काव्यसांज
Once upon a time, in a cheerful village surrounded by the Sahyadri hills, there lived a mischievous boy named Chintu. Chintu was known for his love of modaks, the sweet dumplings made especially during Ganesh Chaturthi.
One sunny morning, Chintu’s mother prepared a plate of piping hot modaks. Their sweet aroma filled the house, and Chintu’s stomach growled loudly.
"Chintu, don’t touch them yet! They’re too hot," his mother warned before leaving the kitchen.
But Chintu couldn't wait. “How can I resist this yumminess?” he whispered to himself. He tiptoed into the kitchen and picked the biggest, roundest modak from the plate. But as soon as he touched it—BUMP!—the modak sprang to life!
“Oh no, you don’t!” shouted the modak in a squeaky voice. “I’m too special to be eaten just yet!” And before Chintu could react, the modak rolled off the plate and out the door.
“Come back!” yelled Chintu as he dashed after it.
The modak rolled down the lane, past the mango tree. Pari the squirrel peeked out. “Where are you running, Chintu?” she asked.
“My modak is escaping!” Chintu shouted.
Pari squeaked with laughter. “An escaping modak? This I have to see!” She joined the chase, leaping from branch to branch.
The modak rolled past the river, where Moti the buffalo was splashing in the water. “What’s going on?” Moti asked, shaking off droplets.
“My modak is on the run!” Chintu huffed, still chasing it.
Moti chuckled and trotted along. “This is too funny to miss!”
The modak rolled through the marketplace, causing chaos as it zoomed under carts, toppled vegetables, and sent chickens squawking. Vendors shook their heads in disbelief, and villagers laughed and cheered.
Finally, the modak rolled straight into the temple courtyard. It zig-zagged between flower baskets and came to a stop at the feet of Lord Ganesha’s idol.
“Phew, I caught you!” Chintu exclaimed, scooping up the modak.
The modak wiggled in his hands. “Fine, you caught me! But first, offer me to Bappa. I am, after all, a special modak.”
Chintu smiled and placed the modak on the offering plate before the idol. “Bappa, this one’s for you,” he said.
After the prayers, Chintu’s mother handed him another modak—one that wasn’t running away this time. “See, Chintu? Patience always brings sweeter rewards.”
Chintu grinned and took a big bite. It was the best modak he had ever tasted!
One day, a terrible storm began to brew over the village of Gokul. The villagers were frightened, as the storm threatened to destroy everything in its path. The people turned to King Indra, the god of rain and storms, asking for his mercy. But when King Indra was angered, he decided to punish the villagers by sending a mighty storm.
The rains came down heavily, and the winds howled. The villagers were afraid their homes would be washed away. But then, young Krishna stood up, his eyes sparkling with mischief.
“Don’t worry, everyone!” Krishna said confidently. “I will protect you.”
The villagers looked at Krishna, unsure how a little boy could help. But Krishna walked toward the mountain called Govardhan, smiled, and with his little finger, he lifted the entire mountain!
Krishna held the mountain above his head like an umbrella, and all the villagers took shelter under it. The storm raged on, but Krishna stood firm, protecting everyone with the mountain.
For seven days, Krishna held the mountain, never letting it drop. The villagers watched in awe as Krishna, small but mighty, protected them all. Eventually, the storm stopped, and Indra realized that Krishna was no ordinary boy—he was a divine protector!
In the village of Gokul, little Krishna was famous for being playful, clever, and always full of mischief. His mother, Yashoda, loved him dearly, but Krishna had a habit of stealing butter!
Every time Yashoda would churn fresh butter, Krishna would sneak into the kitchen, quietly open the jar, and gobble up all the butter. One day, Yashoda caught him with his hands covered in butter, smiling with his mouth full.
“Krishna! What did I tell you about stealing butter?” Yashoda scolded, shaking her head.
Krishna giggled and gave a cheeky smile. “But I didn’t steal it, Mother! It was calling out to me to eat it!”
Yashoda laughed, but she wasn’t fooled. “I’ll teach you a lesson! Let’s see if you can stop stealing butter!”
Yashoda decided to tie Krishna to a big mortar (a heavy stone tool used for grinding grains). “Now, you can’t run off and steal butter again!” she said, tying the rope tightly around his waist.
But Krishna was clever. He started rolling the mortar, dragging it behind him. As he rolled it around, he discovered a group of cows who were stuck in the mud. With a quick twist of his hand, he freed them, and the cows followed him, mooing happily.
When Yashoda came to check on him, she was surprised to see Krishna surrounded by cows, with the mortar nowhere in sight!
Krishna smiled and said, “I didn’t steal the butter, Mother. I was busy helping the cows!”
Yashoda couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re clever, Krishna, but next time, no butter stealing!”
And from that day, Krishna became known as the butter thief, but he always used his cleverness for good, helping others when they needed him.
