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A Lump of Gold

A Collection of Children Stories

Posh Chapagain

A Lump of Gold

A Collection of Children Stories

Story writer:

Posh Chapagain

Editor

Gopikrishna Dhungana
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A Lump of Gold

Story writer: Posh Chapagain

Editor: Gopikrishna Dhungana

Translated by: Ghana Shyam Pandey

Edition: 2075

Copyrights ©: The story writer

Illustration: Prajwal Thapa Magar

Layout: Shailesh Shrestha

Publisher: Trinity Prakashan Pvt. Ltd.

Kathmandu, Nepal

Contact: 01-6924530, 9860288932

Email: tpublication@gmail.com
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Foreword

Storytelling has been a most popular form of expression for humankind since the
very beginning of human civilization. It is through storytelling and writing that one
can preserve the socio-cultural property on the one hand, and on the other, can
purge personal pent-ups and desires. Storytelling also helps preserve collective
memory and one’s identity too. So, writing stories is a serious human enterprise,
and it helps us improve our own understanding and awareness too. It is in this light
that Posh Chapagain’s collection of stories has added a new dimension to our
experience and a sense of responsibility towards the ultimate goal of sharpening
the quality of human life. Like many serious writers, Chapagain writes stories with
an objective, and it is to bring reform in the existing life of human beings. Though
this is a collection of children’s stories, it is equally readable for all age-groups to
reflect upon and grasp message. Written in the Nepali-socio-cultural context, the
stories address the world of children and reveal the imaginative and creative power
of their mind. The stories vary in the form of theme, and they basically focus on
human sentiments, psychology and philosophy. The use of dialogue has been quite
effective to convey the intended meaning. Some of the stories have been written in
a critical tone, again with a view to showing that the society we live in needs to be
made more humane and full of justice to accommodate all with no discrimination
under any pretext.

I am sure that these stories will be received well, especially by children who find
the dearth of reading material written in a lucid style to fulfill their appetite for
literature that induces their creative thinking and critical reading. My
congratulations are to the writer particularly, and the publisher too for bringing
such a timely literary collection of quality at a time when reading culture has been
overtaken by the electrical media that generally imparts the message for
commercial purpose, rather than promoting the human values like truth, sincerity
and the fraternity, considered essential to make the world more hospitable and
livable too.

Prof. Dr. Shreedhar Gautam

Nakhipot, Lalitpur-14,
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Sharpen Your Brain

The grown-ups have experience.

Children have a little experience but their brain is sharp. By sharing the adult's
experience, I want to sharpen it even further.

How was the story? Some say, "It's great. They are wonderful. There is something
in them. It's nonsense. They have right to say anything. It feels pleasant to gulp the
meat of the story." I think so.

The stories of the book are for one and all.

I will consider my stories successful when the readers put to practice what they
understand and learn after they have read them. I will be happy then. Stories must
possess ambrosia for life. By making the readers laugh to their heart's content, the
stories must be able to give them the lessons that they will never forget in life.

I am thankful to Trinity Prakashan for bringing out the book and my thanks goes to
Khagendramani Ghimire and to Gopikrishna Dhungana who have beautified my
stories by introducing elements of story and editing the language.

My thanks also goes to those who have helped me in writing the stories: Guru
Purushottam Bhattarai, friend Santosh Pradhan, Darjiling, and Miss Rasmita
Pradhan, Makalbari.

Posh Chapagain

Greenhill City

Kathmandu

2075/10/15
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We have to dream ……………

Dear children, how often do you dream? What kinds of dreams do you see? Have
the dreams you have seen ever materialized? What efforts have you made to make
your dream come true? Have you ever seen such a dream that would change your
life? If not, it is the time to do so.

Children, you might have seen an airplane flying in the open sky. Please think
once, how does a big airplane keep flying for hours in the sky carrying two or four
hundred people along with their heavy bags? Yes, it has been possible because
people had dreamt of flying like birds. It is the humankinds who dreamt of such
wonderful things and made them come true.

An international personality, Lenin, once said, ' Dream, because the dreamer paves
the way to success'. Gautam Buddha who spread the message of peace all over the
world had dreamt of discovering happiness and peace since he was still young.
Dreams help in planning, make us aware about attaining the goal and make us
contemplative. Purposeful plans lead us to success.

Don't be ever discontent with what you did in the past. Now, dream for a beautiful
future. Dream of such a thing that makes not only you feel glorified but also your
country where you grew up. Today information technology has turned theworld
into the global village itself.May your dream offer a distinct gift not only to your
nation but also to the whole world!

You have to develop willpowerin you to make your dream come true. Literature
teaches us good manners. Anybody who learns good manners and virtues from
their childhood can become a great noble man. You can become a great noble man
and win the whole world, this is what I believe. I hope that this book will help you
make your dream a reality.

Good wishes in advance!

Editor
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Contents

Old Shoes (Sentimental story)

A Lump of Gold (Satirical story)

Siddha Pokhari (Folk story)

Fragrance (Dialogic story)

Three Magicians (Philosophical story)

A Cleaver Frog (Folk story)

The Bird and Man (Dialogic story)

The King for a Day (Psychological story)

Rakta Kumal (Social story)

Limbuni Flower (Philosophical story)

Notice
If you have any useful child stories, then email us. We will give such stories proper
remuneration and publish them after scrutiny.
Email: tpublication@gmail.com
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Sentimental story

Old Shoes

Jhuma and Bhavana are sisters. They live in Washington D.C. with their parents.

When they were still small kids,they went there.

Bhavana said to Jhuma, "Sister, father is going to Nepal. I also go with him. I
always long for going to my village. These days, I see myself reaching Nepal in
my dream." Jhuma said, "Wanna go there? If father takes you, go, come after
visiting!"

Bhavana went to Nepal a few days after having talked about the visit.

Bhavana, along with her father, landed on Nepal in a few days. She made a journey
to her ancestral home in Bhojpur a day after she reached Kathmandu. There is a
village called Nagi in Dingla in Bhojpur where her grandfather and grandmother
live. In Nagi, they have a beautiful house with stone wall, thatched roof scrubbed
with red mud and white clay.

It was the first time Bhavana returned to the village after she had gone to America.
After father and daughter landed on Tumlingtar airport, they started walking and
reached home late in the evening as it was winter. Grandmother was boiling milk
in a big pot at the fireplace. A local dog in the kennel informed the house owners
that there were visitors, Woof ….,woof…' Grandmother appeared in the yard with
a burning faggot in her hand.

"I was wondering who the visitor might be, but it is my own granddaughter," said
grandmother who wore a big nose pendant, scratching the nose. "Come in. How
come you came alone?" When she knew they just reached home, she had run
towards it. But when grandma saw father appear in the yard, she felt even happier.

"You must be hungry. Come in. I'll boil milk, roast corn. If you like, I'll prepare
flour porridge." Grandma went to the kitchen. It was what they wanted. Bhavana
became happy and so was father. The memory of the village had been haunting
them both while living in America for so long. Both of them went in.
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Grandma added wood splinters in the fireplace and blew the fire. Ash came all
over Bhavana's body. She was blowing away the ash. Putting down Khukuri and
taking off the girdle, grandpa came straight to the fireplace. Surprised, he said, "No
news at all and lo, you are here with me."

Bhavana greeted her grandfather. "Greetings to you, grandma. A while ago, being
in conversation made me forget to greet you. You might have thought that I had
forgotten you after I went to America", said Bhavana. Then, father went to the
village. Sitting by the fireside, grandfather, grandmother and granddaughter talked
a lot.

Grandmother made bed for granddaughter after the meal was served. "Grand mom,
where would you sleep? I'll sleep with you." Bhavana pulled grandmother's hands
and made her sit on the bed. "Grand mom, I always remember you when it's time
to go to the bed even since I went to America. Please tell me a story today just as
you used to tell me before I left for America." The granddaughter, a sixth grader,
wanted to listen to a story from her grandmother. Grandmother began telling a
story. Dog tired after a three- day –long travel, Bhavana fell asleep in the middle of
the story.

The next day, grandfather took granddaughter on a tour to the village. Bhavana
saw faraway mountains shining with snow. Beneath the village was gurgling the
Arun River. Birds were chirping in the forest close to the village. There was sweet
fragrance of flowers all over the place.

"Granddaughter, you should have liked America, shouldn't you?" But you know I
love my own village."

"Grandpa, I just don't want to talk with you."

“Why?”

“Who could forget their beautiful village where they were born just because they
now live in America? Grandpa, please don't say just anything you're not supposed
to say." Both of them are walking and sightseeing. A small girl is coming up from
the tap. There is a wicker basket on her back and in it is a small water pitcher. A
man is ploughing a plot down the foot trail. Smoke is coming off from a house
beyond a mound. A cow is suckling its calves at a shed at the house down there.
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Dogs are running here and there on the roads and fields. Kids are bleating. A big
cat is meowingon the balcony.

Lost in the scenic beauty of the village, Bhavana said, "Our village is just like the
heaven. I've not seen such a beautiful village even in America." Both reached
home. A week passed them roaming here and there. The day for Bhavana to return
to America was approaching. So she bade farewell with all and left for America.

A day after granddaughter left, grandmother was tidying up the house. Outside the
house in a corner, she saw a pair of shoes. "Perhaps, granddaughter forgot her
shoes. What would she be wearing?"

Grandfather said from the bed, "Don't worry. She'll buy a new pair. She lives in
such a great place. If they are the size of my feet, I will wear them. Who in the
village cares even if they are old ones?"

"Wear them, then. You know I don't show up in the village, wearing shoes."

From the next day, grandfather started roaming in the village by wearing the
granddaughter's shoes. Two or three weeks later, as he was climbing the road, he
saw his little toe coming out the shoe. "Gosh! It's torn. I'd better have it mended by
a cobbler." Saying this, he went towards the cobbler.

On reaching there, father said, "It's torn. Please fix it for me. It's comfortable ones."
After examining the shoes, the cobbler said, "Sir, the shoes are too old to mend.
Throw them into the river."

Father looked at the shoes carefully. He did not feel like throwing them away. "If
they can't be repaired, I'd better throw them." Saying this, he went to the river. He
reached there. He threw them into the river.

The shoes started floating. He sobbed for long. He saw his granddaughter's face on
the floating shoes. "It's not the shoes but I feel it's my granddaughter, floating."
Grandfather said to himself. "Granddaughter, come back to the village soon with
the shoes though they are old."

Grandfather sat on the bank for a long time, brooding in tears.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Satirical story

A Lump of Gold

It was a rainy day. It had been raining since early in the morning. The road was
muddy. Everywhere there was water. Farmers were happy that they could plant
paddy crops. Farmers were working in the fieldin the village. In the city, students
were studying in their classrooms at school. Employees at the government offices
were busy with their work.

Suddenly people saw a lump of gold falling on the ground from the sky."There it
drops! What's that?" Students came out in the rain and started looking at the sky.
"Look! What is it that falling down?"

All the students looked at the sky. Like a flame on the bamboo strip, like the
firebrand of dry wood, like the red ball of the rising sun and like the bright light of
the moon on the full moon day, a yellow light was slowly coming down the ground
from the sky.

"It's coming. It's coming towards us", said Dhruba. Yadav added,"It may perhaps
fall on the Parliament Building in Baneshwor. All the students, including Dhruba
and Yadav with their school bags, ran towards Baneshwor saying "Let's go". They
reached the Parliament Building. All the people entered the building premises. No
one could stop them there.

The students entered the building premises with other people. A big, round lump of
gold flopped from the sky in front of the building gate.

The brightness of the gold spread up to Koteshwor, Gaushala, Maitighar and

Anamnagar. "What is this?" all were curious.

Dhruba said, "Look! Sundar. What is written there on the board fallen along with
the gold lump?"

Looking at the board, Shyam began reading, "I am the gold lump. Only incorrupt
men are allowed to touch me. They can carry me home. But, if ever a corrupt
person dares to touch me, I'll immediately burn him/her to death."
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The crowd swelled. All the people from the neighborhood gathered. They started
talking to one another. Mohan said,"I would have become a millionaire if I could
take the gold ball home."

Sohan added, "No, no. Greedbrings misery. I don't need it."

All stared at the lump with greedy eyes but no one dared to touch it. There was
also a big crowd of the parliamentarians. They were looking on but no one of them
dared to touch it.

The crowd was getting thicker and thicker as people clamored for it every hour,
"Let's go and look at the gold ball fallen in Baneshwor."

The gold ball was burning like a fire. The government tried hard to shift the gold
ball from there and evacuate the place, but failed. Government employees and
security personnel did not cooperate with the government in regard to shifting the
gold ball.

Everyone wanted to take it home. But nobody had the courage to touch it. No one
of them who reached there was confident that he or she was incorrupt.

Finally, ten days after the ball fell, those students from the public school who saw
the gold lump falling on the first day and who went to Baneshwor to see the
incident made up their mind to do something.

Dhruba said to his friend,"Today, we have two periodsleisure. Let's go to

Baneshwor."

Sundar was also excited, "Ok. Let's go then. I have heard that anybody who has not
done anything incorrupt in life can take it home." Both of them approached the
gold ball.

There was a big crowd of people on the day. The gold ball was burning fiercely
like a fire.

Sundar prepared himself, "Look Dhruba, I'll go to fetch the gold ball."

"What're you saying? What would we do if you burnt yourself to death?" Dhruba
said, scared.
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Sundar: "Nothing bad will happen to me. Don't get frightened." Dhruba: "What if
you're impure?"

Sundar said what he knew and learnt so far, "When people are born on the Earth,
all are pure. As they grow up, temptation and sin in them increase. People have
made themselves impure by committing immoral things.What wrong have I done
by the way? I 'm going to pick the gold ball."

Saying this, he made his way to the ball through the crowd. He got hold of it with
his both hands. Then, he walked towards home lazily with it. All the people felt
dead surprised at his courage. They looked at Sundar, petrified.
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Folk story

Shiddha Pokhari

"Wanna go on an educational tour?"

All the students from grade six put up their hands in unison, "Yes, sir."

On the 25th of the month, all the students gathered at school to visit Sidhha Pokhari
in Bhaktapur.

All the students and teachers boarded on a public bus to go to Sallaghari. After
they got off the bus, they headed towards the fire-engine office, walking and
talking.

A teacher moved to a mound. Ram asked, "Why have you gone there,sir?'

"Come here. Look .There you can see a pond."

All the students climbed up the mound. There was a big pond. In the water, fishes
were swimming. People present there were buying fodder for the fish and feeding
them. The fishes were eating and gliding.

A teacher, Bikram, stood on a high place.

Students sitting on a low ground were looking up at the teacher.

"Do you know the folk story about the pond?"

"No, we don't know, sir."

Sita asked, "Sir, what do we mean by the folk story?"

"The story that is told and continued from one generation to another is called the
folk story."

The verbal meaning of the folk story is that it comes down to the people from the
teeth of the people. The story never written but told and listened in certain
localities is known as the folk story. Bikram sir kept on explaining.

Sanat came up, "Sir, we would like you to tell us how this pond came to be called
Sidhha Pokhari."
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"Ok. Listen. I'll tell you…"

Many many years ago, Bhaktapur did not see any rain for a long time. All the
taps,wells and Kuwas dried up. People were dying for the lack of water.

Then the king got a pond dug right here so that his subjects could get water to
drink.

Not a drop of water appeared no matter how hard and deep they dug the pond.

"Sir, there is water here."

"This is the story that happened many, many years ago."

"The king consulted with the astrologers and religious rites were performed. But
there appeared not a single drop of water. The land was not even slightly wet."

"Did water come then, sir?" Another student butted in.

"Not at all. Listen. I'm telling."

When they could not get water even after their hard work, the king invited his
intelligencers and said, "Look my dear trustworthy officers. Go; make a round
about the city. Lend your ears to what my subjects say about our not having water
and tell me what they say ditto."

The intelligencers reached every house, listened to the people but could find out
nothing.

One mid-night, an agent heard an old couple whispering.

Then he stuck his ear to the wall of the house and began listening to what they
were saying.

Inside the house they were talking like this:

Wife: Poor king! He consulted with the astrologers, and performed rites. He spent
a lot of money. But there was not a drop of water. Tell me why it happened.

Husband: Shut up! Worry not about what doesn't concern you

Wife: Please tell me. You know everything.

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Husband: I know. But they say there is always a spy on the wall. How can I say
why water didn't come?

Wife: Please tell me. I won't tell anybody.

Husband: You seem quite stubborn. I'll reveal the secret. Won't you ever tell this
to anybody?

Wife: I promise I won't tell anybody. Trust me.

Husband: Listen, my queen, listen –

"I am the king snake and you are the queen. We got the life of humankind for our
good deeds. You became my wife. I became your husband. We now can't live the
life of humankinds for long since the pious merits we earned are drying up."

"If you and I live in the two corners of the pit the king had got dug, water will
come. Otherwise, it's not possible."

After hearing this, the intelligencer went to the king and told him what exactly he
heard.

The next day, the royal staff brought the old couple before the king.

"What happened then, sir?"

"I'm telling. Don't make haste. But listen carefully."

The king asked the old man, "Why have we got any water from the pond we dug?
What happened? Tell me if you know anything."

Shaking, the old man said, "I and my wife are snake king and queen. Because of
good deeds, we are living humankind's life. If we live in the two corners of the pit
you got dug, water will come. Otherwise, it won't come."

Immediately after hearing this, the king ordered them, "Then, both of you go and
stay in those corners of the pit."

"All right, His Majesty", saying this, the old couple in the forms of the snake stood
in the pit. The pond was immediately filled with water.
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Surprised, Sita asked, "Is this the same pond where water appeared at that time,
sir?"

"Yes, it is this Siddha Pokhari where previously there was no water and later the
pond got filled with water", the teacher clarified.

Another teacher asked, looking at the watch, "Will we only stay here or look
around?"

The students shouted unanimously, ' We'll tour around, sir. We're here to explore
the places.
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Dialogic story

Fragrance

At grade seven in the first period, the class teacher,Ramananda, called the roll.

Looking at the teacher, Ram said, "We're only a few students today. Let's listen to
a story, sir." All the students were one at it.

Making a serious face, the teacher said, "It was always me who told you stories.
It's your turn to tell me one today. I'd rather hear from you."

"We don't know any stories. We don't know how to tell the stories. We're only
supposed to listen to them, sir", the students all raised their voice.

"The title of today's the story is 'Fragrance'. Different people like different kinds of
fragrance. Tell the story about whatever fragrance you like and tell what suffering
you have undergone because of it. The ups and downs that we experience in life
make up stories, don't they?"

Sita: Please give us an example, sir.

Teacher: In and around the orchard, mangoes were giving off their fragrance. Ram
was passing through to get to the next village down there. He smelled the
fragrance. He could not control himself. He entered the garden. He quickly hurled
stones at the mangoes. They fell all over the ground. He collected them and ran
away. As he so escaped, he collided with a tree and had a lump on the head.
Pressing the lump, he got home. That's how stories are made. Who among you
would tell a story? Please raise your hands. I'll give you all a title. Tell a story on
the title whatever way you like and know.

Ram,Shyam,Sita and Jayanti raised their hands.

Ram told a story on the title 'Fragrance'.

"I stay at home. My father was a job holder. He would make frequent visit to India
in connection with his job. I was a small kid. He would bring me sweets. I would
sit on his lap. I would smell the strange and sweet smell that his body gave off as I
sat so. I would smell it. I liked the smell very much. Then one day, he went to
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India. I would rather worry that I could not smell my father's body than that I did
not have any chocolate to have."

Ram finished his story.

Now it was Sita's turn.

"I am Sita. My house is in the village market. I have a very small garden to plant
flowers.

But I love the fragrance of the flowers.

"Which flower?” asked Ram.

Sita said, "Any flower."

"One day, I was going to my maternal uncle's home. I saw flowers blooming in a
garden close to the road. Sweet fragrance wafted. I felt like plucking the flowers. I
started doing it. Then…"

"Then what?"

"There was a big, angry dog. It came and pounced on me. It dragged and tossed
and bit me. The house owner came running and saved me. I could've been killed."

"Then what?" "Look at the wounds given to me by the dog."

Sita also finished her story.

Now was Shyam's turn.

All might have been wondering what story Shyam would tell. Shyam smiled and
began his story.

"My house is far away from the school.

There is a coffee shop near my house.

One day I was walking along the road.

From the shop wafted the smell of coffee.

I felt like drinking it.

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I entered the shop.

I asked for coffee, 'Coffee….'

They served me quickly. It was tasty. I savored it.

As I was leaving, I fumbled in my pocket.

I did not have a penny about me.

Gosh! I 'm finished.

I said I did not have any money.

The shopkeeper and I looked at each other but did not speak for long. I was sitting
quiet. Meanwhile, an uncle from my neighborhood showed up in the shop. It was
like the God coming for my aid. He paid for my coffee. I returned home."

Ram said, "It is Jayanti's turn."

She was, by the way, waiting for her turn. She began her story.

'"Yes, I like the rain. What do I like? The rain."

"No. I like that strange smell that the land emits after rain."

"What happened then?"

"One day as it stopped raining, I was smelling a fragrance, standing on a small

mound of the orchard. I did not know when I fell down from the mound.

Mother helped me get up and said, ' I don't know what disease this girl is suffering
from. When it stops raining, she always goes to the orchard and is lost in herself.'

From that day on, I smell the fragrance but don't go to the orchard and become
absent-minded. I smell the fragrance from my room."

Teacher: "The class is over for today. We listened to four stories on the title '
Fragrance'"

Write what you all felt about the stories, good or bad and write why you felt that
way when you come back tomorrow. I'll facilitate you if you get stuck.
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Philosophical story

Three Magicians

"Sir, today there're only a few students in the classroom. We don't feel like
studying. Please tell us a story", Ram stood and told the teacher who was entering
the classroom. The rest of the students agreed, "Story. Yes, today we'll listen to the
story."

Putting away the chalk and duster, the teacher stood quiet for a while. "There is a
huge content to be taught but students want stories." he said to himself. "This is the
period for moral education. Tell me what you would study today." asked the
teacher.

The students were not with the teacher. Understanding the psychology of the
students, the teacher said that he would tell a story if they would concentrate on the
study and not make a noise from the next day. They all agreed by nodding their
heads.

The teacher said,"Ok, I'll tell you a story about the three magicians." The students
who would make a noise when they were given lessons in the past went silent
when they were to listen to the story.

Many many years ago, there were not any people, plants and trees, animals and the
land. There was only water. One day a magician's rope from the sky fell in the
water. By holding the rope, the three magicians came down on the water.

The teacher went silent in the middle of the story. "What happened then, sir?", a
student asked. The teacher was checking how interested students were in the story.
He said, "Ok, keep listening."

The three magicians said to the main magician who was holding the rope,
"Everywhere there is water. We can't show our magic on the water. We need the
land if we have to show our magic."

The main magician in the sky was powerful. He immediately materialized the land
out of the water.The three magicians became happy at seeing the land. Then, they
started showing magic.
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Like a magic, a magician began creating day in and day out all kinds of creatures
on the face of the Earth. Another magician was busy managing food for the
creatures. And the third magician started destroying the creatures that were
born.There were the three magicians: the creator, the preserver and the destroyer.

Although the students listened with interest, realizing that they were not as clear as
they should have been, the teacher tried to make the story even clearer. One is busy
creating. The other taking care of it and the next magician is busy destroying it.

"Sir, what're the names of the magician?" asked Raman standing with a jerk. The
teacher said, 'You have asked a right question at the right time, Raman. Now,
listen. '

These magicians have one-lettered names. The creator's name is 'M'. 'M' is
Brahma. The preserver's name is 'A'. He is Bishnu. The name of the destroyer is
'U'. He is called Maheshwor.

The students remembered their grandfather, grandmother, father and mother repeat
the names in their daily puja and prayer. Rina said, "You're right. We had heard
these three names in our houses." Umesh added, "Oh, this is the reason why these
names are repeated on the beads."

The teacher was happy that his story was understood. He continued.

When we call all the three magicians at the same time, we say ' Om'. 'Om' is made
up of the three letters, ' A', 'U' and ' M'. The three lettered ' Om' is called the word.
Sita added. "My grandfather keeps repeating ' Om', 'Om, all the time at home.
Please tell us more about 'Om'."

'Om' is a word of the Sanskrit language. There are many religions in the world.
Some follow Hindu religion. Some others follow Muslim religion and yet others
follow Christian religion. There are many religions like these. The Hindus worship
their God as 'Om'

Sita stood and asked, "Some say GOD. Does it have any meaning, sir?"

The teacher continued, "Yes, it does. Listen. The word 'GOD' is made up of three
letters. G meaning Grower. It means the creator like Brahma, O meaning Observer
which means the preserver like Bishnu and D means Destroyer like Shiva."
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Maya asked,"Then, is 'Om' and God the same, sir?"

"Yes, it is. Some say Om and others God. They are after all the same thing." the
teacher clarified.

All clapped on the completion of the story. The bell informed that the class was
over. Raman beckoned the teacher to wait and said, "You gave a lesson as you told
the story of the magicians."

Sita and Maya added, "If you would teach us in the form of the story, the lesson
would be even easier for us to grasp. Would you teach us like this from this time
on, sir?" The teacher went out of the classroom, smiling.
 23

Folk story

A Clever Frog

"A snake swallowed a frog but...," grandmother stuck her talk to but. The interest
of grandson and granddaughter grew. "What happened after the snake swallowed
the frog?" The grandson said that the frog died and the granddaughter said that it
jumped out of the mouth.

"But… you know the frog survived", granddaughter gave an unexpected answer.
The brother and sister were just about to fall asleep.As grandmother said that today
she would not tell them a story, they had gone to the bed in the early evening.

"Would that ever happen?" grandson Suvan said. Granddaughter Savana also did
not believe in what grandmother said, "No, this would never happen. The frog
should have died."

Grandmother too would not be content without making her grandchildren listen to
something after evening meal. They felt something was missing when she said she
would not tell them a story today because she was tired.

"When you listen to what follows, you'll know how the frog came out of the
snake's mouth alive." grandmother fused excitement and energy in her
grandchildren who were about to fallasleep.

"Please tell us instantly, then."Savana grew curious.

Suvan also could not keep quiet, "I'm getting nervy to listen."

"Then, listen. I'll tell you. But don't make a noise."

Both shook their head, "Ok."

"Somewhere there was a village. There was a river near the village.There was a
paddy field near the river. The river would irrigate the field. That's why it would
grow more paddy crops.

People had been living on the paddy they grew in the field. There was no other job
in the village than farming. All the people would enjoy working in the field and
this made them happy.
 24

Terraces of the field were full with water. There were many frogs in the field as
there was a lot of water. They would croak all the time, 'Ribbit… ribbit...' Villagers
did not like the croaking of the frogs.

The frogs kept croaking. The villagers would keep working by plugging their ears
with their fingers. There was a girl in the village. She used to understand the
languages of animals. She was capable of making animals and birds understand
what she said.

She used to talk to the snake, bird and frog. She also grew bored of listening to the
croaking of the frogs. Fuming, she went to a snake."

"Grandma, didn't the snake bite her?" Quiet Suvan stood and screamed.
Grandmother said,"Grandson, this is a story. So don't get scared, nothing bad is
likely to happen. Listen to the story, instead."

There was a snake in a hole. Approaching the hole she said, "King snake! How
long will you live in a hole. Come out. With the croaking of the frogs, our ears are
aching. Go, destroy them. By doing this, you'll get your stomach filled and we
would get relieved."

The snake came out of the hole saying, "Are you sure?" It slid across the field and
got hold of a frog. Thinking that it would eat the frog quietly at a certain place, it
just swallowed the frog and slid away.

"Alas! The frog must have died. I have already said..." Suvana spoke. Grandmother
did not stop; she continued her story her way.

The name of the frog that the snake swallowed was Chankhye. Chankhye nearly
fainted for a while. When it reached the snake's stomach, it cried,"O God! I'm
dying." The snake stopped under a tree at a distance.

There was a vulture on the tree. It saw the snake. It flew down and caught the
snake by the neck. And it chewed the head of the snake. It got thirsty while it was
eating up the head. It went away in search of water leaving the half of the body of
the dead snake. Suvana said,"Did you see? I had told you that the frog died."
 25

Grandmother was telling the story in her own speed. "Not dead. It was writhing
and breathing heavily inside the stomach of the snake. "Would something like that
happen? How come something is alive in something else's stomach?" Suvan spoke.

After a while, the frog thought that it would live on. It kicked the stomach with all
its strength. Hitting and kicking, the frog finally jumped out of the mouth of the
dead snake.

Suvan and Suvana were taken by surprise, 'There it goes. The frog survived by the
way'Thanking God that it was alive, the frog hopped away. Did you get it, my
grand children?"

"Yes, grandma. Grandma let an interesting story out like the snake let the frog live
although you were not willing to tell us a story today." Suvana said.

Suvan also began laughing. "This is not the story I told." She said. "Then, who told
it. We have just heard it from you."

Signaling the children to sleep, she clarified, "People have been telling the story
since time immemorial. Did you get it?" Both of them nodded their heads to show
that they understood.

Dialogic story

The Bird and Man

 26

Pawan: Grandpa, I can't see the chicks of the sparrow in the nest. Where is it gone?

Gopal: All flew away.

Pawan: All flew away?

Gopal: No, one is left in the nest. The rest flew and didn't return.

Pawan: Why didn't the chick fly, grandpa?

Gopal: You are always asking me questions. Go and study. Study and you'll
understand everything. You needn't be asking questions.

Pawan: No, I won't go. Please tell me why the chick didn't fly.

Gopal: Don't talk too much, grandson….! Listen then.

The chicks remain in the nest until they are still young. When they grow old, they
fly away and leave their parents. They make their own nest and won't return to
their parents' nest.

Pawan: Don't the parents feel hurt as the chicks leave the nest and their parents?

Gopal: Definitely. They get hurt. What to do? This is the way of the world, my
grandson.

Pawan: Yes, all the chicks flew away but why didn't this one do? I'm growing
curious to know, grandpa.

Gopal: The parents had wanted all the chicks to fly at the same time. This chick
didn't want to fly and kept saying, ' I'm scared. I won't fly.' All the rest flew and
went on flying and didn't return to the nest. That chick was a coward and stayed
with its parents.

When there is a school holiday, the grandfather and the grandson keep talking like
this. The chick could not fly though it is in the nature of the bird to fly because it
was not mature enough to do so. The parents got more anxious for the chicks not
able to fly than for those who could.

Some days afterwards…

Pawan: Grandpa, I didn't see the chick in the nest. Did it finally fly?
 27

Gopal: Yes, it flew, finally.

Pawan: You said it was a coward. How come it flew?

Gopal: Its parents were much too anxious about its not flying.

Pawan: What were they anxious about, grandpa?

Gopal: They were in great pain. All the birds fly in this Earth. They were worried
that their offspring should remain in the nest for not being able to fly. This matter
was a disgrace to them. How to face other birds?

It's not just that. The parent birds talked about such other matters. One day the
parents made a plan.

Pawan: What plan, grandpa?

Gopal: Have patience. I'm telling you.

Father bird: Listen. I'll take the chick out on my back for a day or two. I'll teach it
to fly. It'll probably fly.

Mother bird: It's still a small kid. What if it flopped on the ground?

Father bird: I'm sure it won't fall. I'll protect it. Our species must fly.

Mother bird: Ok, then. Take it out. It's your child too. It's not mine only.

The next day…

The father bird said,"Let's go out. I'll teach you how to fly." But the chick was
reluctant. It started crying, "I'm scared."

The chick was ready to go only when its mother said, "Nothing harmful will
happen to you. You can and will fly."

The father bird began flying with the chick on the back. They reached far away.
The father bird shook its body gently and dropped the chick in the middle of the
sky.

For a while, the chick got nervous. It flew like other birds after some time.
 28

The father bird became happy. Elated, he said, "It flew. My child flew."

Both the parent birds were glad that their weakling finally could fly. Like other
birds, it too did not return to its parents' nest that evening.

Pawan: Grandpa, why didn't the chick come to the nest?

Gopal: No chicks live with their parents once they learn how to fly. They make
their own nests and live with their female partners.

Pawan: Don't they ever return to their parents?

Gopal: Never. My grandson. Once they take wing, they never return.

Pawan : Won't man come back to his parents after he starts living separately with
his parents like the birds do?

Gopal: Listen, grandson. Listen and learn. There is a slight difference between
animals and humankind. What distinguishes man from the animals is money.

Pawan could not grasp what his grandfather said. Confused, he turned to him and
said, "How?"

Gopal: Once the birds learn to fly, they leave their parents' nests. They won't
expect anything from their parents. They don't have any greed and expectation
whatever.They don't expect from them. They live on their own strength.

Pawan: And man?

Gopal: Man expects from others from cradle to grave. That's why man is called the
' hut of expectations' in the Nepali language.

An expecter is the one who expects from others. Birds don't need wealth. They
don't expect anything from their parents. Man is greedy of wealth. Expecting that
he could get more of wealth from his parents, he keeps coming back to his parents.

Sons once separated from their parents won't return to their poor parents.
Humankind's offspring do lip service saying that they should take care of their
parents. But once they live separately with their parents, they love wealth more
than their parents. They are close with their parents until they receive wealth from
 29

the parents. But once they know that there is nothing that they can expect from the
parents, they even don't turn to look at their parents.

Grandfather, in tears, was speaking without a pause. Pawan understood it and said,
"Grandpa, I won't ever do it. I won't ever leave you."

Gopal: By the way, there are a few people on this Earth who serve their parents
without any expectation and with pure heart, grandson.

Pawan: Grandpa, tell me who is greater in this world, bird or man?

Gopal: I'm too old to say who is. Ask your teacher tomorrow.

By wiping tears, the grandfather went to the field carrying a sickle and a jute strap
(Namlo).

Psychological story

The King for a Day

 30

They are very close to each other. They go to school together and return home
together. They are sister and brother by distant family relation.

The bell is gone. Usha and Mohan study at grade four. Their house lies at
Tungechha of Sadananda Municipality of Bhojpur district. The name of the school
is Laxmi Secondary School. There was a yard close to their house.

"Mohan, let's have snack sitting under the banyan and peepal trees on the stone
platform.Quick. The bell's going to go soon", Usha said.

Mohan and Usha dashed for the place carrying their school bags. Both reached the
platform. They dusted the wooden bench there and cleaned their hands and faces
with the tap water and began having their snack.

While having the snack, Usha said," Mohan, would you become a king or not if
someone made you one for a day?"

"I would. But who anyway would make me the king?" Mohan said.

"Now, imagine I became somebody great who can make anybody a king. You were
chosen eligible to became a king", Usha said. "I made you the king for a day. Tell
me what you would do during the day."

Mohan was perplexed for a while. He was agitated by something he had never
thought of before. He forgot the snack and started thinking.

"Can I say everything mish mashed or one by one?'"He spoke up. Usha said that he
should say everything one by one and clearly.

Mohan said,"I became the king for one day. I'll do the following things for the
day."

First of all I'll get a big pond of milk built. It is not easy to make such a pond. I'll
will call all the engineers and government officials from across the country and
order them that the pond be built today, or they'll be sacked.

According to my order, they'll depute thousands of people to complete the work.

By the evening, the pond will be filled with milk to the brim.
 31

No one is allowed to sell or buy the milk. The poor and the children would get the
milk from the pond. But they should drink the milk by sitting around the pond.
Milk is not allowed to be sold outside the area of the pond. By this, the hungry
children could drink milk.

The second thing I would do is to build a magic garden. I will invite the magicians
from countries home and abroad then ask them to make a garden. They will
prepare a 'Magical Garden' on time.

There will be various types of trees in the garden. One tree will bear different kinds
of fruits, like mangoes, lychees and grapes on a orange tree. How happy a man
would be to get different kinds of fruits on a single tree!

The third thing is to build a chocolate warehouse. I'll build such a huge chocolate
warehouse that you would keep wondering if ever such a thing could be built.

Provision will be made to distribute the chocolate free of cost among the small
students studying at school. How pleasant would it be when they enjoy the taste of
chocolate while studying?

Would you listen what the fourth thing I would do? I'll make a factory that
produces playthings. I'll order that factories producing playthings be built in all the
cities of the country. I'll manage money, workers, staff, etc. All types of playthings
will be produced continuously.

Listen! I'll order that all the playthings be distributed free of cost to all the small
kids of my country. How happy the children will be when they get the playthings
free of cost.

Usha got more answers than expected from Mohan. She could not speak any
further. "Salutation to your idea, man should dream big", she congratulated him.

Meanwhile, the bell went. Signaling to go to the classroom, she teased her, "But
don't eat too much chocolate. It'll make your teeth rot. And trouble your stomach,
too"

Social story

Rakta Kumal
 32

There is an airport at Tumlingtar. Near the airport is a village. There is a school in

the village. All that live in the village are Kumal people. They make clay pots.

They have been living in the place for a long time. Their forefathers were born
there. The outsiders came to live there after the airport had been built.

As time passed, Tumlingtar turned into a town. Kumals were forced to be

displaced. People stopped buying clay pots. However, there still stands a small hut
of Ranabahadur.

In the cottage, there lived Ranabahadur, his wife and son. He had married off his
five daughters. Having expected a son, her wife gave birth to five daughters.

His son studies just at grade five. Ranabahadur calls him Rakta Bahadur. But
everybody calls him Rate.

"Mom, today I'll go to the Wednesday Fair Market with you." Rakta Bahadur said
to his mother. "Why would you go, son?"

"I feel like having yummy food, please buy me some." he added, "I'll tour the
market with you. I'm fed up of eating porridge at home."

Mother told son to stay at home and study. Rakta Bahadur could not speak a word.
His mother went to the market. Immediately after she returned home, he asked,"
Mother, where is the food? Haven't you brought any for me?"

"I couldn't get any for you. Eat whatever is available at home. How good is my
son?" He had to wait a month for another market.

(The next Wednesday after a month)

"Mom, are you going to the market today?"

"Yes, I'm going." "Then I'll go with you. Please don't say no. My friend told me
that new playthings have come in in the market. Please buy me some."

"Ok, my dear son. Whom will I ever be buying those things except for my son?"

This time also mother told him to stay home and focus on study, assuring him that
she would buy those things for him herself.
 33

"Please make sure you'll bring me those things this time. I'll be waiting for it."

Mother returned home in the evening. Holding an end of the sari, son said, "Mom,
mom, Where is the plaything?"

"In the market, I couldn't get the playthings you would like. I didn't like any. So, I
didn't bring any."

Rakta Bahadur grumbled for long about his mother not bringing any playthings.
Mother requested him not to get obstinate adding that she would bring him the best
playthings next time.

Rakta Bahadur followed his mother and began studying. Realizing that the next
Wednesday was far too away, he grew frustrated and started moving around the
house, sometimes inside the kitchen and sometimes in the yard outside.

(Wednesday, the next month.)

Rakta: "Are you going to the market today?"

Mother: "Yes."

Pointing to the torn clothes, Rakta Bahadur said, "Mom, please bring me new
clothes. It's just not fit to wear before my friends. I want to look as smart as my
friends."

Saying ok, mother went to the market after asking him to study. He kept studying
for hours in hope.

In the evening, mother returned home from market. He ransacked mother's bag and
wicker basket. Mother had not brought him anything as promised. Neither
playthings nor new clothes!

Annoyed Rakta Bahadur was sitting by the fireplace. Mother called him to have
porridge. Without speaking any word, he sat looking at the burning firebrand.

Consoling him, mother said, "My son is such a good boy. He'll eat. He won't get
angry."

He was still looking down, covering his face.

 34

Mother remembered how nicely he begged of her for the playthings and clothes.
Mother couldn't stop loving him.

Mother closed her son and said as if she was about to cry, “My dear son, I wanted
to buy you more than you had asked for. But……."

"But what…?"

"We are poor. We have no money to squander. It's even difficult for us to make
both ends meet. Tell me how I can fulfill your desire, my son."

Rakta looked up and showing love to his mother said, "Why didn't you say that day
that you didn't have money?"

"How could I say, my son? People say we should not reveal our grief."

By wiping the tears that shed from his mother's eyes, Rakta Bahadur said, "Mom, I
won't give you trouble from this day on. I won't ask you to buy me unnecessary
things. I'll study hard and become a good and great man. Then, I'll buy you and
father the things you like. Ok?"

Mother had been staring at Rakta Bahadur's face.

Philosophical story
 35

Limbuni Flower

Grandmother has been telling a story.

Suntali was saying "yes… yes", wriggling on a straw mat by the fireside.

There was Dalle's house located in Mulpani village of Bhojpur. Bhunti's house was
in the next village in Tungechha. Hey, Suntali, listen carefully, both grew old
enough to marry. They asked each other's hands for marriage. They were to marry
soon.

On one auspicious day, a marriage procession house went to Bhunti's housefrom

Dalle's. There was a musical band display. One the one hand, at the groom's house
people got involved in special signing performance while on the other hand, in the
bride's house, the marriage ritual came to an end. The marriage procession came to
the groom's house with the bride. Dalle and Bhunti became husband and wife.

To collect the essentials such as salt,oil, clothes, spices and exercise books and
pencils, people with bamboo- baskets on them had to come down from Dingla of
Bhojpur to Dharan.

There was no road to transport goods. Porters would carry the goods and get the
wages. It took six days for the porters to get to Dharan with those goods.

As previously, Dalle went down to Dharan with the bamboo- basket to carry goods
with his newly wedded wife in the front as they walked. It was summer. It had
been raining heavily. They reached the uphill of Akkar with the leaf-umbrella over
their heads. There was not any trace of the road there. Following the only road in
shape and talking to each other, the Dalle couple was heading for Dharan.

Down there was the river Arun gurgling and up there was the dangerous, steep hill.
When looked up, the top of the hills couldn't be seen.

Suddenly, Dalle's foot slipped. While saying, wait, wait, and trying to get hold of
Dalle at the same time, Bhunti too tumbled into the whirl of the river Arun. They
were gone for good. But although Suntali listened carefully to what her
grandmother had been saying, she did not understand it clearly.
 36

Suntali: Mother, were Dalle and Bhunti saved or they died? Is it true that once a
person drowns, he dies?

Mother: Listen! They drowned and died. They were gone. Didn't I say they were
gone for good? Villagers performed the final rite of Dalle and Bhunti. Their bodies
were burnt to ashes but their souls didn't burn. They were reborn.

Bhunti's soul was again born as a Limbuni flower on a steep garden of Taplejung.
The flowers bloomed all over the steep field, giving off sweet fragrance. Because
of the fragrance, the drunken clan, the Rais and the Limbus, use it compulsorily
when they worship the God.

On the other hand, Dalle's soul was reborn as the son of Man Bahadur in Dharan.
He is now called Dil Bahadur. As time passed, Dil Bahadur grew older. One day
he went to Taplejung and was roaming here and there. When he saw Limbuni
flowers blooming all over the steep field, he became glad and plucked it and took
near his nose and smelt it. He instantly remembered his past life after he smelt it
and knew that it was Bhunti whom he loved so much in his past life.

Suntali: Mother, does his body change once a man dies?

Mother: Yes! My dear daughter. When man dies, his body burns to ashes, but his
soul does not die. It takes another life and they say man is reborn.

Suntali started dozing. Trying to wake her up, she said,"The story is going to
finish. Listen on, Suntali."

Dalle and Bhunti, or Limbuni flower and Dil Bahadur looked at each other for a
long time. They were trying to speak but couldn't do so. Dil Bahadur went mad and
kept repeating from that day on, ' my Bhunti, my Bhunti.'

On the other hand, they say Bhunti in the form of Limbuni flower withered on the
field, or it withered to death on the field.

As mother looked at Suntali, she had already been fast asleep.

 37

Introduction to the writer

Name: Posh (Raman) Chapagain

Birth: 2008 B.S. Falgun 14, Bhojpur, Dinla

Mother: Late Haripriya Chapagain

Father: Late Pt. Hariprasad Chapagain

Education: M.A., Acharya

Profession: Reader, Patan Multiple Campus, T.U.

Visit: India, Australia, America, Thailand, Malasia, Singapore, Indonesia,

Vietnam, Cambodia and Dubai

Works published

Travelogue : Travelogue on West Australia, Around Perth(058) , From

Gosainkunda to Chennai (060), Silent Plait(064), The Curtain of Mist( 068),
Flowery Tremor(068) ,Music in the Sea (072)

Essay: Essay Form, Soul and Character(053)

Story: Lapsidharo (056), Haiku Story(061)

Children's story: Mother Butterfly(058), Man and the Monkey(059)

Criticism: Banki (069)

Email: posh.chapagain014@gmail.com

posh.chapagain@hotmail.com