Money Plant

 Emperor Akbar once went hunting in the forests of Bihar. Chasing a deer, they parted from their companions. They were wandering, hungry and thirsty.

God's gift

 A Brahmin lived in the city of Patiala. One day he went to the king to beg. The king gave a hundred rupees to a Brahmin in begging. But the Brahmin refused to take it. He said to the king, "I don't want a hundred rupees. If you want, give me one penny, but give me something you have earned with your hard work."

God's gift

     An old woman lived in a village in Bihar. He had no one in the world but his son Ramu. She used to grind people's flour and do other small things to raise her son. With that, they were able to make ends meet.

The desert

 THOSE of us who live in regions covered with forests and surrounded by hills may find it difficult to imagine what a desert is really like. The popular belief is that it is an endless stretch of sand where no rain falls and, therefore, no vegetation grows. It is dry, hot, waterless and without shelter. But this is not entirely correct. For those who have studied it, the desert can be a beautiful place. It is the home of a variety of people, animals and plants that have learnt to live under very hot and dry conditions. 

Bringing up kari

 KARI, the elephant, was five months old when he was given to me to take care of. I was nine years old and I could reach his back if I stood on tiptoe. He seemed to remain that high for nearly two years. We grew together; that is probably why I never found out just how tall he was. He lived in a pavilion, under a thatched roof which rested on thick tree stumps so that it could not fall in when Kari bumped against the poles as he moved about. 

The tiny teacher

 NAME the smallest insect you have seen, and the wisest. Is it the fly? No, it isn’t. Is it the mosquito? No, not the mosquito. Then it must be the worm. No, none of these. It is the ant—the commonest, the smallest but the wisest insect. The story of an ant’s life sounds almost untrue. But people have kept ants as pets, and have watched their daily behaviour closely. So we know a number of facts about this tiny, hard-working and intelligent creature. 

Desert Animals

 1.     DESERTS are the driest places on earth and sometimes go for months, or even years, without rain. But even the desert animals cannot survive without water, or for long periods in the scorching sun, so they have had to find different ways of coping with the harsh conditions

Fair Play

 1. JUMMAN Shaikh and Algu Chowdhry were good friends. So strong was their bond of friendship that when either of them went away from the village, the other looked after his family. Both were greatly respected in the village.

A Different Kind of School

 1.     I HAD heard a great deal about Miss Beam’s school, but not till last week did the chance come to visit it. 

An Indian – American Woman in Space: Kalpana Chawla

 1. KALPANA Chawla said that she never dreamed, as a child in Karnal, that she would cross the frontiers of space. It was enough that her parents allowed her to attend engineering college after she graduated from Tagore School.

 

Taro’s Reward

 1.     A YOUNG woodcutter named Taro lived with his mother and father on a lonely hillside. All day long he chopped wood in the forest. Though he worked very hard, he earned very little money. This made him sad, for he was a thoughtful son and wanted to give his old parents everything they needed. 

How the Dog Found Himself a New Master!

 1.     DOGS were once their own masters and lived the way wolves do, in freedom, until a dog was born who was ill pleased with this way of life. He was sick and tired of wandering about by himself looking for food and being frightened of those who were stronger than he. 

Who Did Patrick’s Homework?

 1.     PATRICK never did homework. “Too boring,” he said. He played hockey and basketball and Nintendo instead. His teachers told him, “Patrick! Do your homework or you won’t learn a thing.” And it’s true, sometimes he did feel like an ignoramus. But what could he do? He hated homework.