Children’s Literature

Adwik is a 7 year old autistic boy and carries a label of being in “Borderline Intellectual Function” category.

As we reached the venue, we were soaked into the atmosphere of a celebration. Within minutes, as usual, I found myself consoling, cajoling a irritated and overwhelmed Adwik. The usual statements of ” it will be over soon”, ” this is the last speech, I Promise” , ” its almost over” and a few stern warnings “Adwik! Be a good boy” “Adwik! Please be quiet for 5mins” , and equally usual was his unchanging, stiff mood and desperation trying to escape the venue.

I never craved for a win, a prize in my own school competitions. I always thought those are beyond my interests, but this day, surprisingly, I craved so desperately for Adwik to get something in his hands, I wanted to see him being awarded on the stage. I somehow thought it would make him happy. A father in me was ready to fight for it.

We participated in two competitions, a ‘ball throw’ and ‘colouring’.

The first one went very well, Adwik threw the ball way-off the target but HE THREW THE BALL!! while standing on the marking, as the rules of the game demanded. I would argue, though, that the target was placed wrong, it should have been placed where my son was throwing the ball.

And then, We were supposed to colour a drawing sheet which had the outline of 3 apples on a branch. It tooks some 4 trials of positioning the paper the right way for Adwik to start coloring. We finished coloring after 10minutes of actual end of time.

While the head-boy of the school collected all the colored sheets, I noticed all the other participants’ sheets and a definite reason as to why we would win, I thought to myself – Adwik has a great chance of winning this.

This is what Adwik submitted for the competition. A sure winner right?
You will soon echo with me. Read on.

I browsed every other entry of the colored apples, and all apples were red. They were supposed to be red , right? It is a rule which was fed into minds.

Adwik tooks rules of colouring competition into his own hands and imagined three apples of three different colours and none to be red. Coloring or art is an expression of imagination, not establishing facts. And that is what he did.

So the results?

Red apples won!

My face was bloodshot when Adwik’s name was never called upon.

As we rode back on my scooter with Adwik standing in front, I looked over his shoulders on to the road trying to imagine what he felt of all the proceedings of past 2hours. He remained and looked unaffected, and just enjoyed the cool breeze over his face, sometimes looking up in the sky.

I was filled with anguish and ever existing feelings of dejections, sadness of not getting small wishes my way surfaced. It wouldn’t have been a big deal to make a kid feel happy for his efforts, but it wasn’t to be.

As in most such times, God dropped in a thought which said-

“Go celebrate”

And so we did. There’s no reason not to celebrate. We enjoyed over a cup of cane juice.

Sweet – the cane juice, the day, our life and Adwik!

PS: Adwik did get something that day. One of the senior teacher did notice his efforts and awarded something. A lunch box and a pack of biscuits. There is Hope, after all!

By Ajit Manjappa

Once upon a time, there lived a little boy named Luke. He was 6 years old. He had no friends. One day he was so sad because he had no friends and he walked alone on the street. Later, when he came back home, he prayed to God for a friend.

The next day he went to school. He was lonely, he had no one to talk to. Just then he met a boy. His name was John. They talked, they played, they shared things, and so on. One day they became best friends.

Years later, they grew up and became men. They got jobs to do, so they were busy. Years and years later they forgot each other.

One day Luke came back to home after his work. Luke’s mom said: ‘Luke it’s time to sleep’. When he was going to sleep, he remembered his best friend, John.

He rushed out of his bed and immediately took his phone and called John. John was going to sleep. He heard a phone call. It was Luke. He said: ‘Oh! I forgot; it is Luke.’ He was so happy and he answered the call.

Luke said: ‘Hey remember me? Its Luke.’ John said: ‘Hey can we hang out tomorrow, I will be at the park.’ Luke said: ‘Sure I will come.’ Then they slept.

Then next day, he went to the park, he saw John. He was sitting on a bench. Just then, he saw Luke. They ran to each other and hugged.

John said: How long it has been since we last met?

Luke said: ‘Uh, I’m not sure!’

Luke said: ‘Let’s go for shopping.’ John said: ‘Sure.’ Later they came back after shopping. John said: ‘Bye Luke.’ Luke replied; ‘Bye.’ Then they went to home. They went to sleep and they were true best friends forever.

Izan Fraizer
Kerala, India

It’s a topic so vividly talked about yet the world needs to do a huge Herculean task to let it subside. Of course, global warming is a common phenomenon we see everywhere, all around. But, really it shouldn’t be taken that easily. Nor is it a thing that could be easily slid off because what’s the point if we live in this world, exploit and destroy all it has and, in the end, leave everything in this earth as we die? And the destruction we have caused will remain as evidence of our existence.

We are not here solely by our own will; rather, it is God’s will for us to live and care for His beautiful creations. Life is short, and living it to the fullest means living it wisely in a way that we won’t regret.

The world is at stake. Of course, this is the most important of times to act upon. The earth is rather becoming brown. What our grandparents once said is all but a dream for us, a fantasy. We don’t have to wait for anyone. We can act it out. But the mind requires ideas. We can do everything we can for nature.

If you see someone littering, tell them not to. But if they are arrogant to ignore, you pick it up yourself. It’s for nature. God has given you the responsibility to “work it and take care of it.” The issue is a lot being talked about and well written about. The mind is at high inspiration, the heart perceives the truth. No day’s newspaper is left without having at least one “climate change” article. At least the world has realised the time is running out.

And what good does it do if one part of the world sets out for nature and at the very right moment, the other part sets out missiles and nuclear weapons. It not only leads to polluting the air but also its fine suspended particles take all the credit in harming human health, even at very low concentrations.

Needless to say, war zones produce hundreds and thousands of tons of CO2, NO2, hydrocarbons, SO2, all in addition to the release of carbon dioxide. Plus, it takes life.

Indeed, very rightly, UN chief Antonio Guterres has told the UN COP27 summit that humanity faces a stark choice between working together or “collective suicide” in battle against global warming. We are already at the edge of time. What needs to be done must be done sooner.

Article by
Leya Mariam Biju

About the writer

Leya Mariam Biju, an Indian grade twelve student at New Indian Model School Dubai, was born and raised in Dubai, UAE. With the loving guidance of her parents, Biju Varghese and Binu Biju, Leya has flourished alongside her cherished sister, Lena Mariam Biju. Throughout her educational journey, Leya has been blessed with unwavering support from her family and teachers, who have played a vital role in shaping her character and ambitions. She possesses a deep reverence for nature, recognizing it as a divine gift that she feels a responsibility to preserve. As a gifted writer, Leya has crafted numerous heartfelt poems, with “Serenity,” “Boundless Love,” and “Nature’s Thief” holding a special place in her heart. Her passion for nature and poetic expression intertwines, inspiring her to make a positive impact on the world. Fueled by her dedication to environmental conservation and her talent for evocative verse, Leya embarks on new endeavours with boundless possibilities, always supported by the love and encouragement of her family and teachers.

Land you have to kill for is not yours
Land you have to die for is,
The armored shells you bought into the stolen land
Will stay buried underground for you remain at no level
As the people who live above it.
I pray that the children can wake up to the songs of birds
Rather; the daily death waves that enter their nests.
I pray that the man who lost his bookshop will be gifted with a library.
I wish for the older generations to heal from their burnt olive trees.
The people you pushed out, still hold their keys –
To their broken homes, where there once used to be olive trees in bloom.
Years of patience have been put ablaze and you stand there, frightened by stones.
You can’t leave their homes alone, nor can you leave them in deep sleep.
How low must your dignity be for you to dig up on graves
Of the innocent to expand your mark?
How low must it be for you to turn a holy site into a battleground?
I must trace back on my choice of words, excuse me for I used battleground,
For how could it be considered war when one side fires up
their guns while the other prays?
I truly hope that one day, Palestine will be set free.

Poem by
Evana Sunil

About the Poet

Evana Sunil, a talented and ambitious grade 10 student at New Indian Model School Dubai, is a remarkable individual with a diverse range of interests. Born to Mr. Sunil Arogyam and Mrs. Binu Sunil, she is the youngest among her two siblings, Nikita Sunil and Stephanie Sunil. While Evana currently aspires to pursue a career in International Law, she understands that plans can evolve over time, and she remains open to exploring different opportunities that come her way.

Evana’s passions span a wide spectrum, reflecting her versatile nature. From her keenness for baking and an entrepreneurial spirit to her fondness for writing poems,. Although her commitment to poetry may not always be consistent, she seizes every moment when inspiration strikes and takes the opportunity to express herself through written verse.

Titles such as “Dead Society,” “Astral,” “Lilac,” “Reminisce,” “With you,” and “Odyssey of Life” showcase her talent and evoke a range of emotions. Among her collection of poems, From the River to the Sea holds a special place in Evana’s heart.. When reading this poem, she hopes that, even for a brief moment, readers can experience the same sentiments she felt during the creative process.

It was a nice sunny day when we went to the Parambikulam tiger reserve. It’s a protected safe haven for animals and is a part of the vast expanse of forests that is the Western Ghats.Parambikulam was founded by Narayanan Nair in 2009. It is located in Palakkad, in Chittoor Taluk. It was originally a teak plantation because teak furniture and wood were very popular and used widely. It was actually planted by the British! But it soon became a protected area, due to the huge amount of biodiversity and wildlife in that area.

We came through the Anamalai forest side, in Tamil Nadu. When we first arrived, we had to go up a seemingly infinite road of steep curves, hairpin turns, etc. It was a mixture of mesmerizing and terrifying, as every turn threatened to throw us off-road! The view was spectacular! Hilly mountains arose in the distance like giant round boulders and there were trees and grass as far as the eye could see! As we had come in the dry season, most of it was dry and barren. I was a bit disappointed that I didn’t see anything at the moment. I saw only saw Malabar hornbill (only a glimpse, as it flew fast) and an oriental dwarf kingfisher.

But, when we crossed the Tamil Nadu area and entered into Kerala, there was an abrupt change from a dry forest to a lush green wonderland! There were bamboo clumps (when bamboos grow close to each other and get tangled together, creating a clump) and teak trees (the main kind of tree in the area). There were these trees that had bright orange-red flame-like flowers. Once the flowers bloom the tree sheds all the leaves. It is known as “Flame of the Forest” to the locals and its scientific name (like all other scientific names) was pretty unpronounceable. It’s called ‘Butea monosperma. I know it’s super weird.

There were seemingly endless black langurs. They seemed docile enough. I saw a couple of baby ones too! When we arrived at the camp, we stopped temporarily at the main area, because we had to get a forest guard to come with us. Soon forest guard uncle came, and we went on into the jungle! We saw loads of wild boars. Fun (and ironic) fact: A group of boars is called a singular even though there are multiple wild boars!!! We stopped for a second in front of the forest Guard uncle’s home. Nearby was a lake, in which Appa, Amma, and I splashed around in. We saw small needle-like fish. Apparently, there were 40 species of fish there and some crocodiles! There was also a bamboo boat set on the bank. After thoroughly making sure my slippers and shorts were soaking wet we continued into the forest.

When we finally got to the place where we were staying, it was afternoon. It was a treehouse, built on many small trees! It seemed to be made of bamboo (obviously painted bright green). There was only one treehouse, with one more being constructed. It was a bit scary, because since it was built on trees, if an elephant walked under us and even slightly touched the house, it would come crashing down! Plus, elephants did regularly come this way!

There was a beautiful lakeside view, and I saw a small brown heron hunting for fish on the banks! I watched as it used its long, slender legs to navigate the banks. Apparently, the river was called’ Sholayar‘. Soon the little heron flew away. I sat on a chair and read a bit of my books, before gazing at the scenery. Egrets and kingfishers darted at the water in the distance hoping to catch a fish. The shrill sound of peacocks filled the air. I even saw my first ever wild gaur who was lying under a tree on the opposite bank! The gaur was followed by 3 more, and soon an entire herd was there! I saw huge splashes in the water but didn’t see who was making them. Most likely a big fish. I even saw a Brahminy kite for the first time ever (I had only seen black kites)! Inside of the tree house was nice and cozy, but the sounds of the construction of the nearby treehouse kinda disturbed the serenity.

After a while, it was lunchtime! We went to a house-like area, (painted with bamboo, which is a recurring theme!). Since we were still in a forest, trees dotted the area. Amma and I saw a Malabar giant squirrel, a colourful squirrel that is HUGE! Soon we entered and sat at the table, and ate nice yummy food there. It was chicken curry, chapatti, rice, vegetables, different vegetable curries, and papad. It was delicious. There was also a bunch of chickens behind the house, and also lots of monkeys, trying to grab a morsel of food. They were driven away There were monkeys on bushes, on cars, and trees, some even managed to (temporarily ) get inside!

Then we went on a safari on a big bus. The first stop was at the Parambikulam dam, which was pretty close to our treehouse ( a walkable distance!). Did you know there are three dams in Parambikulam ?! And, there are also three main rivers called ‘Parambikulam, Sholayar, and Thekkady ‘!

Then we went deeper into the forest, and the first animal we saw was: A wild gaur! Followed by more wild gaurs. Trust me, these fellas were everywhere and were the most common animal I saw. Then the bus stuttered to a start, and we continued on. It was soon a dense forest. A beautiful lake was on one side; a steep cliff on another. We saw MORE wild gaurs, who seemed to be everywhere at every time.

Soon we came to stop No.2, which was ‘THE BIGGEST TEAK TREE IN THE WORLD: The Kannimara. It’s the biggest teak tree ever, and is 450-500 years old! It was one old fella! The tribal myth says when someone tried to cut it down, it bled! It’s called a ‘virgin tree’, because it has never been cut down! After taking a ton of photos, we went back to the bus and continued the safari.

We also saw another Malabar giant squirrel, who was enjoying himself, nibbling on fruit. This time the squirrel was pitch black! The Malabar giant squirrel has multiple forms when it comes to coloration, from a blue and purple design to a creamy brown, maroon, whitish, and black! We saw a couple of peacocks, birds and a lot of other creatures! Then we went to a view spot high up a mountain. It was a steep incline, but it was worth it! I accidentally spilled some water while going up. When we reached the top we could see miles away! We saw faraway mountain peaks, which were super tall! It reminded me of Smaug’s mountain from THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG (the prequel to LORD OF THE RINGS ). It was outstanding! I saw a flock of birds flying near the distance. The trip downwards was more bumpy than the one up and I was bouncing on the seat! After that, we did some more jungle exploring ( or jungling, as I call it ), before arriving at a beach-like area. We soon boarded these wooden boats powered by 4 MEN ! That’s how many people were on the boat. One person said he saw a tusker ( a male elephant) on the shore. Everyone else craned their neck to try and see the elephant, and some people saw it. Sadly I didn’t. I saw more needlefish, but that’s all.

Then, the final stop was a small village area. I drank some tea and some sweets, before going into a small building. There was a small stage, where actors were getting ready. There were elegant paintings of wildlife on the walls, like peacocks, squirrels, etc. Soon, some people began to bang drums, and they performed a folk Dance . of the local tribal people! Parambikulam has 4 major tribes (Kadar, Malasar, Muduvar, and Mala), all of which are pretty cool! In fact, most of the guards here come from these tribes!

After a long day in the jungle, the bus comes back to our treehouse. We went and freshened up (the water was freezing, but in a good way. It actually came from the river.)had dinner enjoyed the night sky and in the calm and quiet forest, I enjoyed my reading.

The next day, we went on a small trip with the forest guard uncle in our car. And we see (more gaurs) and tons of peacocks! We even saw two dancing on the road with a female nearby! It blocked the path but we didn’t mind. We watched them as they spread their tail feathers and DANCED! We also saw many deer including one with the biggest antlers I’ve ever seen! The weird thing is, normally when I go to a forest the first and most common animals I see are deer but here, I didn’t see them until the last second!

We went back to our tree house and then had YUMMY breakfast, Soon our trip was over and we sadly had to go home. Before going we got a bamboo – stick and a book showing all the butterflies of Parambikulam! Then we went back down the road, and drive back home.

About the author

Austin Ajit, a ten-year-old from Bangalore, India, defies expectations with his extraordinary interests and talents. He is a young naturalist, author, avid reader, storyteller, and child artist. Austin actively engages in wildlife conservation forums, draws inspiration from renowned naturalists, and passionately advocates for nature. With a knack for drawing and painting, he brings his love for nature to life through captivating artwork. Austin has already published three books, including “Grandma and Austin’s Plant Kingdom” and “Austin’s Dino World.” His works enchant readers with imaginative storytelling and vivid illustrations. At such a young age, Austin is a shining example of how passion and talent can make a positive impact.

“Woohoo! No school for one whole week! , screamed Violet while she kicked the door open. 

“How come, as long as I can remember, there is no special dates for next week?”, said mother checking her phone.  

“Perhaps the principal is sick. Am I right?” 

 Violet replied, “No, the principal is not sick. We are having a school trip”. 

“For one week? Gasped mother “besides, you are going to a field trip with your class and you know there will be other teachers, so how is that a holiday?” 

Violet said, “Well, we are going to a hardscrabble farm. It is a place where we learn about how the kids in the past lived and we are going to experience the work they did. 

Besides, it is one week holiday for me as the teachers said if we were not to come, it will be a week off. So, I am deciding not to go and instead have one week holiday.” 

“Oh, now I understand,” smiled mother, “but, aren’t you going?” 

“Of course not.” Violet replied as her smile turned into a frown. 

“I hate to go. You know they give terrible food at the cafeteria and they rarely clean the cabins. The chaperones there, are so mean that if you don’t want the food they serve, you are simply out of luck and you have no other option than to have them. The least they could do is let us bring goods and sweets from home. Even if you sneaked some food, they could easily find out. Now they find it much more easily because they hired someone called James Badger who smells and recognizes fast. I am going to Lily’s and Jake’s house to play.” Saying this she left her house and went to Lily’s house but she was surprised to hear that Lily and Jake were going too… She didn’t want to be left alone. Then she changed her mind and decided to go with them. 

The next day her mother woke her up. “Dear, wake up!  The bus comes one hour early today. Quick!”

 “Oh, come on.” Violet groaned, “just five more minutes this is so unfa-” before she could complete her sentence mother said, “I made burger… for breakfast of course.” Violet jumped out of her bed and got ready in the blink of an eye. Mother said, “I thought, because your bus comes early than usual you will be lazy, so I woke you up two hours early.”

 Violet said, “So now we have two hours more…wait. The teacher had given a list of things to bring. I need a duffel bag for it and not a school bag… And — I haven’t packed anything.” Violet quickly looked for the list. She finally found it and she saw that she needed bug spray, raincoat, plastic bags, hiking boots, torch, wool socks, sunscreen, wet tissue or just tissues, clean clothes, sleeping bags, tents, deodorant, matches, mat or blanket and shampoo. 

Mother said, “we don’t have everything in this list like deodorants, hiking boots, bug spray… luckily we have two hours left and we have a store right next to our house it has every thing we need.” 

“Great mom, you can go. Meanwhile, I’ll pack the other stuffs and have my breakfast too.” replied Violet.

Mother asked “Violet, why don’t you pack double of the things you want just in case you lost some thing and if someone forgot to bring anything?” Violet agreed. 

Soon everything was packed but she still had an hour left. She then realized that in thirty minutes the bus will reach at Lily’s and Jake’s house. She quickly went to their house and when she reached there, she found that there was still twenty minutes left, so she decided to see if Lily and Jake were ready. She rang the bell, and their mother opened the door yawning. She was surprised to know that they were not dressed up at all and it seemed they had totally forgotten about the trip. But somehow Jake at least had remembered about it. But he didn’t want his sister to remember about the trip and he wished to go without her. Violet felt very angry with him because the only reason she was going, was because she thought that Lily would also be present. Then she remembered she still had twenty minutes. She woke Lily up and in ten minutes she was ready.

 “What about the things?”  Lily asked perturbed. We have only one bug spray, one tent, one sleeping bag etc… and for the clothes I have only dresses…I do have some jeans and tops but they are like branded ones and I don’t want to ruin it for this silly trip.”

 Violet replied “Its not a problem. I have double of the things I need, except for the tent. I have only one…. but we can share it …and see, I have two deodorants and sunscreens and-” 

Lily groaned “okay I know just give me now, we have only five minutes left- NO !!! we have zero minutes left. Look!  the bus had come. Just give it to me in the bus…I wish we get seats in the bus.  I also wish Sally to be absent, the queen of Bullies.” 

“Sally will definitely be absent because she doesn’t do any work, she hates to do it and don’t worry about the seats.” Replied Violet walking towards the bus.

The bus assistant is my mother’s friend’s sister’s daughter’s friend’s mother’s mother, so I know her; she might have definitely saved a seat for us.” And luckily, she had saved a seat for them except for Jake, so while everyone was sitting Jake was standing.

 When they reached the place the teacher said, “Now all of you can team up to three groups.” And of course, Violet teamed up with Lily, but they needed one more member. Lily didn’t want to be with Jake, so Violet thought to team up with Teresa. But Teresa was teamed up with Mantilla and Pearl and the only leftover was Nikki, Cindy, Thea and Jake. Just then the teacher called out and said, “Nikki, Cindy and Thea can team up. And now, Jake is the only one remaining, right? Is there any group which has only two members?” 

Violet and Lily hid themselves, but the teacher found them anyway. lily and Jake didn’t talk to each other for a long time after the teaming. 

The teacher showed them their cabins. Everyone gasped as the place where the cabins should have been present were replaced with a building and each group had their own rooms. Inside it were three comfy beds, a closet of clean and expensive clothes, kitchen and there was a robot too who would make any food they wanted. 

Lily said forgetting the fight between her and Jake, “I bet we are going to experience the kids of the future not the past” Violet agreed, “and it should be easy-scrabble farm not hard scrabble farm.” 

Just then she heard a voice from the speaker. “Everyone please change into your futuristic farm uniform and meet me in the gym” Jake exclaimed “There is a gym here too?”

 Lily exclaimed, “It all makes sense now. I remember that the teacher wanted to know who all had really read the book she gave. So, she pasted a small piece of paper inside the book’s last page and wrote, “Lily you have successfully read the book and you are welcome to the futuristic farm.” Then the next day, she declared, “We are going on a week’s trip to hard scrabbles farm which were actually coded words for futuristic farm and she kind of highlighted that word and only the kids who read the book understood her.” 

Violet said, “Sally didn’t read the book, so she didn’t get the teacher’s message, but I did read the book and I didn’t understand what she wrote in the paper. I thought it was a prank and the only reason I came was because you were going.” 

They all changed to their uniforms and ordered the robot to make them protein shake. After having the protein shake, they left. They realized that they were late, so as a punishment, the teacher told them they could not go to the gym. Even though Jake pleaded a hundred times she wouldn’t change her mind. Just then Violet’s mother called.

“Hello Mrs. Gonvers. Is my child, Violet, doing well in the gym? I saw that they will be in the gym now as per their time schedule.” 

Gonvers replied, “I…uh…they they  ar-re doing well- yes… um…They are doing well.” Then she turned her phone off. Now she couldn’t say no. Thus, they also went inside the gym. 

The teacher said, “You can help yourselves with any equipment and I have one thing to say th- wait a minute there is a call coming” after the call she said “I am sorry, we can’t use the gym right now. They say the gym is not for middle school students but don’t be sad, you can still explore this place.”

Everyone was a little dull after that, especially Jake. Then they saw a newspaper on the ground. Violet read it: “HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS TO ANYONE WHO FINDS THE SEVEN FAIRIES OF MR. WARLOCK CREEPY. It is lost in futuristic farm’s secret doorway which leads to a forest. It is inside a magical box which no one has ever been able to find. The path is extremely dangerous. Even if anyone finds it, it will be impossible to open it. Only four people in this whole world can open it and those worthy people are the guardians of the box of fairies. The first guardian is the creator of the fairies, the other three become guardians only for a limited time. The creator has infinite lives and is forever the main guardian until (gender is not defined) he/she passes the job to someone else. He/she knows all the secret of the fairies and he/she can also change the identity. The three guardians and the creator are the only ones who can open the box. The creator chooses the guardian, and the fairies will have unbelievable powers. It is believed that MR. WARLOCK CREEPY is the guardian. Hence, if found, please return to MR. WARLOCK CREEPY.

 Primeval road
Next to Scary Stuff Store
No.11 house

Lily said, “Do you know that this name Warlock Creepy means creepy wizard and primeval means, so long ago, like when magic existed and 11 is a ghost number?”

 Jake said, “The magic box is located where we are now. What if we find it? What if we are the guardians?” 

Violet said, “it could be dangerous. It is mentioned in the newspaper.” 

Lily replied, “She is right, but it will be fun.” 

Everyone decided to go at night- time. They dressed up as Ninjas. They were fully covered with black dress, top to bottom. Their full body was covered except the eye where they cut a small portion so that they could see. They then packed everything they needed. Violet packed things like torch, cream, bug spray etc… and Lily packed blankets and clothes while Jack packed food.  When they were ready to go Lily saw a guard on the entrance of the exit and said, “Its hopeless, how are we going to go now?” and then Violet saw a difference in one of the tiles. “Look! this tile is extraordinary. Its so light like a cardboard.” 

“Let me see” urged Jack and he examined the tile carefully. “It’s like in the movies. Just yesterday, I saw this movie named Detective Fernald and the Magic Tunnel. It’s about a detective who discovers a secret tunnel when he jumps on his bed. Maybe this one is like that. If we jump three times, it will reveal a secret tunnel which may be the secret forest.” Jake jumped three times on the tile, but nothing changed. 

“Maybe you were wrong”, said Violet, feeling pity for him. 

Lily smirked “Anyway, you are always wrong. I am older than you, so I am wiser than you. It must be outside the building not inside it and I wouldn’t be too surprised if I am right.”

Jake was so furious that he threw a bed lamp, but it missed her and hit a part of the wall. Magically, it revealed a secret doorway. It was like a magical portal. 

Violet exclaimed, “Wow! Jake, you were right!!! I thought you wouldn’t figure it out because you are-well-younger than me. It turns out Lily was –um – wrong.”

Lily frowned and they all entered the portal and then it closed. 

That’s when Violet remembered, “We found the entrance of the forest but what about the exit?” Now, the three friends were worried. 

Lily said, “Let’s just look for the box. I am sure we will find the exit. We are stuck and there is no turning back now-I mean, like as we can’t go back in time, let’s just think about the future and not the past. Perhaps the box is hidden inside a tree.”

 Violet said, “She is right. We can’t go back in time…. but I wish I could go- anyway lets just find that box. It will be the answer to all our problems, the J.L.V can do it…. I hope so” 

 Jake said, “Okay let’s do it but who is J.L.V?, Jake said.

 “It’s us! Jake, Lily, Violet”, Violet said. 

“Okay” was Lily’s and Jake’s reply. 

The forest was marvelous. There were beautiful and rare flowers, rainbow trees, pink clouds, a chocolate river, chocolate house and many other things made with chocolate. It looked like real life Willy Wonka’s factory and there were many snakes.

“Snakes”. screamed Jake. 

Yes, he was right there were snakes, almost fifty snakes, but surprisingly instead of poisoning them the snakes bowed down to them. 

“Am I dreaming?” thought Lily and then the king of the snakes came from somewhere, bowed down to them and gave them a bottle. Inside it was a paper and when they were examining the bottle, they disappeared to somewhere…they wondered where the snakes went, then they opened the bottle. There was a map inside which led to a cave, and it shouldn’t take a detective to find out that it was the map that showed the way to the magical box. It took them two days to reach the cave and when they reached a bright light came out.

“Is this from the fairies” asked Violet. 

“I guess so.”, replied Lily. 

When they entered the cave, they saw two lions standing in front of it. Unlike the snakes, they didn’t bow down. Instead, they examined them. 

Jake said, “Maybe these lions don’t know that we are the guardians.” 

Lily replied, “maybe these lions know the truth…we are not guardians… maybe the snakes were just being nice.”

At last, the lions stopped. It was because they found a guardian mark on the back of lily’s neck, at back of violets elbow and on back of Jake’s foot.

 Violet said, “I had this mark when I was born, it is my birthmark. I didn’t know it is J.L.V ‘s mark.” 

“Me too.” Replied Lily and Jake at the same time.

 At last, the lions bowed down to them and let them in. 

On the way Lily said “I didn’t always like, two swords which are crossed. The mark at the back of my neck, they were always annoying- wait this is the box, we found it!” 

Yes, indeed they found it. It was placed on a tall rock and when they were about to open it Violet saw that they needed to enter the password to open the box. They thought about many passwords like “snakes”, “lions”, “forest”, “creator”, “fairies” etc. Then something displayed in the air: “HINT- NINE LETTERS”.

Violet exclaimed “Nine letters? …. Maybe it’s OF CREATOR.”

“You are right.” cried Lily. 

“Wait, you aren’t right…” Jake guessed, “Could it be GUARDIANS…It has nine letters.” Lily didn’t disagree with him this time and luckily, it was the right password and they opened it and out came seven fairies. Their names were Daisy, Irish, Elisa, Fay, Christy, Sophia and Malinda. The three kids were amazed. The queen of the fairies, IRISH spoke, “You are the first ones to enter the forest without being killed. This forest is a lot more dangerous than you think. We the fairies, just named you guardians and gave you the mark. You don’t have any magical powers yet but you three are amazing!!!”

 The children asked “Really?”

“Could we have magical powers? Can we have it now?”

 Irish replied “YES, I am going to bless you with it now. Violet Doles, I give you the power of great knowledge. Lily Malarias, I give you the power of transforming anything. Jake Malarias, I give you the power to hear and see anything, no matter how far away it is.”  

Then she handed each one of them the rings and she snapped her finger, and they were back in their room.

Jake said, “Maybe it was a dream!” 

Lily said, “It wasn’t a dream” 

Jake replied, “How do you know my dream?” 

Violet said, “Because it wasn’t a dream. It was real. Look, we have the rings. I am so excited about my powers – a portal!” Yes, there was a portal and from it came a voice of Irish “Now starts your adventure with all your gifted powers, guardians!”

THE END

About the writer

Hailing from Thrissur often known as the ‘Cultural capital of Kerala in the picturesque Southern Indian state of Kerala, Emin Rose is a passionate young writer. She is a Grade Six student at Global Indian School Ajman.UAE. She started writing stories when she was 10 years. She is a voracious reader. Falling in love with colours, drawing is her passion. Emin Rose lives in Umm Al Qwain, with her father Raju Francis who is a businessman and Fessy Raju who is employed there. Edmy Ann and Eimy Therese are her siblings

Once, a little boy was born to King Trevor in a magical palace in a place called the World of Wizards. There was a rumour that whenever someone is born in the magical palace, they will get magical powers. King Trevor was so happy. He named him John clever. He grew up to become a prince.

One day, while he was sleeping in his bedroom, he heard a noise coming from the wall-

“Hi John, I am the magical wall. You are our saviour. Come, save us.”

John was surprised. He went to the wall and touched it. A small opening appeared. He went inside it and saw some small wall elves, big wall giants, the wall King and Queen. They all welcomed him.

The King who asked the prince for a quick meeting explained the problems they faced and asked for help. Suddenly, He teleported to the wall forest. All he saw were some plants and a small hut. He went into the small hut and saw an old man who was a wizard.

The old man told a spell on his ears and gave him a magical wand and the heart of the forest then he warned him of the dangers. He told him about the heart of the forest. John got prepared and stepped out of the hut fearlessly.

He suddenly heard sounds of growling and big stomping. It was the Dinosaur and the Dinosaur Army. Then the war began. He was able to kill the dinosaur army one by one easily. Then, the dinosaur looked at the prince angrily. John stepped in front with all his might. He took out his magic wand and said a spell which made the dinosaur lose some of its powers. The Dinosaur picked him up angrily when he replaced the heart of the forest back to its heart.

Suddenly, Trees, plants, birds and animals appeared. The hut changed into a big mansion. The dinosaur changed into the wall forest king and thanked him for saving them.

His alarm started ringing and he woke up. He told his father about the dream he had last night. But, no one knew that what happened was actually real.

Sivasakthi Santhosh Narayanan

About the Writer

Hailing from Kottayam, often known as the ‘City of Letters’ in the picturesque Southern Indian state of Kerala, Sivasakthi Santhosh Narayanan is a passionate young writer. She is a Grade Seven student at Sharjah Indian School. She started writing stories when she was 8 years. Keen on absorbing the colours of nature, she also loves photography. Sivasakthi lives in Sharja with her father Santhosh Narayanan and Veena who are employed there.

ONCE upon a time there were four little Rabbits, and their names were— Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton-tail, and Peter.

They lived with their Mother in a sand-bank, underneath the root of a very big fir tree.

“NOW, my dears,” said old Mrs. Rabbit one morning, “you may go into the fields or down the lane, but don’t go into Mr. McGregor’s garden: your Father had an accident there; he was put in a pie by Mrs. McGregor.”

“NOW run along, and don’t get into mischief. I am going out.”

THEN old Mrs. Rabbit took a basket and her umbrella, to the baker’s. She bought a loaf of brown bread and five currant buns.

FLOPSY, Mopsy, and Cottontail, who were good little bunnies, went down the lane to gather blackberries;

Peter Rabbit gateBUT Peter, who was very naughty, ran straight away to Mr. McGregor’s garden and squeezed under the gate!

FIRST he ate some lettuces and some French beans; and then he ate some radishes;

AND then, feeling rather sick, he went to look for some parsley.

BUT round the end of a cucumber frame, whom should he meet but Mr. McGregor!

MR. McGREGOR was on his hands and knees planting out young cabbages, but he jumped up and ran after Peter, waving a rake and calling out, “Stop thief!”

PETER was most dreadfully frightened; he rushed all over the garden, for he had forgotten the way back to the gate.

He lost one of his shoes among the cabbages, and the other shoe amongst the potatoes.

AFTER losing them, he ran on four legs and went faster, so that I think he might have got away altogether if he had not unfortunately run into a gooseberry net, and got caught by the large buttons on his jacket. It was a blue jacket with brass buttons, quite new.

Peter Rabbit gooseberry nextPETER gave himself up for lost, and shed big tears; but his sobs were overheard by some friendly sparrows, who flew to him in great excitement, and implored him to exert himself.

MR. McGREGOR came up with a sieve, which he intended to pop upon the top of Peter; but Peter wriggled out just in time, leaving his jacket behind him.

AND rushed into the toolshed, and jumped into a can. It would have been a beautiful thing to hide in, if it had not had so much water in it.

MR. McGREGOR was quite sure that Peter was somewhere in the toolshed, perhaps hidden underneath a flower-pot. He began to turn them over carefully, looking under each.

Presently Peter sneezed— “Kertyschoo!” Mr. McGregor was after him in no time,

AND tried to put his foot upon Peter, who jumped out of a window, upsetting three plants. The window was too small for Mr. McGregor, and he was tired of running after Peter. He went back to his work.

PETER sat down to rest; he was out of breath and trembling with fright, and he had not the least idea which way to go. Also he was very damp with sitting in that can.

After a time he began to wander about, going lippity— lippity—not very fast, and looking all around.

HE found a door in a wall; but it was locked, and there was no room for a fat little rabbit to squeeze underneath.

An old mouse was running in and out over the stone doorstep, carrying peas and beans to her family in the wood. Peter asked her the way to the gate, but she had such a large pea in her mouth that she could not answer. She only shook her head at him. Peter began to cry.

Peter Rabbit in wheelbarrowTHEN he tried to find his way straight across the garden, but he became more and more puzzled. Presently, he came to a pond where Mr. McGregor filled his water-cans. A white cat was staring at some gold-fish; she sat very, very still, but now and then the tip of her tail twitched as if it were alive. Peter thought it best to go away without speaking to her; he had heard about cats from his cousin, little Benjamin Bunny.

HE went back towards the tool-shed, but suddenly, quite close to him, he heard the noise of a hoe—scr-r-ritch, scratch, scratch, scritch. Peter scuttered underneath the bushes. But presently, as nothing happened, he came out, and climbed upon a wheelbarrow, and peeped over. The first thing he saw was Mr. McGregor hoeing onions. His back was turned towards Peter, and beyond him was the gate!

PETER got down very quietly off the wheelbarrow, and started running as fast as he could go, along a straight walk behind some black-currant bushes.

Mr. McGregor caught sight of him at the corner, but Peter did not care. He slipped underneath the gate, and was safe at last in the wood outside the garden.

Peter Rabbit hung coat shoesMR. McGREGOR hung up the little jacket and the shoes for a scare-crow to frighten the blackbirds.

PETER never stopped running or looked behind him till he got home to the big fir-tree.

He was so tired that he flopped down upon the nice soft sand on the floor of the rabbit-hole, and shut his eyes. His mother was busy cooking; she wondered what he had done with his clothes. It was the second little jacket and pair of shoes that Peter had lost in a fortnight!

I AM sorry to say that Peter was not very well during the evening.

His mother put him to bed, and made some camomile tea; and she gave a dose of it to Peter!

“One table-spoonful to be taken at bed-time.”

BUT Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-tail had bread and milk and blackberries, for supper.

Peter Rabbit siblings end

THE END

Once upon a time there lived a poor widow and her son Jack. One day, Jack’s mother told him to sell their only cow. Jack went to the market and on the way he met a man who wanted to buy his cow. Jack asked, “What will you give me in return for my cow?” The man answered, “I will give you five magic beans!” Jack took the magic beans and gave the man the cow. But when he reached home, Jack’s mother was very angry. She said, “You fool! He took away your cow and gave you some beans!” She threw the beans out of the window. Jack was very sad and went to sleep without dinner.

The next day, when Jack woke up in the morning and looked out of the window, he saw that a huge beanstalk had grown from his magic beans! He climbed up the beanstalk and reached a kingdom in the sky. There lived a giant and his wife. Jack went inside the house and found the giant’s wife in the kitchen. Jack said, “Could you please give me something to eat? I am so hungry!” The kind wife gave him bread and some milk.

While he was eating, the giant came home. The giant was very big and looked very fearsome. Jack was terrified and went and hid inside. The giant cried, “Fee-fi-fo-fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman. Be he alive, or be he dead, I’ll grind his bones to make my bread!” The wife said, “There is no boy in here!” So, the giant ate his food and then went to his room. He took out his sacks of gold coins, counted them and kept them aside. Then he went to sleep. In the night, Jack crept out of his hiding place, took one sack of gold coins and climbed down the beanstalk. At home, he gave the coins to his mother. His mother was very happy and they lived well for sometime.

Jack and the Beanstalk Fee Fi Fo Fum!Climbed the beanstalk and went to the giant’s house again. Once again, Jack asked the giant’s wife for food, but while he was eating the giant returned. Jack leapt up in fright and went and hid under the bed. The giant cried, “Fee-fifo-fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman. Be he alive, or be he dead, I’ll grind his bones to make my bread!” The wife said, “There is no boy in here!” The giant ate his food and went to his room. There, he took out a hen. He shouted, “Lay!” and the hen laid a golden egg. When the giant fell asleep, Jack took the hen and climbed down the beanstalk. Jack’s mother was very happy with him.

After some days, Jack once again climbed the beanstalk and went to the giant’s castle. For the third time, Jack met the giant’s wife and asked for some food. Once again, the giant’s wife gave him bread and milk. But while Jack was eating, the giant came home. “Fee-fi-fo-fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman. Be he alive, or be he dead, I’ll grind his bones to make my bread!” cried the giant. “Don’t be silly! There is no boy in here!” said his wife.

The giant had a magical harp that could play beautiful songs. While the giant slept, Jack took the harp and was about to leave. Suddenly, the magic harp cried, “Help master! A boy is stealing me!” The giant woke up and saw Jack with the harp. Furious, he ran after Jack. But Jack was too fast for him. He ran down the beanstalk and reached home. The giant followed him down. Jack quickly ran inside his house and fetched an axe. He began to chop the beanstalk. The giant fell and died.

Jack and his mother were now very rich and they lived happily ever after.