Shishukunj

Forgiveness

Kalash Talati, Class IX B

The true essence of life lies in forgiveness. Forgiveness is the best gift that one can give to another. When we forgive someone, qualities like kindness, loving nature and supportive attitude are displayed.

But why should we forgive someone who has wronged us? We should do so because it helps us to create a better understanding between us and the one who is at fault. Also, forgiveness is the worst punishment we can give to someone as when we forgive a wrong-doer, he feels guilty for his wrong deed and that is worse than any physical punishment.

Forgiving someone heals from inside. Forgiveness is the only thing which separates humans from monsters. Because monsters seek revenge but only humans have the power to forgive. Forgiveness is so potent that it can even turn a monster into human.

Whatever religion we follow, the main message spread by every religion is to forgive.

Bugs and Summer Camp: A Horrible Combination

Sneha Jain, Class VIII G

Bugs. I absolutely DETEST bugs! That’s why Samarth chose me for the trick.

My name is Raj and right now I am at a stupid summer camp. Well, I guess I did make some friends like Harshit, Ankit and Soumil but still…

So, you must be wondering who is Samarth? He is the bully here and he is after my life. He has decided to turn me into his punching bag.

He put up a magic show and announced that some ‘lucky’ volunteer would help him. Well, go on, guess who he chose to be the volunteer. Yep. Me.

At first, I thought he would cut my head off in that box trick, or maybe make me disappear through his magic hat. But I was dead wrong. It was much worse than I had thought.

“Gather up people for an amazing trick!” he said. I reluctantly went with my friends. “So, today I will be showing you a bug trick with the help of…..” At this, his ‘followers’ started jumping up and down. “……..Raj!” He said, followed by a lot of hooting.

Oh great! I went up the stage to see how he was going to torture me.

“Today, I will show you the power of the puny bugs!”

Oh no! Not good. He put loads of bugs on my T-shirt and said, “See and watch my friends!”

See and watch are the same things, I thought. But soon I was petrified by those bugs – all brown and leggy and ….eewwww!

“Now Raj will……”

What’s he going to do next? Make me eat them?

“Eat them!”

“What?!! No Way!”

“Yes way, or else…..”, he said with an evil creepy grin.

I was fed up of Samarth. So I did something extremely stupid. I picked up some of those bugs and threw them on Samarth.

“Ahhh….!” He squealed in a perfect imitation of a little girl and ran away.

We all laughed till our sides hurt. Samarth never spoke to me again.

I guess, bugs aren’t that bad after all!

The Troublesome Trouble

Nishika Jain, Class VII G

Porter Pig was a very famous pig on farms all across the world. Not only could he lift a barn above his head, but he also had the best snout that anyone had ever seen. Porter Pig was the best at sniffing out trouble. He could smell trouble from fifty miles away. Whenever Porter Pig found trouble, he was always able to fix the problem and make everything okay. Farmers all over the world asked to see Porter Pig, hoping that they would be able to use his strength and snout to make their farm peaceful. One day, on a farm in the south, Porter Pig was sniffing for trouble when he smelled the worst smell he could ever imagine. Porter Pig rushed over to the barn where the smell was very strong. He lifted up the huge barn above his head, and there it was staring right into his eyes. Porter Pig had never seen anything like this before.

The story continued…

Porter Pig had seen a very dangerous thing. It was a black slushy and spongy thing. The animals at the farm had never seen, read or heard about it but Porter Pig was very clever. He knew what the thing was and also how much harm it could cause to the farm, its surroundings, the animals and every living creature present around it.

He was wise so he didn’t want to hurt the farmer and the animals by telling them about their worst trouble. He thought about it for sometime and then called his brother Dr Sciency Pig for help.

Dr. Sciency Pig arrived in about two hours and asked, “What trouble do you have brother?” Porter Pig revealed the secret to him. Porter told his brother that the slushy-spongy thing was none other than the slush of death. It was an unlucky token for everyone around it. It always brought some trouble for its owner and tried to kill him. Scientists had proved that it couldn’t be destroyed by any chemical or acid.

Porter and Sciency both thought about it and at last Sciency had an idea. He had read somewhere that it grew faster in an environment of hatred. So, based on this, Porter decided to expose it to so much love that it reduces in size.

Both Porter and Sciency applied this idea. The farmer and the animals also joined in. They spoke nicely to each other and were kind to each other. It worked and the slush broke into tiny pieces and died. This was the most difficult problem that Porter had to solve in his life.

The Pebble and the Taal Tree – Interpretation

Class X D

After reading ‘The Pebble and the Taal Tree’ (Nudi O Taalgaachh) by Bonophool, some students wrote their interpretation of the story.

Aryaa Dubey

The story is set in a prairie-like terrain where beneath the taal tree, there is a small pebble who only sees the grass which encircles him, die and become alive again and again. One day, he notices the tall, gigantic taal tree beside him, he asks the tree if he sees anything else and the tree tells him that he sees the sun rise and set again and again.

This shows that for everyone, there is a pattern in life. If bad time arrives, it’ll not last forever. Soon the light will come around and the times would definitely change for everyone, whether big or small, rich or poor.

Avani Mundra

It is ironical that the layman believes that every individual other than himself is well-off and enjoys the luxury of life. It is also true that people come and go in our life endlessly; some of them stay in our heart and some vanish after a moment.

We believe that the prosperous section of the society enjoys all the adventures of life and can buy all happiness and overcome every sorrow with money. But when the pebble, who is a paradigm of a common man’s life where the grass is compared to challenges, realizes that the tree, who looks so tall and mighty, has the same daily routine, even though it stands to great heights.

It understands that life for all is the same burger and coke until one finds a new Chinese restaurant by the street.

Zainab Aarsiwala

I think the story conveys the very simple message as to how we could add the fun element to our life with the very simple things we see around us everyday. The tree and the pebble, both were neighbours on a barren land. Yet, they never noticed each other before. Had they noticed each other earlier, they could have developed a beautiful, fun-loving bond of friendship and wouldn’t have to live their lives as ordinarily as to see only the sun rising and setting or the glass blades caressing. They could have together enjoyed the beautiful transient play of colours the sun brought along with it everyday. The new hopes the sun brought with it during the dawn and the lovely memories it left behind with dusk.

My Shadow

Class VII DCompiled by Atharv Kulkarni

The poem ‘My Shadow’ by R L Stevenson was taken up in our class. Some of us added our own lines to it. Let’s see what they say.

Vatsal Nayak

The worst thing about my shadow is the worst thing itself

When I am sad, he laughs at me

And when I’m bad, he hides behind me.

Aditya Singh

And if it is my feet that the shadow is holding,

Maybe he should get half of my mother’s scolding.

And if my shadow wants to stick with me all along,

Then he will have to sing me a good song.

Gauransh Sharma

I wish my shadow was as cool as me,

We would play cheerfully near the sea.

He neither has a nose, nor eyes, he neither drinks tea,

I wish I could step on my shadow’s head

And crush it just like pencil’s lead.

But what about my misfortune,

He steps along with his bread.

Ayush Baweja

My shadow is a real weird one;

Follows me to school,

But when asked questions, acts as a complete fool.

When I get very angry,

I stomp him real hard.

But he pops up again,

Without a single scar.

So, I told my shadow this morning,

If he wanted to live with me,

He better learn some Hindi and

How to make some tea.

When I see my shadow in the shade,

I get really annoyed.

Why shall he be cool,

When I’m being fried?

Journalism Is No Longer A True Harbinger of Tidings

Anushka Mimani, Class X B

What is the true definition of journalism in today’s world? It is no longer a reliable source of information, just a race to gain the highest TRP. It has become influenced by business and political parties and displays amplified news which is one-sided.

Journalism is the basis on which people form their opinions and lays the foundation of democracy but now-a-days can we really trust the media? How are people supposed to question if they don’t know whether the news displayed is the original story or just another made-up rumour?

Many citizen-turned-journalists voice their views through social networking sites but again the veracity is not guaranteed. This problem will only be solved if journalists and news channels work for the citizens of the country and do their actual job which is definitely not twisting current affairs to make it seem more ‘Masaaledaar’.

ईमानदारी

श्रीमती अलका जैन, Educator

प्रत्येक कार्य ईमानदारी से करें

सुना था अपने पिता से

कई बार

देखा था ऐसा करते उन्हें

पढ़ा था कई किताबों में

और अपनाया अपने जीवन में

पर व्यावसायिक मानदंडों के बीच

न मिला इसका कभी कोई ‘पुरस्कार’

कभी-कभी कुछ कमज़ोर क्षणों में

अपने भरोसे को हिलता पाया

‘बटरिंग’ के नित नए रूप देख

मेरा भी जी ललचाया

पर अंतरात्मा ने दी फटकार

और इस फटकार को लिया मैंने स्वीकार

एक कहानी हमेशा मेरी यादों का बनी हिस्सा

सुनाना चाहूंगी बार-बार उसी का किस्सा

था एक ‘कारपेंटर’

करता था सुन्दर कारीगरी

तन, मन और रचनात्मकता के साथ

बनाता था सुन्दर, मजबूत नींव के मकान

मालिक मानते थे उसका बड़ा एहसान

वक्त के साथ-साथ

एहसास हुआ उसे की

अब लगने लगी कुछ थकान

करना चाहिए ईश्वर की भक्ति

“श्रम ही पूजा है”

इस बात में अब नहीं रही शक्ति

पहुंचा मालिक के पास

पूछा मालिक ने

हमेशा प्रसन्नचित्त रहने वाला भक्त क्यों है ‘उदास’

बताया कारण

मालिक भी चाहता था

अपने प्रिय बन्दे का रखना मान

इसलिए मान ली बात पर ‘सशर्त’

बनाना पड़ेगा एक और मकान

तभी ले पाओगे विराम

अनिच्छा और अनमने भाव से

बनाया एक कमज़ोर नींव का

अच्छे ‘एलिवेशन’ वाला मकान

पूरा बनने पर गया मालिक के पास

प्रसन्नचित्त मालिक ने

निश्छल मुस्कान के साथ कहा

जीवन में बनाए तुमने हज़ारों

सुन्दर, मज़बूत, नक्काशीदार मकान

उसी का है ये ‘पुरस्कार’

रहो आनंद से इसमें

और बिताओ शेष जीवन

‘कारपेंटर’ को हुए आत्मग्लानि

जीवन के अंत समय में की

अपनी ही हानि

अपनी ही हानि |

इसलिए मित्रों, कभी ईमानदारी न छोड़ो,
कभी मेहनत से मुंह न मोड़ो ||

School Life, Cool Life

Stuti Pasari, Riya Jain, Aviral Maheshwari, Ameya Jain, Vaidehi Partani, Anoushka Malpani, Class IX A

All the way, it’s a race against time,

Necessary it was to sleep at nine.

Thought we were always right,

Played silly games like pen fight.

If we talk about books,

We made hundreds of looks.

Usually we cut an apple with a knife,

But Newton bro made it a theory of life.

Mathematics was full of fractions,

Hindi copies full of corrections.

Economics was full of interest,

Chemistry needed a day’s rest.

Always requested teachers for extra marks,

If not, then required to see parents become sharks.

Whatever it was, however it was,

The best moment of life it was.

Though it was a great zig-zag,

But it was perfectly fab.

Oh! Our school life, cool life!

School Life – A Rap Song

Selvi Kataria, Class IX A

The first day of school,

I cried like a fool,

I seriously had no clue,

From collar to shoe.

But nursery was sort of fun,

In the sandpits, under the sun.

In the breaks, boxes we did share,

None of the ‘feasts’ we used to spare.

Since Class One, we had subjects four,

Now we needed in exams, to score.

When we came to the senior wing,

Teachers considered us grown-up things.

We just need to study all day,

We’ve simply lost our days of play.

The homeworks, assignments and FA,

We’ve really got busy, I say.

Oh what would it be like in Class Ten

I am eager with all my strength.

And what about Class Twelve and Eleven?

How I wish, I could again become seven.

Long after, as we’ll think of school days,

The autosuggestions and two prayers,

The periods of music and dances,

The naming of random Lances,

Our love for swimming, football, tennis courts,

Cricket and badminton were amazing sports.

However much do we criticize,

It’s later that we’re going to realize,

That school life was the best.

It certainly outpaces the rest.

The Journey of the Bird and the Lizard

Sanay Saboo, Class VI A

Once, long, long ago, there was a large kingdom. The king and queen were vile, disgusting people. They gave birth to twins – a boy and a girl. Growing up, the king and queen were horrible to their own children. They treated them like vermin.

But one fateful day, the kind prince and kind princess spilled a bucket of water while taking it to their mother for her bath. The king, who was rushing past, slipped on the water and his sword flew high in the air and fell on his throat, killing him instantly.

The queen saw this and shrieked in anger, “I curse thee! You shall turn into the ugliest creatures and you shall leave the palace and never return!”

Immediately, the young children zoomed away in the air, turning into a lizard and a bird. They landed with a soft thump in the grass.

“What do we do now?” asked the prince, who was the lizard. “We fight back” chirped the princess, who was the bird. They paced the whole area, then they came up with a genius plan.

The next day, when the queen got up and looked out of her window, Bam! A large rock hit her square on the face. Furiously, she looked out again and caught a glimpse of a bird and a lizard sitting next to a makeshift catapult before… Crash! Another!

She grabbed her bow and her sword. She ran down and leapt on her horse and kicked it. Nnnneeeeiiiggghhh! The horse zoomed off after the lizard and the bird. They dodged between trees before the horse tripped on a vine and the queen flew forward into a ravine. There was a cave and she flew into that and was never seen again.

The lizard and the bird slowly turned back into the prince and princess. They set off towards the castle with the horse and they grew to become fair and just rulers. Their reign lasted for sixty more years.