English Rhymes, Songs & Stories

Mr. and Mrs. Sandy Rabbit and their family lived in a hole near some sand dunes.

They had lived there a long time and the hole was old and draughty and they wanted to exchange it with somebody for a hole farther away from the sea.

Then, one morning, Mrs. Sandy Rabbit met her friend Mrs. Eider Duck on the sands. Mrs. Eider Duck said that she would buy the hole. “I can block up the draughts with some of my down,” she said.

So she gave Mrs. Sandy Rabbit tow bags of her best down in exchange for the hole.

But when Mrs. Sandy Rabbit arrived home with the down, her husband was very cross.

“You have sold our hole for towo bags of down!” he cried. “Now we have to turn out in the cold and we have no home at all.”

“We can sleep in the bags of eiderdown. It will be quite warm inside them,” said Mrs. Sandy Rabbit. And that’s exactly what the Sandy Rabbit family did. And they were very comfortable, too. Very soon, this gave Mrs. Sandy Rabbit an idea.

Every morning, she combed her family with a large wooden comb. Then she knitted up all the bits of fluff into long strips, which she then joined together and filled with the eiderdown.
Soon she had made a whole pile of eiderdowns and all her friends wanted one in exchange for a hole or a nest.

But, strangely enough, the only hole she longed for was their old draughty hole by the sea. So, back they went to ask Mrs. Eider Duck if she would exchange ft for an eiderdown.
Mrs. Eider Duck was pleased to do so. She had found a nice big rock which she liked better than the hole.

So back went the Sandy Rabbits into their old hole. It was no longer draughty because Mrs. Eider Duck had filled in the cracks with her down.

Besides, they each had a nice cosy eiderdown now to keep them warm on chilly nights-thanks to clever Mrs. Sandy Rabbit.

Moral: You must be satisfied with whatever you have and only then you can find peace and fulfillment.

1) Dunes (N): A ridge of sand created by the wind; found in deserts or near lakes and oceans.
Sen: Mr. and Mrs. Sandy Rabbit and their family lived in a hole near some sand dunes.

2) Draughty (Adj): (Draughtier, Draughtiest)
Sen: They had lived there a long time and the hole was old and draughty and they wanted to exchange it with somebody for a hole farther away from the sea.

This time, the summer vacation felt longer than normal to Vamshi. Nothing exciting was happening. So many exciting things happened to children in stories but never to Vamshi. He discussed these observations with his friends, Jayesh and Samir. "Other kids often get a mystery or something to solve," he told them woefully.

They all pondered in silence. Lives in stories were so exciting. "Maybe we should make thing happen," said Jayesh. "How about creating a mystery for others to solve," daild Samir, suddenly excited. "What do you mean?" asked Vamshi suspiciously. "Maybe we could rob a bank or something..." said Samir carelessly. There was a period of silence as the idea began to sink in slowly.

They sat up till late in the night and planned the great robbery. The next morning they met at the Girinagar bus stand, 4 kilometres from their locality. It was part of the plan that nobody recognise them. They were quite notorious in their own locality. Jayesh had written a note in his scraggly handwriting that read, " we are carrying a loaded gun. If you fear for your life, please fill all the cash you have in the bag we are going to give you. And for heaven's sake don't make any noise or we will shoot." It was signed "The Terrible Three'. The note sounded harsh and threatening. They were satisfied. Samir had brought a toy gun. It looked quite real though.

They started their adventure by going to the bank. They had covered themselves with black shawls on the hot summer day. That was a little bit of a setback. "Just wait till they find out who we are," Vamshi comforted his friends, "They they will regret ignoring us." They walked up to the cash counter, stood up on their toes, raised their gun and handed the note with trembling fingers to the lady behind the counter.

The lady was busy and didn't look up for what seemed like eternity. Jayesh had heard his father complaining about service in the bank, but couldn't they at least treat robbers decently. After 3 long minutes, she slooked at the boys but she wasn't paying attention to them. Before they could get her attention to the note, somebody yelled out for her and she got up and walked out of the cubicle.

Everybody in the bank seemed very busy. The poor trio. Nobody even noticed them. They got pushed around a couple of times and then decided to leave. They had never felt so ignored in their lives.

"The bank was a mistake," said a disappointed Samir, "We must find a place where we will be very visible. Let us try our luck at a smaller place."

They went to a local grocer, Chand and Sons, next. The guy at the shop looked like Chand's son, spoilt, fat, greasy and lazy. There were tons of greasy tins in which adulterated food was hoarded.

"It will be easy to frighten this fatty," thought Jayesh excitedly. They handed the note to the round and smiling Chand Junior. He stared at them hesitantly as he took the note. His smile faded. Their hearts were pounding.

He looked at the note a couple of times and then said Kannada, "Turn left and then right." Is that where the money is?" thought a puzzled Jayesh. Junior Chand seemed eager to help them as he was anxiously reading their puzzled faces. "I don't know where this place is," he said guiltily handing them back the note.

"This is not an address," said a frustrated Jayesh, now understnading the boy's weird response. "I don't know English," the boy admitted sheepishly, "Anyway, what is written here?"

"Oh never mind," said Samir snatching away the note. They walked out of the shop in a huff leaving a puzzled, fat and not-smiling-anymore boy behind. "Who could have anticipated these thing?" they grumbled to themselves. "Now we must find a place, where we will not be ignored and whre the person behind the ounter can read English," said Samir. "That should not be difficult," said Jayesh. "Well, we haven't found it yet," said Vamshi wryly.

As they were walking, they came across a medical shop called Meenakshi Medicals. The other shops were closed and this seemed an ideal location. "This should be a good place," said an optimistic Samir. They met a cross, old man behind the counter. "Groucho!" thought Jayesh, "Would they be successful there?" Groucho hated children obviously. Their visiting the shop seemed to irritate him. Childern would never visit a chemist shop unaccompanied by adults. What mischief would these three be up to?

"What do you want?" snapped Groucho. They kept straight faces and handed him the note. He stared at it for some time with a furrowed forehead. He was expressionless. "I need my glasses," he told them, "Just wait, I'll come back." He disappeared through a door into what they thought was a storeroom for the shop. "May be we are close to realising our goals," they thought to themselves excitedly.

However, they waited in vain, for Groucho never came back. "May be he has gone home to get his glasses," said Samir hopefully.

"What was he doing in the shop without his glasses," asked Vamshi irritated. "Was he trying to fool us?" thought Vamshi suddenly. The truth suddenly dawned on them. They realised that they had been duped. Groucho must have been laughing in his house for the last 20 minutes thinking about the children waiting foolishly. As they started to return utterly dejected, who should they see, but Groucho, with the local policeman. They tried to bolt, but were caught easily.

As they stood trembling in their shoes, the inspector took a hard look at them and then at the note and burst out laughing. However, he became serous again. He took down their names, the names of their parents, their addresses, the names of their schools and the classes they studied in. There was no way they could escape now. He gave each one of them tow sharp smacks on their bottoms. Groucho smiled. He had been waiting for this.

The trio was really scared now. The inspector had all their details. He could publish photographs of theirs in their school notice boards, he could send letters to their parents, he could walk into their class, make them stand on benches and narrate the story of their foolish escapades to their cheeky classmates. The possibilities were immense and each was murkier than the others.

However, the inspector was kinder. He warned them sternly, "The next time I catch you doing something foolish like this, "I'll report you to your parents." The three of them fled, grateful to him for not squealing on them. Though their robbery had flopped miserably, it turned out to be an exciting holiday after all.


Moral: Young children must never indulge in risky tasks and it is not always good to be naughty.


Vocabulory

Woefully (Adverb)
Pronunciation : wowf(u)lee
Meaning: In an unfortunate or deplorable manner.
Sen: He told them woefully.
It was woefully inadequate.


Ponder (Verb) : to consider something deeply and thoroughly; meditate (often followed by over or upon ).
Sen: They all pondered in silence.


scraggly
Sen: Jayesh had written a note in his scraggly handwriting that read, " we are carrying a loaded gun.


eternity
Sen: The lady was busy and didn't look up for what seemed like eternity.


Trio:
Sen: The poor trio.
Sen: The trio was really scared now.


Hoarded
Sen: There were tons of greasy tins in which adulterated food was hoarded.


Pounding:
Sen: Their hearts were pounding.


Weird:
Sen: "This is not an address," said a frustrated Jayesh, now understnading the boy's weird response.


Sheepishly:
Sen: the boy admitted sheepishly.


Snatching:
Sen: "Oh never mind," said Samir snatching away the note.


grumbled:
Sen: they grumbled to themselves.


Wryly:
Sen: "Well, we haven't found it yet," said Vamshi wryly.


Snapped:
Sen: "What do you want?" snapped Groucho.


Furrowed:
Sen: He stared at it for some time with a furrowed forehead.


Dawned:
Sen: The truth suddenly dawned on them.


Dejected:
Sen: As they started to return utterly dejected, who should they see, but Groucho, with the local policeman.


Smacks:
Sen: He gave each one of them tow sharp smacks on their bottoms.


Murkier:
Sen: The possibilities were immense and each was murkier than the others.


Sternly:
Sen: He warned them sternly, "The next time I catch you doing something foolish like this, "I'll report you to your parents."


Squealing:
Sen: The three of them fled, grateful to him for not squealing on them.

Long, long ago, a peasant lived in a village called Madhopur. The peasant, named Banarsi, was just simpleton. His family comprised only three persons, he himself, his wife Sharmili and their three-months son.

One day, Banarsi was returning home after his daily work in his fields. Suddenly, he saw a little mongoose lying on the wayside. Picking it up, he brought it home.
“What is it?” asked Sharmili.

“A small mongoose! I found it on the way and so I have brought it for our dear son to play with,” replied Banarsi.

Days went by followed by weeks and months. The peasant’s son and the mongoose kept growing up side by side. His son was now eight months old.

One day, Sharmili said to her husband, “Darling! I am going to market along with other ladies in order to buy articles of daily use. Take care of the boy. He is sleeping soundly in the cradle.”

“Don’t worry, dear, Even if I have to be away, our mongoose is there,” retorted Banarsi.

“No, not at all. A wild animal is after all an animal. Finding our son alone, it may attack him,” said Sharmili thoughtfully.

“Animals are far more faithful than human beings, dear. However, rest assured, I won’t leave the house until you return,” said Banarsi.

Sharmili left for the market. A few minutes later, a messenger of village sarpanch approached Banarsi and said “Danarsi, the sarpanch has sent for your for some urgent work.”

Banarsi said, “My wife has gone shopping. Let her come back. I shall come then.”

“No, the sarpanch wants you immediately,” said the messenger.

Banarsi was in a fix. He was mindful of the assurance that he had given to her wife. But, he did not want to offend the village-head either.

He chose to go the sarpanch leaving his infant son alone to be looked after by the mongoose.

Shortly after Banarsi had left, a black cobra entered his house. It began to crawl towards the cradle slowly.

The mongoose, a sworn enemy of snakes, saw the cobra in time and ran towards it.

The snake put up fiery attacks on the mongoose, got the better of him and killed the cobra tearing its body.

Puffed up at its triumph, the mongoose came out of the room and sat at the threshold of the doorway. Its mouth and paws were smudged with the snake’s blood.

When Sharmili returned from the market, she saw the mongoose at the doorway. Seeing its bloodstained mouth and paws, she jumped to the conclusion that the mongoose had killed her son. She picked up the pitcher lying nearby and flung it on the head of the mongoose, shouting, “You wretch! Why have you killed my son? Is that the way to repay what we did for you?” she cried.

Then, throwing her articles there on the ground, she began to bewail bitterly and ran towards the cradle “Sonny, O my dear Sonny.”

Great was Sharmili’s surprise when she saw her son sleeping safely in the cradle and dead cobra lying by its side. She lost no time to follow what had actually happened. She now knew that mongoose had save her son from the cobra.

Sharmili ran back to the doorway but the mongoose had breathed its last. She repented of what she had done in haste. She wailed mournfully. “What a grave sin I have done! I have killed the savior of my son. God will never pardon me. I must be punished severely for my misdeed.”

Sharmili’s wails attracted a crowd. When the people heard the story of the mongoose, they were all praise for it. Just then, Banarsi returned home too.

Seeing his pet lying dead, he burst into tears. He said to Sharmili, “It is true that mother loves her son, but you were a mother to mongoose too. You had brought it up with your hands. Why did you kill it then?”

Sharmili folded her hands and said, “Forgive me, dear. I am a sinner. I suspected the pet for nothing and killed it in haste. I am a killer. “Saying so, she began to weep bitterly.

“It is no use crying now Sharmili. Learn a lesson from what you have done. Anything, done in haste without properly thinking over it, always leads to bad results,” said Banarsi.

The couple then buried the dead mongoose. Banarsi prayed to God, “May the soul of my dear pet rest in peace!” He also begged his pardon for the sin committed by his wife.

Moral: One has to repent for what one does in haste.

Vocabulary

1) Peasant (N):
Pronunciation: Pezunt
Meaning: A country person.
Sen: A peasant lived in a village.

2) Simpleton (N):
Pronunciation: Simpultun
Meaning: A person lacking intelligence or common sense.
Sen: The peasant was just simpleton.

3) Retort (V):
Pronunciation: Ri’tort
Meaning: Answer Back.
Sen: “Don’t worry, dear, Even if I have to be away, our mongoose is there,” retorted Banarsi.

4) Rest (N):
Pronunciation: Rest
Meaning: Something left after other parts have been taken away
Sen: However, rest assured, I won’t leave the house until you return,” said Banarsi.

5) I think the preposition “for” won’t come before shopping:
Sen: My wife has gone shopping.

6) Fix (N):
Pronunciation: Fiks
Meaning: Informal term for a difficult situation.
Sen: Banarsi was in a fix.
Sen: He got into a terrible fix.

7) Offend (V):
Pronunciation: u’fend
Meaning: a) Act in disregard of laws, rules, contracts, or promises.
b) Hurt the feelings of.
Sen: He did not want to offend the village-head either.

8) Infant (N):
Pronunciation: infunt
Meaning: A very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk

Toddler (N): A young child

Teenager (N): A juvenile between the onset of puberty and maturity

Juvenile (N): A young person, not fully developed

Young (N): Any immature animal.

9) Puff up (V):
Meaning: Become filled with pride, arrogance, or anger.
Sen: Puffed up at its triumph.

10) Triumph (N):
Pronunciation: trI úmpf
Meaning: A successful ending of a struggle or contest.
Sen: Puffed up at its triumph.

11) Threshold (N):
Pronunciation: thresh ówld.
Meaning: The sill of a door; a horizontal piece of wood or stone that forms the bottom of a doorway and offers support when passing through a doorway.
Sen: Puffed up at its triumph, the mongoose came out of the room and sat at the threshold of the doorway.

12) Smudge (V):
Pronunciation: smuj.
Meaning: Make a smudge on.

Smudge (N): A blemish made by dirt.

Blemish (N): A mark or flaw that spoils the appearance of something (especially on a person's body)