Phenomenal Collection of five interesting stories for kids

Phenomenal Collection of five interesting stories for kids

1. The North Wind’s Gifts-II

Late in the afternoon he came to where the North Wind lived. ‘Good evening,’ said he.

‘Good evening,’ said the North Wind.

‘I want to be paid for that meal of ours which you took,’ said the lad, ‘ for the cloth that you gave me is not worth a penny.’

‘I have no money,’ said the North Wind; ‘ but yonder is a ram which makes golden coins a soon as you say to it, ” Ram, ram, make money! ” You may take that, if you like.’

The lad thought this a fine reward for his meal and set off for home with the ram. As it happened, that night he turned into the same inn where he had slept before.

Before he called for anything, the lad tried the truth of what the North Wind had said the ram. The wind had spoken truly for the ram made a pile of golden coins.

When the inn-keeper saw this, he thought that it was ram worth having. So when the lad was asleep he took another ram which could not mat golden coins, and he changed the two.

Next morning, off went the lad leading the ram. When he reached home he said to his mother, ‘ After all the North Wind is a kin fellow. He has given me a ram which can make golden coins if I say, “Ram, ram, make money!” ‘

‘All very true I dare say,’ said his mother ‘ but I shall not believe such nonsense until see the coins made.’

‘Ram, ram, make money! ‘Said the lad but the ram did not make any money.

So back again went the lad to the North Wind and roused him. ‘The ram was worth nothing,’ he said, ‘ so I must be paid for my meal.’

‘Well,’ said the North Wind, ‘ I’ve nothing else to give you but that old stick in the corner! Yonder. It’s a stick of such a kind that if you say, ” Stick, stick, lay on! ” it lies on until you say, “Stick, stick, now stop!”

Away went the lad, carrying the stick with him, and once more he turned into the inn. By this time, however, he had guessed where his cloth and his ram were. So he lay down at once on the bench and began to snore as if he were asleep.

Now the inn-keeper, who saw the stick and thought that it, must be worth something, found one which was like it.

When he heard the lad snore he was going to change the two; but just as the inn-keeper was about to take the boy’s stick, the lad called out, ‘ Stick, stick, lay on!

‘So the stick began to beat the innkeeper till he jumped over chairs and tables and benches, and roared out, ‘ Oh, my back, Oh, my back! Bid your stick is still, and you shall have both your cloth and your ram.’

When the lad thought that the inn-keeper has had enough he said, ‘ Stick, stick, now stop!’

Then he took the cloth, which the inn keeper was only too pleased to give back, pin it into his pocket and went home with his stick in his hand, leading the ram by a cord round its horns. Thus, in the end, he was well paid for the meal which he had lost.

1. What was the second of the North Wind’s gifts? What happened to it?

2. What was the third gift?

3. Which of the three gifts do you think was of most value to the boy? Why?

2. Cassie the Curious-I

A big circus had been staying for some weeks in the town where Bob White lived. It was a fine circus with many performing horses, lions, acrobats, clowns and two large elephants.

Bob loved the circus and he went there whenever he could. It was not only the show, as the circus folk called it, and that he enjoyed: he liked nothing better than to go into the great tent behind the ring. Here lived the beautiful horses, each in its own stall; and here too lived the elephants, Bongo and Cassie.

Bob soon made friends with the elephants. When their keeper saw that Bob was not afraid of the animals and that he had no wish to tease them, he was always pleased to allow the boy to wander about the tent.

Bongo, the old elephant, learnt to know Bob in a very short time; but it was Cassie, the other elephant who became his best friend. Cassie was a very gentle, playful beast. She was eleven years, old, two years older than Bob and she weighed, so the keeper, said nearly two tons!

When Bob went into the tent and called to her, she would turn round, raise her head and trumpet gently. Then, when he went up to her she would put her trunk first into one of his pockets and then into the other in search of the small sugary buns which his mother made. You may be sure that there were nearly always a few buns in Bob’s pocket for his greatest friend.

Sometimes, to have a game with Cassie, Bob would hide the buns under his jersey or in his school-bag. Yet even tricks of that kind could not put Cassie off.

If her trunk could find no buns in his pocket, it rolled up his jersey in search of them. If they were not there, the trunk would swing gently about until it found the school-bag. Then before you could say ‘ Bun! Cassie would have the bag open and the buns in her mouth.

‘There never was a more curious beast,’ declared her keeper. ‘She pokes that trunk of hers into everything and she never rests until she has found what she is looking for! ‘

1. Which animal did Bob like best in the circus?

2. Why was Cassie always pleased to see Bob?

3. Why was she called ‘curious’?

3. The Boy Who Loved Music-III

Sunday service was over. As the Duke and his attendants rose to leave the chapel, the soft notes of the organ came through the quiet air.

‘Our master of the organ plays nobly to-day,’ said the Duke as he stopped to listen. Then he caught sight of the player seated at the organ and exclaimed, ‘ Upon my word, ’tis a child who plays so sweetly! Who may this young master be? ‘

‘Your Highness, he is a son of good Doctor Handel,’ answered an attendant. ‘I have heard it said that he is a lad of great promise at the organ.’

‘There can be no doubt of that,’ declared the Duke. ‘See that the boy and his father come to my room this afternoon.’ And the Duke and his attendants walked slowly out of the chapel.

That afternoon the Doctor and his son were shown into the Duke’s room.

At once the Doctor cried out, ‘ Your High­ness, please forgive the boy’s rashness. He is but a child and knew not what he was about. I have scolded him soundly for daring to play the organ before you.’

The Duke laughed heartily and said, ‘ Then my dear Doctor, I shall have to scold you for scolding the boy! Never has the organ of my chapel been played so sweetly. Doctor Handel, I have to ask a favor of you.’

‘Your Highness, I shall be pleased to give any favor if you will pardon my boy for his rashness.’

‘Then you will leave the lad with me to be trained in music under the best teachers? ‘Said the Duke.

The Doctor was greatly taken aback. ‘Your Highness,’ he said, trembling for fear that the Duke might be angry, ‘ I cannot leave him here. He must go home with me and work at his books.’

Then I beg of you to send him to a good master in your own town,’ said the Duke.

‘Nay, sire, that cannot be either,’ said the Doctor. ‘It is my wish that he should forget about music. ‘Tis but a waste of time.’

‘Then I command you to have the boy trained in music,’ said the Duke sternly. ‘Now go.’

The Doctor trembled at the Duke’s command, for he knew that he must obey; but George’s heart beat fast for joy as he and his father bowed and turned to go.

When they reached the door, the Duke called out, ‘ My boy, come back. I have something to say to you. Show me your pocket.’

Looking very surprised, George pointed to his pocket. Into it the Duke poured a handful of golden coins, saying, ‘ Perhaps these will pay for your first lessons.’

‘You’re Highness! ‘Was all that George could say?

When the Doctor and his son arrived back in their home town, George began to study music under the best teacher that could be found.

Before long, we are told, he knew more than his master and his name became known even at the royal court in Berlin. What a proud day it was for him when he was called to play before the queen!

Some years later George Handel came to live in England and there he spent most of his busy life, writing music which has made his name famous for all time.

Near the end of his life he became blind. Even then, however, he did not give up writing music, but found someone to write it down for him. When Handel died he was buried in Westminster Abbey in London among the greatest people of our land.

1. What surprise did the Duke get at the end of the Sunday morning service?

2. What command did the Duke give to George’s father?

3. What happened to George when he grew up?

4. Dasu-I

Dasu was a tiny, fluffy-haired, black puppy when Hatu Kotu found him. The little creature was lying curled up against his mother who had died of cold and hunger.

Hatu Kotu loved animals dearly, so he picked up the puppy and put it into the front folds of his long tunic to keep it warm. In return Dasu feebly tried to lick the boy’s hand and Hatu Kotu was his friend from that moment.

Very carefully the boy carried the puppy home to the camp where his family lived and here he gave it some warm milk. Soon Dasu was able to stand up on his trembling legs and to wag his curly tail as a sign of thanks.

At first Hatu Kotu hid the puppy, for he was afraid that his parents would not allow him to keep such a weak and starving animal; but when Dasu became fat and sleek, he showed him to his mother.

‘Another dog? ‘She said doubtfully. ‘Have we not dogs in plenty with the goat and sheep flocks? Why do you want to bring vet another? It means another mouth to feed and food is already scarce.’ However, the woman spoke to Hatu Kotu’s father about it and he, after much grumbling, agreed to let his little son keep the puppy.

‘But he must be trained to the sheep,’ de­clared the man. ‘We cannot have any useless animals here.’

Hatu Kotu promised to train Dasu and before long he dog learned to perform his duties very well. Dasu was quite fearless and would free even Lala, the great ram who led the flocks, though he knew well that Lala had a huge pair of curving horns and a very nasty temper.

When the cold weather came Hatu Kotu’s father gathered his flocks together and loaded them with little skin bags of borax, which is a kind of salt found in Tibet. They were to carry these bags down to India where the Tibetans would exchange both the flocks and the borax for food and clothes.

The family’s little tents, blackened with smoke, were rolled up and strapped on the backs of a small herd of donkeys. Hatu Kotu’s father and mother put on all their clothes for that as the easiest way of carrying them, then, with their bundles on their backs, they began to drive the sheep down the steep mountain track.

What grunting and cries and shrill whistles and excited barking of sheep-dogs could be heard as the party set out upon its long journey to the plains of India!

Some of the narrow tracks which they had to follow went along the edge of great rocky cliffs. Sometimes their path led them over a dashing stream which they had to cross on a bridge made of a single log of wood.

Hatu Kotu and his family were used to such things; they marched across a swaying log just as if they were crossing a wide bridge and they did not think very much about it.

One of the men who could play very sweetly on a flute, used to help them along in their weary marches with quaint little tunes. Besides, the rams carried big deep-toned bells which rang as the animals walked, so there was always plenty of music as the procession made its long journey southward.

1. How did Hatu Kotu get Dasu?

2. What did the boy train Dasu to do?

3. What did Hatu Kotu’s family do for a living?

4. On what journey did they set out?

5. Dasu II

At last the little party came to the lower hills which were covered with trees and grass. There the tracks became wider and walking was much easier.

One night they camped on a narrow ridge between two valleys. The animals were un­loaded and a round wall was made by building up the bags of borax. In the middle of the circle Hatu Kotu’s family pitched their tents and settled down to cook their eve ting meal, while the flocks grazed peacefully on the green grass around them.

As soon as it was dark the sheep were driven into the shelter and the donkeys were hobbled nearby, for the Tibetans knew that if an animal strayed it would almost certainly be carried off by a tiger or a leopard.

Hatu Kotu and his parents were tired after their day’s march so they went to bed early. About midnight Hatu Kotu was weakened by Dasu who kept pushing his cold nose against the boy’s neck.

‘What’s the matter, Dasu? ‘he asked sleepily.

The dog was listening eagerly to some sound which seemed to come like an echo from the valley. As Hatu Kotu listened too, he heard the sudden, sharp bark of a deer quite close by.

‘It’s nothing, Dasu; go to sleep,’ said Hatu Kotu, lying down again.

Still Dasu was ill at ease: he whimpered and prowled about Hatu Kotu’s tent. At last he crawled out of the tent and stood outside among the munching sheep and goats.

They too were uneasy, and the great watch-dog chained across the opening of the sheep pen was standing up and glaring straight into the darkness of the night.

Suddenly, with a heavy crashing of bushes, the striped body of a tiger leapt into the pen and seized a fat lamb. The watch-dog strained at his rope until he broke loose, then he ran for safety. The other dogs set up a frightened howling but the sheep and goats were silent with terror.

At the sudden noise Hatu Kotu who was lying only half asleep, sat up and rubbed his eyes. The boy missed Dasu from his tent so he ran out to see what had happened. A sound of angry snarling came from the tiger that held the poor lamb under one of his giant paws.

‘It is a tiger! ‘Gasped the boy. Without thinking of what he was about, Hatu Kotu sprang towards the big animal, waving his arms wildly. He hoped to scare it off but the tiger was old and fierce and had no intention of being scared away by a small boy.

Then, as Hatu Kotu stopped waving his arms, the tiger’s eyes gleamed wickedly. With a quick spring, the great animal threw himself at the little boy and knocked him flat on the ground. Hatu Kotu gave a loud scream and the next moment a small furry body flung itself at the tiger’s head.

1. What wakened Hatu Kotu?

2. What happened to Hatu Kotu?

Draw a picture of the family’s camp.

6. Dasu-III

It was Dasu! Whenever the tiger tried to lower its great snarling mouth to seize Hatu Kotu, Dasu was in the way. His small sharp teeth dug into the tiger’s head and neck and made the fierce animal still angrier.

With a roar he flung the little dog into the air but in a moment or two Dasu returned to the attack.

Hatu Kotu dared not rise and run so he buried his face in the ground. The minutes seemed like years to the little boy. He knew that Dasu could not help him much longer for the dog’s soft little body was already covered with bites and deep scratches. Oh, why did someone not come to his aid?

At last Hatu Kotu’s mother awoke, and in a moment she roused the rest of the family. Shouting loudly, they attacked the tiger with heavy sticks, and then in despair Hatu Kotu’s mother threw a lighted torch at it. The flames of the torch and the noise of the shouting frightened the tiger; it leapt sulkily down the valley and was gone.

Hatu Kotu was not badly hurt, though he was bruised and had a few cuts where the tiger had bitten his shoulder; but poor Dasu, whom they found hiding in a corner, was badly wounded. Hatu Kotu’s mother bound up the boy’s cuts with a piece of dirty rag and placed a lump of salt against the sore places; but they all shook their heads over- Dasu.

‘I fear we are going to lose Dasu. Indeed, he is as good as dead already,’ said Hatu Kotu’s father, as he went to light a great fire and to mend the broken places in the pen. Hatu Kotu wept and cried and begged until his mother and one of the men picked up the dog and washed his wounds.

After many days of careful attention Dasu recovered, though he was never as strong and as swift of foot as before. He was Hatu Kotu’s shadow more than ever now and followed the boy everywhere.

Sometimes other Tibetans who came to the camp would laugh and say, ‘ Why do you keep that crippled old sheep-dog? We could give you plenty of puppies which would be of more use to you and would eat less than that lazy animal.’

To these people Hatu Kotu’s father would reply, ‘ We grudge Dasu nothing. He saved my little boy’s life, and he is our best friend.’

Evelyn Powell-Price

1. How did Dasu help in Hatu Kotu’s fight with tied tiger?

2. How was Hatu Kotu saved?

3. What was the fate of Dasu?