Raju Rabbit and Tarun Tortoise: The Big Village Race

In a lively village near a beautiful mango orchard, lived Raju Rabbit, the fastest in all of Maharashtra. He loved to show off. “I can hop faster than the wind!” Raju boasted, thumping his feet.

Tarun Tortoise, who lived by the river, listened patiently. “Speed is great, Raju, but let’s see who can win a race,” said Tarun with a cheeky smile.

Raju burst out laughing. “You? Win against me? Alright, Tarun, let’s race tomorrow!”

The next morning, the villagers gathered to watch. The race started at the banyan tree, went around the pond, and ended at the big temple. “Ready, set, go!” shouted Meena the myna.

Raju shot off like an arrow, leaving a dust trail. Tarun, meanwhile, calmly took one step at a time. “Steady wins the race,” he muttered.

Raju sped ahead but got bored. “I’m so fast, I have time for a nap!” He dozed off under a shady neem tree, dreaming of laddoos and applause.

Meanwhile, Tarun plodded along steadily. Some kids cheering for Tarun encouraged him with a dhol beat: Dha dhin dhin dha!

When Raju woke up, he saw Tarun far ahead near the temple. “What? How is he so close to winning?” Raju dashed as fast as he could.

But it was too late! Tarun had already reached the finish line. The villagers cheered, and the temple bells rang loudly.

“How did you beat me?” Raju asked, panting.

“Slow and steady, Raju. Patience and focus always win,” said Tarun with a grin.

From that day, Raju learned an important lesson and stopped underestimating others. The villagers celebrated with sweets, and Tarun became the village hero.

Moral of the Story: Steady steps and a focused mind can outpace even the fastest feet!

Bhima’s Tug-of-War with Gajendra the Elephant

Once upon a time, in the grand kingdom of Hastinapur, lived Bhima, the mighty son of Kunti. Bhima was known for his strength and his love for food. He would eat as much as ten people! One day, the royal family had a grand feast, and all the children of Hastinapur were invited.

“Bhima, you’ve eaten more than anyone else again!” laughed his brother Arjuna, as Bhima devoured his twelfth plate of sweets.

But Bhima wasn’t full. He wanted more! As he looked around the palace grounds, he noticed something huge in the distance. It was an enormous elephant named Gajendra, roaming through the fields.

“I want to show off my strength!” Bhima declared. He quickly rushed over to the elephant, who was munching on grass.

“Hello, Gajendra! How about a friendly competition? Let’s see who’s stronger—me or you!” Bhima challenged with a big smile.

The elephant raised its trunk and snorted. “I’m very strong, little Bhima. But if you want to try, I won’t stop you!”

The two began their friendly tug-of-war. Bhima grabbed the elephant’s trunk, and Gajendra tugged back with all his might. The ground shook with each pull, and the royal family watched in amazement.

With a mighty roar, Bhima gave one last tug—and whoosh! The elephant was pulled off its feet and onto the soft grass!

Everyone cheered! “Bhima, you’re the strongest!” Arjuna said, clapping his hands.

Bhima beamed proudly. “Gajendra was a good sport! But next time, maybe I’ll try tugging with a tree!”

And so, Bhima’s strength became famous all over the kingdom, and he was known as the mightiest warrior of Hastinapur.

Moral of the Story: True strength comes from kindness and fair play, not just muscle!

The Great Cookie Adventure

In a small village at the edge of the forest, there was a bakery known for its magical cookies. The bakery was run by a cheerful young baker named Timmy, who was famous for making the best cookies in town. Every morning, a line of villagers gathered outside, eager to taste the sweet treats.

One sunny day, a little squirrel named Nutty visited the bakery. Nutty had heard rumors about the magical cookies, and he was very curious. He decided to sneak inside the bakery to find out if the rumors were true.

As Nutty tiptoed into the bakery, he noticed something strange—there were cookies floating in the air! They were twirling and spinning like they were dancing to a secret tune only they could hear. Nutty's eyes grew wide, and he couldn't resist the temptation. He grabbed one of the cookies, and the moment he took a bite, he felt like he could fly!

"Wow!" Nutty exclaimed, looking around. "This is amazing!"

But then something unexpected happened. The cookie began to giggle! "Hey, put me down!" it squeaked. Nutty was so surprised that he dropped the cookie. The cookie landed on the floor, and to Nutty’s astonishment, it stood up on its own!

"You're not supposed to eat me yet!" the cookie said, shaking its crumbly head. "I'm a Cookie Adventurer, and I have a mission to complete!"

Nutty, still in shock, decided to help the cookie with its mission. Together, they went on a wild adventure through the bakery, dodging flying flour, outsmarting mischievous doughnuts, and racing through piles of sugar. Along the way, Nutty discovered that the cookies were actually magical beings, each with their own tiny adventure to live out before being eaten.

At the end of the day, Nutty learned an important lesson: some cookies are meant to be eaten, but others have bigger dreams to chase first!

Moral of the Story: "Not all cookies are meant to be eaten; some are here to share their sweet adventures—some are born to dance and dream!!"

एक पगली लड़की के बिन

अमावस की काली रातों में दिल का दरवाजा खुलता है,
जब दर्द की काली रातों में गम आंसू के संग घुलता है,
जब पिछवाड़े के कमरे में हम निपट अकेले होते हैं,
जब घड़ियाँ टिक-टिक चलती हैं,सब सोते हैं, हम रोते हैं,
जब बार-बार दोहराने से सारी यादें चुक जाती हैं,
जब ऊँच-नीच समझाने में माथे की नस दुःख जाती है,
तब एक पगली लड़की के बिन जीना गद्दारी लगता है,
और उस पगली लड़की के बिन मरना भी भारी लगता है।

जब पोथे खाली होते है, जब हर्फ़ सवाली होते हैं,
जब गज़लें रास नही आती, अफ़साने गाली होते हैं,
जब बासी फीकी धूप समेटे दिन जल्दी ढल जता है,
जब सूरज का लश्कर छत से गलियों में देर से जाता है,
जब जल्दी घर जाने की इच्छा मन ही मन घुट जाती है,
जब कालेज से घर लाने वाली पहली बस छुट जाती है,
जब बेमन से खाना खाने पर माँ गुस्सा हो जाती है,
जब लाख मन करने पर भी पारो पढ़ने आ जाती है,
जब अपना हर मनचाहा काम कोई लाचारी लगता है,
तब एक पगली लड़की के बिन जीना गद्दारी लगता है,
और उस पगली लड़की के बिन मरना भी भारी लगता है।

जब कमरे में सन्नाटे की आवाज़ सुनाई देती है,
जब दर्पण में आंखों के नीचे झाई दिखाई देती है,
जब बड़की भाभी कहती हैं, कुछ सेहत का भी ध्यान करो,
क्या लिखते हो दिन भर, कुछ सपनों का भी सम्मान करो,
जब बाबा वाली बैठक में कुछ रिश्ते वाले आते हैं,
जब बाबा हमें बुलाते है,हम जाते में घबराते हैं,
जब साड़ी पहने एक लड़की का फोटो लाया जाता है,
जब भाभी हमें मनाती हैं, फोटो दिखलाया जाता है,
जब सारे घर का समझाना हमको फनकारी लगता है,
तब एक पगली लड़की के बिन जीना गद्दारी लगता है,
और उस पगली लड़की के बिन मरना भी भारी लगता है।

दीदी कहती हैं उस पगली लडकी की कुछ औकात नहीं,
उसके दिल में भैया तेरे जैसे प्यारे जज़्बात नहीं,
वो पगली लड़की मेरी खातिर नौ दिन भूखी रहती है,
चुप चुप सारे व्रत करती है, मगर मुझसे कुछ ना कहती है,
जो पगली लडकी कहती है, मैं प्यार तुम्ही से करती हूँ,
लेकिन मैं हूँ मजबूर बहुत, अम्मा-बाबा से डरती हूँ,
उस पगली लड़की पर अपना कुछ भी अधिकार नहीं बाबा,
सब कथा-कहानी-किस्से हैं, कुछ भी तो सार नहीं बाबा,
बस उस पगली लडकी के संग जीना फुलवारी लगता है,
और उस पगली लड़की के बिन मरना भी भारी लगता है।

- कुमार विश्वास