Flamingo

Flamingo Read: 1 Think Pink, Think Flamingo The animals of the forest arranged a dance party and everybody was waiting for that moment, and all the animals had a new dress but the flamingos, which at that time were all white, didn't have anything to wear. They felt ugly and ridiculous and they didn't like any suit. Desperate (worried), they went to the owl's house who was the most prestigious dressmaker of the forest. She designed for them a pair of striped, white and black trousers. These were the most marvellous suits that a flamingo had ever worn. Now they could go to the party. When the day came everybody was very happy. but the snakes were very worried about the flamingos' trousers, because they saw that the trousers were mode of snake skin. The snakes were indignant (annoyed) and they bit the flamingos. Their bodies and legs were itching and got hot so they ran to the lake. Since that day they don't go out of the lake because only the water can calm the pain caused by the bites, Which left their legs red and their feathers pink like summer dusk. This is an Argentinean folk tale. But what does science say? Young flamingos hatch with grey feathers but adults range from light pink to bright red due to bacteria and carotene (a red or orange substance found in carrots and other plants) obtained from their food supply. Flamingos are gregarious wading (having long legs and living in shallow water) birds. Flamingos often stand on one leg. The flamingo has the ability to have half of its body go into a state of sleep, and when one side has rested, the flamingo will swap (change) leg and then let the other half sleep, but this has not been proven. Some researchers say that standing on one leg allow the birds to conserve (save) more body heat, as they spend much of their time wading (walking in water or mud) in cold water. Two species of flamingo - Greater Flamingo and Lesser Flamingo are found in Gujarat. Instantly recognizable in flocks of hundreds to tens of thousands, the Lesser flamingo has a long neck are long legs, a bent bill (beak) and a large body. Shorter and darker pink than the Greater flaming Lesser flamingos also differ in the colouration of the beak. Lesser flamingos have a deep red bill, tipped with black, whereas the bill of Greater flamingos light pink, tipped with black. The Lesser flamingo has faint pink feathers and deep dark legs. The eyes a yellow to orange and are surrounded by a maroon ring. Males are slightly taller than females, and young ones have brown feathers and a dark grey beak. Greater flamingo is the largest species of flamingo, averaging 110-150 cm tall and weighing 2-4 kg. The largest male flamingoes have been recorded at up to 187 cm tall and 4.5 kg. The oldest known greater flamingo in Australia is at least 75 years old. The bird's exact age is not known.  A flamingo lays a single chalky-white egg.  A flamingo nest is not fancy, just a mound of mud, may be 12 inches high. Old nests often reused  After hatching, the chick stays in the nest for 5 to 12 days. DEVAYAT GAGIYA - 9825349148 1

 The chick is fed with a type of \"milk\" that comes from the parents' upper digestive tract. Both males and females can feed the chick this way, and even flamingos that are not the parents can act as foster-feeders.  First breeding is at approximately 3 to 6 years. Only fully coloured adults participate in breeding. Flamingos are found in various parts of Gujarat. Around 30,000 Greater Flamingo and around 40.000 Lesser Flamingo found in last counting whiet1 is the highest number recorded from India. Highest concentrations of flamingos were recorded in the Gulf of Khambhat, followed, by Gulf of Kachchh and other coastal areas. The Lesser Flamingos were exclusively found on the coastal wetlands. The monotonous desert landscape of Gujarat is changed by splashes of red and pink spots, creating a lively sight. Khavda Flamingo Colony in Kuchchh is reputed among the biggest flamingo colony in the world. Each year, about half a million flamingos migrate from hotter climates to the watery expanse of this area to breed. We are proud of the Asiatic lion as our State Animal so we are for Greater flamingo as our State Bird. Read: 2 Penguin, My Friend (Today is 20th January, PENGUIN AWARENESS DAY. The students of different classes are going to present their projects about penguin in different ways. The Range Forest Officer is the chief guest.) Anchor : Friends, we all are getting more and more interested in the universe. Some of us want to know more about life on other planets. But there are so many creatures on our own planet and we know little about them. Some of our friends have worked a lot to bring some information about the penguin, one such creature. First of all, I invite Nisarg of standard XI who is very fond of movies about animals and birds. Nisarg : Penguin is a bird that doesn't fly but walks and swims. They live on the snow in polar regions where there is no vegetation (plants) as it can't stand freezing cold. There days and nights are very long. Here a day means our weeks or even months and night is dark for our months. You may ask why they don't shift here. I suppose they shouldn't as they are safe away from us. By the way, I have seen many movies about penguins, some real videos, some animated, some documentaries. In one of them, \"Penguins - a Love Story,\" Amitabh Bachchan has given his voice in the background. It is about the emperor penguin. In the month of March male penguins start their months long journey in a big group. It is the time when polar winter starts. The sun starts setting. For last three months, they have been there in the ocean for food. Now their journey starts for their female partners who are away DEVAYAT GAGIYA - 9825349148 2

Anchor : from them. They walk 1012 kms. They walk for day and night. When tired, they slide on their stomach. For thousands of years they have been Kandarp : walking at the same time of the year for their next generation. Their Penguin : destination is the same but the route may differ as the ice formation keeps Kandarp : changing shape. Despite weather growing rougher and tougher, they Penguin : keep on marching slowly and steadily. Males are less in number than females so females fight with one another for males but males are loyal to their partners. For almost eight months they live together. The parents care for their only egg very much against chilling weather, temperature less than -400 C. It is May and cooler than before. They keep their, eggs between their feet and covered under extended skin. After laying eggs the mothers have lost a lot of energy and one third of their body weight. So they have to go to the ocean for food to survive, walking miles together. The females transfer the eggs to the males to keep between their feet. The process needs a lot of practice and patience. The fathers are now in charge of hatching the eggs - protecting, caring and warming them. They have to be in such position for a minimum of two months. They prove themselves worthy husbands and fathers. The thing that impressed me most is their cooperative way of fighting the snowstorm. When there is a storm, the temperature dips to less than -800 C and the speed of the wind is 100 kmph. They bend together keeping their faces away from the direction of cold wind. They live very close to one another and create body heat. They form a large circle. They move in rhythm and each is not an individual but a part of a big organism. They make layers against the wind. But who will be at the front row? They keep on changing their position. Each one will have a chance to be in the warm centre and duty to be at the border as well. They have to keep moving, protecting the eggs between their feet. Friends, you can see many other movies like 'Happy Feet', 'The Penguins of Madagascar' etc. which attracted me. That's all. Thank you Nisarg. Help us find these movies. We would like to watch them. Now let me invite Kandarp who is ready with an interview with a penguin. Dhaumya of class IX plays the role of a penguin and a small boy Chaitanya from class VIII has become Pengi, a little penguin. Let's witness the interview. Welcome to our world, penguins. Thank you but it is very hot here. By the way, nice to meet you, human beings. You might have heard that we the penguins are not very much afraid of human beings. Well, You feel hot because we have made our habitat very hot. But what about your habitat? Our native is Southern Hemisphere. Our major population is found in Antarctica, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. It is not so that we live in only cold climate. DEVAYAT GAGIYA - 9825349148 3

Kandarp : I have observed that you all differ in size. Penguin : See, we are of different types. Among us the emperor penguins are the largest with 3.7 feet standing height and weigh around 40 kg. The Kandarp : smallest ones are the fairy penguins with only 16 inches and 1 kg weight. I have a small question for this little Pengi. Pengi, what do you feel about Pengi : your colour. In this colourful world, don't you look like an old TV, black and white? Kandarp : I will have yellow strip when I grow. We warm up by turning our dark Penguin : coloured backs to the sun. We are unique, aren't we? Sorry, I forgot to serve you... .... tea or coffee? Kandarp : Thank you but we never take such food. We feed on (a small animal with Penguin : hard shell) and (Sea animals with long body). Some of us eat different types of fishes. Kandarp : We are very much independent for our food. Penguin : Any message for mankind? Yes, I was very much shocked when I heard about female (killing human Kandarp : before birth). We have more females than males. The second thing I was shocked to know about was HIV. We don't have it because we are loyal Pengi : to our life partners. A penguin keeps the same mate for lifetime. Is there anything you can learn from us? No, not much. We live, we want to live and we should live a natural life. If we adopt your technology we will be killed. If we use room heaters, the oceans will overflow. Yet I have observed one thing. Your government is trying to reduce infant mortality. We have to learn from you about it. Our longetivity is 15 to 20 years. But around 90% of our children die before they complete 1 year. (sea birds) eat 40% of African penguin eggs. When in the water, we may be eaten by leopard seals, fur seals, sea lions, sharks or killer whales. Pengi, finally can you sing something for us? Hi! I'm a little penguin Black and white. Stout and fluffy What a sight! I can't fly but I love to swim. So I'll waddle to the water and dive right in! Black and white. Stout and fluffy What a sight! I can't fly but I love to swim. So I'll waddle to the water and dive right in! DEVAYAT GAGIYA - 9825349148 4

(waddle = walk with short steps and swinging body stout = fat and strong). Anchor : Thank you Kandarp, Dhaumya and Chaitanya. Now I present Piyush who has worked very much with power point. He will show you some slides about penguins. Piyush ... Piyush : I am here with some slides about penguins, their photographs and their characteristics. There are seventeen species. Let's meet some of them here. EMPEROR PENGUIN SIZE : 112 cm PREY : fishes, squids PREDATORS : leopard seals, killer whales, skuas [large sea birds] POPULATION : about 2,70,000-3,50,000 ADELIE PENGUIN SIZE : 46-61 cm primarily krill, also squids and fishes PREY : Leopard seals, skuas, About 40,00,000 to 52,00,000 PREDATORS : POPULATION : GENTOO PENGUIN SIZE : 61-76 cm krill, squid PREY : skuas, leopard seals, antarctic fur seals, New Zealand sea lions, Southern sea lions PREDATORS : estimated 3,14,000 breeding pairs POPULATION : ROCKHOPPER PENGUIN SIZE : 41-46 cm PREY : fishes, squids, krill PREDATORS : New Zealand fur seals, New Zealand sea lions, Southern sea lions, skuas, gulls POPULATION : about 73,40,000 mature individuals Anchor : Well done Piyush. At the end of the celebration, Prutha has some questions for you. (Prutha delivers questionnaires to all) Prutha : Friends, you have got questionnaires. Answer the questions. The fastest and of course the truest finger first - to win the prize. The bracket at the top will help you. (chick, penguin, sound, wings, bat) 1. Which organ helps penguins for swimming? DEVAYAT GAGIYA - 9825349148 5

2. Which is the only animal in the world that can fly? 3. Which is the only bird in the world that can't fly? 4. What will you call a baby penguin? 5. All the penguins look alike. What helps them recognize their mates or kids? 6. Is penguin a mammal? (yes/no) 7. Will you like to jail a penguin as your pet or in the zoo or in the aquarium? (yes/no) 8. Penguins live only on the snow. (true/false) 9. Their wings are useless. (true/false) 10. Some penguins are found in the Himalayas too. (true/false) Friends, think of our penguin friends, read about them, search for text or photographs or videos about them on-line - whatever you like, but do something penguins, and enjoy the penguin awareness day. Read-3 My Great Olympic Prize It was the summer of 1936. The Olympic Games were being held in Berlin. I wasn't worried about all this. I'd trained, sweated and disciplined myself for six years, with the Games in mind. While I was going over on the boat, all I could think about was taking home one or two of those gold medals; I had my eye especially on the long jump. A year before I'd set the world record of 26 feet 81/4% inches. Everyone expected me to win that Olympic event hands down (without difficulty). I was in for a surprise. When the time came for the long jump trials, I was startled (surprised) to see a tall boy hitting the pit (jumping) at almost 26 feet on his practice leaps. He turned out to be a German named Luz Long. Every German was evidently hoping that he would win the jump. I too was determined to go out there and really prove myself. An angry athlete is an athlete who will make mistakes, as any coach will tell you. I was no exception. On the first of my three qualifying jumps, I leaped from several inches beyond the take-off board for a no-jump (foul). On the second jump, I was even worse. \"Did I come 3000 miles for this?\" I thought bitterly. \"To fall in the trials and make a fool of myself?\" Walking a few yards from the pit (long jump ground), I kicked disgustedly (angrily with hatred) at the ground. Suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned to look into the friendly blue eyes of the tall German long jumper. He had easily qualified for the finals on his first attempts. He offered me a firm handshake. \"Jesse Owens, I'm Luz Long. I don't think we've met.\" He spoke English well, though with a German twist to it. \"Glad to meet you,\" I said. Then, trying to hide my nervousness, I added, \"How are you?\" \"I'm fine. The question is : How are YOU?\" \"What do you mean?\" I asked. \"Something must be. eating (troubling) you,\" he said - proud the way foreigners are when they've mastered a bit of slang (colloquial language). \"You should be able to qualify with your eyes shut (easily).\" DEVAYAT GAGIYA - 9825349148 6

\"Believe me, I know it,\" I told him and I felt good to say that to someone. For the next few minutes, we walked together. I didn't tell Long what was \"eating\" me, but he seemed to understand my anger, and he took pains to reassure me. An inch taller than I, he had a lean muscular frame, clear blue eyes, fair hair and a strikingly handsome face. Finally seeing I had calmed down, he pointed to the take-off (jumping) board. \"Look,\" he said, \"why don't you draw a line a few inches behind the board and aim at making your take-off from there? You'll be sure not to foul, and you certainly ought to jump far enough to qualify. What does it matter if you're not first in trials? Tomorrow is what counts.\" Suddenly all the tension seemed to ebb out (ease) of my body as the truth of what he said hit me. Confidently, I drew a line a full foot behind the board and jumped from there. I qualified with almost a foot to spare. That night I walked over to Luz Long's room in the Olympic village to thank him. I knew that if he hadn't been there, I probably wouldn't be jumping in the final the following day. We sat in his quarters and talked for two hours about athletics, ourselves, the world situation, and a dozen other things. When I finally got up to leave, we both knew that a real friendship has been formed Luz would go out to the stadium the next day trying to beat me if he could, but I knew that he wanted me to do my best even if that meant my winning. As it turned out, Luz broke his past record in doing so, he pushed me on to a peak performance. I remember that at the instant I landed from my final jump - the one which set the Olympic record of 26 feet 55/16 inches, he was at my side. Despite the fact that the entire stadium glared at us from the stands. Luz shook my hand hard and it wasn't a fake smile with a broken heart and artificial sort of grip. You could melt down all the gold medals and cups I have, and they wouldn't be plating on the 24 carat friendship I felt for Luz Long at that moment. I realized then too, that Luz was the epitome (standard example) of what Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic Games, must have had in mind when he said, \"The important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part. The essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well.\" Read-4 Determination In 1883, a creative engineer named John Roebling was inspired by an idea to build a spectacular (very impressive) bridge connecting New York with the Long Island. However bridge building experts throughout the world thought that this was an impossible feat and told. Roebling to forget the idea. It just could not' be done. It was not practical. It had never been done before. Roebling could not ignore the vision he had in his mind of this bridge. He thought about it all the time and he knew deep in his heart that it could be done. He just had to share the dream with someone else. After much discussion and persuasion (making him agree to do it) he managed to convince his son Washington, an up and coming engineer, that the bridge in fact could be built. DEVAYAT GAGIYA - 9825349148 7

Working together for the first time, the father and son developed concepts of how it could be accomplished and how the obstacles could be overcome. With great excitement and inspiration, they hired their crew and began to build their dream bridge. The project started well, but when it was only a few months underway, a tragic accident on the site took the life of John Roebling. Washington was injured and with a certain amount of brain damage, which resulted in him not being able to walk or talk or even move. \"We told them so.\" \" It's foolish to chase wild visions.\" Everyone had a negative comment to make and felt that the project should be scrapped (no longer practical or useful) since the Roeblings were the only the ones who knew how the bridge could be built. In spite of his handicap Washington was never discouraged and still had a burning desire to complete the bridge and his mind was still as sharp as ever. He tried to inspire and pass on his enthusiasm to some of his friends, but they were too daunted (felt nervous and less confident) by the task. As he lay on his bed in his hospital room, with the sunlight streaming (continuous flow) through the windows, a gentle breeze blew the flimsy (not strong enough for the purpose) white curtains apart and he was able to see the sky and the tops of the trees outside for just a moment. It seemed that there was a message for him not to give up. Suddenly an idea hit him. All he could do was move one finger and he decided to make the best use of it. By moving this, he slowly developed a code of communication with his wife. He touched his wife's arm with that finger, indicating to her that he wanted her to call the engineers again. Then he used the same method of tapping her arm to tell the engineers what to do. It seemed foolish but the project was under way again. For 13 years Washington tapped out his instructions with his finger on his wife's arm, until the bridge was finally completed. Today the spectacular Brooklyn Bridge stands in all its glory as a tribute to the triumph (a great success) of one man's indomitable (difficult to defeat) difficult to defeat spirit and his determination not to be defeated by circumstances. It is also a tribute to the engineers and their teamwork, and to their faith in a man who was considered mad by half the world. It stands too as a tangible (that can be clearly seen to exist) monument to the love and devotion of his wife who for 13 long years patiently decoded the messages of her husband and told the engineers what to do. Perhaps this is one of the best examples of a 'never say die' attitude that overcomes a terrible physical handicap and achieves and impossible goal. DEVAYAT GAGIYA - 9825349148 8

Read : 5 Can You Install Love? Customer Service Representative: Can you install LOVE? Customer : I can do that. I'm not very technical, but I think I am ready to install now. What do I do first? CS Rep. : The first step is to open your HEART. Have you located your HEART, ma'am? Customer : Yes I have, but there are several programs running right now. Is it okay to install while they are running? CS Rep. : What programs are running, ma'am? Customer : Let me see... I have PASTHURT.EXE, LOWESTEEM.EXE, GRUDGE. EXE, and RESENTMENT. COM running right now. Do you find any such feelings in your heart? CS Rep. : No problem. LOVE will automatically erase PASTHURT.EXE from your current operating system. It may remain in your permanent Customer : memory, but it will no longer disrupt (interrupt) other programs. LOVE CS Rep. : will eventually (finally) overwrite LOWESTEEM.EXE with a module (section) of its own called HIGHESTEEM.EXE. However, you have to completely turn off GRUDGE.EXE and RESENTMENT.COM. Those programs prevent LOVE from being properly installed. Can you turn those off ma'am? I don't know how to turn them off. Can you tell me how? My pleasure. Go to your Start menu and invoke (appeal to) FORGIVENESS.EXE. Do this as many times as necessary until GRUDGE.EXE and RESENTMENT.COM have been completely erased. Do you remember anyone whom you want to forgive? Customer : Okay, I'm done. LOVE has started installing itself automatically. Is that normal? CS Rep. : Yes it is. You should receive a message that says it will reinstall for the life of your HEART. Do you see that message? Customer : Yes I do. Is it completely installed? CS Rep. : Yes, but remember that you have only the base program. You need to begin connecting to other HEARTS in order to get the upgrades. Customer : Oops ... I have an error message already. What should I do? CS Rep. : It says \"ERROR 412 - PROGRAM CAN NOT RUN ON INTERNAL COMPONENTS.\" What does that mean? DEVAYAT GAGIYA - 9825349148 9

Can you guess what this error message means? CS Rep. : Don't worry ma'am, that's a common problem.· It Take away love and the earth is a tomb means that the LOVE program is set up to run on Customer : external HEARTS but has not yet been run on your HEART. It is one of CS Rep. : those complicated (complex) programming things, but in non-technical Customer : terms it means you have to \"LOVE\" your own machine before it can CS Rep. : \"LOVE\" others. Customer : So what should I do? CS Rep. : Can you find the directory called SELFACCEPTANCE? Yes, I have it. Excellent, you are getting good at this. Thank you. You're welcome. Click on the following files and then copy them to the MY HEART directory: FORGIVESELF.DOC, SELFESTEEM.TXT, REALlZEWORTH.TXT and GOODNESS.DOC: The system will overwrite any conflicting files and begin patching any faulty programming. Also, you need to delete SELFCRITIC.EXE from all directories, and then empty your recycle bin afterwards to make sure it is completely gone and never comes back. Have you identified such things in your heart and mind? Do they have any worth? Customer : Got it. Hey! My HEART is filling up with really neat files. SMILE.MPG is playing on my monitor right now and it shows that WARMTH. COM, CS Rep. : PEACE.EXE, and CONTENTMENT.COM are copying themselves all Customer : over my HEART! CS Rep. : Then LOVE is installed and running. You should be able to handle it from here. One more thing before I go ... Customer : Yes? LOVE is freeware. Be sure to give it and its various modules to everybody you meet. They will in turn share it with other people and they will return some really neat modules back to you. I will. Thank you for your help. Read : 7 If we are Together... Have you ever travelled in a ship? In July 1976, my wife Mary, son Jonathan, 6, daughter Suzanne, 7, and I set sail from Plymouth, England, round the-world voyage made 200 years earlier by Captain James Cook. For the longest time, Mary and I - a 37-year-old businessman - had dreamt of sailing explorer DEVAYAT GAGIYA - 9825349148 10

(adventurer). For the past 16 years we had spent all our leisure time travelling in British waters. Our boat Wavewalker, a 23 metre, 30 ton wooden-framed beauty. We had spent months fitting it out and testing it in the roughest weather . The first leg of our planned three-year, 1,05,000 kilometre journey passed pleasantly. We sailed down the west coast of Africa to Cape Town. There, before heading east, we took on two crewmen :. American Larry Vigil and Swiss Herb Seigler - to help us tackle one of the world's roughest seas, the southern Indian Ocean. On our second day out of Cape Town, we began to encounter strong gales (storms). The size of the waves was alarming - up to 15 metres, as high as our main mast. At dawn (early morning) on January 2, the waves were gigantic. We were sailing with only a small jib (a small triangular sail) and were still making eight knots (units of speed). As the ship rose to the top of each wave we could see endless seas rolling towards us, and the screaming of the wind and spray was painful to the ears. Then we slowed the boat down and put on our life jackets. The first sign of disaster came at about 6 p.m. The wind dropped, and the sky immediately grew dark. Then came a growing roar of a large wave like a dark cloud, which was almost twice the height of the other waves. The roar increased to a thunder as the stern moved up the face of the wave, and for a moment I thought we might ride over it. But then a big blast shook the deck. A torrent (rushing stream) of green and white water broke over the ship, my head smashed into the wheel and I was aware of flying overboard and sinking below the waves. I accepted my' approaching death, and as I was losing consciousness, I felt quite peaceful. Will the captain survive? Unexpectedly, my head came out of the water. A few metres away, Wavewalker was near overturning, her masts almost flat. Then a wave threw her upright, I grabbed the guard rails and sailed through the air waves tossed me around the deck like a rag doll. My left ribs cracked; my mouth filled with blood and broken teeth. Somehow, I found the wheel, lined up the stern for the next wave and hung on. Water, Water, Everywhere. I could feel that the ship had water below, but I dared not abandon (leave) the wheel to check. Suddenly, the front door was thrown open and Mary appeared. \"We're sinking!\" she screamed. \"The decks are smashed; we're full of water.\" \"Take the wheel.\" I shouted. DEVAYAT GAGIYA - 9825349148 11

Larry and Herb were pumping like madmen. Broken timbers (wood) hung at crazy angles, the whole starboard side was damaged; clothes, crockery, charts, tins and toys moved about in deep water. Half-swam, half-crawled I rushed into the children's cabin. \"Are you all right?\" I asked. \"Yes,\" they answered from an upper bunk. \"But my head hurts a bit,\" said Sue, pointing to a big bump above her eyes. I had no time to worry about bumped heads. If you are In such a condition, what would you do? After finding a hammer, screws and canvas, I struggled back on deck. With the starboard side open, So I had to repair it. Somehow I managed to stretch canvas and secure waterproof hatch covers across the gaping holes. Some water continued to stream •• below. Our hand pumps started to block up with the debris floating around the cabins and the electric pump short-circuited. The water level rose. Back on deck I found that our two spare hand pumps had been wrenched (damaged) overboard. Then I connected electric pump to an out-pipe. The night dragged on with an endless, bitterly cold routine of pumping, steering and working the radio. We were getting no replies to our Mayday calls (calls for help). Sue had a swollen head two large black eyes, and deep cut on her arm. When I asked she replied, \"I didn't want to worry you when you were trying to save us all.\" Are you proud of these children? Why? By morning on January 3, the pumps had the water level under control for us so we had two hours' rest in turn. But we still had a big leak below the waterline and, all the boat's main rib frames were smashed. We had survived for 15 hours since the wave hit, but in Wavewalker it was tougher to reach Australia. There were two small islands a few hundred kilometers to the east. One of them, Ile Amsterdam, was French scientific base. Our only hope was to reach there was 'the wind and the sea'. Then the great wave had put or engine out of action. On January 4, after 36 hours of continuous pumping, we reached the last few centimeters of water. Now, we had only to keep pace with the water still coming in. We could not set any sail on the main mast. Pressure damaged the hull so we raised the storm jib and headed for the two islands. Mary found some biscuits, and we ate our first meal in almost two days. DEVAYAT GAGIYA - 9825349148 12

But our rest was short-lived. At 4 p.m. black clouds began building up behind us; the wind was back to 40 knots and the seas were getting higher. And by dawn on January 5, our situation was worse. When I went in to comfort the children, Jon asked, \"Daddy, are we going to die?\" I tried to assure him that we could make it. \"But, Daddy,\" he went on, \"we aren't afraid of dying if we can all be together - you and Mummy, Sue and I.\" What is your feeling for such a great son? I could find no words with which to respond, but I left the children's cabin determined to fight the sea with everything I had. To protect the weakened starboard side, I decided to turn the undamaged part of the ship facing the oncoming waves. I used the anchor of heavy nylon rope and two 22 litre plastic barrels of paraffin (wax). That evening, Mary and I sat together holding hands, as the motion of the ship brought more and more water in through the broken planks. We both felt the end was very near. But Wavewalker rode out the storm and by the morning of January 6, with the wind easing, we were somewhere in 1,50,000 kilometres of ocean looking for a 65 kilometre-wide island. While I was thinking, Sue, moving painfully, joined me. The left side of her head was now very swollen and her blackened eyes narrowed to slits. She gave me a card she had made. I checked and rechecked my calculations. We had lost our main compass. About 2 p.m., I went on deck and asked Larry to steer a course of 185 degrees. Then with a heavy heart, went below, climbed on my bunk and dozed off. When I woke it was 6 p.m., and growing dark. I knew we must have missed the island, and with the sail we had left, we couldn't hope to beat back into the westerly winds. At, that moment, \"Can I have a hug?\" Jonathan asked. Sue was right behind him. \"Why am I getting a hug now?\" I asked. \"Because you are the best daddy in the whole world - and the best captain.\" my son replied. \"Not today, Jon, I'm afraid.\" \"Why? You must be.\" said Sue. \"You found the island.\" \"What!\" I shouted. \"It's out there in front of us,\" they chorused, \"as big as a battleship.\" I rushed on deck and gazed with relief at the outline of lie Amsterdam. The most beautiful island in the world! DEVAYAT GAGIYA - 9825349148 13

We anchored offshore (not far from the land) for the night, and the next morning all 28 people of the island cheered as they helped us ashore (on the shore). With land under my feet again, my thoughts were full of Larry and Herbie, cheerful and hopeful under the serious stress, and of Mary, who stayed at the wheel for all those critical hours. Most of all, I thought of a seven-year-old girl, who did not want us to worry about a head injury (which afterwards took six minor operations to remove a blood clot between skin and skull), and of a six-year-old boy who was not afraid to die. Read : 8 Orpheus and Euridice Once upon a time there lived a great musician in Greece. His name was Orpheus. He could play beautifully on his lyre (a musical instrument). He could produce wonderful tunes. When he played on his lyre, even wild animals stopped to listen to his music. Orpheus had a beautiful wife. Her name was Euridice. Orpheus and Euridice loved each other deeply. They could not live without each other. For hours together Orpheus played on his lyre and Euridice sat listening. \"I can't live without your music, Orpheus,\" she said. \"And can I live without you?\" asked Orpheus. One day Orpheus and Euridice went out in the woods. Orpheus was playing on his lyre. Euridice began to pick some flowers. While she was picking the flowers, by mistake she stepped on a snake. The snake bit her, and she died at once. When Orpheus saw her dead, he was full of grief. His life changed completely. He could not play on his lyre. He could not sing. He was very sad. He could not bear to live without Euridice. He said to his friends, \"I can't live without Euridice. I will go to the land of the dead and bring her back.\" \"You should be patient, Orpheus,\" the friends said \"You can't go to Hades (the land of the dead). You can't go to the land of the dead.\" \"I can't? I will\" said Orpheus. \"But you must face many difficulties. You must cross thick forests and deep rivers. You must bear terrific heat and extreme cold. You must face fierce (angry and aggressive in a way that is frightening) animals,\" said the friends. \"I will face all the difficulties.\" said Orpheus. \"And who will accompany you?\" asked the friends. \"My lyre !\" Orpheus replied and set out for the journey to Hades. He went on and on until he came to the River of Death. At the river there was a boatman. Orpheus said to him, \" I want to go to Hades. Will you take me in your boat?\" The boatman said, \"I carry in my boat only the dead. I don't carry the living.\" When the boatman said this, Orpheus began to play on his lyre. The wonderful music of the lyre moved the boatman's heart. He willingly carried Orpheus to the other side of the river.. DEVAYAT GAGIYA - 9825349148 14

Again Orpheus went on and on until he reached the gates of Hades, A fierce dog was guarding the gates. The dog saw Orpheus and he was about to jump at him, when Orpheus quickly played upon his lyre. The music had a wonderful effect on the dog. He sat down quietly and let Orpheus enter the gates. Now Orpheus was in the palace of Pluto in the land of the dead. When Pluto, the god of death, saw Orpheus, he could not believe his eyes. He said to Orpheus, \"Who are you? Why have you come here?\" Orpheus said, \"My wife is here, and I can't live without her. Would you let her come back to the earth again?\" \"That is not possible. The dead cannot go back to the earth.\" said Pluto. Orpheus was very sad to hear this. He took the lyre and began to sing the story of his love for Euridice. His music was sad and yet sweet. It touched the heart of Pluto. He said to Orpheus, \"All right. You can take Euridice back to the earth. But there is one condition. Euridice will follow you. You must not look back. You must not try to see her until you are out of my kingdom.\" Orpheus gladly agreed. He was ready to do anything to have his beloved wife back. With his heart full of Joy, Orpheus started on his way back to the earth. He played sweet music on the lyre. Euridice was walking at some distance behind him. Her heart too was full of Joy. Once again she was with her beloved husband. Once again she was listening to his sweet music. Now they were near the last gate of Pluto's kingdom. A few more steps, and they would be outside the kingdom. But Orpheus had no patience now. 'Was Euridice really coming behind him? Let me have a glimpse (look for a very short time) of her,' he said to him self. So he looked back over his shoulder. There she was sweet and gentle... coming behind him, with a sweet smile on her face. But that was only for a moment. The next moment sadness covered her face. Her sad eyes were asking him, \"Why did you forget Pluto's command?\" And she disappeared. Orpheus was mad with grief. Now he could not have Euridice with him. Sadly he returned to the earth and lived among birds and trees for the rest of his life. Read : 9 How much Land Does A man need? Pahom was the owner of a big stretch of fertile land in Russia. He cultivated the land and got good crops. Though he was rich, he was not satisfied. He wanted more land. Once Pahom met a land broker. He was from the distant land of Baskers. He knew that Pahom was a greedy man and wanted more land. So he told Pahom about the fertile and cheap land in Baskers. He also said that. Pahom could have a lot of land just for few hundred roubles, if he was clever. \"Please tell me how I can buy that land cheap.\" requested Pahom. DEVAYAT GAGIYA - 9825349148 15

\"Make friends with the Baskers chief and give some gifts to the Baskers. They will give you as much land as you want.\" the broker said. Pahom was very happy. He made the necessary preparation and the land of the Baskers. He had taken with him a servant, a horse-cart and some valuable gifts for the Baskers. On reaching the land of the Baskers, he was welcomed. He gave the gifts to them and told them he wanted to buy some land. The Basker chief was glad. He said, \"Just pay us thousand roubles (the standard unit of money used in Belarus, Russia and Tajikistan) and take the land. You can take as much land as you can cover on foot in one day. You should start walking at sunrise and you must return before sunset. Mind you! If you can't return before sunset, you lose your money.\" Pahom agreed. It was not a bad bargain (deal) after all It was decided that Pahom would have his land the next day. At night Pahom went to bed. He had a terrible dream. He saw the fearful faces laughing at him in the dream. He woke up and saw that it was almost morning. He got up early and went to hillock (a small hill) outside the village. The chief and the others Baskers also went there. The sun was about to rise. Pahom was now ready to start. The Basker chief put his cap at the starting point and Pahom started his walk from that spot. He had taken some food and water with him. He had also taken a spade to mark the land. In the beginning he walked fast. But he was not satisfied with his speed and he soon began to run. He made mark with spade at every turn. It was almost noon and he felt hungry and thirsty. He ate little food and drank some water but though he was tired he did not stop to rest. 'Let me cover some more land, let me cover some more land.' he said to himself and continued to run. He ran for some more time. The sun was moving westward. \"I must return now. I have come long distance.' he thought. He was worried whether he would reach to starting point before sunset. He gathered his strength and ran. The sun was near the horizon. Pahom was also not very far from the hillock. He could hear the people shouting and cheering him. He could also hear the Basker chief laughing. He remembered the dream he had seen at night. He was horrified. He was tired and perspiring (sweating). 'Would I be able to reach the point before sunset?' he wondered. He made a strong effort. He was very near to the point. And reached it too. But as he touched the cap, which marked the starting point, he collapsed. Though he had covered the vast stretch of 1and, it was of no use. He needed land no more than the size of his body. DEVAYAT GAGIYA - 9825349148 16

Read: 10 The Gambling match Yudhisthira took from his neck of lovely pearls. \"What do you stake (bet).\" he asked, \"against these gems of the Southern Ocean?\" He spoke proudly. and Duryodhana answered with anger, \"We too have jewels of value.\" He threw on the table a jewelled girdle (a belt for waist) of great beauty. Then Yudhisthira took the dice (a small cube used in games) and threw: they fell a five and a four. Shakuni threw, a four and a six. \"The pearls are yours\", said Yudhisthira angrily. \"But your wealth is no match for mine. I stake the thousand jars of gold in my treasury against their weight in gold.\" Shakuni threw first - a three and a two. \"Surely, I can beat that.\" exclaimed Yudhisthira eagerly. He shook the box and threw; but the dice were loaded, and they fell a three and a one. \"This is trickery I am sure.\" said Yudhisthira and he picked up the dice and looked at them closely. He could find nothing wrong, for they were very skilfully made. \"Since you do not trust us,\" sneered (smiled cunningly) Shakuni, \"bring other dice. We shall beat you whatever you do.\" The boastful words stung Yudhisthira into reckless anger. \"Do you dare to say that!\" he cried. \"Play on, we shall see!\" Duryodhana smiled, a cruel smile of triumph (victory); he and Shakuni had planned to rouse Yudhisthira's anger, because they knew that when he was angry, he would grow reckless and obstinate and that his ruin would be easy. Shakuni did not smile; he knew that he could beat Yudhisthira with his magic dice at every throw, so he answered in a cold, calm voice, in a way that made Yudhisthira still more angry. \"A truly great man,\" he sneered, \"does not lose his temper because he is beaten at play. Such conduct is unworthy of you, great son of Pandu.\" \"I will teach you manners at the proper time, you cheating rogue!\" answered Yudhisthira furiously. \"To the play, I stake my splendid car of gold drawn by eight horses white as moonlight, swift as the wind.\" Once more the dice rattled and Shakuni won. Yudhisthira staked the hundred thousand singing girls of his palace, with their rich robes and jewels. Shakuni won. The King staked his men-servants, his war-elephants, his battlecars, the splendid horses which filled his stables, his disciplined, victorious army. All these he lost. Last of all he flung away the last and finest of his jewels and these too passed into the hands of the smiling triumphant Duryodhana. The excitement in the hall rose high. All other play had ceased, and the players crowded round Yudhisthira's table. When he had lost his jewels Yudhisthira sat back in his seat in silent rage, staring helpessly before him. Vidura, unable to endure the scene any longer approached Dhritarashtra. The blind King was peering (looking closely) towards the DEVAYAT GAGIYA - 9825349148 17

place where he knew Duryodhana stood, and grinning (smiling) with satisfaction at the victory of his son. \"Maharaja,\" said Vidura to his brother, \"I beg you to be warned. You love Duryodhana, but you know well in your heart that his wickedness and greed are the curse of your race. Be wise in time. Give up this jackal of evil omen (sign of bad luck) and win the support of the Pandavas, those tigers of men who will defend the House of Bharata against all its foes. Do you wish to die that you s9 provoke their anger?\" The blind old King sat silent, his face hidden in his hands. Vidura turned to the gamblers. \"Hear me, princes of the House of Bharata. This match is bringing ruin to some and hatred to all. Duryodhana, you are leading your father and brothers to disaster. Who will save you when the sons of Pandu seize their weapons to take revenge for their wrongs? Maharaja, it is plain to all that Shakuni cheats Yudhisthira. Order him to stop this dangerous game.\" Still Dhritarashtra sat silent, but Duryodhana retorted angrily, \"Uncle, we know that you always favour the Pandavas. In sheltering you, we have nourished a serpent. We have housed you and befriended you, yet you turn against us; you actually advise my father to destroy his own son! Begone; you have gone too far in your abuse.\" Vidura turned away from him and spoke to Dhritarashtra once more. \"Brother and King,\" he said, \"you have heard your son insult me, and do not rebuke him. I wish you and your sons well. A king's truest friend is he who tells the unwelcomed truth fearlessly. Humiliation is a bitter medicine, but the honest man drinks it, and keeps his head clear. You are drunk with pride and greed. Beware!\" Shakuni and his friends received this speech with shouts of anger, while the friends of the Pandavas applauded. The Pandavas themselves sat silent, and after Vidura had left the hall, no one spoke for a moment. Then Duryodhana said mockingly, \"Perhaps, King Yudhisthira, you fear now to play with those who are called cheats and jackals? Perhaps you would prefer to go with your friend?\" \"I do not fear you or any man.\" furiously answered Yudhisthira. \"Play on if you please.\" Once more the stakes were named. Step by step Yudhisthira lost the whole of his vast wealth and all his estates with the cattle and sheep upon them. His brother sat sullenly (angrily) watching, but they did not dare to interfere. \"Great King,\" mocked Shakuni, \"you have surely nothing left now. Let us play no more.\" Yudhisthira sat silent for a moment, then he looked up with flashing eyes, \"if it is my fate to lose all, so be it.\" he said, \"But it may be that fortune will favour me at last. I stake my kingdom against all your previous winnings.\" DEVAYAT GAGIYA - 9825349148 18

He threw the dice - two fours. Shakuni beat him by one. Like a trapped animal he gazed wildly round. Then, his eyes rested on his brothers. \"See, rogue! he cried, \"On the princes are jewels worth crores. All these I wager (bet) for my kingdom.\" Once more Shakuni won. Vidura, hearing that Yudhisthira had staked and lost even his kingdom, came back into the hall and once more begged Dhritarashtra to stop the match. But Dhritarashtra, who was eagerly straining (putting pressure, stretching) his ears to hear the words of the gamblers, only said impatiently, \"No more brother, no more interfere.\" Yudhisthira turned on Shakuni like a wolf at bay, \"I still have wealth more precious than gold.\" he declared, \"I will play you with my brothers, Nakula I stake for my kingdom.\" Once more the dice fell against him. \"Curses on you,\" he cried. \"Here is Sahadeva. I stake Sahadeva against Nakula and my kingdom.\" He lost again. A murmur went round the pavilion, but no one spoke. Now at last Yudhisthira's proud head dropped on his breast. He was very weary (tired); Shakuni saw that he must be roused again to anger, and he made a cruel, cunning speech. \"Nakula and Sahadeva are mine.\" he said, \"But after all they are the sons of Madri, not the sons of Kunti. Perhaps you dare not risk Arjuna and Bhima?\" The words stung Yudhisthira like a poisoned arrow. \"You black hearted villain,\" he cried, \"how dare you seek to divide me from those I love! I despise (hate) your tricks. I stake the hero Arjuna, to win back my brothers and my kingdom.\" The dice fell and Shakuni won. \"You have one brother left,\" he said, \"Will you stake the mighty Bhima?\" \"I stake him.\" answered Yudhisthira, and Shakuni won again. \"You have nothing left now, great King.\" he said, \"Our game must end.\" \"No!\" Shouted Yudhisthira, \"I stake myself.\" Once more the dice were thrown a two and a three for Yudhisthira, a five and a six for Shakuni. The spectators were silent, for this was utter tragedy. The Pandavas were slaves. But Shakuni's mean cruelty was still unsatisfied. \"You do wrong to lose yourself O King.\" he jeered. \"Surely you have wealth still, greater than all you have lost? Have you not a stake worthy to win back your brothers, your kingdom and all your wealth? Have you not the peerless (incomparable) Queen Draupadi ?\" The Pandavas, who had sat motionless while their very freedom was staked and lost, stirred restlessly; it seemed that at last they must rebel (refuse to obey) against the elder brother whom they loved so well. But it was too late, \"Yes!\" hissed (said slowly and with anger) Yudhisthira in fierce, low voice, glaring at his tormentor (torturer), \"I stake my beloved wife.\" DEVAYAT GAGIYA - 9825349148 19

From the hall came loud cries of \"Shame!\" The wise old Bhishma hid his face in his hands; his fellow cousellors' heads were sunk in despair. But still Dhritarashtra was silent, his blind eager face streched towards the fatal table. Shakuni threw first - a three and five. Yudhisthira took up the bow with trembling hand. The dice fell six and one. Draupadi too was a slave. Read: 12 Three Rays Sometimes your biggest weakness can become your biggest strength. Take, for example, the story of a 10-year-old boy who decided to study judo despite the fact that he had lost his left arm in a devastating (causing a lot of damage) car accident. The boy began lessons with an old Japanese judo master. The boy was doing well, so he couldn't understand why, after three months of training, the master had taught him only one move. \"Sensei,\" the boy finally said, \"shouldn't I be learning more moves?\" \"This is the only move you know, but this is the only move you'll ever need to know,\" the Sensei replied. Not quite understanding, but believing in his teacher, the boy kept training. Several months later, the sensei took the boy to his first tournament. Surprising himself, the boy easily won his first two matches. The third match proved to be more difficult, but after some time, his opponent became impatient and charged (moved forward quickly); the boy deftly (skillfully) used his one move to win the match. Still amazed by his success, the boy was now in the finals. This time, his opponent was bigger, stronger, and more experienced. For a while, the boy appeared to be overmatched. Concerned (worried) that the boy might get hurt, the referee called a time-out. He was about to stop the match when the sensei intervened (got involved). \"No,\" the sensei insisted, \"Let him continue.\" Soon after the match resumed, his opponent made a critical mistake: he dropped his guard. Instantly, the boy used his move to pin (stop movement) him. The boy had won the match and the tournament. He was the champion. On the way home, the boy and sensei reviewed every move in each and every match. Then the boy summoned the courage to ask what was really on his mind. \"Sensei, how did I win the tournament with only one move?\" DEVAYAT GAGIYA - 9825349148 20

\"You won for two reasons,\" sensei answered. \"First, you've almost mastered one of the most difficult throws in all of judo. Second, the only known defence for that move is for your opponent to grasp your left arm.\" The boy's biggest weakness had become his biggest strength. 2. The Window Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour a day to drain (remove liquid) the fluids from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The man talked for hours on end. They spoke about their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation. And every afternoon when the man in the bed next to the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his room mate all the things he could see outside the window. The man in the other bed would live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened (made something more interesting) by all the activity and colour of the outside world. The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake, the man had said. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Lovers walked arm in arm amid flowers of every colour of the rainbow. Grand old trees graced (made beautiful) the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. As the man by the window described all these in exquisite detail the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene. One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man could not hear the band, he could see it in his mind's eyes as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words. Unexpectedly, an alien thought entered his head: Why should he have all the pleasure of seeing everything while I never get to see anything? It didn't seem fair. As the man thought fermented, the man felt ashamed at first. But as the days passed and he missed seeing more sights his envy eroded (reduced slowly) into resentment (feeling of anger) and soon turned him sour. He began to brood (think about thing which make him sad) and found himself unable to sleep. He should be by that window and that thought now controlled his life. Late one night, as he lay staring the ceiling, the man by the window began to cough. He was choking on the fluid in his lungs. The other man watched in the dimly lit room as the struggling man by the window groped (tried to find with his hands when he couldn't see) for the button to call for help. Listening from across the room, he never moved, never pushed his own button which would have brought the nurse running. In less than five minutes, the coughing and choking stopped, along with the sound of breathing. Now, there was only silence-deathly silence. DEVAYAT GAGIYA - 9825349148 21

The following morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths. When she found the lifeless body of the man by the window, she was sadden and called the hospital attendant to take it away-no words, no fuss (a word to show work done without difficulties). As soon as it seemed appropriate, the man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone. Slowly, painfully, he propped (supported something physically) himself up on one elbow to take his first look. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it all himself. He strained (became stretchedm,) to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall. 3. Miracle Janki was only eight years old when she heard Mommy and Daddy talking about her little brother, Jay. He was very sick and they had done everything they could afford to save his life. Only a very expensive surgery could help him now... and that was out of the financial question. She heard Daddy say it with a whispered desperation (extreme anxiety), \"Only a miracle can save him now.\" Do you think they will be able to save Jay? How? Janki went to her bedroom and pulled her piggy bank from its hiding place in the closet (cabinet used for storage space.) She shook all the change out 'On the floor and counted it carefully. Three times. The total had to be exactly perfect. No chance here for mistakes. Tying the coins up in a cold-weather-kerchief, she slipped out of the apartment and made her way to the corner drug store. She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her attention, but he was too busy talking to another man to be bothered (disturbed) by an eight-year-old. Janki twisted her feet to make a scuffing noise. She cleared her throat. No good. Finally she took a quarter from its hiding place and banged it on the glass counter. That did it! \"And what do you want?\" the pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of voice. \"I'm talking to my brother.\" What do you think is she going to buy? Do you think the pharmacist will help her? \"Well, I want to talk to you about my brother,\" Janki answered back in the same annoyed tone. \"He's sick ... and I want to buy a miracle.\" \"I beg your pardon,\" said the pharmacist. \"My Daddy says only a miracle can save him now... so how much does a miracle cost?\" \"We don't sell miracles here, little girl. I can't help you.\" \"Listen, I have the money to pay for it. Just tell me how much it costs.\" The well-dressed man stooped (descend) down and asked, \"What kind of a miracle does your brother need'?\" DEVAYAT GAGIYA - 9825349148 22

\"I don't know,\" Janki answered. A tear started down her cheek. \"I just know he's really sick and Mommy says he needs an operation. But my folks can't pay for it ... so I have my money.\" \"How much do you have?\" asked the well-dressed man. \"Thirty four rupees,\" Janki answered proudly. \"And it's all the money I have in the world.\" \"Well, what a coincidence,\" smiled the well-dressed man. \"Thirty four rupees ... the exact price of a miracle to save a little brother.\" He took her money in one hand and with the other hand he grasped her mitten (glove that encases the thumb separately and the other four fingers together) and said \"Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents.\" Will the man help Janki? What would you have done if you were at his place? That well-dressed man was Dr. Narendra Shah, renowned surgeon specializing in solving Jay's malady (problem). The operation was completed without charge and it wasn't long until Jay was home again and doing well. Mummy and Daddy were happily talking about the chain of events that had led them to this place. \"That surgery,\" Mummy whispered. \"it's like a miracle. I wonder how much it would have cost?\" Janki smiled to herself. She knew exactly how much a miracle cost... thirty four rupees ... plus the faith of a little child. Read : 13 Ha... Ha... Ha...! Mullah Nasruddin, a preacher, entered a hall where he wanted to give a sermon (a moral speech). The hall was empty except for a young stable groom (stable keeper) seated in the front row. The mullah, pondering whether to speak or not, finally said to the groom, \"You are the only one here. Do you think I should speak or not ?\" The groom said to him, \"Master, I am but a simple man and do not understand these things. But if I came into the stables and saw that all the horses had run off and only one remained, then I would feed it nevertheless. \" The Mullah took this to heart and began to preach. He spoke for over two hours. After that, he felt elated (joy) and wanted his audience to confirm how great his sermon had been. He asked, \"How did you like my sermon?\" The groom answered, \" I told you already that I am a simple man and do not understand these things very well. However, if I came into the stables and found all. the horses gone except one I would feed it, but I wouldn't give it the whole fodder (food for cows and horses) I had.\" DEVAYAT GAGIYA - 9825349148 23

The Mullah, the proud owner of a boat, invited the village school master for an excursion (short journey for pleasure) on the Caspian Sea. The schoolmaster lolled (reclined, lied down) about under the canopy and asked the Mullah, \"What kind of weather will we have today?\" The Mullah checked the direction of the wind, looked up at the sun, wrinkled his brow, and answered, \"If you ask me, we's going to have a storm.\" Horrified by this reply, the schoolmaster made a face e and said critically, \"Mullah, didn't you ever learn grammar? It's not 'we's, it's, we're\". The Mullah responded to this reprimand (scolding) with nothing but a shrug (raising) of his shoulders. \"What do I care about grammar?\" he asked. The schoolmaster was at his wit's end (confused). \"You don't know grammar. That means half your life is down the drain.\" Just as the Mullah had predicted, dark clouds developed on the horizon, a strong wind whipped the waves, and the boat bobbed (tossed) around like a nutshell. The waves drenched (made wet allover) the boat with mountains of water. Then the Mullah asked the schoolmaster, \"Have you ever learned to swim?\" The schoolmaster answered, \"No, why should I learn to swim?\" Grinning from ear to ear, the Mullah replied, \"Well, in that case your whole life is down the drain, because our boat is going to sink any minute now.\" The Mullah's donkey had been stolen. Full of rage, he ran to the bazaar and screamed with a loud voice, \"Whoever took my donkey should bring him back immediately.\" Upset, with a red face and swollen veins in his neck, he continued shouting, \"If I don't get my donkey back immediately, I'll do something I shouldn't do.\" The people standing around were visibly frightened by all this, but suddenly - no one knew who had brought it - the donkey was standing there. The crowd scattered. Everyone was happy that the problem had been resolved so smoothly. But an old man turned to the Mullah and asked, \"Tell me, what would you have done that you shouldn't do, if you hadn't got the donkey back?\" The Mullah answered, \"What would I have done? I'd have bought another donkey, and you tell me if that would have been a wise thing to do with the thin money pouch I have.\" Read: 14 The Trojan Horse The red button on Jackson's Console lit up with beeping sounds. Jackson was one of the four Astro Observers - AOs (observer of the space) on the space-sensor. AOs' work was to keep tile space around the earth under constant surveillance (careful watching of a person) and they had a duty schedule of six and a half hours. Jackson understood that there was an alien (coming from a different country) object in the neighborhood of the Earth. In the year 2050 there were thousands of spacecraft moving around the Earth. They were recorded in the computer of the space sensors. If there is an alert signal, it means there is a spacecraft which is not recorded to the space sensor. Many nations had refused to give their information to the space sensors. A classified register of such spacecraft was however maintained in the giant computer of USF, the United Space Federation, a world organization. Jackson sent a message to the USF computer giving location of the alien object. But the signal was not switched off. This indicated that the spacecraft was not recorded at the USF DEVAYAT GAGIYA - 9825349148 24

and it was not from any nation on the Earth Jackson read a message on his TV screen: 'This is a UFO (Unidentified Flying Object). Await further instructions. THIS WAS THE BEGINNING OF THE UNEXPECTED Only a select few of the USF people were at meeting with the space representative of all the nations. The chairman wasted no time and raised the point, \"Friends, SS-6 has reported a UFO in neighborhood and our computer has no record of it. You all know the register was started 22 years ago. We have to decide how to respond to the situation. \"May we know the orbit (the curved path) and the present location of the UFO?\" asked one representative. \"SS-6 reports that it is presently between orbit of Earth and Mars and is heading towards us.\" The chairman said and showed the TV Screen. While representatives were studying that data one of the scientists said, \"I guess by tomorrow it will cross the orbit of the Moon and will come close to SS-6\" \"How right you are, Dr. Singh!\" said the chairman who was impressed by Dr. Singh's fewest calculations? In those days of computers Dr. Singh could do sums in his head. Dr. Singh Further said, \"We have two alternatives before us. The first is simple and direct: destroy the UFO. The second is: let us watch it closely. I would like to choose second option and to know more about the UFO. If it is from outer space, it will tell us a lot.\" Dr. Singh's suggestion to watch it closely was accepted. SS-6 was instructed to obtain pictures of the UFO which we shall now call it 'X'. \"Gupta, you are a lucky devil you get this chance while we keep looking... and just looking forever.\" said Jackson. \"It's all matter of chance. It so happened that I was on duty when the order came.\" Gupta said, beginning to prepare himself for the job. He filled the space capsule with the necessary equipment, food and some weapons for self-defense. The space capsule was ideal for short trips. Reaching near to 'X', Gupta made adjustments to the orbit of his capsule. 'X' was a small spacecraft and it looked crude by comparison. Somehow, Gupta felt that he had seen it before. When? Where? His memory did not answer. Gupta finished out his photographic equipment. \"What a strange coincidence!\" Dr. Singh exclaimed examining the pictures. He asked, \"Can you identify the spacecraft?\" But no member answered. He continued, \"This space craft was made here on our earth. It is called PIONEER-10. It was dispatched from the earth DEVAYAT GAGIYA - 9825349148 25

in 1972. PIONEER-10 was sent by our ancestors with information about the Earth and its inhabitants (a place for living) on a plate. The aim was that the people of outer planet will get it and get our information or communicate with us.\" He paused before saying, \"It is back because it was intercepted (stopped and caught) and sent back. The creatures, who found it, decoded (discovered the meaning of information given) all information and have sent it back to us as proof of their friendship. X-ray pictures show nothing dangerous inside. Dr. Singh woke up after four hours sleep. On his way to his office his ten year old son asked him, \"Daddy! What is a Trojan Horse?\" \"It's a long story, Sonny. The city of troy was attacked by the Greek army. The Greeks could not enter the city so they played a trick. They left the effigy (a model) of a horse out side the gates. The Trojans took the horse in. That is how the Greeks got in and Troy fell. The disturbing thought came to Dr. Singh. He rushed to the office. The representatives had already gathered for another emergency meeting. The chairman congratulated Dr. Singh, \"Thank you, Mr. Singh We will get PIONEER-10 intact (complete and in original state) otherwise we would have destroyed it. Dr. Singh said, \"Sir, I am grateful that you listened to me earlier. Now again I request you to listen to me attentively. Sir, before we get it back, new tests are needed and I have taken the liberty of dispatching Takeno from SS-6 on a new mission. He is going to use electron beams for taking pictures.\" \"But what will we learn by this method? We have already used electromagnetic waves which are more sensitive ... \" objected one representative. \"With our new tests we will soon know whether the spacecraft is :. PIONEER-l0 or a Trojan Horse?\" Everyone looked puzzled. Dr. Singh smiled but did not say anything. At that time the phone before the chairman buzzed. It was from Takeno. Takeno's message was that the pictures taken with electron beams were blank. Every body looked at Dr. Singh. Now Dr. Singh said, \"Friends, it is what I doubt. This is not the PIONEER-l0 but it is its replica (an exact copy) made of antimatter. To electromagnetic waves matter and antimatter look alike so we could not understand the trick. When this antimatter would have come into contact with our surrounding matter, made nuclear holocaust (a large destruction). So my advice is: destroy it as early as possible.\" The Trojan Horse was pushed further away from the Earth and destroyed. The gigantic explosion was visible from the Earth. The chairman thanked Dr. Singh for saving mankind but Dr. Singh was thinking whether mankind was saved or it was for temporary. DEVAYAT GAGIYA - 9825349148 26

Read:15 The Boy Who Broke The Bank Nathu grumbled (murmured) to himself as he swept the steps of the Pipalnagar Bank, owned by Seth Govind Ram. As Nathu was banging his pan against a dustbin, Sitaram, the washer-man's son, passed by. Sitaram was on his delivery round. He had a bundle of freshly pressed clothes balanced on his head. 'Don't raise such dust!' he called out Nathu. 'Are you annoyed because they are still refusing to pay you an extra two rupees a month?' 'I don't wish to talk about it, complained the sweeper boy. 'I haven't even received my regular pay. And this is the twentieth of the month. Who would think a bank would hold up a poor man's salary? As soon as I get my money, I'm off! Not another week I work in this place'. 'Well, I wish you luck', said Sitaram. 'I'll keep a lookout for any jobs that might suit you'. And he plodded (walked laboriously) barefoot along the road, the big bundle of clothes hiding most of his head and shoulders. Will Nathu really leave the job? Will the boy be able to find out a job for him? At the fourth home he visited, Sitaram heard the lady of the house mention that she was in need of a sweeper. Tying his bundle together, he said: 'I know of a sweeper boy who's looking for work. He can start from next month. He's with the bank just now but they aren't giving him his pay, and he wants to leave. 'Is that so?' said Mrs. Srivastava. 'Well, tell him to come and see me tomorrow'. Mrs. Srivastava had to do some shopping. She set out for the Pipalnagar market place, to make her customary tour of the cloth shops. Mrs. Srivastava found her friend Mrs. Bhushan there. Mrs. Bhushan showed her a sample of the cloth she was going to buy, and for five minutes they discussed its shade, texture and design. Having exhausted (completed) this topic, Mrs. Srivastava said, 'Do you know, my dear, that Seth Govind Ram's bank can't even pay its employees. Only this morning I heard a complaint from their sweeper, who hasn't received his wages for over a month!' What will be the effect of this news on Mrs. Bhushan? 'Shocking!, remarked Mrs. Bhushan. 'If they can't pay the sweeper they must be in a bad way. None of the others could be getting paid either'. She left Mrs. Srivastava and went in search of her husband, who was sitting in front of Kamal Kishore's photography shop, talking with the owner. 'So there you are!' cried Mrs. Bhushan. 'I've been looking for you for almost an hour. Where did you disappear?' 'Nowhere', replied Mr. Bhushan. 'Had you remained stationary (standing still) in one shop, I might have found you. But you go from one shop to another, like a bee in a flower garden'. 'Don't start grumbling. The heat is tiring enough. I don't know what's happenlng to Pipalnagar. Even the bank is about to go bankrupt (financially ruined).' 'What's that?' said Kamal Kishore, sitting up suddenly. 'Which bank?' Why? The Piplangar bank of course. I DEVAYAT GAGIYA - 9825349148 27

hear they stopped paying employees. Don't tell me you have an account there, Mr. Kishore?' 'No, but our neighbour has!' exclaimed; and he called out over the low partition to the keeper of the barber shop next door. 'Deepchand, have you heard the latest? The Pipalnagar Bank is about to collapse (break down). You'd better bet your money out as soon as you can!' Do you think that the bank is really going to go bankrupt? Deepchand, who was cutting the hair of an elderly gentleman, so startled that his hand shook and he nicked his customer's right ear. The customer yelled (cried) with pain and distress; pain because of the cut and distress because of the awful (dreadful) news he had just heard. With one side of his neck still unshaven, he sped across the road to the general merchant's store where there was a telephone. He dialled Seth Govind Ram's number. The Seth was not at home. Where was he, then? The Seth was holidaying in Kashmir. Oh, was that so? The elderly gentleman did not believe it. He hurried back to the barber's shop and told Deepchand: 'The bird has flown! Seth Govind Ram has left town. Definitely, it means a collapse'. And then he dashed out the shop, making a beeline (the most direct route) for his office and cheque book. Has Govind Ram really escaped Piplanagar? What will happen now? The news spread through the bazaar with rapidity (swiftness) of forest fire. From the general merchant it travelled to the shop, circulated amongst the customers, and then spread with them in various directions, to the betel-seller, the tailor, the free vendor, the jeweller, the beggar sitting on the pavement. Men stood in groups at street corners. The imminent (about to occur) crash of the Pipalnagar Bank set everyone talking and speculating and rushing about in frenzy. Some boasted of their farsightedness (foresight), congratulating themselves on having already taken out their money, or on never having put any in; others speculated on the reasons for the crash, putting it all down to excesses indulged in by Seth Govind Ram. The Seth had fled the State, said one. He had fled the country, said another. He was hiding in Pipalnagar, said a third. He had hanged himself from the tamarind tree, said a fourth, and had been found that morning by the sweeper boy. By noon the small bank had gone through all its ready cash, and the harassed manager was in dilemma. Emergency funds could only be obtained from another bank some thirty miles distant, and he wasn't sure he could persuade (convince) the crowd to wait until then. And there was no way of contacting Seth Govind Ram on his houseboat in Kashmir. People were turned back from counters and told to return the following day. They did not like the sound of that. And so they gathered outside, on the steps of the bank shouting 'Give us our money or we'll break in!' and 'Fetch the Seth, we know he's hiding in a safe deposit locker! Mischief makers who didn't have a paisa in the bank, joined the crowd and aggravated (made more severe) their mood. The manager stood at the door and tried to placate (gain the good will of) them. He declared that the bank had plenty of money but no immediate means of collecting it; he urged them to go home and come back the next day. DEVAYAT GAGIYA - 9825349148 28

Will the people go home? Or will they break in? 'We want it now!' chanted (sing) some of the crowd. 'Now, now, now!' And a brick was hurtled (thrown forcefully) through air and crashed through the plane glass window of the Pipalnagar Bank. Nathu arrived next morning to sweep the steps of the bank. He saw the refuse and the broken glass and the stones cluttering the steps. Raising his hands in a gesture of horror and disgust he cried: 'Hooligans! Sons of donkeys! As though it isn't bad enough to be paid late, it seems my work has also to be increased!' He smote (inflict a heavy blow on) the steps with his broom scattering the refuse. Does Nathu know about the bank's bankruptcy? 'Good morning. Nathu', said the washer man's boy, getting down from his bicycle. 'Are you ready to take up a new job form the first of next month? You'll have to I suppose, now that the bank is going out of business'. 'How's that? said Nathu. Haven't you heard? Well you'd better wait here until half the population of Pipalnagar arrives to claim their money'. And he waved cheerfully-he did not have a bank account- and sped away on his cycle. Nathu went back to sweeping the steps, muttering to himself. When he had finished his work, he sat down on the highest step, to await the arrival of the manager. He was determined to get his pay. 'Who would have thought the bank would collapse!' he said himself, and looked thoughtfully into the distance. 'I wonder how it could have happened...' Read : 17 Say The Right Thing Characters: Mary Shaw, a young girl. Mrs. Shaw, her mother. Mrs. Harding, the wife of Mr. Harding, a rich man. Mrs. Lee, Mr. Harding's married sister. =========================================================== SCENE I [Marry and her mother are standing in the front room of their house in Lanfield. Mrs. Shaw has a cloth in her hand. There is a girl's coat over the back of one of the small chairs.] Mrs. Shaw : The room looks cleaner now. Put that coat away in your bedroom. This room isn't the place for coats. Mrs. Harding and Mrs. Lee will soon be here, and they don't want to see that. DEVAYAT GAGIYA - 9825349148 29

Mary : You're always telling me to put things away. Yes, I am. You leave your clothes all over the house. Mrs. Shaw : I'm not a child! No, you're not. So please keep your clothes in your own room. Mary : Why are those two women coming here? Who's Mrs. Harding? She's the wife of a rich man. Mr. Harding has just bought a big house in Mrs. Shaw : Lanfield. They lived in London before. She's coming to see me to have a talk. I met her in a shop and asked her to come. Mary : Oh, I've seen her children. They often come along the road. Who's Mrs. Lee? Mrs. Shaw : She's Mr.Harding's sister. She's staying with them. What are you going to talk about? Mary : I don't know. All kinds of things. One day you'll have to go to houses yourself and talk to people. All women have to do it. Mrs. Shaw : I can talk now. I've been able to talk for a long time. Yes, that's true. You always talk too much. But does anyone want to hear Mary : the things that you say? I can talk very well than I like. I'll stay with you today and talk to them Mrs. Shaw : when they come. Oh, I don't think so. You can go out for a walk. It will be better if you do Mary : that. Mrs. Shaw : Should Mary stay and talk to guests? Why? Why? Mary : If you stay with me, you may not say the right thing. I know the right things to say: \"Good afternoon,\" and \"How are you?\" Mrs. Shaw : and things like that. Let me say to-day. I can do it very well. I'll show you. Anyone can talk. Mary : You may say if you like. But take care. I want to know Mrs. Harding well. I want her to ask me to go to their house. There isn't much to do Mrs. Shaw : here in Lanfield, and I want to know some more people. I want some more friends here. So take care when you say anything. Mary : Tell me what to say. I can't tell you everything, but you'll always be right if you're kind to Mrs. Shaw : people. Say things that will please them. Then they'll like you. Laugh a lot, and try to make them laugh too. And if everyone stops talking, say Mary : something to make them talk again. They don't want to sit here and look at the floor without speaking. Think of something to say. Mrs. Shaw : I can do that. There's always something to say. Must I do anything else? When they're ready to leave, don't jump out of your chair and look gladly Mary : at the door. You must look sorry when they want to leave. What shall I do when they want to go? Mrs. Shaw : Ask them to stay a little longer. Just say, \"Must you go? Can't you stay?\" or something like that. You like them and you want them to stay, and you Mary : must let them understand that. Mrs. Shaw : DEVAYAT GAGIYA - 9825349148 30

Mary : That's not very hard, is it? I'll remember that: \"Must you go? Can't you stay? Must you go? Can't you stay?\" Mrs. Shaw : That's right. Now take that coat to your room and change into a clean dress. You must look nice when they come. And if everyone stops Mary : talking, say something kind to make them talk again. And don't say anything that will make them angry. I'll remember. I've often done harder things than this. SCENE II [The same room, one hour later. Mrs. Harding and Mrs. Lee are sitting in the room with Mary and her mother.] Mrs. Shaw : So you like Lanfield, Mrs. Harding! I'am very glad. Mrs. Harding: Yes, we like it very much. It's not the same as London, but there are some very nice people here, and we've found a good house. (No one says anything more, and Mrs. Shaw looks at Mary) Why does she look at Mary? Mary : What beautiful children you have, Mrs. Harding! I've often seen them walking along the road. Mrs. Harding: Oh, I haven't any children. Mary : Oh, Yes, you have! I've seen them a little boy and a little girl. Mrs. Harding (not very pleased): I have no children; believe me. Mary : Oh! Mrs. Shaw(quietly): They must be someone else's children. Have you met Mr. Best ? He's a nice man. He lives near you. Mary : Oh, Mr. Best! He lives here and he works in London. He goes all the way to London by train every morning, and then he comes all the way back by train every night. He lives in trains! (She laughs) What kind of life is that? Why do people do things like that? They don't know how to live. And he reads two newspapers in the train every day. He never reads a book. But he's only a banker, and bankers can't think. Mrs. Lee : My brother's a banker. He goes to London by train every morning and comes He reads two newspapers in morning and another every night. Mary : Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know. Mrs. Shaw : Bankers always have to read a lot of newspapers. Do you know Mrs. Best? She's a nice woman. I like her. Mary : But have you seen her clothes! She goes out in a blue dress with a red coat over it! (She laughs.) Mrs. Harding: I have a blue dress, and I often put on my coat at the same time. Mrs. Shaw (quickly): I like blue dresses and red coats (No one says anything.) Mary : I saw Mrs. Cotter this afternoon, street. I met her in the street. No one ever sees her in the morning because she always stays in bed then. And DEVAYAT GAGIYA - 9825349148 31

Mrs. Harding: she's always asking the doctor to go to see her. I can't understand the women who stay in bed in the morning. And why must she always ask Mrs. Lee : for the doctor? I've never been to a doctor in my life! I stay in bed in the morning myself. Mary : I often go to the doctor. Oh, I'm sorry. Mrs. Shaw : (No one speaks.) Mary : Do you know Mrs. Grantley? She's one of my best friends. But she's so fat! Fat women aren't very beautiful, are they? (She laughs.) Mrs. Lee : My mother's a very fat woman. Mary : Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know. (No one says anything) Mary (looking out of the window): Oh, there's that dog again! It always looks very dirty. I don't like dogs, do you ? That dog's always near our house. Why do people keep dogs? Who wants a dog? And why doesn't its owner keep it clean? Have you seen it? Mrs. Harding (looking out of window): Yes, I've seen it. That's Towzer. It's our dog. Mary : (with a red face) : Oh, i didn't know! (No one speaks.) Mary (still looking out of the window): There's Mr. Pomeroy on his house. He's always talking about horses. He rides a horse every day, and he shoots birds. It isn't right. Why must the poor birds die? What have they done to Mr. Pomeroy? And why do some men like horses more than they like people? It's hard to understand men. Mrs. Lee : My brother shoots birds when he has the time and he rides his horse when he can. He sold his house in London and bought a house here because he wanted to ride and shoot. Mrs. Harding (looking at Mrs. Lee) : It's getting a little late. We must go now, Mrs. Shaw. It has been very nice to have a little talk. (She looks at Mary). Mrs. Lee : Very nice. (She looks at Mary). Mrs. Shaw : It was very good of you to come to see us. Please stay a little longer. Mary : (Unable to say the right thing even now) Oh, must you stay? Can't you go? Read: 18 Adal-Badal: The Exchange It was the day of the Holi festival. A group of village boys, gathered under a neem tree, were playing, throwing dust at one another. Amrit and Isab came walking arm-in-arm and joined them. Both were wearing new clothes stitched that very day, identical in every respect: colour, size and material. The boys were in the same class, at the same school and lived in houses facing each other at the corner of the street. The boys' parents were farmers owning about the same size of holdings and occasionally had to borrow money from the moneylender to tide over difficult times. In short, the two boys had everything in common DEVAYAT GAGIYA - 9825349148 32

except that Amrit had both parents living and three brothers, whereas Isab had only his father. The two boys came and sat on the pavement (narrow path at the side of the road) seeing them identically dressed, one boy had a mischievous idea. \"Why don't you two have a wrestling match? We can see whether you are also equal in strength or whether one is tougher than the other,\" he said. The first boy thought that to be a good idea and added, \"Yes, Amrit, Isab, let's see which of you can get the better of the other. Come on! Shouted the boy. It's only for fun.\" \"No,\" said Amrit firmly. \"My mother will thrash me.\" His fear was well founded. As he was leaving home, his mother warned him, \"You made such a fuss to get new clothes! If you tear or dirty them, you know what is coming to you.\" It's true that Amrit had bullied his parents. When he heard that Isab was getting a new shirt, he had insisted that he should get one exactly like Isab's or he would not go to school. His mother had tried to reason with him, \"Son, Isab has to work on the farm; his clothes are worn out. Yours are still as good as new.\" Amrit knew that if his mother had said no, his father was not likely to agree. But He was not one to give up. He refused to go to school, refused to eat. Finally, his mother gave in and persuaded his father to buy him new clothes. Having left home smartly dressed Amrit was loath (unwilling) to do anything that would spoil his clothes. Just then one of the rowdies (naughty boys) of the gang put his arms around Amrit's neck and said, \"Come on, let's have a wrestling match.\" He dragged Amrit on to the open ground. Amrit said, \"Look Kalia, I don't want to wrestle. Leave me alone.\" Kalia refused to let go and threw Amrit on the ground. The boys shouted in glee (joy), \"Amrit has lost, Kalia has won! Kalia has won! Hurrah, hurrah!\" Isab lost his temper. He took Kalia by the hand and said, \"Come on, I will fight you.\" Kalia hesitated. But the other boys egged (urged) him on. The two boys grappled (wrestled) with each other. Isab tripped Kalia and sent him sprawling (fall with arms and leg) on the ground. Kalia began to howl (weep loudly). The boys realised that what had started as a joke had become a serious affair. Afraid that Kalia's parents might beat them they scattered and ran away in different directions. Amrit and Isab also left the arena. They had hardly gone a few steps when Amrit's eyes fell on Isab's shirt. Its pocket and a six inch strip were torn. They stopped in dead fear. As if this was not enough, they heard Isab's father shouting from his house, \"Where's Isab ?\" The boys' hearts stopped beating. No sooner Isab's father saw his torn shirt, he would skin him alive. He had borrowed money from the moneylender, spent a lot of time choosing DEVAYAT GAGIYA - 9825349148 33

the cloth and having it stitched. Again Isab's father shouted, \"Who's crying? Where is Isab ?\" :. Suddenly Amrit had a brain-wave. He dragged Isab to one side. \"Come along with me,\" he said. As they entered the lane between the two houses, Amrit started unbuttoning his shirt. \"Come on, take off your shirt. You wear mine,\" he ordered. \"What about you? What will you wear ?\" asked Isab. \"I'll wear your shirt,\" replied Amrit. \"Hurry up before anyone sees us.\" Isab said, \"Exchange of shirts? How will that help? Your father will thrash you.\" \"Of course, he'll thrash me. But I have a mother who will protect me.\" replied Amrit. Isab had often seen Amrit hide behind his mother when his father wanted to beat him. He had to take a slap or two from his mother, for sure! But what was a gentle slap from a mother compared to the father's heavy hand? The boys quickly exchanged shirts and came out of the lane and walked gingerly towards their homes. Amrit's heart was pounding with fear. But he was in luck. It was Holi. And it was only natural that there should be some rough play. When she saw his torn shirt his mother only frowned (show anger by using eye brow), and forgave him. She took a needle and thread and mended the torn shirt. The boys got over their fear and set of again arm-in-arm to see the Holi bonfire outside the village. A boy who had noticed the exchange of shirts spoilt the fun by taunting them, \"So you have interchanged, huh?\" Fearing that the boy had seen them exchange their shirts, Amrit and Isab tried to slink away. By then other boys also knew what had happened and set up a chant, \"Adal-Badal, Adal-Badal.\" The two boys tried to slip away but the gang yelled them, \"Adal-Badal,\" \"Adal- Badal.\" Fearing that the story might reach their fathers' ears, the two friends ran towards their homes. Isab's father was sitting on a cot in the front yard. He called out to the boys. \"Why are you running away from your friends? Come and sit near me,\" he ordered. \"He knows the truth and is only pretending to be kind,\" they thought. Isab's father, a Pathan, picked up ten-year-old Amrit in his arms. He called out Vahali Bhabhi. DEVAYAT GAGIYA - 9825349148 34

Hasanbhai says \"From today your son Amrit is mine.\" Vahali Bhabhi came out of her house. She laughed and said, \"Hasan Bhai, you can't even look after one son, how will you cope with two?\" \"As from today, Vahali Bhabhi, I am ready to bring up twenty-one if they are like Amrit,\" said Hasan in a voice choked with emotion. The Pathan cleared his throat and told Vahali Bhabhi that he had seen the two boys go into the lane. \"I decided to see what the boys were up to,\" he said. What he had to say didn't take long. He told them how the boys had exchanged their shirts and said, \"Isab asked Amrit, 'What if your father beats you?' And do you know what your Amrit replied? He said, 'But then I have a mother'.\" With tears in his eyes, the Pathan added, \"How true! Amrit's reply has changed me. He has taught me what is truly worthwhile.\" The women sitting near were moved by the tale of Amrit and Isab's affection for each other. Just then the boys who were returning from the Holi bonfire surrounded Amit and Isab. They chanted, \"Amrit-Isab, Adal-Badal, Bhai Adal-Badal\". This time Amit and Isab were not upset. On the contrary they were happy to be called Adal-Badal. The story of Adal-Badal spread through the village. It reached the village Headman who announced: \"From today we will call Amrit Adal and Isab Badal Amrit-Isab, AdalBadal, Adal-Badal.\" Read: 19 The Lost Ruby Once upon a time there lived a great and powerful king. One day he was very sad, and as he sat in his council-hall surrounded by his ministers, the chief minister, who was a good and wise man, asked him: 'Your Majesty, why is your spirit sad today? Your Majesty ought not to allow grief to trouble your mind.\" The king would not tell him his grief. On the contrary, he resented (was angry at) his good minister's concern (anxiety) for him. \"It is all very well for you to talk,\" he said, \"but if you had reason to be sad, I am sure you would find it impossible to practice what you have just suggested.\" And the king decided to put his chief minister to the test, and told him to wait at the royal palace after the council was dismissed. The minister accordingly made his way to the royal palace and awaited further orders. The king took out a ruby of great price from a beautiful ivory casket (a jewel case made of ivory), and placing it in the minister's hand, told him to look after it with great care. Hardly had the minister left for his home when the king employed female spies to follow him and mark where he kept the jewel. DEVAYAT GAGIYA - 9825349148 35

When the minister got home, he found his wife reclining (resting) on cushions, chewing scented paan. He gave her the ruby to keep. She dropped it in a partition of her cash-box and thought no more about it. After a few days he bribed the steward (manager) of the minister's household to steal it for him. The king was sitting on the balcony of his palace overlooking the river, when the jewel was brought to him. Taking it from the hands of the steward, he deliberately (purposefully) threw it into the river. The next morning, after dismissing his court, he asked the chief minister: \"Where is the ruby which I gave you to keep the other day?\" The minister replied: \"I have got it, my lord.\" \"Well then,\" said the king. \"go and fetch it, for I want it right now.\" Do you like the king's way of testing the chief minister's wisdom? Why? On going home, the minister was shocked to learn that the ruby nowhere to be found. He hurried back to the king and reported the loss. \"Your Majesty,\" he said, \"if you allow me a few days' grace (favour), I hope to find it and bring it back to you.\" \"Very well,\" said the king, laughing to himself. \"I give you three days in which to find the ruby. If, at the end of that time, you fail to find it, your life and the lives of all who are dear to you will be in danger.\" The minister left the palace with a heavy heart. He searched everywhere for the lost jewel, but because of its mysterious disappearance he did not have much hope of finding it. What will the chief minister do now? 'I have no one,' he thought, 'to whom I can leave my riches and possessions. My wife is the only soul on earth who is dear to me, and it seems we must both die after three days. What could be better than for us to enjoy ourselves during this period? We'll make the most of (take the greatest advantage of) the time that's left to us.' In this mood he reached home and told his wife about the king's decision. \"Let's spend our wealth liberally and freely,\" he said, \"for soon we must die.\" His wife sighed deeply and merely said, \"As you wish. Fate has been cruel to us. Let's take it with dignity and good cheer.\" A period of great revelry (feasting) began in the chief minister's house. Musicians of all kinds were engaged, and the halls were filled with guests, who came wondering what great luck had come the way of the chief minister. Rich food was served, and night and day the sound of music and laughter filled the house. DEVAYAT GAGIYA - 9825349148 36

In addition, large quantities of food were prepared and given to the poor. No one who came to the house was allowed to leave empty-handed. Tradesmen, when they brought their customary (usual) presents of fresh fruit, were rewarded with gold coins, and went away rejoicing. In a village near by, there lived a poor flower-seller and a fisher woman: the two women were neighbours and close friends. The flower seller happened to be visiting the bazaar, where she heard of the grand revelry at the minister's house. So she hurried there, with a present of garlands, and received a gold coin. Then she walked across to her friend's house and advised her to take a present of fish to the minister, who would reward her in the same manner. The fisher woman was very poor. Her husband used to go fishing daily, but he seldom (rarely) was able to catch large fish; those that he caught were so small that they rarely fetched him a few coins. So the fisher woman said to herself, 'Those miserable fish that my husband brings home are hardly worth presenting to the minister - he'll only feel insulted,' and she thought no more about it. But the following morning, as good luck would have it (luckily), her husband caught a large Rohu, the most delicious of Indian freshwater fish. Delighted at his good fortune, he took it home to show his wife, who immediately placed the fish in a basket, covered it with a clean cloth, and hurried to the minister's house. The minister was really pleased to see such a fine specimen of Rohu fish, and instead of giving her one gold coin, he gave her two. The fisher woman was overjoyed. She ran 'home with her prize, which was enough to keep herself and her husband in comfort for many a month. This happened on the third and last day of the minister's life; the next day he and his wife were to be executed (hanged). Being very fond of fish-curry, he said to his wife, \"Let's have one of your delightful fish-curries for lunch today. We will never be able to enjoy it again.\" He and his wife sat together to see the fish cut. The cook took out his kitchen-knife and set to work. As soon as the cook tried to cut the fish, out dropped the ruby which had been thrown into the river. The minister and his wife were overcome with astonishment and joy. They washed the ruby in perfumed water, and then the minister hastened to return it to the king. The king was equally amazed to see the ruby which he had thrown into the river. He at once asked how it was recovered. The minister told him how he had decided to spend all his riches, and how he had received the present of a fish which, when it was cut, presented him with the lost ruby. On hearing this, the king admitted that he not only managed to get the ruby stolen but also threw it into the river. His plan was to test him. The king then bestowed (gave) high DEVAYAT GAGIYA - 9825349148 37

honours on his minister, and commended (praised) his wisdom and understanding before all his courtiers and ministers. And so the minister's evil fortune was changed to good. Read: 20 Panchatantra For centuries the Panchatantra tales have regaled (entertained) children and adults with a moral at the end of every story. A king, worried that his three sons were without the wisdom to live in a world of wile (clever way to persuade others) and guile (dishonest way to persuade others), asks a learned man called Vishnu Sharma to teach them the ways of the world. Since his wards were dimwits (stupid persons), Vishnu Sharma decided to pass on wisdom to them in the form of stories. In these stories, he made animals speak like human beings. The Panchatantra was originally a collection of Sanskrit animal fables in verse and prose. The Panchatantra was exported (probably both in oral and literary formats) in the north to Tibet and China and in the east to South-East Asia. The stories have been translated into nearly every language in the world. It illustrates, for the benefit of princes who may succeed to a throne, the central principles of political science through an inter-woven series of colorful animal tales. It illustrates five principles or strategies which are: Mitra Bhedha (The Loss of Friends) Mitra Laabha (Gaining Friends) Suhrudbheda (Causing Dissension (disagreement) Between Friends) Vigraha (Separation) Sandhi (Union) We shall enjoy five stories from Panchatantra here, one from every section. SUCHIMUKHA AND THE MONKEY A gang of monkeys made their home in a mountain slope. When winter came, it brought not only severe cold but also heavy rains. Unable to stand the cold, the monkeys collected red berries wildly growing in the mountain slope. They gathered around the berries and began blowing air at them thinking they were embers (glowing coals). Watching their vain effort in amusement, Suchimukha, a bird, told them, \"You fools, they are not embers but red berries. Why do you waste your energy on them? This will not save you from cold. Go and look for a shelter in a cave or a place free from wind. The clouds are thick and there will be no immediate relief from rain.\" An old member of the monkey gang angrily told the bird, \"Why do you poke your nose (intervene, interfere) in our affairs? Go away.\" Haven't the elders said that he who cherishes (values) his welfare should not talk to a gambler or an inefficient workman? So is the person a fool who talks to an idiot or a pleasure seeker.\" DEVAYAT GAGIYA - 9825349148 38

Disregarding the old monkey's anger and not giving room to any other monkey to talk, Suchimukha went on repeating his advice to them to seek shelter elsewhere. Tired with the bird's unwanted advice, one of the monkeys sprang at the bird and bashed him against a rock till he was dead. GREEDY JACKAL A hunter went to the forest in search of a kill. Spotting a well-fed boar he took his bow and aimed a sharp arrow at the boar. Though severely wounded, the boar made a wild charge at the hunter goring (injurying) him to death. The boar too died later from the wounds inflicted by the hunter. Meanwhile, a hungry jackal, not knowing that he was doomed to die, came on the scene where the bodies of the hunter and the boar lay. He was thrilled by the sight of so much food and thought, \"God has favoured me today. That's why he has sent so much food for me. It is not without reason that the learned have said that he who has done a good deed in a previous birth is rewarded in this birth even if he does not make any effort. This great feast is certainly the result of some good I have done in a previous birth. But a man must enjoy his wealth in small doses. Therefore, I will begin my meal with this gut (cord made of fibrous material taken from silkworms) of the bow.\" The jackal went close to the body of the hunter and began nibbling (eating something by taking a lot of small bites) at the gut of the bow. The gut suddenly snapped (broke with sound) with great force killing the jackal in the end. THE BRAHMIN AND THE CORBA Haridatta was a Brahmin living in a hamlet (a small village usually without temple or church). He was a farmer but the piece of land he cultivated gave him very little to survive. One day, unable to stand the heat of the summer sun, he went to a big tree in his land to rest for a while. Before he could spread himself on the ground he saw in the nearby anthill (a pile of soil where ants or snakes live) a huge cobra swaying (moving slowly from side to side) with his hood open. He went back home and brought a glass of milk. He poured it in a bowl and turning to the anthill said, \"O, ruler of the land, I did not know you were living in this anthill. That is why I have not paid my tribute to you. Please excuse me and accept this humble offering.\" He then placed the bowl of milk 8t the anthill and left the place. Next day when the Brahmin came to his land before the Sun was he saw a gold coin in the bowl he had left at the anthill. Henceforth (hereafter), he came alone every dawn, collected the coin, offered the milk in the bowl and left. One day the Brahmin, leaving for DEVAYAT GAGIYA - 9825349148 39

another village on business, asked his son to go to the anthill and offer milk. When the son went the next day, he found a gold coin in the bowl. He collected the coin and thought, \"This anthill must be full of gold. If I kill the cobra, I can collect all the gold in one go instead of coming here every day.\" He then struck the cobra with a big stick. But the cobra deftly (skilfully) dodged (saved himself by moving quickly) the blow but stung the son to death with his poisonous fangs (long sharp teeth). Returning to his village the next day, Haridatta heard the story of his son's death and at once realized that greed was behind it. The Brahmin went to the anthill the day after his son's cremation and offered milk to the cobra. Without coming out of his hole, the cobra told Haridatta, \"You have come here for gold forgetting that you had lost a son and that you were in mourning. The reason is greed, pure greed. From today, there is no meaning in our relationship. Blinded by his youth, your son has struck me and I bit him back. How can I forget that blow? How can you suffer the grief of your son's death? Finally, I am giving you this diamond, don't come back again.\" COBRA AND THE KING OF FROGS A big well was the home of Gangadatta, king of frogs. Unable to bear harassment by his relatives, the king abandoned his kingdom and came out of the well and started thinking. Deeply lost in such thoughts, the frog king saw a big cobra entering the burrow (hole) of a tree and thought, \"We must set an enemy to fight an enemy, set a strong person to crush another strong person. Their end will bring us happiness.\" With this aim in view, he went to the burrow and called the cobra, \"Priyadarsana, please come out.\" Then, the cobra shouted from inside, \"Who are you, sir?\" \"I am Gangadatta, king of frogs. I have come to seek your help,\" said the caller. \"Sir, please don't say 'no'. I will show you how to enter the well. There is a crevice (a small narrow crack or space, especially in the surface of rock) in the wall that opens into the well. It's a nice hiding place for you. Come, I will show you.\" said Gangadatta. The cobra then thought, \"I have become old. Rarely can I get a frog to eat. This fellow has come to give me a new lease (agreement) of life. I will go with him and have a daily feast of frogs.\" Addressing the king of frogs, the cobra said, \"Let's go.\" DEVAYAT GAGIYA - 9825349148 40

\"But there is a condition,\" said Gangadatta, \"Priyadarsana, I will take you there and show you the place. But you should spare frogs that are close to me. You should eat only those I select as food for you.\" The cobra replied, \"You are now my friend. I give you my word. I will eat only those marked by you as my food.\" The cobra happily settled in the crevice and finished in course of time all those frogs their king had marked for extermination. Now, without frogs to eat, the cobra told the king, \"I have destroyed all your enemies. Now show me prey for food. It is you who brought me here.\" Gangadatta told him, \"You have done your job to help me. Now, it is time for you to leave this place.\" \"How can I leave?\" protested the cobra. \"Someone else will occupy my place. So, I will not go, I will stay here only. You offer me one frog every day from your circle of relatives.\" He had to follow. The wicked cobra swallowed all the frogs. One day, it was the turn of Yamunadatta, son of the king of frogs. The king cried bitterly over the loss of his son. His wife then told him that there was no point in crying over the past and that he should immediately leave the place and look for ways to end the menace (threat, nuisance) of the cobra. As days passed, the cobra finished off the entire trite of frogs with the exception of king Gangadatta. So, he asked Gangadatta, \"Look, my friend, there is now no frog left for me to eat. I am very hungry. Show me where and how I can end my hunger.\" The king replied, \"Priyadarsana, don't worry about food as long as I am your friend. You get me out of this well. I will go and look for wells full of frogs. I will tempt (attract) them to come here and you can have your fill.\" Thus, the king came out and disappeared. The cobra was eagerly waiting for the king to bring him food. When Gangadatta failed to turn up even after a long time, the cobra sought the help of a chameleon (a lizard that changes skin colour to match what surrounds it so that it cannot be seen). \"My friend, you know Gangadatta very well. Please go to him and tell him that it does not matter if he cannot bring me a frog. Let him come. I cannot live without such a trusted friend.\" The chameleon carried the message of the cobra to the king of frogs and told him, \"Your friend Priyadarsana is eagerly looking for you to return.\" DEVAYAT GAGIYA - 9825349148 41

Gangadatta told him, \"Excuse me sir, who can trust a hungry man. You may please go.\" TALE OF THE BIRD WITH TWO HEADS A great bird named Bharunda lived on the banks of a lake. He had two heads but a single body. One day, as the bird was wandering on the bank of the lake, he found a fruit, which was as delicious as ambrosia (fruit eaten by gods). One of his heads mumbled (spoke with unclear voice), \"Oh what a fruit. I am sure the heavens have sent it for me. I am so lucky.\" Hearing this, the second head said, \"0 brother, let me also taste the fruit you are praising so much.\" The first head laughed and said, \"Both of us have the same stomach. It makes no difference whether I eat it or you eat it. I shall give it to our beloved. She will be very happy.\" Bharunda thus gave the fruit to his wife. The second head was disappointed at this action of the first head. One day, the second head found a poisonous fruit and told the first head, \"You treacherous (faithless) fellow, I will eat this poisonous fruit and avenge your insult.\" The second head said, \"You fool, if you eat that, both of us will die because we have the same body.\" Ignoring his warning, the second head ate the poisonous fruit and both of them died. Read: 22 The World of Advertisements What do you see, first in the newspaper? Pick up a newspaper, glance through it and you will discover that along with the headlines, you have advertisements vying (competing) with each other for your attention. Usually it is a young man dressed in a smart suit or a young lady draped in a gorgeous (very pleasant) sari trying to tell you how good you would look in the product of a particular textile mill. Walk down a city street, and at every turn, you will have huge ad-boards staring you in the eye. Advertisements are very much a part of our commercial world. Businessmen have to sell their wares, so they make use of ads to this effect. Advertisements bring the shop window to your door, induce (persuade, tempt) you to visit the shop, and to see through and feel the products, which help to make your own life a little more cheerful. DEVAYAT GAGIYA - 9825349148 42

In a developing country like India, cleverly done up ads can help to shake people out of their inertia (unwillingness). For example, they can induce the farmer to take to more modern methods of agriculture and improve the general standard of his life. The world of business is an extremely competitive world. A businessman is interested in increasing the sale of his own product. Sometimes one product may be as good as the other, but through a cleverly thought out ad, a businessman can make you prefer his product to another. It would be good for you to know some of the techniques advertising agencies employ in the sale of a product. We human beings are very much taken up by externals. The more glossy an object appears, the more we are attracted to it. The power of colour, for example, to knock us out of sense is shown by an experiment conducted in a supermarket. A certain supermarket had a number of hidden cameras installed to measure the reactions of the customers. The results surprised everyone. It was found that most shoppers went into a sort of trance (a temporary mental condition 'in which one is not completely conscious) so much so that they would pass their best friends without noticing them. All their attention was centered on the brightly coloured packets that were on display. Many came to their senses only when they arrived at the pay counter and were presented with the bill. Many had not enough money to pay for all the things they had picked up; some were even reluctant to go and return the things they didn't actually want. There is the group of people who are always taking their cues (direction or sign to do something) form others. They have never really learnt to think for themselves. They go in for a product just because actor so and so or actress so and so said the same. Ad-men are quick to cash in on this \"in built\" human weakness. They manage to get actors or actresses to lend their names to a product. And they have their customers who take to it without much fuss. Finally, ads drag us into buying a\" product unknowingly as you are being led into a trap. Through the clever use of words and phrases, the ad tells you something about a product. Often it is the pleasing side of a thing. But by no meaning is it everything. The darker side has been cleverly played down. For example, an ad for a refrigerator might emphasize the need for a refrigerator. It might even tell you the size of the motor but not the amount of electricity it consumes. And it is here precisely where its defect might lie. To sum up, here are a few practical points to bear in mind. Don't be too easily taken in by the ads you see in the glossy magazines or by the brightly coloured ad-boards you pass by every day on your way. All that glitters is not gold. Ad-men work on the assumption that we are all basically selfish; that it is easier to buy impulsively than to make up a list of things we need and that we buy the things we feel others will admire. We must train ourselves to buy the things we need, and not because we are ambitious or because we want to feel loved, or secure, or to preserve an image we feel that we should strive to live up to. For a businessman it pays to advertise. But for you as a customer, it pays even more to be cautious of what is advertised. DEVAYAT GAGIYA - 9825349148 43

Read: 23 I never Forget A Face I'll tell you a strange thing about me. I never forget a face. The only trouble is that usually I'm quite unable to tell you the name of the person. When I say I never forget a face, I mean it. I can pass a fellow in the street one day and recognize him again months after, though we've never spoken to each other. You can guess that there's not a man, woman or child here in Bardfield that I can't know by sight. It's only forty minutes from London but the village is almost a mile from the station, and that's rather troublesome. Quite a pleasant crowd of men travel up and down to London most days, and I don't know the names of half of them, though we speak to each other cheerfully enough. Well, on this particular evening, there was quite a crowd in the train at first, but they gradually got out. And by the time we reached Ellingham, there were only two of us left in the carriage. The other fellow wasn't one of the regular travellers, but I knew he was a Bardfield man. I knew it as soon as I saw him, of course. I'd smiled at him when I saw him getting into the carriage in London, and he had smiled back; but that didn't tell me his name. The annoying thing was that I couldn't place (identify) the fellow. His face told me clearly that he was connected with Bardfield, but that was all it told me. I could not think where in Bardfield I had seen it. I guessed he must be one of those fellows who've come to live lately (recently) in the small houses by the bus stop, but I couldn't be sure. So when the two of us found ourselves alone in the carriage, I started to talk, just as if we were old friends. He spoke well, with a quite friendly manner, but he told very little. I can generally find out what a man's work is in about ten minutes, but I failed this time. So I gave it up and started to read my paper. And the next time I looked at him, he'd put his head back and gone off to sleep. We were just running into, the station then, and though the train stopped rather suddenly, it didn't seem to wake him. Well, I'm a kind-hearted fellow and I wasn't going to let a Bardfield man be carried on all the way to the next stop. So I tapped (stuck lightly) him on the knee. \"Wake up, old fellow! We're there.!\" I said. He awoke at once and smiled at me. \"Oh, so we are!\" he said, and got after me. When we came out of the station together, it was quite dark and raining heavily. There was a wind blowing, strong enough to knock you over, and it was very cold. \"Well, what would you have done? The same as I did. I turned round and said to him, listen. There isn't a bus for a quarter of an hour. I've got my car in the station-yard, and if you're in one of those small houses I can take you there. It's on my way. \"Thanks very much,\" he said and we walked through the water, to where my old car was standing and off we went. Is it good to help strangers? \"This is very kind of you.\" he said as we started, and that was the last thing he said until we were halfway across the open country. Then he suddenly turned round and said, \"You can let me out here.\" DEVAYAT GAGIYA - 9825349148 44

\"What, here?\" I asked him. It seemed mad because there wasn't a house within five hundred yards, and it was raining and blowing like the end of the world. But! slowed down, as anyone would,. The next thing that happened was that something hit me very hard on the back of the head. I fell forwards and then everything went blank (fainted). I can half-remember being pulled out of the car, and when I came to, I was lying in the ditch (gutter) with the rain pouring down on me, with a bad headache, no car in sight and my pockets - as I found out later - empty. I pulled myself up at last and somehow managed to walk into Bardfield. I went straight to the police station, of course. It's the first building you reach if you come that way. And there I reported that someone had stolen my car, a new umbrella, a gold watch and all money. Is it always good to help the strangers? Why? Of course, as soon as I got there I remembered who the man was. His, picture was on the wall outside. I'd seen it every day for a week. That's why his face reminded me of Bardfield. Under the picture were some words. 'Wanted for Robbery with Violence and Attmepted Murder. John -' Oh dear, I've forgotten the name again. I just can't keep names in my head. But that's the man. I tell you - I never forget a face! Read: 24 A Letter to Indu Darling Indu, I have had no news from you since we met last. I hope you are keeping well and putting on weight. At last we have had some rain here. Our plants were badly in need of it. I suppose you are having a good deal of rain also. During the past few months, I have read many books on mountaineering in India - almost always among the Garhwal mountains. This has been fascinating (attractive) reading. I was surprised and pleased to find that there is complete agreement among those Englishmen and Americans who have taken part in these expeditions (adventurous journeys) that Garhwal has the most beautiful mountains and valleys in the world. The men who gave this opinion were widely travelled and knew what they are talking about. This really applies to the higher regions of Garhwal and not to the dusty and rather bare (without vegetation) valleys and hillsides below. In these upper regions there is an extraordinary and enchanting (very attractive) mixture of magnificent (grand) snow peaks, thick forests and valleys carpeted (thickly covered) with lovely flowers. Indeed, one of such valleys, appropriately named the Valley of Flowers, has no rival anywhere. I have been to Garhwal only once for a few days. It is not easily accessible (reachable) as even roads are lacking, except bridle-paths (narrow paths) for pilgrims. I only visited some of the towns in the lower regions. I had a glimpse, however, of the whole vast area and beyond from the air. For we took a plane from Hardwar and flew right over Badrinath till we seemed almost to collide (hit) against the huge snow wall of the mountain barrier (obstacle) which separates India from Tibet. That flight lasted a few hours only - there and back - and I carried away vivid (as they were) impressions which endure (last for a long DEVAYAT GAGIYA - 9825349148 45

time). Two impressions especially: the snowy range, with it mighty peaks, majestic and fiercely beautiful, and the silver thread of the Alaknanda river, winding its way deep down below through the mountains. The Alaknanda, as perhaps you know, is one of the principal source - stream of the Ganga. You and I, in our respective abodes (living places), are on the verge of Garhwal. I can see the Garhwal foothills from here and a longish walk will take you to the district boundary. The knowledge of this surpassing (excellent) beauty so near us and yet so far from this restless world, so peaceful and calm by human folly (foolishness), excites me. Those strange people who were our ancestors in the long ago felt the wonder of these mountains and valleys and, with the unerring (faultless) instinct of genius, connected this sense of respect and wonder to man's old desire for something higher than what life's daily toil (hard work) and conflicts offered, something with the impress of the eternal (infinite) upon it. And so for two thousand years or more, innumerable pilgrim should have marched through these valleys and mountains to Badrinath and Kedarnath and Gangotri, from where the baby Ganga emerges, so tiny and frolicsome (playful), but to grow and grow in her long wandering till she becomes the noble river that sweeps by (passes through) Prayag and Kashi and beyond. Shall I ever go wandering again in these mountains, and pierce the forest and climb the snows and feel the thrill of the precipice (very steep side of a mountain) and the deep gorge (a deep narrow pass between hills)? And then lie in deep content on a thick carpet of mountain flowers and gaze on the fiery splendour of the peaks as they catch the rays of the setting sun? Shall I sit by the side of the youthful and turbulent (uncontrolled) Ganga in her mountain home and watch her throw her head in a swirl (fast circular movement) icy spray in pride and defiance, or creep round lovingly some favoured rock and take it into her embrace (hold, hug)? And then rush down joyously over the rocks and hurl (throw something with great force) her self with a mighty shout over some great precipice? I have known her so long as a sedate (relaxed) lady, seemingly calm, but for all that the fire is in her veins even then, the fiery vitality (vigour) of youth and the spirit of adventure, and this breaks out from time to time when her peaceful water seems angry and tumble over each other and spread over vast areas. I love the rivers of India and I should like to explore them from end to end, and to go back deep into the dawn of history and watch the processions of men and women, of cultures and civilizations, going down the broad streams of these rivers. The Indus, the Brahmaputra, the Ganga, and also that very lovable river of ours - the Jamuna. Heigh-ho! How many things I would like to do, how much there is to see, how many places to go to! What wonderful dreams we can fashion out of the past and out of the unknown future that is still to be! Men come and men go but man's dreaming and quest go on, and when failing hands can no longer hold the torch, others more vigorous and straight, take hold of it, and they in their turn pass it on to yet others skill. How I begin musing (thinking) when I write to you. Love, Yours Loving Papu DEVAYAT GAGIYA - 9825349148 46