137 items in this section. Displaying page 6 of 14
Elephants Don’t Diet!....
Poor Gol Matolu’s always sad. Why? I don’t know. She looks like the most perfect elephant. Tall, broad big ears, long strong trunk. No one likes to be sad. So why don’t you come with me to find out what the matter is with Gol Matolu? Ah! Here comes Hornbill, let’s ask him. “Hello, do you know why the elephant’s so sad?” “Of course I know. Just look at her if you will. Would you call her nose a nose or a bill?...
How to Bell a Thief
Sonapur was a small village. It was famous for its little temple. The temple had no deity. All it had was the imprint of a pair of feet. According to folklore, these were of a pious sage. A diya burned brightly, night and day. Seven beautiful bells hung in the little temple, gleaming brightly in the light cast by the diya. The villagers of Sonapur were content and happy. Their fields yielded abundant crops. Earnings were enough to meet the needs of each family....
A Town Called Boring
Once upon a time in India,there was a town called Boring. It was by the side of Dull Lake. The people of Boring never smiled; they did not know how to — Whether it was grownups or children. All the children ever did was study. They studied in school all day. On returning home they got busy with homework and with revision for class tests in school. No one played any games — there were no playgrounds in the town....
Sadako’s Cranes
The atom bomb was dropped on Hiroshima ten years ago. I lived a mile away from the city so nothing much happened to me, though the city and its people were burnt. The bomb didn’t do anything to me — so I thought for ten years. I love running. A few months ago, while I was practising for a relay event, I felt dizzy. I thought it was only because I was tired. Then a few weeks after that, I fell down in the field and couldn’t get up....
Five and a Half Wishes
Bhuvan’s parents had just moved to Chikmagalur from Bangalore. They had been waiting for a long time to get away from the pollution, noise, traffic and fast paced life. They thought Bhuvan being only six years old would adjust with ease to life in a small town. But Bhuvan was far from pleased. He didn’t like the children in his school from the first day. His friends in Bangalore had been so smart. Here everybody wore unsmart clothes, spoke in Kannada and carried curd rice to school....
The Weepy Wempati!....
Once upon a time there lived a little Wempati. She was a very sweet little thing who loved her mummy, papa, sister, baby brother, pet dog and favourite doll very much. She was a very happy Wempati. When Wempati was four years old, Papa Wempati and Mama Wempati had a serious talk. “It’s time that little Wempati went to school” they said. That sounded like fun to little Wempati. The Weepy Wempati!…. [Illustrations by Priya Nagarajan] Her sister went to school and always went with yummy things packed in her lunch box and came back with delicious paint stains on her hands and clothes....
Tilak and Sudhir
“Guess what, Tilak!” his mother said, a week after they had moved into their new house. “I’ve discovered that one of my old friends lives nearby and her son is your classmate at school. Isn’t that nice?” “What’s his name?” Tilak asked. “I think he is Sudhir,” said his mother. “Isn’t he your friend?” Tilak shook his head. “Oh! Sudhir? That chap isn’t good at games or anything. He keeps reading some old books all the time....
The Price of Pride
This is one story from the book “The Best Thirteen: A collection of the best stories from 13 languages of India”. You know that a pearl can be so valuable that it is said to be without price. Pearls are formed inside oysters who live on the ocean-bed inside their shells. This is the story of one such oyster. This oyster was very pleased with himself because he believed that he was the most important creature in the world....
Excerpts from Snake Trouble
Grandmother was tolerant of most of his pets, but she drew the line at reptiles. Even a sweet-tempered lizard made her blood run cold. There was little chance that she would allow a python in the house. “It will strangle you to death!” she cried. “Nonsense,” said Grandfather. “He’s only a young fellow.” “He’ll soon get used to us,” I added, by way of support. “Lock that awful thing in the bathroom,” she said. Excerpts from Snake Trouble [Illustrations by Mickey Patel] “Go and find the man you bought it from, give him twenty rupees or twice as much, and get him to come here and collect it!...
The Friends of Custard House
Robert Custard was a gentleman to be sure. Though he was only three-and-a-half feet off the ground and sometimes he even sported a milk moustache, he was still, quite definitely, a gentleman at the age of nine. Now, you must consider that we are talking about the India of the 1930s. The British were ruling the country. Little boys and girls were expected to behave in a certain way. They were never to be seen covered in dirt....