Children's Stories

Billa, the cat, Learns a Lesson- part 3

2009-12-24T02:05:00.001-08:00

Read part 2
Pillu and Pilli became nervous to see their father screaming and crying. They were searching in vain for the button to stop the machine. Billa's shrieks were turning louder with every passing moment.
Pillu and Pilli could not bear their father's agony for long. Feeling helpless, they too started crying.
Luckily, Rashmi and her parents returned home. Mummy saw the kittens crying near the machine and was alarmed. She, immediately rushed to the machine and saw Billa,the cat, moving inside it. She switched off the machine and took Billa out of it. The cat was half-dead due to exhaustion, Rashmi's mother laid it in the sun. Pillu and Pilli followed her and started circling around their father.
Rashmi's mother did not like the cat and her kittens but today she could not help pitying them. She brought a bowl full of hot milk and placed it before Billa. Billa drank it and felt better. He looked at Rashmi's mother with eyes full of gratitude. Then she walked away with her kids.
Billa had learnt a lesson from this incident. He would not touch the things, he is not familiar
with, he decided. He altogether stopped indulging in pranks. Rashmi's mother too became friendly towards them after the incident. She would even offer them milk now and then. The 2 families had indeed become friends after the incident.
The End

Billa, the cat, Learns a Lesson- part 2

2009-12-24T02:04:00.000-08:00

Read part 1
Pillu and Pilli came near the washing machine and peeped inside it. They grew scared. "Daddy, I will not go in it. I am feeling scared," Pillu said.
"Daddy even I am scared of it," Pilli said in a trembling voice.
"But what makes you so scared?" Billa asked.
"Who knows if there is a wooden hammer fitted in it like that of a washerman which is used to beat the clothes," Pillu said.
"Yes, Daddy, if that wooden hammer strikes us 2-4 times, we would be finished," Pilli said.
"Oh, nothing of the sort will happen. The clothes just move in a circle and get cleaned. In fact, you would enjoy this movement which is like swaying here to there in a swing," Billa said smiling.
Thus Billa tried to persuade Pillu and Pilli to get cleaned in the machine, but Pillu and Pilli remained reluctant. At last, Billa said, "All right. Let me get cleaned myself first. That will remove your fear. Okay?"
"All right," Pillu and Pilli said.
Billa went inside the machine and spoke, "Now press the button."
Pillu pressed the button. A peculiar noise was produced and the machine started. The motor moved in circles, with which Billa also started moving. In the beginning, the machine moved slowly and Billa enjoyed himself. But as soon as it picked up speed, Billa became nervous. He lost his balance and fell down. Before he could collect himself, the machine started moving in the reverse direction. Now Billa appeared miserable. The machine would now rotate
him in one direction and then in the reverse direction, turn by turn. The washing machine which he considered like the ride at disneyland was all set to stir him to death, he feared.
"Oh my God, please stop the machine, or I will die," Billa cried.
"Daddy, but how to stop it?" Pillu asked desperately.
"Press the other button to stop it. It must be somewhere near the first button,"
saying, Billa burst into tears.
Read part 3

Billa, the cat, Learns a Lesson- part 1

2009-12-24T01:44:00.000-08:00

Billa, the cat, was very mischievous. He would run from here to there throughout the day. This caused anxiety for Rashmi's mother. She
would place the milk inside the cupboard and take every care to keep it beyond Billa's reach.
However Billa would sniff here and there and find out where it was lying and finish it in no time.
Billi was Billa's wife. Billi had given birth to 2 kittens recently. Billa named them as Pillu and Pilli. Now they were grown and the family of 4 had made Mummy miserable. Billa had even taught his kids to open the refrigerator. Now Pillu and Pilli would keep the door of the fridge open. They would also enter and eat the things kept inside it.
It took Rashmi's mother quite long before she knew how the things disappeared from inside the fridge. Then one day, she caught the 4 stealing red-handed. From that day onwards she kept her fridge locked.
One day, Rashmi's mother prepared a plum cake. The aroma of the plum cake spread all around the house. Having finished the preparation, Rashmi's mother went to call Rashmi and her father. In the meantime Billa, Billi, Pillu and Pilli reached there. They lifted up the cake and carried it to the roof. There, they sung "Happy birthday" and finished the cake.
Last week, Rashmi's father had purchased a washing machine. Rashmi's mummy would put dirty clothes in it and press the start button. The machine would clean the clothes in no time. It saved the family lots of efforts. Billa watched the washing machine cleaning the clothes with curiosity. One day, when Rashmi and her parents were out, Billa told his kids, "Pillu and Pilli come, let me wash you in the machine."
"Do you want to wash us in the machine? Suppose we get caught inside the motor, then what will you do?" Pillu was worried.
"Don't worry. Nothing will happen. This is a good machine. They wash rough jeans as well as soft woollens in it." Billa was confident.
Pilli, too had the information. "Yes, the other day when Rashmi got her new white sweater soiled, his mother washed it in the machine. After washing, it came out shining," she said.
"Yes. I want you to come out cleaner with your fur shining. Come, get inside the machine," Billa was in a hurry.
Read part 2

Tenali fools the thieves

2009-11-15T05:26:00.000-08:00

Once there were some thieves in the city of Vijay nagar city. The King Krishnadev Rai sounded an alert on the thieves and asked people to be alert.That night, while going to bed Tenali saw some thieves in the bushes near his house. Smart and witty as Tenali was, Tenali mad a plan to fool the thieves. After a while , the thieves outside heard Tenali saying to his wife, "Dear be careful and lock all the doors and windows as robberies are taking place in the city. I have put all our money and jewels in this box, so help me carry it to the well behind our house. We will throw it into the well behind our house. The thieves can never get to them this way."

The thieves heard this and they saw Tenali and his wife threw a box into the well. Then both of them went into their house and closed all the doors and fell fast asleep.

The thieves were happy on hearing this. They decided to get the box out the water from the well. They started draining the water for the whole night to get the box. Early in the morning Tenali came to the well and saw the thieves drawing water. Tenali smiled at them and said ' Thank you friends, for watering my plants. Let me know how much should I pay you for the labor'.

Hearing this the thieves understood Tenali's plan and fell at his feet for forgiveness. Tenali let them go when they promised not to steal or rob anyone ever again.

Langoor Becomes Trustworthy (Part 2)

2009-09-11T20:43:00.000-07:00

Part 2 of 2
Go to Part 1
Soon, they started playing hide and seek in the ground which was surrounded by big trees. Everybody was in look out for a place where he would hide unseen and win the game.
First, it was the turn of Hathi, the Elephant, to seek those hiding. He had to count 1 to 20 with his eyes closed. Others were supposed to hide themselves in the meantime. Then Hathi would open his eyes and search them.
Hathi started counting. Rest of them went hiding themselves in the nearby trees and bushes. Having counted 20, Hathi started his search. Soon, he found all of them. But Langoor Monkey was nowhere to be found, for he had hidden himself between the leafy branches of a big neem tree. He was waiting there with bated breath. He could not even utter a word lest his friends would be annoyed. This was the condition they had put before permitting him to play with them.
The friends waited for Langoor for quite some tijavascript:void(0)me. After that they all went to their respective homes. Langoor was not aware of this. Now there was perfect silence all through the ground.
After waiting for long, Langoor became restless. It was time to go home, he thought and was about to climb down from the tree when he happened to see 3 animals, their faces covered with cloths, walking towards the tree. Langoor wondered, "What on earth are they atter, at this flour." to langoor's surprise they started digging the ground under the tree. One of them spoke, "Let us dump the stolen stuff inside this pit. We will dig it out in the morning and distribute ourselves."
The 3 thieves dug the pit and buried the stuff. Then they spread the earth evenly over the pit and went away. The thieves were not aware that Langoor, the Monkey, watched them bury the stolen things.
After they left, Langoor came down. He stood there for some time wondering what to do with the stolen things and how to get the thieves arrested. Then something occurred to him.
He went straight away to Commander Cheetah's house and narrated the incident to him. The Commander did not believe him in the beginning for he was aware of Langoor’s habit of rumours. But later when Langoor swore that he was speaking truth and insisted to take action accordingly, then he believed him.
Next day, the soldiers awaited the thieves hiding in the trees when they reached the spot and started digging the pit. The Commander gave the whistle and the soldiers came out instantly. The thieves were caught. The stolen stuff was also seized.
The Commander asked the soldiers to remove the covers from the faces of the thieves. Everybody was taken aback for the thieves were no one else but the residents of the very forest - Lomdi Jackal, Foxy the Fox and Wolfy the Wolf and Commander Cheetah congratulated Langoor Monkey and patted his back affectionately for it was his wisdom that had helped him catch the thieves.
Now nobody in the forest was annoyed with Langoor. His friends even welcomed him to play with
them. Langoor, at last, became a trustworthy individual.

End of Story

Langoor Becomes Trustworthy (Part 1)

2009-09-11T20:41:00.000-07:00

Part 1 of 2
Langoor, the monkey, was a famous for spreading rumours. It did not take him long to make a hill out of a mole. The animals of the Jungle were fed up of him for this habit.
One day, his neighbour Bhalu Bear was cooking food when one of the article in the kitchen caught fire. Langoor immediately, ran here and there and told everybody that Bhalu got his house afire. The animals ran towards his house to find everything okay. Then they became annoyed and scolded Langoor for bothering them unnecessarily. But Langoor was very thick skinned. Nothing seemed to affect him.
Langoor's friends, too, avoided him for his habit of spreading rumours. Nobody wanted to play with him.
Thus he was forced to spend his time all alone.
His parents would often advise him to mend his ways. He listened to them and would behave accordingly for 1-2 days. But soon he would resume his boastfulness.
One day, after the school the children gathered in the nearby ground. They decided to play hideand-seek. Langoor saw the children assembling, so he also went there. "I will also play," he said. But nobody was willing to listen to him.
"Hey, listen to me, I want to play the game, too," he said.
"But we don’t want to play with you", said Ghadha, the Donkey.
"But why? What makes you people isolate me? Am I so bad?"
But his pleadings fell on deaf ears. Then Langoor requested with folded hands, "please, let me join you in the game." Now his friends felt pity on him.
"But there is a condition that you will keep your mouth shut," Ragdu Jackal said.
"All right. I will do as you p1ease" Langoor agreed.
Go to part 2

The clever old man (Part 4)

2009-08-16T21:47:00.000-07:00

Part 4 of 4
Go to part 3
Just then a shepherd happened to reach near the bundle. He opened the bundle and was surprised
see the old man inside the bundle. He asked him who had tied and packed him like that. The old man replied, "There are 4 young men who want me to marry their sister. Since I do not want to get married at this age, they have tied and packed me to carry to their place. There I will be forced to marry the girl."
The shepherd was unmarried and very keen to get married. He said, "Baba, let me get married to the girl."
The old man said, "All right, you just lie down on this sheet and let me pack you inside this. You will get married today itself."
Then the old man packed the man in the sheet and put the bundle aside. Thereafter, he collected his
goats and proceeded towards his house with the flock. It was dark in the evening, when the thugs
returned to pick the bundle. The shepherd heard them and spoke, "I am ready to get married."
The thugs did not pay attention to what he said and lifted him. Soon, he was dropped in the well.
The thugs were returning to the village when they came across the old man with the flock of goats. The thugs became awestruck to think that this was the ghost of the old man. They wanted to flee but the old man stopped them, "Wait a minute, you fools. I am not a ghost. Listen to me. You had dropped me tied in the sheet, that is why I could not manage to get anything but these goats. The well, you know, is full of gold bricks."
The thugs could not resist the greed. They jumped into the well to possess the gold lying in it and died instantly.
Thus the old man succeeded to manage for a secured old age. The villagers too got rid of the rogues for good.
End of the story

The clever old man (Part 3)

2009-08-16T21:40:00.000-07:00

Part 3 of 4
Go to part 2
The thugs immediately went to the field and tried to catch hold of the deer, but the deer ran away. The thugs realised now that the old man had made a fool of them. They paid compensation to the owner of the field for the damage and returned home. Now it was their turn to settle scores with the old man.
But the old man was thoroughly prepared to take on the thugs. He brought 2 pestles home and instructed his wife, "When I strike you with one pestle, pretend to die. Then I will strike you with the other and you will get up. At dinner time, serve the thugs good food and me plain food.
After giving these instructionS to his wife, the old man went to the field.
After some time, the thugs came to his home and asked his wife where he was. Soon, they reached the field. The old man received them warmly and brought them home with him. The old woman served them the dinner as the old man had told her.
Then the old man pretended to appear angry and hit her hard with a pestle. The old woman fell flat as dead. The thugs stood up leaving their food. Then the old man spoke, "This ill-natured woman gets killed by me almost every month. But never mind, I will bring her back to life." Thus the woman was struck by the old man second time and to everybody’s surprise got up as if nothing had happened to her.
Ihe thugs watched the drama and became coveted to buy those pestles. The old man sold those pestles rather reluctantly for another 4,000 silver coins
Back home, the thugs struck their wives hard with pestle which made them unconscious. Then they struck them again with the second pestle. But the women did not get up. They had died.
The thugs performed last rites of their wives and then decided to kill the old man. They went to the field where he was working and tied him in a sheet. The old man asked them what they were upto. Then they told him that they intended to throw him in a well.
The old man had not lost his wits yet. He told them, "The farmers around are irrigating their fields. If you throw me in the well at this hour, they are sure to take me out. Better, wait till night falls."
The thugs believed him once again. They put the big bundle near the bushes and went away.
Go to part 4

The clever old man (Part 2)

2009-08-16T21:38:00.000-07:00

Part 2 of 4
Go to part 1
They decided to buy the donkey and asked the old man its price. The old man said, "This donkey is the only means of sustenance for us. He passes out 10- 20 silver coins with the dung in the morning, which is the only earning we have. We cannot offered to feed him anything but grass. If only I could manage to feed him 2 kg grams everyday, he would pass out more of silver coins for sure."
Thugs' wives could not resist their greed. They purchased the donkey for four thousand silver coins.
Then the old man purchased 2 deer for 50 silver coins and brought them home. He tied a deer inside the room and instructed his wife to prepare kheer for the four guests he was to receive. He further told her, "I am carrying the other deer to the field in the nearby hill. You tie the other deer outside once I leave."
The thugs' wives were eager to get more of silver coins from the donkey. In their enthusiasm, each of them fed the donkey 2 kg gram seeds. The donkey could not resist eating them. But it was just not possible for him to digest 8 kg of grams. He tossed and turned in pain and finally died.
When the thugs returned, they were surprised to see the dead body of the donkey. Then their wives told them the whole story.
Next day, the thugs went to the old man's place and asked his wife where the old man was. The old woman showed them the path to the field in the hill where the old man had gone. After they left, she brought the other deer out of the room and tied it in the courtyard of her house. Thereafter, she got busy preparing the kheer.
The thugs found the old man in the field and told him that the donkey had died. The old man
replied, "I had told your wives to feed him 2 kg of grams and not 8 kg."
Then the old man spoke the deer grazing nearby, "Balvant, go home, Son, and tell Mother to prepare kheer for 4 guests." Saying this, he released the deer. The deer moved around in the forest and was lost.
The thugs were surprised to see the old man giving order to a deer. They decided to find out" whether Balvant really conveyed the message. They went to the old man’s house. There they found the other deer tied in the courtyard. Soon, the old woman came out and offered them kheer. The thugs were taken aback. They offered the old man 4000 silver coins and requested him to sell the deer.
Next day, the thugs untied all their cows and sent the Balvant as cowherd to look after them. Soon after that the owner of the adjacent plot of land came to them complaining, "Your cows have damaged my crops."
The thugs told him, "But we had sent a cowherd with them." And they told him about the witty deer. To their surprise the owner of the field said, "That deer is grazing in the field, too."
Go to part 3

The clever old man (Part 1)

2009-08-16T21:26:00.000-07:00

Based on a story by Samser Kausalia
An old childless couple lived in a village. They were farmers. The old man often worried that he was childless. Whatever he had earned, he spent in the treatment of his wife, but to no avail.
One day, the old woman spoke, "We do not have children, nor do we have money. What shall we do in the old age?"
The old man thought for some time and then spoke, "You ask someone to lend us 100 silver coins and I can promise you a secure old age."
The old woman went to a rich merchant's wife and borrowed 100 silver coins from her. She handed those coins to the old man. The old man took 20 of those coins to a potter and purchased his donkey from him. Then he went to a neighbouring village. There lived 4 brothers in the village. The brothers cheated those living in the nearby villages and cities and thus earned their living.
The old man enquired about them and decided to see them. He asked a child whether or not they were available at their home. The child told him that they were out. Hence the old man decided to visit their home in their absence.
There were their wives at home. The old man enquired about the four brothers. The wives told him that they were out on business. Then they asked the old man who he was.
The old man said, "You don't know me. I am one their old friend".
Then they told him to stay for the night as it was a late hour. The old man agreed and stayed there with his donkey.
The old man got up early in the morning and buried 8 silver Coins in the dung of the donkey. Then he fell asleep once again. After some time, the thugs' wives came and were surprised to find the
silver coins in the dung. They had no doubt left (that the donkey passed those coins with his dung.)
Go to part 2

My name is Bond, Chuuha bond (part 2)

2009-08-01T00:18:00.000-07:00

Previous Part
Chuuha again searched all the houses of the colony with his detective glasses. Sundri kept sprinkling the powder at the said places and Chuuha took photographs with his L.G. mobile camera. They kept searching till midnight. He quickly forwarded the photos by bluetooth to his IBM laptop and started typing on the Microsoft keyboard. Sundri asked with curiosity, "What are you doing, sir?" She had seen a IBM laptop for the first time. "This is the little computer filled with information from all over the world. I am processing the photographs that I clicked by downloading them on the laptop. As soon as this data matches with the data in the computer, it will immediately verify the marks. Who is that wicked one who has made your life hell?" Chuuha answered while working on the laptop. Jumping with joy, Sundri said, "James Bond,you are great." She felt that the James Bond rats will now not only soon get rid of the trouble but they would alsoa quire popularity.
Photographs of many animals were being screened on the laptop. Sundri was enjoying it thoroughly. In excitement she too hit a finger on the keyboard. "Bow!wow!wow,!" a dog barked loudly on thescreen. "Oh God! What is this?" and frightened Sundri quickly moved behind. "I was just about to find the culprit and you disturbed the processing," Chuuha said, holding hishead." But how did the dog enter the laptop?" Sundri asked with her eyes wide open at the laptop. "It is filled with lots of information, photos and sounds of many animals. You have destroyed my hard work," Chuuha spoke seriously. "I am sorry, please forgive me. The mistake will not be repeated," Sundri apologised holding her ears."Fine," and Chuuha again started processing the data. Sundri was watching everything very carefully. She found Chuuha very intelligent and revered. "I have found the culprit. here he is. The root of the trouble has been found," Chuuha shouted after about half an hour."I will declare tomorrow in front of the everyone who the culprit is" Chuuha said. "I am your assistant and have worked with you from the beginning in searching the culprit. You are still not telling me the name that means you do not trust me," Sundri said with tears in her eyes."James Bond cannot see tears in girls eyes. So I will tell you," wiping Sundri’s tears James whispered to her, "Our computer is telling that the marks that we have picked up from in front of the houses are of a cat's paws. That means that the wicked cat eats them away." When Sundri laughed Chuuha got angry. "The computer of James Bond does not lie. Pups of rats have been devoured by the cat. Don't you know since beginning, all know that rats are eaten by cats. Why did you make such elaborate arrangements for knowing such a small thing? Did your mother not tell you that cats are our enemies?" Sundri said.
Our silly Chuuha bond had felt he is a James bond.
End of Story

My name is Bond, Chuuha bond (part 1)

2009-08-01T00:16:00.000-07:00

Based on a story by Sanjiv Jaiswal

One day,Chuuha Rat watched a 007 James Bond film on TV. Seeing his stunts Chuuha too decided to become a detective. He quickly bought a long overcoat,a hat, a pair of sunglasses, a big bag and some other James Bond important things. He then went to a rat's colony and after collecting all of them, and said, "Friends,James Bond 009 is here in your service. I will be happy to solve your problems if you tell them to me."
"We rats are in great trouble, James Bond," Pintu Rat spoke. "Tell me your problem and sleep peacefully," taking down his hat Chuuha bowed down gracefully. "Our children disappear anytime. We are highly upset about that," Browny mother rat cried. "We cannot sleep at night. If you can bail us out of this problem, we will be thankful to you for entire lives," Chichi Rat pleaded with folded hands. "Whose children have disappeared?" Chuuha inquired."Our.ours," almost all the rats raised their hands. Thinking for a while Chuuha said, "That mean sthe matter is very serious. I will solve this case, but there is a condition." "What is the condition?" "I need a beautiful (female) rat as an assistant." He had always seen James Bond with pretty damsel to help him and he wanted to be like him.
Sundri Rat was ready to be his assistant. Chuuha sent all the rats back home and started working on the case. First of all, with the help of his detective glasses, he started searching all the nearby houses for many hours. Sundri in between kept serving him with coffee from the thermos. She too had watched a lot of James Bond films and so was impressed with Chuuha alias James Bond."Sundri darling, I have discovered similar marks in front of all houses which proves that it is the one person behind all troubles," Chuuha said after completing the first leg of his search. "Sir, who can that be?" Sundri asked."It is difficult to comment anything right now. But don't worry, I will soon find him out," Chuuha smiled and taking out a special box of powder from his pocket, said, "Sprinkle this powder where I tell you to. The marks will become visible by this and I will take their photographs."
Next Part

Who Stole the Necklace (part 3)

2009-07-25T00:14:00.000-07:00

Previous part

Bandariya's mother had a liking for pudding and it was her friend Champa who made it very delicious. She thought of going to her to learn how to make the pudding. When she reached her house, her daughter was playing in the garden. She was wearing necklace exactly like bandariya's necklace. For one moment she was shocked but she could not resist As she entered inside the house she commented, "You know bandariya too had a necklace like Binny. Where did you get it from?" Champa replied, "Don't joke. It was yesterday only that bandariya gifted it to Binny saying that this was an advance gift for her birthday coming next month." bandariya’s mother understood everything. She told Champa all about the necklace getting stolen. Actually, Binny had liked bandariya's necklace a lot and so she had stolen it. As langoori was peeping inside the window at that time Binny knew that bandariya would suspect langoori for stealing the necklace. As Binny's mother had seen the necklace at home Binny cooked up the story of bandariya having gifted it to her. When Champa shouted at her, Binny apologised for her mistake and returned it to bandariya's mother.On returning home, when bandariya's mother told her about Binny stealing the necklace, bandariya was sad about having charged langoori of stealing thenecklace. langoori and her mother were going away with their luggage. bandariya’s mother apologised to them. bandariya now promised that she would treat langoori as her friend and share all her toys and show her clothes to her so that she did not feel deprived. bandariya broke the friendship with Champa for stealing.

The End

Who Stole the Necklace (part 2)

2009-07-25T00:10:00.000-07:00

Previous part
After playing for some time, they all left. bandariya took meal after everyone left and then retired to bed. Next day morning was a Sunday. Uncle had planned a picnic. bandariya was excited. She wore her new dress and thought that the necklace will go well with the dress. When she opened the cupboard to take out the necklace, she did not find it there.
On searching the whole room and even the entire house she could not find it. bandariya understood that the necklace was stolen.
She suddenly remembered langoori's presence on the window that time. She was sure that langoori had stolen the necklace. bandariya told her mother about it.Mother called langoori and her mother immediately and asked them about the necklace. langoori acknowledged that she did see the necklace through the window but did not take it. And she started crying.
But bandariya was sure that langoori had stolen the necklace. bandariya told her mother that langoori always peeped and looked at from somewhere or the other at bandariya. Mother also became confident of langoori being the thief. She asked langoori and her mother to vacate the maids quarters immediately. Now nobody seemed in a mood to go for picnic.

Next part

Who Stole the Necklace (part 1)

2009-07-25T00:03:00.000-07:00

Adapted from a story by Neelam Chandra
Thanks Neelam
A female monkey bandariya lived with her parents in a posh house in the jungle of New York. She lived a comfortable and lavish life. She has colourful toys, new clothes and lots of books to read and PSP to play. On the other hand langoori monkey stayed in the bandariya's maids quarter with her mother who worked as a maid in the house. Because of poverty langoori could not attend school neither did she possess toys and books. She wore the old clothes of bandariya given to her by bandariya's mother. langoori was always eager to see bandariya's things and would hide and watch bandariya's activities. bandariya would be highly annoyed at this. One day, bandariya was on the swing wearing a new Tommy dress and matching Nike shoes. langoori was peeping her from behind the wall. bandariya happened to see langoori and shouted at her badly.
Next day, bandariya's uncle from the jungle of tokyo came to meet her. He got for her beautiful necklace and earrings. The necklace was very expensive. On wearing it, bandariya felt like a queen. She proudly wore it the whole day. In the evening, her friends "Pinky, Binny and Chinky monkey" came to meet her. bandariya showed her necklace to all of them. Her friends had not seen such a beautiful necklace till now. They could not stop showering praises on it. Suddenly, bandariya's eyes fell on the window. She saw langoori standing and watching all of them. bandariya was very angry and shouted at langoori in front of her friends.
Next part

Lesson for the Cat (Part 2)

2009-07-04T22:28:00.000-07:00

Goto Part 1
Billa, the cat liked the idea and asked Lomdi the Jackal to get the dish of chilli-powder. She said, "I like hot spicy food, so I will first marinate Chooha in chilli-powder." Chooha, the mouse was frightened but Billa, the cat opened the lid of the dish and put Chooha, the mouse into the utensil.
As Chooha was wrapped with chilli-powder, she started shaking with pain. At the same time she thought that to escape from the situation she had to bear some pain and so filled some chilli in her mouth. Billa, the cat took her out and to see that Chooha, the mouse was properly covered with chilli, she brought her close to her eyes. Chooha, the mouse got a chance and she blew the chilli-powder into Billa, the cat's eyes. Billa, the cat shouted with pain and the mouse fell from her hand. Chooha ran to Lomdi the Jackal. Billa, the cat was jumping here and there. Her eyes were burning with the chilli. She forgot that the fire was next to her and she fell into it. Lomdi the Jackal and Chooha, the mouse started clapping. Lomdi the Jackal said to Billa, the cat, "Now I will roast you and coat you with spices." Billa, the cat pleaded, "Spare me, I promise that I will never eat any mouse ever. Please forgive me." Lomdi the Jackal and Chooha, the mouse felt pity on her and threw a bucket of water into the fire. The fire was doused but by that time both ears of Billa, the cat had already got burnt. She ran away for shame but Lomdi the Jackal stopped her and said, "I regret that only your ears have got burnt. But not to worry, I will cover them in spices and we will be happy eating just your ears." Billa, the cat was embarrassed. She ran as fast as she could while Lomdi the Jackal and Chooha, the mouse clapped away.
End of the story...

Lesson for the Cat (Part 1)

2009-07-04T22:23:00.000-07:00

Based on a Story by Gyandev Mukesh
Winter had set in and Lomdi the Jackal was feeling cold. He collected some dry woodand lit up a fire to keep himself warm. He went off to sleep when he felt warm and comfortable. Chooha, the Mouse too was feeling very cold. Taking the opportunity she cuddled close to the fire. Billa, the cat too joined them. Chooha was enjoying the warmth of the fire and was unaware of the presence of the danger lurking near her "the cat". After some time, when Billa, the cat be came comfortable, she thought of going home. When she turned, her eyes fell on Chooha, the mouse.
"Wow! A mouse. I will roast it and enjoy my meal", and Billa, the cat nabbed the ignorant Chooha.
"Help, help," Chooha shouted and tried to free itself from Billa, the cat's clutches. This woke Lomdi the Jackal up and he inferred the whole situation.
He said to Billa, the cat, "The mouse is my little sister, so spare her. I will give you lots of dry wood to keep yourself cosy and comfortable at home." Billa, the cat said, "I can get wood from anywhere but to have the catch of a fat mouse comes rarely. I am going to roast the mouse, so get aside. If you wish,I can give you some to taste." Lomdi the Jackal understood that Billa, the cat was too eager of having Chooha, the mouse for supper.
He regretted lighting fire and started searching for a way to save Chooha, the mouse. Seeing some utensils with spices lying nearby,an idea struck Lomdi the Jackal. He said to Billa, the cat, "Why don't you roast Chooha in spices kept here and make it tasty."

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Secret of a Flying Saucer (Part 3 of 3)

2009-06-21T09:49:00.000-07:00

Go to Part 2
As Khargosh returned after discovering the secret,the king asked him. Khargosh assured him that there was nothing to fear.
Then Khargosh called for a kite. He started flying the kite after tying a thread to it.All the animals were curiously watching. The kite had reached the skies. Then Khargosh pulled his kite's string after cutting the string of the balloon. This snipped the string tied to the balloon of the saucer and the saucer came falling on the ground. Showing the saucer to Sher the Lion king Khargosh said, "Here is this paper globe that we thought to be a danger and we were getting frightened of."
"Some naughty children of our jungle or the other one tied it to a balloon and left it in the skies. And we thought it to be a dangerous thing," Khargosh, the rabbit surprised everyone.
Praising Khargosh, the rabbit, Sher, the king said, "It is during troubled times that a person is tested. It was seen how we all behave when in danger. Instead of being frightened in troubled times we must act with patience and sensibly and think of a way out like Khargosh, the rabbit did."
The secret of the saucer was out. The wicked animals were cursing Khargosh, the rabbit who had snatched the opportunity of making a fortune from them.
All the animals again returned to their everyday chores from that day.
End of the Story

Secret of a Flying Saucer (Part 2 of 3)

2009-06-21T09:43:00.000-07:00

Go to Part 1
"But Baba, if this trouble from the sky falls down,the entire jungle will finish. No worships will help at that time," when Bhalu, the Bear said, Jhaptu Wolf got conscious.
Jhaptu replied, "If you don't believe me, don't pay me the money." Sher, The Lion King was worried at the condition of his jungle. Calling a meeting he decided that birds would find out what this flying bird-like creature was all about.
Samdi, the Eagle, pigeon, parrot, crow - all started making excuses with the fear of loosing their lives on going near the saucer. "All of you are cowards. If I could fly, I would have gone near it long ago to find out," Haathi, the Elephant said in the meeting. "If so, we birds will drop it down from the skies. I hope then you will solely handle it?" when Samdi, the eagle asked, Haathi started looking down.
Sher, the king called for Khargosh, the Rabbit. "You are sensible. You suggest something." Thinking for some time Khargosh narrated his plan. He called for a strong basket and after tying it up with a strong rope, fastened it to Samdi, the eagle's claws. Khargosh, the rabbit sat in the basket. Samdi, the eagle flew to the skies. They reached near the flying saucer. The saucer, made of glazed paper, had a lamp lighted in it which made it glow at night. A hydrogen gas lamp was tied to it. As the gas was finishing, the balloon was descending with the saucer and so it was appearing bigger.
Next Part

Secret of a Flying Saucer (Part 1 of 3)

2009-06-21T09:38:00.000-07:00

Based on a story by Indrajit Kaushik

Misty mountains forest was in panic these days. All the animals were in a state of terror. The cause of anxiety was a Unidentified Flying Object (UFO) in the sky. A saucer-shaped object was glittering at night.
"I think the saucer has come from some other planet and is spying on us", said Bandar, the Monkey.
"But why should anyone spy on us?" Bandar was speechless when Shiyar the Jackal asked him.
"It seems we are in trouble. God knows what will happen now?" Lomdi the Vixen started crying."Crying will not help. We will have to think of some way out", when Khargosh, the Rabbit suggested, everyone started looking at one another.
The flying saucer was growing bigger day by day. It was slowly descending on the jungle. In this situation many had stopped work with the fear of the dooms day. But some started taking advantage of the situation. In order to save them from this trouble, the ones advising prayers and sacrifices started cheating others in the name of superstition.
Next Part

Turn around Ganeshji - part 2

2008-12-02T19:47:00.000-08:00

First part
The old woman was touched to hear Kali Mirch’s confession, She said "You have helped me like a son. So, from today, you are my son Kali. Come on, we will both work together." Kali was so happy to hear this, From then on, both of them prepared idlis, dosas and sweets and sold them in the market.
One day, the old woman made some delicious "appams" (bread of rice) from rice and Jaggery. The old woman gave one to Kali. Kali happily ran away with the appam. When he reached a Ganeshji temple, he entered the deity’s room and started eating the appam.
Lord Ganeshji saw Kali eating appam. His mouth watered.
He said " Kali, Kali Give me piece please," Kali said, "No’ No! I can’t give you
even a bit",
He ate the whole appam by himself, Lord Ganeshji got so angry at this that he turned around and stood facing the wall. The next day, when the temple priest came and opened the temple, he saw Lord Ganeshji facing the wall. He was terrified, and called all the villagers, They realised that Lord Ganeshji was angry. They quickly made him many offerings of delicious fruits and sweets. But Lord Ganeshji refused to turn around. Everyone was worried.
When Kali heard this, he felt sad. He knew very well why Ganeshji was angry. He hurried to the old woman and asked her to make appams again. Then, that night, he took two appams and went to the temple. He called out "Ganeshji! Ganeshji! Turn around! I have brought appams for you. Lord Ganeshji immediately turned around and happily took the appams from Kali. Both of them ate the appams heartily. The next day, the villagers were so happy to see Lord Ganeshji in his usual pose.
End of the story.
Thanks Vaidehi for the story.

Turn around Ganeshji - part 1

2008-12-02T19:45:00.000-08:00

A folk tale from Tamil Nadu, India
An old man was very sick and was in bed with fever. His old wife was very sad because she didn’t have money to take him to hospital. She decided to make some herbal juice to lessen her husband’s fever. So, she placed a few coriander and pepper seeds on the grinding stone
and went to look for a stone to pound the seeds.One of the pepper seeds was naughty Kali
Mirch. He had watched the old woman, and realised that he was going to be pounded. So, he quietly rolled off the grinding stone and hid under it. The old woman did not notice this. She pounded the remaining coriander and pepper seeds and made juice for the old man. Alas, the old man didn’t recover from the fever, and died the next day. The old woman was very sad and cried a lot, Kali Mirch who was hiding under the grinding stone saw this and felt guilty. He thought that the old man had died because of him, So, he decided to help the old woman.
Every night, he crept out of the grinding stone and prepared some idli and dosa dough. Then, he kept the dough in a vessel, and hid behind the grinding stone before the old woman woke up. The old woman was astonished to see the idli and dosa dough all ground and mixed each morning. Since she needed money, she prepared idlis and dosas from the dough, and sold it to the people around, After a few days, the old woman became curious. She wanted to know who was helping her, So, one night she pretended to have fallen asleep. Kali Mirch, as usual, came out of his hiding place and prepared the dough. The old woman excitedly took Kali Mirch in her hands and asked, "Why are you doing all this?" Kali sheepishly told her his story.

Part 2

Granny makes a scarecrow

2008-11-28T07:01:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time, there was Neeta, an old granny, who lived in a village. A large mango tree, laden with ripe golden mangoes grew in front of her house. Neeta, the old granny could not climb to the top of the tree to pick the ripe mangoes. She had to wait until her grandson, Bakul, came from the city. Bakul came only Saturdays, and it was only Wednesday.
Grandmother didn’t know what to do, She wanted to wait for Bakul, but the crows were eating up all the mangoes, She knew that something had to be done at once. Or else, all the mangoes would be gone. She thought hard of some way to frighten the crows away. Finally she had an idea. Do you know what she did?
Granny took a stick and stuck it in the ground. She hung an old shirt on it. She tied
a bundle of straw on it for a head. She tied on some old ragged pants. She fastened old gloves for hands. When the wind blew it made him flop just like a man, and the birds didn’t dare go near to steal any more mangoes.

Shamu, the whale does a great job (part 2)

2008-11-26T19:15:00.000-08:00

Part 2 of 2.
First Part

"We need a Place that’s safe from other big sharks, There are more than three hundred types of sharks, and many of them eat baby Sharks like us!" said Sharpy,the baby shark.
"Humans hunt us too, so we must stay away from them as well," said Snappy, the baby shark,
"I think I know a safe placefor you," said Shamu, He led the baby sharks
to a small island In the middle of the sea. "You’ll be safe here - no sharks or humans come here," he said.
"Thank you. I’m so tired, I think I’ll have a nap now," said Sharpy, the baby shark.
Shamu waited for him to close his eyes, After a while, he said, "What’s the matter? Why aren’t you sleeping?"
"Shh...don’t make noise, Mr. Whale, He’s already sleeping, We sharks sleep with our eyes open," explained Snappy, the second baby shark.
Hey! I didn’t know that. I’ll be off now. Do you need any more help?" Shamu asked,
"Not really. We sharks have a strong sense of hearing. We can hear our enemies or our prey from far away. I am sure we can look ourselves now. Thank you for your help," said Sharpy and Snappy,the baby sharks.
"Not at all! It was my pleasure. Bye, I’ll see you sometime," said Shamu as he waved goodbye.

This story is based on a story by Archana Correa, Thanks Archana...

End of the story, Thanks for reading

Shamu, the whale does a great job (part 1)

2008-11-26T19:12:00.000-08:00

Part 1 of 2

Shamu, the whale was swimming in the ocean when he saw two baby sharks wandering about.
"Mr. Whale, we’re lost. Please help us, - cried Sharpy, one of the baby sharks.
Shamu was surpnsed.
"Lost? Where’s your mother? And how can I help?" he asked.
"Our parents swam away as soon as we were born. Now we have to look after ourselves. We’re hungry, and we want something to eat," said Snappy, the other baby shark.
"What strange parents you have! Anyway what would you like to eat" asked Shamu.
"I'll have some fish, and maybe a small octopus too," said Sharpy, the baby Shark.
"And I'd like some plankton - those colourful plants and sea creatures" eggs that float about on the water,
They look yummy I can’t wait to try them!" said Snappy, the second baby shark.
"I know just the place! Follow me," said Shamu.
Shamu swam towards the Beach Side Cafe, a small seafood restaurant in the ocean. There, Ms. Lola, the Lobster, the chef served them fresh fish and plankton,
"That was deliciousi" said Snappy and Sharpy, the baby sharks. "What do we do next?"
"You need to find a Safe place to live", said Shamu.

next part

Why does woody, the woodpecker peck wood?

2008-11-22T22:26:00.000-08:00

The heavy rains had caused floods, so it was difficult for Woody, the woodpecker to go out in search of food. When the rains finally stopped, Woody, the woodpecker set out to look for food. Then he spotted a tiger cub near the sea. It had been swept ashore by the forceful waves.
Woody, the woodpecker went up to the cub and said, "You look lost, little cub! Do you want some help?"
"I want to go back to my mummy," Tigger, the tiger cub said.
"It’s going to be hard for me to help this Tigger, the tiger cub", Woody, the woodpecker thought worriedly.
Woody, the woodpecker was not able to carry the Tigger, the tiger cub across the ocean to the island where its parents lived.
Woody, the woodpecker then asked his friend, Bunny, the rabbit, about what they could do to solve this problem.
Bunny, the rabbit replied, "We must make a boat that travel in,"
"That is a good idea," Woody, the woodpecker said happily.
Their friend the Jumbo elephant was ready to uproot any tree to make into a boat. A group of friendly rats were ready to do all the carpentry work needed to make it sail.
But which tree should they choose? Bunny, the rabbit said they should take advice from king termite, who knew all about wood. However, the king termite was not quite clear in his
answer. He simply said, "All trees are not good for your purpose." So, all the animals urged Woody, the woodpecker to find a suitable tree himself. And from that day onwards, Woody, the woodpecker has been pecking every tree he finds, to look for the suitable tree. But, he has still not found it.
In the meanwhile, Tigger, the tiger cub became friendly with the other animals and lived with them.

The story is based on a story by Leons George. Thanks Leons

Match Fixing part 5

2008-08-27T07:17:00.000-07:00

Part 5 of 5
Previous part

Later the Principal addressed the students during Assembly:
"Dear teachers and students,
It is indeed unfortunate that I have to deal with such a situation. I am sorry to say that two of our school students Peter and David have been suspended for unacceptable behaviour."
"I learn that Peter of nineth grade, a young boy who is in the habit of betting, has betted with many students of our school for Rs 500 and stood to gain money to the tune of Rs 10,000 through these bets. He had promised to pay David Rs 5,000 if he threw the match in Modern High’s favour.
I have just suspended the 2 students, not removed them because they are still young and at an impressionable age and I would like to give them both an opportunity to reform their ways."
"Let others learn a lesson from this incident and be honest in their actions and motives and bring laurels to their school and the Country."
The Assembly dispersed amid disbelief and anger.
"Hence forth, we should not get involved in betting of any type," Rashmi declared.
"Yes, never again," the other 3 echoed.
"Thank God, our names did not come out in the open."
"Tomorrow is our Sc1ente test. Let us concentrate on it" Akash suggested.
"That is right."
All four having learnt a lesson, resolved to concentrate on their studies and to keep away from bad habits.

The End...

Match Fixing part 4

2008-08-27T07:16:00.000-07:00

Part 4 of 5
Previous part

It read:
"Our school cricket team captain David has been suspended from attending school for 2 weeks. He also ceases to be our school cricket team captain owing to the betting charges against him. Peter of Nineth gread too has been suspended for 2 weeks in this regard."
"Pavan, Akash, Sulabh, come quickly. Look here," yelled an excited Rashmi,
"What is wrong Rashmi? Why are you shouting like this?" Pavan enquired.
"Look..." pointed Rashmi.
The 3 looked at the notice board, their mouth wide open with shock and surprise.
"I don’t think David is capable of such a thing. I think somebody is out to tarnish his name," Rashmi defended her hero.
Pavan was more level headed, "Why would any-body do such a thing? If Peter and David both have been suspended. I think the management should have proof against them."
"Maybe, the Modern High team must have bribed him so that they could win the trophy" suggested Akash.
"Most likely" the other 3 supported his opinion unanimously.

Next part

Match Fixing part -3

2008-08-27T07:11:00.000-07:00

Part 3 of 5
Previous part

Akash shrugged, "Probably just to show off that he is different and to gain attention" he suggested.
Though their minds were reeling with excitement about the forthcoming match, the bets they had committed to, troubled them. What if their Principal came to know about it? Or if one of their parents finds out and decided to take the betting matter to the Principal?
"Anyway, our school is going to win the match and we stand to gain. Be happy" Pavan consoled his mates.
"We want a Sixer... we want a Sixer..." shouted the crowd. Inspite of David’s poor batting, Bombay Scottish" had managed to reach a score of 143 runs In 48 overs.
"Modern High" was nearing 100 runs in 32 overs and had 5 wickets in hand.
"Bombay Scottish" was heavily banking on Davids bowling prowess. If he could come up with a spectacular bowling display, as usual, the cup would be their this year too.
David let his team down with poor bowling and "Modern High" won the game with 8 overs to spare.
The students of "Bombay Scottish" could not believe what they had just witnessed. Their hero, David had let them down. Here was Modern High walking away with the cup.
Amidst much cheering and booing, Abhishek was presented the trophy. The students of Modern High walked away with the trophy, their heads held up high, with pride.
Pavan, Sulabh, Akash and Rashmi sat in one end of their school playground totally dissapointed.
How were they going to collect Rs 500 to give to Peter?
A notice on the school notice board, a few days later, shook everybody.

Next part

Match Fixing part 2

2008-08-27T07:05:00.000-07:00

Part 2 of 5
Previous part

He was a master stroke player, a cunning, accurate bowler and an agile fielder. For the past 3 years, Bombay Scottish had retained the winning trophy meant for the best team in the city, thanks to David.
Bombay Scottish was expected to win this year too. According to all the students including those of Modern High, David was in great form and had scored 90 runs and taken 3 wickets for 12 runs in their semifinal against Vidya Montessori School.
"But 500 rupees is a huge amount. Peter has no problem. He was rich and had the money, but what about us? Suppose we lose our bet?" Akash was worried.
Rashmi, Akash, Pawan and Sulabh were walking home in the evening.
"It is Peter who ought to worry. After all with David in our team, Modern High do not stand a chance" Pawan sounded optimistic.
"I don’t know why Peter keeps betting like this. It has become a habit with him. He Knows very well that our school is going to win, why is he betting on Modern High?" Rashmi observed.

Next part

Match Fixing part 1

2008-08-27T06:59:00.000-07:00

Part 1 of 5
"I will bet on Modern High School for the forthcoming cricket match. Will you accept a bet for Rs 500?" Peter asked.
All the students in the class were stunned and glanced at one another. Rs 500 was quite a big amount. And they were sure, Modern High School was going to be defeated with David working wonders in Bombay Scottish team. They could not resist the temptation.
"We will accept the bet with you" said Rashmi, after a brief pause on behalf of the rest.
"It is a deal then," said Peter as the bell rang to announce the end of lunch session.
The nineth grade students took their seats as their history teacher entered the classroom. The whole class was bubbling with excitement and the history teacher could sense it.
Not only this class but the whole school seemed to be talking about nothing but the cricket match. It was scheduled for Sunday.
Their school "Bombay Scottish" was to take on "Modern High".
Both the schools boasted of strong teams but Bombay Scottish had an edge over Modern High in the sense that it had David as its Captain. David was a dread to his opponents.

Next part

A True Friend (Part 2)

2008-06-10T07:36:00.000-07:00

Continued from Part 1
Pradeep, with a stone hearts went to Vinod and apologised. Vinod forgave him and agreed to make friends with Pradeep.
After some days, the second term examinations were held. Pradeep, because he was poor in studies, did not get good marks and just managed to pass.

His Principal came and said to him, "This is your last chance unless you do well in the Third and final term examination, you will be expelled"
Pradeep was ashamed and he cried bitterly. Vinod came to him and said, "Pradeep, do not worry, this is just the mid-term examination. Start reading well ain work hard from now. If you do so, you will do much better in annual exams."

Pradeep worked hard and Vinod also coached him wherever he found difficulties. After the annual exams result arrived, Pradeep was very happy because he stood first.
Indeed, it was his happiest day. He thanked Vinod profusely. Vinod stood in the second position. The Principal was also very happy because of pradeep's hard work. After this, Pradeep and Vinod became best friends.

For all the exams they ever faced, they faced it together. Always they stood either 1st or 2nd rank.

The End

A True Friend (Part 1)

2008-06-10T07:31:00.000-07:00

A Story on friendship as told by M.Aditya

PRADEEP AND Vinod were rivals studying in the class 7. Pradeep was good in sports but was poor at studies. Vinod was good at both. As a result, he was jealous of Vinod.
The sports day was near. Everybody was practising for it. Pradeep and Vinod were very good at athletics. Pradeep was determined to win. But he was not sure whether he could win because Vinod was also determined to win.

Pradeep hit upon a plan and according to it on the sports day, before anyone's arrival, he dug a small pit in the path in which Vinod was supposed to run.

When the race started, Vinod was ahead of Pradeep, but after some time Vinod stepped on the pit and fell down. He was seriously injured. Pradeep overtook him. He was very happy as his plan had worked and he won the first prize. He also felt very guilty.

After a few days, he admitted to his teacher that he had dug the pit in which Vinod stepped and fell down. He was taken to the Principal. The Principal said, "You should make friends with Vinod and promise me that you will not betray him. You must also study very hard or else you will fail and will be expelled from the school."

Continued in part 2

Catching rats the easy way backfires (Part 4)

2008-05-05T09:14:00.000-07:00

Go to Part 3
"What should we do, Brother?" the leader of the rats asked with concern. "Don’t worry. You can resort to the same technique to save you, the one they are using to catch you." said the monkey
"What do you mean?" the leader asked.
Ram Monkey whispered something in his ear which made him all smiles.
Next day, the tomcats, as usual, used a new technique to catch the rats, but not a single rat was trapped. The rats had the answer to every trick used by the tomcats. The tomcats became disappointed. "Oh, not a single rat has been caught," the tomcats discussed among themselves, "it seems they have got a magical lamp to save them."
"Yes, we do have a magical lamp. Its name is 'Beware tomcats dot com', the leader of the rats shouted from a distance.
"What kind of lamp is this? We have never before heard of it." replied Alex
"It is not a lamp. It is the answer to 'Catch rats dot corn' site used by you. It contains techniques to answer back your tricks. We are also resorting to Internet," the leader shouted and ran away.
The tomcats hardly expected that their efforts would come to nothing. They were in a fix as to what to do the next.
The smart monkey made sure that the cats dont misuse technology and the easy route the cats took backfired.

End of the Story

Catching rats the easy way backfires (Part 3)

2008-05-05T09:12:00.000-07:00

Go to Part 2
"We have to resort to a new technique which is unknown to the rats," Hairy tomcat said. "Idea!" Motu spoke, "we can resort to 'catch rats dot com' in order to catch the rats."
"What nonsense are you talking? Are you out of your senses?" Some of the cats said angrily. "I am very much in my senses. We should resort to Internet to catch the rats. There is 'Catch rats dot com' website in the Internet which contains rnany novel techniques for catching the rats. We can use some of those techniques," Motu said.
"Wow Motu! This is the first time you have come out with a witty suggestion," Black tomcat said.
"Motu’s suggestion is good. Let us open 'Catch rats dot com' site in the Internet"
There was a computer in the club which Motu proceeded and opened the 'catch rats dot com' site.
The torn-cats were surprised. The website contained many novel techniques to catch the rats. The tomcats took out the prints of all those methods. "Ha..Ha..Ha.. now the rats will face the music," the tomcats had a hearty laugh. The rats really felt helpless before the new techniques. They were trapped one after the other.
Ram Monkey was the well-wisher of the rats. The rats went to him. "So, this is the problem," Ram Monkey said after hearing them. Then he telephoned his friend Green Parrot and asked him to keep a close watch on the tomcats.
Green Parrot came with the news the very next day that the tomcats were resorting to 'Catch rats dot com'
Go to Part 4

Catching rats the easy way backfires (Part 2)

2008-05-05T09:09:00.000-07:00

Go to Part 1

A few rats, however, restrained themselves. They remained inside the hole and watched those who ate the bits of cakes. Soon, those rats became unconscious and fell down.
The tomcat and friends hiding behind the bushes immediately came out. "Hurray..." they rejoiced.
"At last, we have succeeded," Alex said happily. The Alex and his friends lifted the unconscious rats and took them away on their backs. After their departure, the leader of the rats spoke, "This is the result of the greed. Now onwards we have to be very careful. The cats are resorting to novel techniques to trap us. None of the rats are advised to eat anything new without my consent."
The rats were convinced with what he said. They sniffed the eating material well to make sure that it was not harmful.
The tomcats were worried once again. "What to do now? The rats don’t even touch the bits of cakes. Moreover, we cannot afford to buy the cakes," one day, the tomcats discussed.

Go to Part 3

Catching rats the easy way backfires (Part 1)

2008-05-05T08:59:00.000-07:00

This Story is about Cats who try to catch rats and the rats escape the cats.

Off lately, the tomcats of Mumbai were very much worried. They were trying hard to catch the rats but rats escaped every time. The tomcats felt themselves helpless. At last, they decided to call a meeting to discuss the problem.

An old cat presided over the meeting. The Cat Aunty spoke "This meeting is of utmost importance to us. We have gathered here to find a way out lest all the rats escape us." "We ought to put small pieces of cakes in front of their holes," Alex tomcat suggested.

"How is it going to serve the purpose?" Motu tomcat asked. "Silly, the rats will eat up those pieces and will become unconscious. We will soak those pieces in the medicine that causes unconsciousness. Do you understand?"

In the very night, some of the Alex placed the pieces of cakes soaked in the intoxicating drug in front of the holes of the rats. Then, they hid themselves behind the bushes. The sweet smell emanating from the cake pieces reached to the nostrils of the rats. Some of the rats came out of the holes and devoured them. The older rats tried to stop them but they did not care for their advice.
Go to Part 2

Rahul learns his lesson the hard way (Part 4)

2008-01-29T20:25:00.000-08:00

"All right. We will pardon you. But you have to pay for your misdeeds. As a punishment, you have to hold your ears and do situps 20 times as a punishment. Furthermore, you have to promise us that such callous mistakes would not be repeated in future," the tube-light said.

"I agree and promise that I will not repeat such mistakes anymore... 1... 2... 3..." Rahul held his ears and did situps.

"Son, wake up. It is 4 pm and you are already late for tuitions. And why are you counting in your sleep?" his mother asked waking him up. Rahul woke up startled, rubbing his eyes. He saw that the fan and tube-light were running all fine.

"Nothing serious, mother. I was just dreaming," Rahul replied back feeling relieved. He got up from his bed, and much to his mother's surprise, he switched off the fan and tube-light.., and went into the bathroom to wash his face.

Rahul learned the lesson, wasting electricity has a negative effect on the environment and causes global warming, we should switch off electricity when not required and help save the planet

Rahul learns his lesson the hard way (Part 3)

2008-01-29T20:23:00.000-08:00

Rahul was a brilliant Class 5 student. He always excelled in studies and sports as well. But he was a lazy boy. All the electronic gadgets of his house were always kept running for no reason.
His parents used to caution him occasionally mend his ways as early as possible. He would follow their advice for some time. But after that, things remained as bad as before. His parents were worried and fed up with Rahul’s inattention.
There were 3 days to go for the exams. And this time, his father had promised to present him a bicycle if he stood first in the class. He had to study a lot. But today, looking at the uncooperative attitude of the household gadgets, he was getting a bit nervous. He was clueless as to how to end this ordeal.
"Please don’t do this to me. I have exams after 3 days... and have to study," Rahul tried to pacify them.
"No. We are not going to pay heed to your request. You never cared for us. Therefore, we will also do the same," the refrigerator answered curtly.

Rahul started crying in despair. He pleaded them with folded hands, "Please forgive me, I will not repeat this mistake again. I will not be an unmindful boy anymore. I will make sure to switch you ‘off’ after the use. Please... I beg you... forgive me this time. I will make sure that I wont abuse the environment"

Rahul learns his lesson the hard way (Part 2)

2008-01-29T20:21:00.000-08:00

"And I too will not serve you with cold water and ice-cream as well," the refrigerator declared.
"But why? What have I done?" Rahul asked with a glint of tear in his eyes.

"Because you always harassed us. You keep us ‘on’ and then conveniently forget to switch us ‘off’ when not in use," the table-lamp explained him in an annoyed tone.

"You open my door and leave it as it is. As a result, I am forced to put in a lot of extra effort to keep things cool," the refrigerator protested.
"And as regards me, you are the most careless. Last time when you had gone to Delhi with your parents, you had forgotten to switch me ‘off.’ I was kept running for full 2 days. As a result, all my internal wiring got burned," the fan spoke in a huff.
"You keep me ‘on’ and then go out to play. Do you know how bad I feel when there is nobody to watch me," the television aired his grief.
"You also leave me running and go to your friend’s house. I have to labour a lot and sweat myself to keep your room cool," the cooler also chipped in.
"Your laxity has caused a lot of inconvenience to us and as a result your father has to pay higher electricity bills and created a lot of environmental damage" the tube-light said.
"We will no longer provide you with all these comforts. We are going on strike," the fan gave the decision.

"Yes... yes... we will go on strike," they all spoke in unison.

Rahul learns his lesson the hard way (Part 1)

2008-01-29T20:17:00.000-08:00

This is a very nice bedtime story based on a story by Om Prakash Maurya
"OH! WHY has this fan stopped working?" Rahul said wiping the sweat from his brow. "Now only I have stopped working. Just wait and see what happens next." "What? Who is this speaking?" Surprised, Rahul began looking around.

"I am the one who is speaking," the fan replied. Rahul raised his head. He asked him perplexed, "Can you speak too?" "Yes. I can speak. Well, usually I don’t talk and do my work silently. But when somebody troubles me, only then speak," the fan replied "But, I have not troubled you. Then why have you stopped working? My exams are about to start from Monday and I cannot concentrate on my studies because of extreme heat."

"That is why the fan has stopped working. This careless attitude will not work anymore with us. Now I will also not provide you with any light." This time the tube-light spoke up.

Cunning Shiyar gets his due (Part 4)

2008-01-25T22:24:00.002-08:00

Go to the previous part of the story

Shiyar, the Fox also assured Banny that he would no longer harm or tease anybody in the jungle. Banny extended his longest branch in the ditch. Shiyar got hold of it and came out.

As soon as he came out, he pounced upon Harry, the Hare.
"You idiot, Harry, you really are a fool to have pulled me out of the ditch. You never thought that I am hungry for 2 days . And a hungry fox would never resist eating a juicy hare."

But Shiyar, I never thought you could kill me who has actually saved your life."
"I am amazed that you still believe in these old, orthodox and outdated dictums of life. I also wonder how come your species is considered the most intelligent of all animals."
Harry got panicky and looked for help at the old banyan. But the old banyan just gave a slight jerk to his branch.

The fox was standing near the edge of the ditch. Suddenly, he lost balance due to the jerk. The branch he was holding on, slipped from his grip and he fell again into the ditch down below.
Harry heaved a sigh of relief on seeing that he was out of danger, with Shiyar, the Fox back into the ditch. He was thankful to the old banyan for his gesture and hugged him.

"Banny, you were correct. I was wrong. It is true that to help such kind of evil-minded animals like Shiyar, the Fox, you really have to think at least 10 times." "See, you are responsible for your actions. You have to pay for your sins," Harry rebuked at Shiyar, the Fox looking down.
"I saved your life and you tried to eat me up. Now spend the rest of your life in the ditch itself. Good-bye..." Harry waved his hand and left for his home.

End of the Story

Cunning Shiyar gets his due (Part 3)

2008-01-25T22:24:00.001-08:00

Go to the previous part of the story

Having exhausted all possibilities, Harry came back to the old banyan tree in a sad and dejected mood.

After pausing for a few moments, Harry called Banny, the old banyan tree, "Banny, you have long and strong locks of branches. I wish that they could be of some use. Why don’t you use these branches to save Shiyar’s life?"

"Harry, this fox has been lying here for 2 days. All the animals are very happy to see him in difficulty. Nobody thought of rescuing him because he is basically a bad animal. This is the result of his wrong-doings. Time and again I have seen a number of small animals being unnecessarily harassed by this evil and cunning fox. He is paying for his misdeeds and it is perfectly all right for him to be there."

"Banny, I never imagined that you could be cold-hearted like the rest. What has happened to you? Agreed, that he is a bad animal but we ought to take the initiative to transform him into a good animal," Harry, the Hare replied.

"All right. If you say, then I will pull him out. But beware, you may have to repent your decision." Harry felt happy on hearing the old banyan.

Go to the last part of the story

Cunning Shiyar gets his due (Part 2)

2008-01-25T22:22:00.000-08:00

Go to the first part of the story

"You need not worry. I will return with help very so on."

Harry ran as fast as he could and met Lambu, the Giraffe on the way. He said, "Lambu, Shiyar, the Fox has fallen in the ditch and has been lying there for 2 days. He needs your help."

"Harry, agreed that I am your friend. But what made you think that I would be ready to help Shiyar? Just a few days back, he had destroyed my crops in the fields. I am afraid, I would not want to save Shiyar." Lambu retorted and declined to help him. Harry then ran to seek someone else help. But wherever he went, he found the animals critical of Shiyar, the Fox and refused to show any mercy to him. A few called him cunning, some others, an idiot. Some branded him as deceitful, while others bad- mouthed him.

When everybody refused to help Shiyar, Harry went straight to King Gabbar Singh and pleaded,

"Your Highness , Shiyar, the Fox is lying helpless in the ditch for the past 2 days. Kindly arrange for his rescue."

"Just leave him there as it is. At least, there would be some peace in the jungle for a while. Have you forgotten that last fortnight he created havoc among animals? What shall I tell you about other victims, your brother Ginni too was a victim of his atrocities. He had bitten his tail." Gabbar Singh also refused to offer any help.

Go to the next part of the story

Cunning Shiyar gets his due

2008-01-25T22:20:00.000-08:00

Based on a story by Veena Gupta
This story will teach the kids not to be cunning, you cant fool everyone all the time.

Harry, the Hare had a daily habit of waking up early and going for a morning walk. Since the weather was fine one day, he decided to walk a bit further. As soon as he passed by the old banyan tree, he heard someone crying. "The voice sounds like a fox." he thought. He looked around and said, "I think that a fox is in some sort of difficulty. I have to help him." And he started moving in the direction from where the voice had come. He had barely moved 8-10 steps when he saw a deep ditch besides the old banyan tree.

He came nearer and carefully peeped inside the ditch. The voice was coming from the ditch itself. A fox was crying for help. "Maybe, the poor fellow had accidentally fallen inside and sustained serious injuries," Harry thought.

"Oh, this is Shiyar, the Fox!" Harry recognised the fox immediately.

As soon as Shiyar saw Harry, he started groaning in pain. "Harry Brother, please save me. I am stuck in this ditch for the past 2 days. Nobody has come to rescue me. I am dying here for want of food and water."

"I wish I could have helped you in some way. But Shiyar, I am small and not strong enough to pull you out of this ditch. But don’t worry, I will just bring in some strong and big animal. He would definitely pull you out."

Go to the next part of the story

Please forgive me (Part 4)

2008-01-21T05:49:00.000-08:00

Previous part of the story

Motu, the Dog and Kajri, the Cow got hold of him and tied his hands and legs. Then they locked him in a room. Amar was sweating heavily and feeling very scared. His heart was beating very fast. He longed for his parents, and started crying loudly.
The feeling that he was away from his parents, made him very sad. He realised the importance of his parents and lamented his mistakes. Soon, the door opened. All the animals were standing at the door.
Amar implored crying, "Please forgive me. From now on, I will not harass any creature. I am suffering for not being with my parents. I can understand the trauma you have undergone due to my mischief. I will no longer trouble anybody. Forgive me... please forgive me ..."
"Amar... Amar... what happened? Wake up, Son. To whom are you apologising?" His mother shook him and he woke up baffled.
"Was I dreaming?" Amar rubbed his eyes in disbelief and looked all around.
"Mother, I cannot live without you. I have realised my mistake. Now I will not harm any creature." Amar touched his ears apologising for his mistake.
"My beloved Son! Come, your father is calling." His mother cuddled him.
"Yes, Mother, I am coming. Just a minute." Amar remembered the puppy in the celler and rushed for the cellar to free the puppy.

End of the story

Please forgive me (Part 3)

2008-01-21T05:48:00.000-08:00

Previous part of the story

"Arrey! Where have I come... and what are there strange noises all around?" Amar got perplexed and looked here and there.
In no time, Kajri, the Cow, Binny, the Cat, Chichi, the Bird, Kali, the Goat and Motu, the Dog circled him. They were all shouting in anger.
"Friends, this boy has tortured us for a long time. For no reason, he irritates and injures us. Today, he is in our control. Now, you all decide what punishment is to be meted out to him?" Motu Dog growled.
Amar got very frightened to find him among the animals.
Binny Cat said, "Motu Brother, you are absolutely correct. This boy usually snatches our children from us. We have to teach him an appropriate lesson. Keep him away from his parents for a while. Only then will he realise that taking somebody’s offspring is so hurtful and causes suffering for the both parent and the child."
"Yes... yes... he has to pay for his wrong doings here only. He will be punished," the enraged animals shouted in unison.

Last part of the story

Please forgive me (Part 2)

2008-01-21T05:46:00.000-08:00

First part of the story

One day early in the morning, Amar was getting ready for the school. Just then, he happened to see a puppy roaming by his front gate. He immediately thought of playing a prank. Paying no attention to his parent’s advice; he tiptoed out, brought in the puppy and took him at his backyard cellar.
In the meanwhile, his mother came and started looking for him, "Amar, where are you? Have your breakfast. Come here fast. You are getting late for the school."
Amar left the puppy in the cellar and placed a basket over it.
The helpless puppy cried for help, "Yap... yap... yap..." but Amar had already left the cellar locking it from outside.
By noon, he came back from the school and was feeling very weary. He had simply forgotten that he had hid the puppy in the cellar. He changed his uniform, had his lunch and retired to have a quick afternoon nap.

Next part of the story

Please forgive me (Part 1)

2008-01-21T05:43:00.000-08:00

Based on a story by Nidhi Shrivastav

Chirp, chirp chirp..."Oh! Why is this bird making so much of noise?" Mother wondered, "Amar must be upto some mischief."
She left her work and rushed into the room to witness that Amar was happy playing with the baby bird. But the mother bird was circling him, worried and screaming for help. "Chirp, chirp, chirp..."
"Amar, where have you brought this bird from? Son, why do you always trouble these innocent birds? Just put her back in the nest. Don’t you see that her mother is looking very concerned and scared?" His mother was annoyed. Amar got up to keep the baby bird in the nest.
But this was his daily routine. He would enjoy teasing the animals and birds. Sometimes, he would harass Kajri Cow’s calf. The other day, he tied the goat’s legs. He would often catch hold of kittens by their tender neck or threw stones at dogs. All the time, his mind was upto some mischief or the other to torment the birds and animals.
Amar used to feel delighted whenever he would nag and heckle a bird or animal. His father had often reprimanded him for this. His mother had also cautioned and warned him. But Amar would not listen.

Next part of the story

The Jackal's Scheme (Part 4)

2008-01-20T09:34:00.001-08:00

Previous part of the story

Judging that their strategy had failed, Billoo Jackal tried to run but Deenu Bear pounced and caught him by his neck.
"Please leave me. I admit my mistake," Billoo started pleading for his life.
"Idiot, when Pappu had gone for a bath, Cheeku and myself were playing carrom. How could he possibly have injured my son? I was already suspicious of Ranga’s intentions," the Bear answered.
"He had seen me in the market wearing a blue- coloured T-shirt and tried to trap me in his evil plot. He told other animals about it and everybody suspected me for I was wearing the same blue- coloured T-shirt when these animals came knocking at my door," Cheeku cleared.
The news of the incident spread like wildfire. Other animals came over. When Billoo and Ranga apologised for their conspiracy, the animals let them free with a stern warning.

End of the story

The Jackal's Scheme (Part 3)

2008-01-20T09:33:00.000-08:00

Previous part of the story

"Oh! That is the way to Cheeku’s house. Are you sure that the rabbit went this way?" Peeku Pig enquired.
"Yes, the rabbit was wearing a blue-coloured T-shirt," Ranga said.
The animals then took Pappu with them and left for Cheeku’s house. On reaching his house, they knocked the door. When Cheeku came out, to their surprise, he was wearing a blue-coloured T-shirt.
The animals grew angry. They said, "You should be ashamed of yourself, Cheeku. Deenu respects and cares a lot about you . . . and you have seriously injured his son. You have back-stabbed him."
Cheeku wanted to rebuff and answer back. But thought, it was not prudent at that time and kept quiet.
The animals then took Cheeku to Deenu Bear’s house. On hearing the entire story, Deenu was very furious with Cheeku and reprimanded him.
Ranga Fox was very happy seeing all this. He immediately left to inform BiIloo Jackal.
"Very good, you have done an excellent work. I will also fulfil my part of the promise," Billoo said.
"Before you do any favour to him, just have a word with us," Deenu Bear suddenly appeared and startled both of them. Cheeku was also along with him.

Last part of the story

The Jackal's Scheme (Part 2)

2008-01-20T09:32:00.000-08:00

First part of the story

"I am going to make you the king of the jungle, and you are sleeping here under the tree."
"How can I be the king? Can you please explain." Ranga was unable to understand what Billoo meant.
"For that, you have to do me a favour. Only then, I will do your work," Billoo whispered something in Ranga’s ears.
It was noon and Deenu Bear’s son Pappu was having a bath in the nearby river. Just as he was about to come out of the waters, a stone struck him hard on his head. His head was wounded and blood oozed out. The stone was thrown by Ranga Fox, who was hiding up in the tree close to the river. He came immediately down and started raising an alarm. On heaxing his cries, some animals gathered. "What happened? How did Pappu get injured?"
All the animals were worried.
"I was just lying around. I don’t know anything. But, I saw a rabbit running swiftly in that direction," the Fox replied.

Next part of the story

The Jackal's Scheme

2008-01-14T09:20:00.000-08:00

CHEEKU RABBIT and Deenu Bear were good friends. Both of them used to help each other in times of need. "Deenu, I am going to the market. Do you want me to buy anything for you?" Cheeku asked him while leaving.
"Brother, if possible, buy some floor. I wish to prepare pakoras(an Indian snack) today," Deenu’s wife Rani replied.
"You are also invited in the evening to our house for a cup of tea and pakoras." Al1 right, Bhabhiji(Sister-in-law). Cheeku left for the market.
The animals of the jungle were very happy to see them as good trustworthy friends. But some bad elements within the group were jealous of them and tried to create misunderstanding between them. Billoo Jackal was, in fact, waiting for some opporune moment to hunt the rabbit. But he was unsuccessful in his endeavour due to fear of his friend, Deenu Bear. He was convinced that he would be unable to win against the combined might of them both, all by himself. He, therefore, decided to take support of one more animal to execute his evil plan.
Ranga Fox was having a nap under the shade of a banyan tree. On seeing him, Billoo Jackal had a
twinkle in his eyes.
"Hey Ranga, get up," Billoo went near and stroked him.
"What is the matter? Why have you woken me up?" Ranga asked rubbing his eyes.

Next part of the story

A Lesson of Unity (Part 4)

2008-01-12T09:17:00.000-08:00

Previous part of the story

"Stop preaching me or I will finish you," Milk placed on the fire boiled with anger.
This was the moment Lemon waited for. He immediately went to the sweets, "Come here, one of you and cut me to 2 pieces."
"But.that will...how can we..."
"There is no time to waste. Hurry up. worry for me," saying Lemon climbed on the the big bowl containing the milk. Burfi forward and cut Lemon to 2 pieces.
"Ah," Lemon groaned. 2-3 drops of the lemon juice fell in the boiling milk.
Soon, the milk soured.
"Do you know where you stand now? Will you ever claim your superiority again? A small lemon is strong enough to spoil your structure," the lemon was breathing his last.
The sweets felt pity on the milk. "It is bad to
quarrel with one another," they spoke in unison.
The lemon lost his life but succeeced to teach the a lesson of unity to the
sweets.

Moral: We should not quarrel amongst ourselves so that some one takes advantage of us

End of the story

A Lesson of Unity (Part 3)

2008-01-12T09:13:00.000-08:00

Previouspart of the story

One day, the shopkeeper suffered from indigestion. He send his servent to fetch 4 lemons, then he cut 2 lemons, squeezed them to get the jiuce, added a little water to the juice, drank it and slept. The juice gave him a little comfort and soon he started snoring.

The remaining 2 lemons found the noise disturbing. One of them got out of the shop while the other got inside the shop to find the sweets sobbing.
"What is the matter? What makes you cry?" the lemon asked the sweets.
The sweets saw a friend in the lemon and shared their grief with him.
"The milk has made our life miserable." they said.
"Do not worry. I will help you." the lemon consoled them.
"You? You are as small as a little ball, how can you help us?" the sweets asked with surprise.
"Wit and intellect have nothing to do with one’s size. Just watch me cutting him to size." lemon said.
"Oh, just keep your mouth shut, you little fool! Can’t you see such a large group of sweets failed to challenge me? How dare you do so?" The milk said.
"Friend, don’t boast of yourself. I agree that you have many qualities, but it does not mean that you should torture the sweets."

Last part of the story

A Lesson of Unity (Part 2)

2008-01-12T09:08:00.000-08:00

Start of the story

After a few days, the sweets again quarrelled. They created lots of noise and were about to fight when the milk lying in a large bowl intervened, "What is the matter? Why do you quarrel?"
The sweets told them the reason of their dispute.
The milk heard them and laughed saying, "In fact, I am the greatest. None of you can compete with me
"How can you say that?" sweets asked.
"It is so simple. You cannot exist without me, because I am used to prepare you. Even the kheer is prepared using me", the milk said, "now it is upto you to decide whether or not I am the greatest." The sweets appeared convinced.
The milk felt happy that the sweets were convinced, "Now on, I am your king and you are my subjects. You will have to obey me."
The milk took advantage of the differences among the sweets.
He made them dance to his tunes and indulged in all sorts of excesses.
The sweets grew more and more worried. But they were unable to find a way out. They could not take on the milk due to lack of unity among themselves. When alone, they would weep at their plight and thus managed to copy up with the agony.

Next part of the story

A Lesson of Unity (Part 1)

2008-01-12T09:04:00.000-08:00

A nice story about unity based on a story by Indrajeet Kaushik

There were a wide variety of sweets In a sweets shop. Rasgullas, jalebi, gulab jamun, pede. barfi and many other sweets were lying there.
One day, the sweets argued among themselves as to who was the greatest of all. Each of them claimed to be the greatest. One claimed to be the prettiest while the other claimed to be having the best of taste. Soon they started quarrelling among themselves.
The quarrel gave rise to a fight. As a result, all the sweets broke. One sweet lost its hands while the other lost its legs. The laddoos were reduced to small bits.
The shopkeeper reached there after a while. He was surprised to see the broken sweets scattered all over. He was unable to make out as to what went wrong with the sweets. "Maybe, the rats have created a mess." he thought. He asked the servants to set the things right and ordered them to find a cat for the shop.

Next part of the story

Captain Tortoise goes to the moon (Part 4)

2008-01-11T08:06:00.000-08:00

Previous Part

"Residents of the Moon, listen to me. I have come from planet Earth. You don’t have to be scared of me. Come forward, we will talk.., people of Chanderlok, please come out," shouted Captain Tortoise.
In a little while many birds and animals gathered there. To Captain Tortoise, they looked rather familiar.
"Oh, you people resemble my friends on Earth a lot!" exclaimed Captain Tortoise with surprise.
All the birds and animals burst into laughter on hearing this. "You foolish tortoise, you are on the earth itself and not on the Moon. Your spacecraft has landed into a dry well!" said Bholu, the jackal, laughing.
Captain Tortoise felt embarrassed. But the next moment, he said, "Don’t worry next trip will be towards the Sun!"

The End

Captain Tortoise goes to the moon (Part 3)

2008-01-11T08:03:00.000-08:00

Previous Part

A number of small animals got injured in the process, nonetheless, they were very excited and hailed Captain Tortoise with gusto.
A little later, Tommy, the dog, said, "But where has the spacecraft disappeared?"
"Have patience. Tonight, when Captain Tortoise lights a fire on the Moon, we will get to see it," said Bholu, the hyena.
In the meantime, Captain Tortoise’s spacecraft landed into a dry well which was just a little distance away from the site from where it had taken off.
As the spacecraft had stopped with a jerk, Captain Tortoise thought that perhaps he had reached the destination, the Moon.
He came out of his craft in style. He unfurled his flag there and began to look around himself with an air of pride.
Then he felt hungry. He took out laddus from the tiffin and ate a couple of them at one go. Now he felt thirsty but alas! There was no water there. He had forgotten to bring a water bottle along.
"Chanderlok(moon) appears to be good but there seems to be a shortage of water here," murmured Captain Tortoise. He began to pace around. When he could no longer bear the thirst, he shouted, "Is there anybody around? I have come from the Earth. Is there any water here?"
Just then, he saw a rope hanging. He caught hold of it and climbed it. But there was nobody there. He climbed onto a big rock.

Last Part of the Story

Captain Tortoise goes to the moon (Part 2)

2008-01-11T07:57:00.000-08:00

Start of the Story

As soon as the residents of the forest heard this, they thronged outside their houses to have a glimpse of the spacecraft. Captain Tortoise was trying to answer their questions. The tota, the parrot started the countdown.The khargosh, the rabbit was clicking the photographs. The gadha, the donkey was making announcements on behalf of the Radio Station.
Tommy, the Dog was supposed to accompany Captain Tortoise as an expert. Billi, the Cat gave Captain Tortoise a box of sweets for the journey. At the scheduled time, Captain Tortoise stepped towards his spacecraft. Once he got inside it, he called for Tommy, the Dog. But the latter was nowhere to be seen. Actually, he had hidden himself out of fear. Captain Tortoise sat in the seat meant for the pilot. Sonu, the Mouse, shut the door, the tortoise light a match-stick and the fuel in the spacecraft caught ignited. As the engine powered up, it zoomed up!
"Bang... bang!" the spacecraft went and there was smoke all around. The onlookers became frightened and they began to run helterskelter.

Next Part

Captain Tortoise goes to the moon (Part 1)

2008-01-11T07:41:00.000-08:00

A nice Children story, Tell it to your kid during bedtime.
Based on a story by Rahul Naik.
CAPTAIN TORTOISE was in limelight for some days now. He was all set to go to the Moon. He had been busy preparing himself for the journey to the moon for the last 2 years. Now his "Thak-thak" aircraft was ready to take off.
Captain Tortoise had worked hard to make this spacecraft. The material which he had used in it included a long metallic tube, a few boxes, rods, batteries and a stove tank etc. Lomdi, the Jackal, was a scientist and had helped him in this project.
Though Captain Tortoise had tried to keep the project a secret, he did not succeed. Sonu, the Mouse was the first to know about it and he lost no time in spreading this news in the forest.
One day, when the sky was clear and the weather pleasant. Captain Tortoise announced that his spacecraft would take off for the Moon.

Next Part

Cabby gets saved

2008-01-09T07:11:00.000-08:00

Once there was Cabby, the crab, who had grown tired of living in the sea.
“I would be happier living on the golden beach!” he thought. He looked at the clear blue sky, and the sun sparkling on the rocks where the sea birds landed, and was delighted with all that he saw. ‘Others can stay in the sea if they like.’ he thought. ‘But I want to enjoy the beautiful warm sunlight here, and...’ But at that very moment, as Cabby daydreamed happily, he found that he had been seized by tommy, the dog and was wedged between tommy's sharp teeth’.
‘Oh dear! This is my own fault,’ the Cabby told himself in despair. ‘I should have stayed where I belonged’ I didn’t remember that I’m a sea creature, and I should have stayed in the sea, no matter how lovely and tempting the land may appear. Now I must pay the price of not being a creature of the land.’

But Cabby, the crab did not realise that the dog who had caught him was eyeing him uneasily.
Tommy, the dog was thinking. ‘Why did I ever come down here from the comforts of a city, just to eat fish like a cat? This crab shell is so hard and salty Ugh!’ He spat Cabby, the crab out on to the breakwater, at the place where the sea met the beach. Cabby, the crab, scuttled into the water thankfully, and after that, he never came out from beneath the waves ever again!

Moral: We should be satisfied with what we have, The grass always appears greener on the other side of the fence

Story of the pencil box

2008-01-09T07:09:00.000-08:00

A pencil once jumped out of a pencil-box and said “I am Ram’s best friend! It is I who takes the trouble of writing all his homework!” On hearing this, Ram’s eraser, too, jumped out of the pencil-box saying "No, I’m his best friend, who corrects all his mistakes?" Then the ruler followed them both, out of the pencil-box and said “Both of are wrong, I am Ram’S best friend because I help to keep all his lines straight!”
The pencil, the eraser and the ruler soon began to quarrel.
As the pencil box listened to their quarrel, the pencil-box laughed aloud and said, “Ram does all his home- work himself! The three of you just help him as his friends. If you are his true friends stop fighting amongst yourself, or he won’t be able do his homework properly at all!” The pencil, the eraser, and the ruler were ashamed when they heard that. The got back into the pencil-box and waited quietly for Ram to come along.

Bakri goes shopping

2008-01-09T07:07:00.000-08:00

Bakri, the Goat, had three little kids, One day, as she was going out to buy food, Bakri, the Goat, said to her baby goats, do not let any one in! Open the door only when I call out to you!”
Wammi, the wolf, was hiding outside the house, and he heard what Bakri the Goat said. Wammi, the wolf, went to the butcher’s shop, stole a goatskin, and put it on. Wammi then went back to Bakri’s cottage and knocked on the door, saying, “It’s your Mother Goat, let me in” But the little goats said, “Oh, no! You are not our mother! Your voice sounds too loud and rough!”

The wolf went to doctor Manu monkey’s clinic and bought some medicine to make his sound soft. After taking the medicines, Wammi, the wolf, went back to the cottage, and knocked at the door once again, saying, “It’s your Mother Goat, let me in!”

This time, the wolf’s voice did sound softer, and the baby goats really thought it was their mother. They opened the door happily, and in came the wicked wolf, Wammi, ready to spring upon them! Luckily, Bakri, the Goat, too, returned home from her shopping just then. As soon as she saw Wammi, the wolf, she put her head down, and butted Wammi with her horns. Wammi, the wolf, ran away howling in pain.

Moral: We should not open the door unless we are sure who is at the door or there is an adult nearby.

Kati and the bangle

2008-01-09T07:05:00.000-08:00

One day, Kati the cat was walking past a house. Suddenly, she spotted something beautiful and round lying on the ground.
It was a bangle. Kati thought it was something to eat, and tried to bite it, But it was hard and tasteless. Then Kati grew angry, and kicked the round bangle.
But then Kati got a surprise - the bangle rolled away Kati, the Cat kicked it again and again and the bangle rolled on and on until it reached Kati’s house.
There, she gave the bangle to the little kittens who were waiting for her. They played with it happily.

Adventures of Radha

2008-01-09T07:03:00.000-08:00

A little girl named Radha was playing with a ball. After a while, put it down and went to pick some flowers. When she came back, looked around, but couldn’t find her ball anywhere. She started to cry.
Now, where was the ball? Two squirrels had found it, and they thought it was something to eat and they took it up to a branch on a nearby tree and started licking but they found that the ball tasted very nasty! Just then a bird flew by. “You foolish squirrels,” chirped the bird, “That’s a ball to play with, and to eat! It belongs to little Anjall, she’s looking everywhere for it!”
The squirrels looked down and saw little Radha crying for her ball. They felt sorry for her, and dropped the ball down to the ground. Radha was surprised, but so very happy to see her missing ball dropping from a tree!