Children's Literature

  He looked for a handkerchief while springing round the entire room. But he could not find it out because it was in the pocket of his coat that he had taken off. Well, he could not remember where he had put the coat. Anyway, the entire household had to look for his coat, while he was dancing around. Moreover, he was hindering the other members of the family. Uncle Podger said in annoyance, “Doesn’t anybody know where my coat is? I have never found such a set throughout my life. None of the six of you can find my coat. I took it off just now. Not even five minutes ago!” Then he stood up and found that he was sitting on the coat. He spoke loudly, “Oh, you need not look for it anymore. I myself have found it now.” After half an hour had been passed in bandaging his finger, Uncle Podger got a new glass for the picture. Two of the family members had to hold the chair. The third had to help him up on the picture. Then the fourth had to hand him a nail, while the fifth had to pas...

None has ever seen such a commotion in a house except when Uncle Podger would undertake a job. Similarly, one day, a picture was delivered by the frame-makers. It had to be put up on a wall in the dining room. Aunt Podger asked, “What is going to be done with it?” Uncle Podger replied promptly, “No worry. Just leave that to me. I’ll do all that is required.” Right then, after removing his coat, he began. After sending a girl out for a few nails, he sent one of the boys just after her to tell the size of the nails. Thereafter, he shouted, “Will, go and get me the hammer.” Again he said, “Bring me the rule, Tom. Well, I need the step-ladder as well as a kitchen chair.” Then Uncle Podger said, “Maria, you don’t go. I want somebody to hold the light.” Then the girl came back with the nails. Anyway, Uncle Podger sent her again for a piece of picture cord. He shouted, “Where’s Tom? Come here, Tom. Hand me up the picture.” After that, Uncle lifted up the picture, but right the...

  Have you ever looked at the sky in amazement? Have you ever given it a thought, “How can it be so high? How can we touch the sky? What is the limit of its height?” Well, I believe that each one of you must have done these, haven’t you? Don’t you find it beautiful? Don’t you find it pleasant? Don’t you find it full of surprises? Yes, the blue sky is sometimes adorned with snow-white clouds. Well, then, it looks even more wondrous. Such an exceptional creation! Such an exceptional thing of beauty, true beauty! Such an exceptional mine of astonishment! Well, at dusk, why don’t we step out to enjoy the golden glow? Still, we all should recommend one another to ask for the permission from our parents, from our family. However, a gloomy, a rainy, a stormy, or a day full of adversity does demand our curious attitude to be fulfilled by our elderly people, for they care for us, they love us and they do protect us in each and every step of our life. Yes, we all need to enjoy natura...

  Long ago, there was a poor porter named Hindbad. He used to live in Baghdad. Hindbad used to carry heavy loads every day.           One day, he was carrying a heavy load as usual. As a result, he became tired and sat down to take some rest in front of a palace.           The palace was so grand that the porter became curious to know about the people living in it. He wondered, “How rich the people living inside the palace would be!”           Sometime later, Hindbad saw a passer-by. Right then, Hindbad asked the passer-by, “Who lives in this palace?           The passer-by replied, “The palace is of Sindbad, the famous sailor. He has travelled to a number of places or distant lands.”           After hearing everything with rapt attention, Hindbad loo...

            Mortimer fell down into the armchair. Picking up the old book, he, in extreme shock, recognised the book that contained the story of ‘The Midnight Express’. In great panic, he turned the pages of the book with trembling hands. Beginning to read, Mortimer came to find that the story was regarding a man, who, in his childhood, had read a book with a scary picture.           He tried to understand the strange cycle of events that he was going through. Filled in extreme fear, Mortimer asked himself, “Who was the strange man asking me to come into this cottage?”           The door got opened and the strange host entered at that very moment. The candle put on the table cast a huge shadow on the wall. Although the shadowy figure was standing in front of Mortimer, the figure slowly but surely came forward. Sitting on the armchair, Mortimer e...

            However, Mortimer was aroused. Yes, his instincts got awakened. He stepped towards the dark figure to look into its face. Mortimer became shocked to find that he was looking steadfastly into his own face.           Suddenly, a current of fear gripped his mind. Immediately, he turned. Then gasping for a while, he started running wildly. Stumbling out of the platform, he hastened down a moonlit street. Yes, he could even hear the echo of his own footsteps behind him. What is more, the footsteps were constantly approaching him. After taking a breath and a pause for a moment, he started running once again.           After some time, Mortimer found a little white cottage a little distance away. He kept on pounding on the wooden door of the cottage to seek a shelter desperately. Again, he could hear that the sound of heavy footsteps was ne...

Then Mortimer was twelve years of age. He found a tattered old book that was bound in red leather in his father’s library. As and when the rest of his family members were asleep, Mortimer stealthily took the book. Where? To his bedroom for reading it by candlelight. The roaring sea outside as well as the ticking clock in the hall were in their flow.           Anyway, Mortimer was deeply attracted by the old book that contained a story named ‘The Midnight Express’. The illustration on the fiftieth page of the book scared Mortimer due to some unknown reason. What was in the illustration? It showed a vacant railway platform. It was night-time. So, a dull and yellow lamp lit the platform. A lonely man was seen standing under the lamp. He turned his face towards the dark mouth of a tunnel. Everything seemed so sound. Still, Mortimer did never read beyond that fiftieth page.           A number of yea...