Bunwas and the Beggar

Hello, everyone.

    The story that I am going to tell you is about Bunwas. I hope you remember Bunwas. I have written two of his stories, ‘Bunwas and the King’ and ‘Bunwas and the Cheater. Well, today I am going to tell you another of his hilarious stories.

    Read on and find out when a street food seller tries to cheat a beggar and Bunwas intervenes to help the beggar.

Bunwas and the Beggar

    Once there was an old beggar. Someone once gave him a stale piece of bread. He was wondering how he was going to eat such a dry tasteless piece of bread when as he was walking he saw a man roasting mishkaki. Mishkaki is meat cut into small pieces and then marinated in ginger, garlic paste and some spices. These are then put in a skewer and then roasted over coals. It is a very delicious dish. 

    The beggar stood there looking at the man roasting the mishkaki and he had an idea. He went over and held his stale bread over the mishkaki where a lot of smoke was coming out. As you probably know that the smoke has a lot of aroma of whatever you are roasting. The man who was roasting saw him but did not say anything. Now when the beggar saw that the bread had absorbed enough aromas and had become quite moist he went away to one side started eating his bread.

    Now here, when the mishkaki owner saw that the beggar had eaten his bread he called him over and told him to pay up. The beggar was surprised!

     “I’m sorry, but pay you for what?” asked the beggar.

    “You pay me for the taste of my mishkaki,” replied the owner.

    An argument started with the owner insisting the beggar pay up and the beggar insisting he did not eat his mishkaki. A crowd gathered around to see what the argument was about. As they were arguing Bunwas happened to pass by. When he saw the crowd he decided to investigate. He made his way where the argument was going on.

    “Why are you arguing?” Bunwas asked them.

    “He has eaten my taste,” replied the mishkaki owner, “and he does not want to pay for it.”

    “He is lying,” protested the beggar, “I have not eaten his taste.”

    “How did he eat your taste?” asked Bunwas.

    “Well, I was roasting my mishkaki and he came and held his bread over it and took my taste. Then he ate it. See!” complained the man.

    Bunwas turned to the beggar and asked him, “Did you do that?”

    “Yes, but I did not eat his mishkaki,” the beggar protested again.

    Bunwas then turned to the man and asked him, “How much does he owe you?”

    The owner of the mishkaki told him.

    Bunwas put his hand in his pocket and took out some money.

 

    “Count carefully,” he told the owner.

    He started dropping the money on the counter one coin at a time. The owner watched greedily and counted. When all the money was on the counter, he asked the owner, “Did you count the money?”

 

    The man nodded his head and reached out to take it but before he could do so, Bunwas reached out and took the money and put it in his pocket.

    The man watched open mouthed! Then he said angrily, “Why did you put the money in your pocket. It belongs to me. Give it to me.”

    Bunwas looked at him calmly and said, “That was not your money. The beggar here, ate the taste of your mishkaki. He did not actually eat it. So you just get the sound of the coins but you do not actually get it. See!”

   

    So saying he told the beggar to go on his way and he went on his, leaving the mishkaki man very annoyed and angry.

  

    The crowd who had been watching and listening with interest, began to laugh at the man now, because he had not succeeded in cheating the poor beggar.

The Clever Traveler

Hello, everyone.

    The story that I am going to tell you today is of a traveler in olden times when people travelled by foot mostly.

 

    Read on and find out what happens when this traveler is hungry and thirsty and there is no food or water anywhere around.

The Clever Traveler

    Once there was a traveler. As you know in olden times people travelled by foot mostly because there were no cars then and travelling by an oxcart would be expensive. So if they wanted to travel from one village to another village nearby they would travel by foot.

    Now let us get back to our traveler. He decided to travel to a nearby village by foot. As it was not that far he knew he would reach there by that evening. He took with him some water and some food. He was a poor man so he had taken just a little food and it was very hot. By the time noon time came he had finished his water and his food. He was feeling very hungry and thirsty now. When he looked around there was no river or a spring of water and there were no fruit trees either. Although there were some coconut trees and they were very tall. He couldn’t possibly climb one of those. He became desperate. He did not know what to do. Then he suddenly heard some chattering sounds coming from above. When he looked up he saw some monkeys in those trees. He looked and started wondering how to get those coconuts and as he was doing that he was scratching his head. As soon as the monkeys saw him do that they started scratching their heads. When he put his hands down they did that too. When he saw that he had an idea.

    He took up a stone and threw it at the monkeys. One of the monkeys at once plucked a coconut out of the tree and threw it at the traveler. Encouraged by that the traveler threw some more stones and the monkeys threw some more coconuts. The traveler was delighted. He opened the coconuts one after the other. He drank as much water as he could and ate the flesh to his heart’s content and went on his way. His hunger and his thirst both satisfied.

Little Ali and the Scrapbook

Hello, everyone.

    I am going to tell you another story of little Ali. This time he is bored and goes to his room to do something and then what happens? Read on and find out.
 

Little Ali and the Scrapbook

    One day, little Ali was bored. He was in the middle of his school holidays. He was sitting at the dining table with his chin in his hands as was his habit looking really bored.

    “What happened?” asked his mother peeling an onion.

   

   “I am bored,” Ali replied.

    At that moment his eyes began to water because of the onion. Suddenly he ran out of the room and came back with his toy sunglasses. He put them on and then went and sat down in his place at the dining table. His mother looked at him and asked, “Why are you wearing your sunglasses?”

      “I won’t cry if I have my glasses on,” he said.

 

     His mother chuckled and went on cutting the onions.

    “Mommy, can I help you in the kitchen?” he asked.

    “Well, there is hardly anything you can do today,” she replied. “I have done all the preparations and I am going to cook now. Why don’t you go and play in your room?”

    “There is nothing to do there,” he said.

    “Why don’t you cut out some pictures from the magazines and stick them in your scrapbook?” suggested his mother.

    “Ok, I will try that,” said little Ali slipping off his chair.

   Ali’s mother was frying the onion after a while when she suddenly heard Ali crying!

    “Mommy, mommy…………..,” he yelled.

    Ali’s mother switched off the stove and went running to his room to see what the matter was.

 

    When she reached there she had to suppress her laughter at what she saw! Ali was standing in the middle of the room with pictures stuck on his hands, on his arms, on his legs and even on his hair! He really looked a sight!

    “Whatever have you done to yourself?” asked his mother.

    “I was trying to stick some pictures in my scrapbook but they all got stuck onto me,” he explained, crying. “I can’t get them to stick in the book.”

    His mother took him in the bathroom and gave him a thorough bath and soon he was rid of all the pieces of paper stuck on him. Then she took him downstairs and gave him a glass of milk and some biscuits.

    “I will show you how to stick pictures in your scrapbook later, alright?” his mother said and gave him a big hug.

    “Alright,” Ali replied.

    Later, that day, she taught him to stick pictures in his scrapbook.

    When Ali’s father came back from work that day Ali’s mother related the story to him, laughing uncontrollably.

    Ali’s father picked him up and gave him a hug.

    “Whatever are you going to do next, buddy?” he asked with a laugh.

    By the way, when my children were little they used to do the same thing, that is, wear their sunglasses when they saw me cutting onions. It really made me laugh!

   

Jealous Little Anna

Hello, everyone.

    The story I am going to tell you today is my own creation. It is the story of a very jealous little girl. She always tries to pull everyone back. Read on and find out if she is successful in pulling back another little girl from going for her dream.

Jealous Little Anna

    Anna was a ten year old little girl. She was a good girl except when someone tried to do something new. She would always scare the other children that if they tried to do something new. She would scare them by telling them stories. What if they did not succeed wouldn’t everyone laugh at them? What if it was wrong?

   

    For example, one day Peter wanted to learn to ride a bicycle. She immediately scared him by saying, “You will fall down and hurt yourself. If I were you I wouldn’t do it.”

    Peter got scared but luckily his older brother taught him to ride a bicycle. Anna got very jealous that Peter had learnt to ride a bike and she did not know how to.

   

     Another time Sally wanted to show her painting to her teacher. Anna told her at once that the teacher would laugh at it. Again, luckily the teacher happened to pass by her desk and saw her painting. It was a beautiful painting of a riverside. She had really made an effort and it had come out very nice indeed.

    “Wow! Sally,” said the teacher in awe, “what a beautiful painting? Have you done it?”

    “Yes, Teacher,” replied Sally, glowing with pleasure.

    “I think we should put it on the board for everyone to see,” said her teacher. “Just write your name on it and give it to me.”

   

    Sally did just that and the teacher put it up on the board. Everyone admired the painting. Anna got so jealous and angry. She did not talk to Sally for days.

    One day, the teacher announced that there was going to be a story writing competition. Anyone interested should go to the headmistress’ office and get the form. They must submit their stories together with the forms by the end of the next week.

   

    Katie got excited. She loved writing and a story was already forming in her mind. Now she made one mistake. Anna sat right next to her in class. She told her excitedly that she was going to take part in the competition.

    “Oh, no!” said Anna at once, “What if you don’t win? Won’t everyone make fun of you? I think you shouldn’t do it.”

    Katie’s hopes came crashing down. She felt like crying. She became doubtful. She did not know what to do?

     About two days passed. The teacher was surprised that Katie had not taken the form for the story writing competition. So she called her to her desk and asked her.

    “I am not going to submit a story, teacher,” she said in a small voice.

    “Why ever not?” asked her teacher even more surprised.

    “Suppose I don’t win,” she voiced her doubts. “Won’t everyone laugh at me?”

    “Of course not,” said teacher in amazement, “why would anyone want to laugh at you. You will be trying. If you win you win if you don’t its ok. Think about it. If you win won’t that make you happy and your parents happy, too? They will be so proud of you. Whatever made you think that? I think you should take a form. You have already wasted two days. You will have to hurry up.”

    “Yes, teacher,” said Katie, excitedly.

    “By the way, who put such ideas in your head?” her teacher asked.

    Katie hesitated. The teacher pressed on and she told her Anna had done it.

    As soon as it was break time she went and got her form.           

    Katie’s teacher was a very wise lady. So she called Anna after school.

   

    “Anna I understand that you tried to discourage Katie from entering the competition,” she asked her gently. “Why did you do that?”

    Anna got frightened and tried to deny that she had done that. But after a lot of coaxing she agreed that she had done that.

    “Why do you do that, Anna?” her teacher asked her.

    Anna did not say anything. Then, the teacher asked her what she was interested in? Anna did not want to say what it was. She was scared that as soon as she would reveal her interest her teacher would laugh at her and so she stayed silent.

    The teacher asked her again and again until she said she was interested in origami. Origami is the name given to the art of making different kinds of things with paper. The teacher was very much surprised to hear that. She had never seen Anna playing with paper before and she asked her about it. Anna said she was scared everyone would laugh at her if she showed it.

    The teacher understood now why Anna was so jealous. She was scared to show what she could do and if anybody tried to do it she discouraged them lest they succeeded where she was too scared to show her own talent.

    “Anna, have you done many origamis?” she asked her.

   Anna simply nodded her head.

    “Anna, what I want you to do is to bring me five of your origami tomorrow. I want to see it, alright?” her teacher told her.

    Anna looked at her doubtfully and then nodded her head.

    The next day, Anna brought five of her best origami things in a shoe box. The children were surprised to see Anna bring a shoebox to school. When it was break time her teacher called her and asked her if she had brought her things. Anna nodded and slowly went and brought it to her. The teacher opened the box and was amazed at what she saw! There were five beautiful things made of paper. She had made a swan, a boat and three other things. She took them out of the box and lay them on the table.

    “Why, Anna, they are absolutely beautiful!” she exclaimed. “Why are you so doubtful of your abilities? You should be proud of it.”

    Anna went red with pleasure. She could see now that she had been acting very foolishly and trying to make other people act foolishly as well. She felt ashamed of herself. She decided there and then that from now onwards she would encourage anyone who wanted to do something instead of discouraging them.

    When the children came in the classroom after break a great surprise awaited them! They saw things made out of paper standing on the small shelf. Everyone admired them and Anna felt so proud of herself.

    From that day onwards, she never discouraged anyone. As a matter of fact she encouraged anyone who wanted to do something they loved.

    If you have liked my story, please, write a comment and let me know. Thank you for your support.