Mad as a March hare… everytime March springs into action, flowers turn the season into a rainbow of wonderful colours. And I start to think of imagine a little white rabbit running with a clock for a tea party in Mughal Gardens (next to the Indian President’s home) or in the sprawling lawns of the White House, where lives the American President. Where do you think the white rabbit came from? All the way from Lewis Caroll’s creation, Alice’s wonderland. If you have not read the book, do so now — it is a lot of fun! The idiom was popularised by the Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland in 1865. Incase, you want to check out a free copy of the book, click here to read.
But, that is enough about March hare madness. We cannot keep Ms Sara waiting any more. With a hop, skip and jump, we hand the stage over to Ms Sara… Thank you for your patience Ms Sara — we are now ready to visit your wonderland.
No issues. I have been munching on this packet of popcorns… from the Mad Hatter’s tea party. Now, did they have popcorn on the menu? Maybe, I will click on the link and check out. It is always nice to re-read a classic like Alice in Wonderland. But, let us start on our adventure in the Bookosmian wonderland with poetry.
Poetry
Eight-year-old Saanvi Baheti from Bangalore brings to us a delightful S poem on the inviting salty waters of the sea.
The Salty Sea
by Saanvi Baheti
The salty sea slaps the shore, I can see the seagulls soar. I can see, sand slipping through my hand, The sun was shining for a short span. I went swaying slowly in the sea Splishing, splashing, Silly me! The sun was shining stupendously, Oh! How I love the salty sea.
Nine-year-old Shifa Zahra Touseef from Lucknow imagines what would happen if a book could talk…
The Book On The Hook
by Shifa Zahra Touseef
I am a book Clinging on a long hook. I can talk. I can say Quack, Quack. Happily, I fly over a shack. Now, I am starting to think That work was done in a wink, Was great and fast, When humans disappeared at last. I did, I combed furry whiskers of the blue ant And styled the long, pink hair of an elephant. I scrubbed the dirt off the feet Of a grumpy lump of concrete, While no one fed the old tiny whale Her favorite piece of yummy little kail. The squeamish whining of the snail Attracted a noisy yet Beamish chorus of dinosaur-whales. Those frowning faces of whales Couldn’t stop drooling on the shale. A foosh-foot named Brango Missed his beloved yellow flamingo. The yellow one chorped-chirped Until sad Brango burped. The burp was loved by Mr. Moon The parrot, the talking riddle, and the raccoon. Now, the foosh-footed one fled In the forest covered with green bread. This is lovely, said the ‘Quack Quack’ book Now, resting under the sun with a coloured look.
Seven-year-old Navitha S from Mysore pens a lovely little poem about her favourite place at home, her garden.
My Precious Garden
by Navitha S
My favourite place is my garden, Where there are flowers and plants and breeze. I feel very happy when I go there, The wind gives me joy and peace. Wherever I sit in the garden, I feel the breeze. The garden is the most beautiful thing in my house. I feel that my garden is precious It is a colourful thing which I like the most. I sit and have my meal in the garden It is very cool.
Let us move on to Essays. And here we have one on returning to school after the lockdown.
Essays
Sandya B Rajan, a 14-year-old Bookosmian from Chennai went back to school after 11 months and shares what that was like.
Back To School during Coronavirus
by Sandya P Rajan
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, schools were closed but learning continued with classes conducted online.
After nearly eleven months, the school reopened for classes (grades) 9,10,11, and 12. After hearing the news I was very excited but sad too.
Reopening of school meant waking up early in the morning and missing the comfort of home. But I was so excited to be in school with all of my friends. No more comfortable clothes, gadgets, and online quizzes. But we could interact with the teacher and get our doubts clarified in person.
The day before school, I packed my bag, bought sanitizer and an extra mask, and got ready for school. I went to bed very early that day. I woke up and got ready for school. My parents dropped me at school. I usually go by van to school, but due to the pandemic, my parents are dropping me to school.
The temperature was checked at the school gate. Only twenty students were allowed to sit in a classroom. So the class was split into two. We had classes. We got our doubts clarified. There were a lot of safety precautions followed in my school which made me feel safe and secure inside the campus.
After coming to school, I had to sanitize my bag and other belongings, which was an extra task I would have to do regularly. Even though it wasn’t a normal school day, it was a new experience for me. Let us hope for the best in the upcoming days.
Konark is a town in Odisha where there is a famed temple of the Sun and a dance festival takes place there every year. Ten-year-old Divyanshi Das from Bangalore takes us to Konark.
Odisha : A Mix Of Heritage And Natural Beauty
by Divyanshi Das
Odisha is a truly impressive and spectacular place, famous for its heritage sites, unpolluted beaches, pilgrimage and more.
Odisha provides a lot of sightseeing opportunities which attracts many tourists every year. So, let me introduce you to two astounding festivals from the state.The first is the sand art festival of Konark usually held from 1st to 5th December at Chandrabhaga beach, Konark, Puri.
Sand art is the art of making sculptures using sand. The artists who participate are expected to follow certain rules. They can only use the beach sand, water and hand tools. No machinery tools are allowed.
Artist are supposed to start their work on the first day (morning) and they need to be ready with their sculptures by the evening when the festival is inaugurated and opened. The festival lasts five days so the artists have to make a new sculpture every day. Artists have to keep in mind that their sculpture should not hurt the religious sentiment of the people in any way.
The second festival I want to tell you about is the Konark Dance festival . Have you heard of the Sun Temple at Konark? It is a world heritage site and the site for the dance festivals. Some of the best dancers of the country come to perform here. The aim of the festival is to promote Indian classical dances.
Hope you liked reading about the festivals. Do visit the wonderful state of Odisha!
Wow! Two essays that show that this year might be better than last year. In any case, the future is always better than the past. Isn’t it? Here is Jessica Rachel who dreams of one and it is a story by her.
Stories
Nine-year-old Jessica Rachel from Chennai had a vivid dream about a happier and better world and has an important message of how we can make our dreams come true.
I Dream Of A Better Tomorrow
by Jessica Rachel
Every day was the same. I went to school, I studied and came home and slept and the pattern repeated. Wherever I went, there was hardly any greenery and a lot of pollution. I saw people were homeless and their kids had a lack of education.
Then one day, Covid-19 came along and affected the whole world. Those who were poor had no money to even get basic necessities for themselves.
We were instructed to sit at home and many people lost their jobs. The government tried to help those people. Some children could afford to attend online classes but not everyone was privileged.
One day I was thinking about this as I was falling asleep.
I had a lucid dream and found out that I could change the world however I want.
So, I first planted lots of trees. I planted seeds in every garden and empty spaces. I planted about 10,000 trillion seedlings around the world. Then I tackled the pollution from factories by enhancing the flora around them.
Then I channelled the lakes and rivers around the world and connected them to every home in this world. Now everyone could have fresh water to drink every day.
Then I went to the lands that were barren and built a playground using soil and water. I dug a deep hole and made a slide and filled the bottom with fresh water]. I kept some floats nearby. Next, I went to another barren land and filled it with snow. I created a snow playground.
I woke up and realised that this was all a dream. But I knew that it is not impossible to make this dream a reality.
We can make this come true by working together towards a beautiful environment. Until and unless we work together, we can never make our dreams come true.
Now, nine-year-old Nandini Maheshwari from Delhi brings us a story about a monkey that learnt to conquer its fear thanks to a wise old Orangutan.
The Day Muchilal The Monkey Learnt To Jump
By Nandini Maheshwari
Muchilal was a very handsome monkey. He had a big moustache. He wore a colorful turban. He was very polite and friendly. But he had a problem. He was afraid to jump. He used to think he would fall down if he tried to jump. Many mean monkeys in the tribe teased Muchilal a lot for being afraid.
He decided to go to the old wise orangutan to learn how to jump. The orangutan told him to fast for one day and Muchilal did so. He didn’t eat anything, not even his favorite bananas. He was starving badly.
Then the old wise orangutan hung some bananas on a very high branch of a tree. As soon as the fast got over, Muchilal was eager to munch something to satisfy his hunger.
The orangutan told Muchilal that now that his fast has got over, he can eat his favourite food – bananas. But to eat them he has to jump over the highest branch.
Initially, Muchilal was nervous but he was so hungry that he jumped to the highest branch with a big leap. Muchilal gulped the bananas and he also realized that he could finally jump.
This is how he overcame his fear.
What happens if you have to walk up dark stairs at midnight after watching a horror movie? Another story about conquering fears by twelve-year-old Nethrra S from Salem.
A spooky walk up the stairs
By Nethrra S
It was 11 pm on a rainy night. I was about to go to bed after watching a horror movie when my mother told me to go and close the terrace door. I was shocked!
In my house, to reach the terrace we have to climb two floors. I didn’t want to be alone since the horror movie was still in my head but I said ‘okay’ to my mother. I switched on the light to the stairs but unfortunately, the power failed.
I got a torch but there was no battery in it. I thought of taking a mobile phone but my mother was on call, my father was busy doing something with his phone.
I felt scared despite having agreed. I silently went to the stairs and stepped on it frightened.
I started to climb when I suddenly heard thunder as it was raining. I stepped on to climb to the second floor when I heard someone shouting my name loudly. This frightened me more. I started to chant religious mantras as they say ghosts are scared of Gods.
Suddenly, I heard my favourite song and wondered who was playing that when there was no power?
Finally, I reached upstairs and closed the terrace door. I took a deep breath and ran downstairs fast.
As I reached down, my mother said that she was calling me aloud and it was my sister who played my favourite song on her phone. My father asked me how I had climbed up in the pitch dark. I didn’t respond but I was glad there were no ghosts up the stairs!
A little girl gets lost in a cave. How does she manage to get out? Read this story of kindness and courage by seven-year-old Iksha Kalwal from Pune.
Finding A Treasure At The End Of The Rainbow
By Iksha Kalwal
One beautiful morning, Olivia went out for a walk. While keenly observing a stick insect, she fell into a cave. She was trying to walk slowly to find a way out. She was scared in that dark cave, anxious not knowing how she was going to get back home. Olivia remembered that her parents always said to be calm in this kind of situation and look for something to help her find a way out.
She saw a thin ray of light reflecting on her. Olivia ran towards it and bumped into a pot. She saw a small plant with a face asking for water. She quickly took out her water bottle and watered the plant. It smiled at her like a flower in the spring.
The plant asked her, “Will you please take me out of this filthy cave?”
Olivia replied, “I will.” Olivia took the plant with her and found an exit to the cave.
After walking for a while, she saw a beautiful palace. A lonely bird was sitting at the window and humming a song. That hummingbird happily flew and sat on Olivia’s shoulder. Now Olivia had two friends as she continued walking to find a way home.
They saw footprints and followed them. “That might be the way!” said the plant. As they walked following the footprints, the bird sat on an arrow sign.
“Great, my friend!” exclaimed Olivia. They followed the arrow sign and reached a hut. Curious, they went inside the hut and found a puppy with an injured leg. The three friends quickly agreed to take care of him. Olivia took out her water bottle and gave water to the puppy.
Olivia, the plant, the bird, and the puppy, set back out to find home and finally reached a riverside. Olivia could see her village far away across the river! They saw a man sailing a boat, and he offered to help them cross the river.
As they crossed the river, Olivia reflected upon her journey, grateful for the friends she made along the way and was delighted that she found the treasure – her village – at the end of the rainbow!
I hope you enjoyed the visit to Bookosmian wonderland because I am off to read now … and figure out if they had popcorn at the tea party in Alice’s adventures! See you in Borderless again next month. Bye!
( This section is hosted by Bookosmia)
.
PLEASE NOTE: ARTICLES CAN ONLY BE REPRODUCED IN OTHER SITES WITH DUE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO BORDERLESS JOURNAL.
Borderless 