Home on Pitara Kids Network

How Do Fish Survive in Icy Waters?

Mon, 31 Jan 2000 15:02:06 +0000

In cold winter months, lakes and rivers freeze over forming ice. Yet, fish and other aquatic animals manage to survive.

Animals like seals, penguins, walruses and a wide variety of sea birds are all fish eaters. They live in the Arctic and Antarctic Circle, amidst the icecaps. The land is completely frozen. Yet these animals manage to live in this region. How do they do it?

The icy waters of the Arctic and Antarctic Oceans support a great amount of marine life. For millions of years life has remained unchanged, making it possible for these animals to adapt themselves to these particular patterns of existence.

Penguin Sweaters

Wed, 18 Dec 2002 15:07:40 +0000

Oil spills can have a devastating effect on marine life. After an oil spill, one of the most important jobs of rescuers is to fish out oil soaked birds and animals, clean them and rehabilitate them before releasing them into the wild again.

Recently, after an oil spill in the Australian waters, environmentalists claimed that the oil slicks were threatening the existence of the little blue penguins in the south of Australia.

These tiny, blue-backed penguins are barely 41 centimetres in height – half the height of the world’s biggest, and famous Emperor penguins of Antarctica.

Summer music of the trees

Sun, 12 Nov 2006 10:24:13 +0000

I always used to think that the drive across a four kilometre stretch from my house to the main road was a pain. Actually, not all of it was a pain. The car bounced up and down a few bumpy patches the first kilometer, then zoomed across a smooth 2.5 kilometre slope before struggling in a three-legged hurdle race at the final half kilometre. Reason: there was a traffic signal there and almost everyone in the world seemed to want to go somewhere at the same time. And exactly at the moment when our car inched towards the front, the lights would turn red again. It was a clear five minute wait there.

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.

What is Artificial Intelligence?

Fri, 25 Mar 2005 20:48:41 +0000

If you touch a hot metal object, you will yank your hand away immediately. When this happens to you the first time, the sequence of events and the result (the burning of your hand) gets stored in your brain. This is what we call an experience.

When you see a hot metal object next time, you will not touch it. You will use the knowledge of your previous experience and decide to not repeat it again.

What is Thanksgiving?

Sun, 04 May 2003 15:43:28 +0000

Celebrated on the fourth Thursday on November, this American festival is an acknowledgement of gratitude for a plentiful harvest. Nearly all cultures celebrate this festival. For instance south Indians celebrate it as Pongal in the month of January, while the north Indians celebrate it as Holi in the month of March.

The American act of thanksgiving began during the early pioneer days almost four hundred years ago.

In 1620, one hundred people sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to land at Plymouth, Massachusetts, in America. However, their first winter was severe and their crops failed in the new climate and unfamiliar soil. Half of them died due to lack of fresh food.

Michelangelo: The Greatest Artist in Human History

Wed, 24 Jun 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Michelangelo (1475 – 1564):

More than 500 years ago a young artist studied dead bodies, even went through their organs, and their muscles and bones, so that he could turn a block of white marble into the shape of a living, breathing man. That young man was an Italian sculptor and painter Michelangelo.

Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni, best known as Michelangelo was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet. His work has deeply influenced Western Art and he is the best-documented artist of the 16th century given the sheer volume of his work.

Emmeline Pankhurst: Leading the battle for Women's right to vote

Fri, 22 May 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Emmeline Pankhurst (1858 - 1928):

It was a little over 100 years ago that women were first allowed to vote in the United Kingdom of Britain. Till 1918, only men were allowed to vote in the British elections to Parliament. The battle for universal suffrage, or men and women voting as equals, was led by the British political activist Emmeline Pankhurst. She fought a long and hard battle during which she was arrested more than seven times, and had to leave her three daughters with cousins so that she could continue the fight.

Louis Pasteur: The man who discovered vaccination

Thu, 21 May 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Louis Pasteur (1822 - 1895):

The next time you chomp on cheese or sip some wine, remember the French scientist Louis Pasteur who discovered that spoiled milk, fermented beer and wine, and many diseases are caused by bacteria. Millions of people are saved from bites from rabid dogs because of the rabies vaccine developed by Louis Pasteur.

Bacteria are tiny, living organisms that are only visible under a microscope. More than 150 years ago, Pasteur discovered that heating milk between 60 to 100 degrees Celsius kills the bacteria. This makes the milk safe to drink. This process was named “pasteurization” in his honor. Pasteur also showed that every food that is fermented, such as wine and beer, has one particular, safe, bacteria that cause the fermentation. He also found out that many diseases happen because of bacteria. This became known as the Germ Theory of Disease, or the theory that the cause of most diseases is invisible-to-the-eye micro-organisms, which are also called pathogens.

Subhas Chandra Bose: The first man to set up a government of free India

Thu, 14 May 2020 18:28:31 +0000

Subhas Chandra Bose (1867 to 1945):

Can the enemy of your enemy be your friend? Would you ask your enemy’s enemy for help even if they had done things that were terrible?

The famous Indian freedom fighter, Subhas Chandra Bose made this troubling choice in his fight to liberate India of British rule during World War II. He reached out to Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan in order to fight against British rule. He did not live to see India gain independence.

Batik: Ancient Art of Painting in Wax

Thu, 02 Jan 2003 19:03:30 +0000

A routine college day. We had to go for textile practicals after lunch. Going for any class post lunch was a pain. All we wanted to do was sleep. But, that remained a dream since we were always packed with classes after lunch. Lazily, I dragged myself to the textile laboratory.

“Today we are going to learn the technique of batik but first let me brief you about it,” said the teacher.

I was already bored. First theory and then the practical. What more could one ask for! Who wanted to know about a technique of dyeing with the strange name batik, anyway? Then I put aside these thoughts and decided to listen. After all, I would have to attempt it myself in a while.

Galileo Galilei: The Italian who figured that planets revolve around the sun

Mon, 04 May 2020 18:28:31 +0000

Galileo Galilei (1564 - 1642):

Nearly 400 years ago, an Italian mathematician told the world that the planets revolve around the sun. And he was severely punished for it. But he stood by his words and spent the last days of his life under house arrest. This was Galileo di Vincenzo Bonaulti de Galilei, or Galileo Galilei. Born on the 15th of February, 1564, Galileo was an Italian astronomer, physicist, and engineer.

Galileo has been called the father of observational astronomy, the father of modern physics, the father of modern science, and the father of scientific method. If this sounds too much, it may be worth remembering that this man gave the world the first thermometer as well as the concept of heliocentrism, or the idea that planets revolve around the sun. This made the priests rather unhappy because the Bible says that the Earth is at the center of the universe. He also created the microscope and various military compasses. As an astronomer, Galileo discovered sunspots, four of Jupiter’s largest satellites, and Saturn’s rings. He was also the first to state that mathematics lies at the center of all laws of nature.

Why is Halloween Celebrated?

Sun, 14 Sep 2003 13:28:05 +0000

“Trick or Treat!” shout little witches, paper-bagged goblins, rubber-masked imps and bed-sheeted ghosts as they extend a bag across for candy. It is October and it’s Halloween time!

Halloween is celebrated on the evening of October 31st, which is the evening before the Christian feast of All Saint’s Day. Halloween’s history goes back to the ancient religion of the Celtic tribes (circa 500 B.C.) from whom came the Britons, Scots and the Irish. Present day Britains, Scots, Welsh and Irish are all descendants from these ancient Celtic tribes.

B.R. Ambedkar: Father of the Indian Constitution

Sun, 24 May 2020 18:30:00 +0000

Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (1891 – 1956):

The slogan “Jai Bhim” is a salute to the man who spent his life fighting for the rights of the weakest citizens of India. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar is remembered as the father of the Indian Constitution.

The Constitution of India is a guiding light for the values that should govern India. After independence, the responsibility of leading the task of writing the Constitution was given to Ambedkar. He was India’s first Minister of Law and Justice and fought tirelessly against social discrimination of India’s poorest minority class.

Florence Nightingale: The Lady With A Lamp

Mon, 15 Jun 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Florence Nightingale (1820 - 1910)

Today, it is common knowledge that female nurses play an important role in treating patients. However, this was not always the case. Florence Nightingale helped build the reputation of nurses as we know it today. She was a social worker, statistician and founder of modern nursing.

Nightingale used to train nurses during the Crimean war and would often treat soldiers under the cover of darkness. This led to English society giving her the title, The Lady With A Lamp. The highest award a nurse can achieve was named in her honor and her birthday is celebrated as International Nurses Day.

Confucius: The philosopher-teacher who taught kings how to govern

Wed, 20 May 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Confucius (551 BC - 479 BC):

When the world thinks of traditional Chinese philosophy, they think of Confucius. He was the philosopher-teacher who taught kings and officials on how to govern. He was the man people turned to understand how to be good human beings.

Some may think Confucius was a traditional old man. After all, he was the master of rituals and believed deeply in their value. But Confucius wasn’t so simple. According to him, ritual and music were a way to learn values. For example, when we follow the rituals of mourning, we learn the value of life, and the reality of death. We mourn the dead and celebrate their life, through rituals.

Buckminster Fuller: A Scholar, a Scientist and an Inventor

Tue, 16 Jun 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Buckminster Fuller (1895 – 1983):

Imagine if you were a scientist, working in the freezing South Pole. You would be staying in a curious, dome-like structure that must be capable of standing up to strong winds and blizzards. It is likely that you would be staying in a Geodesic dome.

The Geodesic dome is one of the many inventions of Richard Buckminster Fuller. It originated from an elegantly simple idea. Fuller understood that the triangle is an extremely stable shape. So he used a network of triangles to form a large dome that can be made large enough to cover huge distances.

William Shakespeare: The Father of The English Language

Wed, 27 May 2020 18:30:00 +0000

William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616):

“Neither here nor there”, “with bated breath”, “vanish into thin air”… Words we use today, but they were written by one very talented writer nearly 500 years ago. The English language as we know it today owes a lot to William Shakespeare.

William Shakespeare is considered the greatest writer in the English language and the greatest playwright to have ever lived. Born on the 26th of April 1564, his complete works include 39 plays and 154 sonnets. His plays have been performed more than any playwright.

Maria Curie: The only scientist to win a Nobel prize twice

Sat, 16 May 2020 18:28:31 +0000

Maria Skłodowska Curie (1867 - 1934):

Marie Curie (born Maria Skłodowska Curie) was the first woman to win a Nobel prize and the only scientist to win a Nobel prize twice. She was also the first scientist to win a Nobel Prize in two different fields of science. She found a treatment for cancer, coined the word “radioactive”, and discovered the elements Radium and Polonium.

Maria Skłodowska Curie was born in Warsaw, Poland on the 7th of November, 1867.
Her parents lost all of their property during the Polish freedom struggle. Curie struggled to put herself through college by teaching and getting a fellowship. She studied physics, chemistry, and mathematics at the University of Paris.

What is a democracy?

Thu, 16 Jul 2020 00:00:00 +0000

If three friends need to decide between eating pizza or burgers, they could debate and agree or they could put it to vote and go with the majority. Since there are only two options and three people, once the votes are counted, there would be a winner. This is an example of democracy at work.

More specifically, it is an example of what is called a direct democracy. This is a democracy where the voters have a direct say in the decisions made by the group. Imagine if the entire school of 3000 kids had to choose between pizza and burgers. That would be very hard. One way out would be for each class to choose a representative who could then vote on behalf of the entire class. This would be an example of representative democracy.

Which Mammal lays Eggs?

Fri, 16 May 2003 08:54:38 +0000

Mammals are creatures who give birth to their young ones as opposed to other animals who lay eggs. Birds, reptiles and insects lay eggs. But as with every other rule, this one has exceptions* too.

An exceptional exception

The duck-billed platypus of Australia walks out of fresh waters to build its nest on the ground. But it has retained its love of water and returns to streams and ponds to eat crayfish, snails, and shrimp. The most remarkable feature in the platypus is that although it is a mammal, it lays eggs!

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.

Why's the Sun Red during Sunrise and Sunset?

Sat, 01 Feb 2003 14:19:47 +0000

As day breaks, a reddish-white ball of light that we call the sun, rises. This red haze gives way to a golden-white sheen as the day advances and reappears when the sun sets in the evening. Does the sun really change colours, or does it only seem so? The explanation lies in-between.

Light from the sun consists of three kinds of radiation – ultra-violet rays, visible light and infra-red rays. Unlike visible light, ultra-violet rays and infra-red rays cannot be seen.

Long bony fingers

Sun, 23 Mar 2003 17:18:47 +0000

Somu loved to read ghost stories. Every time he paid a visit to the library, he got back a teeth-chattering horror tale. It was a signal that he was getting ready to play a scary trick on his friends. He was 10 years old.

His parents had learnt to recognise the signs now. The days on which the slim boy’s cocker spaniel eyes shone brighter than ever, and his brown wavy hair seemed to have a movement of their own, they knew that he must have read a ghost tale and was hatching a plot to scare someone.

Juneteenth: Celebrating End of Slavery in the United States of America

Thu, 25 Jun 2020 00:00:00 +0000

June + nineteenth => Juneteenth
A holiday to celebrate the end of slavery and the freeing of slaves. Also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Liberation Day, and Emancipation Day

Juneteenth (19th of June, 1865) is one of the most important days celebrated by the African American community in the United States of America. For it was on this day, 19th of June in the year 1865 that a majority of slaves were informed that they were free. However, they were informed two years after slavery was made illegal in the US.

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.

Flower on the Road

Wed, 15 Jan 2003 01:23:55 +0000

Spring has come,
said the bougainvillea
Crimson, orange, cream
and yellow
Making a flower wall
along the road
I bring happiness
to all.
Wait, said the
little flower
on the edge of the kerb
I, too, blossom
though I am small
Every now and then
a little child walks past,
sees me
at her height
And happily smiles.
Doesn’t that make us comrades
on the road!

Flower on the Road

Roadside Locksmith

Fri, 05 Oct 2001 19:02:02 +0000

The locksmith sits on the roadside
with his wares

A tilted black umbrella blocks
the sun’s glare

A mountain of master keys
heaped on the ground

Some dull, some old
Some rusty, some gold

Roadside Locksmith [Illustration by Shinod AP]

The locksmith has the answer
to every locked door
That can’t be opened because
the key’s not there

And if you have a key that is
lonely and lost

The Shepherd's Mistake

Sun, 12 Oct 2003 01:09:51 +0000

Early every morning, a shepherd took his flock of sheep out in the fields to graze. He would sit by watching – as the sheep lazily munched on fresh grass. After they had eaten, he would round them up and walk back home. Sometimes while watching his flock, he would curl up in a quiet corner and go off to sleep.

One day, the shepherd caught a wolf which had strayed into the field, eyeing his sheep. However, it was some distance away and it made no effort to come nearer. The shepherd at first stood on guard against the wolf, as against an enemy, and kept a strict watch over its movements.

Fish That Live in the Desert

Sat, 17 Feb 2001 23:16:27 +0000

We all know that fish live in water. But, there is a kind of fish which lives in the desert.

Difficult to believe? Well, there is a variety of fish called the lungfish, which are found in Africa. When the rivers overflow, their water spreads to the dry regions around. It forms small lakes or ponds. The fish lives in these ponds.

And, when the lakes dry up, the lung fish don’t die. They bury themselves in the wet mud where they can live for months. Specially, if they go deep underground. Sometimes, these fish have been found several metres below the soil.

What is a virus?

Sat, 16 May 2020 10:28:31 +0000

Viruses are these tiny, invisible structures that cause infections. They make us sick. There are millions of viruses in our environment but only about 5000 have been identified by scientists. The ones you may have heard of are the Human Immunodeficiency Virus or HIV and the Novel Coronavirus or Covid-19.

What do viruses look like?

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) illustration, created at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Do you think that a virus is some creepy, crawly thing? It is not. A virus is a non-living thing. It is invisible to the human eye. A virus is one hundred times smaller than a bacteria, which is why most viruses cannot be seen even under a microscope.

The Girl who Taught the World to Weave

Sat, 09 Sep 2000 04:32:13 +0000

This is a story of the time when humans first walked the earth. And in those days they did not wear clothes, for they did not know how to weave cloth.

One day, the god Matai decided to teach the art of weaving to one person. The god taught a girl called Hambrumai. And what were the designs the girl wove? She sat by the river side and saw the ripples and circles made by water. She wove the ripple pattern on cloth.

The Story of Dussehra

Sun, 10 Nov 2002 05:13:15 +0000

Dussehra, also called Vijayadashmi (or Bijoya in Bengal), is the culmination of the nine-day Navaratri celebrations. It is a festival that marks the killing of Ravana, his son Meghanatha and brother Kumbhakarna, by Rama. It is seen as the vistory of good over evil

The Ramayana

The epic Ramayana, describes the story of Rama. Rama was the exiled prince of the kingdom of Ayodhya. While in exile, he lived in the forest with his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana. One day Sita was abducted by Ravana, the demon king of Lanka. Rama, assisted by an army of monkeys and Lakshmana, attacked Lanka to rescue her.

The Apple Tree

Sat, 16 Jun 2001 08:24:42 +0000

There was an old apple tree in a farmer’s garden. It was so old that it had stopped bearing fruit a long time ago. The only purpose it served was to provide shelter to the sparrows, grasshoppers and squirrels in the neighbourhood.

One day, the farmer decided to cut the tree down. He felt it had become completely useless. Besides, he wanted to get some furniture made and what better way to ensure the wood supply from the tree? The wood was still strong.

How does a Nuclear Bomb differ from a Conventional Bomb?

Thu, 30 Nov 2006 22:01:30 +0000

Every now and then we hear of countries of the world carrying out heated discussions about nuclear bombs. The topics range from who has the right to own a nuclear bomb and who does not, who should use it and who must not and so on. But what exactly happens when such a bomb actually explodes? And how are nuclear bombs different from conventional bombs?

The greatest difference between the two types of bombs is the sheer scale of destruction they cause. While a conventional bomb can be targetted to damage a particular area and the people living there, nuclear bombs are weapons of mass destruction. Just consider this: a 1 megaton (million ton) nuclear bomb is enough to wipe out the largest city on Earth. (1 ton=1000 kilograms)

Do You Like Fruits?

Wed, 01 Aug 2001 14:23:37 +0000

Apples in the winter time
Chikoos in the fall
Mangoes in the summer time
I like it best of all!

Oranges and kinnows bright
Sugar-cane so sweet
Melons and the juicy grape
All of them – a treat!

Do You Like Fruits? [Illustration by Anup Singh]

Go For It, Bablu!

Fri, 07 Feb 2003 01:20:48 +0000

It happened on the day school started after a heavenly two months of summer holidays. Shankar refused to wake up at 6 am. He wanted to dream more about his visit to his grandparents’ home. They lived in the picturesque city of Mysore in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. He particularly wanted to remember his two trips to the Bandipur National Park. It was a magical forest in the shade of the Nilgiri mountains which always seemed to have their heads in the clouds! Shankar had been lucky to see the stately Asian elephant, the Mugger crocodile, the four-horned antelope, and the leopard. The tiger had been elusive. “Next time,” Shankar told himself happy at the thought.

A Friend in Need

Tue, 06 May 2003 06:54:12 +0000

It happened not very long ago. But when you’re a snail, days move at snail’s pace, too. So, if you were to ask our friend the snail when this happened, she’d tell you, it was y-e-ars ago…

Well, to get on with our story. In the shade of a cool, damp log, snoozed a shy snail. She wasn’t alone in her cosy home, oh no. She had company. There was a slug the snail called Cousin Glug because, you see, snails and slugs are part of the same family. Now, since they both lived on land, they didn’t know, of course, that they had other cousins in the ocean!

What Makes the Egg Shell so Strong?

Tue, 19 Apr 2005 04:47:29 +0000

Have you ever wondered why hens don’t break their eggs when they sit on them? The secret lies in the shape of the egg. An egg is a great example of nature’s excellent skills in packing. If you squeeze the ends of an egg between the palms of your hands, it won’t break. However, if you squeeze it in the middle, it pops and creates a terrible mess.

If you have seen the way eggs are sold in the market, you would have noticed that they are kept with their ends pointing up and are never left lying horizontally. Hens, too, incubate their eggs the same way, with the narrower end pointing upwards.

Why do Plants Lean Toward Sunlight?

Fri, 31 Aug 2001 21:39:58 +0000

Plants kept inside a room always grow in the direction of the window. In woodlands where there is a thick canopy of trees and sunlight rarely falls on earth, very few plants survive. Those that do, do not require sunlight to make their food.

People have long wondered about this phenomenon until the answer was discovered and explained by the English naturalist Charles Darwin. He demonstrated that the growing shoot of a grass seedling always bends towards light. This is due to a phenomenon called phototropism.

The Wheel

Fri, 16 Jan 1998 12:12:14 +0000

The wheel is perhaps man’s greatest invention. Simple as it seems, it is the very basis of movement. The cart, the cycle, the motor-car and the railway train move on wheels. Even aircraft which fly thousands of kilometres through the air need wheels for taking-off and landing. It is not only for transport that the wheel is vital. Machines that produce various goods for us, watches that tell us the time, generators that produce electricity, and many gadgets which have become essential in our day-to-day life cannot work without a wheel.

Amelia Earhart

Tue, 29 Jan 2002 02:45:20 +0000

Amelia Earhart was one of the world’s most celebrated aviators. She broke records and charted new skies in the course of her short life. She disappeared while she was on a flight around the world.

Earhart was born on July 24, 1897, in Atchison, Kansas. She was the elder of Edwin Stanton and Amy Otis Earhart’s two daughters. Childhood was not happy for the two bright sisters. Their father was an alcoholic and lost jobs often. The family travelled a great deal.

Ada Lovelace, The Mother of Computing

Thu, 28 May 2020 18:28:31 +0000

Ada Lovelace (1815-1852):

When you use your device, remember that Ada Lovelace was the first person to write a computer program. She is widely regarded as the first person to recognize the full potential of computers. She wrote the first algorithm ever.

Ada Lovelace was born on the 10th of December, 1815 to the famous poet Lord Byron and his wife Lady Byron. Her parents named her Augusta Ada Byron. Her parents separated soon after she was born. Ada did not have a relationship with her father at all. Her mother left her in the care of Ada’s maternal grandmother but made sure Ada was privately schooled in mathematics and science by two scholars. Ada was often ill. However, by the age of 12, she had discovered her passion for mathematics and technology. Her project at the time was the miracle of flight. She built wings with different materials and did immense research. Eventually, she used her findings to write a book called Flyology.

Elvis Presley: The King of Rock and Roll

Thu, 25 Jun 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Elvis Presley (1935-1977):

“Truth is like the sun, you can shut it out but it ain’t goin’ away,” said Elvis Presley. Little did he know how apt those words would be to his musical career. Everyone told the King of Rock that he would not become a successful singer but he kept trying till he did.

From a humble beginning to ruling radio, television and the silver screen. Elvis Presley was an icon and the best selling solo artist of all time. The music he made was known as Rockabilly. It is a fusion mix of Country, Rhythm and the Blues. Country music is the traditional folk music from the southern states of America. It was primarily written and enjoyed by white Americans. Rhythm and Blues are often spoken of together and abbreviated as R&B. It is any music with a heavy and intense beat. Like Country, Blues also arose from the southern American states but was written and enjoyed mainly by black Americans. The fusion mix of Country, Rhythm and the Blues that Elvis made was enjoyed by everyone.

Michael Farday: The Self-Educated Inventor

Tue, 23 Jun 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Michael Faraday (1791 - 1867)

Is it possible to become one of the most influential scientists in history without a formal education? In the case of Michael Faraday, the answer would be an absolute yes. Our world is full of big and small electric motors. And we owe Faraday for discovering the principles of electromagnetism that led to the first electric motor.

Faraday’s main contributions were within the study of electromagnetism and the relationship between electricity and chemical change. His work helped develop the generators we use today. He also devised the commercial process of separating elements from their ores, such as iron. Faraday named this process electrolysis. Without him, the use of electricity in technology would have been severely delayed.

J.K. Rowling: Casts a reading spell on children in the era of digital media

Tue, 26 May 2020 01:30:00 +0000

Joanne Kathleen Rowling (1965 - ):

J.K. Rowling is the author of the most widely sold book series in all of history. Her fantasy novels are about the story of a boy, Harry Potter. He is an English orphan who is given admission to a school of magic, exclusively for wizards and witches. Rowling’s Harry Potter series takes us into the world of magic as Harry and his friends fight the source of evil in their world, Lord Voldemort.

Marie Stopes: A Guiding Light For The Women of England

Mon, 22 Jun 2020 10:28:31 +0000

Marie Stopes (1880 – 1958):

Nearly 100 years ago, one woman took it upon herself to help women take control of their own bodies. To decide whether they wanted children, and when they wanted children. At a time when it was looked down upon, Marie Stopes helped a generation of English women safely discuss sex, pregnancy, and birth control.

Birth control refers to methods of preventing a pregnancy. Abortion is a medical procedure that ends a pregnancy. It is estimated that one in four pregnancies a year, end in abortion. Although birth control is available today, access to safe abortion is still not available for the millions of women who need it.

Rosa Parks: The First Lady of Civil Rights

Sat, 27 Jun 2020 00:00:00 +0530

Rosa Parks (1913-2005):

It might seem alien to you today, but in 1950’s America, discrimination was protected and enforced by the state. One of the key ways this was done was by segregation. African Americans were told where they could eat, where they could go to school, where they could live, and where they could be buried. The effort and sacrifice of one young woman to fight against this injustice made her an international icon and earned her the title, “the first lady of civil rights”.

Who Invented The Pen?

Thu, 17 Nov 2005 05:01:49 +0000

The history of writing instruments with which humans have recorded and conveyed thoughts, feelings and grocery lists, is the history of civilisation itself. This is how we know about our ancestors and their lives.

The handy sharpened-stone, used for skinning and killing animals was adapted into the first writing instrument. Around 24,000 BC, the cave man started drawing pictures with the stone onto the walls of his cave dwelling. His drawings showed events in daily life such as the planting of crops or hunting victories. Walls at the Apollo site in Namibia, southwest Africa are believed to be the oldest rock paintings to date.

Where Did Numerals Originate?

Sun, 11 Feb 2001 13:28:15 +0000

We deal with numbers all the time. Not just while doing math lessons at school, but also while counting money at the shop, memorising the numbers of our favourite TV channels or even keeping tabs on the number of hours we spend in front of the Internet! But we are so used to numbers that it has never occurred to us to find out where these numbers come from.

For that, we must travel back in time. We must go back to 6th century India. It was around this time, that the great Indian astronomer Aryabhatta invented a set of numerals that is now used by people all over the world.

Why don't Birds on a wire get a shock?

Tue, 29 Aug 2006 16:28:41 +0000

Now how is that possible? The fact is, for a living creature to get a ‘shock’ there has to be a substantial flow of current through the body. However, there is barely any current running through the bird’s body for two reasons. Firstly, the bird not only forms a circuit with the wire, but it also offers a high resistance to current, so the current passes through the wire instead of the bird.

It’s a bit like this, would you prefer going on a smooth road or a road full of potholes? The answer is obvious and just like you, the current prefers taking the easier path. All objects offer some amount of resistance to the flow of current, depending on the material.

My Trip to Nainital

Mon, 25 May 1998 23:16:50 +0000

Satyanshu Mohan is student St. Joseph’s Intermediate College at Allahabad and is studying in class four. Here he recounts his trip to Nainital with his family.

Nainital is a beautiful hill station in Himalayas. My father is very fond of Nainital. This year we went just after Deepawali to Nainital on a short trip. There is no direct suitable connection by train to Nainital from Allahabad so we first went to Rampur and then from there we took a train to Kathgodam.

Appearances are Deceptive

Mon, 03 Dec 2001 10:00:41 +0000

One day Bina the ant was scurrying about in search of food. Summer was almost over and autumn was approaching. Soon it would be winter and food would be difficult to find. Bina knew it was necessary to stock as much as possible so that her ant colony could have enough to eat during the difficult months ahead.

She had collected quite a bit already. Now she was on the lookout for bits of sweetmeats that younger members of her colony loved to munch on after their meal. Darting to and fro between trees and shrubs, Bina suddenly smelt the sweet aroma of pastry. She quickly went around the bush and there she saw it – a large bit of pastry with a whole raisin in it!

How do Houseflies Spread Diseases?

Sun, 07 Jan 2001 19:49:44 +0000

The housefly (musca domestica) is one of the most common of all insects. It is a major health hazard, particularly in parts of the world where sanitary conditions are poor.

The housefly has a dull gray, bristled body that is about 7 mm in length. It has large reddish compound eyes. Its mouth cannot bite but consists of a spongy pad.

It has a peculiar system of feeding itself. At first it releases saliva and digestive juices over food and then sponges up the resulting solution. One can well imagine what we are eating after a fly are taken a ‘sip’ of our food.

The Potter

Tue, 03 Sep 2002 13:50:44 +0000

The summer sun smiles a scorching smile
The smile sends shivers
through the stoutest hearts
A summer smile is reason to sweat
But the potter’s back with his cool lifeline!

Earthen pots of every size
Are piled under a tarpaulin sky
Waiting to find new homes
And soothe thirsty throats!

Their water has a magical taste –
The sweet smell of wet earth
Or soil that comes alive after
The first seasonal shower!

The Potter [Illustration by Shinod AP]

Some pots are small, like a baby’s song
Some are round – a perfect ‘O’
Some are tall with slender necks
Like a curious gazelle looking ahead!

What is Cloning?

Sun, 07 Sep 2003 11:55:52 +0000

Which is the most famous sheep in the world? A sheep called Dolly. But why is Dolly famous?

That is because unlike other sheep’s, Dolly was not born in the usual manner. She is actually a carbon copy of her mother, like an identical twin. This means that she is the twin sister of her mother who is older by six years and she does not have a father!

What is Cloning? [Illustration by Shinod AP]

Scientists at the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh, UK, made history on 27th February 1997, when they successfully cloned a sheep. So what is cloning?

Why does water stay cool in earthen clay pots?

Fri, 21 Feb 2003 13:54:47 +0000

Have you ever had a drink of cool refreshing water from a ‘matka’ or earthen clay pot placed outside? Surprisingly enough, the pots are exposed to blazing sunlight, yet the water within stays so cool. How is that possible?

This is because of a physical process known as evaporation. When a liquid changes to a gaseous (or vapour) state without boiling, it is known as evaporation.

A matka is made of mud and has many minute pores (extremely small holes). No matter how tightly you pack the mud, these pores remain. It is through these pores that the water, placed inside the matka, oozes out. Now, to evaporate, the water needs to absorb heat, which will change it to vapour.

What Happens After an Earthquake?

Sat, 06 Apr 2002 21:55:39 +0000

People often wonder whether an earthquake can drastically change the topography of a region. A few tremors and some buildings that collapse does not mean that the shape of the earth has changed, does it? However, earthquakes can and do change the topography of the region.

An earthquake raised Rhodes island. The line of erosion (on the rock to the left) shows the sea level before the earthquake. The rise is uneven in different parts of the island, usually several meters. [Ввласенко / CC BY-SA]Ввласенко / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)

Our earth is made of many layers just like an onion. We can divide it into four main layers: the inner or solid core, the outer or liquid core, mantle, and crust. The inner core is composed mostly of iron and is extremely hot. This heat causes the outer core to remain in a liquid or molten form.

Which is the fastest animal on earth?

Fri, 26 Jun 2020 10:28:31 +0000

Peregrine Falcon is the fastest animal on earth – it can fly nearly as fast as an airplane.

Peregrine Falcon is one of the rare birds that thrive in urban environments. It uses tall skyscrapers as launchpads and hunts pigeons and ducks. It is the world’s most widespread bird of prey and one of the most widely found bird species. It also has a good relationship with humans who use it for hunting.

Known as the Duck Hawk in North America, it is a falcon. It has a blue-grey back, barred white underparts, and a black colored head. The Duck Hawk is known for its speed. The fastest recorded speed it has reached is 389 km/h (242 m/h). It uses this speed while hunting, flying high above its prey and swooping down at a frightening pace.

Which is the Oldest Living Creature?

Fri, 17 Jul 2020 18:30:00 +0530

The oldest living creature in the world will come as a surprise to you. Many of the animals in the seas, skies, and earth live long lives. Yet the oldest living creature in the world is an immortal jellyfish that has never died. Its family name is Turritopsis Dohrnii. It hails from a class of small animals that live mainly in saltwater.

The Dohrnii begin their life journey as larvae with a diameter of no more than 4 millimeters. The larvae have a tiny vase-shaped body with a mouth surrounded by tentacles. They come together and attach themselves to the ocean floor. Soon, they mature into jellyfish. Once they mature, they travel great distances and hunt other fish for food. The Dohrnii has currently spread across three continents by hitchhiking on the underside of cargo ships. Due to their tiny size, the countries they are invading are unaware that it is even happening.

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 Ants walk in a Line?

Thu, 07 Mar 2002 00:40:25 +0000

When I woke up one summer morning, I noticed a string of dashes on my bedroom wall. The line ran from the ceiling to the wall behind my bed and then disappeared under it.

As I watched, I saw one of the dashes move. It was a small red ant walking up the line. Soon, another one followed and then another, till it grew into an army of ants marching up the wall.

I noticed that while walking in a line the ants were cleaning the wall paint underneath them and, in the process, making a path. And there is a very good reason for them walking in a line.

Bhoja's Eagle

Mon, 25 May 2020 00:30:00 +0000

Bhoja lived in the terai. The terai is the region at the foot of the Himalayas where the grasses grow tall, and the forest is thick.

Bhoja loved the forest. He knew the birds and beasts that lived there. He knew the trees where the honeybees built their huge combs, and the caves where the bats hung upside down.

He liked to sit by the pond where the sarus cranes waded, and the deer came when they were thirsty. And he loved the pool where the frogs croaked all day.

A Witch's Gift

Sat, 23 May 2020 00:30:00 +0000

This is a story of long, long ago.

Surya the sun god had a very beautiful daughter. She was tall, with long golden hair that almost touched her toes. And she was gentle as the soft, wispy white clouds that float by on clear blue day.

Though she loved her home in the sky, each morning, as brightness spread across the heavens, she came down earth, to the wonderful green forests that grew there.

She walked among the trees all day. She sang with the birds. She played hide-n-seek with the small creatures and listened to the stories the big beasts had to tell. And when evening came, she returned to her palace far away beyond the twinkling stars.

What is Water Harvesting?

Fri, 09 May 2003 05:03:49 +0000

Come summer and the entire nation seems to have just one word on its lips – water. Year 2000 saw one of the worst summers recorded in the history of India. The drought in the state of Gujarat and Rajasthan was the worst in decades.

Fresh water, they say is a scarce resource. Is it?

During the monsoons every year, we allow huge amounts of fresh water to run off our roads and pavements into the drains where it mixes with the sewage and heads straight for the rivers where we dump waste. Did you know that this rain water is enough to see us through the summers?

Computer Hardware

Thu, 15 May 2003 14:57:31 +0000

The computer is a combination of several devices. Each device performs a particular task – do you know what they are?

How did Christianity Come to India?

Sun, 17 Nov 2002 07:38:44 +0000

Would you doubt my word if I say that Doubting Thomas, one of the Apostles of Christ visited India and established Christianity? Don’t. For its true.

Among Christ’s 12 apostles, Thomas Didaemus or Doubting Thomas, along with Peter and Paul were pre-eminent. Thomas Didaemus was called Doubting Thomas because he doubted Christ’s word that on the third day after his crucifixion, Christ would rise again.

There are many schools of thought as to how Christianity spread in India. Some claim it is through St. Thomas who came to India in 52 A.D. Others claim that a Syrian merchant, Thomas of Cana, came to Travancore in Kerala and established a Christian colony there.

Why do Clocks Run Clockwise?

Sat, 23 Dec 2006 21:09:41 +0000

“Time to get dressed!” cries a harried Mama as she tries to pack the bag, straighten the tie, pack lunch, tie shoelaces as at the same time she pushes children dragging their heels towards the bus stop. Oh? Is it already “Time for school?” later still its “time for dinner” or “time for bed!” Old Father Time can be quite an interfering busybody and there really is nothing we can do. Most of us spend a greater part of our time and lives trying to beat exactly this – time!

What Freedom means to me...

Mon, 03 May 1999 15:30:18 +0000

Freedom means many things to many people. When we spoke to some children in the age group of 8 to 14, we were amazed to learn the different meanings they gave to that one word ‘freedom’. Here they put their ideas exactly the way their thoughts arose in their minds…

Radhika Jain (8 years)

“I don’t have to study.”
“Being able to watch my favourite channel Star Plus, Cartoon Network whenever I like.”
“Cycling in the morning instead of going to school.”

Jacques-Yves Cousteau

Sun, 25 Mar 2001 02:34:10 +0000

If there is one person who single-handedly fascinated millions of landlocked viewers to venture underwater into the unknown, through television, it is the Frenchman Jacques Cousteau. Jacques-Yves Cousteau was born on June 11, 1910, in the town of St.-Andre-de-Cubzac near Bordeaux, in France, to Daniel and Elizabeth Cousteau.

As a child, Jacques was quite sickly but he nonetheless learned to swim at the age of four. His initial dip led to his everlasting love for the sea.

Mother Teresa

Mon, 29 Oct 2001 13:54:24 +0000

Mother Teresa was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, the youngest of three children of an Albanian builder, on August 26, 1910 in Skopje, Macedonia. She felt that August 27, 1910, the day of her baptism, was her true birthday. At the age of 18 she joined the Order of the Sisters of Our Lady of Loreto in Ireland. She trained in Dublin, where the motherhouse of the Loreto Sisters was located. She chose the name of Sister Teresa, in memory of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux.

Why can’t the Sun melt Snow?

Mon, 10 Feb 2003 13:20:47 +0000

There are some things in nature that have a great capacity to toss back or reflect a great deal of the sun’s light that falls on them. One of them is snow. Newly formed snow reflects about 90 per cent of the sunlight that falls upon it. This means that the sun is powerless to melt clean snow. And when snow does melt, it is not because of the sunlight. Snow does not melt on a spring day because of the sun’s heat. It melts because of the warm air from the sea.

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.

Why are Human Voices Different?

Wed, 15 Mar 2000 12:11:25 +0000

Imagine a scenario. A criminal is being tried in court. He denies saying something. The prosecution brings a recording, saying they have his confession on tape. As the accused vigorously denies the voice being his, an expert shows just why the voice could be no one else’s.

A fictional scene? Perhaps, but it is a reality that no two persons in the world have exactly the same voices. Do you know why this is so?

My Robot Robbi

Thu, 22 Feb 2001 12:38:07 +0000

Have you ever seen a robot? No?
Meet my robot friend and philosopher, Robbi. To be precise, its name is Robbi-999XHA.

You may wonder what is Robbi-999XHA. Just as cars, washing machines or xerox machines are of different models with different names, does this strange name also indicate something similar? Yes, you’re absolutely right! It is a particular domestic model of a robot. 999 stands for the year of its make — 1999, X stands for deluxe model, and HA is for home appliance.

King of Fruits – History of Mango!

Mon, 05 Nov 2001 17:41:51 +0000

It is a tree that is green at all times of the year. But it bears fruit in the height of summer. The hotter it is, the sweeter it becomes. And, it seems we humans cannot have enough of this juicy, fleshy fruit, for there are almost 1000 varieties of this king of fruits around the world to please our tongues and eyes.

It could be round, almost like a ball, or it could be oval in shape, kidney shaped or just long and thin. It could have a red and yellow colour like the setting sun. Or it could be canary yellow or even leaf green. It could be small as a cricket ball or as big as a watermelon!

How did the Pineapple get its Name?

Wed, 19 Jun 2002 22:05:00 +0000

What prompted people to call banana a banana and a pineapple a pineapple and not something else?

Actually there is a reason behind the names given to each and every thing; be it a fruit, vegetable, an animal or inanimate objects like stars, planets, etc. However, sometimes the names are misleading, Take the example of pineapple: no it doesn’t come from a pine tree, nor is it an apple.

When you look at a pineapple you may think you are looking at one fruit. Actually, the pineapple is a group of tightly packed small fruits!

Why is the Dead Sea dead?

Mon, 07 Mar 2005 13:54:44 +0000

The Dead Sea is indeed a very scary name for a lake. It is called so because nothing lives in it. There are no sea weeds or plants, no fish either. This is because the Dead Sea is nearly six times as salty as the ocean.

It also contains many other dissolved minerals, including magnesium chloride, calcium chloride and potassium chloride in large quantities. Whereas in fresh water, only minute quantities of these minerals are found. The high concentration of salt makes plant or animal life impossible.

An Unforgetful Trip

Sun, 04 May 2003 22:43:03 +0000

The Thunderbirds – This was the name that Namrata, Pooja, Kajari, Latika, Ayesha, Moni, Geetika, Ritu, Parul and Priyanka had given to their gang of 10. Everyone in St. Anna Girls’ School knew them. They were always seen together.

“Guys!!!!! The list of places for the mid-term trip has been put up on the notice board,” announced Namrata, who in her excitement had got up on a chair to grab everyone’s attention.

That did it. What had been an orderly classroom a few seconds earlier was now an empty class. The entire class had dashed off to see the announcement on the notice board.

What is the Mystery of Dracula?

Thu, 19 May 2005 21:41:38 +0000

As bats flap through the musty castle, a coffin lid creaks open and an ashy white hand gropes for the cover. The lid slides off and a caped figure rises in the gloom – Dracula is on the prowl! Vampires have enthralled generations of readers and moviegoers; and the most popular ‘vampire’ is the fearsome Count Dracula of Transylvania.

Of course, these blood-sucking monsters do not exist and are merely the figment of our imagination.

A Tale of Two Sons

Wed, 19 Dec 2001 11:31:47 +0000

A businessman had two sons. While he showered the younger son with affection and gifts, he neglected the older son shamelessly. It was completely baffling and no one knew why he did it. While the older son could do nothing right, the younger one could do nothing wrong.

When the boys grew up, they were asked to manage the father’s business. But there was a world of difference in the management practices the father expected his boys to follow. The elder son was initiated into the nitty-gritties of the business.

Is Potato a Fruit or Vegetable?

Thu, 02 May 2002 06:52:02 +0000

Pick up a potato and you notice eyes with little lashes on it. In fact, the lashes look like tiny roots. Have you ever wondered why the potato has roots on it?

The potato is actually a stem. A stem in disguise, that grows under the ground!

Many plants are masters at adapting themselves to their surroundings. They can change their structure to suit their needs.

Farmer holding harvested dirty potatoes in his hands.

Just as we keep large vessels handy in the scorching summer to store water, plants deal with the problem in a smarter way. Their body parts have changed over a period of time so as to adjust to their surroundings. Thus, the potato plant has changed the shape and size of its stem to store food and water. And this storage is done under the ground where it is relatively cooler.

The Puppy that wanted to Play

Fri, 17 May 2002 07:10:16 +0000

Bruno, the little, brown puppy wanted to play! He needed a friend.

“Come play with me!” said Bruno to the white cow.

“No! No! No!” replied the white cow, shaking her head. “I have work to do. I
have to give milk for Tinnu and Minnu. Milk for their family, too. Go away. I
have WORK to do! MOOOOOOOOO!”

The Puppy that wanted to Play [Illustrations by Shiju George]

Bruno went to the brown cock.

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-

Durga Puja in Calcutta

Tue, 30 Apr 1996 09:53:31 +0000

Durga Puja in Calcutta [Illustration by Shiju George]

Durga Puja is the biggest festival in Bengal. We celebrate this puja very nicely in our city. We look forward to Durga Puja every year It is a joyous occasion for all of us. In Calcutta, Durga Puja is a wonderful celebration. Being vacation time, we enjoy ourselves very much.

Durga Puja usually lasts for five days. It begins with ‘Shashti’ and ends with “Dashami”. In our locality, we decorate the ‘pandal’ (tent) very nicely . The Honourable Minister of Transport comes for the inauguration of the Puja to our locality . Every year I go with my parents and my sister to visit the pandal and worship the image of the Goddess Durga.

The Exotic Peacock

Mon, 04 Sep 2000 18:58:57 +0000

Come monsoons, and we immediately think about the beautiful peacock, dancing in the rain, with its luscious tail spread out behind it. Undoubtedly one of the most beautiful birds in the world and a native of the Indian sub-continent, it is not surprising that the Peacock was anointed as the national bird of India in 1963.

The Exotic Peacock [Illustrations by Neelima Bhushan]

Hailing from the pheasant family, these exotic birds are cherished for their colourful plumes and eggs. The peacocks, more appropriately called peafowls, (peacock refers to the male) are found in lowland forests and hills usually in small groups consisting of one male and several females.

The Importance of the Mangrove Forest

Thu, 05 Jul 2001 14:13:59 +0000

Tropical coastlines and marshy areas around the world have one thing in common: mangrove forests. These consist of trees and shrubs that throw out many prop roots and sustain a large variety of aquatic animals, birds and plants. These mangroves form a complete ecosystem. That is, they provide a complete base for all the organisms within that environment to live and thrive. That keeps the balance in the larger environment of which humans are a vital part. Marshy and swampy tidal areas near seas and estuaries, where rivers empty into the sea, are ideal for mangrove forests.

Myths & Legends Related to Eclipses

Fri, 02 Jul 1999 15:49:23 +0000

Since time immemorial, eclipses have been interpreted in various ways by different communities all over the world, reflecting many a time the working philosophy of the religious denominations they belong to. The lunar and solar eclipses have, by and large, been held to bring in their wake calamities like epidemics, wars etc. It has been a common practice to observe the do’s and don’ts with religious overtones so as to avoid such cataclysmic fallouts of eclipses as well as hasten their end.

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.

Makar Sankranti

Sat, 14 Oct 2000 08:48:54 +0000

The colourful kite-flying festival of Makar Sankranti or Uttarayan, which falls on January 14 each year, marks the end of a long winter and the return of the sun to the northern hemisphere. Hence the name Uttarayan.

According to Hindu astronomy, it is on this holiest day in the Hindu calendar, that the sun enters the zodiac of Makara or Capricorn, heralding the northern journey of the sun. The day is also of special significance, because on this day, the day and night are of equal hours.

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.

How Does the Steam Engine Work?

Wed, 14 Jun 2000 05:10:00 +0000

In 1804 the first steam-powered engine ran, carrying some iron in Wales, in Britain. But it was almost twenty five years later, in 1829, that George Stephenson, a British engineer, designed the “rocket” that paved the way for railways all over Europe, Asia and America.

How Does the Steam Engine Work? [Illustration by Shiju George]

The steam engine is an example of a heat engine. Heat engines are those that convert heat energy into mechanical work.

Why is a Hippopotamus called a River Horse?

Fri, 20 Apr 2001 05:14:49 +0000

Among Africa’s unusual creatures is a barrel-shaped gigantic animal, the hippopotamus (plural hippopotami). The hippo is the third largest land animal after the elephant and the rhino. Slightly smaller but heavier than a white rhino, a hippo can weigh nearly 1,800 kg. The animal is huge and barrel shaped nearly 12 feet long and five feet at its shoulder, with a short thick neck and small ears.

River Horses [Illustration by Anup Singh]

Hippos, or to use their biological name, hippopotamus amphibious literally means ‘river horse’. Recent DNA (a test for genes) has revealed that the hippo is more closely related to cetaceans (whales and dolphins) than to any other artiodactyls (even-toed hoofed mammal).

Bhagat Singh

Sat, 10 Mar 2001 00:01:46 +0000

March 23 is the death anniversary of one of the most heroic figures of the Indian freedom movement. Few people remembered it, though. Forget the rest of India, even the children of the village where he was born, do not know anything about him.

And to think that the young man in question, Bhagat Singh, gave up his life for the ideal of a free and better India! Today, over 50 years after Independence, the people of his village still do not have access to drinking water and a tap, writes The Indian Express newspaper.

Limits of the Mind

Fri, 13 Dec 2002 06:33:35 +0000

Ekalavya was a little boy, born in a poor family, many many years ago. His people lived a little away from Hastinapura, the capital of the Kuru kings. They used to clean other people’s dirt for a profession.

And for this reason they were shunned by society. Ekalavya and other kids of his group knew they too had to follow their parents’ professions.

Their parents often told them, “You are not meant to go to school. What use is school for carrying garbage which is your only job?”

The Wooden God

Fri, 28 Dec 2001 18:20:09 +0000

Bablu hated the ritual of prayer and fast that his family had been observing for as long as he could remember. The entire family had to wake at dawn and have a dip in the village pond, even if it was in the middle of the bitterest winter.

A chilly winter day would find a shivering Bablu trying hard not to think of the million ice-cold needles that would pierce him when he entered the pond to bathe. The very idea of the bath would of course have driven all traces of sleep from his mind. But there was no relief even after that. On his return home, he had to sit and recite shlokas or prayer for an hour without fail. And this, under the eagle eyes of his grandfather!

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.”

Himalayas Have a Deep Impact on the Climate of the World

Sun, 27 Oct 2002 03:58:51 +0000

Tibet is known as the roof of the world. That is because it is on a region which has the highest altitude in the world. The Himalayan mountain range merges into the Tibetan plateau to form this region known as the Himalaya-Tibetan Plateau.

Besides being the roof of the world, this plateau also has a deep impact on the climate of the world, says a report published in the May, 2001, edition of Nature, a science and environment journal. How the scientists made this connection is a very exciting story.

Whatever Happens, Happens for the Best...

Sat, 14 Mar 1998 14:28:42 +0000

Once upon a time there was an old man called Sthira, who lived alone in a village. He would go about his business alone, even in his old age. He was a nice, friendly man who was liked by all the people in the village. They would often come over to the old man’s house and express their sympathy that his only son had gone so far away to study. They wondered aloud if his son would ever return. To all their concern, Sthira would always thank them and say, “Whatever happens, happens for the good.”

The Good Turn

Sun, 30 Mar 2003 09:09:35 +0000

Every time Gina walked down the lane where she lived, some neighbour or the other would remark that ‘The Brat’ was off to some place.

The six-year-old was the only child of her parents and they spoilt her totally. Even when she was a small child, her parents had never refused her anything. And she, in turn, always made sure that she got what she wanted.

One day Gina’s mother, Nitya Mehta, suddenly noticed that her daughter was not ready to share anything with her friends – be it a book, a toy or something to eat.

The Butterfly in a Bottle

Sat, 02 Nov 2002 23:43:58 +0000

Poltu was wide awake in his bed. He had had a marvellous dream in which he had won the football match in the inter-school competition. He was getting ready to receive the trophy when the alarm rang. So loudly that it jarred him awake.

But Poltu wasn’t too unhappy at the intrusion. He ran straight to his study table. There, in an empty jam bottle, was the treasure. A colourful little butterfly. How difficult it had been to catch it. It had kept flying away from his grasp. But catch it he did. Without a net, too. And now it was going to be part of his biology project in school.

Why doesn't our stomach get digested?

Mon, 04 Apr 2005 18:26:52 +0000

All the food we eat goes into our stomach. Here, it is broken into smaller and simpler substances and get absorbed into the blood. Then, the blood carries these food particles to the different cells of the body, where they are used to provide energy to our body.

Why doesn’t our stomach get digested?

How is food broken into smaller particles?

Why does the Sun follow You?

Thu, 18 Aug 2005 19:55:18 +0000

Have you ever noticed that when you are in a car, or a bus, travelling on a straight road, the Sun appears to move right along with you?

While telephone poles and trees close to the road, whiz past in the blink of an eye, the Sun is always visible throughout the journey. No matter how fast Daddy drives, you just cannot leave the Sun behind.

Strangely enough, the trees nearer the road disappear from your range of vision more quickly than the trees further off. Why is this so?

Where did Jazz Originate?

Fri, 20 Dec 2002 06:12:23 +0000

One has just to blow a note on a sax and your feet start tapping to the rhythm and your body starts swaying to the music. That’s Jazz for you. Ragtime, hip-hop, be bop, cool, blues – the very names make your finger snap and do a Texas two-step, no?

Jazz has often been called the only art form to originate in the United States, though even this is not exactly true. Jazz, is a kind of music that was sung or played by the African slaves in the plantations of America. In the 18th and 19th century, Africans were lured or kidnapped from their villages and sold in faraway America as slaves to work in large plantations.

Why is it Harder to Walk Uphill?

Sat, 25 Nov 2000 01:07:23 +0000

Raju heard the familiar cry of the ice-cream seller reach his ears, clear as a bell, even from his fourth floor apartment. He flew out of the flat and bounded down the stairs four steps at a time. The lift being under temporary repair, he had to take the stairs. He arrived downstairs a little breathless, and extremely impatient to have his ice-cream.

After buying it, he decided to rush home so he could eat it in peace. The climbing upstairs bit was a pain though. It always was. He had barely gone one flight of stairs when his knees began to hurt, and he felt majorly out of breath.

Gurpurab – the birth of Guru Nanak

Sat, 16 Nov 2002 23:08:31 +0000

The Birthday of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, is traditionally celebrated on Kartik Puranmashi, or the full moon day of the month of Kartik.

According to the Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), Guru Nanak Sahib was born on 15th April, 1469 at Rai-Bhoi-di Talwandi in the present district of Shekhupura, now Nanakana Sahib in Pakistan. Since the birthday falls on the full moon day of the month Kartik, that is the day that Sikhs all over the world celebrate the birth of their first guru.

What is Pluto – a Star or a Comet?

Tue, 25 Nov 2003 09:10:50 +0000

Which is the planet farthest from the sun? Pluto, of course.
But, some recent findings suggest that Pluto is not a planet at all. It seems Pluto could actually be a comet, reports the National Geographic website – www.nationalgeographic.com

Basically, it is Pluto’s small size that has got it into trouble. It has a diameter of approximately 1,420 miles or 2,280 kilometers. This makes it six times smaller than Earth. This fact irked scientists who always suspected that something so small could never belong to the hallowed club of planets.

How the Moon was Created

Tue, 16 Oct 2001 13:28:03 +0000

Long long ago when the world was just created there was just the sun but no moon. So there was just day with the sun shining brightly all the time. The sun did not set. So there was no night. People worked until they were too tired to work any more. There was no set time for work or a fixed time for rest.

One day the creator of the world came to visit it. He saw men working in fields.

Global Warming: Melting kingdom of the Polar Bear

Sat, 15 May 2004 18:42:46 +0000

Through the long and dark Arctic winter, the mother Polar Bear sat quietly in her den. She had given birth to her cubs, and was waiting for them to grow strong enough to follow her out to the ice pack. The ice pack is her refrigerator, the place where she gets her food. It’s quite literally a floating, rotating gyre or “cap” of ice that covers the Earth’s northern pole. Along its edges of cracked and broken ice swims the Polar Bear’s food: ringed seals, bearded seals, harp and hooded seals and, occasionally, carcasses of beached beluga whales, walruses, narwhals, and bowhead whales.

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.

Why is the Bridge of Sighs so Called?

Wed, 28 Feb 2001 07:05:26 +0000

The Bridge of Sighs (Ponte de Sospiri), is in Venice, Italy, and connects the inquisitor’s room in the east side of the Doge’s palace with the state’s prison or prigioni over the Rio de Palazzo.

Work on the Doge’s palace (residence of the Duke) or Palazzo Ducale was begun in the 14th century and got its present shape only by the 16th century. The palace was not only the Doge’s residence and thus contained the inquisitor’s (judge) office, it also housed many other institutions like lawyers offices, the Chancellery, Naval Offices, etc.

Tansen – The Magical Musician

Sun, 10 Jun 2001 15:16:12 +0000

Almost exactly in the centre of India is a town called Gwalior. In this town is the tomb of Tansen, one of the greatest musicians that ever lived.
Next to his beautifully carved stone tomb stands a little tamarind tree. It is believed that by eating a leaf of this tree and touching the tomb, a singer can improve his voice.

If this sounds like magic, the story of Tansen is equally magical. Even today, many famous musicians follow the style of music created by Tansen known as the “Gwalior Gharana”.

Dussehra Coloring Pages

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 17:26:31 +0000

Dussehra Coloring Pages for kids. Dussehra and Durga Puja are round the corner, and we have outlined the special features of these festivals. You provide the colors.

Click on any image to view an enlarged version. Print it and color it.

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?

Why Do we Get Tired?

Fri, 03 Aug 2001 12:03:42 +0000

Sumit was a tireless bundle of energy. He was always up to some mischief or the other. As he grew, to his mother’s relief he became a more relaxed child, and over the years his energy level seems to have come down considerably. However, now he feels tired and fatigued. At times he wonders why he gets so tired so soon when there is so much that he wants to do?

What is it in our body that causes fatigue? Why do we feel listless and sapped of strength at times? Fatigue is caused by a kind of poisoning produced by our organs. When a muscle in our body works, it produces lactic acid. If we remove the lactic acid from a tired muscle, it is able to start working at once.

Is Tomato a Vegetable or a Fruit?

Wed, 01 Feb 2006 17:55:56 +0000

We think the tomato is a vegetable, but it is actually a fruit. Because it is not sweet and is used for providing flavour to food, we think of it as a vegetable.

The tomato is originally from Mexico. The word “tomato” comes from the Spanish tomate, which in turn comes from the Nahuatl word tomatotl. Spanish explorers who went to South America about 500 years ago, brought back the tomato to Europe. The French called them love apples, while the British called them apples of gold. Young men made necklaces of tomato seeds and presented them to their loved ones.

How does the Lotus Flower Clean itself?

Thu, 19 Apr 2001 05:59:54 +0000

How will you explain the meaning of purity to someone? Well, many people do it by giving the example of the lotus — it grows in muddy waters but the flower remains spotless. It is not surprising that the lotus has a special or sacred place in world religions like Hinduism and Buddhism. It is a symbol of purity, and many a time gods are shown seated on lotus thrones. Now a group of German Scientists has discovered that the lotus plant is truly spotless. It does not allow any dirt to remain on its surface. And there is a clear reason for it.

The Story of Diwali

Sat, 27 Jul 2002 09:34:13 +0000

Deepavali or Diwali as it has come to be known as, means many things to many people. It means holidays from school, shopping expeditions for clothes, sweets, gifts and crackers to children. To the office-goer it means an annual bonus that can make all this happen.

To the businessman Diwali means brisk business just as to the clay potter, Diwali is the occasion of the year when the bulk of his sales are made. Diwali has a special significance for the trading communities of India who usher in their new year and new accounting books (‘bahi khata’) during this time.

How do Nails Grow?

Mon, 19 Mar 2001 17:10:41 +0000

Put your hands face down and look at the fingernails on your hand. Are they long or short? Dirty? Covered with polish? And the nails on your toes? Are they tearing up your socks? When my nails do that to my socks I know that it is time to get hold of a nail trimmer to cut them down to size.

Meanwhile, my sister wants to show hers off. So she spends hours every day polishing her nails endlessly. She wants to look different. But whatever people do to their nails – paint them, cut them, grow or colour them – yours, hers, mine and everybody else’s nails are made of the same material called keratin.

If You Were

Mon, 24 Mar 2003 14:48:10 +0000

If you were busy being kind,
Before you knew it, you would find
You’d soon forget to think ’twas true
That someone was unkind to you.

If you were busy being glad,
And cheering people who are sad,
Although your heart might ache a bit,
You’d soon forget to notice it.

If you were busy being good,
And doing just the best you could,
You’d not have time to blame some man
Who’s just doing the best he can.

Qui Jun and the Arrogant Monk

Mon, 12 Nov 2001 06:09:05 +0000

There once lived a monk called Shan, in a village in China. He had earned a great name for himself. But he was very arrogant.

Qui Jun heard of his arrogance and wanted to teach the monk a lesson. He went to meet Shan who neither greeted him nor acknowledged his presence.

Just then a servant of the monk came with a message: “The son of an army officer is here to see you.”

The monk said, “I will go and greet him.”

What Kind of Horses did Knights Ride?

Mon, 16 Apr 2001 02:07:59 +0000

In 1066 AD the Normans (people who came from Normandy in Europe) conquered England and introduced feudalism in England. Feudalism was a system of contract where society was divided into four classes: royalty, barons (noblemen) and bishops, knights (a title or a rank) and lastly peasants. Merchants and artisans were placed just above the peasants.

From 1066 to about the 14th century, feudalism developed across Europe. There were no professional armies at that time like we have today. Every man who was called upon was expected to follow his king in battle. The king granted land to these knights. A knighthood was obtained either by birth into a noble family or through bravery in battle.

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.

Shaikh Chilli

Tue, 16 May 2000 20:16:03 +0000

Long, long ago, there lived a simpleton whose name was Shaikh Chilli. Because of his stupid but innocent actions, he was popular among his friends. They enjoyed his company.

One day, the village zamindar (landlord) sent for him. This landlord was well-known for his dishonesty. He asked Shaikh Chilli to count all the houses in the village. He promised to pay him at the rate of twenty paisa per house.

Poor Shaikh Chilli worked hard for many hours, walking through the streets and lanes. By evening, he had given the total number of houses to the zamindar and received payment.

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.

How do Ducks Stay in Water and not Get Wet?

Sat, 14 Oct 2000 13:08:32 +0000

When you get out of the swimming pool or bathtub, you are soaking wet. Had you been a duck, you would be swimming in water and yet not look really wet. It sounds crazy, but it’s true.

The secret lies in the layer of smooth feathers, which keeps the water out and also helps the duck float. Moreover, these smart ducks make a kind of oil, which they spread on their feathers with their beaks. And since oil and water do not mix, the water just rolls off their bodies. Isn’t it a bit like having your cake and eating it too?

The Special Prize

Thu, 03 Oct 1996 10:11:41 +0000

What a naughty boy! He deserves to be thrashed. I have also received reports of his getting into fights with other boys. Send for him. “Mohan! Hey Mohan!” the headmaster shouted for the chowkidar. Mohan guessed from the growl in the voice that the headmaster was very angry. He rushed in and asked apprehensively, “Yes, Sir?”

“Hurry and get Tapan of class V,” the headmaster ordered.

Let me introduce the reader to the boy named Tapan. He is the second son of Ratan the clerk of Padumani village. Although rather thin, he is strong, somewhat dark and has bright eyes. He is quite good at his studies. But both at home and outside, there is no end of his pranks. He is always getting into trouble. But it must be admitted that he is never the first to pick a quarrel. But if anybody offends him he never hesitates to give as good as he gets. He is the leader of his age group and is always ready to take up the cudgels on their behalf. He is popular and respected by his companions.

The Great Escape

Mon, 23 Sep 2002 21:19:40 +0000

On the outskirts of a bustling city near the sea coast was a zoo named Kananvan. It was famous all over the world for its magnificent white tigers, exotic birds and several other rare species.

However, there was one special quality that made the zoo different and about which no human knew. The animals of Kananvan practiced a democracy that is quite rare even in the so-called civilised world. A democracy in a zoo? I’ll explain.

King of the Birds

Thu, 20 Sep 2001 15:47:19 +0000

The birds of the jungle had no king. It was a real embarrassment for them since everyone else in the jungle had kings.

A king is someone who heads the flock and decides every thing for them. All the birds decided they too needed a king. The called a meeting to resolve the problem.

But who will be the king?

The Mynah had an idea. “Let the bird who can fly the highest be made king of the air,” she said.

Festivals Coloring Pages

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:47:04 +0000

Festival Coloring Pages for kids. Festive scenes of Holi, Christmas, Nagpanchmi, Id. All for you to colour. Click on any image you like to enlarge it. You can download this image and print it for coloring!

This coloring page is a part of a large collection of free printable coloring book pages for preschool, kindergarten and elementary school children to print and color.

Click on any image to view an enlarged version. Print it and color it.

The Desert Creature

Tue, 06 Nov 2001 01:12:29 +0000

This happened thousands of years ago. Life was hard as people had to do all the work by themselves. A large number of people were nomads – they would travel from one place to another in search of food and shelter.

While travelling one day, a man arrived at the edge of a desert. He was walking in the sands, when suddenly, he came across a frightening creature – it had extremely long, thin legs, a giant hump and a long neck. It was this neck that he extended towards the man, who, scared out of his wits, ran away from the spot.

The Fish Which Changes From Female to Male

Tue, 02 Oct 2001 14:17:26 +0000

There is a fish called the blackspot angelfish, which can change from female to male. No, it cannot do it by simply wishing to become male. The change happens for a specific reason.

The angel fish live in groups. And each group has one male fish, which is blue in colour, and four female fish, which are yellow in colour.

The male angelfish is the strongest and largest member of the group. He is the one who protects and looks after the females and acts like their ‘security guard’. When the male dies, the group needs a ‘security guard’. This is when the largest female fish in the group begins to change its appearance.

My Garden

Sat, 06 Jan 2001 17:15:59 +0000

There’s a garden in my house
A garden full of flowers
I love to be there all the time
And spend just hours and hours

There are roses, every kind
And lilies in the pool
Sunflowers looking trim and bright
And jasmines white and cool.

There’s a lawn of velvet grass
So soft and oh so green
Like a carpet beneath my feet
The nicest I have seen.

My Garden [Illustration by Sudheer Nath]

There are bulbuls, parrots too
And koels in the tree
And sparrows, sparrows everywhere

Karl Marx

Tue, 14 Aug 2001 18:28:31 +0000

German economist, philosopher, and revolutionist, Karl Marx’s writings form the basis of the body of ideas known as Marxism. As one of the most original and influential thinkers of modern times, Karl Marx produced, with the aid of Friedrich Engels, much of the theory of modern socialism and communism.

Born on May 5, 1818, Marx lived in a period of unrestrained capitalism when exploitation and misery were the lot of the industrial working classes, and it was his and Engels’ humanitarianism and concern for social justice that inspired his work.

Who Invented the Photocopying Machine?

Sun, 28 Jan 2001 04:02:28 +0000

We have all used it at one time or another to copy our school documents, or parts of a book borrowed from the library, or just about anything we wanted a copy of. It’s just a matter of pressing a button of the xerox machine and hey Presto! a piece of paper comes out at one end, an exact duplicate of the document we needed copied!

However, when the invention was first patented, nobody wanted anything to do with it. Major corporations like IBM, Kodak and General Electric rejected the offer to develop it, perhaps regretting the decision to this day! However, the blood, sweat, and tears of its inventor, Chester F. Carlson did not go wasted, as the success of the machine proves today!

Kindness to Animals

Tue, 18 May 1999 16:30:32 +0000

Little children, never give
Pain to things that feel and live;

Let the gentle robin come
For the crumbs you save at home;
As his meat you throw along
He’ll repay you with a song.

Never hurt the timid hare
Peeping from her green grass lair,
Let her come and sport and play
On the lawn at close of day.

Kindness to Animals [Illustration by Aneesh Jaisinghani]

The little lark goes soaring high
To the bright windows of the sky,
Singing as if t’were always spring,
And fluttering on an untired wing –

Why Do Stars Twinkle?

Fri, 04 Sep 1998 21:44:16 +0000

Watching stars on a moonless night can be an quite an interesting experience. As clusters of stars take familiar forms – of a bear, a man in armor wielding a sword, millions of other stars simply twinkle. As if they were playing hide and seek with one’s eyes.

We all know that each star is actually like the sun. And the huge collection of stars on the night sky is like a collection of many, many suns. But, the sun does not twinkle, one would point out. So why do other stars twinkle?

The Wonderful World of Insects

Mon, 27 Nov 2000 15:58:31 +0000

What is an Insect?

Insects are found all over India from the icy Himalayas to the burning sands of the Thar Desert. They are found in the murky depths of rivers and lakes, and in the grass in your neighbourhood park. In fact, insects are everywhere-flying in the air, hidden among leaves and flowers, buried deep in the ground and even swimming in the water!

Some insects are so small that you may not be able to see them while others like certain beetles are as big as a mouse. Yet the smaller insects are the more active. Did you know that ants and bees pull or lift objects many times heavier than their own weight, or that flies flap their wings as many as one thousand times a second? Insects are strange and fascinating creatures.

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.

Where Did Shoes Come From?

Thu, 14 Apr 2005 17:14:08 +0000

Ooh, aah, ouch! People in ancient times must have yelped like this when they walked on rough ground without any shoes on. And it was probably the pain and discomfort that propelled them to cover their feet for protection.

Footwear has a history which goes back many thousands of years, and has long been an article of prestige for people in different societies.

Where Did Shoes Come From? [Illustration by Anup Singh]

The earliest footwear, probably made of plaited grass or rawhide held to the foot with thongs was undoubtedly born of the necessity to provide some protection when moving over rough terrain in varying weather conditions.

A Fish with Three Hearts: Cuttlefish

Mon, 18 Mar 2002 05:06:42 +0000

It is said to be a royal among sea animals because it has blue blood, literally. And the cuttlefish has a large heart. Actually, it is not one but three hearts.

And it is not even a fish but belongs to the same family as the squid and the octopus. They are called the cephalopods, which literally translated means head-foot.

The blood of the cuttlefish is blue because of the huge amount of copper in it. While it uses two of its hearts to pump blood into the gills (the lung of the fish) where it absorbs oxygen, the third heart pumps blood into the other organs.

The Three Butterflies

Mon, 11 Jun 2001 02:20:40 +0000

Neeli, Peeli and Lali were three brothers. And they were butterflies. The most handsome butterflies in all the land, and best friends, too. Their mother, Rangberangi, had taught them all they knew. She told them many things, “But”, she said, “the most important thing of all to remember is that you must always depend on and support each other. Together, you will be stronger than the Sun, Wind and Rain combined even though you fly on delicate gossamer wings. Individually you are just ordinary butterflies, weak and fragile. So never let each other down.”

Our Environment

Thu, 14 Mar 2002 18:59:07 +0000

Do you know what the greenhouse effect is or perhaps what the ozone hole means? If you don’t then find them here.

The Wedding Chain

Sat, 21 Dec 2002 11:42:10 +0000

Mother always wore her wedding chain. She wore it indoors and outdoors, she even wore it in the bath. She never ever took it off. It was a gift to her from father. His eyes shone with tender love when he had brought her to his home after their marriage, and put it around her neck.

It had been made-to-order to a special design that father gave to the goldsmith. The chain had bits of twisted gold interspersed with five black beads, followed by another bit of twisted gold chain.

The Bittersweet Story of Chocolate

Sun, 18 Feb 2001 17:04:15 +0000

Many, many centuries ago, sometime around 400 BC, in the jungles of South and
Central America, the Cacao plant was discovered which in the ages to come would become the most desired foodstuff in the whole world.

The plant was found to have hard pods with each pod containing brown beans that later became the main ingredient in the making of chocolate. Cacao was a very important plant even then as it was actually used as money by the Mayans and later by the Aztecs.

Domestic Animals Coloring Pages

Sat, 10 Jan 2009 17:01:40 +0000

Domestic Animals Coloring Pages for kids. Colour the pet animals in the picture.
Click on any image you like to enlarge it. You can download this image and print it for coloring!

Click on any image to view an enlarged version. Print it and color it.

Why do Flies have Compound Eyes?

Fri, 11 May 2001 00:04:44 +0000

Just like a man woos the woman he loves, takes her to nice restaurants, buys her presents, and courts her to impress her before marriage, animals too choose their mates through courtship.

Since animals cannot do all these, they do it differently. Some animals put up a colourful display, while others give little gifts to their beloved – a choice worm, a designer nest and so on. A few species display their love through a series of grunts and others, like the Saurus crane or the stickleback fish, perform an intricate courtship dance.

Srinivasa Aiyangar Ramanujan

Sat, 09 Dec 2000 08:40:40 +0000

Srinivasa Ramanujan was one of India’s mathematical geniuses. He made
wonderful contributions to the field of advanced mathematics.

Even today, his fascinating results and mathematical theories, and a number of unpublished notebooks filled with theorems, continue to baffle and enthrall mathematicians.

Ramanujan was born in his grandmother’s house in Erode, a small village near Chennai in Tamil Nadu. While he was still a baby, his mother took him to Kumbakonam, near Chennai, where his father worked as a clerk in a cloth merchant’s shop.

The lazy monk — a tale from the Panchatantra

Mon, 07 Jun 1999 05:38:49 +0000

Note: This folktale has been adapted from the Panchatantra story originally titled “The lazy brahmin”.Panchatantra is an ancient Indian collection of interrelated animal fables in Sanskrit.

Onam — The Harvest Festival

Sun, 22 Aug 1999 00:18:26 +0000

The harvest festival of Kerala, Onam, falls on Shravan day in the month of August or September. After a lush harvest, Onam is the time for the farmers to celebrate the bounties of nature and make merry. Like most festivals of India, Onam too has a legend associated with it.

The story goes: A long time ago an Asura king named Mahabali ruled Kerala. He was dearly loved by his subjects and was known to be a just and wise ruler. His popularity soon spread far and wide. Mahabali, however, incurred the wrath of the gods when, besides earth, he extended his rule to the heavens and the nether world. Indra, the king of gods, did not appreciate the growing power of the asura king. The gods approached Lord Vishnu the preserver in the Hindu trinity — to help them out of the situation and to curb the growing power of the asura king. Lord Vishnu in the guise of Vamana (a brahmin dwarf) approached Mahabali for alms. Now Mahabali was a very generous man. He told Vamana to ask for anything. The Vamana asked for three paces of land and the king agreed to it.

Mohandas Karamchand (Mahatma) Gandhi

Sun, 18 Nov 2001 05:47:10 +0000

Thinker, statesman and nationalist leader, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi not only led his own country to independence but also influenced political activists of many persuasions throughout the world with his methods and philosophy of nonviolent confrontation, or civil disobedience.

Born in Porbandar in Gujarat on October 2, 1869, his actions inspired the great Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore to call him “Mahatma” (“great soul”). For him, the universe was regulated by a Supreme Intelligence or Principle, which he preferred to call satya (Truth) and, as a concession to convention, God.

Tenali Rama and the Brinjal

Fri, 12 Jan 2001 08:24:43 +0000

Clown, jester, poet…Tenali Rama, minister in the court of the ruler of Vijaynagar, Krishnadeva Rai (reign: 1509-30), was a lot of things. Stories, about Tenali Rama and his practical jokes on everyone around him including distinguished fellow poets and the emperor himself, abound in south India.

His fame spread beyond Vijaynagar (present-day Andhra Pradesh), to areas that come in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka today. Tenali Rama was also a great scholar of several languages that included Marathi, Tamil and Kannada.

Rabindranath Tagore

Wed, 24 Oct 2001 18:09:04 +0000

Mystic, painter and Nobel laureate for literature, Rabindranath Tagore was a prolific writer (3,000 poems, 2,000 songs, 8 novels, 40 volumes of essays and short stories, 50 plays), who drew inspiration both from his native Bengal and from English literary tradition. His major theme was humanity’s search for God and truth. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for his collection of well-known poems Gitanjali (Song Offerings).

Born in Calcutta on May 7, 1861, Rabindranath was the youngest of fourteen children. His father, Debendranath Tagore, was a Sanskrit scholar and a leading member of the Brahmo Samaj. Rabindranath’s early education was imparted at home. In school, while others use to learn their lessons, he would slip into more exciting world of dreams. Inspired by his older nephew, he wrote his first poem when he was hardly seven. At the age of seventeen, his first book of poems was published.

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.

The Magic Painting

Thu, 23 Aug 2001 20:16:36 +0000

Once upon a time there was a person who loved to paint. His name was Ankit. One day he made a painting. He loved it so much that he made it his masterpiece.

That night when he slept, an angel came and blessed his painting that it should come alive.

He was always lonely. He always wanted a companion to talk to and share his work and secrets. Next morning when he woke up he heard some sounds near his painting. When he looked at the painting he was shocked that it was talking! He thought that his wish had come true.

How does a Submarine Work?

Sat, 12 Apr 2003 20:16:50 +0000

Jules Verne in his science fiction, 20,000 Leagues under the Sea, mentions a ship, Nautilus, which could dive beneath the waves and surface again when it wanted to.

Even before submarines were thought about, Verne had created the blueprint of this technological marvel. Not only did he describe the machine, but he also explained, in great detail, how it worked. In fact, today’s submarines use exactly the same technology as Verne’s Nautilus did!

How does a Submarine Work?

How does a submarine float and dive under water at will?

Who or What is a Gladiator?

Wed, 08 May 2002 07:09:37 +0000

It all started in ancient Rome. The most brutal sport that has ever existed in the history of the world was the fights between gladiators. The ‘sport’ traces its roots to the custom among the Etruscan people, a civilisation in Italy that existed before the Roman civilisation. At the death of the master of the house, servants would duel to the death for the right to follow their owners in death and provide help and company.

How Does Ice float?

Thu, 16 Dec 2004 03:41:03 +0000

A cool glass of water topped with huge chunks of ice is sure to quench your thirst on a hot summer day. But, before you guzzle the water, look at how the ice floats on the water surface. How do these large ice pieces manage to stay afloat?

Ice floats because it is less dense than water. (If you take a one-litre container with ice and weigh it, it will be lighter than a similar container with water.)

Granny’s Fabulous Kitchen

Mon, 23 Apr 2001 03:27:04 +0000

This story is from the book The Adventures of Rusty. Rusty is a 12-year-old boy, and as you read on, you might think that he is very much a part of you! The book has two sections, and Granny’s Fabulous Kitchen is the beginning of the first section.
As kitchens went, it wasn’t all that big. It wasn’t as big as the bedroom or the living-room, but it was big enough, and there was a pantry next to it. What made it fabulous was all that came out of it; good things to eat like kababs and curries, chocolate fudge and peanut toffee, jellies and gulab jamuns, meat-pies and apple-pies, stuffed turkeys, stuffed chickens, stuffed eggplants, and ham stuffed with chickens!
Granny was the best cook in the world.

Why is the Mediterranean Sea Blue?

Wed, 19 Jan 2000 02:23:58 +0000

We know that about seventy one per cent of the earth’s surface is covered with water. The earth’s three main Oceans are the Atlantic, the Pacific and the Indian Ocean.

The Atlantic Ocean is a great mass of water that separates Europe and Africa from America. It is shaped like a great hour-glass-with a ‘waist’ where Africa and South America bulge out towards each other. Although in area it is less than half the Pacific, it has many ‘secondary’ seas, such as the Arctic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.

Do Bananas Grow on Trees?

Sun, 01 Jul 2001 18:01:47 +0000

You think bananas grow on trees? Wrong. They don’t, because the banana tree is actually a plant. It is probably the largest plant in the world.

To know more, look at the banana trunk. Is it wood? No. There are layers of skin placed in circles. These layers are actually the lower ends of banana leaves. In other words, the banana tree is a clump of leaves!

A banana plant

At the top of the plant is a chunk of leaves looking like a palm tree. The flower bud grows in the stalk, which is right in the middle of these leaves. From this flower bud grows the bunch of banana fruits, all of which point skywards. There is only one bunch at a time. But, it can be quite heavy. Sometimes, it could weigh up to 45 kilograms!

The Harpist and the Princess

Thu, 25 Oct 2001 19:11:13 +0000

A Burmese folk tale

Once upon a time in the beautiful city of Mandalay lived a young orphan boy. His name was Thi Hah. He was very poor and often had to go without food.

He had one passion in life, and that was playing the harp. The Burmese harp resembles a long tailed boat with a thick bottom and its end tapers to a fine delicate end very like the sails of a boat.

A Train Adventure of Wild Animals

Fri, 30 Mar 2001 02:06:40 +0000

An empty goods train was speeding through a jungle. Up front, in the engine, was the driver and at the back, in the last compartment, was the guard. Apart from them, the entire train was empty.

A goods train carries goods. Like logs of wood, or boxes of chocolate – ummm, even cars and jeeps. But this train had been carrying coal. It had brought coal from a mine in Dhanbad in Bihar for a thermal power station in Delhi called “Badarpur”. After unloading all the coal in Delhi, the empty train was going back, to get more coal.

What Is The Origin Of Silk Fabric?

Fri, 15 Jul 2005 14:43:43 +0000

My mother took out her favourite blue silk saree for the dinner party. I looked at it, mesmerised by its shimmer and lustre. The rich fabric draped around her body, making her look so very elegant. Definitely no other fabric can match the qualities of silk.

But have you ever wondered, how silk fabric came into existence? Silk production, or ‘Sericulture’ as it is known, has a long history, unknown to most of us.

What Is The Origin Of Silk Fabric?

The silken roots

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 Bad is the Sting of a Scorpion?

Sat, 17 Feb 2001 14:20:30 +0000

Ever seen a scorpion scurrying across with two crab-like claws and its tail high in the air? Well this tail is what has to be watched out for! The zing in the scorpion is in its tail for it has a sting.

Scorpions are poisonous animals. They are arthropods belonging to the class Arachnida and are relatives of the spiders and ticks. Though they are considered creatures of the desert, you can find them in most climates, hot or cold. They can be found in snow-covered peaks, in caves, in grasslands and forests. You can even find them in your homes.

Chess for Children: A Smart Move

Wed, 12 Apr 2006 09:12:52 +0000

When we think of chess we think of two adults sitting opposite each other, thinking of ways and means to outsmart the other. Many people feel it is a very difficult game. But do you know that most chess players and champions start very young?

Viswanathan Anand, number two in the world, played his first chess game at the age of five. This was in 1974. Anand’s mother taught him the game and was his first opponent. In no time he came to be called the Lightning Kid. This was because he made his moves with such speed. In 1987, Anand won the world junior championship, in the Philippines. He was the first Asian ever to do so.

Diwali Coloring Pages for kids

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 17:15:06 +0000

Diwali Coloring Pages for kids. The festival of lights has arrived. Let us decorate our houses with lamps and lighten it up. Deepawali Coloring Pages for kids. Colour diyas (earthen lamps), hanging brass lamps and paper lanterns.

This coloring page is a part of a large collection of free printable coloring book pages for preschool, kindergarten and elementary school children to print and color.

Click on any image to view an enlarged version. Print it and color it.

The Nine Nights of Navaratri

Tue, 27 Aug 2002 01:29:21 +0000

This year, the end of September marks the onset of Navaratri or “nine nights” in the Hindu calendar. With this begins one of the most festive phases in India, with Durga Puja in east India, Dussehra in north, central and west India, and Saraswati Puja in South India. It also sets the stage for Diwali in the near future.

Navaratri literally means ’nine nights’. This nine-day period, sacred to Durga, is celebrated sometime in the months of October and November. It is considered the most auspicious time of the Hindu calendar.

What is a Volcano?

Wed, 24 Sep 2003 17:37:09 +0000

What is nature’s most powerful, most destructive, most dangerous form? Some would say an earthquake, others a cyclone. However, these phenomenon are relatively smaller and less destructive in scale compared to the fury of a volcano.

Fourteen miles southeast of Naples in Italy, lie the remains of an ancient town called Pompeii. The city flourished under the shadows of the towering Mount Vesuvius. In 79 AD, the volcano erupted, destroying the cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum, Stabiae and Torre Annunziata.

Can Plants be Parasites?

Thu, 27 Apr 2000 22:20:11 +0000

All living things are dependent either on other animals or plants for their food. Animals must constantly go in search of food. But plants remain fixed at one place. Some plants make their own food by using energy from sunlight to convert carbon dioxide from the air and water from the soil to make sugar.

Green leaves of the plants contain chlorophyll that carry out this process called photosynthesis. But a large number of plants are unable to produce their own food because of the absence of chlorophyll. These plants, therefore, feed on other plants or dead animals.

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.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Tue, 18 Dec 2001 08:02:01 +0000

Martin Luther King Jr. goes down in history as one of the principal leader of the civil rights movement in the United States and a prominent advocate of nonviolent protest. King’s challenges to segregation and racial discrimination helped convince many white Americans to support the cause of civil rights in the United States.

King was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and was ordained as a Baptist minister at age 18. He graduated from Morehouse College in 1948 and from Crozer Theological Seminary in 1951. In 1955 he earned a doctoral degree in systematic theology from Boston University. While in Boston, King met Coretta Scott, whom he married in 1953.

Why do Humans Sweat?

Tue, 15 Oct 2002 01:52:22 +0000

It is an annual ritual in most Indian homes. With the onset of summer it is time to bring the rusty, rickety old coolers down from the terrace and get them repaired. The reason is obvious – it is difficult to live through the hot, sweaty Indian summer without an air cooler. But did you know that the human body has its own cooler as well?

Think of the times you have travelled in a car. How hot the vehicle engine gets after a long journey. Similarly, as our bodies chug along they produce heat in the process.
They normally maintain a temperature of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degree Celsius) and become feverish if it rises above this point.

Science Quiz

Sun, 14 Sep 1997 03:11:43 +0000

Do you know what CO2 refers to? Do you know the meaning of light-year? Come, explore the wonderful world of science.

A Baby Lion Learns To Roar

Thu, 05 Feb 1998 00:33:35 +0000

Once upon a time, in a faraway jungle, there lived a Papa Lion with his son, a cute and cuddly Little baby Lion. Papa Lion loved him very much. But he was also very worried. The baby Lion had still not learnt to roar. For that matter he could not even growl.

One day Papa Lion decided to appoint a tutor to teach his son how to roar. He asked Jackknife, the Jackal, to be his son’s tutor. The next morning Mr. Jackknife bathed, shaved, dressed up smartly and came over to the lion’s cave. The baby Lion had never seen such an interesting tutor.

How Does Satellite TV Work?

Fri, 15 Aug 2003 20:18:50 +0000

Nine ‘o’ clock. It’s time for your favourite serial on television. Have you ever wondered how the same serial can be viewed by millions of people across the world?

This is possible because of satellite television technology. It uses man-made or artificial satellites to send your favourite serial to your television set. But why do we need satellites for this purpose?

How Does Satellite TV Work?

The earth is round

Geography Quiz

Fri, 12 Dec 1997 05:01:14 +0000

Find some interesting things about the planet we live on. You’ll know some facts and some you won’t. Do you know which country has Malay as its official language?

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 Three Pals

Tue, 22 Oct 2002 18:07:30 +0000

Oops, Oh and OK were pals.

One day, Oops got visitors – uncle Silly and cousin Funny.

Uncle Silly said, “What about some ice creams?”

Oops said “Oops!” Oh said “oh!” and uncle Silly thought they didn’t want ice cream.

He said. “We won’t go”.

Cousin Funny said “I’ll screammmmm!!!” so they all went for ice creams.

His name should be Punny not Funny, no?

Oops, Oh and OK dropped ice cream all over their shorts and T-shirts. Ugh-Yucky-Sticky.

What is the Weight of Air?

Fri, 14 May 2004 14:07:53 +0000

As you stand in the middle of a playground or while you are sitting in your class, there is an immense weight right over your head, but you do not feel it! This is the weight of the atmosphere, or air, as we know it.

Composed of nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide and other gases, it surrounds the earth like an envelope. And, it extends almost a thousand kilometres above the Earth’s surface.

Like all other substances, air also has weight. Imagine, we are actually talking about a thousand-kilometre high column of air above our heads. This is known as the atmospheric pressure.

How Wool Came Into Existence

Mon, 12 Dec 2005 03:50:19 +0000

It must have been a very intelligent human who looked at a sheep walking past and thought of the use its fleece might have!

Although the oldest surviving textile made out of wool is around 3,500 years old, the oldest fine woolen fabric dates to the fifth century BC (about 2,500 years ago) and was found in an ancient Greek colony.

How Wool Came Into Existence

Wool was probably the first fiber to be woven into a textile. Because when primitive man stopped hunting and started herding animals, it was his first step from a primitive life to a civilised one. Sheep were sort of a stone age convenience store for the nomadic lifestyle of our primitive ancestors, a walking food supply that required little care. Sheep provided for all the basic needs – meat and milk for food, skin and bones for clothing, shelter and tools.

Water - A sciene quiz about water

Sun, 09 Mar 2003 00:57:00 +0000

Are you a fountain of knowledge when it comes to water? Well, dive in to find out if you are a water baby or not. [A sciene quiz for children about water]

Why do Doctors Examine the Pulse?

Tue, 14 Nov 2000 13:23:52 +0000

If you place the first three fingers of your hand on the inside of your wrist, a dull throbbing reverberates through your hand. Da-dub, da-dub, da-dub. Very reassuring, these gentle thuds, that remind us that our bodies are kicking along, and that, at least at last touch, we’re alive and well.

By pulse we mean the regular throbbing of arteries caused by the successive contractions of the heart. During the action of the heart there is a pause. During this pause, the wall of the aorta contracts. The aorta is the great trunk artery that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body.

What is a Tornado?

Mon, 22 May 2000 10:14:36 +0000

If you ever happen to see a dark often greenish sky, wall cloud, large hail and a loud roar similar to a freight train then run to a safe place as it could be a tornado.

Popularly known as twisters, tornado is derived from Spanish word ‘Tronada’ meaning thunderstorm and ‘Tornar’ meaning to turn.

Tornadoes [Illustrations by Amarjeet Malik]

A tornado is defined as a violently rotating column of air that can spin faster than 300 m.p.h., extending from a thunderstorm to the ground. They are generally observed as tube-or funnel-shaped clouds. At ground level they usually leave a path of destruction about 50 m wide and travel an average of about 8 to 24 km.

Hiroshima Quiz

Thu, 17 Jun 2004 10:49:45 +0000

How much do you know about the bombing of the two Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the United States of America, during the Second World War?

How are Earthquakes Recorded?

Wed, 13 Mar 2002 11:57:32 +0000

When an earthquake takes place, people say that it measured 6.2 or 6.5 on the scale. The scale they are referring to is the Richter Scale developed by Charles Richter in the 1930s.

The Richter Scale measures the magnitude of the seismic waves or vibrations that travels across the earth’s surface. The scale uses a logarithmic formula using high-frequency data collected from seismograph stations.

However, long before Richter developed his scale, a Chinese philosopher Chang Heng invented a device to measure earthquakes in 132 A.D. He constructed a large urn that had eight open-mouthed dragon-heads holding a ball each in their mouths, on the outside.

Who invented Hello?

Fri, 20 Aug 2004 11:15:32 +0000

Hello, Hullo, Hallo, Hull-oo-oo-oo. You may say it softly or you may holler at the top of your voice, but the person at the other end knows that all you are trying to do is get in touch with a greeting.

Legend has it that Thomas Alva Edison was the first to say hello over the telephone. But Edison didn’t invent ‘hello’ by a long shot. As a matter of fact, the greeting has been around for centuries much before the invention of telephone in 1885.

Albert Einstein

Fri, 02 Nov 2001 01:20:54 +0000

German-American physicist Albert Einstein contributed more than any other scientist to the 20th-century vision of physical reality. In the wake of World War I, Einstein’s theories, especially his theory of relativity, seemed to many people to point to a pure quality of human thought, one far removed from the war and its aftermath. Seldom has a scientist received such public attention for having cultivated the fruit of pure learning.

Born in Ulm in Germany on March 14, 1879, Einstein’s parents were nonobservant Jews who moved from Ulm to Munich when Einstein was an infant. The family moved yet again to Milan in Italy in 1894, when the family business of manufacturing electrical apparatus failed.

Ratha Yatra

Sat, 21 Nov 1998 06:25:30 +0000

Excerpts from the book “Festivals of India”
Published by National Book Trust, India.

Festivals bring large numbers of people together in a spirit of joy or devotion, or both. But there is one festival that combines joy and devotion with physical rigour. This is the Car Festival of Lord Jagannath at Puri, in Orissa, popularly known as the Rath Yatra. On this occasion devotees join hands to pull the massive chariots of their deities over a three-kilometre distance.

An Organism that is visible from Space

Sat, 10 Aug 2002 10:30:36 +0000

The elephant is the largest land animal. The Blue whale is the largest sea animal. But however big these animals may be, they can not size up to the colonies built by tiny little sea creatures – the coral. The colonies built by corals are called coral reefs. Coral reefs can be as huge as big islands or even as big as a country!

These reef-building corals are not single animals. A coral is a colony made up of many individual animals called polyps. These are connected to each other.

Why was the Berlin Wall Built?

Sat, 29 Sep 2001 00:30:39 +0000

A few tentative steps across Checkpoint Charlie and you were transported to a different world. One side had McDonalds, Coke, Toyota cars and a democratically elected government. Across the Checkpoint, was a world of state-owned factories, rows and rows of identical apartments, and a self-imposed government. This was the world of the two Berlins divided by barbed wire, watch dogs, tanks, and an imposing wall.

In 1945, following World War II, Germany was divided into two countries – East Germany and West Germany. East Germany was controlled by the communist regime of the Soviet Union while West Germany became a democracy supported by the United States. Berlin, the former capital city, although entirely within East German borders, was also split into two.

How do Satellites Stay Up?

Thu, 24 Apr 2003 16:34:46 +0000

Satellites orbit the earth because of the force of gravity. To understand why this happens and why the satellite does not get pulled in and fall, we have to understand what forces do. A force will change the motion of an object; it might speed it up, slow it down or change its direction. For example, if you are running and someone pushes you from behind, you speed up (the force is in the direction of your motion). But if someone pushes you in the chest when you are running, you slow down (the force is in the opposite direction to your motion). If you are running and someone pushes you from the side, you move away from them, changing your direction. (the force is at right angles to the motion). This idea is called

The Man who Saved the Moon

Tue, 22 Aug 2000 15:00:01 +0000

A kind-hearted man, looking down into a well, saw the reflection of the moon in the water.

“Oh! My God! The moon has fallen into the well,” he muttered mournfully and hurried to fetch a hook tied to the end of a long rope.

Quickly, he let the hook fall deep into the well, holding fast to the rope.

The hook hit the water and, reaching the bottom of the well, caught fast to a stone.

My Dream (A Vision Of Peace)

Sat, 03 Aug 2002 20:42:44 +0000

Where the mountains touch the sky

Where poets DREAM, where eagles fly

A secret place above the crowd

Just beneath a silver-lined cloud.

Lift your eyes to a snowy peak

And see the soon-to-be we seek

Whisper DREAMS and let them rise

To the mountains old and wise.

Climbers climb, it’s time to try

Where the mountains touch the sky
Take me there. Oh take me now…

Someway, Someday, Somewhere, Somehow!

My Dream (A Vision Of Peace) [Illustration by Shinod AP]

Where the ocean meets the sky

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.

Decorate Bindis

Tue, 24 Sep 2002 05:38:56 +0000

Decorate Bindis [Illustrations by Anup Singh]

Look for old bindis lying in your house and give them a new look.

The things you need:

Plain bindis of different colours and sizes
Tiny beads of different colours
Adhesive

Step 1: Since bindis are small, you will have to decorate them very carefully. Choose the beads that go with the colour of the bindi and stick them in a way that they look attractive.

Why does Cutting Onions Make us Cry?

Thu, 29 Nov 2001 08:49:44 +0000

If you cut an onion, you begin crying. Have you ever wondered why this happens — why onions make tears run down your face?

Well, onions contain a oil, which has lots of sulphur in it. When you cut the onion, this oil is released. It evaporates very fast. When the oil gases reach your eyes, it causes irritation and sends signals to your tear gland to produce tears. So that the tears can wash away the irritant from your eyes.

Animal Quiz - 2

Fri, 23 Apr 1999 13:34:38 +0000

It is the largest living creature on earth, and weighs the same as 30 elephants put together. What is it? Check out your animal facts. [A sciene quiz for children about animals]

Why Does Time Start in Greenwich?

Tue, 09 Oct 2001 04:38:38 +0000

Its six in the morning and the sun is streaming through the window of your home in Delhi. In New York, people are just packing up to go home as it is six in the evening!

Nothing amazing about it. We know that the earth is round and that it revolves once in 24 hours. So while it is daytime in the east, it is still night in the west.

But for ages, people measured time based on the position of the sun – it was noon when the sun was highest in the sky.

Where Did Chess Originate?

Sun, 29 Jul 2001 01:53:41 +0000

Chess originated in India around 7th century AD (around 1400 years ago). The game was then called Chaturanga – chatur meaning four and anga meaning parts. The game comprised the four parts of the army: elephants, horses, chariots and foot soldiers besides the king and his mantri (minister).

The game was in fact a battle-plan drawn on a smaller scale, to find out ways and means of outsmarting the enemy.

How was it played? In the game, one side of the army had to knock out or capture the opponent’s pieces from the board until the king was captured or ‘checked’, that is, made immobile. The player who ‘checked’ the opponent king’s movements won the game.

Indian village people coloring pages

Sun, 30 Apr 2006 13:00:32 +0000

Some people in their traditional outfits, others in their traditional work situations in an Indian village. Click on any image you like to enlarge it. You can download this image and print it for colouring!

Click on any image to view an enlarged version. Print it and color it.

The Mysterious Case of the Neem Tree

Mon, 22 Oct 2001 10:14:08 +0000

For thousands of years, the neem tree has been a familiar friend to the people of India. A native of India and Burma, every part of this tree, from its root to bark, leaves and seed, has been used for medicinal purposes. It has been used to cure illnesses. It has also been used for preventing infection, or repelling insects that attack grains or people, like mosquitoes.

It is very interesting that the neem’s botanical name, Azadirachta indica, has come from a Persian description of the tree. They called the neem azad darakht-i-Hindil, which literally meant “the free tree of India”.

The Magical Rainforest

Fri, 10 Aug 2001 11:17:58 +0000

Imagine a forest where the trees touch the sky. Due to enough rainfall, the trees grow huge and spread wide. Their tallest branches are so thick-leafed that they create a thick curtain. Even the wind does not find enough space to blow as it pleases. All there is in that forest is stillness. And it is very warm. The temperature could vary between 20 and 35 degrees centigrade. The climate is such that it is good for life forms of all kinds — from trees to animals, birds and insects.

What is Daylight Saving Time?

Thu, 04 Jan 2001 16:27:04 +0000

People in some parts of the world gain an extra hour in winters and are able to sleep and snore that much longer thanks to a suggestion by Benjamin Franklin about daylight saving time. But when the suggestion was first made, it raised such a furore not only from those kept awake by the extra snoring but also from others and they wasted a lot of time fighting over this extra hour.

Actually the confusion began when the postal service and the railways began to connect far-flung cities. These towns followed their town clock by measuring the position of the sun. Therefore every city was on a slightly different time.

The Elephants who Showed Off

Mon, 08 Oct 2001 03:24:07 +0000

A long long time ago, elephants had small, shiny and beautiful noses. Vain that they were, they would always turn their noses up in the air when they passed by any other animal. They were plain show-offs.

Naturally, the other animals did not like this very much. Finally, one clever monkey decided to do something about it.

He went up to the wise hermit who lived on the mountain and asked him if there was some way to make the elephants’ noses long and ugly.

Why do Cats Always Land on Their Feet?

Wed, 22 Oct 2003 00:43:52 +0000

When someone falls from the fourth or fifth floor, and survives, we call it a miracle. When a cat falls from that height, we watch astonished as it lands on all fours, pauses, then straighten up and walks away looking just a little fazed. What would you call this, a miracle or God’s grace?

Any guesses why cats survive while humans don’t? Well, it all has to do with the in-built ability of a cat to adjust its position during a sudden fall, its light weight and lithe muscular body. While humans tumble uncontrollably and completely lose control over their bodies when they fall, cats are able to straighten themselves even in mid-air and manage to fall on their feet.

How do Earthquakes Happen?

Thu, 15 Aug 2002 04:16:22 +0000

Simply put, the shaking of the earth caused by a sudden shifting of rocks below its surface, is called an earthquake. The earths crust or outermost layer, is not made of one single piece of solid rock. It is actually made up of independent sheets of rocks called tectonic plates.

The tectonic plates of the world were mapped in the second half of the 20th century.

These plates slide against each other, giving rise to physical changes in the earths topography. The places where these tectonic plates meet each other, are called fault lines.

Monu Makes his Mark

Sun, 24 Nov 2002 06:05:27 +0000

Monu the mongoose crawled out of the ditch in the back garden. His mother was already out with his three little brothers. They had long bodies with short legs. They had bushy tails and tiny ears. And they had bright eyes, which shone like beads.

They did things fast. They were already good hunters like their mother. But Monu was not smart like his brothers. He didn’t like chasing mice and garden rats like they did. He didn’t even like to go for frogs and lizards. And he disliked snakes most of all! His brothers laughed at him. “Little coward!” they teased, “Poor frightened baby!”

Babolito

Sun, 10 Nov 2002 04:15:30 +0000

Mohanty ma’am was teaching the class five students of Arya Wonderland about similes.

“As beautiful as?” she asked, looking at the students.

“The rose, the Taj Mahal, Aishwarya Rai….” There were several shouts.

“And now, as ugly as?” Mohanty ma’am questioned.

There was a pause then a girl said in a loud and clear voice: “As ugly as Sarita.”

There were a few giggles, a couple of sniggers and then laughter.

Sarita felt herself burning with shame and pain as all eyes turned towards her, bored into her, making her feel exposed. She hid her face in her hands and wept.

Where does the Pigeon Post Operate?

Sun, 17 Nov 2002 19:30:46 +0000

Among birds, pigeons have a natural and unerring instinct of returning to their nests or homes after long flights. In the early days besides domesticating animals like the horse, dog and cow, people also bred pigeons to carry messages back and forth. These pigeons are called homing pigeons.

Racing pigeons have a life span of 15-20 years. A healthy bird can fly stretches upto 1,000 km. Normally the message is tied around the feet of the pigeon in a plastic capsule to protect the paper. Two pigeons are released with the same message, as pigeons are prone to attacks from other birds of prey particularly the hawk.

What is Cloud Seeding?

Fri, 11 May 2001 03:21:04 +0000

There was a time when a farmer would sit out in his field, watching a lonesome cloud float away, taking with it the last hope of a much-needed burst of rain. As humans take control over more and more natural processes – not necessarily for the betterment of civilisation – rain too seems to have finally been leashed in.

Just like a farmer throws seeds on ploughed land to harvest plants, clouds can also be seeded with chemicals to induce rain! But to understand how cloud seeding works we must first learn some basic facts about the weather.

The End of Living – The Beginning of Survival

Sun, 07 May 2000 06:19:28 +0000

The End of Living – The Beginning of Survival

In 1854, the government of United States made an offer for a large area of Indian land and promised a ‘reservation’ for the Indian people. Chief Seattle’s reply is a most beautiful and profound statement on environment…

How can you buy or sell the sky, the warmth of the land? The idea is strange to us.

The Adventurer

Wed, 05 Apr 2006 16:50:06 +0000

I am sure all families are interesting. But I like to think that my family is especially interesting. I have such great nephews and nieces because of whom there is not a single dull moment in life.

Two-and-a-half year old Arshiya goes around asking everyone a very serious question, “Are you happy?” If you ask her to exercise, she says, “I am not Swami Ramdev”. Swami Ramdev is an expert on yoga and comes on a television channel every day. Arshiya has seen the programme with her grandparents.

Christmas all the Way

Sat, 10 Jul 2004 16:56:44 +0000

Long months of waiting and Christmas is back again bringing gifts, joy and excitement. So while this spirit is on, try out our quiz to see how much you know about this festival.

What is the Ozone Hole?

Mon, 14 Oct 2002 11:03:48 +0000

On beaches as well as on the cricket ground, it is always possible to spot people with some kind of cream on their bodies or faces. Remember the South African pace bowler Alan Donald or ‘White Lightning’ as he is called, with “war-paint” on his face? No, it is not an attempt at camouflage, simply an effort to gain protection from the ultraviolet rays of the sun.

And therein lies a paradox – it is the light and heat of the sun that sustains life on earth, but among its many friendly rays are some harmful ones as well. These ultraviolet (UV, as they are called in all popular sunscreen lotions) rays can kill life forms, including humans, if they are exposed to it beyond a limit.

Dolphin in the Mirror

Sun, 30 Mar 2003 21:47:06 +0000

May 3: Dolphins are much more intelligent than humans previously thought. Scientists have recently discovered that bottle-nosed dolphins can recognise themselves in the mirror – much like you and I can!

When you see a zit on your face, what do you do? Go to the mirror time and again, and wonder what it is still doing there. Well, this is exactly what two male bottle-nosed dolphins, Presley and Tab, do as well. So, these lovable aquatic animals are not just seafarers’ friends, but they are also aware of their bodies – almost like humans!

Who discovered Vaccination?

Sun, 24 Feb 2002 05:56:48 +0000

“Mom, I have a stomach ache and I am feeling sick!” Try this out at home and the quick response is bound to be, “Don’t worry, we will take you to the Doctor!” More often than not, if the ache is because you haven’t done your homework, the mere mention of the word ‘doctor’ cures you. Of course, if the problem is genuine no one will know the cure better than a doctor.

Edward Jenner was an English physician who was the pioneer of smallpox vaccine — the world’s first vaccine. rook76 / Shutterstock.com

Know what the scariest thing about a doctor is? – that invariably you get an injection for all aches and pains. Do you know that a newborn child is given vaccination for many diseases? You may throw a tantrum and scream your head off to avoid the injection and inwardly mutter death threats at the person who invented such a painful method for treatment, but the fact remains that whenever we are sick an injection does the trick.
How did it begin? It so happened that one day in 1768, a young milkmaid visited a doctor in Gloucestershire, England. Though nearly everyone in the district was then sick with smallpox, a dreaded disease at that time, the milkmaid was not affected! In the eighteenth century, smallpox was a killer disease, as widespread as cancer now, but with the difference that the majority of its victims were young children.

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.

The Secrets of the Ocean Floor

Wed, 04 Dec 2002 18:35:54 +0000

It is one question that is not a quizmasters’ favourite: which is the tallest mountain on earth? The answer is bound to come fast and snappy – Mt Everest, at a height of 29,000 feet.

But that is only on land. For, if you were to measure from the bottom of the ocean, the tallest mountain in the world will probably be Mauna Kea in Hawaii. It rises more than 15,748 feet under the sea and another 13,779 feet above it. The total comes to more than 29, 527 feet.

Why do We Cup Our Hands When We Shout?

Wed, 21 Aug 2002 23:23:05 +0000

“Go on Sanjay, go on,” we shouted. It was the annual sports meet in our school and the 100 metres sprint was on. The White House runner Deepak was giving our Blue House sprinter, Sanjay, tough competition.

As the sprinters neared the finishing line, and the shouts turned into screams, I noticed something remarkable. Everyone had cupped their hands around their mouths while shouting.

The gesture caught my attention. I had seen that kind of a hand movement in plays and folk dances. What is the reason behind this theatrical gesture?

Juan Tamad and the Flea-Killer

Tue, 25 Apr 2000 18:50:32 +0000

One weakness leads to another. So it was with Juan Tamad’s laziness. As his body was lazy, so was his mind. Truth being often hard to tell, he took recourse to lies, which came easy to him. Telling lies became his second nature.

One day his mother sent him to town to buy a cooking pot. It so happened that the townspeople were afflicted by fleas. Nobody knew where they came from. They crawled up one’s legs and body and lodged themselves in the hair until one itched like mad. It was horrible.

Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan

Thu, 17 Aug 2000 04:57:43 +0000

Born on September 5, 1888 in Tirutlani (now in Andhra Pradesh), Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan rose to become one of modern India’s most respected scholars and statesmen.

He was born to teach as a major part of his life was spent as an academic. He taught philosophy at the universities of Andhra, Mysore and Calcutta. He also held a professorship in eastern religion and ethics at Oxford.

His distinguished academic career included the Chancellorship of Delhi University and vice–chancellorship of Benares Hindu University.

The Eagle’s Tale

Thu, 02 Jan 2003 23:11:31 +0000

Did you hear the wind
sigh
As it brushed past the neem tree
high?

The wind met an eagle ready to
cry
What’s the matter?
Smile – at least
try.
Said the wind to the eagle

I’ve hurt my wings, I can’t
fly
That’s why I’m ready to
cry

The Eagle’s Tale [Illustration by Shinod AP]

Said the eagle to the wind

Is that all? What are we here for
Said the neem and the wind with a
smile

Can a Fish be an Amphibian?

Wed, 17 Oct 2001 21:17:23 +0000

The fish actually looks like it was cursed by a fairy to turn into a frog and the curse stopped working half way! It is called the mudskipper. Because it lives in swamps and estuaries with mud banks. An estuary is a place where a river meets the sea.

It can crawl and jump over land too. It actually has a rollicking time jumping over mud!
No wonder it is called the mudskipper! The mudskippers are probably the most land adapted of fish, and are able to spend days moving about out of water.

Basket-making in India

Mon, 04 Jan 1999 22:32:01 +0000

Weaving of baskets in India is an art as ancient as the making of pottery. Even the nomadic food gathering cultures wove reeds together to prepare baskets. Later, different materials and cultures developed a variety of basketry for domestic use, as well as for ritual purposes. They developed special patterns based on local traditions and techniques.

Baskets as we know them are made out of twigs, bamboo, cane and the wild monsoon grass, and are covered with golden grass or the golden outer skin of the rice plant.

How is Paper Perfumed?

Fri, 05 Oct 2001 21:49:02 +0000

Fruity, musk, floral, woodsy… believe it or not, the human nose can detect the difference between nearly 1,000 different odours. Our nose is very sensitive to delicate variations in smell. To cater to the need ’to smell good’, perfume manufacturers churn out innovative new fragrances all the time.

How is Paper Perfumed? [Illustration by Shinod AP]

Perfume manufacturers spend a lot of money on making a perfume, research, bottling and advertisements. That’s not all, sometimes they even put the fragrance on a page in a popular magazine so that readers can sample the scent. A bit like a sniff preview!

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.

What is Cotton Candy?

Sun, 09 Mar 2003 19:44:51 +0000

It’s sticky, it’s messy and it’s just the thing to eat at a fair. Children or adults, most people do not consider a mela or fair complete without the giant-wheel and the fluffy cotton candy wrapped around a stick. Or budhiya ke baal (old woman’s hair), as it is popularly known in parts of northern India.

And do you know what it is made of? Well, next time, don’t gobble up the whole of the candy. Instead, put a bit of it in water. In a matter of seconds the candy will disappear. No, it’s not magic. The candy is made of sugar and it dissolves the moment it’s put in water.

How The Coconut Came To Myanmar

Fri, 26 Jan 2001 21:40:44 +0000

Myanmar (then called Burma) is known as the golden land of gold dome pagodas and swaying coconut trees. Coconut trees were originally called ‘gon-bin’ in Myanmar language, which translated in English means the mischief-maker’s tree.

Why it is known by this most unusual name, is because once centuries ago, a raft carrying three people landed on the Burmese coast. The people on board this raft were taken to the king. On questioning them the king learnt that they had been banished from their own kingdom because of the crimes they had committed.

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]

Milk! Milk! Milk!

Thu, 16 Aug 2001 04:14:26 +0000

Morning, afternoon, evening, night
Kappu wants milk all the time
He drinks six bottles in a day
And always feels contented and gay.

Bananas and biscuits mashed in milk
Are things that Kappu loves to drink
As soon as he finishes drinking a bowl
His mommy gives a kiss on his nose.

Milk! Milk! Milk! [Illustration by Shinod AP]

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.

Why do Meteorites Strike the Earth?

Sat, 27 Apr 2002 10:32:14 +0000

On a hot summer afternoon, I sat down with my elder brother to play carom. I took the first strike and pocketed two coins. Then I did a little war dance. Wow!

Suddenly dada (Bengali for elder brother) had an idea. “How would it be if a fast-travelling object hit the earth? Quite like the way the striker hit the coins.”

I was amused. “How is it possible? The earth is so huge. Anyway there aren’t any strikers flying around in the solar system?”

Lord Ganesha Coloring Pages for kids

Fri, 10 Oct 2014 11:57:51 +0000

Lord Ganesha or Lord Ganapati is widely revered as the remover of obstacles. As the god of auspicious beginnings, he is honoured at the start of rituals and ceremonies. Click on any image you like to enlarge it. You can download this image and print it for coloring!

This coloring page is a part of a large collection of free printable coloring book pages for preschool, kindergarten and elementary school children to print and color.

Charlie Chaplin

Thu, 13 Dec 2001 03:40:04 +0000

All of us are very familiar with the mustachioed Little Tramp with the bowler hat and cane _ Charlie Chaplin. But behind this little fellow lurked an extremely creative film maker who scripted, directed and starred in some of the best films of the century.

Charlie Chaplin was born Charles Spencer Chaplin in London, England on 16 April 1889. His parents Charles Chaplin Sr and Hannah Hill were Music Hall entertainers but separated shortly after Charlie was born, leaving Hannah to provide for her children. In 1896 when Hannah was no longer able to care for her children, Charlie and his brother were admitted to Lambeth Workhouse and later Hanwell School for orphans and destitute children. He made his debut at the age of five in Music Hall when his mother was taken unwell.

The curious history of the world’s most popular board game

Fri, 03 Apr 2015 14:10:58 +0000

There is a good chance that you have played this board game. And perhaps your parents and their parents before them too.

According to the company, that makes it, over 275 million games have been sold in 111 countries. Over the last eight odd years over one billion people have traded make-believe real estate with fake money.

If you guessed Monopoly, you would be right. Just in case you have not played this board game, a quick explanation is in order. At the start of the game all the players are allocated some fake cash. From there on every player gets to roll the dice to move around the board. When they land on a property on the board they can buy it if it is not already owned. But if it is already owned by another player they have to pay rent to the owner. The more properties you own the more rent you collect. The aim of the game is to own and control of the entire economy. The game ends when the ‘monopolist’ own everything and all other players are driven into bankruptcy.

The Deadly King Cobra

Mon, 24 Jan 2000 17:09:40 +0000

Belonging to the family Elapidae, the name Cobra is popularly applied to African and Asian snakes that are capable of spreading long ribs in their necks into a hood when threatened. There are six species of cobras: the Naja, the south African ringhal (Hemachatus), king cobra (Ophiophagus), water cobra (Boulengerina), tree cobra (Pseudohaje), and shield-nose cobra (Aspidelaps).

The Deadly King Cobra [Illustrations by Amarjeet Malik]

The king cobra or Hamadryad holds a record length of 5.58 m (18.3ft) for a venomous snake.

How do Animals Camouflage?

Sat, 12 Jan 2002 02:47:52 +0000

Remember the last time you played hide and seek. You hid behind a bush while your friend tried to find you. If you were wearing a green dress, the chance of you being seen was automatically reduced as you could be mistaken for a bunch of leaves.

Hide and seek is a very old game and it seems human beings are not the only ones to play it. Small fish use the tactics of the game to hide from bigger ones, while moths and butterflies use them to hide from birds and other attackers.

Treaty on Global Warming

Thu, 27 Jun 2002 00:48:55 +0000

In the last week of July 2001, representatives from 178 countries met in Bonn, Germany, for something that is very crucial to their future and the very survival of our planet. They signed a historic agreement that promises to fight global warming. This is the first international treaty of its kind that seeks to check the excesses of human development at the cost of the environment – and the planet itself.

Location and date marker for glacier in Jasper National Park in Canada. Clear evidence of global warming.

The very fact that the treaty has been signed despite strong opposition by the United States, the world’s greatest polluter, represents a triumph of will. The feeling that it is now or never is what gave the decisive push toward the signing of the treaty.

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!

Holi – The Colours of Spring

Mon, 11 Dec 2000 14:31:18 +0000

Quick, think of spring and what comes to mind? The festival of Holi, of course!! Think of Holi and what springs to mind? ‘Gulal’ or dry colours in bright shades, ‘pichkaris’ or water pistols, and buckets of water to drench people, right? For, winter has finally come to an end, and the friendly mischief of spring is in the air.

And so, on the day of Holi, huge armies of children and adults come out on the streets. They come armed with pichkaris and gulal, waiting to get their coloured hands on anyone with a clean face! It is difficult to recognise even your best friend through layers of gulal, red, blue and green. When applied with water the gulal refuses to leave the skin, at least for a while. There are those who go to the other extreme and smear ugly paint and grease.

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 Truth about Zoos

Fri, 03 May 2002 15:04:59 +0000

Last week we carried a piece about the relevance of zoos as the last refuge of endangered species. But in India it appears that zoos should be the last place for animals of any sort, let alone the endangered variety.

It is no secret that most Indian zoos are in a bad state. Although zoos claim to educate people and preserve species, Indian zoos do neither. Most zoo enclosures are quite small, and labels provide little information. Visitors are more interested in entertainment, often at the expense of the animals, than in educating themselves.

Who am I

Thu, 19 Dec 2002 21:30:22 +0000

Just read the rhymes that we have made for you. Let us see if you can pick up the clue.

Bruce Lee

Sat, 25 Jan 1997 19:04:12 +0000

The Chinese American actor Bruce Lee, was born in San Francisco on November 27, 1940. Born a sickly child, he was named Li Jun Fan a female name by his mother to ward off evil spirits. His dad an Hong Kong opera singer returned back to Hong Kong along with his family in 1941.

As a kid martial arts and bodybuilding were his only preoccupation, studies didn’t interest him. In 1946 he appeared in first of many films as a child actor. He appeared in 20 movies and rarely in school. He soon became involved with a gang and his mother shipped him back to America before his 18th birthday so he could claim his dual-citizenship and avoid winding up in jail.

Pele

Wed, 07 Aug 1996 07:34:24 +0000

Born Edson Arantes Do Nascimento in Tres Coracoes, Brazil on October 3, 1940, Pele was perhaps the greatest of all soccer players. Nicknamed Dico by his family, he was called Pele by his soccer friends. A supremely gifted athlete, he started playing soccer as a teenager, and soon he was playing as well as seasoned veterans. He was discovered at the age of eleven by one of Brazil’s premier players Waldemar De Brito. Four years later De Brito brought Pele to Sao Paulo and inducted him in the Santos club. He made his debut with the Major League Santos club in 1956 at the age of 15 and soon gained a reputation as an electrifying goal scorer.

Magic of Kondapalli Toys

Sat, 29 Nov 2003 05:32:18 +0000

Did you know that animals, birds, reptiles and humans learn the lessons of life through play? Any object can be used as a toy. Lion cubs even play with their parent’s tail! Human children play with objects of daily life, like spoons and cardboard boxes. But toys remain the favourite playthings of most children.

In India, the oldest toys belong to the 5000 year-old Harappan civilisation. These toys were made with natural materials like clay, wood and stone. They depicted ordinary men, women, animals, birds, fruits and vegetables as well as the important professionals who existed in those times – the potter, carpenter and farmer, among others. And these ancient toys are surprisingly similar to the handmade toys of a later date.

Excerpts from Snake Trouble

Wed, 10 Oct 2001 22:23:11 +0000

Grandmother was tolerant of most of his pets, but she drew the line at reptiles. Even a sweet-tempered lizard made her blood run cold. There was little chance that she would allow a python in the house.
“It will strangle you to death!” she cried.

“Nonsense,” said Grandfather. “He’s only a young fellow.”

“He’ll soon get used to us,” I added, by way of support.

“Lock that awful thing in the bathroom,” she said.

Excerpts from Snake Trouble [Illustrations by Mickey Patel]

“Go and find the man you bought it from, give him twenty rupees or twice as much, and get him to come here and collect it! He can keep the money you gave him.”

How Is Jelly Formed?

Thu, 10 Jan 2002 07:54:18 +0000

Had a good dinner? Now how about some cool custard with jelly on the side for dessert? Doesn’t the jelly look inviting, a transparent red-coloured blob sitting pretty on the plate, making you long to dig your spoon into it?

Called Jell-O in the United States of America, jelly changes shape with the change in temperature. It stays sets at room temperature, which is between 0 degrees and 20 degree C. Warm it to about 27 degree C and watch it disintegrate into a watery mixture. Cool it and it thickens until it sets again.

How Lizards Defy Gravity

Sat, 28 Sep 2002 23:04:58 +0000

Lizards slithering up walls or dangling precariously from overhead lights are a common sight in tropical countries. These slimy creatures zipping up walls are called geckos. They are the only lizard species that make any sound, other than hissing — in fact they make a loud clicking noise that sounds like “gecko”, hence the name.

Recent studies show that the gecko’s ability to cling on to surfaces could well lead to the creation of the world’s first non-sticky, self-cleaning adhesive! According to scientists at the University of California, gecko feet function a bit like the tape we use for sticking. Of course a gecko’s tenacious hold is far, far stronger than any earthly tape.

Eid Mubarak

Mon, 07 May 2001 21:58:30 +0000

A 30-day wait for Muslims finally culminates into Eid-ul-Fitr. Try this simple quiz to know more about this festive day.

Why are Zebras Striped?

Sat, 09 Nov 2002 16:23:19 +0000

As a child I was always full of questions. I remember asking my parents why zebras were striped or why did giraffes have such a long neck. Most of the time the answers were elusive and I used to be very irritated. I could never get the right answer to satisfy my curiosity. I now realize why my parents could not give me a concrete answer. You see I happened to be in the same dilemma when my three-year-old daughter asked me the same question! I was faced with the difficult task of giving her half-baked answers or finding the right answers this 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.

Christmas Coloring Pages for Kids

Thu, 20 Nov 2014 11:29:52 +0000

It’s Christmas! Time for you to have fun, sing, dance and paint the the town red. Well, why don’t you first do it here. See all the images in the Christmas Coloring Pages collection. Download free coloring sheets, print and color.

This coloring page is a part of a large collection of free printable coloring book pages for preschool, kindergarten and elementary school children to print and color.

Click on any image to view an enlarged version. Print it and color it.

Nikola Tesla – Unsung Prophet of Electrical Age

Thu, 11 Apr 2002 16:57:01 +0000

If you ask anyone or check up in the encyclopaedia, who invented the radio or X-rays, chances are you will never come across the name of Nikola Tesla there.

Look up fluorescent bulb, neon lights, car ignition system, electron microscope, microwave oven and many others – you can search page after page but your search will turn up zilch on Tesla in any normal reference book.

In fact very few have heard of Nikola Tesla, a brilliant scientist who lived at the turn of the century. Those who have, considered him an eccentric, or even half-baked. He was never given the credit he deserved due to some unfortunate circumstances.

Why Do Horses Need Shoes?

Fri, 30 Oct 1998 21:01:00 +0000

Clip-clop, clip-clop goes a horse on the road. If you look carefully you will see that it walks on the tips of its toes – like a ballet dancer. Walking on tiptoe for a long time is difficult for us, but horses find it the easiest thing to do.

The foot of a horse is divided into a toe with a broad tip. While other animals have nails and claws, the horse has a hoof surrounding the toe. The hoof area cannot feel any sensation; it is made of dead tissue (A similar example is our fingernails: we do not feel any pain while cutting them, because they are made of dead tissue.) The heels of the horse do not touch the ground.

Elevator Physics

Sun, 17 Apr 2005 15:59:12 +0000

You get into an elevator (or a lift, as we sometimes call it) and for a second or two, just as the elevator moves down, we feel weightless. On the other hand, if we go up in an elevator, we suddenly feel heavier just as the elevator lurches upwards.

To understand this feeling of weightlessness, we need to understand a few basic things first.

Mass: The amount of matter that constitues us results in our mass. Mass is the property which “resists” a change in acceleration (linear or angular). It is this “resistance” that results in inertia.

Young Poets

Tue, 29 Jan 2002 18:35:28 +0000

Todd-Michael St. Pierre writes poems, songs and plays for children. He is a storyteller at schools throughout the southern United States. Among his published works are ‘Somewhere: As Told By Garrett The Parrot’ and ‘The Louisiana State Bird Beauty Pageant’. ‘Young Poets’ is part of a collection, ‘A Treehouse On The Moon’, to be published soon, along with other works such as ‘The Prince Of Nonsense: Silly Poems4Kids’ and ‘Put The People In A Zoo And Set The Animals Free: Poems4Kids To Read Out Loud’. St Pierre lives in St. Francisville, Louisiana, with his two Siamese twin cats.

Which Insects Live the Longest?

Mon, 27 Nov 2000 07:47:29 +0000

Take a look around. Which insects do you see? A fly sitting on your computer screen, a mosquito buzzing in your ear just as you drop off to sleep, a butterfly flitting about in the garden outside, or how about the ants that made off with the remains of a dead moth?

Most of the insects we see around us have rather short lives. A few hours, a few days, that’s about how long most insects last. We don’t notice them dying out because they’re promptly replaced by a new bunch. Yet, some insects live comparatively really long lives.

Have You Seen the Cuckoo Bird?

Fri, 23 Jun 2000 21:27:22 +0000

Have You Seen the Cuckoo Bird? [Illustration by Sudheer Nath]

Have you seen the cuckoo bird
With raven-coloured wing?
Although I haven’t seen one yet
I’ve often heard her sing.

The cuckoo on our champak tree
Is hidden from our sight
Because the leaves are thick and close
But how she sings at night!

‘Cuckoo… cuckoo’ says the bird
‘I may be dark, it’s true
But there is not a single bird
That sings the way I do!’

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.

Indira Gandhi

Mon, 11 Sep 2000 19:11:16 +0000

Indira Gandhi, née Indira Priyadarshini Nehru (1917-1984), was born on November 19, 1917, in Allahabad, the only child of Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of India. A graduate of Visva-Bharati University, Bengal, she also studied at the University of Oxford, England. In 1938 she joined the National Congress party and became active in India’s independence movement. In 1942 she married Feroze Gandhi, a Parsi lawyer also active in the party. Shortly after, both were arrested by the British on charges of subversion and spent 13 months in prison. When India won its independence in 1947 and Nehru took office as prime minister, Gandhi became his official hostess. (Her mother had died in 1936.) She also served as his confidante on national problems and accompanied him on foreign trips.

The Popular Student

Fri, 20 Sep 2002 21:03:50 +0000

Just how popular was Mini? Very. Every year, her classmates voted her as the favourite student. She was easy to get along with and great company. The number of friends she had by far outnumbered those of anyone else in her group.

One day the 10-year-old was caught yakkety-yakking in the class and ordered to stay back as punishment. Staying back meant doing something ‘useful’, like helping in the garden or library after school.

Now the school in which Mini studied had a rule of sorts. Once a month, you could interchange your punishment schedule with someone else. If you had something else to do the day you were punished, you could ask a friend to stand in for you. Of course, you had to return the favour, but in that same month itself. Otherwise the favour cancelled itself out.

Why do People Kiss Under the Mistletoe?

Tue, 31 Jul 2001 02:09:33 +0000

In millions of homes in Europe and America, a sprig of mistletoe with berries is hung outside the doorway at Christmastime. According to custom, a man is allowed to kiss a girl if she is standing under the mistletoe.

Why do People Kiss Under the Mistletoe?

Legend has it that when Balder, the son of the Norse goddess Frigga was killed by an arrow made of mistletoe by Loki, an evil spirit, Frigga wept tears of white berries which brought him back to life. Overjoyed, Frigga blessed the plant and bestowed to kiss all who passed beneath it.

Roses

Mon, 21 Aug 2000 15:52:13 +0000

Roses in the winter time
Roses in the fall
The roses in my garden
Are the nicest of them all

Some prefer the jasmines
The champaks on the tree
Or the lilies in the pool
But it’s the rose for me!

The wild roses climbing up the wall
Which hang in clusters white
The sprawling bush of roses pink
Which looks so trim and bright

Roses []

The pale rose with a curly edge
The yellow rose so coy
The lilac rose with streaks of mauve
The red, ablaze with joy

Where is Manbhavan?

Fri, 01 Nov 2002 06:25:21 +0000

“Where’s Manbhavan?” Nitya cried. Her pudgy face showed great surprise.

“Where is Manbhavan?” repeated Bhavna, peering into Nitya’s cupboard. The cardboard box in which he lived was wide open – and – absolutely empty! Bhavna gingerly picked up the blouses and skirts that lay arranged in neat piles on the shelf and poked around them with a hesitant finger. “Hmm – he’s not here, that’s for sure,” she said.

“My cupboard was shut!” Nitya cried indignantly. “Someone stole him – or, deliberately let him go. I’m going to report it!”

Tale of the Woolly Mammoth

Sat, 30 Mar 2002 01:49:17 +0000

Almost 20,000 years ago, a group of hunting tribesmen attacked an enormous elephant like animal called the Woolly Mammoth. A fierce battle was fought as the prehistoric tribesmen armed with spears and stone catapults attacked the Mammoth.

The Mammoth, almost twice the size of a modern African Elephant, charged and stomped. And as a spear pierced its heart, it gave one last heart wrenching cry and fell to the ground with a loud thud, a sound that reverberated through the mountains.

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.

Aung San Suu Kyi

Mon, 19 Nov 2001 04:16:32 +0000

Aung San Suu Kyi was born on June 19, 1945 as the daughter of national leader General Aung San (assassinated July 19, 1947) and Daw Khin Kyi. She was educated in Rangoon, Burma until she was 15 years old. In 1960 she accompanied her mother to Delhi, India on her appointment as Burmese ambassador to India and Nepal. Kyi studied politics at Delhi University. She earned a BA in philosophy, politics and economics from St. Hugh’s College, Oxford University. She worked abroad for the next several years during which time she was married to Dr. Michael Aris and had two children.

Where did the Yo-Yo Originate?

Sun, 01 Jul 2001 13:56:27 +0000

Yo! Man! Know where the yo-yo comes from? No, I am not asking you to name the local toy store. Sorry, let me rephrase it. Gimme its history, guys. You thought the yo-yo was created by Donald Duncan, huh? Forget it! The yo-yo is nearly a millennium old!

So, it wasn’t called the yo-yo then. But for want of a better name let’s stick to calling it the yo-yo, okay? Kids all over the world have played with a similar toy. It is believed that the yo-yo originated in China. Ancient Greek kids (500 BC) played with a little spool-like toy and archaeologists have found samples in many other countries including Egypt.

Life in the Sea

Mon, 30 Dec 2002 17:00:52 +0000

Life under water and around it, is as diverse as the life on earth. It is another world altogether with its own creatures and their peculiar traits.

Tree Rings tell many Tales

Thu, 30 May 2002 18:45:46 +0000

Examining ancient trees helps scientists get an amazing picture of Earth’s life, for trees are a record of their life time. By looking closely at the rings of a tree, scientists can not only tell how old it is; they can also tell you that in one summer in 1453 and again in 1601, there were freak cold spells.

Tree rings, when radiocarbon-dated give a glimpse of certain aspects of prehistoric times. But what is radiocarbon dating?

What are Canal Locks?

Wed, 24 Nov 1999 19:48:09 +0000

In some rivers or canals the water is not too deep for large ocean-going ships. In such places large watertight compartments are built that help ships and boats go up or down different levels on rivers or canals. These are called canal locks.

In certain areas, man-made canals are constructed to connect two water bodies. These canals are built to help cut down the distance a large ship would otherwise have to take to reach its destination. The canals are therefore constructed at a higher level, like the Panama Canal to prevent land on either side from getting flooded.

Muhammad Ali

Sat, 04 Aug 2001 06:20:14 +0000

American boxer Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr, was born on January 17, 1942 in Louisville, Kentucky. Better known as Muhammad Ali, he was perhaps the most celebrated sports figure in the world during most of the 1960s and ’70s. His rise to prominence may be attributed to a combination of circumstances his role as a spokesman for and idol of blacks; his vivacious personality; his dramatic conversion to the Black Muslim religion; and most important, his staying power as an athlete. Ali first came to world attention in 1960, when he won the Olympic light-heavyweight championship. He then won a controversial championship bout from Sonny Liston in 1964 to gain the heavyweight title. He produced a steady stream of headlines. The fight was questioned because Ali seemed to be quitting before the bout was over. After that he produced a steady stream of headlines. He then changed his name to Muhammad Ali. He was the first boxer to benefit from satellite television, making him all the more visible.

How did Sign Language Originate?

Sat, 10 Nov 2001 03:10:02 +0000

Have you ever seen people deep in conversation with each other without a single sound coming from their lips? Their hands and fingers move animatedly as they silently ‘speak’ sentences that sometimes you can also guess at. These people are actually conversing using sign language because they are hearing or speech impaired.

Across the world, people have developed sign language to communicate with each other and with the rest of the world. Signs and gestures have always been in use. Medieval monks who have taken vows of silence, Native Americans, African bushmen and others are fluent in the art of gestures and sign language communication. These could be signs such as asking for food or water. In England, the medieval monk Venerable Bede devised a number code based on manual signs.

What is the Trail behind a Jet?

Mon, 01 Aug 2005 04:45:07 +0000

When we were small, we used to look up to the sky and often see a white trail left by a jet aircraft. Rocket! Rocket! We used to yell, jump up with joy, clap our hands and strain our eyes as the ‘rocket’ disappeared into the horizon.

Soon, the white streak would change into a broken, twisted cloud path. And we were told that it was the fairies’ trail.

What is the Trail behind a Jet?

What causes this white streak?

Why do Airplanes have Wings?

Tue, 23 Apr 2002 01:14:32 +0000

I remember my trip to Goa. The flight was scheduled for six a.m. As the aeroplane taxied on the runway it gained speed. I felt a kick in the stomach and then we were airborne. It was my first flight and I was very excited. My father who was sitting next to me, asked, “Can you tell me how the aircraft flies?”

“Because of wings,” I replied promptly. But I could not tell him what the wings do to make a plane fly.

How Did Pencils Originate?

Mon, 26 Mar 2001 03:45:40 +0000

Not many people know that the pencil they use everyday can trace its history back 2000 years! Early writers, or scribes as they were called, of ancient Egypt, Rome and Greece wrote on forms of paper called papyrus.

They used a stylus which was a metal rod made of lead. That is why we still call the black core of the pencil as “lead” even though it is made from graphite!

Graphite was discovered sometime in the 16th century in England. Legend has it that people found bits of shiny, black graphite clinging to the roots of a fallen tree. The whole countryside was abuzz with talk about this mysterious mineral, which soon came to be known as “plumbago” or, more commonly, “Blacklead.”

Sumptuous Delights

Tue, 08 Aug 2000 21:55:03 +0000

History, Mystery, Dal and Biryani
Written by Subhadra Sen Gupta

Illustrations by Tapas Guha
Published by Scholastic India Pvt. Ltd.

Sumptuous Delights

Don’t you sometimes wish you were on a time machine, able to go back and forth in time at will? Recently, while reading this book of 10 short stories by Subhadra Sen Gupta, curiously but appropriately named History, Mystery, Dal and Biryani, I felt like I was on one.

The Beach – A Visual Matching Puzzle

Thu, 16 Oct 2014 16:54:11 +0000

Identify where the missing pieces will fit. You can solve the visual matching puzzle online or if you wish to do it later, it can also be printed. This is a visual discrimination/matching activity helps children learn and develop color-matching, pattern and shape recognition, spatial relationships, critical thinking and logic.

Treehuggers

Sun, 27 Jan 2002 05:51:43 +0000

Children of the fragile forest gather around
Where bird song seems to be the loudest sound

A place called Summer, green as you could please
A place where we all proudly hug the trees.

Hug trees for the walnuts and sweet apples
For the shade above small country chapels

For giving squirrel and crow a place to live
For the priceless gift of oxygen they give.

Follow your feet across a woodland floor
Beneath the tall and ancient sycamore

The Stamp Album

Fri, 19 May 2000 00:51:38 +0000

Rajappa sensed a sudden drop in his popularity. For the past three days everyone had been crowding around Nagarajan.

Rajappa tried to tell them that Nagarajan had become swollen headed, but no one paid any attention to him. For Nagarajan was generous in sharing the stamp album his uncle had sent from Singapore. The boys gathered around Nagarajan and devoured the album with their eyes till the school-bell rang for the morning class; they hovered round him at lunch-break and in the evening invaded his house.

Where Do Penguins Live?

Fri, 11 Feb 2000 03:32:04 +0000

Short, fat and looking as if they were attending a formal dinner dressed in a tuxedo, penguins could easily be mistaken for people from a distance!

Penguins are flightless birds found in the southern hemisphere. No, they are NOT found near the North Pole. Scientists feel that these birds became flightless as food was available in plenty. But their food was located underwater so they adapted to the sea with short flipper-like wings.

Where Do Penguins Live? [Illustration by Anup Singh]

Penguins have short legs and when they want to move fast, they slide on the ice on their bellies. Penguins eat fish and squid and live in large colonies called rookeries. There are 18 penguin species ranging from the smallest, the Little Blue at 40 cm to the Emperor Penguins at 120 cm. Only two species – the Adelie and the Emperor penguin – live in the Antarctic.

Hamid Buys an Eid Present

Sun, 13 Feb 2000 00:29:48 +0000

Festival of Eid
English translation of ‘Eidgah’ (Hindi)
Written by Munshi Premchand
Translated by Khushwant Singh
Published by National Book Trust, New Delhi

Translated by the veteran columnist and writer, Khushwant Singh, Festival of Eid retains the compelling essence of the original work.

This well illustrated book tells the story of Eid, as it is celebrated in a small village, and stresses that festivals are actually about showing the love and concern that we feel for our near and dear ones.

Marilyn Monroe

Wed, 16 Sep 1998 23:29:45 +0000

Born Norma Jeane Baker on June 1, 1926 in Los Angeles, Marilyn Monroe became one of the most celebrated film personalities of her time. Though much has been made of Marilyn’s personal history, her life was the classic show-business tragedy. Stardom seemed a burden; being an international sex goddess, even more so.

In 1946 she decided to change her name to Marilyn Monroe. Her career was launched with a role in All about Eve in 1950. In 1953 she married the baseball icon Joe DiMaggio. In 1956, after her third marriage to playwright Arthur Miller, Monroe struggled to understand theories of acting and wanted to star in the classics. When this effort proved fruitless, she became so difficult to work with that she was virtually unemployable. She was recklessly spoiled and unsure and was barely able to complete even the briefest scene between breakdowns.

How do Humans Balance on Two Legs?

Fri, 12 Oct 2001 09:18:11 +0000

Four-year-old Rohit couldn’t understand why his parents and grand parents were so happy on seeing his 10-month-old sister, Ruchi, take a few unsteady steps towards her favorite toy. What was so unusual about her walking -after all, he could walk and run without anyone’s help, yet no one ever clapped nor hugged him, the way they were doing it for his sister.

Unable to hold his curiosity any longer he decided to talk about it to his closest friend and guide – his mother. His mother explained him unlike animals, human children cannot stand on their own feet soon after birth. They take time to do so.

Pencil stand of Bangles

Sun, 17 Feb 2002 22:50:06 +0000

Pencil stand of Bangles [Illustrations by Anup Singh]

If you have old bangles lying around in the house that nobody wears, you can use them to make a pencil stand for your desk.

The things you need:

Old bangles
Adhesive
Cardboard
Scissors
Pencil

Step 1: Collect bangles of different colours but of the same size.

Step 2: Use a bangle to draw a circle on the cardboard piece. Cut it.

Seasons

Mon, 29 Apr 2002 14:13:09 +0000

Seasons not only tell us the time of the year in different landscapes, they are intimately connected to human emotions and experiences as well. Find out how…

Does the Black Widow Spider Kill her Mate?

Tue, 06 Jun 2000 06:08:59 +0000

Largest of the cobweb weavers, the black widow or Latrodectus Mactans is a poisonous spider. They get their ignoble name because the females commonly eat their mates after mating (as is common among spiders) and hence are often widows. They comprise about six species and inhabit warmer regions of the world.

Shiny black in colour with a reddish hourglass shape on the underside of her spherical abdomen, the female black widow is about one inch long. The male is about half her size and may have a pair of reddish stripes on the side of his abdomen.

Why do Beavers Build Dams?

Thu, 22 Jul 1999 20:24:04 +0000

Picture a giant rat with a flat tail and webbed feet. That’s what the beaver looks like.

There are two kinds of beavers: the American and the European. The European beaver, found in Norway, Poland, Germany and France, lives in burrows.

But the American beaver builds a dam across a stream or lake to construct his home or lodge. The lodges are made of huge logs of trees.

Why do Beavers Build Dams? [Illustration by Sudheer Nath]

The American beaver constructs solid dams and lodges because it has the mind of an expert engineer among all the creatures in the animal kingdom. And it is hard-working too. Moreover, building fortress like lodges and dams helps it escape unfriendly animals.

Programmed to learn

Tue, 22 Nov 2005 10:47:32 +0000

Two boys and two girls. They were to be found at one of the busiest traffic signals in south Delhi. The boys were about five or six years of age. The girls looked older, about eight or nine. As the traffic zipped along on the road, the four of them would play their own games on the divider. As soon as the traffic stopped on one side of the road, obeying the red signal, the children stopped their games. They would then go from car to car with dirty rags. ‘Cleaning’ the windscreens of cars with those dirty rags, they would then ask for some money. Some people would give a coin or two, and many more would tell them to buzz off. As soon as the traffic signal turned green, the children would be off to their little island on the divider, and back to their games.

Can Two People have Identical Fingerprints?

Mon, 06 May 2002 00:19:49 +0000

I was once watching a detective serial on T.V. where the fingerprints of the suspect are required. The hero invites the villain to his home and offers him a glass of water. The bad guy takes the glass and drinks the water from it. After he leaves the hero dramatically whips out a handkerchief and picks up the glass. His expressions showed that satisfaction at a job well done.

At that time, I found it amazing – how can smudges on a glass identify people? How can my hand be different from yours – apart from the size that is? It was only after my dad explained me the reason that the mystery behind that highly dramatic scene became clear.

Dream Palace

Thu, 31 May 2001 05:51:31 +0000

Clown, jester, poet…Tenali Rama, minister in the court of the ruler of Vijaynagar, Krishnadeva Rai (reign: 1509-30), was a multi-faceted personality. Stories about Tenali Rama and his practical jokes on everyone around him, including distinguished fellow poets and the emperor himself, abound in south India.

His fame spread beyond Vijaynagar (present-day Andhra Pradesh), to areas that are in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka today. Tenali Rama was also a great scholar of several languages that included Marathi, Tamil and Kannada.

Make a Balloon Mask

Sat, 11 Sep 1999 08:42:30 +0000

Things you need:

Make a Balloon Mask []

A big balloon
Adhesive
Bowl of water
Poster colours, sketch pen,
paint brushes
A knife
Thread
A screwdriver
An old newspaper.

Step1

Blow the balloon and tie it with a string. Then draw a line on it with a sketch pen, dividing the balloon into two equal halves.

Step 2

Now tear the newspaper into small bits. Dip the torn bits in water and place them on any one side of the balloon.

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.

How Many Kinds of Rhinos are There?

Thu, 19 Oct 2000 02:17:34 +0000

A modern day rhino or rhinoceros looks pretty much like its ancestor that existed on earth more than 30 million years ago.

Its status as an animal “biggie” hasn’t changed much either. The ancestors of the modern-day rhinoceros – the 4 feet tall Uintatherium and the 15 feet high Indricotherium – were the largest land mammals ever. Today’s rhino is the largest living land mammal, after the African elephant, in terms of size and weight.

India's first Underwater World

Sun, 20 Jul 1997 04:22:42 +0000

June 24: If you have ever visited an aquariam you would have noticed that the fish look plain bored. Their homes are not very exciting. Nor are the visitors terribly charged up. True, some aquariums are fairly well maintained, but the fact remains that they rarely attract hordes of visitors.

The government of Maharashtra has suddenly woken up to the fact that this is a fishy state of affairs. And it wants to make amends. So it has entered into a partnership with a Singapore-based company to create India’s first underwater world, or oceanarium. The Taraporevala Aquarium, on Maine Drive, Mumbai, is all set to become a six-storied oceanarium.

R.K. Narayan

Sat, 24 Jun 2000 00:38:39 +0000

Nearly 70 years ago, India’s greatest living writer in English, took out a brand new exercise book and wrote in it: “It was Monday morning.”

With those four words, Rasipuram Krishnaswamy Narayan (just R.K. Narayan to most) took off on a journey to that oddly populated fictional continent called Malgudi, with the young boy Swami and his eclectic mix of friends.

“The very first line I wrote was ‘It was Monday morning.’ And then I had an idea of a railway station, a very small railway station, a wayside station. You’ve seen the kind of thing, with a platform and trees and a stationmaster.

Tenali Rama the Messenger

Sat, 14 Apr 2001 06:53:21 +0000

Clown, jester, poet…Tenali Rama, minister in the court of the ruler of Vijaynagar, Krishnadeva Rai (reign: 1509-30), was a multi-faceted personality. Stories, about Tenali Rama and his practical jokes on everyone around him, including distinguished fellow poets and the emperor himself, abound in south India.

Venice is Sinking

Thu, 05 Dec 2002 03:58:37 +0000

Most people all over the world travel by the road. In a city in Italy however, waterways make up the primary commuting routes. The city of Venice, rich in architectural marvels, is best known for its canals. Unfortunately, this beautiful city of flat-bottomed boats (Gondolas), churches and quaint cobbled streets is sinking and sinking fast.

Venice is Sinking

Known as the ‘Queen of the Adriatic’, Venice is situated on 120 islands formed by canals in the lagoon between the mouths of the Po and the Piave rivers, at the northern extremity of the Adriatic Sea. And even the bits of firm ground have rather boggy foundations and all this is slowly getting eroded.

The Birth of Christ

Wed, 22 Oct 2003 13:36:04 +0000

Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. Everyone knows that. Do you know the entire story of his birth?

Let me narrate it in brief. Over 2000 ago, Roman emperor Caesar Augustus, issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. So everyone went to his or her hometowns to register. A carpenter called Joseph, who was in Nazareth in Galilee in the Middle East (which was also part of the empire), went to nearby Bethlehem. He went there with Mary, who was to be married to him and was expecting a child.

Why do Onions Make us Cry?

Fri, 09 Aug 2002 01:30:57 +0000

One of the earliest memories I have as a child is when I was approximately three or four years old. I remember watching my mother work in the kitchen. She was cutting onions for the salad and I could see tears in her eyes. For a child the worst possible thing is to watch his/her mother cry. I got so upset that I got hysterical at my father for causing her pain. For I assumed my father was somehow responsible as we were only the three of us in our family.

Ice Cream Stick Photo Frame

Tue, 26 Sep 2000 23:37:16 +0000

How do we make sure that our favourite person stays by our side at most times? Simple – we frame their photographs and keep them in a place where we can always see them. What fun if we could make the photo frames too! And it is not at all difficult.

Ice Cream Stick Photo Frame [Illustration by Jaykrit]

The things you need:

Ice Cream sticks.

The Hows and Whys of Bubble Gum

Mon, 15 May 2000 04:09:54 +0000

Chew this question: What is small and pink, tastes sweet, can be chewed for hours without it dissolving, yet is not to be swallowed? Some doctors feel that it helps to relieve stress. Others think it is good for the teeth. Americans are constantly rolling it about in their mouth and the US army gives it as part of field rations. No guesses for the correct answer. Yes, it is chewing gum or bubble gum as it is often called because you can blow large bubbles that go ‘pop’!

Jupiter's New Moon

Tue, 01 Oct 2002 03:02:45 +0000

Does Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system, have a 17th moon? Astronomers seem to think it does.

Last year, astronomers at the University of Arizona and a Massachusets Observatory discovered what looked like a new moon around Jupiter. They had been scanning the skies for comets and asteroids as part of a spacewatch programme. In fact, when they saw the new moon, they thought it might be a comet or an asteroid.

A comet is a small body of ice and dust that orbits the Sun. When it approaches the Sun, the ice in it vaporises and forms a head and a tail. This object around Jupiter looked nothing like one, though it moved in an elongated orbit like a comet. It looked even less like an asteroid, which is a small rocky body that orbits the Sun. In the solar system, asteroids exist in a wide belt between Mars and Jupiter.

When will the Oceans of the Earth Overflow?

Sun, 05 Dec 1999 19:22:15 +0000

Try this out. Plug the sink and leave the water running. It will lead to a flood in the bathroom and a scolding for letting the water overflow. Since the sink could not hold an unlimited amount of water, it let the water spill out.

But even the oceans are enormous bodies of water that get flooded with water from rain, melting ice, and rivers year after year. Will they start overflowing too? If so, when? And, where will they go?

Dalai Lama

Thu, 12 Jul 2001 15:45:12 +0000

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet was born in 1935, soon after the 13th Dalai Lama passed away. He was the fourth son of a poor peasant family in Takster village, Amdo province in eastern Tibet. The line of Dalai Lamas, spiritual and temporal rulers of Tibet since the 13th century, is a succession of incarnations. In accordance with tradition, search parties were sent to find the successor to the thirteenth Dalai Lama. Two years later, following the various signs and portents, a government party was led to Takster, where they found the infant Lhamo Thondup. After a series of tests, the child (later named Tenzin Gyatso) was recognized as the 14th incarnation of the Dalai Lama.

A Caribbean Journey

Wed, 01 Dec 2004 02:08:42 +0000

More than 6000 islands lie scattered like jewels between North and South America. Man, what a place and what a history. Find out for yourself.

Why do Earthquakes Occur?

Thu, 29 Jul 1999 07:19:27 +0000

As a result of upheavals below its surface, the earth shakes now and then. This shaking of the earth is known as an earthquake.

Few natural events are as violently destructive as an earthquake. It usually strikes without warning, giving off violent vibrations in the process. These vibrations not only shake the ground but also sometimes crack it open. And then, there is chaos, for earthquakes have been known to wipe out cities and civilisations.

What is the Secret of the Windmill?

Thu, 03 Oct 2002 17:16:10 +0000

It was a particularly windy day in late July when my cousin and I sat down to make a pinwheel. The paper was folded into a wheel, the pin inserted at the heart of it and the entire structure fixed to the broomstick.

As our pinwheel took shape we ran out braving the sun and the hot wind. The pinwheel caught the wind and rotated. Seeing it, our hearts pin-wheeled as well.

Energy from wind
A few days later we happened to see the photograph of a windmill in a magazine. “Don’t these windmills look exactly like the pinwheels we made?” my cousin shouted. And what did we find? That they are actually similar! Like the pinwheel, the windmill also uses the wind’s energy to turn the blades on a large wheel. This movement of the blades is used to pump water, generate electricity or pound grain.

Koel

Thu, 21 Dec 2000 07:56:24 +0000

When wisps of white
Sail across the sky
When the breeze blows warm
And the days grow long
From somewhere in the distance
You can hear my song
Coo-ooo, Coo-ooo Coo-oooo

When mangoes ripen
In the dark green trees
And hovering around
Are busy buzzy bees
Right over the wall
You can hear my call
Coo-o, Coo-oo, Cooo-ooo

Koel [Illustration by Kusum Chamoli]

When plump wild figs
Go squish under your feet
And juicy purple jamuns
Are munched by parakeets

What are Komodo Dragons?

Tue, 10 Sep 2002 22:40:27 +0000

European mythology abounds in stories of knights in shining armour battling fearsome dragons. Fairytale storybooks are peppered with illustrations of these huge monsters looking like crocodiles with wings and huge claws and breathing fire. Of course fire breathing dragons do not exist, but there is a tiny island, called Komodo, in Indonesia, that is home to dragons – yes, real dragons!

Unlike the dragons of yore, the Komodo dragon does not possess a fiery breath, nor can it trample hapless humans underfoot, but it does pack a mean bite. This ‘dragon’ has a forked tongue that constantly flicks in and out (just like that of a snake). And just like a snake, when provoked the Komodo dragon does administer a lethal bite.

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]

What is Ham Radio?

Sat, 04 Oct 2003 20:40:32 +0000

Consider this, your state has been hit by a cyclone with wind speeds measuring 300 kilometres per hour. All modern means of communication – telephone, cellphone, wireless sets – lie dead as the cyclone has destroyed all connecting stations and links.

This is what happened during the Orissa cyclone. All communication links broke down as dish antennas, radio stations, telephone lines, satellite links were destroyed.

There was no way people could contact the outside world. This was when a bunch of amateurs, students and radio enthusiasts got together to set up something called an amateur radio or ham radio station.

How Does a Helicopter Hover?

Mon, 12 Nov 2001 09:37:31 +0000

It was January 26 and Rahul was terribly exited. And with good reason too. His father, a pilot in the Indian Navy, had been bestowed the rare honour of flying the newly acquired “Pawan Hans” helicopters for the Republic Day parade.

Rahul couldn’t sleep the night before. He had already set his alarm clock to wake him up at 4 a.m., He wanted his mother to take him to the venue well before the scheduled time.

Space Quiz

Fri, 25 Aug 2000 11:00:23 +0000

Check out your space facts. Learn more about asteroids, meteors and planets.

The Rainbow

Mon, 03 Dec 2001 14:18:25 +0000

Out in the lush, green garden Binnu chased the multi-coloured butterflies which flitted from flower to flower.

Plants take root easily during the monsoon and with plenty of water to nourish them, new sprouts appear.

The Rainbow [Translated by:Mala Singh]

Suddenly there was a flash of lightening.

Soon, the sky was completely overcast and it begun to rain.
Binnu and his mother sheltered in the verandah and watched the rain.

The Hottest way to Catch Crooks

Sat, 13 Oct 2001 05:18:56 +0000

All of us know how crooks are caught. We have seen it in film after film: the police inspector matches the fingerprints on the scene of the crime with the suspect’s fingerprints. And the culprit goes to prison.

Fingerprinting has remained one of the best ways to catch a person with a criminal record. The technique was foolproof, for no two people have matching fingerprints — even identical twins.

Unfortunately, things are not so simple any more. Crooks have become smarter and are very careful not to leave fingerprint traces. While some wipe all the surfaces they touch, others prefer using gloves. British police are now using different ways to nab or catch offenders.

What is an Earthquake?

Mon, 28 Oct 2002 22:15:31 +0000

One moment, the world seems just the way it was yesterday, the day before, last year, or even the day before the day before. All is well with the world. It’s a beautiful sunny day and you are sitting drinking your morning tea or coffee relaxed and enjoying the day. Suddenly there is a rattling of plates and glasses. Within seconds chairs and tables are rocking violently, the fans sway crazily and crockery is falling off the shelves. Help!! Sometimes plaster falls from the ceiling, walls develop cracks or worse still, they collapse. The very earth is shaking!

How do they Make an Igloo?

Thu, 31 May 2001 21:41:02 +0000

To many of us, building a house of ice doesn’t sound too good. One might wake up from a good night’s sleep to see it melted. All these things don’t matter to Eskimos, who live in north Canada, Greenland and Alaska. They build igloos or houses of ice knowing that they will not melt. At least, not till winter passes by. The reason is that the walls are made in a special way so that they become rock hard.

The Honest Thief

Thu, 08 Jun 2000 12:49:46 +0000

There was once a cunning thief, Bhairav, who always planned his moves carefully. One day he decided to rob the holy men who came to the local temple from far off lands for the temple’s annual festival. He calculated that all these people came from distant towns, so they must be carrying lots of money.

So Bhairav dressed up like a holy man and went to attend the festival. At the temple, he slowly made friends with one particular person who appeared to be wealthy. After spending a few days at the temple, the thief and holy man became friends. The thief was so impressed by the nature of his new friend that he did not want to rob him any more. So much so, that he confessed the original reason for his friendship to the holy man. Surprisingly, the holy man did not call the police. Instead, he gave the stunned Bhairav some of his money.

Vaikom Mohammed Basheer

Mon, 25 Sep 2000 11:50:57 +0000

We Indians are story-lovers. We were all, at one point or the other, children at our grandmother’s feet, listening wide-eyed to her tales of days long gone. And if we love to hear stories, there are many among us who love to tell them as well. Nowhere is this truer than in the world of Indian languages. India abounds in storytellers who write in their mother tongue.

There are several reasons why such writers are special. The range of their stories is amazing. And they smell very real. It is as if we were back at grandmother’s feet again.

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.

Double it up!

Wed, 02 Oct 2002 06:37:23 +0000

Raju and Savitri lived in Tanjore in the state of Tamil Nadu. Raju worked in the rice fields of a local landlord or zamindar for six months a year. In turn, he received four sacks of rice as salary. He would then sell three of them in the local market and keep one sack for himself for food.

At the local market he would exchange the rice for vegetables, flour, and groceries. Savitri would do the cooking and washing and look after the home.

The Price of Pride

Mon, 15 Oct 2001 06:28:51 +0000

This is one story from the book “The Best Thirteen: A collection of the best stories from 13 languages of India”.

You know that a pearl can be so valuable that it is said to be without price. Pearls are formed inside oysters who live on the ocean-bed inside their shells. This is the story of one such oyster.

This oyster was very pleased with himself because he believed that he was the most important creature in the world. Of course, the silkworm was quite useful too, but silk did not fetch the same price as pearls, so the oyster felt that he had good reason to think well of himself.

Stripes Tiger and the Boy

Wed, 23 May 2001 09:43:29 +0000

“Once upon a time… Stories start like that don’t they? Our story, too, starts like that as my grandma didn’t know when it happened.” Once upon a time, there lived a boy called Rahul in a village. One day, he was walking down a path when he came upon a large tiger trapped in a wooden cage. The villagers had caught him for stealing lambs.

“Hey mister!” cried the tiger as soon as he saw Rahul, “I am so thirsty. Please open the cage so I can get a little drink. There is no water here.”

Money, money, money

Sun, 23 May 2004 20:08:14 +0000

Euro, pound, lira, dirham, rupee… Which countries use these currencies? Try out this currency quiz. At the end of it you will be richer for the experience.

Why does Cola Fizz?

Fri, 06 Jun 2003 14:39:37 +0000

Switch on the television and you are bound to see some cola advertisements. Aamir Khan, a Bollywood hero, pops open a cola and the bubbly drink fizzes to the top. Have you ever wondered what causes the countless teeny bubbles in all these soft drinks?

Soft drinks are carbonated, i.e. carbon dioxide gas is dissolved in the liquid. This gas gives the drink its sparkle and tangy taste, and prevents it from spoiling (the gas reduces bacterial growth).

Flying Turtle

Sun, 12 Oct 1997 17:55:26 +0000

There was a large pond in the middle of a jungle. All kinds of animals came to drink water from it. A small turtle had been living by the pond for many years. And he had become good friends with two cranes who lived there too.

They used to play together, and tell each other stories. The cranes would fly to far away lands and when they returned to the pond, they would tell the turtle stories about all that they saw. The turtle, of course, could not go with them because he could not fly. But he loved to hear the cranes’ stories.

Browsing the Net

Fri, 19 Dec 2003 14:01:56 +0000

The Net is an exciting place to be. Do you know how to find your way around it?

How the Gorkhas Came to Dehradun

Sat, 24 Feb 2001 21:00:22 +0000

Some time ago, Madhu Gurung wrote about her grandmother who was the best storyteller in the world. Once ‘Bajai’ as she was called, told a different kind of a story – a real story of how the Gorkha warriors of Nepal came to settle down in Dehradun. Among them was Bajai’s grandfather, the chieftain of a clan.

Bajai told us that more than 200 years ago, when the British East India Company ruled parts of India, they attacked Nepal. Bajai’s grandfather was the chieftain of a Gurung village called Gandrung. It lies at the foot of the fishtail mountain called Machapuchara. He and other chieftains from different parts of Nepal, joined under the command of General Amar Jung Thapa. They drove the British back. The British fled and the Nepalese army followed, conquering the whole of Kumaon and Garhwal hills.

Sciene Quiz about Flowers

Thu, 04 Jul 2002 07:57:34 +0000

When you want to convey your feelings, you say it with flowers. Do you know that humans have attached different meanings and values to flowers? [A sciene quiz for children about flowers]

Different Colours of Honey

Thu, 18 Oct 2001 12:02:00 +0000

Honey comes in a variety of colours, flavours and fragrances. While some are amber, others are red, brown or yellow. Have you ever wondered why the honey made by the same bees have different colours?

Simple. It is made from different kinds of nectar, or the juice that the bees suck out of flowers. Different flowers have different kinds of nectar. And, all of them have different colours.

While the nectar collected from the clover plant is usually light in colour, the amber colour comes from poplar, eucalyptus, marigold and magnolia plants. And sometimes, it is really dark in colour.

Why do we Blink?

Fri, 28 Nov 2003 18:17:35 +0000

How many times do you blink in a minute? Weird, who knows! Well, mostly people blink around 15 times a minute (Reader’s Digest – Why in the World).

Blinking is an involuntary action that protects the eye. Most of our eye is enclosed in a bony socket covered with a layer of fat, which forms a protective cover. But when the eyes are open, one-tenth of the total surface area is exposed to the atmosphere. This means the eye, the most delicate and sensitive part of the body, has to withstand the dust present in the air.

How the Dragon Came to be

Mon, 17 Sep 2001 23:40:12 +0000

Long ago, there lived in China a young boy called Chi Yu.

Chi Yu lived with his mother in a tiny house at the edge of the village. There were beautiful green meadows all around and tall hills. Every year after the rains, the fields looked greener and more beautiful than ever before.

Each morning as the sun peeped into his window, Chi Yu jumped out of bed. He ran to the fields to cut the fresh grass that had grown at night. He gathered it in his big round basket and took it to farmer Hieun Tse who wanted the freshest grass for his cows. And Chi Yu got a jar of rice in return.

Schoolboy’s Diary – 4000 years ago

Thu, 30 Jan 2003 04:13:06 +0000

When I was in the fourth standard, I got my first real diary as a present from a cousin. It made me feel very important because it was gifted to me in the year for which it had been printed. Until then the elders had always shoved at me, two or three-year-old diaries in which the listed holidays and Sundays made no sense. Naturally!

It was a diary bound in dark brown leather and was printed by some company that must have been making a lot of money. And the first week of my life as a diary owner went by in a haze. I would keep looking at it, my heart swelling with pride. And then I would inhale the smell of fresh paper. It was heavenly.

What to do During an Earthquake?

Fri, 12 Apr 2002 18:11:00 +0000

An earthquake is literally an earth shattering experience! Here you are enjoying an afternoon snooze, or having a cup of coffee in the morning or even sleeping under a quilt on a cold winter night when WHAM! The entire crockery shelf collapses shattering plates and cups; the painting on the wall nearly knocks you down as it falls; or the antique fan looks like it will brain you as it hangs down, held by a single wire!

Volcanoes

Sat, 13 Sep 2003 02:59:17 +0000

Volcanoes are nature’s wildest and most destructive force. Human history tells tales of the fury and destruction of these ‘mountains of fire’.

Dress like an Egyptian

Thu, 27 Mar 2003 10:19:44 +0000

I am writing this as I am travelling in my time machine. I know how important it is to keep a diary of happenings. The machine is making strange rattling noises, because I forgot to clean its aching joints this morning. It’s an old contraption, after all. Hullo! Where am I? I thought I was visiting ancient India, but this decidely looks like a pyramid. Oops! Looks like I have reached ancient Egypt. Never mind, as they say – enjoy!

Aristotle can’t remain Ignorant!

Fri, 17 Dec 2004 02:54:54 +0000

The Greeks were a passionately curious lot. When Alexander the Great set off in 334 BC on the famous expedition that took him over the Hindukush into Tashkent and Kashmir, he was accompanied not only by navigators, guides and surveyors, but historians and philosophers as well.

Aristotle can’t remain Ignorant! [Illustration by Shinod AP]

Alexander had been taught by the philosopher Aristotle, and we are told that he ordered everyone throughout Greece and Asia who made their living by hunting, fowling, fishing, beekeeping and so on, to make sure that “Aristotle should not remain ignorant of any animal born anywhere.”

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?

Why Do Turtles and Tortoises Live So Long?

Sun, 23 Nov 1997 04:39:31 +0000

Turtles and tortoises have been on planet Earth even before the dinosaurs. They are that old. The difference between a turtle and tortoise is that the turtle stays in water while the tortoise stays on land. But both creatures have one thing in common: they live to a ripe old age, from 120 years to almost 200 years!

Some of them are huge, like the giant tortoises of the Galapagos Islands – they weigh beyond 200 kg; their shells are more than a metre long. The beauty is that they hatch from eggs that are no bigger than a hen’s!

How do Animals Communicate?

Tue, 27 Feb 2001 04:32:58 +0000

Humans have invented new and advanced ways of communicating with each other. Television, radio, telephones and of course email. You will be surprised to know that animals who seem to have very simple methods of communication – using their bodies and voices – are also capable of long distance communication.

How do Animals Communicate? [Illustration by Shinod AP]

Foot stomping and low frequency rumbling created by elephants can travel upto 20 miles and is used by elephants to signal other herds or members, says an article in the Hindu newspaper.

The Bed Bug and the Mosquito

Fri, 01 Oct 1999 01:31:34 +0000

A long, long time ago there lived a bed bug. He had a huge family. There were children, grandchildren, and great grand children. They all lived together on a beautiful bed. They lived in the corners and crevices of the bed. And the huge, beautiful bed belonged to the king of the country.

When the king slept, the bug and his entire family used to crawl out of their home. They would wait for the king to drift off to deep sleep and then feast on the king’s blood. The king’s blood was sweet, as sweet can be and they relished their meal.

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.

Welcome to Blind Cow Restaurant

Tue, 16 Sep 2003 06:01:18 +0000

Almost two years ago, a blind pastor, Reverend Jorge Spielmann started a restaurant for the blind in the city of Zurich, in Switzerland. Almost all the chefs, bartenders and waitresses who worked at the Blind Cow, as the restaurant was named, were also blind.

Now, not just the blind, but even people who can see with their eyes flock to this restaurant for the unique experience it provides, apart from the good fare it dishes out.

The Day Mother raised the Flag

Fri, 10 Jun 2005 22:58:58 +0000

On August 15, at the stroke of midnight, the Indian flag replaced the Union Jack of the British Empire. And millions of Indians went to sleep in a state of excitement. For, they would literally wake up in a free country. Among them was a five-year-old girl called Amrita Rangasami. She lived with four siblings and a young widowed mother, in a bylane of Madras (now Chennai).

Sixty-year-old Amrita, a senior journalist and scholar, remembers the day clearly, as if it were yesterday.

Lonely Kalu

Mon, 16 Sep 2002 05:27:58 +0000

Kalu was the only son of a farmer and his wife.

“I wish I had a brother or a sister, to play with,” he told his parents one day. “Everyone has a brother or a sister. I don’t like it when the children who come to play with me, on our farm, go back to their homes at night.”

“Don’t be silly,” said his father. “Their parents love them and want them back.”

But his words had some effect, because within a year, the farmer and his wife were blessed with twin girls. But Kalu was still unhappy. “I’m fond of my baby sisters,” said Kalu. “They are too small to play with me, just yet. Mother is busy with them, as they take up too much of her time. I’m lonely and bored.”

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.

Winter Festivals around the World

Tue, 23 Sep 2003 12:34:32 +0000

In two weeks it will be the winter solstice (literally means sun standing still) when we have the shortest day and the longest night. Because of the earth’s rotation there are two solstices, one in June and one in December. To us in the Northern Hemisphere who live above the equator, the winter solstice occurs either on the 20th, 21st or 22nd of December.

To those who live below the equator in the Southern Hemisphere, the sun is directly above the Tropic of Capricorn and it is summer time in Brazil and Australia. So while it’s snowing heavily and people are making snowballs and snowmen in America and Europe, Australians are happily surfing the sea and Santa Claus in Sydney is perhaps sweating it out in his fur trimmed suit.

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?”

Planets! Planets! and more Planets!

Mon, 22 Jul 2002 22:20:18 +0000

Astronomers working at Berkeley and Geneva have found nine new planets circling nearby stars. With this discovery, we now know of 50 extra-solar planets, also called exoplanets. That is a big increase from 41 planets last known five years ago.

All these individual planets move in an orbit around a star, which is called their parent star. The astronomers estimate that the Beta Pictoris star has a planet ten times the mass of Earth. It orbits at a distance of about 10.5 billion kilometers, more than ten times the distance of the earth from the sun. And Vega, one of the brightest stars in the sky appears to have a planet twice the mass of Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system. This planet is 8 billion kilometers from its parent star. In comparison, our solar system seems almost tiny. The distance between Pluto, the farthest planet in our solar system and the sun is “just” 5.9 billion kilometers!

Chakram

Sun, 20 Oct 2002 17:57:08 +0000

Chakram was a happy-go-lucky donkey who lived in the Rumpum Jungle. In the brains department he was sadly lacking, even as donkeys go.

But on the scale of contentment he rated very high. He was a happy, carefree sort of fellow who wanted nothing but tender grass to chew on and the shade of a leafy tree under which to laze. And since Rumpum had plenty of both, Chakram was as close to nirvana or salvation as any donkey can get.

India's First Female Grand`master'

Mon, 01 Jan 2001 09:10:13 +0000

July 31: What does a person achieve at 21? A college degree or, maybe, a job if she is lucky.

How about the title of Women’s Grandmaster in chess?

S. Vijayalakshmi is 21. And she has just won this title to become the first woman Grandmaster of India. It is a record which will never be challenged as other women aspirants can only follow her achievement.

To win Vijaylakshmi, or Viji as she is known, had to defeat International Master P. Harikrishna. He was ranked higher than her at the Wipro International Grandmaster Chess Championship played in Hyderabad, a few days ago. Viji won in the ninth round.

Is Bamboo a Grass!

Fri, 24 Aug 2001 08:38:34 +0000

If you look at a blade of grass and a bamboo tree they remind you of a mouse and an elephant. But unlike those animals, the grass and the bamboo belong to the same family. They are brothers! The bamboo is the largest member of the grass family.

It grows in Asia, South America and Africa. It has about 500 different varieties. They all have smooth, hollow jointed stems with a strong watertight partition at each joint. While most flower every year, there are some that flower only three or four times in a 100 years.

Boomerang: From Weapon to Fun

Fri, 31 Aug 2001 01:20:24 +0000

This goes back a long time. The aborigines, or the original inhabitants of Australia, needed an effective weapon to hunt animals and birds for food. When they looked around, their eyes rested on wood, which was so easily available. They made banana-shaped weapons of hard wood, with a curve on top and a flat bottom. That made each leg act like an aircraft wing.

They held it from one end over their shoulders and threw it hard and straight with such force that even animals could be killed. Thus was the boomerang born.

Paper Plate Masks

Fri, 03 Nov 2000 07:16:54 +0000

During Dussehra it seems that Rama and Ravana come down to earth. In every street there are children who wear masks of these characters and enact the story. Would you like to make your own masks and do the same?

Paper Plate Masks [Illustrations by Shiju George]

You will need:

Paper plate, paints, pencil, eraser and thread.

Step 1: Draw the face of the character on the backside of the paper plate and colour it.

The Plastic Menace

Tue, 09 Jan 2001 02:18:05 +0000

Heavy rains lashed Mumbai city a few months ago, the worst rains in decades. The downpour literally brought the city to a standstill. And all because of discarded plastic bags. Plastic bags or polythene bags are essentially made of petro-chemicals.

These bags are very thin and in a strong wind can fly away from garbage bins and land on drains and rain-water channels. The bags then clog the drains as they do not let water to flow through.

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.

Do Whales and Dolphins see Blue?

Wed, 23 Jun 2004 16:30:16 +0000

Dolphins and whales live in the deep blue sea, but strangely these animals are not able to see the colour blue!

Leo Peichl of the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research in Frankfurt and his colleagues discovered during routine tests that seals do not respond to the blue colour. Intrigued, they carried out similar tests on few other species, such as dolphins and whales, and found the same results.

According to fossil evidence, whales are believed to have descended from a four-legged primitive ungulate (hoofed mammal) which lived on land and was similar to the modern day hippopotamus. Like the hippopotamus the whales come to the surface for breathing to this day. However, tests carried out on hippopotamuses and river otters (close relatives of seals) showed that both species are receptive to the blue color.

Who Invented Band-aid?

Sun, 18 Nov 2001 21:20:38 +0000

What happens when you have a small wound? Just apply a small piece of sticky plaster with gauze (a loosely-woven cotton surgical dressing), or band-aid on it for a few days, and ta-da, your wound is healed!

What a stupendous item this band-aid is! So ideal for accident prone people, whether adults or kids. Well it was exactly for this reason that Earle Dickson invented it. He did it for his wife, who though not into rough contact sports was nevertheless accident prone.

Roach Sense

Mon, 22 Oct 2001 23:08:45 +0000

Have you ever caught a glimpse of a cockroach scurrying across your kitchen floor? Well, by the time you manage to get your hands on a roach repellent, the cockroach would have disappeared. Not surprising really, considering you are dealing with one of the greatest escape artists in the insect kingdom.

Yes, cockroaches or roaches for short, are adept at wriggling out of tight spots. Whether it is a frog lurking behind a bush, or a descending broom, these creatures have an uncanny ability to scent danger. That’s how they have survived on earth for the past 320 million years!

Nelson Mandela

Fri, 01 Jun 2001 04:55:26 +0000

Nelson Rohihlahla Mandela, b. July 18, 1918, was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Trained as an attorney, he helped form the Youth League of the African National Congress (ANC) in 1944. In 1961 he abandoned peaceful protest and became head of the ANC’s new military wing. Sentenced to life imprisonment in 1964, Mandela came to symbolize black political aspirations and was named head of the ANC after his release on Feb. 11, 1990. He and F. W. de Klerk shared the Nobel Peace Prize for negotiating South Africa’s peaceful transition to multiracial democracy. After the ANC victory in the April 1994 elections, Mandela worked to ease racial tensions, court foreign investment, and provide services to the victims of apartheid.

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.

How did the Safety Match Originate?

Mon, 22 May 2000 15:40:00 +0000

Fire was invented when two flint stones were struck together igniting a spark. From earliest times people made fire by either striking flint stones or by rubbing a hard stick against a soft one so that the friction caused soft flakes to peel off and start to smoulder.

The only improvement on these primitive methods was the tinder box that contained some steel, flint, and some dry tinder for the spark to ignite. This tinder was often pieces of linen or silk. But this was a time-consuming process especially if the tinder was damp or cold.

Crafts kits for kids

Sun, 05 Feb 2006 02:03:01 +0000

I live in a neighbourhood of Delhi which is full of children of all ages, shapes and sizes. In the evenings, the quiet of the place is shattered by the blood curdling cries of boys and girls let loose in the park. They play games that are certainly not for the fainthearted!

Ishaan and Tarini are no different. This brother-sister pair is particularly mischievous. Eight year old Ishaan and 10-year-old Tarini are known for playing pranks on others. Placing chewing gum on a chair before someone sits on it is one example. Their idea of helping their mother in the kitchen is to put salt in the tea before offering it to a guest. Two months ago, they locked up their neighbour so they could climb his guava tree and raid as many fruits as possible. The list is long.

Dancing Styles Coloring Pages

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 14:51:25 +0000

Traditional Indian dance forms from various parts of India.

Click on any image to view an enlarged version. Print it and color it.

Modesty Pays

Tue, 26 Jun 2001 00:36:32 +0000

There once lived a proud driver in Qi, a state in China. He was the driver of the Prime Minister of the state. One day the Prime Minister happened to drive through the street where the driver lived with his wife. Some neighbour’s saw him drive the Prime Minister and were excited.

One of the neighbours ran to the driver’s home and said to driver’s wife-“Quick! See who is driving the Prime Minister? Your husband.”

Iftar: The Meal that Breaks the Fast at Ramadan

Tue, 07 Oct 2003 02:39:04 +0000

It is the month of Ramadan (Ramzan) in the Islamic calendar and, for those who believe in it, each day of the month follows an identical routine: a fast from sunrise to sunset. At sundown, after a whole day of not eating or even taking a sip of water, the fast is broken. It is the time when the family gets together and eats a light but energy-giving healthy meal. This is Iftar, or the meal that breaks the fast.

Which is the World's Oldest Working Locomotive?

Sun, 03 Mar 2002 05:19:35 +0000

The Indian Railways is one of the world’s oldest railways dating back to 1849. It also has the largest network in terms of route length covering nearly 63,000 route kilometres touching every nook and cranny of India. The Indian Railways is also the world’s single largest employer with about 1.6 million people working in nine zones.

Among its many unique gems are the toy train that runs on the Darjeeling Himalayan rail route, the rack railway at Udagamandalam in south India, the busiest narrow gauge network in the world, etc. However, the pride of place goes to the ‘Fairy Queen’, a living locomotive legend. So what’s so special about it? Well, it is the world’s oldest locomotive still in operation on a main line transporting tourists from Delhi to Alwar in Rajasthan.

How do Flush Toilets Work?

Wed, 30 Aug 2000 16:51:21 +0000

Toilets are an amazing invention. Nearly every home has at least one. It is a very necessary utility needed in all homes to maintain hygiene. It is really amazing how this system works – you press a lever or pull a chain and whoosh! About two gallons of water rushes down into the porcelain bowl in three and four seconds. Gurgle-gurgle-urp it is clean and ready for use again!

Toilets were known in India as early as three thousand years ago! Excavations at Harappa revealed drainage facilities with effective sanitation. However, the Chinese were the first to use flush toilets. Archaeologists found a two thousand year old antique latrine belonging to the Han Dynasty complete with running water, a stone seat and a comfortable armrest. It was a fact that French king Louis XIII had his toilet fashioned after his throne.

The Golden Fish

Mon, 02 Oct 2000 17:31:18 +0000

There are many islands in the Bay of Bengal and not all of them are inhabited. But on one island, at one time, there was a small hut which belonged to an old man and his wife. They were very poor. The husband used to make nets and fish in the sea, for that was the only food they could get.

One day he went fishing as usual. He cast his net and waited. Suddenly there was a pull. He started to draw in the net, it seemed heavier than it had ever before. He just about managed to draw it up. But when he looked, he was surprised to find the net empty except for one small fish. However, it was no ordinary fish. It was golden in colour and even stranger, it pleaded with the old man in a human voice, “Please do not kill me, put me back into the sea and I will be of some service to you. I will do whatever you wish.” The old man thought for a minute and answered, “I do not need anything from you, go back and swim in the sea.” He threw the fish back into the sea and went back home.

Sparrows

Tue, 11 Jan 2000 00:17:09 +0000

Sparrows [Illustration by Sudheer Nath]

Sparrows on the mango tree
Sparrows on the grass
Sparrows on the windowsill
And on my looking glass!

Sparrows on the gravel path
And on the garden chair
Sparrows by the lily-pool
You find them everywhere!

Birds Coloring Pages

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 11:17:43 +0000

Birds Coloring Pages for kids. How would you like to see these birds? Colour them just the way you want to. Click on any image you like to enlarge it. You can download this image and print it for colouring!

Click on any image to view an enlarged version. Print it and color it.

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.”

The Fleeting Deer

Thu, 05 Jul 2001 21:52:18 +0000

The deer runs fast
With nimble feet
By lucky chance
You may just meet!

Sweet deer, do pause
Beneath the tree-
Won’t you please
Make friends with me?

The Fleeting Deer [Illustration by Anup Singh]

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.

Abdul Kareem's Forest

Fri, 19 Sep 2003 15:01:49 +0000

A lush green forest in the middle of a rocky wasteland. No, this paradise is not an illusion. Abdul Kareem has created it with his own hands.

Kareem’s 30-acre forest is in Kasargode district, Kerala. It is home to 1,500 medicinal plants, 2,000 varieties of trees, rare birds, animals and insects. Agricultural scientist, MS Swaminathan, has called the forest a “wonderful example of the power harmony with nature.”

Abdul Kareem’s Forest [Illustration by Shinod AP]

So, how did Kareem manage to convert a wasteland into a forest?

What is a Tsunami?

Tue, 28 Nov 2000 12:09:07 +0000

Last year there were three more fishing villages in the Pacific island country of Papua New Guinea than there are today. You might ask why. The answer is that these three villages were washed away by an ocean wave that was more like a giant wall of water. It goes by the name tsunami, a Japanese term meaning a harbour wave.

Ocean that Becomes a Giant Wall [Illustrations by Kusum Chamoli]

A tsunami is caused by a disturbance in the sea floor, just like the disturbances on land. It may take the form of a quake or volcanic eruption or landslides on the ocean floor. Imagine the slab-like pieces of the sea floor, each of which may be hundreds of kilometres long. And imagine these slabs moving against each other, forcing one or the other upwards.

Coldest, Driest and Hottest Quiz

Thu, 10 Jul 2003 13:45:29 +0000

Find out the driest, hottest and the wettest place on earth. Waves that are a kilometre high and winds that can uproot…

What Toothpaste did the Ancients Use?

Mon, 24 Dec 2001 02:12:59 +0000

One of my earliest childhood memories of Delhi is seeing morning walkers, milkmen, or shopkeepers chewing away at the neem stick, much like a cow chewing the cud. It seemed strange that they should go to all that effort when readymade toothpaste was available.

Neem (Azadirachta indic a) twig still used as toothbrush in many parts of India

The world was divided into four kinds of people: those who used toothpaste and brush, and they were the elite; those who used tooth powder for which the index finger doubled as the brush; people who used indigenous “monkey-brand” tooth powders and lastly, those who used neem sticks which were two-in-one.

The Rich Man's Vessels

Tue, 22 Aug 2000 05:58:37 +0000

Once upon a time there lived a rich man in a village in Kerala. His house was full of vessels of all sizes – some as small as a bird, others big enough to seat a child. Whenever there was a ceremony in any household, the villagers would borrow his utensils. After the function, they would return the whole lot of vessels to the rich man.

Then one day, a strange thing happened. A villager who had borrowed some utensils, returned a couple more than he had borrowed. The rich man was perplexed. He scratched his head.

What is Vetiver Grass?

Mon, 02 Dec 2002 03:01:55 +0000

If you ask someone what vetiver is, chances are that you might get a blank look. But mention the word khus, and most people will be all-smiles. For this grass have the sweetest and coolest fragrance that beat the summer heat. That is why for centuries Indians have had vetiver or khus mats and screens in their homes. A steady sprinkle of water is enough to keep the hot summer wind out.

Chrysopogon zizanioides, commonly known as vetiver found abundantly in India, is of Asian origin. It gets its name from the Tamil word ‘vetriver’, meaning root. From India it travelled to the West Indies, Fiji and Africa, where a new use was found for it – as a sponge to hold the soil in place and prevent erosion, according to a report by the Academy for Mountain Environics, an NGO based in Dehra Dun, in north India. Creating environmentally sustainable technologies at the local level, is its main concern.

Five Little Chickens

Thu, 08 Jun 2000 15:56:15 +0000

Said the first little chicken,
With a queer little squirm,
“Oh, I wish I could find
A fat little worm!”

Said the next little chicken,
With an odd little shrug,
“Oh, I wish I could find
A fat little bug!”

Said the third little chicken,
With a sharp little squeal,

Five Little Chickens []

“Oh, I wish I could find
Some nice yellow meal!”

Said the fourth little chicken,
With a faint little moan,
“Oh, I wish I could find
A green little leaf!”

Can Fish Lay Eggs in the Mouth?

Wed, 23 May 2001 04:23:36 +0000

There is a kind of fish which does not use its mouth for just eating. It keeps eggs in its mouth instead of its stomach. And, it is the male fish which does it, not the female.

Jawfish (Opistognathidae) are paternal mouthbrooders. Mouthbrooding, also known as oral incubation, is the care given a parent by holding its offspring in its own mouth for extended periods of time.

A Nest in the Mouth [Illustration by Shridevi]

After the eggs are fertilised, the male puts them in his mouth, and carries them around for a month. And, while the eggs are in his mouth, he starves! That is because there is no space left for him to eat.

Who Invented Traffic Lights?

Tue, 29 May 2001 01:06:14 +0000

Long before roads needed traffic lights, railways were using a system of signals to control train traffic. In the early railways, a single track was used for both up-going and down-going trains, and safety depended on spacing the arrival and departure of trains according to time intervals.

These signals consisted of a ball and something that looked like a kite. When the kite was raised on top it indicated danger while if the ball was raised, it indicated the all clear.

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!

Why do Locusts Swarm?

Sat, 13 Dec 2003 15:57:51 +0000

Have you ever tried chasing a frisky grasshopper? If you have, you will definitely know that scampering after a jumpy bug is not an easy task. Most species of grasshoppers have a keen sense of hearing and the moment they sense trouble, they can hop fast and furious!

Sometimes, shortage of food turns grasshoppers into migratory insects as they venture out in search of newer pastures. This situation happens when the species begins reproducing rapidly and does not have enough food for all the members of its community.

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.

What is Mad Cow Disease?

Wed, 14 Nov 2001 04:57:27 +0000

In 1996, doctors detected 10 cases of a rare and fatal human brain disease in Britain and they diagnosed that it was probably due to eating beef from animals with “mad cow disease”. Scientifically, this cow disease was termed bovine spongiform encephalopathy or BSE while the disease affecting humans was termed Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD).

The disease caused panic in Europe both among people eating beef and the farmers who were selling it. The European Union, which is the administrative body and includes all countries in Europe, responded immediately by banning imports of British beef.

Count that Day Lost

Thu, 29 Aug 2002 10:16:30 +0000

If you sit down at set of sun
And count the acts that you have done,
And, counting, find
One self-denying deed, one word
That eased the heart of him who heard,
One glance most kind
That fell like sunshine where it went –
Then you may count that day well spent

But if, though all the livelong day,
You’ve cheered no heart, by yea or nay –

Count that Day Lost [Illustration by Anup Singh]

If, through it all
You’ve nothing done that you can trace
That brought the sunshine to one face –
No act most small

Why are Some Reptiles Brightly Coloured?

Thu, 05 Aug 1999 11:47:40 +0000

Most animals have skin colour that makes them merge into their surroundings. They become near invisible unless you look very closely. But some reptiles such as the sea-snakes, coral snakes and frogs of Central and South America are brilliantly coloured or have bright bands like deep yellow, orange, pink on their bodies.

They are easily visible among the green leaves or brown earth. This is because these animals are poisonous. The colouring is a warning to other animals, especially their natural enemies, to avoid eating them. The frogs of Central America called the dart-poison frogs secrete a poison from their skin.

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.

Lion On The Loose!...!...

Wed, 13 Jun 2001 21:29:28 +0000

Once it started raining, it just wouldn’t stop. The sky wept great tears in an endless stream until the clouds had entered everyone’s hearts and made them feel as grey and weepy as the weather. But still it rained on and on.

Everyone stayed at home, gloomy and bored. “I wish we could DO something,” moaned Geeti, “Nothing exciting ever happens to us” said Vikki.

Mummy wouldn’t let them go out but she tried to cheer them up by baking a cake. The children helped too. The cake was yummy and they ate it hot. The rest they covered and left on the table.

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

The Court Jester and the Hilsa Fish

Sat, 15 Sep 2001 17:39:29 +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. Solving the problems of the kingdom and dealing carefully with rival kings 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. That was the job of the court jester.

Turkey Coloring Pages for Kids

Sat, 11 Oct 2014 11:36:56 +0000

This Thanksgiving you can choose one of our free printable Turkey coloring page to print and color. Click on any image you like to enlarge it. You can download this image and print it for coloring!

This coloring page is a part of a large collection of free printable coloring book pages for preschool, kindergarten and elementary school children to print and color.

Click on any image to view an enlarged version. Print it and color it.

Mosquito Menace

Tue, 10 Dec 2002 06:57:42 +0000

Guess what besides fat raindrops, rain clouds in Mumbai bring? Those tiny terrors, mosquitoes. Result: nights spent tossing and turning, and swatting the insects. But the next morning you wake up with those tell tale red marks on your arms, pause to think if you took a bath or not the previous night.

That’s right. Human sweat turns mosquitoes on more than anything else. Research carried out by scientists in The Netherlands say that mosquitoes are actually quite finicky about whom they sting and never ever nibble at random. They find sweaty people absolutely irresistible however and the more stale the sweat the better. Yuck!

How Did Santa Claus Originate?

Sun, 14 Jan 2001 20:31:45 +0000

Its nearly midnight and with a jingle of bells a sled comes streaking from the north, pulled of course by Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer. Sitting in the sled is a jolly round red robed figure with flowing white beard and a bag slung over his shoulder that lands on the rooftop with a merry ho-ho-ho.

Hey! Its Christmas and its Santa Claus. If you’ve been nice, he slides down the chimney and loads up little stockings hung there with lots of toys and goodies. If you’ve been naughty, then you get fewer toys!

The Song of Hori or Happiness

Sun, 18 May 2003 20:14:09 +0000

Braj mein hori khelat Nandlal.

Kesar rang ki keech bhai hai,
Chahun or udat gulal,
Nachat gopal.

Braj mein hori khelat Nandlal.

Baajat jhanjhar, dhol, majari aur khartal,
Braj ki nari sangh hori khelat,
Nachat dede taal, sakhi.

Braj mein hori khelat Nandlal.

(This song sung by women describes Nandlal, as young Krishna is called, playing hori with the women of Brajbhoomi – the area comprising Mathura, Vrindavan, Gokul and Barsana that are associated with Krishna and Radha. ‘Red colour is flying in all directions and the mud has turned slushy with saffron coloured water. Friend, dance to the beat as Nandlal is playing hori’ – so the song goes.)

Sunflowers

Fri, 05 Jan 2001 01:03:05 +0000

Sunflower, sunflower, I love you
You look so gay and bright

Sunflower, sunflower, I love you
You make me think of light

When I see your cheerful face
I want to dance and sing

Sunflower, sunflower I love you
You make me think of spring!

Sunflowers [Illustration by Sudheer Nath]

Dinosaur eggs Found in Patagonia

Mon, 11 Jun 2001 17:50:08 +0000

The film Jurassic Park is peanuts compared to this: Last month, Argentine scientists found thousands of dinosaur eggs in hundreds of nests at Patagonia. A report in the journal New Scientist says that it is the biggest nesting site of dinosaurs found thus far. Each nest contained 15 to 30 eggs the size of a grapefruit each. The eggs contained bones of titanosaurs which would have weighed about 15 tonnes when fully grown.

Close to 100 million years old dinosaur egg. Displayed at University of Zurich. bestimagesevercom / Shutterstock.com

Like several birds today, the dinosaurs also had communal nesting sites, or nests at the same place. The scientists say that the “vegetarian” dinosaurs had large families but very few of their children would have reached adulthood. The carnivorous dinosaurs would have found it easier to chase the little ones than the big plant-eating adults.

Matchstick Models

Thu, 05 Dec 1996 19:30:07 +0000

Matchstick Models [Illustrations by D.K. Sharma]

“Science, in essence, is a viewpoint — a worldview, an ability to critically examine phenomenon. It is an ability to see patterns, structures, sequences, trends, commonalities, regularities and generalities — in short, an ability to perceive and discover an order in the universe. From this point of view, every object is a piece of scientific apparatus and every child a budding scientist.”

Robot That Changes Form

Tue, 11 Sep 2001 11:18:11 +0000

Did you know that the word robot is derived from the Czech word robota? It means compulsory labour or work. The word robot was first used in a Czech drama in 1921. It described a mechanical device that looked human but lacked emotions. It worked mechanically.

Modern-day robots do not necessarily look like humans. But they are programmed to handle tasks that are normally carried out by humans, especially in big factories that manufacture products like cars. Employers prefer these mechanical devices because of many reasons: they are faster and more accurate than human workers; they never ask for a pay hike; nor do they take endless coffee breaks! Robots are also capable of working in an environment that is dangerous for humans.

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.

Why do some Rivers Flow Underground

Mon, 17 Apr 2000 12:28:40 +0000

From ancient times, people have settled down along the banks of rivers, since they provide water to drink, to irrigate their fields, and to use as waterways to go from one place to another.

But hidden away, below the earth, are rivers that we rarely see, until they surface near the sea, or when they merge with another river. Some have names and are talked of with a sense of mystery, but many are nameless streams that flow through the nooks and crannies of the earth.

Why is the Ball-point Pen Called So?

Tue, 14 Oct 2003 05:05:22 +0000

Writing is one of the most important inventions. Humans first used brushes for writing, then thick reeds were used. Feathers were used in medieval Europe for writing.

In the mid-19 century, metallic pens and nibs were widely used, while the fountain pen was produced in 1884 by the American, LE Waterman. However, these pens had a lot of problems. The ink would spill and blot very frequently and writing was cumbersome.

The first ball-point pen was invented by an Hungarian journalist, Ladislo Biro, in 1938. Biro had noticed that the type of ink used in newspaper printing dried quickly and did not smudge the paper. He decided to make a pen using the same type of ink. However, that thick ink could not flow through the normal pen nib, so he tried something else. And that is how the ball-point-pen was born.

Why are Some Plants Non-vegetarian?

Sat, 01 Jun 1996 09:32:17 +0000

Are you scared of going to the forest because you think there are man-eating tigers in the forest? What would you do if there were man-eating plants too?

Don’t worry. Man-eating plants do not exist. But insect and animal-eating plants do. They are what you would call non-vegetarian plants.

In fact, there are 500 varieties of plant species that trap prey and eat it. The most famous among these carnivorous plants are sundews, pitcher plants, bladderworts and the Venus flytrap.

Saraswati River in the Thar Desert

Sat, 09 Aug 2003 17:34:07 +0000

The vedas mention the mighty Saraswati river flowing down the Himalayas and then westwards towards Rajasthan. But Rajasthan is a desert. So where did this huge river, which the vedas say was bigger than the Ganga, disappear?

It is widely believed that this river still flows under the Thar desert, though no one has been able to prove this for sure.

Even the epic Mahabharata, written in 1000 BC, mentions Saraswati as the once-mighty river that was drying up. As of now, the Saraswati has completely disappeared from the earth’s surface, which is why several people even doubt that it ever existed. For long scientists have been hunting for traces of the Saraswati in the desert.

Mahavir Jayanti

Fri, 01 Aug 2003 14:50:43 +0000

You must have often wondered about the monks with shaven heads, a white robe and a fine muslin cloth covering their mouths and noses. They are monks who follow the Jain religion. They cover their mouths and noses to avoid any involuntary killing – even of germs.

Sometimes they also carry small brooms to remove any small creature out of their way so that they do not unknowingly tread on it. Their lifelong attempt is to live by the principle of ahimsa or non violence. So it is with Jains who lead lives like you, me and others.

Eleanor Roosevelt

Wed, 25 Oct 2000 03:57:13 +0000

Anna Eleanor Roosevelt was a powerful voice on behalf of a wide range of social causes including youth employment and civil rights for blacks and women. The wife of a popular U.S. president, Eleanor Roosevelt was born in New York City on October 11, 1884 was a tireless worker for social causes. A niece of President Theodore Roosevelt, she was raised by her maternal grandmother after the premature death of her parents. In 1905, she married her cousin Franklin Delano Roosevelt; they had six children, one of whom died in infancy. Although extremely shy, she became active in politics after her husband was stricken with polio in 1921.

What is Blood Pressure?

Sun, 17 Dec 2000 21:38:51 +0000

The heart is a live pump that delivers blood to different parts of the body. Blood flows in or flows out when the heart contracts and expands. The blood is forced into the arteries, which expand to receive the oncoming blood. The force with which the blood moves through the arteries is knows as blood pressure.

The arteries have a muscular lining which resists this pressure. The blood is thus squeezed out into smaller blood vessels. Maximum blood pressure coincides with the steady contraction of the heart, which pushes the blood into the arteries. This maximum pressure is called systolic pressure.

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.”

How do Human Cannonballs Fly?

Thu, 10 May 2001 01:03:49 +0000

Even been to a circus where they featured a human cannonball? A person enters a huge cannon and when the fuse is lit, he comes shooting out with a bang, flying in the air before landing on a net!

My god! I thought that was the most horrifying thing I had ever seen. What a crazy thing to do. How does he do it without being blown to pieces, I would wonder.

How do Human Cannonballs Fly? [Illustration by Anup Singh]

Though scary, it was one of the most captivating items for me, and the hundreds of children and adults who would watch the circus item with their mouths open.

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.

Everything is made of something

Wed, 04 Sep 2002 14:54:10 +0000

How do you make tea? Simple, put a teaspoon of tea into a boiling cup of water. Strain the water, pour some milk and sugar to taste and the tea is ready! Interestingly, everything that we prepare has a recipe and is made up of simpler ingredients.

For example, what is sugar made of? It is made of sugar molecules, which in turn, are made up of atoms. The atom is the building block of all substances.

Why do Aircrafts Have a Black Box?

Tue, 24 Apr 2001 16:31:18 +0000

Often, after an air disaster, we hear about the black box in the news. The black box does not play any part in making an aircraft fly but it serves an important function. It is basically an electronic device used by investigators to discover the cause of a crash and may be, prevent others.

Why do Aircrafts Have a Black Box? [Illustration by Shiju George]

The black box can be inserted or removed from an aircraft. In a passenger aircraft there are actually two black boxes. One contains the flight data-recorder and the other, the cockpit-voice recorder.

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.

What were the Voyager Missions?

Sat, 19 Jul 2003 22:32:53 +0000

Imagine a journey that takes you a billion kilometres away from earth, to the edge of the solar system, from where you can look back over your shoulder and see our sun as just another star in the sky.

We are not talking about a science fiction movie but the Voyager space mission. On August 20, 1977, the Voyager 2 spacecraft was launched. Close on its heels, the Voyager 1 was launched on September 5, 1977. Both the unmanned spacecraft were launched from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, USA.

Here comes the Mango

Thu, 11 Jan 2001 07:16:15 +0000

Here comes the Mango [Illustrations by Shiju George]

Set everyone’s stomach growling with your irresistable, yummy look.

All you need is:

Two Cardboard Sheets.
Two White Chartpapers.
Water Colours.
Paint Brush.
Two meter yellow ribbon.
Scissors, pencil and eraser.

Step 1: Paste a white chartpaper on to a cardboard sheet. Draw the shape of a mango and cut it.

Step 2: Colour the mango using different shades of yellow and orange. Repeat the same steps to make another mango which would cover your back.

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.

How do Chameleons Latch on to Prey Using Just Their Tongue?

Mon, 01 Oct 2001 11:11:12 +0000

Have you ever seen a chameleon flick its tongue at a fly? Well, this small reptile with a foot long body has an extremely long tongue. Its nearly three-fourths the length of its body!

A chameleon can launch its tongue out at targets up to two body lengths away. It flicks its tongue and can snap its prey in 1/25th of a second! This is faster than you can blink your eye!

Once the tongue makes contact with a prey, the prey gets attached to the sticky tongue like glue. The chameleon then withdraws its tongue, with the prey firmly attached into its mouth. The chameleon’s sticky tongue is capable of gripping anything – sometimes even lassoing lizards nearly the same size as itself.

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.

How Will our Sun Die?

Wed, 08 May 2002 00:54:36 +0000

Everything that is born must die. Not only living beings, but inanimate objects like stars too.

The birth of a star

The universe has massive clouds of hydrogen floating around. Sometimes, these clouds come together and form very dense and huge balls of hydrogen gas. As the clouds come close, their temperature increases. This is called a proto-star (original star).

The increase in temperature triggers off nuclear reactions at the core of the star. Nuclear reactions inside the star occur when the nucleus of two hydrogen atoms fuse to produce a helium atom. This reaction which is actually the same as that inside a hydrogen bomb, release huge amounts of heat and light. This is what makes a star glow.

Mammals

Fri, 02 Jun 2000 10:52:04 +0000

Most give birth to young ones, some lay eggs. But they all produce milk to feed their young. Would you like to know more about mammals? [A sciene quiz for children about mammals]

The Boy and the Magic Brush

Sat, 24 Feb 2001 01:37:42 +0000

A folktale from Myanmar, it will acquaint readers with a new word called ‘Nat’. Nats are spirits, good or bad, and they are believed to have supernatural powers. The Buddhists believe that everybody goes through the cycle of life, death and rebirth – all determined by the person’s ‘karma’ or deeds. Being a Nat is just one of the cycle of lives.

Nats need salvation as much as humans and so they help humans by being their guardian spirits. They guard the rivers, mountains, towns, villages, forests, lakes, seas and homes. In Myanmar, the Buddhists believe that the Buddha himself went through several lifetimes as a Nat before he finally became the Buddha.

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.”

Why is Snow White?

Mon, 29 Jul 2002 13:35:53 +0000

I am sure like my two kids, all of seven and three years, you too may find the cold in Delhi a bit too extreme. It is cold and clammy and some days it is foggy making it dangerous to drive. Some days I would like them to be adequately muffled up in warm winter clothing, while they feel quite comfortable running around in a sweater and shorts! But most days it was grumble, grumble, grumble!

Chinese Sparrows

Thu, 28 Dec 2000 20:37:41 +0000

Once there was a merchant who happened to acquire six sparrows from China.

“They’ll make a fine gift for my lord,” thought the merchant. But knowing the lord to be very superstitious and always concerned about omens, he suspected that His Lordship might not like the number ‘six’. In order to make the number a lucky ‘seven’, he added one Japanese sparrow, and presented them in a beautiful cage.

The lord was greatly pleased to have such a rare gift. He admired the birds and looked very carefully at each one of them.

What are the Various Jazz Styles?

Tue, 15 Oct 2002 11:12:25 +0000

Jazz originated from the American South in the 18th century as a form of music sung by African slaves employed in the many plantations. Jazz music was influenced by different cultures from a combination of African folk music and rhythms to Caribbean and black American music.

Various styles of playing evolved in the 19th and 20th centuries as musicians started to improvise. This was because early musicians did not have formal training in Western classical music and those that did began to introduce European harmonies and forms into Jazz and made the pattern of music uneven.

The Friends

Tue, 29 Jan 2002 15:26:37 +0000

Two friends, Hemant and Vikas, planned to go hiking in the woods. They packed their knapsacks, lugged them over their shoulders and started out.

One evening, while walking through the dense forest, they heard a bear growl. They were very scared and started to run away, but “Twick, twick”, they could hear the twigs breaking with each step the bear took towards them.

Desperate, Hemant saw a low branch hanging from a tree. He quickly caught hold of the life-saving branch and climbed on top of the tree as soon as possible. He was so scared that he did not even look at his friend once.

All Human History is Just 10 Seconds Old!

Fri, 14 Dec 2001 05:37:22 +0000

Look at the dial of a clock. Imagine that the 12 hours showing on the dial are equal to earth’s history of four-and-a-half billion years. Now, this is how the earth’s evolution happened…

We know very little about what happened in the first three hours of the earth’s existence. The first signs of life appeared in the form of bacteria when the earth was four hours old.

Then came the first vertebrates (animals with skeletons). They were born when the earth was 10 hours and 35 minutes old. The huge dinosaurs arrived at 11 hours and 25 minutes and birds and mammals at 11 hours and 50 minutes.

Why does a Cricket Ball Swing?

Sun, 11 Mar 2001 20:21:37 +0000

How many times have all of us heard that the former captain of the Indian cricket team, Kapil Dev, was one of the greatest out-swing bowlers of all times. Indeed! He took more than 430 wickets in Test cricket. But, do you know how a cricket ball swings?

The term ‘swing’ refers to the movement of the cricket ball in the air after it leaves the bowler’s hand, which takes the ball away from or towards the batsman. If the ball moves away from the batsman it is called an out-swinger; if the ball moves towards the batsman it is called the in-swinger.

Raksha Bandhan

Wed, 21 Apr 1999 12:18:43 +0000

Excerpts from the book “Festivals of India”

Sravani, the sacred thread changing ceremony, and Raksha Bandhan are celebrated on the full moon day of the month of shravan (June-July) and are often regarded as two names for the same festival. This is not strictly true because Sravani is specifically a Brahmin festival referred to in the sacred Sanskrit texts as Rishi Tarpan or Upa Karma. It is a very ancient Vedic festival and even today is regarded as important in Bengal, Orissa, southern India, Gujarat and some other states. The more popular of the two festivals, however, is Raksha Bandhan.

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 Boy Who Could Do Nothing Right!

Mon, 06 Jun 2005 21:06:32 +0000

Do you know of anyone who stumbles on a flat stretch of road, or walks into chairs and tables all the time? I knew one such boy. His name was Tarun. I met him in the hill retreat of Shimla in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. I had gone there for a holiday some time ago.

The Boy Who Could Do Nothing Right!

For a nine-year-old Tarun was tall. Since he was much taller than his classmates, he would hunch his shoulders to appear smaller. His arms and legs were loose and he always seemed to have trouble walking straight. It seemed as if his arms and limbs were not ready to go along with the rest of the body. So much so that the joke in school was that no one knew whether Tarun was coming or going. On any given day there would be one or more bruises on his body from walking into table corners or closing the door on his hand. Prince of the Clumsy Kingdom was what everyone called him. Tarun was miserable.

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”.

Deception and Mimicry Among Animals to Fool Enemies!

Sun, 19 Aug 2001 20:05:56 +0000

All living beings have enemies. And they all have developed interesting ways to keep them at bay. Some animals hide, others run, or just fly away when faced with danger. These are their defence mechanisms.

Some animals can hide without moving. They have the unique ability to change their colour to merge with the surroundings. They become invisible to the predator. This method of defence is called “camouflage”.

Some rabbits change colour with the change of season. The snowshoe hare is brown in summer and white in winter. The white fur serves as a camouflage in the snow in winter.

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.

Filmmaking

Mon, 30 Jun 2003 17:59:58 +0000

Director, producer, actors, editor – a film is a remarkable process where thousands of small details and hundreds of people come together to do their special bit and create magic.

Why's it hard for Ketchup to flow?

Mon, 21 Feb 2005 04:40:13 +0000

Why is it so tough to get ketchup out of the bottle?

Why’s it hard for Ketchup to flow? [Illustration by Shinod AP]

When you overturn a sauce bottle that has been left untouched for some time, chances are, either the sauce will not come out at all or a gigantic blob will plop down on your plate. Getting ketchup to ‘flow’ out of the bottle can be quite an ordeal.

Birju and the Flying Horse

Tue, 03 Mar 1998 22:11:57 +0000

In a far off city, there lived a boy called Birju. He longed to run and play like other children. But he had a lame leg. He found it difficult to even walk properly. Birju’s father worked as a gardener in a rich man’s garden, close to the hut in which they lived. His mother washed dishes in other people’s houses. One day, his father came home looking very pleased. “Look, Birju,” he said, “Look what I’ve got!” He held up an old wooden rocking horse. “Bibiji gave it to me.” The horse was old and battered. The paint had peeled off, the saddle was torn and one of the ears was about to fall off. But Birju was thrilled with his new toy. He had never owned anything like it before. He climbed on it at once and began to rock.

Where are the Shaking Minarets?

Thu, 15 Feb 2001 22:32:46 +0000

Among the many architectural marvels of the world, like the leaning tower of Pisa, the whispering gallery at St Paul’s Cathedral at London or the musical pillars of South India, are the astonishing and historical shaking minarets of Ahmedabad, in Gujarat state, India. The minarets are so unique that if one minaret in shaken, the other sympathetically shakes too!

Barely a kilometre away from the Ahmedabad city railway station is the Sidi Bashir mosque (Muslim equivalent of a temple) famed for its jhulta minars or shaking minarets (tall tower-like structures, either at the entrance gate or on the four corners).

Sitting in Rows is Better for Primary School Kids

Tue, 25 Jun 2002 23:58:18 +0000

October 21: Are you studying in primary school? How does your teacher make you sit – in rows or in groups? How would you like to sit? Does sitting in rows make you feel good or does it make you feel lonely? Do you feel that sitting in a group and discussing things makes you learn more and in an easier way?

For those who were in primary school at any time, try to remember your classroom, the way the tables and chairs were arranged. How were you made to sit, and did you like it?

Which is the Most Abundant Fruit in India?

Wed, 01 May 2002 22:08:33 +0000

Did you know that in India, mango orchards cover roughly 33 percent (1.08 million hectares) of the total area under fruit cultivation? In a hectare of land you can grow thousands of trees. And each tree bears, thousands of fruit! I will leave it to you to calculate how many mangoes the country produces! It’s no wonder that the subzi mandis (vegetable and fruit markets) get flooded with mangoes in summers.

Forget the fact that the country produces millions of mangoes, do you know how many varieties there are? Thousands! Some of the popular ones are Alphonso, Dassehri, Banganapalle, Langra, Safeda, Neelam and Chausa. With so many varieties in the country, people have created varieties with fancy and romantic names, like Husn-e-Ara and Jehangir.

Another Big Quake for 2010 – Chile

Thu, 12 Aug 2010 03:05:04 +0000

Where: Santiago,Chile

March 17, 2010 : Chile experienced an 8.8-magnitude on February 27, 2010. Around 700 people lost their lives. This was the fifth strongest earthquake recorded in the world since 1900. The quake struck near Concepcion, Chile’s second largest city, where thousands of people were holidaying over the weekend. In neighbouring Argentina, houses and power lines collapsed. There were three tsunami waves that rose at least four metres (13 feet) along Chile’s coastline.

By March 12, 2010, there had already been over 300 aftershocks from the quake. Of these, over 200 were greater than 5.0 in magnitude. This slowed down the reconstruction process considerably. President Sebastian Pinera said it would cost at least $30billion to rebuild the country. Around 300,000 houses, hospitals, schools and roads needed to be rebuilt. Some of the work would be paid for with the income earned from copper exports. Chile is the world’s biggest producer of copper.

Bunny Rabbit

Sun, 15 Apr 2001 23:12:12 +0000

If you wish to make a toy at home that does not take much time, then try this. It looks cute and can be added to your soft toy collection.

The things you need:

Fused bulb
Cotton
Adhesive
Black pepper corns
Velvet paper or the Indian ‘Bindi’
Scissors

Step 1: Take a bulb and stick cotton on it, covering it completely. Give additional padding of cotton for the mouth of the rabbit.

Step 2: Cut out the cotton in the shape of rabbit ears and stick them to the rabbit’s head.

Birds Which Eat Their Feathers

Sat, 13 Jan 2001 06:22:28 +0000

We all know that birds use their feathers to line their nests. But have you ever heard of a bird eating its own feathers?

It is a bird which lives in water and is called the great crested grebe. It eats its own feathers and feeds them to her young ones too. And, it always prefers soft feathers, which it sheds throughout the year.

Scientists believe that its feather-eating habit is linked to the process with which it throws waste.

Opposite

Wed, 19 May 1999 09:18:48 +0000

If everything was opposite

Why, less would be more.
The poor will be rich
And the rich will be poor.

Aeroplanes fly underground
Ships sail up in the sky.
Two will be single
One will be a pair.

The tortoise, runs fast
The hare, runs slow.
The green light means stop
The red light means go.

If things were opposite
I would be you
And you would be me.

Opposite [Illustrations by Amarjeet Malik]

The Colours of Light

Sun, 13 Sep 1998 16:29:46 +0000

A beam of light seems to have no colour. Actually, it is made up of coloured rays. Usually, these coloured rays combine to form the white light. But it is possible to see the different colours at certain times. For instance, when it rains and the sun’s rays pass through raindrops. Since the raindrop has many sides or surfaces, the rays split up into a fanshape of different colours. And we see the rainbow. Violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange and red.

Who Invented the Frisbee?

Sat, 08 Dec 2001 11:46:28 +0000

At first glance in the park or at the beach, you may confuse it for an UFO (unidentified flying object) and rush home thinking the Martians have really landed from outer space! Soon it becomes clear that the “spacecraft” is actually a harmless toy — a colourful Frisbee, and the creature from outer space is the boy next door!

Today, almost all of us have seen one or sent a Frisbee gliding through air. We have seen dogs chase it and leap to catch these flying discs. The toy has proved enormously popular and there are Frisbee throwing competitions held in America.

Trees – A Visual Matching Puzzle

Thu, 16 Oct 2014 16:50:57 +0000

Ruff and Kabir

Mon, 30 Sep 2002 13:05:50 +0000

Ruff was everyone’s favourite. Three feet tall and four feet long,
sparkling eyes, moist nose, a lovely shade of brown and so cuddly. He was the loveliest German Shepherd anyone had seen.

Ruff went to the park every evening with Tanya and her Grandpa. And all the children would be waiting for him there.

“Ruff’s come!” they would all shout and rush to hug and pat him. Ruff loved
the attention he got.

Very willingly he would take toddler Kanishka on his back for a joy ride. Whenever Rahul hit a six, Ruff would be the “cricketer” to run and fetch the ball.

A New Camel Specie Discovered

Fri, 27 Sep 2002 10:39:55 +0000

Have you ever sat on a camel? Well, if you have, then you know how scary it is when the camel rises on its long wobbly legs. The rocking motion of a camel is a bit like a ship being tossed around in heaving seas. Small wonder then that the camel is often called the ship of the desert. Actually, the name owes its origins to the fact that camels were brought from the desert, to serve as beasts of burden in other countries.

The Scent of an Enemy

Mon, 02 Sep 2002 20:13:15 +0000

It seems the fish were always a smart lot. Only, humans took some time to realise the fact. Some years ago, scientists had discovered that they identify family members with their smell. Now, scientists in Glasgow University, have discovered something new, according to a report in the journal ‘New Scientist’. They have discovered that the salmon fish go a step further. They actually keep a nose out for fish that smell like outsiders and not like family. Then they get tough with them.

The Story of Appu

Fri, 24 Jan 1997 03:31:18 +0000

There was a small village called Pearl Island. But neither were pearls collected in the village nor was it an island. Perhaps the village was named so because it was far away and isolated and difficult to reach. The nearest town was miles away – a two-mile trek to Gudem, an overnight boat journey to Palem, an hour’s horse-cart ride to Gortipadu, and then three hours by bus. By rail, the journey from the city was four hundred miles long.

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.

Great White Sharks Heading for Extinction

Mon, 29 Apr 2002 07:46:05 +0000

If you want a beach crowded with surfers and swimmers and other sun worshippers to empty out within a minute, cup your hands by the side of your mouth and shout loudly, ‘SHARK’ and wait for this miracle to happen.

Because the very word conjures up images from Steven Spielberg’s movie ‘Jaws’. An image of a gaping mouth with rows of razor-sharp teeth and a greyish white shark thrashing around in murky water, grappling with its catch.

Birds

Thu, 18 Mar 1999 15:22:37 +0000

Which bird feeds its young ones so much that they become too fat to fly? And which bird can hold 13 litres of water in the giant pouches of its beak… It’s simply fascinating!

What is a Kangaroo Rat?

Mon, 17 Jun 2002 14:37:03 +0000

It looks like a small kangaroo for its hind legs are longer than its fore legs. And it uses its tail to balance itself. In fact, unlike other rats it does not run on all four legs but jumps around from bush to bush in search of food – like a kangaroo. And that’s why it is called the kangaroo rat.

It has another unique feature. Unlike most animals, the kangaroo rat does not need to drink water.

The Jester and the Straw Roof

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

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.

How are Stars Named?

Thu, 22 Aug 2002 12:47:58 +0000

Till now we have only seen roads, railway stations, airports, places etc. being named after famous people. But imagine paying money to get a star named after you. If that can happen, then anything is possible in this world!

Well, there are organisations in different parts of the world that sell names for the stars in the sky. All you have to do is – go there, fill out the long, detailed form that they give you and buy star names or name stars after someone.

The Yellow River

Tue, 19 Feb 2002 16:59:48 +0000

October 21: The Yellow River has been called the cradle of the Chinese civilisation, just as the Indus River made it possible for the ancient Indian civilisation of Harappa and Mohenjodaro to flourish, the Tigris and Euphrates gave birth to the Mesopotamian civilisation (now in Iraq), and the Nile gave birth to the Egyptian civilisation more than 4000 years ago.

The magnificent river runs 4345 km, and is second only to the Yangtse river. Called China’s sorrow because of its tendency to overflow and change its course, till date it has overflowed 1600 times and changed its course 26 times, affecting the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.

Buddha Purnima

Wed, 06 Aug 1997 03:13:03 +0000

Buddha Purnima is the most sacred day in the Buddhist calendar. It is the most important festival of the Buddhists, and is celebrated with great enthusiasm. Every festival has its own rituals which provide an insight into the lives and beliefs, customs and culture of the people observing them.

One may well ask why is Buddha Purnima observed only by the Buddhists? The answer is simple: because it is associated with the founder of their faith, Lord Buddha. Although Buddhists regard every full moon as sacred, the moon of the month of Vaisakh (April-May) has special significance because on this day the Buddha was born, attained enlightenment, and attained Nirvana when he died. This strange, three fold coincidence, gives Buddha Purnima its unique significance.

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.

Gear Up for Sports

Mon, 21 Oct 2002 05:29:09 +0000

Some are traditional sports and others are not so traditional. But they are all popular and have their distinct equipment. So get set, ready, go – identify them.

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.

The Song of the Bee

Thu, 03 Jun 1999 22:15:56 +0000

Buzz! buzz! buzz!
This is the song of the bee.
His legs are yellow;
A jolly, good fellow,
And yet a great worker is he.

In days that are sunny
He’s getting his honey,
In days that are cloudy
He’s making his wax:
On pinks and on lilies,
And gay daffodillies,
And columbine blossoms,
He levies a tax!

The Song of the Bee [Illustration by Aneesh Jaisinghani]

Buzz! buzz! buzz!
The sweet-smelling clover,
He, humming, hangs over;
The scent of the roses
Makes fragrant his wings:
He never gets lazy;

Upside Down

Sun, 08 Nov 1998 16:30:34 +0000

I lived in a funny town
Where everything was upside down!

The birds walked and the humans flew
Where the trees were totally blue!

Upside Down [Illustrations by Amarjeet Malik]

Trees talked and laughed a lot
They stole each other’s fruit and fought

The bear was gentle, kind and sweet
He never ever ate raw meat!

Fishes went to school in a pool
Where a frog principal ruled!

Ho Chi Minh

Sat, 22 Apr 2000 12:44:00 +0000

Ho Chi Minh, leader of the Vietnam revolutionary nationalist party of Indo-China, which struggled for independence from France during and after the second world war, was born Nguyen Sinh Cung on May 19, 1890 in a village in central Vietnam. The French through a puppet emperor indirectly ruled the area during that time. Inheriting his father’s rebellious bent, Ho participated in a series of tax revolts, acquiring a reputation as a troublemaker. In 1911 he left Vietnam to work abroad. Toward the end of World War I he went to France where he joined the Socialist Party. In 1919 at Paris Peace conference, he unsuccessfully agitated for civil rights in Indo-China. Rebuffed, Ho joined the newly created French Communist Party and visited the USSR to study revolutionary methods. Soon Ho was roaming the earth as a covert agent for Moscow.

Banaras The Eternal City

Tue, 21 Sep 1999 06:18:01 +0000

City of many names, Banaras as it is most commonly called, was officially renamed in 1956 as Varanasi, a name from antiquity. It was first known as Kashi, the city of light, when it was the capital of the kingdom of the same name about 500 BC.

For over 2000 years, Banaras the eternal city has been the religious capital of India. Built on the banks of sacred Ganga it is said to combine the virtues of all other places of pilgrimage and anyone who ends their earthly cycle here is said to be transported straight to heaven.

Bunty Rabbit Runs a Race Again

Mon, 19 Aug 2002 15:16:22 +0000

Bunty rabbit hopped home angrily.

“What happened?” asked Mama Rabbit. “No school today?”

“Why did great-great-great-great-great grandfather lose the race against the tortoise?” shouted Bunty tearfully. “Everyone laughed at me when Ma’am Owl told us the story.”

“Great-great-great-great-great grandfather rabbit was a proud rabbit,” said Mother Rabbit sternly. “He was always boasting and never even thought once that someone could outsmart him. That day, the tortoise did.”

Bunty Rabbit Runs a Race Again

“Slow and steady won the race!” muttered Bunty angrily.

How are Frogs Different From Toads?

Fri, 05 Oct 2001 01:00:36 +0000

If you travel back tens of millions of years to the age of dinosaurs, you may possibly hear a rhythmic musical croaking from marshy ponds or even under your feet. And if you look closely you would probably find the common frog goggling away at you.

Amazing isn’t it? Not many people know how ancient frogs are. Scientists have traced their ancestry to 200 million years and found that these animals haven’t changed in the least!

The Mouse who Lived in the Lion's Cave

Sat, 16 Jan 1999 09:12:41 +0000

The king of the jungle, the lion, lived in a big dark cave at the foot of the hill. He was a good king, and used to hunt only when he was hungry. Every night, he would go out to hunt and bring back one animal to his cave. After eating to his heart’s content, he would go to sleep.

In his cave, a little mouse had made her house too. She would wait for the king to fall asleep, and then come out to eat, the leftovers. She was so small that leftovers were more than enough for her. She was very happy, as she got to eat the best food. Thanks to the lion, of course.

Coconut Oil + Kerosene = Fuel

Sat, 16 Aug 2003 07:03:43 +0000

Coconut Oil + Kerosene = Fuel [Illustration by Shinod AP]

March 27: Fossil fuels or fuels that are naturally found in the earth, are being rapidly consumed by humans. And the world has begun searching for an ‘alternative fuel’. Necessity is the mother of invention. And out of necessity, a coconut farmer in a village in Thailand has ‘invented’ an alternate fuel.

Scientists Find More on the Eureka Man

Thu, 29 Aug 2002 17:49:51 +0000

Why do ships float on water when in fact they should sink? Why does paper float on water and a paperweight sink? The answer to these questions was accidentally discovered 2200 years ago by the Greek inventor and mathematician, Archimedes.

One day, while getting into his bath he noticed water spilling over the sides. In a flash, Archimedes realised the relation between the water that had fallen out and the weight of his body – in other words he discovered why some objects float and some sink! Archimedes was so excited with his discovery that he hopped out of the bath, and rushed naked into the street yelling triumphantly, ‘Eureka!’ ‘Eureka!’ (Greek word for ‘I have found it!).

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,

What an Enigma!

Thu, 08 May 2003 08:09:28 +0000

December 9: It has been 55 long years since the second World War ended but several relics from that period still attract curiousity. The Enigma Code Machine, for instance. While the police have been chasing wild geese trying to find the Enigma, one fine day it just landed up on their doorstep, but without three vital parts that ran the machine. The police claim to have arrested the thief now.

The Enigma Code Machine became famous as the device the Nazis used to encrypt top-secret messages during the Second World War of 1939 – 1945.

Double Vision

Sat, 29 Jun 2002 11:36:18 +0000

It was hard to say when Neeti got double vision. It wasn’t there one minute and the very next it was. Suddenly, the road turned terribly crowded. People were jostling each other, pushing to get ahead. She rubbed her eyes, shook her head violently. But that instant crowd didn’t disappear – it rushed on at her.

Then…she realised what had happened. All of a sudden, everyone had multiplied into two, sprouted a twin – like a shadow walking next to them. Neeti’s heart leapt up.

Where is the Twins Day Festival Held?

Sat, 11 Jan 2003 06:25:24 +0000

Are you a twin? And if so, are you a “double” too? Then Ohio, United States is the place for you to be for an August weekend of twin fun. Every year, in August, twins from all over the world gather at Twinsburg, Ohio, for a special day dedicated to twins and for a weekend of socialising, celebration and fun?

The Twins Days festival at Twinsburg is the world’s largest annual gathering of twins. It’s a big club-like event in which twins, “doubles”, triplets, quadruplets and their parents come to this small town near Cleveland.

The Angry King

Sun, 20 Jun 1999 09:12:10 +0000

In the mountains of southern Luzon, there is a land of tobacco-growers. Many, many years ago, this land was ruled by a king named Hari Ka Buskid. He was a wise king, and during his reign the people of his kingdom were rich and prosperous.

The king did not scorn to go among the tobacco-growers and advise them on the best methods of tending their crops. It was not surprising, therefore, that this kingdom was known to have the best and largest crop in the land. From miles around, the people of neighbouring kingdoms would come to barter their goods in exchange for the rich, golden tobacco of King Hari Ka Buskid’s kingdom.

The Horse's Revenge

Mon, 21 Jun 1999 14:06:03 +0000

Once upon a time a horse and a buffalo lived in a beautiful meadow up in the mountains. There was plenty of grass to eat and water to drink, and the two had become good friends.
But one year, there was no rain. The meadow stream dried up and the grass turned brown. Soon the horse and buffalo found themselves fighting over the scarce water and grass. One day, their daily fight became violent. The buffalo jabbed the horse with her sharp horns. The badly injured horse had no option but to flee.

Antlers: A Deer Story

Fri, 20 Apr 2001 12:35:52 +0000

Trees shed leaves in autumn and snakes shed their skin once a year. In the same way, deer shed their antlers every year. Yes, those huge branches on antlers grow fresh every year. At any given point of time, a deer’s antlers will not be more than a year old.

It is always the male deer which has antlers, except in the case of the caribou and the reindeer whose females also have antlers.

It takes about two to three months for the antlers to grow to their full size. And then they break off when the mating season is over.

Save rivers, lakes from worshippers

Sat, 24 Aug 2002 13:33:58 +0000

Before every Ganesh Chaturthi, people from across India, especially Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and Orissa, get busy with preparations for celebrations. But, as the momentum of activity increases, officials of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) start feeling queasy in their stomachs. For, though festivals like Ganesh Puja and Durga Puja are a time for fun, it is also the time when rivers and lakes around the country are abused.

Unlike in the past when the idols of gods and goddesses were made of ordinary colours and plain clay that dissolve in water easily, without causing widespread pollution, now they are made of plaster of Paris, distemper, plastic paint, dyes, metallic powders, adhesives, varnish, fluorescent powders and oil paints, which can have an adverse effect on the eyes, skin and respiratory system. These coloured idols with pigments containing harmful chemicals, flowers, coconut shells, plastic bags, wood and other items find their way into the waters.

Work while You Work

Sat, 10 Feb 2001 20:27:07 +0000

Work while you work,

Play while you play;

One thing each time,

All that you do,

Do with your might;

Things done by halves

Are not done right

Work while You Work []

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.

Joy of Making Indian Toys

Sat, 26 Sep 1998 23:35:28 +0000

Introduction
The best thing a child can do with a toy is to break it. The next best thing is to make it. This book is about toys which children can make and break freely. The low cost or rather no-cost toys documented in the book are the everyday playthings of millions of Indian children, past and present.

Joy of Making Indian Toys [Illustrations by D. K. Sharma]

Strictly speaking, most of the toys documented here do not have a technical or standard name. Many parents shun them as ‘junk’. Toy manufacturers would not even talk about them because there is no way to make money out of them. How can one make money from a whistle which can be made by rolling a leaf or a tiny piece of paper?

The Whale Hunt is On

Wed, 22 Aug 2001 23:50:28 +0000

Japan has sent out a fleet of ships on a two-month mission. Officials say that the expedition has a harmless aim: it is merely a survey to collect data on the Bryde, Sperm and Minke whales’ habitats, diet and migration patterns.

The Whale Hunt is On [Illustration by Shiju George]

But the environmentalists are up in arms against them. What has shocked them is the Japanese intent to catch and kill 160 whales. Both the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) and the International Whaling Commission (IWC) are furious with Japan. They insist that the project is not a research study at all, and is merely a cover for commercial hunting.

About Cars

Sun, 01 Jun 2003 18:16:49 +0000

If you think you are a car expert and know a lot about cars, check out this quiz.

Do centipedes really have 100 feet?

Wed, 05 Dec 2001 13:50:22 +0000

They are called centipedes because it is believed that they have 100 feet. Actually, they don’t. Of the 3,000 different types of centipedes on our planet, none have 100 feet. Some have 50 and some as much as 350.

The extremely venomous Peruvian Giant Yellow-leg or Amazonian Giant Centipede. These eat everything from insects to birds!

All centipedes have an odd number of body segments, and each segment has two legs attached to it. So, that magic number 100 has never been reached.

Who's the Brainiest animal of Them All?

Tue, 22 Oct 2002 04:42:41 +0000

The next time someone calls you an ape or a bird brain, ask her to think again. Brain scans of animals have revealed similar patterns of electrical activity in human and animal brains, so obviously humans aren’t the only smart ones around.

Who’s the Brainiest of Them All?

The brainiest animals are chimpanzees, which share 99 per cent of the human deoxyribonucleic acid or DNA as it is known. (DNA is a chain of molecules within the nucleus of a cell that have all the genetic information influencing the characteristics we inherit from our parents.)

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 Smart Polluters

Sat, 17 Nov 2001 07:43:28 +0000

Health officials in Canada are very busy these days. They are placing chickens at fixed points all along their border with the United States of America. That’s an enormous distance of 2,500 km.

It’s not a practical joke, nor have the Canadians gone mad. They are using these chickens to see if the deadly West Nile virus is lurking around. The virus infects birds, so they think that the chickens have a good chance of catching the virus. Or the virus will catch the chickens.

Deepavali: Festival of Lights

Tue, 01 Oct 2002 03:10:33 +0000

Deepavali – or Diwali – as is commonly uttered – literally means rows of lamps. These lamps light up houses all over the country, but for different reasons.

In West Bengal, it is time to worship Kali, the goddess with the fearsome strength, and in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh it is time to remember Dhanvantari, the divine physician. To some, the lights are a reminder of the return of Rama to his home after 16 years of exile.

Why Don't Spiders Get Caught in Their Webs?

Sun, 30 Dec 2001 11:34:30 +0000

Spiders are not insects but are classified by biologists as arachnids. Arachnids are different from insects as they have eight legs and no antennae. There are over 40,000 species of spiders and some of them build webs while others rely on speed to catch their prey.

A spider building its web is extremely fascinating to watch. Some spin these webs by squirting silken threads from modified excretory glands in their body. Each silk gland (some species have up to five) produces a different type of silk. Some silk glands produce a liquid silk that becomes dry outside the body; while other glands produce a sticky silk that stays sticky.

Make your Own Trophy

Wed, 25 Dec 2002 12:08:55 +0000

Make your Own Trophy [Illustrations by Shinod AP]

Whether you are playing games, organising a painting competition or giving titles to all your friends, design trophies for all occassions.

The things you need:

Thermacol sheet
Plain paper
Adhesive
Colours
5: Cutter
6: Scissor
7: Colouring brushes

Step 1: Take a thermacol sheet and cut it out in any shape you want to make the upper half of the trophy.

Two Girls and a Lotus

Tue, 10 Nov 1998 10:08:41 +0000

On top of a three-hundred-foot hill was a quaint old temple. A hunched, old man performed puja here. Enshrined in the centre of the temple was a beautiful idol. Usha and Lalita, two good friends, enjoyed talking to the kindly temple priest and watching him adorn the beautiful idol with multicoloured flowers.

Often in the morning, Usha and Lalita climbed the hill, dancing between the rhododendron bushes, jumping, singing and playing hide-and-seek. Woken from its slumber, a dovelet would coo sleepily, “Coo! How noisy these Brobdingangian doves are!” A squirrel would skip past, flicking its bushy tail and chattering, “Audacity! They dare show me how to play hide-and-seek!” A bright, yellow warbler, flying overhead, would trill, “Silly modern girls! Their frocks are the colour of my undercoat. Are they just trying to tease me?”

Why Do Rabbits have Buck Teeth?

Mon, 16 Jun 1997 07:32:55 +0000

What is it that makes every child remember Bugs Bunny? Its toothy smile of course! All rabbits have huge buck teeth in front, and with good reason. Being vegetarians they have to make a meal of leaf, grass, or vegetable.

The plants, on their part, are very smart. Over a period of time they have developed ways of protecting their leaves from such animals, for they need leaves to make their own food.

Why Do Rabbits have Buck Teeth? []

They have many ways of dealing with animals such as rabbits: they have thorns and needles, or their leaves have certain chemicals that weaken the teeth of chewing animals. So much so that the animal may die because it is no longer able to chew food.

The Singing Donkey

Fri, 08 May 1998 22:46:12 +0000

Long ago there was a small little town called Devpur. In this town lived a washerman and his old, lean donkey called Bhola. Bhola helped the washerman with his work. Every morning Bhola carried a pile of dirty clothes to the ghats and got back washed clothes in the evening. At nights Bhola was allowed to roam around and do whatever he wanted.

One night during his usual nightly stroll he met a fox named Bijli. Bhola and Bijli soon became friends. They would meet regularly at nights and jointly look for something to eat.

Make Your Own Slippers

Sun, 04 Nov 2001 09:46:09 +0000

Most of us have slippers to wear inside the house and a different pair for outside use. So why not make your very own slip-ons that make you feel as if you are walking on clouds?

Make Your Own Slippers [Illustrations by Shinod AP]

The things you need:

The soles of any old pair of slippers.
A sheet of foam (1/2 inch thickness)
3 Cotton or flannel cloth (one square metre)

Land Transportation Coloring Pages

Sat, 18 Oct 2008 13:56:47 +0000

Click on any image you like to enlarge it. You can download this image and print it for colouring!

Click on any image to view an enlarged version. Print it and color it.

Jumbo House

Sat, 15 Dec 2001 08:20:54 +0000

Quick, quick, quick
Lay a brick, brick, brick
Make it stick stick stick.

You know whose house it is?
Of Jumbo the kid, kid, kid
That’s why it’s so big, big, big.

Do you know what will happen IF
even one brick comes loose – and
Jumbo trips on that brick?

Jumbo House [Illustration by Shinod AP]

Jumbo will take apart every

What is Memory?

Wed, 17 Jan 2001 23:54:25 +0000

As a child my day began with a LARGE glass of milk and five almonds with their skin pealed, that my mother used to put in a bowl of water the previous night. While the milk was for health and energy, the almonds were for increasing the memory. I don’t know how much they helped, but I still offer them to my children in the hope that they do. After all, memory is a precious thing.

Try, Try Again

Tue, 03 Nov 1998 21:12:18 +0000

‘Tis a lesson you should heed,
Try, try again;

If at first you don’t succeed,

Try, try again;
Then your courage should appear,

For, if you will persevere,

You will conquer, never fear;

Try, try again

Try, Try Again []

Town Mouse and Country Mouse

Mon, 11 Jun 2001 18:19:44 +0000

A town mouse and a country mouse were cousins. Now, as it usually happens in such cases, the attire and mannerisms of the two cousins reflected where they lived. But they were fond of each other.

While the town mouse was a natty-dresser, a little brisk in her movements, and always in a hurry, the country mouse was the proverbial bumpkin, with her slow unhurried ways and manner. But this factor didn’t affect their friendship. The town mouse visited the country mouse often, and stayed with her in her little house next to the kitchen that belonged to the village school.

Two Fish and a Frog

Sun, 05 May 1996 23:52:08 +0000

In a certain lake there lived two fish, Multiwit and Centiwit by name. In course of time they became friendly with a frog named Uniwit. The three of them would spend some time by the lakeside, experiencing the pleasures of good conversation; then they would return again into the water.

Once, while the three were engaged in a colloquium at sunset, some fishermen passed by the lake with nets in their hands and many fish they had caught on their heads. Seeing the lake, they said to each other: “O this lake seems to have many fish and not too much water. We will come here in the morning.” Then they went home.

Pop John Paul II

Thu, 23 Sep 1999 15:58:51 +0000

Pope John Paul II is the first Polish pope and the first non-Italian pope since the 16th century. Born Karol Josef Wojtyla on May 18, 1920, to a Polish army officer in Wadowice in Poland, John Paul II attended an underground seminary during the World War II German occupation and was ordained a priest in 1946. After studying in Rome and at the University of Krakow, he was appointed professor of ethics at the University of Lublin in 1956. Here, he published the first of many articles and books on philosophical and theological themes. Consecrated bishop in 1958, he served first as auxiliary bishop of Krakow and in 1964 became archbishop of Krakow. He was made a cardinal in 1967 and was elected pope on October 16, 1978, succeeding John Paul I. During his pontificate he has traveled more extensively than any of his predecessors, preaching to millions of people on six continents and in more than 50 nations.

Window to World Cup Soccer

Sat, 27 Jul 2002 11:36:24 +0000

World Cup soccer is the event that football lovers across the globe eagerly wait for. Why don’t you play ball and see how much you know!

The Cookie

Mon, 29 Apr 2002 11:13:20 +0000

The dining table was loaded with goodies – cake, pastries, pies, halwa, laddoo and yes, her favourite cookies. Nina wanted to eat them all. The 10-year-old stuffed a couple of cookies in her mouth but the cookies tasted a little different. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t gulp them down.

The dream broke at that point.

Nina woke up with a start and found herself chewing on a bed sheet. She was in her dormitory bed and it was pitch dark. A grumbling stomach reminded her of how terribly hungry she was. All because of Mr. Katiyaar, the poker-faced warden of the residential school which had been her home for the last one year.

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).

The King and the Squirrel

Fri, 12 Feb 1999 14:05:00 +0000

Once upon a time, there was a king who was very proud of his matchless position. He was young, well-read and intelligent and none of the youths of his kingdom equaled him in strength or valour. Moreover, he was the richest man in the kingdom.
One day, while strolling in his garden, he said to his wise, old minister, I am sure no one would ever dare to boast before me. I am glad that I am superior to everybody in every respect.

My Ambition

Thu, 10 Dec 1998 08:03:09 +0000

My Ambition [Illustration by Shinod A.P.]

Rishika Das Roy, who is from Kolkata, seems to be very determined about what she wants to become when she grows up.

Sometimes I wonder what I would like to be when I grow up. I think of a different ambition every year. Since I turned eight, I would wonder what I really wanted to be. Would I be a teacher, a singer, a journalist or no, an astronaut.

Little Blue Daisies

Sat, 29 Sep 2001 19:34:09 +0000

Little Blue Daisies [Illustration by Shinod AP]

Little blue daisies

in my flowerbed
First came the ladybird
red red red
Fly away ladybird
said the daisy blue
Poor little ladybird flew flew flew

Then came the grasshopper
green green green
He hid in the leaves
not to be seen
Hop away grasshopper,
said the daisy blue
Poor little grasshopper
Went hop, hop hop

Third came the bumblebee
black black black
Humming to himself
a brand new song
Fly away bumblebee, said

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 Earthworm's Good Turn

Tue, 30 Jul 2002 10:25:21 +0000

Every day, countless dustbins are emptied in dumping grounds. A lot of this garbage ends up polluting the ground water and also the rivers and seas.

Actually, a large part of this junk, especially the biodegradable waste (waste that can be decomposed) can be disposed in a more efficient manner, without polluting water bodies. Many countries are now doing it by using a cheap and eco-friendly option – the earthworm.

Yes, earthworms have been in the business of decomposing waste and enriching the soil for thousands of years. It is only in the past few years that people have realised the importance of these little pests.

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.

What does SOS mean?

Thu, 20 May 1999 07:42:23 +0000

Recently, sailors on the nuclear submarine that sank in the Baltic Sea were isolated from rescue workers as their radio set got damaged. Luckily their radio operators knew the Morse code and were able to communicate by knocking on the sides of the ship.

There are many explanations for what the words stand for: Save Our Souls; Save Our Ship; Send Our Succour… The meaning of all three is the same – it is a plea for help by someone in distress. That’s exactly what SOS is.

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.

How Can We Correct Crooked Teeth?

Sun, 25 Mar 2001 10:51:18 +0000

Smile! A smile actually brightens up your entire face and is the most striking part of your face. But sometimes you are ashamed to smile. Why? Because you have buckteeth? Your teeth are crooked, stained? Have you seen some kids with a mouthful of metal? These are called braces.

Today, doctors can work wonders with your teeth. They can straighten your teeth and put a sparkle on it. All this without dentures, mind you!

Just as you go to a doctor with an upset stomach or an eye doctor to test your eyes, your teeth also requires attention and care. Teeth help in chewing.

Over in the Meadow

Fri, 30 Mar 2001 13:19:14 +0000

Over in the meadow,
In the sand, in the sun,
Lived an old mother toad
And her little toadie one.

“Wink,” said the mother;
“I wink,” said the one;
So she winked and blinked
In the sand, in the sun.

Over in the meadow,
Where the stream runs blue,
Lived an old mother fish
And her little fishes two.

Over in the Meadow [Illustration by Anup Singh]

“Swim,” said the mother;
“We swim,” said the two;
So they swam and they leaped
Where the stream runs blue.

The King who Played Marbles

Tue, 29 Jun 1999 23:20:05 +0000

The little kingdom was plunged in darkness. There were no festivities, no sounds of music or laughter. Grief was writ large on the faces of the people and the lamps in the palace burned low.

Outside the curtained bedroom of the young ruler, the men and women who worked for him stood and sat in anxious postures, full of sorrow. Many were weeping softly.

The king was ill. He was on his deathbed. The short illness that had struck so suddenly but a week before, had been pronounced beyond treatment by the doctors who had come their heads together and tried every possible medicine… but death was stronger than their medical knowledge.

What is Geothermal Energy?

Tue, 12 Aug 2003 03:20:53 +0000

In winter, all of us warm water in the geysers in the bathroom for bathing. Nature too has geysers which throw up a huge amount of hot water and steam. The ‘Old Faithful’, as one of the geysers in the Yellow Stone National Park in the United States of America is called, spews out boiling water at intervals of 33 to 120 minutes.

Old Faithful, as one of the geysers in the Yellow Stone National Park in the USA is called, spews out boiling water at intervals of 33 to 120 minutes

Why do natural geysers spew hot water?

History of Clothes

Thu, 24 Apr 2003 02:11:38 +0000

Why do you wear clothes? To cover yourself, for comfort in a particular climate and to look the best you can. That’s how it has been right from the time of ancient civilisations. How much do you know about who used to wear what?

How can We Use Water to run Cars?

Thu, 16 Jan 2003 16:00:01 +0000

Huge amounts of polluting gases are being released into the earth’s atmosphere by the large scale burning of fossil fuels or natural fuels found under the earth. These gases are the main culprits behind the phenomenon of global warming and other climatic changes.

In order to find cleaner fuels, scientists around the world are trying to find a fuel or source of energy which produces little or no pollution on being burnt.

Quite amazingly, a new technology points out that water can be used to generate electricity. But burning water? How is that possible?

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 –

Kolam – a South Indian style of painting

Sun, 28 Feb 1999 15:38:32 +0000

Kolam is a South Indian style of painting that is drawn by using rice powder/chalk/chalk powder. While it is popular in many parts of Asia it is generally associated with Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and most parts of Kerala.

Step by step guideline for creating a Kolam:

Step 1
Prepare a grid of the required dimensions.
Most Kolams are made with simple geometric shapes and are generally symmetrical. Then it becomes easy to follow the pattern.

Art on the Broomstick

Fri, 02 Mar 2001 03:59:21 +0000

The vacations are round the corner and there needs to be some excitement every day. One imaginative way out is to make beautiful things out of waste material.

The things you need:

An old broomstick
Adhesive
Blade
Thermocol sheet
Black chart paper
Scissors
Pencil, eraser, ruler and sharpener

Step 1: Stick the black chart paper on the thermocol sheet.

Step 2: Draw an object or a landscape.

Art on the Broomstick [Illustrations by Shinod AP]

Step 3: Slit the end of the broomsticks. Cut them into desired lengths and paste them on the picture, close to each other. See the lovely golden, ripple-like effect you have succeeded in creating.

The Cafe – A Visual Matching Puzzle

Thu, 16 Oct 2014 16:50:07 +0000

Excerpts From 'The world of trees'

Thu, 07 Nov 1996 05:51:09 +0000

This is a remarkable book on trees – trees which are not just ‘described’ to you in words as having branches, leaves and sweet-smelling flowers, but trees which you can actually ‘see’ as you read. Big trees, tall trees, stately trees….all come alive with the cries and activities of the numerous birds and insects living on them, the age old myths associated with them and the author’s personal comments, witty and insightful. Indeed, in many places, especially in villages in India, trees are quite inseparable from the way of life of the people.

Why do Woollens Get Holes?

Sun, 16 Jul 2000 07:18:44 +0000

Most people think moths are responsible for eating up our woollen clothes, furs and rugs and making holes in them. This is because when we open these boxes in spring, a number of moths fly out. Don’t you believe it! Moths do not eat wool.

It is the larvae (caterpillar) of certain moths that cause holes in our woollens. Caterpillars feed on wool, furs and other fabrics and damage them. But where do these caterpillars come from? The lifecycle of moths, butterflies and sawflies is in four stages – eggs, larva (caterpillar), pupa and adult.

What are Volcanic Tubeworms?

Sat, 11 Dec 2004 13:50:41 +0000

In order to raise chicks the farmer keeps the eggs warm and is careful not to crush them. But when scientists in the University of Southern California rear tubeworms, they keep the immature worms very cold and under high pressure.

You would think the scientists are being cruel by subjecting these little worms to such extreme conditions. They are not.

The worms can thrive only under these circumstances, because they live in the deep sea where it is very cold. They thrive on the sulphurous vents of volcanoes at a depth of 8,000 feet in the Pacific Ocean.

The Telegraph

Sun, 18 Jan 1998 03:06:34 +0000

In 1833 John Herschel, a British astronomer, went to South Africa to study the southern skies. He took with him a powerful telescope and many other instruments. He wanted to make charts and maps of the sky which people in the northern half of the world never saw. John Herschel planned to stay at the Cape of Good Hope for three or four years to complete his work.

Then Richard Locke, a reporter on the staff of the New York Sun, had a bright idea. Whatever he wrote about John Herschel’s discoveries would be believed as there was no means of verifying it. No one would find out the truth unless he sent a man or message by ship to South Africa, and even then it would take months to receive a reply from the astronomer. In the meanwhile, Locke decided to have all the fun he could.

The Jungle Contest

Mon, 11 Feb 2002 08:30:39 +0000

“ROAR!” growled the lion. “Everyone is scared of me!”

“HRMPHH!” trumpeted the elephant. “Everyone is scared of me!”

“What about me?” purred the panther. “I, too, frighten everyone!”

The Jungle Contest [Illustrations by Shiju George]

“No one can run faster than me!” snarled the cheetah. “Everyone is scared of
me!”

“GROWL!” growled the tiger, baring his teeth. “I dare any one to cross my
path! I’ll gobble them up!”

The Secret of Animal Names

Sat, 20 Jul 2002 14:15:07 +0000

Just as human names have meanings, animal names, too, make great sense. So try your luck at guessing the origins of animal names.

Tenali Rama and the Jinx

Fri, 02 Mar 2001 07:46:29 +0000

Who stole the Candle Wax?

Wed, 30 Oct 2002 17:03:57 +0000

On every Diwali, known as the festival of lights, our family has a big discussion on the kind of lighting we should have. And after talking about candles or electric bulbs we invariably choose the _diya_s or earthen lamps for their beautiful flames. But last year, we reached the kumhara or potter’s roadside shop a bit too late. The lamps had been sold out and the potter had a big smile on his face. So we decided to light candles.

Nadia Comaneci

Sat, 29 Jun 1996 04:09:42 +0000

Born on November 12, 1961, Nadia is a Romanian gymnast who was the heroine of the 1976 Olympic games at Montreal. She won gold medals for performances in the balance beam, uneven parallel bars and the all-round event, plus a silver medal in the team event and a bronze medal in the floor exercises.

Comaneci was awarded a score of 10 for her initial exercise on the uneven parallel bars at the Montreal Olympics, marking the first perfect score recorded in Olympic competition. Although she was only 14 years of age and a mere 39 kg, her popularity was such that she was elected Female Athlete of the Year by Associated Press.

Buildings Coloring Pages

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:17:20 +0000

Buildings Coloring Pages for kids. Home, Farm House and Cathedral need some painting. Why don’t you give a few strokes?

Click on any image to view an enlarged version. Print it and color it.

Rediscovering a Smoke-less Diwali

Fri, 18 Oct 2002 15:04:02 +0000

Think of Diwali and firecrackers start exploding in the mind – that is how strong the association of crackers is with the festival of lights.

Legend has it that on Diwali, the sound of firecrackers resounds through the universe, announcing the homecoming of Lord Rama after a long period of exile. Another legend says that people began exploding crackers to convey to the gods, their joy at being alive and well on earth.

Rediscovering a Smoke-less Diwali [Illustration by Sudheer Nath]

Now come back to the present when the uncontrolled celebration of the victory of good over evil itself seems to have become a source of pollution. For on the day after Diwali, the entire country looks like a planet devastated by a meteor.

Oh, Summer!

Sat, 07 Jul 2001 20:41:53 +0000

Summer can be killing
but it can also be fun
the trick is to stay cool
despite the hot, hot sun.

Oh, Summer! [Illustration by Shinod AP]

Think of iced lemonade in a pitcher
cold ice-creams and kulfis
of the fruit salads mother makes
with melons, bananas and berries.

Summer is sultry hot days
and sudden evening showers
when the night air is sweetened
with the fragrance of jasmine flowers.

What are Dry Clouds?

Sat, 30 Jun 2001 20:42:56 +0000

It is that time of the year when all of us look to the sky, waiting for the first drops of rain to fall on our faces. We wish the monsoon would come soon. But for people who live in polluted cities like Delhi or Tokyo, there’s some bad news. Israeli scientists have discovered that air pollution may actually stop rain from falling.

To know how pollution may prevent rain from falling, it is necessary to know how and when rain falls. The sun beats down on the earth and heats up the land and water.

What is an Orca?

Tue, 18 Dec 2001 05:21:09 +0000

If you have seen the movie Free Willy, you would be able to instantly recognise an Orca. Willy is an Orca or a killer whale.

Orcas (Orcinus orca) are mammals classified under the order Cetacea. Though they are called killer whales, they belong to the dolphin family. Like other whales and dolphins, they, too, come up to the surface to take in oxygen.

Orcas can be found in all the oceans of the world. Orcas are found in pods which is the collective term for these animals like ‘a gaggle" for geese or ‘school’ for fish. A pod may consist of two or three groups with each group consisting of 15 or 20 members.

What are Truffles?

Wed, 08 Dec 1999 08:22:59 +0000

Every year, between November and March, people in southern France and Italy are busy trampling the woods, sniffing the air and peering under the roots of elm and oak trees looking for truffles. Truffles? Hey, its no trifling matter – there are organisations in France and Italy which let you take part in truffle hunts!

Truffles are a rare and delicate type of edible mushrooms that look like little potato nuggets. They grow in open woodlands in regions with a warm and moderate climate, on soil rich in calcium or limestone.

The Most Disastrous

Thu, 20 Nov 2003 21:55:38 +0000

From the worst famine of modern times, to the cyclone that caused the highest death toll – do you know about them?

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.

Who is the real McCoy?

Tue, 25 Dec 2001 05:47:12 +0000

Ever heard the expression, is that the “real McCoy?” No, its not the musical group we are talking about. Real McCoy is actually a reference to one of America’s most prolific inventors, Elijah McCoy. McCoy invented and patented all kinds of mechanical things to help them work smoothly, efficiently and safely.

Over time, the expression “real McCoy” has been used for anything that means the real thing, the real solution.

Elijah McCoy

Elijah McCoy was born in 1843 at Colchester, in Ontario, Canada to George and Mildred McCoy. His parents had once been slaves at a large manor in Kentucky, America. However, they managed to escape to Canada before the American Civil War began in 1865. Following the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln abolished slavery and the McCoy family returned to settle at Ypsilanti, Michigan.
As a child, Elijah was fascinated with all things mechanical. Encouraged by this interest Elijah’s parents saved money and sent him to Edinburgh in Scotland to study mechanical engineering.

Jellyfish: Fragile Creature of the Sea

Mon, 14 May 2001 13:16:11 +0000

A sudden influx of jellyfish, in the Gulf of Mexico in the Atlantic Ocean is worrying both scientists and fisher folk alike. The Gulf of Mexico is bordered on the north by the United States, on the east by Cuba, and on the south and west by Mexico.

Fragile Creature of the Sea [Illustration by Sudheer Nath]

Jellyfishes are invertebrates (animals without a spinal column). Some are also venomous and their sting can cause paralysis. However, the Jellyfish that have the fishermen worried are not on a stinging spree. Instead, they are clogging propellers, ripping fishing nets and eating up the sea plankton.

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]

Golu Rabbit's Day Out

Thu, 14 Feb 2002 08:02:01 +0000

In the Kanha forest in India, lived a little bunny rabbit called Golu. He was called Golu because of his small round ball of a tail.

Golu lived with his mother Molu in a deep burrow under the tall grass of the forest. The burrow had large rooms and many doorways and Golu loved to run from room to room hoppity-skip.

Every morning Molu went out into the forest and nearby farms to hunt for carrots and radishes.

The Instructor

Sun, 24 Jun 2001 18:06:12 +0000

A young man wanted to learn the art of sword fighting. He went to the greatest instructor in the land and said, “Please give me admission and teach me sword fighting.”

The instructor gladly accepted him a student and said, “Young man you can stay with me and learn this art.”

In the days that followed the instructor gave him many odd chores to perform. The chores were sweeping the floors, cutting vegetables, cooking and the like. But there was no mention of the sword or the art of fighting with it.

Passing by My School Garden

Tue, 09 Nov 1999 05:17:32 +0000

How I wish I could step into this garden
Just a temptation as I pass by
I wanted to know what the flowers said
And the gentle murmur of the wind in the sky.

My heart swayed with happiness
As I watched the upright poppies
The wind whistled while kissing the trees
And the jolly gardener watered them happily.

Perhaps the leaves so green, were busy
Preparing tasty dishes for the family!
The sweet smelling fragrance of that lovely environment
Got to my nostrils and tickled my mind.

How does a Juggler Juggle?

Sun, 22 Jul 2001 14:04:50 +0000

Yesterday, after seeing a circus show, I made up my mind about a career. I was at home busy throwing an orange in the air with one hand to catch it while the other hand was passing me a second orange. I wanted to juggle oranges the same way a clown juggles balls.

I could manage it with two. But my hand started to fumble when it came to the third. The clown we saw yesterday was throwing plates in the air and I knew my mother would kill me if I broke any!

People Coloring Pages

Wed, 09 Feb 2011 13:23:31 +0000

People who have made a difference in our world. Print these pages and color them. Click on any image you like to enlarge it. You can download this image and print it for colouring!

Click on any image to view an enlarged version. Print it and color it.

The Clever Lioness

Thu, 09 Aug 2001 12:57:49 +0000

There once lived a clever lioness in the champak forest. She had four healthy and really adorable cubs. They were very young and their eyes hadn’t still opened. They slept for most of the time and the only time they were awake was when their mother fed them. But if the mother was late even by a minute, they would wail so loudly so as to bring the whole cave down!

In the same forest, there lived another lion. He was old and feeble. His sight and hearing had become poor and many of his teeth and claws had also broken. This made him completely unable to go hunting for animals. The only food he therefore ate was fruits and leaves.

Where Did Piggy Banks Come From?

Tue, 30 Oct 2001 14:58:39 +0000

You can find a piggy bank at almost every home. But whoever heard of pigs and savings? Pigs in a poke, yes, and pigs in a sty. But what is the connection between the sty residents and a home saving bank?

Actually none. The connecting link has to do with clay. Clay? Yes. Though coin-slotted money boxes in the shape of animals, including pigs have been in existence for centuries, the actual term came to be associated with Europe in the middle ages.

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!

When Grandma challenged British Rule

Fri, 22 Oct 2004 12:18:40 +0000

Whenever I go to my ancestral home in Nainital, I never forget to brush my hand across an engraved name-plate and feel the name on it. The name belongs to my great grandfather who used to work for the British Empire. For his loyalty, he was rewarded with the title of ‘Rai Saheb’.

Having worked with the British for years, Rai Saheb gained in wealth and name. And everyone in the household feared him. Well, not exactly. There was one person who dared to defy him: my grandmother. She was his first-born and his favourite.

Internet in the Jungle

Wed, 04 Jul 2001 21:39:37 +0000

Why are you looking so sad?" Ullu, the wise old owl, asked Kabbu, the white pigeon.

“You too would look sad if you were going to lose your job,” snapped Kabbu.

Kabbu was the head of the Postal Department of their jungle Olango, which was the biggest and most prosperous jungle around. Kabbu and his fleet of 21 pigeons carried letters, parcels, money orders, postal orders, etc., from Olango to the other jungles and back. Their fleet was considered the smartest, fastest and easily the most efficient in all of Jungledom. Kabbu’s Postal Department had won several awards for the quality and the efficiency of its service.

Language Quiz: Proverbs

Sun, 26 Jan 2003 10:54:44 +0000

Proverbs are short sayings in frequent and widespread use that express a basic truth. A look at some popular proverbs from all around the world.

The Making of the Goddess

Sun, 10 Nov 2002 18:22:53 +0000

On an ordinary day, the names Kumartuli and Krishnanagar would not make much of a difference to a Bengali. But come Durga Puja, and these two ordinary towns near Calcutta, become the focus of great attention. For it is here that the clay idols of Durga are made. This age-old tradition of clay sculpture has been preserved by the community of Pals.

Months before the Puja, clay artisans start to breathe life into the images of Durga.

The Eagle and the Arrow

Wed, 11 Apr 2001 23:31:26 +0000

Eagle was a strange creature. He got his fun out of teasing and frightening the little birds. Even when he was not hungry, he would soar through the sky and swoop down on some unsuspecting birds and pretend to prey on them. The poor little birds would cower with fear and try to fly away.

Eagle would then burst into an ear-piercing laugh and flap his wings disdainfully. “I am the King of the sky! How scared you all are of me,” he would exclaim.

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.

Teaching a Lesson!

Mon, 12 Aug 2002 12:04:38 +0000

“It’s my turn tomorrow,” mumbled Raghu to himself as he climbed the stairs of his school building, very slowly as if he were sleep-walking. He had been dreading this day ever since Pal declared his grand class prodigy scheme, two months ago.

Pal was the much feared History teacher.

“It has been said that genius is 99 per cent perspiration and one per cent inspiration,” he had said in his usual pompous manner. “I suggest we test this theory. Beginning next week, we shall have one student present a chapter of this book (he dangled the History book like the Sword of Damocles), as if he were the teacher.”

Dad and the Dog

Thu, 06 Jan 2005 21:49:55 +0000

If you happen to come across a man talking to a large, brown dog, carrying on a realtime, honest-to-god, heart-to-heart conversation, although the dog doesn’t appear to be saying very much, what would you think? Is the guy a candidate for the nut factory, has he lost what little was left of his mind, or is he just another dog owner?

If he is called Mr Joshi, and his mate on the leash is called Pluto, there goes my Pop and his most precious companion.

Dropping Trees from the Sky – Hydroseeding

Wed, 26 Jun 2002 02:49:55 +0000

Finally there is a simple solution to the growing problems of deforestation and the greenhouse effect – dropping millions of trees out of an aircraft.

Dropping Trees from the Sky [Illustration by Shinod AP]

The idea may sound bizarre but it has come from The Lockheed Martin Aerospace Company, USA. The company has proposed to transform equipments installed in huge C-130 military transport planes for laying carpets of landmines across combat zones, to plant trees in barren areas.

Why are Moths Attracted to Light?

Thu, 14 Jun 2001 23:16:46 +0000

Have you seen moths zoom into a flame and die? It looks as if they are pulled by some unseen force.

It is an unseen force that attracts the moth — the ultraviolent light in the flame, which is invisible to humans. The moth finds it irresistible. It is driven to the light by its mating instinct.

Why are Moths attracted to light?

Ultraviolet vision helps moths get together in the dark. And it is the heat coming from their bodies that makes them aware of each other. Thus, the heat waves from the flame seem like the powerful signals sent by a supermoth. And the moths fall for it every time. They obviously do not learn from their mistakes.

Where is the Rare Blind Dolphin Found?

Tue, 20 Mar 2001 03:21:47 +0000

What comes to mind at the mention of Varanasi? The peals of temple bells in this ancient pilgrim town; people performing puja at the ghats and elsewhere; bodies being cremated at the banks of the river Ganga. Do dolphins come to mind?

Dolphins?! That happy looking performing artist which looks more like a shiny inflated balloon toy? Yes, and this freshwater dolphin is a rare specie, found in Indian and Pakistan – in the Ganga and in the Indus. It is a blind dolphin.

Insect which Swims on Its Back

Mon, 29 Oct 2001 14:55:17 +0000

Swimmers, who are in a lazy mood and want to relax, prefer floating on their backs. Did you know that there is a bug that swims on its back? It is called the Backswimmer. It is about 0.13 to 0.63 inches long.

Unlike many other insects who use their wings for this purpose, the backswimmers make use of their hind legs to paddle on their backs. Some of them have hair on their legs which help them to swim. It provides a larger surface area to push against the water.

Santa Mask

Mon, 25 Jun 2001 16:30:52 +0000

The things you need to make a Santa Claus mask are:

White card sheet and red glaze paper
Adhesive and scissors
Pencil and eraser
Cotton
Colours
String

Santa Mask [Illustrations by Shinod AP]

Step 1: Draw the face of Santa Claus on the card sheet. Colour it first and then cut on the outline.

Stick cotton to make the beard, moustache and eyebrows of the Santa.

Famous Monuments

Mon, 01 Mar 1999 07:19:54 +0000

Is it the Golconda Fort or the Red Fort? The Golden Gate Bridge or the London Bridge? Find out!

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.

Madhubani Magic of Gangadevi

Wed, 27 Feb 2002 14:29:14 +0000

Aditi De of the ‘Women’s Feature Service’ writes about a meeting she had in the 1980s, with Gangadevi, the gifted painter of Mithila. Gangadevi is largely responsible for placing an ancient art, practiced for centuries by the women of her village, in the artistic map of the world.

Face to face, Gangadevi, seemed shy at first glance. She drew the pallav (the border of the sari) of her brightly coloured cotton sari over her head, and pushed her black-rimmed spectacles firmly onto the bridge of her nose.

Don't Stop the Music, I Want to Dance

Fri, 05 Oct 2001 16:52:04 +0000

Joseph Templin or Joe is an American teenager who loves to dance. He knows how to do a moonwalk, a swing, a twirl – all popular dance steps. The minute the music begins to flow, this lanky but handsome nineteen-year old, is all charged-up and itching to dance .

Nothing is extraordinary about this except for one little fact. Joseph is profoundly deaf. Which means that he cannot hear a note of the music he dances to so beautifully.

These Bold Police Women

Tue, 02 Sep 2003 10:17:58 +0000

April 21: These days Nirbhay (Fearless) Singh Gujjar, is not really living up to his name. This dreaded outlaw who operates in India’s most notorious dacoit-infested region, the Chambal Valley in the Bhind district of northern Madhya Pradesh, is on the run because he is scared of a 28 year-old police officer.

Her name is Priyanka Mishra and she is the first woman police officer to be posted in the Chambal range.

Gujjar is wanted by the police of two states – Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. While the UP police has declared a Rs 1 lakh ($2,174) reward on his head, the MP police has declared a reward of Rs 25,000 ($543.5).

The Cool Firefly

Wed, 05 Sep 2001 14:21:52 +0000

Firefly is just a name. They are actually very cool insects. And they are not even flies, they are beetles. They have a way of sending out light signals every now and then. If you see them at night on a tree, you might think it is a brightly lit Christmas tree. That is the kind of light these fireflies produce.

But the light they send out does not have heat, like the bulbs we use. The firefly’s light is cold. Actually these beetles could be the most efficient bulbs if only we knew how to use them. For almost all the energy they produce gets changed into bright light – cool light.

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.

What is the Software for Life?

Thu, 02 Jan 2003 15:20:13 +0000

We all use computers. If you use Windows on your machine, like me, you will have a small button at the the bottom of your screen called ‘Start’. Every machine in the world which has the Windows software installed has to have that button. However, we can have different screen colours, different text sizes, wallpapers etc.

Similarly our bodies are essentially the same, but we have different colours, sizes, shapes and structures. Our body also has a software which is responsible for these differences between one human being and another. It is called the DNA.

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.”

Evergreen Clothes

Tue, 04 Dec 2001 19:40:07 +0000

There is good news for those who love splashing around in rain puddles and don’t want to get their clothes dirtied. Or those who play soccer but don’t want their shirts to get soiled or wet with sweat. British scientists have created a fabric that never gets dirty or wet!

Evergreen Clothes [Illustration by Sudheer Nath]

The cloth is treated with a special non-sticky chemical that repels grease and water. This ensures that the clothes remain squeaky clean. But the scientists are not yet ready to make public the formula of this “miracle” chemical, says a report in ‘The Times of India’ newspaper.

Some Animal Fathers are Great Dads too!

Sat, 19 Jan 2002 11:33:51 +0000

Most animals never even see their parents. Many never meet their fathers and some do not meet their mothers either. Some insects, fish, amphibians and reptiles hatch from fertilised eggs and face life on their own. And those animals who are raised by parents, are often reared by their mothers. But we found that there are some animal fathers who are great dads too.

Catfish: A male sea catfish keeps the eggs of his young in his mouth until they are ready to hatch. He does not eat during this period, which may go several weeks.

Beautiful Flowers that Stink!

Tue, 11 Sep 2001 15:38:50 +0000

A blow-fly was looking for an ideal place to lay eggs. Like rotting meat. So that when her little maggots were born, they could feed on the meat.

As she turned a corner in the grassland, she smelt something stinking in the air. The smell of rotten meat! With great joy she perched on it and laid her eggs. She was happy that her children would have enough food to eat.

The blow-fly did not know she had made a great mistake. What she had sat upon was not meat but a flower, which stinks. It is called a carrion flower.
So, when the blow-fly’s eggs hatched and the little maggots came out, they had nothing to eat. They died of starvation.

How did the Modern Horse Originate?

Mon, 27 Aug 2001 04:53:15 +0000

Many millions of years ago a fox-like animal roamed across the plains of what is now the American continent. At that time the continents were not even divided as they are today.

This animal had four soft toes on its feet like a cat or dog. This animal came to be called the ’eohippus’ by modern day scientists who discovered skeletal fossils of this specie.

Horses running in snow

The skeletal remains of this animal had many things in common with the skeletal structure of the modern horse, especially in the structure and distribution of its teeth. That is why scientists concluded that the eohippus is the ancestor of the modern horse even though the two don’t even look alike.

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.

Alpana

Thu, 10 Jan 2002 22:04:26 +0000

Thousands of years ago when humans did not know how to read and write he communicated by means of drawing pictures. The walls of caves where early man lived, whether it was in India or France, have been found to be full with primitive drawings. The art of alpana, practised by Indian women for centuries, is one such form of visual expression.

Alpana has different names in different parts of India. In Bengal, it is Alpana, it is Kolam in south India, Rangoli in Maharashtra, Osa in Orissa, Aripana in Bihar, Sonarakha in Uttar Pradesh, Sathiya in Gujarat, Aripona in other regions of north India and Apna in western Himalayas.

Where is my Home?

Tue, 26 Jun 2001 21:02:13 +0000

Like you and me, even animals have homes. Some of them live in their natural habitat, while those that have got domesticated live in homes built for them by humans.

Egg Carton Flowers

Mon, 16 Dec 2002 01:26:44 +0000

There are times when you want to give a special gift to a friend or family member and want them to know that you took a great deal of trouble to make it yourself. On days when you feel like that why not try making flowers that always bring a smile to the sternest of faces! How’s this for a great brainwave – flowers made of egg cartons…

Egg Carton Flowers [Illustrations by Shinod AP]

The things you need:

What is the Rubik's Cube?

Thu, 11 Jan 2001 04:04:40 +0000

My nephew Akshay was a brat. No two ways about it. When he was not occupied with dismantling everything that moved, ticked, or clicked he would be engaged in stuffing an icecube down your shirt when you were busy working on whatever it is that didn’t involve him.

After a lot of thought, my uncle and I decided to purchase something that would rack his brains till kingdom come. We scouted the market for all sorts of things and luckily we came to a shop that sold a colourful cube – the Rubik’s cube.

The Snake with the Golden Teeth

Tue, 12 Dec 2000 06:38:56 +0000

There was once a man called Paolo Maria Encarnacao Esplendido. He lived at Manaos in Brazil. He was a very rich man. He owned two gold mines and a silver mine. You might think one got more money from a gold mine than a silver mine because gold is worth more than silver. But, as a matter of face, more money goes down gold mines than comes out of them, because people are always digging mines for gold in places where there isn’t enough to make it worth their while.

A Chest Full of Stories

Mon, 20 Nov 2000 10:50:45 +0000

Zigzag and Other Stories
Written by Asha Nehemiah

Illustrations by Atanu Roy
Published by Scholastic India Pvt. Ltd.

A queer-looking African bird, with shocking pink plumes on the head, a yellow beak and eyes the colour of Cola, Zigzag, is the main character of the title story in this collection of short stories.

Somu leaves Zigzag, a talking bird, in the keeping of Dr. Krishnan while he is away. But this strange guest turns out to be a disappointment for the Krishnan family. Zigzag does nothing but sleep and snore all the time – even the neighbours complain about the noise.

Rabi, the Budding Poet

Tue, 03 Dec 2002 14:50:25 +0000

When Rabindranath Tagore won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913 for his poems in Gitanjali , he was the first Asian to be so honoured. We’ve seen pictures of him with his flowing grey beard and smiling eyes, clad in a long saffron robe. We know him as the man who founded the unusual gurukula or school at Shantiniketan in West Bengal in 1901.

We also know that he’s the only poet whose verses have been chosen as the national anthems of two countries – India and Bangladesh.

The Silly Cricket

Wed, 15 Nov 2000 13:38:02 +0000

A silly young cricket
Sat on a wicket
Singing all summer long

He strummed his guitar
And danced all the while
Other creatures were busy
Gathering their pile

Soon winter came
And he began to complain
For he hadn’t a morsel to nibble on.

So off he went
In the wind and rain

The Silly Cricket [Illustrations by Kusum Chamoli]

To the little black ants
For a mouthful of grain.

The Red Flower

Sun, 31 Jan 1999 00:43:46 +0000

RED FLOWER: Hello friends. I am Red Flower. I live here in these fields. All the trees, animals, birds, clouds, winds and the sun are my friends. But my best friend is Sun. It is morning now and time for him to come.

(Morning comes.)

SUN: Hello Red Flower. I bring a good morning to you. Did my sister Night give you any good dreams in your sleep?

RED FLOWER: Yes, more than you dear Sun. She gave me so many dreams from the countries you go to every day. Tell me what you really saw on the other side while I was sleeping?

Party – A Visual Matching Puzzle

Thu, 16 Oct 2014 16:38:01 +0000

Characters from the world of books

Fri, 29 Mar 2002 08:00:00 +0000

Do you remember the names of the important characters in the world of books? Here is a quiz to refresh your memory.

The Fearless Rhino

Tue, 16 Jan 2001 00:37:29 +0000

The rhino looks so fierce and strong
He has a pointed spear
His skin is rough and oh so tough
He knows not what is fear!

Do you want to meet him too?
Go eastward – if you care
Kaziranga is the name
You’re sure to find him there!

The Fearless Rhino [Illustration by Anup Singh]

Fun'tastic Ramlila, Dandiya, Jatra

Thu, 11 Jan 2001 07:04:37 +0000

Whether it is a pesky 11-year-old Dashrath struggling to maintain his flowing beard during the enactment of the Ramayana in a street Ramlila, or handsome young artistes enacting Rama and Sita on a professional stage, the feeling is the same for the viewers.

They know the story of Sita and Ram by heart, but every year they wait with bated breath for yet another performance of the Ramayana in performances across the country, and specially in northern India. It is as if they are seeing it for the first time. In the actors they see the epic come alive; the actors, too, do not remain untouched by the fervent chants of the audience every now and then, ‘Bol Siyapati Ram ki Jai’ (Hail Sita’s husband Rama’)

Fidel Castro Ruz

Sun, 04 Feb 2001 15:28:27 +0000

Fidel Castro Ruz was born on August 13, 1926 (some sources give 1927), on his family’s sugar plantation near Biran, Oriente, Province. His father was an immigrant from Galcia, Spain. He attended good Cathotic schools in Santiago de Cuba and Havana, where he took the spartan regime at a Jesuit boarding school, Colegio de Belen. In 1945 he enrolled at the University of Havana, graduating in 1950 with a law degree. In 1948, he married Mirta Diaz-Balart and divorced her in 1954. Their son, Fidel Castro Ruz Diaz-Balart, born in 1949, has served as head of Cuba’s atomic energy commission.

Why were the 1904 Olympics Such a Disaster?

Wed, 11 Apr 2001 10:45:43 +0000

The 2000 Summer Olympics at Sydney were a millennium extravaganza unparalelled in the history of the Games. Techno-wizardry was at its best and the spectacular pageantry and the actual Games thrilled millions of viewers worldwide.

Hosting the Games is big business. What the host country spends is trifling compared to the amount of money it receives by way of advertising revenue and tourist influx.

Since 1896 when the modern Olympic Games were first held, the Games have undergone many upheavals. They were launched in 1896 to promote sports and test the sporting skills of humans in various categories. Over the years though, the true spirit has been lost as participating countries turn a blind eye to notions of honour and fair play. Instead, the focus is on winning either by hook or crook.

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.

Mother and Child in the Animal Kingdom

Fri, 19 Oct 2001 18:34:05 +0000

It is a familiar scene in real life and in movies. In a group of 100 excited lambs, an ewe, or female sheep, has no problems picking out her lamb. She does this through the sense of smell.
More than one million animal species live on our planet and the females of the species recognise their young ones through smell, sound, sight or touch.

Actually, most mammals recognise their young ones by smell. As soon as it gives birth, one of the first things a mare, ewe, doe or seal does is to smell the newborn. It becomes a mark of recognition. And, that is important for mammals, for, they take care of their young ones till such time as they are able to take care of themselves. Watch any movie about animals and you will see a cow or a mare sniffing at its calf or foal.

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.

Swinging Monkey

Sat, 03 Feb 2001 02:50:21 +0000

Look up there
And you will see
The monkeys swinging
From the tree

I like the way
They jump and flee –
Now, do they want
Some nuts from me?

Swinging Monkey [Illustration by Sudeer Nath]

Lech Walesa

Wed, 17 May 2000 23:33:20 +0000

Born to a family of peasant farmers on Sept 23, 1943 in Popowo in Poland, Lech Walesa started of as an electrician at shipyard in Gdansk. A devout Roman Catholic, he was shocked by the repression of workers’ protests and made inroads with small opposition groups. Despite being sacked from his job, he climbed over the perimeter wall of the Lenin shipyard at the age of 37 to join the occupation strike. With his electrifying personality, quick wit and gift of the gab, he was soon leading it. He moved his fellow workers away from mere wage claims towards a daring political demand: free trade unions. When Polish communists agreed to this, the new union was christened Solidarnosc (solidarity). Soon it had 10 million members and he became the undisputed leader of the Solidarity. For 16 months they struggled to find a way to co-exist with the Communist state, under the constant threat of Soviet invasion. In 1981 martial law was declared and Walesa was jailed for 11 months and then released.

How did the Teddy Bear Get Its Name?

Tue, 28 Aug 2001 11:38:04 +0000

It was party time for the 40 giant teddy bears. They had succeeded in achieving what most fashion conscious people in the world would give their right arm and eye for: a party dress made by the most famous couturiers or dress designers on earth.

And it was all for a grand auction in the tiny principality of Monaco, in Europe. On October 15, world celebrities, both rich and famous vied to make the highest bid for each of the 40 giant stuffed teddies so that their money could be donated to a charitable cause.

What is Esperanto?

Tue, 17 Apr 2001 18:44:17 +0000

Esperanto is an artificial international language created by Dr Ludovic Lazarus Zamenof between 1877-85. Zamenhof, who grew up in Warsaw, Poland, was convinced that a common language would be necessary to resolve many problems as language barriers helped to aggravate problems between nations.

Zamenhof realised that none of the major European languages, French, German, English, Spanish, Italian and Russian could be made universal as they were all difficult languages to learn. The difficulty in mastering grammar would put native speakers at an advantage with respect to those who did not speak them fluently.

The Not-quite Robbery

Thu, 22 Aug 1996 06:04:42 +0000

This time, the summer vacation felt longer than normal to Vamshi. Nothing exciting was happening. So many exciting things happened to children in stories but never to Vamshi. He discussed these observations with his friends Jayesh and Samir. “Other kids often get a mystery or something to solve,” he told them woefully. They all pondered in silence. Lives in stories were so exciting. “Maybe we should make things happen,” said Jayesh. “How about creating a mystery for others to solve,” said Samir, suddenly excited. “What do you mean?” asked Vamshi suspiciously. “Maybe we could rob a bank or something…,” said Samir carelessly. There was a period of silence as the idea began to sink in slowly.

Do Aphasics Make Great Lie Detectors?

Sat, 24 Mar 2001 16:12:33 +0000

Believe it or not but it is true. There are people who lose the ability to understand or use words due to brain damage. But they become extremely good at something else. They become experts at spotting liars. By the changing expressions of people’s faces and the tone of their voice they can make out lies from truth.

The condition in which people lose their power to understand or words due to brain damage is called aphasia. A study conducted in Massachusetts, USA, has clearly proved that aphasics make good lie detectors.

Toddler teacher in UK

Sun, 27 Mar 2005 16:55:35 +0000

August 26: At a a supermarket in County Durham, England, the workers are getting ready for some lessons in sign language so as to better communicate with deaf customers. And the prospective students are only too eager to meet their teacher. For in this case, Madame Diana Graham, all of two years old, will be giving them the lessons. Seriously.

Diana is a wonder-kid. Even before she uttered her first word, she had learnt sign language to speak to her mother who happens to be deaf. So whenever the phone rings or there’s a knock at the door, 36-year old Susan Graham is promptly informed by her alert daughter.

Is the Red Colobus monkey extinct?

Sun, 11 Nov 2001 06:37:01 +0000

Unbelievable but true! A large West African monkey has simply vanished from the earth. It has joined the Dodo, by becoming the first primate to vanish in the 20th century. After a six-year long survey, scientists and wildlife experts have declared the monkey, known as Miss Waldron’s Red Colobus monkey, extinct.

Primatologists (people who study the evolution of apes and monkeys) carried out exhaustive surveys in Ghana and the Ivory Coast, in Africa, but failed to spot a single monkey of the species. The last confirmed sighting of a Miss Waldron’s Red Colobus was over 20 years ago in Ghana’s rainforest. Soon after, the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) declared the mammals endangered.

Instrument with a Human Tone

Wed, 02 Oct 2002 17:07:25 +0000

A family of musicians in the city of Mysore, in Karnataka, has a unique family heirloom — a beautiful 300-year-old veena. The veena is India’s most ancient Indian stringed instrument.

Instrument with a Human Tone [Illustration by Shiju George]

The veena is a poly chord instrument, that is, it is made of several strings. Each string produces a certain tone, which other strings cannot duplicate. Melody is produced when the strings are plucked.

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.”

What are Go-Go Boots?

Wed, 03 Oct 2001 12:55:26 +0000

Ever seen rock stars or movie stars strutting about in calf-length boots? Well, these calf-length boots were the rage at one point of time. Discotheques at Los Angeles, Las Vegas and New York saw young women dressed in thigh high skirts to show off these boots called Go-Go boots.

The Go-Go boots had its origin with the original ankle-length boots with pointed toes and inch-high heels worn by Cowboys in the American mid-West.

Cowboys needed these boots for riding, and to ensure they don’t bitten by scorpions or snakes when they were walking on the desert undergrowth. The heels also gave them a grip from being dragged along when they lassoed a cow or calf for branding (leaving a mark of the owner on the skin of the cattle) or during cattle drives.

Long Memory of Female Elephants is Responsible for the Well Being of their Families

Tue, 16 Apr 2002 01:48:40 +0000

You must have heard the phrase ’elephant’s memory’ being used for people with a long memory.

It seems the long memory of elephants, especially female elephants, is directly responsible for the well being of their families. This fact was discovered by a group of researchers of the University of Sussex who studied the elephants of Amboseli National Park in Kenya, the Telegraph newspaper reported.

Elephants live in matriarchal families or families that are headed by the mothers. The oldest mother in the herd leads half a dozen other adult females and their children when they go looking for food. This is because the oldest female elephant is the one with the longest memory in the family. She can differentiate a friend from a foe more than anyone else.

The Straightened Leaning Tower of Pisa

Tue, 25 Jun 2002 00:48:42 +0000

You must have heard about the Leaning Tower of Pisa. In 1990, the tower was made off limits when engineers pointed out that the weight of people climbing the spiral steps could increase the inclination of the tower, and topple it eventually. After some 11 years of restoration work, a ‘straightened’ Leaning Tower was opened again to the public in November 2001.

Why does the tower lean?

The tower is actually the belfry (tower from which a bell is hung) of the Pisa Cathedral, which stands alongside. The construction of the cathedral began way back in 1064 and completed by the 12th centiry, while work on the tower began later in 1173 and was finally completed as late as the 14th century!

A Crocodile Named Rain Cloud

Wed, 24 Jan 2001 07:17:42 +0000

A folktale from Myanmar

Once upon a time there was an old fisherman Ye Myint and his wife Aye Aye Se who
lived by the river Irrawady. Every day they cast their net and caught fish, which they sold at the local market. The old man and his wife did not have any children.

One day while fishing as usual, Ye Myint cast his net and waited for the catch. He was surprised to get only an egg. He recognised it as a crocodile egg.

Spiderman and Spidermamman

Sat, 24 Apr 1999 20:53:51 +0000

Spiderman and Spidermamman [Illustration by Shinod AP]

One day when Peter was going he saw a new Spiderman. It was a bad Spiderman. Peter ran home and came out, black Spiderman.

He said, “Who are you?”

The new spider man said, “My name is Spidermamman. My short form is SMM and I destroy the city.”

Spiderman said, “I will destroy you SMM.”

SMM tried to destroy Spiderman but something black black came and washed the fire and SMM got caught in that black black thing.

Anacondas

Fri, 24 Dec 1999 10:52:15 +0000

You might have seen the recent English film Anaconda, where these snakes are shown as giant man-eating monsters. Well, that’s not all that can be said about these mighty creatures. Eating is but necessary for survival — and you never know, Anacondas might eat humans too, if one goes near them! But apart from their strange eating habits, these snakes are amazing in a lot of other ways too.

Anacondas [Illustrations by Amarjeet Malik]

The Anaconda (Eunectes murinus) is a semi-aquatic snake found in Central America and mostly in tropical South America. It belongs to the Boa family, Boidae, and is dark green in colour with round black markings. A smaller species is the Yellow Anaconda (E. notaeus), which is yellowish green with irregular dark blotches. Not only does it have a bright looking skin with a distinct colour pattern, but also it is also BIG, I mean, really LOOOO……NG! It may reach a length of even 25 feet – which is roughly four times a reasonably tall adult human being! (Pythons, however, are much longer, and have been recorded to be of even 33 feet!)

Elephants Don’t Diet!....

Mon, 03 Dec 2001 06:40:28 +0000

Poor Gol Matolu’s always sad. Why? I don’t know. She looks like the most perfect elephant. Tall, broad big ears, long strong trunk. No one likes to be sad. So why don’t you come with me to find out what the matter is with Gol Matolu?
Ah! Here comes Hornbill, let’s ask him. “Hello, do you know why the elephant’s so sad?”

“Of course I know.
Just look at her if you will.
Would you call her nose a nose or a bill?
That snake which hangs in front of her face Makes her feel shy and out of place.”

Gems of Indian Literature

Thu, 11 Dec 1997 11:01:36 +0000

Excerpts from ‘Books Forever’
Written by Manoj Das
Published by National Book Trust, New Delhi

India’s literary past is indeed great. It’s a known fact that many of the parables of the Bible, the fables of Aesop of Greece, the folktales collected by the Grimm brothers of Germany and the tales retold by Hans Andersen of Denmark had their origin in India.

We shall unravel together some of the gems of Indian literature like the Bhagavad Gita,The Upanishads, Vedas, Ramayana, and the Mahabharata in our subsequent articles. In the first article we talk about the permanence of books .

Music-loving Plants and Music-giving Plants

Sun, 07 Oct 2001 08:18:09 +0000

Are your ferns drooping more than usual? Perhaps a bit of music may perk it up, for it is a known fact that music plays an important role in plant growth. But plants are choosy about the kind of music they want to hear.

Experiments show that plants thrive if soothing instrumental music is played in the background. On the other hand they shrivel and die if exposed to heavy metal or rock music. And now a Japanese company has created a gadget that puts you in touch with the ‘feelings’ of plants.

The Cat and the Cartoon

Sat, 07 Jul 2001 16:30:48 +0000

The mouse in the movie came out of the hole
The cat watching the TV gave a low growl
There were no more mice in the house
She had seen to that
Cartoons are so cruel,
the tabby thought
Why should they make me dream of
the meals I no more have?

The Cat and the Cartoon [Illustration by Shinod AP]

World's hottest chili takes on wild jumbos

Fri, 28 Sep 2007 01:32:07 +0000

Where: the north-eastern state of Assam

November 14, 2007: For some time villages in Assam located close to forests have been having a tough time. Often the villagers find unwelcome guests in their backyards: herds of wild elephants in a wild mood. In the contest between human and animal there have been deaths on both sides.

In recent times, more and more forests have been cut down. Wild animals have found their homes getting smaller and smaller. At the same time, human settlements are getting closer to the elephants’ habitats. This has resulted in disaster. Wild herds of elephants stray into villages and villagers panic, using everything they have to defend themselves. In some cases villagers have tried to put up electric fences, but these plans have not succeeded in keeping wild elephants at bay.

Why do Ears Pop?

Mon, 26 Oct 1998 01:08:58 +0000

Recently I went to the top of a skyscraper in a lift. After I had gone up a few stories, I felt a funny sensation in my ears. My eardrums seemed like they were growing and were about to burst. As I went a little higher, the sensation was worse. My fellow passengers in the lift told me to swallow a few times. This would help the sensation pass, they said. And, it did.
This happens to a lot of people when they are flying, or skiing downhill at very high speeds, or going deep into a mine well.

Eid in Yusufpur

Fri, 02 Aug 2002 07:10:11 +0000

Guess what guys?? My dad is taking me to his village for Eid this year. I am so excited that my tummy is all tied up in knots and I can hardly wait to get there. I haven’t yet enjoyed Eid the way papa says he used to when he was small. Well, I am hoping to do so this time.

Let me start with the village first, the way my dad describes it. Yusufpur is a sleepy village in Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh. Its almost as if the residents wait for festival time to wake up. And gosh, what a waking up it is.

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.”

What is an ISBN number?

Sat, 11 Sep 2004 22:48:45 +0000

There are hundreds of thousands of publishers across the world, and millions of books get printed every year. Moreover, a book like The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is a book that has been printed by several publishers. This makes the task of identifying a book very difficult.

To overcome the problem of identifying books, publishers have came up with a unique numbering system. For instance, if 50,000 copies of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes are printed by a publisher at one time (called an edition), all of them are identified by one number code. This number code is like your home address that cannot be shared by anyone else apart from your parents and siblings.

Mr Meant-to

Wed, 22 Mar 2000 18:37:15 +0000

Mr Meant-to has a comrade,
And his name is Didn’t-do;
Have you ever chanced to meet them?
Did they ever call on you?

These two fellows live together
In the house of Never-win,
And I’m told that it is haunted,
By the ghost of Might-have-been.

Mr Meant-to [Illustration by Anup Singh]

Make a Toy Periscope

Sat, 11 May 2002 19:32:22 +0000

Make a Toy Periscope [Illustrations by Shinod AP]

Imagine going to watch a match starring your favourite teams and then not being able to see it properly. This could well be the case if you are seated at an uncomfortable spot.

Instead of coming out of the stadium/field in a sour mood, carry your very own periscope to the next match.

A periscope is an optical instrument that comes handy to see things from an angle where it is otherwise difficult to see them. Like in submarines. People in submarines use a periscope to see objects above the ocean.

The Stinky Caveman Who Never had a Girlfriend

Sat, 02 Jan 1999 06:29:33 +0000

The Stinky Caveman Who Never had a Girlfriend [Illustration by Shinod AP]

This is a story about a caveman who had never had a girlfriend in his life and you’ll find out why.

In a deep cave lived a terrifying, threatening, scary-looking ugly creature called Slobberpot. He ate everything he saw. If he saw a stone, he ate it. If he saw a person, he ate him. If he saw his friend, he ate him too. Slobberpot was the fattest, biggest and most enormous creature living. All he could say was ‘Boomba’.

AHA! Books: Arvind Gupta

Thu, 25 Apr 1996 10:42:46 +0000

An individual booklist is found to reflect the compiler’s own interests and biases. To that extent this booklist does not lay claim to any objectivity. It contains some extremely fine books on education, popular science, maths and children’s stories. Over the years, I have been actively involved in translating and popularising many of these books. At times we have been successful in bringing out low-cost, Indian reprints like for instance The UNESCO Source Book for Science in the Primary School, Publisher : National Book Trust, India.

And Elephants did Fly

Wed, 05 Apr 2000 19:52:04 +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.

There was a time when elephants could fly. The world was young then, and they had wings — four big wings. In fact they were God’s greatest vehicle; he used to ride one of them. He was busy creating the world. But once humans had started living on earth, God’s work was over. The usefulness of the elephants decreased.

The Emperor and Hawai Elephant

Wed, 12 Sep 2001 00:19:35 +0000

It happened more than 400 years ago. Mughal emperor Akbar was very fond of taming elephants and riding them. Hawai was the most magnificent elephant in the royal stable. Despite his huge size, the male elephant was a swift runner. He was as quick in losing his temper. Even the best riders had problems getting on to him; the thought of making him take part in a fight was unthinkable. And that was a challenge Akbar simply could not refuse.

Pickpocket

Sat, 27 Sep 2003 07:42:23 +0000

December 9: Small children on streets running around, darting in and out of traffic seemingly without a care in the world. They are usually homeless and all alone. Even at such a young age they have a profession, where they earn at least Rs 20 a day – pickpocketing.

Not a profession any of you would like to practise, would you? But not having much else to fall back upon, some poor young children in Calcutta were lured into stealing. The Telegraph has reported that they were promised food and shelter, and some money as bonus pocket money. Seen from their point of view, that was a lot. Much more than they had been getting from their parents or relatives earlier.

Film Jargon

Thu, 19 Jun 2003 02:19:31 +0000

What is a take? If you are asked to cheat, what are you being asked to do? When you are on a film’s set, you’ll need to know certain words and phrases.

Message in the bottle

Fri, 21 Sep 2001 16:09:13 +0000

I watched the tide
From my little house
by the seaside
I didn’t have to wait long
to find what the waves
had brought along

a bottle with a message in it,
it looked like a message, at least
I ran to pick up the bottle
And took out from it a coiled paper

As I smoothened it,
And peered deep

Message in the bottle [Illustration by Shinod AP]

The yellowing paper came apart
at my touch
Before my eyes the writing smudged
As I wept

The Shop at the Corner

Sat, 03 Feb 2001 11:59:14 +0000

Butter and bread,
Needle and thread;
Sweets and candy,
Yellow and red.

Ice-creams, chocolates,
Bells that ring;
Music – which you’d
Love to sing.

Books and biscuits,
Dolls and toys;
I keep them all,
For girls and boys!

The Shop at the Corner [Illustration by Anup Singh]

Satyajit Ray

Wed, 22 Jul 1998 06:17:35 +0000

One of India’s most distinguished film directors Satyajit Ray, was born on May 2, 1921 in West Bengal. Ray’s films are of universal interest despite the fact that most of his films were made in Bengali. His films are essentially about those things that make up the human race – relationships, emotions, struggle, conflicts, joys and sorrows.
Satyajit Ray, the master story teller, has left cinematic heritage that belongs as much to India as to the world. His films demonstrate a remarkable humanism, elaborate observation and subtle handling of characters and situations. His first film Pather Panchali (Song of the Road, 1955) established his reputation as a major film director, winning numerous awards including best human document at Cannes in 1956 and Best Film in Vancouver in 1958. Pather Panchali is the first film of the Appu trilogy — a three-part tale of a boy’s life from birth through manhood. The other two films of the trilogy are Aparajito ( The Unvanquished, 1956 ) and Apur Sansar ( The World of Apu, 1959).

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.

The Lion's Share

Mon, 21 May 2001 12:25:36 +0000

One day an ass and a fox entered into an agreement with the lion that they would assist each other while hunting for food. They felt that their combined efforts would ensure that none of them would have to starve.

Of course, both the ass and the fox were a little nervous about accompanying the lion in the hunt. But the thought of the game they would acquire with his help, made them salivate. They put the nervousness down to nerves.

A Cat’s Nightmare

Mon, 22 Oct 2001 01:22:36 +0000

The cat woke up
with a beating heart

She had just had a
terrible nightmare.

A little rat
had pulled
her whiskers
and called her
‘Friend Cat!’

A Cat’s Nightmare [Illustration by Shinod AP]

Where did Coffee Originate?

Wed, 28 Nov 2001 04:22:36 +0000

The aroma of coffee beans was one of the earliest smells to intoxicate me as a child – such was its flamboyant richness. That, and the lush sight of frothy white milk becoming creamier as it mixed with the nut-brown coffee decoction, served in steel tumblers, was perfect happiness.

It is a memory shared by many Indians living in the southern states, the main coffee growing as well as drinking regions in the country.

The pleasure that the beverage gave was so intense that it never occurred to me that coffee could have originated anywhere but in India.

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.

Tiger Move

Wed, 10 Jan 2001 02:44:51 +0000

Santhals are a tribe found in rural Orissa and West Bengal. They believe that every individual born on earth comes destined to die by some specific stroke of fate. How the individual dies is determined at birth and this is called Dana or move (like the moves of a chess game). This move determines the kind of death the person would get – at the hands of a tiger, snake, a fall from a tree or just from old age.

The Woman who Jailed Bihar's Dons

Sun, 26 Aug 2001 23:14:53 +0000

Bihar is known for its vast coal mines. It is equally well known for the mafia lords or dons who control these mines and carry on all kinds of illegal activities. But the same mafia lords are trembling in their boots today. The reason for their fear is a young woman called Shobha Ohatker. After becoming the Superintendent of Police in Hazaribagh, Shobha has put the biggest names in the coal mafia in jail – most of them, anyway.

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.

Earth Quiz: Geogrpahy

Fri, 28 Aug 1998 12:42:00 +0000

Cars can be fun and they can be good to learn.

Wild Animals Coloring Pages

Sun, 15 Oct 2006 17:32:06 +0000

Wild Animals Coloring Pages for kids. Here are some wild animals you can see in a national part or the zoo. Click on any image you like to enlarge it. You can download this image and print it for colouring!

Click on any image to view an enlarged version. Print it and color it.

And Now, Schoolbags Online

Sat, 15 Jun 2002 15:10:21 +0000

Who wants to carry a bulky bag to school? Not children. Nobody wants one shoulder to be lower than the other, and paining too. In India, most of us would look at the reduction of textbooks as a way out. But in a country like America, there are always more options. A company called goReader has created a “school bag” which is the size of a laptop computer, weighing about 2.5 kg. The goReader has a colour screen and can “hold” all the textbooks that a student may need, says a report in ‘The Asian Age’ newspaper.

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

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.

Birds & Animals – A Visual Matching Puzzle

Thu, 16 Oct 2014 16:42:58 +0000

Where Holi is the Talk of the Town

Fri, 31 Jan 2003 16:55:46 +0000

Think of Holi and you think of two places in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh where the festival has a special status. First, the area known as Brajbhoomi comprising Mathura, Vrindavan, Govardhan, Gokul (all connected to Lord Krishna’s birth, childhood and early youth) and Barsana (Radha’s village). Here Holi is a robust enactment of the legends of Radha and Krishna.

Then there is the Holi of Banaras. The way it is celebrated is the talk of the town and the famous kavi sammelan or poets’ gathering at Banaras is one reason for this. But that happens only in the evening when everyone has finished drenching each other in coloured water and gorged on chips and sweetmeats like gujiya and malpua.

Ferret this Out!

Tue, 09 Apr 2002 15:24:31 +0000

Animals have their peculiar traits. No wonder many phrases in the English language are derived from them – even our headline.

Why do Some People snore More than Others?

Sat, 28 Jun 2003 21:04:24 +0000

If you ever slept in a room with an uncle or an aunt who snores, you would know how annoying it can be. The person causing all the noise sleeps like a log, while the room partner spends the night tossing and turning; waking up bleary-eyed the next morning.

Did you know that snoring is a common ailment all over the world? Believe it or not, but on an average one in every four adults snores, says the website sleepquest.com, a site listed by Britannica.

Magic Johnson

Wed, 02 Apr 1997 08:25:06 +0000

Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson was born in Lansing, Michigan on August 14, 1959 and is one of professional basketball’s premier guard. Magic Johnson is famous for his brilliant passing skills, all-round sublime talent and engaging personality. At 6ft 9 inches he was the tallest point guard in League history and his illuminating smile made him the most admired as well.

He became an instant legend and left people in awe of his skills even as a 15-yr-old high school player. After an Everett High School game in which he had 36 points, 16 rebounds and 16 assists, a sports writer nicknamed the young, enthusiastic ball player ‘Magic’.

Where’s the Catch?

Mon, 23 Jul 2001 20:46:15 +0000

Imagine this scene:

In a village hut, dimly lit by a diya, members of the household sit in a frightened circle, watching a tantrik muttering mantras and performing strange rituals with a skull perhaps, the thighbone of a sheep, and other items.

Sitting among the women is one who has wild staring eyes, untidy hair and a strange expression. She speaks in a voice that doesn’t seem to be her own. Everyone present is convinced she has been possessed by an evil spirit which the tantrik must now get out of her.

The Naughty Baby Monkey

Tue, 26 Jun 2001 08:54:14 +0000

A mama and a baby monkey
Lived high up on a mango tree
The mama was kind
But the baby’s mind..
Dear! Oh Dear!
Oh! Dear, Dear Me.

One bright sunny day
The baby monkey ran away.
The mama despaired
Scratched all her hair
Dear! Oh Dear!
Oh! Dear, Dear Me

The Naughty Baby Monkey [Illustration by Anup Singh]

The mama searched the forest through
Everywhere for baby Babloo.
Near the forest edge,
Where grew a berry hedge,
Dear! Oh Dear!
Oh! Dear, Dear Me.

Shirt That is a Mobile Phone

Tue, 05 Jun 2001 05:09:23 +0000

Clothes that can make phone calls, play music, dial your pal’s number, keep you snug during cold weather, operate your computer…

Shirt That is a Mobile Phone [Illustrations by Sudheer Nath]

This is not fantasy. A British company, called Electrotextiles, has created a dazzling range of clothes — clothes that have a mind of their own! Scientists, working for the company, have invented a fabric that can be blended with flexible electronic materials to create intelligent clothing. The result is elctronic garments.

The Flies and the Honey Pot

Tue, 11 Jul 2000 13:57:58 +0000

A jar of honey chanced to spill
Its contents on the windowsill
In many a viscous pool and rill

The flies, attracted by the sweet,
Began so greedily to eat,
They smeared their fragile wings and feet.

With many a twitch and pull in vain
They gasped to get away again,
And died in aromatic pain.

The Flies and the Honey Pot [Illustration by Sudheer Nath]

The Writer

Tue, 04 Feb 2003 11:04:44 +0000

The Writer [Illustration by Anup Singh]

December 9: Stanley “Tookie” Williams is an American writer of children’s books. His books are cautionary tales, warning children to stay away from drugs, guns and gangs so common to certain sections of poor America.

Williams has won wide acclaim and two literature prizes. But then Williams is no ordinary children’s writer. He is a four-time murderer on death row (waiting to be executed) in California’s San Quentin prison. This means that the State will execute him someday for the crimes he has committed.

Mao Zedong

Thu, 30 Mar 2000 05:19:58 +0000

Mao Zedong was chairman of the Communist Party of China and the principal founder of the People’s Republic of China. Along with Karl Marx and V. I. Lenin, he is regarded as one of the three great theorists of Marxian communism. Mao’s greatest achievements were the unification of China through the destruction of Nationalist power, the creation of a unified People’s Republic, and the leadership of the greatest social revolution in human history. This revolution involved collectivisation of most land and property, the destruction of the landlord class, the weakening of the urban bourgeoisie, and the elevation of the status of peasants and industrial workers. As a Marxist thinker and the leader of a socialist state, Mao gave theoretical legitimacy to the continuation of class struggle in the socialist and communist stages of development. Although Mao was criticized after his death for the failure of his economic policies and the revolutionary excesses of his later years, his basic foreign policy was continued and his theories, particularly those on the revolutionary potential of the peasantry, remained influential in the nonindustrialised Third World.

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.

Boy who Became a Golfer by Accident

Tue, 16 Oct 2001 06:42:48 +0000

July 22: Eighteen-year-old Ashok Kumar is a golf champion in the making. But barely six years ago, he was accused of stealing at the same club where he plays winning game after game, today.

He has won many golfing titles in the junior category and also amateur or beginners titles in prestigious golfing events.

Ashok was a poor boy from a village in Bihar. He came to Delhi to earn some money for his family back home. He was 12 years old and missed home badly. The only good thing was, his brother also lived in Delhi. The two lived together. Right next to the city’s Air Force Golf Club.

What's Biting the Flea?

Tue, 01 Feb 2000 02:22:01 +0000

Scratch, scratch scratch goes your pet dog or cat. Behind the ears, on his body. He whips about trying to chew up his tail. What’s eating him? You part the hair and feel around. It’s a flea!

Fleas are parasitic insects that suck the blood of birds and mammals. There are over 2,400 flea species worldwide classified under the order Siphonaptera. They are tiny wingless insects like the lice in our hair, either black or reddish brown.

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.

What is Physiotherapy?

Tue, 04 Jul 2000 15:55:06 +0000

If you’ve ever been laid up in bed because of a broken leg, or with an arm in a cast, you’ll know how limp that limb feels when it is finally out of bandages. That’s because the muscles in that particular part of the body have not been used for so long that they’ve ‘forgotten’ how to function. They need to be re-taught their work, and this is where physiotherapy comes in.

Physiotherapy is that branch of medicine, which makes use of physical agents or exercises to treat a disease or an injury. It is also called physical therapy.

Holi in Fiji

Thu, 30 Jan 2003 05:15:50 +0000

March 19: Before it was Holi in India, phagua, as Holi is called by the Indo-Fijians, was already being celebrated. The Fiji Islands, in the Pacific Ocean, are six-and-a-half hours ahead of Indian time and the Indo-Fijians were already singing chautal, an oral tradition of celebration.

For the community, memories of India go as far back as 120 years, when the first batch of Indians in colonial India, were taken to Fiji, also a British colony, as labour. As is the case with many immigrant communities all over the world, celebrations always seem to carry a greater echo of ‘home’. And so it was during phagua.

Mama Moo on a Swing

Tue, 14 Aug 2001 16:01:01 +0000

It was a summer’s day. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping and the flies were buzzing. All the cows were grazing in the pasture — all except Mama Moo.

Mama Moo had sneaked away from the others and jumped over the fence. She had taken her bicycle and rode off toward Crow Forest. She was carrying something in the package holder on her bicycle.

KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK!

Mama Moo knocked on Crow’s branch.
“Hi, Crow!”, she whispered.

The Hospitality of a True Blue Nawab

Tue, 25 Feb 2003 07:55:53 +0000

April 21: Nawab Mir Jafar Abdullah entertains guests in the celebrated Awadhi style of his forefathers. The nawab (title of former rulers of princely states), hosts elaborate traditional dinners for foreign tourists at his grand palace called Sheeshmahal (glass palace), in Lucknow, in the state of Uttar Pradesh.

Lucknow flourished in the 18th century as the capital of the nawabs of the principality of Awadh. It became an important cultural centre for art, music, crafts and etiquette based on the idea of graciousness that may seem excessively laidback today.

The Fox and the Goat

Sat, 17 May 1997 05:10:00 +0000

The Fox and the Goat []

One day a fox fell into the well. He thought, how to get out. After some time a thirsty goat came. The goat asked whether the water is good? The fox got an idea for getting out. The fox said this is good water. You can come in. The foolish goat jumped into the well. The fox used the goat’s horns to climb and jumped out.

Health Food

Tue, 25 Jun 2002 03:32:54 +0000

Stem, bulb, fruit, flower…what part of the plant do you eat? Simple, yet confusing. Activate your cells and take a guess.

Holi – The Colour of Fun is Red, Blue, Green

Mon, 20 Mar 2000 04:21:57 +0000

Holi or the festival of colours, is celebrated with great enthusiasm in India, and by the Indian communities settled abroad. It is a time when the young and old alike, are in a mood to make merry. The most important aspect of this festival is its informal nature. Though a Hindu festival, it is played by Indians from all communities – especially in the metropolitan cities of India, where people from all over the country have come and settled. On the day of Holi, it is as if the clock stops running, for it is a national holiday. Even for the newspapers.

Water Transportation Coloring Pages

Thu, 06 Oct 2005 13:51:17 +0000

Click on any image you like to enlarge it. You can download this image and print it for colouring! <

Click on any image to view an enlarged version. Print it and color it.

Why do we Get Hiccups?

Fri, 25 Aug 2000 04:04:30 +0000

Hic! You’ve just hiccuped for what seems like the tenth time since you finished your big dinner. Wonder where these funny noises are coming from? The part to blame is your diaphragm, a dome-shaped muscle at the bottom of your chest, and all hiccups start here.

The diaphragm almost always works perfectly. It pulls down when you inhale to help pull air into the lungs, and it pushes up when you exhale to help push air out of the lungs.

Does a Sloth Live its Entire Life Upside Down?

Sun, 22 Jul 2001 14:07:26 +0000

Imagine living your entire life upside down. Sounds impossible? Well, it is not impossible for a sloth.

The sloth is a mammal which lives in South America. It spends most of its life on trees in an upside down position.

Unbelievable, but true. Sloths eat, sleep, make babies and even give birth to their young ones in this position! But, don’t they fall off when they fall asleep, one might wonder. They don’t.

A Sloth hanging upside down on the tree

That’s because the sloth’s muscles do not relax like ours do when we are sleeping. If they did, the sloth would fall off the tree. The muscles become fixed and relax only when the animal awakens.

Dog Dream

Sun, 17 Jun 2001 03:23:22 +0000

The dog was spread out
like a mat on the floor

His tongue hanging out
for water chilled and cool

Dreaming of icy lands
Made his mouth water

The fly swooped down and
made away with the drop!

The dog’s learnt his lesson
He’s become a smart guy

He dreams lovely dreams
With his mouth closed!

Dog Dream [Illustration by Shinod AP]

A Surprise On Christmas

Tue, 13 Jul 1999 10:18:51 +0000

Jimmy and Jenny were very excited. It was Christmas Eve and they were busy hanging their stockings at the end of their beds.

“You must go to sleep quickly,” said mother, “because Santa Claus won’t come until you are fast asleep.”

So Jenny and Jimmy jumped into bed and shut their eyes. It wasn’t before long that they were both fast asleep and dreaming. Then even the grown-ups went to sleep. The lights were turned out and the house was dark. Everything was quiet.

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.

Cameras – A Visual Matching Puzzle

Thu, 16 Oct 2014 16:47:43 +0000

Five and a Half Wishes

Mon, 05 Nov 2001 12:33:54 +0000

Bhuvan’s parents had just moved to Chikmagalur from Bangalore. They had been waiting for a long time to get away from the pollution, noise, traffic and fast paced life. They thought Bhuvan being only six years old would adjust with ease to life in a small town. But Bhuvan was far from pleased. He didn’t like the children in his school from the first day. His friends in Bangalore had been so smart. Here everybody wore unsmart clothes, spoke in Kannada and carried curd rice to school. He decided that he wasn’t going to like this place at all.

Getting Bored – Read This

Sat, 08 May 1999 18:26:46 +0000

Getting Bored – Read This [Illustration by Anup Singh]

Pooja Desai studies in Class IX at Jasudben M L School in Mumbai. Here she writes for all those who are getting bored and have nothing to do.

If you have nothing to do at all, think what you would like to do, watch tv, drink water, go to see a movie, sleep, read or nothing of this sort.

Vladimir Ilich Lenin

Sun, 06 Dec 1998 20:46:34 +0000

Vladimir Ilich Lenin, founder of the Russian Communist party, leader of the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, and first head of state of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, was also a masterly political thinker whose theories shaped Communist thought and influenced all factions of the Marxist movement.

Lenin was born Vladimir Ilich Ulyanov on April 22, 1870, in the provincial city of Simbirsk on the Volga River. By all accounts, Lenin’s middle-class family was warm and loving. Lenin’s father was a secondary-school teacher who rose to become a provincial director of elementary education.

Teenage Girl Lone Survivor from Yemeni Air Crash

Wed, 22 Dec 2010 12:03:50 +0000

Where: Moroni, Comoros

July 2, 2009 : Weeks after an Air France airliner crashed into the Pacific Ocean, a Yemeni jetliner went down into the Indian Ocean near Comoros, where it was scheduled to land. All passengers were killed, except one teenage girl.

The passengers on the ill-fated plane Airbus that crashed into the Indian Ocean were flying the last leg of a journey from Paris in France to Comoros, with a stop in Yemen to change planes. Of the 153 people on board, only one, a teenage girl, survived. Comoros is an archipelago of three main islands between Africa’s southeastern coast and the island of Madagascar. The aircraft, an Airbus 310, was believed to be very old, and some of its equipment had been certified faulty during an inspection in 2007. Severe turbulence and high speed winds at the time were among the factors that caused the crash.

Viswanathan Anand – The Lightning Kid

Tue, 04 Jan 2000 05:52:26 +0000

Whenever advertisers want a brainy sportstar to talk about their product, very often they think of one name – Viswanathan Anand. A world-class chess champion who was given the name of Lightning Kid because of the speed with which he played.

But how are world class champions like Vishy born? For that, ask his mother Sushila. In 1974, when he was five, she first opened a chessboard and taught him the game. She was also his first opponent in the game. Anand was her youngest child.

What is Ribotyping?

Tue, 01 Jan 2002 20:07:16 +0000

Consider this, in a murder case, the culprit has left no clues. There are no fingerprints or eye witnesses.

A perfect crime, you would say. But on close inspection, the crime branch discovers a tiny strand of hair. Back in the forensic laboratories, scientists use this strand of hair to track down the criminal and solve the murder case.

But, how can you crack a mystery with a strand of hair, you would exclaim.

The technique used by forensic scientists to track down the culprit is called DNA-fingerprinting. DNA stands for deoxy-ribo-nucleic acid. The DNA is present in every cell of our body and contains information needed by the cell to go about its activities.

Monsoon in Mumbai

Mon, 27 Aug 2001 19:40:46 +0000

To the people of Mumbai, the thought of rain is as natural as breathing. And they think they are always prepared for it. As the temperature drops, and there is a slight nip in the air they cannot help thinking of piping hot pakoras and garam chai or hot tea.
But the visitor often drops down from the sky unexpectedly. It has the power to disrupt the lives of the people. Like it did recently.

Why do we Yawn?

Sat, 13 Apr 2002 13:56:37 +0000

Do you think that a great big yawn means you are really bored? Well, if you do, then you cannot possibly be further from the truth. Until recently many researchers used to think yawning is essential to increasing the oxygen intake to the lungs. A few on the other hand insisted that yawning is similar to stretching as it increases blood pressure and heart beat rate.

While both research findings are correct, new studies show that yawning actually perks you up instead of doing the opposite (as many of us seem to think). Scientists point out that we have a tendency to yawn before a big event – athletes yawn before a race, pilots yawn before take-off and you yawn before an exam.

A Lizard that Squirts Blood from its Eyes

Thu, 12 Apr 2001 11:47:45 +0000

Are you scared of lizards? There is no need to be unless you come face to face with one kind, called the Horned Lizard. It sprays blood from its eyes, and may just make you jump a bit.

A lizard that squirts blood from its eyes [Illustration by Shridevi]

Not all time. Only when it feels threatened.

The Best Storyteller in the World

Sat, 02 Jun 2001 22:15:57 +0000

Bajai," as we called grandmother, was the best storyteller in the world. Her tales of jewelled ladies and brave warriors, of civilisations that ended due to famine, floods, war or volcanic eruptions, filled our young lives with fantasy.

Nestling in the foothills of Mussoorie is a tiny village called Johri Gaun (Johri village) where we spent part of our summer and winter vacations every year. They were fun-filled days of sun-kissed air and raucous laughter, when we cousins met and had a great time. On our long walks we would nibble berries or catch colourful dragon flies, which we had nicknamed “helicopters”. I always collected red ones. If anyone caught a whirring red helicopter they would yell out for me and I would run and open my shoe box to put it in.

The Magical Land of Narnia

Wed, 02 Feb 2000 12:49:58 +0000

The Magical Land of Narnia [Illustration by Shinod AP]

‘The Chronicles of Narnia’ series by C.S. Lewis
Review by Sujit Thomas; Illustration by Shinod AP

Most newspapers which carried articles about Harry Potter several months ago usually had only one thing to say, though in different words: “Harry Potter! The One and Only”, or “No Other Book in the World with Such Imagination”. But they are wrong. There HAS been a set of books just as magical as the Harry Potter series. It is ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’ series, by C.S.Lewis.

Veerappan's Folly

Fri, 10 May 2002 18:22:47 +0000

In the forests of South India lived an infamous rogue called Veerappan. There was no marksman who could shoot as well. His gang was known for its acts of cruelty. Mothers would frighten their kids with tales of Veerappan and how he kidnapped naughty children.

The entire gang was high on the government’s wanted list, for Veerappan and his gang had killed 2000 elephants for their ivory and over 300 forest rangers. But, either through fear or otherwise, the villagers never informed on Veerappan.

The Story of Indian Bronzes

Fri, 13 Sep 2002 04:24:31 +0000

One of the most beautiful figures in Indian sculpture is that of Lord Shiva dancing the Ananda Tandava or dance of joy, one leg raised high, his face very calm, as he destroys all life until new life is born once more. Looking at the divine dancer, we can almost hear the sound of the damru or small drum that he holds in one fist.

The bronze figure of this god is often seen in museums, in homes, even at crafts bazaars. So are crafted figures of Shiva and Parvati, Buddhist saints, or even Rama, Sita and Lakshman.

Jumbo Mask

Thu, 22 Aug 2002 08:23:40 +0000

The theme for your next birthday party is Jungle Book and you want to have animal masks. Do you know it is very simple to make these masks at
home, from material that is easily available at home. Try it out.

Jumbo Mask [Illustrations by Shinod AP]

The things you need:

Paper plate
Chart paper
Scissors
Adhesive
Paints
Paint brush
Ribbon

Step 1: From the chart paper cut a strip of 1 inch x 20 inches and paint it. After the paint dries, roll this strip.
What you have just made is the trunk of the elephant.

Natural Wonders

Sat, 17 Nov 2001 13:12:05 +0000

Yes, these are terms that we all use frequently, but when someone asks us the exact meaning we go…oh..oh..!

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.

Spiders and their Magical Web

Wed, 11 Apr 2001 21:42:27 +0000

Most of us have come across cobwebs that accumulate in our walls, and ceilings when we dust our homes. The webs are under tables, cellars, and sometimes across branches and leaves at the park. All these cobwebs are the work of spiders.

Spider webs are fine silken threads. Originally spiders spun silk to protect their eggs and to line their nests. But later they adapted to use this silk to weave a web and trap their prey. Sometimes it is also used to provide a safety line so that if they fall, they get suspended in the air.

A Harvest of Festivals

Fri, 14 Apr 2000 08:25:23 +0000

The Punjabis celebrate this festival as Baisakhi. The Assamese call this festival Bohag Bihu. In Kerala they usher in the new year with Vishu. For Tamilians it is Varasha Porupu, while Gudi Padva is important for Maharashtrians. But what are they celebrating in the first half of April? The start of a new year according to the indigenous calendar system, and the start of a new agricultural season. The harvesting is over and the old agricultural cycle has ended. Winter has been chased away by the colours of spring, and summer is upon us. It is a time for feasts.

How do Spiderwebs Help Skydivers?

Wed, 15 Aug 2001 04:28:01 +0000

While dusting the house have you ever cross jhalis (webs) in the corners of the wall? Sometimes you may come across them under table corners or at rarely used places. Yes, the webs are woven by spiders.

It’s a nuisance clearing them for just when you manage to remove one sticky web, the spider scurries off to a corner to spin yet another!

How do Spiderwebs Help Skydivers? [Illustration by Anup Singh]

But before you destroy these webs with a sweep of the broom, here’s some food for thought – you are about to dismantle one of the strongest structures in the natural world!

Ronald Reagan

Fri, 30 Apr 1999 01:31:32 +0000

Ronald Wilson Reagan was elected the 40th president of the United States on November 4, 1980. At the age of 69, he was the oldest man and the first movie star ever sworn into that office. During his two terms in office, the popular president helped raise the nation’s spirits. He also oversaw the creation of large budget and trade deficits and ultimately effected a historical truce in cold war with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Born on February 6, 1911in Tampico, Illinois, Reagan worked his way through Eureka college, had some success as a sportscaster and began an acting career with Warner Bros. in 1937. He was to appear in 53 films with an interlude in the US army. He married actress Jane Wyman in 1940, divorced in 1948 and in 1952 wed Nancy Davis. He moved into television in the 1950s and became the popular host of ‘Death Valley Days’ and spokesman for General Electric Company. Inheriting from his father a orientation in politics, Reagan shifted his views and spoke out against ‘big govt’ and Communism. By the 1960s he was a favorite Conservative speaker.

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

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.

The Truth About Bats

Wed, 26 May 1999 21:30:39 +0000

Bats are among the world’s least appreciated and most endangered animals, thanks to centuries of myth and superstition. Contrary to common misconceptions, bats are not blind, they are not rodents and they won’t get tangled in your hair. The truth is that bats are mong the most gentle and beneficial animals on earth.

A bat is a winged mammal with the ability to fly. It’s ability to maintain sustained flight, unique among mammals, results from the modification of hand-like forelimbs into wings. Bats are mammals just like humans which means all bats are warm blooded, have hair, bear young ones and nurse them.

Dealing With the Potential Danger of a Meteor Hitting Earth

Sun, 01 Dec 2002 02:08:49 +0000

Our solar system is like a busy traffic round-about. The sun is at the centre of this round-about which drives a large number of heavenly bodies, including planets, comets and large and small rocks around it.

While the earth and the other planets chart fairly fixed paths around the sun, our smaller solar siblings, like rocks, do not believe in staying in their lanes. As a result, a large rock – the size of a small city – bangs into the earth every once in a while.

The Candy

Fri, 10 May 2002 01:57:51 +0000

It was a hot Tuesday afternoon in the month of October. The geography lesson was interesting but Sharmila was getting restless waiting for the class to get over. The ice candy man had come some time ago and his day’s quota would soon get over.

He visited the school every Tuesday and Thursday to sell his delicious candies that the children waited for eagerly, every week. It was always a struggle for the teachers to hold on to the students’ attention during the last period of school on those two days.

Learning to Act

Wed, 21 Mar 2001 22:41:20 +0000

There once lived a brilliant student. He was on a quest to acquire more
and more knowledge. Then he heard of a great Zen teacher to whom he travelled long to meet.

On arriving at the teacher’s feet, he said, “Master teach me.”

The Zen master received the student with a smile. He inquired about him. He asked in detail all that the student had learnt till then.

Learning to Act [Illustration by Anup Singh]

Later, he asked his assistant to get tea for the two of them. A big pot of tea with two cups and saucers was brought before the master. The student volunteered to serve the tea. The master brushed aside his offer with a smile.

When the Earth Quakes

Sat, 01 Jun 2002 10:28:39 +0000

A host of questions on a natural disaster that makes the earth move with deadly results.

Janamashtmi – The Day Krishna was Born

Sun, 15 Aug 1999 17:02:37 +0000

Janamashtmi, or the birth anniversary of Lord Krishna — the seventh avatar of Lord Vishnu — is celebrated with traditional gaiety and fervour all over India. It falls on the eighth day of the waning moon in the month of Shravan in August/ September. Lord Krishna is believed to have been born at midnight on this day. The day is marked by fasting, feasting, dancing and singing hymns and prayers.

Lord Vishnu is invoked in his human incarnation as Krishna on his birth anniversary.

Roman Holiday

Thu, 28 Oct 2004 02:59:37 +0000

Suitcase – checked. Diary – checked. I am writing my last lines before I take off in the time machine. Time machine – checked! This time it’s going to ancient Rome at the height of its empire. Only this morning I read somewhere that when in Rome, do as the Romans do. If you want to accompany me, sit in your seat, hold the mouse firmly, and whatever you do, don’t press the escape key on your keyboard.

Easter's Here

Tue, 22 Jul 2003 16:46:16 +0000

Go out into the market on Easter and you cannot miss the Easter egg on the shop counter – filled with sweets and chocolates, it is irresistible. Several people also paint eggs or emboss chocolate eggs with sugar flowers to gift to friends and relatives.

But what is Easter? Easter Sunday falls on the Sunday after Good Friday and on this day Easter eggs are available in the market – that is what most of us know. In reality, the preparation for Easter starts with a fast 40 days earlier, on Ash Wednesday.

Of Daemons, Lords and Dust

Wed, 19 Dec 2001 05:52:12 +0000

The Golden Compass
Written by Philip Pullman
Published by Alfred A. Knopf.

11 year old Gayatri Jayal, a student of Modern School Vasant Vihar and a fierce fan of Lyra Belacqua, wrties her impression of this half-civilised, half-wild young girl, who looks set to take the world of children’s books by storm.

In a world in which there are millions of different worlds within just an inch of space, lives a girl called Lyra Belacqua. She is supposedly an orphan, who grew up and still lives Jordan College, the grandest and richest college in Oxford. In the particular world she lives in, people have only half their souls inside their bodies. The other half of the soul is an animal companion that can change its shape whenever it chooses. This part is known as a ‘daemon’, which is capable of talking. If a daemon gets killed, its human half dies immediately and vice versa.

A Day in the Life of a Magician

Thu, 13 Sep 2001 13:31:25 +0000

Excerpts from ‘A Day in the Life of a Magician’. First published by Vigyan Prasar, India

Years ago I gave up hanging up a stocking on Christmas Eve. One reason is that I have no stockings to hang, because I almost always wear trousers, and even when I wear shorts I wear socks with them so as to make my calves brown. And I don’t think Father Christmas would find room in a sock for all the things I want. So when I woke up on Christmas morning I was rather surprised to see one of my socks hanging on the bottom of the bed, and much more so when it got up and walked along the counterpane towards me.

A Beautiful Ship in the Sky

Tue, 18 Jul 2000 05:30:49 +0000

In the boundless ocean of space, a beautiful ship sails serenely around the sun. Our earth – Lovelier than the moon, this fragile ship travels one hundred and sixty thousand kilometres every hour.

Space is full of countless such ships.
But our Earth is special.
It is the only ship which carries life –
the only ship with voyagers on board.

Four hundred thousand different kinds of life make their home on Earth.
Together, they make it beautiful and precious.

It's a Zoo Out There!

Sat, 19 Oct 2002 11:04:02 +0000

Almost 400 years ago, Mughal emperor Jehangir acquired a new animal in his private collection or zoo – the zebra. This unusual, striped animal fascinated him so much that he wrote about it in his memoirs as a strange creature. Some even imagined that the animal’s stripes had been painted!

The emperor decided to find out whether the zebra was indeed coloured or not. After much investigation, he made it public that the zebra, too, was a creature created by god. The stripes were natural, they had not been painted upon!

Animal Talk

Sun, 27 Jan 2002 08:07:04 +0000

Each animal has its special way of communicating – through sounds. So take a guess about animal talk.

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 Concorde

Mon, 21 Aug 2006 05:30:23 +0000

The sleekest and the fastest jet aircraft in the world. The Concorde.

Sounds like an ad?

Wait till you hear how much it costs to travel in it.

A trip on this aircraft could cost you $9,000 – at least 25 per cent more than the regular first class travel fare.

For a long time, the Concorde was considered the safest aircraft – the only jet aircraft in the history of aviation which has never had a serious accident.

The Deadliest Animal in the World

Tue, 06 Mar 2001 22:37:42 +0000

Do you know, it is one of deadliest creatures in the world? No, it’s not the cobra.
It is the sea wasp. It is a kind of jelly fish and is called the Chironex Fleckeri, commonly known as sea wasp.

It has a bell-shaped body with long tentacles that trail behind it. These tentacles have hundreds of thousands of tiny cells, which contain a cobra-like poison. When a victim brushes against the tentacles, the poison is injected into his body, killing him in less than five minutes.

The Jester and the Stranger's Language

Wed, 17 Jan 2001 22:16:10 +0000

Jaipur: Sawai Jai Singh's Golden Dream

Sat, 02 Jan 1999 16:12:53 +0000

The only planned city of its time,
Built by Sawai Jai Singh in his prime,
Constructed with pink sandstones pretty,
It’s our own Jaipur city.

It was the emperor’s vision,
It was Jai Singh’s dream and ambition,
constructed in the beautiful nine-grid pattern,
one for each planet, Mercury to Saturn.
The Jantar Mantar of astronomical size,
Is really Jaipur’s finest prize.

Jaipur: Sawai Jai Singh’s Golden Dream [Illustrations by Kusum Chamoli]

And the Hawa Mahal which represents Shri Krishna’s crown,
Is the pride of Jaipur town.

World's First Space Tourist

Wed, 09 Jul 2003 13:04:28 +0000

May 11: The world’s first paying space tourist is back on earth after a week-long joyride in space. On Sunday, May 6, American millionaire Dennis Tito and two Russian cosmonauts landed back on earth, as their space capsule gently parachuted down onto the barren steppe in Kazakhstan.

World’s First Space Tourist [Illustration by Shinod AP]

Emerging unsteadily from the capsule, the exhilarated 60-year-old Tito, who is also a former NASA rocket scientist, said the trip was the culmination of a lifelong dream.

Man's Best Friend

Mon, 10 Jun 2002 14:44:10 +0000

Who is man’s best friend? Of course there are no points for guessing that one – the dog. The dog is the most popular domestic animal in the world. For more than 12,000 years the dog has been a companion, a protector and above all, an honest friend.

But different civilisations and cultures have treated the dog in different ways. In some countries, dogs are used as guards or beasts of burden, whereas in others they are even eaten as food. However, in most societies, dogs are protected and admired. Ancient Egyptians considered them sacred.

Marine Militants: Bioinvasion propagated through Cargo Ships

Fri, 01 Nov 2002 21:59:37 +0000

What would happen if all the lions in Africa are carried away to some other place? The deer population will rise as there will not be anyone to kill them. With this population boom, the deer would need more food.

After a point, there will no grass left to feed subsequent generations. This would lead to the destruction of the entire ecosystem which thrives and sustains itself on the grass. And the grasslands will turn into a desert.

The Palm Reader

Sun, 10 Jun 2001 09:24:08 +0000

Hari Prasad was the most sought-after man in the marketplace. A palmist rumoured to be the best in the area, he lived-off people’s hands as he was believed to possess superior qualities of prediction.

All he had to do was stare at the faint little criss-crossing lines on someone’s palm for a little while and bingo, the client would listen astounded, as the palmist laid his life history bare before him.

The Palm Reader [Illustration by Shinod AP]

The client would return home somewhat dazed by what he thought were the amazing powers of the astrologer. Few realised that Hari Prasad had actually said very little that was not a generalisation. Later it might strike some that they had been taken for a ride. But by then it was too late, they had already paid him his fees.

Naughty Kit

Mon, 29 Jan 2001 12:39:57 +0000

Minty is a naughty kit
Tell her ‘stand’ – she’s sure to sit
She laps up milk without a trace
But give her curds, she’ll turn her face!

Minty is a naughty kit
Tell her ‘come’ and she’ll just quit
Tell her ‘Run!’ – she’ll sleep all day
Call her – and she’ll run away!

Naughty Kit [Illustration by Anup Singh]

Follow the Leader

Wed, 20 Mar 2002 23:48:38 +0000

Chimpoo has a balloon. It is a BIG balloon! It is a BIG, RED balloon! It is a BIG, RED, ROUND balloon!

Chimpoo has a LITTLE dog. His name is Chutku. Chutku loves Chimpoo. Chutku loves to PLAY with Chimpoo.

There is a BIG, BLACK cat! Chutku does not like the cat! There is a TINY, GREY mouse. The BIG, BLACK cat does not like the TINY, GREY mouse!

Follow the Leader [Illustrations by Shiju George]

Cat loves Chimpoo. Mouse loves Chimpoo. Chimpoo likes the cat. Chimpoo likes the mouse.

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.

Runu and Chotu

Fri, 18 Feb 2000 05:16:49 +0000

A June morning. Holiday morning. “Fun! fun!” Runu thought as she woke up. No school, lots of cartoons on TV, computer games, and surely, a trip to the ice cream parlour. Fun, fun indeed! Runu gulped down her chocolate milk.

Mom and Dad came in to pet her. Dad said, “Sorry baby, but we have to go see someone who is ill, can’t take you out today.” Seeing Runu pull a long face, Mom said, “I’ll leave the computer on for you, and your favourite CDs. Is there going to be Scooby Doo and Pop Eye on TV today? Smile please”. Runu decided to smile and bid them ‘bye.’

Glimpses from Gandhi's Life

Mon, 05 Oct 1998 09:58:39 +0000

Stories From Bapu’s Life
Written by Uma Shankar Joshi
Illustrations by Mickey Patel
Published by National Book Trust, New Delhi

Gandhiji’s intellectual influence on Indians has been considerable. Some were attracted by his emphasis on political and economic decentralisation, others by his insistence on individual freedom, moral integrity, unity of means and ends, and social service; still others by his satyagraha and political activism.

Glimpses from Gandhi’s Life []

For some students of India, Gandhi’s influence is responsible for its failure to throw up any genuinely radical political movement. For others, it cultivated a spirit of non-violence, encouraged the habits of collective self-help, and helped lay the foundations of a stable, morally committed and democratic government.

Door Decor

Fri, 19 Oct 2001 03:04:01 +0000

Come Diwali, Dussehra, Christmas or the New Year people always hang torans above the doors of their houses. Toran is a bit of decoration made with leaves or flowers or even paper. Nowadays, toran are also made of plastic. People from various parts of India make torans differently. But this is how a traditional toran is usually made:

Door Decor [Illustrations by Shinod AP]

The things you need:

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.

Puppets on a String

Tue, 21 May 1996 17:14:42 +0000

June 10: Who is that mousy lady in a sari? What is the clown doing with a huge ball that looks like the sun? And what is this — a man with the heads of two big-eyed cows in his hands? All of them look like they want to tell a story. Their story. And that’s exactly what they do, for they are all puppets. And when their master pulls the strings and speaks from behind the curtain, they sing and dance, play and fight, laugh and cry.

The Squeaky Squirrel

Mon, 23 Jul 2001 23:02:39 +0000

Squeaky squirrel is a little sad
His bushy tail is looking bad
Once it was a shiny one
Then someone used it
As a baby’s bottlebrush!

The Squeaky Squirrel [Illustration by Shinod AP]

But he likes the baby
So he’s no longer sad
The baby’s mother has
promised him a good bath!

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.

Logging on to Aliens

Thu, 19 Apr 2001 15:00:31 +0000

Do you believe that there might be life on other planets? Would you like to be the first ‘Earthling’ to make contact with an alien? Well, you can start your search from home. All you need is a computer and Internet access, and you can join the project of the US-based National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Logging on to Aliens [Illustrations by Kusum Chamoli]

NASA launched the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI) project, eight years ago. Based at the University of California, SETI’s goal is to examine the radio signals coming from nearby stars. Researchers involved in the project believe that a large number of stars in the universe could have planets orbiting around them. And they want to know if these planets have conditions suitable to sustain life forms.

Ginger, the New Wonder Medicine

Sat, 20 Jan 2001 11:22:55 +0000

Ginger has always been an essential part of most Indian kitchens and grandmothers’ medicine boxes. This spice has been used to treat the feeling of vomiting and indigestion. Now the Western world has also discovered the wonderful qualities of ginger. They see it as a powerful medicine against nausea across the world.

Ginger, the new wonder medicine

In India, grandmothers have known all along that the juice squeezed from ginger mixed with lime juice can stop one from feeling like vomiting. Since the taste is not very appealing, especially to children, jaggery or gur is often used to mask the strong taste of ginger. Then it is no longer a medicine, but a sweetmeat that everyone likes to eat!

Sea Turtles

Thu, 31 Jan 2002 20:26:11 +0000

Can you name an animal that returns to the place of its birth, every single year, journeying more than 1,000 km to do so? Well, here is another hint: this animal is a sea creature that originated on earth more than 200 million years ago- making the species older than the oldest ever dinosaur.

Give up? They are none other than marine turtles, more commonly known as sea turtles. Seven existing species of sea turtles exist in the world today of which at least four (the Olive Ridley, Green Hawksbill, Leatherback and Flatback) are fairly common in the waters of the Indian Ocean. The sea turtle, or the Leatherback is the largest living turtle. It can grow up to a length of six feet and is known to weigh about 700 kgs!

Once they were Friends

Sat, 31 Mar 2001 14:28:01 +0000

There was a time when Madri, the cat, and Ketki, the mouse, were friends. They were such good friends that they lived in the same house. They played together, and went on hunts together too.

Between the two, Ketki was the one with foresight. “Can you feel the chill in the air?” she asked her friend. “Winter is coming. And we haven’t saved any food! Let’s do it now or we will have to go hungry when winter sets in”.

Table Mat

Tue, 13 Nov 2001 00:40:44 +0000

Table Mat [Illustrations by Shinod AP]

You can make mats of varying sizes and colours and give them as souvenirs to your friends.

The things you need:

Pieces of old cloth
Adhesive

Step 1: Cut the cloth in three strips half-an-inch wide.

Step 2: Hold the strips together and tie a knot at the end.

Step 3: Plait the strips until you get a length of half-a-metre.

Fluff, the Cat

Sat, 16 Jun 2001 09:16:35 +0000

Fluff, the cat is my own pet
She’s cuddle-y and so soft
She loves to feast on fish and milk
And snooze upon the loft.

Fluff is bright and really smart
And so alert all day
When she prowls around the house
The mice just run away!

Fluff, the Cat [Illustration by Anup Singh]

Tea At The Dhaba

Sun, 25 Feb 2001 11:05:19 +0000

This story is from the book The Adventures of Rusty. Rusty is a 12-year-old boy and as you read on, you might think that he is very much a part of you! The book has two sections, and Tea at tha Dhaba is one of the stories of the second section called “Running Away”.

Running away from school! It is not to be recommended to everyone. Parents and teachers would disapprove. Or would they, deep down in their hearts? Everyone has wanted to run away, at some time in his life if not from a bad school or an unhappy home, then from something equally unpleasant. Running away seems to be in the best traditions. Huck Finn did it. So did Master Copperfield and Oliver Twist. So did Kim. Various enterprising young men have run away to sea. Most great men have run away from school at some stage in their lives; and if they haven’t, then perhaps it is something they should have done.

The Woman who Builds Sand Castles

Mon, 08 Jan 2001 04:52:11 +0000

July 31: Ever made castles in the sand? Fun. Isn’t it? All you need are your hands and a little imagination?

Marjon Katerberg builds castles in the sand all the time. And gets paid for it, too. It’s her job.

Marjon is an international sand artist. She has just carved the largest sand sculpture park in the world, according to a report in ‘The Indian Express’.

The park is located at a place called Almeerderzand near The Hague in the Netherlands. It stretches over several acres of land. For two years, Almeerderzand has been hosting a sand-sculpting festival. Marjon’s sculptures are part of this festival.

Space Tourism: Ready for a Skyrocketing Holiday

Sun, 13 May 2001 18:50:36 +0000

Do you wish for an “unearthly " vacation? American astronaut Edwin E. Aldrin, famous for being the second man to land on the moon, is one of the few people working to promote tourism in space. But if the thought of a holiday in space is mind-boggling, the cost of that thought is even more so – almost $200 million for an out-of-the-world experience! Realising the need to make space travel as normal as buses or trains, an American company called the X Prize Foundation is trying to cut down the cost of space travel.

Puppets on a String Dance Again

Sat, 03 Mar 2001 15:54:46 +0000

Vishnudas Bhave’s puppets had to go through a long ordeal before they finally got to the right place and in the hands of the right people. It was not just a long journey but a tough one too.

This story dates back to the year 1843, when the father of Marathi theatre, Vishnudas Bhave created his puppets, in Maharashtra’s Sangli district. They were not ordinary wooden puppets. They were so life-like that it seemed they would talk to you any moment. They put life into every play that he put up on stage. ‘Seeta Swayamvar’ became the most well known of his puppet dramas.

Forever Floating

Wed, 06 Sep 2000 02:00:32 +0000

I remember making paper boats as a child but after their first voyage they could never be used again. Then somebody told me about the boats that would always float. At once the idea appealed to me and I tried making the unsinkable boat. It actually never sank. Would you also like to try making one?

The things you need:

Bottle cork, blade and card sheet.

Forever Floating [Illustrations by Sudheer Nath]

Step 1. Slice the cork from the center, lengthwise.

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.

The South Indian Sikh

Tue, 18 Jun 2002 23:42:38 +0000

October 21: Sardar Bhupinder Singh is 91 years old. He is also a bit of an oddity where he lives – in Kadakarapally, Kerala. He is the only one in his area to keep his hair long, wear a turban and visit the gurudwara or Sikh temple in nearby Kochi.

Bhupinder Singh is one of the few living Malayalee Sikhs of his generation, in the south-western state of Kerala. He is known in the area as “Sikh chettan” that is, Sikh elder brother, says a recent report in The Hindustan Times.

Challenge Knot Tie

Wed, 05 Sep 2001 22:59:12 +0000

Challenge Knot Tie [Illustrations by Shiju George]

This is an easy one, but it will baffle people who don’t know how to do it.

All you need is:

A piece of rope 3 or 4 feet long.

Step 1: Hold the rope as in Figure 1, and give your friends a chance to try to tie a knot in the rope without at any time letting go of either end. When they give up, take back the rope and lay it down on a table.

The Survivor

Sun, 10 Mar 2002 05:44:21 +0000

In the Indian ocean was a tiny island, no more than a mere speck on the globe. It was called Aranya. Its people were ruled by a wise and brave chief called Parvat. He was 60 years old.

There was a beautiful garden right in the middle of the island. It was dotted with lush green trees bearing delicious fruits and beautiful flowers of every imaginable colour.

Once a year on the first full moon night after the rains, the people of Aranya worshipped their deity, Bhumidev. On that occasion the chief would visit the garden and select the most beautiful flower. This flower was then offered to Bhumidev.

Script your own Cartoon or Movie

Sat, 22 Sep 2001 08:22:24 +0000

Superman flies. Mowgli grins. A pig speaks and a dog identifies a thief. Children live in the land of toys and ice creams. You must have seen one or the other in cartoons or movies.

So how does it all happen? How does it start?

Well, it starts like most things do — with an idea.
A person, or a group of persons, may have an idea.

Then they work upon that idea and create a story around it. A story may be something that one narrates or reads. But you need to do something more if you want to see this story in moving images — on stage or on screen.

Mushir and the Magic Rickshaw

Mon, 26 Apr 1999 15:17:12 +0000

This story took place many years ago… not in a kingdom, not in a village, but in a small town called Kalpanagar. This is not a story of a prince, nor a farmer, but of a young school boy named Mushir, who, quite to his surprise, became a very special person for the townsfolk of Kalpanagar.

Now we listen to the tale…. The summer of 1967 was blistering. The heat came in great waves and beat upon the flat tin roofs of the fifty or so houses in the small dusty town of Kalpanagar. Pigeons and sparrows in flight would fall to the ground because of the terrible heat. The leaves of the mango trees crackled, snip snap, and fell off the branches, forming wide brown carpets of tumbling leaves. In the homes the water taps grumbled when they were opened. The water in the nearby dam had dried up and animals as well as humans had to make do with very little water. Kalpanagar had been turned into a hot, hot stove that very unkind summer in ‘67.

Summer fan

Fri, 16 Nov 2001 19:40:57 +0000

The fan turns slow
On a hot airless night
Like a bird without wings
That has forgotten to fly.

I look closely
What a surprise!
There are beads of sweat
On the fan blades as well.

The cooler and the cooled
Are in the same state
It’s going to be a tough summer
At this rate.

Summer fan [Illustration by Shinod AP]

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

A Roaring Shame

Thu, 19 Nov 1998 15:38:08 +0000

Once upon a jungle
In a land not far away

There was an awful bungle
In a den where lions lay.
There were two mighty
lions…
I’ve made a mistake there…
One was a mighty lioness,
Now, that’s being right and fair.

These two awesome beasties
Were parents fond and proud
Of a litter of loitering lion cubs
That called out clear and loud.

A Roaring Shame [Illustration by Paramita Kar]

The lion cubs, they grew on,
And soon they lost their mew,
All but the strongest, oldest son.

An Unpleasant Smell

Sun, 11 Mar 2001 04:32:39 +0000

A prosperous money-lender or seth bought a house located right next door to the house of a tanner. From morning till evening the tanner converted hide into leather by treating it with tannin. From day one the money-lender was put off by the unpleasant smells of the tannery.

So, he visited the tanner’s house and offered to buy his house.

“I would love to sell the house if you buy it seth,” said the tanner. He had no intention of doing any such thing but he liked to play pranks. “Give me a week or so to wind up some things, will you?” The seth agreed and went away.

City – A Visual Matching Puzzle

Thu, 16 Oct 2014 16:34:24 +0000

Here Comes Pujo!

Thu, 12 Dec 2002 14:30:28 +0000

Durga Puja is the most important festival for the people of West Bengal, the Eastern Indian state that has been home to three Nobel Laureates – Rabindranath Tagore, Amartya Sen, and Mother Teresa – as well as Oscar awardee Satyajit Ray.

Durga Puja, or Pujo as it is usually referred to, ushers in a sense of well-being, with Diwali following close on its heels. The timing is just right: the sweltering heat, and the post-monsoon humidity gives way to Sharat or autumn.

Of Rat Snakes and Boys who are Different

Sun, 20 Jun 1999 17:47:57 +0000

Kali and the Rat Snake
Written by Zai Whitaker
Illustrations by Srividya Natarajan
Published by Tulika, Chennai

An excerpt from the book:

Kali’s father was one of the most famous snake-catchers among the Irula tribe. He had caught over a hundred cobras just this monsoon and bought many good things for the family. The snake cooperative paid Rs 150 for each poisonous snake. They took out the poison from snakes to make anti-venom serum. When Kali went snake-catching with his father, his legs worked like machines. But now he slowed down…

A Crib for Jesus

Sat, 02 Jun 2001 11:28:27 +0000

The things you need:

Sticks or branches from trees
Leaves, twigs and hay
Thermacol sheet
Adhesive and scissors
Thread or Wool
Statues of baby Jesus or the Virgin Mary with child, etc.

Step 1: You need to take a 1 inch thick sheet of thermacol. Take four sticks and fix them on the corner of the thermacol sheet. Put some adhesive around each of the sticks to ensure that they are firm on the thermacol.

Excerpts from Gay-Neck: The Story of a Pigeon

Wed, 14 Feb 2001 16:54:42 +0000

Gay-Neck’s birth happened exactly as I have described. About the twentieth day after the laying of the egg, I noticed that the mother was not sitting on it any more. She pecked the father and drove him away every time he flew down from the roof of the house and volunteered to sit on the egg. Then he cooed, which meant, “Why do you send me away?”

She, the mother, just pecked him the more, meaning, “Please go. The business on hand is very serious”.

The Highs and Lows of World Cup Cricket

Sat, 27 Jan 2001 06:07:42 +0000

Here are some teasers about exciting records of Cricket World Cups. Enjoy!

The Rumour

Fri, 02 Jun 2000 09:25:21 +0000

“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.

The dabbawalas of Mumbai

Sat, 14 Apr 2001 01:00:11 +0000

Late every morning at Mumbai, in India, rows and rows of neatly stacked dabbas (boxes) with weird markings on the top are trundled across busy office buildings. At fifteen to one, a cloth capped man delivers one of these cylindrical boxes on my table in the Fort area. At once I open the case and find the lunch my mother had packed. Hot lunch delivered at the doorstep.

Is this the same food my mother packed for me? Or was it packed by someone’s wife for her husband working in the Mumbai docks? Could the dabbawala have made a mistake? I immediately call home to check. No, it’s the same four idlis and chutney. What is incredible is that all the boxes are identical and yet each one gets to the right person in time for lunch! How on earth the

Learning Creatively

Wed, 28 Jan 2004 14:00:46 +0000

Gijubhai Badheka was deeply influenced by ancient Indian methods of teaching and opposed the conventional schooling system. He speaks of his views on improving the education system in his books ‘Divaswapna’ or daydreaming, and ‘Education in Primary Schools’.

Gijubhai used story telling as a means to attract children to learning and listening in class.

Learning Creatively

Using story sessions as rewards and not punishment, a crowd of unruly children can be made to settle down and gradually learn to behave themselves.

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.

What is the origin of OK?

Fri, 01 Oct 2004 07:01:26 +0000

‘I’m OK means ‘I’m fine’. But if you say the weather’s OK in a lazy drawl, it could mean ‘so-so’. When you respond with an OK at the end of someone’s explanation, you could be saying, ‘Alright, I get what you’re saying’. And when someone explains that ‘This is the way to do it, OK?’ it means, ‘Have you understood?’

What is the origin of OK? [Illustration by Shinod AP]

One abbreviation, many meanings. And like all delightful accidents of history, the origin of this multi-faceted OK seems to lie in a humourous misspelling of the words ‘all correct’ as ‘orl korrect’, approximately 170 years ago, in the US.

Which Film Stars were Inventors Too?

Tue, 13 Mar 2001 15:26:45 +0000

Most movie fans have seen or at least heard of Hollywood legends Hedy Lamarr and Steve McQueen. But how many know that these two were inventors who have significantly changed our lives. Nobody? Not surprising.

But it’s true. Hedy Lamarr and Steve McQueen were both Hollywood stars and inventors. Hedy Lamarr thought of torpedoes guided by radio signals and Steve McQueen invented the bucket seat that has revolutionised the automobile industry.

However, Hedy’s invention was never used for the purpose invented. Instead it is now used in satellite communications today.

Your Mobile Phone Has a Bug

Fri, 27 Apr 2001 08:18:00 +0000

When people talk of a virus these days, chances are that they are talking about computer viruses that have the power to wipe out all the valuable work they may have stored in their computers. Imagine, this virus has the power to make military systems, giant banks, airports, hospitals and traffic systems come to a halt!

The softer the name of the virus, the deadlier it may get. Remember the recent Love Bug virus which created such trouble all over the world? It came as an ‘I Love You’ message and anyone who opened that love-filled e-mail, was caught in the virus trap.

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 Quiz about Human Body

Tue, 13 Jul 1999 02:11:17 +0000

Click here to test your knowledge about the different organs of the body. [A sciene quiz for children about human body]

What Kind of Creatures are Sharks?

Wed, 18 Apr 2001 19:04:44 +0000

Sharks can be found in every ocean of the world. To many people, there’s only one kind of shark: the man-eating white shark of the movie Jaws. They think sharks are ruthless predators that attack anything they come across.

Sharks are sometimes thought of as primitive creatures as they have been in existence for million of years. In fact, sharks are very intelligent. They have a fantastic sense of smell and hearing as well as good vision in low light conditions.

Know-it-alls and Find-it-outs

Thu, 28 Feb 2002 05:18:34 +0000

Once upon a time, there was an island called the ‘Land
of the Sun’. People of all shapes, sizes and appearances lived there. Everybody knew
everybody and they were like one big happy family.

But slowly, as time passed, the children grew bigger
and had more children who grew bigger and had more
children.

Things reached a stage where there were so
many people in the island that not everybody knew
everybody else.

People started doing their own things,
talking in their own languages and writing their own
scripts.

Paper Lamp Shades

Sun, 23 Sep 2001 08:00:29 +0000

Paper is one thing that can be used for a variety of purposes – crafts, packaging, storage, stationery…the uses are countless. Here is one of the things that you can make.

The things you need:

Chart paper
Scissors
Adhesive

Step 1: Take the chartpaper and cut it into a rectangular piece (12 inches x 6 inches).

Paper Lamp Shades [Illustrations by Anup Singh]

Step 2: Fold the paper lengthwise into half.

The Living Body

Fri, 26 Jan 2001 12:23:53 +0000

As children we have a lot of queries about our body. Sometimes we get the answers sometimes we don’t. Check out this quiz, it may be able to answer some of those queries.

Kappu has a Bath

Sat, 24 Nov 2001 19:31:56 +0000

Kappu maharaj sat in a tub
Splashing water left, right and above
Papa sat rubbing his legs
While Mama poured water on the head.

Together they wrapped
Their baby in a towel
One dried his hair
And the other gave him a massage.

Kappu has a Bath [Illustration by Shinod AP]

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 Tiny World of Ants

Sat, 06 Mar 1999 03:06:29 +0000

It is believed that ants evolved from wasps and have lived in the Earth for at least 100 million years. It is said that at any one time there are at least 1 quadrillion living ants on the Earth.

Ants are no doubt the most successful of all social insects of Hymenoptera, an order that also includes wasps and bees. Ants are colony makers and their colonies may contain from a few to 20 million individuals. The ant family contains more than 4,500 described species that can be found in tropical or temperate areas of the world.

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

The Holiday

Sun, 10 Mar 2002 22:29:58 +0000

Hooty owl was puzzled. No one had come to the jungle school. “Maybe the little ones are late,” thought the teacher. “I’ll wait for a little while longer.”

Hooty owl did not know that her students had decided to miss school. They had started out for school but then changed their minds.

“I am NOT going to school. I hate it,” said Squeaky squirrel.

“I’m feeling lazy and so I’m NOT going to school,” said Hoppy rabbit .

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.

The Lame Groom and his English Bride

Mon, 25 Jun 2001 18:47:09 +0000

Kamini loved her dolls. She had three of them. Two of them were Indian and she had named them Rukmani and Ranjani, so that they rhymed with her name. Her uncle had gifted her another doll that he had brought from London, who she had named Jenny. Kamini’s dolls were her babies. She brushed their teeth in the morning, washed them and dressed them up. When she had her breakfast she would have them sitting by her side. At night before going to sleep, she would put them to sleep. Her brother Vivek would indulge her by allowing the dolls to take rides in his various cars.

Assam's Boys Shine in Asian Cricket

Sat, 21 Jul 2001 10:22:08 +0000

July 22: Two young boys have done the impossible in Assam. They have pushed politicians and the continuing violence, out of the media spotlight. Both boys are stars of the Indian under-15 cricket team.

One of them, Palash Jyot Das, is the son of a bank employee. The other, Mrigen Talukdar comes from a poor family. There’s nothing remarkable about their backgrounds. Much is remarkable about their achievements, though. While Palash is Asia’s best batsman, Mrigen is Asia’s best bowler.

Peru's Barefoot Librarians

Thu, 05 Jul 2001 19:45:20 +0000

Twelve year-old Leonardo Herrera had never seen a book in his life although he knew how to read. He and his friends used to carve letters and numbers on cactus leaves after seeing their teacher do the same on small blackboards.

He belongs to poor peasant family in Bambamarca in Peru. His family grows maize and potatoes in a place which is 12,000 feet above sea-level.

But Leonardo wanted to see what a book looks like. So he asked the new priest in his parish to give him one. But there was no electricity in his village. So Leonardo borrowed candles from the church and sat up all night reading it. By dawn, he was at the door of the priest asking for another book to read.

Man Who Could Make The Taj Disappear

Sat, 16 Jun 2001 13:28:51 +0000

August 12: Franz Harary is the magician. He has a simple wish: he wants to make the Taj Mahal disappear. Nothing doing, says the Indian government.

Harary is an American magician. His specialty is making huge monuments disappear. In ten years, he has done things no other magician has dared do before. In Hawaii he moved a volcano two miles out to sea. In Japan, he made the Tokyo Bay Bridge vanish. At Cape Kennedy in the USA, he made the NASA space shuttle vanish.

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]

Surprising Success

Tue, 28 Sep 1999 06:05:01 +0000

Surprising Success [Illustration by Shinod AP]

I, John, a horse-trainer, still cannot make up my mind after a year whether one particular show was a failure or a success. I am tempted to say this, as the show from the point of view of skill, was a complete disaster but seemed like a tremendous success with our audience.

We, now a world famous circus called ‘Rocketeers’, were putting up our maiden performance. It was Friday the 13th, which is always supposed to be a day of bad omen. The Big Top was glittering with lights and the crowd was pouring in, expecting a spectacular performance. All the gimmicks were ready. The beginning of the show went off perfectly well. The clowns made the people hysterical with their funny jokes.

Rip my Puppy

Fri, 16 Mar 2001 08:37:39 +0000

Rip my puppy is so smart
He loves a bounce-y ball
I love to see him run and jump
And rush back at my call!

I miss him so when I’m at school
And Rip is far away
He jumps with joy when I return
And we rush off to play.

Rip my Puppy [Illustration by Anup Singh]

Chimp Traits

Sun, 23 Sep 2001 15:00:45 +0000

Do you think chimps are chumps? If the answer is yes, then you are in for a surprise – because chimps or chimpanzees are actually very, very intelligent. Chimpanzees are the most intelligent of the ape family. It was known that chimpanzees use tools intelligently to obtain food. They use rocks to crack open nuts or use sticks to dig the earth for choice insects and termites.

Once a chimpanzee learns a certain method he/she teaches it on to all the other chimps in the area. Scientists say that different groups of chimps follow different customs or styles related to eating, grooming and courtship. So this teaching one group’s ‘customs’ to another group is an act of ‘culturally transmitting a ritual’.

Where is the Tower of Babel?

Sun, 09 Dec 2001 13:39:59 +0000

The ‘Tower of Babel’ is a structure that is mentioned in the Bible in the Old Testament in Genesis. The Biblical account describes how the descendants of Noe who migrated from Armenia towards Babylon (in Mesopotamia) decided to build a city and a tower whose architectural excellence would make them famous. But, God caused confusion by confounding their tongues, so that they did not understand each other’s speech. Slowly they moved away from that place and they ceased to build the city.

Language Split

Sat, 26 Oct 2002 11:10:40 +0000

Language Split [Illustration by Anup Singh]

November 18: The English language is believed to have caused one of Sri Lanka’s leading political parties to split. How? Well, the party’s leader, being a member of the upper class, spoke in English during press conferences, a language his local language-speaking cadre or party members could not fathom. This double talk of the politician caused the party members to do a double take and they went ahead and split into two.

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.

When two Voices become One Voice of Peace

Mon, 19 Jul 2004 19:16:40 +0000

Have you ever asked your family members or friends about the images they think of when a mention is made of war? Chances are that many would think of the mushroom cloud made by the atomic bombs that were dropped by the United States over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, on August 6 and August 9, 1945, during the Second World War.

Bombs wiped out more than half the population of the cities, and made the survivors and future generations suffer the harmful effects of radiation, in the form of terrible diseases and illnesses.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Thu, 17 Aug 2000 19:59:21 +0000

The 35th president of United States (1961-63) was at the age of 43, the youngest and the first Roman Catholic to be elected to the presidency. Rich, handsome, elegant and articulate, he aroused great admiration at home and abroad. His assassination in Dallas, Texas in November 1963 provoked outrage and widespread mourning. His term of office as president was too short.

Kennedy was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, on May 29, 1917, a descendant of Irish Catholics who had immigrated to America in the 19th century. He had worldwide pre-eminence and gave the American people a sense of purpose to meet the challenges of a scientific age.

What does a Train Whistle tell us about the Universe?

Tue, 26 Nov 2002 15:33:03 +0000

I remember my first visit to the railway station as a child of five. The excitement of the approaching train was an experience I have never quite forgotten. At first I heard a train whistle far away, low and distant. As the train got closer, the sound of the whistle not only increased, it became shriller, and difficult to bear. So much so that I covered my ears in alarm!

Once the excitement had passed, I discovered a secret – even with my eyes closed and by just hearing the whistle, I could tell whether a train was approaching or moving away.

Cinema Cinema

Sat, 11 Mar 2000 06:17:53 +0000

Are you a film buff ? Here’s a chance to prove that you are. Even if you are not, try this quiz. We promise it will be interesting.

The Chair

Sun, 24 Sep 2000 07:17:01 +0000

Once the mountain kingdom of Nepal was ruled by a liberal and kind-hearted king. He liked discussing problems of the state with important people of his kingdom. This practice made him popular and successful.

In one such meeting, he noticed that no one except himself had a comfortable seat. Being kind-hearted, he was concerned. He decided to get suitable seats made for all participants in the meeting.

He ordered the carpenters in country to present suitable models. He announced a handsome cash award for the winner.

The Wolf-donkey

Sun, 22 Apr 2001 08:14:04 +0000

Chun Chun hated carrots. He felt his anger rise as he heard his mother speak.

“How will you grow if you don’t eat your vegetables?” scolded Mama Rabbit. “You won’t have the strength to say BOO to a goose!”

“But I eat so many things!” protested Chun Chun angrily. “Just because I hate carrots, you scold me every day!”

Mama Rabbit sighed.

“How many times have I told you — carrots will improve your eyesight?” she said.

What kind of Family Life did the Dinosaurs Have?

Thu, 09 Sep 1999 12:27:40 +0000

In Argentina this year, scientists digging on a site made a fantastic discovery, which made them realise that dinosaurs lived as a large family. The site consisted of many nests with each nest containing as many as 15 to 30 eggs. The eggs belonged to a plant-eating dinosaur called Titanosaurs. It is the biggest nesting site of dinosaurs found so far.

The word dinosaur is a Greek word meaning giant reptile. Most reptiles lay eggs in nests but they walk away after the young hatch to fend for themselves.

Air Transportation Coloring Pages

Wed, 18 Apr 2007 13:59:06 +0000

Click on any image you like to enlarge it. You can download this image and print it for coloring!

Click on any image to view an enlarged version. Print it and color it.

Instant Bunny

Sat, 05 Oct 2002 17:45:04 +0000

Instant Bunny [Illustrations by Anup Singh]

Fine towel material or flannel is is best for making bunny rabbits. However, you can use any cloth. Here we have used a handkerchief.

The things you need:

Handkerchief
Rubber band
Three black and one red bindi or buttons

Step 1: Take a handkerchief and start rolling it diagonally from one end.

Step 2: Once completely rolled, fold into half and tie a rubber band two inches from the fold.

Amazing Facts About Water

Wed, 21 Mar 2001 22:24:54 +0000

The Little things that count…

A fraction of 1 per cent of drinkable tap water is actually drunk.

It takes half a gallon of water to cook a pot of rice, and a gallon to wash the pot.

You need 100 drops of water to fill a teaspoon.

Amazing Facts

The biggest domestic water consumer is the toilet — 2.2 gallons for every flush. Around 32 per cent of our drinking water is flushed down the toilet.

Elephants and Leopards

Sat, 20 Nov 1999 15:15:32 +0000

_Shatrunjay Hegde is eight years old. He is studying in the 4th standard in Valley School at Bangalore. _

Elephants and Leopards [Illustration by Anup Singh]

We went to Bandipur National Park near Mysore for a three day jungle camp and safari. During this trip we went for many safaris. We went trekking in the jungle. We talked about elephants, tigers, leopards and many other animals. We went to the museum at Bandipur where we saw tiger jaws and elephant jaws and we also saw pictures of all the animals which are in the Bandipur National Park.

Fairy Tale Country

Mon, 27 Apr 1998 09:57:59 +0000

Anjali got up. Her grandmother was still asleep. It was quite bright outside. ‘It must be eight. Why hasn’t Naani got up?’ she thought to herself. She placed her hand on her naani’s forehead. It felt warm.

“Naani,” Anjali softly whispered in her ear. Naani opened her eyes and looked around. “Oh my! You will be late child. I am sorry I should have got up earlier,” she said attempting to get up.

“Take it easy Naani,” said Anjali, placing her hand on Naani’s arm. “There is no hurry. Last night’s khichdi is there. I’ll have that and go. You take rest. I think you have fever.”

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.

Parts of Pakistan Under Taliban Control

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 02:14:36 +0000

Where: Islamabad, Pakistan

February 20, 2009 : The Swat Valley, a picturesque region in Pakistan’s North-West Frontier Province and once a major tourist destination, is completely under Taliban control. The Taliban, the most dreaded extremist Islamic militant group in the world, is present in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. It opposes modernisation and the education of girls and women. Since January 2009, the militants have closed down 400 private schools which had 40,000 girl students. At least 10 schools which re-opened were blown up.

The Taziyas of Old Delhi

Mon, 04 Aug 2003 02:48:33 +0000

I was wandering in the crowded streets of Chandni Chowk, the heart of purani Dilli or Old Delhi. Until India gained independence in 1947 and a new Delhi came up, it was the ‘only’ Delhi. For close to 300 years, it had been the seat of Mughal power and culture, especially when it came to cuisine. And that is what drew me to that place!

I had taken the day off to savour Chandni Chowk’s famous parathas and the juicy sweet jalebi at the famous 200-year-old sweet shop, Ghantewala.

You Musn't Quit

Wed, 31 May 2000 18:37:54 +0000

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest! if you must – but never quit.

Life is queer, with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won if he’d stuck it out;
Stick to your task, thought he pace seems slow-
You may succeed with one more blow.

Easy to Draw – 7

Fri, 17 Nov 2000 21:59:34 +0000

Sudheer tried to make something with the letter H this time. And look, what he came up with!

Easy to Draw – 7 []

Trees of Delhi – Under the Axe!

Tue, 14 Nov 2006 12:52:38 +0000

Where: The Capital city of New Delhi, India

March 26, 2007: Imagine you are in a city where there are a lot of trees, large parks, open spaces, playgrounds. Slowly, the city starts filling up with more and more people. These people need houses. They need transport, to get from one place to another. They need more schools, more hospitals, more office buildings, more markets, more space. How will they get this space, and who decides which space to use?

Sound of Music

Fri, 07 Dec 2001 22:13:10 +0000

Surround sound, Bass, Dolby, Stereophonic…all these sound familiar but do you know what they all mean? Take a guess while you check the sound of music.

World's Largest Blanket

Sun, 24 Sep 2006 07:37:46 +0000

Val Stone, a Devon, UK,-based pensioner has made the world’s largest crocheted blanket and plans to sell it to raise money for a cancer fund.

Stone, a leukaemia patient, has spent 11 years making the blanket, which is larger than a tennis court.

The blanket measures about 24 metres by 8 metres when stretched out and weighs about 90 kilograms.

World’s Largest Blanket [Illustration by Shinod AP]

She hopes to raise £3,000 (Rs. 206,322) for the Exeter Leukaemia Fund by selling pieces of the blanket for between £10 (Rs. 687) and £25 (Rs. 1,719).

Ramadan: The Month of 30 Fasts

Tue, 18 Mar 2003 04:32:49 +0000

Ramadan (or Ramzan) is a very special month for Muslims, people of the Islamic faith. Muslims are people who follow the Islamic religion propagated by the Prophet Mohammed in the seventh century. Muslims believe that it was in this month that Allah revealed the holy book of the Muslims, the Koran (or Quran) to the prophet Mohammed.

The Quran says that the fast of Ramdan is important as it tests devotion and faith. So believers fast from sunrise to sunset every day during the entire month of Ramdan. The roza (fast) is one of the strictest on earth and that means, no breakfast, no mid morning snack, no lunch and no water!

The Hot and Sizzling Volcano

Sun, 31 Jan 1999 04:43:51 +0000

Despite being the subject of considerable scientific study, Volcanoes continue to remain both dramatic and unpredictable. In 1991 Mount Pinatubo, 100 km north of the Philippines capital Manila, suddenly burst into life after lying dormant for more than six centuries. Most of the world’s active volcanoes occur in a belt around the Pacific Ocean, on the edge of the Pacific plate called the Ring of Fire. Indonesia has the greatest concentration with 90 volcanoes, 12 of which are active. The most famous, Krakatoa erupted in 1883 with such force that the resulting tidal wave killed 36,000 people and tremors were felt as far away as Australia.

Peppermint to Chase Mosquitoes Away

Thu, 08 Mar 2001 06:06:22 +0000

Padma Vasudevan, a scientist from India’s capital, Delhi, has made an important discovery. Her team of researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology, has found that peppermint oil chases away mosquitoes. It can also kill the mosquito larvae (Larvae are the wingless forms that hatch out of insect eggs). The best news of all is that it is very effective against the Anopheles mosquito, which spreads malaria.

Peppermint to Chase Mosquitoes Away

The scientists did an interesting experiment. They first took out oil from the peppermint plant called Mentha piperita. Then they poured some of that oil on top of water that contained mosquito larvae. The next day they found that the larvae had been killed.

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.

Mikhail Gorbachev

Wed, 31 Mar 1999 04:52:08 +0000

He was born in Privol’noye, Russia. In 1985 Gorbachev became general secretary of the Communist Party, and in 1988 he became president of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).

Between 1985 and 1990, Gorbachev sought to reform Soviet society by introducing perestroika (restructuring) of the economy and glasnost’ (openness) in political and cultural affairs. He transferred power from the Communist Party to popularly elected legislatures in the union republics. Gorbachev also withdrew Soviet troops from Afghanistan, normalized relations with China, signed a series of arms control agreements with the United States, and cooperated with the U.S.-led effort to oust Iraq from Kuwait. Gorbachev allowed former Soviet-bloc countries in Eastern Europe to oust their Communist regimes. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990.

The Beggar who is a Money Lender

Fri, 26 Oct 2001 13:55:29 +0000

August 5: A beggar is someone who is so poor that she has to beg people for money. For, she generally has little that belongs to her. No money to buy food, no proper shelter to live in, not even perhaps, two sets of clothes to wear.

Or, at least that’s what we’re told to believe.

But Bhanwari Sethani forces us to take a new look at the tired, old pictures of the beggar that we have in our mind. Bhanwari Sethani is a beggar all right. But at the same time, she is also a money lender. And she has made all her riches in the begging profession. So much so that the popular Hindi word for rich woman, ‘Sethani’ has been added to her name.

The White Flowers

Wed, 31 Jan 2001 09:13:22 +0000

I love the snow-white jasmines
I love the tube rose too

The champaks are so lovely
I’ll share them all with you!

They do not boast of colours
They are not bright to see

But they fill the place with fragrance
And bloom for you and me!

The White Flowers [Illustration by Sudheer Nath]

The Spider on the Wall

Sun, 18 Feb 2001 21:26:20 +0000

Spider, spider on the wall

Some are big and some are small

In their web they quietly lie

And pounce upon the moving fly!

The Spider on the Wall [Illustration by Anup Singh]

Boomba – The Lion Kid

Sun, 14 Jan 2001 00:36:53 +0000

Boomba was the lion king’s son. He had a bright yellow coat and his mother often told him lovingly, “Boomba, you look like a ball of wool!” His parents were very proud of him and knew that one day he would grow up to be the handsomest lion around.But Boomba was not happy with his looks. At times he secretly desired a beautiful tail like the peacock’s or wings like the butterfly’s. All his friends were tired of him, because in the middle of a game he would always stop and ask, “How do I look?”.

World Leaders Propose Solutions to Global Hunger

Thu, 30 Sep 2010 07:56:24 +0000

Where: L’Aquila, Italy

July 10, 2009 : The leaders of the Group of Eight (G-8) countries met at a summit in L’Aquila, Italy. The G-8 is a group of industrialized countries that includes Canada, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Japan and the United States. After three days of talks, the leaders of these countries launched a new plan to tackle global hunger. The plan was approved by over 30 countries and organizations. Food security, or ensuring adequate access to food, has become a very important issue for governments everywhere after high food prices last year led to riots in some countries. What’s more, there are now one billion people across the world who live with hunger.

The Quake that rocked Gujarat

Sat, 07 Aug 1999 20:45:53 +0000

Where: Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India

February 5, 2001 : It was 8.45 am on January 26, 2001. A day when the country was celebrating Republic Day. Like their counterparts across India, the people of Ahmedabad, in the western state of Gujarat, were settling down to watch the Republic Day Parade on television. Basant Rawat was one of them.

Suddenly the earth began to shake under his feet. Basant ran out of his house. And, the sight that greeted him seemed to be straight out of an action film – Tagore apartments, a five-storeyed building, 400 yards from his house, collapsed like a pack of cards, says a report in ‘The Telegraph’. He was right in the midst of an earthquake.

Seeing the City

Sun, 25 May 2003 19:27:11 +0000

I have a friend with whom I argue a lot. No, that seems as if I am the one who does the arguing all the time. Half the time it is he who says something ridiculous, and then we start arguing!

There is one topic that we keep coming back to argue upon. I have stayed in one city all my life — in Delhi, the capital of India. He from childhood has lived in many places — cities as well as small towns across India.

The Vultures are Dying

Sat, 07 Oct 2000 11:43:22 +0000

What’s all this hullabaloo about ‘making connections’? You must wonder why Gobar Times harps on ‘making connections’. Another favourite mantra is – ‘be informed’. Such boring stuff, isn’t it? No tree-plantings, painting competitions, ‘queez’. No ‘Save the cuddly leopards’. Instead, we’re asking you to spare a thought for the bald, wrinkled, smelly vulture.

The vultures of Keoladeo National Park in Bharatpur, till recently, numbered 2000. Now there are just four. Did I hear someone mutter, “Good riddance”? Good riddance it may seem, but chances of people following the vultures are pretty high. What can happen to vultures can happen to us.

Was Christmas Celebrated Thousands of Years before Christ's Birth?

Mon, 06 Jan 2003 23:28:30 +0000

Did you know that the celebrations at Christmas might have nothing to do with the birth of Christ? In fact they may well lie in a feast called Sacaea that was celebrated thousands of years before Christ’s birth. Over 4000 years ago, in the region that is now Iraq, a five-day festival with the exchanges of gifts, the staging of plays, accompanied by merry making and processions, marked the end of winter and ushered in the New Year.

The Plant at the Crossing

Thu, 22 Nov 2001 06:14:05 +0000

At a crowded crossing
I saw a brave new
recruit
to stem the environmental
rot

A tiny young
plant
transplanted in a
metal cage
took the exhaust of buses, trucks, cars
and scooters
full blast

The rate of wilting will
indicate pollution
levels
said a municipal official
with a satisfied smile

The Plant at the Crossing [Illustration by Shinod AP]

Testing death on a
plant
is so much better
In fact a “no-cost” option
to save this
Earth

Why do Dogs and Cats Eat Grass?

Sun, 22 Jul 2001 04:21:02 +0000

Cats and dogs sometimes eat grass or leaves. Have you ever wondered why these non-vegetarians should be interested in vegetarian food?

A dog eating grass

It has been found that dogs and cats use certain kinds of grass and leaves as medicine. So, if you find your pet cat is nibbling grass, it might be ill.

But, not always. It is possible that the cat has discovered some deficiency in its body. By eating grass, it is supplementing its regular diet with vitamins or minerals in the grass. Actually if you pay attention, you will notice that the cat does not eat grass the same way as it normally eats food. It keeps sniffing at different leaves and blades of grass as if it were hunting for something. And the animal begins eating only after it has found the right one. This means that it instinctively knows which is the right medicine.

The Prasad

Fri, 29 Jun 2001 07:23:24 +0000

In a small village in South India lived a poor farmer. He had two children, Uma, an eight-year-old girl, and Gopal, a baby boy.

When his wife died, his daughter Uma took over the responsibility of looking after her brother. A few years later the farmer also died, and the two children became orphans.

Uma was very mature for her age. She knew that she would have to be both father and mother to Gopal. She also had to make ends meet. She had to plough the field, manure and water the land, sow seeds and ultimately harvest the crop. The neighbours, who admired her courage, helped her, and she had a good harvest and was able to support her brother and herself.

Scales for Safety

Thu, 14 Jun 2001 08:54:35 +0000

When you go swimming in the river, you are told to be careful about the rocks, as you may bruise yourself if you hit against them.

But, fish swim in the water all the time. Through cracks and crevices in rocks inside the water, and between the branches of thorny water plants. They do not get bruised so easily.

And its not because their parents had given them sound advice. They don’t have to. They know the little fish are safe.

SuperZero

Thu, 22 Feb 2001 13:15:24 +0000

You’ve heard of superheroes, of course. Batman, Superman, He-man.

Then there are supergirls – Catgirl, Batgirl, who knows, even Ratgirl.

There are superanimals like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. All these heroes can perform amazing tricks. They’re really good at everything and good looking besides. Although, I personally don’t think that men with little pointed ears on top of their heads are very good looking. But then, you always see the girls going batty over Batman.

Wonder in the Sand

Mon, 08 Jun 1998 23:40:09 +0000

Adventures in the Desert
Written by Cheryl Rao
Illustrations by Ashish Sengupta
Published by National Book Trust, New Delhi

Two children from Mumbai spend a year in a small army township in the middle of the Rajasthan desert. Missing the urban sights and sounds, it takes them a while to get used to living in a place where the only excitement is a roll in the dunes. But adventure is just a sandstorm away and all too soon their stay is over.

Whose River?

Mon, 11 Dec 2000 11:09:28 +0000

Whose River?

This is a true story. Villages around the famous tiger reserve of Sariska in Rajasthan, had always faced droughts and water shortages. So the villagers, along with an NGO, decided to build small check dams called johads to trap rainwater. The men and women of all the villages gave voluntary labour and even contributed their own money to build the johads. The water table slowly began to rise. Forests began growing again.

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.

Excerpts from Ek-kori’s Dream

Tue, 18 Dec 2001 09:43:36 +0000

Ek-kori’s Dream
By Mahasveta Devi; Translated by Lila Majumdar; Illustrations by Judhajit Sengupta, Published by National Book Trust, India

There was no other way but to take cover as early as possible. The village school would open as soon as it was light and Aunt would certainly send him to school today.
The mango tree was outside the house, a huge fajli mango tree. Ekkori’s grandmother used to plant good mango saplings year after year, but Grandfather uprooted them all. Aunt grieved over it to this day. “Oh dear, dear!” she would say sadly, “no one shouts in the house now-a-days! Mother and Father quarrelled all day long and the whole house echoed with it!”

Tail Language

Sun, 14 Oct 2001 20:50:40 +0000

When you pat your pet dog, he wags his tail. That is his way of saying that he loves you. And, if you pay attention, you will see that he uses his tail to say so many things. Every movement of the tail means a different thing.

If the dog is wagging its tail, it is a sign of friendliness, if his tail is straight, it means he is getting ready for a fight and if his tail is tucked behind his legs, it means he is giving up the fight.

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.

No Monkey Business

Thu, 12 Apr 2001 02:09:03 +0000

Bandar, Bandariya and Baby Bandar were ready for their show. Come Sunday morning and their tamasha would begin in a congested and busy Bombay suburb witnessed by an excited group of children.

Raju, the Bandarwala, would announce his arrival with the familiar drumbeat and sound of ghungroos. Sometimes he even brought along a sleepy black bear.

Each week it was the same routine. Dressed in dotted pyjamas with a shiny red sleeveless jacket and a Wee Willy Winkey cap edged with tiny bells, Bandar cartwheeled and somersaulted backwards and forwards.

Earth Quiz: Animals & Birds

Tue, 29 Dec 1998 08:40:54 +0000

Cars can be fun and they can be good to learn.

The Weepy Wempati!....

Thu, 01 Nov 2001 15:10:51 +0000

Once upon a time there lived a little Wempati. She was a very sweet little thing who loved her mummy, papa, sister, baby brother, pet dog and favourite doll very much. She was a very happy Wempati.

When Wempati was four years old, Papa Wempati and Mama Wempati had a serious talk.
“It’s time that little Wempati went to school” they said. That sounded like fun to little Wempati.

The Weepy Wempati!…. [Illustrations by Priya Nagarajan]

Her sister went to school and always went with yummy things packed in her lunch box and came back with delicious paint stains on her hands and clothes.

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 Mango Charm

Fri, 28 Aug 1998 16:32:41 +0000

A wandering youth once met Bholu, an illiterate villager, who knew how to perform a miracle. Everyday Bholu would go into the forest, stand under a mango tree and utter a charm. The tree would immediately become heavy with fruit. The next moment the mangoes would ripen and then they would fall to the ground. Bholu would collect them, eat some and distribute the rest among his neighbours who were poor.

Keshav the youth fell at Bholu’s feet, even though the latter belonged to a lower caste, and begged him to teach him the charm. The man reluctantly agreed but warned him, “You must never use the charm to satisfy your greed. Moreover, the charm will only work as long as you do not tell a lie.”

Samantha's Gymnastic Classes

Mon, 14 Jun 1999 18:34:03 +0000

Samantha’s Gymnastic Classes []

One cold day, in the month of December, Samantha was in school. It was the English period and Samantha could hardly wait for the period to get over.

As soon as the bell rung, Samantha ran out of the class and went off to her locker. She put on her snowsuit, her boots and her woollen cap and went off to catch the bus. Once she got on the bus, she saw she was the first one. So she sat on the first seat and waited for the others.

Smelling Food with the Tongue

Sat, 31 Mar 2001 11:07:54 +0000

Snakes are smart. They move fast and without sound. And they know how to protect themselves against enemies by looking as if they are part of forest growth. And they do it so well that someone may just step over them thinking they are logs or the stem of a plant. That’s when they bite.

It is surprising then, to know that these reptiles do not have a powerful vision. They can see you move if you are close by, but not if you are standing at a distance. Their hearing, too, is not very sharp. They hear sounds from the vibrations that come from the ground.

Ride the Camel

Tue, 04 Jun 2002 16:47:43 +0000

The world looks very strange from a camel’s back. On a recent trip to Rajasthan, we travelled on camel back from the city of Jaisalmer to the Sam dhani or sand dunes of the adjoining Thar Desert. We were travelling to Thar, just 42 km away, to watch its dazzling sunsets.

Deoram and Raju

When we set out from Jaisalmer, the desert city famous for its golden fortress, the early evening sun dazzles our eyes. Bright, beige wasteland stretches all around us for miles. Tiny babul shrubs grow by the roadside. There are no villages or huts in sight.

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 Dark Kingdom of Uranus

Wed, 31 Mar 1999 06:44:15 +0000

Named after the father of the Titans in Greek mythology, Uranus is the seventh planet in the solar system. It was first observed through a telescope by Sir William Herschel on March 13, 1781. Although Herschel wished to call the newly discovered planet Georgium Sidus (Georgian Star) for King George III of England, Johann Bode’s proposal of the name Uranus gained more acceptance over the years and finally became universal in the mid-19th century.

The Uranian realm is a dark kingdom, so remote from the sun that daylight there approximates a total solar eclipse on Earth. Such distance from the sun also makes Uranus unimaginably cold. Sample this: The temperature in Uranus would be minus 250 C (-346F) i.e. if a space traveler were to stick his hand out in that environment he would find it instantly freeze-dried.

The Kiwi is Australian!

Tue, 26 Aug 2003 11:57:12 +0000

The Kiwi is Australian! [Illustration by Shinod AP]

March 14: The kiwi bird is one of the most common symbols of New Zealand. It is also the country’s national bird. And that’s not all. It features as an insignia on New Zealand’s coat of arms as well.

New Zealanders consider the kiwi their most enduring national symbol and until now, they believed that the bird did not even exist outside New Zealand. But recently, a group of scientists, led by researcher Alan Cooper, has made a startling statement – the kiwi might have Australian origins.

English and Indlish

Fri, 15 Sep 2000 10:59:46 +0000

July 15: Students are often rebuked for using what is known as ‘Indian English’ words. Perhaps these teachers need to know that many Indian words have actually become a part of an Oxford Dictionary.

The Asian Age newspaper reported that the Oxford Advance Learner’s Dictionary of Correct English has a section on Indian English. The section has 2,500 words The fifth edition of the dictionary was released recently.

Words like bandicoot, bungalow, jungle, chit, cushy, juggernaut are commonly known. But, there are others that most of us wouldn’t know had an Indian origin.

The Cool and Cunning Lark

Thu, 06 Dec 2001 17:17:34 +0000

The very mention of summer and heat makes us think of desert land. Countless films have shown thirsty travellers lost in the desert, uttering the words, ‘Water! Wa-a-ter, waaa…" But then what do you do if the temperature even in the desert shade is as high as 50 degree centigrade, hot winds almost cut you up into pieces, and there is no water, or even saliva in your mouth?

If you are smart like the desert animals, you would probably sleep during the day and move about at night. And, like these animals, you would make a hole in the ground and wait till the sun goes down.

Shri Guru Nanak Dev

Tue, 07 Mar 2000 04:43:38 +0000

Shri Guru Nanak Dev was born at a time when the world was plunged into the darkness of ignorance, feudal tyranny, religious & cultural strife.

Born in 1469 at Rai Bhoeki Talwandi (now known as Nankana Sahib) situated in the Punjab province of West Pakistan, he went on to lay down the foundation of Sikhism. He preached brotherhood and humanitarianism irrespective of caste, creed, colour and economic status.

According to him, love of God implied love for his creations and thus service for humanity indicates one’s love for God.

Animal Sense

Sat, 22 Feb 2003 16:47:42 +0000

February 14: So you live in a quake-prone region and want to be prepared the next time an earthquake strikes. Unfortunately, science has still not come up with a way to predict earthquakes. But there’s hope yet. Just visit your local zoo and observe the behaviour of the animals there.

Astonishing but true. Animals remain even today, the best bet of alerting humans to an impending natural disaster.

Animal Sense [Illustration by Shinod AP]

Curious to know why? Animals, birds and snakes possess a sixth sense, claim animal behaviour experts. The indefinable ability to sense the presence of a natural disaster lurking in the background. Innumerable disaster films have used the theme of the family pet sensing the approach of something terrible, like a typhoon or volcano, and trying to alert the humans to it.

Kappu goes to the Zoo

Sat, 22 Sep 2001 14:49:38 +0000

Kappu maharaj, where are you going?
Zoo!
What will you see there?
Bear!
But how will you go?
Car!
And, may I ask with who?
You!

Kappu goes to the Zoo [Illustration by Shinod AP]

Which Galaxy is Visible to the Eye?

Sun, 16 Nov 2003 01:16:32 +0000

The sun we see everyday is just one of the thousands of stars we see at night. Such a huge collection of stars is called a galaxy. And the stars we see belong to a galaxy called the Milky Way. There are millions of galaxies in the sky, most of whom are hidden from our view.

However, there are some galaxies which can be seen with the naked eye. The most famous and the brightest of these is the M31 or the Andromeda galaxy.

Asia's First Floating Museum

Sat, 26 Jan 2002 22:47:05 +0000

October 16: Wouldn’t it be exciting to visit a war museum of vintage aircraft on a huge ship floating in the ocean ? And when the ship in question happens to be INS Vikrant, the experience promises to be truly memorable.

INS Vikrant is India’s first aircraft carrier and came into service in 1961. Once the hallmark of the Indian Navy, it has been decommissioned for some time now. This means that it is no longer in use. Formerly known as HMS Hercules, the ship could carry 22 aircraft and a crew of more than 1,000 soldiers, in its heyday.

The Arrow and the Song

Wed, 11 Jul 2001 04:50:09 +0000

I shot an arrow into the air,
It fell to the earth, I knew not where;
For, so swiftly it flew, the sight
Could not follow it in its flight.

I breathed a song into the air,
It fell to earth, I knew not where;
For who has sight so keen and strong,
That it can follow the flight of song?

The Arrow and the Song [Illustration by Sudheer Nath]

Long, long afterward, in an oak
I found the arrow, still unbroken;
And the song, from beginning to end,
I found again in the heart of a friend.

Holi is For Children

Mon, 21 Oct 2002 23:58:45 +0000

Kamla Mathur was born and brought up in Etah, a small town in Uttar Pradesh. Now, at 65, she lives in Delhi and reminisces fondly of the Holi she and her siblings celebrated at ‘home’, in the area called Brajbhoomi, the land where the Braj dialect of Hindi is spoken. Brajbhoomi refers to the places connected to the legends of the birth and childhood of Krishna and his dalliance with Radha.

As Holi continues to be a significant festival for the Brajvasis, many of the old ways of celebration survive. However, with time, the community feeling has lessened somewhat. Kamla Mathur takes us back to her childhood when Holi meant sheer fun.

Burst the Balloon

Wed, 03 Oct 2001 06:36:36 +0000

Burst the Balloon [Illustrations by Shinod AP]

Your audience will see you blowing a blue balloon, but as soon as you prick it, the balloon will change its colour.

The things you need:

Balloons of two colours (blue and pink)
A grain of rice or wheat
A needle

Step 1: Put the pink balloon inside the blue one and blow into both of them together.

Our Lips and Ears

Tue, 16 Jan 2001 09:27:05 +0000

If you your lips would keep from slips,
Five things observe with care:
Of whom you speak, to whom you speak,
And how and when and where.

If you your ears would save from jeers,
These things keep meekly hid:
Myself and I, and mine and my,
And how I do and did.

Our Lips and Ears []

The Bt Brinjal Battle

Wed, 06 Oct 2010 08:52:52 +0000

Where: New Delhi, India

February 20, 2010 : India’s environment minister Jairam Ramesh had announced that Bt Brinjal, a genetically modified (GM) plant, would be introduced for cultivation across the country. A storm of public protests followed. As a result, the introduction has been put on hold for the time being. On February 9, 2010, the government of India announced that it needs more time to take a final decision.

Bt Brinjal is brinjal modified by the addition of a gene from ‘Bacillus thuringiensis’ (a bacterium). This gene makes the plant resistant to pests. Bt Brinjal was developed by an American company. If it is introduced it will be India’s first GM food crop. Bt Cotton has already been introduced in India.

Eco-friendly Holi Colours

Mon, 03 Dec 2001 12:44:56 +0000

Eco-friendly Holi Colours [Illustrations by Shinod AP]

There was a time when the colours that were used by people to play Holi were taken from nature – from flowers. Why not revive those memories this time. Use natural colours to paint the town red!

The things you need:

Tesu flowers: Half a kilogram
Strainer

Step 1: Dried tesu flowers are readily available in the market. You can look for them in grocery stores or shops that sell Holi colours – or in the old city areas.

Road of Jute

Sat, 17 Feb 2001 07:26:45 +0000

You must have seen jute rugs, jute dolls, even jute clothes. But, have you seen, or even heard of jute roads?

A research centre in Calcutta, the National Institute of Research on Jute and Allied Fibre Technology (NIRJAFT), is planning to make a road with jute. It will be 24 kilometres long.

Road of Jute [Illustration by Nitin Vishwakarma]

The scientists at the centre say the road will be stronger than normal roads. They can talk with such confidence because they have tried it out earlier. And, the road they made was indeed stronger. It did not develop holes after the monsoons got over.

A Smile

Thu, 06 Apr 2000 19:35:09 +0000

Let others cheer the winning man,
There’s one I hold worthwhile;
‘Tis he who does the best he can,
Then loses with a smile.

Beaten he is, but not to stay
Down with the rank and file;
That man will win some other day,
Who loses with a smile

A Smile [Illustration by Sudheer Nath]

It's a Beetle's World

Fri, 11 Jun 1999 03:09:41 +0000

Have you ever had winged visitors to your room on a rainy day, that are black, shiny and button-like, and which fall to the ground with a distinct tapping sound? You might also be familiar with those cute-looking insects with bright orange bodies dotted with black, called Ladybirds, hovering over flowers and tender leaves. There also might have been times when an unlucky one splats on your windshield or gets crunched underfoot. Well, these are all different kinds of BEETLES — creatures that can be called evolution’s biggest success story.

Pollution – an old ancestral legacy

Tue, 10 Sep 2002 07:56:37 +0000

If you thought today’s pollution and environmental damage was just as old as the coming of industrial factories, smoke and chemical waste, you were wrong. A recent report in the journal ‘Science’ says that environmental pollution is as old as human existence itself, though industrialisation certainly hastened the process.

The report is based on a study consisting of the combined research of 19 scientists across four continents, who found that the diversity of marine life was among the first to be affected. Entire species of animals were killed. This created an imbalance in the ecological chain as certain species decreased rapidly while some other species increased their numbers.

A safety net for cheetahs, vultures, dolphins

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 13:09:03 +0000

Where: Rome, Italy

December 9, 2008 :The fastest moving mammal on earth is now moving – fast – towards extinction. The Guardian reports that cheetah is on a list of 21 names newly added to the United Nations Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals List 1 of endangered species. The Egyptian vulture is on this list too, because it is affected by the excessive use of toxic pesticides.

A safety net for cheetahs, vultures, dolphins []

A species of Asian duck, which is eaten as a delicacy in its native region, three kinds of dolphins, some marine mammals and bird varieties are also on the list. These findings were aired at an international wildlife conference by the UN, which was held in Rome.

Why is Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow?

Mon, 26 Nov 2001 12:47:32 +0000

Here’s a quiz question: what is curly or straight and needs to be combed, brushed, plaited or twisted? It is gelled, shampooed, dyed, coloured black, blonde, white, red, brown and needs to be cut once in a while. A hint – the answer is above your head – it’s your hair!

Each time you pass by a mirror, the one thing that strikes you is the hair on your head. Hair is something that grows by itself without any help. Well, actually, brushing and combing and even oiling it does help or else you tend to lose your hair.

My Puppy

Sat, 26 Feb 2000 11:42:11 +0000

Wuff! Wuff! Wuff!
My little puppy barks
You won’t believe it,
she’s afraid of the dark
She jumps about
her ears go flapping
She comes to me when she hears me clapping

My Puppy

My Squirrel Friend

Mon, 04 Dec 2000 06:03:08 +0000

Have you seen my little friend?
I call him nimble-feet
Because he moves so swift and fast
Is nimble – and discreet!

He runs away with all my nuts
And yet is never caught
His striped coat is ever bright
And clean – without a spot

My Squirrel Friend [Illustration by Sudheer Nath]

He helps himself to all my things
Which I would never lend
And yet I cannot do without
My frisky squirrel-friend!

When a Cat Preys for Lunch

Sun, 13 May 2001 09:35:32 +0000

Many people have always believed that animals hunting for prey always catch the ones that are young, old or sick. For it would be difficult for those creatures to escape a predator’s hold. Till now there was no actual proof of this fact. But latest research by French scientists in Paris, France, has proved that it is true. A report on their research came out in ‘The Economist’ magazine recently. How did they do it?

Animal Quiz - 1

Sun, 15 Dec 1996 12:14:49 +0000

You’ll be surprised and tickled to know how some animals behave! Each one has its unique feature, which distinguishes itself from the others. These ‘funny facts’ are given to you and all you have to do is guess the name of the animal. [A sciene quiz for children about animals]

High-tech Turtle

Thu, 07 Mar 2002 03:03:55 +0000

A few months ago, a turtle in Thailand was grievously injured when it was run over by a truck. The animal hardly seemed to have any chance of survival. However, with the immediate help of the Thai Animal Guardians Association, it did survive. The Association admitted the turtle to Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University for medical treatment.

High-tech Turtle [Illustration by Anup Singh]

The plucky little survivor was named Jikko and the Bangkok Post (a local newspaper) kept readers updated on the animal’s progress. According to veterinarian Nantarika Chansue, Jikko is now quite fit and a fibre-glass shell has been placed over its broken outer shell to speed up the healing process.

The Boy who Lacked Sight but Had a Vision

Mon, 06 Nov 2000 01:39:35 +0000

It was like any other day in school for six-year-old George Abraham. He went to La Martinere school in Lucknow, where he lived with his aunt. The school was open to boys till the fourth standard.

That day, as usual, the teacher found that the little boy was holding the book next to his nose. She complained and George had to undergo several eye tests. The doctors found that his retina was damaged beyond repair, and said he would lose most of his eyesight.

The Joy of Flying

Sat, 29 Sep 2001 20:16:46 +0000

Come Independence Day and the markets are flooded with kites. The sky looks like an ocean swarming with tiny tadpoles swimming across from one place to the other. Colourful tadpoles, though!

Although kite flying has been popular in India for hundreds of years, historians believe that kite flying originated in China almost 3,000 years ago. There are many stories, which talk about the origin of kites. One of them goes like this:

The Joy of Flying [Illustrations by Shiju George]

There was a king in China who asked his army men to tie him to a kite and fly him off to the enemy’s territory. The moment he reached above enemy territory, he shouted out that if anyone came out of their palace they would be killed.

Small Business

Mon, 01 Jan 2001 20:42:14 +0000

Shobhan ran to his father who was just leaving for work.

‘Papa! Papa!’ he called, ‘Jeetu Chacha is my best friend next to you.’

‘He is! That is fine. What has he done?’

‘He just phoned to say he and I are going to Delhi for one week.’

‘Well, are you telling me or asking me?’ Said Papa laughing.

‘Both. You are my best friend;’ said Shobhan looking up into his father’s laughing face.

‘Of course. You can go if its alright by your mother.’ Papa walked out of the little gate to board his bus. It wasn’t long before Jeetu Chacha drove his scooter into the garden path. Together they set off for Delhi.

Footprints on Earth

Fri, 16 Jun 2000 22:40:11 +0000

Have you ever been to a national park? If so, you must have tried to trace or locate a wild animal by trying to see its footprints on the soil. For example, people who go to Jim Corbett National Park, in Uttar Pradesh, India, spend most of their time looking for tigers. They do so by trying to look for its pug marks on the soil. If they find even one, they return happy and spin tall tales of adventure to their friends, about “How I saw a tiger”. We know because we have done it.

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.

Can You Speak Dolphin Language?

Wed, 24 Jan 2001 18:35:01 +0000

Mastering a language is not an easy task. Different countries have different languages, and each language in turn has different dialects. For instance, the Hindi usage, in Uttar Pradesh, is drastically different from the Hindi spoken by the Koli fisherfolk of Maharashtra. In fact, in smaller towns, there is a subtle shift in the spoken language, every few kilometers!

Can You Speak Dolphin Language? [Illustration by Shiju George]

Recent studies show that dolphins are no different from us. Believe it or not, these friendly mammals have languages of their own that are area-specific. It has long been known the dolphins emit clicking sounds (or whistles). Both the clicks and whistles serve a definite purpose – the clicking noises help in echo-location while the whistles are their method of communicating their emotions.

Vanishing Vulture

Tue, 15 Mar 2005 02:34:39 +0000

It’s the bird most commonly associated with death. Once a common sight in South Asia, the vulture, or nature’s scavenger, is one of the 78 species in India that is dying out. Faced with a mysterious virus and pesticide poisoning, the population of vultures today is said to be just 5 per cent of what it was (about 20 years ago) in the 1980s. A couple of years ago, the vultures of Keoladeo National Park in Bharatpur numbered 2000. Now there are just four.

Far from Potty about Harry Potter

Wed, 15 Dec 1999 04:12:01 +0000

Harry Potter Series
Written by J.K. Rowling
Published by Scholastic Books (US) and Bloomsbury Publishing (UK)

Two weeks ago, we had carried a book review by 11-year-old Sujit Thomas on J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series. In his view, the Harry Potter series is far superior to Enid Blyton, or even Roald Dahl.

But there are opinions and opinions on Harry Potter. We present the views of 10-year-old Moen Sen, a student of Loreto Convent, Delhi, in an attempt to see why some books become more popular and what makes them tick.

A Boisterous Bedtime Read

Mon, 02 Jul 2001 13:17:05 +0000

Mister Jeejeebhoy and the Birds
Author: Anitha Balachandran
Illustrator: Anitha Balachandran
Publisher: Young Zubaan Books

Author and illustrator Anitha Balachandran’s Mister Jeejeebhoy and the Birds, just published by Young Zubaan is a delight to the ears! Hey! But it’s a book! Exactly. A book that, as soon as I opened it’s luscious orange cover, immediately let loose a cacaphony of “bustling, hustling, crinkling, crackling, creaking” sounds, and much more.

This delightful book follows two young girls, Diya and Tara, who come to live in their aunt Ninamasi’s house, and discover a world that is obviously on it’s own trip. For this reason perhaps, the neighbourhood kids don’t play with them. Outside, there’s the scrumptious world of Mister Jeejeebhoy’s sweet shop, where catastrophe is waiting round the corner. Can Diya and Tara save Mister JeeJeebhoy’s sweet shop? Do they finally make friends? Jump into this auditory delight, perfect for a bedtime read full of exaggerated sounds, and find out for yourself.

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.

Bill Clinton

Tue, 14 Mar 2000 20:41:20 +0000

Born on August 19, 1946 in Hope, Arkansas, to Virginia Blythe and named for his father, who had recently died in an auto accident, William Jefferson Blythe was reared from the age of seven in Hot Springs, Ark.. He took his stepfather’s last name Clinton, after the birth of a stepbrother. After high school he went to Georgetown University, University of Oxford as a Rhodes scholar and Yale University Law School where he met his future wife Hillary Rodham.

BC and AD Era

Thu, 13 Dec 2001 10:27:18 +0000

A new invention is always appreciated for its utility and the effort that goes in its making. See if you can identify some of these early inventions and discoveries.

The Whopping Hippo

Fri, 11 May 2001 14:19:56 +0000

The hippo loves the waterside
Where it can bathe and swim and glide
And all the little fishes there
Swim away and cry – ‘beware’!

The hippo loves to laze all day
And snooze the winter noon away
He’s never cold, for don’t you see
He needs no quilt like you and me?

The Whopping Hippo [Illustration by Anup Singh]

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?

The Frog Prince

Thu, 25 Apr 2002 14:29:12 +0000

This frog may not be a prince, but he is certainly charming! So be ready to be wooed by this jumpimg jack’s charm.

The Frog Prince [Illustrations by Shinod AP]

The things you need:

Paper plate
Green and black paint
Brush
Scissors
Red felt paper
Green and white chart paper
Glue

Step 1: Paint the paper plate green. When it’s thoroughly dry, fold the plate in half.

Stage-O-Mania

Fri, 08 Nov 2002 18:57:56 +0000

Shakespeare once said, “The world is a stage and we are all actors”. Let us see how much you know about theatre.

The Little Gold Man

Sun, 25 Aug 2002 08:07:46 +0000

And the winner is…Popularly known as the Oscar, it never ceases to make the heart skip a beat. After all it’s every person’s dream in the film industry.

Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini

Fri, 06 Aug 1999 21:12:22 +0000

The Ayatollah (Arabic, “Reflection of Allah”) Ruhollah Khomeini became leader of Iran in 1979 by forcing the overthrow of the shah and Prime Minister Shahpur Bakhtiar. Born in Khomein, Iran on May 27, 1900, the son of an ayatollah of the Shiite sect, he studied theology and by 1962 was one of the six grand ayatollahs of Iran’s Shiite Muslims. Exiled in 1964 for his part in religious demonstrations against the shah, he was expelled from Iraq in 1978 and moved to France, where he emerged as the leader of the anti-shah movement. In January 1979, after the shah left Iran, he returned to lead the country, becoming faqih (supreme religious guide) for life of Iran’s Islamic republic in December.

Who Sold the Eiffel Tower Twice?

Wed, 21 Feb 2001 19:53:39 +0000

There have been conmen and cheats, cardsharps, and crooks but when it comes to deception and trickery few could match the style of international conman Victor Lustig.

Victor Lustig was the king of conmen with forty-five known aliases and nearly fifty arrests in the United States alone. He was born in 1890 in Czechoslovakia. Though brilliant as a child, he turned to a life of crime, excelling in gambling, card games and scams.

Lustig became a riverside gambler plying the various cruise boats that invariably consisted of the rich and famous. Here he met other experts and under their tutelage fine-tuned his skills.

An Earth Day Fable

Sun, 02 Apr 2000 02:10:00 +0000

Indians are masters of junk. And out of junk they produce masterpieces. One such junk master is the sculptor Nek Chand who fashioned his sculptures from waste. The story goes that Nek chand was once invited to America to fashion sculptures, works of art out of waste. Nek Chand came back disillusioned and glum complaining that their junk was not so good, that its feel and smell was so alien.

If Nek Chand turned masterpieces out of junk (see picture below), the slum is a craft built around junk. Every citizen of a slum is a master of recycling. As an Indian scientist once put it “waste is the only resource of a wasted people”. For a slum, one man’s waste is another man’s lifestyle. We were masters of recycling long before it became fashionable.

Why do Some People Stutter?

Wed, 29 Mar 2000 02:19:20 +0000

Rahul is a lonely child. He is laughed at because whenever he speaks, he stutters. He goes “my name is Ra-Ra-Rahul.” His mother and grandmother thought it was because he had a short tongue. Other people said it was because, as a baby, Rahul’s hair was cut before he spoke his first word. Finally, Rahul’s mother took him to the doctor. She was told that it had nothing to do with these myths. Rather, Rahul had a speech disorder called dysphemia.

If I Can Stop One Heart from Breaking

Wed, 08 Mar 2000 08:35:18 +0000

If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;

If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one robin
Unto his nest again,

I shall not live in vain.

If I Can Stop One Heart from Breaking [Illustration by Anup Singh]

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.

The Silken Web

Sat, 04 Oct 2003 14:06:33 +0000

While working on a machine in a sericulture unit in Karnataka, a little girl was severely injured in the head. Sericulture is the art of raising silkworms to obtain raw silk. The incident ocurred in the Ramanagaram-Channapatna taluk (a group of villages make a taluk) of Karnataka, where there are many such units.

The little girl is one of hundreds of thousands of children employed in the sericulture industry in the state. Owners of sericulture units prefer children over adults for the work.

Girl Power in Gaul!

Fri, 09 May 2003 21:16:57 +0000

Girl Power in Gaul! [Illustration by Shinod AP]

March 27: Over 40 years ago, Belgian artist Alberto Uderzo and French scriptwriter Rene Goscinny, created a new comic series. It was all about the ‘mis’adventures of a diminutive warrior Asterix, his giant of a friend Obelisk, and their dog, Dogmatix as they battle the invading armies of the Romans in Gaul, as ancient France was known.

The Little Magician

Wed, 26 Sep 2001 09:50:29 +0000

The Little Magician []

Five-and-a-half-year-old Bhagyanath can tell a story real well, especially the one about how a teacher caught him sharing a Coke with his friends in the school canteen. “I hid the bottle inside a book and when the teacher asked me to show what I was hiding, I opened the book. There was nothing there,” says the bright-eyed boy."

Indeed, there wasn’t! The little boy on stage had just managed to make a Coke bottle disappear in thin air. Master Bhagyanath is among the youngest magicians in the world.

Cone Caps

Sun, 18 Aug 2002 23:12:35 +0000

Whether it’s your birthday party or your grandfather’s, it’s an ideal occasion to make the conical caps at home. Making them can be more exciting than buying them.

The things you need:

Chart paper (12 inches x 18 inches)
Glue
Scissors
Glitter glue
Cotton ball
Ribbon
Pencil

Cone Caps [Illustrations by Shinod AP]

Step 1: Use the 12 inch side of the chart paper as the height and the 18 inch side as the base. Draw a wide triangle to get the cone shape.

The First Woman to Fly High in the Air Force

Wed, 03 Oct 2001 23:57:57 +0000

Across the world there are tales of women who take up adventurous careers as a challenge. They fly planes, climb mountains or travel to space on a rocket launcher. Some among them have another remarkable quality. They know how to include their striking achievements into their normal day-to-day life. Fifty-five year-old Dr Padmavati Bandhopadhyay is one of them.

At home, she is like any other mother, happy to retell tales from the Mahabharata, cook elaborate meals for her family. But this mother of two boys has the distinction of being the first woman Air Commodore in the Indian Air Force.

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!

If The Tooth Be Told!...

Sun, 17 Jun 2001 14:53:11 +0000

Dada and Dadi were very funny. They were good fun too. They loved everyone and always had a good thing to say for everyone they met. They could always make people laugh.

All, that is, except each other. Somehow, they just had to look at each other, and they’d start fighting. It was really silly how the two of them were forever snapping at each other. And since they spent lot’s of time together, their moods were becoming more and more sour. Soon they didn’t have a good thing to say about anyone. They made no one laugh anymore. In fact, they often ended up making people cry.

Escape to Freedom

Fri, 29 Dec 2000 19:02:26 +0000

Horses to Vijayanagar
Written by Monisha Mukundan

Published by Scholastic India Pvt. Ltd.

Fortune favours the brave – those who have the courage to ride into the mouth of danger for the pearl of happiness that awaits the deserving ones. And that’s exactly what this fascinating adventure is all about.

Twelve-year-old Ferdinand and his little sister Manuela live with their elder brother Jose and his wife Esmeralda in a little village, in Goa. Work as hard as they might around the house, they are neither appreciated nor given enough to eat. It’s almost always a thin rice gruel that they get, while Jose and Esmeralda feast on fish curry.

Easy to Draw — 6

Tue, 14 Nov 2000 12:04:51 +0000

Sudheer is very fond of the letter S. Perhaps because his name begins with it. But when the letter S sleeps, Sudheer can see a mouse creeping out of it. You, too, can see and draw it.

Easy to Draw — 6 []

An Octopus as Jar-opener

Wed, 22 May 2002 12:46:10 +0000

Try opening a bottle of jam. See how skilfully your fingers wrap around the lid and unscrew it?

Now researchers at the Brighton University, United Kingdom, are carrying out an interesting study to see if the octopus, too, has the same skill. Makes sense considering it has so many ‘hands’ or tentacles!

The scientists have even made a gigantic glass aquarium, specially designed for the resident pet octopus, in the university laboratory. They have named it Roger, after the British actor Roger Moore who acted as James Bond in the Hollywood film

Rhinoceros: On the Comeback Trail

Thu, 25 Jul 2002 00:49:30 +0000

Next to the tusk-bearing elephants, rhinos are the other large animals heavily targeted by poachers. Rhinos are poached for their horns and these are sold in the black market at astonishing prices.

Since 1977, trade in rhino horn has been banned but poachers and smugglers still hunt and kill these gentle creatures to meet the demands of the rhino horn in markets in Central Asia and the Far East.

For some years now, rhinos have been high on the endangered list. Thankfully, things are looking a lot brighter both for the African white, and for the greater one-horned Asian rhino (more commonly known as the Indian rhino).

From Russia with Love : Rudolf Nureyev

Sun, 30 Apr 2000 21:53:12 +0000

The most photographed male dancer in the world, Rudolf Nureyev electrified the world with his ballet for close to three decades in the second half of the 20th century.

In the world of ballet, dominated by the ballerina or the female artist, Nureyev brought male dancing to the limelight, and changed the nature of 20th century ballet. From peasantdom to stardom, he twirled his way to the very top in an eventful life.

Rudolf Hametovich Nureyev was born in a train near Irkutsk in Russia, when his mother was on her way to meet his father, in 1938. His father was a soldier in the Russian Army stationed at Vladivostok, in Siberia.

The Crow’s Lunch

Tue, 16 Oct 2001 11:21:35 +0000

The crow sat on the tree
Waiting for lunch

What would it be? Rice,
roti – or earthworm?

Lunch was none of these
The family was on a fast

Disgusted, the crow
swooped down
If not curry, maybe
a bland earthworm?

But the worms weren’t there
The crow wasn’t early enough

The Crow’s Lunch [Illustration by Shinod AP]

What has the world come to,
cried the crow
No thought for others!

This Time Teachers are the Students

Tue, 24 Apr 2001 14:20:08 +0000

August 12: About 55,000 teachers in West Bengal are going back to school. They are going to be taught English so that they can teach the language to their students.

The West Bengal government has realised that most primary school teachers in the state do not know the ABC of English. Rather, they don’t remember.

The reason is not hard to find. For 20 years the government had banned the teaching of English at the primary level. So children studying up to class V were taught in Bengali. As a result primary teachers were not required to know English, which was taught as a second language from a higher class onwards.

The Lily Pool

Fri, 11 Feb 2000 08:30:27 +0000

The Lily Pool []

We have a little lily pool
With lilies pink and white
And though they look so fresh by day
They mostly bloom at night

The leaves are round and dusky green
With an edge that often curls
And when there’s water on the leaves
They look like drops of pearls

Come and see our lily pool
And sit there – like I do
See the lilies blooming bright
I know you’ll love them too!

Little Toys

Wed, 01 May 1996 11:02:48 +0000

Introduction :
It is an irony of modern consumerism that junk products are packed in tough cartons. While the frail human body consumes and digests the junk, it is the environment which has to grapple and reckon with the tough, non-biodegradable waste. And, in the process, humans become sick and the environment decays.

Today we can see city parks littered and garbage dumps overflowing with tetrapacks — empty cartoons of Frooti, TreeTop, Jumping Jack or Dhara. These packets are made with layers of different materials — plastic, aluminium and paper — all fused into one multi-walled laminate. We know that aluminium does not rust and plastics do not rot. These materials are energy-intensive and take a heavy toll of the environment, which helplessly chokes under the debris.

Why Father's Day

Sat, 22 May 2004 05:02:43 +0000

Father’s Day, contrary to what many people believe, was not established in order to help greeting card manufacturers sell more cards. It began in the US about a 100 years ago when cards were not as common as they are now.

It was started by Sonara Louise Smart Dodd who lived in Spokane, Washington, in 1909.

Her father, William Smart, a Civil War veteran, was an outstanding dad. He had raised six children singehandedly after their mother died during childbirth. And Dodd felt that there should be a special day to honour her remarkable father as there was one to honour mothers.

Kallu Raven's Breakfast Treat

Mon, 18 Sep 2000 21:44:39 +0000

This happened years and years ago in a bright and busy forest.Two trees, the Neem and the Peepal, faced each other. A big, black raven called Kallu had his nest on the Peepal tree, while the Neem tree was the home of Nanni sparrow.

Kallu was a wily bird and he felt no fondness for Nanni sparrow. After some weeks, Nanni laid three tiny, beautiful eggs. Soon they hatched. Her nest came alive with the sweet twitter of the baby sparrows.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Wed, 06 Sep 2000 07:40:15 +0000

Roosevelt served longer than any other president and held office during two great crises: the Great Depression of the 1930s and World War II (1939-1945). Roosevelt was born in Hyde Park, New York. In 1899 he entered Harvard College, earning his bachelor’s degree in 1903. In 1904 Roosevelt moved to New York City, where he entered the Columbia University Law School. While at Columbia, Roosevelt married his distant cousin Eleanor Roosevelt. Although he attended classes until 1907, he did not stay on for his law degree after passing the state examinations allowing him to practice law. For the next three years he was a clerk in a prominent law firm in New York City.

Marriage in Prison

Thu, 15 Jun 2000 03:41:23 +0000

July 15: He was a prisoner in Model Jail in Lucknow and she was the warden of the jail. The fell in love. And got married.

Sounds like a filmi story? It happened in real life. And the story just goes on to show that prisoners are human beings too. And wardens are not villains who keep prisoners under lock and key.

The warden, Ranjana, met the prisoner, Santosh, three years ago in Lucknow jail.

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!

The Earth takes a Battering

Sun, 29 Sep 2002 14:09:00 +0000

During its life span, our planet has suffered the impact of close to 30 small planets, up to 10 miles in diameter and travelling 60 times the speed of sound. Each such impact releases about a thousand times as much energy as would be released if all the nuclear powers exploded all their present weapon stocks.

About 5,000 giant meteorities with diameters of more than a kilometre have hit the Earth over the past 600 million years, with an average strike rate of one per 120,000 years. Meteorites with diameters greater than 300 metres have hit the Earth once in every 10,000 years.

The Early Inventions

Wed, 04 Apr 2001 04:29:58 +0000

Everything that we use in our lives has been invented by someone. See if you know who invented some of these things.

Polluted India

Fri, 19 Nov 1999 14:45:31 +0000

Where: Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India

Hussain Sagar in Hyderabad is a lake famous for the thousands of migratory birds it attracts from other parts of India and abroad, in the winter months. But the seagulls, ducks and other migratory birds no longer find it hospitable. They only use it as a stopover and prefer to fly away elsewhere.

Too many idols spoil the lake

The lake has seen more clay idols of deities such as Ganesh and Durga being immersed in its waters than any other lake in the vicinity. The chemicals used to paint the idols are highly toxic. They contaminate the waters, the algae and the water plants in it.

Doll-making

Sat, 22 Feb 1997 03:16:59 +0000

Cotton Wool Doll

You thought cotton could be used only in bandages, or to clean wounds? Well, we found another use for it. We made a doll out of a roll of cotton.

Things you need:
One roll of cotton (ours was
Buttons.
Stick ’em stones, or sticking ‘bindi’.
Satin ribbon.
A pair of scissors.
Adhesive.

Doll-making []

Step 1:

Take the roll of cotton and unfold it.
Cut off a length of 12 inches, which is five-and-a-half inches in height.

The Sweet-Mad Hero

Mon, 29 Jan 2001 22:30:59 +0000

A North Indian folktale retold

Shyam was a worried man. He had to go to Rampur on work. It happened to
be his in-laws village. Shyam intended to stay with them. But being newly
married he hardly knew his in-laws. His wife, too, was not accompanying him. Shy Shyam was really worried!

He thought hard for a while. Then he smiled. He would force his friend, Karan, to accompany him!

“Of course I’ll come with you!” promised Karan. “But you must make two promises.” Shyam agreed.

Excerpts from 'Everything has a History'

Thu, 26 Mar 1998 02:26:14 +0000

Haldane’s books are the best for communicating science to a layperson. He wrote almost 300 brilliant articles on popular science for ordinary workers, many of which were later collated into books such as ‘Everything has a History’, ‘Science in Everyday Life’ and ‘On Being the Right Size’. Here are two chapters from ‘Everything has a History’.

How Bees Communicate:

Eight years ago, I gave an account in ‘The Daily Worker’ of the early work of Von Frisch and others on the language of bees. In July 1947, I was at the London Zoo with Professor Hadorn of Zurich. We watched bees coming into the glass-fronted hive laden with pollen of different colours in the bags on their legs. He was able, by watching them, to tell me from what direction they had come, and roughly from what distance. So will you be, after reading this article.

A Train Journey beyond Childhood

Fri, 08 Nov 2002 18:35:39 +0000

The year was 1938, and the fear of war was looming before Europe. Hitler’s Nazi Germany was becoming more and more arrogant, with its fearful philosophy of the superiority of their (Aryan) race and the inferiority of the impure Jewish race, which made them less than human.

That year holds the key to one of the most tragic and unknown events of the Second World War era. For, in 1938, 10,000 German-Jewish children bade a final farewell to their parents before being sent off to foster homes in England. The intention was to save them from the wrath of Hitler’s regime.

Earrings

Sun, 26 May 2002 00:52:30 +0000

Earrings [Illustrations by Anup Singh]

Use wires to make some colourful, ethnic earrings. You’ll be amazed at what a little imagination can do to things. But don’t let these ideas restrict you. Let your imagination carry you to greater depths of creativity.

Things you need:

Thin wires
Paint
Colourful beads
Coloured wool
Adhesive
Scissors

Step 1: Pick up wires that are not very thick, so that it can go through someone’s ear-hole. Twist the wire in different kinds of patterns and paint it. You could also use electrical wires with a plastic jacket. Simply strip a portion of the jacket so that there is no problem inserting it into the wearer’s ear-hole.

The Travellers

Wed, 24 Jan 2001 04:58:18 +0000

In a temple city in south India, lived a group of young merchants who wanted to become rich. They had often heard about traders who had amassed a great deal of wealth in the course of their travels across the world.

So, one fine day, the merchants set out on a long journey in quest of riches and engaged in trade.

Unfortunately though, they did not become as rich as they had thought they would. Worse, they had spent more money on their travels than they had earned in the course of their trade – and that was galling. All this made them very impatient.

The Troublesome Slippers

Tue, 28 Apr 1998 16:45:09 +0000

Abukashan was a wealthy merchant, notorious for his stingy nature. He had a pair of slippers that were famous in town because they were completely worn out. The slippers had outlived their lives but Abukashan simply refused to buy a new pair.

One day he went to a public bath, visited by all the rich and famous people. He left his slippers outside and went into the shower. A few minutes later a judge entered the bath leaving his new and shining slippers outside. When Abukashan came out of the bath, he could not find his slippers, but saw a pair of new slippers instead. He thought, some friend of mine must have left these as a gift for me. So Abukashan wore the new slippers and went about his business.

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.

A Smelly New World on the Web

Mon, 15 Oct 2001 00:46:32 +0000

Every time you blink, someone is forming an Internet company somewhere in the world. That is the pace at which the Internet fever has caught on with people. They could be young college students with dreams of making a fortune or middle-aged individuals trying to lure the goddess of wealth. Each one is searching for the one great idea that could make his web company click in a big way. And they are trying all sorts of gimmicks to attract people towards their websites.

Weave a Thread

Mon, 19 Aug 2002 12:59:17 +0000

Weave a Thread [Illustrations by Shinod AP]

This beautiful design board is perfect for your drawing room wall and extremely simple to make.

The things you need:

Pin board
Small size nails
Hammer
Different coloured threads
Black cloth
pencil

Step 1: Take a soft board and cover it with a black cloth. You can take any size you want.

Step 2: With the help of a light coloured pencil draw out the pattern. Try to keep it simple if you are doing it for the first time.

Welcome Rains?

Tue, 29 Apr 2003 09:45:58 +0000

April 21: A few days ago, Delhi residents were pleasantly surprised when the sweltering April sky suddenly darkened with clouds and it began to rain heavily. A freak shower, they thought, since it hardly ever rains in Delhi in April.

But, surprise, surprise… the rains occurred the next day, too. And the day after. The unseasonal showers have transformed the weather marvellously. It hasn’t happened in Delhi alone.

Most of northern India, from Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh to Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi, western Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, have been hit by the rains. Some parts of south India have also been lashed by rains.

The Ridge Forest

Sun, 21 Feb 1999 20:24:12 +0000

A long time ago, when it was all right for men to hunt animals, there was a man who was known to be a perfect shot. He would always kill a wild animal in one shot. He never missed and he never shot an animal except when he was hungry.

One morning, he took his gun and headed off to the jungle to hunt. He walked for many a mile before he sat down to rest. As he was sitting, he saw a bear up on the mountainside. He quickly reached for his gun. As he took aim, he noticed that the bear was walking on a thin ledge on the side of the mountain. If he shot the animal now, it would fall into the deep gorge and would be of no use to him. So he put his gun down and kept watching.

A Royal Diet of Mangoes

Tue, 12 May 1998 18:36:58 +0000

A Royal Diet of Mangoes []

Jungle and Backyard
Written by M. Krishnan
Published by National Book Trust, New Delhi

A thirsty, sweaty summer is here. You can see dogs with their tongues hanging out in the heat. Some of us would have done the same, but our tongues are busy tasting the king of all fruits – the mango. In fact, what makes summer bearable, is the mango. No one has said it better than wildlife expert M Krishnan.

Talkie Star from the Silent Era

Mon, 08 Oct 2001 07:03:00 +0000

Talkie Star from the Silent Era []

August 19: At times the story of an actor’s life is no less adventurous than the exciting roles he plays on the film screen. P Jairaj was such an actor, who chose to leave the comfort of an aristocratic life for the ups and downs of a career in the magical art of cinema, which was a big novelty then.

Messy Kappu

Sat, 25 Aug 2001 13:57:09 +0000

Kappu maharaj sat on the bed
Clothes soiled in yellow mess
Playing with a plastic ball
He wasn’t bothered about it all.

Mamma took him in her arms
Felt his bottoms with her palm
“Kappuji, what did you do?
Let’s quickly get you a panty new.”

Messy Kappu [Illustration by Shinod AP]

Joking with the Goddess

Fri, 22 Sep 2000 11:39:52 +0000

Gopal was in great pain. A big battle seemed to be raging in his stomach. Of course, there was nothing unusual about this. With his weakness for good food — sweets in particular — he often did overeat and this was the inevitable result. As long as the pain lasted, Gopal was full of remorse, and made wild promises to eat moderately, but all were forgotten the moment he was well.

This time the pain was worse than anything he had ever experienced before. “It must have been the fish,” Gopal said aloud. “I thought it did not look fresh.”

Temper, Temper!!

Thu, 27 Apr 2000 07:12:21 +0000

Temper, Temper!! []

The Giant who Looked for his Temper
Written by Santhini Govindhan
Illustrated by Jagdish Joshi
Published by Scholastic India Pvt. Ltd.

Boomba is the name of the giant who lives in a cave on the mountain all alone, in The Giant who Looked for his Temper. He has no friends. Everyone is scared of him because he has a temper which bursts like a balloon at every small incident, and very frequently.

Rat Menace

Sat, 22 Dec 2001 21:18:50 +0000

August 12: About 26 people in Mumbai and nearby Thane died recently due to a strange fever. Initially the doctors in Mumbai were unsure which disease had afflicted these people, because no tests were conducted to find out the nature of the fever.

Most patients had avoided getting the test done because it cost a lot of money (Rs. 750) and they did not see why they should spend so much money for what appeared to be just an ordinary fever. That is, until people started dying like flies and newspapers began writing about it.

Square Watermelons

Fri, 14 Oct 2005 06:48:41 +0000

August 26: On a hot summer day is there anything that tastes as delicious and refreshing as a cold, juicy round watermelon? No wonder this healthy fruit has been enjoyed by man for thousand of years. How about trying square watermelons instead of round ones? Sounds fascinating doesn’t it?

Recently farmers in the southern Japanese town of Zentsuji have discovered a technique to grow their watermelons in square shape says a report of CNN.

The reason they’re doing this in Japan is because of lack of space in refrigerators. They are trying to make watermelons “refrigerator friendly”.

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!

War Memorial for Child Soldiers

Thu, 13 May 1999 22:12:55 +0000

Where: New York, USA

September 23, 2000: “Everyone was dying. You saw the legs or hands of your friends lying in front of you. It was so horrifying, you couldn’t make sense of it. It was hell… Boys lay on the ground for three or four days without being buried. We were fighting around their corpses.” This is how Rashid, an Ethiopian high school student, described his experience of fighting on the Badme front in 1999.

The Shoe-shine Women

Tue, 24 Dec 2002 11:19:57 +0000

Ludhiana, the industrial capital of the state of Punjab in northern India, is like any other prosperous Indian city but for one interesting difference. Its cobblers are largely women.

A trip to the inter-state bus stand, outside the railway station, at roadside corners, in the local markets, under trees, and in almost every other place that you can think of, will reveal scores of them, polishing shoes of commuters in the vicinity.

The Shoe-shine Women [Illustration by Sudheer Nath]

Actually, they may not like being referred to as cobblers. For it appears that the strange workings of the Indian caste hierarchy is at work here too. These women only polish shoes. They never repair them.

Who was the US President for a Day?

Fri, 06 Apr 2001 11:04:08 +0000

Quick all you quizzards and prospective Who Wants to be a Millionaire candidates: Who was the eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth Presidents of the United States? James Polk, Zachary Taylor, Millard Fillmore . .? Yeah, but what about David Atchison? Wasn’t he sworn in after Polk? So shouldn’t Atchison be the 12th president and not Zachary Taylor?

Yes. It’s true. There was a gap of a day between Polk stepping down and Taylor taking over. And Atchison stepped in as President – just for one day! The term for it is President pro tem.

Humble Rickshaw Gets a Face-lift

Mon, 21 Dec 1998 15:13:35 +0000

Where: New Delhi, India

July 15, 2000: This inauguration did not make the media go crazy with their cameras and flashbulbs. There were no pop stars or actors either. Delhi’s Chief Minister, Sheila Dixit was present when 20 rickshaws quietly got on to the roads. The sleek, colourful cycle-rickshaw is designed to give comfort to the driver as well as the passenger. They are easy to pedal and comfortable to ride.

Humble Rickshaw Gets a Face-lift [Illustration by Shiju George]

The cycle-rickshaw has a new gear system, which reduces the amount of pedalling needed. It is wider than the existing rickshaw and has better seating arrangements. Its webbed seat and backrest reduces the jolts during the journey. It even has a lot of space under the seat for luggage.

Flowers – A Visual Matching Puzzle

Thu, 16 Oct 2014 16:29:43 +0000

Winter Guests

Tue, 09 Dec 2003 11:37:39 +0000

December 27: Every winter, the Delhi Zoo in New Delhi, India, spruces up for the visit of some special foreign visitors. They fly in from the distant lands of China, Japan and Central Asia to escape sub-zero temperatures back home and bask in the warmer Delhi sun.

These visitors include pin-tail ducks, shoveller ducks, common teals, coots, dab-chiks, yellow wagtails, yellow-winged wagtails and white wagtails. Flocks of migratory birds have made the Delhi zoo their temporary habitat. And they’ve already arrived in the city, reports The Times of India.

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.

Slices of Italy

Sat, 12 Apr 2003 05:30:02 +0000

April 12: So, you love digging your teeth into a cheesy pizza made with home-made sauce from fresh tomatoes and herbs. Then you would have loved to attended the 10th World Pizza Championship! At the championship this year, judges had their fill of tasting pizza of various types including classic pizza, pizza in a baking tray, fastest pizza, and yes, the largest pizza.

The championship was held in Salsomaggiore, Italy. And the Italians once again walked away with the top honours. They were declared expert pizza makers. But naturally, after all the Italians gave the pizza to the world!

The Day Christ Died

Wed, 05 Mar 2003 14:19:47 +0000

As a child, I did not know the significance of Good Friday for Christians. For me, all it meant was a day off from school. One evening, I let it slip to a friend that I thought ‘Good’ Friday meant something good must have happened on this day.

My friend Lorraine stared at me in astonishment. Then she told me that Good Friday is actually a day of mourning as Christ was crucified on that day.

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.”

Former Child Worker Visits Clinton

Sun, 20 Jun 1999 23:48:48 +0000

Where: Washington DC, USA

September 23, 2000: A few days ago, 12-year old Kalu Kumar was a special invitee of the US President, Bill Clinton, at the White House. Kalu had been invited by the President for the launch of a book on child labour written by Kerry Kennedy, of the Kennedy family that has contributed many significant figures to American politics, including former President John F Kennedy, and his brother, Robert Kennedy.

Kalu was once a child-labourer.

300 Years of the Khalsa Community

Fri, 02 Feb 1996 14:20:07 +0000

“I would like to share with you something great. Have you heard of Sikhs. They are also called Khalsa,” writes Amtoj Singh

Hi friends,

I would like to share with you something great. Have you heard of Sikhs. They are also called Khalsa.

The Khalsa community was created by Guru Gobind Singh to protect the rights of fellow human beings. On 13th April ‘99, the Khalsa community is celebrating 300 years of its existence. It is great event for all those who love equality of human beings. I would invite children to celebrate it by creating sense of equality all around.

The Stockholm Effect

Thu, 16 May 2002 20:35:05 +0000

Sweden lies in the Scandinavian Peninsula in northern Europe, with Norway to the west and Finland to the northeast. Stockholm, its permanent capital since 1523, is located at the junction of Lake Mälar (Mälaren) and Salt Bay (Saltsjön), an arm of the Baltic Sea, opposite the Gulf of Finland. Due to its location, built as it is upon numerous islands, Stockholm is regarded as one of the most beautiful capital cities in the world.

The Stockholm Effect [Illustration by Sudheer Nath]

The Swedish capital, Stockholm, has puzzled people for ages. Its folks once thought of it as Europe’s largest small town. But over the past 15 years, it has grown to be the continent’s smallest large city, with a population of about 1.6 million people.

Marble Paper

Fri, 08 Jun 2001 11:15:32 +0000

Marble Paper [Illustrations by Shinod AP]

Although handmade paper is costlier than regular paper, it easily lends itself to experimentation. And your creative skills will add to its value!

The things you need:

A few sheets of handmade paper
Oil paints
A flat tray with raised edges

Step 1: Fill the tray with water and add a few drops of oil paint. If you want a multi-colour effect add drops of different colours.

Young girl's earth-shaking courage

Sat, 26 Jun 2004 08:30:30 +0000

There is a ray of hope for quake hit-Gujarat. All it needs to do is listen to a 12-year-old girl, Prutha Desai. She might be small but towers over many in spirit. This girl who lost her right arm in the January 26 earthquake, six months ago, has shown great courage in starting life afresh, literally: from learning to write with her left hand to wearing socks. But what is remarkable is that Prutha hasn’t lost her smile, courage, or creativity in drawing and art, says a report in The Indian Express.

Take Care

Thu, 04 May 2000 14:39:05 +0000

Look out for the traffic! Be careful! Don’t fall into the drain!"

“Oh, Mum! I’m only going to the shop to buy you a loaf of bread. The way you’re going on, the neighbours will think I’m cycling all the way to London! You know there’s very little traffic on our quiet estate roads… and anyway, the drains are not even big enough for me to fall into!”

Shen’s mother sighed as she called after him, “Look out for cars! Be careful! Take care!”

Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill

Mon, 20 Dec 1999 16:00:55 +0000

Churchill was born on November 30, 1874 in Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, England. His father Randolph Churchill was the third son of the 7th Duke of Marlborough. As a young man of undistinguished academic accomplishment, he entered the army as a cavalry officer. He took enthusiastically to soldiering and managed to see three campaigns. He served as a cavalry officer in India and Sudan but resigned his commission in 1899 to become a war correspondent in the Boer war. Send to cover the South African war for the Morning Post, the Boers captured him in 1899. A daring escape from the prison made him an overnight celebrity.

Earthquake Rocks New Zealand

Thu, 23 Dec 2010 13:39:29 +0000

Where: Wellington, New Zealand

July 16, 2009 : A powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake occurred in New Zealand’s South Island, near the city of Invercargill. No one was injured, nor was there any major damage. The region, South Westland, is almost uninhabited, and the quake was centred 35 kilometres under the sea off its coast. An earthquake of this intensity could have caused destruction on a massive scale had it struck near the heavily populated capital city of Wellington.

What is Leukaemia?

Thu, 09 May 2002 12:02:26 +0000

Some 15 years back when I was still in school, our class teacher, Mrs. Khurana, would remain absent from school and class almost every other day. We kids were very happy without realising and neither did we bother to find out the reason for her absence.

It was only later that our principal informed us that Mrs. Khurana’s only son was suffering from leukaemia (wrongly called blood cancer). I remember later that Mrs. Khurana took her son to abroad where he underwent a bone marrow transplant.

Letter Holder

Thu, 01 Mar 2001 10:46:56 +0000

Drawing, cutting and pasting – that is all you need to make this attractive letter holder.

Letter Holder [Illustrations by Shinod AP]

The things you need:

A shoe box
Cardboard sheet
Different coloured glaze paper
Adhesive
Scissors
Pencil, eraser, sketch pens

Step 1: Take a shoebox without the lid.

Step 2: Draw out a fishing boat on the cardboard and cut it.

Step 3: Use glazed paper in different colours to stick on the cardboard boat so that it looks bright and colourful.

Buried under a Garbage Mountain

Sat, 17 Feb 2001 18:54:52 +0000

August 5: Recently, a group of homeless people living in the streets of Manila came to know the meaning of a mountain of garbage. One such mountain loomed behind their makeshift shelter.

The pile of garbage grew and grew. Like Jack’s beanstalk. And, then, one day, it rained. The rains loosened the pile and it collapsed. On the houses of the squatters. Crushing them and the people in them, in the process.

The result: At least 218 people dead.

The Peacocks are Dying

Tue, 02 Sep 2003 07:00:27 +0000

May 11: The residents of the Rajasthan State Electricity Board colony in Heerapur, 12 km from Jaipur, are in shock. They don’t know how to reconcile to the sudden, unexplained deaths of 19 peacocks in their colony in the first week of May. The priest at the Radha Krishna temple in the colony is inconsolable: there are no more peacocks to peck at the vessel filled with jowar.

In the first week of May, at Sirsiya village in Phagi district, a villager saw six of the birds die, foaming at their mouth as they tried to dance. After eating the jowar and wheat seeds kept outside households for them, the peacocks just collapsed on the roof of a building.

Make a Card of Webbed Veins

Sun, 21 Oct 2001 15:46:38 +0000

Make a Card of Webbed Veins [Illustrations by Shinod AP]

The leaves of the peepal tree have a beautiful shape – they taper to a needle-point. And when these green leaves brush against each other, they constantly make a rustling sound and attract everyone’s attention.

Even when the leaves dry, leaving behind a webbed skeleton of veins, they look grand – grand enough to be made into greeting cards.

Why do we Celebrate April Fool's Day?

Sun, 03 Jun 2001 09:04:42 +0000

Breaking news: Linus Torvalds, (a competitor of Microsoft) has decided to join hands with Microsoft! Alien spacecraft lands at Siberia. Scientists are rushing from across the world to investigate it!

What is your reaction on reading these statements? Disbelief? Taken aback? Yes, this is exactly what people may want you to do on this day — take you for a ride! It is April First or Fool’s Day!

Most people are fooled when they hear some such unsuspecting news! And that is where the fun begins! Why do people play pranks on this day? It has something to do with the New Year. No, no I am not pulling your leg. Its true! Read on. . .

The Unknown Soldier

Sun, 30 Aug 1998 21:08:42 +0000

The year was 1989. China witnessed a major pro-democratic student uprising. The Chinese leaders in a horrific show of force vented their fury and frustration on student dissidents and their pro-democracy supporters who had gathered in the Tiananmen Square. Several hundred people were killed and thousands wounded when the People’s Liberation Army moved on Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. As the first armoured vehicles smashed their way through a ring of burning buses into Tiananmen Square itself, student occupiers began to fight. Beijing was in a state of siege.

Why Do Knuckles Pop?

Mon, 27 Aug 2001 07:48:35 +0000

Have you ever laced your fingers together and bent your fingers back? If you pressed hard on any bent finger, you would have heard a popping sound? Finger joints produce that loud c-r-a-c-king sound. The sound comes when bubbles in the fluid around the joint burst!

Our entire body is made of a skeleton of 206 bones. Bones help in giving shape and support to the body and help us move about. Our bones are not too long otherwise we would not be able to bend or grasp things. Bones fit together at joints which is the meeting place between different bones of the skeleton.

Let's Tango

Sun, 07 Jan 2001 07:12:41 +0000

If you are interested in making music, why not start by making a music instrument from things easily available at home?

The things you need:

An empty toothpaste pack
Three rubber bands
A sheet of coloured paper
Glue
A blade or paper cutter

Let’s Tango [Illustrations by Anup Singh]

Step 1: Cover the entire pack with a coloured paper. Use glue to stick the paper.

Step 2: Draw a rectangle of 1 inch x 2 inches on the upper side of the pack. The rectangle should be in the middle of the pack.

The 'Groom'ed Horse

Mon, 12 Mar 2001 20:39:16 +0000

Chetak was the most attractive horse in the neighbourhood. His proud owner, Ram Singh, never lost an opportunity to show him off to his friends and neighbours.

“Here he is, my pride and joy,” he would exclaim in a dramatic way as he opened the door to the young stallion’s stable. And Chetak would come out galloping, his shiny brown coat and light brown mane glistening in the sun.

Ram Singh would then ride him across the farm, for the benefit of the admiring crowd. His attractiveness apart, Chetak was swift, too. Riding him was like, “flying through air,” his owner often said eloquently.

The School Teacher and the Dacoit

Fri, 02 Feb 2001 03:23:53 +0000

Nirmala is a primary school teacher in the Rajiv Gandhi Shiksha Mission for universal education, in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. Every day at 11.30 am, her husband Malkhan Singh, drops her to the school in an autorickshaw. In the evening, at 4 pm, he is there to pick her up as well. Slung across his shoulders at all times, is a rifle during these rides.

So, what is so unusual about this couple?

The answer is their past. Rather, his past.

Rani Hindustani!

Wed, 03 Dec 2003 02:53:01 +0000

March 27: Poonam Maharashtrian Hindustani (Indian) runs a one-woman-one truck transport company. But it is not merely her name or her profession that are colourful. The lady has had an equally colourful past.

A good deal of her time in that past has been spent trying to assert her independence, reports The Indian Express, which wrote an article on this courageous woman.

Poonam had been born Hemlata Gaikwad in Pune city, Maharashtra. Her father constantly beat her mother up and even burnt Poonam’s secretly-acquired driving license. He wanted the women of his household to be docile and meek.

Weave of Survival

Sat, 23 Feb 2002 02:53:14 +0000

To unravel the story behind the famed Kota doria sari, Aditi De of the Women’s Feature Service, travelled to Kota in Rajasthan recently. From there she went to the hamlet of Kaithoon, 15 km from Kota. Kaithoon is the real home of the legendary Kota Doria sari. The creation of each sari is a work of art, involving the labour of the entire family of the weaver. The weaving is mainly done by the daughters of the family, most of whom are small girls too busy working to go to school.

A Memorial to Children

Wed, 23 May 2001 01:22:03 +0000

July 31: In a wintry morning in Delhi three years ago, a school bus packed with children going to school, skidded off a bridge. It fell into the cold waters of the river Yamuna below. More than 30 children died. Today, there are plans to develop a memorial in a park for them, very close to the spot where the terrible accident took place.

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has decided to build the memorial. The DDA is the government body in charge of public construction in the city.

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?

Who’s Who at the Zoo

Sun, 10 Aug 1997 22:12:57 +0000

“Who’s Who at the Zoo” is an amazing book of animals by Ruskin Bond. Published by National Book Trust, India.

Each animal is special; none too stupid or ugly, says the author. Out of 24 animal friends talked of in the book, here are some for you.

The Zoo is For You

In an overcrowded world, where the forests and wilderness are fast disappearing, it is becoming more and more difficult for many birds and animals to find food and shelter. Some species have already died out. For others, the zoo is often the last refuge.

World's Cheapest Car Launched in India

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 07:57:16 +0000

Where: Mumbai, India

March 23, 2009 : The Tata Nano was launched by Tata Industries chief Ratan Tata. The car will go on sale in April 2009 and deliveries will begin in July 2009. ‘Nano’ means ’extremely small.’ The car costs just 100,000 Indian rupees, and it is only 3 metres (10 feet) long. It can seat five. Mr. Tata said, ‘I hope it will provide safe, affordable four-wheel transportation to families who till now have not been able to own a car.’ The company is out to compete with the two-wheeler vehicle industry. The basic model doesn’t have any frills like air conditioning, radio or power steering.

An invasion of toxic toads

Thu, 14 Dec 2006 10:06:31 +0000

Where: State of Queensland, Australia

April 2, 2007: This is certainly not a toad you’d want to kiss. Not only will the toad not turn into a handsome prince, you may not be left alive to tell the tale.

It’s as big as a small dog, has the body of a football and enough poison to kill a crocodile if it makes the mistake of having a Cane toad for lunch. It has been 70 years since the cane toad was first brought to northern Australia from South America to kill and eat the beetles that were spoiling the sugar cane crop.

A peep into the future of food

Sun, 08 Feb 2004 16:04:32 +0000

My dream of India in the 22nd century shows water of our five great rivers of the north, harnessed into one great canal, which in turn, distributes water to every corner of the country.
I dream that our future generations will never have to face the agony of a flood or drought. In fact, farmers would probably have capsules which when sown alongwith seeds, will collect water from the atmosphere like the nitrogen fixing bacteria. Maybe these capsules will react with soil chemicals to produce h2o!

Chintu Pintu Talk on the Net

Sun, 23 Sep 2001 13:14:35 +0000

Do you send E-mails to your friends? E-mails in which you write in words how you are feeling — happy or sad?

Do you want to surprise your friends by sending them an e-mail in a new language? The language of the Internet? If so, then read on to know what Chintu and Pintu write. Then, impress your friends!

Chintu : Hi! 🙂
( I like this big net smile )

Pintu : Hullo! 😉
This is also a smile

Do Some Animals Farm?

Sat, 04 Aug 2001 00:29:13 +0000

We all live the way we do in villages and cities because a long, long time ago, the early humans gave up hunting for farming. They domesticated plant species by cultivation, ploughed the land and harvested the grain. That was the beginning of civilisation as we understand it.

But, do you know that certain ant species were actually farming fungus years before humans learnt how to farm?

For many millions of years, ants belonging to the attines group were farming and cultivating fungi in their anthill nests. They had actually domesticated various wild fungi!

My Magic Collar Stud

Sat, 02 Dec 2000 17:43:28 +0000

I suppose you think there aren’t any more fairies nowadays, or witches or wizards or goblins. Well, of course they don’t go about dressed up like the ones in picture books. You don’t see little fairies with butterfly wings perching on the chimneys at Hendon, or old ladies in pointed hats riding down Oxford Street on broomsticks and waiting for the green lights to go on. But they’re doing other things. The good magicians are still doing magic things like radio and chemistry. When you’re ill the doctor comes and writes a prescription on a bit of paper, and then the chemist gives you something in a bottle. If it does you good, that means that the bit of paper was really a spell, and the medicine a potion. And you meet fairies in all sorts of places, looking like quite ordinary people.

A Film on Anne Frank

Tue, 08 Jul 2003 18:00:31 +0000

March 14: Anne Frank was a teenager when the Second World War broke out. And as Hitler’s Nazi Germany chillingly went about targeting Jews with death, her life changed beyond recognition. She lived in hiding for a while but was caught out and put in a concentration camp, where she died.

When in hiding, the young girl had kept a diary in which she had recorded her thoughts and impressions of what was happening to her and around her. After the war her writings were published under the title, Diary of a Young Girl. It was a phenomenal success.

Looking for sister in Hiroshima

Sun, 06 Jun 2004 06:59:12 +0000

August 6, 1945. The day the United States of America dropped the atomic bomb on Hirsohima city, killing more than 200,000 people. A day after which the world has never been the same, for it proved that humans’ capacity to inflict suffering on fellow human beings was infinite. A day that hundreds of thousands of survivors try to make sense of to this day, by trying to remember what happened at each moment that day, before and after the bomb fell.

The First Notes of Mozart

Thu, 01 Aug 2002 11:31:15 +0000

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart lived just 35 years. But he filled those years so totally with 626 musical works that the world today recognises him as one of the greatest composers ever. Among his works were 50 symphonies and 19 operas, including much-loved works like The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni and The Magic Flute.

Mozart was born in the Austrian city of Salzburg, known for its salt mines, in 1756. His father, Leopold, was the choirmaster to the Archbishop of Salzburg.

The 'Jawabi Keertan'

Fri, 12 Apr 2002 20:30:33 +0000

I saw it 23 years ago, but the incident is as fresh in my mind as if it happened yesterday. I was seven years old then and staying with my grandmother in Shahjahanpur, a sleepy little town in western Uttar Pradesh. The nearest big city, Bareilly, known for its glass bangles industry, was one hour away.

It was the month of July and most people found it difficult to do anything beyond wiping the sweat off their brows. But one day, the whole town was buzzing with excitement, especially in and around the railway station. The reason was pretty clear: the Jawabi Keertan was round the corner!

How Men Lost Their Tails

Sat, 01 Jan 2000 12:11:45 +0000

The hill people have many theories about the origin of mankind. Some say that God fashioned the first people from clay with his own hands; some say that they were hatched from enormous eggs. They emerged from a crack in the ground, from the womb of Mother Earth; they were born of a goddess; they were even born of animals.

How Men Lost Their Tails [Illustrations by: Amina Jayal]

But all agree that, however they came into being, they were very different from what they are today, as the following stories show. According to the Saoras of Orissa, for example, they originally had tails.

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]

Easy to Draw — 3

Fri, 10 Sep 1999 15:36:46 +0000

Yes, there are many magical shapes hidden in numbers. Sudheer the magic man first drew the number 2 and ended up drawing a duck.. You too can do it. Begin now!

Easy to Draw — 3 []

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]

When was the First Circumnavigation by Air?

Thu, 18 Oct 2001 03:42:14 +0000

Ever since Colombus set sail to see if the world was flat or round, intrepid explorers have vied with each other to go around the earth. The world has been circumnavigated by sea by Marco Polo and people have walked across continents from end to end. But until 1924 no one had tried to circumnavigate the world by air except over a continent by a balloon in a Jules Verne novel.

Eight Americans decided to circumnavigate the world by plane. So in 1924, they set out from Seattle Washington, USA, in four Douglas World Cruisers and 175 days later three of the aircraft and crew returned to set a new world record.

Birds Sing in their Sleep

Wed, 23 May 2001 06:27:13 +0000

Just like humans, birds too rely on sound to communicate. However, they do not have a ’language’ in the true sense of the word and instead emit a variety of squawks and chirps to convey different emotions.

Often, birds recognise their mates (or young) by sound rather than sight. Hungry fledglings use begging calls to let their mothers know it is feeding time. Alarm calls, flight calls for flight coordination, and warning calls are other sounds emitted frequently by the adults.

Signals of the Past

Sat, 17 Mar 2001 12:11:07 +0000

You want to send a message to someone. Immediately. No problem. You just pick up a land phone or a mobile phone, or send an email. The telegram is still there but many of us have forgotten about it.

Now travel back in time to France, 206 years ago, when there was none of your latest technology. Not even the telegraph. But people still felt the need to send long distance messages.

Signals of the Past []

It was then that a Frenchman called Chappe invented a code for the alphabet. It was called the semaphore. It was a code in which different positions of the human arm stood for a particular alphabet. Thus, there were 26 positions. People sent messages in this way by holding a flag in each hand to make sure that the positions were seen clearly, and a correct message was sent.

Distress Signals the Leafy Way

Fri, 09 Mar 2001 21:43:56 +0000

Wondered how plants talk to each other? They do not have the same language as humans but they have their own ways. Recent research by scientists at Kyoto University, Japan, describes how the Lima bean plant protects itself and its neighbours from the spider mite or the red spider. It sends out clear distress signals. Its not like they make weird noises to attract attention, though. It does it very silently.

The Lima bean plant emits chemicals to send the message of a troublesome intruder to all its neighbours. That is the signal for all the plants to get their defense mechanisms working.

Microbes begin Deforestation

Tue, 07 Oct 2003 07:34:21 +0000

May 19: The conifer trees on the hills of Himachal Pradesh may soon become history. No, they are not being cut by humans. This time, it is the turn of microbes to go on a rampage.

Insects, fungi and various kinds of insects are eating into the deodar, pine and kail trees of Chopal and the stretch that lies between Sundernagar and Jhenjheli, Suket division in Mandi and at Bharari and Mashobra in Shimla. The trees are drying up due to this.

The Earth Is Getting dimmer

Fri, 14 Jun 2002 11:52:34 +0000

If you have viewed a crescent moon on a clear night, you would have observed an eerie glow around the moon. This is called earthshine. Do you know why the moon glows?

The eerie glow around a crescent moon is called earthshine.

Our earth and the moon act as giant mirrors that reflect sunlight. Actually most objects reflect light. A mirror reflects almost all the light that falls on it. And an object that does not reflect light is called opaque.

A Sojourn in Venice

Thu, 14 Mar 2002 12:35:07 +0000

Venice is one of Italy’s major seaports, and capital of the province of Venezia in northern Italy. It was the greatest seaport in late medieval Europe and Europe’s commercial and cultural link with Asia. It is also one of the world’s oldest tourist and cultural centres. Aditi De writes of her visit to this most romantic of cities.

Venice is such a strange city. It is built on an Italian lagoon in the Adriatic Sea. It has canals instead of roads, which means there are no cars or buses, no trams or trains or bicycles whizzing past us. Best of all, we could walk or jump or play hide-and-seek on its cobbled streets or its countless bridges whenever we chose to.

This One is For your Eyes Only

Wed, 08 Aug 2001 10:01:00 +0000

Any mention of the word ‘zari’ may remind you of the heavily embroidered Banaras silk sarees that your mother, sister or aunts may have. Embroidering silk sarees with zari, or golden and silver wrapping on silk threads, is an old and well known art in India.

A sari with zari work is a dream come true for most Indian women.

This One is For your Eyes Only [Illustration by Kusum Chamoli]

But if you mention zari to “eye doctor” or optometrist Dr Mohan Ram, he will probably remember a patient’s retina. For this optometrist from the LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, has pioneered a new, cheap and efficient method of testing the retina. No prizes for guessing what the replacement is – it’s the good old zari! A report on Dr Mohan Ram’s path breaking achievement was published in ‘The Hindu’ newspaper recently.

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.

Forest – A Visual Matching Puzzle

Thu, 16 Oct 2014 16:16:20 +0000

Tin Can Lantern

Wed, 06 Feb 2002 19:50:46 +0000

Are you bored of having dinner under the same electric lights? Here is something to light up your family meal time.

Tin Can Lantern [Illustrations by Shinod AP]

The things you need:

An empty soft drink can or a tin
A hammer
A few nails
A 15-inch long wire

Step 1: On the outside part of a can, draw any pattern that you like.

Step 2: With the nail tips, hammer holes of various sizes, according to the pattern that you have drawn. Be sure to make two holes near the top, on opposite sides, for stringing a handle.

What are Q-Tips?

Sun, 02 Sep 2001 00:43:37 +0000

Everbody has used this product at some time or other in some form or other. Sometimes it is used to clean the wax from your ears, and sometimes to clean dust from delicate instruments. Many kick themselves for not patenting it when they knew about it.

So what are Q-Tips? It is such a simple silly thingummy – a piece of thick plastic or cardboard with cotton wrapped at each end! Q-Tips are today, a registered trademark of Chesebrough-Ponds, Inc, USA. However, it was invented in 1920 by a Polish-born American, Leo Gerstenzang.

Margaret Hilda Thatcher

Sat, 12 Aug 2000 12:22:40 +0000

Thatcher was born Margaret Hilda Roberts in Grantham. She married Denis Thatcher in 1951. Thatcher was elected to the House of Commons in 1959. After the Conservative defeat in 1974 she won leadership of the party the following year. In 1979 she led the Conservatives to victory, vowing to reverse Britain’s economic decline and to reduce the role of government. In 1982 Argentine forces occupied the Falkland Islands, which were claimed by both Argentina and the United Kingdom. The British military defeated the Argentine military. She led the Conservatives to further victories in the 1983 and 1987 parliamentary elections, becoming the first British prime minister in the 20th century to serve three consecutive terms.

The Truth about Eels

Wed, 31 Mar 1999 03:53:10 +0000

Where: Florida, USA
October 16, 2000: The recent emergence of a large number of unfamiliar eels in the waters off the coast of Florida in South-east America, is causing worry to local ecologists there. They fear that the new arrivals, eels of Asian origin, will disturb the food chain of the region with their voracious appetites.

What exactly are eels ? They are slippery serpent-like fish, inhabiting shallow coastal waters throughout the world. They are fairly common in the freshwaters of eastern and south-eastern America.

Slow Dance

Wed, 15 Aug 2001 05:49:47 +0000

This poem came to us as a forwarded email and we do not know the name of its author.

Have you ever watched kids
On a merry-go-round?
Or listened to the rain
Slapping on the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly’s erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?
You better slow down.
Don’t dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won’t last.

Do you run through each day
On the fly?
When you ask “How are you?”
Do you hear the reply?

Hundreds Killed in Ethnic Violence in Nigeria

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 02:52:31 +0000

Where: Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria

March 18, 2010 : Hundreds of people have died in ethnic and religious violence around the Nigerian city of Jos since the year 2010 began. The last such incident was an attack on three mostly Christian villages over the weekend of March 7-8, 2010. Villagers including women and children were attacked by men with machetes. More than 200 people died. Police arrested around 90 suspects.

Survivors said the attackers spoke Hausa and Fulani, two languages used mostly by Muslims. The violence was seen by some as a revenge attack for the Muslims killed in January 2010. While northern Nigeria is mostly Muslim, the south is predominantly Christian. The reasons for differences among the people extend beyond race and religion. There are political, social and economic factors which strengthen the divide between the groups. The recent bloodshed occurred in central Nigeria. Nigeria’s “middle belt” is filled with fertile lands, and war is waged over who will control them.

Michael Jackson, King of Pop, Dies at 50

Sat, 29 May 2010 09:10:42 +0000

Where: Los Angeles, USA

June 25, 2009 : Michael Jackson, known as the ‘King of Pop’ died suddenly in his Los Angeles home. He was 50. The cause of death was cardiac arrest. The police have ruled out any possibility of foul play. Fans all over the world were shocked at their idol’s death. Michael was one of the most successful entertainers of all time. He began his singing career with The Jackson 5, a group which featured him and his older siblings, in 1966. He was to register many hits and best sellers in his adult career, and the biggest of them was the 1982 hit Thriller, an album that sold over 50 million copies worldwide. Jackson will be remembered as one of the greatest black singers of all time. He was a very skilled dancer, and his biggest hit albums were released in an age when music videos began to be aired over television.

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.

The Mystery of the Old Cemetery

Thu, 18 Mar 1999 01:10:38 +0000

The Mystery of the Old Cemetery [Illustartion by Shinod AP]

“I wish father were here”. These were the last words of two children when they were mourning their father’s death in a cemetery. They died a few minutes later because of a fire. This is how it happened.

A burial ceremony was taking place close by and a man smoking a cigar dropped it onto the dry grass. Flames shot up in the air and all the people present at the burial escaped as they were aware of the fire. But the two young children were not so fortunate. They were caught unawares and both succumbed to the flames.

The Gardener Bird

Mon, 07 May 2001 07:54:42 +0000

Look at this nest. Doesn’t it remind you of a hut? It is built by a bird with an appropriate name. It is called the gardener bird. It works hard at building its house and decorating it.

The Gardener Bird [Illustration by Shridevi R.]

And, after building the house, it makes a garden around it.

The gardener bird likes colourful objects. So, its house is always surrounded with colourful flowers and shells. These objects are not just thrown together haphazardly. The bird arranges them very carefully and even tries out different patterns before deciding on the final look of the garden.

The Commerce of Christmas

Fri, 28 Feb 2003 03:00:19 +0000

Can you imagine a Christmas without lights? And no brightly illuminated shops, their racks groaning under the weight of colourful packets of cakes, wine, dolls and every other gift item you could possibly think of? Impossible? Like imagining Diwali without the fireworks?

But isn’t it strange how festivals like Christmas and Diwali are virtually unimaginable without the accompanying glitz that goes with them? Take away the show, the giving and receiving of gifts and people’s enthusiasm about the festivals might evaporate in no time.

Francoise's Dolls

Sat, 12 Oct 2002 15:11:52 +0000

“I did not see the face of my child: I passed into unconsciousness after her birth. My neighbours told me she was beautiful. My mother and the nurse buried her alive. I did not even hear her cry.”

A doll depicts a girl child and the words alongside it, movingly tells the tale of a new mother’s anguish at the brutal killing of her baby girl.

The doll has been made by Belgian-born Francoise Bosteels, who made India her home over 25 years ago. Francoise’s dolls ‘speak’. They speak of the beauty of life and its celebration, but also of the injustice, anger and frustration of those in despair.

The Green Land

Fri, 08 Jun 2001 15:50:44 +0000

Their green gives a shade of happiness to our planet. Know more about the fascinating world of plants that exist around us.

Ali Sardar Jafri

Tue, 23 Jan 2001 19:43:13 +0000

He was a poet who spoke out for the poor. He was also one who truly believed that India and Pakistan could be friends, if the countries tried hard enough. From the time he was arrested for writing against British rule in India, to when he climbed onto the famous Lahore “peace” bus with Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee last year, Ali Sardar Jafri spent his entire working-writing life speaking out for what he believed in.

The Earth Drum

Thu, 28 Sep 2000 09:54:36 +0000

Imagine a pit covered with the skin of an ox. The hairy surface is on top and the hairy tail of the ox is still connected to the animal hide or skin. The cover is nailed to the ground at several places. And the ox tail becomes the drum stick. This is not a fantasy drum. It seems this was one of the earliest ways our ancestors in India made drums. It was called the bhoomi dundubhi or the earth drum.

Snake People

Sat, 27 Dec 1997 06:49:36 +0000

The Snakes Around Us
Written by Zai and Rom Whitaker
Illustrations by Shekar Dattatri
Published by National Book Trust, New Delhi

This fascinating book gives us glimpses of the lives of the Irula tribals of Tamil Nadu, who are great snake catchers. The authors, who run a snake park in south India, have worked with these “snake people” for over a decade, and talk about their snake-catching abilities. They also talk about “snake people” in other parts of the world, who are great names in the world of research on snakes.

Punch and Spar: Way to go, Mary!

Mon, 01 Jan 2007 10:24:30 +0000

Where: north-eastern state of Manipur, India

September 12, 2007 : Mary who? Twenty-five-year-old M.C Mary Kom from Manipur has won the world women’s boxing championship not once, not twice but thrice in the 46 kilogram category. (Boxers of similar body weight compete in a category.)

Mary won the three titles consecutively or in three straight years. She won her titles in Turkey in 2004, in Russia in 2005 and in Delhi in 2007. How many of us know of the achievements of this powerhouse of punches who comes from a remote village in the northeastern state of Manipur?

The Story-tellers

Sun, 26 May 2002 14:56:45 +0000

What could be a better way to get to know a country than through its folk-tales and stories? And if you love collecting stories anyway, as Madhu Gurung does, nothing could be more wonderful. Here, Madhu, presently based in Myanmar’s capital, Yangon, talks about the Myanmarese duo of mother and daughter who have enlivened her days by weaving tales even as they help her with her domestic chores. Madhu shares the magic of those story-telling sessions in the following anecdote:

Consequences

Sat, 19 May 2001 22:34:11 +0000

You can make variations in the game and devise your own themes.

The things you need:

Pencil/ Pen Sheets of paper

Sit in a circle.

Give a sheet of paper to everyone. One of you take on the role of the organizer and instruct the others to do as you tell them. This is what you have to say.1.Write the name of a girl.

After everyone writes a name of a girl ask them to fold the paper as shown in the figure.

Olympic Games are Fair Game for TV Satire

Sat, 17 Feb 2001 20:57:04 +0000

August 5: Heard of facts imitating fiction?

Well, that’s exactly what’s happening in Australia. There’s a comedy serial on Australian television these days. It is a spoof or hilarious leg-pulling on the Australian officials who are in charge of making all the arrangements for the Olympic Games scheduled to start in the Australian capital Sydney.

The really strange part is, much of what the serial shows as fiction, ends up happening as fact some time later, says a report in ‘The Times of India’.

The changing face of childhood dreams

Sun, 25 Jan 2004 19:34:00 +0000

Dreams – the word itself, sounds so fascinating. Everyone has different dreams. Dreams are actually our aspirations.

Dreams are of different types. Some dreams, like touching the sun, are impossible. Some are extremely silly. When I was five and was asked about what I wanted to be, I used to say: “to grow up”, as if anyone could stop that! As we grow and learn about great achievers, we all secretly want to emulate them…

Make Orchids at Home

Sat, 07 Jul 2001 12:23:04 +0000

Make Orchids at Home [Illustrations by Shinod AP]

The things you need:

Half-a-metre of organdy
Golden wire
Green electrical wire
Adhesive
Thread

Step 1: Draw out the orchid petals on the organdy. Cut them.

Step 2: Cut the golden wire such that it is of the same length as the petal. Stick it in the centre of all petals.

Step 3: Stick the ends of all the petals on the tip of the electrical wire and then additionally tighten it by tying a thread around it.

So Many Monkeys!

Wed, 20 Oct 1999 07:11:19 +0000

They are an amazing lot, they really are! They are absolute monkeys!

The Squirrel Monkey has a long and slender tail. The tail serves many purposes. It helps the animal to keep its balance when it monkeys around, I mean, jumps from branch to branch.

So Many Monkeys! [Illustrations by D. K. Sharma & Amarjeet Malik]

It also acts like a blanket during the night for, the monkey wraps itself cozily in its long tail! Except for some long-tailed large individuals, most squirrel monkeys are about the size of a squirrel.

How Green is Your School?

Mon, 17 Apr 2000 02:17:19 +0000

Here’s a little check – list from the New Delhi based children’s newspaper Gobar Times, to rate your school.

Getting There

Optimum use of the school bus fleet: School bus routes should cover a lot of area, with the fleet picking up as many students as possible.

Car pooling: This is quite a workable idea today. Students coming to school from the same neighbourhood should be encouraged to car-pool, after working out the cost of petrol and vehicle wear and tear.

The Three Kittens

Sun, 06 Feb 2000 07:52:41 +0000

The white cat said, ‘I’m fair as snow’
The black cat said, ‘I shine!’
The tabby said, ‘well, that’s alright
But the bowl of cream is MINE!’

The black cat said, ‘I’m warm as wool’
The white said, ‘I’m like silk!’
The tabby said, ‘say what you will,
I’m off to drink that milk!’

The Three Kittens [Illustration by Sudheer Nath]

Children and Water

Fri, 07 Feb 1997 09:29:10 +0000

Educators Wynne Harlen and Jos Elstgeest take us on a wonder-filled trip into the scientific world in their classic book: UNESCO sourcebook for science in the primary school, published by the National Book Trust in association with Unesco publishing.

Water is a common yet exciting material, freely available almost everywhere, which lends itself to an endless variety of genuine science activities. Common as it appears to be, water can be a source of wonder to children and to adults who have kept up the habit of questioning and wondering. Waterplay is one of the earliest forms of children’s exploration.

The Day the Bomb Fell

Sat, 20 Apr 2002 08:29:20 +0000

Near the centre of the explosion, people were instantaneously vapourised by the seeing heat, leaving only their shadows scorched into the stonework of walls or roads.

Thousands more were killed by being blown to bits, more commonly being hurled against solid subjects, crushed beneath falling buildings.

Others were simply cremated into charred corpses or hideously burned with great patches of skin stipped from their bodies and hanging in flaps around them.

In Hiroshima, 13 square kilometres of area was devastated and 92 per cent of its buildings were destryed. Over 2,00,000 of its estimated population of 3,50,000 were killed.

The Woman who Collects Children

Wed, 03 Oct 2001 12:55:21 +0000

An inspiring story from our archives: June 2000

Some people like to collect stamps. Others prefer stickers, posters, tattoos or coins. But Pinky Bhutia is different. She collects children. In her mountain village, in Sikkim, she is known as the wonderful young woman who adopts all the children she can.

Pinky was 14 when she adopted her first child, a Nepali orphan. Today, she has a dozen adopted children, and two sons from her marriage.

Keep Hope Alive

Sun, 24 May 1998 14:28:16 +0000

First prize winner of Spin-A-Tale contest

It was destiny that bound us. Jamie, the black kid whose mum worked for us and me, Kevin the kid, whose mother employed Jamie’s mum. When I saw him first he was just this skinny kid walking around with his head drooping down to his feet. I asked him if he went to school but I got no answer.

Keep Hope Alive [Illustration by Shinod A.P.]

I assumed that he was just shy, so I went about my own work while he just sort of kept staring at anything. Later that night my parents started discussing Jamie over dinner and that’s when I came to know that Jamie was deaf… I was really shocked and not because he was deaf because I have seen lots of disabled people but the horrifying manner in which he had lost the power to hear.

What is Asthma?

Sat, 01 Apr 2000 10:59:46 +0000

Asthma is one of the most common diseases affecting the lungs. A serious disease, it affects all races and both sexes equally. This disease affects millions. Many of us recognize asthma symptoms like wheezing, chest tightness and gasping for breath. However, few of us know what is going on inside the body of a person with asthma.

When we breathe, we inhale oxygen through the nose and mouth. The air passes down the trachea or windpipe through the two bronchi that branch off into the millions of tiny airways that make up the lungs. Here the inhaled oxygen enters the bloodstream and carbon dioxide is pulled out of the blood and sent back up the airway to be exhaled.

Friendly Neighbourhood Bank: For Kids Only

Wed, 09 Dec 1998 18:58:44 +0000

June 24: This is a bank with a difference. For, you hardly meet any adults here. The place is run by children and has children as members.

Welcome to the kids bank of Juhapura, a working class locality in Ahmedabad. It is called the Sarjan Bank.

The bank was started 22 years ago as part of a programme called Sarjan. It was started by a group called the Ahmedabad Study Action Group. This organisation has been working for poor people in Gujarat since 1973.

Killer Storm Rages Through Western Europe

Wed, 11 Aug 2010 12:44:01 +0000

Where: Paris, France

March 1, 2010 : A violent storm originating in the Atlantic Ocean crashed into the western coasts of France, Portugal and Spain on February 28, 2010. The storm, named Xynthia, left more than 50 people dead and thousands homeless along France’s Atlantic coast. The storm killed people in Germany, Spain and Portugal, but France had the maximum number of casualties.

Winds raging at speeds of 140 kilometres (87miles) per hour moved from Portugal up through the Bay of Biscay and struck the French coast. There was torrential rain as well. The storm later swept north-eastwards into Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. High speed winds struck the Swiss Alps.

Is New York Burning?

Mon, 25 Mar 2002 15:28:39 +0000

In New York, people consume about 500 million kilowatt hours of energy per square kilometre every year. This is almost half of the total amount of solar energy (heat of the sun rays) falling on such an area in a year. So New Yorkers, in effect, live under a sun-and-a-half.

In addition, paved areas, walls and the roofs of buildings absorb and re-radiate more heat than soil or plant-covered ground. Water runs off these surfaces more rapidly, allowing little cooling by evaporation. And the heat is produced by the bodies of the people themselves and leaks out of every building.

Interesting Labels

Sat, 29 Jan 2000 19:13:04 +0000

We all have parties at home and often we hear people asking the ingredients of a dish. Here is how you can tell them.

The things you need:

Interesting Labels [Illustrations by Shiju George]

White card sheet, pencil, eraser, sketch pens and colours.

Step 1. Draw on the card sheet the main ingredient of your dish.

Step 2. If it is a non vegetarian dish you can draw the animal whose meat is used.

Dangerous Red Tide in HongKong

Sun, 04 Nov 2001 03:40:23 +0000

Sea beaches around HongKong have a problem. They regularly face the threat of a ‘Red Tide’.

The ‘Red Tide’ kills fish in sea farms and in the open seas. Actually, the ‘Red Tide’ is reddish brown algae that floats on water near the coastline. It enters the gills of the fish swimming about in the sea and kills them.

The gills are like noses of the fish. They help the fish breathe. When the algae enters the gills, it creates havoc.

The Language of a Cat

Tue, 13 Jan 2004 12:33:50 +0000

The poet Carl Sandburg wrote, “The fog comes in on little cat feet.” So do a large number of our words and expressions. Let’s think of the cats that run and leap and pounce and slink and purr and meow through the English language.

There are a number of explanations for the phrase, “it’s raining cats and dogs”? Cats and dogs were closely associated with the rain and wind in the western mythology. Dogs were often pictured as the attendants of Odin, the storm god, and cats were believed to cause rain.

Pelican Trouble

Thu, 07 Jun 2001 01:33:03 +0000

Many people living in Andhra Pradesh may have escaped the wrath of the cyclone that ravaged the state last month, but the migratory pelicans, in a small costal village in northern Andhra, weren’t quite as fortunate.

Pelican Trouble [Illustration by Shiju George]

The storms’ heavy winds and rains didn’t cause as much material damage as was expected, however it proved disastrous for the pelicans as small chicks were blown out of their nests.

Make Your Own Friendship Band

Fri, 01 Sep 2000 16:24:43 +0000

Make Your Own Friendship Band []

Things you need: colourful cotton or satin embroidery threads. These are commonly available in all markets. Take three sets of coloured thread. I chose red, blue and green. Each set of thread should be two mm thick and seven or eight inches long. After all, you should be able to tie it around your friend’s wrist.

Now tie a knot at one end, leaving two cm of the thread open. Then plait the three sets of thread like girls plait their hair. Knot the other end as well. But see that you leave two cm of the thread open at that end as well. Your friendship band is ready. Keep it on your friend’s wrist and tie it at the ends. Your friendship is sealed with that knot.

Seasons in a Tree’s Rooted Life

Mon, 10 Apr 2000 23:11:37 +0000

Seasons in a Tree’s Rooted Life [Illustrations by Kusum Chamoli]

You may be very proud of the fact that the orange tree in your garden only comes up to your shoulders, but that is just one part of the tree that you see. Sometimes a tree’s roots, beneath the soil, are much bigger than the parts you see above the ground. It is with these roots a tree looks for water that gives it life, and makes its leaves look shiny, bright and healthy. In fact the leaves need to take in a lot of water to stay that way.

Chained Inmates of an Asylum burnt to Death

Sat, 24 Dec 2005 17:44:24 +0000

August 8: In a gruesome tragedy, 26 mentally challenged persons were burnt to death in Yerwadi, Tamil Nadu. When the fire broke out, the patients, who were chained to posts, in a makeshift asylum, were unable to escape. Eleven of the patients were women.

Chained Inmates of an Asylum burnt to Death []

Taking serious note of the fire, the Supreme Court issued notices to the central and the Tamil Nadu governments seeking a report on the Yerwadi fire. The Court said the tragedy “raised questions concerning human rights of inmates of a mental asylum”.

Photocopies of babies

Thu, 11 Aug 2005 09:51:52 +0000

August 18: Who would have thought that humans can be ‘photocopied’ like documents? But, it is happening and the brain behind the whole act, Severino Antiniro, an Italian doctor is all set to create the first ‘photocopy’ babies of the world, reports say.

Though the doctor seems confident, his experiment could result in a Jurassic Park-like disaster, experts say. The child produced thus may have physical or mental disabilities, they say.
That does not seem to have hampered Antiniro’s plans. Nor has the fact that almost every country in the world is against the idea.

Polite Police

Mon, 16 Oct 2000 08:42:10 +0000

July 8: Very soon, a banner will appear in the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport in Delhi. It will read:

The Tourist Police
For you, with you,
Always.

But, most people are scared that it might actually mean “The Tourist Police, For you, with you, after you, Always.

Polite Police [Illustration by Sudheer Nath]

Disappointed with the police force and its rude ways of dealing with the public, the Ministry of Tourism now wants to have its own police force, says a report in ‘The Indian Express’ newspaper.

Margaret Sanger

Thu, 28 Jan 1999 07:33:12 +0000

Born into an Irish working class family on Sept 14, 1879 in Corning, New York, Margaret Sanger is known for her crusade to legalise birth control which later spurred the movement for women’s liberalisation. As a young girl Margaret witnessed her mother’s slow death worn out after 18 pregnancies and 11 live births. Later while working as a nurse and midwife in the poorest neighbourhoods of New York city before World War I she saw women deprived of their health, sexuality and ability to care for children already born. She was appalled at the death from self-induced abortions.

Dancing to Glory

Thu, 10 Oct 2002 11:56:59 +0000

It was a children’s dance-drama festival with a difference. At New Delhi’s LTG Auditorium recently, a group of ‘disabled’ children left the audience spellbound with their natural, joyful performances. Some of the children could not hear, others could not see or had difficulty walking. And still others were grappling with mental challenges. But that was no dampener to their spirits as they performed to an appreciative audience of eager parents, teachers and children.

Dancing to Glory

The Annual Inter School Dance-Drama Festival saw over 300 children from 20 schools all over Delhi, participate in the event. What was important was the manner in which all of them overcame their challenges to become performers with joyous abandon.

Bead Calculator

Mon, 27 May 2002 08:28:03 +0000

November 18: Quick! Tell me what you get when you divide the number 992.587318, by 5,647.723? Stumped? Need a calculator? Well, thirteen-year-old Hiroaki Tsuchiya of Japan arrived at the answer in no time at a mental mathematics tournament in Kyoto: the right answer – 0.17575000013279688115015555826658. And, he did it without a calculator, too!

Bead Calculator [Illustration by Sudheer Nath]

Hiroaki is adept at mental arithmetic multiplying, dividing, adding or subtracting large numbers that would make an accountant’s head spin. An Associated Press report that appeared in ‘The Asian Age’ says that Hiroaki is not the only one with such ability. For centuries, merchants, students and thousands of ordinary people throughout Asia have been calculating dizzying rows of numbers, using the same technique that Hiroaki has.

The Day it Rained Fish

Tue, 20 Nov 2001 16:30:18 +0000

August 12: Last weekend saw some ‘fishy’ happenings across the world.

In Britain, for example, it rained fish.

The Day it Rained Fish [Illustration by Shiju George]

It happened in Great Yarmouth, a fishing port in Norfolk. Residents found a shower of dead but still fresh fish called sprats raining down on them. “I thought at first I might have had something wrong with my eyes. The whole of my backyard seemed to be covered in little slivers,” said a resident to ‘The Times of India’, which carried a report.

The Tree is an Invisible Heater

Sun, 17 Sep 2000 14:36:46 +0000

Have you ever noticed that bare winter tree in your garden, in the park or in school? Without leaves the tree looks so cold and dry, but surprise of surprises, it keeps the grass below warm. So much so that the tiny blades never get any frost on them.

In contrast, grass in parks without trees to protect them are usually in white frosty disguise in winters. Why is that so?

You would never believe it but that leafless tree acts like a heater to the grass below. It would not be so surprising if we knew that everything on this earth gives off heat or light energy in the form of waves.

Here's Lucy

Sat, 23 May 1998 16:28:34 +0000

Some of you must have watched I Love Lucy, a popular serial on television featuring the wonderful scatter-brained redhead named Lucy. The show is a perennial favourite of people around the globe and its lead character, Lucy, is one of the most popular comedienne the world has seen.

Lucille Desiree Ball was born on August 6, 1911, in Celoron, New York. She modelled as a teenager, winning national exposure as the Chesterfield Cigarette Girl in 1933. This success led to her first movie role, as a chorus girl in Roman Scandals (1934). From the early 1930s through the late 1940s, Ball appeared in over 60 films, most of whom were low-budget.

AHA! Books: Manjula Padmanabhan

Tue, 07 Oct 1997 09:11:40 +0000

Award-winning writer, playwright, artist, cartoonist and illustrator, Manjula Padmanabhan has published 21 books for children. She lists out her 10 all-time favourite children’s books and series, for Pitara’s A-Ha list.

List of Ten:
It’s not possible to make a list of “Ten Favourite” children’s books, without including whole series! So that’s what I’ve done. I’ve confined myself to those books that I read in childhood, which means I can’t include the recent children’s books I’ve read — such as Harry Potter (three books, the remaining four are feverishly awaited), the Animorph series (all 31!) and the Golden Compass (three books, the last is yet to be published). I love to read good children’s books and feel as strongly about them as I do about adults’ books.

Gandhi's School is Dying

Tue, 04 Jun 2002 12:54:26 +0000

Where: Wardha district in the western state of Maharashtra, India

October 6 : Every year, October 2 is observed as Gandhi Jayanti in India. Both children and adults look forward to this day, but not to commemorate the birth of ’the greatest Indian since the Buddha, as Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi has been called. It is more to enjoy the national holiday that falls on this day.

To most people Gandhi Jayanti is more like a history lesson they learnt by rote in school. There is very little that is remembered of the principles he stood for, beyond the standard one liners like “simple living, high thinking, and non violence”.

The 24-hour Film!

Fri, 22 Mar 2002 16:48:34 +0000

Guess how long it takes to make a feature film, say like Star Wars or The Sixth Sense? Nothing less than three to four months! And that’s rushing it through. And if it’s a musical or action film, it will take longer as you add in rehearsal time.

Hollywood makes something like 250 films a year and that’s counting foreign language films too. However, the largest film producing country in the world is India with over 700 feature films a year and in 16 Indian languages. Imagine each film studio juggling artists, cameras, sets, directors, stuntmen and others day after day! How confusing!

Puzzling it Out

Thu, 21 Sep 2000 10:55:53 +0000

Around The World in 80 Puzzles
Written by Helene Hovanec

Published by Scholastic India Pvt. Ltd.

Puzzling it Out []

Take a trip around the world through the puzzles in this book. Fill in the blank with an alphabet or complete a crossword, write two words by writing just one alphabet or cross out some words and read the rest to find the right answer. A very exciting book for those of you who like solving puzzles.

Danglers for your Car

Mon, 24 Jul 2000 18:44:51 +0000

Some use them as good luck charms — the danglers hanging from the rear view mirror of the car. Some like to see a nice decoration. Many prefer to buy these danglers but it is possible to make the most interesting and whacky danglers at home.

The things you need:

Danglers for your Car [Illustrations by Sudheer Nath]

Coloured beeds, thick wire and flat buttons.

Paris is Bugged by Termites!

Wed, 05 Dec 2001 13:47:45 +0000

Recently Parisians have been facing quite a bit of trouble; bookshop owners live in mortal terror of their precious books disintegrating, while owners of wooden houses are constantly worrying that their homes might collapse into a pile of rubble.

Strangely enough, the cause of all this problem is really teeny. In fact the culprit that has most of Paris, France, upset is able to squeeze through an opening as small as 1/32 of an inch! Not so terrifying after all, but then these creatures live in gigantic colonies – consisting of more than a million members and love munching on wood and paper.

Latecomers Out

Wed, 08 Aug 2001 23:33:55 +0000

August 19: What happens when guests come late to school functions in the city of Surat, Gujarat? They are not invited a second time round. No prizes for guessing the identity of these guests – the city’s politicians, of course.

Latecomers Out [Illustration by Sudheer Nath]

Politicians who come late to functions in Surat, known as the diamond city for its thriving trade in the precious stone, are a worried lot today. They are no longer invited to be chief guests at school functions in the city.

A Battle Well Fought

Thu, 06 May 2004 12:28:34 +0000

June 2: In the war against AIDS, they don’t come any tougher than Xolani Nkosi, better known as Nkosi Johnson since his adoption by a white family. In his short life, he had become one of South Africa’s youngest and boldest campaigners fighting for the rights of AIDS affected people to be accepted by society.

At 5:40 am on June 1, he finally lost the battle. Now, there’s nothing more the doctors can do for him. The virus had damaged his brain, making him unable to speak or eat.

Human Robots

Sat, 13 Sep 2003 20:50:13 +0000

Human Robots [Illustration by Shinod AP]

March 27: At one time we considered robots as machines to do our work. But now we have begun to think of them differently. We want them to be more human than humans themselves! Or else why would the Japanese have designed a new robot to help humans interact with each other?

One significant feature of most industrialised societies in the developed world is the breaking-up of the family and the rise of individualism.

IMAX the High-Tech Theatre

Tue, 03 Jul 2001 13:13:51 +0000

If you thought watching Jurassic Park in your local theatre was a fantastic experience…you haven’t seen anything yet! Imagine being surrounded by dinosaurs ten times larger than the regular movie-screen dinosaurs. For that is exactly what an IMAX screen will show. The IMAX theatre is all set to give ‘watching films on the big screen’ a whole new meaning.

IMAX the High-Tech Theatre [Illustration by Navin Pangti]

IMAX is coined from the word ‘maximum Image’. The images on the giant dome screen enlarges the size of the picture and the impact of sight and sound envelopes the audience, providing an amazing sense of involvement by putting them in the centre of action. So whether it is climbing Mt Everest, or exploring the lush Amazonian rainforest – you will feel that you are part of the action.

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]

Mr Fly Rubs his Hands with Glee

Mon, 01 Jan 2001 18:32:25 +0000

Have you seen a housefly rubbing its hands together? It is almost as if it were washing its hands. It actually is. Not with water though.

When the housefly rubs its hands together, it is cleaning them. And, if you have the food it has cleaned itself on, you are in for a bad time. Nothing can save you from a bout of diarrhoea or dysentery after that.

Mr Fly Rubs his Hands with Glee [Illustration by Shridevi]

The whole body of the housefly, including claws and padded feet, is covered with sharp hairs. When it feeds on something, a part of it sticks to its hairs. And that needs to be cleaned. In the process of cleaning, it drops hundreds of germs that it has gathered while feeding on garbage or sewage. When it rubs its hands in glee, it is almost as if it were celebrating the completion of its mission — the mission of contaminating food.

Cigarette Packs that Talk

Mon, 27 Nov 2000 17:32:16 +0000

Cigarette smoking is injurious to health – everyone knows that. Well, till a few decades ago, people were unaware that smoking could cause lung and heart diseases and cigarette packs never had a warning on them, like they do now.

In recent years, research has shown that smoking is dangerous and it has now been made compulsory for all cigarette manufacturers to have what is known as, a ‘statutory warning’ printed on the cover. It states that ‘cigarette smoking is injurious to health’.

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!

Going Bananas

Mon, 11 May 1998 05:09:01 +0000

Where: Taiwan

July 7, 2000: The military force of the Asian country of Taiwan was put on a very important job last week. They were ordered by the government to eat as many bananas as possible.

The members of government did the same thing. They stood outside their parliament and munched bananas for a long time. Journalists from newspapers, radio and television were there to see their cheeks puff as they bit into one banana after another.

The Great Barrier Reef

Thu, 19 Feb 1998 04:20:42 +0000

The Great Barrier Reef [Illustration by Shinod A.P.]

The Great Barrier Reef, which lies off the coast of Australia, is the world’s largest coral reef. It stretches 2010 kilometres along the north-east coast of Australia. Many kinds of corals grow here. Some pink, some orange, some bright blue and some yellow.

It is like a great underwater garden. Bright coloured fishes and plants live around the turquoise waters of the reef. The starfish are the reef’s most dangerous enemies and they cannot be destroyed.

Hockey Heroines

Mon, 26 Mar 2007 11:03:03 +0000

Where: India

September 12, 2007 : I must confess that I got interested in the Indian women’s hockey team after watching the film Chak De! India . But unlike many friends who kept talking about the bright actors in the film thinking they were actually discussing the game of hockey, I did some reading up on the hockey team. To tell you the truth it was as captivating, if not more, than the film.

Since this is a news item, let me give you the ‘hard’ news first. The Indian women’s team played in the Sixth Asia Cup hockey championship in Hong Kong early this month. This tournament is held once every four years and the Indian women had won it in 2003. But several players who had been in the team for a long time have bowed out. This is a young team. they played well but had to be content with the fourth spot.

The Gift of Wonder

Fri, 22 Dec 2000 09:04:06 +0000

Eleven years ago, under the sequinned sky on a warm summer day, on the roof of his palatial home in the town of Vrindaban, my grandfather introduced me to wonder. As I lay on a mattress surrounded members of the family, my grandfather or “Nana” as I used to call him, asked me to look at the sky and try to spot the patterns and the constellations. “What does that look like?” he would ask, pointing to the Little Bear. “Um, a cart?” I would hesitantly venture. And he would chuckle and acknowledge what I had seen. He never denied my experiences. If it was a cart I said I had seen, as far as he was concerned, it was a cart.

Honey, what about it?

Wed, 01 Nov 2006 14:59:55 +0000

Where: the eastern state of Orissa,India

July 19: Banjipali village stands on a hill surrounded by forest. It is a very small village, with about 150 people. They are mostly poor tribals from the Binjhal community. For years they have suffered from a water shortage and from the fact that it is very easy for the world to forget about small villages tucked away in some forest. So they decided to take matters in their hands and came up with a very sweet idea.

Paper Chains

Mon, 24 Sep 2001 12:15:52 +0000

Diwali is that time of year when markets get flooded with decorations. You could buy them or perhaps try and make them on your own.

Paper Chains [Illustrations by Shiju George]

All you need is:

Crepe paper or Glossy paper.
Scissors.
Colours.
Adhesive.

Step 1: Take a sheet of paper, nine inches square. Fold it diagonally into two. You will get a triangle like the one in the illustration.

The Walnut Tortoise

Mon, 27 Mar 2000 01:58:08 +0000

The tortoises are simple to make and you can have great fun playing with them.

The things you need:

The Walnut Tortoise [Illustrations by Sudheer Nath]

Walnut, card sheet, pencil, eraser, scissors, glue and colours.

Step 1. Break a walnut into two. Atleast one shell should be perfect.

Step 2. Put the shell, dome side up on the card sheet. Draw out the legs, mouth and tail of the tortoise.

The Priest's Successor

Thu, 08 Jul 1999 03:09:22 +0000

There was once a famous temple, high up in the hills of Assam. The priest of this temple was widely respected and known to be a great scholar. When he grew very old, he started searching for a younger priest who could take charge of the temple after his death. But, much to his dismay, he could not find any suitable person. As the priest lay on his deathbed, he called the trustee of the temple and told him, “After my death, make sure that only a “human being” replaces me as priest of this temple.” Saying that the priest died.

Prabhu and the Prawns

Sun, 25 May 2003 08:54:13 +0000

The still, muddy water glistened with oil. There were no signs of any
life as Prabhu stood by the side of the narrow canal and squinted hard,
anxiously searching the depths of the murky pool. But the slick surface
made it hard for him to see anything beneath the surface.

Fear crossed the eight-year-old’s face. If he couldn’t find what he was
looking for, there would be no meal tonight.

Prabhu and the Prawns [Illustration by Anup Singh]

Prabhu is a shrimp seed collector. Every morning, he trudges nearly three kilometres to reach a shrimp farm in Nellore district in Andhra Pradesh. There he picks out tiny, baby shrimps called seeds from small, saline pools where they are grown, and transfers them to huge reservoirs.

The Girl who Won the Boys Chess Title

Sat, 24 Feb 2001 04:13:39 +0000

Koneru Humpy will win many chess titles in her career. After each title she
will also get many phone calls congratulating her. But there is one phone call
she will never forget. It is the call she got from Viswanathan Anand, after she won the World Chess Championship title in the under-12 category, last year. The championship was held in Spain.

In the year 2000, the smiling young curly-haired girl from Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, created another record. Koneru Humpy, who turned 13 on March 31 that year, became the first Indian female player to win a National Boys title. She won the under-14 boys title in the National Children Chess Championship for the year 2000. The contest was held at the Karnavati Club, in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

Take me Too

Mon, 07 Dec 1998 18:51:02 +0000

Oh camel with a humpy back
Do take me for a ride
You’re so strong! For don’t you cross
The sandy desert wide?

Take me too when you go next
For I would love to see
The desert and an oasis
Which are unknown to me!

Take me Too [Illustration by Sudheer Nath]

Ralegan: The story of a rural dream come true

Mon, 23 Feb 2004 19:56:49 +0000

Ralegan is a small village with a total population of around 2,300. It has developed by leaps and bounds in a period of 20 years. The five principles adopted by this village are nashabandhi (non-addiction), nasbandhi, charbandhi, khurabandhi and shramadan.

This village has attained worldwide recognition. During the 70’s, Ralegan was beset with a number of problems. Since it is located in the low-rainfall zone of Maharashtra, it had to face a severe water shortage, due to which farmers were forced to have only one crop in a year. The villagers migrated from one place to another in search of work.

A School for Dreamers

Mon, 19 Aug 2002 22:06:03 +0000

A school for dreamers? Teachers who help you build castles in the air?

But such a school does exist. Here children have their heads in the clouds, but their feet planted firmly on the ground.

Well, not quite planted. The mighty leaps into the air and well-aimed kicks during the ‘kalaripayittu’ class are the envy of any acrobat. (Kalaripayittu, an ancient martial art of Kerala, is the mother of all martial arts in the world).

The Emperor who Won a Toy in a Fight

Sat, 29 Dec 2001 19:07:49 +0000

Akbar was three years old in 1545. He was then staying with his uncle Kamran. On a special day, there was a feast. And Kamran had bought a kettle drum for his son, Ibrahim Mirza. Akbar took a fancy to it and decided he must have it.

Ibrahim Mirza, who was older than Akbar, was not in a mood to part with his toy. So he set a condition. He suggested a wrestling match. Whoever won would take the toy. The future emperor agreed at once. One doesn’t know if he gave any thought to the fact that his cousin was older and physically bigger than him. He rolled up his sleeves and prepared for the wrestling bout.

Bungee

Wed, 08 Aug 2001 22:01:21 +0000

Standing on the edge of a platform looking 150 feet straight down at the river below I thought to myself, how did I get roped into this mess? Do I really want to go ahead with this foolishness? Shouldn’t I be back with my feet firmly planted on the ground?

I was standing on the platform of a 100-ft high bridge. My fingers tightly holding the rails in a death grip. I was about to do a bungee jump because I had boasted to Himakar, my cousin, I could do anything he could. At that time didn’t take into account such craziness. Then I was full of false courage and so I let my cousin arrange for this jump on a lazy Sunday morning. He had fixed it with a local sports operator.

Rocky Planet of Fire and Ice

Tue, 13 Mar 2001 01:36:33 +0000

Would you believe it? The soft sand that we sink into on the beach is actually rock? Sand is what a rock becomes after years of being worn down by rivers. Years of sea waves crashing against huge rocks and cliffs makes rocks break into small particles. And ultimately, they end up as sand. The colours of sands — yellow, red, grey, black — depend on the kind of rock it comes from. Sometimes desert sand is carried by winds across great distances, to seasides, increasing the amount of sand in the sea.

Man who was a mountain

Sat, 22 Apr 2006 19:50:39 +0000

Where: state of Bihar, India

August 19, 2007: It’s the kind of superhuman deed that seems so hard to believe because it is true. One man hacked away at a rocky hill for 22 years to create a three-km-long road linking his village to the outside world, armed with nothing more than a hammer and a chisel. What drove the frail man on was a resolve much higher than the hill facing him.

His name: Dasrath Manjhi.

High-tech Crane Migration

Fri, 14 Dec 2001 13:53:49 +0000

As winter sets in, millions of birds leave their nests in the northern hemisphere and head towards warmer lands in the south. During spring, they once again wing their way back to their original nesting grounds. This yearly ritual is known as migration.

While some birds are great travellers, flying from one country to another; others merely flap down from the high mountains to sheltered valleys for the winter. The Arctic tern (of North America) is the hardiest traveller of all. Each year, these birds fly as far south as Antarctica and back, covering a mind-boggling distance of 29,000 kms.

Rats! Rats! Rats!

Thu, 22 Feb 2001 10:08:43 +0000

Rats here, rats there, rats everywhere!

In the kitchen, in the storage cupboards, in shops, in restaurants, all over the place.

People in Paris have no respite. The rat population has suddenly grown in such large numbers that Paris may soon need a Pied Piper to weed them out of the city.

Rats! Rats! Rats! []

The rat boom happened because of a new underground railway system. When work began on the railway system, workmen began digging the ground to make tunnels for the trains. In the process, they broke hordes of rats’ houses and drove them away from the ground.

Making Friends and keeping them

Fri, 05 May 2000 23:47:54 +0000

Making Friends and keeping them []

Coping With Friends
Written by Peter Corey
Illustrations by Martin Brown
Published by Scholastic India Pvt. Ltd.

You must have often wondered if only you had known how to handle that bossy friend of yours in school, you wouldn’t have to run away from her every time you met. Well, blame it on the fact that you didn’t have a ‘how-to’ book on coping with friends all this while. Today you can, however, be wiser by referring to Coping With Friends. You’ll love this book for its hilarious sense of humour and outrageous fun.

In a Minute

Mon, 17 Aug 1998 06:18:20 +0000

In a Minute []

There’s a flower found in the jungles of Africa that changes its colour seven times in one minute! It is known as the ‘Rainbow’ by the people there.

Light travels a distance of 18,00,00,000 kilometres in one minute, which means 30,00,000 kilometres in a second!

There’s a fish found in the waters of the Amazon river which can gulp down 250 fish, big and small, in one minute!

Barack Obama Sworn In As 44th American President

Mon, 18 Jun 2007 18:56:50 +0000

Where: Washington, DC, U.S.A.

January 20, 2009 : Barack Obama became the first African-American President of the U.S.A. in a year which is also the 200th birth anniversary of Abraham Lincoln, the President who abolished slavery in that country. African-Americans first went to America as slaves, and they did not have the same rights as white people even as recently as the middle years of the twentieth century.

Despite freezing weather conditions and high security, a record number of people (over a million) gathered outside Washington D.C.’s Capitol building to witness the inauguration. The President was sworn in on an outdoor platform of the Capitol, in keeping with tradition. He chose to take oath with his hand on the same Bible that President Lincoln had used on his inauguration in 1861. The crowds waved American flags and cheered wildly in a jubilant atmosphere. The American people seemed to be expressing the hope that President Obama would pull their country out of its terrible economic crisis, out of the controversial war in Iraq, and into a new era of peace and prosperity. The event was watched live by millions of television viewers all over the world.

Summer

Tue, 22 Feb 2000 07:57:05 +0000

Summer [Illustrations by Kusum Chamoli]

What a time the summer brings
Heat and sweat and iced up drinks
Some fruit sour and some so sweet
Things made up to meet the heat

Mangoes from the north and south
A mango to fill each waiting mouth
Apricots, cherries and juicy litchees
Melons, berries and lovely peaches

Out of the heat, away from the sun
Play, swim, splash – oh water’s fun
Short dark nights and bright long days
Such are some of summer’s ways

Little Heroes

Fri, 17 Jan 2003 02:40:37 +0000

January 31: Four-year old Parul Mishra of Lucknow (right) walked over a burning bed of coal to save her little friend Priyanka, who had accidentally fallen into it. Twelve-year old Sunil Singh and 13-year old Mukesh Kumar of Doda district, Kashmir, foiled a militant attack on their village.

Two brothers, Prince and Ashish Kumar of Gaya district, Bihar, fought a dangerous gang of dacoits who had stormed into their house. Parul, Sunil, Mukesh, Prince and Ashish are ordinary children, but for one trait. They are extraordinarily courageous.

Dot 2 Dot

Mon, 21 Sep 1998 02:15:18 +0000

How to solve the Dot 2 Dot:
Using a pencil, draw a line, connecting number “1” or alphabet “a” to the last character in the series to create the hidden image. One can always use the image later for colouring.

Note: This is an offline activity. You may need to print this page in order to solve the puzzle.

Join the dots and you will know the number of apples in this picture.

It took an hour for Mrs Batliwala to decide on her meal. Now that the food has arrived, let’s find out what has brought a smile on her face.

Flightless Mosquitoes the Solution to Dengue Fever?

Sat, 05 Jun 2010 19:41:21 +0000

Where: Oxford, United Kingdom

February 27, 2010 :Scientists have come up with a novel method to tackle the menace of dengue fever. They propose to breed mosquitoes that cant fly. The plan is to genetically alter the male of the species. These males will father a new generation of female mosquitoes with limited wing growth. The females will continue to transmit these genes, but only to female offspring. The male offspring will remain unaffected. Scientists feel this is a safe way to fight the spread of dengue – safer than the use of insecticides. The chief researcher Luke Alphey of the University of Oxford said,“The technology is completely species-specific, as the released males will mate only with females of the same species.”

Every dog has his bark

Wed, 09 Nov 2005 11:34:33 +0000

August 17: The next time your pooch goes ‘woof’, listen closely. He could be saying “I’m hungry”, or “You’d better take me for a walk fast, or I’m going to do it right here on the carpet.”

Japan’s third-largest toymaker, Takara Co. Ltd, has just launched a hand-held electronic device that gauges a dog’s moods by listening to its bark.

Every dog has his bark []

The ‘Bow-lingual’ has a mike attached to the collar which sends a voice print via infra-red beams to the owner’s canine emotion pager, which has a small liquid crystal display that shows how the dog feels.

Pushkar Lake Water or Sugarcane Juice?

Tue, 29 Apr 2003 20:14:14 +0000

May 19: If you take a glass of water from the famous Pushkar lake in Rajasthan, it looks like sugarcane juice. But, that is where the simile ends. It is neither sweet, nor does it smell fresh.

It has a rotten smell and you will not feel like tasting it. Plus, it has fish bones and mud in it – because, in the past two weeks, 200 fish weighing between 5-20 kilograms have died in the brown depths due to lack of life-sustaining oxygen, The Indian Express newspaper reports.

Many Ramayanas

Thu, 05 Dec 2002 00:18:49 +0000

Once, Aristotle, the famous ancient Greek philosopher, asked an old carpenter how long he had used his knife. Thirty years, the carpenter replied. He had changed a blade a few times and the handle a few times, but the knife was the same, added the carpenter.

Something similar has happened to the Indian epic, Ramayana. Writers in different places and in different languages, have composed the Ramayana down the ages. They carry with them the flavours of local cultures, and each one proudly takes its place in the gallery of Ramayanas.

Why does a Kentish Plover Parent Desert its Family?

Wed, 27 Feb 2002 19:03:49 +0000

When couples exchange vows on the marriage day, they generally say ’till death do us part’. For a species of shore-dwelling bird called the Kentish Plover, it is ’till divorce do us part'.

Indeed, birds of this species usually leave their partners after the incubation (hatching) of the eggs and usually it is the female who moves on, while the male stays on to look after the babies. A recent study conducted by Andras Kosztolanyi of the University of Debrecen, in Hungary, sheds light on the reason behind this behaviour.

Answering Nature's Call in Peace

Tue, 30 Oct 2001 12:48:31 +0000

August 5: If the children feel like relieving themselves, they go to the nearby drain or the fields beyond. For their mothers and sisters, matters are even worse. They have
to wait for night to fall. They can attend nature’s call only under the cover of darkness. As if they were committing a crime.

But now things are changing for the 1000 odd residents of Karuvettupatai in Tiruchi district, Tamil Nadu.

Answering Nature’s Call in Peace [Illustration by Shiju George]

Gramalaya, a local nongovernment organisation, has constructed toilets for them. And there are special models for children. These are perhaps the first child-friendly
toilets in the country, says a report in ‘The Indian Express’.

Call them Together

Thu, 12 Apr 2001 14:27:07 +0000

When there is one of them we call it by its name but when they are in a group we give them a special name. Let’s take a look at a few of the animal groups.

Easy to Draw – 8

Tue, 08 Aug 2000 11:35:48 +0000

There can be so many figures hidden in a single alphabet. All you need is a little imagination.

Easy to Draw – 8 []

The Boy Who writes with His Feet

Sun, 20 Apr 2003 08:25:31 +0000

March 7: Sujit Dawn of Sehera Bazar town in Burdwan district, West Bengal, is taking the madhyamik (middle-level) or Class X Board Examinations this year. If he passes, he goes on to senior school.

But there is something about Sujit that makes him different from the other boys taking the exams. He is writing the exams with his feet.

Sujit is physically challenged. The only son of Swapan (a timber merchant) and Putul Dawn, he was born without hands and learnt to write by holding the pen between his right toes. His ambition is to become a teacher, says a report in

Rats

Sun, 15 Jul 2001 03:08:12 +0000

Excerpts from ‘Rats’. First published by Vigyan Prasar, India

Now at this time there was a great plague of rats in the London Docks. They were specially fierce rats, whose ancestors had come on steamers from Hong Kong along with tea and ginger and silk and rice. These rats ate all sorts of food which are brought to London in ships because we cannot grow enough food in England to feed all the people here. They are wheat from Canada and cheese from Holland, and mutton from New Zealand and beef from Argentina. They bit out pieces from the middle of Persian carpets to line their nests, and wiped their feet on silk coats from China.

Tools we Use

Tue, 08 May 2001 08:21:01 +0000

You may have used some of these tools yourself or seen others use them. See if you can identify them correctly.

Singing Sensations

Fri, 12 Jan 2001 02:50:47 +0000

They have captured millions of hearts with their songs. Let’s see how abreast you are with the happenings in the music world.

The Magnetic Fish Bowl

Thu, 11 Nov 1999 02:05:16 +0000

This unusual fishing game is simple to assemble and great fun to play. And you won’t have to worry about pulling poor live fish out of the water.

Items required:

The Magnetic Fish Bowl []

Four to six magnets (one for each player; magnets can be found at any hardware shop),
paper clips, stickytape, four to six thin nine-inch sticks (one for each player; unsharpened pencil work really well), a large bowl of water, aluminium foil, string and scissors.

Rahman Bags Double Grammy Honour for India

Thu, 25 Nov 2010 15:08:30 +0000

Where: Los Angeles, USA

January 31, 2010 : A.R. Rahman, one of India’s most well-loved music composers, won international recognition with two Grammy awards. Last year, he had won the Oscar for his music in the hit film Slumdog Millionaire. This year, he had his first Grammy win. He picked up two awards: one for the ‘best compilation soundtrack for a motion picture’ (Slumdog Millionaire) and the other for ‘Best Motion Picture Song’ for the song ‘Jai Ho’ from the same film. In the best song category Rahman beat singer Bruce Springsteen and his song ‘The Wrestler’ from the movie of the same name. The modest Rahman said, “This is insane, God is great again”.

Alive! American Plane Makes Miracle Crash-landing on Hudson River

Fri, 30 Nov 2007 08:07:08 +0000

Where: New York, USA

January 16, 2009 : There were 150 passengers, three flight attendants and two pilots on board US Airways flight 1549. The plane, an Airbus 320, was on its way to Charlotte in the state of North Carolina from New York’s LaGuardia Airport. Less than a minute after take-off, the pilot reported a ‘double bird strike’ – meaning that birds, probably a flock of geese, had hit both the plane’s jet engines. Passengers could soon see flames near the engines, and they smelt fuel, while power went off inside the cabin. The pilot asked and received permission from ground control to land at the nearest airport. However, the aircraft was losing altitude, and he decided to ‘ditch’, or land in water.

Women's hockey steals the show!

Sun, 12 Feb 2006 14:42:04 +0000

The year was 2002. The Commonwealth Games were on in Manchester, England. A nail-biting hockey final was being played out between the women’s hockey teams of favourites England and underdog India. England had defeated the reigning world and Olympic champions Australia to reach the final. India had come from nowhere to defeat stronger teams like New Zealand, South Africa and South Korea to meet England for the decisive match on England’s home ground.

Picture the scene now. Hosts England play a fast game from the word go – “attacking” game as sportswriters put it. But the first goal is scored by Indian striker Mamta Kharab in the first half. Then Sita Gossain scores one more goal. India is jubilant. However, before the first half ends, a determined England captain Sarah Banks puts in a goal.

Bidriware

Mon, 10 Jun 2002 03:54:40 +0000

_Pallo latke gori ko pallo latke…_The music of this famous Rajasthani folk song filled the air at the Crafts Museum in New Delhi where I went one Monday afternoon. Sitting in the verandah were rows of people who had displayed their work. What work it was too! My heart soared looking at all the things that they had crafted.

It was all so beautiful that I could not help but talk to the artisans who had created them. That is when I met Shyamala, the bidri maker. She sat in a corner with the pallu of her sari over her head, fanning herself to get some relief from the searing heat. There was no customer with her at that time, so I took the opportunity for a little chitchat with her.

Badminton champs in the spotlight

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 04:41:11 +0000

Hyderabad Hurricane – Saina Nehwal

No, this is not a spelling mistake. We are not writing about Sania Mirza and her achievements in tennis. In this piece we are writing about the latest sensation on the badminton courts, Saina Nehwal. In 2006, Saina became the first Indian woman to win a badminton tournament with a four-star rating. Ranked 86 in the world, she defeated Julia Xian Pei Wong of Malaysia who was ranked number 4 in the tournament. The event was the Philippines Open. Saina was 16 years old. On the way to the title Saina had beaten world number 4, Xu Huaiwen.

Going to School

Fri, 09 Feb 2001 02:38:09 +0000

I am sharing a small, yet the most important part of my life, with you. You may think “What the dickens have we got to do with her life?” After all, even I used to think the same way when I was a child but sometimes other’s lives can be interesting depending on how you see it.

I can’t forget the date. It was January 25th, 1987. The temperature was around 5 degree Celsius in Moradabad, my hometown, in India. I was wrapped up in my quilt, feeling warm and cozy when somebody pulled me out of my warm cocoon. This heartless creature was the one and the only person who dared do this – MOM!

Waters of Civilisation

Tue, 28 Nov 2000 15:17:39 +0000

Cities and countries have a deep relationship with the rivers and seas that they are flanked by. See how many of them you can identify.

How Fast can you Think?

Mon, 15 May 2000 23:49:16 +0000

How Fast can you Think? []

Absolutely Mental 1
Written by Rowland Morgan

Illustrations by Mike Phillips
Published by Scholastic India Pvt. Ltd.

Do you have what it takes to keep your head when it really counts? This puzzle book by Rowland Morgan will indeed help you discover that. A puzzle book with a difference, it is bound to appeal to the pre-teens and above – including adults!

Chun Mun's Friends

Wed, 04 Jun 1997 17:34:57 +0000

There was once a little girl called Chun Mun. She lived in a village close to the forest. Everyday Chun Mun would go into the forest and learn music from her friends there – the birds and animals. But one of her friends Chintu, the black ant, would always be very busy and would have no time for such beautiful things. Nevertheless he was very curious to know what Chun Mun did in the forest. So one Sunday, when Chintu had no work to do, he asked Chun Mun –

My Hut

Sun, 12 Aug 2001 15:34:40 +0000

My Hut [Illustrations by Anup Singh]

All you need is:

Square sheet of paper.
Colours.

Fold the paper as shown in each of the figures.

The hut that you have made looks unfurnished. Use some good colours to paint it.

Know your World-2

Fri, 31 Jul 1998 07:06:43 +0000

Which is the Land of the Thunderbolt and which is the Land of Cakes? Take a trip around the world in this quiz.

Guns everywhere

Wed, 01 Nov 2006 13:05:13 +0000

Where: The southern state of Virginia, United States

April 19, 2007: April 16 began like any other at Virginia Tech college. Some hours later, it turned into the most violent day that any American college had seen so far. A student armed with two guns went on a shooting spree, killing 32 people. The gunman’s bullets just did not seem to end. He fired in a dormitory as well as in a classroom. Finally, he shot himself.

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.”

Q is for Queue and not Queen any more

Tue, 26 Jun 2001 02:56:34 +0000

July 22: Ever found your school uniform displayed on the pages of your textbook?

Well, students of schools run by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), did. In a colourful English primer brought out by MCD a few days ago. It is called ‘My First Book’, says a report in ‘The Times of India’.

These students saw a picture of their school-uniform, telling them what the alphabet U stands for. Unlike other primers showing the boring old umbrella. Similarly, I is for ice cream and not inkpot. And every child knows what that is!

Richer or Poorer?

Sat, 10 Jan 1998 00:18:12 +0000

Second prize winner of Spin-A-Tale contest

Hello! My name is John! I used to be rich but I became poor. Here’s the story.

Richer or Poorer? [Illustration by Shinod A.P.]

Mom and dad said they wanted to go to Africa to donate rupees 4.5 crores (1 million dollars.) So, we went there. Almost all the taxis were gone. We caught one taxi and went to a very poor village to stay there for five days and to feel how it is to be poor. In one day, I met a boy named Jillyoin.

Winner Juice

Thu, 14 Nov 2002 08:46:25 +0000

Winner Juice [Illustration by Sudheer Nath]

October 28: Ask anyone who watched the recent Olympic Games, and they will tell you that it was the 28-year-old Japanese sportswoman, Naoko Takahashi, who won the women’s marathon.

But you could say that the race was won by giant killer hornets, whose stomach juices were drunk by the athlete to improve her stamina phenomenally.

A fascinating report by the ‘Telegraph Group’ of England, published in ‘The Hindu’ newspaper recently, stirred up a hornet’s nest in the world of sport with this announcement.

Do Computer Games Make You Violent?

Sun, 12 Aug 2001 12:25:03 +0000

August 12: Four children aged four and five were suspended from their nursery school in New Jersey, US, for using their fingers for guns in a game of cops and robbers. The children were heard shouting ‘I shot you’ and ‘Boom, boom’ during break time.

Do Computer Games Make You Violent? [Illustration by Kusum Chamoli]

“It may be just a game …but it can be taken differently by other children,” said school principal, Georgia Baumann. The incident was reported in the magazine Index, published from London.

The Master of 'Mithaai'

Sun, 25 Feb 2001 13:34:54 +0000

It was the summer of 1997. I was travelling through the villages of
West Bengal in search of the famed folk musicians of Bengal. They were simple people who journeyed from village to village, singing and performing.

But something happened along the way…

The afternoon sun was at its height when I reached Kankalitala, in the northwestern part of West Bengal. The temple in Kankalitala is very popular among the worshippers of Goddess Kali. The temple is located right next to a river called Kopai, a beautiful
silent river that is known to get naughty sometimes during the monsoons. There were very few people about, for almost all of Bengal sleeps in the afternoon.

To Russia with Love?

Thu, 13 Mar 2003 12:30:27 +0000

To Russia with Love? [Illustration by Shiju George]

November 25: Meet Tinky-Vinky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po. They are the Russian version of characters in Teletubbies, the British television series for toddlers. The four made an eagerly awaited debut amidst great hype and hoopla in Moscow. Their audience – 3,500 enthusiastic children.

The 365-episode series is not known as Teletubbies in Russia but by their Russian name Telepuziki or Telebellies. And they are going to be beamed into Russian homes by the state-run television, RTR, says an article in the ‘Indian Express’.

Camel's Milk and Pet Registration

Tue, 05 Mar 2002 01:12:30 +0000

November 24: Hey, how about trying camel’s milk instead of buffalo’s or cow’s milk with your porridge? Not very keen on the thought? Doesn’t sound appetising?

Did you know that many mothers, particularly in the rural regions of Rajasthan and Gujarat, offer camel’s milk to their children? Unlike cow’s milk, a camel’s milk is rather salty and very thick. But as far as being a source of nutrition is concerned, its benefits are considerably more than that of cow’s milk.

Books and Authors

Sun, 16 Jul 2000 07:40:54 +0000

Generations of youngsters have spent many a happy afternoon in the company of these writers and their magical words. Can you identify them?

Colourful Streamers

Sun, 28 Oct 2001 10:21:57 +0000

A simple way to make shining, colourful streamers.

Colourful Streamers [Illustrations by Shinod AP]

The things you need:

Sheets of thin, coloured paper
Scissors

Step 1: Make three folds in the paper as shown in the figure.

Step 2: Make slits at regular intervals all along the length of the paper (L1) without cutting the opposite length (L2).

Step 3: Now repeat the same procedure making slits from L2 towards L1. Again, be sure that L1 does not get cut.

India launches the Agni-III missile

Thu, 23 Mar 2006 22:07:22 +0000

Where: Balasore, Orissa, India

April 12, 2007: The newspapers have splashed the news across the front page. TV channels have gone ballistic. India today test fired a missile that can reach as far as the Chinese cities of Shanghai and Beijing and most of the region of West Asia. A missile is basically an object or weapon that is fired, thrown, dropped, or otherwise projected at a target. It could be as simple as a rock shot off with a catapult (where the rock is the missile) or a toy car zooming out of a launcher (where the toy car is the missile). TO send it on its way, scientists use a launcher that can give the missile enough push to cover a large distance.

Insensitivities of people

Tue, 17 Feb 2004 21:31:29 +0000

There are so many sensitivities and insensitivities taking place around us. In this project we have tried to discover few of them.

Indian sensitivities through our eyes:

Insensitivity on the roads:
So many accidents are taking place on Indian roads. Are we really sensitive towards those accident victims? Can a little help save those accident victims.

Sensitivity regarding sanitary conditions on roads:

Aren’t our roads acting as open toilets for men folk? Are we concerned only about the cleanliness of our homes. Are we really sensitive towards the cleanliness of our neighbourhood?

Acting Colour Blind?

Wed, 06 Mar 2002 12:09:19 +0000

October 6: England’s world-famous Royal Shakespeare Company has made a break with tradition. It has cast a black Nigerian actor, David Oyelowo, in the lead role of Henry VI, whose insanity unleashed a 30-year bloody civil war between two ruling parties, called the War of the Roses.

Acting Colour Blind? [Illustration by Anup Singh]

The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is one of the oldest and most prestigious theatre companies of the world. It has been staging the plays of Shakespeare for many years now. Plays by RSC are considered the last word in Shakespeare on stage.

His Master's Voice

Tue, 25 Dec 2001 12:50:37 +0000

Over seventy years ago, a 15-year-old boy recorded an anthem, ‘His Master’s Voice’. He never recorded another song after that but the enduring appeal of the song ensured the immortality of the composer to be etched in memory forever.

‘His Master’s Voice’ went on to become an instant hit. Did the boy then go on to make a lot of money in record deals? No. Unfortunately, it was not so easy to become rich then. No matter how talented one may be. So the boy continued to lead an ordinary middle-class life until his death. But his song continued to give pleasure to millions of people more than any pop song recorded by a teenage singing sensation.

Chintu Pintu Talk on the Net Again

Fri, 13 Apr 2001 01:42:14 +0000

Do you send E-mails to your friends? E-mails in which you write in words how you are feeling — happy or sad?

Do you want to surprise your friends by sending them an e-mail in a new language? The language of the Internet? If so, then read on to know what Chintu and Pintu write. Then, impress your friends!

Chintu: Hi Pintu!

Chintu Pintu Talk on the Net Again []

Pintu: Hullo Chintu!

Paper Bag Tiger

Wed, 04 Oct 2000 08:29:47 +0000

With more amd more people using paper bags instead of plastic ones, you can find one easily for your tiger puppet.

Paper Bag Tiger [Illustrations by Sudheer Nath]

The things you need:

Paper bag, paints and eyes.

Step 1. Take a paper bag and make the face of a Tiger using black paint.

Step 2. Paint the Tiger yellow.

Step 3. If you cannot imagine then see this picture and make the face accordingly.

Global Warming

Thu, 14 Aug 1997 19:44:43 +0000

Konish Biswas, a student of Standard VIII puts forth his views on a problem that is affecting the whole planet.

Nowadays as you know, there is a lot of pollution in the atmosphere. The level of carbon dioxide and other such gases (known as greenhouse gases) is rising. These gases trap the heat and do not let it escape from the atmosphere.

Global Warming [Illustration by Sudheer Nath]

When the presence of these gases goes beyond a level, the temperature rises. This happened to planet Venus and today, it has deadly clouds of carbon dioxide. Its atmosphere is blazing hot.

Green Protection for the Taj Mahal

Sun, 18 Nov 2007 08:40:29 +0000

Where: Agra, India

February 3, 2009 : ‘Ocimum tenuiflorum’ or ‘Ocimum sanctum’ is better known as Tulsi in Indian homes. It’s been used for centuries to prepare home remedies to cure coughs, colds and stomach disorders. It is used in Ayurvedic medicine, too. A tulsi plant, grown traditionally in many Indian gardens, is believed to purify the air around it. This has now been confirmed by environmentalists.

The Tulsi plant releases high amounts of oxygen into the atmosphere, and this reduces the harmful effects of industrial pollution.The Uttar Pradesh Forest Department, in collaboration with a Lucknow-based firm Organic India Private Ltd, has launched a program to plant one million Tulsi saplings around the Taj Mahal. The Taj, one of the seven wonders of the modern world, and one of India’s best loved monuments, is showing the ill-effects of chemical emissions. The surface of the white marble monument has been corroded by harmful chemicals released into the air from industries, especially refineries.

Where are the Children?

Sat, 22 Mar 2003 13:58:04 +0000

Where are the Children? [Illustration by Shinod AP]

April 21: Slavery was banned in south America several decades ago. But in west and central Africa, it still continues. Now, child slaves from poor African countries are being sold to the rich African countries.

Poor families sell their children to work for almost nothing in Gabon, a country in west Africa. Gabon is rich in oil. Despite international efforts to stop this trade, it continues, reports The Asian Age newspaper.

Life inside a Public Transport Vehicle

Tue, 14 Jan 2003 06:02:34 +0000

It’s interesting how people make use of the time they spend in travelling from home to office and back, in Indian cities like Delhi and Mumbai – especially if they happen to travel by public transport.

In buses and trains, packed tight as sardines, people manage to catch a few extra winks and even manage to reach the snoring stage. Or in one deft stroke they spread out a newspaper over multiple knees and arms to read the latest cricket score, the latest share to crash in the market, or the latest case of a politician caught taking a bribe.

History was Made Here

Tue, 29 Oct 2002 15:54:00 +0000

November 4: It is a dirty and dimly-lit room, located on the first floor of the government-run JJ Hospital at Byculla, Mumbai. It includes a table, a chair and pieces of equipment occasionally used by the hospital staff, and is used as a safe refuge by tired employees looking for a quiet corner to doze off.

History was made over a hundred years ago in this room, when a German bacteriologist called Robert Koch discovered the vaccine against the tuberculosis and cholera bacteria, in it. But there seems to be no sense of pride in keeping that memory alive as an inspiration, seeing the terrible neglect the room has fallen into, says a report in ‘The Indian Express’.

Tiger Target

Sun, 17 Mar 2002 18:13:21 +0000

October 16: A few months ago, the accidental death of a dozen Royal Bengal tigers, at an Orissa zoo, shocked the nation. The news made headlines and gradually got relegated to the inside pages of newspapers before vanishing altogether. Yes, public memory is notoriously short and people eventually forgot about the whole episode.

Now, yet another tiger death has shaken us out of our apathy. The gruesome slaughter of a young Bengal Tiger (Saki) at the Hyderabad zoo has once again highlighted the utter negligence on the part of zoo officials.

Twinkling Stars

Tue, 11 Sep 2001 11:40:05 +0000

Twinkling Stars [Illustrations by Anup Singh]

All you need is:

Square piece of paper.
Colours.

Fold the paper as shown in each of the figures below.

Make three triangles in the same way. Now interlock two of them as shown below. Paste the third triangle to the interlocked triangles.

Your star is ready to be coloured. Make as many stars as you want and let them spangle your room.

Recycled Telephone Books

Thu, 26 Apr 2001 10:33:08 +0000

Recycled Telephone Books [Illustrations by Shinod AP]

Telephone diaries, address books, origami, notepads…there are numerous uses for rough paper. Don’t discard your old notebooks with unused paper. Here is something useful you can make.

The things you need:

Unused paper and cover from an old notebook.
Stapler
Glue
Velvet paper
Blade
Scissors

Step 1: Tear out at least 14 pages of unused paper from the notebooks. If they are of unequal sizes, then even them out.

One Act Play

Tue, 06 Feb 2001 21:06:17 +0000

The jester was a very important person for his ability to make people laugh and feel happy. Gopal was the maharaja’s favourite jester. A barber by profession, he had a razor-sharp wit and could make the best of any situation. He was bright and clever and had a tremendous presence of mind.

The Green Magician

Mon, 08 Nov 1999 08:37:44 +0000

July 1: Many children, all over the world, are working to protect the environment. While some are involved with school groups, others are busy spreading awareness in their neighbourhood. Fifteen-year-old Kruti Parekh is a bit different for she uses some rather fantastic methods in campaigning for the environment. This nature-loving teenager uses magic to promote environmental causes! Kruti also happens to be India’s youngest professional conjurer — a record she has held for the last five years.

How Spy Cameras expose Scandals

Sat, 08 Mar 2003 20:11:11 +0000

In the past one year, tehelka.com has unearthed two major scandals using hidden cameras.

In May 2000, video footage revealed cricketers involved in match-fixing. And now, senior politicians and defence ministry officials have been caught on camera, taking kickbacks or bribes from people selling arms.

How Spy Cameras expose Scandals [Illustration by Shinod AP]

Whether these tapes will hold up in a court of law is not clear. What is certain is that in the new age, where technology forces transparency in how the government works, is here to stay.

Pablo the Pigeon Painter

Sun, 30 Jun 2002 16:28:55 +0000

Pablo Diego Jose Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno Maria de los Remedios Cipriano Santisma Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso. Phew! A mouthful, but a name reckoned to be among the greatest artists of the 20th century. His paintings are worth millions and millions have seen and admired his work. A handful is fortunate to own some of his paintings. He’s better known to the world as just Pablo Picasso. To his family he is simply known as – Pablito!

Woes Beat Foes!

Mon, 21 Feb 2000 22:22:48 +0000

Vikram and his friends were in the land of giants!

“That must be a giant’s house! " said Vikram, shading his eyes and peering into the distance.

“Let’s say hello to him!” giggled Anshul.

“Don’t be silly!” retorted Ajit. “Want to be gobbled up?”

Vikram was already making his way towards the building.

“FEE! FO! FUM!” roared someone. “Who’s there? I smell the blood of man! Be he alive or he dead, I’ll have him with my bread!”

Romance of Postage Stamps

Tue, 31 Mar 1998 08:36:42 +0000

In earlier days the stamps of British Guiana were printed by a British printer, Waterlow & Sons. In 1856, the stock of stamps was exhausted but a fresh supply had failed to arrive. So the postmaster hurriedly had 4-cent stamps printed locally using the existing designs, the seal of the colony – a ship and the motto ‘Damus Petimusque Vicis sim’ (We give and we seek in turn). These new stamps were printed on magenta paper in black ink but the quality was so poor that the postmaster, to prevent forgery, asked the postal officials to initial each stamp before selling it.

A school for budding politicians

Tue, 24 Aug 2004 06:01:35 +0000

August 1: The ‘Netagiri Vidyalaya’ (Leadership School) in Ranchi gives the impression of being one of those ‘dingy-lane’ institutes that spring up like mushrooms during rains. What could a school situated in such premises possibly teach its students, you wonder. Apparently a lot, says a report in the India Today magazine. As the name suggests, the recently opened school, the first of its kind in the country, aims to educate aspiring politicians.

And the institute is sure to get a lot of ‘students’ for Ranchi is now the capital of the new state of Jharkhand, formerly a part of Bihar.

Sand Flower Vase

Wed, 27 Mar 2002 20:34:01 +0000

Have you ever seen an empty glass bottle lying in one corner of the kitchen or store room? It makes you feel like giving it a new life. Make it a flower vase and then see it take its place proudly in the house as a precious object.

Sand Flower Vase [Illustrations by Anup Singh]

The things you need:

An empty glass bottle
Sand or pebbles
Glue
Poster colours
Brushes

Step 1: Stick the pebbles on the bottle with glue or cover the entire surface with sand, depending on the kind of look and feel you want. Let it dry.

More fuel to the CNG fire

Tue, 24 May 2005 13:26:52 +0000

August 16: It’s a nightmare either way. Too little, and we have thousands of autorickshaws and bus drivers in Delhi waiting for their turn to fill their fuel tanks with the new eco-friendly CNG or Compressed Natural Gas. Too much, and we have the gas pipe of a bus bursting when a careless attendant over-filled a tank at the Bhikaji Cama Place mother station.

On the other side, Petroleum Minister, Mr Ram Naik is now championing the cause of low-sulpher diesel, and more recently, LPG (liquefied petroleum gas), which we use as cooking gas. He is grumbling that gas wells have dried up.

A Problem, Naturally!

Tue, 23 Dec 2003 21:46:11 +0000

April 4: On April 1 or Fool’s Day, India’s capital, New Delhi, wore a deserted look. There were no public vehicles on the road. According to a Supreme Court decision passed two years ago, they were required to run on compressed natural gas or CNG, to ease the terrible pollution levels in the city.

For two years, two successive Delhi governments slept through the deadline, not bothering to create a system that would make the transition easy.

The Fossil Tree

Sat, 01 Nov 2003 15:26:26 +0000

December 27: Which are the oldest living trees in the world? You might think it’s those huge redwood trees, called giant sequoias, dating 4000 years. Not true. How about the Wollemi Pine? Yes, you’re getting there. But the answer is the Nightcap Oak, which was discovered recently. This oldest tree is 90 million years old.

The Nightcap Oak has been identified as a living fossil. It dates back to millions of years and was thought to have died out. But, at least one Nightcap Oak tree is alive. And, wonder of wonders, it has not undergone any basic changes in the body over the centuries, writes a Reuters report in

The Adventures of Clifford

Mon, 17 Jul 2000 17:29:54 +0000

The Adventures of Clifford []

Clifford the Small Red Puppy
Clifford Grows Up
Clifford takes a Trip
Written by Norman Birdwell

Pictures by Norman Birdwell
Published by Scholastic Inc. Ltd.

The three charming picture-books tell the story of the reddest, biggest dog in America, Clifford.

Clifford the Small Puppy is the story of Clifford, the tiniest puppy who grows up to be the largest dog ever seen. He belongs to the kindly Emily Elizabeth, who loves him dearly.

Crossfire

Wed, 31 May 2000 10:21:56 +0000

It’s a Pandora’s box. Open it and see the questions spring one surprise after another.

Cruising in the Sky

Thu, 06 Feb 2003 06:54:12 +0000

Cruising in the Sky [Illustration by Anup Singh]

December 9: You remember how plush and huge the Titanic was? It was a ship any one would want to travel in. Don’t you wish travelling in an aeroplane could be made as comfortable instead of you being crammed into a place where you can’t even stretch out to sleep? Well, very soon you will actually be able to make your dream come true !!

Your Own Bus

Sat, 14 Apr 2001 04:14:25 +0000

Shiny vehicles on a shop shelf are inviting, but how about making a shiny red bus, much like the ones you see on the roads. What’s more, you can give a new life to things that are being readied for the dustbin at this very instant!

The things you need:

Empty juice carton
Felt paper (any colour of your choice)
Black marker pen or pen
Four bottle caps
Glue
Thermacol

Your Own Bus [Illustrations by Anup Singh]

Step 1: Paint the four bottle caps to make the wheels for your bus.

Two Sides of a Coin

Fri, 05 May 2000 15:41:58 +0000

Two Sides of a Coin []

The Exquisite Balance
Written by Poile Sengupta

Illustrations by Mrinal Mitra

Published by Children’s Book Trust (CBT).

Suprabha and Subir’s mother always thought that being twins, her children would have a lot in common – not just physically but also in their ways of thinking. But she realised gradually that her daughter, Suprabha, and son Subir, were poles apart.

They Make you Swallow a Fish for a Herbal Cure

Mon, 07 Jul 1997 18:30:07 +0000

June 17: As the northwest monsoon strikes India in the first week of June, people from all parts of India, and abroad, make a beeline for Hyderabad, the capital of Andhra Pradesh. They all have one thing in common: they suffer from the disease of asthma and gather in Hyderabad for a unique herbal cure. The medicine is stuffed inside the mouth of a three-inch live murrel fish which the patient is made to swallow. Once inside the body, the fish releases the medicine. Those who gather the courage to take the cure find that it works, says a report in ‘The Indian Express’.

Super Moms

Sat, 15 Dec 2001 23:42:42 +0000

Japan: Mothers for peace

Did you know that mothers in Japan were among the first to protest against nuclear weapons? This happened 45 years ago, in 1955.

In 1945, at the fag end of the Second World War, the US dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The bombs killed 3,40,000 people. About 300,000 were left alive, but they suffered all through their lives from the horrible effects of radiation.

Super Moms [Illustration by Biswajyoti Ghosh]

For a long time no one spoke about the terrible tragedy. The US forces were in Japan till 1953. They also did one nuclear test after another.

Painting Pots

Fri, 18 May 2001 23:51:00 +0000

We cannot paint the walls of our house but we can definitely paint the pots in our house.

Painting Pots [Illustrations by Shiju George]

All you need is:

Poster paints.
Paint brush.

Step 1: Pick up a pot and remove any dust from it using a soft cloth or a brush.

Step 2: If you have earthern pots, give them a coating of colour that you think would match with the colour of your walls.

Cartoon Time

Sat, 05 Jun 1999 13:32:49 +0000

Cartoon Time []

Pushed to the Edge

Sun, 30 Mar 2003 03:34:03 +0000

December 27: Leslie Readwin of Britain is in India with a purpose. She wants to see the famous tigers of the Corbett National Park, which nestles at the foot of the Indian Himalayas. The 80 year old is very keen to meet the majestic cats in their natural surroundings. But she might have to return without seeing even one.

The tiger is dying out at Corbett, a Park that was created with the very aim of preserving the region’s tigers.

The World's First Floating Airstrip

Wed, 22 Mar 2000 19:55:24 +0000

July 8: It was a day like any other. A light aircraft prepared to take off from an airstrip south of Tokyo, Japan. But it was no ordinary flight. For, the plane took off from a metal airstrip right in high seas — a floating airstrip. Japan has claimed that it is the world’s first of its kind, says a report in ‘The Asian Age’. Four big steel companies and 13 shipbuilding firms came together for this project. They say their creation is unsinkable. Japan’s shaky government must be longing for an unsinkable platform like this to keep afloat.

Indian chess queens make their move

Sat, 19 Aug 2006 05:46:55 +0000

Check Mate, says Koneru Humpy

In 1997, a smiling, curly-haired, nine-year-old Indian girl announced her arrival in the chess world. Koneru Humpy, from Guntur district in Andhra Pradesh, won the World under-10 Championship at Cannes, in France. Not only that, she made a habit of winning world titles — And made a habit of winning world titles – World under-12 (1998), World under-14 (2001) and World Junior title (2002). She is also the only Indian girl to have won the under-14 boys title in the National Children Chess Championship, and the only Indian girl ever to have won a world title.

Kidnapped for the Camel Race

Sat, 23 Nov 2002 13:24:04 +0000

September 30: Ten year-old Mohammad Zubair Arrian was playing in Medina Syedan, his village in the Punjab province of Pakistan. Suddenly, he met a mysterious red-bearded man. The stranger gave him something to eat. The next thing Mohammad knew, he had woken up in an airport.

For the little boy who had never stepped outside his village, it was the most scary moment of his life. But, somehow, he managed to escape. He roamed about the unfamiliar streets lost and crying, until a passer-by saw him and turned him over to the police, says a report in ‘The Guardian’ newspaper of Britain, which was published in ‘The Deccan Herald’.

Chip off the Old Block

Sun, 16 Jun 2002 22:35:48 +0000

Long ago in the year 1853, one Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt, a big
business tycoon , was having dinner at a resort called Saratoga Springs in New York. After eating a few fried potatoes, he sent it back complaining that they were too thick.

The chef, a native-American called George Crum, was apparently miffed at the Commodore’s complaint and decided to give a sarcastic reply. He sliced potatoes paper thin, fried them to a crisp and salted them.
Vanderbilt loved the “crunch potato slices,” as he called them, and the
“Saratoga Chips” became the restaurant’s speciality from that day onwards.

Simputer: The Low-cost Computer

Sat, 27 Apr 2002 11:24:54 +0000

September 23: For all those who thought computers were expensive items and not in the list of “essential buys”, think again. A new computer is here, priced at an easily affordable Rs 9,000 (about $200)! And cheaper than a colour TV. Does that grab your attention?

It is called Simputer. And it’s the answer to your prayers.

As the name suggests, Simputer is not for the hitech geeks! It is a simple computer meant for those who think that a mouse is a small rodent and that a RAM is a male goat. It is in fact a people’s computer.

The Slum Hero

Mon, 22 Jan 2001 11:11:25 +0000

August 5: Last week, we had written about social worker Aruna Roy who has been tirelessly working to promote the rights of villagers in Rajasthan. And for her work, she has been awarded the Magsaysay Award for the year 2000. Keeping her company is 53-year-old Arputham Jockin.

Arputham has only one objective in his life — to ensure the rights of slum dwellers in Mumbai. For this purpose, he has also founded the National Slum Dwellers’ Federation (NSDF), says a report in ‘The Hindu’.

The Emperor and Chitranjan Cheetah

Sat, 01 Jul 2000 13:10:12 +0000

Mughal emperor Akbar loved hunting. Four hundred and twenty eight years ago, when he was passing through Rajasthan, he decided to go for a hunt. He used to keep cheetahs in his hunting party. Being very fast they were quick to catch their prey. But on that day he chose to hunt without the help of his cheetahs. He only took his attendants with him.

Without meaning to do so the attendants freed a royal cheetah in the hunting area. The cheetah’s name was Chitranjan and it ran after its prey – a deer.

International Conservation Meet on Animal Trade

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 02:47:30 +0000

Where: Doha, Qatar

March 25, 2010 : The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) took place in Doha, Qatar, between March 13 and 25, 2010. The representatives of 175 member nations attended. They held discussions on several animal species that are in danger of becoming extinct because of trade, both legal and illegal.

CITES secretary-general Willem Wijnstekers said, “If we use tiger numbers as a performance indicator, then we must admit that we have failed miserably and that we are continuing to fail.” Tiger numbers have dropped because of many factors. One is human encroachment. Another is the loss of nine-tenths of their habitat. Poaching and illegal trade in tiger parts have contributed to the fall in their numbers from 100,000 at the beginning of the 20th century to around 3,600 today.

Indian Shooters Combat Racism

Wed, 24 May 2006 20:52:51 +0000

The Indian squad that just won the Commonwealth Shooting Championships in the UK, has brought back more than just 13 gold, six silver and eight bronze medals. They’re also carrying some bad memories. According to the Indian shooters, who included Jaspal Rana and Mansher Singh, the behaviour of their British hosts bordered on racism.

In a report in The Hindustan Times, the Secretary General of the National Rifle Association of India, Baljit Sethi recalled the day when India won all four gold medals. “Every time the Indian flag went up, the murmers increased…I could make out from their expressions that they were appalled at the clean sweep by India. I brought this to the notice of the President of the Commonwealth Shooting Championship, Graham Hudson of New Zealand, and a senior official, Peter Anderson of Australia. I told them that they (the English) still feel that Indians are their slaves. They were pushing us (into) a corner so that we could not win medals.”

The Law versus the Dhoti

Mon, 17 Mar 2003 18:08:12 +0000

February 26: It took a 25-page judgement by a judge of the Rajasthan High Court, in the state capital Jaipur, for the dhoti’s fortunes to rise. The traditional lower garment worn by men in India, can now be worn by practising lawyers to court.

It all started with lawyer Ved Pal Shastri coming to court one day, wearing a dhoti, instead of the usual white trousers that every lawyer wears. His senior, Justice Rajaram Yadav, objected to the dhoti saying it went against notions of the prescribed dress code.

Crazy About Harry

Fri, 07 Aug 1998 23:52:43 +0000

He is an ordinary boy. But he has made the world go crazy. Meet Harry Potter, the boy with the magical powers.

Where: Worldwide

July 15, 2000: Harry has a thin face, knobbly knees, black hair and bright green eyes. He wears round glasses held together with a lot of cellotape because of all the times Dudley punched him on the nose. The only thing Harry likes about his appearance is a very thin scar on his forehead which was shaped like a bolt of lightning. (excerpt from ‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’).

The Magnetic Fish Bowl

Wed, 05 Nov 1997 02:35:34 +0000

This unusual fishing game is simple to assemble and great fun to play. And you won’t have to worry about pulling poor live fish out of the water.

Items required:

How to prepare the game:

Something Foolish

Thu, 30 Jan 1997 02:27:14 +0000

Numerous events have happened in my life but the one that tops the list of foolish events is the one that happened sometime ago, on a Saturday.

Something Foolish [Illustration by Sudheer Nath]

As it was a holiday, I was at home. My mother had to buy some articles from the nearby general store. She left after ensuring that I had locked the door properly and said that she would return within 15 minutes.

Indians: Masters of Junk

Wed, 02 Oct 1996 13:57:52 +0000

Where: New Delhi, India

In the last couple of years, in the Indian capital, Delhi, and in many other parts of the country, schoolchildren have led a very effective campaign against plastic – the material that is choking the earth.

But why do we Indians store so much junk? Well known sociologist Shiv Visvanathan tells us the reason in a simple and detailed way.

June 5, 2000: Indians are masters of junk. And out of junk they produce masterpieces. One such junk master is the sculptor Nek Chand who fashioned his sculptures from waste. The story goes that Nek chand was once invited to America to fashion sculptures, works of art out of waste. Nek Chand came back disillusioned and glum complaining that their junk was not so good, that its feel and smell was so alien.

5000 Years Old Quake-proof Town

Mon, 22 Dec 2003 06:21:45 +0000

February 14: The image on the right is one of the most recognisable symbols of the Harappan civilisation. It is the bearded man of Mohenjodaro and Harappa. But why is this sober gentleman smiling in our image?

There’s a reason for it. The January 26 earthquake has devastated a large part of the Kutch region. Village after village, town after town depict the same sad story of death and destruction. It’s almost as if entire towns and villages have fallen off the map. But there is one deserted town in the Great Rann of Kutch that has withstood the devastating tremors of the January 26 earthquake in Gujarat.

Plasticine Candle Stand

Wed, 13 Mar 2002 09:02:33 +0000

Plasticine Candle Stand [Illustrations by Anup Singh]

Before you begin making the candle stand, spread some sheets of newspaper so that you do not dirty the floor.

The things you need:

Plasticine
Old newspaper
Steel bowl

Step 1: Flatten plasticine to make a circle. Cut a perfect circle using the rim of the steel bowl.

Step 2: Roll some plasticine in a cylindrical shape.

Step 3: Place it vertically in the centre of the circular plasticine base.

Marbles Teach

Sun, 10 Jun 2001 10:42:57 +0000

A moving object transfers its force to the second object and itself comes to rest. Did you understand that? No? But you will once you play this little game with marbles.

The things you need:

Clay or plasticine
Broomstick
Marbles

Step 1: Take two broomsticks and bend them around two centimetres in the centre.

Marbles Teach [Illustrations by Shinod AP]

Step 2: Seal the ends with clay or plasticine and apply some in the centre for support. The ends should be three centimetres higher than the middle. Keep five millimetres of distance between the two broomsticks for the marble to roll in between.

My Bunny

Fri, 25 Aug 2000 17:48:11 +0000

My Bunny

Little bob-tail going up and down
Twichity nose smelling everything around
Rabbit teeth sticking out
Hopping, jumping all about
Beady eyes staring at me
A ball of cotton is all that I can see

Play Nicely

Sat, 19 Apr 1997 11:37:56 +0000

Play Nicely [Illustrations by D. K. Sharma (First published in NBT’s Bulletin, Sept-97)]

The kids next door have everything
you can think of and yet they love to come in
and play with us.
Their mother makes an awful fuss.
Says, ‘You’ll come filthy, in such a mess!’
Oh yes!

That’s just what they like about our place.
Nobody says, ‘Go wash you face,’
or “Look at your shoes! Look at your hair!”

Girl Power

Tue, 13 Sep 2005 17:29:12 +0000

August 26: The world is changing fast. A decade ago, no one would have thought about boys wanting to step into a girl’s shoes. But now, this is happening. According to a report in The Times Of India, girl power rules. A survey by the Hyderabad-based market research company, NFO-MBL India, says that 42 per cent boys marvel at the thought of being a girl. The boys in question are between 15 and 19 years of age and they belong to the five cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata and Chennai.

The Making of a Prodigy

Fri, 29 Mar 2002 11:31:32 +0000

When Siva Kalyan was born, his spine or backbone was deformed resulting in a lifelong difficulty in walking. But that hasn’t stopped the nine-year-old from becoming a prodigy. This child, who loves reading comics, writing stories and enjoys sketching cartoon strips, is learning advanced mathematics and physics from one of the most reputed universities in the United States of America.

The Hindu reports that Siva’s parents were in Tamil Nadu when Siva was born. His backbone was not straight, his joints were loose and the muscles were weak. Till he was three-and-a-half years old, Siva could not even crawl. Wanting the best treatment for their son, Siva’s parents moved with him from India to Australia and later shifted to the United States of America.

She Pulls Airplanes, with her Teeth

Wed, 13 Mar 2002 08:13:31 +0000

September 9 : Eighteen-year-old Seema Bhadoria has no teething problems when it comes to pulling strings with weights attached. She is one of the strongest persons in India. Seema has done something even strong body builders hesitate to do – she has pulled an airplane weighing 3387.33 kg on the runway of the Bhopal airport.

What’s even more amazing, she has pulled the plane with her teeth.

Seema weighs barely 56 kg and at 5 feet 6 inches, is not even very tall. But she loves pulling enormously heavy things with her teeth. And now, she intends to make it to the Guinness Book of Records on the strength of her teeth.

The Emperor who Rolled his Eyes

Sat, 25 Aug 2001 05:23:40 +0000

At the age of 18, Akbar had been emperor of the Mughal empire for four years. This was 440 years ago, in the year 1560. But the king still had many desires that any ordinary young man would have at his age. He loved cock-fights and he liked to play practical jokes. He also had a great curiosity to know about the lives of ordinary people. For that reason he would go to places where festivals were celebrated — not as emperor but as an ordinary man without any fanfare surrounding him.

Why Mother's Day?

Fri, 11 May 2001 22:44:58 +0000

Why have a particular day to tell your mother that you love her and respect her, some of us might ask.

Why indeed? We could do that everyday.

Right. We could.

But, do we?

So, is it such a bad idea to have a day to honour mothers? After all, we have specific days to honour freedom fighters, leaders or other heroes. And mothers are no less than heroes, considering the amount of effort they put into making their children’s lives a bit more easy and happier. Perhaps some of us may remember this the rest of the year as well.

Squirrelling it Away

Mon, 05 Mar 2001 23:30:19 +0000

Chimpu and his grandfather had gone to the park for an evening walk. After Chimpu had played with his friends for over an hour, he came back sweating and tired, to sit beside his grandfather at the park bench. There he found his grandfather throwing peanuts, brought from home, to the scampering squirrels at his feet.

In fact, bushy-tailed squirrels are a common sight in the city’s parks and gardens. This frisky little rodent is constantly scampering around, and it is indeed rare to come across one perfectly still.

Dress Relief

Mon, 03 Jul 2000 04:55:34 +0000

The doorbell rang. ‘Now darling remember all that I have told you,’ said Ma for the umpteenth time as she nervously opened the door. There stood Grandma in her white saree, as upright as ever with the perpetual stern look on her face. ‘Jeetiraho’ boomed her voice as Ma touched her feet. I followed her example and then helped Papa who was struggling with the suitcases, tins and sacks. Grandma always carried her kitchen with her, no mixer or microwave or for that matter even a gas stove would do for her.

All About Dinosaurs

Sun, 17 Oct 1999 06:58:32 +0000

Where: Los Angeles, USA

November 4, 2000: The “dino” passion that the 1993 film ‘Jurassic Park’ ignited among children and adults does not show any signs of abating even in today’s world of ever-shortening attention spans.

In the few years since Hollywood director Steven Spielberg made his blockbuster film, an industry has sprung up around the dinosaur theme, with dino caps, bags, theme parks, books and of course, films, milking to their heart’s content, the public’s never-ending fascination for the gigantic creatures that roamed the earth in prehistoric times.

Saina Nehwal Wins Indonesian Open Badminton Women's Title

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 12:02:15 +0000

Where: Jakarta, Indonesia

June 26, 2009 : Nineteen year old Saina Nehwal, ranked eighth in the world, beat China’s Wang Lin (world number three). Saina was seeded sixth in the tournament. She took 49 minutes to beat Wang 12-21, 21-18, 21-9 in an exciting final. Saina became the first Indian to win a super series badminton tournament. In the past, two male badminton players have won the All England Championship title. Prakash Padukone won it in 1980, and Pullela Gopichand, who is currently Saina’s coach, won the title in 2001.

No Begging for Merit

Wed, 15 Sep 2004 12:11:52 +0000

May 25: When Nagarathna, a beggar girl from Mysore, was preparing for the Secondary School Leaving Certificate (Class X) examinations, she had to beg to buy books and study under street lights. She passed the exams with flying colours and the Indian Express newspaper published her success story.

After the story appeared in the paper, Nagarathna has been receiving innumerable offers from people who are keen to fund her education. A non-resident Indian, a retired statesman, actress-turned politicians, the list is endless.

Tintin Storm in 'Millionnaire' Show

Thu, 05 Sep 2002 03:30:58 +0000

October 14: A couple of weeks ago, the French version of the game-show, ‘Who wants to be a Millionaire’ ( the Indian version, Kaun Banega Crorepati, is the most popular programme on Indian TV these days ), asked Frederic a real teaser of a question.

The question was: in the adventures of Tintin, which doctor takes care of Captain Haddock – Dr Rotule, Dr Omoplate, Dr Mensiscus or Dr Tympan?

Tintin is a boy reporter who goes around the world having hair-raising adventures with his dog, Snowy, and his friend, Captain Haddock, in one of the most famous comic book series in the world till date, having sold more than 175 million copies around the world. He is one of the world’s most famous Frenchmen.

Strength from Within

Wed, 01 Nov 2000 03:14:52 +0000

Brave Hearts – Winners of the National Bravery Awards
Published by Scholastic India Pvt. Ltd.

This book has been aptly named after those Indian children whose acts of courage have helped saved lives. We carried a news item on the brave children who won the National Bravery Awards 2000. Curious to know about what motivates these brave souls? Read this book highlighting the deeds of each of the 14 children who received the National Bravery Awards in 1999.

Play with Maps

Sun, 11 May 1997 06:56:51 +0000

No, this is not an exam. Thank God! It is time to have some fun. We looked at the map of South America and thought it looked like the face of a man looking sideways. Doesn’t it? Others thought it looked like a lion’s profile. The man’s face came out better so we put it here.

On the next page is the map of Italy. It looks very much like a lady’s stylish knee-length boots. And, after that is the map of Cameroon, in Africa. It looks like a sad peacock. Sad because it has few feathers.

Bullet Train for India

Sat, 08 Mar 2008 17:00:37 +0000

Where: New Delhi, India

January 19, 2009 : Mr. Lalu Prasad and his team of railway officials took a ride on one of Japan’s bullet trains, which covers the 515 kilometres between Tokyo and Kyoto in two hours and 20 minutes. Back home, the minister announced, “The day is not far off when the bullet train will run in the country.” The railway ministry is appointing international consultants to plan the project. France and Germany have expressed an interest in the project in addition to Japan.

UFO in Kolkata?

Tue, 14 Aug 2007 05:56:00 +0000

Where: Kolkata, West Bengal, India

October 30, 2007 : In a city as passionate about football as it is about Rabindra Sangeet and rosogollas, an unlikely visitor made a flying visit. An unidienfitied flying object or UFO was spotted in Kolkata’s skies early Monday morning. The fireball, which was filmed by a Kolkata-based executive, seemed to move very rapidly and kept changing its shape.

When the film footage was shown on television, it showed the fireball changing shape from a round object to a triangle to a straight line. It is this which has the scientists at the Birla Planetarium scratching their heads, who are fascinated by this “extremely interesting and strange object.”

A Children's park in the Train

Wed, 28 Aug 2002 13:25:38 +0000

October 14: First chocolates and now mobile playgrounds! Children have two reasons to thank the Swiss. The latest bit of good news is that the Swiss railways have started trains which have a special children’s corner. And no prizes for guessing that the theme of this playground is dinosaurs. The Indian Express.

Children boarding trains on the Basel-Zurich-Chur route and the St. Galen-Zurich-Berne-Interlaken line have found that riding the train can be a most enjoyable experience, reports ‘The Indian Express’. No more pestering mothers to take a round on the train that would send them flying into someone’s lap, or buying unending supplies of candy, or reading a much thumbed comic for the fiftieth time to avoid looking out at a boring scenery.

Prized Skeleton in Museum Closet

Thu, 14 Mar 2002 14:15:18 +0000

September 23: A newcomer has joined the exhibits at Delhi’s prestigious National Museum. She is all of 5000 years old, from the time of the Harappan Valley civilisation, and in skeletal form.

Discovered from Rakhigarhi, in the northern Indian state of Haryana, the skeleton is
remarkably well-preserved. Even the shell bangles in her left hand, are still intact, says a report in ‘The Hindustan Times’. Several pots were found arranged around her, hinting that the Harappans may have believed in life after death.

The Best Christmas Gift of All

Tue, 02 Nov 1999 14:38:00 +0000

The Gift of the Magi
From 100 Selected Stories: written by O. Henry

This tender tale has all the elements of a classic: it seems new every time you read it.

The Gift of Magi is a tender love story that highlights love as the true spirit of Christmas. It is Christmas eve and Della, the wife of James Dillingham Young, has only one pound 87 cents to buy her husband a present.

After crying over the lack of money, she suddenly remembers one of their greatest treasures – her long lustrous hair. She sells her hair for a price.

Excerpts From 'The Wonderful World of Insects'

Mon, 26 Jul 1999 15:50:05 +0000

What is an Insect?

An insect is quite different from you and me. It has a body that is divided into three parts: the head, the middle which is called the thorax and the abdomen which is usually the largest part of the body.

Did you know that many insects can see in more than one direction without turning their heads? This is because they have compound eyes. Compound eyes are made up of lots of cone-shaped units packed close together.

Jean Clad Superman

Sat, 19 Feb 2005 04:36:29 +0000

Who wears a red chaddi over blue tights and a flying cape to save the world from disaster ever so often? Superman, of course! But why is he flying around in jeans and shirt all of a sudden, looking like a high school student? What is even more amazing is that when he’s not saving the world, he seems to have all the problems that teens usually have, from pimples to dating!

In a new television serial, Smallville, soon to hit the US, Superman (Clark Kent) will appear as an American teenager of the 21st century. But many Superman fans are upset that the costume which has been such a hit since the American comic book character was created in 1938, will not be seen in the serial. They want their superhero back in his underwear and tights.

We Would All Scream Without Ice Cream

Sun, 05 Aug 2001 23:14:00 +0000

Can you imagine a summer without ice creams?

It seems the Chinese, too, couldn’t. For it was they who gave the world its first ice cream. In India, the Mughals are said to have introduced their kind of ice cream — the kulfi. The exact date of origin of the ice cream is not known.

Kulfi is a mixture of khoa, pistachio nuts and saffron essence frozen in conical metal containers after sealing it with dough — exactly the same way as it is made today! Khoa is made by boiling milk on slow fire till it becomes semi-solid.

Lucknow Students Win Robotics Trophy in Canada

Mon, 17 Jul 2000 23:16:53 +0000

July 1: It’s a long way from Lucknow to Calgary, Canada. But five schoolboys did it very easily. The students of City Montessori School (CMS) went to participate in the World Robotics Championship and almost pocketed the entire championship. They won five golds, four silvers and a bronze medal. Among the ideas that won them these medals was a “seeing” cap for the blind, and a robot that can trace the place from where a fire starts.

Easy to Draw — 1

Thu, 15 Apr 1999 23:19:55 +0000

Yes, there are many magical shapes hidden in letters. Sudheer the magic man first drew the letter q and ended up drawing a squirrel. You too can do it. Begin now!

Easy to Draw — 1 []

Flowering Bamboos

Sun, 28 Jun 1998 23:44:48 +0000

The huge bamboos, once bare,
Are now covered with beautiful, pale white flowers,
The yellow and green leaves,
Of the bamboos looming in the vast sky,
Make nature so beautiful and sweet.

Behold the pointed, shiny leaves,
Flying everywhere and leaping with the wind,
They are glad there are flowers,
With a fluffy carpet of them on the ground,
Along with the tiny grains.

Can you hear the leaves rustling,
They seem to tell each other a thousand times,

Care for your Dog

Thu, 27 Jun 1996 15:11:34 +0000

The immense joy a dog brings to a family is unparalleled. The thrill of coming home to the deliriously happy barking of a dog is one of the few moments that makes owning a dog such a magical experience. The dog often becomes the one member of the family whose love for each person in the family is unconditional and unflagging.

Yet, owning a dog has its pitfalls. Or, to put it more positively, responsibilities. Responsibilities that, ultimately, parents must be willing, and able, to take, irrespective of whether their children will take on some of the attendant chores.

Fiji Struck by Cyclone

Fri, 06 Aug 2010 06:00:02 +0000

Where: Suva, Fiji

March 16, 2010 : Fiji declared a state of emergency in the northern and eastern parts of the country after they were struck by a tropical cyclone, Cyclone Tomas. The eastern Lau group of islands was the worst affected. The country’s second largest island, Vanua Levu, also sustained severe damage.

Over 17,000 people left their homes and fled to evacuation shelters as the storm raged. There were reports of deaths in some places but the numbers were not known. In northern Fiji houses and crops were damaged by winds. Some buildings were washed away by floods. In some areas, there were sea surges and the sea waters rose as high as 7metres (23feet). These caused floods which did not subside for 36 hours.

Angry Little Girls

Tue, 07 Jun 2005 07:46:17 +0000

August 26: She is a cute little Korean-American girl with pigtails, and her name is Kim. Like so many others, her parents, too, went to the United States of America as immigrants and settled there. Kim, who was born in the US, is American. And anyone who gives her the feeling that she is not a true American, or makes fun of her ‘Asian’ origin, gets the sharp end of her tongue. No wonder she is called the Angry Little Asian Girl.

Advertisement for Dogs

Sun, 25 Jul 2004 02:43:12 +0000

Advertisement for Dogs [Illustration by Shiju George]

If you are selling a dog’s product, who should you ask to buy it – the dog owner or the dog?

A British advertisement firm has decided to get the attention of dogs in their latest ad campaign on a pet awards show.

The programme, to be conducted by the television channel Animal Planet, is being publicised with posters that have been sprinkled with dog urine, the Indian Express newspaper reported.

Indian Children on US Mars Project

Wed, 15 May 2002 22:36:15 +0000

October 6: The planet Mars, or the ‘red-planet’ as it’s called, has fascinated people on earth for centuries. The fourth planet from the sun, Mars is the nearest planet to earth.

This stunning landmass of craters, an uneven surface and dark skies has been a highly favoured destination for space travelers in science fiction, the body of literature that deals with stories of exploration into alien worlds.

The possibility of humans visiting Mars and even colonizing it some day, is the dream of astronomers and space scientists the world over. That is why when two American scientists announced evidence of ground water on Mars recently, the news created a great deal of excitement.

Who's Stealing the Doctors' Clothes?

Tue, 04 Sep 2001 22:00:01 +0000

August 5: Some thieves are lurking in the corridors of Delhi’s Lady Hardinge Hospital. They steal clothes. But, not any clothes. It has to be a doctor’s clothes.

Or perhaps, the clothes are the only items of value around that place as all other valuables are locked carefully.

For over a year now, doctors who go into the operation theatre after leaving their clothes in the changing room, have not seen them again. Doctors change before getting into the operation theatre to leave behind any germs of infection that their clothes might carry inside.

The Colour of China is Red — Henna Red

Sun, 17 Jun 2001 06:26:10 +0000

July 31: Madonna, the international pop star, was among the first to use henna as an international fashion. But young people around the world are using more and more of it to beautify their bodies or their hair. And now even the Chinese have adopted it in a big way.

The Colour of China is Red — Henna Red [Illustration by Sudheer Nath]

Call it henna or call it ‘mehndi’, that coffee-coloured extract from the henna plant, which has been used down the ages in India as a beauty aid.

Personalised T-Shirts

Wed, 14 Feb 2001 04:26:18 +0000

Personalised T-Shirts [Illustrations by Shinod AP]

Paint T-shirts for Mom, Dad, Grandma…anyone!

The things you need:

Plain T-Shirt
Fabric paints

Put some paint on your hands and make impressions on the T-shirt. If you have siblings then you can also ask them to put their fingerprints too. Everybody writes their name under their impression.
You can also write slogans like ‘hugs for grandma’, ’three cheers for my mom’, ‘you are the best daddy/mommy/sister’ etc.

Poor Rainfall In India Affects Crops

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 00:50:52 +0000

Where: Mumbai, India

July 15, 2009 : The Indian Meteorological (Met) Department had predicted an excellent monsoon in 2009 for the entire country. The monsoon is an annual rainfall system, and India’s farmers have always depended on it for their crops. Changing monsoon patterns are among the harmful effects of climate change.

The Met Department has reported that the entire country had a 34 per cent drop in rainfall between June 1 and July 9, 2009.

The Borders of the Internet

Sat, 08 Mar 2003 12:17:27 +0000

November 25: In what is seen as a historic decision by many people, a civil judge in Paris has ordered Yahoo! Inc., a leading American web company, to block out from its sites any reference to Nazi associated saleable items to people who log in from France. The Nazis under Adolf Hitler, perpetrated a reign of terror against Jews in the 1930s and 1940s and France suffered greatly under Hitler’s rule.

The Borders of the Internet [Illustration by Shiju George]

Well you thought the World Wide Web has no borders, huh? And you could put up anything on the Internet, and rest assured that it would be accessed by millions of people across the world. After all, you insist, it is this quality that makes the Net so democratic, i.e., by relating to the broadest mass of people.

Shakespeare in Prison

Wed, 09 Oct 2002 16:47:11 +0000

October 6 : Hulagappa Kattimane directs plays written by the world-famous English playwright, William Shakespeare. Macbeth and Hamlet are two plays that he staged recently in the South Indian cities of Bellary and Mysore. Both were astounding successes.

There’s nothing unusual in any of this except for one thing – his actors are all prison inmates.

Hulagappa is on a mission to reform criminals and help them cope with their sentences by introducing them to Shakespeare and the art of theatre.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Sun, 06 Jan 2002 11:06:56 +0000

Dear Vishrut and Anushrut,

I forget the name of a short story by W.Somerset Maugham that I read long ago-perhaps you will read it some day. But I still remember the story and in particular one sentence from it. This is spoken by a chap, brought up strictly to tell right from wrong, who has to go out to the colonies as the British called the countries they ruled in Asia and Africa.

Well, he has been told not to mix with an uncle there who has become “bad”. Our pal finds that this uncle does cut corners and cheat but also that he his kind, generous and helpful to people especially the poor. So our pal grows to like this uncle.

A World for Children

Fri, 09 Nov 2001 00:13:21 +0000

July 31: K Shankar Pillai (1902-1989) or Shankar as he was called, was one of India’s best-known and best-loved cartoonists. Besides cartooning, he had one other love – children. He was especially interested in encouraging a child’s creativity. It was lucky for children that he thought this way, and from Delhi, where he was settled he wove an amazing web of dreams for children.

He began the Shankar’s International Children’s Writing and Painting Competition in 1949 or 51 years ago. He started the Shankar’s International Dolls Museum in Delhi, which stores dolls from all over the world and even established a dolls designing and production workshop making authentic Indian dolls.

The Office Where Records Are Made

Fri, 12 Oct 2001 22:27:56 +0000

. .265. . .puff! gasp!! 310. . 311. . . this is James Joseph of Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, doing his squats in a corner of the Limca Book of World Records office. His aim? – setting a world record in squats. In front of James a large stopwatch ticks away the minutes. Behind him stands Kuldeep Monga with a score sheet keeping a tally of the number of squats. A doctor sits on a chair nearby, looking bored. A photographer is busy clicking away and a video camera is whirring.

The Office Where Records Are Made [Illustrations by Anup Singh]

In the midst of all this activity the staff of Limca Book work quietly at their jobs. For the staff it is, ho hum, just another day at the office.

A Salty Life

Tue, 01 May 2001 17:47:24 +0000

It is one of the most common scenes in Bollywood films. There has been a jewel robbery in the house of a rich man. He comes walking down a long staircase and asks all the servants to gather. Then his eyes fall on the oldest servant. The servant falls on his knees and says Sarkar aapka namak khaaya hai (My lord, I have eaten your salt).

Remember the dreaded dacoit Gabbar Singh in Sholay, one of the biggest hits in the history of Bollywood, released in 1977? This action film, made like Hollywood westerns has Gabbar Singh pitted against our heroes, who have taken the challenge to catch him. In one scene, Gabbar is angry that three of his men could not manage to catch the heroes. He walks past the shamefaced gang members and asks (yes that famous dialogue):

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.

Tattoos that Talk

Wed, 31 Mar 2004 03:10:48 +0000

Where: St. Petersbug, RUssia

May 19, 2001: For more than 50 years Danzig Baldayev had been studying a unique mode of communication amongst the Russian prisoners. When he was a prison guard he discovered that the tattoo on each prisoner’s body had a message for the other inmates.

A burning cross meant the prisoner wanted revenge, a pirate with a knife between his teeth showed that the person was a sadist or one who likes to hurt others and a tattoo of the Soviet founder, Vladimir Lenin, was like a charm against execution. A tattoo of ex-Soviet President Boris Yeltsin, with a glass of vodka, meant the guy was a drunk!

The Magic Carpet

Tue, 09 Jul 2002 14:31:51 +0000

October 21: Meet Sheikh Tayyab Mahajan. This resident of Nagpur has a dream – he wants to create a carpet in which he can weave the complete cultural pattern of India.

Ambitious? But possible, thinks Tayyab. That is why he started weaving a durrie or rug seven years ago. At that time, he wanted to make it to the Guinness Book of Records for weaving the longest carpet in the world.

Now he is aiming higher having already woven 900 feet of the durrie. He has decided that he wants the rug to remind people of the diverse cultures of the country. This was reported in an article in

Jumble-aya

Sat, 08 Dec 2001 16:20:47 +0000

Questions from all over, without any theme or defined category. So go click, click click..as fast as you can.

The Tiger Cubs who Lost their Parents

Mon, 09 Apr 2001 03:18:44 +0000

August 5: What’s the worst thing that could happen to a kid?

The death of his parents.

But it’s not just us humans who feel the pain of becoming orphans. Three orphaned tiger cubs have shown that when you lose your folks, it doesn’t matter whether you’re an animal or not. The pain is the same.

The Tiger Cubs who Lost their Parents [Illustration by Shiju George]

A happy white tiger family lived in Nandankanan Zoo in Orissa. The family comprised a father, Sukant, a mother, Durga and three male cubs – Jagat, Bhagat and Swagat.

Paper Fan

Tue, 27 Feb 2001 21:02:18 +0000

A fan is the ideal thing to have when you are sweating on a bright sunny summer day.

Paper Fan [Illustrations by Shiju George]

All you need is:

Paper
One strand from the broom stick
Adhesive
Colours

Step 1: Fan fold the paper as shown in the figure.

Step 2: Again fold it from the centre and stick the inner leaves of the paper with each other.

Finger Puppet

Wed, 15 Mar 2000 23:07:38 +0000

Finger Puppet [illustrations by Kusum Chamoli]

Make a finger puppet for your little sister, and watch her squeal with joy.

Things you need:

Bits of card sheets or thick paper.
Sketch pen or crayons.
Fevicol.
Scissors.

Step 1: Draw the outline of a figure that you want to make a puppet of. It could be a human puppet, an animal, a bird or even inanimate objects like a time piece, or a bucket. Let your imagination run wild. Draw a crazy figure.

The Cure is Laughter

Sun, 19 May 2002 17:52:23 +0000

It is not a new way of spreading happiness. The method has been practised for a while and has also been captured on celluloid by Hollywood in the film ‘Patch Adams’. In the film (based on a true story) Patch Adams is the name of a student
of medicine, who decides to use humour to help patients. The role was played by Robin Williams, Hollywood’s leading comedian.

This technique has been adopted in Brazil, to great success. Members of the ‘Group of Frolic’ (Turma da Pholia) regularly visit hospitals to cheer patients in Rio de Janeiro. Their clowning around helps in the treatment, say doctors. While their methods might be somewhat unusual, a sound principle governs them: a good state of mind can increase the immunity of a patient and speed up recovery.

Screen Saver that saves

Tue, 19 Mar 2002 21:46:12 +0000

You can find a cure for cancer. Sounds impossible? But, it could become true. Now, there is a way in which you can be a part of a high-tech research team and perhaps hit upon the right combination to make a cancer drug.

Screen Saver that saves [Illustration by Shinod AP]

All you have to do is download a certain software and use it as a screen saver. This way your computer might find the way to make that wonder drug. So how does it work?

Eleven-year-old Eco-ambassador

Sun, 30 Dec 2001 22:45:43 +0000

July 31: Somya Ahuja does not like the way people treat their environment. So she wrote an essay about it. And that essay led to her becoming India’s Eco-ambassador at a children’s conference in England recently.

Eleven-year-old Somya lives in Delhi – a city which has the distinction of being one of the most polluted cities in the world. The city’s roads are choked with cars, lorries, buses, tempos and three wheelers. Most of these vehicles belch poisonous gases.

Papier mache Club

Sun, 27 Feb 2000 18:56:03 +0000

The name of Hanuman makes us think of sheer physical strength. The club was the dreaded weapon with which this faithful devotee of Rama defeated his enemies. So, here’s a chance to make your own club and have a swinging time during Dussehra.

Papier mache Club [Illustrations by Shiju George]

You will need:

Balloon, waste paper, adhesive, chart paper, blade and paints.

Step 1: Mix the adhesive with water and make it watery. Tear the waste paper into small pieces – one inch long and one inch wide. Blow the balloon and stick the paper pieces on it.

Ancient Library in the Desert

Fri, 18 Apr 2003 22:15:26 +0000

Ancient Library in the Desert [Illustration by Shinod A.P.]

February 16: Ever heard of Chinguetti, a city nestling deep in the Sahara desert close to the North African country of Mauritania? No? Well, neither did most of the world, till it was discovered that this desert city that is slowly sinking in sand, could be home to the world’s oldest “living” libraries. That is to say a library with intact manuscripts.

Chetak's Descendents

Sat, 29 Jun 2002 17:05:26 +0000

September 9: Rajasthan’s Maharana Pratap was a legendary warrior who fought many battles astride his favourite horse, Chetak. The beautiful Chetak was loyal, brave and extremely fast. Chetak is probably one of the few animals famous in history for their legendary qualities.

Chetak belonged to a special breed of horses called Marwari or Rajasthani. These horses are known for their loyalty and battle-worthiness. They are handsome and tall and have long flowing manes.

The fame of these horses has spread far and wide. Now, even the Americans want them. ‘The Times of India’ in an article reported that six of these colts or young horses were recently exported to the United States of America.

Sock Doll

Tue, 26 Mar 2002 14:43:53 +0000

Line up a few of these dolls on a windowsill or mantel, and you’re guaranteed to spread cheer to family and guests alike.

Sock Doll [Illustrations by Shinod AP]

The things you need:

Cotton socks
Pieces of foam
A few rubber bands
Red and black paint
Scissors

Step 1: Fill a cotton sock three quarters of the way with the foam pieces. Secure it by tying a rubber band at the end of the filling.

Three Nations or One?

Tue, 06 Nov 2001 04:10:29 +0000

August 19: Tang Weijiang is an angry man. He is suing the famous Japanese company Canon for causing him mental distress! Reason – Tang, a Chinese, was furious that the company making a particular brand of printer, in its publicity video, had given the impression that China, Hong Kong and Taiwan were three separate countries.

He is demanding $12 million in compensation.

Three Nations or One? [Illustration by Sudheer Nath]

While the island of Hong Kong has come back to China after being under British control for almost 100 years, Taiwan broke away from China more than 50 years ago to declare independence. But China continues to state that Taiwan is a part of it.

The Unbreakable Match

Fri, 30 Mar 2001 12:55:02 +0000

The Unbreakable Match [Illustrations by Shiju George]

All you need is:

One handkerchief with a hem.
Two wooden matches or toothpicks.

Step 1: Hide a toothpick in the hem of a handkerchief. Display the handkerchief, and several other toothpicks you have brought with you. Then, have a volunteer point to one of the toothpicks.

Step 2: Pick up the toothpick they chose, place it in the center of the handkerchief, and roll the handkerchief up with the chosen toothpick in its center.

Sydney 2000

Tue, 30 Jan 2001 01:38:48 +0000

The Olympic medal is a source of pride not only to the individual athletes but also to the countries that they come from. Guess the nationality of some of the Olympic 2000 winners from their country flags.

The Stowaway

Wed, 03 Jan 2001 23:56:07 +0000

Marco Puss, the famous cat explorer, arrived at the docks one day. It was all new to him — the noise and bustle, the interesting smells, the cranes, the ship.

‘A house on water,’ he thought. ‘How exciting!’ Tail in the air, he stalked up the gangway. When he was halfway up he heard a shout.

‘Whose cat is that? Get him off the ship!’

Marco was booted off the ship. His dignity was hurt.

Get Sporty

Tue, 19 Sep 2000 21:57:46 +0000

Little tit-bits of information about the games people play. Let’s see how much you know.

Tawara Toda

Sat, 04 May 1996 14:35:19 +0000

In Japan, in 365 AD, the Yamato Empire flourished, gaining strength and fame with each passing year. The emperor Nintoku was a fierce warrior well-known for his conquests.

In Nintoku’s army, there was a soldier named Tawara Toda. He was a poor and simple villager who was devoted to his land and emperor even though he was considered the joke of the army.

Nintoku’s guards whipped him regularly, yet every night before sundown, in his prayers he would ask Lord Buddha to protect his emperor and keep his land from harm.

Pretty bird no more

Mon, 06 Mar 2006 00:04:35 +0000

Where: London, England

April 24, 2007: For 40 years, the people of London have been happy to spot in their parks a bird that seems to have made its way from the Himalayas to the capital of England. With its shocking green body, red beak, long tail and noisy screech, the rose-ringed parakeet brought a vivid splash of colour to parks in and around London. The parakeet (psittacula krameri) is native to a great belt of land stretching from Africa to the Himalayas in India. So impressed were people with its colourful presence, that they started putting out bird feed for it.

Do You Know What You are Eating?

Fri, 03 Dec 2004 13:24:09 +0000

June 5: When you think of a cold drink, you think of its sweet taste, the fizz, and the sparkling bubbles under your nose. But not for a moment do you imagine animal parts being mixed in it.

And yet that is what seems to be happening, says a report in The Hindu newspaper. The use of animal ingredients in ‘vegetarian’ food products is more common than you can ever dream of.

According to the report, an organisation called the Animal Welfare Board of India has brought out a list of vegetarian food products containing disguised animal supplements. What’s more, these ingredients are undeclared by the manufacturers.

The Only Time when the Emperor Smoked

Mon, 10 Dec 2001 08:56:17 +0000

It was the year 1604 — 392 years ago. An officer under Mughal emperor Akbar had just got back from the south. And this time the officer, Asad Beg Qazwini, had brought several presents for his king. There was one present that he knew would excite the emperor no end — a superbly made jewelled hookah or pipe, a golden burner for lighting the pipe, and a golden box filled with tobacco leaves. All this he kept on a silver tray and presented to Akbar. The fact that the official himself had never seen the use of tobacco in northern India had made him go for it.

Films for Kids — By Kids

Tue, 23 Oct 2001 19:02:08 +0000

All over the world achievers are getting younger and younger. A few weeks ago we had written a report on five Indian schoolchildren from south India who landed jobs with a famous American company called Lucent Technologies. Before that it was five children from Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) who had walked away with a huge haul of medals at the World Robotics championship, in Canada. Now it is the turn of a few schoolchildren in Delhi to get creative by making a 40-minute film all by themselves.

Making Music

Sun, 01 Apr 2001 11:26:45 +0000

This happened a long time ago. Hemavati sat in her kitchen after a meal. There was nothing much to do, and Hemavati was bored. So she picked up the thaali or plate in which she had eaten earlier and struck it with a ladle. Taaaaang, traaaaaang, traaaaang… it went. Funny sound, she thought. But then, she liked it too. It was better than many other sounds. For instance, it was better than the snoring sounds her husband made when he slept.

Where have the Teenagers Disappeared?

Tue, 23 May 2000 03:43:06 +0000

Where have the Teenagers Disappeared? []

Secrets from Beyond: Runaway
Written by David Benjamin

Published by Scholastic Inc.

Sixteen-year-old Ted Black has disappeared. There is only a note saying that he would return “when things were better.” His parents and little brother, Jason, are worried sick. The police is baffled – Ted is the fifth teen to disappear without trace.

All the teens are from stable, well-to-do families. Have they been kidnapped or have they run away from home? There is just one clue: all of them had been hanging out with people outside their usual circle of friends before they vanished.

Street Cricket in Calcutta: Out, Caught!

Tue, 21 Dec 1999 08:21:39 +0000

July 1: Calcutta. A city without playgrounds. But still, a city that has learnt to have fun with what there is – the streets. And street or ‘para’ cricket is one of those inventions. Cricket during the day, under the sun, and cricket under streetlights and floodlights once the sun is down. Cricket played to the cheers of the neighbourhood — the family, the pet, the neighbours, their domestic helps — in short, all.

This is nothing unusual for Indians who have always spent a large part of their lives outdoors, sitting on a ‘charpai’ or stringed cot under a tree or playing games according to the season, be it ‘gulli danda’ in summer or throw a stick in mud and let it hold, during the rain. And cricket has become the king of all street games. The street is where most of our cricketing legends started, including Calcutta’s very own ‘Bengal ka gaurav, Saurav’ (the pride of Bengal – Saurav (Ganguly).

Children e-Lead the Way

Thu, 05 Mar 1998 22:03:00 +0000

Where: San Mateo, USA

June 24, 2000: Many adults think that the decision to buy a computer is theirs. The children just smile. For, they know it is because of them. They are the world’s Webmasters. Now, a US survey has found proof of the fact. Children are taking to the Internet, like ducks take to water. The number of children logging on to the Internet has tripled in the past three years, says a report by the Associated Press. A company called Grunwald Associates, in San Mateo, US, conducted the survey.

Web of Financial Scandal

Fri, 01 Jul 2005 01:52:47 +0000

August 18: The recent arrest of P S Subramanyam, chairman Unit Trust of India, has sent shock waves through the country, among the 20 million people who had invested their lifetime savings in India’s oldest public mutual fund company. What exactly happened?

A mutual fund company has one main function: to take in or mobilise people’s savings and invest them on their behalf, to maximise the returns. Most of us put our savings in banks. Banks are seen to be solid and safe but they do not give more than 9 per cent returns (interest). Mutual funds, on the other hand, are attractive because they give higher returns or interest on the savings.

Earth Heroes

Tue, 31 Oct 2000 06:50:28 +0000

July 15: Heroes are people admired for certain noble qualities. Like standing up to wrongs committed by others. And doing something to right those wrongs.

Recently, a few men were honoured as earth heroes for what they have done for wild animals. They were awarded Millennium Awards for Wildlife Service reported The Asian Age newspaper. The awards were started this year by Sanctuary magazine and ABN AMRO Bank.

The earth heroes have fought several battles. With authorities who don’t care what happens to animals. With poachers who don’t respect laws and hunt animals. Even endangered ones. And with hostile locals who don’t understand the need to protect or look after the wildlife in their neighbourhood.

Easy to Draw — 4

Thu, 11 Feb 1999 18:01:49 +0000

Yes, there are many magical shapes hidden in numbers. Sudheer, the magic man, first drew the letter G and ended up drawing a monkey. You too can do it. Begin now!

Easy to Draw — 4 []

Violence Rocks China's Xinjian Province

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 12:28:42 +0000

Where: Urumqi, Xinjiang,China

July 8, 2009 : Clashes broke out between Muslim Uighurs and Han Chinese in Urumqi, Xinjiang’s capital, on Sunday, July 5, 2009. Over 150 people were killed in clashes, nearly 1,000 were injured, and hundreds were arrested. By Tuesday morning, it looked as if the authorities had Urumqi under control. But gangs of Han Chinese armed with sticks and bars began to form and they poured down the streets towards the Great Bazaar, the town’s Uighur trading quarter. The Han Chinese appeared angry at the failure of security forces to protect their community on Sunday.

Gandhi's Belongings Auctioned for Millions

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 09:36:36 +0000

Where: New York, USA

March 6, 2009 : Indian industrialist Vijay Mallya bought Gandhi’s belongings at a New York auction for $1.8 million (Rs 9 crore). The trademark wire frame spectacles, pocket watch, brass bowl and plate set and a pair of leather sandals had belonged to Mahatma Gandhi, India’s most revered national leader. They were owned by American James Otis, and he put them up for sale at the auction house Antiquorum.

The Indian government had tried to prevent the auction, as it wanted the items to be returned to the country. Mahatma Gandhi’s legal heir is the Navjivan trust. The Trust filed a petition against the auction in the Delhi High Court, and obtained an order of restraint. This also made it impossible for the Indian government to bid in the auction without overriding a court ruling.

Indian women squash all opposition!

Tue, 09 Jan 2007 21:53:42 +0000

Squash all opposition, Joshna

At 19, Joshna Chinappa of Chennai became the first Indian girl to win the prestigious junior title of the British Open Squash Championship. She won the indoor racquet game title in August 2005. She also became the first sportsperson to be adopted by the Mittal Champions Trust – a trust started by steel tycoon L.N. Mittal to sponsor and encourage champions at the right time so that their talent can flower.

Jumbos have some oily fun

Wed, 31 Aug 2005 20:12:29 +0000

August 9: It’s a slippery situation that has officials of the Oil India Limited (OIL) in Assam religiously muttering the Ganesh Mantra. The public sector company owns and operates the world’s oldest oil producing wells here and they’re helpless against the antics of wild elephants who love the swooshing sound of oil spurting in Digboi’s oil fields.

Jumbos have some oily fun [Illustration by Shinod AP]

According to a report in The Indian Express, the wild tuskers move around freely in the oil fields, often opening crucial valves in the pipelines that connect the oil wells to the refineries.

Counting the world in different ways

Thu, 19 May 2005 05:25:59 +0000

August 17: Counting the world’s population may seem a bit like counting the stars in the sky, but not if you know how to go about it the right way. And there are as many ways to do it as there are countries, the United Nations recently discovered at a four-day seminar attended by number-happy statisticians from 55 countries. The idea was to see how countries are using technology to make the census-taking exercises more manageable and accurate.

Sundari

Fri, 01 Feb 2002 07:41:37 +0000

Sundari was my cousins’ immediate neighbour. She lived with Lalit Kapoor and his German wife, Hazel, in their beautiful bunglow in Nizammudin East. This goes back many, many years, when I used to come to Delhi from Indore for my holidays. I must have been six or seven years old then. I saw her for the first time from my cousins’ balcony. She was lazing in the garden enjoying the sun on that wintry afternoon.

Kappu Tries Hard

Wed, 28 Feb 2001 15:45:25 +0000

Kappu Maharaj, wake up fast
The morning birds are chirping sweet
“Unnn..nn..unn” said Kappu
In a voice full of sleep

Little Kappu sat on his pot
But did not manage a single dot.
When his mother asked “Are you done?”
Kappu flashed a smile at once

Kappu Tries Hard [Illustration by Shinod AP]

From Cave Drawings to Floor Drawings

Tue, 02 Jan 2001 08:53:55 +0000

See this drawing? It was painted by our early ancestors on the walls of the caves in which they lived. Often they would draw bulls and bisons. These were the animals they went out to hunt.

Drawing them was a way of getting the courage to go and hunt successfully. They knew that if the animal did not die, there was a chance that one of them might. Drawing the pictures of bulls and bisons was a way of overcoming fear to get what they wanted: food and a long life.

The Song of the Bird

Wed, 29 Mar 2000 13:30:21 +0000

The Song of the Bird []

Humans speak when they are happy, they speak when they are sad. They speak when they are angry, and they speak when they see a thing of beauty. They try to speak even when they have toothaches, and often they speak even when they have nothing to say. Well, songbirds are quite the same.

The Magical Paper Pipe Stand

Fri, 31 Jul 1998 08:32:41 +0000

You don’t know what to do with that old magazine, the plastic box or that empty tin? Why don’t you do some magic, like Kusum did. Make a beautiful paper pipe stand with these ready-to-throw materials. As we all know, cutting and gluing is great fun!

The Magical Paper Pipe Stand [Illustrations by Kusum Chamoli]

THE THINGS YOU NEED

One or two old colour magazines with thick shiny paper.
An empty tin or plastic box. It can be circular or square.
Adhesive (like fevicol)
A pair of scissors

HOW TO DO IT

The 'English Pinch' in Bangladesh

Mon, 19 Apr 2004 04:27:57 +0000

What would you say if you saw a restaurant billboard saying “You be in our guest and please like any menu from arrangement ultimate sea food”?

Will you brush it aside thinking the billboard painter must be ‘uneducated’. Mark, when I say ‘uneducated’, I actually mean that he does not know English. For a lot of us, being educated also means knowing English.

But, can you brush aside an entire nation – Bangladesh – which has problems with its English? That does not mean people living in this country are not educated. They are, they have simply done their education in another language.

Swan falls in love with a pedal boat

Tue, 01 Aug 2006 07:47:01 +0000

Where: The city of Munster, Germany

April 10, 2007: Some call it Petra. Others call it Black Peter. But everyone in Germany agrees on one thing — Petra or Black Peter, is one rare black swan.

The story begins when Petra or Black Peter fell in love with a pedal boat shaped like a swan. This happened at Aesee Lake in Munster city, in north-western Germany. The black swan had been brought to the lake some time last year to attract picnicking crowds. It was an attraction, for the swans in Germany and other countries of the European continent are white. The black swan comes from Australia.

Godly Guardian for the Road

Tue, 28 Jan 2003 07:19:25 +0000

The road on which I travel to and from office every day is one of the busiest roads linking the Indian capital, Delhi, to its neighbouring state, Haryana. It is barely 11 feet wide for the last couple of kilometres before it snakes across to the neighbours. And it is on this stretch that you have a war every morning and evening.

It is a war of space and speed – between cycles, scooters, auto-rickshaws, cars, lorries, tractors, buses and huge trucks. Though, thankfully, the last mentioned bullies – the trucks – have been banned from the road during the daytime.

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]

Morning

Mon, 25 Oct 1999 19:44:17 +0000

Morning
Wraps me softly

In a blanket of grey
Touches my eyelids

With pale, cool fingers
Sings in my ears

A twittering sparrow
Tugs at my arms

Lifts me gently
From my bed

Saying
Another day is here.

Round and Round

The whirling fan
Touching my cheek

With its butterfly breath
A constant breeze

Blowing summer away
Ruffling my hair

Cooling my neck
Oops!

Making my papers fly!

The Final Glacier

Thu, 07 May 1998 20:23:39 +0000

The Final Glacier []

A Journey to Gaumukh
Written by Sheila Sharma
Translated by Shama Chowdhury
Illustrations by Reenie Kaur
Published by National Book Trust, New Delhi

Excerpts from the book:

Devyani and Aditya were so tired that they could hardly keep their eyes open and at Harsil they couldn’t wait to fall into bed. But Grandpa insisted that they eat some nuts and a little food first. He said, “You must never go to sleep on an empty stomach in a cold climate.” Gulping down a little food, the children tumbled into bed.

On the tracks of a hero

Thu, 26 Jan 2006 07:25:34 +0000

Where: Delhi, India

April 17, 2007: He does not look like Superman or Shaktimaan from any angle. Nor does he look like Batman or Spiderman. But 57-year-old Mahender Singh is a super hero in real life.

In December 2006, he stood on a railway track to stop a train speeding towards him. It was the only way to stop the train from going over the broken railway track and having a terrible accident. By doing this Singh saved the lives of thousands of people travelling on the train.

Joining Hands for peace, at Hiroshima

Sat, 10 May 2003 14:38:29 +0000

Every year, on August 6 and 9, a peace memorial conference is held in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Thousands of people from all over the world gather there to indicate their support for peace in a world that is free of nuclear weapons. Dr Srimanjari, who teaches History at Miranda House, Delhi University, took part in one such conference, in 1998. She shares her experience, saying that the visit was a real eye-opener for her.

How does one talk about peace? By sharing memories of pain with those who did not, over generations, so that the desire for peace become stronger. In the peace conference that Srimanjari attended, there were over ten thousand participants, who came from all walks of life.

The Business of Festivals

Thu, 25 Jul 2002 15:48:46 +0000

What is special about Durga Puja is that it’s a community celebration. In Calcutta, specially, almost every neighbourhood has a Puja Committee to organise the Puja in their locality, every year.

Come September and the Committee members begin to meet at each other’s houses and chalk out plans for grand celebrations over endless rounds of cha(tea) and adda (discussion).

Anyone can qualify – all one needs is boundless enthusiasm. These people set up the pandal or the tents that house the festivities. They also organise the idol-making, decide on the cultural programmes — and the feast. It’s all for the cause of Ma Durga. Above all, it’s fun!

I Carried the Olympic Torch

Sat, 07 Jul 2001 12:53:17 +0000

In his early 40s, George Abraham is known as the man who has used the game of cricket to encourage a competitive spirit and confidence among the blind. He is the man who singlehandedly put cricket for the blind on the world map, literally.

It was Wednesday, July 10, 1996, the time 11.30 p.m. The telephone rang. It was a call from Coca-Cola, Mumbai. The voice at the other end said, “Can you arrange for a US visa? We have nominated you as one of the six runners who will participate in the Olympic torch relay at Atlanta. You will have to leave for Atlanta tomorrow evening.”

Record Tidbits

Mon, 23 Oct 2000 11:19:44 +0000

Scholastic Book of World Records
Published by Scholastic India Pvt. Ltd.

World records almost always make interesting reading. And if there are vivid pictures to make it more interesting, the tidbits get digested faster. The Scholastic Book of World Records is such a book. It makes you want to pick it up and create a new global map based on the foundations of superlatives: the world’s largest and the smallest; the shortest and the longest; the fastest and the slowest?..

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:

My Country is a Land of Plains!

Mon, 30 Jun 2003 20:53:36 +0000

February 26: India is a land of rivers, cows, wheat fields, hot dusty plains and flat-roofed houses. This is what Stanzin Zangpo had learned in his class. But he is from Ladakh and he had never seen these things. The 12-year-old boy could not even imagine them. His part of India had jagged snow-capped mountain peaks, bitterly cold climate, large barren wastes of land and frozen lakes.

But now Stanzin knows differently. He and 29 other children from Ladakh have come to Delhi on a trip. They have finally seen the part of India that their textbook said there was. For the first time in their lives they saw an elephant (and were terrified of it), a zoo and the Qutub Minar. They were also special guests at the Republic Day parade and the Army Day parade, reports

Where Children Run Their Own Lives

Mon, 30 Dec 2002 22:52:04 +0000

September 9: Govindpuri, a sprawling slum settlement in New Delhi, spread over nine km, is like any other slum — a congested maze of narrow lanes, uncovered drains and tiny houses. But it is unique in one aspect. The children living there have come up with an unusual way to settle their problems. They have set up Bal Panchayats or local governing bodies that have child members only.

“We started Bal Panchayat two and a half years ago to address our own problems. We handle topical issues like students dropping out of school, somebody failing in exams or even Kargil. Then we decide our course of action and act on it,” says Ravi, one of the members, sounding very confident.

Taming the Boors

Mon, 07 Jan 2002 11:14:47 +0000

October 28: Regulars at the Lucknow University campus in Lucknow, are familiar with the site of a tall, well-built young woman, in police uniform, zipping past on a powerful motorbike.

The young woman is Lakshmi Singh, a police sub-inspector who has recently taken charge of Lucknow University’s outpost. And she is on a mission – to curb the spiralling violence against girls studying in the University.

The Lucknow University campus, is supposedly one of the most notorious campuses in India. Hundreds of hooligans and college boys loiter in the campus grounds, with the purpose of making the lives of the University girls miserable with their antics, reports The Telegraph. Many of them even carry guns. They indulge in eve-teasing and molestation of girls, and misbehave with everyone.

Granny's Girl

Wed, 08 Mar 2000 12:34:45 +0000

Granny’s Girl []

Neena’s Granny

Written by Vinita Krishna
Illustrations by Sujasha Dasgupta
Published by Scholastic India Pvt. Ltd.

Some grannies are funny, some grannies are loving, but Neena’s granny is her best friend. While the little girl thrives on Granny’s lunchtime surprises and stories and snuggles up to her in the night, Granny looks forward to her darling’s return from school and waits to hear her amusing tales.

Where is Sirisha?

Wed, 06 Jun 2001 01:07:30 +0000

July 22: Two-year-old Sirisha has been missing since March. Missing along with her are eight siblings. Sirisha’s father P.L Narasimhan has been running from pillar to post to get her traced, but has not had any luck so far. Now, the Hyderabad-based Indian has taken the extreme step of appealing to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of America, for help. Yes, the same FBI that is shown in Hollywood films as rushing to find the criminal who has hijacked the American President’s plane.

Eight year old rules the publishing world

Wed, 07 Jul 1999 18:57:23 +0000

Where: San Francisco, USA

July 1, 2000: The literary world is in a fix. Poets, scholars and publishers cannot believe their ears. An eight-year-old has accomplished what most of them believe is impossible.

Eight year old rules the publishing world [Illustration by Sudheer Nath]

Sahara Sunday Spain, has received a record advance of £66,000 from the publisher HarperCollins for a book of her poems. That amounts to $100,000 – quite a large sum even for an adult considering that it is for a poetry collection. Even the well-known British poet Ted Hughes received 50,000 pounds for his last collection of poems.

Flying Granny, Courageous Climber

Sat, 27 Mar 1999 23:20:44 +0000

Where: Worldwide

June 24, 2000 : British grandma Jennifer Murray turned 60 in Calcutta some days ago. But she is no ordinary grandmother. In 1997, she entered the Guinness Book of World Records by becoming the first woman to pilot a helicopter around the world. And now she is determined to become the first solo woman to circumnavigate the world in a helicopter. She was in Calcutta for a brief halt in the journey.

Grandma Murray is doing it for a cause. She is being sponsored by an organisation called the Pacific Century Cyber Work’s Network of the World. Their aim is to raise one million dollars for a very special project called Operation Smile. The project is run by a group which helps children who need to have facial surgery. The project is running in 16 developing countries. And Grandma Murray is flying for the cause.

Best Day of the Term

Tue, 23 Feb 1999 22:10:21 +0000

Best Day of the Term [Illustration by Navin Pangti]

As I sat down to work out a page of sums on the first school day of 2001, I couldn’t help but think of that lovely day, the best day of the term, just three weeks ago.

“Surbhi, give me your number! Hey, Aradhana! Wait for me, will you? Seen the ice cream man?”

Education that is and education that should be

Tue, 27 Jan 2004 06:59:22 +0000

**Mr Examination **
_
Oh, my dear examination
I have made no preparation
I’m terribly afraid of you
Kindly advise me what to do
You are early, but I’m very late
And daily losing weight
Please go and go you must,
Let me learn my lesson first.
Get out of my room
Now that’s something!!!_

Education that is and education that should be

What education can’t give
_education can give study
but not job
education can give books
but not brains

The Mail Carrier

Mon, 19 Nov 2001 08:19:27 +0000

August 5: Karrappan walks through dark forests and lively villages, covering more than 20 km on foot everyday. And he carries a heavy bag on his head.

Karrappan is a mail carrier. He works with the postal department of Pulpully, a small, remote village in Kerala. He has been working there for 40 years now.

Karrappan is a most unusual employee. Take his appearance, for instance. Karrappan wears only a dhoti. And nothing else. The dhoti may be just a long piece of cloth which Indian men wear, tied around their waist, but it is probably the most suitable attire when you have a gruelling walk ahead of you, under the glaring sun.

Bookmarks

Tue, 09 Oct 2001 10:49:09 +0000

Bookmarks are very easy to make and you can make use of the things lying at your home.

The things you need:

Old greeting card.
Crayons.
Pencil and eraser.
Scissors.

Step 1 Take an old greeting card. On the inside, draw a carrot on it. Now cut it in the same shape. Use a greeting card that is made of thick paper so that your bookmark does not fold or crack easily.

Step 2 To make a colourful bookmark, use paints, crayons or colour pencils on the plain side of the card. You can even write your name on it.

Creating Light from Garbage

Thu, 19 Apr 2001 18:49:43 +0000

July 22: We all create garbage. Every day we throw away armloads of things that we don’t need. Wrappers, leftovers, car parts, torn cloth, vegetable remains and mounds of other such stuff. What we throw away at home is domestic garbage. There’s much more that factories throw away. Garbage from factories is often very dangerous, because it could be poisonous chemicals, or plastics that choke the earth. The result of all this throwing away is that garbage levels around the world are rising, and fast. So fast that soon we will have no place left where we can throw our junk away.

Fox

Sun, 04 Apr 1999 00:04:34 +0000

If there is one animal that lives by its wits then it is our very own Fox. Sheer ingenuity has made him a survivor literally. And it is due to its own dexterity that the Red or common fox is doing very well in Britain, North America and North Africa unlike it’s cousins the wolf and the wild cat. Man is his only enemy. Ironically though, he still prefers to stay close to humans.

Fox [Illustrations by Amarjeet Malik]

The fox is the smallest member of the dog family, Canidae. They are agile predators that usually weigh under 7kg. They scavenge carrion, wild fruits and hunt small rodents, rabbits, birds and invertebrates. They hunt small prey sufficient to feed only one animal and hence are solitary predators who do not hunt in packs.

Champion of a 2300-year-old game

Mon, 06 Jan 2003 17:35:32 +0000

It was a lazy summer afternoon, and the buffaloes had gone to sleep in the village pond, at Hassangarh, in Haryana. They had been given a vigorous rub by little Bhola and his gang of four, ranging from six to 10. All they wanted to do was doze.

The creatures moved their ears slightly when the boys clambered onto their backs. Each one of them held a flower stamen as if he was holding a sword. But even during the fierce sword fight between the ‘warriors’, the animals did not stir.

Talking Through their Hats for Peace

Wed, 06 Nov 2002 07:28:24 +0000

September 9: A group of children are going to attend the International Conference on War-affected Children, at Winnipeg in Canada, from September 10 to 17. Coming from war-torn countries like Somalia, Uganda, Sierra Leone and Kosovo will all wear hats during the conference. The hats are meant to prevent them from being identified back home. They might be punished for speaking out against war when they return.

But there will be some children who will not wear hats, and will even talk to journalists, according to a recent article in ‘The Indian Express’.

Born to Love Animals

Tue, 29 Feb 2000 02:34:16 +0000

Born to Love Animals []

The House Where Cockroaches Live to a Ripe Old Age
Written by Yoram Kaniuk; Translated by Yoram and Miranda Kaniuk
Illustrations by Tapas Guha
Published by Scholastic India Pvt. Ltd.

This book is about a little girl, Naomi, whose love for animals makes her convert her house into a mini zoo. All she wants is more and more animals around her and sure enough, she does manage to get them!

Stage Surprises – A Party Game

Tue, 20 Apr 1999 23:08:11 +0000

Here’s a great game when you have several kids around. Whether it’s two children at home or ten at a birthday party, Stage Surprises is great fun.

Write the names of animals or objects on slips of paper. Put the slips in a shoe box. Place the shoe box in the centre, with the children seated around in a circle. Now, play “passing the parcel” passing a cushion to music. Whenever the music stops, the child with the cushion in her hand may pick up a slip.

Frank Conrad's Garage

Thu, 15 Apr 1999 09:01:25 +0000

Where: Pittsburgh, USA

July 22, 2000: Over eighty years ago, the first commercial broadcast on radio occurred in a garage in Pittsburgh, US. Today, the garage and the house it is part of, are up for sale, according to a brief report in ‘The Asian Age’.

The garage and house had then belonged to engineer, Frank Conrad. Conrad had 200 patents on the radio, which meant that he had official documents that gave him the right to make, sell or use the radio.

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.

Bush Takes the Cake

Sun, 05 Oct 2003 19:39:33 +0000

December 27: After causing much uncertainty and merriment to the entire world, the mystery of Who will be the next American President has finally been solved. It’s George W. Bush.

Bush Takes the Cake [Illustration by Shinod A.P.]

The decision was finally made by the United States Supreme Court. And so, Bush won. But, what exactly happened?

As mentioned in World News In-depth a few days ago, All The Presidential Men, the root of the problem was located in the state of Florida. At the time the votes were counted, there was a marginal difference between the number of votes given to Bush (candidate of the Republican party) and the candidate from the Democrat party, Al Gore. So the votes were recounted by hand.

What Lies Beneath?

Thu, 14 Nov 2002 07:38:28 +0000

What Lies Beneath? [Illustrations by Shiju George]

October 28: When archaeologist Donny Youkhanna started excavating an ancient mound in the Umm al-Ajarib cemetery, located 400 km of Iraq’s capital Baghdad, he had no idea what he was going to unearth. He dug up a huge graveyard belonging to the ancient civilization of Sumer, which flourished in Iraq nearly 5000 years ago, says an Associated Press report which appeared in The Times of India.

Origamist Whizkid Sivaram

Mon, 09 Sep 2002 15:55:11 +0000

October 21: Imagine the talent required to fold a single sheet of paper as many as 100 times, to create fantastic animals, birds, insects, celebrities, aircraft and gods! Actually this is an intricate art dating back to1000 A.D. Japan, where it was pioneered, and is called Origami.

And 12-year-old origamist Sivaram Narayanan, is a whiz at it, as visitors during his recent “one man” exhibition at the Lalit Kala gallery, in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, says a report in the Chennai edition of ‘The Hindu’. As many as 300 of his works were shown.

The Green Family

Thu, 11 Oct 2001 03:32:07 +0000

The Green Family [Illustrations by Shinod AP]

Want to have a family of your own? A green family? All it takes is a little water and sunshine to entice this green family to spread its roots!

The things you need:

Empty containers of different sizes
Wheat seeds
Soil
Water
Poster colours
Brush

Step 1: Fill three-fourths of all the containers with garden soil.

Step 2: Spread a handful of wheat seeds on the soil. Cover the seeds with another layer of soil.

Green Fields in a Concrete Jungle

Thu, 04 Oct 2001 14:51:21 +0000

August 5: Imagine green paddy fields and a calm pond next to it. The breeze that blows over the still waters is cool and refreshing in the afternoons. Imagine all this in the middle of a city.

Sounds dreamlike?

Actually that is what Govind Mhatre’s farm is like. Like a dream. It looks like it has been displaced from a picture book and placed in a wrong setting. Govind’s farm exists in the middle of a bustling city — complete with its concrete buildings and polluting vehicles –in the suburb of Borivli in Mumbai.

Mormu: Daughter of the Forest

Mon, 24 Sep 2001 22:33:28 +0000

Mormu Oraon was lying under a sal tree in the jungle. As the first rays of golden sunlight fell on her face, she stirred a little. Rubbing her eyes, she sat up slowly. Nearby, her mother poured steaming tea into clay cups. Dawn had just broken, but the day had begun for the Oraon family.

Twelve-year-old Mormu is an adivasi or a tribal. She lives in Ranchi district, in India’s eastern state of Bihar. She is the first in her family to go to school.
Her mother, Haria, or her grandmother, Hirma, had never heard of school.

Smart Ones and Fools

Sat, 14 Oct 2000 01:01:23 +0000

This morning we got a call in our office from a friend who gave us us the news that the Taj Mahal had collapsed in an earthquake in the wee hours of dawn. As soon as we let out shocked gasps we realised that we had all been made fools. For it is April 1 or Fool’s Day today!

Last year, one of India’s most well known TV networks put out a news report that left the viewers speechless. The news was about the first man in the world who was going to have a baby in an Indian hospital.

Little Black Dashes

Sat, 23 Sep 2000 18:17:36 +0000

Little Black Dashes [Illustrations by Kusum Chamoli]

Little black dashes
On six legs each
Walking very fast
Where do they reach?

One saved a friend
Many ate a peach
We’re clever sing the ants
We wish and we can reach.

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.

The Circle of Life

Fri, 01 Aug 2003 23:16:39 +0000

February 5: Young Vittal Partani is one of many volunteers who has been engaged in a singleminded task these last few days in the town of Bhachau that was devastated by the January 26 earthquake, in Gujarat. But there is something special about the 20 year-old and the youngsters accompanying him on the rescue mission.

All of them are orphans of the Latur earthquake disaster of 1993. Only this time around, their roles have reversed – from victims to rescuers.

The China Doll

Fri, 11 Jul 2003 20:18:48 +0000

The China Doll [Illustration by Anup Singh]

December 9: A country’s national identity is very much like an individual’s identity. Each country has a name, a past from which it traces its origins and a few distinguishing characteristics that make up its overall personality. Yes, nations have personalities. Just like human beings, those countries with strong personalities are the ones with a sure sense of who they are.

Olympic Swim Against the Tide

Sat, 23 Nov 2002 14:38:21 +0000

September 23: Twelve-year-old Fatima Abdeljamid is creating waves at the Sydney Olympics and for all the right reasons. She is one of two Bahraini nationals and among the very few from the Middle East nations to compete in the Olympics.

Fatima, a swimmer, and Myriam al-Hili, an athlete, have been invited to the Sydney Olympics by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). It is a gesture that is meant to encourage Muslim women from Islamic nations to take part in the Games.

Teachers' Day

Tue, 27 Nov 2001 02:18:13 +0000

Teachers’ Day [Illustration by Shiju George]

September 5: An average teacher teaches, a good teacher explains, a superior teacher illustrates, and a great teacher? A great teacher both learns and inspires students to ask questions fearlessly, for asking the right question is like taking the right turn amidst a maze of lanes and bylanes.

But these are different times. While school students say that teachers are no longer interested in teaching, teachers turn around and say that it is not their fault – nobody is interested in learning and that society treats them like dirt. So, who is right?

Unusual Fish

Sun, 19 Aug 2001 04:22:12 +0000

Unusual Fish [Illustrations by Anup Singh]

All you need is:

Square sheet of paper.
Colours.

Fold the paper as shown in each of the figures.

There it is, draw an eye and your unique fish is ready. It’s so simple that you could make a whole family of fish in just a few minutes.

Be Bubbly

Sun, 15 Jul 2001 06:14:29 +0000

Making bubbles is really easy and so magical.

All you need is:

A short piece of wire.
Half a teaspoon of washing powder or detergent.
A cup of water.

Step 1: Make a loop in the wire as shown in figure 2.

Step 2: Prepare a soap solution by mixing the detergent in the water.

Step 3: Dip the loop in the soapy solution and blow into the loop from a distance. See the bubbles grow into a rainbow globe.

Iraq Celebrates As US Troops Withdraw

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 12:10:05 +0000

Where: Baghdad, Iraq

June 30, 2009 : A national holiday and a full military parade marked “National Sovereignty Day” as Iraq celebrated the withdrawal of American troops. USA’s troops pulled out of Iraq’s towns and cities, six years after they led coalition forces, including troops from four other countries, into Iraq. The forces invaded Iraq in 2003 to remove the dictator Saddam Hussein, and to destroy weapons of mass destruction, which the country was believed to have developed. Saddam was deposed and executed, but no weapons of mass destruction were discovered. Thousands of lives were lost, and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis became refugees. The occupation of Iraq began to be opposed very strongly in the USA itself.

The Bright Ones

Wed, 26 Jun 2002 01:48:37 +0000

September 9: Five-year-old Krishna and four-year-old Rama are two very bright brothers. They are too young to join school but they know by heart all the textbooks of the primary school.

The little geniuses, however, are not Indian! Their names are the only thing Indian about these kids. For they are Russians in every other way.

The two boys, sons of Ariy Radogar, were allowed to take the test for primary school admissions after their father insisted that they could clear them. At first the headmaster of the school refused to admit the children. In Russia, as in the rest of the world, the age of the child for entry in primary school is six.

Mind the Manners!

Tue, 28 May 2002 17:42:35 +0000

Neeru and Shama were planning a trip to Europe for a holiday. They had been through all the travel catalogues, Lonely Planet series, and Michelins to plan their travel and stay. From friends and foren returned relatives they knew the weather backwards and had both warm and arctic-wear clothing.

The final stop was this book on etiquette that friends were raving about: How Not to Say Yes While Meaning No.

They sat in a group with their friends. Pooja, the authority because she had recently returned from a trip to Switzerland, read the excerpts.

Duped Again

Wed, 01 May 2002 10:40:56 +0000

October 21: There are two Indias – the India of the powerful, privileged classes and the India of the masses. The powerful have good jobs and enviable lifestyles while the masses are precariously perched on the brink of survival. A large proportion of the masses lives in villages, which, as Mahatma Gandhi said long ago, is where the real India lives. Ill-fed, ill-clothed and ill-educated.

Time and again, this real India finds itself being taken for a ride. Last week we wrote about the villagers in Maharashtra who were promised jobs by the state government 25 years ago, and are still waiting.

Harry Potter Series: Uniquely Real

Fri, 26 Feb 1999 21:46:14 +0000

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Written by J.K. Rowling
Published by Scholastic Books (US) and Bloomsbury Publishing (UK)

Eleven-year-old Sujit Thomas, a Sixth Standard student at New Delhi’s Don Bosco School, is a voracious reader of books on adventure, mystery and magic. Here he gives his reasons for placing the Harry Potter series far ahead of “the Enid Blytons and the Roald Dahls”!

Testing Times for Indian Sports

Thu, 13 May 2004 20:35:03 +0000

August 6: It was the sort of news that makes everyone sit up and take notice. No wonder the Indian newspapers have been full of it. Some time ago, sportswoman Sunita Godhera submitted an explosive petition to the Delhi High Court. In it were the names of 144 sportspersons who, she says, have been found to be taking banned drugs to boost their performances. These tests were carried out at the laboratory of the Sports Authority of India (SAI) in New Delhi.

Celebrity Camera

Tue, 22 May 2001 16:16:58 +0000

When man took the first steps on the moon, a camera captured the moment forever. Today those pictures are a part of history. And so is the camera that was used to shoot them. The Hasselblad camera.

Celebrity Camera

The first space photographs were taken with Hasselblad cameras. One Hasselblad is still orbiting around the earth. It was dropped by an astronaut while on a space walk. Do you know that a few Hasselblads are also lying on the moon? They were left behind to save weight on the return trip from the moon.

Foods of the Festival

Tue, 13 Aug 2002 01:03:53 +0000

All festivals revolve around fasting — and feasting. The latter part is a special attraction, especially with children! We bring you some mouthwatering recipes that are part of the Navaratri and Durga Puja celebrations.

Interestingly, chana, or chickpea – also called Bengal gram and Garbanzo – is part of festival food across India. It is the key ingredient in the Bengali Chholar Dal, the Tamil Chundal and the Maharashtrian Pooran Poli.

Chana has been around for thousands of years. It has been found in archaeological excavations as early as 2500 BC (4,500 years ago) in Kalibangan, during the time of the Harappa civilisation. Buddhist writings of 400 BC (2,400 years ago) make a mention of it, as do much older Sanskrit texts like the ‘Vishnu Purana’.

Steamer

Sat, 10 Feb 2001 22:31:07 +0000

This is an eco-friendly steamer, it runs on water. Get together with your friends and have a good time making them.

Steamer [Illustrations by Shinod AP]

The things you need:

A soapdish
An empty tin can
Candle
Matchbox
A piece of thin wire
A metal cap

Step 1: Take the cover of a soapdish (one without any holes) and make two holes on parallel sides as shown in the figure.

The Flower Girls of the Mountains

Sat, 15 Jul 2000 22:16:24 +0000

I was back in my village after a long time. Tall pines and Deodars greeted me as I walked uphill, on the twisty ‘kuccha-pukka’ road. It is a small village, tucked away in the lower ranges of the Garhwal Himalayas, in northern Indian state of Uttaranchal. As my house came into view, my thrill knew no bounds. I was glad to be back.

It was a week-long family ‘puja’ that had brought the whole family together at the village. I met all the cousins, uncles, aunts and grandparents who had come from different corners of the country, where they now live.

Childhood

Tue, 11 Jan 2000 11:55:10 +0000

Is it funny

Would it be strange
To see a young girl
Go dancing around
the market place
Or climb trees by the highway
Or flick an orange from a cart
Or sing to the silent nightingale
Or smile at the nodding flowers
Or rush to hug you
When you’d rather think
a casual Hullo! would do
Or talk to the stars
and splash in the puddles
made by rain

Would it be strange
if she never grew up
and chose to remain the same.

The Eyes of a Child Soldier

Mon, 24 May 1999 23:42:42 +0000

Where: Sierra Leone, Africa

August 5, 2000: A child is recognised everywhere as a symbol of innocence. Those who fight wars know this fact. And the more brutal among them use this knowledge to do the most terrible thing. They force children to fight the wars that they have started.

This is what the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) does in the West African country of Sierra Leone. The title of the group suggests that it is performing heroic acts. What it actually does is just the opposite. It begins its attacks on government forces by sending waves of children in front. The idea is to unnerve the opponents. And the children come directly in the line of their gunfire.

Mystery Surrounds Air France Plane Crash

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 14:21:03 +0000

Where: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

June 16, 2009 : Air France Flight 447 carrying 228 people on board disappeared while flying from Rio de Janeiro to Paris hours after it took off on June 1, 2009. The plane vanished from radar when it was some distance away from the Brazilian coast. The Airbus A330-200 made its last radio contact with aviation authorities around three and a half hours after takeoff. Half an hour later, Air France officials received an automatic signal from the aircraft indicating electrical problems related to strong turbulence. However, no contact was made with the pilot, and the jet disappeared off all radar without a distress signal.

Alcoholics Beware!

Wed, 06 Feb 2002 05:49:49 +0000

November 24: After centuries of subjugation at the hands of their men, Indian women are fighting back. We have been featuring news stories of how women across India, especially village women, are charting their own routes, learning to stand up for their rights and scripting their own successes.

For instance, the women of Nyala village in Rajasthan, who have received praise from President Bill Clinton, of the United States, for putting their village on the road to success; or the women of Simayal village in the Kumaon hills, who’ve done the same for their village.

Artist of the Free Spirit

Sat, 08 Sep 2001 01:46:11 +0000

‘My heart is beating, keeps on repeating. . .’ remember the memorable lines from the 1970s Hindi movie ‘Julie’? Remember the Satyajit Ray directed film ‘Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne’ in Bengali and the mischievous Merlin-like magician Borfi? The tale of two simple village boys Goopy the singer and Bagha the drummer, who by a curious turn of fate, find themselves in the possession of boons by kindly ghosts.

Artist of the Free Spirit [Illustration by Shiju George]

Teeming with interesting, ‘other-worldly’ characters and the toothless Borfi in his pointy hat and glasses, a wizened creature who cast naughty spells on all and sundry. Including the king whom he put to sleep for years and years. No prizes for guessing who wrote the lyrics or who Borfi was. Borfi was none other than Harindranath Chattopadhyay!

The World's Hottest Chili

Sun, 20 May 2001 19:26:28 +0000

Do you like your chilies hot? For the spiciest, tongue-burning experience yet, head for Assam –
that’s where the hottest chilies are grown.

For years, Mexico’s ‘Red Savina Habanero’ was believed to be the hottest chili in the world.
But now a chili grown in Tezpur, Assam, in northeastern India, is being touted as the hottest
chili ever. And coming from a state, which is better known for its tea than its chilies, this
discovery has caused quite a stir.

Make your own Salt

Thu, 17 May 2001 14:35:57 +0000

What is the crop of farmers in the desert fields of the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat? The answer is: salt! Farmers make rectangular fields with borders so that the water does not drain away. The water stands still under the sun and evaporates. Once the water evaporates, all that can be seen is salt. For, almost 70 per cent of the earth’s surface is covered by salt water.

Make your own Salt [Illustrations by Shiju George]

To test out how they do it, just do this simple experiment at home.

The Woman who was Not Afraid of Guns

Wed, 21 Feb 2001 04:50:13 +0000

Six years ago, a very brave woman called Gloria Cuartes decided to fight the election for the town mayor’s post. So, what was so brave about that, you may ask. Women all over the world have been fighting some election or the other. But, 33-year-old Gloria’s case was different. You see, she came from the town of Apartedo, where there was violence everywhere.

Apartedo is in the South American country of Colombia. And, for about 17 years, there has been continuous fighting in that country. The fights have been between the government’s armies, guerrilla groups which fight them, and drug gangs.
The people of Apartedo, lived in fear. They were always getting hurt in the violence of gun battles, bomb blasts and kidnappings. Many people who had lived in the town all their lives, had even left the town.

The School that Built Many Lives

Mon, 14 Feb 2000 07:58:08 +0000

July 8: Picture a world far removed from today’s life. No roads, nor any means of transport. Where going to school means crossing three knee-deep streams on foot.

Kalpana Naroti used to do just that to reach her school, the Lok Biradari Post Basic Ashram Shala. Her efforts paid off. She is this year’s topper in the Senior Secondary Certificate Examinations (SSCE), in Maharashtra. She is now looking forward to joining college.

The bright student belongs to the Madia Gond tribe. The Madia Gondis live deep in the forests of Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district. The struggle for life is very hard. Educating children is like a miracle.

Peanut Puppets

Mon, 29 Jun 1998 23:17:42 +0000

You will need:
A darning needle.
A reel of strong thread.
Peanuts in the shell (at least 13, of different sizes).
Paint, paint brushes, glue, scissors, wool for hair, 3 lollipops, icecream sticks or twigs.

Procedure:
Thread the needle and make a large knot in the end. To make the head and body, thread three long peanuts on to the length of thread. (You may need to twist the needle a bit to get it through the shell). Leave a long thread above the head. To make the hands, arms, and legs, string long and small peanuts to the body as shown.

Bird Flu Virus Returns to Asia

Fri, 12 Jan 2007 03:49:11 +0000

Where: China

December 18, 2008: The deadly Bird Flu virus is back, and hundreds of thousands of chickens are being culled (killed) across Asia and Africa to stop the virus from spreading. The H5N1 virus is commonly referred to as Bird Flu virus since it spreads through birds. It can be fatal for human beings, especially those that are exposed to birds such as poultry.

Bird Flu Virus Returns to Asia []

In China, over 370,000 chickens have been culled in the country’s eastern province of Jiangsu. In India, a similar exercise is happening in the western state of Bengal. The virus has also surfaced in Egypt, where it killed a little girl, and in Cambodia and Taiwan.

Beef in McDonald's Fries

Sun, 11 May 2003 04:19:04 +0000

May 11: Fast food giant McDonald’s seems to be frying in its own fat once again – quite literally at that. Last week, an Indian-American lawyer, Harish Bharti took the fast food giant to a US court for lacing its french fries with beef flavouring, a chemical compound that mimics the taste of beef fat. Millions of Hindus from across the world freely munch its french fries believing them to be vegetarian.

Beefing up Bharti’s case is information provided in Eric Schlosser’s recently published book, Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of An All-American Meal.

No Singlish, we're Singaporeans

Mon, 21 Apr 2003 00:09:16 +0000

April 21: That person is very havoc, always out late every night. If you ever hear one Singaporean telling another that, don’t rush to correct them. The two are merely having a chat about the nocturnal habits of someone else, in Singlish, the unofficial lingo of Singaporeans.

A mixture of English, Malay, Chinese and local slang, Singlish is English with a peppering of Singaporean colloquialisms. But like most hybrids, it does not get much respect, nor is it understood by non-Singaporeans. So, the government of Singapore has advised its citizens to adopt standard English.

Brushed under the Carpet

Thu, 26 Sep 2002 08:32:14 +0000

October 14: Morocco is one of the few countries in the African-Arab world to have tourism as a major industry. Tourists flock to Morocco for two things – its old-world charm and fine weather. And for its beautiful carpets.

Morocco produces about 7,50,000 square metres of carpet a year. That’s a lot of carpet. Their bargain prices attract tourists in droves. And, most of these carpets are produced by young children.

Brushed under the Carpet [Illustration by Sudheer Nath]

Festive Bow and Arrow

Wed, 31 May 2000 01:12:41 +0000

Any play on Ramayana is incomplete without the bow and arrow (teer Kamaan). You can make your own bow and arrow, too, but be careful not to hurt anyone.

Festive Bow and Arrow [Illustrations by Shiju George]

You will need:

Elastic, broomstick, plasticine, stem of any tree, scissors and paints.

Step 1: Bend the stem in the form of an arc making sure it does not break. Tie elastic from one end to the other.

Mutual Aid Societies

Sat, 15 Nov 1997 16:25:09 +0000

Everywhere in Nature the small, weak and apparently helpless manage to survive by parasitism — sponging off hosts who may in their turn protect and help these hangers-on. Worms, ticks, fleas and various kinds of bacteria are common examples. But there are more spectacular cases among fish and other sea creatures.

On riverbeds, a species of fresh water clam tosses her young at passing fish to attach themselves with hooks. The host carries them about, nourishing them until they are adult enough to let go, settle as the bottom, and start another lifecycle. This form of parasitism disperses the clams more widely.

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.

Tourists Stranded in Machu Picchu

Mon, 11 Oct 2010 05:53:46 +0000

Where: Lima, Peru

February 1, 2010 :Heavy rain and landslides destroyed the only land link to the ancient Inca* site of Machu Picchu in Peru’s Andes mountains. Around 20 people died in the floods, and 40,000 others were affected. This includes the 4,000 tourists who were visiting Machu Picchu.

Machu Picchu is famously known as the lost city of the Incas. This architectural marvel is situated on a mountain ridge high above the Urubamba River Valley. Built in the 15th century, Machu Picchu was hidden to the rest of the world until an American explorer Hiram Bingham found the ruins in 1911. It is now the most well known symbol of the ancient empire.

Volcano Erupts in Alaska

Sun, 31 Aug 2008 14:08:45 +0000

Where: Anchorage, Alaska, USA

March 23, 2009 : The 3,100 metre high Mount Redoubt, an active volcano, erupted six times in 36 hours starting Sunday, March 22, 2009. It threw up an ash plume almost 15 kilometres high into the air. Scientists had begun issuing alerts 48 hours earlier as they were recording 40 to 50 earthquakes every hour during that period.

Residents of Anchorage, Alaska’s biggest town, which is about 150 kilometres west of the volcano, experienced falls of fine ash dust. There was no falling ash, though, as winds blew the ash cloud away from Anchorage. Volanic ash in the region is like rock fragments with jagged edges. It can injure eyes, skin and breathing passages. It can also damage plane and car engines. Residents were advised to stay indoors as much as possible, to avoid driving, and to cover air inlets and all open water supplies.

Chess Bonanza

Wed, 26 Jan 2005 11:06:52 +0000

It’s a sky full of young Indian stars and superstars, in the world of chess today. Leading this amazing pack are 15-year-old Pentyala Harikrishna, and 14-year-old Koneru Humpy, who have created major records in the last fortnight. Harikrishna became the youngest Commonwealth Chess Champion, and Humpy won the World Junior Chess title, which falls in the under-20 category!

Add to the list the names of the World champion (Anand), the Boys Under-10 champion, Deep Sengupta, and several Asian champions like Krishnan Sasikiran, Pallavi Shah and M. Kasturi (Asian Under-20) among others, and what a world class line-up it is!

Birds!!!

Sat, 23 Nov 2002 22:34:17 +0000

October 6: If feeding pigeons is your hobby, then the place to go is London’s Trafalgar Square. With about 40,000 pigeon tummies to fill, you can be sure that demand will never outstrip supply.

Trafalgar Square’s pigeons are a major tourist attraction. Thousands of pigeons can be found in the square at any given time, which has a fountain and the monument of famous English general Lord Nelson at the centre. Some tourists and residents visit the square only to feed the birds.

Eastward Ho!

Thu, 23 Aug 2001 05:39:47 +0000

Britain wants Indian engineers to help modernise their London-Glasgow railway link, and that’s a real about turn! Nearly 150 years ago, Britain was the first country to use steam locomotives.

The British also built the first rail tracks in India and set up India’s railway network with one purpose – they wanted to collect raw material such as cotton from different parts of the country so that they could be shipped to Britain. And later, when the ready-made products came back to India, they used the rail network to sell them by reaching different corners of the country.

The Girl who Squeezed a Peacock

Sat, 11 Aug 2001 03:17:10 +0000

Last year, a strange thing happened at a zoo in Beijing, China’s capital. When the day started, no one had any idea of what would happen some time later. As usual, there were many visitors to the zoo, especially children.

All of a sudden, a six-year-old girl caught hold of a peacock and squeezed it hard. She said she would free the bird only if her mother agreed to buy a Barbie doll for her. Her mother, who wanted the bird to remain alive, said yes. A Chinese journalist called Wen Chihua wrote about this in a newspaper called Terra Viva.

The Nest

Thu, 29 Jul 1999 11:33:53 +0000

Common Birds
Written by Salim Ali and Laeeq Futehally
Published by National Book Trust, New Delhi

Think of birds and you think of Dr. Salim Ali, India’s most famous ornithologist. He is the scientist who succeeded in communicating his passion for studying bird life in India to the ordinary Indian.

Generations of Indians have grown up on his wonderfully warm and crisp writings on birds and have squealed in delight on being able to distinguish a red turtle dove from a spotted dove. Those who have accepted him as a guide have been able to explore the complex societies that nature’s feathered creatures have created – as complex as human societies.

Patel 20th most popular surname in England

Thu, 29 Jun 2006 11:53:05 +0000

Where: London, UK

April 15, 2007: In the UK alone, more than 1.05 million Indians contribute to making the country culturally colourful. Now, there’s more proof that Indians are the largest minority ethnic group in England. According to a study published in The Observer on Sunday, the Indian surname “Patel” is one of the top 500 British surnames. “Patel” is 20th in the list. No wonder too! There were as many as 80,000 Patels in Harrow alone as early as in 1998. Adding all the baby Patels that would have entered the world since then, should give you some idea of why Patels form a healthy chunk of UK’s population.

The Misfortunes of Kera..la

Mon, 25 Mar 2002 05:14:00 +0000

December 9: What are the images that come to mind when one hears the name – Kerala? Beaches, backwaters and… coconut trees. Rows and rows of coconut (kera) trees swaying in the breeze along the coastline, a picture perfect sight in this coastal state in South India.

But this image might be in danger of disappearing. A very poor demand for coconuts combined with an all time low price for the fruit, is ruining the thriving coconut business in the state.

Little Ali's Heart

Mon, 27 Aug 2001 23:36:16 +0000

August 12: One-year old Ali Haider was very sick. His tiny heart had a gaping hole in it. He also had an enlarged liver; lungs clogged with fluid, and he was terribly underweight. His parents searched high and low for someone who could cure their child, but in vain.

Little Ali’s Heart [Illustration by Sudheer Nath]

The doctors in Pakistan, their own country, did not have the skills to cure Ali. Doctors in the US did not want to risk operating on such a tiny child, either. Ali’s parents did not know what to do. They were distraught.

Shopping for Buyers

Sun, 20 May 2001 13:00:40 +0000

August 5: In June, German carmaker Volkswagen opened Autostadt, Europe’s first automotive theme park on cars. The company spent $424.4 million to build the complex. Situated in Wolfsburg, the park features displays, events, a motor museum, special areas for kids, special chambers to check how your car fares against wind and vibration, and even a section where you can design your own car. All this merely to persuade customers to buy a VW car. Companies are going out of their way to lure customers to buy their wares.

Earthshaking Terms

Fri, 21 Jul 2000 21:24:49 +0000

It’s a quiz about some of the terms that we hear and read about almost everywhere when an earthquake rocks the world.

The Lesson

Wed, 23 Feb 2000 14:17:05 +0000

It was on a rainy day last week that Ravi came running up to our third floor house, pretending he was a fast train. He rang the bell like it was the whistle of a steam engine. Acting as if I was loading a goods wagon, I handed him a bundle of clothes for ironing, with the usual reminder that he should take them to his parents without dropping them even once.

I reminded him of the time when he had dropped my freshly washed white salwar in a puddle. Pretending to be Shaktimaan, or the local Superman who appears in a television serial, he tried to “fly” from the fifth stair and crashed to the ground.

Festive Layers

Wed, 09 Feb 2000 08:23:50 +0000

There are festivals that are built around seasonal and agrarian cycles. Then there are festivals or occasions that are built around the lives of individuals who founded major religions. And there are festivals that revolve around mythological figures of gods and goddesses.

India is one of the few countries in the world, which can boast of observing the most important festivals of major world religions within a span of just 45-60 days!

Festive Layers [Illustration by Kusum Chamoli]

Consider these fascinating facts: In most years, since Hindu festivals follow the lunar calendar, in end-March or early April, Hindus celebrate the birth of Lord Rama. In the late days of winter, is Muharram. On this day the Shia Muslims especially, mourn the memory of Imam Hussain, grandson of Prophet Mohammad, who was killed in the battle for succession following the Prophet’s death. The battle took place at Karbala.

Real Winners in Life

Sat, 01 Jan 2000 11:53:58 +0000

Real Winners in Life []

Will to Win
Written by Ramendra Kumar
Published by Dahlia Publishers, Thiruvalla, Kerala

A collection of short stories for children aged 10 and above, Ramendra Kumar’s Will to Win is a good mix of themes, but with one thing in common – they have children playing important roles in all the stories.

The Spirit of Christmas tells the story of young Tony who has decided to buy a shawl and a cake for his mother on Christmas eve, but readily gives away the limited money he has, to people who are more in need.

No marks for mother tongue

Thu, 03 Nov 2005 02:39:34 +0000

August 18: What’s the most difficult subject for students in Uttar Pradesh? Is it Maths, English or Science. Surprisingly, it’s none of these, it’s Hindi! According to a Press Trust of India report, it’s Hindi that lets them down when it comes to examinations.

Nearly 50 per cent of the class X students failed in Hindi in the UP Secondary School Board Examinations. And Hindi is the language they speak – for most people in the state it is their mother tongue. In the intermediate (intermediate refers to the to years after Class X and in some states these two classes are part of college) examination, the failure rate was 21 per cent and in elementary school 91 per cent of the children failed.

Starving in the Midst of Plenty

Mon, 26 Jul 2004 13:27:09 +0000

May 19: People in the rural areas of six states of India – Orissa, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Chhatisgarh and Maharashtra – are experiencing famine-like conditions. But the governments are refusing to give them relief. The terrible thing is that they are doing so at a time when their godowns are overflowing with grain.

Which is why an organisation called the Public Union of Civil Liberties (PUCL) has filed a case (public interest litigation or PIL) on behalf of the people of these states in the Supreme Court of India. And on May 10, the Supreme Court ordered the states in question to explain their inaction.

These Boots are meant for Flying!

Thu, 04 Jul 2002 02:39:28 +0000

October 21: Two weeks ago, as the Russian government was aiming to steer history by trying to reduce the tension between Israel and Palestine in West Asia, history from below was being created in its backyard, at the rundown Salavat Ulayev sports stadium, in Moscow. The fastest boots in the world were being tested out under the watchful gaze of a ‘Sunday Times’ journalist.

These Boots are meant for Flying! [Illustration by Sudheer Nath]

Chief boot tester Atanov was getting ready to race Russia’s 1,500 metre national champion, 22-year-old Alexei Ivanov, to see if the stilt-like petrol-powered and turbo-charged boots would enable him to take strides nine feet long, past the athlete.

Decorating with Popcorns

Sun, 18 Nov 2001 13:41:04 +0000

Decorating with Popcorns [Illustrations by Shiju George]

If you are tired of eating popcorns try something new: decorate your room with them. This is how you can do it.

All you need is:

A thorny stem of a plant or a bush.
Popcorns.
A bowl.

Step1: Pick up a thorny stem from a plant or a bush – if it has leaves, remove them.

Step2: Put a popcorn on the tip of each thorn carefully. Avoid pricking yourself.

The Baby Current Which Destroys

Thu, 09 Apr 1998 06:08:47 +0000

Did you know that the period between November 1997 and November 1998 was the hottest year recorded on earth? In fact, six of the first eight months of the year were the warmest since humans began recording temperatures on earth in 1866.

Weather experts say one of the causes behind the warming of the earth’s atmosphere, or global warming, is El Nino, a water current in the Pacific Ocean.

But why should a water current create heat in the earth’s atmosphere, one would ask.

The Flood

Tue, 10 Feb 1998 10:58:25 +0000

Where: New Delhi, India

Every day, Indian newspapers carry reports that large parts of Bihar, Bengal and north-east India are flooded, causing loss to human and animal lives, and property. This happens year after year. What is the reason for these floods? An indepth report from ‘Gobar Times’, a children’s magazine on the environment brought out by the Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment.

The Flood

May 12, 2000: The mighty Himalayas get knocked out by the monsoon system every year. For four months in a year, the mountains get a concentrated battering by two gargantuan blue-grey fists — the Bay of Bengal monsoon current and the Arabian Sea current. As an opponent, the Himalayas are very big, but not very strong. After all, they once used to be the bottom of the sea, just sand and slimy sediments!

IPL Cricket Out of India in Second Season

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:26:44 +0000

Where: New Delhi, India

March 24, 2009 : The second season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will now be held in South Africa. IPL is a creation of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). It is a Twenty20 cricket competition, in which each team plays just 20 overs in a game, and each innings takes around 75 minutes to play. The second season was to have been held at different locations in India, just like the first, hugely successful one last year.

World Hunger Figure Reaches One Billion

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 06:24:09 +0000

Where: Rome, Italy

June 22, 2009 : The global financial meltdown is responsible for pushing the figure for the world’s hungry people to a record one billion. This means hunger now affects one in six people. These depressing figures, which show a rise of 100 million over 2008, were released by the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO). A human being who consumes fewer than 1,800 calories a day is certified hungry.

War, drought, political instability, high food prices and poverty were cited as the causes that spread hunger over so many millions. The financial meltdown has contributed to a “devastating combination for the world’s most vulnerable,” according to the FAO. “No part of the world is immune,” FAO’s Director-General Jacques Diouf said. “All world regions have been affected by the rise of food insecurity.” The FAO officials stressed the link between hunger and instability, pointing out that soaring prices for staple foods like rice triggered riots in the developing world last year. An official of the World Food Program, another UN food agency also based in Rome, said hungry people rioted in at least 30 countries last year. He added, “Without food, people have only three options: They riot, they emigrate or they die. None of these are acceptable options.”

The Faithful Dog

Tue, 01 Jul 2003 09:05:28 +0000

April 12: How many of us would have the courage to fight a wild cat like a panther, even if it were to save our own lives? Imagine how scary it is even to face a panther? But one brave dog called Pinto attacked a panther in a forest, and saved the lives of his master and his son.

This incident occurred recently in the Challehonda forest in Yellapur taluk (or collection of districts) in Sirsi on the Karnataka-Andhra Pradesh border, reports the Deccan Herald. The irony of the situation is that Pinto saved his master Ganapati Nayak from the panther only to see him arrested by the forest department officials.

This Park Bench has an Address

Fri, 19 Apr 2002 23:06:24 +0000

November 18: Park Bench, Portland Square, Bristol. No, this is no cute address given by some children to their favourite bench. Rather, in the latest demonstration of just how finicky the British can be to minor details, a humble park bench in the town of Bristol, is soon going to have an address. And given its own postcode to boot.

This means that if someone sends a letter to the above address, it will reach the Park Bench.

Calendar

Wed, 22 Aug 2001 07:38:57 +0000

Calendar [Illustrations by Anup Singh]

The things you need:

A spiral sketch book
A thin wire
Beads
Adhesive and scissors
Old magazines
Stationery: Pencil, eraser, sharpner and ruler and cardboard
Colours: Pencil / Crayons or paints and sketch pens

Step 1: Take a spiral sketch book to make the calendar (preferably A4 size). Divide the first page into two parts as shown in the figure.

In the space above, stick in cut out pictures from old magazines and below that make your calendar for the month of January. Make all the squares of the same size and big so that you can use the extra space in each square to plan for that day.

An Olympics with a Difference

Fri, 09 Mar 2001 13:31:56 +0000

August 19: For all those who are physically challenged, Abilympics offers a wonderful opportunity to do something special.

An Olympic competition featuring ‘sports’ like painting, tailoring, jewellery-making, book-binding, embroidery and computer programming? Welcome to the fifth Abilympics, the three-day International Skill Competition that celebrates the abilities of the physically challenged to stand on their own in a harsh and competitive world.

Held in Czechoslavakia starting August 15th, the day India celebrates her independence, the Ablilympics are quite different from the Olympics.

Silhouette Cards

Thu, 20 Jul 2000 00:00:43 +0000

The things you need:

Silhouette Cards [Illustrations by Shiju George]

Black chart paper, white card sheet, pencil, scissors and glue.

The things you need:

Step 1. Draw an outline of the object on black chart paper.

Step 2. Cut it along the outline.

Step 3. Make a card from the white card sheet.

Step 4. Stick the silhouette on top of the card.

Create different kinds of silhouettes and make new cards each time. Hey, it would be great if you could send a card to us here at Pitara.

Boyhood by the Sea

Tue, 01 Jun 1999 07:35:22 +0000

Boyhood by the Sea []

Suresh and the Sea
Written by Raghavendra Rao and Sandhya Rao
Photos by Raghavendra Rao
Published by Tulika, Chennai

This book traces the real-life story of a boy through his growing years in his native fishing village, Injambakkam. The author, Raghavendra Rao, tells of how Suresh taught him to look at the sea with new eyes and surrender to the sea’s charms. His black and white photographs make the experience come alive for his readers.

Terror Targets India: Bomb Blast Kills 16

Sun, 18 Apr 2010 21:01:38 +0000

Where: Pune, India

February 25, 2010 : On February 13, 2010, a bomb exploded at a popular restaurant in Pune, Maharashtra. Nine people were killed on the spot. At least 40 other people were injured. Since then, seven of them have died. The latest casualty was a 21-year-old Sudanese student who died on February 24. In all five foreigners lost their lives.

The German Bakery was a favourite with students and with foreign tourists from the Osho Ashram, Pune’s famous spiritual/mystic centre. The Bakery was packed with customers on the evening of the blast. At around 7.30 p.m., a waiter spotted a bag which seemed to have been left behind by someone. He tried to open it, and the powerful bomb went off. It was first thought that a cylinder of cooking gas had exploded. Later, investigations showed that around 7 kilograms of explosives had been used.

Volcano Erupts in Chile

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 02:53:07 +0000

Where: Santiago, Chile

April 4, 2009 : Llaima volcano, which is located in Chile’s scenic lake region, erupted on Saturday, 4 April, 2009. It is one of the most active volcanoes in South America. It emitted a river of lava more than 1,000 metres long. People could see bright red bursts of lava in the night sky during the eruptions. Explosions reaching 600 metres above the crater, and falling ash were also visible.

The lava and hot gases from the eruption have melted the snow on the sides of the volcano. Some towns were thought to be in danger of being hit by mudslides. Some 70 people from the sparsely populated region were shifted out to safety. The Conguillio national park which surrounds the volcano has been closed. While an ash-swollen river near the volcano swept away a pedestrian bridge, no other damage was reported.

Water-Ice on the Moon?

Mon, 02 Apr 2007 01:45:30 +0000

Where: Bangalore, India

January 29, 2009 : The possibility of water-ice existing on the polar regions of the moon is one of the questions that scientists aim to discuss at a meeting to mark the first hundred days of Chandrayaan-I. The scientists include representatives from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the United States’ National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the European Space Agency (ESA).

Chandrayaan-I has so far captured the first-ever images of the dark side of the moon, detected the presence of iron and received X-ray signals from its cratered surface. Chandrayaan-I was launched on October 22, 2008, from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. The launch marked a major step ahead in India’s space programme, and India became the fourth country to put its flag on the moon.The unmanned craft carries on board 11 scientific instruments. Five of these were developed by Indian scientists and the rest by foreign agencies, including NASA and ESA.

The Empire Strikes Back

Thu, 14 Nov 2002 22:01:33 +0000

October 28: The roots of the present-day education system in India lie in British attempts, more than one and a half century ago, to raise a breed of English-speaking Indians who were ‘babus’ or clerks and could manage the affairs of the British rulers.

That is why the study of English has always been stressed in India, even if it is at the expense of the country’s languages. And why English is India’s first language today.

The Actor

Sat, 19 Oct 2002 23:06:35 +0000

October 6 : Dhanna wants to become an actor. His dream is to star in a film with Shahrukh Khan and Kajol, two famous actors of Bollywood, Mumbai’s hugely popular film industry.

Seventeen year-old Dhanna is the son of a rexine bag-maker. He lives with his family in a narrow by-lane of a poor colony in Delhi. The journey from here to the bright lights of Bollywood appears to be very long indeed. The journey becomes even more convoluted given the fact that Dhanna is also mentally challenged.

Fungus Threatens Chinese Warriors

Mon, 14 Jan 2002 12:10:45 +0000

September 23: These Chinese warriors have survived over two 2,000 years of wars, earthquakes and revolutions, but now find themselves battling against their most formidable enemy yet — a fungal infection. These Chinese warriors are not made of flesh and blood; they have feet – and bodies – of clay, and they are a valued cultural treasure not only for China but also for the world.

Fungus Threatens Chinese Warriors [Illustration by Shiju George]

The bad news is that over 7,000 terracotta figurines of soldiers, archers and horses in China’s northern city of Xian (pronounced Shee-ahn), capital of Shaanxi Province, have been found suffering from attacks by over 40 species of mould.

Mobile Decorations

Mon, 19 Mar 2001 19:37:25 +0000

One of the advantages of a mobile decoration is that it can be gifted to a person of any age. Children love such amusing and colourful gifts, while adults can use it as a hanging anywhere in the house.

Mobile Decorations [Illustrations by Shinod AP]

The things you need:

Card sheet of different colours
Cord
Broomsticks
Sketch pens
Scissors
Adhesive

Step 1: Fold the card sheet into half. Draw any shape you want, like the moon, sun, flower or fish. Cut out all of them. You will have two identical pieces each of all four drawings.

The Girl who Loved Danger

Thu, 01 May 1997 13:15:32 +0000

Once there was a lovely girl named Ginger. The one thing she loved the most was danger. There was only one reason she loved danger. She loved it because she had never faced any danger.

She was forbidden to go any farther then the garden. Her father would not allow it because one day her mother went beyond the garden to get her scarf that had blown away. She never returned. Ginger was also the daughter of the richest man in Teton, where she lived.

Children's Pledge to On-line Safety

Fri, 28 Mar 1997 21:53:28 +0000

We recommend that every child accessing the Internet should adhere to the following pledge:

I promise to never give my name, address, phone number, school’s name, computer passwords or picture, to anyone on the Internet without my parents’ approval.

I promise to tell a parent or teacher if I see any bad language or pictures on the Internet, or if anyone makes me feel nervous or uncomfortable.

Children’s Pledge to On-line Safety []

I promise to stay out of any chat rooms and websites not approved of by my parents.

World Environment Day on June 5: Become an Earth Warrior

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 01:58:06 +0000

Where: Worldwide

June 4, 2009 : World Environment Day is observed every year on June 5. It was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972. The guiding principle is that people have to take responsibility for the environment. The earth’s rain forests are disappearing, chemicals have poisoned our air, marine life is dying in our polluted seas, and harmful waste and toxins have reached even the least populated corners of the globe. The wake up call for earth’s citizens for 2009 is “Your Planet Needs You — UNite to Combat Climate Change”.

India Gets Its Own 'Air Force One' Plane

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 21:29:41 +0000

Where: New Delhi, India

April 1, 2009 : The Indian Air Force has now got its own version of Air Force One, the American Presidential aircraft. Three exclusive Business Boeing Jets were added to the Indian Air Force’s fleet on April 1, 2009. Named Rajdhoot, Rajhans and Rajkamal, the three aircraft will be used to transport the Indian President and the Prime Minister. The President or PM will have an executive office on board, a secure communication chamber and facilities to host around 50 guests.

Gunning for Clouds

Thu, 12 Oct 2006 17:24:17 +0000

Where: Beijing, China

July 19: The photograph in the newspaper shows a soldier handling an anti-aircraft gun. At once, an image flashes across your mind: the gun moving left to right and firing away with a deafening, staccato noise, with an aircraft bursting into flames and somersaulting to the ground.

Good powers of imagination, fed on Hollywood films, but, unfortunately, completely off the mark.

The anti-aircraft gun shown in the Hindustan Times is used for the purpose of cloud seeding, or making rain.

Gaseous twist to the Delphic legend

Tue, 07 Jun 2005 09:31:43 +0000

August 26: In ancient Greece, like a magnet, the shrine at Mount Parnassus, in Delphi, attracted people from all over Europe. They were drawn by the prophetic powers of the Pythia, or priestess of Apollo, who was famous as the Oracle of Delphi. It was said she could foretell everything, from the result of wars to new twists in day-to-day family problems. But, from where did the Oracle get her prophetic powers?

Legend says that high priest of the shrine, Plutarch, thought that the Pythia got her prophetic powers by inhaling some special gases, which would lead her to a state of trance. Now a four-year study by geologists in areas near the shrine has found evidence of hallucinogenic gases rising from a nearby spring and preserved within the temple rock. (Hallucinogenic gases contain hallucinogen, a substance that induces hallucinations or visions and imaginary perceptions.) The scientists have smelt truth in the high priest’s claim at last! The study has been reported in the August issue of Geology.

Smart Future

Fri, 26 Jan 2001 16:00:54 +0000

August 12: Do you know that there’s a possibility you may live forever? And that you will have computers that are 1,000 times more intelligent than Albert Einstein, generally known as the smartest scientist ever! That all these miracles may happen in 15 years or more?

These are the predictions of Ian Pearson, a top British futurologist. A futurologist is a person who tells what life will be in the future. He is a kind of professional day-dreamer.

Conquering without Seeing

Fri, 17 Mar 2000 21:10:38 +0000

July 8: Yahya Sapatwala is a determined young man. Recently, he and his friends climbed the Beas Kund mountain in Manali, which is 12,000 feet (3,636 metres) high. And he did it without seeing. Yes, Yahya is blind.

But that has never stopped Yahya from doing what he wants. A college teacher in Surat town in the western state of Gujarat, he walks to work every day. He is familiar with the route and reaches the institute where he works, without any problem. At home, too, 30-year-old Yahya does not need any help to move around. He knows exactly where each object is and avoids bumping into them.

Honduras President Deposed

Fri, 06 Aug 2010 19:58:30 +0000

Where: Tegucigalpa, Honduras

July 5, 2009 : President Manuel Zelaya of Honduras in Central America was removed from office on June 28, 2009. At dawn on that day, around 300 troops went to his home and asked him to surrender at gunpoint. Mr. Zelaya was sent into exile in Costa Rica. Later, Mr. Roberto Micheletti, the speaker of Congress and second in line to the presidency, was sworn in as interim leader.

President Zelaya had plans to hold a public consultation on June 28 to seek the people’s views on making changes in the constitution. His critics saw his actions as part of a move to remove the current one-term limit on a serving president, and to pave the way for his possible re-election. The ouster of President Zelaya is the biggest political crisis in Central America in years. Military takeovers (coups) and political upheaval were common in Central America for much of the 20th Century. Until the mid-1980s the military dominated political life in Honduras. Mr. Zelaya’s removal is the first in the Central American region since 1993. Recent developments have provoked worldwide condemnation. The USA has put an end to all joint military operations and the World Bank has suspended financial aid.

Earthquake in Italy Kills 150

Sat, 24 Jan 2009 07:56:15 +0000

Where: Rome, Italy

April 6, 2009 : A powerful earthquake rocked the mountainous Abruzzo region of central Italy in the early hours of April 6, 2009 (3.32am local time). Over 150 people were killed and 1,500 were injured. The number of people who may be trapped alive could not be estimated. Thousands of rescue workers searched for survivors. Some 24 hours after the disaster struck, they began losing hopes of finding any more.

Most of the deaths took place in L’Aquila, a 13th century mountain city close to the epicentre of the earthquake. Surrounding towns and villages were also badly hit. Most of the stone buildings in the region were centuries old and collapsed quickly. Around 50,000 people lost their homes.The need for shelter became an important factor, as temperatures were in the region of 5 degrees C. Italy’s Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi declared a national emergency.

Still Standing Tall

Wed, 01 Oct 2003 22:17:19 +0000

Still Standing Tall [Illustrated by Shinod AP]

March 14: Recently, a severe earthquake shook the city of Seattle in the United States of America (USA). It was the regions strongest earthquake in 50 years. It measured 6.8 on the Richter scale.

On January 26, 2001, an earthquake that measured 7.9 on the Richter scale, 10 times stronger than the earthquake in Seattle, struck Gujarat, in India. Thousands of people had died and property worth millions of rupees was destroyed. But the Seattle quake saw only one death, and that too from a heart attack. There was not much property damage, either.

UFO Landing

Sat, 27 Jul 2002 13:01:24 +0000

December 9: Did ‘Unidentified Flying Objects’ (UFOs) cause life on earth? Those UFOs that are supposed to float around in space, which are more like distant dreams of an outer space enthusiast?

To test this theory, special balloons filled with neon gas (used in electric lamps) were launched into space from Hyderabad recently by a team of Indian scientists. The balloons are expected to collect air samples at different altitudes in space ranging between 10 and 35 km.

The Emperor who Hated Schooling

Fri, 11 May 2001 03:59:47 +0000

Emperors too were children once. Even Mughal emperor Akbar, who has been given the title of Akbar the Great. He was more interested in bunking lessons rather than learn from his tutor. Being his own master from a young age, one day he decided that he did not want to study. He made the highest minister in his father Humayun’s court tell his teacher that it was to be an off day!

Later in life, he went out of his way to tell people that he was illiterate. But that was not entirely true, though it is correct that he never penned a line himself. At the same time, he loved books and also enjoyed them being read to him.

Take Me Back

Tue, 27 Jan 2004 21:30:11 +0000

July 6: A clueless girl stands outside her school building, looking lost among the swirling mass of uniformed school students. She is not allowed to wear the school uniform, ususally sits in the last row without a partner, her notebooks go unchecked and her name does not appear in the attendance register.

Meet six-year-old Ekta, who is being punished for something her father, Sunil Mistry, did. He had questioned the fee structure of the school and called it illegal.

A Green Olympic Village

Mon, 29 Jan 2001 13:11:30 +0000

August 19: Where will the world’s best sportspersons go when they stride away from the sporting venues at the coming Sydney Olympic Games? The answer is, the Olympic Village.

A Green Olympic Village [Illustration by Sudheer Nath]

As many as 15,000 athletes will live in a specially created residential complex designed to satisfy each and every whim of theirs. The village will have 800 houses, 355 apartments and 336 modular homes. What’s more, it will be an eco-friendly village, running with the help of solar power.

A Train of Villages on the Net

Sat, 20 Jan 2001 14:18:10 +0000

Most people have fond memories of train journeys, though some have unpleasant ones of being left behind at a station, while they waited for a steaming cup of tea or coffee. Many film directors, too, have been fond of shooting action-packed or emotional scenes at railway stations. The famous action scene at the end of the Hollywood Western ‘High Noon’ showed the cowboy hero, Gary Cooper, silencing the villain. In one Indian film after another, the hero and the heroine have rushed across a crowded station to meet each other never to be separated.

Rani

Thu, 05 Feb 1998 09:39:56 +0000

Noopurmadhuri Tijare is studying in the sixth class at Mahila Samaj Primary School at Bhandara.

My fast friend in the class. .

She is a very different kind of girl. She never dropped her first position in the class.

Rani [Illustration by Anup Singh]

Her general awareness is very good.

She is a good dancer and very good painter.

She always tries to help others. .

A few days back we were shocked when she announced that she was going to put a stall in Anand Mela during the Sharda Utsav.

Four Nation Hockey Tournament in Chandigarh

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 19:43:41 +0000

Where: Chandigarh, India

February 10, 2009 : The Punjab Gold Cup, a four nation hockey tournament, was organized by the state government of Punjab in Chandigarh. Hosts India, captained by Sandeep Singh, got a chance to test their skills against New Zealand, European champions Holland, and world-cum-Olympic champions Germany. The final match went to Holland, who defeated the home team 2-1. This didn’t dampen the spectators’ enthusiasm, though.

The myth that only cricket can pull crowds in India was busted. The hockey arena in Chandigarh’s Sector 42 drew over 15,000 people each day, and 25,000 spectators on the final night, when India took on Holland. Thousands of people came into Chandigarh from cities like Amritsar and Jalandhar to watch the matches. There is talk of a similar four-nation hockey tournament for women coming up in Chandigarh in the future.

Precious Boats

Mon, 05 Jul 2004 02:43:19 +0000

July 27: Grooms in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district are singing a different tune these days. They are no more asking for jewels or hard cash. No, they haven’t given up on the dowry. Instead they are demanding for something more practical and useful, a wooden boat. Along with it comes the demand for a bride who can swim, says a report in Hindustan Times.

The reason for this lies in the floods that hit this area last year and the people are not taking chances anymore. “Life after all, is more precious than gold, silver or a few thousand rupees,” says a resident of Murshidabad, in the news report. “Though we hope there are no floods like last year’s, the boats can always be used for fishing.”

He Can't See But He Shows The Way

Thu, 06 Sep 2001 19:28:12 +0000

As a child, he would beat up anyone who dared to call him “andha” or the blind one. Now he does not need to.

Last week, he beat 33 people with his navigational skills at a car rally and emerged the winner.

Meet Vipin Malhotra, who navigated a car through a distance of 50 km in one hour and 10 minutes at a car rally held in Delhi. He did this with the help of a map which had instructions in Braille.

The Girl who Failed the Citizenship Test

Mon, 25 Jun 2001 18:22:21 +0000

July 22: Twentyfour-year-old Vijai Shree has lived in the US since she was four months old. She holds a “green card” which permits her to stay on in the country. Her parents, Mr Sunder Rajan and Ms Shakuntala, are American citizens. Though they were not born in America, they have lived there for a long time and the US government has recognised them as naturalised Americans. That is, the government will protect them in the same manner that it protects its local people. And they get the same benefits as any other American citizen.

Teachers who Ticked Correct Answers Wrong

Sat, 21 Apr 2001 05:00:35 +0000

August 19: Do you know what a universal truth is? It is a truth that never changes, wherever in the world you might wish to test it.

For example, we all know that the earth goes round the sun. It’s a truth that will never change, at least not until the solar system lasts.

Another universal truth we’re told to believe is that our teachers know more than us. It’s a non-scientific universal truth, for sure. But then, if our teachers didn’t know more, they couldn’t very well be teaching us, could they?

Suji ka Halwa (Semolina Sweet)

Fri, 26 Jan 2001 03:33:53 +0000

Suji ka Halwa— Slurrr..rrp. I have not come across a single person who does not like this sweet. If you have not tried it, then quickly go to your kitchen and give it a try.

Suji ka Halwa (Semolina Sweet) [Illustrations by Shiju George]

Ingredients:

Semolina: 1 cup.
Sugar: ½ cup.
Water: 4 cups.
Ghee or White butter: 2 table spoons.

Step 1: Heat the ghee in a pan and roast the semolina in it until it is golden brown in colour.

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.

Easy to Draw — 2

Fri, 05 Mar 1999 09:21:09 +0000

There are many magical shapes hidden in letters. I saw a cat hidden in the letter Q. You too can draw it. Begin now!

Easy to Draw — 2 []

Judy All the Way

Thu, 28 Jan 1999 19:35:58 +0000

Are you there God? It’s me Margaret
Freckle Juice
Tiger Eyes
Written by Judy Blume

Extremely popular among the pre-teens and teenagers, Judy Blume is one of the most popular writers for children.

The reason for her popularity is easily because the themes of her novels usually deal with the experiences children face in teenage years – new relationships, growing up, sibling rivalry, coping with peer pressure, divorce, and many other issues. All her books have one thing in common – they tackle issues that are very important to teenagers.

Sea Levels Rising At Alarming Rates

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 11:41:57 +0000

Where: Copenhagen, Denmark

March 12, 2009 : A scientific conference on climate change was held during the week in Copenhagen. Environmental experts there announced that sea levels are rising almost twice as fast as the United Nations had forecast just two years ago. Both the Greenland and the Antarctic ice caps have been melting at increasing rates. Scientists now say that sea levels will rise by anything between 50cm and 100cm by the year 2100. The 2007 United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change had predicted that they would rise by between 18cm and 59cm by 2100.

Anchor rips through phone and internet cable

Tue, 26 Jun 2007 15:56:32 +0000

Where: The Mediterranean Sea

December 22, 2008: A ship’s anchor slammed into the ocean bed, ripping apart an undersea cable that connected millions of computers and telephones. Cut somewhere between Sicily and Tunisia, in the Mediterranean Sea, the cut ends of the cable are being searched by an undersea robot. The robot will bring the cable ends up to the surface, where they will be joined on a ship.

According to a story by the Associated Press, experts from France Telecom Marine sent the robot called ‘Hector’ down to the sea bed to start the search for the broken ends of the SEA-ME-WE 4 cable (which stands for South Asia-Middle East-West Europe 4). This cable links South East Asia to Europe via the Indian sub-continent and the Middle East. Repairing the cable will take time, because the ship’s anchor could have dragged the cable several kilometers from its usual position.

Places That Care

Wed, 11 Aug 2004 17:11:31 +0000

How many of us have ever given even a fleeting thought to the inconvenience faced by disabled people in the public spaces in our country?

How many of us have seen them shopping or visiting theatres, cinema halls or places of worship, leave alone historical monuments?
Perhaps, none.

For the ‘differently abled’, it is not just disability that makes life tough but our own insensitive and smug attitude coupled with a pathetic support structure that deems it fit to label people with disabilities as ‘handicapped’ rather than help them lead lives on their own.

Still Going Strong!

Thu, 02 Oct 2003 00:30:23 +0000

Still Going Strong! [Illustration by Anup Singh]

December 27: Something momentous happened at London’s West End theatre a few days ago on December 16. A play by famous mystery writer Agatha Christie, The Mousetrap, was staged to a standing ovation yet again.

Nothing unusual in that except for one thing. It was the 20,000th stage performance of The Mousetrap. And this makes the play the longest running in the world, having premiered in the year 1952. And, Agatha Christie’s grandson, Matthew Prichard, was present on the occasion.

Child's Play!!

Tue, 08 Apr 2003 22:19:01 +0000

February 26: A new game for children is being touted as the next big thing in America. Called Flip-Itz, the game is a colourful collection of three-legged toys with wacky human, animal and alien faces that propel through the air once their owners press down on them. Really so simple.

Child’s Play!! [Illustration by Navin Pangti]

And earlier this month, 11-year-old Justin Lewis and 12-year-old Matthew Balick, the creators of the toy, also flew to New York to market their product at the city’s annual international toy fair. The organisers of the fair had to lift their usual ban on children to allow the two to participate.

Injured right arms

Wed, 02 Apr 2003 13:45:43 +0000

May 3: Got an exam today and not studied a word? Copying from chits, hiding books under the desk, copying from the neighbour – all these are old tactics. Some students have geared up to more ‘modern’ ways!

Students of Zakir Hussain College, Delhi, seem to have found the answer to this problem, reports The Indian Express. And what’s more, no one can even catch them out!

Any guesses? Well, listen to this – if a student is incapable of writing (due to something like an injured hand) doesn’t another student do the writing for him? All the student has to do is to speak out the answer. The fun part of this is that the two of them get to sit in a separate room, so that they do not disturb the rest of the students!

Too Much Information

Wed, 05 Jun 2002 17:18:39 +0000

October 28: Over 1400 years ago, Chinese scholar Hiuan Tsang travelled thousands of miles from his home to reach the city of Nalanda in Bihar. His objective was to study precious Buddhist manuscripts at the University of Nalanda, which was famed in those days for its library of Buddhist manuscripts. In the process, he also recorded his observations of seventh century India, and this remains one of the most valuable sources of information on the land during that age.

Young Peacemakers of Colombia

Sun, 30 Sep 2001 17:38:49 +0000

July 29: Ivan Vargas is only 14. But he is a messenger of peace for his country, Colombia. He and 100,000 other Colombian children have got together to start the Movement of Children for Peace. All of them want only one thing today – peace in their war-torn country — at any cost. But not having much faith in adults, they have decided to bring it about themselves. And for their efforts, the children’s movement was even nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize of 1999.

Children's Theatre of the World

Fri, 25 May 2001 04:39:11 +0000

August 5: At this very moment in Japan, a city called Toyama is hosting a very interesting event — the 6th World Festival of Children’s Theatre.

The purpose of this year’s theatre festival is to encourage children of the future to create a new theatre. Through which they will foster new values and a new culture for themselves and others around them. Since it is these kids who will be the new millennium’s first citizens.

Swimming in Trouble

Tue, 03 Oct 2000 23:53:56 +0000

July 1: All governments and leaders talk about children as the “future” of the nation – a “strong” nation. They specially talk about the need to encourage sports among children from an early age. But if you ask the young swimmers who participated in the National Swimming Championship for the 11 and 13-year-old category recently, they will tell you how nonsensical these statements are. For they have a horror story to tell.

Two weeks ago, all the star swimmers of India in the 11 and 13-year-old category travelled to Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh. They went there to participate in the National Swimming Championship and were prepared for a tough competition. How tough the competition would be, they had no idea. For, they ended up competing with the swimming pool, not with each other. Bruised heads and feet and frogs as swimming companions – this was the experience the young swimmers went home with after the championship.

If

Sun, 19 Dec 1999 15:36:01 +0000

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream-and not make dreams your master;
If you can think – and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;

International Concern Over North Korea's Rocket Launch

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 00:24:52 +0000

Where: Pyongyang, North Korea

April 5, 2009 : The Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea’s (North Korea’s) plans to launch a rocket had created a stir weeks ahead of the event. It was feared that the launch was actually a missile test. Japan, South Korea, and Alaska in the United States were all under threat if this was so. Finally, on Sunday, April 5, 2009, the Eunha-2 rocket succeeded in putting a satellite into orbit.

South Korea, that has a long history of war with the North, called it a “reckless act”.The United Kingdom, France and the European Union urged North Korea to resume nuclear disarmament talks. Japan requested an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council. US President Barack Obama, who has been calling for nuclear disarmament worldwide, appealed to the United Nations for quick action against North Korea. He said that country had violated the Security Council’s ban on conducting ballistic missile tests. The Security Council had imposed sanctions against North Korea in October 2006, after it tested a nuclear bomb. The US government said North Korea was preparing to fire its longest-range ballistic missile, Taepodong-2.

The Privileged Moles

Fri, 04 Apr 2003 22:41:42 +0000

April 4: When you take a walk in the streets of Canada’s largest city, Toronto, you will probably come across people who hold out their hats for money. At least this is what a Reuters report in The Indian Express says.

Though Toronto is a prosperous city, there are many homeless, sick and destitute who have made the streets their home. To avoid running into them, the city’s richer citizens have gone underground. Literally.

Here is where they are: Toronto’s underground is made up of 27 tunnels, that are about 10 km long. These tunnels are collectively known as ‘The Path’. The Path occupies more than four million square feet of space. It connects the city subway with 48 tall office towers, six major hotels and 1,200 stores.

Illiterate Americans

Sat, 30 Nov 2002 18:36:45 +0000

October 6: Last week we had written about Ganga, a teenaged girl who taught the women in her slum how to read and write. These women are not an isolated case. A very large percentage of the Indian population does not know how to read and write. In fact, the mass illiteracy of its citizens is one of the biggest problems staring the Indian government in its face today.

Illiterate Americans [Illustration by Anup Singh]

Now there’s news that the richest country in the world, the United States of America, is struggling to cope with ‘illiteracy’ too. As many as 50 million American adults are in danger of becoming ‘functionally illiterate’, reports the news agency Reuters in ‘The Asian Age’. But it’s not as if these people don’t know how to read and write. What they don’t know is how to use the computer.

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.

Made to Order

Sun, 02 Jun 2002 17:14:44 +0000

December 9: We’ve heard of gene therapy for humans. But for seeds? And yet, this is exactly what seeds in India will be treated for in the future. Thanks to gene therapy, the seeds will have made-to-order properties.

Some scientists are introducing a gene (the element that gives hereditary characteristic to a living thing) from a weed into the Indian mustard seed to make the crop consume less water. This is to help farmers survive droughts in India. The idea is to cut down irrigation by almost half; from the usual four-five times a field has to be flooded to two-three floodings per season.

Tejasvi's Song

Thu, 13 Apr 2000 01:08:29 +0000

I’m going, I’m going on a safari

Driving around in my big lorry

Jungle animals I shall see

As they live, quite naturally,
Not behind the cages, tied

Lions, elephants, zebras, birds.
Moving together in their herds.
I’ll shoot them,
but with a camera
They’ll think “oh, he’s
a nice fella”.

Tejasvi’s Song [Illustrations by Kusum Chamoli]

So we’ll be friends and
long long after
I’m gone, you’ll hear our laughter.

Rainbow Flowers

Mon, 12 Oct 1998 01:13:55 +0000

Here’s a great way to see where all that water in your vase actually goes.

Items required:
You’ll need a jug of water, four clean glasses, four different coloured inks or food dyes, scissors & white flowers (carnations work out very well, try tuberoses too.)

What to do:
Pour one inch (about half a finger high) of food colouring/ink into each glass (Each glass should have a different colour). Now add an equal amount of water to the glasses.

Federer is Number One Again

Thu, 13 May 2010 08:08:29 +0000

Where: London, United Kingdom

July 5, 2009 : It was a day of tennis records and grand performances at the Wimbledon Men’s Final. Swiss Roger Federer, ranked second in the tournament’s listings, faced a tough fight over five sets by Andy Roddick before he could win his sixth Wimbledon title and 15th Grand Slam title. The American Roddick (ranked sixth), who’d defeated Britain’s Andy Murray in the semi-finals, often looked as if he could win his first Wimbledon crown. He has been runner-up twice at Wimbledon. Both times, in 2004 and 2005, he lost to Federer. This was Federer’s seventh consecutive Wimbledon final, another record. It was his sixth win here. Pete Sampras, the last American to win the Wimbledon, has seven titles to his credit.

Japanese Government Announces Green Stimulus Package

Wed, 08 Apr 2009 08:37:20 +0000

Where: Tokyo, Japan

April 11, 2009 : The recession has prompted many governments to inject ‘stimulus packages’ to boost their countries’ economies. Japan’s Prime Minister Taro Aso announced a package with a green focus. His government will encourage the start of mass production of electric cars in three years. It also has plans to boost solar power generation to 20 times the current level of 1.42m kilowatts.

Then there is a car scrappage scheme, under which motorists who trade in cars that are more than 13 years old for environment-friendly vehicles will receive subsidies. Energy efficient car owners will get to pay less tax.

International Appeal to stop Iceland's Whaling for Jobs Program

Sat, 16 Feb 2008 00:33:19 +0000

Where: Reykjavik, Iceland

February 16, 2009 : In a letter signed by senior diplomats in Reykjavik, the governments of six countries appealed to Iceland to rethink its decision to permit the hunting of 150 fin and 100 minke whales in a year. The countries are the United States, Germany, Britain, France, Finland and Sweden. The former Iceland government took the decision before stepping down in the face of the country’s economic collapse. The letter expressed “extreme disappointment” and asked the new government to consider the long-term interests of the whaling industry.

The Olympic Gold Rush

Mon, 13 May 2002 01:06:47 +0000

September 30: At the Millennium Olympics in Sydney, Barbados, the tiny island nation in the Caribbean, has overtaken the United States and China to head the medals tally – if you calculate the number of medals against the population.

When sprinter Obadele Thompson won the bronze in the 100-metre race in 10.04 seconds, on September 23, Barbados topped the medal table list maintained by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). This is because Barbados has a population of only 270,000. This report featured in ‘The Hindustan Times’.

Cap your Scissors

Thu, 11 Oct 2001 19:34:02 +0000

Cap your Scissors [Illustrations by Shinod AP]

If you want to find your scissors just when you need them, make this sturdy case for them.

The things you need:

Any old cloth (12 inches by 16 inches)
A sheet of foam (half inch thickness)
A sewing machine
A thick fancy cord

Step 1: Fold the cloth into a quarter. Draw a triangle of base three inches and height seven inches, as shown below. Cut it out.

Destination Mir

Sun, 09 Sep 2001 01:55:31 +0000

Destination Mir [Illustration by Shiju George]

August 19: Dennis Tito is a very excited man. This businessman-cum-space-enthusiast has won the first prize in a game show called Destination Mir. He is now all set to be the world’s first space tourist, and is training at Russia’s Star City space-base for his unusually long journey.

Russia has launched a television game show to revive interest in its ageing space station, Mir. The winner of the show gets to shoot into space, straight to the Russian space station Mir, which has been in space for 14 years now.

Coffee Time

Sun, 05 Aug 2001 08:17:50 +0000

Buy a few plain coffee mugs from the market and paint special designs for each member of your family or friends. They will love it.

Coffee Time [Illustrations by Shinod AP]

The things you need:

Oil or acrylic colours
Paint brushes
Plain ceramic coffee mugs
Turpentine oil

Step 1: Wash the mugs with hot water and soap. Dry them and ensure that there are no grease or dirt stains.

Candle Stand

Wed, 25 Jul 2001 02:51:36 +0000

Candle Stand [Illustrations by Shinod AP]

This candle stand is simple and it can be made by children as young as four years.

The things you need:

A few earthen lamps
Glitter
Transparent adhesive

Step 1: Spread a newspaper sheet and keep the glitter and lamps on it.

Step 2: Put some adhesive on the earthen lamp and sprinkle the glitter on it.

You can make different patterns and designs using the glitter.

The Black Hole of Social Weights and Measures

Sun, 28 May 2000 16:03:17 +0000

William James Sidis could speak five languages and read Plato in original Greek by the age of five. At eight he passed the entrance for Harvard but had to wait three years to be admitted. Even so he became Harvard’s youngest scholar and graduate in 1914 at the age of sixteen. Frequently featured in ‘Ripley’s Believe it or Not’, Sidis made the front page of ‘The New York Times’ nineteen times.’

The story defies all conventional norms and may even sound like a joke if you found out that Sidis was born on April 1, 1898. But to the best of our judgement this is a true story*. But then if he was such an amazing character, how come no one knows of him? Whatever happened to him?

Protest Without Clothes

Fri, 07 Apr 2000 02:48:40 +0000

July 1: See this picture. What do you think the children were doing?

No, they were not waiting for a community bath. They were at a gram sabha (village meeting). They had gone there to tell officials that the increased cost of power is making them miserable.

This kids protest happened at Sitarampura near Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh recently.

Protest Without Clothes [Illustration by Sudheer Nath]

The gram sabhas were being conducted last week by officials of the Andhra Pradesh Transmission Corporation (AP Transco). They had not expected a bunch of naked kids to come with their list of woes, reported the Hyderabad-based ‘Deccan Chronicle’ newspaper.

A Soldier's Death is a Soldier's Death

Sat, 26 Apr 1997 15:37:18 +0000

Where: New Delhi, India

May 16, 2000: Today’s newspapers must have given some relief to Indian Army men. For, George Fernandes, the Defence Minister of India, has finally agreed to their demands. Their demand was that the family of every jawan, or soldier, killed in action must get the same compensation amount of Rs 1 million ($23,255) from the Government of India. It did not matter where the soldier died: Kargil, Srinagar, or the north-eastern part of India.

Thousands Protest 'Unfair' Election Result in Iran

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 05:08:12 +0000

Where: Tehran, Iran

June 19, 2009 : The Iranian Presidential election results were announced on June 13, 2009, and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared the winner for a second term. The popular reformist leader Mirhossein Mousavi was declared defeated. Ever since then, the country has been rocked by widespread demonstrations. Tens of thousands of angry voters took out protest rallies. They claimed the results were fake, and that their leader Mousavi had won.

In 1979, after the Islamic revolution, Iran’s government was taken over by clerics (religious authorities). Around 60 per cent of the population of Iran was born after 1979, and it appears that younger voters have sought modernisation and change. The country is going through an economic crisis, with an inflation rate of 24 percent, rising unemployment and a fall in income from crude oil exports (Iran is the world’s fifth biggest oil exporter). Iran is also caught in a tussle with the Western world over its nuclear program. Mousavi had pledged to improve relations with the West, to ease restrictions on women, and to fix Iran’s ailing economy.

Supreme Court gets Tough After Ragging Death and Torture

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 20:08:52 +0000

Where: New Delhi, India

March 16, 2009 : Ragging was at one time considered to be a fun way for seniors to interact with freshers in college. It has now become nothing less than systematic torture by bullying groups of seniors.

Three shocking ragging incidents occurred in the past week. Aman Kachroo, a student of Dr. Rajendra Prasad Medical College in Kangra, Himachal Pradesh, died of head injuries on March 8, 2009. He had complained to the authorities earlier that he was being assaulted by a group of seniors from the time he joined college. Their last attack took his life. Four students were arrested. A Bench comprising two Justices of the Supreme Court issued notices to the college Principal and Registrar.

A New Ancient Civilisation

Sat, 18 Sep 2004 18:47:43 +0000

Where: Central Asia

May 19, 2001: Imagine people living in large apartment complexes made out of bricks. Their city may have been a major stop for silk traders that is why they were well off, decked in gold and semi-precious stone jewellery and using fine ceramics utensils. Bronze axes were among the implements used for cutting and carvings on alabaster (white marble) and bone were used as decoration pieces.

Doesn’t sound all that different from what we see around us today, does it? But to think that all this existed 4000 years ago and that too in the Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan regions of Central Asia!

The Big Meltdown

Sun, 26 May 2002 11:51:05 +0000

September 23: Earth is the only planet with an atmosphere congenial to life forms as we know of. If a blanket of air didn’t surround us…our planet would have been a frozen wasteland – much too cold for human habitation. We have a lot to be thankful for. But we humans have been taking things for granted. As a result, this protective blanket is now slowly suffocating us.

The Big Meltdown [Illustration by Sudheer Nath]

According to a worldwide study carried out by the World Wildlife Fund. (WWF), concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere have doubled in the last 50 years.

The First Dream of a Soccer Star

Sun, 22 Jul 2001 19:04:59 +0000

In 1981, Invalappil Mani Vijayan was 12 years old. He sold cold drinks at a football stadium near his home in Thrissur, Kerala, to earn some money for his family. Today he is not only the captain of the Indian football team, he has started a coaching centre at the same football stadium. He wants to help youngsters like him who have dreams but very few ways of making them come true.

The five feet ten inches tall Vijayan is one of the best goal scorers in Indian football today. He holds the record for the fastest goal in the world. He is the sole Indian player to have scored two international hat-tricks for India. The football player has been selected as India’s best player of the year three times.

Kappu and Buzo

Mon, 04 Jun 2001 04:31:34 +0000

Buzo and Kappu played all day
“Come! Come!” Kappu would say
Wagging his tail and swaying his head
Buzo would jump to lick Kappu’s leg.

Kappu maharaj was very small
But not scared of Buzo at all
For even when he pulled his ear
There was never any fear.

Kappu and Buzo [Illustration by Shinod AP]

A Girl Soldier Speaks Out

Thu, 01 Feb 2001 10:48:07 +0000

September 8: At seven Arumuyam Malar could handle a gun better than a pencil. At eight she could handle the wireless radio and knew how to use hand grenades and semi-automatic rifles.

As an ‘Eelam tigress’, or a child guerrilla of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Sri Lanka, she was told that she had to fight till the end for her Tamil homeland or Eelam — and commit suicide by taking a cyanide pill upon capture. Malar had been tricked and abducted by the LTTE.

Singapore's 'Boy Wizard'

Fri, 21 Sep 2007 20:21:06 +0000

Where: Singapore

February 6, 2009 : Lim Ding Wen, a fourth grade student in Singapore, is an expert at six programming languages. He first used a computer when he was aged two! His ‘Doodle Kids’ is a painting program for Apple’s iPhone. The program’s users can draw with their fingers on the touchscreen. And all it takes to clear the screen is a little shake. ‘Doodle Kids’ has been downloaded over 4000 times from the iTunes store in two weeks.

Plans to shut Guantanamo Bay prison

Sat, 24 Mar 2007 03:23:37 +0000

Where: Guantanamo Bay, Cuba

December 19, 2008: The controversial prison camp, Guantanamo Bay Detention Center, may finally be closed. US Defense Secretary Robert Gates has ordered that plans be made to close the prison that houses “alien combatants” accused of supporting terrorist activities against the United States.

Often colloquially referred to as Gitmo (a spoken version of GTMO, which stands for Guantanamo), the Guantanamo prison was set up just after the September 11, 2001 attacks in which terrorists hijacked planes and crashed them into the World Trade Center buildings in New York, the Pentagon in Washington, and one plane that crashed because passengers tried to overcome the hijackers.

Wet behind the ears: Mumbai floods again

Thu, 23 Nov 2006 05:07:49 +0000

Where: Mumbai, India

June 25, 2007: A kid of five would tell you that it rains in June. Especially in Mumbai, which being on the coast, takes a soak before the rains make their way to inland cities like Delhi.

Yet, year after year, with unfailing precision, Mumbai goes under water. Knee deep water, with floating trash, stinking dead rodents and million toxic bacteria.

This year, it has been no different. The Indian Express reports that five persons were killed, subways got flooded, trains were running late (or not at all), trees were uprooted and roads were under three feet of water. Wading in waist-deep water, Mumbaikars (as the residents of Mumbai are called), carried a sick person to hospital, attempted to get to work, and tried to keep the water out of their homes.

'Your dam is our death'

Thu, 27 Oct 2005 00:25:45 +0000

August 26: Last week, 70 children from the Narmada Valley were in the Capital, meeting with other children, journalists, activists and supporters in an attempt to share with them their very real apprehension that soon their homes and villages would be under water. They hoped that their voices would be carried to the President and that he would respond positively to their call.

Every evening, the India Gate lawns, in New Delhi, become one vast picnic spot. They are full of wide-eyed tourists, families and giggly children on outings. Vendors selling ice cream, popcorn, candy floss and chana jor garam mushroom as if by magic. But August 21 was different, at least in the small lawn – closest to India Gate.

Swear, it's true!

Mon, 09 May 2005 02:30:26 +0000

August 17: You might think that schools would discourage students from using bad words, but it is not so. Schools in England will soon be teaching their pupils swearwords in an attempt to stop them from using bad language! Does that make any sense?

Apparently, British teachers feel that young children pick up swearwords from adults and older children, and they do not have a clue what the words really mean. This new scheme has already created quite a controversy. According to the Education Board, children, as young as 11, will be asked to write down as many swearwords as they can think of. Teachers will then explain what each word means in the hope that the students will not use them again.

Death Threat

Mon, 07 Jul 2003 08:08:23 +0000

March 19: The Olive Ridleys are olive-green coloured sea-turtles that have existed for more than 200 million years. The Gahirmatha beach in Orissa is one of their nesting sites, but unfortunately the fishermen have started catching these turtles for meat to sell in the local market.

This has alarmed environmentalists. Nature lover and scientist, BR Ray says that this trend will surely lead to the extinction of the turtles.
Thousands of female ridleys travel thousands of kilometres to lay their eggs at Gahirmatha beach. The beach also happens to be one of the four large nesting sites for Olive Ridleys in the world. The others are found in the tropical Pacific, Indian and the South Atlantic Oceans.

Historic Station Soon to be History

Wed, 09 Oct 2002 05:14:16 +0000

November 24: A historic railway station, that once linked the Indian city of Jammu, with Sialkot in Pakistan, is soon going to be demolished. A Kala Kendra Complex or centre to preserve art and culture will be established in its place.

The catch is that the Jammu & Kashmir government, that ordered the demolition, itself does not know what exactly it is going to preserve in the art centre. But that clearly does not seem to bother it. The more important job is to tear down the old station, never mind if it is over 100 years old and has a rich legacy, reports the ‘Indian Express’ in an article covering this issue.

No Dalmatians Please

Sun, 12 May 2002 07:11:55 +0000

Have you seen the movie ‘101 Dalmatians?’ Remember the cute cuddly spotted puppies scampering around and performing tricks? Well, if you loved the movie, here’s some news for you – Disney is coming out with yet another puppy-filled movie and it is going to be called ‘102 Dalmatians’ – a sequel to the original movie.

No Dalmatians Please [Illustration by Anup Singh]

Dalmatians are believed to have originated in Dalmatia (now in Croatia, Europe), long, long ago. While no one is quite sure when the Dalmatian first appeared, what is commonly known about the dog is, it is pure white at birth and develops black spots within a few weeks.

Messing Up, Alphabetically

Tue, 07 May 2002 08:53:08 +0000

November 4: Central Asian countries that proclaimed independence after the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR) disintegrated in 1991 are not merely beset by the usual political and economic uncertainties that mark all new nations. They are uncertain about their alphabets too. At the root of all this confusion is an identity crisis that the countries are suffering.

Messing Up, Alphabetically [Illustration by Sudheer Nath]

Take Azerbaijan, for instance. Since most people here speak Azeri, verbal communication is not a problem. But, as no one can decide on the written script, written communication is a problem. And this confusion is not a new thing either. In the past 75 years, Azerbaijan has seen four completely different alphabets come and go one after the other.

Cloud No. Nine

Wed, 24 Oct 2001 10:50:32 +0000

This is your chance to celebrate with a lot of people so don’t let it go and quickly get dressed as a cloud.

Cloud No. Nine [Illustrations by Shiju George]

All you need is:

One Cardboard Sheet.
White Chartpaper.
Water Colours.
Paint Brush.
Scissors, pencil and eraser.

Step 1: Paste the white chartpaper on to the cardboard sheet. Draw the shape of a cloud and cut it.

Finding a Match for an Elephant

Mon, 26 May 1997 06:32:27 +0000

Where: Rome, Italy

July 1, 2000 : Calimero, a twenty-year-old African elephant, who has been pining for his lost love, may soon find a new love. But romance may not come easy for this lovelorn jumbo because he will have to travel across the Alps in order to find his dream girl.

Calimero was brought to the Rome Zoo when he was barely a year old. Soon after, Carla, an African she-elephant from Gabon, joined him. The two elephants fell in love. They were inseparable and spent nine blissful years together. Calimero’s companion died in 1991 and the besotted Calimero went into a deep depression. It was only last year that the authorities finally woke up to the fact that the zoo’s star attraction was wasting away, pining for his lost love.

Pope Benedict XVI Completes Weeklong Tour of Holy Land

Sun, 20 Sep 2009 21:41:40 +0000

Where: Nazareth, Israel

May 15, 2009 : Pope Benedict XVI, head of the worldwide Catholic Church, made a weeklong trip to the Middle East, touring the Holy Land in a bid to promote peace and unity in the region. The pope prayed at some of Christianity’s most sacred destinations and visited Muslim and Jewish holy sites. He also visited Israel’s Holocaust* memorial and saw the conditions in which Palestinian refugees live.

In the birthplace of Jesus Christ, Bethlehem (in the West Bank, a Palestinian territory) the pope appealed for a separate state for Palestinians. He also called for an end to the blockade Israel has imposed against Gaza (a Palestinian territory) since the Islamic Hamas movement seized power there in June 2007.

A Glider at the Railway Station

Mon, 24 Sep 2007 06:32:00 +0000

Where: Sarnath, India

December 11, 2008 : Passengers at the Sarnath Railway Station noticed that a paper box, left abandoned near a railway track, was behaving a little oddly. They alerted the railway authorities, who found that the box carried the inscription, “It is a rare animal, please send it to the zoo”. It was a Flying Lemur, a species native to China and the Philippines. The forest department sent a team that recovered the animal, identified it, and moved it to the local zoo.

The Luckiest Men?

Thu, 20 Mar 2003 07:30:43 +0000

St Pierre was a town of some 30,000 inhabitants, lying in a mile-long, crescent-shaped strip in the Martinique Islands, in the Caribbean or West Indies. The city had a grand backdrop: the 4,430 feet high Mount Pelee or ‘bald’ mountain. The mountain lives on but the town has become a part of its fiery history. Mount Pelee is a dormant volcano that erupts once in a while and then lies cold for a long time and without any activity.

The Filmmaker

Tue, 04 Jun 2002 06:04:38 +0000

Shooting ‘Shores of Silence’, was probably more exciting than shooting a high-voltage action thriller for Mike Pandey and his two crewmembers. The small fishing boat that they rode the high seas in, was tossed by huge waves like a cork, threatening their life and equipment several times. But the three hung on, determined to shoot the sequence that was to be the highlight of the film – the capturing and slaughtering of giant whale sharks.

Underwater Terminator

Thu, 04 Apr 2002 09:44:26 +0000

It is not an animal or disease. It is a collective name given to plants, which live underwater. Algae do not have specialised body parts such as roots, stems and leaves.
They range in size from very tiny cells to 30 metre long weeds. A special characteristic of algae is that they multiply very fast.

Underwater Terminator [Illustration by Kusum Chamoli]

US researchers recently identified the algae, which has caused large-scale destruction of European sea habitats – almost 4,050 hectares of sea habitats along the Mediterranean coast, according to a report in ‘Down To Earth’ magazine. This algae destroys underwater plant and animal life. Being toxic it forces the fish to seek new homes.

Bermudas on Beaches — and in Parliament

Mon, 26 Feb 2001 04:12:00 +0000

August 12: Very soon members of Parliament in Bermuda will go to work wearing Bermuda shorts. This is what the lawmakers of Bermuda Islands have decided.

Usually, parliaments across the world are known for their sober dress sense to convey that being a member of the legislature is no laughing matter, and the prestige of the Parliament has to be kept in mind while dressing for it.

Bermudas on Beaches — and in Parliament [Illustration by Sudheer Nath]

The Bermudian House of Assembly, which is where the members of Parliament assemble, recently voted to relax the dress code of its parliament. So colourful, knee-length Bermuda shorts will be allowed now. Safari suits and collarless Nehru suits for men and trouser suits for women, will also be acceptable.

Schools of Failed Teachers and Students

Thu, 25 Jan 2001 05:55:56 +0000

September 6: Three schools in Hyderabad are changing people’s views of government schools – they showed a 90 per cent pass percentage in this year’s Senior Secondary Certificate (SSC) examination.

At the same time 12 government schools in Hyderabad have set another record of sorts. All students of the schools appearing for the SSC exam flunked the exams.

The SSC exam is the most important exam of a school student’s life. It marks the end of a student’s school life and the beginning of college life – which in many cases decides the student’s future course in life.

This and That

Tue, 20 Jan 1998 21:26:45 +0000

A dove is symbolic of … ? What is the national emblem of Australia? Get into the quizzing mode!

India Votes for Stability, Not Change

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 15:07:53 +0000

Where: New Delhi, India

May 16, 2009 : The results of India’s general elections, the largest democratic elections in the world, were announced on May 16, 2009.The Indian National Congress party won 205 of 543 seats in the Lok Sabha (the House of the People, or the lower house of the Indian Parliament). This was its best performance in the last 25 years. The party and its coalition partners, who make up the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) won a total of 261 seats, only 12 short of an absolute majority. The Trinamool Congress with 19 seats has the maximum number of seats among the allies. The chief opposition party, the Bhartiya Janata Party, and the Congress’ former allies, the Left Front, were defeated and had to give up the idea of trying to form governments.

Medical Research : Location, Mt. Everest

Sat, 21 Apr 2007 22:15:16 +0000

Where: London, United Kingdom

January 10, 2009 : An interesting story by BBC News tells how a team of London doctors, including five anesthetists, two general practitioners and a vascular surgeon climbed Mt. Everest. They then treated themselves as guinea pigs to measure oxygen levels present in their blood at the summit.

The readings confirmed that high-altitude climbers have extremely low levels of oxygen in their blood. At sea-level these would only be seen in patients who were close to death. The team leader Dr Mike Grocott said the experiment would help to establish how much oxygen deprivation people can tolerate before they are treated with ‘aggressive interventions’. That would include treatments like ventilation, which carry a risk of damage to organs like the lungs.

Hanoi's Good Samaritan

Fri, 10 May 2002 09:27:05 +0000

Hanoi’s Good Samaritan [Illustration by Shiju George]

November 4:The streets of cities in Vietnam teem with young boys who, despite their sad eyes, have dazzling smiles on their faces, and speak halting, broken English, that sounds charming to the ears. They sell postcards, shine shoes and hassle tourists with remarkably impressive sob-stories about needing money for sick parents, school fees and English lessons. It’s a combination that never fails to move the tourist for whose benefit of course, the entire performance is staged.

Operation Clean Up

Mon, 29 May 2000 21:20:38 +0000

The bricks came a tumbling. And the concrete made a rumbling. Leaving behind a huge mound of debris.

And a huge crowd of human beings. With tears in their eyes.

Their houses had been destroyed before them.

Jagmohan, the Minister for Urban Development was in action. He was cleaning up the city, he said. The people were sent to Narela, a far flung area in the suburbs of Delhi.

They would get new houses, they were told.

Injured Deer Lands on Dinner Plate

Fri, 24 Mar 2000 03:51:00 +0000

July 8: A deer was in great pain. It had got injured in the forest. It was discovered by some villagers who lived near the forest.

This incident happened in the Champhai district of Mizoram, in north-east India. The villagers picked up the deer and gave it to Hranleikapa, a leader of the Mizo National Party, to hand over the deer to the zoo in Aizawl, the capital of Mizoram.

But, that was not to be.

Make your own Cards

Tue, 23 Nov 1999 18:47:36 +0000

Things you need:

Vegetables like potatoes and lady’s finger.
A few bottles of bright poster colours.
Painting brushes, one for each colour you
want to use.
Some drawing sheets, or ivory or poster paper.
A knife.
A water container.

Make your own Cards []

What to do:

Step 1

Take a potato and slice it into two. Then draw any design on it with the pencil. Take the knife and run its tip over the motif, making a shallow cut. Carve out the rest of the potato flesh so that your design stands out.

Vast Coral Reef in South-East Asia May Disappear by End of Century, Warns WWF Report

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 16:14:18 +0000

Where: Manado, Indonesia

May 14, 2009 : The World Ocean’s Conference, a two-day meeting of ministers and officials from more than 80 countries was held in Manado, Indonesia. Rising sea levels, warming waters and increased acidity caused by global warming were some of the major issues discussed here.

A World Wildlife Fund report released to coincide with the conference reveals that the coral reefs stretching across south-east Asia will disappear by the end of the century. This area is known as the Coral Triangle, and is home to 3,000 fish species. Deforestation, coastal reclamation, destructive fishing and the pumping of pollution and sewage into sea over the last 40 years have already destroyed about 40 per cent of these coral reefs.

Cyclone Aila Rages Through Eastern India and Bangladesh

Sun, 30 Aug 2009 10:48:29 +0000

Where: Kolkata, India

May 28, 2009 : Cyclone Aila, which formed over the Bay of Bengal last weekend, hit the coast of India’s eastern state of West Bengal on Monday, May 25,2009. Winds blowing at the speed of 100 kilometres an hour with heavy rain caused havoc and paralysed life in the state’s capital city Kolkata. At least 10 people were killed in the city; some of them crushed to death under falling trees. The cyclone raged through several districts of the state, including the hill district of Darjeeling, where 23 people died in landslides. There were flash floods in most of the major rivers flowing through the state. The cyclone also wrecked large areas in the Sunderbans, the coastal delta chain of islands and home to a number of endangered Bengal tigers. Crops were destroyed in 24 Parganas district, and farmers there fear that the flooding by brackish waters would damage the soil and prevent any cultivation for the next two years.

Global Concern Over Possibility of Nuclear Bomb in Iran

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 03:30:47 +0000

Where: Tehran, Iran

February 26, 2009 : Bushehr, located on Iran’s Gulf coast, houses the country’s first nuclear facility. It was inaugurated with much ceremony, but will only become fully functional later in the year. The 1000-megawatt reactor was built with Russian help. Russia is a permanent member of the United Nations security council, which has repeatedly imposed *economic sanctions against Iran for its nuclear program. The Russian government has stressed that Bushehr is a civilian facility which cannot be used to make bombs.

The Don's dream team

Mon, 12 Sep 2005 14:33:15 +0000

August 17: He is officially and unanimously known as the best cricketer of all times. Undoubtedly, he will find a place in any dream team. But who all would feature if Don Bradman created his own dream team? Well, among some of the towering giants of cricket, Indian hero, Sachin Tendulkar finds a pride of place in the Don’s ‘dream-11’ squad, according to a book ‘Bradman’s Best’ released in Sydney last week.

In the team, the legendary batsman placed himself at number three, followed by Tendulkar at four. Other greats who feature in the team include Dennis Lillee, considered the most devastating bowler by Bradman, Barry Richards, Gary Sobers and Don Tallon.

The Young Tax Commandos

Wed, 17 Jul 2002 21:45:04 +0000

October 14: Every country has its heroes in every generation, and children, when asked what they want to be when they grow up, point at them. There was a time when becoming a diplomat or a cosmonaut was the most thrilling profession for Russian children. Recognition from others, glamour and adventure – these professions seemed to have it all.

But times have changed and how. Today, the ambition of most Russian children is to have an ear to the ground. They want to be tax commandos above all else today. Tax commandos are smart police officers trained to catch people who do not pay their taxes, reports ‘The Indian Express’.

Creating News to Cover News

Sat, 10 Feb 2001 10:36:32 +0000

August 12: Throughout the world, the media’s hold on the minds of people is increasing day by day. We are often asked not to believe everything we see on television or read in the newspaper. But so compelling are the words and pictures that these media use, that it’s hard not to.

The media has become so powerful that they are forgetting a very important thing. Their job is to record news, not to create it.

Computer Whiz Grans

Fri, 02 Feb 2001 11:16:23 +0000

July 31: A.Yogananda is learning the basics of the computer at a computer centre in Pune. Like how to send and receive e-mails to friends in US, Mumbai and Bangalore. He is as excited as any kid who is learning something new.

This eager student is all of 79 years old.

And he is not the only one. Senior citizens in Pune are rushing to computer classes and taking notes like never before. In the process they are discovering a strange universe of computer terms. Like Yahoo! Windows, folders, and recycle bins.

Children's Museum says no to Dolls, Yes to e-games

Tue, 25 Nov 1997 21:56:53 +0000

June 17: For many years, the Nehru Children’s Museum in Calcutta, has been a popular place for children and adults. It has a huge collection of rare Indian and foreign toys. Many of them are handmade and depict characters from the epics of Mahabharata, the Ramayana, or the Jataka tales (or tales of the Buddha). It has toys from 88 countries. The excited chatter of children has always been a familiar sound around. But not any more. The dolls section was closed some time ago.

Slumdog Millionaire's Big Haul at the Golden Globe Awards

Sat, 01 Sep 2007 11:32:23 +0000

Where: Los Angeles, U.S.A.

January 12, 2009 : Slumdog Millionaire, an Indian story set and shot in India, is based on the novel ‘Q&A’ by an Indian diplomat and first-time novelist Vikas Swarup. It was directed by the well-known British director Danny Boyle, and released in 2008. The film won awards for best director, best picture, and screenplay (by Simon Beaufoy) in addition to best musical score. The prestigious Golden Globe awards are presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association every year in Los Angeles.

New Year in South Pole

Sun, 29 Sep 2002 20:44:14 +0000

November 18: The year 2000 was ushered in with much fanfare throughout the world. Hotels in famous tourist spots were booked months in advance; the ones in cities planned glorious events lasting for days and nights.

Though there were doubts whether 2000 was really the start of the new millennium it was quickly shushed as the celebration fever was catchy. People all over went a little crazy wondering what to do at the hour when the clock would announce the arrival of the new year. Some couples even got married at the precise hour to make their celebration of year 2000 memorable.

Finns Favour Freezing Swim

Tue, 12 Feb 2002 08:39:48 +0000

November 4: It’s winter in Finland and temperatures are touching single digits. Across the Arctic, from Burbank to Murmansk, the land is completely frozen. Suddenly a group of Finns appear with a pickaxe and drill a hole in the thick ice pack. Are they going to fish? So where are the rods?

Before you can blink a frozen eye, they have stripped down and stand shivering at the hole’s edge eyeing the chilly winter waters. Then, the bravest (or is it the most foolhardy?) splashes in!

A Monster in Tokyo…

Tue, 13 Nov 2001 19:18:09 +0000

It happened one evening in May, 53 years ago, in 1947. Many people in Tokyo had switched on to the American Armed Forces Radio Station. It was two years since the Second World War had ended and Japan had been defeated. But the Americans were still around. And so was their radio station.

Around 7 pm, the radio programme was interrupted. An announcer screamed that a huge sea monster had risen from the sea.

A Monster in Tokyo… []

It was more than 20 feet long. Having waded ashore, it was scaring the wits out of people. And it had been seen in the stretch between Tokyo and Yokahama. Like the TV news channels tell us to “stay tuned for further news,” the radio announcer did the same. Fear could be heard in his voice.

Shake a Shaker

Fri, 23 Mar 2001 21:38:52 +0000

Do you want to belt out a song, but need an instrument that will keep the rhythm and add to the effect? Why don’t you try making a ‘shaker’ that will do the trick?

Just remember, you will be making a valuable addition to the range of percussion instruments that are used for their rhythm and the texture of their sound – like the maraca (a rattle like instrument in the shape of a gourd, that contains dried seeds, pebbles or lead shots).

Blow a Puppet

Mon, 15 Jan 2001 23:03:52 +0000

It’s a great idea for a party – ask all the children and adults to make balloon puppets.

The things you need:

Balloons
Coloured wool
Glazed paper sheets in different colours
Adhesive
Scissors
Thread

Step 1: Blow the balloons and knot them. You can also tie them using a thread.

Step 2: Use the material given to make a face on your balloon.

Here is how you can do it. Try different kinds of faces and tie them to your wrists so that every one can see it.

The Play

Sat, 11 Mar 2000 23:02:58 +0000

The Play []

The Amazing Days of Abby Hayes
Written by Anne Mazer

Published by Scholastic Inc.

The class is preparing to enact Peter Pan for the school, and Abby Hayes has one big ambition – she wants the best part. And she is willing to work hard to be the leading star. Singing lessons, dancing lessons, diction, just name it!

Abby’s mother has told her that she “is tall enough to touch the stars” if she wants to, and that’s what Abby is aiming for. With two weeks to go before the auditions, when the teachers will choose the players, Abby strives very hard. She goes to the extent of learning up each character’s lines and practising them, with expressions, in front of the mirror. She knows that there is lots of competition…

Haiti Hit By Massive Earthquake

Sun, 31 Jan 2010 12:11:05 +0000

Where: Port-au-Prince, Haiti

January 28, 2010 : A massive earthquake hit the Caribbean nation of Haiti* on January 12, 2010. It’s magnitude was 7.0 on the Richter scale**. The earthquake struck close to the capital city of Port-au-Prince. The first tremors destroyed most of the city. Two strong aftershocks followed almost immediately. In what is one of the most devastating natural disasters in history around 200,000 people have died. To put that in context consider that the January 2001 earthquake that devastated the western Indian state of Gujarat killed around 20,000 people and the hurricane “Katrina” killed 1,836 people.

Dalai Lama Calls for End of Oppression in Tibet

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 16:16:50 +0000

Where: Dharamsala, India, and Beijing, China

March 13, 2009 : The Dalai Lama, leader of the Tibetan people, has said that Tibetan culture and identity are “nearing extinction”. He accused the Chinese government of bringing “hell on Earth” to Tibet. He was addressing thousands of supporters in India on 10 March, 2009, the 50th anniversary of the failed Tibetan uprising against Chinese rule.

China invaded Tibet in 1950 and made it a province of the People’s Republic of China. In 1959, the Tibetan rebellion against the Chinese occupation was crushed. The Dalai Lama, who is the religious as well as political head of the Tibetan people, fled the country and took asylum in Dharamsala in India. Here he set up the Government of Tibet in Exile. The Indian government at the time, led by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, urged the Dalai Lama not to press for independence but to work on Tibet’s Seventeen Point Agreement with China.

Indians All the Way As 'Slumdog Millionaire' Sweeps Oscars

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 11:41:23 +0000

Where: Los Angeles, USA

February 22, 2009 : India awoke to the sound of cheers and applause last Monday as ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ fetched two Oscars* for A.R. Rahman and one for Resul Pookutty. With the American-made film ‘Smile Pinki’ about an Indian girl winning the Oscar for the best short documentary, the focus was definitely on India.

Slumdog Millionaire, directed by the recognised British filmmaker Danny Boyle, is about an Indian boy. The film has an all Indian cast, and was shot in Mumbai with Indian technicians. A.R. Rahman, one of the country’s best known musicians, became the first Indian to win two Oscars (Best Original Score as well as the Best Song, ‘Jai Ho’). Rahman’s acceptance speech was simple, and the maestro modest in victory. The honours for best song are shared by the famous lyricist Gulzar. Rahman had earlier won the Golden Globe and the BAFTA awards for his work in the film.

Fossil of Giant Snake Found in South America

Tue, 19 Jun 2007 16:27:29 +0000

Where: Cerrejon, Colombia

February 4, 2009 : ‘Nature’ journal reports that the snake, named ‘Titanoboa cerrejonensis’ by the scientists who found the remains, would have had a 13-metre-long body and weighed 1,140 kilograms, making it the largest snake on record. A mathematical ratio between the size of vertebrae and the length of the body in living snakes was used by the team to estimate the size. The world’s heaviest snakes, green anacondas, weigh only 250 kilograms, and the longest, reticulated pythons, measure 10 metres at the most. Titanboa would have been similar to a boa constrictor, and could have swallowed a whole cow. What its prey was has not been established, but it would have needed to eat a lot.

The Case of the Stonemasons

Mon, 07 Jul 2003 00:29:34 +0000

December 27: Last year, 10 stonemasons had been taken from Udaipur to London to build a temple. Overjoyed with this opportunity to earn more money, they went along willingly. But what did they get there? Just a dirty shack to live in and only 20 pence an hour.

The stonemasons did not know that they were being exploited. However, they did know that they were being treated badly. The moment they reached London, their passports were taken away from them. Then they were threatened that they would have to go back to India on their own if they disobeyed their ’employers'.

Building a Giant Lie

Wed, 14 May 2003 00:32:05 +0000

February 5: The earthquake that struck Gujarat, one of India’s most prosperous states, will go down as among the worst since India gained independence. Both in terms of the numbers of people killed (about 50,000 are feared dead) and the scale of destruction wrought, it has few contemporary parallels.

The images of prosperity in cities such as Ahmedabad have been reduced to the symbols of a wasteland – rubble, dust, twisted steel and wire.

Building a Giant Lie [Illustration by Shinod A P]

A real tragedy, say many of us, but follow it up with a resigned look and statement about the “fury of natural disasters”. That is where we are wrong. We should actually be talking about the consequences of “man-made disaster” brought upon by greed and avarice.

Riding into a Promising Future

Mon, 21 Oct 2002 15:19:07 +0000

October 28: In Gujarat last year, thousands of girls who passed out of primary school, were given unique gifts by the Gujarat government: bicycles to ride to secondary schools.

The gifts are not meant to reward the girls for passing their examinations. They are recognised as the only way for these girls to pursue higher education in secondary school, usually situated far away from their homes.

The scheme is the brainchild of the Minister of Other Backward Castes, Gabhaji Thakore. The Indian Express has written a report on the trend.

Dead Poet's society

Sat, 20 Apr 2002 17:11:13 +0000

October 28: Do any of these names make your heart sing a sonnet – Oliver Goldsmith, Wordsworth, Shelley, Keats, Byron? All of them are famous poets of England of long ago. But where has the poetry of these poets gone today? Is it only to be confined to a select few intellectuals, the older generation, and to the dusty cobwebbed shelves at home?

Dead Poet’s society [Illustration by Sudheer Nath]

Will the younger generation sweep aside the lyrics of Madonna and Michael Jackson and read classical English verses that are literally poetry-in-motion?

Its your day to Rain

Tue, 29 May 2001 21:22:46 +0000

Shower everywhere its dry and spread the aroma of wet mud all over.

All you need is:

A Hot Water Bag.
A Wooden Cork.
Plastic tube.
Plastic shower.

Its your day to Rain [Illustrations by Shiju George]

Step 1: Choose a cork such that it fits in to the mouth of the hot water bag well making it air tight.

Step 2: Make a hole in the centre of the cork. Fill the hot water bag with cold water and fix the cork to its mouth.

The Magnetic Knife

Mon, 08 Jan 2001 11:35:47 +0000

The Magnetic Knife [Illustrations by Shiju George]

A knife magnetically clings to your hands!

All you need is:

One table knife.

Step 1: Interweave your fingers as in Figure 1, but don’t pick up the knife yet.

Step 2: When you interweave your fingers, secretly leave the middle finger of one hand loose (Figure 2). If you arrange your fingers right, no one will be able to tell one finger is loose when looking at your hands from the other side!

North Korea Conducts Nuclear Test

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 07:11:10 +0000

Where: Pyongyang, North Korea

May 26, 2009 : North Korea conducted a nuclear test on Monday, May 25, 2009, in the face of warnings and opposition from countries around the world. Geological sensors in South Korea detected tremors from an artificial earthquake caused by the explosion. This was followed by an official announcement by the North Korean government agencies of the successful conduct of the test. The Russian Defence Department said the bomb was probably as big as the bombs that caused such large scale destruction in Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of the second World War.

Hunting for Planets in Earth's Galaxy

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 16:09:53 +0000

Where: Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA

March 7, 2009 : The USA’s space agency NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) launched its Kepler Telescope successfully from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The telescope is designed to search for planets orbiting stars other than the Sun in our galaxy, the Milky Way. William Borucki, principal science investigator of the mission, said, “Even if we find no planets like Earth, that by itself would be profound. It would indicate that we are probably alone in the galaxy.” Planets around stars other than the Sun have been thought to exist for centuries. In 1988, a team of Canadian astronomers found evidence that the star Gamma Cephei had planets.

General Elections Announced in India

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 03:56:09 +0000

Where: New Delhi, India

March 2, 2009 : India is set to go to the polls to elect a new government. The Chief Election Commissioner Mr. N. Gopalaswami announced the schedule for the General Elections. The country will elect 543 members to the Lok Sabha, or the House of the People, in Parliament. Voting will take place on five days; April 16, April 23, April 30, May 7 and May 13, 2009. Counting of votes will take place on May 16, 2009 and results will be announced immediately. The number of voters is estimated to be 714 million. All 28 states and seven union territories will elect their representatives.

Terror Blasts in Assam on New Year's Day

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 16:33:40 +0000

Where: Guwahati, Assam, India

January 7, 2009 : A series of blasts rocked Guwahati, the principal town of India’s northeastern state of Assam, on January 1, 2009. Six people died, and 50 were injured. The terrorists who planned the explosions got past New Year’s Day security arrangements with alarming ease. Police said the first blast took place near a hospital, the second near the famous Kamakhya temple, and the third at Bhangaghar, one of Guwahati’s upmarket areas, and home to many of its shopping malls. Indians all over the country were shocked, as they are still coming to terms with the terror attack on Mumbai in November 2008.

Rats Race through US Cities

Wed, 10 Nov 2004 08:05:36 +0000

Rats Race through US Cities [Illustration by Shinod A P]

August 7: Even as Americans compete with each other in the “rat-race” for a good life, the real rats are coming out of the sewage dumps and are literally dancing on the streets. Funny though it might sound, rats have become a menace in many US cities. So much so, that in New York City, a rodent task force has been appointed to tackle the problem.

Worming into the Olympics

Mon, 06 May 2002 23:20:49 +0000

The organisers of the 2000 Sydney Olympics are very serious about projecting the Olympics as an eco-friendly event. So the Olympics village in Sydney, where the athletes are living, is entirely solar-powered. But the organisers haven’t stopped at that. They’re ensuring that even the garbage generated by people at the Olympics is eco-friendly.

For this, they’ve enlisted the help of the humble earthworm — three varieties of the earthworm, in fact. Thousands of these worms cluster behind eating areas at the Olympics. And chew their way through the garbage left there deliberately for their eating pleasure, reports an ‘Associated Press’ feature in ‘The Indian Express’.

The Long and Short of It

Mon, 04 Mar 2002 10:09:43 +0000

November 4: In a throwback to the age of British rule, constables of the Indian police force in a few districts of Andhra Pradesh, might go back to wearing knickers.

No, it’s not nostalgia for the uniforms of the colonial period. Neither is it a matter of airing the legs in the intense Andhra heat. It appears that the state police force is short of uniform cloth to make trousers for the constables.

The constables are not happy at this turn of events.

Make a Sachet

Mon, 10 Sep 2001 11:02:40 +0000

Make a Sachet [Illustrations by Shinod AP]

Are there are any old T-shirts lying at home and in danger of becoming dusters? Rescue one of them and your creative work begins!

The things you need:

An old T-shirt
A silken cord (18 inches long)
Scissors
Pencil

Step 1: Cut out a piece of seven inches square from an old T-shirt. Place the cloth on a table and make a circle, three inches in radius.

Glove Puppets!

Tue, 22 May 2001 08:25:48 +0000

Take out those old socks that have been lying in your cupboard. With these puppets you can actually hold a puppet show for your friends and family.

The things you need:

Old sock
A needle and thread
Poster colours
Brush
Red coloured paper

Step 1: Put your hand inside the sock, take hold of a part of

Glove Puppets! [Illustrations by Anup Singh]

the front of the sock and pull it in. While still holding the front
part, turn the sock completely inside out.

Known in the Media

Thu, 17 May 2001 22:56:35 +0000

Rack your brains to think about some animals that have been featured either in a movie or a book and how they became well known.

Eat the Candle

Thu, 01 Mar 2001 22:43:29 +0000

Show everyone that you can eat a candle by performing this easy trick.

The things you need:

Banana
Knife
A small candle
Matchbox

Step 1: Take a banana and cut it in the shape of a rectangle as shown in the figure below. Place it in a standing position on a table and put a small candle on top of it. The diameter of the candle should be equal to that of the banana.

Step 2: Start the magic by lighting the candle. Quickly blow it off and tell your audience that you are hungry and there is nothing besides the candle for you to eat.

Chattering Kids and Teacher's Tape

Fri, 08 Dec 2000 19:38:32 +0000

July 8: It happened in a primary school in the city of La Plata, Argentina. There were 70 bright-eyed children in one class. Seventy chattering children, all seven years old. A school rehearsal was on for Argentina’s Independence Day celebrations. And the teacher tried her best to see that they kept quiet during the rehearsal. But, the children did not.

Chattering Kids and Teacher’s Tape [Illustration by Sudheer Nath]

The teacher lost her cool. She stuck tape over their mouths to make sure they did not talk. Indeed, they could not. We do not know whether the rehearsal went on after that. What we do know is that the teacher is facing charges of cruelty to children for taking such an extreme step.

Hi-tech Schools

Fri, 28 Jan 2000 10:59:58 +0000

Where: Guizhou province, China

July 15, 2000: This face appeared in the Wall Street Journal, a business newspaper in the US. What is so great about this face that it was written about in a newspaper.

The face belongs to Bi-Jiangang, a 36-year-old man, who has brought about a huge change in the school system in China. He has started a school, called the Qiannan Computer School, which teaches computer skills to poor teenagers of the Guizhou province.

The Lake and the Birds

Wed, 15 Dec 1999 06:46:25 +0000

Where: Himachal Pradesh, India

March 8, 2001: The picturesque Pong Dam lake region in the mountainous state of Himachal Pradesh, is losing its lustre. A great deal of its charm has lain in the fact that it is north India’s largest refuge for migrating birds escaping harsh winters abroad. But not for long, if recent trends are any indication.

A low water level in the lake this year has forced the migratory birds to fly away one month in advance, says a report in The Indian Express.

Athlete's Death Casts Gloom Over Games

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 17:51:00 +0000

Where: Vancouver, Canada

February 15, 2010 : The 21st Winter Olympics began in Vancouver, Canada, on February 12, 2010. Just hours before the opening ceremony, Georgian athlete Nodar Kumaritashvili died during a practice session. He lost control of his sled, which was going at a speed of 90 miles per hour. The sled flew off the track at a sharp curve and crashed into a metal pillar. His event was luge: an ice sport in which the participant lies face up on a sled and propels himself forward using his calf and shoulder muscles.

More Disturbing Attacks on Indians in Australia

Sat, 16 Jan 2010 11:11:12 +0000

Where: Canberra, Australia

February 3, 2010 : A large number of Indians living in Australia have become the targets of violence in the past months*. Most of the victims are students, who have been beaten, robbed, and in some cases, murdered. The most recent case was that of Nitin Garg, who was stabbed to death on January 2, 2010.

In 2007-2008, there were almost 1500 cases of crimes against Indians in the state of Victoria alone. Most of them were in the capital Melbourne. Between 2004 and 2009, 33 Indians died in violent attacks countrywide.

Spate of Attacks on Indian Students in Australia

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 21:35:32 +0000

Where: Melbourne, Australia

May 31, 2009 : A number of Indian students were attacked in a series of violent incidents in Melbourne over the last few days. One of the most shocking incidents was the one in which 25-year-old Shravan Kumar was stabbed by a group of teenagers who forced their way into his house. Kumar, who almost died on the way to hospital, had to be put on life support systems. Days later he was reported to be out of danger, but doctors expressed doubts that he would ever recover fully.

Antarctic Ice Bridge Collapses

Wed, 20 May 2009 23:47:55 +0000

Where: Antarctica

April 4, 2009 : A satellite picture from the European Space Agency (ESA) showed that a 40 kilometre long strip of ice had splintered at its narrowest point, about 500 meters wide. It was believed to have pinned the Wilkins Ice Shelf in place. The Wilkins Ice Shelf once covered around 16,000 square kilometres. It began to shrink in the 1990s, and by May 2008, the ice bridge was all that connected it to the coast. The bridge was almost 100 km wide in 1950.

End to Recession in Sight?

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 04:52:13 +0000

Where: New York, USA

March 25, 2009 : The New York Stock Exchange and European Stock markets showed high trading figures after the American government announced that it had planned another bailout package for banks. The United States Treasury is also expected to pump $1 trillion into the market for buying up ’toxic assets’. This means government will put money into those ‘bad assets’ which have frozen trading and aggravated the recession.

Mr. Ben Bernanke, chairman of the Federal Reserve, the central bank in USA, said he expects that the recession in the country will end this year. The recession, or economic slump, began in 2007. Large numbers of businesses closed down and most others have cut down on jobs and pay packets. The number of unemployed people is still rising in the USA and in the United Kingdom.

Pet Chimpanzee Shot After Violent Attack

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 16:04:02 +0000

Where: Stamford, Connecticut, USA

February 17, 2009 : A pet chimpanzee named Travis, belonging to a Ms.Sandra Herold of Stamford, Connecticut, was shot and killed by the police after it broke out of its cage and attacked a woman. Travis, it seems, got out of control, escaped from his cage and attacked a 55-year-old woman friend of Ms. Herold’s. He bit her several times, and her injuries were said to be life-threatening. She was removed to hospital and was in a critical condition.

India's Software Giant Satyam Computer Services in Country's Biggest Corporate Scandal

Tue, 15 May 2007 02:05:38 +0000

Where: Hyderabad, India

January 09, 2009 : Satyam, India’s fourth-largest software company, is at the centre of the country’s biggest corporate scandal. The group’s Chairman, Ramalinga Raju revealed on 7 January, 2009, that around US $1.04 billion (Rs. 5000 crore or 94% of the company’s cash assets, was non-existent, and that figures and account books had been ‘cooked’, or modified, to show profits. Raju resigned from the Board of Directors, and his location is at present unknown.

World Economic Forum Davos 2009 Begins On Gloomy Note

Sun, 25 Feb 2007 12:22:21 +0000

Where: Davos,Switzerland

January 28, 2009: The Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, began on January 28, 2009 and will conclude on February 1, 2009. The theme of this year’s meet is ‘Shaping the Post-Crisis World’. There are around 2,600 delegates, including political and business leaders from all over the world participating in a series of discussions on economic and political issues. Russia’s Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, and the Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao addressed the meeting on the opening day.

It's Hi Harry, Bye Hardy Boys

Sun, 01 Aug 2004 00:00:11 +0000

August 1: On July 31, as an army of children and adults got ready to “celebrate” Harry Potter’s birthday, there was a young fictional heroine waiting to share the limelight with him. Her name? Lyra Belacqua, a girl with extraordinary powers, unusual friends, and living an orphaned life as well. Lyra Belacqua is the name of the latest craze unleashed by writer David Pullman among young book readers in the US.

The verdict is clear; Harry Potter and Lyra Belacqua are here to stay. Gone are the days when the clean and well-scrubbed Hardy boys, Nancy Drew, the Famous Five and The Secret Seven ruled over young readers’ hearts and cupboards.

For the Olympic Heights of Stamina

Fri, 14 Sep 2001 10:58:54 +0000

September 7: The horse is a symbol of strength, power and stamina. Ever wondered about the secret behind its energy? It is the kind of food the animal eats. Ask the person who has to keep up the energy levels of one of the world’s costliest racehorses, Fusaichi Pegasus, worth all of $4 million (approximately 1.8 crore rupees).

That is the reason why US Olympic swimmer, Gary Hall, is all set to imitate Fusaichi Pegasus’ diet in the hope that it will work wonders for him at the forthcoming Olymic Games.

Get Set Go

Fri, 16 Mar 2001 22:23:16 +0000

From nicknames to places, it is all there for you to answer in this quiz. So on your mark, get, set and go!

Against the Law of Gravity

Mon, 12 Mar 2001 05:59:45 +0000

When an apple fell on Newton’s head, he formulated the law of gravity. According to this law, every object is attracted towards the centre of the earth with a force called the gravitational force.

But if Newton were to see this ring suspended in mid-air without any support, one wonders what he would have done.

The things you need:

A ring
Cotton thread
Matchbox
Salt

Step 1: Soak the thread in salt water for sometime. Leave it to dry. Repeat this two to three times.

Fiji's President Revokes Constitution

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 10:56:30 +0000

Where: Suvo, Fiji

April 10, 2009 : Fiji’s Court of Appeal declared that President Ratu Josefa Iloilo’s military government was illegal. Three judges of the Court of Appeal ruled that the president should appoint an independent caretaker prime minister to dissolve Parliament and call a general election.

In retaliation, the President revoked the constitution and sacked the judges. He also declared a public emergency and decreed that fresh elections will not be held for five years. In 2006, the present regime had ousted the elected government and appointed an interim Government. The Court ruled that both actions were unconstitutional.

World Health Organisation Declares Swine Flu Pandemic

Sat, 17 Jan 2009 23:54:58 +0000

Where: Geneva, Switzerland

June 12, 2009 : The World Health Organisation (WHO), one of the United Nations organisations, officially declared a worldwide swine flu pandemic* after an emergency meeting on June 11, 2009. The flu, which has spread all over the world, is a new strain of the influenza A virus subtype H1N1. The virus was identified in April 2009, and is commonly referred to as swine flu. It infects human beings and can be transmitted either by coughs and sneezes or by touching contaminated surfaces and then touching the nose or mouth. The symptoms include fever, bodyache and stiffness in the joints. In extreme cases, the flu can kill. By May 24, 2009, nearly 90 per cent of the deaths reported had taken place in Mexico.

Potatoes get you in the pink of health

Sun, 29 Oct 2006 05:34:08 +0000

Where: Spain

June 25, 2007: Word’s just in: potatoes are good for you. But, you may still have to hold off on those fries you’ve been eyeing. Turns out, potatoes are best eaten in a cold salad, and not drowned in oil.

A team of Spanish researchers say that eating potatoes could have a beneficial effect on the body’s immune system. They’re rich in vitamin C and B-complex, have good doses of minerals like iron, calcium, managanese, magnesium and phosphorus, and believe it or not, are great for the tummy.

When Everyone Counts

Sun, 16 Mar 2003 15:36:25 +0000

March 28: Have you been counted yet? But you must have been! There’s one head count that cannot afford to leave anyone out. It is the Census 2001.

Census is a small Latin word meaning register. But to the people responsible for conducting it, it implies a marathon task. Census means counting each and every person in the country and gathering data related to them.

In India, the first Census was conducted in 1872. Thereafter, it has been held every 10 years. The groundwork for this Census started two years ago, while the Census operation itself was held between February 9, 2001 to February 28, 2001. A revision was held in the first week of March.

In Shakespearean Settings!

Fri, 14 Mar 2003 07:34:50 +0000

April 21: Nearly 400 years ago, the brilliant English dramatist William Shakespeare, wrote Macbeth, the story of a Scottish general who kills his monarch, King Duncan, and slowly becomes mad. The play is based on the life of a real 11th century general. It is universally accepted as a great tragedy, and is one of Shakespeare’s best plays.

It appears that all the ingredients of another bloody Shakespearean tragedy are brewing among Macbeth’s modern-day descendents. The ingredients include an ancient castle in the Scottish Highlands, sinister curses and a family feud, writes a

Truant Teachers

Fri, 07 Dec 2001 11:33:59 +0000

July 31: Think of a school or college where classes are not held everyday. Sounds like a dream school or college?

But, a dream college like this is also a place where students don’t really learn much. The reason is very simple. Their teachers don’t have the time to teach them.

The Delhi University is such a place. Where teachers make a habit of not attending classes. Naturally, their students also do the same.

Truant Teachers [Illustration by Shiju George]

But, it’s not only the teachers and their students who shirk work. They have company in college principals. And administrators too. That’s what a report in ‘The Times of India’ says.

Killing them Surely

Tue, 14 Sep 1999 03:12:15 +0000

Where: Surat, Gujarat, India

November 4, 2000: When a member of the Parsi community dies, according to their religion, the body is not buried or consigned to flames. It is placed in the “Tower of Silence” for the scavenger birds or vultures to feed on them so that even in death the body is of use.

In Surat, Gujarat, till a few years ago, the body would be eaten up in no time in the Tower of Silence or the Dhokma as it is locally called. About 100 to 150 vultures would descend on the body minutes after it was placed on the Dhokhma and consume it in a few minutes.

Children in Harmful Professions

Thu, 19 Feb 1998 22:49:20 +0000

Children in Harmful Professions []

Today in our country, only 40 per cent of the total children go to school. What about the other 60 per cent of the children? What do they do? The answer would shock many. The bulk of our child population is employed in hazardous and menial jobs. We see them in hotels and dhabas (roadside eateries) as waiters, working in factories and in houses as domestic help.

Pakistani Taliban Public Flogging Video Creates Shock Wave

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 19:58:24 +0000

Where: Islamabad, Pakistan

April 3, 2009 : The Taliban authorised the brutal public flogging of a 17-year-old girl by four men in Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province (NWFP). The incident was recorded and broadcast over the internet. Shock and disbelief shook many sections of the Pakistani population. The video opened up the question of religion-backed violence against women in the country. It raised serious doubts about the wisdom of the Pakistan government’s peace deal with the Taliban. The government had agreed to the imposition of ‘Sharia’ or Islamic law in the Swat valley, which is under Taliban control. The video was shot by ‘spectators’ who were encouraged to record the event on their phone cameras by Taliban members.

New Government Takes Over in Israel

Thu, 05 Feb 2009 03:41:15 +0000

Where: Jerusalem, Israel

April 1, 2009 : Benjamin Netanyahu became the prime minister of Israel for a second time, to head a coalition government. The United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed the hope that the new government would work for peace, and towards establishing an independent Palestinian state. The United Nations is part of what is called the ‘Quartet of Middle East peace brokers’ along with the United States, Russia and the European Union.

Plane Crash in New York Kills Fifty

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 04:32:16 +0000

Where: New York, USA

February 12, 2009 : A commercial air plane crashed into a house in Buffalo, New York, killing all 49 people on board and one person on the ground. The plane burst into flames on impact. The Continental Airlines plane was on its way from Newark, New Jersey before crashing some distance away from the airport. Two people in the house were injured. The house itself was completely destroyed, and the authorities evacuated people from the neighbourhood, so that investigations could be carried out.

The Famous Five

Sat, 11 Aug 2001 14:03:57 +0000

Meet the “Famous Five” — Arjun Bansal, Vijay Kumar, Shruti Chandrsekhar, Arvind Thiagarajan and Sundeep Venkataraman. These five teenagers have just got jobs in the Research & Development wing of the India branch of Lucent Technologies — the famous American company.

The teenagers were handed offers of employment in the company recently. They can join the company as soon as they complete their graduation.

The Famous Five [Illustration by Sudheer Nath]

But first, they had to score the highest marks in a test done to discover the “best and brightest minds” in the cities of Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad. They beat 655 other candidates.

The Sweet Taste of Success

Fri, 22 May 1998 08:48:06 +0000

June 24: Vaibhav Bhagate starts work at 5.00 am. He works as an apprentice at the Technical Training Centre of the Bombay Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking. After school, he attends class at the Vikas Night High School and Junior College at night.

Vaibhav is the son of a former municipal employee, Sitaram. He has topped the merit list of night students in this year’s Higher Secondary Examination of the Maharashtra State Board. Last week, he was felicitated by Anil Deshmukh, the Minister of State for Education. This was reported in ‘The Indian Express’.

Atlantis on 'Space Surgery' Mission for Hubble Telescope

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 10:20:20 +0000

Where: Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA

May 11, 2009 : The Space Shuttle Atlantis lifted off on a two day space journey to the Hubble Space Telescope. Seven astronauts were on board to service and repair the telescope. The Hubble Telescope is a space research tool that was put into orbit outside the earth’s atmosphere in 1990. It is one of the largest space telescopes in existence. Hubble is a cooperative project between USA’s NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) and the European Space Agency.

Quizzically Yours

Tue, 21 Nov 2006 14:31:54 +0000

September 6: Eight-year old Neha is the happiest girl in India. Her father has just won a huge amount of money at a popular television quiz show. Neha coached him for the show.

The game show, ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ (KBC), is the Indianised version of the famous American show ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?’ Contestants are given 15 questions to answer. The person who answers all the questions correctly, wins 10 million dollars (in KBC he or she wins one crore rupees.)

Rags-to-Riches: The Café Route

Tue, 21 Nov 2006 14:31:54 +0000

Where: London, UK

December 10, 2008 :Question: Name an impoverished British woman writer who wrote her first novel in sitting in cafes with her child, and went on to become a billionaire bestselling writer? J.K. Rowling, the writer of the Harry Potter series, comes to mind at once. Well, now there’s more.

Marina Fiorato, new bestselling writer, says she was inspired by J.K.Rowling to write her book in cafes, according to a news item in Forbes.com. The author, her husband and little son lived in a small one-bedroom apartment. She would sit in the café for hours at a time, writing and nursing a coffee. The method seems to have worked, all right.

Coaching, Anyone?

Mon, 19 Aug 2002 23:22:45 +0000

October 21: Open any newspaper and chances are that you will find yourself staring at a full page advertisement of some coaching college proudly claiming that the bright young girl who topped the IIT entrance examination (her photograph is so smudged that you can’t see) had been coached by their able guides.

If there isn’t an advertisement in the newspaper there is bound to be a flyer or single sheet of paper concealed within the folds of the newspaper so that it catches your attention even before that news item on cricket match fixing that you are looking for.

The Common Man's Film-maker

Thu, 09 May 2002 07:02:29 +0000

September 23: From the rollicking ‘Chupke Chupke’ and ‘Golmaal’ to the shades of jealousy in ‘Abhimaan’, from the quiet seriousness of ‘Anupama’ to the tragic ‘Anand’, veteran film maker Hrishikesh Mukherjee has covered an entire range of emotions and relationships in his films.

In a career spanning more than four decades, he became known as the man who touched a chord in the common man – the middle class in particular. And the ordinary film viewer responded to his quiet flowering in the only way he or she knew – by seeing Hrishi_da_’s films again and again.

Boys' cancer unites warring people

Wed, 08 Aug 2001 11:34:11 +0000

August 5: Thirteen-year-old Kemal Saracoglu does not have much longer to live. He suffers from leukaemia or what is commonly known as blood cancer, usually a fatal disease. There had been a brief moment of hope when it was thought that his life could be lengthened, if not saved. That moment passed as the British doctors looking after Kemal in London said that the cancer had once again started attacking the young boy’s body mercilessly.

Mending Fences

Sun, 03 Jun 2001 08:29:08 +0000

August 19: South Africa is all set to sign an important agreement with its two neighbours – Zimbabwe and Mozambique. If all goes well, this agreement will help create the largest animal reserve or wildlife park in the world. The fences separating the national parks in the border region of each country will be removed and tourists and animals alike will be free to cross over.

Millions of antelopes, almost 20,000 elephants and many, many animals on the endangered list can be found in this region. Environmentalists say that the animals will increase in number once the fences, preventing free movement, are removed.

Little Gyatsu Goes To School

Sun, 25 Jun 2000 14:56:54 +0000

As the sun rises over the hills, the birds start chirping. Nine-year-old Gyatsu knows that it is time to go to school. All his friends in the village go to school too. In no time a small army of rosy-cheeked children can be seen hurrying through the streets and up the hills, to the local primary school. The birds keep them company throughout the way.

Little Gyatsu lives in a hill village called Drutlang. It is close to Aizawl, which is the capital of Mizoram state, in the north-eastern part of India. Mizoram is one of the seven hill states in north-east India. These seven states are called The Seven Sisters.

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?

The Haunted House

Wed, 03 Jul 1996 15:01:59 +0000

This is a contribution from one of our young pitara viewer Shilpa from Barbados. She is six years old.

The Haunted House []

One day when I was playing a game called dodge ball, our ball went on a hill way up high. When we reached the top, we saw an old house. It was very calm, so we went in to investigate.

When we went in, we saw old chairs and we also heard voices. We saw skulls and skeletons. It was really horrible. So we immediately got out of that house and never went to that house again. Did you ever see a house like that? If you have please write about your experience.

French President Calls For Ban on Burqas For Muslim Women

Wed, 12 May 2010 08:28:50 +0000

Where: Paris, France

June 23, 2009 : A small but growing group of French women wear burqas and niqabs, while many more wear the simple Muslim headscarf. Burqas and niqabs cloak the entire body and cover everything but the eyes. Last week, President Sarkozy told Parliament he proposed banning burqas in public, calling them “a sign of debasement” for women.

“We cannot accept that women be prisoners behind a screen, cut off from all social life, deprived of all identity,” Sarkozy said. “It will not be welcome on the territory of the French Republic.” The President’s statement came after a petition demanding a parliamentary inquiry on the wearing of burqas by a group of 60 lawmakers from all political parties.

Villagers go Online

Mon, 20 May 2002 22:03:52 +0000

October 28: The internet is quietly transforming the lives of over 20,000 people in six villages around the South Indian state of Pondicherry. Whether it’s sugarcane farmers in Kizhur village using the net to consult an entomologist ( one who fights bugs ) online, to save their crops from being ravaged by bugs, or a farm-worker making incense sticks under a government-sponsored scheme about which she found out on the net, the internet has become crucial to the lives of all the villagers.

Report cards

Fri, 22 Mar 2002 19:45:04 +0000

October 21: The two news reports appeared almost at once and said a lot about the state of affairs in education in the world.

One was the announcement of a whopping US$210 billion Gates Scholarship set up at England’s prestigious Cambridge University by the richest man on earth, Microsoft boss Bill Gates. The scholarship fund will enable 225 youngsters from across the world to be Gates Cambridge Scholars every year, beginning 2001.

Report cards [Illustration by Sudheer Nath]

Graduate students from every country in the world, barring the United Kingdom, would be eligible to apply. The scholarship fund will thus help talented students particularly from developing countries like India which are fast gaining an enviable reputation, to do well.

The Emperor and the Zebra

Sat, 22 Jan 2000 21:53:13 +0000

This is a tale almost 400 years old. Mughal emperor Jehangir’s zoo had a brand new visitor — the zebra. And the emperor could not believe his eyes at the sight of this unusual, striped animal. So surprised was he that he wrote about it in his memoirs. He spoke of it as a very strange animal. So strange that some people imagined that the animal’s stripes had been painted!

The emperor decided to find out whether the zebra was indeed coloured or not.

US Navy Rescue Mission Recaptures Ship, Frees Captain From Somali Pirates

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:55:52 +0000

Where: Mogadishu, Somalia

April 13, 2009 : Somalian pirates captured the MV Maersk Alabama, an American cargo ship which was carrying 5,000 tonnes of United Nations emergency relief supplies to Kenya. The crew managed to regain control of the ship, but pirates captured the Captain and escaped with him as hostage on a lifeboat. Four days later (on Easter Sunday), April 12, 2009, Capt. Richard Phillips was rescued, and his pirate captors were shot by the US Navy. Three pirates were killed and a fourth was taken into custody.

Swine flu flies to all corners of the earth

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 05:43:04 +0000

Where: Worldwide!

April 30, 2009 : Swine Flu has claimed the life of its first victim in the United States of America, a small child who lives near the Mexican border. With this, it appears that the world is on the brink of a virus attack, the Swine Flu.

It all started in Mexico, in South America, where people started getting sick with, and dying of, the H1N1 or Swine Flu virus. What makes it even more difficult to control, is that the symptoms of the virus are a lot like just regular flu. There’s fever, perhaps a sore throat, body ache, stiffness in joints, perhaps a bit of diarrhoea and vomiting. The only way to confirm if a person has contracted the Swine Flu virus is to get a blood test done in a laboratory.

Madagascar's President Marc Ravalomanana Steps Down

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 06:01:43 +0000

Where: Antananarivo, Madagascar

March 17, 2009 : President Marc Ravalomanana of Madagascar stepped down as troops seized control of his offices and the presidential residence. Mr. Andry Rajoelina declared himself president with the support of military forces. He rejected Mr Ravalomanana’s offer of a referendum to solve the crisis and called for his arrest. He also announced that there would be a new constitution and elections in the next 24 months.

Navy admiral Hyppolite Ramaroson confirmed that the military was backing Mr. Rajoelina as ‘president of the high transitional authority’. Mr. Rajoelina, a former disc jockey, was sacked as mayor of the capital city Antananarivo in February. As mayor, he had organised protests against rising food prices and government corruption. Thousands of people took to the streets at the time and engaged in violent conflict with government forces.

Somdev Devvarman Shines at Davis Cup Matches

Thu, 03 Jan 2008 16:02:57 +0000

Where: Kaohsiung, Chinese Taipei

March 8, 2009 : India’s top tennis singles player Somdev Devvarman beat world number 59 Lu Yen-Hsun from Chinese Taipei in the second round Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Group I fixture. Devvarman made short work of his opponent, defeating him in straight sets, 6-1, 6-2, 6-3. The victory took India to the third and final round of the Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Group I competition, defeating Chinese Taipei 3-2.

On Saturday, India had won the doubles match against Chinese Taipei with Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi defeating Yang and Chu-Huan Yi. Devvarman won both the singles matches he played, while teammate Rohan Bopanna lost both his singles matches.

Couch pet-atoes

Thu, 26 Oct 2006 08:07:19 +0000

Where: Lucknow, India

July 18, 2007: First it was kids. Now, it’s the dogs. Middle class families across India are plagued by obesity. In other words, from the master to his pooch, everyone is fat, and very likely sick.

According to a report in The Times of India, doctors at the Government Veterinary Hospital (GVH) in Lucknow estimate that nearly one in every three pet dogs in the city is falling sick because of the kind of lives their owners lead.

All for One

Sun, 10 Aug 2003 16:30:21 +0000

February 26: What happens when someone in authority takes advantage of the position that he is in, to harass someone weaker? In India, more often than not, the victim ends up doing nothing about it. Why not? Fear forces him or her to keep quiet.

But not everyone believes in living up to the image of the powerless Indian. And when that ‘someone’ turns out to be an entire village, generally thought to be unchanging, it demands our attention.

They See!

Wed, 05 Mar 2003 06:27:04 +0000

March 19: Among the relief workers who rushed to Kutch, Gujarat, to help the quake-affected people, was 26-year-old Sudha Patel. Sudha, who is the sarpanch or village head of Changa village in the Anand district of Gujarat, began by collecting woollen clothes, foodgrains, blankets and donations of food packs and mineral water.

Then she began to send “family kits” consisting of tea, sugar and other necessary items, to the quake victims.

Sudha is visually impaired.

The Empowered Woman of Nyala

Sat, 15 Jun 2002 23:59:44 +0000

September 23: For someone who has never travelled beyond the village, a trip to New York is something to be excited about. And it’s no different for Shakuntala Bai, of Nyala, in Rajasthan.

She attended a two-day conference in New York organised by the Hunger Project and in the process met US President Bill Clinton too! Representing India, she spoke on “panchayati raj and the role of women”.

The Hunger Project is a movement working to end hunger and poverty in India. It works in more than 1,200 villages across 11 states. The project aims to mobilize grass roots people to change laws, collect resources and remove obstacles to build lives free from hunger.

Army Comes to the Aid of Birds

Wed, 06 Feb 2002 14:07:05 +0000

October 14: Harike sanctuary, a large wetland in India’s Punjab district, has just undergone a massive clean-up operation. The sprucing-up of a large part of the sanctuary has been done to welcome a special group of tourists who had stopped coming to the sanctuary because it had stopped being hospitable.

These tourists used to come all the way from Siberia, China, Central Asia and Ladakh to escape the harsh winter months. They were migratory birds like the cotton teal and common pochard, says a report in ‘The Indian Express’. Almost 360 species of birds have been recorded earlier in the vicinity of the sanctuary.

Say Cheese!

Sat, 08 Dec 2001 20:40:57 +0000

My nephew was six when he received the first whiff of a peachy odour, later identified to him as Parmesan cheese. A gift from a “foreign returned” relative, the cheese by the time it came home had got slightly rancid. But all the same, he gobbled it up with relish.

There was never a dull moment thereafter and he started ferreting out large chunks of cheese and butter from sundry fridges without as much as a whey and what-for. Unlike Miss Tuffet he squirreled off some to his room and hid in various closets, under the stairs, in the attic and satisfied his desires.

Help Save Our Home

Fri, 18 May 2001 04:05:53 +0000

Raju Kher has just passed his Madhyamik or class X exams. He is very happy for having scored a first division and achieving ‘distinctions’ in four subjects. A student achieves a ‘distinction’ by scoring at least 75 marks in a subject.

But Raju’s distinctions are even more remarkable because he has nothing much to go by. He lives in a Home for the destitute – a home for the homeless and the poor.

So there have been no tuitions for Raju, no energy foods to improve his brainpower during exam times, and no parents either to shower all the attention that an achiever usually gets.

From Cane to Sugar

Fri, 27 Apr 2001 00:58:52 +0000

A step-by-step learning process about the making of sugar in a quzzical way. Each question is linked to the other so don’t try jumping.

Learn while Playing!

Tue, 11 Jan 2000 12:36:35 +0000

Learn while Playing! []

Done with the exams and looking for a break? How about trying a few mental calisthenics (gym exercises to tone up the body) that will keep your grey cells active during the summer vacations? The books reviewed below help you do just that. At the same time, they don’t tire you out.

The Unbelievably Creative Me A Workbook
Written by Karle Dickerson and Connie Berg

Conquering Britain!

Thu, 21 Jan 1999 00:08:26 +0000

Where: Birmingham, UK

November 25, 2000: A few weeks ago, we wrote about Indian-born Roshan Doug, who has been selected as the poet-laureate for the city of Birmingham in Britain. Close on the heels of that news comes another: Birmingham councillors will be giving an Indian name to a few suburbs in the city.

Birmingham’s Apna Town

Apna Town (our town) will be the new name for Sparbrook, a group of suburbs in Birmingham city. So this Christmas, if you drive past the Midlands (160 km north of London) you can see the Apna Town signage in English, Hindi, Gurmukhi and Urdu. A report on this, written by ‘India Abroad News Service’, appeared in the ‘Asian Age’.

The Chief Minister and the Butterfly

Thu, 17 Sep 1998 07:22:25 +0000

Where: Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India

July 1, 2000: Indian politicians are mighty people, especially when they are in power. Even Nature trembles before their arrogant minds. Some years ago, when India was ruled by a Congress-I government, its environment minister decided to build a guest house in Manali. Why not, you may ask. It’s a nice place. But there was one small problem – he wanted to have the course of a river changed so that he could have his guesthouse exactly where he wanted it.

Pakistan's Armed Forces Take on Taliban : Civilians Flee War Zone

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 05:39:55 +0000

Where: Islamabad, Pakistan

May 14, 2009 : Pakistan’s government signed a peace agreement with the Taliban*, which had taken control of the country’s Swat valley region in February 2009, and allowed it to impose Islamic Sharia law there. The militants started moving towards the capital Islamabad in the following months. Pakistani forces launched a military operation against them in late April using airstrikes, artillery bombardment and rocket attacks by helicopter gunships.

On May 11, a spokesperson of the Pakistani armed forces said that 200 militants had been killed in the fighting. Around 15,000 troops are now said to be fighting 5,000 militants in the Swat valley. Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani called the conflict a “fight for the survival of the country”.

Terror Attack on Touring Sri Lankan Test Cricketers in Pakistan

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 00:07:54 +0000

Where: Lahore, Pakistan

March 3, 2009 : In an incident that shocked the governments and the people of the cricket-loving region, visiting players became the targets of a terrorist attack. Seven members of the Sri Lankan cricket team touring Pakistan were injured and six Pakistani poicemen were killed. The players were on their way to the Gaddafi stadium on the third day of the second cricket test match against hosts Pakistan. The team bus and police escort vehicles were waylaid near the Liberty Square roundabout. They were attacked by 10 to 12 masked gunmen bearing AK-47 guns, grenades, and rocket launchers. They first hit the vehicles leading the convoy, and then opened fire on the team bus. The attackers managed to escape, leaving their weapons and ammunition behind.

Hundreds Die In Australian Bush Blaze

Sat, 02 Jun 2007 03:09:57 +0000

Where: Melbourne, Australia

February 9, 2009 : Australia’s worst disaster in over a century, the bushfires could claim up to 230 victims. Bush* fires are common occurrences in the hot and dry Australian summer. This summer, the country has seen a severe drought and recorded temperatures as high as 47 degrees centigrade, as well as winds at speeds of over 90 km per hour. The fires have already destroyed more than 750 homes and an area of nearly 3,500 square kilometres. Twenty towns south of Melbourne fall in the disaster area.

Death Sentence for Makers of Killer Baby Milk in China

Sun, 11 Feb 2007 16:18:59 +0000

Where: Shijiazhuang, China

January 22, 2009 : The Sanlu Group is the largest producer of baby milk powder in China. The toxic substance melamine, which is used in the manufacture of resins, was added to raw milk so that it would appear to be higher in protein content. Six babies died as a result of drinking the milk and around 300,000 more took ill in September 2008. Around 900 tonnes of contaminated milk left the Sanlu dairies with the knowledge of the top management.

Reaching the Top of the World

Sat, 23 Oct 2004 08:08:47 +0000

May 23: Looks can be deceptive. At 16, Temba Tsheri Sherpa looks like any ordinary schoolboy from Kathmandu. But look closely. He is the youngest person to scale the world’s highest peak – the 8,848-metre-high Mount Everest, The Telegraph newspaper reported.

Reaching the Top of the World [Illustration by Anup Singh]

By climbing the peak 16 days after his 16th birthday, on May 22, he broke the record set by another Nepali climber, Shambu Tamang, in 1973, at the age of 17.

Flooded by disaster

Sun, 03 Oct 2004 13:27:43 +0000

July 31: Monsoon in Orissa has meant only one thing in the recent past: floods. It’s no different this year. Floods have left 85 lakh people in over 15,000 villages homeless. The official death toll: 80. And one lakh hectare of crops have been submerged.

About 5,000 kilometres of roadways, 500 kilometres of the national highways, and piped water supply sources to 61 towns have been submerged, causing widespread chaos and distress. As happens in such situations, water-borne diseases like diarrhoea, malaria and jaundice have affected more than 15,500 people, says a report in

Simayal's Women

Thu, 17 Jan 2002 04:46:24 +0000

September 30: Rows and rows of fresh vegetables and fruits: cabbages, cauliflowers, tomatoes, peas, bananas, apricots and apples in clean surroundings. That’s some of the stuff that greets Delhi-ites at the government-run ‘Mother Dairy’ outlets, which have mirrors on their walls to give a rich sense of plenty to buyers, at reasonable prices. No wonder, these outlets are great favourites with consumers.

Ever wondered where the outlets’ seemingly never-ending source of fresh produce comes from? There are many different sources and one of them happens to be Simayal, a remote mountain village in the Kumaon region of Uttar Pradesh (UP).

Every Ball You Bowl, Every Shot You Play

Thu, 18 Oct 2001 08:40:41 +0000

July 31: A spy will be hired to keep a watch on the activities of cricket players in Pakistan. This decision has been made by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). The idea is to prevent the players from fixing any more matches.

The spy will shadow the team, stay in the hotel and keep an eye on the cricketers. Like who they meet, where they go, and when they return to the hotel. So anxious is the PCB that the job is well done, that it has decided to keep the identity of the spy a complete secret. The players will be told about the appointment of a spy so that they feel nervous all the time. A report on this was carried by ‘The Asian Age’ recently.

A Penalty Kick into Disaster

Fri, 06 Apr 2001 20:38:26 +0000

Where: Kandahar, Afghanistan

July 22, 2000: It was the strangest football match that the Pakistani team had ever played. There they were in the city of Kandahar, in Afghanistan, for a match with a local team. Every sportsperson knows that home teams always get a lot more support than the visiting team, and is even prepared for it. But none of the Pakistani players were quite prepared for what happened to them on the football ground.

The Fearless Doctor

Sun, 15 Aug 1999 15:34:22 +0000

Where: Jolo Island, Philippines

July 1, 2000: She has dared to go where most of us wouldn’t. She went inside the jungles of southern Philippines where an armed group of people was holding 21 people, as hostages. Her purpose was to treat the kidnapped hostages, mostly foreigners.

She has made eight trips to the camp since June 10, says a recent report in ‘The Indian Express’.

This brave woman is Nelsa Amin. Nelsa works as a health officer in Jolo island in Philippines. She is 65 years old. And, patients with gunshot wounds are a common sight for her. For a long time there has been some conflict or the other between different groups in this part of the country – either with the government or between themselves. They fight each other to control the area and they all have weapons. Gun fights and bombings are common in this part of Philippines.

A Tale of Two Wonders

Wed, 07 Oct 1998 07:06:01 +0000

Where: USA and India

June 24, 2000: In the first week of June, Indian newspapers wrote about two very different kinds of success stories. Both involved youngsters — one 12 year old and another teenaged boy. One was in the United States, the other was in Madurai (Tamil Nadu), India. But both proved that their success had very little to do with the education system. It had more to do with their desires and determination.

Madhav Kumar Nepal Takes Office as Prime Minister of Nepal

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 07:00:18 +0000

Where: Kathmandu, Nepal

May 30, 2009 : Mr.Madhav Kumar Nepal took office as Prime Minister of Nepal on Monday. Earlier this month the Maoist-led government of Mr. Pushpa Kamal Dahal (“Prachanda") had collapsed. “Prachanda” had led the Maoist movement to establish a republic and abolish monarchy. The Shah kings had been the rulers of Nepal since 1768. The rebellion lasted 10 years and ended in the year 2006. Around 14,000 people died in the conflict. In 2008, the monarch, King Gyanendra, stepped down, and Prachanda became the Prime Minister. After eight months in office, he resigned because the country’s President refused to back his decision to sack the army chief.

A 'Big Bang' in Earth's Orbital Space

Sun, 27 Jul 2008 21:56:40 +0000

Where: Orbital Space around Earth

February 15, 2009 : An American and a Russian satellite collided over Siberia, Russia, on February 10, 2009. Five days after the event, there were reports that burning fragments of the wreckage were spotted over several American cities. The American satellite, Iridium 33, was a civilian communications satellite launched in 1997, and the Russian one, Kosmos-2251, was a non-functioning military communications satellite, launched in 1993. Both satellites weighed over 450 kilograms. Travelling at approximately 28,000 kilometres per hour, they collided 790 kilometres above the earth. This was the largest accident in space in recent times, and it has created a mass of almost 600 chunks of fragments.

Cholera Epidemic Spreads Countrywide in Zimbabwe

Wed, 04 Jul 2007 13:45:23 +0000

Where: Harare, Zimbabwe

January 23, 2009 : A report that the World Health Organisation made in early January said 2,200 people had died from cholera in Zimbabwe since August 2008. One week later, the United Nations reported a 20 per cent rise in cholera cases, and the figure now stands at 2,755. Nearly 50,000 people have been infected with the disease. The humanitarian aid organisation Medecins Sans Frontieres said that the epidemic was now spreading to rural areas.

Climate Change: Some Chilling Facts

Fri, 30 Mar 2007 03:05:22 +0000

Where London: United Kingdom

February 5, 2009 : All of Europe and much of North America experienced very chilly weather and battled snow and ice through most of January. Snowfall of unexpected proportions hit Madrid, Spain, and severe storms blew across France, U.K., Germany, and Northern Italy.

Since February 2, 2009 the U.K. has seen unusual amounts of snowfall. By midday on February 2 alone, about a foot of snow had fallen over London, the heaviest snowfall over the city in 18 years. London’s Underground, the world’s oldest underground rail transport system, national highways and air transport services across the country were severely affected. Thousands of children stayed home as schools shut down across England, Scotland and Wales after more snowfall on February 5.

The Brightest of Them All

Sun, 28 Jul 2002 14:58:58 +0000

November 4: Children of Indian origin in Britain, are outperforming white children in important secondary school examinations. The British office for standards in education, Ofsted, shows that the number of Indian children passing five exams at the special Grade C level, a level corresponding to the Indian class 12, has risen from 23 per cent to 49 per cent between 1988 and 1997.

What this means is that many more Indian-born children are eligible to attend university in Britain now, than in the past.

High Performance, Low Pollution

Thu, 23 May 2002 15:44:47 +0000

With the number of vehicles and industries growing at an alarming rate in India, pollution levels are also shooting up. Most of us go about our daily lives feeling the impact of pollution in smarting eyes and asthmatic sighs, but we do not do much beyond talking about it. But there are some people who are actually thinking of ways in which to preserve a green environment so that we can all breathe cleaner air.

Woman who Terrifies Burma's Military

Thu, 04 Apr 2002 12:04:25 +0000

Woman who Terrifies Burma’s Military []

September 23: Two days ago, commuters at the railway station in Myanmar or Burma’s capital city Yangon (earlier spelt Rangoon), were confronted with a scary sight. A posse of policemen in riot gear, was swarming all over the station.

No, it wasn’t a dreaded terrorist attack that they were guarding against. They were preventing a frail 55 year-old woman from boarding the five pm train to Mandalay, according to reports in ‘The Hindu’ and ‘The Indian Express’.

How to Write the Right Way

Tue, 12 Mar 2002 22:15:43 +0000

September 9 : These are days of the high-tech child. A child whose grasp of the computer is phenomenal and who knows how to handle the mouse better than he can handle toys.

But in this rush to be computer whizzes at age fifteen and below, kids are forgetting how to hold pens and pencils. Or, to put it simply, today’s kids are forgetting how to write.
It looks as if the days of the neat homework book, with pages and pages of beautiful, tidy writing – the school-going child’s special pride – will soon be a thing of the past.

The Teenage Teacher of Pune

Sat, 05 Jan 2002 22:20:02 +0000

September 30: If you educate a man, you educate one individual. But if you educate a woman, you educate a family, so goes a popular saying. But Ganga Waghmare of Pune has done more than educate a family. She has educated all the women of her neighbourhood. That would make it many families!

Ganga is 16 years old. She’s been teaching for three years now. Because of her efforts, 30 women have become confident about being able to read and write. This ability has, in turn, given them the confidence to make their own way in the world.

The Minister who Couldn't Add

Tue, 24 Jul 2001 16:42:06 +0000

July 22: I want to say it simple and clear: I am bad at arithmetic. In school I could not even add up my marks in the annual report card. I could never figure out figures at all. So I have a sneaking sympathy for Miroslaw Handke for what happened to him recently. He lost his job because he couldn’t calculate.

Handke is the Education Minister of Poland. Probably, his math skills are as bad as mine but he still went on to calculate the money that his Ministry would mark for the running of schools in the annual budget. It is his job. But he bungled badly.

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!

Mutiny in Dhaka: 70 People Killed by Rebels

Sun, 23 Mar 2008 21:51:35 +0000

Where: Dhaka, Bangladesh

February 28, 2009 : The Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) troops rose in revolt against their commanders on 25 February, 2009 after a dispute. The BDR is a paramilitary unit that patrols the country’s borders. There was resentment among the troops over some issues, including pay. The BDR chiefs are all officers from the regular Bangladesh Army, and this was not acceptable to the troops either.

At a meeting between troops and officers where the men are allowed to air their grievances, the rebels started spraying bullets at officers. They killed their commanding officers and then their wives and families. Over 2,000 BDR paramilitaries took control of the regiment headquarters and held 100 people hostage. Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina ordered tanks to be sent in and issued stern warnings. The rebels surrendered on the second day of the uprising. They were offered a legal pardon on surrender, but ministers in the government said the “people directly involved in the killings” would be punished. The legal penalty for mutiny is death.

Riots Rage in Greece After Cop Shoots Boy

Thu, 31 May 2007 14:43:58 +0000

Where: Athens, Greece

December 11, 2008 : The shooting took place after a verbal disagreement between two police officers and a small group of people in the Exarcheia district of Athens. Eyewitnesses said the police officer fired directly at the boy. In the riots that followed, protesters expressed their rage against the government. They set hundreds of buildings on fire, and hurled petrol bombs at police. Even the giant Christmas tree on Athens’ central Syntagma Square was torched.

Decorate Eggs for Easter

Thu, 29 Mar 2001 13:44:15 +0000

Don’t let this Easter pass by without enjoying an egg rolling competition. And for more fun, decorate the eggs.

The things you need:

Paints
Paint brushes
Wool
Coloured paper
Scissors
Glue

Step 1: Pierce the egg at one end and drain the egg white and the yolk. You will have a hollow egg shell to decorate.

Decorate Eggs for Easter [Illustrations by Shinod AP]

Step 2: Paint the egg in colourful patterns and gift it to your friends. You could hang the egg from shrubs and trees.

Toilet Matters

Sat, 06 Feb 1999 15:38:04 +0000

Where: New Delhi, India

August 3, 2000 : As a kid, I had a big problem going out. I hated the thought of travel. It’s not that I was a stay-at-home type. I liked visiting people, places. But travel I hated. For, in the midst of a particularly long journey, I would desperately want to go to the toilet. My parents would ask me to hold on, as there were no suitable public toilets for girls. I would try but start to fidget again. My parents would search for toilet, none would be found suitable. In fact, most of the time, none would be found at all. How I hated travel!

Militants Attack Police Academy in Pakistan

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 02:46:33 +0000

Where: Lahore, Pakistan

March 30, 2009 : Less than a month after the terror attack on Sri Lankan cricketers, militants targeted a police training school in Manawan on the outskirts of Lahore. They killed eight police recruits and two civilians, and injured nearly 100 people.

At 7.30 a.m., around 850 unarmed recruits at the school had assembled for their morning parade. At least 10 armed militants jumped over the boundary walls and entered the grounds. They threw grenades at the assembly and fired indiscriminately. All the recruits who died fell in this first strike. The attackers were in their twenties, bearded and dressed in salwar-kameez. Some of them wore police uniforms.They all carried backpacks full of arms and ammunition. Within an hour of the attack, it became clear that the police could not control the situation, and the government called in the paramilitary Pakistan Rangers and the Army. Three of the attackers blew themselves up to avoid being captured. Only one man was arrested.

They Don't Listen To Us

Thu, 28 Oct 2004 13:25:43 +0000

June 8: We have all heard of adults doling out that fearful thing called a report card to children year after year to remark on their academic performance. But as the school year comes to a close in the US, the Uhlich Teen Report Card, released in Chicago, is bound to raise many eyebrows. Here adults don’t give grades, they get graded by teenagers on their ability to handle issues affecting the youngsters, says a report in the Hindustan Times.

First Pope To Set Foot in Mosque

Fri, 24 Jan 2003 08:57:46 +0000

May 11: Pope John Paul II created history by setting foot in the Omayyad mosque in Damascus on his historic visit to Syria recently. He is the first Pope in Christianity’s 2000 year history to enter a mosque.

First Pope To Set Foot in Mosque [Illustration by Shinod AP]

And it isn’t just some ordinary mosque that the Pope stepped into, reports the Hindu newspaper. The site of the Omayyad mosque has a religious history predating Christianity, and goes back more than 3000 years.

A Syllabus for Harmony

Thu, 11 Jul 2002 08:14:59 +0000

November 24: A syllabus where a chapter on Habba Khatoon, a famous Kashmiri poet, jostles for space along with chapters on papier-mâché, hanguls (deer), apples and Kashmiri rugs?

Well, these subjects are what primary school students in Kashmir, are going to be reading in their textbooks – and it is not without reason. The violence in Kashmir seems to be never-ending. Alarmed at the violence and bloodshed that children in the state are exposed to, the Jammu and Kashmir Government now wants them to absorb themes of love, harmony and ecology, says a report in the ‘Indian Express’.

Aruna Roy – Voice of the People

Sat, 11 Aug 2001 14:50:07 +0000

July 31: She was once an officer of the Indian Administrative Service or the IAS as it is popularly known. What is equally well known is that most IAS officers are as remote from the people as possible. Today, she has won the Magsaysay Award for public service for daring to question this attitude.

She looks like a village woman in a simple sari, chatting away in a local dialect or language of Rajasthan.

She is Aruna Roy, the winner of the Magsaysay Award for public service of 2000.
The Magsaysay Award recognises individuals and organisations in Asia for the contributions they make in bettering the lives of people in some way or the other. The Award is named after the third president of the Republic of the Philippines, Ramon Magsaysay, who is considered one of the outstanding leaders of his time. The award is given to those individuals whose work are in tune with the ideals and service for which President Ramon Magsaysay is remembered.

Lenses for Dogs

Sat, 19 Aug 2000 07:32:43 +0000

Blind dogs or dogs with eye problems can now wear special lenses to see.

Dabbu, an eleven-year-old Lhasa Apso, lost his left eye in an ugly fight with a street dog. Lately, he was losing vision in the right eye too because of a cataract. And has been stumbling around his owner’s house in Calcutta, bumping into things and being rather miserable.

Lenses for Dogs [Illustration by Shiju George]

But Dabbu was lucky. Light came back to his life after a small operation at the Moitri Vet Clinic in Calcutta. He had a lens implanted in his right eye. And now, Dabbu can see everything clearly, says a report in ‘The Telegraph’.

Kids Learn to Fight from Politicians

Tue, 14 Mar 2000 13:03:24 +0000

July 15: It happened in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. A man saw a few children abuse and fight each other, and break furniture. He asked them what they were doing. Giggling, the children replied, “We are acting out a Sangsad ( Parliament ) scene.” It was a pretty good imitation of the unruly scenes in the Bangladeshi Parliament.

Kids Learn to Fight from Politicians [Illustration by Shiju George]

But Bangladesh President Shahabuddin Ahmed did not find the incident funny, however. And he decided to make public his displeasure while making a speech at the Science and Technology University in Chittagong.

10 Tips for Parents of Children with Internet access

Thu, 23 Apr 1998 21:40:17 +0000

#1 Take the trip together. Take the time to see what your kids are doing online and what their interests are. If you don’t know how to log on, get your child to show you.

#2 Teach kids never to give out their personal information to people they meet online, especially in public places like chat rooms and bulletin boards.

#3 Instruct your child never to plan a face-to-face meeting alone with online acquaintances without your permission. If a meeting is arranged, make the first one in a public place and be sure to accompany your child.

This Bird Paradise Stinks!

Wed, 16 Jul 2003 04:49:09 +0000

March 19: Are you a bird lover? If you live in Delhi, then the river Yamuna is the place to go to. Yes, that same river that was once Delhi’s pride but has got reduced to a polluted dump with mounds of plastic islands floating on its surface and toxic effluents flowing in from fields.

And yet, birds flock to the Yamuna. Perhaps because there is no other river or wetland region in Delhi, which is predominantly a dry city, says a report in The Hindu.

Where Guns rule

Sat, 19 May 2001 13:07:43 +0000

Where: The state of Texas, USA

May 19, 2001: In yet another shocking incident of firearms violence in US schools, 16-year-old student Jay Goodwin shot himself to death before the eyes of a teacher and female student, at the Ennis High School, in Goodwin, Texas.

The incident happened just two days after the march of mothers and grandmothers in the US capital, Washington DC, to demand that the government pass stricter gun control laws to protect children in the world’s most violent and gun happy society.

All the Presidential Men

Thu, 06 Jan 2000 11:17:44 +0000

Where: Washington DC, USA

December 9, 2000: Guess what the biggest mystery is nowadays that has the world in thrall? It is Who will be the next American President? Try to imagine all the big lawyers and judges in America trying to unravel this mystery, arguing with each other, jumping about and tearing their hair in frustration!!

This is one mystery that even the most powerful man on earth, Bill Clinton, the current American President, cannot solve. And this is exactly what is making the United States the butt of all jokes in smaller and less powerful countries. And if you too think about it, it is really very very funny.

Sri Lanka's Humanitarian Crisis : Thousands Trapped in War Zone

Sun, 15 Apr 2007 16:58:51 +0000

Where: Vavuniya, Sri Lanka

January 30, 2009 : The Sri Lankan army has been engaged in fierce fighting with the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam’s (LTTE) forces. In the first weeks of 2009, the army took control of the main rebel bases of Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu. The LTTE is a militant group that formed in 1976, and their campaign to carve out an independent state for the minority Tamil population in the country’s northern region led to a raging civil war. There was a cease fire in 2002, but fighting resumed in 2006.

The Final Descent

Mon, 30 Jun 2003 14:42:11 +0000

March 26: After 15 years in the skies, the Russian-made Mir space station finally returned to earth on March 22. Its burning remnants could be seen as they shot across the sky over the Fiji islands.

The Final Descent [Illustration by Shiju George]

Mir means both ‘peace’ and ‘village’ in Russian. It housed 104 astronauts in its lifetime, 62 of whom were from other countries, including seven Americans. Mir’s first component was launched in 1986.

The Night of the Women

Mon, 20 Jan 2003 04:05:43 +0000

The Night of the Women [Illustration by Shinod AP]

March 19: A few days ago, the streets of Bogota, the capital of South American country Colombia, wore a very unusual look at night. Not one man was visible outside.

Bogota’s eccentric mayor, Antanas Mockus, had declared March 9, 2001, as the Night of the Women. All the city’s men were ordered to stay indoors and leave the city free for women that night, says a Guardian News Service report in The Hindustan Times.

Prisoners Ride on Fried Snack Success

Sat, 27 Apr 2002 14:27:39 +0000

September 30: It all began with ‘bhajiya’ (fritters). A few years ago, prisoners of Sabarmati jail in the city of Ahmedabad, Gujarat, began a ‘bhajiya’ corner. They sold crispy ‘bhajiya’, a favourite snack of Gujaratis, in the shop. Predictably enough, the snack was a big draw among people. Sales touched Rs. 20,000 per day.

Inspired by the runaway success of their venture, the prisoners have decided to diversify.
They have proposed a series of profitable ventures that they would like to set up in the coming months. The only eligibility criteria they have to fulfill in return is to have a record of good conduct in jail.

Towel Ring

Sat, 13 Oct 2001 10:55:56 +0000

Towel Ring [Illustrations by Shinod AP]

The things you need:

Plain cotton cloth (18 inches by 18 inches)
Cardboard
Needle and thread
A plastic or iron ring
Foam or cotton
Wool, sketch pens/fabric paints,
Adhesive

Step 1: With the help of a thread and needle, do a running stitch at the edges of the cloth. Let the stitches be spaced out. Do not knot the thread after finishing it.

Saved! Two Nuclear Submarines Collide; No Injuries or Leaks

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 11:42:54 +0000

Where: London, U.K.

February 16, 2009 : Last week two submarines, one British and one French, both carrying nuclear weapons, collided in the Atlantic Ocean. Neither British nor French officials could explain how this could have happened with two sophisticated vessels from allied nations. The event proved to be a puzzle and an embarrassment for both navies.

There were no leaks or injuries, but both submarines were badly damaged, and had to return to port. One expert said the ‘freak occurence’ was partly because the submarines are designed for stealth, and added, ‘The whole point of a deterrent submarine is that it is as quiet as possible so you can’t find it.’

American Woman Athlete, Aged 56, Swims Across Atlantic

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 08:07:29 +0000

Where: Trinidad

February 9, 2009 : Jennifer Figge, a 56-year-old American athlete, swam across the Atlantic Ocean, taking 24 days, spending eight hours in the water each day. Ms Figge claims she is the first woman on record to swim the Atlantic. She left Cape Verde Islands off the coast of Africa on January 12, tackling waves up to nine metres in height. She had planned to finish at the Bahama Islands. Strong winds forced her to change course and she hit land at Trinidad instead. The original route measured 3,380km, but the distance over the route she eventually took has yet to be measured.

Making Light of Darkness

Thu, 13 Mar 2003 18:32:57 +0000

May 11: Till five years ago, the Male Kudi tribals of Kodyadi, in the Western Ghats in Mangalore, lived in darkness. The government had never switched on to their needs. But now, thanks to their leader, Elyanna, the first graduate in the tribe, they have invented an ingenious method of electrifying their village – and their achievement has electrified the nation.

In 1995, when Elyanna returned from his educational stint at Ujire, his mind was teeming with ideas. The first idea was that of a cycle generator. Aluminium-coated tumblers were fitted around a cycle wheel. Since the mouths faced the water source, its force helped the wheel rotate. Hey presto! “The power was sufficient to light three bulbs,” says Elyanna in an exclusive report by

Bid your Name into a Bestseller

Mon, 01 Jul 2002 01:24:45 +0000

November 4: The publishing world has come full circle. At one point of time, authors would run from publisher to publisher trying to get his/her book published. Then it was the turn of the publishers to run after popular authors and pay them astronomical sums just to persuade them to write a bestseller.

Now a new twist has been added to the tale: no, it’s not an unknown author paying to get his book published. This time readers will pay through their nose to be a character in tomorrow’s bestseller!

Dia's Story

Thu, 23 May 2002 06:46:25 +0000

Dia, an 80-year-old labourer of Indian origin, lives in the corner of a cotton field in the western province of Kanchanaburi, Thailand. His rundown shack contains very little besides a military medal and a few clothes. The medal is a remnant of Dia’s eventful, if tragic, past.

It is a past that has included a stint at Myanmar (then Burma), as a prisoner captured by the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II (1939 – 45). During this time he was made to work in the construction of a railway between Burma and Thailand.

Rahaman and Resul Win BAFTAS; Zakir Gets His Second Grammy

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 06:34:16 +0000

Where: London, UK, and Los Angeles, USA

February 11, 2009 : India’a A.R.Rahman won the award for the Best Music Director for his work in the film ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ at the BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) awards ceremony. Fellow Indian Resul Pookutty, the sound director of the film, won the Best Sound Editing Award. At the 51st Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, Zakir Hussain, India’s tabla maestro, won the Grammy for the best Contemporary World Music Album. Mickey Hart, Sikiru Adepoju and Hidalgo worked on the award winning ‘Global Drum Project’ album with him.

'Rim of Fire' in Indonesian Skies: 2009's First Solar Eclipse

Tue, 17 Apr 2007 22:01:37 +0000

Where: Samarinda, Indonesia

January 26, 2009 : The annular eclipse of the sun on Monday, 26 January was a celestial spectacle, seen in several parts of Indonesia, and on the Cocos, a South Pacific island group. These areas fell directly in line with the alignment of the moon and sun. People cheered and banged on drums as the moon moved slowly over the sun’s surface, until only a thin, blazing rim of fire could be seen. A partial eclipse was visible in southern parts of Africa, India, Southeast Asia, and Western Australia.

'Ibuki' : Japan's 'Green' Monitor Orbits the Earth

Sun, 25 Feb 2007 01:02:42 +0000

Where: Tokyo, Japan

January 23, 2009 : A space centre in Tanegashima, a remote island about 970 kilometers southwest of Tokyo, today launched the first satellite designed to monitor carbon dioxide emissions. It is named ‘Ibuki’, which means ‘breath’. The satellite has sensors which can measure light reflected from earth, and gauge the density of carbon dioxide and methane. These two gases are the biggest contributors to global warming,

Ibuki will circle the globe every 100 minutes, and will monitor the levels of carbon dioxide and methane from 56,000 locations for the next five years. At present the sites that measure these emissions are land-based, and they are unevenly distributed over the globe. Ibuki’s capabilities will make it possible to monitor levels all over the world, especially in developing nations where there are no facilities.

Pom Pom Balls

Mon, 08 Jan 2001 11:28:04 +0000

Pom Pom Balls [Illustrations by Shinod AP]

These balls are soft and won’t hurt anyone while playing. Better still, they are easy to make. So why don’t you gift a a few to a friend?

The things you need:

A small piece of cardboard
Thick wool (single or multi-coloured)
A scissor
Needle
Thread

Step 1: Cut the cardboard in the shape of a ring.

Step 2: Now start winding wool around the cardboard ring. Make sure you tie a knot at the starting point in order to keep the wool secure.

From Prisoners to Teachers

Fri, 01 Oct 1999 18:47:00 +0000

July 1: Life in a prison can be quite depressing. Where prisoners are kept away from their near and dear ones. But now things in Delhi’s Tihar Jail are changing. The prison authorities have decided to bring about some light into the lives of the prisoners.

True, the prisoners are here because of crimes they have committed. But, if something can help them become better human beings, there is no reason why they should not be encouraged. Why do you think?

Federer Wins French Open Crown

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:05:50 +0000

Where: Paris, France

June 8, 2009 : Roger Federer, the Swiss tennis player who is ranked world Number Two* and believed by many to be the best player of all time, won the prize that had been eluding him for years. He won the French Open men’s singles title in Paris, defeating Swedish player Robin Soderling in straight sets. This was 27-year-old Federer’s 11th attempt at the title, and his fourth consecutive final at the championship. For the last three years, he was defeated by the Spanish player Rafael Nadal. This year, Nadal was knocked out of the tournament in the fourth round by Soderling.

Virender Sehwag Hits Fastest ODI Century by an Indian Cricketer

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 14:17:04 +0000

Where: Hamilton, New Zealand

March 11, 2009 : With his century coming off just 60 balls, Virender Sehwag became the fastest Indian batsman to hit a hundred runs in One Day International cricket. Sehwag broke Mohammad Azharuddin’s record of a 100 off 62 balls in Baroda 21 years ago. Sehwag also became the world’s seventh-fastest century hitter in limited-overs cricket.

India won the match by 10 wickets. New Zealand put up a total of 270 for five. The target for the chasers was revised a number of times, because of rain. Nothing could stop Sehwag, though. He hit 14 fours and six sixes in his knock of 125 not out from just 74 balls. Fellow opener Gautam Gambhir played a supporting role. Their unbroken opening partnership was the largest ever to win a match in One Day Internationals. Rain ended the match in the 24th over, and the result was determined by the Duckworth-Lewis* method.

Gaza Under Fire: Israel Refuses to Relent

Thu, 08 Nov 2007 21:25:11 +0000

Where: The Gaza Strip

January 06, 2009 : Israel launched air strikes on the Gaza Strip on December 28, 2008, and the attacks grew to a full-fledged war within days. The Gaza Strip lies along the Mediterranean Sea. It is not a part of a recognised sovereign state, but it is home to the Palestinian Arab people, numbering about 1.4 million. The area was under Israeli control until 2005. Since 2007, it has been administered by a radical group from the region called Hamas. Israel says the attacks are in retaliation against the rocket bombing of its territories by the Hamas.

A Debt Repaid

Mon, 28 Jul 2003 18:45:27 +0000

February 14: More than 60 years ago, the Maharaja of Jamnagar, a princely state in Gujarat, offered shelter to 600 Polish child refugees who had got orphaned during the Second World War. The children were housed near Balachadi, near Jamnagar. It was a deed that the Poles did not forget.

For, as the news of the devastating earthquake that hit Gujarat spread across the world on January 26, the Polish government was among the first foreign nations to rush in with aid. And, a part of the relief material was specially earmarked for the children of Jamnagar, says a recent report in ‘The Indian Express’.

Roy of Light

Wed, 17 Apr 2002 17:29:02 +0000

November 4: While cities and towns have the privilege of an electricity connection, there are still a number of remote villages in India that lack this facility. Their homes remain shockingly dark, even on the threshold of the twenty-first century. It’s a reality that the Indian government has done little to change. Providing electricity to all of India appears to be beyond its reach, even today.

So the loudest cheers must be reserved for the man who says, yes, it’s possible to light up all the villages in India, even the poorest, most remote ones. The man is Sanjit or Bunker Roy, a well-known social worker who, together with wife Aruna, has made rural Rajasthan their home for many years now.

Game of Shapes

Wed, 16 May 2001 18:51:23 +0000

Game of Shapes [Illustration by Jaykrit]

If there is a party in your house then you can make a game yourself and play it with everyone.

The things you need:

Coloured paper (Any two colours).
Adhesive.
Scissors.
White card sheet.

Step 1 Take the two sheets of different colours (blue and pink). Place them on top of each other and cut out at least 15 shapes. You can make any shape: triangle, square, T-shape or even a tree shape. Try to make the shapes as different as possible.

Orissa Police's Feathered Force is Dying

Sun, 30 May 1999 14:42:50 +0000

July 1: The news is that a mysterious disease has killed 35 valuable members of the Orissa’s police service. They are all pigeons.

The first of the deaths took place in March in Puri district. Twenty-four more pigeons died soon after, in Cuttack district. They experienced long drowsy spells before dying. The veterinary doctors who examined them said that the mysterious disease could be just the sweltering heat.

Pigeons? In this day and age? Yes, Orissa is the only state in India whose police force still employs pigeons as message carriers. And, for the last 50 years, the messengers have not faltered in their duty even once, says a report in ‘The Indian Express’ newspaper.

Indian Army Battles Infiltrating Terror Groups in Kashmir

Sun, 26 Aug 2007 03:59:08 +0000

Where: Jammu and Kashmir, India

January 08, 2009 : While we hope and pray for peace in the New Year, Indian troops are engaged in battle with a group of militants in the forested Mendhar sector of Poonch district in Kashmir. The gun battle broke out on 1 January, 2009, and entered its eighth day today. The militants, it is believed, are senior commanders of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). The Indian Army besieged the Pati Tar peak in the middle of a forest after receiving information about the presence of the hardcore militants in the area.

UN Conference on Climate Change

Tue, 20 Feb 2007 11:47:06 +0000

Where: Poznan, Poland

December 13, 2008 : Global warming affects everyone. Finally, after years of negotiations, most countries in the world have agreed to work together to reduce how much they pollute the Earth’s environment. The United Nations Climate Change Conference began here on December 1, 2008 with delegates from 190 countries. Their target: to reach a global climate agreement by December 2008. This would replace the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012. The US representative, Senator John Kerry, said temperatures could go up by anywhere between 3 degrees C and 5 degrees C higher by 2050. He also stressed the importance of developing economies, referring to countries such as India and Brazil, restricting their emissions.

They Make you Swallow a Fish for a Herbal Cure

Wed, 11 Apr 2001 16:48:18 +0000

As the northwest monsoon strikes India in the first week of June, people from all parts of India, and abroad, make a beeline for Hyderabad, the capital of Andhra Pradesh. They all have one thing in common: they suffer from the disease of asthma and gather in Hyderabad for a unique herbal cure. The medicine is stuffed inside the mouth of a three-inch live murrel fish which the patient is made to swallow. Once inside the body, the fish releases the medicine. Those who gather the courage to take the cure find that it works.

Trapped

Thu, 14 Oct 1999 13:24:40 +0000

Where: Russia

August 19, 2000: The Kursk, an ultra-modern Russian nuclear-powered submarine has sunk. Its crew has been trapped underwater for over a week now. In fact many might already be dead. By denying that it was a serious accident and by not launching serious rescue efforts in the beginning, the Russian government has reduced their chances of survival further…

The submarine’s ability to stay for long periods underwater, is an absolute marvel of science. Actually, this is due to its capsule-like body. Adequate oxygen and food supplies enable submarine crew to survive under the sea for long periods. It’s a self-contained little world far removed from the world you and I live in.

Heads of Government to Seek Solutions to World Economic Crisis at G20 Summit

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 03:20:39 +0000

Where: London, United Kingdom

March 30, 2009 : The heads of the world’s 20 largest economic powers, the Group of 20 or G20, will assemble in London on April 2, 2009. The London summit will focus on finding solutions to the present global economic crisis.

The G20 is a forum that includes G-7, the world’s seven leading industrialized nations — the U.S., Japan, Germany, France, the UK, Italy and Canada — and the world’s largest developing world economies: Brazil, Russia, India and China (often referred to as BRIC). The European Union (EU), Australia, Turkey, Indonesia, South Korea, Argentina, Mexico, South Africa, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia are also members. The member countries of G20 generate 85 percent of the world’s total economic production.

A Show of Endurance

Sun, 14 Jul 2002 10:05:13 +0000

A Show of Endurance [Illustration by Shiju George]

October 22: The newspaper photograph showed Japanese swimmer Kei Miyamoto’s body finely arched at the starting point as he prepared to slice into the Olympic pool at the Sydney Aquatic Centre. And then I noticed it. He had no arms.

Kei was practicing for the Paralympic Games, just as wheelchair-bound track athletes and sportspersons bearing the loss of an arm or limb with practiced ease, went through their paces for the 11-day event for the physically challenged that is going on in Sydney at present.

Silence that Spoke of Protest

Thu, 23 May 2002 07:05:05 +0000

October 16: A few days ago, seven villages in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra, wore a ghostly look for an entire day. Not one of the 40,000 people inhabiting the villages could be seen outside their homes.

The villagers were on a first ever self-imposed ‘janata (people’s) curfew’ in the country. Their purpose – to attract government attention to the serious state of unemployment in the villages.

Their grievance – a futile wait for over 25 years for jobs promised by the state government, reported ‘The Indian Express’.

Operation Rescue of Penguins

Thu, 26 Oct 2000 23:45:28 +0000

July 8: Last week, the South African government was engaged in a very important task – transporting 19,000 penguins from their home in Dassen Island near Cape Town, to safe waters. It was an emergency.

Operation Rescue of Penguins [Illustration by Kusum Chamoli]

The short legged, big bodied birds with pointed beaks did not have the “cute” look that we always see in them. Most of them were covered in slimy oil. Their feathers hung limply by their sides. They were unable to do anything – even eat, and had gone hungry for three days.

Old PCs Save Precious Lives

Sat, 02 Jan 1999 08:48:39 +0000

Where: Chicago, USA

July 1, 2000: Computers and Internet connections are not for the rich alone. Even the poor should be able to use it, says Zina Munoz. Zina works as a nurse in Chicago.

But Zina is not merely a nurse. She is also one of the people behind an Internet revolution in half a dozen countries across the world.

The idea came to her during a medical conference in Dallas four years ago. Americans keep throwing away old models of computers for newer and faster computers even though the old ones are working fine. Why not send them to hospitals in the developing countries and link them to the Internet, she asked. Hospitals need access, not speed, said the nurse. A report on this was carried in ‘The Indian Express’ recently.

Tintin Turns Eighty

Tue, 12 Jun 2007 10:40:43 +0000

Where: Brussels, Belgium

January 10, 2009 : Tintin made his first appearance in a Belgian newspaper Le Vingtieme Siecle (The 20th Century) on January 10, 1929. This comic strip eventually became ‘Tintin in the Land of the Soviets’. There are 24 Tintin comic books in all, translated into more than 60 languages, including English – the originals are all in French! Over 200 million Tintin comic books have been sold worldwide. In an age before there were cartoons on television, these books were simply devoured by generations of readers, who loved to ’travel’ with their hero. Tintin has a huge fan following even today. You can check out his website, http://www.tintinologist.org/

General Motors Out of Bankruptcy

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 06:55:00 +0000

Where: Detroit, Michigan, USA

July 10, 2009 : The USA’s biggest carmaker, General Motors, had declared bankruptcy on June 1, 2009. When a company is unable to repay its debts to creditors, it can seek legal protection by filing a bankruptcy plea. The action also ensures that all creditors are repaid in equal measure. The case of General Motors (GM) is the largest bankruptcy filing by an industrial company in the USA’s history. The corporation won a second chance to prove itself profitable as it came out of bankruptcy at lightning speed.

Disastrous end to Lunar New Year Firework Display

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 02:00:56 +0000

Where: Beijing, China

February 9, 2009 : Beijing’s nearly completed Mandarin Oriental hotel, in the heart of the city’s business district, caught fire on the day of the Lantern Festival. It was the last day of the Chinese Lunar New Year Festivities, and officials from the state owned China Central Television (CCTV ) were using the new building as the backdrop for a fireworks display.

According to Beijing’s fire chief, the broadcaster did not have permission to hold such a large-scale display. In fact, its staff had been warned not to start fireworks. These were set off by computers, like the ones used for the Olympics. They went off only a dozen metres away from the building, some of them hitting the building. Since it was under construction, the sprinkler system had not been switched on. The building was a huge tourist attraction, scheduled to open later in the year. It took only half an hour for the entire structure to catch fire. It is now completely blackened and ruined. Seven people were injured and one fireman died fighting the blaze.

Somdev Devvarman : India's New Tennis Star

Fri, 12 Jan 2007 09:25:06 +0000

Where: Chennai, India

January 11, 2009 : At the 2009 Chennai Open tennis meet, the first ATP* tournament of the season, India’s Somdev Devvarman established himself as the country’s top singles tennis player. He reached the finals of the tournament, beating two-time Chennai Open former champion and world number 42, Spain’s Carlos Moya, and world number 25 Ivo Karlovic of Croatia. Rainer Schuettler of Germany, whom he was to have played in the semi-final, pulled out of the tournament due to injury. Devvarman lost the finals to Marin Cilic of Croatia.

The Grand Head Hunt

Thu, 23 May 2002 21:37:50 +0000

November 18: Making a head count of the number of people in the most populous country in the world, is no easy task. The government of China knows this for a fact. So it sent six million people across the length and breadth of the country, to count its population.

The Grand Head Hunt [Illustration by Anup Singh]

These people will take 10 days to collect data from 360 million households, says Reuters in a report in ‘The Asian Age’. It is expected that by February 2001, the government will know the exact number of people, including the number of males and females, in China.

Tie and Dye Scarf

Thu, 22 Mar 2001 00:22:06 +0000

Tie and Dye Scarf [Illustrations by Shinod AP]

This is just one way of making a scarf. The best part is that once you know the technique, you will be able to make different patterns by twisting, clipping, knotting or folding the cloth.

The things you need:

A plain white cotton cloth
Thick white cotton thread or elastic bands
A packet of 50 beads

Step 1: Wash the cloth in warm water. Starting from one end, stitch the beads the way they are shown in the picture – a big bead or two to three beads together in the centre with four beads around it.

When a Whacky King Turned Serious

Thu, 08 Feb 2001 10:28:19 +0000

As a young emperor, Akbar seems to have had a whacky sense of fun. Since he was very fond of cock fights, he once announced that anyone coming to see him must bring a fighting cock with him.

One person who got a real taste of Akbar’s sense of humour was the governor of Punjab, Shamsudin Atka. He was on his way to meet the emperor when he received an order from Akbar that he should have his head shaved.

Camp of Coexistence

Mon, 09 Sep 2002 07:28:03 +0000

October 28: The recent flooding of West Bengal might have been a tragic affair in all but one respect. In a time of crisis, the animals of the region are bonding like never before. Be it the hunter or the hunted, the carnivores or the herbivores, they are all living in harmony at seven flood relief camps set up in the Bongaon region of the state.

A few weeks ago, floods hit the state of West Bengal, threw life completely out of gear and led to a large scale loss of life and property. More than 1,007 gram panchayats, 296 municipal wards and eight districts were badly affected.

Poppy Doll

Sun, 17 Jun 2001 18:10:13 +0000

Poppy Doll [Illustrations by Shinod AP]

If poppy does not grow in your garden then you can plant it yourself.

The things you need:

Poppy flower
A pen

Step 1: Take a poppy flower and overturn its petals. This will form the dress of your doll.

Step 2: With the help of a pen make the doll’s features on the flower’s round bulb at its center.

Women's Army of Blood Donors

Tue, 21 Jul 1998 17:29:58 +0000

June 24: In a country like India, the lives of people are often lost because there is no help at hand. Many people think of it as fate and do nothing. But a group of poor village women have shown the way to the people of the southern state of Kerala, says a report in ‘The Indian Express’..

Sometime ago, a woman from Parappa village became seriously ill. She started bleeding heavily. The villagers frantically hunted for a vehicle to take her to the hospital, which was 40 km away. The woman survived. It was almost a miracle that she survived, said the doctor. For, she had lost a lot of blood.

India's Winning Streak at the Australian Open

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 07:15:53 +0000

Where: Melbourne, Australia

February 1, 2009 : Yuki Bhambhri beat Alexandros-Ferdinandos Georgoudas of Germany 6-3, 6-1 in the junior boys final of the Australian Open Tennis championships in Melbourne. He is the first Indian to win this title. India’s tennis legend Ramanathan Krishnan, his son Ramesh, and later Leander Paes have all won the junior singles title at Wimbledon. Ramesh repeated the feat at the French Open, and Leander at the U.S.Open. Yuki, aged sixteen, entered the tournament ranked Numer One, as he had reached the semi-finals last year. He was given a hero’s welcome when he landed on home soil in Delhi.

From Kitchen Cabinet to State Cabinet?

Wed, 05 Feb 2003 15:00:14 +0000

May 11: From the kitchen floor of the house to the Floor of the House or State Legislative Assembly – that is the distance Lakshmi Parui is hoping to cover.

A widow in her late 50s, who supported herself by working as a domestic help in semi-urban Balagarh till a few weeks ago, she contested the West Bengal state elections on May 10. She has contested the elections as an ally of Mamta ‘Di’, leader of the Trinamool Congress. She was pitted against Communist Party Marxist MLA Dibakantha Rauth, a school teacher, in Balagarh constituency, Hooghly district, says a report in

Sudan President's Arrest Ordered By International Criminal Court

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 00:56:57 +0000

Where: The Hague, Netherlands

March 18, 2009 : The International Criminal Court (ICC)* issued a warrant for the arrest of Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir on March 4, 2009 and charged him with committing war crimes and humanitarian crimes resulting in thousands of deaths. The victims of this genocide are the tribal minorities of Sudan’s Darfur region. Omar al-Bashir, a military dictator, has been supplying funds and arms to the militia group that is actually carrying out the brutal war. Over 300,000 people have died, and around 2.5 million have been forced to leave their homes.

Homing in on Prisons

Sun, 14 Apr 2002 23:48:14 +0000

September 9: Lately, newly-weds in Iran have been facing an unusual problem. They just can’t find homes to live in after they get married. This is because there is a shortage of housing in Iran.

To help solve this housing crisis, Iran’s government is planning to turn military centres and prisons into housing units for newly weds.

A housing ministry official was quoted in a news item in the Times of India as saying, “A plan has been drafted for turning military centers and prisons into economical 50 square metre housing units for newly married couples.”

24 Hours on Mt. Everest? Oh, Brother!

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:18:30 +0000

Where: Kathmandu, Nepal

February 16, 2009 : Three Nepalese brothers, Pemba Dorje Sherpa, Nima Gyalzen and Phurba Tenzing plan to stay on Mt. Everest for 24 hours to establish a new world record. The current record is 20 hours on the peak. Between them the brothers have made 16 ascents to the top, mostly as climbing guides. Two more of their brothers have climbed the peak as well.

“We won’t sleep. We will pray 24 hours,” Pemba says. The will have with them a 30cm statue of the Buddha, which they say they will leave on the top in a glass box. When asked about the dangers of their planned exploit, Pemba said, “It’s a risk but it’s not so dangerous.” They will carry all kinds of equipment, including ropes, and a tent, which they will pitch after making a hole in the snow.

Ex-Guerrillas Win El Salvador Election

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 23:47:38 +0000

Where: San Salvador, El Salvador

March 15, 2009 : Mr.Mauricio Funes of the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN) defeated the Arena party’s Rodrigo Avila to become the first left-wing President of El Salvador. Arena had won every presidential election in the country since 1991. The winning party won 51.3 per cent of the votes polled against Arena’s 48.7 per cent.

FMLN formed in 1980 as a band of Marxist guerrilla* fighters. Mr. Funes, a former television journalist, is the first party leader who was not a participant in the warfare. The country still bears marks of the 12-year-long civil war in which some 70,000 people died. In addition to this, Mr. Funes will have to tackle widespread crime and an economic slump.

Try out Batik

Wed, 28 Feb 2001 23:48:06 +0000

Try out Batik [Illustrations by Shinod AP]

You must have definitely heard about batik paintings. Believe it or not, this style is practised mostly in Indonesia and that is where it has grown to its present stature. Batik dyeing is no small task. Unlike bandhani where a part of the cloth is tied up and dyed, the batik style uses wax. Once the cloth is dyed, the motif looks like a network of shattered lines. Here is how you can do it.

Christmas Decorations

Mon, 16 Jul 2001 11:29:40 +0000

Decorations for a Christmas tree can all be made at home, with simple, inexpensive, and easy-to-find things like threads and ribbons, sweets, old bulbs, empty matchboxes and lots of popcorn. Here are some of the things you should collect to get your tree going.

Christmas tree
Coloured paper (preferably one that shines)
Popcorn

Christmas Decorations [Illustrations by Shinod AP]

Paints and paint brush
Scissors, thread, cotton and ribbons.

Indian elections 2009: a symbol of people power

Sun, 22 Feb 2009 15:05:03 +0000

Where: India

May 6, 2009 : When a nation of over one billion citizens wakes up every five years to elect its leaders, the entire world turns to watch. The “world’s largest democracy*”, India, went to the polls on April 13, 2009, to elect members of the 15th Lok Sabha (or House of Commons, in the Indian Parliament). In a one month-long process, which will end on May 13, 2009, over 714 million voters** will be eligible to vote.

Orphanage for Elephants

Sat, 15 Jan 2000 07:02:15 +0000

July 15: Five baby elephants were very sad. They were being returned to the forest. In fact, they broke into tears. But why were they sad to return home?

Orphanage for Elephants [Illustration by Sandeep Johri]

Because they had fallen in love with the orphanage they were staying in before they were returned to the forest. The men who had taken care of them were sad too. There were no dry eyes among them.

Whick Book Carries Its Own Light?

Fri, 07 Sep 2001 04:48:00 +0000

How many times have you been told not to read in bed and how often have you been ticked off for reading in poor light? Probably quite a few times if you are an avid book-worm. Now you can cast away your small flashlights and get rid of your reading lamp, for there are specially designed books that create their own light!

Whick Book Carries Its Own Light? [Illustration by Shinod AP]

The glowing book

Indonesian Ferry Sinks, Over 230 People Drowned

Thu, 20 Sep 2007 04:36:04 +0000

Where: Makassar Strait, Indonesia

January 12, 2009 : An Indonesian ferry, the ‘Teratai Prima’ was struck by Cyclone Charlotte shortly before dawn on Sunday, January 11. It was making an overnight journey between the islands of Sulawesi and Borneo, carrying 250 passengers, 17 crew and cargo. Before the military search and rescue operations began at daybreak, fishermen managed to rescue eighteen passengers and four crew members. At the last count, 34 people were found alive, and 232 people are still missing and believed to be dead.

Architectural Wonders

Fri, 22 Jun 2001 03:27:58 +0000

Today when we look at our ancient structures, we cannot help but wonder how they ever got created. Though thousands of years old they never fail seem to amaze us.

India Quiz : Ritual Occasions

Sun, 07 Apr 2002 01:24:45 +0000

The first two weeks of April have one festival or religious occasion following another. How many of them do you know about?

India Quiz : Rivers of India

Sun, 23 Dec 2001 03:02:52 +0000

It’s all about the rivers that flow throughout India – draining it and making life possible.

India Quiz : Road to Freedom

Fri, 17 Dec 2004 10:40:09 +0000

India was freed from British rule on August 15, 1947. Can you map the way India took to achieve independence?

India Quiz : Delights of an Indian Summer

Mon, 08 Oct 2001 19:24:02 +0000

Have you ever wondered why the juiciest fruits grow in the summer? It’s Nature’s way of keeping us cool and quenching our thirst.

India Quiz : Know Kerala

Thu, 15 Jun 2000 23:12:29 +0000

A National Geographic Society publication has listed Kerala among the world’s “50 greatest places of a lifetime.” Test your awareness of this beautiful state of India.

India Quiz: Festivals

Sat, 03 Mar 2001 15:25:59 +0000

India is a land of diverse cultures with each culture having its own festivals. Hence, there are numerous festivals being celebrated round the year. Here are a few, let’s see if you know about them.

India Quiz : India Quotient

Sat, 28 Jun 1997 05:13:01 +0000

This is a quiz about India. Find out some interesting things about this huge country. Every question is followed by 4 options. Click on the most appropriate answer. So just do it! START

India Quiz : Holi's Here!

Sat, 26 Oct 2002 05:03:46 +0000

It’s known as the festival of colours and is made up of a fascinating mix of legends and celebrations from different parts of India. Care to follow the coloured trail?

India Quiz : The Epic Mahabharata

Sun, 21 Apr 2002 22:46:01 +0000

The world’s oldest epic, Mahabharata is the saga of a war fought over power between the Pandavas and the Kauravas who came from the same family. It is a good example of different people’s perception of right and wrong at different times.

History of India

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

How much do you know about Indian history?

World of Sport-1

Tue, 17 Nov 1998 06:41:03 +0000

In which game would you encounter a birdie, eagle or bishop? Make your move, go on!

How Did the Indian Postal Service Start?

Wed, 26 Dec 2001 16:41:07 +0000

Although methods of postal delivery varied from one country to another, it is believed that in India, Emperor Chandragupta Maurya who ruled the country between 321-297 BC, was the first to introduce a form of postal communication to dispatch confidential reports to distant posts in his empire.

However, the first recorded mention in history is to be found in the writings of historian Ziadduin Barni. He mentions that Ala-ud-din Khilji of the Delhi Sultanate, who ruled Delhi over 700 years ago, organized a regular horse and foot runner service called harakuras in 1296 AD. These runners carried a baton with bells and ran across the allotted territory with mail. Runners changed after each mile and the post was delivered in record time.

How does the Army Post Office System Work?

Tue, 26 Dec 2000 14:42:19 +0000

It’s the one thing every soldier away from home looks forward to: mail. So everyday it is ‘Hey, Mister Postman, look and see, if there is a letter for me’? For a solider in his outpost, the letter from a loved one is his most cherished and valued document, read and re-read a million times till the next one arrives.

The soldiers in the Indian defence forces are from every nook and cranny of India – from Kashmir in the North to Kanyakumari in the South from Tawang in the state of Arunachal Pradesh in the East, to Porbandar in the State of Gujarat in the West. And they are also posted all over the country.

How Did Advertising Start in India?

Fri, 24 Nov 2000 21:41:42 +0000

The first newspaper in India was brought out by an Englishman James Augustus Hickey in 1780 who was stationed at Calcutta. The paper was brought out on Saturdays and was first called the Calcutta General Advertiser or Hickey’s Bengal Gazette.

Publishing a newspaper is an expensive business as Hickey realised to his cost. He was losing money faster than the newspapers came out of the printing press. To make ends meet, Hickey decided to take on advertisements or ads.

Which is the Oldest Church in India?

Tue, 26 Sep 2000 23:00:37 +0000

In 52 A.D. Thomas Didaemus, one of the 12 apostles of Jesus Christ is believed to have landed at Musiris (Cranganore) in Kerala. He made his first converts both Jews and Hindus at Palayur a town now in Trichur district, Kerala. There he built a small church with an altar, which he consecrated.

This is supposed to be the oldest church in India.

St. Thomas later moved to the east coast. and settled in Madras (now Chennai) in 64 A.D. after having travelled all the way to China. Back in Chennai, the apostle is said to have stayed at what was then a village where the present zone of Mylapore is located.

ओमू ने खुशियां खरीदीं

Sat, 25 Sep 1999 16:08:41 +0000

देहरादून लौटते हुए काका ने ओमू को दस रूपये थमाए। काका दफ्तर के किसी काम से ओमू के गांव आए थे और उसी के घर में उसके परिवार के साथ ठहरे हुए थे। उस दौरान ओमू ने उनकी खूब टहल की थी। उसने उन्हें गांव भर में खूब घुमाया फिराया था। उनके छोटे छोटे काम कर समय पर मदद की थी।

काका को ओमू बहुत पसन्द था। उन्होंने ओमू के पिता से ओमू को अपने साथ देहरादून चलने की बात भी की थी। काका ने कहा था कि वे ओमू को देहरादून के किसी अच्छे विद्यालय में भर्ती करा देंगे और उसके बाद कालेज भी भेजेंगे। काका सम्पन्न थे और उनकी कोई औलाद भी नहीं थी।

बांसुरी वाला

Fri, 30 Nov 2001 23:44:37 +0000

बात सात सौ साल पुरानी
सुनो ध्यान से प्यारे
हैम्लिन नामक एक शहर था
वीजर नदी किनारे।

यूं तो शहर बहुत सुन्दर था
हैम्लिन जिसका नाम
मगर वहां के लोगों का
हो गया था चैन हराम।
इतने चूहे इतने चूहे
गिनती हो गई मुश्किल
जिधर भी देखो जहां भी देखो
करते दिखते किल बिल।

बाहर चूहे घर में चूहे
दरवाजे और दर में चूहे
खिड़की और आलों में चूहे
थालों और प्यालों में चूहे।
ट्रंक में और संदूक में चूहे
फौजी की बंदूक में चूहे
अफसर की गाड़ी में चूहे
नौकर की दाढ़ी में चूहे।
पूरब पश्चिम उत्तर दक्षिण
जिधर भी देखो चूहे
ऊपर नीचे आगे पीछे
जिधर भी देखो चूहे।
दुबले चूहे मोटे चूहे
लंबे चूहे छोटे चूहे
काले चूहे गोरो चूहे
भूखे और चटोरो चूहे।

मेरी रेल

Wed, 28 Nov 2001 06:21:58 +0000

छूटी मेरी रेल।
रे बाबू छूटी मेरी रेल।
हट जाओ हट जाओ भैया
मैं न जानूं फिर कुछ भैया
टकरा जाये रेल।
धक् धक् धक धक् धू धू धू धू
भक् भक् भक् भक् भू भू भू भू
छक् छक् छक् छक् छू छू छू छू
करती आई रेल।
एंजिन इसका भारी-भरकम।
बढ़ता जाता गमगम गमगम।
धमधम धमधम धमधम धमधम।
करता ठेलस ठेल
सुनो गार्ड ने दे दी सीटी।
टिकट देखता फिरता टीटी।
सटी हुई वीटी से वीटी।
करती पेलम पेल।
छूटी मेरी रेल।

चतुर चित्रकार

Mon, 26 Feb 2001 14:29:38 +0000

चित्रकार सुनसान जगह में बना रहा था चित्र।
इतने ही में वहां आ गया यम राजा का मित्र।।
उसे देखकर चित्रकार के तुरंत उड़ गये होश।
नदी पहाड़ पेड़ फिर उसको कुछ हिम्मत आई देख उसे चुपचाप।
बोला सुन्दर चित्र बना दूं बैठ जाइये आप।।
उकरू मुकरू बैठ गया वह सारे अन्ग बटोर।
बड़े ध्यान से लगा देखने चित्रकार की ओर।।
चित्रकार ने कहा हो गया आगे का तैयार।
अंब मुंह आप उधर तो करिये जंगल के सरदार।।
बैठ गया वह पीठ फिराकर चित्रकार की ओर।
चित्रकार चुपके से खिसका जैसे कोई चोर।।
बहुत देर तक आंख मूंदकर पीठ घुमाकर शेर।
बैठ बैठ लगा सोचने इधर हुई क्यों देर।।
झील किनारे नाव लगी थी एक रखा था बांस।
चित्रकार ने नाव पकड़कर ली जी भरके सांस।।
जल्दी जल्दी नाव चलाकर निकन गया वह दूर।
इधर शेर था धोखा खाकर झुंझलाहट में चूर।।
शेर बहुत खिसियाकर बोला नाव जरा ले रोक।
कलम और कागज तो ले जा रे कायर डरपोक।।
चित्रकार ने कहा तुरन्त ही रखिये अपने पास।
चित्रकला का आप कीजिए जंगल में अभ्यास।।

गड़बड़ घोटाला

Sun, 10 Dec 2000 09:18:53 +0000

यह कैसा है घोटाला
कि चाबी मे है ताला
कमरे के अंदर घर है
और गाय में है गोशाला।

दातों के अंदर मुंह है
और सब्जी में है थाली
रूई के अंदर तकिया
और चाय के अंदर प्याली।

टोपी के ऊपर सर है।
और कार के ऊपर रस्ता
ऐनक पे लगी हैं आंखें
कापी किताब में बस्ता।

सर के बल सभी खड़े हैं
पैरों से सूंध रहे हैं
घुटनों में भूख लगी है
और टखने ऊंघ रहे हैं।

बैंगन के गुण

Mon, 28 Dec 1998 16:09:26 +0000

बबलू बहुत देर से अपनी बहन से झगड़ रहा था। बहन उससे बड़ी थी और काफी देर से सब्र कर रही थी। आखिर उसे गुस्सा आ गया। बोली चुप करता है या नहीं, वरना मार मार कर भरता बना दूंगी।

बबलू सिर्फ झगड़ालू ही नहीं खाने का भी बड़ा शौकीन था। उसने भरता सुनते ही बहन की जुबान पकड़ ली, अरे वाह! भरता तो मुझे बेहद पसंद है। बैंगन का भरता गरमा गरम पराठे के साथ। बहन ने समझ लिया कि अपने पाजी भाई से जीतने वाली वह नहीं। उसने ही सुलह करने की पहल की। पेटु राम, जब देखो तब खाने की सूझती है। अच्छा यह बताओ भरता खाना है बैंगन का। बबलू इतनी आसानी से समझौता करने वाला जीव नहीं था। उसने कहा, मुझे बैंगन का भरता थोड़ी खाना है मुझे तो बघार के बैंगन ज्यादा पसन्द है।

बतूता का जूता

Sun, 17 Dec 2000 23:03:48 +0000

इब्न बतूता पहन के जूता
निकल पड़े तूफान में
थोड़ी हवा नाक में घुस गई
घुस गई थोड़ी कान में।
कभी नाक को कभी कान को
मलते इब्न बतूता
इसी बीच में निकल पड़ा
उनके पैरों का जूता।
उड़ते उड़ते जूता उनका
जा पहुंचा जापान में
इब्न बतूता खड़े रह गये
मोची की दुकान में

बतूता का जूता

बच्चों के लिए हिन्दी कविताएँ
Hindi poem for children first published by National Book Trust

सोमवार की सुबह

Thu, 06 Feb 1997 16:07:37 +0000

स्वामी और उसके दोस्त का प्रथम अंश

सोमवार की सुबह थी। स्वामीनाथन की आंखे खोलने की इच्छा नहीं हो रही थी। सोमवार उसे कैलेंडर का सबसे मनहूस दिन लगता था। शनिवार और रविवार की मज़ेदार आजादी के बाद सोमवार को काम और अनुशासन के मूड़ में आना बहुत मुश्किल होता था।

स्कूल के विचार से ही उसे झुरझुरी आ गयी वह पीली मनहूस बिल्डिंग जलती आंखों वाला कक्षा अध्यापक वेदनायकम और पतली लंबी छड़ी हाथ में लिए हैडमास्टर।

प्यारे पिताजी

Mon, 11 May 1998 15:58:18 +0000

कहानी का प्रथम अंश

सब्जी बनाने से पहले झींगी के दो टुकड़े कर छुरी की नोक से उसका जरा सा गुदा निकाल बिपुल की मां ने मुंह में डालकर चख लिया। कहीं झींगी कड़वी तो नहीं। झींगी और तोरी की कुछ प्रजातियां इतनी कड़वी होती हैं कि अगर सब्जी में पड़ जायें तो पूरी सब्जी कड़वी हो जाती है।

इस कारण बिपुल की मां झींगी या तोरी की सब्जी बनाने के पहले उसे जरूर चख लेती है।

चौका छक्का

Sat, 09 Dec 2000 13:58:03 +0000

धूम धड़क्का
धूम धड़क्का
सचिन का चौका
सचिन का छक्का
रह गए सारे
हक्का बक्का
चौका छक्का
धूम धड़क्का

कविता 1
हक्का बक्का : बच्चों के लिए 15 हिन्दी कविता
Hindi poem for children first published by National Book Trust

सारे मौसम अच्छे

Sun, 01 Aug 1999 11:37:18 +0000

सर्दी आई, सर्दी आई
ठंड की पहने वर्दी आई।
सबने लादे ढेर से कपड़े
चाहे दुबले, चाहे तगड़े।

नाक सभी की लाल हो गई
सुकड़ी सबकी चाल हो गई।
टिठुर रहे हैं कांप रहे हैं
दौड़ रहे हैं, हांप रहे हैं।

सारे मौसम अच्छे [Illustrations by Nilima Sheikh]

धूप में दौड़ें तो भी सर्दी
छाओं में बैठें तो भी सर्दी।
बिस्तर के अंदर भी सर्दी
बिस्तर के बाहर भी सर्दी।

लकड़ी का घोड़ा

Thu, 28 Sep 2000 04:37:33 +0000

घो घो घो घोड़ा
लकड़ी का घोड़ा
चाबुक न कोड़ा
जब इसको मोड़ा
भागा ये घोड़ा
भागा ये घोड़ा
लकड़ी का घोड़ा
घो घो घो घोड़ा।

कविता 5
हक्का बक्का : बच्चों के लिए 15 हिन्दी कविता
Hindi poem for children first published by National Book Trust

कितनी बड़ी दिखती होंगी

Thu, 09 Nov 2000 16:54:06 +0000

कितनी बड़ी दिखती होंगी मक्खी को चीजें छोटी
सागर सा प्याला भर जल पर्वत सी एक कौर रोटी।
खिला फूल गुलदस्ते जैसा कांटा भारी भाला सा
तालों का सूराख उसे होगा बैरगिया नालासा।
हरे भरे मैदानों की तरह होगा इक पीपल का पात
पेड़ों के समूहसा होगा बचा खुचा थाली का भात।
ओस बूंद दरपनसी होगी सरसो होगी बेल समान
सांस मनुज की आंधीसी करती होगी उसको हैरान

बच्चों के लिए हिन्दी कविताएँ
Hindi poem for children first published by National Book Trust

नट खट हम हां नटखट हम

Wed, 31 May 2000 10:37:09 +0000

नट खट हम हां नटखट हम।
करने निकले खट पट हम
आ गये लड़के पा गये हम।
बंदर देख लुभा गये हम
बंदर को बिचकायें हम।
बंदल दौड़ा भागे हम
बच गये लड़के बच गये हम।
बर्र का बांस उठाकर आ गये हम
ऊधम लगे मचाने हम
आ लड़कों पर टूट पड़े
झटपट हट कर छिप गये हम।
बच गये लड़के बच गये हम
बिच्छू एक पकड़ लाये।
उसे छिपाकर ले आये
सबक जांचने भिड़े गुरू।
हमने नाटक किया शुरू
खोला बिच्छु चुपके से।
बैठे पीछे दुबके से
बच गये गुरू जी खिसके हम।
पिट गये लड़के बच गये हम
बुढ़िया निकली पहुंचे हम।
लगे चिढ़ाने जम जम जम
बुढ़िया खीझे डरे न हम।
ऊधम करना करें न कम
बुढ़िया आई नाकों दम।
लगी पीटने धम धम धम
जान बचा कर भग गये हम।
पिट गये लड़के बच गये हम

ताती ताती तोता

Thu, 11 May 2000 20:46:43 +0000

ताती ताती तोता
पिंजरे में सोता
पंख जो हरे थे
उड़न से भरे थे
हो गये हैं पीले
पड़ गये हैं ढीले
ताती ताती तोता।
ताती ताती तोता
पिंजरो में रोता
झांखते हैं प्यारे
नन्हें नन्हें तारे
कहते है तोता
काहे को तू रोता
अंधकार छोड़ दे
पिंजरो को तोड़ दे
उड़ते उड़ते सारी रात
आके मिल जा अपने साथ
छोटे भाई तोता प्यारा
तू भी बन जा एक सितारा

बच्चों के लिए हिन्दी कविताएँ
Hindi poem for children

ज़रा चख के देखो

Thu, 09 Nov 2000 00:48:40 +0000

ज़रा चख के देखो
ज़रा चख के देखो
ये है बड़ी मज़ेदार
ये है मज़ेकी
नगर नगर में शहर शहर में
देखों आगे पीछे
चढता दाम सब चीज़ों का
हम गिरते हैं नीचे
…जरा चख के देखो
नये नगर में बजता हैं
इक नये किसम का बाजा
अब तो राजा गधा बनेगा
गधा बनेगा राजा
नसीब अपना टूटा फूटा
नसीब अपना खोटा
ज़मींदार का कु
…जरा चख के देखो

बच्चों के लिए हिन्दी कविताएँ
Hindi poem for children from Harindranath Chattopadhyaya’s “Curd Seller Verses”

चलो स्कूल

Tue, 18 Jan 2000 09:23:45 +0000

हरे हरे
लाल लाल फूल।
चलो भाई
जल्दी,
चलो स्कूल।
छूट गईं पेंसिल
कापी गई भूल
जल्दी लो
भाई,
चलो स्कूल।

कविता 4
हक्का बक्का : बच्चों के लिए 15 हिन्दी कविता
Hindi poem for children first published by National Book Trust

आलपिन के सिर होता

Fri, 22 Sep 2000 02:36:00 +0000

आलपिन के सिर होता पर बाल नहीं होता है एक
कुर्सी के टांगे हैं पर फुटबाल नहीं फेंक सकती है फेंक।
कंघी के हैं दांत मगर वह चबा नहीं सकती खाना
गला सुराही का है पतला किन्तु न गा सकती गाना।
जूते के है जीभ मगर वह स्वाद नहीं चख सकता है
आंखे रखते हुए नारियल कभी न कुछ लख सकता है।
है मनुष्य के पास सभी कुछ ले सकता है सबसे काम
इसीलिए सबसे बढ़कर वह पाता है दुनिया में नाम।

मुन्ना और दवाई

Mon, 05 Jun 2000 10:41:06 +0000

मुन्ना ने आले पर
ऊंचे आले पर जब छोटे
हाथ नहीं जा पाये
खींच खींच कर अपनी छोटी
चौकी ले आये।
पंजों के बल उस पर चढ़कर एड़ी भी उचकाई।
मुन्ना ने आले पर रक्खी शीशी तोड़ गिराई।
हाथ पड़ा शीशी पर आधा
खींचा उसे पकड़ कर
वहीं गिरी वह आले पर से
इधर उधर खड़बड़ कर।
शीशी तोड़ी कांच बिखेरा सारी दवा बहाई।
मुन्ना ने आले पर रक्खी शीशी तोड़ गिराई।
पर कहते हैं शुभ होता है
भरी दवा गिर जाना
रोग स्वयं अच्छा होने का
यह भी एक बहाना।
मुन्ना की हर शैतानी में होती कुछ अच्छाई।
मुन्ना ने आले पर रक्खी शीशी तोड़ गिराई।

चूहा

Mon, 27 Mar 2000 18:12:12 +0000

वह देखो वह आता चूहा
आंखों को चमकाता चूहा
मूंछों में मुस्काता चूहा
लम्बी पूंछ हिलाता चूहा।
मक्खन रोटी खाता चूहा
बिल्ली से डर जाता चूहा।

बच्चों के लिए हिन्दी कविताएँ
Hindi poem for children first published by National Book Trust

टन टन टन, घंटी बोली

Fri, 14 Apr 2000 23:43:31 +0000

टन टन टन
गई साइकिल
दन दन दन।
नीली
पीली
काली
लाल
उड़ी साइकिल
सन सन सन।

कविता 2
हक्का बक्का : बच्चों के लिए 15 हिन्दी कविता
Hindi poem for children first published by National Book Trust

नानी की नाव

Thu, 26 Mar 1998 17:10:19 +0000

नाव चली
नाव चली
नानी की नाव चली
नीना की नानी की नाव चली
लम्बे सफर पे
सामान घर से निकाले गए
नानी के घर से निकाले गए
और नानी की नाव में डाले गए
क्या क्या डाले गए
एक छड़ी, एक घड़ी
एक झाड़ू, एक लाड़ू
एक सन्दूक, एक बन्दूक
एक सलवार, एक तलवार
एक घोड़े की जीन
एक ढोलक एक बीन
एक घोड़े की नाल
एक घीमर का जाल
एक लहसून, एक आलू
एक तोता, एक भालू
एक डोरा, एक डोरी
एक बोरा, एक बोरी
एक डंडा, एक झंडा
एक हंडा, एक अंडा
एक केला, एक आम
एक पक्का एक कच्चा
और टोकरी में
एक बिल्ली का बच्चा
फिर एक मगर ने पीछा किया
नानी की नाव का पीछा किया
नीना की नानी की नाव का पीछा किया
फिर क्या हुआ
चुपके से, पीछे से
ऊपर से, नीचे से
एक एक सामान खींच लिया
एक बिल्ली का बच्चा
एक केला, एक आम
एक पक्का, एक कच्चा
एक अंडा, एक हंडा
एक बोरी, एक बोरा
एक तोता, एक आलू
एक लहसून, एक भालू
एक धीमर का जाल
एक घोड़े की नाल
एक ढोलक, एक बीन
एक घोड़े की जीन
एक तलवार, एक सलवार
एक बन्दूक, एक सन्दूक
एक लाड़ू, एक झाड़ू
एक घड़ी, एक छड़ी
मगर नानी क्या कर रही थी
नानी थी बेचारी बुड्ढी बहरी
नीना की नानी थी बुड्ढी बहरी
नानी की नींद थी इतनी गहरी
कितनी गहरी
नदिया से गहरी
दिन दुपहरी
रात की रानी
ठंडा पानी
गरम मसाला
पेट में ताला
साढ़े सोला
पन्द्रह के पन्द्रह
दूनी तीस
तिया पैंतालिस
चौके साठ
पंजे पिछह
छक्के नब्बे।

सभा का खेल

Fri, 18 Feb 2000 01:19:42 +0000

सभा सभा का खेल आज हम
खेलेंगे जीजी आओ।
मैं गांधी जी छोटे नेहरू
तुम सरोजिनी बन जाओ।।
मेरा तो सब काम लंगोटी
गमछे से चल जायेगा।
छोटे भी खद्दर का कुर्ता
पेटी से ले आयेगा।।
लेकिन जीजी तुम्हें चाहिये
एक बहुत बढ़िया सारी।
वह तुम मां से ही ले लेना
आज सभा होगी भारी।।
मोहन लल्ली पुलिस बनेंगे
हम भाषण करने वाले।
वे लाठिया चलाने वाले
हम घायल मरने वाले।।
छोटे बोला देखो भैया
मैं तो मार न खाऊंगा।
कहा बड़े ने छोटे जब तुम
नेहरू जी बन जाओगे।
गांधी जी की बात मानकर
क्या तुम मार न खाओगे।।
खेल खेल में छोटे भैया
होगी झूठ मूठ की मार।
चोट न आयेगी नेहरू जी
अब तुम हो जाओ तैयार।।
हुई सभा प्रारम्भ कहा
गांधी चरखा चलवाओ।
नेहरू जी भी बोले भाई
खद्दर पहनो पहनाओ
उठ कर फिर देवी सरोजिनी
धीरे से बोलीं बहनों।
हिन्दू मुस्लिम मेल बढ़ाओ
सभी शुद्ध खद्दर पहनों।।
छोड़ो सभी विदेशी चीजे़
लो देशी सूई तागा।
इतने में लौटे काका जी
नेहरू सीट छोड़ भागा।।
काका आये काका आये
चलो सिनेमा जायेंगे।
घोरी दीक्षित को देखेंगे
केक मिठाई खायेंगे।।
जीजी चलो सभा फिर होगी
अभी सिनेमा है जाना।।
चलो चलें अब जरा देर को
घोरी दीक्षित बन जायें।
उछलें कूदें शोर मचावें
मोटर गाड़ी दौड़ावे।।

बन्दर मामा

Fri, 07 Nov 1997 14:17:13 +0000

एक पेड़ पर नदी किनारे,
बन्दर मामा रहते थे।
वर्षा गर्मी सर्दी
उसी पेड़ पर रहते थे।
भूख मिटाने को बगिया से
चुन चुन फल खाया करते।
य़ा छीन झपट बच्चों से
ये चीजें ले आया करते।
खा पी सेठ हुए मामा जी,
झूम झूम इठलाते थे।
और नदी के मगर मौसिया
देख देख ललचाते थे।
सोचा करते अगर कहीं मैं
मोटूमल को पा जाऊं।
बैठ किनारे रेत के ऊपर
खूब मजे से खाऊं।
एक नई तरकीब अचानक,
थी उसके मन में आई।
बोले क्यों बैठै रहते हो,
ऊपर ही मेरे भाई।
नदी पर है एक बगीचा,
आमों का प्यारा।
और वहीं पर कभी नहीं,
रहता है कोई रखवाला।
इतना सुनते ही बन्दर के,
मुँह में पानी भर आया।
मगरमच्छ ने छट से,
अपने ऊपर उसे बिठलाया।
बीच नदी में मगरमच्छ,
बोले अब आगे न जाऊंगा।
आज कलेजा यहीं बैठकर
मैं तो तेरा खाऊंगा।
इतना सुनते ही बन्दर की
बुद्धि बहुत चकराई।
बोला वहीं पर क्यों,
नहीं बतलाया भाई।
लगता मुझको बोझ बहुत,
उसको डाली पर रख आया।
मगरमच्छ ने सोचा बात सही
जो इसने बात बतलाया।
मगरमच्छ ने झट से उसे,
वापस जा लौटाया।
बन्दर ने झट से पेड़ पर चढ़कर,
अपना अंगुठा दिखलाया।

पेड़

Fri, 16 Jan 1998 18:16:26 +0000

आओ इस जंगल में आओ
मत घबराओ
मैं इस जंगल का एक पेड़
तुम्हें बुलाता हूं
अपनी कथा सुनाता हूं
आओ अपने साथियों से
मिलवाता हूं
आओ, छूकर देखो मेरा तना
सीधा और मज़बूत
और ऊपर
मेरी पतली बल खाती
शाखों को देखो
देखो अनगिनत टहनियों को
क्या पूछते हो मेरे दोस्त
वो तो पिछले पतझड़ में गिर गए
लेकिन जल्द ही फिर निकल आएंगे
मेरी डालियों पर लद जाएंगे।
मेरी जड़े नहीं दिखती तुम्हें
लेकिन वे हैं ज़मीन के नीचे
गहराई तक फैली हुई
वही सोखती हैं ज़मीन से पानी
मेरी प्यास बुझाने को
लो फूट आए मेरे हरे भरे कपड़े
लेकिन ये मेरी पोषाक ही नहीं
मेरी पोषाक भी हैं
हवा से खींचते हैं सांस
और सूरज से गर्मी
और बनाते हैं मेरी खुराक।
ये कीड़े मकोड़े
रेंगते, उड़ते, फुदकते हुए
ये सब मेरे दोस्त हैं
मैंने इन्हें
दरारों, छेदों, सुराखों में बसाया है
इनके अंडों को जाड़े गर्मी से बचाया है।
इनके बच्चों को अपने सीने पर सुलाया है।
इसी से खुश होकर
ये गाते हैं गीत
मधुर संगीत
भुन भुन, झिन झिन
और नाचते हैं
सारे सारे दिन।
रंग बिरंगे पंछी
मेरे पास आते हैं
मेरी टहनियों के बीच
अपने घोंसले बनाते हैं
चहकते हैं, गाते हैं
उड़ते हैं, मंडराते हैं
अपने नन्हें मुन्ने बच्चों को
उड़ना सिखाते हैं।
मुझे बच्चे बहुत प्यारे हैं
बच्चों को मैं प्यारा हूं
आते हैं मेरे साए में
ऊधम मचाने
लटकने मेरी डालियों से
झूले बनाने
मेरे खट्ठे मीठे फलों को
चोरी छिपे खाने
मुझे ध्यान से देखो
इस जंगल के
सभी पेड़ों को
प्यार से देखो
हमारा और तुम्हारा
कितना गहरा नाता है
ये जंगल सब प्राणियों के
कितने काम आता है
मेरी लकड़ी से बनी हैं
तुम्हारी मेज़े कुर्सियां
तुम्हारे सोने की चारपाई
तुम्हारे दरवाजे खिड़कियां
और तुम्हारी पेंसिल।
टीचर से पूछो
वो बतलाएंगी कि
मैं बारिश भी करवाता हूं
मिट्टी को बहने से बचाता हूं
बाढ़ भी रूकवाता हूं
और सूखा भी भगाता हूं
ये पूरा जंगल तुम्हारे काम आता है
तुम्हे कितना सुख पहुंचाता है।
लेकिन मुनाफाखोर व्यापारी
इसे अंधाधुंध कटवाता है
नए पेड़ नहीं लगवाता है
रोको रोको
उस लोभी को रोको
ऐसा करने से उसे टोको
नहीं तो एक दिन
ये जंगल खत्म हो जाएगा
सिर्फ ठूंठों का एक श्मशान रह जाएगा।

बंदर

Thu, 23 Mar 2000 11:22:30 +0000

देखो लड़के बंदर आया। एक मदारी उसको लाया
उसका है कुछ ढंग निराला। कानों में पहने है बाला
फटे पुराने रंगबिरंगे। कपड़े हैं उसके बेढंगे
मुंह डरावना आंखे छोटी। लंबी दुम थोड़ी सी मोटी
भौंह कभी है वह मिटाता। आंखों को है कभी नचाता
ऐसा कभी किलकिलाता है। मानो अभी काट खाता है
दांतों को है कभी दिखाता। कूद फांद है कभी मचाता
कभी घुड़कता है मुंह बाकर। सब लोगों को बहुत डराकर
कभी छड़ी लेकर है चलता। कभी वह यों ही कभी मचलता
है सलाम को हाथ उठाता। पेट लेट कर है दिखलाता
ठुमक ठुमक कर कभी नाचता। कभी कभी है टके जांचता
देखो बंदर सिखलाने से। कहने सुनने समझाने से
बातें बहुत सीख जाता है। कई काम कर दिखलाता है
बनों आदमी तुम पढ़लिखकर। नहीं एक तुम भी हो बंदर

Jumpy Junior

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 15:29:40 +0000

We are sorry this section is temporarily not available

पंख

Sun, 09 Jan 2000 00:16:52 +0000

छोटे छोटे पंख हैं मेरे
कोमल हल्के प्यारे भी हैं
देखे हैं जो मैंने सपने
उसमें सूरज तारे भी हैं
पर क्या बोझल इन्हें बनाकर
मंजिल ऊंची चढ़ पाऊंगा
शब्द सुनहरे पढ़े बिना ही
राहें अपनी बढ़ पाऊंगा…

बच्चों के लिए हिन्दी कविताएँ
Hindi poem for children

नानी नानी

Sun, 28 Nov 1999 16:13:51 +0000

नाना नानी।
कहो कहानी
वही पुरानी
कौन नगर था
कौन डगर थी
कैसा राजा
कैसी रानी
नाना नानी
कहो कहानी।

कविता 10
हक्का बक्का : बच्चों के लिए 15 हिन्दी कविता
First published by National Book Trust

हरी हरी

Wed, 22 Dec 1999 10:18:25 +0000

हरी हरी भिंडी
हरे हरे आम।
हरी हरी धनिया
खरे खरे दाम।
कडुवा करेला
अच्छा झमेला।
लीची तरबूज।
फीका पड़ा केला।

कविता 7
हक्का बक्का : बच्चों के लिए 15 हिन्दी कविता
First published by National Book Trust

होली

Thu, 29 Jul 1999 16:18:09 +0000

बसंत की हवा के साथ
रंगती मन को
मलती चेहरे पर हाथ
ये होली
लिए रंगों की टोली
लाल गुलाबी बैंगनी हरी पीली
ये नवरंगी तितली है।
आज तो जाएगी घर घर
दर दर ये मौज मनाएंगी
भूल पुराने झगड़े सारे
सबको गले लगाएगी
पीली फूली सरसौं रानी

Holi: Indian festival of colours

बच्चों के लिए हिन्दी कविताएँ
Hindi poem for children

पीली नीली न्यारी तितली

Sun, 15 Aug 1999 16:00:35 +0000

तितली नन्हीं प्यारी तितली
पीली नीली न्यारी तितली
फूलों पर फूलों सी तितली
तितली क्यारी क्यारी तितली
अपने नन्हें पंख उठाए
रंगों की इक लहर बनाए
चुप चुप चुप उड़ती जाए
खिली धूप में कितनी भाए।

कविता 9
हक्का बक्का : बच्चों के लिए 15 हिन्दी कविता
First published by National Book Trust

मुखौटे

Tue, 27 Apr 1999 17:18:17 +0000

श्याम बनेगा शेरू अपना
गीत बनेगा बन्दर
शिल्पा बिल्ली दूध पीएगी
बैठी घर के अन्दर
बबलू भौं भौं करता
पल पल धूम मचाएगा।
मोटू अपना हाथी बनकर
झूमे सूंड हिलाएगा
होगी फिर इन सबकी मस्ती
गाती होगी बस्ती
खुश होगा हर एक जानवर
खुशियां कितनी सस्ती
हा हा ही ही मैं भी मैं भी
लगा मुखौटा गाऊं
तुम हाथी तुम शेर बने तो
मैं भालू बन जाऊं
आहा कितने हम जंगल के
प्यारे प्यारे वासी
देख हमारे खेल नियारे
जाती रहे उदासी

अमरूद बन गये

Mon, 01 Apr 1996 05:09:02 +0000

आमों के अमरूद बन गये
अमरूदों के केले
मैंने यह सब कुछ देखा है
आज गया था मेले
बकरी थी बिलकुल छोटी सी
हाथी की थी बोली
मगर जुखाम नहीं सह पाई
खाई उसने गोली
छत पर होती थी खों खों खों
मगर नहीं था बंदर
बिल्ली ही यों बोल रही थी
परसो मेरी छत पर
गाय नहीं करती थी बां बां
बोली वह अंगरेजी
कहा बैल से, भूसा खालो
देखा भालो, ए जी
मुझको हुआ बड़ा ही अचरज
मुर्गा म्याऊं करता
हाथ जोड़कर बैठा
चुहे से था डरता
पर जब उगा रात में सूरज
चंदा दिन में आया
क्या होने को है दुनिया में
मैं काफी घबराया
तुरंत मूंद ली मैंने आंखें
और न फिर कुछ देखा
तभी लगा ज्यों जगा रही है
आकर मुझको रेखा
सपना देखा था अजीब सा
बिलकुल गड़बड़ झाला
सपनों की दुनियां में होता
सब कुछ बड़ा निराला।

कुकडूं कूं

Tue, 19 Oct 1999 13:13:23 +0000

बोला मुर्गा
कुकडूं कूं
कुकडू कूं
कुकडू कूं
बड़े सबेरे
जाग पड़ूं
चलते चलते
मैं अकड़ूं
कुकड़ूं कूं
कुकड़ूं कूं

कविता 8
हक्का बक्का : बच्चों के लिए 15 हिन्दी कविता
First published by National Book Trust

जामुन

Sat, 04 Mar 2000 06:02:22 +0000

हरे पेड़ की डाली।
जामुन काली काली।
मीठा है, रसवाली।
जामुन काली काली
लाठी लेकर महंगू।
करता है रखवाली।
जामुन काली काली।
हरे पेड़ की डाली।

कविता 6
हक्का बक्का : बच्चों के लिए 15 हिन्दी कविता
Hindi poem for children first published by National Book Trust

चिड़ियाघर

Wed, 07 Apr 1999 08:18:18 +0000

चिड़ियाघर
भई, चिड़ियाघर
इसके अंदर है
बंदर।
पानी वाला बड़ा मगर।
बारहसिंघे का ये घर।
चिड़ियाघर
भई, चिड़ियाघर।

कविता 15
हक्का बक्का : बच्चों के लिए 15 हिन्दी कविता
Hindi poem for children first published by National Book Trust

गेंद

Mon, 24 May 1999 23:18:32 +0000

उछल
पुछल कर
जाती गेंद।
अच्छी दौड़
लगाती गेंद।
हमको खूब
भगाती गेंद।
यहीं कहीं
छिप जाती गेंद।
सब को खूब
थकाती गेंद।

कविता 11
हक्का बक्का : बच्चों के लिए 15 हिन्दी कविता
Hindi poem for children first published by National Book Trust

रेलचली

Thu, 29 Jul 1999 14:49:08 +0000

रेल चली
भाई, रेल चली।
छुक छुक करती
रेल चली।
पटरी पटरी
रेल चली।
सीटी देती
रेल चली।
नहीं पसिंजर
धीमी सी.
आज हमारी
मेल चली।
रेल चली
भाई रेल चली।

कविता 14
हक्का बक्का : बच्चों के लिए 15 हिन्दी कविता
Hindi poem for children first published by National Book Trust

रेलगाड़ी

Wed, 04 Nov 1998 07:29:49 +0000

आओ बच्चों रेल दिखायें
छुक छुक करती रेल चलायें
सीटी देकर सीट पे बैठो
एक दूजे की पीठ पे बैठो
आगे पीछे, पीछे आगे
लाइन से लेकिन कोई न भागे
सारे सीधी लाइन में चलना
आंखे दोनों नीची रखना
बंद आंखों से देखा जाए
आंख खुली तो कुछ न पाए
आओ बच्चों रेल चलायें
सुनो रे बच्चों, टिकट कटाओ
तुम लोग नहीं आओगे तो
रेलगाड़ी छूट जायेगी
आओ
सब लाइन से खड़े हो जाओ
मुन्नी तुम हो इंजन
ढब्बू तुम हो कोयले का डिब्बा
चुन्नू मुन्नू, लीला शीला
मोहन सोहन, जाधव माधव
सब पैसेन्जर, सब पैसेन्जर
एक, दो – रेलगाड़ी पी…

इल्ली उल्ला

Mon, 03 May 1999 15:47:05 +0000

खा से रसगुल्ला
हमने किया कुल्ला
पानी में उठा बुल्ला
देख रहे मुल्ला
इल्ली उल्ला

बच्चों के लिए हिन्दी कविताएँ
Hindi poem for children

गुड्डा बुड्डा

Tue, 07 Sep 1999 18:59:27 +0000

यह है गुड़िया
यह है गुड्डा
यह है बु्ढ़िया
यह है बुड्ढा।
सोच रही हूं
इक दिन गुड़िया
हो जाएगी ऐसी
बुढ़िया।
हो जाएगा इक दिन बुड्ढ़ा
मेरा प्यारा सा गुड्डा।
गुड़िया बुढ़िया
गुड्डा बुड्ढा।

कविता 13
हक्का बक्का : बच्चों के लिए 15 हिन्दी कविता
First published by National Book Trust

चूं चूं चूं चूं म्याउं म्याउं

Tue, 24 Aug 1999 18:57:55 +0000

चूं चूं चूं चूं चूहा बोले
म्याऊं म्याऊं बिल्ली
ती ती कीरा बोले
झीं झीं झीं झीं झिल्ली
किट किट किट बिस्तुइया बोले
किर किर किर गिलहैरी
तुन तुन तुन इकतारा बोले
पी पी पी पिपहैरी
टन टन टन टन घंटी बोले
ठन ठन ठन्न रूपैया
बछड़ा देखे बां बां बोले
तेरी प्यारी गइया
ठनक ठनक कर तबला बोले
डिम डिम डिम डिम डौंडी
टेढ़ी मेढ़ी बातें बोले
बाबाजी की लौंडी

From Ayodhya Singh Upadhyaya ‘Hariaudh’. First published by National Book Trust

चंपा

Sat, 25 Jul 1998 19:08:19 +0000

मोर बोला,
चंपा, चंपा,
तू अपने चंपा को कपड़े
क्यों नहीं पहनाती
तू भी अजीब है
पोलीएस्टर और नायलोन
डेकोन और टेरीकोट,
मुझे समझाती है
तूने शायद मेरा रूप नहीं देखा,
अरे हां,
तूने अपना रूप देखा ही कहां है
ड्रेस के नीचे अपना सूंदर पेट
कभी देखा है
अपने मोजों के भीतर का पैर
कभी देखा है,
नहीं, चंपा नहीं
उन कपड़ों में सांस घुटती है,
उन कपड़ों में काया सड़ती है,
उन कपड़ों से बू रिसती है।
और फिर,
मेरे नाच का क्या होगा
मेरे ठुमके का क्या होगा
मेरे रंग रूप का क्या होगा
मेरे कुहुक का क्या होगा
मेरे ताज़गी का क्या होगा
हार मानकर चंपा हाथी के पास गई
हाथी दादा, हाथी दादा,
तुम नंगे क्यों घूम रहे हो
चलो, जंगल की बात छोड़ो
लेकिन… तुम तो बाजार
और मंदिर में
राजा की सवारी में भी,
वैसे के वैसे
तुम तो दिखते हो
जैसे मिट्टी का ढेला
तुम किसी से शरमाते नहीं
तुम्हें कोई देख ले तो
एक बात पूछूं
तुम अपटूडेट क्यों नहीं लगते
तुम सफारी सूट टाई तो पहनो
बिना जूते मोजे कैसे बाहर निकला जाए
कैसे हैं मम्मी पापा तुम्हारे
जो तुम्हें कभी नहीं डांटते
हाथी दादा, तुम बुरा न मानो
प्यारे लगते हो तुम मुझको।
तभी तो कहती हूं…
तभी तो कहती हूं…
चंपा बिटिया तू जानती है
इस ढेले को सभी प्यार करते हैं
भारत की धरती मां,
सूरज और चंदा मामा,
गंगा मां और कावेरी मां झाड़ी
और जंगल और सब जीव जंतू।
सभी गले लगाते मूझको,
फिर कपड़ों की ज़रूरतएक बात कहूं तुमसे, सुन
कल टी वी में मैंने गांधीबापू को देखा…
अधखुला शरीर
बिन सिये एक ही कपड़े से ढका,
वे खुद बनाते
अपना कपड़ा
पागल हुआ भारत देश सारा
कताई करने लगे सभी
तुम्हारे मम्मी पापा ने भी
विदेशी कपड़ों की होली जलाई
उन दिनों
इंग्लैंड के राजा हम पर राज करते थे
उन्होंने गांधीबापू को बुला भेजा था…
उन्होंने कहा,
कपड़े बदलकर आओ।
गांधीबापू ने कहा,
जैसा हूं वैसा ही आऊंगा।
राजा को उनकी बात माननी पड़ी
और वे मिले वैसे ही।
गांधीबापू की बातें सोचती
लौटी चंपा घर को…
रास्ते में दो फूल मिले,
साथ लिये दोनों को।
घर आई. गई अपने कमरे में।
दर्पण के सामने हुई खड़ी।
उतार डाले कपड़े सभी
जूते, मोजे, बक्कल भी
लहरिया का एक टुकड़ा
लिया शरीर पर लपेट।
बालों में दो फूल लगाये।
हुई दंग देख, खुद ही खुद को।
अरे मैं तो सुन्दर दिखती हूं।
मेरे पैर और मेरे हाथ,
मेरी गर्दन, मेरे कंधे, सब कुछ।
इतने में मां आ पहुंची।
चंपा बिटिया, क्या हो रहा है
मां, गांधीबापू की तरह
एक कपड़ा लपेटा है।
हाथीदादा ने मुझे
गांधीबापू की बात बताई।
मां, मैं कैसी दिख रही हूं
तुम्हें गांधीबापू की बात याद है
मां ने चंपा को चूम लिया।

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!

ना धिन धिन्ना

Sat, 27 Jan 2001 04:08:46 +0000

ना धिन धिन्ना
पढ़ते हैं मुन्ना
ताता थैया
आ जा भैया
ता थई ता थई
ना भई ना भई
धिरकिट धा तू
सिर मत खा तू
धीं तृक धीना
झटपट रीना
धा-धा-धा-धा
अब क्या होगा
धिरकिट धिरकिट
गिरगिट गिरगिट
धा धीना धीना धीना
वो देखो दीनू बीना
धा धीना नाती नक
भैया गया है थक
धन-धिन्ना धा धिनक
इमली गई है पक
ना तिन्ना तिरकिट तान
कहना तू मेरा मान
धिरकिट धिरकिट धिन
जाऊंगा मैं वहां
तिरकिट तिरकिट तिन ता
चल जा तू झटपट आ
ना तिन तिन्ना ना धिन धिन्ना
बस्ता पटक कर दौड़े मुन्ना
धागे तिरकिट तूना भागे सरपट दीनू
टिल्लू रीना मीना

गोपाल के गाल

Sat, 10 Jun 2000 22:02:51 +0000

गोपाल के गाल
गोलम गोल लालम लाल
रंग सुनहरा आंखें सुंदर
घुंघराले से उसके बाल
छोटा सा वो नटखट भोला
करता कितने कई कमाल
कभी फोड़ वो मटकी देता
कभी हाथ ले बंसी लेता
चोरी माखन की भी करता
रोज़ मचाता कई धमाल
प्यारा फिर भी मीत सभी का
डरता जो वो उसकी ढाल
गोलम गोल लालम लाल
गोपाल के गाल।

बच्चों के लिए हिन्दी कविताएँ
Hindi poem for children

किताबे

Mon, 26 Oct 1998 22:35:49 +0000

किताबे करती हैं बातें
बीते ज़मानों की
दुनियां की इंसानों की
आज की कल की
एक एक पल की
खुशियों की ग़मों की
फूलों की बमों की
जीत की हार की
प्यार की मार की
क्या तुम नहीं सुनोगे
इन किताबों की बातें
किताबें कुछ कहना चाहती हैं
तुम्हारे पास रहना चाहती है
किताबों में चिड़ियां चहचहाती हैं
किताबों में खेतियां लहलहाती हैं
किताबों में झरने गुनगुनाते हैं
परियों के किस्से सुनाते हैं
किताबों में राकेट का राज़ है
किताबों में साइंस की आवाज़ है
किताबों का कितना बड़ा संसार है
किताबों में ज्ञान का भंडार है
क्या तुम इस संसार में नहीं जाना चाहोगे
किताबें कुछ कहना चाहती हैं
तुम्हारे पास रहना चाहती हैं।

काले काले बादल

Fri, 18 Jun 1999 00:24:12 +0000

काले काले बादल
चले चाल तूफानी।
चम चम
चमकी बिजली।
झम झम
बरसा पानी।

कविता 12
हक्का बक्का : बच्चों के लिए 15 हिन्दी कविता
Hindi poem for children first published by National Book Trust

Search

Fri, 01 May 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Site search in partnership with Google

About Pitara.com

Sat, 25 Apr 2020 15:33:13 +0000

Continuously published since August 1998

For almost 25 years (we started in 1998) Pitara has been creating, distributing & licensing multi-cultural content for children to discover the simple joys of learning and exploring.

The beginning:

Over two decades ago, Pitara was started not by an entrepreneur in search of a big business hit, but by a parent trying to solve a personal challenge of finding original kids’ content for his toddler child. Content that was not only ‘fun’ but also in tune with multi-cultural & secular values. Pitara was a by-product of a relationship between a child and a father.

Want to license children’s educational content?

Fri, 24 Apr 2020 15:33:13 +0000

25 years of content development for children

For 25 years Pitara has been creating, distributing & licensing multi-cultural content for children to discover the simple joys of learning and exploring.

Search for content to license by grade level

All our content is graded according to the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Formula. We believe that this makes it easier for parents and educators to identify grade-appropriate content for their children and students. You can search for content to license according to grade appropriateness.

Contact us

Thu, 23 Apr 2020 15:33:13 +0000

Please feel free to contact us for queries, comments or suggestions.

Our People

Wed, 22 Apr 2020 15:33:13 +0000

Pitara Kids Network people — Authors, Contributors, Editors

Over the years many wonderful people have worked with us, influenced us, supported us, and partnered with us. Some have moved on. While others continue to be part of the journey. See a list of all authors we have ever published.

Ajay Jaiman (Founder)

Pitara was founded by Ajay Jaiman in 1998. He led the company through the tumultuous, yet exciting, times of start-up, VC funding, rapid growth and down-time survival, ensuring that, while the ship stayed afloat, the company’s commitment to a safe media environment for children was never compromised. Ajay also runs a digital incubator and web consulting company.

Privacy Policy

Wed, 15 Apr 2020 15:33:13 +0000

We do not use cookies or store your data

We are a static website. We do not use cookies of any sort. However we do partner with Google to monetize our content. But we have specifically set up their services such that they provide you full freedom to accept or deny them (and their partners) the ability to process your personal data on the basis of legitimate interest.

Terms of use

Our terms of use are here

Terms of Use

Wed, 15 Apr 2020 15:33:13 +0000

Welcome to Pitara. All our network sites provide their services to you subject to the following conditions. If you visit any of our network sites, you accept the following conditions. Please read them carefully. In addition, when you use any current or future service(s) (e.g., Friends & Favorites, e-Cards, Honor System) or visit or purchase from any business affiliated with Pitara, whether or not included in any of our Web site you will also be subject to the guidelines and conditions applicable to such service or business.

What is small and sharp and has one eye?

Sun, 26 Dec 2004 23:38:56 +0000

Storm petrels spend their lives far out at sea, but have to come to land to...

Fri, 24 Dec 2004 06:08:53 +0000

Jai: I've got such a bad headache. Nitya: I know ...

Fri, 24 Dec 2004 01:35:11 +0000

Freshly fried fresh flesh.

Thu, 23 Dec 2004 09:15:30 +0000

First dog: I ate a roll of movie film for my lunch...

Thu, 23 Dec 2004 08:01:24 +0000

A baby mouse saw a bat for the first time. He ran ...

Wed, 22 Dec 2004 10:03:01 +0000

Greengrocer: Aren't these apples lovely and rosy? ...

Wed, 22 Dec 2004 08:52:00 +0000

Ritesh: It's gone very quiet in the lounge. Saket...

Tue, 21 Dec 2004 00:22:47 +0000

Every day, a coral grows a new band of limestone on its skeleton. Its rate ...

Sat, 18 Dec 2004 06:53:30 +0000

Charlie: Mom, remember how you always worried that...

Fri, 17 Dec 2004 13:36:30 +0000

What is there a lot of in the Atlantic Ocean?

Mon, 13 Dec 2004 14:18:23 +0000

Temperate climates are thought to be the most pleasant to live in as they d...

Mon, 13 Dec 2004 10:03:56 +0000

Boy: My grandad is still living at 103. Man: Amaz...

Mon, 13 Dec 2004 05:24:54 +0000

What runs but never moves?

Sat, 11 Dec 2004 19:44:44 +0000

A heart patient while being moved to hospital Inte...

Fri, 10 Dec 2004 10:23:45 +0000

Ninety seven percent of all the water on Earth is salty. Only 3 per cent is...

Wed, 08 Dec 2004 17:34:13 +0000

Shruti: 'What did the hotel manager say to the ele...

Wed, 08 Dec 2004 01:57:38 +0000

The deeper under the sea you go, the greater the pressure, that is the weig...

Mon, 06 Dec 2004 20:57:16 +0000

Mother: Now, Dhruv, when you go for dinner at Part...

Sat, 04 Dec 2004 09:39:30 +0000

There is enough water in the atmosphere, that if it all fell as rain at the...

Sat, 04 Dec 2004 05:59:43 +0000

The Cullinan, once the largest uncut diamond, was discovered in South Afric...

Fri, 03 Dec 2004 18:07:02 +0000

Sometimes what children wonder can make us wonder how they wonder such inte...

Fri, 03 Dec 2004 01:43:16 +0000

Rahul: Do you know which queen had the largest cro...

Thu, 02 Dec 2004 12:20:01 +0000

Why are there mirrors on chewing gum machines?

Thu, 02 Dec 2004 05:03:18 +0000

Draw drowsy ducks and drakes.

Wed, 01 Dec 2004 18:55:16 +0000

Teacher: Why are you so late? Boy: I dreamt that ...

Tue, 30 Nov 2004 00:08:04 +0000

What did Robin Hood have when the arrow fired at h...

Sun, 28 Nov 2004 23:29:23 +0000

The crow flew over the river, with a lump of raw liver.

Sun, 28 Nov 2004 19:21:06 +0000

Teacher: 'All those who wish to go to heaven, put ...

Sun, 28 Nov 2004 07:50:25 +0000

Mother: How was school today, Lata?Lata: OK, but o...

Tue, 23 Nov 2004 17:52:41 +0000

Sometimes double rainbows can form. In a single rainbow, red is always at t...

Sat, 20 Nov 2004 07:10:45 +0000

The huge flightless emus of Australia's scrubland may roam hundreds of kilo...

Fri, 19 Nov 2004 12:43:19 +0000

Why are undertakers like true friends?

Fri, 19 Nov 2004 04:12:09 +0000

'Give me a sentence about a public servant', said ...

Thu, 18 Nov 2004 15:45:39 +0000

The ozone layer is a layer of concentrated ozone gas about 24 km (15 miles)...

Mon, 15 Nov 2004 23:51:32 +0000

The earth has more than 600 active volcanoes. Many of them are to be found ...

Mon, 15 Nov 2004 23:28:54 +0000

What is the difference between - a bottle of medic...

Mon, 15 Nov 2004 22:09:18 +0000

'Help, Help. My baby's fallen down the well.' 'Ho...

Mon, 15 Nov 2004 05:59:22 +0000

Hi says Hilda Hippo HappilyHi says Hilda Hippo Happily.

Sun, 14 Nov 2004 20:15:07 +0000

Without clouds and other constituents of the earth's atmosphere, the surfac...

Sat, 13 Nov 2004 12:15:28 +0000

What did the baby corn say to the mother corn?

Wed, 10 Nov 2004 09:45:46 +0000

Can you name the three most important inventions t...

Wed, 10 Nov 2004 01:35:34 +0000

A worried passenger asked the ship's captain: Do s...

Tue, 09 Nov 2004 07:34:03 +0000

Gajram: How did you like the parrot I sent you? S...

Mon, 08 Nov 2004 06:46:12 +0000

About 6 million tonnes of salt is made from the sea every year. This is eno...

Sun, 07 Nov 2004 01:20:30 +0000

How do you join Dracula's fan club?

Sat, 06 Nov 2004 11:41:33 +0000

How do you make an ant out of breath?

Sat, 06 Nov 2004 07:43:05 +0000

Come on, Surabhi, eat your spinach- it'll put colo...

Sat, 30 Oct 2004 18:41:45 +0000

What goes to bed with its shoes on?

Sat, 30 Oct 2004 09:33:27 +0000

Customer: Do you call this a full meal? You served...

Sat, 30 Oct 2004 00:15:53 +0000

Sea cucumbers look harmless but they have a dramatic way of fending off ene...

Thu, 28 Oct 2004 09:59:24 +0000

Grey whales spend the summer feeding in the Arctic. Then they swim south al...

Wed, 27 Oct 2004 07:41:52 +0000

Five fat peas in a pod pressed.

Tue, 26 Oct 2004 00:19:30 +0000

Patient: Oh, I'm really nervous about my heart ope...

Mon, 25 Oct 2004 22:54:56 +0000

The widespread house sparrow was at one time protected by law. It was delib...

Sun, 24 Oct 2004 15:06:55 +0000

Weathering is very slow. The height of some mountains is lowered by about 8...

Sun, 24 Oct 2004 06:47:46 +0000

What has no legs but runs everywhere?

Sat, 23 Oct 2004 23:36:21 +0000

What music does a ghost play?

Thu, 21 Oct 2004 08:20:58 +0000

Bhawana: My Dad beats me every morning. Rakhi: Oh...

Thu, 21 Oct 2004 02:14:40 +0000

Investigator: 'Are you a natural-born citizen of t...

Wed, 20 Oct 2004 10:44:14 +0000

What looks like half a tomato?

Tue, 19 Oct 2004 14:28:52 +0000

Tragedy strategy.

Tue, 19 Oct 2004 00:20:53 +0000

For centuries sailors lost at sea have used clouds to guide them to land. F...

Mon, 18 Oct 2004 22:07:24 +0000

Father: When I was your age I could name all the P...

Sat, 16 Oct 2004 14:08:20 +0000

Karan: What's the best way to start the day? Paru...

Sat, 16 Oct 2004 11:30:24 +0000

What is the opposite of Transister?

Sat, 16 Oct 2004 01:08:03 +0000

Waterwheels were used in Rome over 2,000 years ago to grind corn. Water pow...

Sat, 16 Oct 2004 00:24:43 +0000

What was written on the robot's tombstone?

Fri, 15 Oct 2004 20:25:36 +0000

The first successful submarine was built in the 1620s by a Dutch inventor, ...

Fri, 15 Oct 2004 15:14:35 +0000

Guddo: What’s the date?Chotu: I don’t know, look a...

Thu, 14 Oct 2004 06:03:56 +0000

Mitra: Why is your dog running around in circles? ...

Tue, 12 Oct 2004 22:29:52 +0000

At night, the surface of the Indian Ocean sparkles with light. The light is...

Tue, 12 Oct 2004 08:55:33 +0000

Mum: Come on, Bunty, eat your breakfast and get of...

Mon, 11 Oct 2004 09:52:46 +0000

Father to son: If I give you two cats and four dog...

Sat, 09 Oct 2004 19:19:46 +0000

Geet: What position do you think I play in the foo...

Fri, 08 Oct 2004 05:03:49 +0000

Which fish is also a weapon?

Fri, 08 Oct 2004 00:34:00 +0000

Does he know that we know that he knows.

Thu, 07 Oct 2004 05:27:45 +0000

Bad money mad bunny.

Thu, 07 Oct 2004 02:19:57 +0000

To measure sunshine, weathermen use a Campbell Stokes sunshine recorder. Th...

Wed, 06 Oct 2004 18:58:06 +0000

Husband: This meal's half cold. Wife: Well, eat t...

Wed, 06 Oct 2004 18:32:49 +0000

Any noise annoys an oyster but a noisy noise annoys an oyster more.

Tue, 05 Oct 2004 09:05:37 +0000

What did the boy bat say to the girl bat? I'm abs...

Mon, 04 Oct 2004 16:48:30 +0000

A guide was showing an old lady round a zoo. 'Here...

Sun, 03 Oct 2004 07:58:02 +0000

If all the water in the air fell at the same time, it would fill enough buc...

Sat, 02 Oct 2004 17:17:25 +0000

The light given off by a piece of the Sun's surface the size of a postage s...

Thu, 30 Sep 2004 17:58:34 +0000

Diner: Do you serve lamb?Waiter: I'm sorry, sir, w...

Wed, 29 Sep 2004 17:40:32 +0000

Sea level does not always stay the same. During the last Ice Age, 18,000 ye...

Tue, 28 Sep 2004 15:58:39 +0000

What is the opposite of Antibiotics?

Mon, 27 Sep 2004 05:09:12 +0000

What was the first thing Elizabeth I did when she ...

Sat, 25 Sep 2004 06:41:10 +0000

The soft sand that we sink into on the beach, is actually rock. Sand is wha...

Thu, 23 Sep 2004 04:10:20 +0000

Why was the apple tree crying?

Wed, 22 Sep 2004 18:54:15 +0000

Father: Son you had promised to behave yourself at...

Wed, 22 Sep 2004 11:01:46 +0000

A three-year-old boy went with his dad to see a ne...

Tue, 21 Sep 2004 11:50:37 +0000

What did the hotel manager say to the elephant who...

Tue, 21 Sep 2004 09:45:20 +0000

Selfish shellfish.

Mon, 20 Sep 2004 22:59:04 +0000

Two school children were talking at breaktime: Me...

Mon, 20 Sep 2004 07:21:16 +0000

Ronit: Do you want to come to a party tonight? Raj...

Fri, 17 Sep 2004 06:30:44 +0000

The largest active volcano on Earth is Mauna Loa, in Hawaii. It is 4,168m (...

Thu, 16 Sep 2004 21:16:03 +0000

What did the math book say to the story book? I h...

Tue, 14 Sep 2004 18:55:48 +0000

The Sun gives off huge amounts of deadly radiation, but we are protected fr...

Sun, 12 Sep 2004 01:13:49 +0000

Without the weather to spread the Sun's heat around the world, the Tropics ...

Fri, 10 Sep 2004 13:37:28 +0000

Manoj: 'I always see you with a middle parting in ...

Wed, 08 Sep 2004 13:25:28 +0000

Did you hear about the little boy whose nose was 1...

Tue, 07 Sep 2004 14:55:24 +0000

It goes through an apple, It points out the way, I...

Tue, 07 Sep 2004 05:57:53 +0000

There are no penguins in the Arctic. Penguins are only found south of the e...

Tue, 07 Sep 2004 03:21:10 +0000

Water currents affect the Earth's climate by driving warm water from the Eq...

Mon, 06 Sep 2004 00:05:48 +0000

Karan: What's the difference between a mouse and a...

Sun, 05 Sep 2004 00:48:35 +0000

Aditi: Polu the painter is in trouble for signing ...

Sat, 04 Sep 2004 08:46:02 +0000

What do frogs drink?

Thu, 02 Sep 2004 00:37:19 +0000

Patient: I've had this bad cough all week and it s...

Mon, 30 Aug 2004 13:16:10 +0000

Minerals are graded according to their hardness, on a scale from 1 to 10. T...

Sun, 29 Aug 2004 18:53:43 +0000

The Trans-Alaskan oil pipelines stretches 1,300 km (800 miles) from the Arc...

Sun, 29 Aug 2004 01:10:03 +0000

The first animals tamed and kept for milk and meat were goats and sheep. Bo...

Fri, 27 Aug 2004 03:47:21 +0000

New tenant to landlord: 'Do these stairs take you ...

Wed, 25 Aug 2004 21:15:15 +0000

What walks with head on the ground?

Tue, 24 Aug 2004 12:19:02 +0000

Which letter of the alphabet is wet and salty?

Sat, 21 Aug 2004 14:46:23 +0000

What are the speaking gadgets called that can be f...

Fri, 20 Aug 2004 01:56:00 +0000

Tiny Orangutan Tongues.

Wed, 18 Aug 2004 08:23:27 +0000

The world's first postage stamp was the penny Black, issued in Britain in M...

Tue, 17 Aug 2004 04:16:19 +0000

Girl: That cow is a lovely colour. Farmer: Yes, i...

Mon, 16 Aug 2004 10:12:11 +0000

A man goes to a restaurant for dinner but he doesn...

Sun, 15 Aug 2004 00:59:48 +0000

The fastest growing tree in the world is the Eucalyptus. One tree in New Gu...

Sat, 14 Aug 2004 16:10:50 +0000

Anand: Calculators are a man's best friend. Jay: ...

Sat, 07 Aug 2004 18:22:09 +0000

The Pacific Ocean is three times bigger than Asia, the biggest continent on...

Sat, 07 Aug 2004 07:26:00 +0000

Neighbour: Do you say your prayers every night, Ra...

Wed, 04 Aug 2004 19:21:07 +0000

Joan: Daddy, Father Conran says we are here to hel...

Wed, 04 Aug 2004 14:10:07 +0000

The highest mountain on Earth is not Mount Everest, but Mauna Kea in the Pa...

Wed, 04 Aug 2004 10:27:29 +0000

Why did Krishnan give one of the new boys next doo...

Tue, 03 Aug 2004 14:08:59 +0000

Is there a pleasant peasant present?

Tue, 03 Aug 2004 12:55:23 +0000

Man in hotel room: I think I'll take a shower. Wi...

Tue, 03 Aug 2004 05:18:40 +0000

Why does lightning shock people?

Mon, 02 Aug 2004 20:53:38 +0000

What's black and white and goes round and round?

Mon, 02 Aug 2004 14:28:10 +0000

Why do you have to go to bed?

Sun, 01 Aug 2004 08:41:21 +0000

There are about 16 million thunderstorms a year throughout the world. Above...

Sat, 31 Jul 2004 12:32:57 +0000

What have a preacher and a tennis player got in co...

Fri, 30 Jul 2004 12:45:41 +0000

Arvind: How do you manage to catch fish at night? ...

Fri, 30 Jul 2004 08:44:09 +0000

What's the worst kind of driving school?

Wed, 28 Jul 2004 17:51:34 +0000

When everyone sleeps its awake, Blindness does no...

Mon, 26 Jul 2004 22:10:35 +0000

What goes smaller when you turn it upside down?

Sun, 25 Jul 2004 04:12:06 +0000

The smallest professional theatre in the world is to be found in Hamburg, G...

Sat, 24 Jul 2004 06:43:35 +0000

Why did the little boy ask his father to sit on th...

Fri, 23 Jul 2004 20:17:48 +0000

Ninety-six per cent of salt water is pure water. There is 3 per cent common...

Mon, 19 Jul 2004 09:47:45 +0000

Monica: Has your sister had her baby yet?Ruchika: ...

Fri, 16 Jul 2004 20:09:17 +0000

'Aren't you the brave young man who tried to save ...

Thu, 15 Jul 2004 23:56:15 +0000

Nippy: I was in hot water last night. Annu: It do...

Thu, 15 Jul 2004 06:44:48 +0000

Little Sonia was shouting her prayers:. 'Please Go...

Wed, 14 Jul 2004 07:53:35 +0000

The highest sea cliffs are on the north coast of Moloka'i, Hawaii - a tower...

Tue, 13 Jul 2004 10:11:51 +0000

Which bird likes to eat sawdust?

Mon, 12 Jul 2004 07:56:45 +0000

'I have read your essay about your house,' scowled...

Fri, 09 Jul 2004 00:55:19 +0000

What room has no floor, ceiling, windows or doors?

Tue, 06 Jul 2004 05:26:49 +0000

A wind that blows as fast as the fastest man can run (43 kmph/27 mph), is o...

Mon, 05 Jul 2004 22:51:29 +0000

I stayed on a farm and one day a chicken died. So ...

Sun, 04 Jul 2004 04:34:42 +0000

How did the firefly feel after flying into the fan...

Sat, 03 Jul 2004 15:15:47 +0000

If divers surface too quickly after a dive, they may suffer from what are c...

Sat, 03 Jul 2004 09:03:48 +0000

Rina: How many children have you got?Ameena: Two b...

Tue, 29 Jun 2004 02:54:09 +0000

Teacher: If we breathe oxygen in the daytime, what...

Mon, 28 Jun 2004 20:51:33 +0000

What do you call seaside spooks?

Mon, 28 Jun 2004 18:55:12 +0000

Which is the largest pan in the world?

Sat, 26 Jun 2004 15:09:05 +0000

A change in climate may have been the reason for dinosaurs becoming extinct...

Sun, 20 Jun 2004 16:05:06 +0000

Maya had just got a new telephone connection. But ...

Sun, 20 Jun 2004 12:24:33 +0000

Father to six year old son: A big boy like you sho...

Sat, 19 Jun 2004 16:06:09 +0000

What happens when it rains cats and dogs? You ste...

Sat, 19 Jun 2004 15:05:45 +0000

What has a neck but cannot swallow?

Thu, 17 Jun 2004 17:25:23 +0000

What did the traffic light say to the driver? Don'...

Mon, 14 Jun 2004 06:13:11 +0000

At least 75 per cent of all the fres hwater on Earth is deep frozen inside g...

Sun, 13 Jun 2004 03:19:18 +0000

What did one lift say to the other lift?

Sun, 13 Jun 2004 00:34:00 +0000

Baby Camel: Mum, why do we have such a huge hump? ...

Wed, 09 Jun 2004 17:44:55 +0000

What do farmers and gardeners grow at the same tim...

Mon, 07 Jun 2004 12:10:48 +0000

What is the difference between a forged rupee note...

Mon, 07 Jun 2004 11:25:15 +0000

Ice made of salt water does not contain any salt. That is the biggest relie...

Mon, 07 Jun 2004 00:18:49 +0000

Anshu: 'Doctor, I always feel dizzy for half an ho...

Fri, 04 Jun 2004 16:29:39 +0000

Not all rivers end up in an ocean. The rivers flowing south from the Tassil...

Thu, 03 Jun 2004 23:55:36 +0000

Visitor: What are you going to be when you grow up...

Thu, 03 Jun 2004 22:45:22 +0000

Preshrunk silk shirts.

Thu, 03 Jun 2004 05:01:05 +0000

Sound can travel through water at 1,507 m (4,945 ft) a second. That is abou...

Wed, 02 Jun 2004 15:36:18 +0000

Regular diner to waiter: 'Waiter, this piece of fi...

Tue, 01 Jun 2004 18:20:40 +0000

Education would be so much more effective if its purpose were to ensure that by ...

Tue, 01 Jun 2004 09:34:56 +0000

Sir William Haley

The Earth formed some 4,600 million years ago. Soon afterwards, the early o...

Sun, 30 May 2004 18:22:16 +0000

Most people exhibit what political scientists call the conservatism of the peasa...

Fri, 28 May 2004 12:25:47 +0000

David Lammers

Parul: How did you get that black eye? Pranav: The...

Fri, 28 May 2004 04:46:02 +0000

Out of all the fish caught in the world, about three quaters are eaten as f...

Tue, 25 May 2004 02:16:16 +0000

A Polynesian legend tells how the world was created in a gaint clam. At fir...

Sun, 23 May 2004 04:10:34 +0000

What kind of bees do you find in a graveyard? Zom...

Sat, 22 May 2004 08:55:45 +0000

Seashell can be found in rocks high up on some mountains, such as the Apenn...

Fri, 21 May 2004 13:24:29 +0000

Eric: Why can't a bicycle stand up by itself? Der...

Thu, 20 May 2004 07:09:23 +0000

But I have seen the science I worshiped and the airplane I loved destroying the ...

Wed, 19 May 2004 16:20:48 +0000

Charles A. Lindbergh, Jr.

What do people search carefully for, then get upse...

Wed, 19 May 2004 10:37:47 +0000

Once upon a barren moor There dwelt a bear, also a boar.The bear could not ...

Wed, 19 May 2004 05:37:07 +0000

Husband: 'Neither the chicken nor the cake is cook...

Tue, 18 May 2004 19:48:28 +0000

Little boy: My daddy's a Branch Manager. Old lady...

Mon, 17 May 2004 23:40:00 +0000

The great auk is one of the many sea animals that have become extinct. It u...

Mon, 17 May 2004 02:49:16 +0000

School Doctor: Do you ever have trouble with your ...

Sun, 16 May 2004 18:22:36 +0000

The Moon takes just over 27 days to travel round the Earth. It always keeps...

Sun, 16 May 2004 18:06:50 +0000

If all the enery from one hurricane in a single day could be converted into...

Sun, 16 May 2004 09:17:31 +0000

Big Billy, who had a big belly was also a big bully.

Wed, 12 May 2004 08:24:54 +0000

Lady: Your boots look quite worn out. Tramp: Worn...

Tue, 11 May 2004 14:12:55 +0000

If your efforts are sometimes greeted with indifference, don't lose heart. The s...

Sun, 09 May 2004 10:04:50 +0000

Ada Teixeira

When can you eat soap?

Sat, 08 May 2004 17:04:13 +0000

Secretary: I'm afraid the manager won't be able to...

Sat, 08 May 2004 13:21:47 +0000

Where did Dr. Jekyll find his best friend? In Hyde...

Fri, 07 May 2004 15:10:21 +0000

What can travel all round the country without movi...

Fri, 07 May 2004 06:24:50 +0000

The largest wheatfield, in Alberta, Canada, covered an area of 142 sq km (5...

Wed, 05 May 2004 23:55:25 +0000

One-tenth of the Earth's surface is always under the cover of ice. And almo...

Mon, 03 May 2004 20:28:10 +0000

I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.

Thu, 29 Apr 2004 12:06:28 +0000

Mark Twain (1835-1910)

Nitya: My car has concealed headlights and an S-sh...

Wed, 28 Apr 2004 10:27:27 +0000

Man: I need a holiday, the pressure is beginning t...

Mon, 26 Apr 2004 08:43:08 +0000

Customer: How much are the birds for?Girl in the p...

Sun, 25 Apr 2004 12:17:44 +0000

One day, a hungry and sad-looking man walked into ...

Sun, 25 Apr 2004 10:21:10 +0000

I am beginning to suspect all elaborate and special systems of education. They s...

Sat, 24 Apr 2004 05:13:17 +0000

Anne Sullivan

Why did Snoopy quit the comic strip?

Wed, 21 Apr 2004 07:22:25 +0000

What do you call a disastrous cat?

Tue, 20 Apr 2004 13:13:27 +0000

Teacher: Can I have your homework, Sumangal? Suma...

Tue, 20 Apr 2004 02:57:55 +0000

What do young geese suffer with?

Mon, 19 Apr 2004 03:33:27 +0000

Next to being shot at and missed, nothing is really quite as satisfying as an in...

Sat, 17 Apr 2004 16:07:14 +0000

F. J. Raymond

Why shouldn't you tell a joke while ice-skating?

Thu, 15 Apr 2004 16:04:31 +0000

Son: 'Father, I want to talk to you about changing...

Thu, 15 Apr 2004 11:33:30 +0000

Just one square centimetre of the Sun's surface shines with the brightness ...

Tue, 13 Apr 2004 20:29:34 +0000

What's the best cure for rheumatism in the hip?

Tue, 13 Apr 2004 19:49:47 +0000

The Portuguese man-of-war belongs to a group of jelly-like animals called s...

Mon, 12 Apr 2004 23:25:03 +0000

Guillemots live in huge, crowded colonies of over 140,000 birds. They do no...

Mon, 12 Apr 2004 22:50:53 +0000

What kind of a car does an egg drive? A Yolkswago...

Mon, 12 Apr 2004 16:05:32 +0000

Church minister: Do you say a little prayer before...

Mon, 12 Apr 2004 10:19:14 +0000

Diner: Waiter, I asked for a meat salad, there's n...

Sun, 11 Apr 2004 17:19:54 +0000

As long as mankind shall continue to bestow more liberal applause on their destr...

Sun, 11 Apr 2004 05:40:00 +0000

Edward Gibbon

It's as big as an apple, but an apple it's not. L...

Sat, 10 Apr 2004 08:21:31 +0000

What can run and whistle, but can't walk or talk?

Sat, 10 Apr 2004 03:37:31 +0000

Meeta: My auntie thinks I'm a piece of fruit. Nid...

Fri, 09 Apr 2004 22:50:24 +0000

A panicked passenger in the Titanic: Captain, How...

Fri, 09 Apr 2004 17:56:40 +0000

Always do right - this will gratify some and astonish the rest.

Wed, 07 Apr 2004 02:28:07 +0000

Mark Twain (18351910)

About 2,500 million people, half the world's population, use wood for cooki...

Tue, 06 Apr 2004 22:17:02 +0000

Old Sailor: Once, when I was shipwrecked, I had to...

Tue, 06 Apr 2004 20:48:24 +0000

Imagination is the one weapon in the war against reality.

Tue, 06 Apr 2004 09:56:16 +0000

Jules de Gaultier

Almost a million earthquakes occur in one year. Of these, a large earthquak...

Mon, 05 Apr 2004 16:38:55 +0000

Here on Earth it's always true, that a day follow...

Mon, 05 Apr 2004 08:18:20 +0000

Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value.

Sat, 03 Apr 2004 05:56:43 +0000

Albert Einstein

Bouvet Island in the South Atlantic is the world's most isolated island. It...

Thu, 01 Apr 2004 09:30:16 +0000

How can you fit a ten page article about milk into...

Wed, 31 Mar 2004 17:25:13 +0000

Gaurav: I'm reading a very stirring book at the mo...

Wed, 31 Mar 2004 07:02:10 +0000

What did the pig say when the man got him by the t...

Tue, 30 Mar 2004 08:33:11 +0000

Why is a traffic policeman the strongest man in th...

Tue, 30 Mar 2004 06:33:09 +0000

About 75 per cent of all wild birds die before they are six months old. Mil...

Tue, 30 Mar 2004 04:48:10 +0000

Man: I hate paying taxes. Lady: A good citizen sh...

Sat, 27 Mar 2004 01:42:16 +0000

A man visited his doctor with a broken leg. He ask...

Fri, 26 Mar 2004 16:25:41 +0000

Subramaniam: 'How much after midnight is it?' Ven...

Fri, 26 Mar 2004 00:14:18 +0000

What did the fish say when it swam into a wall?

Tue, 23 Mar 2004 18:03:18 +0000

There is no land at the North Pole - it is a floating raft of ice. In 1958...

Tue, 23 Mar 2004 17:54:27 +0000

What occurs once in a minute, twice in a moment bu...

Tue, 23 Mar 2004 10:43:30 +0000

Teacher to pupil: Why are you only wearing one glo...

Tue, 23 Mar 2004 04:51:33 +0000

Who earns his living without doing a day's work?

Sat, 20 Mar 2004 11:36:48 +0000

When can't you eat an orange?

Tue, 16 Mar 2004 06:21:41 +0000

What did the older chimney say to the younger one?

Sat, 13 Mar 2004 13:39:24 +0000

What's the longest day of the week?

Fri, 12 Mar 2004 17:00:52 +0000

What kind of can never needs a can-opener?

Wed, 10 Mar 2004 17:46:20 +0000

There's no point in being grown up if you can't be childish sometimes.

Wed, 10 Mar 2004 08:28:44 +0000

Dr. Who

Gappu: Ha, ha! Nippi: What's so funny? Gappu: Well...

Wed, 10 Mar 2004 03:15:54 +0000

Earthquakes under the sea can trigger off great avalanches of mud and sand....

Tue, 09 Mar 2004 05:44:58 +0000

Rishi: Two from five equals one. Teacher: Now you...

Mon, 08 Mar 2004 19:41:29 +0000

Teacher : Why is the sky so high? Student: So tha...

Mon, 08 Mar 2004 15:11:19 +0000

Why are fish such poor tennis players?

Mon, 08 Mar 2004 13:15:35 +0000

I am entirely certain that twenty years from now we will look back at education ...

Thu, 04 Mar 2004 20:21:12 +0000

John W. Gardner

Q: What did the tablecloth say to the table? A: D...

Wed, 03 Mar 2004 23:20:52 +0000

An Ape hates grape cakes.

Wed, 03 Mar 2004 19:35:04 +0000

If you could weigh all the water that falls on a single acre of land during...

Mon, 01 Mar 2004 16:29:19 +0000

Q: Why did the show-off throw a bucket of water ou...

Sun, 29 Feb 2004 03:39:51 +0000

Tara: 'How would you describe a lazy bones?' Ajay...

Sat, 28 Feb 2004 14:11:14 +0000

Teacher: Your handwriting is dreadful, Kamal. You ...

Fri, 27 Feb 2004 20:09:22 +0000

Which is used only when broken?

Fri, 27 Feb 2004 18:08:44 +0000

What do you get if you milk a cow after an earthqu...

Thu, 26 Feb 2004 08:30:13 +0000

Little girl: We're going to name my new baby broth...

Mon, 23 Feb 2004 12:54:03 +0000

In science it often happens that scientists say, You know that's a really good a...

Sat, 21 Feb 2004 10:19:16 +0000

Carl Sagan

Good blood, bad blood.

Sat, 21 Feb 2004 03:30:45 +0000

Sujata: I want to see that new film in town, but I...

Thu, 19 Feb 2004 21:39:29 +0000

Pawan: What would you like to drink? Shikha: Ale, ...

Thu, 19 Feb 2004 12:20:32 +0000

Landlady: I charge Rs.100 a night, Rs.50, if you m...

Wed, 18 Feb 2004 07:50:37 +0000

Deep-sea prawns are often bright red in colour. They use the red colour as ...

Wed, 18 Feb 2004 02:22:52 +0000

In one scene of a film, an actor had to act out a ...

Tue, 17 Feb 2004 10:29:33 +0000

Teacher: There is no difficulty in the world we ca...

Thu, 12 Feb 2004 20:58:57 +0000

At the recent Olympics, a man was walking throught...

Thu, 12 Feb 2004 01:46:25 +0000

John is teaching his parrot to talk. 'Repeat afte...

Wed, 11 Feb 2004 05:11:49 +0000

He has a look of awful scorn, And wears his cloth...

Wed, 11 Feb 2004 01:29:53 +0000

Why are boats and shops alike?

Tue, 10 Feb 2004 13:57:07 +0000

Saturn is the second biggest planet in the Solar System and it is 95 times ...

Mon, 09 Feb 2004 09:41:25 +0000

Fred fed Ted bread, and Ted fed Fred bread.

Mon, 09 Feb 2004 00:06:28 +0000

Why do leopards never escape from the zoo?

Sun, 08 Feb 2004 18:18:07 +0000

Ravi: Manoj, the doctor is here. Do you want to se...

Sun, 08 Feb 2004 11:20:52 +0000

Pea crabs are the smallest crabs in the world. They live and feed inside th...

Sun, 08 Feb 2004 02:59:56 +0000

What did the traffic light say to the people?

Sat, 07 Feb 2004 21:18:56 +0000

In the northern hemisphere, winds flow from west to east. This means that a...

Fri, 06 Feb 2004 03:13:26 +0000

Akshay: 'Can you tell me where a sheep gets its ha...

Thu, 05 Feb 2004 04:06:43 +0000

Agent: So you're a four-piece band, are you? Musi...

Thu, 05 Feb 2004 02:04:27 +0000

What gets older, but doesn't age?

Tue, 03 Feb 2004 23:21:47 +0000

Esha: An apple comes under fruit, a cauliflower co...

Tue, 03 Feb 2004 22:21:35 +0000

What is the difference between- an orchestral cond...

Tue, 03 Feb 2004 16:06:35 +0000

The light reaching us now from our nearest star, set off over four years ag...

Tue, 03 Feb 2004 13:45:56 +0000

The sign in front of the cemetery read: Because of...

Tue, 03 Feb 2004 10:30:15 +0000

The amount of protein produced from a field of soya beans is 13 times great...

Mon, 02 Feb 2004 08:08:18 +0000

Patient: Doctor, I keep thinking I'm a bell. Doct...

Thu, 29 Jan 2004 22:20:27 +0000

They can trickle down, they can tickle too. Make ...

Wed, 28 Jan 2004 21:45:22 +0000

Sanju: My brother walked over water the other day....

Wed, 28 Jan 2004 02:13:02 +0000

Children are apt to live up to what you believe of them.

Sun, 25 Jan 2004 22:37:00 +0000

Lady Bird Johnson

How can you tell when there's an elephant under th...

Sun, 25 Jan 2004 18:03:21 +0000

Schoolgirl: Do you think anyone can predict the fu...

Sat, 24 Jan 2004 16:35:51 +0000

Pinku: My dad says I've got to go out and earn my ...

Thu, 22 Jan 2004 11:51:51 +0000

What do you do if you get a blue banana?

Sun, 18 Jan 2004 19:13:16 +0000

What would you call a small wound?

Sat, 17 Jan 2004 09:41:30 +0000

The first motorcycle was designed and built by the firm of Michaux-Perreaux...

Fri, 16 Jan 2004 14:31:21 +0000

Examining a check presented to him by a woman for ...

Tue, 13 Jan 2004 04:16:09 +0000

What is the difference between the Prince of Wales...

Mon, 12 Jan 2004 18:07:35 +0000

Kishor: Swimming is very slimming, you know. Kani...

Mon, 12 Jan 2004 03:37:49 +0000

The more people have studied different methods of bringing up children the more ...

Mon, 12 Jan 2004 03:16:14 +0000

Benjamin Spock

How many cuckoos could a good cook cook, if a cook could cook cuckoos.

Sun, 11 Jan 2004 22:50:35 +0000

What is Winnie the Pooh's middle name?

Wed, 07 Jan 2004 16:27:23 +0000

Where do robots fight?

Wed, 07 Jan 2004 06:59:51 +0000

A special substance found in the scales of some fish (especially herrings) ...

Tue, 06 Jan 2004 19:38:01 +0000

Mix, Miss Mix!

Tue, 06 Jan 2004 04:49:56 +0000

Patriotism is the willingness to kill and be killed for trivial reasons.

Mon, 05 Jan 2004 12:34:58 +0000

Bertrand Russell

When a mother saw a thunderstorm forming in mid-af...

Sun, 04 Jan 2004 23:49:53 +0000

Why is the sun the same as rain?

Sun, 04 Jan 2004 20:32:40 +0000

A walrus has about 700 hairs on its snout. Each hair is about 3 mm (0.1 in)...

Sun, 04 Jan 2004 07:21:46 +0000

Just one part oil per million parts water will make drinking water smell an...

Sun, 04 Jan 2004 00:49:01 +0000

What will always support you when everyone else le...

Sat, 03 Jan 2004 14:23:04 +0000

Metal pipes often burst when the water inside them turns to ice. This is be...

Sat, 03 Jan 2004 08:17:40 +0000

A man and his dog sat in a movie hall, both enjoyi...

Fri, 02 Jan 2004 23:41:31 +0000

'Is ink very expensive, Dad?' 'No, son, what make...

Fri, 02 Jan 2004 20:14:18 +0000

Doctor to patient: You're suffering from loss of m...

Fri, 02 Jan 2004 14:37:24 +0000

What pets make the most noise?

Fri, 02 Jan 2004 04:01:46 +0000

What do you call an elephant that flies?

Tue, 30 Dec 2003 01:33:24 +0000

Q: Why did the moron take a bicycle to bed?
...

Wed, 24 Dec 2003 08:30:10 +0000

Shelter for six sick scenic sightseers.

Mon, 22 Dec 2003 02:26:51 +0000

Truly rural.

Wed, 17 Dec 2003 13:45:10 +0000

What did the dog say to the flea?

Sat, 13 Dec 2003 23:30:44 +0000

On mules we find two legs behind and two we find before. We stand behind ...

Fri, 12 Dec 2003 10:14:46 +0000

'The school is on fire!' shouted a passing motori...

Tue, 09 Dec 2003 09:14:47 +0000

I thought a thought. But the thought I thought wasn't the thought I thoug...

Sat, 06 Dec 2003 10:08:41 +0000

Be yourself. The world worships the original.

Sat, 06 Dec 2003 01:55:11 +0000

Ingrid Bergman

What did the jelly say when it was ill?

Fri, 05 Dec 2003 02:22:05 +0000

What is the difference between a wrestler and a ma...

Tue, 25 Nov 2003 02:00:13 +0000

Crisp crusts crackle crunchily.

Sun, 23 Nov 2003 15:58:24 +0000

Adults are obsolete children.

Thu, 13 Nov 2003 06:23:20 +0000

Dr. Seuss

Be careful of reading health books, you might die of a misprint

Sun, 09 Nov 2003 23:24:34 +0000

Mark Twain

Do not handicap your children by making their lives easy.

Sun, 09 Nov 2003 16:03:22 +0000

Lazarus Long

The first person to claim that the Earth revolves round the Sun was a Greek...

Wed, 05 Nov 2003 22:21:25 +0000

The blue bluebird blinks.

Wed, 05 Nov 2003 18:44:41 +0000

Interstellar matter is much thinner than the air we breathe on Earth. A cup...

Mon, 03 Nov 2003 02:35:16 +0000

What is the difference between the rear light of a...

Sun, 02 Nov 2003 20:57:29 +0000

Birds bathe in water or dust to help keep clean and get relief from irritat...

Thu, 30 Oct 2003 04:14:39 +0000

What is an archaeologist?

Tue, 28 Oct 2003 08:29:28 +0000

As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain; and as...

Fri, 24 Oct 2003 18:22:20 +0000

Albert Einstein

Nit: Haven't I seen your face somewhere else? Wit...

Thu, 23 Oct 2003 14:36:53 +0000

Almost half the world's bird species are found in the tropical forests of S...

Tue, 21 Oct 2003 08:13:33 +0000

Chemistry teacher: Can anyone name a deadly poison...

Sun, 19 Oct 2003 01:41:51 +0000

Meteors burn up in the atmosphere and filter down to Earth as dust. The tot...

Sat, 18 Oct 2003 07:36:22 +0000

If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears ...

Tue, 14 Oct 2003 22:38:10 +0000

Henry David Thoreau

Lipi: I've changed my mind. Nita: Thank goodness....

Fri, 10 Oct 2003 17:47:48 +0000

While we were walking, we were watching window washers wash Washington's w...

Sat, 27 Sep 2003 09:26:12 +0000

Men fear thought as they fear nothing else on earth, more than ruin, more even t...

Fri, 26 Sep 2003 19:22:19 +0000

Bertrand Russell

Some radio telescopes, known as interferometers, consist of two or more med...

Tue, 23 Sep 2003 21:54:41 +0000

The book is closed, the year is done, The pages full of tasks begun. A little jo...

Sun, 21 Sep 2003 20:09:05 +0000

Unknown

Thieves seize skis.

Sun, 21 Sep 2003 19:02:03 +0000

What can you serve but not eat?

Sat, 20 Sep 2003 08:10:55 +0000

First thief: Quick, the police is coming -- jump o...

Sat, 20 Sep 2003 00:49:26 +0000

The sunday school teacher asked softly: 'Who led t...

Fri, 29 Aug 2003 17:07:06 +0000

Ed had edited it.

Wed, 20 Aug 2003 07:26:28 +0000

Teacher: If you had Rs. 50 and you asked your fath...

Mon, 18 Aug 2003 18:58:40 +0000

Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant m...

Fri, 15 Aug 2003 22:35:50 +0000

Martin Luther

In space, far from the pull of gravity of planets, objects have no weight. ...

Fri, 08 Aug 2003 20:51:31 +0000

The familiar call of the cackoo in Europe is made only by the male bird. Al...

Wed, 06 Aug 2003 07:14:00 +0000

How did the prisoner see through the thick walls o...

Wed, 30 Jul 2003 04:37:07 +0000

Sarah saw a shot-silk sash shop full of shot-silk sashes as the sunshine s...

Tue, 29 Jul 2003 04:17:17 +0000

A nova (meaning 'new star') is a star that suddenly flares up to be many ti...

Sat, 26 Jul 2003 02:30:28 +0000

What do you call a comic with legs?

Wed, 02 Jul 2003 20:18:36 +0000

What kind of combs do bees use?

Wed, 18 Jun 2003 00:09:50 +0000

Normally, children learn to gauge rather accurately from the tone of their paren...

Mon, 16 Jun 2003 12:24:23 +0000

Louis Kaplan

If one doctor doctors another doctor, does the doctor who doctors the docto...

Tue, 10 Jun 2003 01:48:55 +0000

The first living creature in space was a dog called Laika, launched in a sp...

Sat, 07 Jun 2003 02:25:00 +0000

The teacher examined the geometry papers of the 10...

Sat, 24 May 2003 16:40:08 +0000

Nitish: Is your house warm? Sheena: It should be....

Wed, 21 May 2003 10:48:54 +0000

To talk to a child, to fascinate him, is much more difficult than to win an elec...

Wed, 21 May 2003 00:20:06 +0000

Colette

Swan swam over the sea, Swim, swan, swim! Swan swam back again Well swum...

Mon, 12 May 2003 13:50:12 +0000

Chintoo's mother told him to get out of the house ...

Sun, 11 May 2003 15:54:32 +0000

The longest name for any star is 'Shurnarkabtishashutu', the Arabic for 'un...

Fri, 09 May 2003 11:30:25 +0000

Brad's big black bath brush broke.

Thu, 01 May 2003 13:40:19 +0000

Galaxies are found in groups or clusters. Many clusters of galaxier are kno...

Sat, 26 Apr 2003 07:58:07 +0000

She sifted thistles through her thistle-sifter.

Sun, 20 Apr 2003 11:24:54 +0000

The young do not know enough to be prudent, and therefore they attempt the impos...

Sat, 12 Apr 2003 16:13:40 +0000

Pearl S. Buck

If fish lived on land, which country would they li...

Tue, 08 Apr 2003 18:38:37 +0000

Betty and Bob brought back blue balloons from the big bazaar.

Fri, 04 Apr 2003 00:36:20 +0000

Which animal needs oiling?

Thu, 20 Mar 2003 17:59:47 +0000

Son: 'Dad, give me twenty-five paise.' Father: 'S...

Fri, 14 Mar 2003 18:35:18 +0000

I think that maybe if women and children were in charge we would get somewhere.

Wed, 05 Mar 2003 03:46:25 +0000

James Thurber

The only moral lesson which is suited for a child, the most important lesson for...

Sun, 23 Feb 2003 01:54:51 +0000

Denis Breeze

The trouble with being punctual is that nobody's there to appreciate it.

Sat, 22 Feb 2003 12:34:41 +0000

Franklin P. Jones

Many parent birds use other birds without young ones to help feed their chi...

Wed, 12 Feb 2003 12:54:31 +0000

What is the difference between a hungry man and a ...

Tue, 11 Feb 2003 23:06:11 +0000

Mother: 'Why so low marks.' Sonu: 'This is the hi...

Tue, 04 Feb 2003 04:17:07 +0000

A new idea is delicate. It can be killed by a sneer or a yawn; it can be stabbed...

Mon, 03 Feb 2003 01:39:50 +0000

Charlie Brower

Teacher: 'Have any of your childhood hopes been re...

Tue, 28 Jan 2003 10:06:58 +0000

Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen.

Mon, 27 Jan 2003 22:13:18 +0000

Albert Einstein

Government spending? I don't know what it's all about. I don't know any more abo...

Fri, 24 Jan 2003 13:44:09 +0000

Will Rogers

Anita What are you doing? Raghav: I've just paint...

Thu, 23 Jan 2003 19:54:12 +0000

The word galaxy comes from the Greek word for milk, 'gala'. The Ancient Gre...

Sat, 18 Jan 2003 13:56:35 +0000

Why does a dog wag his tail?

Wed, 15 Jan 2003 16:25:55 +0000

A place you want to get to is always just off the edge of the map you happen to ...

Tue, 07 Jan 2003 10:49:39 +0000

Denys Parsons

A person on Neptune would never live for one Nepune year. The Neptune year ...

Thu, 02 Jan 2003 03:47:39 +0000

What is the difference between an engine driver an...

Wed, 01 Jan 2003 10:59:38 +0000

Q: Why are fish well educated? A: Because they tr...

Mon, 23 Dec 2002 02:04:02 +0000

Because of their courage, their lack of fear, they (creative people) are willing...

Sat, 21 Dec 2002 18:32:38 +0000

Frank Goble

If two's company and three's a crowd, what is four...

Sat, 21 Dec 2002 16:03:51 +0000

What is the difference between a donkey and a post...

Sat, 21 Dec 2002 01:33:44 +0000

Q: What has one horn and gives milk? A: A milk lo...

Mon, 16 Dec 2002 20:33:34 +0000

Before the test began, Ravi raised his hand. 'Yes...

Mon, 16 Dec 2002 16:04:12 +0000

Heroism on command, senseless violence, and all the loathsome nonsense that goes...

Mon, 16 Dec 2002 10:58:42 +0000

Albert Einstein

Priya: Can you tell why two elephants cannot swim ...

Sat, 14 Dec 2002 17:49:17 +0000

Lancy had it first. Anil had it last. Boys never ...

Sun, 08 Dec 2002 12:48:33 +0000

The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, ...

Sat, 07 Dec 2002 00:21:08 +0000

Alvin Toffler

Prashant: I see you are invited to Chunchun's part...

Fri, 22 Nov 2002 02:46:26 +0000

Depend on no man, on no friend, but him who can depend on himself. He only who a...

Fri, 15 Nov 2002 18:40:00 +0000

Lavater

When two prairie dogs meet, they exchange a sort of 'kiss' to find out if t...

Wed, 06 Nov 2002 05:12:09 +0000

Q: Why did the apple cry? A: Because his mother i...

Mon, 04 Nov 2002 04:31:34 +0000

I slit the sheet, the sheet I slit, and on the slitted sheet I sit.

Sat, 02 Nov 2002 01:09:32 +0000

As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain; and as...

Wed, 30 Oct 2002 05:51:17 +0000

Albert Einstein

The aging process has you firmly in its grasp if you never get the urge to throw...

Sun, 27 Oct 2002 02:47:20 +0000

Doug Larson

Elephants eat up to half a tonne of plant food a day. They have 24 teeth fo...

Sat, 26 Oct 2002 20:58:57 +0000

Mohit: What kind of dog is that? Nitin: It's a po...

Thu, 24 Oct 2002 20:48:27 +0000

Father: I see from your school report that you are...

Sun, 20 Oct 2002 18:14:50 +0000

Why is a calendar sad?

Fri, 18 Oct 2002 06:50:11 +0000

A man walks into a pet shop and selects a dog. The...

Wed, 16 Oct 2002 10:47:51 +0000

Why is an empty purse always the same?

Mon, 14 Oct 2002 05:03:38 +0000

All mammals breathe air. The distant ancestors of mammals were fish and mam...

Sat, 12 Oct 2002 20:57:03 +0000

Rajesh, who lives in the city, asks a farmer: 'Why...

Sat, 12 Oct 2002 03:07:22 +0000

Why are movie stars always cool?

Sun, 06 Oct 2002 18:39:54 +0000

About 5,000 years ago, the Sahara desert was covered with rich grassland an...

Sun, 06 Oct 2002 00:12:32 +0000

Bewick's swans have black and yellow faces but each one has a unique patter...

Fri, 04 Oct 2002 14:54:52 +0000

Be Yourself. Who else is better qualified?

Thu, 26 Sep 2002 11:44:19 +0000

Frank J. Giblin II

Six sharp smart sharks.

Sun, 22 Sep 2002 10:01:37 +0000

Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in a...

Sun, 22 Sep 2002 02:32:58 +0000

Buddha

What a shame, such a shapely sash, should such shabby stitches show.

Fri, 20 Sep 2002 23:30:59 +0000

How did the sailors know there was a man in the mo...

Fri, 20 Sep 2002 06:09:52 +0000

Macaques living high up in the mountains of northern Japan have to cope wit...

Sat, 07 Sep 2002 13:31:13 +0000

The instinct of nearly all societies is to lock up anybody who is truly free. Fi...

Thu, 05 Sep 2002 00:21:52 +0000

Jean Cocteau (1889 - 1963)

Organic life, we are told, has developed gradually from the protozoon to the phi...

Wed, 04 Sep 2002 23:32:52 +0000

Bertrand Russell

Which is the highest building in Delhi?

Mon, 02 Sep 2002 16:03:03 +0000

If at first you don't succeed, blame it on the teacher.

Sat, 31 Aug 2002 02:04:52 +0000

Stacey Bass

How can you make a cigarette lighter?

Thu, 29 Aug 2002 01:24:38 +0000

Better to be driven out from among men than to be disliked of children.

Mon, 26 Aug 2002 08:03:06 +0000

Richard H. Dana

Never go to a doctor whose office plants have died.

Sun, 25 Aug 2002 00:51:48 +0000

Erma Bombeck

Sixish.

Sat, 24 Aug 2002 08:33:31 +0000

The secret of success is to realize that the crisis on our planet is much larger...

Tue, 20 Aug 2002 14:35:30 +0000

Marianne Williamson

Mere longevity is a good thing for those who watch Life from the side lines. For...

Tue, 06 Aug 2002 01:06:48 +0000

Gabriel Heatter

The sloth is the slowest land mammal in the world with a top speed of only ...

Tue, 30 Jul 2002 00:56:08 +0000

All the pet hamsters in the world are descended from the same mother. This ...

Sun, 28 Jul 2002 14:16:55 +0000

The fundamental defect with fathers is that they want their children to be a cre...

Sat, 27 Jul 2002 22:07:39 +0000

Bertrand Russell

The two-twenty-two train tore through the tunnel.

Fri, 26 Jul 2002 10:53:07 +0000

I have the simplest tastes. I am always satisfied with the best.

Mon, 22 Jul 2002 13:01:51 +0000

Oscar Wilde

Sea mammals have no fixed home in the water but some have special sleeping ...

Fri, 19 Jul 2002 19:08:50 +0000

The ancestors of sea mammals once lived on land. About 50 million years ago...

Sat, 13 Jul 2002 07:13:24 +0000

Like many raptors, female sparrowhawks are much bigger than males. Males ca...

Fri, 12 Jul 2002 00:33:01 +0000

Arithmetic is being able to count up to twenty without taking off your shoes.

Thu, 11 Jul 2002 21:40:02 +0000

Mickey Mouse

What makes the Tower of Pisa lean?

Sun, 07 Jul 2002 22:55:40 +0000

Six snakes, slipping and sliding.

Sat, 06 Jul 2002 14:31:25 +0000

It needs courage to let our children go, but we are trustees and stewards and ha...

Thu, 04 Jul 2002 09:40:42 +0000

Alfred Torrie

A wise parent humors the desire for independent action, so as to become the frie...

Mon, 01 Jul 2002 11:02:12 +0000

Elizabeth Gaskell

When asked by an anthropologist what the Indians called America before the white...

Mon, 01 Jul 2002 06:07:53 +0000

Vine Deloria, Jr.

If Stu chews shoes, should Stu choose the shoes he chews?

Sat, 29 Jun 2002 23:25:37 +0000

I can't give you brains, but I can give you a diploma.

Sat, 29 Jun 2002 21:43:03 +0000

The Wizard of Oz

Principal: 'Why are you late to school this mornin...

Sat, 29 Jun 2002 18:39:38 +0000

Which witch wished which wicked wish.

Fri, 28 Jun 2002 15:51:16 +0000

What has three feet but cannot walk?

Fri, 21 Jun 2002 14:15:15 +0000

I am returning this otherwise good typing paper to you because someone has print...

Tue, 18 Jun 2002 06:32:10 +0000

English Professor, Ohio University

Nature abhors a hero. For one thing, he violates the law of conservation of ener...

Sat, 15 Jun 2002 08:17:57 +0000

Solomon Short

Saurbh: Why are you standing in a tub of water? A...

Fri, 14 Jun 2002 22:40:22 +0000

I don't know anything about music. In my line you don't have to.

Sun, 02 Jun 2002 09:22:32 +0000

Elvis Presley (1935-1977)

What is the difference between a well-dressed man ...

Sat, 01 Jun 2002 00:37:29 +0000

The creative person wants to be a know it all. He wants to know about all kinds ...

Thu, 30 May 2002 17:53:45 +0000

Carl Ally

The Asian elephant has the longest tail of any land mammal. Excluding the t...

Tue, 28 May 2002 08:51:11 +0000

Q: What is an elephant's favourite game? A: Squas...

Fri, 24 May 2002 23:42:22 +0000

Before I got married, I had six theories about bringing up children. Now I have ...

Wed, 22 May 2002 01:30:17 +0000

John Wilmot

The greatest gathering of any type of mammal takes place on the Pribil Isla...

Tue, 21 May 2002 00:18:27 +0000

What do you use to cut through giant waves?

Sat, 18 May 2002 00:14:26 +0000

Three gray geese in the green grass grazing Gray were the geese and green ...

Wed, 15 May 2002 18:58:35 +0000

Nine nice night nurses nursing nicely.

Tue, 14 May 2002 21:31:02 +0000

Which wristwatches are Swiss wristwatches?

Wed, 08 May 2002 10:13:13 +0000

Suresh: It is amazing. How can you make so many mi...

Mon, 06 May 2002 07:41:50 +0000

The very rare bumblebee bat from Thailand is the smallest flying mammal. Ad...

Wed, 01 May 2002 08:12:59 +0000

The sportive lemur gets its name because, if attacked, it raises its fists ...

Tue, 30 Apr 2002 20:19:46 +0000

Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and it lo...

Sun, 28 Apr 2002 08:38:24 +0000

Thomas Edison

God runs electromagnetics by wave theory on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and t...

Fri, 19 Apr 2002 02:37:04 +0000

William Bragg

Equality is not when a female Einstein gets promoted to assistant professor; equ...

Wed, 17 Apr 2002 21:27:13 +0000

Ewald Nyquist

Until the age of three months a cheetah cub has a thick mane of smoky-grey ...

Wed, 17 Apr 2002 07:15:52 +0000

Some mammals use twigs or stones as tools. The sea otter floats on its back...

Wed, 17 Apr 2002 05:47:12 +0000

The boot black bought the black boot back.

Sat, 13 Apr 2002 00:28:14 +0000

Strange new problems are being reported in the growing generations of children w...

Fri, 12 Apr 2002 18:03:06 +0000

sustained goal of any sort, a devastating boredom with life.

Of all the felt I ever felt, I never felt a piece of felt which felt as f...

Fri, 12 Apr 2002 17:55:18 +0000

Even if you do learn to speak correct English, whom are you going to speak it to...

Thu, 11 Apr 2002 05:13:38 +0000

Clarence Darrow

Tapan: Tell me, do mountains have ears? Amit: Of ...

Sun, 07 Apr 2002 15:27:10 +0000

A big black bug bit a big black bear, made the big black bear bleed blood.

Sat, 06 Apr 2002 15:56:53 +0000

Six short slow shepherds.

Sat, 06 Apr 2002 01:31:19 +0000

Old oily Olly oils old oily autos.

Thu, 04 Apr 2002 08:25:05 +0000

Manoj: Can you tell me why it rains? Father: It r...

Mon, 01 Apr 2002 00:24:46 +0000

No state has an inherent right to survive through conscript troops and, in the l...

Sun, 24 Mar 2002 02:35:13 +0000

Henry Adams

Madhu: Tell me, which is the best leather for maki...

Thu, 21 Mar 2002 22:32:21 +0000

Red lorry, yellow lorry, red lorry, yellow lorry.

Mon, 18 Mar 2002 17:16:04 +0000

A man's reach should exceed his grasp... or what's a heaven for?

Wed, 13 Mar 2002 02:19:40 +0000

Robert Browning

What is too much for one; enough for two; nothing ...

Sun, 03 Mar 2002 19:20:47 +0000

It does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no God. It ...

Sun, 03 Mar 2002 12:26:14 +0000

Thomas Jefferson

What is it that walks on four legs in the morning,...

Sun, 03 Mar 2002 02:48:51 +0000

In 1925 Sauer, a Dobermann Pinsher, tracked two thieves 160 km (100 miles) ...

Sat, 02 Mar 2002 15:59:36 +0000

The beginning of eternity, The end of time and sp...

Thu, 28 Feb 2002 00:44:39 +0000

We spend the first twelve months of our children's lives teaching them to walk a...

Tue, 19 Feb 2002 22:41:17 +0000

Phyllis Diller

Q: Where do frogs leave their hats and coats? A: ...

Mon, 18 Feb 2002 21:15:05 +0000

Twelve twins twirled twelve twigs.

Mon, 11 Feb 2002 14:02:44 +0000

When is a ring a square?

Thu, 07 Feb 2002 13:06:37 +0000

Give papa a cup of proper coffee in a copper coffee cup.

Wed, 06 Feb 2002 04:04:13 +0000

A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging the...

Thu, 31 Jan 2002 18:03:46 +0000

William James

It is amazing how quickly the kids learn to drive a car, yet are unable to under...

Wed, 30 Jan 2002 17:49:02 +0000

Ben Bergor

A box of biscuits, a batch of mixed biscuits.

Fri, 25 Jan 2002 01:38:33 +0000

If you were to throw a white stone into the red se...

Mon, 21 Jan 2002 10:02:44 +0000

What is the difference between an elephant and a f...

Sat, 19 Jan 2002 10:31:47 +0000

In 1700, there were some 60 million buffaloes in North America. Millions we...

Tue, 15 Jan 2002 06:31:37 +0000

Three grannies were walking down the road. They we...

Mon, 14 Jan 2002 07:41:09 +0000

Teacher: Dhiraj, say something beginning with 'I'....

Sat, 12 Jan 2002 11:37:34 +0000

For every problem there is a solution which is simple, obvious, and wrong

Wed, 09 Jan 2002 15:45:21 +0000

Albert Einstein

My first is a circle, my second is a cross; If yo...

Fri, 04 Jan 2002 04:56:28 +0000

Paraceratherium was the biggest land mammal there has ever been. It lived a...

Thu, 03 Jan 2002 04:14:55 +0000

Emperor penguins dive down to depths of 265m (870ft), staying under for up ...

Fri, 28 Dec 2001 13:17:30 +0000

In morals, what begins in fear usually ends in wickedness; in religion, what beg...

Fri, 21 Dec 2001 00:04:42 +0000

Mrs. Jameson

Cat cry Cat cry Cat cry.

Wed, 19 Dec 2001 07:21:00 +0000

Q: How can you keep a moron busy the whole day? A...

Tue, 18 Dec 2001 08:17:35 +0000

Professor: Who invented the steam engine? Student...

Wed, 12 Dec 2001 23:29:25 +0000

What kind of bow can't be tied?

Tue, 11 Dec 2001 08:11:21 +0000

Flip Flop, Clip Clop, Slick Slop.

Mon, 10 Dec 2001 06:00:40 +0000

Q: What is black and white, black and white and re...

Sat, 08 Dec 2001 14:18:42 +0000

The pink colouring of flamingos depends on the food they eat. In the wild, ...

Sat, 08 Dec 2001 05:49:38 +0000

Gig whip - Gig whip - Gig whip.

Thu, 06 Dec 2001 14:47:24 +0000

Teacher: Why are you late for school? Student: Ma...

Sun, 02 Dec 2001 20:25:54 +0000

What gets wetter the more it dries?

Sat, 01 Dec 2001 00:30:49 +0000

Ramu: My father wants me to have everything that h...

Fri, 23 Nov 2001 15:13:21 +0000

What has four legs and a back but no body?

Wed, 21 Nov 2001 07:34:33 +0000

The foe at hand is better than the friend afar.

Sun, 04 Nov 2001 00:25:20 +0000

Folklore of Kerala

In what ball can you carry your shopping?

Fri, 02 Nov 2001 05:54:17 +0000

A bird am I and a male, On my head I wear a crown...

Mon, 29 Oct 2001 15:30:01 +0000

Age does not diminish the extreme disappointment of having a scoop of ice cream ...

Wed, 24 Oct 2001 15:50:28 +0000

Jim Fiebig

A growing gleam glowing green.

Wed, 24 Oct 2001 07:26:20 +0000

He who knows not, and knows not that he knows not, is a fool.

Mon, 15 Oct 2001 10:27:18 +0000

There are two ways of constructing a software design. One way is to make it so s...

Mon, 08 Oct 2001 01:44:00 +0000

Charles Anthony Richard Hoare

Herons have special feathers that break up into powder. They rub this into ...

Sun, 07 Oct 2001 17:09:02 +0000

Christ believed in hell. I do not myself feel that any person who is really prof...

Sat, 06 Oct 2001 23:09:00 +0000

Bertrand Russell

A foolish fellow finds fault freely.

Sat, 29 Sep 2001 23:05:01 +0000

What always goes to sleep with his shoes on?

Fri, 28 Sep 2001 20:31:32 +0000

Thieves and thugs think not of thriftiness.

Fri, 21 Sep 2001 10:41:30 +0000

Children aren't happy without something to ignore, And that's what parents were ...

Wed, 19 Sep 2001 12:23:09 +0000

Ogden Nash

Fish sauce shop.

Sun, 16 Sep 2001 18:20:10 +0000

Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and...

Thu, 13 Sep 2001 16:06:59 +0000

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Shoes and socks shock my shy sister.

Thu, 13 Sep 2001 14:35:02 +0000

When two gentlemen face each other, the ways are three. When a rogue faces...

Wed, 12 Sep 2001 20:16:41 +0000

Folklore of Kerala

Whenever I hear anyone arguing for slavery, I feel a strong impulse to see it tr...

Tue, 11 Sep 2001 16:05:10 +0000

A. Lincoln

What's the difference between a hill and a pill?

Tue, 11 Sep 2001 05:44:46 +0000

Does this shop stock socks with spots?

Sat, 08 Sep 2001 07:55:42 +0000

History Teacher: 'Tell me Rahul, why did King Asho...

Mon, 03 Sep 2001 14:31:08 +0000

What can you make that nobody else can see?

Sun, 26 Aug 2001 21:46:29 +0000

Some shun sunshine; some shun shade.

Sun, 26 Aug 2001 00:35:00 +0000

The passenger pigeon made the most rapid disappearance ever known, In the 1...

Fri, 24 Aug 2001 21:41:07 +0000

What is the best way to get out from under an elep...

Tue, 21 Aug 2001 00:20:25 +0000

The difference between a book and a bore is: you c...

Thu, 16 Aug 2001 07:42:09 +0000

Flesh of freshly fried flying fish.

Sat, 28 Jul 2001 10:56:10 +0000

What do kangaroos have that no other animals have?

Sun, 22 Jul 2001 20:51:35 +0000

When young, a companion in eating, When old a com...

Fri, 20 Jul 2001 03:09:52 +0000

Whatever you can do or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, a...

Sat, 14 Jul 2001 17:34:22 +0000

Goethe

Q: How can you keep a moron busy for half a day? ...

Wed, 11 Jul 2001 06:42:55 +0000

What does a winner lose in a race?

Mon, 09 Jul 2001 19:44:13 +0000

What has fifty heads and fifty tails?

Fri, 06 Jul 2001 01:52:19 +0000

Bird's nest soup is made from the nests of cave swiftlets in Asia. Huge col...

Thu, 28 Jun 2001 13:55:03 +0000

It comes and goes, It does nothing but blow.

Sun, 24 Jun 2001 02:47:53 +0000

Stop chop shops selling chopped shop chops.

Sat, 09 Jun 2001 09:51:47 +0000

Mother: Son, what do you think of your new teacher...

Thu, 07 Jun 2001 05:51:17 +0000

Expressing anger is a form of public littering.

Sun, 03 Jun 2001 04:13:58 +0000

Willard Gaylin

How do you start a bear race?

Thu, 31 May 2001 09:22:32 +0000

Ten toothsome tarts tempted Ted's tranquility.

Wed, 23 May 2001 15:31:11 +0000

A school should not be a preparation for life. A school should be life

Sat, 19 May 2001 04:53:32 +0000

Elbert Hubbard

Puffins are the only birds to moult their beaks. In other birds, beaks cons...

Sat, 19 May 2001 01:05:48 +0000

Knowledge breeds humility

Fri, 18 May 2001 14:29:45 +0000

Folklore of Kerala

Many birds that feed on plants swallow stones and grit to help their bodies...

Wed, 16 May 2001 19:30:32 +0000

The smallest bird in the world is the bee hummingbird of Cuba. It is 5.7 cm...

Tue, 15 May 2001 13:44:38 +0000

Q: Do you know what happened to the girl who swall...

Fri, 20 Apr 2001 02:45:19 +0000

Buy enough snuff for the snuff-sniffer.

Wed, 18 Apr 2001 15:57:09 +0000

Mohit: One day, I will go to the Sun. Sunny: You ...

Sun, 08 Apr 2001 09:37:44 +0000

I think that God in creating man somewhat overestimated his ability.

Tue, 27 Mar 2001 23:35:06 +0000

Oscar Wilde

Nikhil: My dog is very faithful. Akshay: Why do y...

Mon, 26 Mar 2001 05:14:45 +0000

Grown-ups never understand anything for themselves, and it is tiresome for child...

Fri, 23 Mar 2001 14:45:50 +0000

Antoine De Saintexupery (The Little Prince)

Male birds with the showiest plumage and courtship displays do not help rai...

Sun, 18 Mar 2001 10:50:26 +0000

Tingi Tim taught Tim to tie twig thin.

Tue, 13 Mar 2001 12:14:17 +0000

Child: Mother, today I came second in the race. M...

Sat, 10 Mar 2001 04:34:01 +0000

Baby birds have an 'egg tooth' to help them break out of the shell. This is...

Tue, 06 Mar 2001 03:28:11 +0000

The sperm whale has the heaviest mammal brain. Its brain weights up to 9 kg...

Sun, 04 Mar 2001 04:25:02 +0000

Radhika: I wonder how they can paint such huge aer...

Sun, 04 Mar 2001 03:31:46 +0000

A fruit on a tree, a tree on a fruit.

Tue, 27 Feb 2001 21:37:43 +0000

The host: 'My friend, you have been eating for the...

Tue, 27 Feb 2001 07:11:34 +0000

Q: What is black and white, black and white, and b...

Mon, 26 Feb 2001 17:16:43 +0000

Physics teacher: 'It was only after an apple fell ...

Sun, 25 Feb 2001 12:10:42 +0000

The mat that cannot be folded.

Sun, 25 Feb 2001 00:20:55 +0000

And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in you...

Sat, 24 Feb 2001 17:57:30 +0000

Abraham Lincoln

A father was upset over the low marks his son, Man...

Tue, 20 Feb 2001 14:24:00 +0000

Mandy: Where does Friday come before Thursday?

Fri, 09 Feb 2001 06:02:54 +0000

What is it that is seen better as it grows darker?

Fri, 09 Feb 2001 05:35:55 +0000

What goes from branch to branch and wears a bowler...

Thu, 08 Feb 2001 13:06:17 +0000

A father had taken his little daughter to the zoo ...

Mon, 05 Feb 2001 08:01:30 +0000

The essence of our effort to see that every child has a chance must be to assure...

Sun, 04 Feb 2001 17:57:09 +0000

John Fischer

Wheatears living in Greenland are larger than those found further south. Be...

Fri, 02 Feb 2001 01:58:13 +0000

Rahul's mother knit him three socks when he was in...

Tue, 30 Jan 2001 12:50:26 +0000

What sprouts within Will bloom without.

Sat, 27 Jan 2001 20:11:19 +0000

Folklore of Kerala

Jim am Jam, Jimmy Jam I am, Jimmy Jam I am.

Thu, 25 Jan 2001 16:55:13 +0000

Silver snails slipped silently southwards.

Wed, 24 Jan 2001 09:55:14 +0000

By the time a man realizes that maybe his father was right, he usually hasa a so...

Thu, 04 Jan 2001 04:45:50 +0000

Charles Wadsworth

Mr. See and Mr. Sore were old friends. See owned a saw and Sore owned a see...

Fri, 01 Dec 2000 02:29:03 +0000

Q: What did the big firecracker say to the little ...

Mon, 27 Nov 2000 10:15:02 +0000

Everything you've learned in school as obvious becomes less and less obvious as ...

Sat, 25 Nov 2000 01:14:12 +0000

R. Buckminster Fuller

Q: If your nose runs and your feet smell, do you k...

Sun, 19 Nov 2000 09:52:07 +0000

How many cans can a cannibal nibble, if a cannibal can nibble cans? A cann...

Thu, 16 Nov 2000 22:31:54 +0000

The white man with a black hat

Thu, 16 Nov 2000 18:44:32 +0000

The frog gets angry if the serpent is permitted to bite, and the serpent ge...

Tue, 14 Nov 2000 07:51:19 +0000

Folklore of Andhra Pradesh

Even if the horse were blind, it does not eat any less.

Fri, 13 Oct 2000 02:55:28 +0000

Folklore of Andhra Pradesh

The word No carries a lot more meaning when spoken by a parent who also knows ho...

Sun, 08 Oct 2000 14:08:54 +0000

Joyce Maynard

Q: What would you call a sheep without legs, face ...

Wed, 20 Sep 2000 05:50:15 +0000

What starts with a T and ends with a T and is full...

Sat, 16 Sep 2000 06:22:59 +0000

Do stones wear out if ants crawl on them?

Fri, 25 Aug 2000 06:50:37 +0000

Folklore of Andhra Pradesh

It has wings, it can fly, but it is not a bird or ...

Sun, 06 Aug 2000 10:47:09 +0000

Horses have six legs because they have forelegs in...

Tue, 01 Aug 2000 23:50:51 +0000

Even while throwing away, you count and throw.

Mon, 31 Jul 2000 17:56:55 +0000

Folklore of Andhra Pradesh

How many tales will a tall teller tell, when a tall teller tells a tall tal...

Wed, 26 Jul 2000 02:20:50 +0000

What if everything is an illusion and nothing exists? In that case, I definitely...

Wed, 19 Jul 2000 20:37:30 +0000

Woody Allen, Without Feathers

Tie twine to three tree twigs.

Wed, 05 Jul 2000 10:40:15 +0000

There is no pleasure better than being sick if there is someone to look aft...

Sun, 18 Jun 2000 06:12:54 +0000

Folklore of Andhra Pradesh

The horns that come up later are sharper than the ears that come at birth.

Wed, 07 Jun 2000 13:46:54 +0000

Folklore of Andhra Pradesh

This shoe is ship shape.

Thu, 01 Jun 2000 07:19:56 +0000

I see him, but he does not see me.

Tue, 30 May 2000 23:49:14 +0000

The sun should shine soon.

Mon, 29 May 2000 11:38:01 +0000

Flew away without feathers and wings, With only a...

Sat, 27 May 2000 13:09:10 +0000

It is like making a broom with silken threads.

Sun, 21 May 2000 23:08:24 +0000

Folklore of Andhra Pradesh

What has eyes but cannot see?

Mon, 08 May 2000 16:39:49 +0000

We swallow it and live, But when it swallows us, ...

Mon, 08 May 2000 01:49:32 +0000

I believe that part of what propels science is the thirst for wonder. It's a ver...

Sun, 07 May 2000 17:41:01 +0000

Carl Sagan

What is the thing which you can never hold in your...

Fri, 28 Apr 2000 22:47:22 +0000

Two tired toads tried to toddle to town.

Thu, 13 Apr 2000 08:57:32 +0000

Q: Why did Santa Singh and Banta Singh smile when ...

Thu, 13 Apr 2000 00:35:00 +0000

Like hiding behind a horse, fearing that the bull might kick

Thu, 30 Mar 2000 23:41:56 +0000

Folklore of Andhra Pradesh

What is it that takes dried clothes off and wears ...

Tue, 21 Mar 2000 19:59:47 +0000

Sarita: What is your nationality? Vinay: My mothe...

Sun, 19 Mar 2000 17:51:59 +0000

Happiness at age ten was finding an empty six pack of returnable Coke bottles. T...

Wed, 15 Mar 2000 18:51:07 +0000

Richard N. Farmer

He's wearing a short silk shirt.

Tue, 07 Mar 2000 16:52:01 +0000

It is difficult to get rid of the rain that comes early in the day and the ...

Thu, 02 Mar 2000 11:43:53 +0000

Folklore of Andhra Pradesh

A cricket critic.

Mon, 28 Feb 2000 11:14:38 +0000

Once a hunter in the woods lost his dog, so he put...

Sat, 12 Feb 2000 07:51:40 +0000

Q: Why should you give a lighter to the Indian tea...

Fri, 04 Feb 2000 14:55:17 +0000

You yourself will fall in the pit you dig.

Thu, 03 Feb 2000 21:44:06 +0000

Folklore of Andhra Pradesh

One day, a helicopter, which was being flown by an...

Mon, 24 Jan 2000 03:57:18 +0000

What is it that wipes its face with two hands all ...

Sun, 23 Jan 2000 09:54:39 +0000

Q: What did baby corn ask mama corn? A: Where is...

Fri, 21 Jan 2000 11:33:41 +0000

Faithful friends freely forgive.

Sat, 08 Jan 2000 19:39:14 +0000

An educational system isn't worth a great deal if it teaches young people how to...

Fri, 10 Dec 1999 05:40:38 +0000

Source Unknown

The sixth sick Sheikh’s sixth sheep is sick.

Sun, 05 Dec 1999 17:19:35 +0000

What runs but can never walk?

Sat, 13 Nov 1999 12:36:51 +0000

Father to son: Intelligent people don't answer stu...

Fri, 05 Nov 1999 08:15:16 +0000

Four Stages of Acceptance: 1. This is worthless nonsense. 2. This is an interest...

Wed, 03 Nov 1999 23:35:59 +0000

J B S Haldane

The nerveless tongue speaks in nine ways

Mon, 19 Jul 1999 00:00:21 +0000

Folklore of Andhra Pradesh

Pupil: 'Do you think it's right to punish people f...

Sun, 11 Jul 1999 10:44:25 +0000

Pickled plump plum.

Wed, 30 Jun 1999 00:54:53 +0000

Shy Sarah saw six Swiss wrist watches.

Wed, 23 Jun 1999 08:55:56 +0000

Random Ideas Quiz

Sun, 20 Jun 1999 12:28:31 +0000

Some interesting ideas from all around us

Don't be discouraged if your children reject your advice. Years later they will ...

Sun, 13 Jun 1999 11:08:31 +0000

Source Unknown

It is yours but others use it more than you. What ...

Wed, 09 Jun 1999 07:48:41 +0000

These are there when touched but not when glanced ...

Sat, 05 Jun 1999 14:58:26 +0000

Cherishing children is the mark of a civilized society.

Fri, 04 Jun 1999 11:24:18 +0000

Joan Ganz Cooney

Q: What room can no one enter? A: A mushroom.

Sun, 16 May 1999 11:27:08 +0000

Rivers of the World

Sat, 15 May 1999 18:00:31 +0000

Go on a journey down the might rivers of the world?

Fictional Detectives Quiz

Tue, 27 Apr 1999 18:28:31 +0000

Can you identify these fictional detectives?

If the times are bad, even a stick springs to life and bites like a serpent...

Sat, 10 Apr 1999 09:50:52 +0000

Folklore of Andhra Pradesh

Dead or alive, the elephant has a high value.

Sun, 04 Apr 1999 05:46:08 +0000

Folklore of Andhra Pradesh

The Fire Quiz

Sat, 27 Mar 1999 18:28:31 +0000

You should not be playing with fire, but this is just a quiz about fire

George Orwell, in his vision of 1984, got it backward. We do not have to fear Bi...

Fri, 26 Mar 1999 05:35:45 +0000

Mortimer B. Zuckerman

Teacher: 'Which is closer to India, Nepal or the m...

Wed, 03 Feb 1999 23:23:08 +0000

Trees are afraid of storms and not the grass on the ground.

Sat, 09 Jan 1999 21:09:23 +0000

Folklore of Andhra Pradesh

What has scales but cannot weigh anything?

Sat, 09 Jan 1999 02:11:56 +0000

Teacher: Ravi, what is a cannibal? Ravi: Don't kn...

Sat, 26 Dec 1998 04:09:17 +0000

If you feed a dog to make it grow to the size of a horse, you have to do th...

Wed, 23 Dec 1998 05:24:40 +0000

Folklore of Andhra Pradesh

The silver thread is broken. Nobody ties it.

Tue, 08 Dec 1998 22:20:45 +0000

Education without a system and cultivation without supervision are useless.

Sun, 15 Nov 1998 08:37:16 +0000

Folklore of Andhra Pradesh

Betty Botter bought a bit of butter;
'But,' she said...

Tue, 29 Sep 1998 06:15:55 +0000

Betty bought a bit of butter, But the butter was so bitter, So she bought...

Tue, 29 Sep 1998 06:15:55 +0000

To open your inner eyes, the teacher should come in your childhood.

Sun, 27 Sep 1998 03:27:26 +0000

Folklore of Kerala

Q: Name four animals of the cat family. A: 'The f...

Sat, 05 Sep 1998 04:25:08 +0000

The white lady who sheds tears all the time.

Wed, 26 Aug 1998 13:57:53 +0000

Empty clouds thunder a lot.

Sat, 25 Jul 1998 18:28:39 +0000

Folklore of Andhra Pradesh

What is dark but made by light?

Sat, 18 Jul 1998 19:21:35 +0000

What goes up and never comes down?

Sat, 18 Jul 1998 03:26:10 +0000

How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

Thu, 16 Jul 1998 04:01:03 +0000

What will a moron say if he sees a banana peel lyi...

Mon, 06 Jul 1998 16:22:11 +0000

Teacher: 'What is an octopus?' Pupil: 'An eight-s...

Sun, 21 Jun 1998 00:58:38 +0000

'Johnny,' said the teacher, 'Why don't you wash yo...

Thu, 14 May 1998 21:41:58 +0000

An unbreakable toy is useful for breaking other toys.

Sat, 09 May 1998 05:45:08 +0000

Van Roy’S Law

Both class and race survive education, and neither should. What is education the...

Wed, 01 Apr 1998 20:43:09 +0000

Beah Richards

Bigger had a baby. Which was bigger? Himself or the baby which was a littl...

Mon, 30 Mar 1998 20:26:12 +0000

A tailless bird travelled a hundred miles.

Sun, 08 Mar 1998 09:16:34 +0000

Six, long, slim, slick, slender saplings.

Sat, 07 Mar 1998 05:00:58 +0000

Double bubble gum bubbles double.

Mon, 23 Feb 1998 06:59:52 +0000

The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in...

Sat, 07 Feb 1998 11:25:11 +0000

George Bernard Shaw

What spoils you is your own tongue.

Wed, 04 Feb 1998 03:39:59 +0000

Folklore of Andhra Pradesh

We cannot put the face of a person on a stamp unless said person is deceased. My...

Tue, 03 Feb 1998 17:27:29 +0000

James E. Day, Postmaster General

Children are unpredictable. You never know what inconsistency they're going to c...

Thu, 16 Oct 1997 09:46:02 +0000

Franklin P. Jones

It has three eyes, but is no Shiva; It lives on t...

Sun, 05 Oct 1997 01:03:48 +0000

Son: Father can you write with closed eyes? Fathe...

Tue, 02 Sep 1997 05:03:45 +0000

The doors that constantly slam, but do not make a ...

Fri, 29 Aug 1997 17:34:27 +0000

What will a moron say if he sees two banana peels ...

Sat, 23 Aug 1997 18:12:43 +0000

I don't know any parents that look into the eyes of a newborn baby and say, How ...

Fri, 11 Jul 1997 11:34:53 +0000

Russell Bishop

Blue blood black blood.

Sun, 29 Jun 1997 10:50:55 +0000

As a woman, I find it very embarrassing to be in a meeting and realize I'm the o...

Mon, 26 May 1997 17:14:12 +0000

Rita Mae Brown

Neither the mat could be rolled up Nor could the ...

Fri, 09 May 1997 13:13:16 +0000

For the feast in the dream, the money in the mirror.

Sun, 13 Apr 1997 21:24:58 +0000

Folklore of Kerala

The drum gets the beating, the drummer, the reward.

Thu, 10 Apr 1997 12:19:16 +0000

Folklore of Kerala

Whether the leaf falls on the thorn, or the thorn falls on the leaf, it is ...

Tue, 08 Apr 1997 03:55:54 +0000

Folklore of Kerala

Crisp crusts crackle.

Sun, 06 Apr 1997 20:12:33 +0000

My father must have had some elementary education for he could read and write an...

Tue, 18 Mar 1997 05:32:09 +0000

George Bernard Shaw

An ant and an elephant were the best of friends. ...

Thu, 16 Jan 1997 17:43:06 +0000

She sells sea-shells on the sea-shore. The shells she sells are sea-shells...

Mon, 13 Jan 1997 12:23:30 +0000

Correct this sentence: 'It was me who broke the wi...

Wed, 18 Dec 1996 18:51:43 +0000

The sticks that extend between the earth and the s...

Mon, 02 Dec 1996 02:18:24 +0000

'Anwar, can you name two living things that don't ...

Sat, 16 Nov 1996 02:01:10 +0000

For unflagging interest and enjoyment, a household of children, if things go rea...

Sun, 10 Nov 1996 06:49:31 +0000

Theodore Roosevelt

If Peter Piper picked a peck of pepper, Where's the peck of pepper Peter P...

Fri, 01 Nov 1996 08:44:22 +0000

Going to dig a well when the house is on fire.

Sun, 20 Oct 1996 03:23:57 +0000

Folklore of Kerala

Creative minds have always been known to survive any kind of bad training.

Mon, 07 Oct 1996 07:37:14 +0000

Anna Freud

There must be an ideal world, a sort of mathematician's paradise where everythin...

Mon, 09 Sep 1996 01:07:28 +0000

Bertrand Russell

Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

Mon, 26 Aug 1996 05:45:41 +0000

Arthur C. Clarke

When I was in school, I cheated on my metaphysics exam: I looked into the soul o...

Thu, 27 Jun 1996 12:04:38 +0000

Woody Allen

The persons hardest to convince they're at the retirement age are children at be...

Fri, 19 Apr 1996 10:51:11 +0000

Shannon Fife

She saw six sick sheep.

Fri, 15 Mar 1996 15:36:29 +0000

The tiny fellow had dresses innumerable.

Thu, 07 Mar 1996 14:36:58 +0000

Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the ...

Wed, 28 Feb 1996 23:26:26 +0000

Calvin And Hobbes

Even grass is a weapon in the hands of the skilled.

Wed, 03 Jan 1996 23:00:24 +0000

Folklore of Kerala