Champak March12

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MARCH (FIRST) 2012 | ` 20


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It was time for Naina to cut the cake and the guests to attack the samosas, mini pizzas,rasgullas and other goodies laid out on the table. Tanya breathed a sigh of relief. She hatedbirthday parties. She hated the screaming and the yelling and the way they often endedwith people throwing cake at each other, spraying cold drinks on each other, and worst of allbursting the balloons they had pulled off the walls.

Tanya loved balloons. They looked so bouncy and happy. Why did children want to burst

them? They did flatten out on their own eventually.

Someone dug an elbow into her arm, almost knocking her over.

Oops! Sorry, D.D.!

It was Richa. Her impish grin toldTanya that she wasnt sorry at all.

Tanya turned red. She hated

being called D.D. It wasthe short form of delicatedarling.

Richa was the one whobegan calling her that.And when Richa begansomething, everyone hadto follow.

More kids brushed past her,eager to get closer to the

table. Tanya hurriedly edgedto the back of the crowd.

Hey! someone said. Dont youwant to see the cake being cut?

Tanya found that the boy lookedvaguely familiar. His brown eyes

Story Deepa Agarwal

An award winning author who has written several shortstories, articles and over 25 books. Her works have beenpublished in international journals and magazines.

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were sparkling and his cheeks were red. Butbefore she could reply a loud cheer went up,followed by hearty claps and singing.

Naina had blown the candles out and wascutting the cake. Her mother popped a pieceof the cake into her mouth while Richagrabbed a handful. She began to smear it onNainas face.

And then

BANG!

Someone burst a big balloon, right next to

Tanyas ear. Tanya winced. It was the sameboy who had spoken to her. And as Tanyastared at him, aghast, he burst the other twohe was holding. They were big red ones.

What did you do, Aveek? someonelaughed. You sacred poor D.D.! Shes justtoo delicate!

Tanya dashed to the door and ran all the

way home.Party over? Ma

asked with afrown when she

saw Tanya atthe door.

Tanyacould onlynod.

I suppose youdidnt eat

anything again? Masaid, sounding slightlyannoyed.

Tanya bit her lip hard andnodded again.

Ma sighed. You must try to mix with theothers, my dear. How else will you make anyfriends?

Tanyas face burned. Who would want to befriends with a D.D.? The butt of each andevery joke.

The next morning when Tanya got on theschool bus, she found Aveek, the rowdy boywho had burst the balloons at the party,sitting in front of her.

School had just reopened and he wasobviously a new student. Tanya noticed that

he was already friends with almost everyoneon the bus.

Tanya felt a twinge of envy, followed byapprehension. Could he be another tormentor added to the lot?

She shrank into her corner seat and turnedher face towards the window, hoping no onecould come close to her.

But to Tanyas disappointment, Richaentered the bus. Hey D.D.! Richa shouted.Why did you run away from the party?

Dont you know our dear little D.D.?Sumit said. She cant stand ruffians like us!

And then everyone began to laugh andchant,

Delicate Darling, Mammas pet!

Is upset, is upset!

Very soon, shell cry, I bet!

Tch-tch-tch, tch-tch-tch!

Tanya clenched her teeth and tried to stop

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the shameful tears from spillingout. However, the moment theyflowed out, she was surprised tosee that there was only one personon the bus who wasnt laughingor singing.

It was Aveek!

Later that afternoon, when Tanyareturned from school and wentto check the mailbox, she wasvery surprised.

There were three red balloons tied

to the gate. They were fluttering inthe wind.

Tanya was astonished to see the balloons.She went forward to take a closer look andwondered who had tied them there?And more importantly why they had beentied there?

She remembered all the warnings about

touching strange objects and goose bumpsappeared all over her arms.

Couldcould there be a bomb inside oneof the balloons? she muttered to herself.

For a few minutes, Tanya stood frozen tothe ground. She wondered if she should runback and tell her mother about the balloons?

But she could imagine Ma saying, Dont beso timid, my dear! You must grow bolder and braver.

Tanya walked forward and yanked theballoons off the gate. She was about to letthem fly away, when it struck her it wouldbe a silly thing to do. They hadntexploded or anything. And yes, sheloved balloons!

She ran into the house and crept into her room. She didnt want Ma to ask anyquestions.

She sat on her bed quietly, watching thembounce in the breeze from the fan. Then, shetied them to a nail on the wall and starteddoing her homework.

Now and again, she couldnt help sneaking alook at the balloons and smiling. She keptwondering who had left them there. Was it aprank? But they were her favourite redballoons. They felt more like a gift. And amessage. She felt, as though in some crazyway, someone was trying to reach out to her.

The next morning when Tanya climbedonto the bus, she still had a slight smile onher face.

Then Richa clomped up the steps. HiD.D.! she smirked.

Tanya shriveled and Richas grin grewbroader.

Her heart plummeted. Im not going to

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But no one listened. Luckily, a teacher known for her strictness stepped into the busand the clamour died down.

When school arrived, Tanya got off in a dazeand began to walk to the classroom. Justthen someone called out, Tanya!

It was Aveek. Dont feel so bad, hesaid. She needed a dose of her ownmedicine. Aveek paused for a momentand then continued.

Im really sorry. I didnt mean to upset or startle you at the party the other day.

Its OK! Tanya said with a smile. Ishouldnt be such a D.D. But somethinghappened yesterday. Someone

Tied three red balloons to your gate?Aveek said and laughed. I wanted to saysorry, Tanya. And I couldnt think of abetter way!

You? Tanya said and stared. Well, shethen said softly.

The balloons were magical. I dont knowhow but I managed to stand up to Richabecause of them.

Maybe youre not as much of a D.D. as youthink you are, Aveek whispered.

Thanks for helping me find out, Tanya joked. But I dont mind. As long as Im nota B.B.

Youll never be one! Aveek said andlaughed. I can tell that for sure!

Tanya laughed too. When she went homethat day, she told Ma that she finally hada friend.

cry! Im not going to cry! she began torepeat silently. And then suddenly, thethought of the mysterious red balloonsfloated into her mind.

To her astonishment, she found herself saying, Hi, B.B.!

Richas face darkened and she scowled.B.B.? What do you mean by that?she thundered.

A sudden hush fell over the bus. Everyonehad grown silent.

Ahem! B.B.! Tanyas voice was strangelychirpy and as clear as a bell. MeansBig Bully!

How dare you! Richa growled.

But you really are a B.B.! someone saidfrom behind.

Tanya couldnt help smiling when she saw

that it was Aveek.Yes, Richa! You are! someone else

muttered. Then some other children said thesame thing. And they were followed by someothers too.

A chorus of shouts drowned out Tanyasthoughts.

B.B.! B.B.! all the children on the busroared.

Tanyas heart leapt in horror. What had shebegun? The look on Richas face was one of shock and terror. It didnt make things anybetter.

Stop! Please! Tanya begged. I didnt wantyou all to!

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By Veena Gupta


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It was springtime. And just like every year,the animals of Sitavan were getting readyfor their favourite festival, Holi.Chutku Mouse, Lolo Lion, Panna Panther,Kittu Rabbit, Dora Deer, Dhaniya Wolf andBhondu Bear were very excited. They hadbought Holi colours from the market andcouldnt wait to put them on each other.

But the day before Holi, they received aspecial message from King Lion. He hadsummoned them all to his palace.

Friends, King Lion said in a cheerful voice

once the animals had gathered before him.I have called you all here for a specialreason.

All the animals looked at each other,wondering what King Lion would say.

Well, King Lion continued. I want our Holicelebrations to be the grandest ever this year!

I want this times Holi to be such amemorable occasion that all our guestsremember it for years to come.

But how will we do that, Your Highness?Dora Deer asked, scratching his golden head.

We will have to think of something fun todo, Kittu Rabbit said, pondering andputting his finger on his cheek. Somethingthat no jungle has done before!

And what could that be? Dhaniya Wolf added.

Well, I have a suggestion, King Lion said.

All the animals looked at him curiously.

Do you remember the giraffes? King Lion

said. They visit us from the neighbouring jungle every year and put Holi colours allover our faces. The giraffes are so tall that noone has been able to reach their faces or colour them ever. Our water pistols are of hardly any use too, since the giraffes are tooquick for them. I think it will be fun if wemanage to colour their faces and drenchthem this year.

Chutku Mouse, Lolo Lion, Panna Panther,Kittu Rabbit, Dora Deer, Dhaniya Wolf andBhondu Bear grinned. They all approved of King Lions suggestion.

Thats a great idea, Your Highness! theysaid. Drenching the giraffes and colouringtheir faces is something that will be both funand challenging to do.

They all then began thinking of what theywould do.

I have an idea! Bhondu Bear saidenthusiastically. Why dont we get some

ladders? We can support them against thegiraffes long necks and climb up. We will beable to colour their faces if we do that!

Brother Bhondu, your idea is simplybrilliant, Dhaniya Wolf mocked. Do youthink the giraffes will let us support our ladders on their necks? The ladders will fallthe minute the giraffes move. And you, myfriend, will fall flat on your chubby face andbreak your teeth!

Bhondu Bear grunted softly. At least I hadan idea! he muttered.

Chutku Mouse jumped up.

Friends, he squeaked. I have an idea thatwill surely work. It will allow us to put asmuch colour as we want on the giraffes faces

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and drench them, without them suspectinga thing.

Let us hear your idea then, ChutkuMouse! Kittu Rabbit said in a teasing voice.If its good enough, well know that youreally have a brain in your tiny head.

Chutku Mouse looked disheartened butKing Lion looked at him encouragingly.

Go on, Chutku, he said. Tell us aboutyour idea.

Chutku Mouse bowed respectfully and said,Your Highness, my plan is simple. But wewill require some garlands to help us executeit. If we can arrange for those, I assure youthat my plan will not fail.

King Lion smiled at Chutku Mouse.

Alright then, he said. Ill arrange for asmany garlands as you want. Please go aheadwith your plan.

The next day was Holi. And all the animalswoke up early and ran out of their houses.

They couldnt wait for the giraffes to arrive.

Soon, the giraffes walked into Sitavan. Theywere hoping to throw colours on theanimals, just like they did every year.

But the giraffes were very surprised whenthey saw Chutku Mouse and some of hisfriends rushing towards them with a biggarland in their hands.

VENU

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Welcome to Sitavan! Happy Holi! ChutkuMouse and his friends shouted cheerfully.

The giraffes laughed heartily.

The animals of Sitavan must have realisedthat they are not capable of putting colour on our faces, the leader of the giraffes said.Thats probably why they are welcoming uswith a special garland!

The other giraffes laughed and agreed.They felt proud of themselves and stoodeven taller.

But when Chutku Mouse and his friendsreached closer, the giraffes immediatelylowered their heads.

They felt delighted to be welcomed withsuch a big and long garland.

And then, something happened thatsurprised the giraffes no end.

WHOOSH!Streams of coloured water squirted all over the giraffes faces and coloured and drenchedthem!

Whoa! Whats happening? the giraffesshouted, flabbergasted. Theres water coming out of the garland! And its full of colours too!

King Lion and Panna Panther were thrilledto see what had happened. But they wereastonished too.

How did you pull that off, Chutku? KingLion asked Chutku Mouse. Did you usesome magic to make that garland?

Your Highness, Chutku Mouse said

humbly. I havent used any magic. Ivesimply used the garlands you arranged for.Ive only hidden some water balloons thatare filled with coloured water underneaththe flowers.

But how did the water come out of theballoons? King Lion asked, lookingvery amused.

Your Highness, Dhaniya Wolf said,pointing to his claws. Dont forget, we havesharp nails!

King Lion laughed heartily. I get it! he

said. You pricked holes in the balloonswhile putting the garland around thegiraffes! What a fabulous idea!

King Lion then congratulated ChutkuMouse for his clever plan.

Well done, Chutku! he said. Youvefinally managed to colour the giraffes faces.Its something no one has done before.

The giraffes were good sports even thoughthey were slightly proud.

That was a wonderful idea, Chutku! theysaid. We had no idea that you wereplanning to put Holi colours on us. In fact,we thought you were welcoming us with aspecial garland!

It was all in good fun, my friends!Chutku Mouse said and laughed. Its Holiafter all!

Yes, its Holi after all! all the other animalschorused. Happy Holi everyone!

All the animals then hugged each other andcelebrated the Festival of Colours and a daythat would go down in their history.



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COLOUR FINDER

A n s w e r s : 1 . B r o w n 2 . Y e l l o w 3 . G r e e n 4 . R e d 5 . B l u e 6 . W h i t e 7 . G o l d 8 . P i n k 9 . O r a n g e 1 0 . B l a c k

C R O W N

FELLOW

GREET

BEDBLUR

WHILE FOLD

MINK

GRANGE

BLOCK

1

2

3

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6

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CHEEKU HAS ARRIVED TO PLAY HOLI IN CHAMPAKVAN GARDEN. BUT WAIT! CHEEKU HAS TO FIND OUT WHICH COLOUR IS PRESENT IN EACH BUCKET. FIND THE COLOUR INSIDE THE BUCKET BY CHANGING ONE LETTER OF EACH WORD. WRITE THE NAME OF EACH COLOUR ON THE BUCKET AND COLOUR THE BUCKET WITH THAT COLOUR.


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SOMU, YOU KNOW MOTU ELEPHANT,CHOTU DEER, CHINKI FOX AND ALL

OTHER ANIMALS WILL COME TOCELEBRATE HOLI AT OUR HOUSE.

DONT WORRY SIR. YOUAND YOUR COLOURS WILL

BE THE CENTER OF ATTRACTION TOMORROW.

I MUST TAKE SHOWER BEFORE THIS HOLI PARTY

BUT WHEN HE STARTED THE SHOWER,

WHEN CHAMPU CAME OUT, HE HAD COLOUR ALL OVER. ALL THE ANIMALS LAUGHED SEEING HIM.

COLOURFULWATER WAS

SPRAYED ON HIM.

GOOD, NOW I AM GOING TO SLEEP. NEXT DAY, ON THE DAY

OF HOLI CHAMPU GOT UP AND WENT TO THE

BATHROOM.

ALL THE ANIMALS HAD GATHERED AT HIS

HOUSE TO PLAY HOLI.

OH STUPID DONKEY WHERE ARE YOU? WHY IS THIS COLOURFULWATER COMING FROM THE SHOWER?

OHNO ..STUPID .

SIR, DONT MIND TODAY IS HOLI.

SIR LAST NIGHT YOU ASKED ME TO PREPARE COLOURS IN A BIGWATER DRUM SO I PREPARED IT IN OUR HOUSEHOLD DRUM ON

THE ROOF, SO THAT WE CAN GET IT FROM EVERY TAP!!!

OK SIR

DONT MIND TODAY IS HOLI

SOMU, YOU KNOW THAT TOMORROW IS HOLI, THE

FESTIVAL OF COLOURS. YOU MUST PREPARE COLOURS IN A BIG WATER DRUM BECAUSE I

WANT A COLOURFUL HOLI.

SOMU DONKEY WORKED FOR CHAMPU MONKEY, THE COLLECTOR OF CHAMPAKVAN.

SOMU BROUGHT SOME COLOURS FROM THE MARKET

AND PREPARED HARD COLOUR.

BY SHIVESH SHRIVASTAVA


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C hotu Mouse was extremely naughty. He was always up to some kindof mischief or the other and inevitably got into trouble. One day,Chotu Mouse saw Neetus mother inside the kitchen. She was fryingsomething in a pan.

Chotu Mouse panicked and ran into the mouse hole. He found his mother,whose name was Chunchun Mouse, and squealed, Mother, the lady of thehouse is frying baby mice in a pan!

Chunchun Mouse didnt believe her son. She peeped into the kitchenand laughed.

She is not frying baby mice, Chotu! Chunchun Mouse said. She is makinggujhiyas. They are special sweets that are eaten during the festival of Holi.

Phew! Thank goodness! Chotu Mouse said and wiped his forehead. I

really was terrified!He then licked his little lips and said, Mmm!

The gujhiyas have a nice aroma! Theymust be delicious! Come on, Mother!

Lets find a way to eat them!

Not today, Chotu,Chunchun Mousesaid. The gujhiyas

are only to be eaten onHoli day. You willhave to wait untiltomorrow.

But Chotu Mousecouldnt resist

eating thegujhiyas.

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Their sweet-smelling aroma drew him to thekitchen again and again. And he beganlooking for opportunities to eat them.

Now, Neetus Father had asked NeetusMother to make some special gujhiyas forhis friends. They contained an ingredientnamed cannabis which made people feelintoxicated.

The next day was Holi. And Neetus Father placed a plateful of the special gujhiyas onthe dining table. He then went out to invitehis friends to come and eat them.This was agolden opportunity for Chotu Mouse. He

crept out of the mouse hole and jumpedonto the dining table. He then grabbed a biggujhiya and sank his teeth into it.

Mmm! he said as he nibbled. This gujhiyais simply scrumptious. Chotu Mouse likedthe gujhiya so much that he gobbled it upwithin seconds. Then, he attacked another one. And then another one. In no time,Chotu Mouse found that he had eaten half

the gujhiyas served on the plate.The cannabis in the gujhiyas began to takeeffect. And Chotu Mouse began dancing onthe dining table in a drunken state.

Just then, Neetus Father returned with hisfriends. All the men had colour all over their faces which made them look quite scary.Chotu Mouse was startled when he saw them.He thought they were monsters and climbedup a curtain before they came closer.

Neetus Father was very upset when herealised that half his gujhiyas were missing.

Which fool has eaten my gujhiyas?he yelled.

How dare that monster call me a fool?

Chotu Mouse said, furious. He felt bolder than ever and leapt on Neetus Fathersshoulder and then pinched his nose.

Monster! I have eaten your gujhiyas!Chotu Mouse said, gnashing his teeth. Andnow Ill bite your nose too!

Neetus Father was startled by the suddenattack. He screamed and ran as fast as hecould. His friends followed him since theythought it was safer than staying in a roomthat had such a bold mouse.

Ha ha! Chotu Mouse laughed when the

men had gone. I made an army of monstersrun away!

Chotu Mouse then flexed his muscles andposed like a WWF champion. He didntrealise that he was drunk and began tobelieve that he was a superhero withextraordinary strength. He sprinted acrossthe room and thundered, Is there anybodywho is strong enough to fight me?

Suddenly, Chotu Mouse spotted a catsphotograph hanging on the wall. He grewwild with anger and roared furiously, Cat!You have oppressed us for years, but nomore now. I will wipe away your existence.

Chotu Mouse then thought of Bhuri Cat,who lived in the same house. She wasNeetus pet and all the mice who lived in thehouse were terrified of her. Chotu Mousedecided that he wanted to teach Bhuri Cat alesson. He marched into all the rooms butdidnt spot her anywhere.

Ha! She must be scared of me! ChotuMouse said and laughed.

Well, the truth was that Bhuri Cat curled upand hid in a quiet corner on Holi day.



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Someone had once thrown Holi colours on her and she had to bathe for an unusually longtime to clean up. That had given her a severe cold which had lasted her many days. And so,Bhuri Cat preferred to keep to herself on Holi day.

Where are you, Bhuri? Chotu Mouse shouted. Come out if you have any guts! I dare youto!

Bhuri Cat heard Chotu Mouse shouting and felt provoked. She grew furious. She came out of her hiding place and scowled.

Look at your audacity, you stupid mouse! she hissed. How dare you challenge me? I canswallow you up in a second.

Then Ill tear your stomach and come out, Chotu Mouse threatened and pointed towards histiny but sharp claws.

Bhuri Cat was surprised. The mice usually ran away when theysaw her. This was the first time she was seeing a mouse whowasnt shivering when he was standing in front of her. She wasfurious at Chotu Mouse but curious too. She wanted to knowthe secret of his courage before eating him.

How come you are so strong suddenly? she asked ChotuMouse. Have you had some kind of energy drink? Is

that why you have turned so bold today?

Humph! Chotu Mouse blabbered. Wemice have always been strong. In fact, weeven have the strength to dig mountains.You are an old cat. And so, Ive alwayspitied you and chosen not to harm you.But since you have been troubling andeating some of my friends, I havedecided to teach you a lesson today.

IRSHAD


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Bhuri Cat grew very angry now. She wasntgoing to allow a tiny mouse to insult her.She grabbed hold of Chotu Mouse and wasabout to gobble him up when ChunchunMouse darted out of the mouse hole.

Chunchun Mouse immediately guessed whathad happened. And even though her heartwas beating very fast, she came up with anidea to rescue her naughty son.

There was a packet of some black Holicolour lying nearby. Chunchun Mousespotted it and quickly threw its contentsonto Chotu Mouse.

Bhuri Cat was disgusted when she sawChotu Mouse covered with the black colour.

Ugh! she thought. If I eat this mousenow, my mouth will turn black and bitter!

She let Chotu Mouse go and then pulledhis ear.

I am forgiving you today because it isHoli, she scolded. But if you dare to actsmart with me again, you know what toexpect.

Chotu Mouse, who was still very intoxicated,simply laughed.

Chunchun Mouse breathed a sigh of relief.She then dragged Chotu Mouse into themouse hole and put him to sleep. WhenChotu Mouse woke up in the evening, he

remembered what had happened. He couldntbelieve how foolishly he had behaved.

He didnt touch gujhiyas ever again. Andwhenever he heard the sound of Bhuri Catssoft footsteps, he ran far away.


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Spot the things mentioned in the rhyme to play Holi.


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I

t was Holi. All the animals of the junglenear the little village had woken up early.They were very excited about celebrating

the festival with their friends.

Robby Rabbit had taken the initiative toplan the festivities.

You all are busy playing pranks all the time,Bonny Bear, Robby Rabbit scolded. Andso Im forced to make all the arrangementsfor our celebration.

What arrangements do you have to make?Mony Monkey asked with achuckle. Arent we only

supposed to have fun?

Robby Rabbit grew annoyed. Stop askingsuch stupid questions, Mony! Go and call allthe animals here now! he ordered. Theresplenty of work to do!

Mony Monkey sprung into action and calledthe rest of the animals. In a short while,everyone gathered around Robby Rabbit.Robby Rabbit then delegated some work toall the animals. He asked some of them tomake colours from flowers and leaves. Hetold some others to cook special sweets anddelicacies. And he requested some others to

sing songs, dance and play drums.

When Robby Rabbit finished, he realisedthat Bina Buffalo was the only animalmissing from the gathering.

Where is Bina? he asked. Why isnt shepart of our celebrations?

The animals said they

hadnt seen Bina Buffaloall morning, and didntknow where she was either.

By Veena Gupta


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Robby Rabbit grew very concerned. I hopeBina hasnt fallen sick! he said as he walkedwith some of the animals to Bina Buffalosshed. When they reached the shed, they

found Bina Buffalo sitting in a corner.Hello Bina! Robby Rabbit said in afriendly voice. Have you forgotten that itsHoli today? Why dont you come out andcelebrate with all of us?

We will sing and dance! Bonny Bear and Jaggu Jackal said happily.

And have a feast too! Gullu Goat said,smacking his lips.

And colour each other with the brightcolours of Holi! Mony Monkey added.

Friends, I am grateful to all of you for inviting me, Bina Buffalo said in a voicethat sounded very wistful. But please leaveme alone. I am in no mood to celebrate.

Whats wrong, Bina? Robby Rabbit asked,looking worried. Come with us please! Wewill have plenty of fun!

Bina Buffalo wiped her big eyes that werebrimming with tears. You all know that Holiis the Festival of Colours, she said in a smallvoice. But I am black in colour. My skin is sodark that no other colour will be seen on it.

How does the colour of your skin matter,Bina? Vinoo Vixen said. Its not importantto us at all.

Bina Buffalo began to cry. My voice isntsweet and I cant sing. I cant even dancebecause of my bulky body. And I cantappreciate your songs and dances either sinceIm not clever enough to understand them.Why, oh why am I so useless?

Robby Rabbit, Mony Monkey, Bonny Bear and the others did their best to console BinaBuffalo. But nothing seemed to work or stop

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the tears that were flowing down her eyes.

The animals were at their wits end now.They didnt know what to do. Suddenly, amilkman from the adjoining village ran intothe jungle. He had an empty bucket in hishands. He ran into the shed and sat next toBina Buffalo and started milking her.

I am late today because of the Holicelebrations, the milkman muttered as heworked. The children in the village arehungry. They are crying for milk. Isometimes wonder what they would drink if it wasnt for this buffalos milk? She really is

a splendid creature who gives them her nourishing milk!

Bina Buffalo looked very surprised whenshe heard the milkmans words. Themoment the milkman left the shed, RobbyRabbit said, Bina, did you hear what themilkman said?

Bina Buffalo nodded but before she could

say anything, Vinoo Vixen said, Do youknow how many children drink your milk,Bina? Their parents can only feed thembecause of you. They wouldnt know what todo if you didnt give them your milk, evenfor a single day.

Bina Buffalo smiled. She was beginning torealise her worth. I am not all that uselessafter all! she said happily. I have someworth! I am important in some way too!

Bina Buffalo then joined all the other animals in the Holi celebrations. Sheunderstood that the true colours of Holiwere not just bright shades of red, green andyellow, but those of friendship and love. Shespent the rest of day watching her friendssinging and dancing, and basking in thecolours of their love.


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Chinku Jackal ran a laundry in Champakvan. He enjoyed washing and ironing clothes somuch that he often gave his customers big discounts. This made him very popular with

all the animals who lived in Champakvan.

But there was something about Chinku Jackal that everyone disapproved of. Well, Chinku Jackal could be very naughty. He enjoyed playing pranks oneveryone around him. He never stopped to think if his prankswere causing anyone trouble.

When spring came and Holi was around the corner, all theanimals in the forest began preparing for the festival.While some of them busied themselves with cooking

Holi delicacies, some others went to buy Holi coloursfrom the nearby towns.

When the festival came even closer, Chinku Jackal, who was working in his laundry,decided that it was time for him to playanother prank.

I must play a prank on everyone this Holi,he thought. I will have plenty of fun!

And so, Chinku Jackal went to thenearest town and bought packets of red, yellow, green, pink and all theother colours that he could find. Hethen mixed them all in a tub of water

and made a solution that was a brightpink in colour.

Chinku Jackal then took all the clothes

By Preeti Kashyav


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he had in his laundry and soaked them in the tub.After a while, he pulled the clothes out andgrinned. They all had had big pink stains all over them. He then put them out to dry.

Chinku Jackal giggled, when he left his laundry todeliver the clothes the next morning.

Dont feel bad! Chinku Jackal said along the wayas he practiced the explanation he would give hiscustomers. Its Holi after all!

He soon reached Minky Cats house. She was oneof his oldest customers.

Good Morning, Minky Aunty! Chinku Jackalsaid cheerfully.

Good Morning, Chinku! Minky Catreplied in an equally cheerful tone. Haveyou brought my clothes?

Of course, I have! Chinku Jackalsaid and chuckled.

Minky Cat shrieked themoment she saw her clothes.What has happened to myclothes? she wailed. Why havethey turned pink?

Dont feel bad, Minky Aunty!Chinku Jackal said with agiggle. Its Holi after all!

Minky Cat grew furious. Is thisanother prank of yours,Chinku? she shouted. Haveyou deliberately soaked myclothes in pink colour?

I have, Chinku Jackal admittedand laughed. But since it is Holitomorrow, you shouldnt be angrywith me!


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Chinku Jackal then went to deliver the restof the clothes. He giggled when he sawChubby Mouse, Daboo Lion and the otherspanic the moment they saw their clothes.And when they scolded him, he simplyshouted, Come on! It is Holi after all!

In the evening, all the animals gathered

together and grumbled about Chinku Jackals prank. Chinku Jackals pranks arebecoming more and more troublesome,they all complained. We must teach him alesson and put an end to his mischief.

Later that day, Chubby Mouse went toChinku Jackals laundry.

It is Holi tomorrow, Chinku, ChubbyMouse said. All the animals have decided tocelebrate together. We are meeting at 8 oclock in the playground tomorrow morning. Whydont you join us? It will be fun.

Chinku Jackal was delighted. I will surely joinyou all! he said. Thanks for inviting me!

The next morning, Chinku Jackal walked tothe playground. He was looking forward to

playing with his friends. But when hereached the playground, he found that therewas no one there.

Am I too early? Chinku Jackal wondered.Theres no one else here.

He looked around and saw somecolourful balloons hanging on

the branches of the trees. Therewas a table full of plates of sweets like ladoos and jalebis

nearby. There were some water pistols kept on the table too. And a

huge tub filled with coloured water was

right beside the table.

Ah! Chinku Jackal thought. The animalsare having a grand celebration! Im glad thatthey invited me! Im going to have plenty of fun here!

Chinku Jackal then stretched his arm outand tried to pull one of the balloons down.

SPLASH!The balloon burst and splashed some brightred coloured water right on to his face!

Eek! Chinku Jackal shouted as he wiped hisface. Eww! he screamed as he spat some of the water that had gone into his mouth.

He ran to the table and popped some of theladoos and jalebis into his mouth, hoping tochange the awful taste. But to his surprise,the sweets werent one bit sweet! They werebitter! And full of a dark green colour!

Ugh! Chinku Jackal shouted. Whathorrible sweets! They have turned my mouthbitter and green!

He turned to go home but just before he

VENKI

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could leave the playground, Chubby Mouse,Minky Cat, Daboo Lion and all the other animals whose clothes he had stained,

jumped out from behind the trees. Theypicked Chinku Jackal up and dunked him inthe tub of coloured water.

Oh no! Chinku Jackal screamed, realisingthat he was now completely drenched. Hewas about to burst out crying when he heardall the animals singing, Dont feel bad,Chinku! Its Holi after all! Its Holi after all!

Minky Cat went closer to Chinku Jackals ear and whispered, How did you like our prank,

Chinku? Was it as good as yours?

Chinku Jackal realised what Minky Catwanted to say. He hung his head low. Ivebeen playing pranks on you all for a longtime, he said. Thats why you have played

one on me today.

Holi is a festival that is celebrated with loveand harmony, Chinku, Minky Cat said.Its not meant for playing pranks or annoying anyone.

Shes right, Chinku, Daboo Lion added.Holi is a festival for everyone to have funbut not at the expense of others. Come on!Lets celebrate with the right spirit!

All the animals then helped Chinku Jackalclimb out of the tub. They played with himand brought him some ladoos and jalebis

that were really sweet to eat.

Chinku Jackal had the best Holi ever. Hespent the rest of the day washing all theclothes he had stained. And he made up hismind not to play pranks on anyone again.

DPDEA

18

116

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Address: CHAMPAK,Delhi Press Building, E-3, Jhandewala Estate, New Delhi-55

SHARPEYE

The illustration given below is part of a bigger illustration published in this issue. Look carefullythrough all the pages and tell us on which page is this larger illustration published.



28/60

CHEEKU AND MEEKUWERE LOITERING IN

THE JUNGLE.

HEY! LOOK AHONEYCOMB.

COME, LETS EXTRACT HONEY OUT OF IT.

OKAY. COLLECT A BUNCH OF DRY LEAVES AND PUT FIRE ON THEM.

THIS WILL CHASE THE HONEYBEES AWAY.

AS SOON AS THEY PUT FIRE ON THE LEAVES, A BEAR ARRIVED ON

THE SPOT.

AND WELLEXTRACT THE

HONEY.

HEY YOU! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?

OH! SO YOU HAVE COME HERE TO STEAL MY HONEY! HOW DARE YOU? RUN AWAY FROM HERE OR ELSE ILL SLAP YOUAND MAKE YOUR FACE RED.

WE WERE JUST HONEY

BOTH OF THEM THOUGHT IT WAS BETTER TO LEAVE FROM THERE.

IF I DONT COLOUR THIS BEARS FACE

RED, THEN MY NAMES NOT CHEEKU.

ARE YOU CRAZY? WE CANT SLAPHIM TO MAKE HIS FACE RED!

JUST WAIT AND WATCH. ILLCOLOUR HIM RED WITHOUT

SLAPPING HIM! ARE YOU GOING TO PLAY HOLI TODAY ITSELF? HOLI IS NOT

TODAY, BUT TOMORROW.

THIS IS FOR TOMORROW ONLY.IM JUST MAKING SOME

ARRANGEMENTS.

ARRANGEMENT S FOR HOLI?

CHEEKU GOT RED COLOUR FILLED IN A POLYTHENE BAG.


29/60

THEY WENT NEAR THE HONEYCOMB.

THE BEAR CAME NEAR THE TREE IN THE MORNING OF HOLI.

OH WOW! ANOTHERHONEYCOMB MADE IN JUST A SINGLE

NIGHT!

HUH! RED COLOUR INSTEADOF HONEY! SINCE WHEN HAVE

THE HONEYBEES STARTED

COLLECTING COLOUR?

DONT BE ANGRY. ITS

AFTER ALL HOLI.

HOLI! YOU RASCALS, YOU HAVE MADE ME

WET; NOW ILL

BREAK YOUR LEGS.

MEEKU, RUN.

CHEEKU AND MEEKUWERE WATCHING HIDING

BEHIND A TREE.

NOW THE BEARS FACE IS GOING TO BE

COLOURED RED.

AS SOON AS THE BEAR PULLED THE HONEYCOMB, THE ENTIRE RED COLOUR

GOT POURED ON HIS FACE.

NOW ILL PUT SOME HONEY ON TOP OF

THIS BAG SO THAT THE BEES COME AND COVER IT UP.

OH GREAT! THE BEARWILL THINK IT TO BE A

HONEYCOMB.

NOW YOU GOT IT! HANG IT ON THE

TREE.


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Rohit, Arjun, Sunny and Kiara are neighbours. Read the clues given below and decide which kid lives in which house.

Rohit lives on Gulmohar Street Kiara lives diagonally across the street from Sunny Arjun lives down the street from Rohit but on the opposite side

Sunny lives across the street from Rohit Arjun and Kiara live in the same block but not ont he same street

Sunny does not live on Gulmohar Street Rohit must cross Gulmohar street to visit Sunny or Kiara

Neighbourhood Friends


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W hitey Rabbit was very proud of hisskin. It was as soft as silk and aswhite as snow. He took good careof it and always tried to keep it clean. He waseven more careful now that the festival of Holi was approaching. Whitey Rabbit stillshuddered when he recalled the terribleexperience he had just the year before.

Whitey Rabbit had been watching his friendsplaying Holi. They had been throwingcolours and water on each other. It was thenwhen Gappu Elephant had suddenly turnedaround and thrown a bucketful of black-coloured water on Whitey. Whitey Rabbithad screamed. His delicate, white skin hadturned black because of the colour in thewater. He had scrubbed himself with soapmany times and used countless buckets of

water. But the black colour just wouldnt go.Whitey Rabbit learnt thatGappu Elephant hadmixed a dye meant to

darken clothes and not a regular Holi colour in the water. It had taken three wholemonths for the colour to come off. WhiteyRabbit had started dreading Holi after that.

The day before Holi, Whitey Rabbit went upto his friends. Please dont think Im aspoilsport, he said. But I wont be playingHoli with you this year.

Why not? Whitey Rabbits best friendCatty Cat asked, surprised.

Dont you remember what happened lastyear, Catty? Whitey Rabbit said with tearsin his eyes. Thanks to Gappu Elephant, Iended up looking like a ghost for threewhole months! I had turned as black as coal.Everyone made fun of me for months and

called me names!But Gappu Elephant had drenched BuntyMonkey with the same coloured-water too,

Toto Parrot remarked. And Bunty hadmanaged to look clean in just a day!

You mustnt have used soap or washed yourself properly, Whitey.

I had! Whitey Rabbit said firmly.I had used several bars of soap andplenty of water too!

Bunty Monkey had appliedmustard oil on his body beforehe came out to play! Meenu

Starling explained. It hadformed a coating on his skin.

Thats why he could washthe colour off so easily.

By Pankaj Roy


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Whitey, why dont you apply mustard oilon your body this time? Toto Parrotsuggested. You will be able to play Holiwith us without spoiling your skin.

No! Whitey Rabbit shouted andshuddered. I will never ever apply mustardoil on my beautiful white skin. It will onlymake my fur oily and my body stink!

Then how will you protect yourself fromthe colours of Holi, Whitey? MeenuStarling asked, seeming very concerned. Weall know that Gappu Elephant is hoping toput more coloured water on you this year.

Ill hide somewhere on Holi day and comeout only when its safe, Whitey Rabbit said.

Dont be silly! TotoParrot said. GappuElephant will surelyfind you. You wont be ableto hide from him for very long.

Whitey Rabbit shuddered. The thoughtof his precious skin turning black againscared him no end.

Dont worry, Whitey, Catty Cat saidreassuringly. You neednt be afraid of Gappu Elephant or anyone else on Holiday. I have an idea that will surely help.

And so, Holi day finally arrived. All theanimals in the forest were having a goodtime. They were playing with coloursand throwing buckets of water andwater balloons at each other. Someof them were even squirting water out from water pistols. Nobody wasleft out.

Happy Hippowas singing Holi

songs that were completely out of tune, andsome of the animals were dancing too. Therewas joy and laughter everywhere.

Gappu Elephant was part of the celebrationstoo. And even though he was enjoying thesinging and dancing, his eyes were quietlyscanning the forest. He was looking for Whitey Rabbit. And just like the year before,Gappu Elephant had a bucketful of black-coloured water ready to pour on him.

When Catty Cat saw Gappu Elephantlooking around so carefully, he understoodwhat his intentions were.

Catty Cat slowly sneaked up to whereGappu Elephant was.

Gappu, he whispered. I have broughtsome special colour for you to put on

Whitey. I know how you have beenwaiting to colour him.

Gappu Elephants eyes grew

wide. Specialcolour? hesaid,

MARK BEECH


34/60

curiously. Show it to me please!

Ill need to use your bucket for that,Gappu, Catty Cat said, taking GappuElephants bucket away. He then threw theblack-coloured water out and filled it withsome tap water. Catty Cat then pulled twobottles out of his pocket.

Here it is, Gappu! Catty Cat said, pointingto the white solutions in the bottles. Hethen poured the solutions into the water which turned a dark pink.

This is a nice dark colour to put on

Whitey! Gappu Elephant said gleefully.

Gappu Elephant then grabbed the bucket.He soon found Whitey Rabbit hidingbehind a bush. Gappu Elephant quicklyturned the bucket over and poured each andevery drop of the dark pink-coloured water on Whitey Rabbit.

Please dont do that! Whitey Rabbit

begged. Please! Youll ruin my skin!But Gappu Elephant simply laughed and ran

away.

Whitey Rabbit found that hehad turned a dark

pink.

He was coloured right from head to toe. Noone else bothered to put any more colour onhim after that.

At noon, all the animals went to the lake towash up. The sun was shining in the sky andthe animals bodies began drying in thewarmth of the sunlight.

Whitey Rabbit found something strangehappening to the colour on his body. It wasfading away on its own. And by the time hereached the lake, he found that there wasnta trace of the dark pink colour left on him.

Gappu Elephant couldnt believe his eyeswhen he saw that Whitey Rabbit was hisclean, white self already. How did Whiteyclean himself so quickly? he wondered. Hemust have applied some mustard oil beforecoming out to play.

Catty Cat whispered to Whitey Rabbit,That wasnt any ordinary colour. It was aspecial colour made of two white solutions.

Magicians often use it for their magic shows.It evaporates on its own when it dries!

Whitey Rabbit smiled and thanked hisfriend. That was a wonderful idea you had,Catty! he said gratefully. I played Holiwithout spoiling my skin. Thanks to you.

You really are a true friend!

Catty Cat smiled.Happy Hippo thenbegan singing a songthat was completelyout of tune again.

All the animalsburst out laughing

and then went toeat the special

Holi feast.


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Whats WrongHarry Frog, Matku Donkey and Jumpy Monkey are going to the Holi party. Find 15 wrongthings that the animals have got for the Holi party.


36/60

HELLO, GRANDPA, THIS TIME WE ARE PLANNING TO

VISIT TAJMAHALDURING OUR

HOLI VACATION.

NICE. WEARCOLORFUL DRESSES

WHEN YOU GO.

HOLI IS THE FESTIVALOF COLORS. IT IS ALSO

CALLED SPRING FESTIVAL. IT MARKS

THE ARRIVAL OF THE SPRING SEASON.

THE TREND SOON GAINED POPULARITY AMONG MASSES. NOW HOLI IS CELEBRATED

BY INDIANS ALL OVER THE WORLD.

THE RAJASTHANI AND NORTHINDIAN POPULATION AT KANKARIAAND JAMALPUR IN AHMEDABAD

CELEBRATE HOLI IN GREAT STYLE WITH FOLK DANCING AND

COLOUR THROWING.

IN MOST AREAS, HOLI LASTS ABOUT TWO DAYS. TOGETHER, THE RICH AND POOR, WOMEN AND MEN, ENJOY EACH OTHERS PRESENCE ON THIS JOYOUS DAY.

BRIGHT COLORS OF GULAL ANDABEER FILL THE AIR AND PEOPLE TAKE TURNS IN

POURING COLOR WATER OVEREACH OTHER.

WHY SO?

GRANDPAAND HOLI


37/60

BOTH CHILDREN ANDADULTS ENTHUSIASTICALLY TAKE PART IN THIS PLAY

OF COLORS.

IS IT SEASON OF BLOOM?

YES. EVERYBODY GETS DELIGHTED AT THE ARRIVAL OF HOLI AS THE SEASON ITSELF IS SO

GAY. HOLI IS ALSO CALLED THE SPRING FESTIVAL.

THE GLOOM OF THE WINTER GOES AS HOLI PROMISES OF BRIGHT SUMMER DAYS. NATURE TOO, IT SEEMS REJOICES AT THE ARRIVAL OF

HOLI AND WEARS ITS BEST CLOTHES.

FIELDS GET FILLED WITHCROPS PROMISING A

GOOD HARVEST TO THE FARMERS AND FLOWERS BLOOM COLOURING THE

SURROUNDINGS AND FILLING FRAGRANCE IN

THE AIR.

NOW HOLI IS NOT JUST CELEBRATED IN NORTH INDIA

BUT CELEBRATED WITH SAME ZEST AND ENTHUSIASM ALL

OVER THE COUNTRY.


38/60

Who Am I ?

When I left I didnt know where Iwas going;When I got there I didnt know where I was;When I returned I didnt know where I had been. Who was I?

At the sound of me, menmay dream Or stamp their feet,At the sound of me, womenmay laugh Or sometimes weep. Who am I?

Until I am measured I am not known,

Yet how you miss me When I have flown.

I am seen in the water If seen in the sky,I am in the rainbow,Who am I?

How MuchDo You Know?

1. Who developed Hotmail?(a) Sabeer Bhatia (b) David Filo & Jerry Yang (c) Steve Case (d) Charles Babbage

2. Plants receive their nutrients mainly from (a) Chlorophyll (b) Atmosphere(c) Light (d) Soil

3. Rabindranath Tagore's 'Jana Gana Mana' has been adopted as India's National Anthem. How many stanzas of the said song were adopted?(a) The whole song(b) First stanza(c) First and second stanza(d) Third and fourth stanza

4. 'Dandia' is a popular dance of (a) Punjab (b) Gujarat(c) Kerala (d) Orissa

5. Brass gets discoloured in air because of the presence of which of the following gases in air?(a) Oxygen (b) Carbon dioxide(c) Nitrogen (d) Hydrogen sulphide

A n s w e r s W h o A m I ? : ( 1 ) C h r i s t o p h e r C o l u m b u s ( 2 ) M u s i c

( 3 ) T i m e ( 4 ) B l u e H O W M U C H D o Y o u K n o w ? :

1 . ( a ) , 2 . ( d ) , 3 . ( b ) , 4 . ( a ) , 5 . ( d )

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wish you all well too but please leave now.

Your Highness, Cheeku Rabbit saidsuddenly. Now that you have come out,please sit with us for a while. We will behappy if you talk to us for a few minutes.

Alright, King Sher Singh said. He thenbegan looking for a chair to sit on.

Gajju Elephant immediately offered the chair of balloons that he was carrying.

Why dont you sit on our special chair today? Gajju Elephant said. King Sher

Singh looked at the chair. What a uniquechair this is! he said.

But as soon as he sat down, there was a loudsound! And the balloons that the chair wasmade from burst, squirting coloured water allover! King Sher Singhs jaw dropped once herealised that he was drenched from head totoe in coloured water.

And then, all the animals picked up their water pistols and threw tiny jets of water atKing Sher Singh. King Sher Singh feltticklish and giggled.

Cheeku Rabbit then went forward and putgulal on King Sher Singhs cheeks. HappyHoli, Your Highness! he said. From all theanimals of Champakvan!

King Sher Singh laughed heartily. OhCheeku! he said happily. Your wit hasworked again today when I was trying mybest to hide indoors!

King Sher Singh then invited everyone intohis palace for a cup of tea and special Holisweets. All the animals were very happy.Holi was more fun when they celebratedwith their dear King Sher Singh.

around King Sher Singhs neck. ErI meanto play Holi with him.

They then discussed some ideas. Soon, allthe animals marched together towards KingSher Singhs palace. Gajju Elephant wasleading the procession. He was carrying aspecial chair made of balloons. The other animals were carrying colour pistols andwere dancing on the way.

Sweety Nightingale was singing a song thatshe had made up,

Holi is here!

Holi is here!

Its a time to be with those who are nearand dear! And so Champakvans processionis here!

All the animals stopped when they reachedKing Sher Singhs palace.

We want to meet King Sher Singh, CheekuRabbit told the guard outside the palace door.

I dont think I can let you go in, the guardsaid, hesitant to let the animals into thepalace. Before the guard could say anythingelse, Teetu Butterfly sprayed some colouredwater on him. Yikes! the guard shoutedand ran inside to inform Sher Singh.

A few minutes later, King Sher Singh steppedout of the palace. What are you all doinghere? he roared. You very well know that Idont play Holi.

ErYour Highness, Jumpy Monkey said ina respectful voice. We have just come toconvey our good wishes.

Thank you, King Sher Singh said politely. I



42/60

Varun! I have brought some oilcolours for you! Sumit Unclesaid as soon as he entered the

house. You can use them when youcelebrate your favourite festival!

Varun was delighted to see Sumit Uncle. Helived in the neighbouring town and was hisfavourite uncle. Varun loved Sumit Unclevery much and wished that he would come tosee him more often. And Sumit Uncle wasvery fond of Varun too. He loved to pamper his young nephew and fulfill all his demands.

Have you really brought me oil colours?Varun asked, overjoyed.

Yes, Sumit Uncle replied. But I must warnyou. They are very difficult to remove. If youapply them on your friends faces on Holi,they wont be able to wash them off for days.

Varun giggled and sat down in Sumit Uncles

lap. Thank you, Sumit Uncle, he said. Iam really glad you are here.

Im glad to be here too, Sumit Uncle said,ruffling Varuns hair. And I cant wait for usto play Holi together!

Sumit Uncle then gave Varun the packets of oil colours he had brought with him. Varunlooked at the oil colors and grew quiet

By Ashish Jain


43/60

suddenly. Sumit Uncle, he said softly. Idont think I want to play Holi this time.

What? Sumit Uncle said, looking quitesurprised. Are you upset about something?Last year, you grew angry because I broughtgulal for you instead of the oil colours youasked for. And now when I get you oilcolours, you are still angry?

I am not angry, Varun insisted.

Sumit Uncle saw that Varun had tears inhis eyes. Whats the matter, Varun? heasked softly.

SONAL SUMIT


44/60

Something terrible happened last year,Sumit Uncle, Varun said. He then went onto narrate the incident that he still hadntforgotten.

You had warned me not to play with oilcolours, Varun said. You had suggestedthat I only play with gulal since it washarmless. But I did something terrible.

Sumit Uncle listened patiently as Varunwent on.

I bought cheap oil colours with my pocketmoney without telling anyone. On Holi day,

I went to my best friend Pawans house withsome of my classmates. Pawan wasnt welland didnt want to play Holi. But I didntlisten to him. I put the oil colours and abucket of water all over him.

Varun began to quiver as he continued.

Pawan grew very ill after that. He developeda rash and wasnt able to appear for the final

exams. He failed the class. He hasnt spokento me since then, Varun said, as he wipedthe tears flowing down his face.

Is that so? Sumit Uncle asked.

Yes, Varun said. And thats why I dontwant to play Holi again.

Varun, my boy, Sumit Uncle said. Thereis nothing wrong with playing Holi. It is afestival that brings joy and friends closer.

But I lost my best friend because of Holi,Varun said innocently.

Sumit Uncle patted Varuns head. Thathappened because of your ownthoughtlessness, Varun, he explained. Youdidnt show any consideration towards

Pawan. You were only thinking abouthaving fun. Holi is meant to be played in asafe manner. How many times have I toldyou that?

What should I do now? Varun asked. Iwant to play Holi too. It is my favouritefestival. But I dont want to lose anymorefriends.

You should always use colours of goodquality, Sumit Uncle said. Or colours likegulal that are safe and harmless. Oil colourscan be dangerous. They dont come off easily and can also give people allergies.

Is that true? Varun asked.

It is, Sumit Uncle said. And please dontput colours on people who ask you not to. Or drench them if they dont want to get wet.

I wont! Varun promised.

And one more thing, Sumit Uncle said.

Seek forgiveness for your mistake and ask Pawan to be your friend again.

Thank you, Sumit Uncle! Varun said, jumping up.

He then ran towards the main door.

Where are you going now, Varun? SumitUncle asked.

To throw away the oil colours. And toapologise to Pawan! Varun said. I want totell him that now on I will only use coloursthat will bring happiness and joy toeveryone.

Sumit Uncle smiled as he watched Varunleave the house. He knew that Varun wouldnow have a wonderful Holi.

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46/60

Holi was just a day away but for the first time there was no

excitement in Namans house.His sister, Nisha, didnt seeminterested in buying Holi colours or gulal from the market.

Grandma and Mother werent makingsamosas or any of the special sweetsthey usually made. Dad too seemedto prefer his office files while Grandpa

didnt seem keen on reciting anyHoli poems.

Naman felt disappointed. His elder brother, Aryan, had left for the USA afew months ago.

And Naman knew that the wholefamily was missing him. Holi was

Aryans favourite festival and wouldntbe any fun without him.

Naman wanted to change theatmosphere in the house to one of joyand celebration. He went up to Nishawho was reading her history textbook.Come on, Nisha, he said. Lets goto the market together!

Why? Nisha asked. She didnt evenbother to look up. Do you have any

work there?

Its Holi tomorrow, Nisha! Namansaid enthusiastically. Dont youwant to buy gulal and water pistolsto play with?

No, Nisha said firmly. I am notinterested in playing Holi this year.

Naman groaned. But why? he askedeven though he knew the reasonquite well.

Nisha sighed. I am missing AryanBhaiya, she confessed as she lookedup. He loves to play Holi. I canthelp thinking of how lonely he must

be feeling right now. Hes all byhimself in the USA with no one tocelebrate with. Nisha turned her attention to her book again.

Naman then went up to Grandma.Grandma, why arent you makingany samosas or sweets this time? heasked cheerfully.

By Veena Gupta

46


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Well, Naman, Grandma said softly.Aryan is not here. I know how heloves samosas and sweets. I dont feellike celebrating without him.

Come on, Grandma! Naman said.Do you really think that AryanBhaiya will go without celebratingHoli? He loves Holi so much that hewill surely celebrate in the USA too!

Hmm, Grandma said. He was theone to first put colour on me every

year Grandmas voice then turnedemotional and she quickly turned her face away.

Naman sighed. He didnt knowhow to cheer up his family. Hefelt disheartened and turned hiscomputer on to distract himself.Well, I tried my best, he

muttered to himself. But noone is in the mood to celebrateHoli withoutAryan Bhaiya.

Suddenly, an idea crossedNamans mind. Hey!he said, snapping hisfingers. What if we

play Cyber Holi thistime? It will be fun! Namanrubbed his hands gleefullyand began preparing to playCyber Holi.

He carefully selectedphotographs of the entire familyfrom the photo albums and scanned

them. He then logged on to theinternet and opened a website thatwould allow his family to play Cyber Holi. The website requested some

information from Naman and Namanobliged willingly.

He filled in details of all his familymembers, including their names,ages, complexions, heights and other information. Naman then uploadedthe scanned photographs on thewebsite and requested it to let him

and his family play Cyber Holiwith Aryan.



48/60

The next day, Naman invited

everyone to his room and asked themto gather around his computer.Come on, everyone! he saidhappily. We are going to play Cyber Holi with Aryan Bhaiya!

Cyber Holi? What kind of Holi isthat? Grandma asked, perplexed.And Aryan is far away from us. How

can we play Holi with him?

Wait and watch, Grandma! Namansaid with a broad smile. We willplay Holi in this very room withAryan Bhaiya!

Naman, please dont play Holi here!Mother warned. Your room will get

very dirty.Dont worry, Mother! Namanchuckled. We are playing Cyber Holi!There wont be any mess.

Naman then logged on to theinternet. He opened the website andturned the speakers on.

Now begins our Cyber Holi, hesaid as he clicked on the mouse.

Suddenly, an array of colours splashed

on the screen. And soon after, cartoonfigures that looked just like Aryan andGrandma appeared on the screen. Toeveryones surprise, they begandrenching each other with coloursand water!

Hey! Thats Aryan playing Holi withme! Grandma said and laughed

happily. Look! Hes even splashingwater and putting gulal on me!

After that, cartoons of Aryan playingHoli with the other family membersappeared on the screen. There werecheerful Holi songs playing on thespeakers. Sound effects of water balloons bursting and water pistols

squirting water were heard from timeto time too.

Mother and Father, who had never played with Holi colours, sawthemselves drenched with colours onthe screen! What fun we are havingplaying Cyber Holi! they said.

Naman, why dont you take printoutsof everyone playing Cyber Holi?Nisha suggested. You can send someto Aryan Bhiaya too!

Naman liked the idea and took aprintout of each image. Ill scan themand send them to Aryan Bhaiya later,he said.

SONAL SUMIT

48


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Just then the telephone bell rang.Nisha picked up the phone.

Happy Holi, Nisha! a cheerful

voice said. Happy Holi to you too,Aryan Bhaiya! Nisha said happily.

How is Holi in India? Aryan asked.

Superb! As usual you drenched us allwith coloured water! Nisha answered.

Huh? Aryan said, surprised. I did?

Yes, you did! Nisha said,giggling. Naman will email youthe pictures soon!

Aryan laughed heartily. I think Iknow what you are talking about! Youplayed Cyber Holi like I did, didntyou? he said.

All the family members then spoke toAryan and told him how much funthey had seeing themselves playingCyber Holi with him.

Once Aryan had disconnected thephone, Grandpa began recitingHoli poems. And Grandma ran into

the kitchen. I feel like makingsamosas and sweets now! she toldNaman. Do take pictures of them.And scan them and email them toAryan too!

Naman laughed. He knew that hisfamily was happy now and ready tocelebrate their favourite festival.

Video chat on messenger isa great way to connect withyour buddies who are away.

Companies use online

applications or software likeSkype, Google Hangout, etc.to communicate with their customers across the world.

If you dont like schoolor college, try onlinecourses where teachersfrom different parts of the world teach varioustopics in virtualclassrooms.

To cheer up a sad friend,send virtual gifts or animated greeting cardsthat are easily availableonline without spendinga single penny

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Cyber Communication



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K apil wanted to apply strong chemicalcolours on his friends on Holi day. Heasked his friend Neeraj to accompanyhim to the market. Neeraj, who wascompletely unaware of Kapils plans, agreedto join him.

And so, Kapil took him to a shop where hebought some strong colours mixed withchemicals that would make the coloursdifficult to remove. He then took Neeraj to aworkshop from where he bought some thick and dirty machine oil.

Neeraj grew quite curious and wanted toknow what Kapil would do with all thesethings. He asked Kapil about it. Kapilgrinned and revealed his plan.

Well go to our friends houses on Holiday and put the chemical colours andmachine oil on them, he said and chuckled.The colour will stay on for many days andmake them look ugly. It will be fun whenthey are admonished by the teachers in theschool too!

Neeraj didnt approve of Kapils plans.Kapil, he said politely. The people who you

want to do this to are our friends. It wont benice to get them into trouble or to put coloursmixed with harsh chemicals on them.

I know they are our friends, Kapil said.But this is something a lot of people do onHoli day. How else will we have fun?

Kapil, the chemicals in these colours areoften poisonous, Neeraj explained. They

can cause allergies and rashes. And what if they go into someones eyes? They can turnpeople blind.

But Kapil didnt want to listen. Stop givingme a lecture, Neeraj! he said. I didnt bringyou along so that you could give me your advice. Anyway, I promise that I wont putany of these colours on you.

Neeraj tried again. Have you forgotten whathappened last Holi? he said. Someone putsimilar colours on our classmate Aloks face.He lost his vision after that. What if something like that happens to any of our friends because of your colours? Will you beable to forgive yourself?

But Neerajs efforts were in vain. Kapil was just not ready to listen. Neeraj knew that itwas pointless to argue with him or to explainhow dangerous his idea was. All that he didafter that was tell Kapil that he wouldntcelebrate Holi with him.

Kapil grew furious. He threatened thathe wouldnt talk to Neeraj if he didntcelebrate with him. But Neeraj was firm.He wanted Kapil to understand how he

would only cause trouble for others. Hedecided that he would seek their friendGauravs help.

And so, Neeraj went to Gauravs house thatevening and told him what Kapil planned todo. Gaurav readily agreed to help Neeraj. Healso suggested that their other friends be toldof Neerajs plan. They would get together and find a way to stop him.

By Ramakant Kant



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That evening, all the friends met at the park and Neeraj and Gaurav told them of Kapilsdangerous plan. Why dont we douse Kapilwith his own colours? a boy named Dineshsuggested. He should get a dose of hisown medicine.

No, a boy named Piyush said. Kapil isour friend after all. The colours will harmhim. We cant let that happen.

The boys pondered for a while and then cameup with a plan. They hoped that it wouldwork and stop Kapil from using the dangerouscolours. They then decided to meet on Holiday under the big tree near the school.

When Holi finally arrived, the boys begangathering under the tree as planned.

Dinesh was the first to arrive with some eco-friendly perfumed gulal. He had made it onhis own at home by soaking some palashflowers in water and extracting their colour.

After the colour had dried,Dinesh had sprinkled some

rose water on it. It was a safeand natural Holi colour thatwouldnt harm anyone.

Rakesh came next with gulab jamuns from hishouse. And Neeraj arrived with a boxful of some delicious carrot and almond halwa thathis mother had made. Girish came with somehot potato vadas and spinach pakodas. Piyush

joined them and showed them the two postershe had made. And Gaurav followed, tugging ahired washermans donkey. And finally Sanjuand Kunal arrived with a drum and a garlandof marigold flowers.

We are going to have a grand timecelebrating Holi today! the boys saidcheerfully and greeted each other.

Now, the only thing left for them to do, wasto teach Kapil a lesson that wouldpermanently stop him from using theharmful chemical colours.

Everyone got together and put the garlandaround the donkeys neck. They then hungPiyushs posters on both its sides. There wassome text written on the posters in big boldletters. The boys smiled when they saw it.It read,

SONAL SUMIT


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I AM KAPIL. I PLAY HOLIWITH DIRTY OIL ANDCHEMICAL COLOURS. IDONT CARE IF THEY TURNPEOPLE BLIND OR BURNTHEIR FACES.

FOR ME, HOLI IS NOT AFESTIVAL OF LOVE FOR I DONTCARE ABOUT ANYONE.

The boys then paraded the donkey on theroad and beat the drum.

The small procession soon reached Kapilshouse. Kapil ran to the window to see whatwas happening. He grew furious when hesaw the posters on the donkey. He decidedto throw the chemical colours and themachine oil he had on his friends fromhis window.

Kapil ran to bring them from their hidingplace. But strangely, they had vanished fromthere! Kapil didnt know what to do. Hewent and looked for the colours

and the machine oil again,wishing hard that hisfriends and their

procession would goaway.

Little did Kapil knowthat Neeraj and Gaurav had

telephoned his father and tipped him aboutthe chemical colours and machine oil.

Uncle, Neeraj and Gaurav had told KapilsFather over the phone. Kapil is a goodfriend of ours. We dont want him to doanything that is harmful. Or that would gethim or anyone else into trouble.

Kapils Father had reassured Neeraj andGaurav that he would do everything tohelp them.

In fact, it was he who had suggested the


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donkey and poster parts of their plan. Andeven though Neeraj and Gaurav didnt wantto embarrass Kapil, they knew that it was theonly thing that would work, since Kapil wasvery stubborn and didnt listen to anyone.

Kapils Father had searched the house whenKapil was sleeping. He had found thechemical colours and machine oil in Kapilsschoolbag that very morning. He hadimmediately poured them down the sink.

Kapil had no idea of what had happened. Hecontinued searching his schoolbagfrantically. What are you looking for,Kapil? Kapils Father said when he saw him.Your friends are downstairs. Go and playwith them!

UmI dont want to Kapil said as hetried to come up with a suitable excuse. Buthis father simply smiled.

Kapil, he said softly. I know what you arelooking for. But you wont find thembecause I have thrown them away. Tell me,

would you have been happy if your friendshad applied such colours and oils on you?Or if your skin had broken into a rash? Or if your eyes had burned and stung?

Kapil shuddered at the very thought. Heimmediately thought of Alok and howhelpless he was without his eyesight. He nowrealised how dangerous the chemical coloursand machine oil were.

He apologised to his father and thanked himfor throwing them away. I have forgivenyou, son, Kapils Father said. Go downnow and apologise to your friends. For theyare the ones you would have harmed.

Kapil trembled. He didnt know how to faceNeeraj and the other boys.

Dad, he said, his voice trembling. I

hadnt bothered to listen to Neeraj when hehad warned me about the colours and oil.On the contrary, I threatened not to talk tohim. I dont have the courage to face him or the others now.

Come on, Kapil, Kapils Father said.Neeraj is a nice boy and so are the others. Iknow where they are going right now. Comewith me. They are all waiting to celebrateHoli with you.

Kapils Father then took him down to thecar. His mother accompanied them too.They then drove to the park.

Neeraj and the other boys had gathered atthe park. They all knew that Kapils Father had promised to bring him there. And so,they waited for him to arrive beforebeginning their Holi party.

When Kapil finally walked into the park, allthe boys ran to welcome him. Everyone thenput the natural gulal on his cheeks andhugged him.

Kapil hung his head low and apologised for what he had planned to do. Gauravimmediately tore up the posters that werestill hanging on the donkey. He then askedthe washerman to take the donkey away.

The boys then danced and feasted on theHoli delicacies they had brought with them.They then sang songs, danced and recitedsome special Holi poems.

Kapil enjoyed thoroughly. He realisedthat there was more to Holi than justthrowing balloons and playing withdangerous colours.

I had an exceptional Holi this time! hetold his father when they went home later that day. I learnt an important lesson too.All thanks to you and my friends!

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Students were lined up in the cafeteria of a school for lunch. There was a basket full of apples on the table with a

small note.Take only ONE. The teacher is watching.

Further along the lunch line, at the other end of the table was a box full of chocolates.

Sam told his friend, Come on! Let us take as much as we can. The teacher is watching the apples.

- Soni

Father : Why have you got a zero in geography paper?Akash : Dad, it's not a zero. The teacher ran out of stars, so she gave me a moon instead!

- Sanjeev

English teacher : What's the longest word in the English language?

Student : Mam, it is Smiles - because there is a mile between the first and the last letter!

- Virendra

Early one morning, a mother went in to wake up her son."Wake up, son. It's time to go to school!""But why, Mom? I don't want to go."

"Give me two reasons why you don't want to go.""The kids dont like me, and teachers too hate

me.""Oh, I cant take your reasons. Quick, get

ready now.""Mom, give me two reasons why I should go

to school.""First, you're 52 years old and secondly you're the Principal!" - Ram


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By Dr.Ritu Jain

M ony and Tony had come with their friends Antu and Jojo for a picnicnear a lake.Antu and Jojo found an old motorboat andtook it out to the lake, while Mony andTony stayed at the lakeside to cook.

Chickey and Mickey were two youngcrocodiles who lived in the lake. They werefascinated to see the old motorboat speedingin the lake after so long. They decided torace with the motorboat much to Antu and

Jojos delight.Antu was quite a mischievous fellow. Hebegan to increase and decrease the speed of the motorboat, just to tease Chickey andMickey.

You will tire yourselves, Jojo teased. Youwill not be able to compete with our speeding motorboat.

I know, Chickey said. But listen to me now.You dont know much about this lake. It hasmany hidden reefs. Weve had a lot of funracing but I suggest you slow down now. If you continue speeding, there are chances thatyou might run into a reef and have a mishap.

Thanks for the advice, Antu said with alaugh. But we both are experts when it

comes to riding motorboats. Dont worry!Nothing will happen to us!

Chickey and Mickey realised that the foxeswere overconfident and wouldnt pay anyattention to their warning. They stoppedfollowing the motorboat.

Very well then, they then told Antuand Jojo. We are going to swim homenow. But please take care of yourselves. The weather seems to bedeteriorating too. We hope that youllreach the lakeside safely.

Mony and Tony haddecided to cook some

almond pudding at thelakeside. They were

singing songs and chopping

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almonds and whipping cream when JuluElephant saw them.

The warm and sweet aroma of the puddingand the fun Mony and Tony seemed to behaving, compelled Julu Elephant to marchtowards them.

Hello! Julu Elephant said in a friendlyvoice. I couldnt stop myself from cominghere! You seem to be having so much fun!And I see that youre making something thatlooks delicious too. May I join your picnic?Id like to be your friend.

To Julu Elephants surprise, Mony grewvery angry.

No! Mony shouted rudely. We have comehere with our friends. I am sorry but yourenot welcome to join us or be our friend.Please go away.

Well ok, Julu Elephant said, lookingdisappointed. But at least let me taste someof your pudding. It smells scrumptious!

You will not get a morsel of our pudding,

you greedy fellow, Tony said angrily. Goaway from here! Dont spoil our fun.

Okay, Julu Elephant said, sadly. Imleaving. Im sorry to have bothered you.

Just then the sound of screaming pierced thequiet of the lakeside.

That sounds like Antu and Jojo, Monysaid, looking quite alarmed.

They seem to be calling for help from themotorboat! Tony said as the screamingcontinued.

Chickey and Mickey suddenly leaped outfrom the lake and ran towards Mony andTony. They both looked very worried.

Hi! Do you have a long rope? Mickeyasked in a worried voice. Er no, I dont,Mony replied. But what do you need onefor? Is everything ok?

Well, the motorboat has hit a reef, Chickeysaid, looking quite shaken. The engine hasstopped working.

PROITI ROY



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Oh no! Tony cried with fear. What willhappen to our friends now? They dontknow how to swim! They will surely drown if the motorboat sinks!

Well, we are trying to help them, Mickeysaid. But we will need a long rope to pullthe motorboat out of the lake.

Dont worry, Julu Elephant piped in. Ihave a long rope. Its quite thick and strongtoo. Ill get it right now.

Thank goodness! Mickey said, soundingrelieved. Youre a big help!

And so, Julu Elephant hurried home andreturned with the rope in no time.

Julu Elephant then joined Chickey andMickey in the rescue operation. He held oneend of the rope with his trunk and gave theother end to Chickey and Mickey.

Tie the motorboat to the rope tightly. Call

out to me when you finish. I will pull ittowards the lakeside with my trunk, JuluElephant said politely.

Chickey and Mickey dived into the water and swam towards the motorboat as fast asthey could. Antu and Jojo were relieved tosee them. The motorboat was beginning tosink and they were quivering with fear.

Chickey and Mickey called out to Julu oncethey had tied the motorboat to the rope.

Julu then used all his might and pulled themotorboat towards the lakeside.

As soon as Antu and Jojo reached thelakeside, they jumped out of the motorboatand ran towards their friends.

Chickey and Mickey had warned us about

the reefs but we didnt pay any attention totheir warning, they both admitted, feelingashamed of their carelessness. We are sorry,Chickey and Mickey, they said, apologisingto the two young crocodiles.

Mony and Tony turned towards JuluElephant. They looked quite ashamed of what they had done too. Well, we made amistake too. We were rude to Julu Elephantwhen he asked to be our friend. Pleaseforgive us, Julu Elephant.

Julu Elephant smiled. And so did Chickeyand Mickey. Dont worry! they said

cheerfully. We were happy to help!

After that, everyone sat down together andhad a bowlful of the almond pudding thatwas quite delicious. They then playedgames and sang songs and enjoyed their unique picnic.

Answers to Whats Wrong

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Champak March12