof, your sewing machine, and your fall. It’s a small forest and news spreads easily. The old man must have heard about you from someone you both know. Please listen to me and stay away from him.”

But Soni Deer didn’t listen to her friend. “Well, there’s no harm in performing a small ritual, is there?” she said and stormed out of Rani Deer’s house.

Rani Deer realised that it was useless to say anything more to her friend. She decided that she would secretly keep an eye on the old man when he went to Soni Deer’s house next.

After two days, the old man knocked on Soni’ Deer’s door. Soni Deer was very happy to see him. She invited him in to perform the ritual.

“Eat this,” the old man told Soni and gave her some food to eat. “It is part of the ritual!”

Soni Deer respectfully ate what she was given. She was convinced that the old man was her well-wisher, and that he would drive the evil spirit away from her house. She sat down as the old man began the ritual, and hoped that all her troubles would soon be over.

Suddenly, Soni Deer felt as though the world around her was spinning. “Unhh!” she cried. “Why am I feeling so giddy?”

“Don’t worry,” the old man said. “The evil spirit is leaving your house. That’s why you’re feeling uneasy.”

“Oh!” Soni Deer said, believing the old man.Little did Soni Deer know, that the old man, was young Nakul Jackal in disguise. He was a notorious conman who wanted to steal the money and gold that Soni Deer had in her house. Or that she was feeling giddy, because Nakul Jackal had mixed a sedative in the food that he had given her to eat.

Soni Deer found herself feeling drowsy, and in no time, she fell fast asleep. Nakul Jackal laughed when he saw Soni Deer sleeping. He quickly gathered all the money and gold he found in the house.

“I’ll leave before she wakes up,” he said, running towards the door. But the moment Nakul Jackal opened the door, he found Inspector Matru Bear standing in front of him.

Inspector Matru Bear handcuffed Nakul Jackal immediately. Rani Deer then rushed into the house with Dr. Appu Elephant, and ran towards her friend.

When Soni Deer woke up, Rani Deer told her what had happened. Soni Deer cried and held her friend’s hand.

“You saved me, my dear friend,” Soni said gratefully. “Had you not alerted the police, Nakul Jackal would have surely stolen all my gold and hard-earned money. But tell me, how did you suspect that he was a conman?”

TELEPATHIC-BABA

Rani Deer replied, “Well, I stood outside your house to watch what was happening. When I heard you say that you were feeling giddy, I realised that something was very wrong. And so, I ran to alert the police and call the doctor. Inspector Matru Bear guessed that the old man was Nakul Jackal in disguise, since he is notorious for playing such tricks.”

“I have learnt my lesson,” Soni Deer said. “I won’t believe in evil sprits from now on. Or old men who claim that they are seers and can perform rituals. I’ll accept the bad days of life gracefully, for I know that they will be followed by good days!”

Rani Deer smiled. She was glad that her friend wouldn’t fall for a conman’s tricks ever again.

Astute Son-in-law

Many years ago, there lived a wealthy minister in China. He had a young  daughter whose name was Fu Ya. Fu Ya was a beautiful and intelligent girl. She loved and respected her father very much. The minister loved his daughter too and always wanted the best for her.

When Fu Ya grew up, the minister started looking for an eligible groom for her to marry. The minister wanted his son-in-law to be an affluent man, so that his daughter could lead the comfortable life she was used to, even after marriage. He shortlisted many wealthy young men and asked Fu Ya to select one of them.

But to his great disappointment, Fu Ya refused to marry any of the young men her father had selected. The reason was that Fu Ya was in love with another young man. His name was Chin Lee. Chin Lee was a bright and intelligent fellow. He was hard-working, friendly and pleasant natured too. But he belonged to family that wasn’t very wealthy.

When Fu Ya told her father about Chin Lee, the minister grew unhappy.

“Fu Ya, my dear child,” he said. “You will not be happy if you marry a man who isn’t wealthy like us. He has a small house and he won’t be able to give you a comfortable life.”

Fu Ya tried to explain her point of view to her father.

“Father,” she said respectfully. “Intelligence and hard work can help anyone grow rich. I love Chin Lee. And I know that he isn’t rich today. But I’m sure he will soon be with his intelligence and hard work.”

The minister wasn’t convinced. He thought differently but at the same time, didn’t want to see his only daughter unhappy with a man she didn’t love.

The minister thought for a long time and then said, “Alright, Fu Ya. Let me see if Chin Lee is as bright and intelligent as you say. If he brings me the two gifts that I ask for, I will willingly give my consent to your marriage and accept him as my son-in-law.”

“What is it that you want Chin Lee to bring you?” Fu Ya asked in a soft voice.

The minister replied, “Go and tell Chin Lee that I want him to bring me two things as gifts. They are fire and air. But also tell him that I don’t want them as they are. I want them both to be brought to me wrapped inside paper.”

Fu Ya was shocked. “Fire and air inside paper? That sounds impossible!” she said. “Father, how can anyone wrap fire in paper? The paper will surely burn! And how can anyone bring air in paper too?”

“Well, Fu Ya,” the minister said. “If Chin Lee is as bright and intelligent as you say, he will surely know what to do. If he doesn’t bring me these gifts, you will have to bid him farewell and marry a man of my choice.”

“Yes,” Fu Ya said and bowed obediently.

That evening, Fu Ya went to convey her father’s odd request to Chin Lee.

Chin Lee listened calmly.

He thought for a long while and then said, “Don’t worry, Fu Ya. Go back to your father and ask him to give me a day’s time. I will bring him the gifts as soon as I can.”

The minister readily gave Chin Lee a day though he doubted his capabilities.

Chin Lee loved Fu Ya deeply. He didn’t want to lose her. And so, he kept awake all night thinking about the minister’s strange request.

The next evening, the minister saw a young man walk in to his house. He was carrying a lantern made of coloured paper. There was a small candle lit inside the lantern.

“I’m Chin Lee,” Chin Lee said and bowed respectfully. “I have brought what you asked for. Here’s fire inside paper, just as you asked for.”

The minister nodded and took the lantern from Chin Lee.

“What about the other gift I asked for?” he then asked.

astute-in-law

Chin Lee promptly took a fan made out of paper from his pocket. He spread it open and began fanning the minister with it.

“Here’s air in paper!” he smiled and said. “Your other gift!”

The minister laughed and put his arm around Chin Lee. He was very happy. He realised that Chin Lee was the best suitor his daughter could ever have.

He immediately called Fu Ya out of her room and gave her hand in Chin Lee’s.

“You have my consent for your marriage.” the minister then said.

Fu Ya and Chin Lee were married the following week. Chin Lee worked hard and soon became a very wealthy man.

He bought a big house right next to the minister’s house and gave Fu Ya all the comforts that she was used to.

The minister was very happy. His daughter was leading the best possible life she could ever have. “What an intelligent son-in-law I have!” the minister said every time he saw Fu Ya and Chin Lee sitting in their garden.

 

Jamun’s Prudence

Peepal was a young tree rooted near the banks of the Dhara River in Champakvan. He had grown very tall in a short span of time. He had many green leaves on his broad and strong branches too. Whoever saw Peepal stopped to admire him and said, “Wow! What a strong and beautiful tree! What lovely leaves! What broad branches!”

Peepal felt proud every time he heard someone praising him.

Jamun was a tree too. He grew right next to Peepal. The two of them were good friends even though Jamun was much older.

Jamun genuinely felt happy whenever his young friend received any appreciation.

“You deserve it, my friend,” Jamun would smile and say. “You are a fine-looking tree indeed!”

When the rainy season began, small plants, creepers and shrubs started to grow under some of the bigger trees.

Some of the creepers held on to Jamun’s trunk too, since they were weak and couldn’t stand up without any support. Some small plants too felt secure under Jamun’s broad and leafy branches and began to grow under Jamun.

Peepal was very surprised when he noticed them. One day, he turned to Jamun and whispered, “Jamun, my friend. Why are you letting these useless plants grow under you? They are making you look so ugly. Look | at me! I have kept myself smart and neat. I shoo the small plants away if they try to grow under me.”

“Well, Peepal…” Jamun started to say but Peepal cut him short.

“Please don’t make excuses for these weaklings, Jamun,” Peepal said harshly. “Just get rid of them. Tell them to grow far away from you!”

Jamun kept quiet. He didn’t say a word to the small plants and creepers either, which annoyed Peepal no end.

The same evening, a storm hit the forest. Heavy rains and strong winds lashed the trees.

The river began to swell like never before. All the animals who lived near the river ran to save their lives. There was great danger for everyone who lived near the river.

All the trees and plants that grew near the river were terrified too. The heavy rainfall was making the river rise.

Jamun was worried too. His friend Peepal was in great trouble.

The soil holding Peepal’s roots was being washed away by the river water that was now flowing through the forest.

Peepal was finding it tough to hold on. And even though he was trying his very best, a strong wind blew and made him lose his balance. Peepal started to fall down.

But to his surprise, Jamun quickly stretched his branches out and saved his young friend from being uprooted completely.

The next morning, after the storm had passed by, the sun rose and lit the forest. Jamun at once turned to look at his friend.

“Are you ok, Peepal?” Jamun asked with concern. “I’ve been worried about you all night!”

“I’m fine, my friend,” Peepal said weakly. “But if it wasn’t for you, I would have surely been uprooted and washed away. Thank you for saving my life. But tell me something. How is it that you are standing tall and upright while I was almost uprooted and washed away?”

Jamun smiled and said, “Peepal, the small plants that grow under me have helped save me.”

“Is that so?” Peepal asked, looking very surprised.

“Yes,” Jamun said. “The small plants that grow under me held the soil of my roots firmly and withstood the fast flowing river water. If it wasn’t for them, my condition would have been as bad as yours. I would have been uprooted and washed away.”

Jamun then looked down and humbly thanked all the small plants who grew under him for their help.

 

Peepal hung his head low. He realised his mistake.

He understood that Nature had made everyone equal, no matter how great or small they appeared.

“There is place for everyone in this world. Nobody is big or small,” Jamun explained. “And so, it is best to make friends with everyone.”

Jamun’s words changed Peepal’s attitude towards the small plants and creepers.

And after a few days, Jamun saw his young friend welcoming the tiny plants that were trying to grow under his branches.

The Clever Turtle

There were a few families of turtles that lived in a river that flowed through a jungle. These families would come out of the river every morning and swim to the riverbanks. The older turtles would lie there and bask in the sun. But the younger turtles were far more energetic and would look forward to playing games.

Sometimes, they would jump into the river water and race with each other. Some other times, they would play games like hide and seek and hopscotch along the riverside. This was the turtles’ little world and they were always happy here.

One morning, when the young turtles were playing, as usual, a vixen came to the riverside. She spotted the young turtles laughing and playing. The vixen’s mouth began to water. She was very hungry and the sight of the young turtles seemed very tempting.

Turtle meat was the vixen’s favourite delicacy too. She licked her lips and slyly made her way towards the young turtles. The vixen was just about to reach the young turtles when she sneezed loudly.

“ACHOO!” The vixen wiped her mouth and kicked herself.

The turtles, who had heard the vixen sneeze, became alert. They looked around cautiously to see where the sound came from. They spotted the vixen standing quite close to them.

“Run!” the turtles cried and ran towards the water to save their lives. Tiny Turtle was the littlest turtle. He was lying in a faraway corner, basking in the warmth of the sun. He heard his friends’ cries and wondered what had happened.

The vixen spotted Tiny Turtle and pounced on him before he could reach the river. But Tiny was a clever little turtle. He pulled himself into his shell before the vixen could catch hold of him and hid there. The vixen was hungrier than ever now. She tried her best to break the shell open. She tried every possible shell-breaking trick she knew but just couldn’t break Tiny Turtle’s shell open, or even manage to crack it.

Tiny Turtle’s little body was trembling with fear inside the shell. He knew that it wouldn’t be long before the vixen would find a way to break the shell open. And so, he came up with a plan that he hoped would help him escape.

“Miss Vixen,” Tiny Turtle said politely from inside the shell. “I’m sorry but my shell is very hard to break. You will have to soak it in water if you want to soften it. Why don’t you put me in the river for some time? I’ll call out to you as soon as my shell becomes soft. You can pick me up and break my shell and eat me then.” waited.

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The vixen was starving now. Her plump little stomach was growling loudly. She had been hunting all morning and was feeling quite weak and tired. She couldn’t think clearly on an empty stomach either.

“Very well then,” the vixen told Tiny Turtle. “I will put you in the water. But promise me that you will call out to me as soon as your shell turns soft enough for me to break.”

And so, the vixen put Tiny Turtle into the river water.

“How long will it take for your shell to soften?” the vixen then asked Tiny Turtle. Tiny Turtle was a clever little fellow. “It will take half an hour,” he said. “Why don’t you sit down for a while? You must be tired and hungry.”

The vixen sat under the shade of a tree and waited patiently. After a few minutes, Tiny Turtle peeped out of the shell and saw that she was a good distance away. The vixen’s eyes were closing and she was about to fall asleep. Tiny Turtle pulled his little head and arms out of the shell and waved to the vixen.

“Thanks for putting me in the water,” he said. “I’m going to swim home now. Please find yourself something else to eat! Goodbye!” Tiny Turtle then dived into the water and disappeared. The vixen jumped up.

“Oh no! What have I done?” she cried. “How could I forget that turtles live in water? And that water can’t soften their shells! How silly of me!”

But it was too late for the vixen to do anything. Tiny Turtle was deep in the river, swimming towards his house near the riverbed. The vixen kicked herself hard and decided that she wouldn’t be so foolish the next time she met a clever little turtle.