Animal friend

Once there was a strong little girl. She could jump, skip and run very fast. Her name was Meena.

One day Meena went to the market. She heard a lot of noise.

``Get away, Run for your life!’’

``Hurry up, Quick!’’

A vegetable seller threw his basket and ran away. Some people jumped on to the trees and roofs.

Meena saw an angry bull. He was running very fast. Men, women and children were very scared, but not Meena.

``I must stop the bull,’’ said Meena.

``No,’’ her friends shouted.

Manu loved animals. She understood them.

At top speed, she ran to the bull and got hold of its horns. Then she patted it and talked to it very kindly.

The bull was not angry any more.

Meena had a new friend now. She fed him with green grass. The bull was very happy top get so much love.

Meena grew up. She becomes the bravest of the brave queens.

India remembers her as Rani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi.

Green tree

Kabir and is sister loved to play in the park. Lots of people came to picnic there. The park was full of trees. But Kabir and his sister loved the mango tree the best. They played all kinds of games under its cool shade. They loved to swing from its branches. And in summer, mangoes were always waiting to be plucked.

But this year something was wrong! It was summer but there were no mangoes on the tree. Its leaves too were not green anymore. They had turned brown. The poor tree was ill!

One day were playing near the mango tree. Suddenly a tiny voice called them, `Kabir! Look me here!’ they looked around and saw little squirrel sitting on the mango tree is sick!’’ ``yes!’’ shouted both of them.

``Well’’ said the squirrel, ``Look under the tree. Every one comes to the park to picnic. But they don’t pick up the garbage.

And now there are many plastic bags, cups and bottles near its roots. The mango tree is feeling choked. It cannot breathe anymore because of all that plastic. It can’t even drink water from its roots.’’

So that evening Kabir and Rani picked up all the plastic bottles and bags from under the tree and threw them in the dustbin. They cleaned up the area around it. In a few weeks the mango tree was green again!

Every time Kabir and his sister came to play under it, the mango tree happily bent forward so that they could swing from its branches.