yashwanthmj

Once upon a time down on an old farm, lived a duck family, and Mother Duck had been sitting on a clutch of new eggs. One nice morning, the eggs hatched and out popped six chirpy ducklings. But one egg was bigger than the rest, and it didn't hatch. Mother Duck couldn't recall laying that seventh egg. How did it get there? TOCK! TOCK! The little prisoner was pecking inside his shell.   "Did I count the eggs wrongly?" Mother Duck wondered. But before she had time to think about it, the last egg finally hatched. A strange looking duckling with gray feathers that should have been yellow gazed at a worried mother. The ducklings grew quickly, but Mother Duck had a secret worry.      "I can't understand how this ugly duckling can be one of mine!" she said to herself, shaking her head as she looked at her last born. Well, the gray duckling certainly wasn't pretty, and since he ate far more than his brothers, he was outgrowing them. As the days went by, the po

Once upon a time, a very poor woodcutter lived in a tiny cottage in the forest with his two children, Hansel and Gretel. His second wife often ill-treated the children and was forever nagging the woodcutter. "There is not enough food in the house for us all. There are too many mouths to feed! We must get rid of the two brats," she declared. And she kept on trying to persuade her husband to abandon his children in the forest. "Take them miles from home, so far that they can never find their way back! Maybe someone will find them and give them a home." The downcast woodcutter didn't know what to do. Hansel who, one evening, had overheard his parents' conversation, comforted Gretel. "Don't worry! If they do leave us in the forest, we'll find the way home," he said. And slipping out of the house he filled his pockets with little white pebbles, then went back to bed. All night long, the woodcutter's wife harped on and on at her husband till,

Much as I wish that I had not to write this chapter, I know that I shall have to swallow many such bitter draughts in the course of this narrative. And I cannot do otherwise if I claim to be a worshipper of Truth. It is my painful duty to have to record here my marriage at the age of thirteen. As I see the youngsters of the same age about me who are under my care and think of my own marriage, I am inclined to pity myself and to congratulate them on having escaped my lot. I can see no moral argument in support of such a preposterously early marriage. Let the reader make no mistake. I was married, not betrothed. For in Kathiawad there are two distinct rites, betrothal, and marriage. Betrothal is a preliminary promise on the part of the parents of the boy and the girl to join them in marriage, and it is not inviolable. The death of the boy entails no widowhood on the girl. It is an agreement purely between the parents, and the children have no concern with it. Often they are not even info

I must have been about seven when my father left Porbandar for Rajkot to become a member of the Rajasthanik Court. There I was put into a primary school, and I can well recollect those days, including the names and other particulars of the teachers who taught me. As at Porbandar, so here, there is hardly anything to note about my studies. I could only have been a mediocre student. From this school I went to the suburban school and thence to the high school, having already reached my twelfth year. I do not remember having ever told a lie, during this short period, either to my teachers or to my school-mates, I used to be very shy and avoided all company. My books and my lessons were my sole companions. To be at school at the stroke of the hour and to run back home as soon as the school closed-that was my daily habit. I literally ran back, because I could not bear to talk to anybody. I was even afraid lest anyone should poke fun at me. There is an incident that occurred at the examinatio

 The Gandhis belong to the Bania caste and seem to have been originally grocers. But for three generations, from my grandfather, they have been Prime Ministers in several Kathiawad States. Uttamchand Gandhi, alias Ota Gandhi, my grandfather, must have been a man of principle. State intrigues compelled him to leave Porbandar, where he was Diwan, and to seek refuge in Junagadh. There he saluted the Nawab with the left hand. Someone, noticing the apparent discourtesy, asked for an explanation, which was given thus: 'The right hand is already pledged to Porbandar.' Ota Gandhi married a second time, having lost his first wife. He had four sons by his first wife and two by his second wife. I do not think that in my childhood I ever felt or knew that these sons of Ota Gandhi were not all of the same mother. The fifth of these six brothers was Karamchand Gandhi, alias Kaba Gandhi, and the sixth was Tulsidas Gandhi. Both these brothers were Prime Ministers in Porbandar, one after the ot

Once upon a time, there was a sweet little girl. Everyone called her Little Red Riding Hood because she always wore a red riding hood. It had been given to her by her grandmother, who loved the little girl very much. One day Little Red Riding Hood’s mother said, “Here, child, take this basket to your grandmother. She’s feeling sick and I hope this will make her feel better. Don’t talk to strangers, don’t leave the path, and walk straight to your grandma’s house. “ L ittle Red Riding Hood’s grandmother lived half an hour away in the woods outside the village. So Little Red Riding Hood set off. The girl had just entered the woods when a wolf came out of the trees. She wasn’t scared because she didn’t know wolves are dangerous. “Good day, Little Red Riding Hood”, the wolf greeted her. “Good day, Mr. Wolf”, the girl replied. “Where are you going?” he asked. “I’m going to visit my grandmother because she isn’t feeling very well”, Little Red Riding Hood replied. “What do you have in that bas

There were two best friends – an ant and grasshopper.  The grasshopper liked to relax the whole day and play his guitar.  The ant, however, would work hard all day.  He would collect food from all corners of the garden while the grasshopper relaxed. The grasshopper would tell the ant to take a break every day, but the ant would refuse and continue his work.  Soon, winter came. many animals did not have enough food.  The grasshopper couldn’t find any food and was hungry.  However, the ant had enough food for him to last through the winter. The grasshopper went to ant's house and asked him "Can you please give me some food. The ant gave him half of his food. After summer came, the grasshopper started collected his own food. And lived happily after.

Once upon a time, there were three bears, who lived together in a house of their own in a wood.  One of them was a little, small wee bear; one was a middle-sized bear, and the other was a great, huge bear. One day, after they had made porridge for their breakfast, they walked out into the wood while the porridge was cooling.  And while they were walking, a little girl came into the house.  This little girl had golden curls that tumbled down her back to her waist, and everyone called her by Anna.  Anna went inside. First, she tasted the porridge of the great, huge bear, and that was far too hot for her.  And then she tasted the porridge of the middle bear, and that was too cold for her.  And then she went to the porridge of the little, small wee bear, and tasted that.  And that was neither too hot nor too cold, but just right; and she liked it so well, that she ate it all up. Then Anna went upstairs into the bed-chamber and first she lay down upon the bed of the great, huge bear,  and t