Long bony fingers

omu started running again. The footsteps followed behind him. Once more he stopped and asked, "Who's there"?

"Guess what I can do with my long bony finger and my long pointed teeth"? Again the same thing. Why couldn't he say something else!

Poor Somu took to his heels again. As usual, when he got a stitch in his stomach he stopped and asked, "Look, who is it?"

"Guess what I can do with my long bony finger and my long pointed teeth"?

Somu ran down the path and found himself at his doorstep. But it was locked! And the footsteps were right behind him. With no more strength left in him Somu stood there and asked, "Who's there"?

"Guess what I can do with my long bony finger and my long pointed teeth"?

Somu gulped and gathered his last bit of courage to ask, "Who are you and what can you do with your long bony finger and your long pointed teeth"?

BmBmBmBmBmBmBmBmBmBm...Hahahahahahaahhaha, went the monster.

Somu closed his ears and eyes and sat on his doorstep in fear. Then he opened his left eye a teeny weeny bit. The monster was right before him. He seemed to be wearing black trousers turned up at the end, as was fashionable. As his eyes climbed up the ghost's figure, he got a shock.

It was his father!

"Somu, did I not tell you to come home before dark?" said dad.

"You did, Daddy", sniffed Somu.

Well, I thought I would sneak up on you and give you a scare for a change, just like you do to others after reading one of your horror tales!", said Somu's dad.

Somu looked at his father for a long time. And then they went inside the house making monster noises.

BmBmBmBmBmBmBmBmBmBm...

Toys For a Big Boy

Ronit Subramanian was seven years old and he was the tallest student in his class. It made him feel very proud. But when he remembered some of the things he used to do as a small kid, he felt a little shy. He wished his mother would not tell those stories to her friends again and again.

Last week his mother’s old school friend had come to see her. They were meeting after 10 years. Ronit was just back from school but his ears pricked up when he heard his mother say in that goofy tone, “You know what my Ronit used to do as a baby? He used to think everything and everyone was a part of the Subramanian family. So he would call the refrigerator ‘frig Subramanian. And he would call the doggy that curled up on our doormat outside ‘doggy Subramanian’”. Ronit heard his mother’s friend say, “cho chweeeet” and he ran out of the house – without any lunch. “I wish mother would not do these things,” he said for the thousandth time.

That evening his mother showed him the toys and games her friend had got for him. One stuffed dolphin and a game of blocks. Ronit got angry. “These are kids toys, kids toys and games. I am a big boy now. My hero is Spiderman. That’s the toy I want for my birthday this year. Spiderman and the spray that makes the spider web.”

“Are you saying you no longer want your favourite stuffed toy – pepper the doggy?” Ronit’s mother asked. “I don’t want kids toys, I don’t want kids toys and games any more. I am a BIG BOY,” Ronit shouted. ‘Okay, okay, we heard you,” said his parents.

A month later, Ronit’s parents bought him a Spiderman kit for his eighth birthday. They bought him a Spiderman T-shirt and trousers, a shiny Spiderman toy and a glove with a spray bottle attached to it. “Wear the glove and then press the spray button. It will make a web pattern on the wall, Ronit’s father said. Ronit, and even his father, were so excited with the spray that they used it again and again to see who could make a bigger web! There was even a Spiderman cake.

After his friends left, Ronit opened up each gift package. Yesssss! He was a big boy now. He had got so many presents of toys and games and they were all for big boys. He especially like a Lego set that made a battery-powered robot, a snazzy car racing video game, and, best of all, a cool skateboard. Ronit went to sleep clutching the Spiderman. You see he had decided he no longer wanted his favourite stuffed toy, Pepper doggy.

As soon as his head hit the pillow Ronit fell asleep. He now slept in a room of his own. A room with sunny yellow walls. But until yesterday, he had gone to sleep clutching Pepper doggy’s ear. The softness of the toy always made him happy. But Spiderman was a metal toy. It was cold to touch. At night, as Ronit’s blanket slipped down the bed, the cold metal of Spiderman poked him. Ronit dreamt that he was being chased by icy monsters who were out to freeze him into a statue. In his dream he shouted for Pepper. Not finding Pepper, woke up screaming crying.

His mother heard him whimper and came rushing into his room. “I want Pepper. He is my friend. Big boys also have doggy friends” cried Ronit. Pepper has crept back into Ronit’s bed. Every night, Ronit and Pepper have a new adventure. In his dreams, Ronit sees Pepper in a Spiderman outfit. Isn’t that cool?

Kaku and Lal Hawa

Kaku lived in a small village called Chhoti Dadi. The small village had a small school. Everyday Kaku had to walk from his little hut at one end of the village to the primary school near the village well. On his way to school, he passed through green paddy fields, the village lake and the old Ram Lila ground. All his friends, be it dreamy Jhunjhunu, colorful Pinaki or talkative Tachi, did not like walking to school.

But Kaku loved the long walk to school. He had made a new friend on his way. Sun or rain, Kaku would walk to school. Kaku’s mother was very happy that Kaku loved school so much. She did not know about her son's BIG new friend. Kaku had told no one. No one knew why he loved walking past the green paddy fields, the village lake and the old Ram Lila ground to reach school. No one knew Kaku’s little BIG secret on the way to school. Kaku wanted to keep this friend a secret. He thought his friends might make fun of him.

Every morning Kaku got up before the neighbour’s cock could bellow its loud and shrill cuck-a-doo-coo. Kaku would be ready in his neatly ironed blue and mustard-coloured school uniform, eagerly waiting for his tiffin box. As soon as he got his favorite rice idlis and coconut chutney, he would run out of the house. Kaku left home as early as 6:30 in the morning to meet his friend, whom he called Lal Hawa.

As he crossed the paddy fields, the soft chuk-chuk sound greeted Kaku. Kaku was happiest when he heard Lal Hawa coming. Kaku knew that he got the best view of Lal Hawa from a small mud hill near the village lake. As the chuk-chuk sound got louder Kaku walked faster. He knew the trick. He timed his running with the chuk-chuk sound of Lal Hawa. On every chuk-chuk of Lal Hawa, Kaku took a swift step forward through the paddy fields towards the lake.

Kaku knew the exact point when the red, speeding Lal Hawa would whistle. Now, with practice, he could match his whistle with the loud whistle of Lal Hawa. Kaku knew, Lal Hawa said, “Hello”, in her language when she whistled. Kaku whistled back, welcoming Lal Hawa.

He ran through the paddy field doing chuk-chuk-chuk-chuk-koooooooooooooo... As he reached the lake, in a moment, the huge engine came towards him. As Lal Hawa approached, a powerful wind started blowing. Kaku’s hair flew from his forehead into his eyes. His blue and mustard school dress fluttered, like a kite flying in the morning sky.

Standing on the small hill, Kaku saw Lal Hawa become bigger and bigger. In seconds, Lal Hawa covered the whole blue sky as it chugged towards Kaku. Kaku was jumping with joy. He clapped and waved as Lal Hawa chuk-chuk-ed past him. He waved till the very end. Small-unknown hands waved back from the windows of Lal Hawa. As Kaku eyes followed the red train, he saw small hands waving to him. He ran along with Lal Hawa waving back at the small hands.

The Silent Passer-by

hen I was a child, I didn't have hair on my head, just some stubs.

I liked to watch my friends play. I would join them now and then, but I preferred watching.

Every day, we would see an old man walking by our playground, carrying an umbrella. He had big ears and a bald head. The moment my friends saw him pass by, they would shout, "Hey, deaf and dumb, what's the time?" They told me that he could neither hear nor speak.

It was early evening. I was standing at the gate of my house, when I saw the old man coming. I was alone. There were no friends around to shout the usual words of 'greeting'.

But how could I let this man walk by without saying anything? So for the first time, I asked in a soft voice, "Hey deaf and dumb, what's the time?"

The old man looked at me. Then he looked at his watch and replied,"It's five thirty."

I ran inside the house and never shouted at the old man after that day.

Power Wheels

Power Wheels is a brand of battery-powered ride-on toy cars for kids ages 12 months to seven years old. Power Wheels ride-ons are built with kid-sized, realistic features – in some cases, real working features like FM radios, opening/closing doors and hoods, power lock brakes, and both forward and reverse motion.