Sujatha was thirteen years old. She lived with her parents in a house in weavers’ colony in Yemmiganur. She cycled to school everyday.

One Saturday, Sujatha was cleaning her cycle. Her mother said, `I am going to the market, Sujatha. I want to buy some vegetables.’

`All right, mother’, said Sujatha. `I will stay here.’

After fifteen minutes, Sujatha finished her work and went into the house.

`Why, there’s mother’s bag! Sujatha Cried. `She’s left it behind.’

She took the bag and ran out of the house. She jumped onto her cycle.

`I shall catch up with mother in few minutes,’ she thought. And she cycled quickly long the road.

Sujatha soon saw her mother on the pavement. She was talking to two men on a cycle. Suddenly one of the men graded her mother’s gold chain. Then the two men left very quickly.

Sujatha pedaled as fast as possible and reached her mother. She was crying.

`Don’t cry mother,’ said. `I will catch them and get your gold chain back.’

She went off after the men on her cycle.

After a few minutes, Sujatha saw the men. They were going quite slowly and Sujatha kept behind them. Soon they stopped outside a house.

They left the cycle on the pavement and went side.

Sujatha put her cycle against the wall; crept up to the window and looked in. the men were in the room. One of them picked up a clock and hid the gold chain under it. Then they both sat down and started talking and laughing. Sujatha went quietly looked at the number on the door.

`912!’ she said to herself. ` I shall remember.’

She pedaled away, till she saw an old man and stopped.

`Please, sir, where is the police station?’ he asked.

`Over there,’ replied the man, and pointed.

Sujatha cycled straight to the police station and ran inside.

`Sir,’ she cried. `Please come quickly. Two men have stolen my mother’s gold chain.’

`Are you sure?’ asked the inspector. `Where are they?’

The inspector and a constable went with Sujatha and knocked on the door of the house. One of the men opened the door.

`Is this one of them?’ asked the police inspector.

`Yes,’ shouted Sujatha. `He stole the chain.’

The man laughed. `You won’t find any chains here.’

The inspector pushed man aside and entered the house. Sujatha and constable waited outside.

`It’s under that cock,’ shouted Sujatha from the door.

Immediately, the two men tried to run out of the house, but the constable and the inspector caught them. The inspector then found the chain the chain under the clock.

The policemen took the men away, and Sujatha went home. A little later, the gold chain was returned.

`What a brave and clever girl you are,’ said father, when he heard the story.