Grade 4 (Age 9-10 years) on Pitara Kids Network

A Birthday Surprise

Fri, 28 Apr 2006 12:07:46 +0000

When you live in one place for as long as I have, you get to know everyone in the locality. I have lived in one house for 25 years now. When we moved to this house, the first person I met was Tara. Her parents lived in the next block. I think she was about eight when I first met her. Tara had wavy black hair, big mischievous eyes and a ready smile on her face all the time.

The Mighty

Fri, 11 Oct 2002 03:31:44 +0000

At the edge of a forest, stood a big tree. Its branches spread out majestically and so did its roots. It shielded people from the sun under its shady leaves, and provided shelter to countless birds and other small creatures in its branches. It buzzed with activity all the time.

At the foot of the tree grew a little plant. The plant was willowy and delicate, and tended to keel over at the touch of the slightest breeze.

How Many Greens?

Thu, 22 May 2003 08:39:03 +0000

How many greens are there in the park?
Can we count them – one by one?

There’s the light, light green of
the tender little grass
I would like this green
For the walls of my house!

There’s the darker green of the older plants
that have flowered for many years
I would like to have them as friends
For the numerous stories they can tell.

And there’s the darkest green of them all
In trees majestic and strong
They hold up the sky and protect the earth
You see, they are the oldest of them all.

What's for Dinner!

Sat, 27 Jul 2002 07:13:10 +0000

A little hen lived at the edge of a forest colony. She lived all by herself and did all her work on her own. Early in the morning she hunted around for worms in the forest; in the day she cleaned up the house; then she cooked, ate and spent the rest of her time in peace. In short, hers was a happy life.

Close by lived a middle-aged fox with his old mother. And, as you can imagine, if the fox was a little elderly, mother fox was quite definitely ancient.

Abdullah's Gold

Thu, 29 Nov 2001 06:53:25 +0000

Abdullah was one of the richest men in town, but you could easily mistake him for a beggar. It was his theory that since there were so many people out to rob a rich man, it was safe to pretend to be poor. And so he did.

But he really didn’t have to pretend. Stingy to the core he found it very easy to be poor. So what if people sniggered and children called out, “Kanjoos! Kanjoos!” (miser, miser), whenever he passed by in his worn-out clothes. Abdullah became more and more content with his growing pile of money as the years went by.

Why Do We Have Wrinkly Fingers After Swimming?

Sat, 26 Mar 2005 10:05:37 +0000

You’ve been playing in the pool for almost an hour now, practicing your best underwater somersaults. Now it’s time to get out, and as you look at your hands, it’s . . . it’s . . . it’s the attack of the wrinkly fingered monster!

Don’t get frightened or run for cover under your towel yet. After spending lots of time in the water, it’s totally normal for fingers (and sometimes toes) to wrinkle.

Why Do We Have Wrinkly Fingers After Swimming?

Even though you can’t see it, your skin is covered with its own special oil called sebum. Sebum is found on the outermost layer of skin. Sebum lubricates and protects your skin. It also makes your skin a bit waterproof. That’s why getting caught in the rain, hopping in the shower after a game, or washing your hands before dinner won’t leave your skin soggy. Sebum is there to keep the water out.

If I Could Fly

Tue, 11 Aug 1998 14:58:33 +0000

If I had a pair of wings, with which to fly,
I’d soar straight away, up into the sky.

I’d carry a brush,
and paints in colours bright,
So I could paint
every fluffy cloud in sight!

I’d paint them purple
and yellow and green-
They’d be the prettiest
you’ve ever seen!

I’d paint rainbows in the sky
every single day,
So I can watch them
when I work and play.

And when the moon and
stars come out at night-

Forgive and Forget?

Sun, 11 Nov 2001 17:39:56 +0000

Amar and Alok , two friends, set up a business venture together. Both invested a lot of money in the business and spent all their time trying to promote it.

For a few years everything seemed to be working out fine. Then Alok wanted to diversify. He persuaded Amar to invest their profits in another venture. Amar wasn’t so sure – what if the venture failed? – but agreed after much persuasion by his friend.

Toys For a Big Boy

Mon, 05 May 2003 11:48:53 +0000

Ronit Subramanian was seven years old and he was the tallest student in his class. It made him feel very proud. But when he remembered some of the things he used to do as a small kid, he felt a little shy. He wished his mother would not tell those stories to her friends again and again.

Last week his mother’s old school friend had come to see her. They were meeting after 10 years. Ronit was just back from school but his ears pricked up when he heard his mother say in that goofy tone, “You know what my Ronit used to do as a baby? He used to think everything and everyone was a part of the Subramanian family. So he would call the refrigerator ‘frig Subramanian. And he would call the doggy that curled up on our doormat outside ‘doggy Subramanian’”. Ronit heard his mother’s friend say, “cho chweeeet” and he ran out of the house – without any lunch. “I wish mother would not do these things,” he said for the thousandth time.

The Boy with a Catapult

Thu, 21 Sep 2000 16:19:33 +0000

Our class at school has an odd assortment of boys. There was Harbans Lal who, when asked a difficult question, would take a sip out of his inkpot because he believed it sharpened his wits. If the teacher boxed his ears he would yell, “Help! Murder!” so loudly that teachers and boys from other classes would come running to see what had happened. This caused much embarrassment to the teacher. If the teacher tried to cane him, he would put his arms round him and implore, “Forgive me, Your Majesty! You are like Akbar the Great. You Emperor Ashoka. You are my father, my grandfather, my great grandfather.”

How Far Away are the Stars?

Thu, 04 Dec 2003 12:42:03 +0000

The sun is a star, just like the thousands of others we see in the sky each night. But it looks so very big. Is it the biggest star? No. The only reason the sun appears so big is because it is closer to us than any other star.

The sun is just 93,000,000 miles (or 14,88,000,000 km) away from the earth. That seems an awful lot of distance, but light can travel so quickly that the sun’s rays reach the earth in a little more than eight minutes! That is the wonder of light.

Guddu's Lucky Day

Mon, 13 Jan 2003 16:19:52 +0000

The sun shone through Gayatri’s window. It teased her eyelids open. She yawned, stretched and got out of bed – things she had done a thousand times before. For Gayatri, today began like any other day.

Gayatri Verma was a bright, 12-year-old girl with sparkling eyes and dimpled smile. She was an eighth grade student in a local school, forever praying to God for a new bicyle. She hated travelling in a school bus. After all she was big enough to ride the bike on busy streets. But who would make her mother understand?

How Does Dew Form?

Sun, 22 Feb 1998 12:52:38 +0000

Remember walking to the school or the bus stop on a cold wintry morning? You can see the beautiful crystal drops of dew, and if you happen to be on the grass, they could well be soaking your shoes.

Ever wondered why there is no dew in the summer or rainy seasons? Well, special as it looks, dew needs special conditions to form as well. When a warm and clear day is followed by a cool evening and night, which is clear (cloudless), dew is formed.

Why Do Plants Bear Fruit?

Tue, 30 Sep 1997 07:15:29 +0000

Do you like fruits? Have you ever wondered why plants produce fruits? Is it only because nature wants you to enjoy eating its fruits and sing its praises?

The answer is no. Plants are much smarter than what you think they are. They actually use human beings, animals and birds who eat their fruits to propagate their kind. In other words, disperse their seeds.

The fruit serves as a mother’s womb where the embryo of a baby plant is nurtured. It protects the embryo, or the seed, in almost the same way as the mother protects her small ones. The flesh of the fruit serves as a protective lining as the seed develops. And, before the seed is ready to be sowed, the fruit is unripe and tastes sour. The sourness of the fruit discourages us from eating it.

Why does Milk spill over when it Boils?

Wed, 09 Oct 2002 20:50:36 +0000

How many times have you seen milk boil and spill over, and wondered why this happens? To answer this question we have to know a little more about the composition of milk.

Milk and its composition
Unlike water, milk is not a simple liquid. It is a colloid and contains many substances in suspended form. These substances are mainly protein, sugar and fat. When milk is heated slowly, the proteins and fat get separated. Since they are lighter than the milk they collect on the surface in the form of a layer called cream.

It All Began with Drip Drip

Sun, 28 Mar 1999 20:45:12 +0000

A tiger was caught in a storm, he had wandered into the fields looking for something to eat. He huddled close to the wall of Naini’s hut for shelter. Naini was an ill-tempered old woman who lived on the outskirts of the village. She was feeling especially ill-tempered that day, because her roof leaked badly.

“This drip-drip!” she muttered, pushing her tin trunks and bed from place to place to keep them dry. “Is there no escape?” She slammed the bed against a trunk, picked up a small wooden box and shoved it against the wall. The wall shook.

Tail-cut Fox!

Sat, 20 Oct 2001 10:55:48 +0000

Every morning the fox strutted through the forest pretending to be king of the jungle. He would bully an animal here, chase another there and show a third one his fangs. He was an utter nuisance.

One morning while chasing a hare, he got caught in a trap. Actually, it was his tail that got trapped. He pulled and pulled and huffed and puffed, but couldn’t get free. The tail stayed in the trap.

Now the fox was very proud of his bushy tail, which he always kept in a good condition. So he avoided pulling too hard lest something happened to it.

How Monkeys Got their Red Bottoms

Sat, 20 Oct 2001 03:45:17 +0000

Once upon a time there was a group of twelve boys and girls who lived in a village called Dancing. After dinner everyday they would light a fire and dance.

One evening a monkey came and sat in a corner. He was wearing a smart safari suit with a stylish hat. He had a banjo in his hand, with which he played melodious music. He played so well that no one realised that he was a monkey.

Waiting for the Rain

Sat, 15 Dec 2001 23:13:10 +0000

I hope it rains at least today," Velu thought, as he opened his eyes. Velu was a farmer.

The sun was beginning to rise, glowing crimson like fire. Velu scanned the sky. There was not a cloud.

“It doesn’t look encouraging,” he muttered to himself and got up.

Rain or no rain, a farmer wakes up early. Velu worked hard. His piece of land never failed him. Season after season he cultivated it, harvesting jowar one season and dal the next. Throughout the year he worked, never thinking of rest or taking a holiday. For nearly six years it had been so, ever since he had got his own piece of land.

The Tiger and the Dried Persimmons

Sat, 06 May 2000 10:05:50 +0000

There was once a small and sleepy village, surrounded by mountains on all sides.

A tiger lived on the mountain behind the village. Whenever he climbed to the top of the mountain and roared, the people in the village trembled with fright.

On a winter night, when all the world seemed to be covered with snow, the tiger climbed down. He had not eaten for several days and was very, very, very hungry.

The Tiger and the Dried Persimmons [Illustrations: Kusum Chamoli]

As he was desperately looking for food, he came near the window of a house. A lamp was flickering inside.

The Elephant's Nose

Sat, 07 Apr 2001 18:31:58 +0000

There was a time, when the elephant’s nose was no bigger than a boot that he could wriggle from side to side. But an elephant’s child changed all that.

He was a curious fellow who asked ever so many questions.

He asked the ostrich why her tail feathers grew just so.

He asked the giraffe what made his skin spotty.

He asked the hippo why his eyes were red, and the baboon
why melons tasted as they did.

My Life – The Tale of a Butterfly

Tue, 04 Nov 1997 11:58:48 +0000

I am a little butterfly. My mother says I am very pretty like her. Now, I will tell you the story of my life.

My mother is a real beauty.

Her brown velvety wings have white spots on them. With her wings spread wide, she looks like a pretty flower. I am really proud of her.

It was the month of October.

My Life – The Tale of a Butterfly

One day my mother flew over a milk-weed plant growing in a garden. She fluttered down the plant. After a while, she laid white eggs on the underside of the soft green leaves.

The Sparrow's Nest

Sun, 22 Dec 2002 22:29:26 +0000

Oh, why does the sparrow
build a nest in the rain?

Won’t the downpour
wash the nest away?
Asked the child, to her grandmother.

Monsoon is a time
when there are
lots of worms,
and that means food
for the little ones!

That’s why sparrows build
a nest in the rain,
said the grandmother with a smile

The Sparrow’s Nest [Illustration by Anup Singh]

Adal-Badal: The Exchange

Fri, 24 Aug 2001 11:30:56 +0000

It was the hour of twilight on the day of the Holi festival. A group of village boys, gathered under a neem tree, were playing, throwing dust at one another.

Amrit and Isab came walking arm-in-arm and joined them. Both were wearing new clothes stitched that very day, identical in every respect: colour, size and material. The boys were in the same class, at the same school and lived in houses facing each other at the corner of the street. The boys’ parents were farmers owning about the same size of holdings and occasionally had to borrow money from the moneylender to tide over difficult times. In short, the two boys had everything in common except that Amrit had both parents living and three brothers, whereas Isab had only his father.

Cypress Street

Sat, 14 Sep 2002 18:12:12 +0000

I took a stroll down Cypress Street
The hot sidewalk beneath my feet.

The one thing that stood out the most
Where trees once stood there were lamppost.

I’d never seen so much concrete
No Cypress left on Cypress Street.

According to my Great Aunt Gem
There used to be a lot of them.

They cut them down. They took their wood
A treeless street is plum no good!

Just like a treeless neighborhood

So tell the Mayor next time they meet…
To change the name to Lamppost Street!

Parrots in My Garden

Wed, 29 Aug 2001 10:57:26 +0000

When it’s early morning
Before it’s really light
A flock of parrots flies across
Looking trim and bright

They swoop down on the juicy grams
Which I love to throw
They are not afraid of me
The way they come and go!

Soon my lawn is clean and clear
Of every little grain

Parrots in My Garden [Illustration by Sudheer Nath]

And then the parrots leave the place
To fly back once again.

Silence is Golden

Wed, 23 May 2001 15:06:07 +0000

Once upon a time, a Chinese student once went to his teacher.

He asked his teacher a question: “Sir, is there any good in talking a lot?”

The teacher replied: “Toads and frogs croak night and day, but no one pays any attention to them. But the cock crows at a certain time of night and wakes up everyone.”

Silence is Golden [Illustration by Sudheer Nath]

The teacher smiled at his student and said, “This proves that no good is achieved by talking a lot. What is important is to say the right thing at the right time.”

The Foolish Thief

Wed, 05 Jul 2000 16:51:51 +0000

The moon was like a giant fluorescent light in the sky. It was a full moon night. And a foolish thief was getting ready to rob a villager’s house.

He located the house he had decided upon and tip-toed inside. From the silvery world of moonlight outside, he had entered a dark room. He could not even see his own hand or foot. But on the wall near the roof, there was a ventilator. The moon’s rays came sliding through it to create a circle of light.

The Day Everything Went Wrong

Sun, 10 Jun 2001 16:08:34 +0000

On that day everything went wrong,

I fell on the ground with a “BONG”!

I hurt my elbows and knees

And misplaced my cupboard keys.

I dreamt of a horrible ghost,

At breakfast I burnt my toast.

I couldn’t find my tie, I couldn’t find my shirt

And when I did find it, it was covered in dirt!

I came to know, when I heard the clock’s chime

That I had lost control of time.

A Town Called Boring

Tue, 20 Nov 2001 00:47:49 +0000

Once upon a time in India,there was a town called Boring. It was by the side of Dull Lake. The people of Boring never smiled; they did not know how to — Whether it was grownups or children.

All the children ever did was study. They studied in school all day. On returning home they got busy with homework and with revision for class tests in school. No one played any games — there were no playgrounds in the town.

What's in a Name?

Wed, 30 Oct 2002 11:53:16 +0000

There were two things in the world that Ghagra Geeta Bali hated. The first was the way Rani, the domestic help, combed her hair. Rani said she combed hard to make sure that there was no lice or dandruff in her hair. But she did it with such force that Ghagra Geeta Bali feared it would remove bits of her scalp, as well.

The second was, you guessed it, her name. She hated her name so much that she prayed to god every night: Dear god, let me die and be born again. So I too can have a name like Rita or Preeti or Mina or Koel. A short, smart one-word name.

Sadako’s Cranes

Tue, 06 Nov 2001 11:07:11 +0000

The atom bomb was dropped on Hiroshima ten years ago. I lived a mile away from the city so nothing much happened to me, though the city and its people were burnt. The bomb didn’t do anything to me — so I thought for ten years.

I love running. A few months ago, while I was practising for a relay event, I felt dizzy. I thought it was only because I was tired. Then a few weeks after that, I fell down in the field and couldn’t get up. The teachers rushed me to the hospital and the doctors found I had leukemia — a sort of blood cancer. This was one of the things that the bomb gave us.

Haroo, the Croc

Wed, 19 Sep 2001 13:49:34 +0000

Here’s a lazy crocodile
Snoozing on the bank
He is quick at catching prey
So do keep off his tank!

His skin is rough, his teeth so sharp
And he is moody too
So don’t annoy or throw him stones
And take care what you do!

Haroo, the Croc [Illustration by Sudheer Nath]

Don't Throw the Seeds Away...

Thu, 26 Sep 1996 05:37:11 +0000

It makes you healthy,
It gives you energy,
An apple or a guava
An orange or a papaya
Eat a fruit everyday
But don’t throw the seeds away.

Here’s a simple thing you can do
You could tell all your friends too!
Plant the seed in the soil
(It doesn’t take much time or toil)
Pour a little water there
A young shoot will soon appear.

In time it’ll become a big tree –
Which gives so much to you and me!
This way there’ll be forests again
Green and clean our earth will remain.

The Ungrateful Friend

Sat, 29 Apr 2000 15:40:28 +0000

This happened a long long time ago. In a small village in southern Orissa, there lived an old woodcutter.

One day, when he was going to the forest to cut wood, he met the tiger. The woodcutter stopped in his tracks on seeing the king of the jungle. But, strangely enough, the tiger did not roar on seeing the woodcutter. He remained silent. The woodcutter was baffled. How was he to know that the tiger was blind?

The Greek Barber

Fri, 17 Dec 2004 22:02:40 +0000

I wonder what others think of when they hear a mention of Greece. I think of the first Olympics and I think of the poison Socrates the philosopher was forced to drink. But I want to see something different today. Athens, here I come!

The Greek Barber [Illustrations by Anup Singh]

My machine says we have reached the Athens of 2005 years ago (5th century BC). I stretch myself and walk out of the machine. There is a large group of men chatting and laughing in a shop. It’s a barber’s shop! If our Indian barber shops are any indication then these barbers’ shops must be the place where men exchange the news and gossip of the day – whether it is about politics or sports, or even philosophy. Yes! My pocket guide on ancient Greece tells me it is true.

The Doctor who did not Cure

Thu, 24 May 2001 11:07:58 +0000

An old woman had lost her eyesight completely. So she went to a doctor to help her see again and made a bargain with him in the presence of a few witnesses. The bargain was that: if he could cure her, he would be paid handsomely. But if he couldn’t, she would not be obliged to pay him anything.

The doctor had a special ointment. When it was applied in the eyes for a certain period of time, it restored the eyesight of anyone who was sightless.

A Verbal Trade

Thu, 26 Apr 2001 02:15:03 +0000

One evening, an old man was passing through a village. From the interior of a small house, he heard a sweet, melodious voice singing. He stood outside on the road till the song ended. Then he went near the house and looked inside. The singer was a small girl. He patted her affectionately and gave her a gold mohur.

The girl’s father, Mohan, who was standing nearby, was delighted at the unexpected present. He snatched the gold mohur from his daughter’s hand. As soon as the old man turned to leave, Mohan shouted, “Wait, what about the rest of my dues?”

The Dog and the Pig

Fri, 08 Sep 2000 21:26:54 +0000

Retold from ‘When the World was Young’, by Verrier Elwin. The book is a fascinating collection of folktales from the tribal peoples of India. Elwin was a pioneering anthropologist; he spent his entire life getting to know the ways of life of the tribal peoples.

A man kept two animals — a dog and a pig. He kept them in the hope that they would help him in his work. But he was sorely disappointed. All they did was eat and eat and eat. They did nothing else.

The Jungle

Tue, 27 Nov 2001 07:49:41 +0000

Far away in the jungles
where the green grass grows,
lived families of mynas
their nest in rows.

They were friends and foes
who played and fought for fun.
But when it came to the enemy
they stood together as one.

One morning they were surprised
a strange creature there to find.
Loud, noisy with strange scary ways
a being like that…seemed a ferocious kind.

The Jungle [Illustration by Anup Singh]

Eager to befriend the new
an excited bunch toward it flew.
But lo and behold! What did they see?

Nine of Ten

Thu, 21 Dec 2000 13:49:00 +0000

Once, in a dry desert, a man was urging ten camels forward to a water pool. After walking a few miles, he mounted one of the camels and counted the rest. He counted nine of them, then immediately dismounted and walked back in search of the lost one.
Seeing no sign of any camel, he thought he had lost it. He discontinued the search and hurried back to the camels, grieved and dismayed. There, to his great joy, he found all ten of them. Happily he mounted one, and after a while he thought of counting them once more.

The Magical Sunglasses

Thu, 22 Feb 2001 15:52:05 +0000

It was a hot summer afternoon during the holidays and Ma was taking a nap. Deepak was bored. He came upon a naughty idea. Boys are like that. When they want to be naughty, they have to be naughty.

So Deepak, in his naughty mood, decided to do what Ma had told him never to do. He decided to open Grandpa’s black wooden box that lay in the guest-room. It was a lovely old, square box with brass hinges. The whole box was studded with buttons of brass that had tarnished and turned black with age.

Tilak and Sudhir

Fri, 19 Oct 2001 10:50:29 +0000

“Guess what, Tilak!” his mother said, a week after they had moved into their new house. “I’ve discovered that one of my old friends lives nearby and her son is your classmate at school. Isn’t that nice?”
“What’s his name?” Tilak asked.

“I think he is Sudhir,” said his mother. “Isn’t he your friend?”

Tilak shook his head. “Oh! Sudhir? That chap isn’t good at games or anything. He keeps reading some old books all the time.”

Why do we See a Face on the Moon

Sun, 17 Mar 1996 20:04:41 +0000

When people say that they see a man’s face on the Moon, they are actually seeing the uneven surface on the Moon. There are deep holes, called craters, and hills on the Moon’s surface. There is no man on the Moon.

That the Moon is much smaller than the stars and even the earth. In fact, four moons put together would make one earth. The Moon looks big because it is much closer to us in comparison to the stars.

The Ride to Bondage

Thu, 28 Dec 2000 03:24:46 +0000

Chintu and Gullu were very, very excited. They were going to ride camels!

Both of them worked in a fireworks factory where they made firecrackers for Diwali and other festivals. Their meagre earnings helped their families to make life worth living. Now their lives would totally change. Mr. Ali had seen to that.

Mr. Ali was Chintu’s father’s new friend. He lived far, far away. He had told Chintu’s father that Chintu was exactly right for riding camels — the right size and the right weight. Not too fat, nor too thin, or too tall. He was exactly RIGHT!

Preparing for Winter

Sat, 01 Sep 2001 22:38:51 +0000

Autumn was coming to an end. All the insects and animals were working very hard to stock their larders with enough food to last them the winter. They all knew that winter time would be tough – it would be cold and food would be scarce. As it would get dark really soon, it would be difficult to go looking for food.

Therefore, everyone was working hard, all except Mr Grasshopper. He loved autumn. Autumn was a time when the leaves changed colour. It was all so so pretty. The trees seemed to be on fire with red, yellow and orange leaves, which then fell off and covered the ground. There was a pleasant breeze too.

The Fox and the Goat

Fri, 07 Sep 2001 13:40:17 +0000

Dabbu the fox was in a happy frame of mind. He had just made a hearty meal of the remains at King Lion’s den after the great king had gone out for a stroll. The meal had been fresh deer and it was smacking good. If only luck like this shone upon him every day, thought Dabbu.

Thinking such thoughts, Dabbu looked up at the clear sky and began to sing as he walked. He had watched Hindi film heroes do that when they were happy. This mainly happened when they were in love.

The Pigeon Party

Sat, 01 Dec 2001 21:49:44 +0000

Twenty noisy
pigeons
Had a party
last night

Noisy Pigeon Party [Illustration by Shinod AP]

The last egg
Had hatched
The youngest one
Was OUT!

The last egg had hatched [Illustration by Shinod AP]

They rocked on
the TV wires
looked the kitten
In the eye

Sunday with Dad

Sun, 17 Jun 2001 14:35:49 +0000

A Sunday is so typical
when Dad is around
The morning starts
With a loud TV sound.

One groan from my sister
and another from me
Doesn’t melt his heart
To let us sleep for a minute or three.

Mom tries to catch up
On her wee bit of sleep
For she knows Dad is there
To make a cup of tea.

But once we are all up
It all seems so bright
For that’s the only day
When Dad has all the time.

The Priest, the Tiger and the Jackal

Mon, 24 Jan 2000 23:59:25 +0000

One day a priest was walking along a country road when he came upon a tiger, shut up in a strong iron cage. The villagers had caught him and shut him up there because he had started preying on their fowl and cattle.

As soon as the tiger saw the priest, he pleaded, “Oh, Brother Brahmin, please let me out to get a little drink! I am so thirsty, and there is no water here.”

Kaku and Lal Hawa

Thu, 25 Apr 2002 04:38:01 +0000

Kaku lived in a small village called Chhoti Dadi. The small village had a small school. Everyday Kaku had to walk from his little hut at one end of the village to the primary school near the village well. On his way to school, he passed through green paddy fields, the village lake and the old Ram Lila ground. All his friends, be it dreamy Jhunjhunu, colorful Pinaki or talkative Tachi, did not like walking to school.

The Farmer and the Serpent

Sun, 19 Aug 2001 13:47:50 +0000

A long time ago a farmer’s son was going to meet his friends. It was dark and he was in a hurry, so he didn’t see a cobra that was relaxing in the path. He trod upon the cobra’s tail. He stepped back immediately afterwards, but it was too late. The angry cobra lashed at him and bit him.

A cobra’s poison is one of the deadliest in the world. The farmer’s son stood no chance against it and died.

Can Frog Fly?

Sat, 18 Nov 2000 14:17:12 +0000

You must have seen frogs that jump, but have you seen frogs that can fly? Actually not fly, but glide. One member of the treefrog family which is found in Malaya can fly. It flies not for adventure, but to catch its prey.

It is called Wallace’s Treefrog and is more equipped to chase flying insects than other frogs.

Flying or gliding tree frog (Agalychnis spurrelli) is an endangered amphibian. IT lives in Amazon rain forest of Ecuador Colombia Panama and Costa Rica.

It has webbed feet with long fingers and toes. When it cannot catch a particular insect that is flying away, it stretches its fingers and toes wide apart. This increase in surface area allows it to glide downwards for long distances. And, during its descent, it can catch prey for dinner.

A Tale of Tails

Sun, 05 Mar 2000 17:55:47 +0000

Dear reader, I am sure you know that a snake and a mongoose are sworn enemies. They are always ready, willing and waiting to kill each other. But I do not think you know that this wasn’t always the case. Once upon a time, not very long ago, they were the best of friends. Surprised? Let me tell you the full story….
On the foothills of the Himalayas, there was a forest. In one corner of the forest, beside a huge river called Neera, lived a snake and a mongoose. The snake was called Sarpu, while the mongoose was named Mongu.They had grown up in each other’s company, hunting, eating and playing together.

A Lucky Hunter

Sun, 16 Jan 2000 15:14:12 +0000

There was once a hunter who, on the seventh birthday of his son, decided to go hunting to get something nice for the feast. But as he reached for the gun on the wall, it slipped from the pegs, hit the stone mortar below and alas, its barrel was bent like the letter L.

“Father, that’s a bad sign,” cried the boy, “please don’t go hunting today.”
“You are silly!” said the father. “That’s a good sign. The gun hit the mortar. That means it’ll hit the game, too.”

The Wise Doves

Sat, 16 May 1998 03:34:17 +0000

Once upon a time, there lived many doves in the jungle. One day they went out in search of food. They flew long distances but did not get anything to eat. All of them were now completely exhausted.

A young dove asked the King Dove, “Your majesty, please permit us to take some rest.”

The king replied, “Have courage, my dear young fellow. We shall definitely get something to eat very soon.”

The Wise Doves [Illustrations by Amarjeet Malik]

The young dove started flapping his wings with force and soon left everyone behind.

The Fish and the Dinosaur

Fri, 29 Jan 1999 17:44:38 +0000

The Fish and the Dinosaur []

Once there was a pond in a jungle. In that pond there were 63 fish. One day a Dinosaur came to the pond. In one day it drank half of the water of the pond.

The fish were worried that the Dinosaur will drink the whole pond. The fish queen asked everyone that who would defeat the Dinosaur? One poor fish said, “I will defeat him”.

Why are Eggs Oval?

Sun, 02 May 1999 07:09:24 +0000

Have you ever climbed a tree and peeked into the nest of a crow or a sparrow? Or looked into that flowerpot where the noisy pigeon decided to lay its eggs? The sight of a mother hen sitting on a bunch of fresh white eggs is great, though most of us see them only when they land on the breakfast table every now and then.

Eggs come in different colours. They may be blue, blue-green, yellow, spotted, blotched or white. No egg looks identical. Even those eggs that are laid in a clutch or at one time may have different colours. Most eggs are oval, and sometimes they are long and elongated. One end is slightly larger and heavier while the other end is smaller and conical.

Letter from a Daughter to a Mother

Sat, 12 May 2001 19:01:30 +0000

Twelve-year-old Soumya thinks that mothers can make difficult things simple. In this letter to her mother, she tells us why she feels so.

Dearest mother, you are the loveliest person in the whole world. You do anything and everything for me. Now this reminds me of the day when I had a fight with my friends.

This happened when I was 10 years old. My friends and I were playing basketball when one of them teased another. The one who was teased was sensitive. She started crying.

The Jester and the Straw Roof

Thu, 13 Sep 2001 04:35:00 +0000

Maharaja Krishna Chandra was the king of Bengal during the middle ages. It was customary for kings in those days to patronise talented people. So every king had his own court poets, artists, singers, town planners, architects and what have you. And plenty of ministers to advise him on different matters.

And every king had a court jester. The jester was a very important person for his ability to make people laugh and feel happy. The king had a lot of serious work to do, lots of difficult problems to solve and deal carefully with rival kings! It meant a lot of tension. So he needed someone to make his tension lighter with his jokes. And help him with unexpected advice where no one else could help.

The Clever Dog

Thu, 26 Feb 1998 00:44:01 +0000

Bandita Nath is a sixth class student of Delhi Public School. She loves to draw and write.

Once upon a time, there was a rich moneylender in a village. His name was Seth Karam Chand. One day, a kind and a generous man named Sunder Singh came to Seth Karam Chand to take a loan. He took five hundred rupees loam from Seth Karam Chand.

The Clever Dog [Illustration by Anup Singh]

After a few months, Seth Karam Chand came to Sunder Singh’s house to colelct his debt. But poor Sunder Singh couldn’t pay back his debt.

The Story of Big Ears

Thu, 30 Mar 2000 21:15:00 +0000

Retold from “When the World was Young’, by pioneering anthropologist, Verrier Elwin. It is a fascinating collection of folktales from the tribal peoples of India.

This happened a long, long time ago.

Humans had big ears then.

And they would flap in the wind.

The Story of Big Ears [Illustrations by Nitin Vishwakarma]

Their ears were so big that they found a use for them.

Greed Never Pays

Mon, 18 Dec 2000 14:16:20 +0000

Bhim the elephant and Hanoo the langur lived in the Brindavan Jungle. They were the best of friends. Their friendship had, however, started as a need-based one. You may well wonder what would an elephant and a langur need from each other!

Let me explain. Bhim who lived alone had grown quite old. He was extremely fond of fresh fruits. However, most of the time he was unable to get them. He was beaten by the more agile, younger and nimbler animals like Jeera the giraffe, Hiran the deer, Ghoda the horse and even Gadha the ass. He would get only leftovers which were hardly tasty.

How the First House was Built

Sun, 05 Nov 2000 04:07:13 +0000

A long time ago, humans were only as tall as hens and rabbits.

These tiny “humans”, if you can call them that, lived under trees.

Living in trees was not very nice.

During rains they got wet. In summers they sweated madly, and in winter they almost froze into ice.

Life was tough.

How the First House was Built [Illustrations by Sudheer Nath]

So they started living in burrows, just the way rabbits do.

The Last of the Big Ones

Thu, 29 Mar 2001 10:48:16 +0000

The red-and-silver Dragonfly happily flitted across the pool:

“Zim, Zim, Zim,

Over the water I skim.

Now dart in,

Now dart out,

Dash across

And turn about.”

The Last of the Big Ones [By Uma Anand]

“Oh, bother,” croaked a hoarse voice as with a plop, a large Bullfrog settled himself on a lily pad. “A little less darting and dashing might be better all round. It’s hot and dusty enough without your hovering above my head.”
“Zim, Zim,

How Man and Dog Became Friends

Mon, 21 Aug 2000 10:48:41 +0000

There they were – two little pups crying for their mother. She had just been killed by Deer. They sobbed so much and for so long that they got tired and lay down for a while. It was then that they decided to take revenge on Deer for killing their mother. Once they had decided what they were going to do, they felt better.

Soon, they realised they were too small to be able to catch Deer. So they went to Elephant to ask for help. He promised to do so.

The Adventures of a Magic Turtle

Wed, 11 Jul 2001 06:29:50 +0000

One winter afternoon, a little boy sat below a ‘neem’ tree, next to a river. He was returning from school, and carried a large bag on his back.

He looked very sad. And as he sat staring at the water, big fat tears started dripping from his eyes creating little round ripples in the pond.

The Adventures of a Magic Turtle [Illustrations by Amarjeet Malik]

He had only been sitting there for a short while, when he saw a turtle swimming towards him. It was not very big, but it swam slowly.

The Cloud That Refused To Cry

Sat, 15 Dec 2001 21:47:59 +0000

It was a stifling hot day in the second week of June and the animals of Jhilmil forest were miserable. The bumblebees no longer droned but sighed. A tail heavy with perspiration made Billori, the squirrel, sit sadly on a patch of dry earth, as hard as a turtle’s hide.

The Cloud That Refused To Cry [Illustrations by Kusum Chamoli]

In another corner of the forest, just outside his cave, was Gabru the lion, his tongue hanging out. He did not even have the energy to frighten a lamb that skipped by — despite the fact that it was lunchtime. Nor did he feel like telling the whole world with great pride, “Sara jungle mujhe loin ke naam se jaanta hai” (he always made the mistake of pronouncing l-i-o-n as l-o-i-n).

Divaswapna – An Educator’s Reverie

Wed, 01 Aug 2001 07:59:38 +0000

I waited eagerly for the school to begin. I was eager to take my class and start my work; eager to put my new plan into practice; eager to bring about peace and order in the class; eager to make classroom teaching interesting and win over my pupils. I felt my pulse throbbing.

The bell rang. The boys entered their classes. The headmaster took me to my class and introduced me to the pupils.

“Listen boys!” he said. “Henceforth, Mr. Laxmiram here, will be your class teacher. You must obey his orders and no pranks and mischief, I warn you!”

The Silent Passer-by

Sun, 25 Aug 2002 02:48:15 +0000

When I was a child, I didn’t have hair on my head, just some stubs.

I liked to watch my friends play. I would join them now and then, but I preferred watching.

Every day, we would see an old man walking by our playground, carrying an umbrella. He had big ears and a bald head. The moment my friends saw him pass by, they would shout, “Hey, deaf and dumb, what’s the time?” They told me that he could neither hear nor speak.

The Gifts

Mon, 02 Sep 2002 23:05:14 +0000

Seema and Reema were highly excited. Their uncle was coming today, from Mumbai. It wasn’t the actual arrival that excited them, it was the thought of the gifts he would bring for them. There would certainly be gifts, of that they were sure. No self respecting uncle would arrive at a brother’s house without gifts for his eight year old and nine year old nieces. But there was nothing they could do but wait.

So they waited. Their father had gone to the station to pick him up. They awaited his return eagerly. The train was expected to arrive at 10:00 p.m. But it was well past 11 now and there was no sign of their father’s return. They called up the station (again), only to be informed (again) that the train was delayed. Their patience wore thin. They were very cross with Indian Railways. Then suddenly in the depths of their despair they heard the honk of a car. It was their car! They had come! He had arrived at last!

The Spirit of Christmas

Wed, 09 Jan 2002 19:13:43 +0000

Tony counted the notes and coins. He had Rs. 163 in all.

He put the money in his pocket, the money he had saved from his part time job. Today was Christmas eve and he had some important shopping to do.

As he walked towards the market he thought of Christmas eve the previous year. How lovely everything had been. His father, Jacob Kurien, and he had decorated the Christmas tree. He had gone with his mum, Janet and dad to the church to attend the midnight mass.

The Bridge Builder

Sun, 07 Mar 1999 20:09:16 +0000

An old man, going a lone highway,
Came, at the evening, cold and gray,
To a chasm, vast, and deep, and wide,
Through which was flowing a sullen tide.
The old man crossed in the twilight dim;
The sullen stream had no fears for him;
But he turned, when safe on the other side,
And built a bridge to span the tide.
“Old man,“said a fellow pilgrim, near,
“You are wasting strength with building here;
Your journey will end with the ending day;
You never again must pass this way;
You have crossed the chasm, deep and wide –

Gappu – The Brave

Sat, 13 Sep 1997 13:35:52 +0000

In a busy town in south India was a zoo. In it lived a hippopotamus whose name was Gappu. Gappu was a kind and gentle creature who loved children. However the children always made fun of him and this made him very sad. “See how ugly that creature is.”

“Yes, it has such a thick, oily skin and such a horrible face.”

“Isn’t it slow, fat and stupid looking?” The kids would yell to each other making faces at poor Gappu. The hippopotamus would listen to all this and shed silent tears.

Tiger King

Sun, 25 Feb 2001 04:51:18 +0000

Oh tiger, you’re so regal
Majestic and tall
With your bright and stripe-y coat
You look the king of all!

Oh tiger, you’re so handsome
Your cubs are lovely too
They say, the cat’s an aunt of yours-
Do tell me, is this true?

Tiger King [Illustration by Anup Singh]

Storm Petrel: A Bird that Walks on Water

Sat, 22 Sep 2001 20:28:20 +0000

You must have heard of St. Peter, the saint, who is said to have walked on water. Well, there is a bird which is named after the saint, because it looks as if it is walking on water.

It is called the stormy petrel. It is not known whether the petrel actually walks on water. But, it somehow manages to stay above water. This gives the impression that it is walking on water.

Wilson’s Storm Petrel (Oceanites oceanicus): A bird that seems to walk on water

But, if a storm arises, the petrel cannot “walk on water”. So, it is forced to remain in the air day and night, till the storm subsides!

Meenu's New Pet

Thu, 12 Sep 2002 01:50:06 +0000

Meenu’s mother was worried about her. A week had passed since their dog Tommy’s disappearance, and her daughter had still not got over it.

Meenu adored Tommy, who had been her faithful companion since her third birthday. He had become a part of the family as he was a loving and well trained dog. Meenu simply adored him. And Tommy, on his part, followed her around everywhere.

During the summer holidays, the family would usually go to Baroda, where Meenu’s grandparents lived. Because it was difficult to take Tommy along with them, Meenu’s parents would leave him with their neighbour Mr Rao.

From Heaven To Hell

Mon, 09 Aug 2004 04:05:15 +0000

Kaz Suyeishi will never forget the quiet peace of the cloudless August morning in 1945. The 18-year-old was in the front garden of her home in Hiroshima. She was chatting with a friend, when a gleam of silver in the sky caught her attention. “It looked like an angel,” she said. “It was the most beautiful airplane. It looked like heaven and peace.”

From Heaven To Hell [Image Source: Darkness of a Thousand Suns: Causes, Complexion and Consequences of the Nuclear Arms Race, by Delhi Science Forum]

The plane was ‘Enola Gay’, dropping the world’s first atomic bomb, nicknamed ‘Little Boy’, over the Japanese city, on August 6. “That little bomb changed heaven to hell,” recalled Suyeishi. The flash of silver disappeared, replaced by a white spot in the blue sky. The sky changed to gray. Then red. Then black. The next thing Suyeishi remembers is regaining consciousness under a mound of wreckage that had been her neighbour’s house. She is above 70.

Killing a Tree Softly

Mon, 26 Feb 2001 09:55:31 +0000

How does a tree die? When it is cut down with an axe. But, sometimes, we may end up hurting or killing a tree without meaning to. It may happen when we carve our names or draw a heart on a tree trunk by cutting away the bark of the tree with a knife. For, along with the bark we also cut away an important tissue called phloem. This tissue carries the food made by the leaves to the other parts of the tree.

The Dress

Fri, 28 Jun 2002 02:32:13 +0000

One evening, Maya was making plans for her birthday. She sat in the living room with her father and instructed him on what to get for her.

“I want a chocolate cake…only a chocolate cake…and white candles on top, please ensure they are white…and five-differently coloured balloons, and of course, Nina’s blue dress,” she told him gravely.

Her father who was writing all this down, looked up. “Why Nina’s blue dress?” he asked.

“Because it is the only one that is the colour of the sky,” she answered. “You know daddy, blue is my favourite colour.”

Back to School

Sun, 21 Apr 2002 13:03:18 +0000

The day I joined as a teacher at P.S 18 (Public School 18) in New York was a decisive day for me. I came from a small town in Buffalo and New York really awed me. My friend, who was teaching at a nearby institute, had warned me about the big bad city and the kids at my school.

They were a hearty bunch of future hoodlums, he warned me. I laughed away his warning. My heart was full of hope at the thought of shaping the minds of tomorrow.

When the Earth and Sky were Married

Mon, 19 Mar 2001 23:34:14 +0000

A Muria folk tale from Orissa retold from ‘When the World was Young’, by Verrier Elwin. The book is a fascinating collection of folktales from the tribal peoples of India. Elwin was a pioneering anthropologist; he spent his entire life getting to know the ways of life of the tribal peoples.

People around the world have different ways of explaining how the earth came to be the way it is: the sky above, the earth below. The Muria tribals of Bastar, in Madhya Pradesh, too, have their own story about it. And it is fascinating.

The Day the Jackal Fooled the King of Beasts

Thu, 06 Mar 1997 17:20:33 +0000

One day long ago, Jackal was trotting through a narrow and rocky pass when he came face to face with the Lion, who was coming from the opposite direction. Realising that he was too near to escape, Jackal was afraid, for he had played many tricks on the Lion in the past, and now Lion might take the opportunity to get his revenge.

In a flash, he thought of a plan. He cowered down on the cliff path, looked above him, and cried, “Help!”

Mad Mango

Sun, 02 Jul 2000 12:57:47 +0000

This is the story of a mango tree which did not want to spend its life rooted in one place. It wanted to travel, see the world and make new friends. Some excerpts from the first part of an exciting journey, when ‘Mad Mango’ learnt to walk.

Many monsoons had come and gone, but Mango still stood in the same place, his hands reaching out for the sky, his feet going deeper and deeper into the earth. He had seen many friends grow up around him — Baby Berry had shot up before his very eyes, Jackfruit, four years his junior and, in his shade, the Drumstick blossom.
He did not know Grandma Tamarind’s age. Maybe the goddess in the temple did — though Tamarind said she was already a sapling when the temple was built. Despite her age, Tamarind stood tall and straight. Cattle gathered around to listen to her tales and sometimes monkeys played hide-and-seek among her branches. When pods began to hang down from her branches, they made village urchins’ mouths water and they pelted Tamarind with stones.

A Sister for Shubya

Wed, 11 Sep 2002 20:14:41 +0000

It all began when Shubhya walked into her friend Diya’s house one evening. The Sharma household was agog with excitement. Shubhya was quite surprised to see so many people at Diya’s house. All of Diya’s aunts, uncles and various cousins were around. Even her grandparents had arrived from Jaipur.

Shubhya wondered what was up. Suddenly, Diya spotted Shubhya. “Shubhya”, she shouted excitedly, “I’ve got a baby sister! I had told you that we were going to get a baby. Now I have someone to play with all the time. Come and see her.”

River Talk

Sat, 28 Apr 2001 05:07:53 +0000

The rivers were a disgruntled lot. They had started out as tiny clear streams high up in the mountains and meandered through valleys and plateaus and plains. Their waters had swollen up during monsoons and had then reduced to a trickle during summer. But on the whole, they had flourished.

And now, at the end of their journey, they had to merge with the sea. They would lose their precious freedom forever.

River Talk [Illustration by Shinod AP]

And yet, they couldn’t stop themselves from flowing, could they? So they flowed till they reached the sea. “This is too unfair!” they said sadly to each other. “It’s bad enough that we have to merge. It is worse that our sweet and drinkable water becomes terribly salty and tasteless when we merge with the sea.”

The Beast

Wed, 11 Sep 2002 12:18:10 +0000

Ten-year-old Preeti looked at the computer screen. She had received an email from the editor of the site Natkhat informing her that her story had been accepted for publication. The editor wanted to create Preeti’s home page and had sent her a questionnaire asking her to list out her favourite things.

The very first question was – who is your favourite person?

“Mr. Rajeev Kumar, my papa,” she typed out on the keyboard without any hesitation.

Borrowed Feathers Help

Sat, 14 Jul 2001 06:25:58 +0000

Haka and Phaka, the twin jackals were feeding on some juicy berries. They sat eating their berries with their mouths and paws quite blue with the juice.

They were enjoying themselves thoroughly when they saw Mor, the peacock, strutting down the path hurriedly. The poor bird looked terrified!

“Hey, what’s up Mor bhai? What’s the hurry?” Haka asked.

Borrowed Feathers Help [(Story and illustrations first published in WWF India Quarterly Apr-Jun 1995)]

“We peacocks are in great trouble Haka. Humans are hunting us for our feathers. There is not a moment of peace!” Mor was in tears. “I believe they are making fans and other things out of our feathers,” sobbed poor Mor.

The Frog King

Wed, 28 Mar 2001 18:56:40 +0000

In a large marshy swamp in South Africa lived a colony of frogs – happy frogs. The marsh was surrounded by tall weeds, dirt and muck, which attracted lots of flies. Every moment was mealtime for the frogs. It was a happy life, all fun and play.

Leapfrog was their favourite game. The younger frogs were dared to jump over a line of frogs from one end to the other end. Each time a young one managed to clear the jump, she or he would be added to the line — until the jumper fell on the last one, when the game ended.

The Fairy Doll

Tue, 25 May 1999 05:21:47 +0000

Not that!" screamed Sheila. “Yes not her!” repeated Anna. “She will stay with us.” Sheila snatched Matilda from her maid and they ran to their room.

In case you are wondering what I am talking about or who is Matilda? Well, Matilda is Sheila and Anna’s favorite doll and the children, along with the maid, were sorting out their old toys to be given to poor children on Christmas.

The Fairy Doll [Illustrations by Kusum Chamoli]

Matilda was a funny little doll, stuffed with bits of old clothes. Her eyes were made of two little black buttons, her hair was made of red wool and her nose was flat. Matilda was always smiling and was very soft and cuddly. She was given to the children by their grandmother when Sheila was three years old and Anna only two.

Do Raccoons Wash their Hands Before they Eat?

Sun, 04 Feb 2001 00:22:23 +0000

We wash vegetables before cooking it. And we wash our hands before we start eating. That is because we have been told that washing would clean our food and that cleanliness is necessary to keep diseases away. But, have you seen cows, dogs or cats wash their food? They don’t.

But there is one kind of furry mammals called racoons, which wash their food before eating. And it has been noticed that racoons refuse to eat if they cannot find water around. Even if they do, they don’t look too happy about it. Some other kinds of racoons eat without washing their food.

The Spectacled Bear

Sat, 03 Feb 2001 07:16:48 +0000

Many of us wear glasses when we have problems with eyesight. But, have you ever heard of bears with glasses? No, not the bears who appear on the Cartoon Network on TV. Real bears.

The spectacled bear [Illustration by Shridevi]

There is a kind of bear which lives in the forests of South America. It is called the ‘spectacled bear,’ or the Tremarctos Ornatus.

It has white coloured fur around its eyes, which makes it look like it is wearing glasses. Some of these bears have only the bottom half of their glasses, whereas in some others the eye rings are so thick that they completely fill up the face.

When Humans had Tails

Fri, 12 May 2000 11:25:22 +0000

A Saora folk tale from Orissa retold from ‘When the World was Young’, by Verrier Elwin. The book is a fascinating collection of folktales from the tribal peoples of India. Elwin was a pioneering anthropologist; he spent his entire life getting to know the ways of life of the tribal peoples.

The Saora tribals of Orissa, in eastern India, believe that there was a time when humans had tails. Wherever they went, their tails swished along, sweeping the ground.

The Kite-Maker

Fri, 27 Apr 2001 11:57:02 +0000

The night was pitch dark. A street lamp shone dimly, creating pools of shadows along a tiny lane in Bareilly city. Sitting beneath the light was Imran. His nimble fingers were busy pasting thin sheets of coloured paper. He was making a kite.

Even though he could barely see, he didn’t fumble in his work. He could make these kites blindfolded now. At 10, he was an old hand at the craft, having started making kites when he was just six years old – the kites that Bareilly, in India’s northern state of Uttar Pradesh, is so well known for.

How to Bell a Thief

Thu, 29 Nov 2001 08:30:23 +0000

Sonapur was a small village. It was famous for its little temple. The temple had no deity. All it had was the imprint of a pair of feet. According to folklore, these were of a pious sage. A diya burned brightly, night and day. Seven beautiful bells hung in the little temple, gleaming brightly in the light cast by the diya.

The villagers of Sonapur were content and happy. Their fields yielded abundant crops. Earnings were enough to meet the needs of each family.

How the Donkey Came To Be

Thu, 26 Mar 1998 18:11:57 +0000

How the Donkey Came To Be [Illustration by Anup Singh]

Long ago when the world was brand-new, the sun rose in the sky and brought the first day. Flowers jumped up and stared, astonished. Then from every side, from under leaves and from behind rocks, creatures began to appear. To begin with, all creatures were very alike – very different from what they are now.

The Big Leap

Wed, 15 Aug 2001 00:32:54 +0000

One day a newly married couple threw a party. Among those who attended, was a man who claimed to be a seasoned traveller. He was an interesting-looking man with a weatherbeaten face. So, by his appearance, he did look like a well-travelled person.

But once he started talking, there was no stopping him. He bragged to anyone who would listen, about his exploits in countries across the world.

He spoke of many wonderful and heroic feats he had accomplished. “I was an acrobat, a magician, a lion-trainer and even a hunter,” he announced in a booming voice.

Heading For Trouble!

Wed, 08 May 2002 20:08:29 +0000

Dadaji (grandfather) comes visiting during summer holidays. And stays on till Diwali, which makes it half a year of fun. I’ll tell you why. First, he arrives with bundles of gifts. Stuff that no one ever brings me. Homemade laddoos bumpy from fingers that shaped them, sticks of sugarcane that smell of his fields, papads rolled out in his courtyard. I never know which is more fun, opening the bundles or wolfing the stuff down!

The Boy and the Wolf

Thu, 22 Feb 2001 18:23:06 +0000

A boy was standing on the roof of his house, looking down at the valley below. His house was the last of a row of houses. Beyond it stretched a dark and menacing jungle. Although he had been living in the valley all his life, the boy had never stepped inside the jungle. He had heard that it was full of wild animals that ate up any human they came across.

He could see the forest from his window. At night he heard all sorts of noises coming from it — noises that penetrated the closed window and reached the boy’s frightened ears. He was scared of the jungle, and of all the creatures that roamed in it.

The Thirsty Crow

Sun, 22 Oct 2000 00:09:05 +0000

The Thirsty Crow [Illustrations by Shridevi]

Kancharam had been flying for 10 hours without a halt. He had come to the western state of Gujarat to attend his childhood friend Bholuram’s wedding. He had stayed just for the wedding.

As soon as it was over, he said good bye to his friend and left. Now he was flying back home. That was in Jaipur, Rajasthan. He was very, very tired. And thirsty, too.

Pardon My Garden

Mon, 25 Nov 1996 20:41:45 +0000

Pardon my garden, it’s vicious today!
The cucumber’s going quite mad —
The onions and peas
Just do as they please,
The pumpkin is awfully bad.
The squash and the sprout are rushing about
As if they’re preparing for war,
I just got a scare from a peach and a pear —
The apple is vile to the core!

Pardon my garden, it’s vicious today!
There’s tori-chori below.
The corn and the bean are having a scene —
That ghia just nibbled my toe!
That tomato and grape are aping an ape
And heading this way with a skewer —

The King Who Tested Babies

Fri, 31 Aug 2001 00:53:34 +0000

Children are always asking questions, like ‘Why is the sky blue’, or ‘Why do we have only one nose’. And sometimes they also open up things like clocks to understand how they work. Emperor Akbar was also like that — always wanting to know this or that. He continued to ask such questions even after becoming the emperor.

Once he asked a very interesting question. How do babies learn to speak? Was it by listening to people talk? What if a child grew up in a place where there was no one to talk to? Would the baby learn to speak then? It was Akbar’s view that children learnt to speak by hearing people’s conversations. He decided to check it out.

The Fox and the Grapes

Thu, 28 Dec 2000 10:45:27 +0000

Fitru fox was in a relaxed mood. He had no work that day. Since it was a holiday, the farmer was at home guarding his chickens. There was no way Fitru could reach them. Luckily, there was some food left over from the previous night. Life was beautiful. He closed his eyes for a moment.

The Fox and the Grapes [Illustrations by Shridevi]

When he opened his eyes he found himself looking at one, two and three bunches of luscious grapes, and got excited.

The Lion Cub

Mon, 28 May 2001 06:45:22 +0000

The mama animals and birds of the jungle were having an argument of sorts. Actually, it was a game of showmanship, regarding their little ones. They were trying to find out which one of them had the largest litter.

“I do,” said Mama Deer, and proudly displayed her brood of four sweet little deer.

“No, no…look at mine. See how sharp their teeth are!” exclaimed Mama Jackal whose six cubs bared their fangs. All the animals who had assembled backed off a little, but Mama Jackal assured everyone they were only grinning.

The Grateful One

Sun, 04 Apr 1999 09:37:17 +0000

Appa, how did you become a Police Inspector?" Kartik asked his father. The two of them were sitting in their little garden on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

“Before I tell you that let me tell you a story,” his father said.

“Please Appa make it a long one. Your stories are always very short.”

“Okay son, now listen. This is a tale of a twelve year old boy called Subbu. He was an orphan and he used to work in a Doctor’s house. The Doctor and his wife were kind but their son Ganesh was a real nuisance . He was two years younger to Subbu but would always order him around.

Excerpts from 'A Parcel for the Postmaster'

Sun, 13 May 2001 10:51:09 +0000

Dak Babu had first come to Panarsa on transfer several years earlier. He had liked it so much that he stayed on. For the town he came from was noisy and crowded and he was never really happy in that hustle-bustle. In Panarsa there was perfect peace; it seemed as if the mountains which enclosed the little valley had been placed there especially to keep out the din and clamour. Moreover, Panarsa had trees whose tops touched the sky. It had lush green fields; and gardens laden with flowers and fruit. The air was pure and the Beas river’s crystal-clear water gurgled merrily along; but, above all, the people of the valley were simple and honest.

A Teacher Remembers

Sat, 16 Mar 1996 15:08:20 +0000

Excerpts from the book: Divaswapna, An Educator’s Reverie
Written by Gijubhai Badheka; Translated by Chittaranjan Pathak
Published by National Book Trust, New Delhi

How Stars Came into Being

Tue, 09 May 2000 01:01:21 +0000

This is a story about a long, long time ago.

There was once an old man who smoked tobacco.

He smoked tobacco in terracotta or clay pipes, called pikka.

This old man had three sons.

When the three sons grew up, he got them married one after the other.

How Stars Came into Being [Illustrations by Sudheer Nath]

It happened once, that the eldest son went to his wife’s parents’ house to attend a marriage.

Bashir Leaves Home

Sat, 10 Feb 2001 10:18:28 +0000

Bashir was leaving home. No one in the family understood him anyway. And he was sure no one would miss him. Not his Ammi or Abbu, nor his bhaijaan Khalid. Only his dog Chand would think of him, so to save him the pain, Bashir was taking Chand along with him. In this big wide world, there must be some place where a heart broken seven year old boy and his dog could live in peace.

How Iron was Found

Wed, 05 Sep 2001 06:34:37 +0000

Long ago, there lived a craftsman called Intupwa. Intupwa was an unhappy man because he tried, and failed, to cut wood with sharp stones. Then one day he dreamt of something better called iron. So he began his search for it.

“Where can I find iron?” Intupwa asked the trees. “If we tell you, you’ll make an axe and cut us down,” the trees replied.

How Iron was Found [Illustration by Sudheer Nath]

“Where can I find iron?” Intupwa asked the grass, and met with the same answer.

A Frog's Friendship

Sun, 30 Apr 2000 14:22:17 +0000

From ‘When the World was Young’, by Verrier Elwin. The book is a fascinating collection of folktales from the tribal peoples of India. Elwin was a pioneering anthropologist; he spent his entire life getting to know the ways of life of the tribal peoples.

There was a time when the Frog had thick legs and he lived on land. He was so very different from the frogs that we see today, with their thin spindly legs and their watery homes. So it is time to ask, “What changed the Frog’s looks and life forever?” The answer is, the Frog’s friendship with the Tiger.

The Crane's Walk

Fri, 23 Mar 2001 01:56:34 +0000

A family of crabs lived on the shores of a giant blue sea. They frolicked in the sands and ate mussels, clams and other small sea creatures. One day the mother crab saw a beautiful crane walking about in the sand, a straight graceful walk in its long reed-like legs.

“How graceful that crane looks,” she thought to herself. Then she caught sight of her son waddling towards her and felt very irritated. “And how clumsy my son is. He is like a moving sack.”

The Tale of a Circus Bear

Sun, 17 Oct 1999 12:26:35 +0000

Bholu and Golu
Written by Pankaj Bisht
Illustrations by Tapas Guha
Published by National Book Trust, New Delhi

This is the story of a small circus bear called Bholu. Golu, the mahout’s son, becomes his friend and resolves to free him from the cruel life of a performing animal. With Bholu’s help he helps the little frightened bear run away from the circus to the forests where Bholu was born.

Excerpts from the book:

The Ringmaster’s Whip

Monkey Business

Mon, 08 Dec 1997 14:15:23 +0000

A temple was being built in a town. There were many different workmen busy with their work. The masons were building the walls. The sculptor was finishing the idols. And the carpenters were making wooden frames from logs of wood.

In the afternoon, all the workmen used to sit together for lunch. One day while the workmen were eating, a group of monkeys came to the temple site. They started playing with the things the workmen had left behind. One monkey came upon a log of wood, on which a carpenter had been working. Before going for lunch, the carpenter had cut through half of it. He had inserted a wedge, a small piece of wood, inside the half-cut log. That way the two sides of the cut log would not come together again.

Shebu and Moonmoon, the Long Haired Goat

Wed, 19 Apr 2000 07:37:20 +0000

Shebu and Moonmoon, the Long Haired Goat [Illustrations by Kusum Chamoli]

“Bajai,” as we called grandmother, was the best storyteller in the whole world, says Madhu Gurung. She lived in the foothills of Mussoorie in a tiny village called Johri Gaun. And she always started her stories with a saying, “To the listener a garland of gold, to the storyteller a garland of all forest flowers and this tale that I tell you today will be heard in heaven.” Here Madhu Gurung presents one of the many stories that she heard from Bajai in her childhood.

Looking at the World Upside Down

Sat, 04 Aug 2001 17:37:17 +0000

Have you seen trapeze artists hanging upside down from bars in a circus? They do it with great concentration.

Bats also hang upside down from cave walls or tree branches. And they do not need to put in any effort to do so. For they hang upside down only when they are resting.

They use their legs to hold on to some cracks or crevices on walls or branches of trees. This way, their stretched muscles take the entire weight of the body.

The Tinkle of the Goat Bells

Sun, 25 Feb 2001 09:39:21 +0000

Tanvi ran swiftly through the pine forest, the peppery smell of the herbs she crushed beneath her feet tickling her nostrils. She had to meet her friend Ramli, the goat girl at their favourite meeting place by the spring. Today they were planning to go down to the river bed and picnic there.

She was late. Ramli had said that they should leave before the sun rose too high or it would be too hot by the river. So eleven year old Tanvi hurried, her bag of lunch bouncing on her back.

The Friends of Custard House

Sat, 06 Oct 2001 07:53:07 +0000

Robert Custard was a gentleman to be sure. Though he was only three-and-a-half feet off the ground and sometimes he even sported a milk moustache, he was still, quite definitely, a gentleman at the age of nine.

Now, you must consider that we are talking about the India of the 1930s. The British were ruling the country. Little boys and girls were expected to behave in a certain way. They were never to be seen covered in dirt. They were never to be heard yelling at each other and even their games were expected to be civilised.

The Gracious Gift

Tue, 27 Jul 1999 10:16:46 +0000

Once there was a King who was generous and kind. He was interested in the welfare of all his subjects and it was his greatest wish that all should live in peace and happiness and none should have any cause to grumble. So he wandered about the country incognito to learn the true condition of his people.

One day, when he was in disguise, he saw a strange sight. A farmer was vigorously ploughing his field but instead of a pair of oxen, he had yoked a woman to the plough. The King’s blood boiled. He could barely control his anger.

A Free Bird

Thu, 19 Apr 2001 04:08:27 +0000

A Free Bird [Illustrations by Kusum Chamoli]

Everybody in his family called him ‘shy baby’ — not ‘cry baby’ to be sure, but shy baby. Young Somu was shy, but not just a little shy. Somu was very, very shy. When guests came to his house for tea or dinner and asked him his name, Somu would dig his chin into his neck and close his eyes and after a few minutes he would run out of the room. His parents always felt embarrassed about his behaviour and every time after the guests left the house Somu would end up getting a sound scolding.

Manohar Learns a Lesson

Wed, 07 Mar 2001 23:24:47 +0000

Hey look! Langdu has come in a colour dress today. Must be his birthday,"
Manohar sniggered.

“Happy Birthday, langdu!” Manohar’s gang chorused and Varun’s face
turned red with embarrassment. He had hoped that at least on his birthday Manohar and his friends would spare him.

Varun and Manohar were class five students of Digvijay Public School. Varun had fallen down the staircase when he was a toddler and had twisted his ankle. As a result of this injury he had developed a permanent limp. This made him an ideal target for everyone to poke fun at.

The Donkey monkeys Around

Wed, 28 Mar 2001 09:43:21 +0000

Gopu the donkey was happily going munch munch on an extremely green patch of grass right in the heart of the meadow. So intent was Gopu on eating, that he did not hear anyone approaching until he looked up and gave an involuntary shiver. For standing right in front of him, was Shikari, the wolf.

Gopu began to limp and make a lot of ooh aah noises while doing so. Shikari watched him in silence for a while and then asked what was wrong.

The Favour

Thu, 22 Feb 2001 03:29:17 +0000

There lived a wolf called Lalu in the Himalayan forests. Lalu was very mean and selfish. He thought only about himself and none of the other animals liked him.

The rest of the wolf pack also avoided meeting him. At most, they would say a polite ‘Hello’ and then go their own way. After all, when they were hungry, Lalu never offered to share his meal. So the wolves avoided him, as they did not want to be impolite.

Why Monkeys Mean Trouble

Fri, 16 Feb 2001 07:13:55 +0000

In the village of Sholingur in Tamil Nadu, is a temple dedicated to the Hindu monkey god Hanuman. The temple is on top of a small hill. In and around the hill in the thick forest live a group of monkeys. All they do is scare people and create trouble — even when people worship them as symbols of Hanuman. And there’s a story behind why they create trouble.…

The story goes back a long time. In the village lived an old couple. The old woman would make delicious sweets every day and take them to the market where her husband sat at a stall and sold them.

Flying Dogs and School-going Monkeys

Sun, 23 Apr 2000 00:23:54 +0000

Flying Dogs and School-going Monkeys []

Flippi the Flying Pup
Squiggly goes for a Picnic
Lippo goes to a Party
Cheeko and the School Bag

Written by Deepa Agarwal
Illustrations by Atanu Roy and Deshraj
Published by Frank Educational Aids Pvt. Ltd.

Heard of Flippi the doggie-bird? Flippi is the dog who knows how to fly. Or, take Cheeko the monkey, who loves mangoes and goes to school, Squiggly the worm who’s a little untidy. Or Lippo the Hippo, who goes to the deer’s birthday party.

How Humans Got Eyes

Wed, 07 Feb 2001 18:03:48 +0000

Retold from ‘When the World was Young’ by Verrier Elwin

When God created humans, he forgot to add eyes so that they could see. Most people had a very tough time as a result. They couldn’t walk without tumbling and tripping over each other. Life was so difficult. People couldn’t see where they were going, what they were eating, who they were meeting.

The Earth used to be beautiful then. There were fragrant flowers, colourful birds and butterflies, dense, green forests, and clear, gurgling streams. But what was the point of so much beauty if you couldn’t see any of it?

Toy Gang

Fri, 08 May 1998 08:23:00 +0000

Nina got down from the school bus and looked around. Sarala was nowhere to be seen. She was surprised. This had never happened before. Sarala would always be standing at the bus stop waiting for Nina. The moment she saw Nina she would rush forward, give her a big hug, take the school bag in one hand and grasping Nina’s hand in the other, start walking.

“Nina how was your day? Did Rahul tease you today? How is your new English teacher, Moushami maam? How much homework do you have?” she would badger her with questions.

Excerpts from 'The Crystal Cave'

Fri, 30 Mar 2001 01:32:09 +0000

“Yuk!” exclaimed Thenyak. “It tastes awful!” Changun said nothing. But her screwed up features told all!

“Don’t like it, do you?” said Grandma Kamlong with a toothless grin. “But watch now.”

Using the ladle, she scooped up a little salt from a wooden bowl and put it into the broth. She sang a Nocte ballad as she stirred, smiling mysteriously all the while.

This was what made Grandma Kamlong such great fun! She could put life and mystery into the most trivial chore!

In, Pin, Tin

Fri, 12 Dec 1997 06:18:42 +0000

Three little mice
Named In, Pin, Tin
One fat, one short
The other one thin.

In, Pin, Tin [Illustrations by Amarjeet Malik]

They woke up one night
As lazy as ever
The moon was already up
And they began to shiver.

They brushed their teeth
And said, ’lets eat’
There’s milk on the shelf
Eggs, cheese and meat!

Watery Facts

Tue, 27 Nov 2001 22:47:37 +0000

The Pacific Ocean is three times bigger than Asia, the biggest continent on Earth. It covers nearly one-third of the Earth’s surface. Its widest part is about 1770 km or 11000 miles. That distance would take you halfway around the world.

Ninety seven per cent of all the water on Earth is salty. Only 3 per cent is fresh water. Of that 3 per cent of fresh water, over 2 per cent is frozen in ice sheets and glaciers. And that means that less than 1 per cent of that 3 per cent fresh water is found in lakes, rivers and underground.

Are Fish Dumb?

Thu, 11 Oct 2001 20:22:42 +0000

There was a time when people thought that fish were dumb creatures. Until they invented machines which could detect sounds under water. And guess what these machines heard?

A string of grunts, clicks, thumps and other kinds of sounds. It was the fish doing a lot of underwater talking! It seems that they have a lot to talk about, for each sound has a different meaning.

There is a kind of fish called the croaker. They actually croak like a frog!

The Three Ms for Freedom

Mon, 27 Jan 1997 19:33:16 +0000

Chandu wait. Let’s celebrate our victory," Abdul requested.

“I’ll just be back – I must tell Baba the news. It was his training that helped me win against the New English School Giants in the Kabaddi finals,” screamed Chandu.
“I know, it was your stamina and speed that really worked,” Abdul said, “Thanks to Baba.”
Chandu rushed home, “Baba, Baba! we won! Thanks to you Baba,” Chandu yelled excitedly. But there was no appreciation or ‘Shabashi’, Chandu looked up and saw his father’s worried face.

All in a Day's Work

Wed, 20 Jun 2001 02:20:25 +0000

Wake up, Ajay! If you’re not up in a minute, I shall have to come in and drag you out of bed!" Mrs. Anu Rao shouted to her son from the drawing room. “And where is Sandy,” she continued, “I can’t believe that any dog can sleep for so many hours. Oh God, the way these two sleep!”

Her husband, Mr. Vinod Rao, looked up from his newspaper and said, “Let Ajay sleep at least during the holidays.”

Good Old Days

Thu, 01 Jul 1999 09:46:18 +0000

Where have the good old days
Of my country been swept away?
Why is it that Indians, I feel.
Are proud no longer of their country today.

Where is the leadership of Gandhi
That had kept us united, from dusk till dawn?
Where has the sacrifice of Netaji
That inspired millions gone?

Good Old Days [ First Published in NBT’s Bulletin-Oct,97]

Where is the idealism of Nehru
That enthralled the east and west?
Where is the dynamism of Patel
That had no time to rest?

Little Chick

Thu, 01 Feb 2001 22:49:35 +0000

My name is Little Chick
and I’m a chic chick
For I know every trick
to catch a worm quick!

This morning I caught a worm
It had a lot of charm
Now I am confused –
Do I eat it or not!

Little Chick [Illustration by Shinod AP]

Kappu wants to Draw

Sun, 18 Nov 2001 14:11:56 +0000

Pencil, paper, crayons and pen
Get them all to Kappu’s den
Spread the paper on the floor
For little maharaj wants to draw.

Two lines here and four lines there
Zig-zig patterns and a circle in pairs
Kappu scribbled on all the sheets
Till it was time for him to sleep.

Kappu wants to Draw [Illustration by Shinod AP]

War Drum

Sat, 11 Oct 1997 22:04:57 +0000

Mukabla, the Jackal was very sad. He had not eaten for many days. He had travelled all over the jungle searching for food, but with no luck. Now, he was hungry and tired too.

It was a hot afternoon, so Mukabla decided to rest under a tree. The tired Jackal immediately fell asleep. Soon it was dark.

Suddenly, Mukabla was woken up by some strange noises.

War Drum [Illustrations by Amarjeet Malik]

Wooosh-dum-dum-shhhhh-dum-da-dum-da-dum.

Something Special

Tue, 02 Nov 1999 12:57:06 +0000

The children were very excited about it. Early in the morning they woke up to the bird songs. Before the sun’s rays could peep in through the treetops they were ready in the jeep. This was their first visit to the jungle with their parents and the guide who knew the jungle well.

Welcome to the National Park said the guide. There are lots of interesting things to see. Let’s be on the look out. As they drove off, all senses were alert. Thick bushes were all around them. The jeep pulled up.

Kappu's Evening Stroll

Mon, 25 Jun 2001 08:51:35 +0000

Kappu maharaj sat in his pram,
With a bottle full of jam.
All set to go to the park,
He chuckled when he heard Buzo bark.

Mama pushed his pram,
and alongside Buzo ran.
When it became dark,
They came back from the park.

Kappu’s Evening Stroll [Illustration by Shinod AP]

Hopscotch

Wed, 26 Jun 2002 10:55:45 +0000

Ever played hopscotch as a kid? Hopped from square to square on one leg? Haven’t heard of it? Impossible! Hopscotch’s great fun. It’s a traditional game played by kids all over the world with many variations. I used to play it with other kids near my home. Okay, I’ll let you in on this game if you will tell me about some you played as kids.

All hopscotch requires is a rectangular area, a piece of chalk and a flat stone chip. And it requires a couple of people to play it, of course!

Hungry in the land of plenty

Mon, 02 Feb 2004 03:10:33 +0000

One day I came back from school, I was hungry… I looked for a samosa but my sister had eaten it all up. I guess she was as hungry as I was. I thought for a while and asked myself, ‘do you think there is enough food?’

Now that was a bit difficult to answer. I went to my father for the answer. My father said: “Yes, Nihal, India does not have enough food. One of every five Indians goes to bed hungry. Twenty years back it was worse, almost two out of five people did not have enough food. Science has helped in reducing the number of hungry people, but we still have a long way to go.”

The Multicolour Earthworms

Sat, 13 Jan 2001 14:28:12 +0000

Red, green, yellow, mauve
What’s happened these days
to earthworms? Have they
gone multicolour?

There was a time when they

were the colour of soil
Only when they wriggled
Could you make them out.

Now giant sized, out of burrows
they slither and slide.
Heavens! Have I chanced upon

something Jurassic Park-like?

The Multicolour Earthworms [Illustration by Shinod AP]

Oh what a relief! They are not the
worms I thought they were
But bright new phone cable wires,
awaiting a burial under the soil.

The Wonder Elephants

Sat, 03 Feb 2001 18:18:47 +0000

Ramu plays at football
While Shyamu rings the bell
They make the circus lively –
We clap our hands and yell!

Ramu is so clever
And Shyamu is so free
They’re the wonder elephants
Whom people come to see.

The Wonder Elephants [Illustration by Sudheer Nath]

The Family Album

Thu, 30 Jul 1998 08:53:03 +0000

Cheerful Spirits
Written by Gita Iyengar
Illustrations by Pulak Biswas
Published by National Book Trust, New Delhi

Summer vacations seemed never-ending when Priya first moved into her new home. Till she met Hari, the boy living next door. Suddenly excitement fills the air as they go about exploring the nooks and crannies of Hari’s cluttered home. But the real adventure comes along only when they find an old family album…

An excerpt from the book:

Box Full of Chocolates

Fri, 09 Oct 1998 01:38:23 +0000

Third prize winner of Spin-A-Tale contest

Once upon a time there lived two friends Ramesh and Ganesh. Both were very close to one another. They were inseparable. One day Ramesh spotted a juicy chocolate bar in a shop.

Box Full of Chocolates [Illustration by Anup Singh]

He wanted it desperately. The very thought of it made his mouth water. As he was dreaming about the chocolate, came his close friend Ganesh. Ramesh, that day had a new writing pencil. Ganesh saw that Pencil and liked it very much. He asked Ramesh the cost of it.

Children of a lesser god

Fri, 09 Jan 2004 18:53:05 +0000

This is the story of a small boy of my age working next door. His name is Bharat.

His parents could not afford his studies and food. So they sent him to someone’s house to work as a servant. He was interested in studies. But there was no use. He had to work hard day and night.
In the morning, when I go to school with a heavy bag on my back full of books, young Bharat also comes to the bus stop, to drop his master’s son.

Sister

Mon, 21 Jul 1997 23:37:20 +0000

Naman Saraf, a student of Standard IV, writes with feeling about what a sister means to him.

Sister [Illustration by Anup Singh]

What should I say about sisters? Sisters are like best friends. Whenever we have a difficulty, after our parents we look to our sisters. Sometimes they scold us, sometimes they take tender care. We all love our sisters. I, too, love my sister. She always helps me in my difficulty. She is my best friend.

Christmas Favourites

Thu, 29 Apr 1999 10:18:30 +0000

A Christmas Carol
Written by Charles Dickens

The Forgotten Helper

Written by Lorrie Moore

An evergreen classic, ‘A Christmas Carol’ is a must read for all children. Ghost stories are abundant in all cultures and in all literature, but perhaps Dicken’s book is the best known.

‘A Christmas Carol’ is the story of Scrooge, a miser, who reforms after the spirit of his friend, Marley, opens his eyes to the scourge he has become. In the course of the story, Scrooge encounters other ghostly spectres during Christmas.

Hullo! My Name is Nershwn

Sun, 16 Jun 2002 20:19:40 +0000

He is eight years old and has already travelled a great distance from his original home, to Delhi. It was not a happy shift. What made his family leave its home was fear for the lives of its member. For, Majuli island, where they lived, is in Assam, different groups of people in Assam are fighting for what they think are their natural rights.

Nershwn speaks of all this in his own way. He gives a snapshot of the world as he sees it, from his height.

The Final Verdict

Fri, 05 Mar 1999 15:42:11 +0000

Khushboo Banka is a IX standard student of MB Girls High School, Calcutta. Here, she puts forth her views about Mother Earth.

The Final Verdict [Illustration by Shinod AP]

Beyond the horizon, stands Mother Nature waiting for the final verdict – her destruction. She is serving a life-term of millions of years and she is sentensed by her own children. Yes, us Humans.

A few million years ago, when Nature became the mother of thousands of living things, she had not thought that her own children will become her murderers. But how can her children forget that without her they would not survive either? If she dies, who will take care of them? Where will they go? How will they breathe? Will they try to change their destiny?

Fire in Water

Fri, 17 Nov 2000 18:26:56 +0000

July 8: A flame moved through water! Unbelievable?
But it is true.

Fire in Water [Illustration by Sudheer Nath]

This was the Olympic flame. It was carried under water last week.

Why, one would ask. Because the games are being held in Sydney this year. The Olympic Games are held once in four years. And each time it is held, the Olympic flame is lit in Athens, the birthplace of the games, and carried to the venue of the games.

Robbing the Rich for Rain

Tue, 15 Feb 2000 20:28:59 +0000

July 8: Life becomes difficult when it does not rain. Farmers try all sorts of things to make the rain gods happy. Some get frogs married, others perform ‘pujas’ or worship. But, the Bhil tribals of Mewar, Rajasthan, are different. They plunder or rob the houses of traders, most of whom happen to be Jains, says a report in ‘The Indian Express’ newspaper.

The Bhils believe that the traders keep the monsoon clouds trapped inside their lockers. The only way to free the clouds is to open the locker. In the process, the traders’ treasure chests are emptied too!

Chiku’s Birthday

Sat, 24 Jan 1998 05:11:46 +0000

Chiku’s Birthday [Illustrations by Amarjeet Malik]

It was little Chiku’s third birthday.
So Akki the ant bought a balloon
Blue as the sky,
Round as the moon.

But who is Chiku?
He is Dinku donkey’s friendly neighbour —
The creepy and crawly little caterpillar.
Chiku’s grandmother and grandfather,
Eeku and Meeku,
Were there too —
With candles, cake,
And a big cauliflower!

Who were the other guests?
Elephant Shakti with her fat twins —
Gablu and Bablu,
And their sixteen cousins!