Baya Hamari Chidiya Rani! (बया हमारी चिड़िया रानी!), a classic poem by Mahadevi Verma, describes the weaver bird (बया) weaving its hanging palace-like nest from blades of grass on a high branch. The children lovingly promise to fill the courtyard with grains and the basin (हौज) with cool sweet water so the mother bird never … Read more
Aam Ka Ped (आम का पेड़) tells the story of Saurabh, who enjoys sweet mangoes sent by his uncle and plants a mango seed (गुठली) in his garden. After light rain, a tiny sprout with red leaves emerges, delighting Saurabh and his sister Priya; their father explains that with patient care over four to five … Read more
Birbal Ki Khichdi (बीरबल की खिचड़ी) opens Unit 2 (हमारे मित्र) with the famous folktale of a poor man who stands all night in the freezing water of the Yamuna river after Emperor Akbar promises a bag of gold coins. When Akbar refuses the reward claiming the man stayed warm by looking at the distant … Read more
Mitra Ko Patra (मित्र को पत्र) is a friendly letter written by Rupam to his friend Abhishek describing his summer vacation at his maternal grandparents’ home in Guwahati, Assam. Rupam shares his experiences of seeing the mighty Brahmaputra river, Majuli (India’s largest river island), Sattriya classical dance, Kamakhya Devi temple on Nilachal hill, Umananda temple … Read more
Chatur Geedad (चतुर गीदड़) is a lively two-scene play (एकांकी) in which a hungry crocodile (मगरमच्छ) and his friend the tortoise (कछुआ) plot to catch a clever jackal (गीदड़) by having the crocodile pretend to be dead by the pond. Suspecting a trap, the jackal loudly remarks that a dead crocodile’s tail always keeps wagging—prompting … Read more