You have a lot of chocolates. If you eat them all yourself in one day, there would be nothing left for anyone else or for the next day! If you want to share them with others and eat some every day, you must eat a little at a time and save the rest. Similarly, the earth, our home, has given us many good things-water, soil, minerals, plants and animals. Without these, we would not be able to live. If we use the all up for ourselves, nothing would be left for our children and grandchildren. Would this be a fair thing to do?

One drop of water

Long ago in china, there was a wise teacher called Yishaan. He lived in the mountain, among trees, flowers, birds and animals.

Many people came to learn from him. One of them was a young boy called Senhui.

One day, when Yishaan was getting ready for a bath, he found the water in the bucket too hot.

`Oh! Senhui’, he called `Bring some cold water. Quick!’

Senhui brought a bucket of cold water and began pouring it into the tub of hot water.

`Ah! That’s better. This is enough’, said Yishaan.

Some cold water was left in the bucket. Senhui threw it away.

`Senhui’, Yishaan shouted angrily. Senhui looked at his teacher in surprise. `Why could not you pour the water on the plants or the trees? Or you could have even kept it for use later,’ ha said. Senhui had never seen the gentle master so angry.

`If we waste water’, explained Yishaan, `Soon there will be no more left for us. There will be no water for the plats and animals. They too will die’. Senhui understood the lesson about saving water. Did you?

Understand

In our daily lives, we waste a lot of things. There are many ways in which we can save them. Do you keep the tap running while you brush your teeth? If you keep the tap closed and use only one glass of water to rinse your mouth, you save water. Using a bucket of water instead of a shower or a bathtub also saves water. Do you throw away old envelopes? You can open them up and use them for making lists and notes. You could cycle to school if it is close by save petrol by not using the car. You can also save gas covering the vessel while boiling water.

Paper, petrol, gas, electricity and many other things which make our lives comfortable are made from the gifts of nature. It is important to use these carefully. We must nature’s gifts for the future.