Tag: Borderless Journal

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.

Nothing is so beautiful as Spring – 

— Spring by Gerard Manley Hopkins

And spring is not far. There is so much hope, so much to look forward to that I am sure, Ms Sara will be bringing us a lovely collection this month too. I wish you all a colourful spring and a fabulous journey into Ms Sara’s world… (pssst… if you get the time, do look up the poem I have quoted by Hopkins). Now over to Ms Sara…

Thank you. Yes, it is a colourful spring that we look forward to. Let us begin with some writing on nature…

Essays

While we wait for spring, twelve-year-old Anoushka Chopra from Kolkata writes a small personification of the wind… which reminds of the beginning of Shakespeare’s Blow, Blow thou winter wind

‘A Strong, Loud Wind’

By Anoushka Chopra

The wind leaped across the sky, howling in anger. It lifted its powerful arms and destroyed everything that came in its path. The grey swirling wind gave a malevolent grin. It blew with great force and speed, like an angry person craving for revenge and smashed the glass windows and rattled the doors.

Then, gradually it slowed down, its speed dropped, its force seemed to vanish and within a few minutes the strong, damaging wind turned into a small breeze, smiling innocently as if it had done nothing more than blow gently around.

Thirteen-year-old Aanya Surana from Kolkata uses a letter writing (or epistolary) technique to write about the scarlet ibis, a bird that is as vibrant as spring in it’s colours.

The Scarlet Ibis

By Aanya Surana

42 Ribbon Street
Kolkata-700023
26th November, 2020

Dear Riya,
Its been a while since we have caught up with each other, I hope you’re doing  well. I know we’ve lost touch ever since I moved to Brazil for my further  studies, but I really miss you and would do anything to stay as attached and close as we were before.

The weather here is so beautiful as the autumn season is passing and the winter is setting in. During this time of year, we generally have  expeditions. As a part of the science class activity, we went to a bird sanctuary. It was so beautiful.

I was in charge of a group of children from class six and we were led by an ornithologist. He was so experienced that he  could identify the only check with their chirping noise. We saw a number of  birds but across the lake there was a beautiful flock of vibrant, colourful,  scarlet coloured birds which was were rare species known as scarlet ibis.

I was so mesmerized seeing the beautiful red bird that I could sit there forever and enjoy the calmness around her. Our ornithologist told a lot about that bird  and I found it very interesting . He told us that the scarlet ibis is a sociable and gregarious bird, and very communally-minded regarding the search for food  and the protection of the young. I thought that it would be a fun activity to feed the bird so the students and I asked our guide what it ate. He said that it had a varied diet and that it and it ate stuff like crabs frogs worms and insects. Hearing this, the students stepped back from feeding it because they were terribly scared of worms and insects themselves!

We went  further inside the sanctuary and saw numerous and rare species of  the bird. It was a trip to remember.

Give my greetings to uncle and aunt and I hope you like the pictures I have sent because I know you love nature and everything about it.

Hope to see you soon.
Your loving friend,
Radhika

Next, we move away from nature for a bit. Eight-year-old Nirav tells us what he thinks school uniforms are necessary — he believes it strongly!

All Students Should Wear School Uniforms

By Nirav

Uniforms are an excellent idea that can help school students be more disciplined. It is my belief that uniforms are a great way to maintain a level of social equality. Dress code eliminates competition and creates an equal environment.

If there is no uniform, children, who are rich, will wear branded clothes and children who are poor will wear regular and simple clothes. The poor children will feel left out because they will be different.

Without school uniform, students will spend more time on picking out clothes rather than doing work. School uniforms, thus, help maintain a school’s academic standards.

I belong to an Institution which is almost two hundred years old and I take great pride in wearing my uniform and it identifies me to an educational institute which is the finest in the country.

My winter uniform is the best as it makes me looks good and everybody calls me handsome.

Poetry

We start with a poem to Earth.

Six-year-old Mayuri Sriram speaks from her heart in this poem to save the Earth. May we all feel as passionate about saving nature.

Dear Mother Earth

By Mayuri Sriram

Dear mother Earth,
You are our saviour,
You are our best thing,
We show respect to you.

You are the planet with blue and green
You are our mother Earth!
I wish people would stop polluting you,
What a graceful presence you are.
I will save you!

Earth is really the best home we can imagine, isn’t it? We can breathe easily in its atmosphere. There is water to drink and so much of greenery and food. And we have developed so many lovely things … like music and the piano.

Twelve-year-old Asmita Ramalingam from Houston, Texas, has penned a beautiful poem expressing her gratitude to her piano.

I Am Grateful For My Piano

By Asmita Ramalingam

I am grateful for my piano --
The black and white checkered across,
The cool, hard touch,
The crisp sound.
Music in my head is never lost.
 
Sharing the delightful melody,
With my teacher,
Friends,
Family,
And the list does not soon end.
 
My fingers move like a waterfall.
As I flip the pages of my book,
The tune draws me in,
As if it’s a hook.
 
“Music takes you to a magical place I say,”
And I am grateful for my piano,
Today and everyday.

We have another poem on what we all have been doing the past year — online learning. Eight-year-old Jhanvi Shah from Mumbai pens this relatable and funny poem about the perils of online learning.

Disconnected Teacher

By Jhanvi Shah

The teacher gets disconnected,
From the meeting.
The host does not let her in.
The teacher says, “Hey… that’s cheating”!
 
She gets disconnected,
Again and again.
Everyone is happy.
Even bored little Ben.
 
She has got bad network.
“What’s the problem with that anyways?
I’ll fix it all up,”
The teacher says.
 
So the next day she comes,
With a computer brand new.
She tells the students,
“I’ve got to talk to you.”
 
“Listen, listen students all,
Corona will end anyways..."
But there she gets disconnected,
“Not again!”, the teacher says.

Stories

And what an interesting ouvre we have this month. We start by stepping out of this planet — towards a large, large universe…

Eleven-year-old Adwaith Menon from Chennai brings us a story with friendly aliens.

A Day With The Aliens

By Adwaith Menon

Hey guys! My name is Ray Jones and I am about to tell you a strange incident that happened to me.

Two years ago, I was sitting in my room studying for my exams. I was so preoccupied, I even refused my dinner.

After preparing for my exams, I went out to get some fresh air. I looked up at the dark night and said, “How beautiful!” I saw a streak of light in the sky and followed it. Suddenly, I felt myself beamed up into the sky. I fainted.

I woke up to the sound of a person yelling, “Species number 661 captain — they are called humans.”

When I opened my eyes, I saw that the speaker was an alien. Another alien being, with big bulging eyes, said: “Thank you Commander.”

He paused to look at me. “So, human…”

I interrupted him, “How do you know my language?” I asked.

“Who are you and where am I?” I screamed.

“Calm down my friend. My name is Twackey. We have a machine on board called the Languaphone which allows us to understand and speak other languages and are plugged in inside our ears. You are on board the Starlight V-7,” he said. Then he helped me stand up.

“Brrrrr”, my stomach started to growl. I hadn’t had my dinner and was hungry.

“Hungry, are you? Well, me too,” Twackey said with a smile.

He led me into a huge room and offered me food. I was happy and shocked at the same time to see that it wasn’t some alien food but something that I was used to eating.

“Our chef, Mr Rabuto, knows how to prepare all kinds of food that different species eat,” Twackey explained to me seeing my reaction.

After eating, he took me on a tour of the spaceship. He showed me a 5-D simulator, a theater for space shows, an in-built amusement park and a library. Seeing all the books in the library made me think of my home and I started feeling home-sick. Sensing me, Twackey said to me, “ Feeling homesick huh?”

“I am sorry but I have to go home now,” I said. He smiled at me affectionately. “I understand. Bye Ray!”, he said.

I bid him goodbye too.

Then, in a flash, I appeared on my bed. But…but…I thought. I didn’t go to bed, or did I? I looked up hoping it had all been real.

 

If you were a pet dog what would your life be like? Eight-year-old Mahit Verma from Kolkata believes he would be a loyal and courageous dog with a thirst for adventure.

My Life As A Pet Dog

By Mahit Verma

Hi everyone! I am a brown bulldog born in the woods and as soon as I turned a month old, I was transferred to a pet shop.

As luck would have it, I was bought by a small boy called Ronan. On his birthday, he bought me as a present for himself. Since I was a present, I was decorated with a stylish bow dog collar. Ronan picked me up and I licked him all over, being the affectionate dog that I am!

Ronan believed I was his best gift and I felt very proud about that. But I think he gave me the best gift – himself and my name ‘Bringo’.

Everyone loved me in the family, especially Ronan, who treated me like his own brother.

Sundays were much awaited as I went for longer walks near the river and got more dog treats and scrumptious food. The other days I used to get a drive in the car( but I like open air more and running in the garden )as I went to drop him to school.

Let me tell you all humans are not the same. Some boys used to come kick me and pull my tail at school. I too have my friends at the dog shelter where I am taken weekly and, boy, do we have a gala time!

All in all life was fantastic. But as they say with the good comes the evil. The date 25th September will be etched in my heart forever.

On that frightful dreaded night, the sky was overcast with dark and misty clouds. The wind was blowing hard. Nature was at its darkest best. We had stepped out for our evening walk along the river but my fright got the better of me and I jumped onto Ronan’s lap. And Ronan skid over the muddy surface. The next moment my Ronan was gone. The strong river current had sucked him in.

I yelped for help but not a single soul was around. I ran along the river bank but there was no sight of Ronan. The very thought I could lose him forever made me muster courage and, splash, I was in the middle of the river!

Fighting the current, swimming for miles and miles, braving the storm, I felt I had donned the Iron Man’s suit. At last my prayers was were answered when I saw Ronan holding onto a bushy shrub. I grabbed him by his leg and swam ashore.

Finally we were home. Everyone shrieked with relief and shed happy tears on seeing us. I was gifted a gold made collar for my bravery by the Rescue Academy.

Five years have passed since that day and we have opened a dog training institute where I flash my gold collar as a chief instructor.

And let us stay with our animal friends…Six-year-old Shanaya Singh from Kolkata saw something amazing while she was out playing in the garden. Do read to know what she saw!

A Happy Squirrel Family

By Shanya Singh

One fine morning, while I was playing in my garden, the weather was so good. The wind was blowing on the branches of the trees. I could hear birds jumping around me. Suddenly, I heard a husky barking around the tree branch.

On hearing the sound, one squirrel came and sat next to her father on the branch. Next, I heard both of them squeaking and calling ‘Kiki’. Then another squirrel came out of the hole. I heard similar chirping and I saw one more squirrel joining them on the branch. All of them squeaked and barked together.

Kati, a tiny squirrel came running and sat next to them. They all started to swing in the air and play happily. How loving and caring they were! I also named the father squirrel Kally.

It was a pleasure to see the beauty of nature. Did you know that animals and birds communicate with each other?

What a lovely drawing of the squirrel and her family. Thank you Shanya and all our good friends from Bookosmia. We look forward to the madness of March — let us dream of a colourful spring and a lovely year ahead. This is Ms Sara wishing you all adieu!

( This section is hosted by Bookosmia)

.

PLEASE NOTE: ARTICLES CAN ONLY BE REPRODUCED IN OTHER SITES WITH DUE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO BORDERLESS JOURNAL.