Why I Purchased Plums Today

Picture source

Where we not told stories in our childhood? I was read stories from Amar Chitra Katha, from Leo Tolstoy's books,  and those Russian magazines of  Masha. I still feel those soft strokes I gave to the A3 sized board books of "Masha And The Bears", dad would bring from his office library. Over a period, I happen to retain few stories in my mind that mom read to me and one of my childhood favourite  was the "Plum hannina vaate" meaning the seed of the plum fruit, in kannada.  The story originated from Leo Tolstoy's book but was translated in some Kannada book. Unfortunately, I can not recall the name of the book.

Plums in the eighties were those luxury fruits that made it's appearance in the fruit vendors shop once in a while. That first time when the fruit and the book with the story both arrived home together mom had read this story to us.

"One day Raju's  mom purchased some plums from the market. Plums were a rare product then. It was a big catch and a golden fruit haul by mom.  She  carefully washed them and arranged them in a basket to be eaten by entire family together after dinner. 

Raju the youngest among the 5 children, could not withhold his curiosity.  He polished his tongue every time he saw the ripe crimson red fruit in the basket. Though he had never tasted them before, mom's treatment to the fruit made him realize it indeed was something unique. Tiny inquisitive mind was soon up to mischief as he grabbed one of them and relished it alone hiding in  a corner of the house. Then gleefully hiding all his euphoria he sat at the dinner table. 

Now dad noticed the count of the golden fruit and  immediately announced "children, who ever has stolen the fruit, please tell me urgently. Because the seed that you have swallowed will grow into a tree in your stomach and branch out of your ears and nose next morning. We must not let it happen".

Dad had nailed it. Soon Raju admitted his mistake and the family laughed out aloud but with a lesson for Raju and all the children on not to be greedy and also honesty is best policy. "

How cute. We had a big fancy for the fruit as well as the stories my mom narrated to us in childhood. Also I have to pass on the legacy to my children and stories are one thing that keeps my hyper active four year old son quite on a couch. He can listen to a dozen of them at once and blink at me and his books constantly. While I picked a few plums this morning from the hyper-market it unexpectedly brought back my memories and also added a story onto my cart for my son. 

Gone are the days of grandpa, grandma stories. We have gadgets replacing them to my dismay. We often end up in this discussion of bookish education and those of values of humanities. And I give a thumbs up to reading books to the children or narrating them stories from life. 

-----------

This is a flash post today. Anybody having good suggestion for story books for my kid please do leave a comment with title of book and the author.

It Is Okay If You Are Greedy

An idea conceived is half achieved  -Selfquote

Sushma's Page turned 2 this month. 

The commonest feeling of revoking the past, scratching the memory lane turns most up-heaving sensational phenomena when the subject includes "childhood". Here is my baby, "My Blog" . She turned two on the 3rd of October. She- Yes, she follows the stereotype as her owner.

A fetus conceived is a child born in minds of the mother -Self Quote.

She has  evolved over infancy. Crawling, giggling, stumbling, to the stage of  walking steady and ready to run today. Conceived in month of September-2010, she first smiled on successfully publishing the post "Cycle and the Chicken". 1st and nostalgic post that is so very personal.

The marathon continues till today over the stages where many a humour, satire, serious, poetic posts have been successfully completed and the blog has stood up, and today, all set to run. Sushma's Page is now greedy for more posts.....more readers. It is okay to be greedy.

Here is celebrating the 2nd Birth Day with one story.

____________________________________________________________________________



The woodcutter who was the bread winner of family cut trees, sold wood for a few penny. One day  he slipped off and his axe tossed straight into the river nearby. Squatted, hands on forehead, as he shed silent sobs and sweaty tears, A fairy emerged out of the waters. The zero figure "Kareena Kapoor" as she was, singing "halkat jawani". Get away you...shooed her the woodcutter. She stopped dancing and offered to help him. He wasn't the types who even narrowed his eyes on her. She them cleared he throat..."err ehem...well I do know to dive too like Katrina Kaif in Zindagi na Milegi Dobara"...I could  perhaps find your axe". Surely he was not the second hand jawani-Amul Macho Man who could guide her swimming, was he?  So she dived in and brought out a golden axe. Ohh ghosh... Ssshhh he cried" This must be belonging to some minister of Indian Kangress he exclaimed. "I am just an ordinary person, aam aadmi, an mango person and I own an iron axe, please get me that". She then brought out a silver axe. A sad woodcutter had to nod a no. May be it belonged to another  minister perhaps law minister-India. Fairy smiled, brought a bronze axe. Were they the Medals of the Indian Players who got them at the Olympics? Out came the Fairy with the iron axe to utmost relieving pleasure of woodcutter. The Mango Men are happy with their meager belongings. Greed is not their cup of tea. It is for the stronger. The strength emerges from monetary and social powers?



Moral of this story: Never be greedy, if you want to be its okay, just join Politics.

________________________________________________________________________________



Original story: The wood cutter who was the breadwinner of family once lost his axe into the river. The river fairy who presented him a golden or silver axe was not something he would lay his greedy hands on. He humbly preferred his iron axe and as the fairy got it for him she was too happy over the woodcutters honesty and presented him all the axe. The wood cutter family then lived happily ever after.

Origin, source and ref:

And this story that my dad told me naming the woodcutter as "maada" genetically passed on to my daughter as her bed time story that I could narrate. For past 9 years I have been cooking up several thousands of remix of this one story like Ekta Kapoor's serials that carry same script different colours.

Finally today's remix version had something to do with beautiful India's "so called dirty politics" Initially she laughed, in  between she perhaps thought I was telling her "beta Gabbar ayega sojayo" and she dozed off forgetting to laugh till the end of it.



Ref:-

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article3888347.ece

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/salman-khurshid-trust-scam-gen-vk-singh-extends-support-to-kejriwal/1/225089.html

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-10-05/india/34278821_1_robert-vadra-priyanka-gandhi-prashant-bhushan



Some contents in this article are based on facts from media and mean a pure satire and no offense to any personnel, party, religion or so.