By Manoj Roy ne day, Mecku mouse went to Where? It’s been many days since I attended ) Blacky bear's shop to buy five kilos a party.” of carrots. “There isn’t any party,” Mecku said quickly. “So many carrots! Are you throwing a “| just felt like having carrot halwa and so party?” asked Black I thought” Baddy fox, who was also at the shop, “When is the party, Meeku?” Baddy asked overheard them and asked, “Party? When? eagerly, cutting Meeku short. 16 CHAMPAK“Look Baddy, there is no party!” said an annoyed Meeku. He quickly packed his carrots and left for home. Later that day, Meeku made carrot baba, ‘The sweet aroma filled his house and he couldn’t wait to eat it. He took a bow! of hot bava and sat down in front of the television, Just as he was about to take a bite, the doorbell rang. “Who could it be?” wondered Mecku, as he wasn't expecting anyone. Meeku was surprised to see Baddy at the door. “Baddy! What are you doing here?” he asked. “Tam here for the party. I hope I am not too early,” said Baddy. Mecku became irritated. “Like I told you already, | am not having a pa-” In his excitement, Baddy paid no attention to what Meeku was saying, He shoved Meeku aside and barged into the house eagerly. “You've made carrot hal” he said, catching. a whiff of the aroma. “I love carrot hain.” “There is no party and the bavw is not for you!” said Mecku angrily. “How many times do I have to tell you?” “Why are you getting angry, Meeku? Tam just here to have a good time with you. The more the merrier,” said Baddy. While the two were talking, Larry frog and Laptu jackal too arrived. “What are you two doing here?” asked Meeku shocked. “Baddy told us that you are having a party, so we came to join you,” said Laptu, “Listen you two, I don’t know what Baddy has told you, but I am not having a party! shouted Meek, “There's no need to get so worked up, Meeku. Since we're all here anyway, let’s just have a good time,” said Larry. “Now, let's have some music,” he said and settled down on the sofa in front of the television, and tuned into a music channel. ‘This was the last straw for Meeku. “Enough! You are all here uninvited. So please, just leave!” he screamed.Baddy, Larry and Laptu looked at each other in shock. “Mecku, we're sorry if we offended you,” aid Baddy, putting an arm around Meeku. “Our intention wa your house or upset you.” not to intrude into “LE you want, we will leave right now.” said Laptu. “But I have brought your favourite pulav. | know you love it.” So saying, he placed a box on the table. “Remember you had wanted to have mushrooms once? Well, I have brought grilled mushrooms for you to try,” said Baddy, placing another box. Larry too had brought some food for the party, which he quietly placed on the table. Meeku’s shock slowly turned to embarrassment. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I thought that you had come just to eat my carrot haha. But I was wrong...” “How silly of you?” said Baddy, smiling, “Though I confess that at first I was tempted to come here because of the carrot habia.” he joked, “And what's a party without food?” said Larry. “Today, I realised that real fun is in sharing and not enjoying alone. ’'m sorry our party got delayed because of me,” said Mecku. “Let’s not delay it any farther and leave our tummies grumbling,” said Laptu, eyeing all the food on the table. ‘The four of them had a jolly party and shared all the food. For Mecku, it turned out to be more fun than eating the fain all by himself. @Of; the difference 4 Inf During winter, our jackets and sweaters keep us warm. Sometimes, we light fires to stay warm. Bout unlike us, the wood frog freezes itself to escape the harsh winter. The wood frog, found in North America, is known to freeze through winter, When the temperature drops below freezing point, the wood frog takes cover and starts the freezing process. Its pump water that fills up every little cavity Circle betw in the body. Gradually, 65 percent of the et turns to ice. Subsequently, the 2's breathing and heartheat stop. The frog has a substance in its body that lowers the freezing temperature of its tissues, preventing them from becoming compleiely frozen and eventually dyin During this frozen hibernation, the fre body temperature remains between -1°C and -6°C. The metabolism of the frog drops and this helps it survive the SEN ea lt Raed Berle eT) Dean es Sse emir BTL winter without food. During spring, when it st becoming atmer, the ice inside the frog’s body melts. The water flows back to the cells and blood starts flowing again, Slowly, the frog returns to its normal selfA Clean Escape Plan By Ramashray Singh Yadav intu, the mouse lived in the forest of Nandanvan, He worked ina tory and would go to worl in che morning and come back home late in the evening, One day, Mintu worked a few extra hours in the factory: So, by the time he started for home, it was quite dark and there were hardly inimals along the path. To feel less lonely, he started humming his favourite tune while walking back home. any Suddenly, Tony, the wild cat jumped before him, blocking his path, ‘Tony usually went cout hunting late in the day to prey on animals who were tired after working all day long and therefore could be caught easily. Today, it seemed Mintu would be his meal ‘Mincu was petrified at the sight of ‘Tony He had heard about the vicious cat that lurked in the dark bur he didn’t realise how scary he was. But he remained calm, and came up with an idea. Mintu mustered enough courage 20 to say, “Hello! Aren't you Tony, the famous predator?” "Yes. And you have the honour of being my meal today,” replied ‘Tony haughtily. “Tris indeed an honour. I've heard so much about you. But I’ve also heard that you frequently get stomach aches,” said Mintu. “Yes, so?” said Tony, with a raised eyebrow. “Do you know why you get stomach aches frequently? It's because you don't wash your food before you eat it, Imagine all the places 1 ‘would have gone and walked on,” said Minna “Hmmm..you do have a point, But what should I do about that now?” asked ‘Tony.“Before you eat me, you should let me take a bath so that I am clean and edible,” said Mintu. “I don’t trust you. Do you think I don't know your plan to escape?” snarled Tony. “1 will not run away. And anyway, faster and stronger than T am; you can easily catch me even if I try,” said Mintu. you are ‘Tony seemed to consider the i Mintu continued, “Moreover, this is for your own good. Haven't you read that eating unwashed food makes you ill? Tes not too late to change your habit. But if you don’t want to change and are okay with getting stomach aches, I am ready to be your meal right away.” ‘Tony thought for a bit and then finally agreed to let Mintu take a bath. “Where will you take a bath?” he asked. “There is a pond nearby: T usually take a bath there after work,” said Mintu. “Okay, but don’t try to play any tricks with me,” warned Tony. “T won't. You come with me too,” said Mintu, leading Tony to the pond. Once they reached the pond, Tony said, “Now, have your bath and come out quickly. I am very hungry.” Mintu got into the pond and washed himself up thoroughly. December (First) 2016 RITWiKA “Come out now: I can't wait any longer,” said ‘Tony impatiently: “L will but why don’t you wash yourself as well before you eat me? The dirt on body, especially your paws, can cause stomach aches as well.” said Mintu, “Tam scared of getting into the pond. I don't know how to swim,” said Tony. “Don’t worry, I'll guide you to the shallow part of the pond,” said Mintu, pointing to an area of the pond away from him, ‘Tony got into the pond and went in the direction pointed by Mintu. There, he got stuck in the thick slush at the bottom of the pond, He tried to get out bur he could not move at all. “Tam stuck. Get me out of here,” cried Tony. “Bye, Tony!” said Mintu, running away as fast as he could. eCHEEKU AND MEEKU ARE FISHING. I'LL ‘CATCH MEEKU AND GET HOLD OF ALL. THE FISH THEY'VE CALIGHT AS WELL. OH NO! MOTI IS COMING THIS WAY. I DON'T THINK I SHOULD GO NEAR THEM NOW. ‘OW! I'VE STEPPED LET ME HIDE HERE. CHEEKU AND MEEKU WILL COME THIS WAY AFTER FISHING. CHEEKU AND MEEKU ARE WALKING BACK, WHAT HAS HAPPENED ‘ To MOTI? T AM NOT ABLE TO WALK. a 6 DON'T WORRY. I'LL GO GET FIRST AID. COME QUICKLY! I'LL TRY TO TAKE OUT THE THORN.MEEKU IS ALL ALONE AND IS WALKING THIS WAY. THIS IS MY CHANCE TO CATCH HIM CAT HAS CAUGHT MEEKU! WE HAVE TO HELP HIM. TO CATCH CAT BY HIS COLLAR, CCHEEKU USES THE FISHING LINE | er HOW DARE YOU CATCH MY FRIEND MEEKU! > Q od T'LL TEACH YOU A LESSON! PLEASE LET GO OF ME. "LL DO ANYTHING] YOU WANT! THEN CARRY MOTI] ON YOUR BACK ALL THE WAY TO HIS HOUSE. THIS WILL BE YOUR PUNISHMENT. HA HA! SERVES YOU RIGHT, CAT!Monty Mends Lush Meadows. Monty, the monkey was sitting on a mango tree and eating the ect mangoes, when he saw Foxie, the fox [: was a bright and pleasant morning in walking towards the tree. His Ways “Why is this fox coming here? P’ve heard alot of stories about foxes and their cunningness. ‘This one must be up to some mischief as well,” thought Monty. “Hey, Foxie! I know what you're up t0, Don’t you try to eat the mangoes from the tree,” Monty said from up the tree. “What do you mean? I don't want to eat mangoes,” said Foxie. “Even if you want to, you can’t reach them. And then you'll tell me that these mangoes are sour anyway, so who wants to eat them. You cannot fool me. I've heard a story where a fox tries to eat some grapes, and when he cannot reach them, he calls them sour,” said Monty. Fosie became angry at Monty’s accusations. “Monty, itis not right to make assumptions about someone and their character. I was quietly going on my way; you are the one who struck up this CHAMPAK,conversation just to annoy me, Anyway, L don't like mangoes; they are messy to eat,” said Foxie. Monty started laughing. “See, you behaved the way I said you would. You say that you don't like mangoes because you can’t reach them. But if you get one, you are sure to enjoy eating ir, you cunning fox!” “Don't call me cunning! You are just saying these things to irritate me,” said Foxie. “Cunning! Cunning! Cunning! Your entire family is cunning. Do you think I don’t know how your great grandfather fooled a crow and got the sada from him? The poor, innocent crow had to go hungry because of your great grandfather,” accused Monty. December (First] 2016 “That's in the past and it was just one instance, 1 have not done anything like that, How can you blame me for the mistake done by others?” asked Foxie, But Monty continued to tease Foxie. Unable to take Monty's taunts, Foxie walked away crying After a while, Monty's son Mintu ran to him crying “What is the matter, Mintu? Why are you crying?” asked Monty concerned. “We were playing near the banyan tree, when suddenly all the animals surrounded me and started scolding me. They called me a cheat and mischief-maker,” said Mintu sobbing, “What did you do, Mintu?” asked Monty. “1 was just hopping and jumping around, when Robby, the rabbit starred calling me a restless monkey, He said that monkeys can never sit quietly in one place and they are always creating a ruckus wherever they are, and that I was no different,” said Mintu, “That's not true!” said Monty offended. “Cathy, the eat then told everyone that she had heard a story about my great grandfather who had snatched an entire loaf of bread from a family of cats just to seek revenge. Then 27everyone started calling me a cheat. Why am T blamed for something my great grandfather did?” asked Mintu, crying inconsolably. ‘That’s when it struck Monty that the animals had treated his son, the way he had treated Foxie just a few minutes ago. “I was unfair She must be very upset” thought Monty and immediately set out to find Fosie. He found her sobbing under the guava tree, and mean to Foxi “Foxie, Lam sorry for being mean to you. T blamed you for things that were not your fault. [just made sumptions about your character rather than trying to understand who you really are,” said Monty. He then told her about what his son underwent because of his friends. Foxie felt better on hearing Monty's words. “You are right, Monty. It does hurt to be accused for things you had no connection to or control over,” said Foxie. “I think we need to have a word with Robby and Cathy about this too.” “Yes, you ate tight. They should not make the same mistake that I did. Come, let's 20,” said Monty to his new friend. °By Satish Roy nga, the monkey, Luey, the mynah and Oggy, the owl had built their houses on the saw some kids playing cricket near same tree. Lucy’s nest was on the his tree. topmost branch of tree and Onga lived on a branch tight below that When the ball fell near him, he one, while Oggy made her home picked it up and said to them, inside the tree trunk. “You kids have become very troublesome. If the ball had bit Onga often got into arguments me, I would have got hurt and with all the animals in the forest. dropped my bag as well.” One day, as Onga was returning Oggy, who was watching him back home from the market, he from within the hollow, said,“Onga, give the ball back to the children. Onga paid no heed to Lucy’s apology and You were not hurt, then why are you merely went back into his house. Soon after, getting so angry?” the neighbours stopped talking to Onga “Oggy, please don’t interfere. I am trying A few days later, late one night, the animals : to teach these kids a lesson. They can’t wo ga be so careless while playing,” said Onga angrily. He then threw away the ball and went home. ‘The next day, Lucy was cleaning her house. When she threw the garbage out, some of it fell on Onga’s house. ‘This angered Onga. He picked up whatever garbage he could find and threw it into Lucy’s nest. “What are you doing, Onga?” asked Lucy, shocked by his behaviour. “You dumped your waste on my house, so, Lam doing the same to you,” Onga replied coolly. “T did throw some waste out but I did not realise that it landed over your house. Twas a genuine mistake and I apologise for that,” said Lucy earnestly.were woken up from their sleep by some loud noises. They came out of their homes and saw Onga bursting crackers. “Ongal Why are you bursting crackers so late in the night?” asked Lucy. “Besides, this is no place to burst them. You should burst crackers in an open area; otherwise, it can cause accidents.” “T don’t need your advice, Lucy! I will burst crackers wherever and whenever I want. If you have a problem, you can go and sit inside your house,” said Onga arrogantly. “Onga, Lucy is right. There are so many houses here. It is dangerous to burst crackers here. Besides, why are you bursting crackers now? Diwali was over a month ago,” said Oggy. “My cousin from the city sent some leftover crackers for me, since he knows I love them. And I felt like bursting them today. Do I really need a reason to burst crackers?” replied Onga, continuing to burst erackers, while the others watched helplessly. a He placed a rocket inside a bottle and lit it. The rocket zoomed up, hit one of the branches of the tree and fell near Onga’s house. The clothes which Onga had 32 put out to dry caught fire and it soon spread to his house. “My house is on fire! Help!” cried Onga. Oggy quickly called the fire brigade. “My house will be destroyed before the fire brigade arsives,” said Onga crying. “Oxgy, P've got some buckets, Let’s go get some water and pour it over the flames. ‘That should help contain the fire till the fire brigade arrives,” suggested Lucy. “Onge’s house is on top of the tree. We will not be able to carry water all the way up there,” said Oggy. “But I have a plan, Keep a few buckets of water ready.”Oggy called Ellie, the elephant over the phone and requested for her help. By the time Ellie arrived, Lucy had fetched four buckets of water from the nearby lake. Ellie filled her trunk with the water in the buckets and sprayed it over Onga’s house. Within minutes, the fire was extinguished. allie, Tam very grateful to you. If it weren't for you, I would have lost everything,” said a relieved Onga. “You must thank Ogey and Lucy. They are the ones who really helped you. I merely followed their plan,” said ie. Onga was ashamed. He turned to Ogey and Luey and said, “Lam sorry for my behaviour. I was rude to you, and yet you helped me. Thank you so much. I will not fight with anybody or give an opportunity for anyone to comphin.” Oggy laughed and said, “Onga, I have no December (Firs!) 2016 complaint against you. You are a good neighbour, but just stubborn at times. | am happy that you have realised your fault.” “And whenever you burst crackers, please do so in an open space. This accident could have been avoided if you had been more careful,” said Lucy. “L will remember your advice, Lucy. And Thave learnt a valuable lesson from my mistake,” said Onga. e 33THE TREASURE HUNT By Vandana Gupta aju, Sonu and Gopi returned to Gopi’s house after playing cricket at the local ground. All three were in a foul mood. “I don’t want to play with Rakesh anymore!” said Raju angrily. “Yes, me too!” said Sonu. ‘The four boys would play cricket every evening at the ground, Rakesh had the cricket set that included a bat, ball, stumps and gloves. He would tantly boast because of this and even dictate the terms of the game. cor “Rakesh doesn’t accept that he’s out and continues to bat for as long as he wants. Otherwise, he threatens to go home, taking his cricket set with him,” moaned Gopi “Because of him, we end up fielding all the time. Lam fed up of his behaviour!” said Raju. “Lwish we had our own cricket set” “I did ask my father for one last just last 40 week, bur he refused s one when Rakesh, said Gopi glumly. ying why do we need ares his set with. us.” “T have an idea! Why don’t we pool in all the money from our piggy banks and buy one ourselves?” suggested Sonu. CHAMPAKagreed the other two excitedly. ‘The next day, the three friends gathered at Raju’s house with their piggy banks. Gopi’ piggy bank had Rs.112 in it and Sonu’s had Rs.86. When it was Raju’s turn to count the money in his piggy bank, his sister Minu, who was playing with a magnet, came next to Raju to take a closer look. As Minu playfully waved the magnet over Raju’s hand, a few coins got stuck to it. “Hey! Don’t disturb us, Minn. These ate not your play things,” said Raju, sending her out of the room. and ak, Raju then finished counting his mo found that he had Rs.137 in his piggy vith all our money put together, we still wor't be able to afford a cricket set,” said Raju woefully. ‘The other two went back home upset. ‘The next day, Gopi and Sonu returned to Raju’s house. They about something, “What's the matter with you two? You look unusually happy. Did you manage to buy a cricket set?” asked Raju. “No, we did not, but we will be able to buy it soon,” said Gopi. “How?” asked Raju puzzled. “Last night, I read a story about four thieves who steal money from a tich landlord and December (First) 2016 hide ir underground so that they don’t get caught with it.” said Sonu. “So, what is your point? ‘The way you two behaved was as though you had actually found some hidden treasure,” said Raju. 1n to the entire story,” said Gopi. “I heard in the news this morning that there was a robbery a few days ago somewhere close to our neighbourhood. Even though the police have caught the criminals they have been unable to trace the stolen money. T think the robbers would have hidden it underground. We should look for it!” said Gopi excitedly. “And how do you suggest we do that?” asked Raju. “Yesterday, when you were counting the coins in your piggybank, did you see how ome of them stuck to Minu’s magnet? ing a cue—we'll use the magnet to cr Py, var i fasweep the ground to see if there’s any money buried underground,” said Sonu. “Assuming the idea works, where do we begin looking for the money? We don't even know if the money is hidden underground in the first place,” said Raju. He was sceptical about the idea. [o get something, we have to work hard. ‘There is no harm in trying,” said Gopi. “Even if we get the money, it does not belong to us. We have to report it to the police. Then, the police will reward us for finding it. With that reward money, we will be able to buy the cricket ser,” said Sonu. “This is not going to work,” said Raju Gopi and Sonu tried to convince Raju, and after much coaxing, he finally agreed. ‘The first step was to get the magnet from Minu. The three bought Minu some ice cteam and chocolates aftet which she agreed to let them borrow her magnet for a few days. Then they decided to look for the stolen money every evening starting from Raju’s house. ‘They took turns to wave the magnet over the entire length and breadth of the garden. On the second day, they tried the area around their school but with no success. Yet, the friends did not give up. On the third day, they decided to search the lawn at Sonu’s house. As he swept the magnet slowly over the thick bed of grass, Raju sensed a strong pull in one point. As he moved the magnet closer, something gor stuck to the magnet. “I found something!” Raju announced to the other two. “You found the treasure?” asked Gopi and Sonu excitedly as they came running towards Raju. “Not the treasure, but T found a bunch of keys,” said Raju, showing the keys that were looped to an elephant keychain. CHAMPAK,lI i Sonu told his father about the . treasure hunt that he and his friends have been on fi li | i Il f IN “Ha ha hal A treasure hunt that proved useful for me. But your hardwork shall not go in vain. Tomorrow, I will take you all to buy a cricket set as a reward for finding my keys,” said Sonw’s father. “But you have to promise me “Heyl ‘These belong to my father,” said that you will let the police do Sonu, “He lost them four days ago and he their work and not waste your time looking has been very upset ever since. He has been for the treasure,” he added. looking for them every day. ‘The keys must have fallen out of his pocket and into this, ‘The three friends agreed. They realised that bed of grass when he was walking by.” their hard work had paid off. e He ran to hand over the keys to his father, The other two followed him. Sonu’s father was extremely relieved and hap; gave him the key looking for them for many days now. They are the keys to my office cupboard that have all the important fle My boss is due to return from his trip tomorrow and would have surely asked me about it. ‘Thank you for saving me from an embarrassing situation,” said Sonu’s father. “By the way, how did you find i?” December (First] 2016 when Sonu “Thave beenWediica Nida Band) Byers Pie Twodarsinpert teaaiese, chs inert seed che us Beller and make us be Like a mother, ’ Y they bring out the best in me. a ‘Tanya Thakur, 14 years All the teachers always work, . . Sultanpur ‘Just for you and me. «Le Mg My Best Friend One who is net selfish, cb . ah aon a one Is a teacher. fe . . with whore T have fun, Ateacher thinks of others, o cond be compared 40 none. eal moles us hg e T share my feelings, Kirti Vyas, 12 years te without fear “New Delhi ts as she is my companion, : She frees me from all tension . and gives my problems a sokstion She might be sometimes tough, but not rough. oe To me she is very sweet she is the one T always wish to meet +. K. Shri Sowmiya, 14 years Salem Akshat Prajapati, 12 years © Bharuch DeoriaDADAJI AND THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES By Vivek Chakravarty THAT MAN DID NOT NEED ANY HELP. ——____ oy, HE SEEMED QUITE RIVA, RAHUL DADAAI, COMFORTABLE MOVING AND DADAJI SHOULD T HELP| ‘AROUND BY HIMSELF. WERE IN A THAT LINGLE RESTAURANT WHO IS INA IS 00D, BUT YOU SHOULD DO IT ONLY WHEN IT IS REQUIRE! OR ASKED FOR. YES, BUT HE WAS IN A WHEELCHAIR, SO I THOUGHT HE MAY NEED HELP. IF YOU HAD HELPED HIM, THEN HE WOLILD HAVE FELT CONSCIOUS ABOUT HIS DISABILITY OH! NOW I UNDERSTAND. OFFERING HELP WHEN THEY DON’T REALLY NEED IT MAY OFFEND THEM OR MAKE THE UNCOMFORTABLE. LOOK AT THE SITUATION TO SEE WHETHER PEOPLE WITH DISABILITY ACTUALLY NEED Cee non CAN Ne ANY HELP AND IF YOU THINK THEY DO, THEN ASK THEM, WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT DISABILITIES, DADAJIP THERE ARE BOTH MENTAL AND PHYSICAL DISABILITIES THAT MAY IMPAIR A PERSON'S, MOVEMENT, ACITIVITIES AND SENSES. BUT THAT DOES NOT STOP THEM FROM DOING ‘AND ACHIEVING THINGS. THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES WHO HAVE MADE CONTRIBUTIONS IN SEVERAL FIELDS.Wow! DOES NOT PERSON FROM ‘THE FAMOUS COMPOSER BEETHOVEN COMPOSED MANY BEALITIFUL ACHIEVEING BOUND DR. SURESH ADVANI WAS AWARDED THE PADMA BHUSHAN WANT. FOR HIS CONTRIBUTION TO THE FIELD OF MEDICINE. AND MANY OF OUR PARALYMPIANS HAVE WON MEDALS FOR INDIA. awe RIGHT! THAT IS WHY, TO ENCOURAGE THEM AND CELEBRATE THEIR CONTRIBLITIONS TO THE WORLD, THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PERSON WITH DISABILITIES IS CELEBRATED EVERY YEAR. (ON DECEMBER 3. IT IS AN OBSERVANCE] PROMOTED BY THE LINITED NATIONS DO THEY HAVE THEMES Se TO CELEBRATE THE DAY? DADAJI NODDED HIS HEAD IN AGREEMENT.Make Way for Waste By Vandana Gupta [he school had reopened after Diwali vacation, All the classrooms were bustling with the chatter of the students. Karan Sir walked into class VIA and was happy to see the cheerful faces. “Good morning, class,” he greeted them. “ hope you had a good holiday. What did you all do during your vacation?” “Sig, I went to Mussoorie to visit my grandmother. It was a wonderful trip. She made a lot of sweets for us. T have brought some for everyone,” said Ankita, taking ‘out a box of sweets. 48 “That's nice. Thank you, Ankita. What about the others?” asked Karan Sir. Swaroop spoke up next. “On Diwali, I burst a lot of crackers and played with my friends in the colony. My brother and I formed a local cricket club. We will be organising cricket matches and raising funds through it for a pet shelter nearby,” he said. “This is a brilliant ideal” exclaimed Karan Sir, “Do let me know when you are planning to organise the matches. I would love to watch them and buy a few tickets as well.” Karan Sir then looked around the room and pointed to the twins Nikhil and Nikitha. “What about you two? What did you do?” he asked. “We went to visit our aunt in Mysura, sir,” they replied. “We loved the city, We learnt a lot from our aunt and the city, too.” Karan Sir was curious, “What did you learn?” he asked the twins. “Sir, we learnt that M s the cleanest city in India. Most of the waste is recycled and the city has an efficient door-to-door waste collection system,” explained Nikitha. “Several workshops and awareness programmes are organised in the city to CHAMPAKeducate the people on the importance of recycling waste. Many NGOs actively take up this work as well,” Nikhil added. “Ie seems you have learnt a lot during your trip.” said Karan Sir, “Yes, sir. In fact, we are now trying to implement what we have learnt within our apartment. We organised a workshop for the residents of our apartment on how to segregate waste. We showed them how to put kitchen waste, plastic, glass and metal in separate bags; that way, they can be easily sorted and sent for recycling. We have also dug a pit in a corner of our apartment garden to throw the kitchen waste and make compost,” said Nikitha, “This compost can later be used as fertiliser for the plants in the garden,” il. said “This is a great step that you two have taken,” said December (First) 2016 Karan sir appreciatively. “Every day, our cities generate a lot of waste. People sometimes throw waste carelessly on the road instead of disposing them in garbage bins. Because of this, the ground, air and water around such places become contaminated. If you have noticed, such places are always infested with flies and mosquitoes, thus causing diseases like malaria and dengue. That is why waste segregation and recycling is important to manage waste in our cities,” he explained to the class. Karan sir then had an idea. “Why don't we implement waste segregation in school as well?” he suggested. “Nikitha and Nikhil can show us how: Later, we shall spread the word to the other classes and teachers as well. I will talk to our principal about this.” All the students were happy, especially Nikitha and Nikhil. ‘Their class would be the first to start a green revolution in school! °|. As you keep using me, I drain myself for you. When I die, you refill me, And T live again Who am I? T have six legs but no toes. Thave wings but no feathers. I feed on your garbage, But I have no teeth. Who am I? Tam in every living being, And make up most of Earth. You can find me in the air or ground, Indifferent states. Who am I? Lam light as a feather, But you can't hold me for long. The more you run, More difficult it is to catch me. Who am I? 3. . The Rock Garden, a sculpture garden, is situated in which city? a. Chandigarh b. Patna cc. Nagpur d. Vishakhapatnam Which hill station is known as India's Switzerland? a. Chail b. Darjeeling cc. Ponmudi d. Khajjiar Who was the first Indian woman to win a medal in the Asian Games? a. Karnam Malleshwari b. P.T. Usha c. Kamaljit Sandhu dd. Sania Mirza . Who was the first Indian to win an Oscar award? a. Bhanu Athaiya b. Resul Pookutty cc. AR. Rahman d. Satyajit Ray yjoaug y vayom"e Aly ‘2 ued T €1 Wo oym :suamsuy Dy DE PZ OT mou ROK 0 YonW MOH :suoMsuyQ My pet bird constantly pecks itself and pulls out its feathers, It now has bare, red patches all over its body. What should I do? Pallavi Chadha, 12 years, Pathankot Dear Pallavi, A. Birds usually pluck their feathers to preen and groom themselves. Birds that are bored do it more frequently. For some birds, itis also a means of displaying anxiety. Anxiety can be caused due to various reasons: lack of fresh air or light, loud noises, changes in their environment or loneliness. But feather- plucking in particular could mean any of the following: stress, insufficient diet and internal or external parasites. In all of these, birds resort to plucking their feathers due to discomfort. Thus, to tackle this problem, try keeping your bird busy with toys or by changing its environment to reduce isolation, Talk to your vet about introducing omega fatty acids into your bied’s dict as it has been proven successful in reducing, feather-plucking behaviour in birds. Q. Why do rabbits thump their feet on the ground? Mohan Deshmukh, 10 years, Pune Dear Mohan, A. For rabbits, thumping the back foot is a natural reaction to any danger that they may have sensed through smell, sound or sight. At such times, a rabbit will stand on all four feet, sometimes in a tip-toe position, with its ears perked up, and then thump its back foot to warn the other rabbits in the warren—a network of interconnecting rabbit burrows— that there just one foot, or thump both at the same time, Rabbits aren’t very vocal animals, so thumping is an important way of communicating among themselves, They may remain in the thumping position until they are convineed that the danger, Some rabbits will thump danger is yone. IF you have questions about pets/animals/birds, write to us and wail ask Aunt Maneke to answer. = =Dr. Toto’s Birthday Gift By Ramvinay Prajapati . Toto, the tortoise was the oldest year? We must throw a special party for animal in Sundervan and still he him” was hale and hearty. Every day, he would wake up early in the morning, “150? He is quite healthy for his age, isn’t exercise, have a light breakfast and leave he? He must be taking special care of his for his clinic on time, He was loved and health to be able to live this long,” said Lily, respected by all the animals in the forest the fox in awe, One day, when Toto was walking to the clinic, he met his neighbours along the way. “Good morning, Uncle ‘Toto! How are you?” asked Squeaky, the squirrel. “Pm fine, dear,” said Toto, smiling warmly. “Uncle, isn’t it your birthday in a couple of days?” asked Danny, the deer. “Yes, itis! How nice of you to remember,” replied Toto. After exchanging a few pleasantries, ‘Toto continued on his way to the clinic. Once ‘Toto was out of earshot, Danny said, “Friends, do you know that Uncle ‘Toto will be turning 150 years old this December (First) 2016“That's true. He doesn’t cat any junk food and exercises regulatly. Moreover, each animal has a different lifespan. Among all the animals, tortoises live the longest. The world’s oldest tortoise, Jonathan, is 184 years old” said Squeaky. “Really?” asked Danny, surprised. “Looks like Uncle Toto will break Jonathan’s record.” In the meanwhile, as ‘Toto was walking towards his clinic, he stopped midway on seeing a family of baboons that had recently moved to Sundarvan. There daughter play in the water too long in this was a pond near the tree on which the chilly weather; she may fall ill.” baboons had made their home. “Nothing will happen to her.” said the ‘Toto became worried at the sight of a baby father baboon causally. baboon playing in the pond, and said to the father baboon, “Please don’t let your “Something will, if you don't listen to me now,” said Toto, pulling the baby baboon out of the pond ‘The baby baboon started crying, “I want to go back to the pond!” she wailed. », The father baboon became furious. “How dare you pull my daughter out of the pond?” he screamed at ‘Toto. “You're not only old but crazy too! You made my little one cry. Go away from here!” Toto did not say anything, He simply went on his way. Two days later, on his birthday, CHAMPAK,all the animals of the forest arrived at Could you please attend to her at once?” ‘Toto’s house early to prepare for the party. he pleaded. ‘The house was decorated, lights were put up, food was arranged and the cake was “Yes, of course, Bring her inside,” said ‘Toto, brought in as well. leading Bobby into his house. Later in the day, when the birthday party ‘Toto checked the young baboon and said, was well underway, there was a knock on the “Bobby, you daughter has pneumonia.” door. Lily answered the door. It was a father baboon holding his daughter in his arms. “What is pneumonia? ve never heard of He looked very worried and anxious. it,” said Bobby. “Is this Dr. Toto’s house?” the father “Pneumonia is caused by the infection baboon enquired. of one or both the lungs. She must have caught a severe cold which with time “Yes. Who are you?” asked Lily: turned into pneumonia,” explained Toto. “Lam Bobby. My family moved to this “Will she get better?” asked Bobby worried. forest recently. My daughter is unwell. She is running a high fever and has difficulty “There’s no cause for concern, Bobby. breathing too,” said Bobby. ‘This infection can be easily treated with antibiotics and anti-viral medicines,” said “Lam sorry but Uncle Toto is in the midst ‘Toto. He gave the baby baboon a couple of his birthday celebration. Could you wait of shots. till tomorrow and see him at his clinic?” asked Lily, Toto came to the door. “Aren't you the one I met a couple of days ago near the pond?” he asked. Looking at Bobby’s puzzled expression, Lily said, “This is Dr. Toto” “You are Dr. Toto?” asked Bobby & shocked. “I’m so sorry, Dr. Toto. ‘The other day, when you tried to help my daughter, I did not listen to you. Just as you had warned me, my daughter has fallen ill. December (First) 2016A little while later, the baby baboon “Thank you, Dr. Toto,” said Bobby. “How seemed to feel slightly better and smiled much would your fees be?” faintly at her father. This made Bobby very happy. “L won't take any fees today. It’s my gift to you on my birthday,” said ‘Toto smiling. “Bobby, you can take your daughter home in tomorrow “Ohl Happy birthday, Dr. Toto!” said Bobby, now. But bring her back aga for a follow-up. She will need to take a course of medicines for the next few “Thank you, Bobby!” said ‘Toto. It turned out days,” said Toto. to bea memorable birthday for Dr. Toto. @ Answers to puzzles Page 22: Plane Maze Page 8: Find the Animals A) Right 1a Free ‘Movement in and out of the Country B) Right to Rest and Leisure © Right to * Adequate Living 2 Standard 3 D) Right co a Education ie é 8 a E) Freedom of 2 & Opinion and 3 & Information gz Page 39: 8 The Right Measure Count the Coconuts f ‘They will need 3% cups of Jumbo and Sc y will break sugar and 12 Y cups Pfc a aesaeie i 58 December (First) 2016 CHAMPAK(aay es (eRe) de) es<9 NEWS FROM THE World of Medicine ¢ Life Crises Increase Curiosity A crisis, understood as an emotion- ally volatile period that has lasted at least a year and can overwhelm one’s capacity to cope, can happen at any stage of life. While trying times cause uncertainty and distress, they can also bring insight and creativity: A recent study of more than 900 sub- jects, funded by scientific-publishing company Springer Nature, found that those enduring crises are generally more curious about the world. “Armed with this knowledge,” said one of the researchers, “people may find these episodes easier to bear” Pneumonia Vaccine a Boon for Coeliac Patients Among people who haven't been vaccinated against pneumonia, those with coeliac disease have a 28 per cent higher risk of coming down with the lung infection, according to an Italian- British study of 9,803 coeliac patients and 1,01,755 controls. This 48 | SEPTEMBER 2016 | READER'S DIGEST might be because the spleen, which helps filter blood and fight off certain viruses and bacteria, does not always function well in coeliac sufferers. Never Too Old for Blood-Pressure and Cholesterol Control Some doctors assume that patients over 75 don’t have enough years left to benefit from heart-attack and stroke prevention. However, a recent review published in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology noted that, compared to younger adults, this age group may experience a more dramatic decline in the risk of death from cardio- vascular disease with interventions, such as lipid-lowering medi- cation or lifestyle changes. High-Fat Diet Hurts Sleep Men with high-fat diets were more likely to suffer from day- time fatigue and poor night-time slumber than men with low- fat diets, according to PHOTOGRAPH BY THE VOORHES