Sometimes even when it doesnt rain, it pours

October and November being bounteous of rains this year, it had become habitual and necessary to carry umbrellas every day, one for me and one for my four year old, to the bus stop every morning. One of these mornings, the sky threw a surprise with a spread of cloudless blue. I insisted that there was no need for an umbrella as it would not rain. Sure as the sun was about his brightness was the little ones answer - " I know it will not rain, but i want to carry the umbrella because i like to, i want to, that's all ". And he did walk to the bus stop, cheerful and talking non-stop, with the umbrella open. Got me thinking as to when i last did something just because i like to , i want to. Couldn't remember ......

I am sure i am not alone too ....

Story of story telling

Telling a story is different and easier than selling the story that we tell. This was taught to me by my going-to-be-four year old. Storytelling has become a ritual everyday at bedtime and also this extended ritual of extending the number if stories told with ' please please, last one'.

I was telling him a story from Panchatantra. " THE STORY OF THE LION, THE JACKAL AND THE CAVE" .... This is how the story goes ...

In a certain part of the jungle, there lived a lion, by the name of Kharanakhara. One day, he felt very hungry and wandered everywhere looking for food, but he could not catch a single animal. At sunset, he went into a big cave, thinking to himself, ' Some animal is bound to be living here and will certainly return during the evening. I shall hide in the cave and wait for him'.

Sure enough, after a short time, a jackal, arrived on the scene. He noticed that a lion's footprints were leading into the cave but not coming out. He thought to himself, 'Now I am dead! It is almost certain that there is a lion inside. But how can I know for sure? What can I do to find out?'

Suddenly an idea struck him. He stood at the entrance of the cave and began to shout, 'Hello, Cave! ' He waited in silence for some time. Then he cried, 'Ho, Cave! Don't you remember the agreement we came to, that when I arrive here, I shall first call you and you will reply and only then will I come in. Now, as you are not replying, I shall go to some other cave'.

When the lion heard this, he thought to himself, 'The cave really replies to the jackal, when he returns, but today, for fear of me, it is keeping quiet. So, I shall invite him in myself and when he enters, I'll make a meal of him'. With this idea in mind, the lion replied to the jackal, 'Hello, jackal! It's all right, you can come in.' The cave echoed with his roar so loud that even animals far away were frightened. The jackal bolted.


I was sort of concluding the story with ' Since the cave does not talk, the Jackal knew the lion was inside' . I had no time to proceed to the moral of the story since his little brain was already working and out came the statement ... " Amma, the cave cannot talk. The jackal cannot talk and the lion cannot talk ... then, how did this story come about???" !!!


Any answers??

A journey ..

Questions that my three year old asked my sister, who is full term pregnant :
1. Did the baby go in through your nose? or mouth?
2. When you eat, does the food fall on the baby's head?
this one deserves something ....
3. How do i get in there???!!!!!

We were standing in the queue to embark on the 'Emirates' at the airport and each of us had our boarding pass at hand. My three year old wanted one for himself so i gave him a pamphlet from a nearby counter to pass as his 'ticket'. As he stood in great animation in the queue, a lady who was
ahead of him in the queue noticed him and asked, " Is that your ticket?
"He said, "Yes!".
"Where are you going?"
"To Dubai, where are you goving?"
"I am going to Dubai, too".
He immediately retorted, "I am going to Dubai, one."
She laughed and asked, "How many years are you?", when she did not get any reply to "How old are you?".
Without the slightest hesitation he pointed to his ears and said aloud "two ears!".
You bet, he made her journey and day!