Little Puppy

Little puppy

liked to play,

but near his mama

he would stay.

Little puppy

liked to run,

biting mama’s tail

was real fun.

Little puppy

loved a naughty kid,

he would jump

if kid would skid.

One day puppy was

playing with the kid,

they were juggling

a big sauce pan lid.

 The lid rolled

and rolled away,

puppy chased and

went far away.

He then looked for

his mama dear,

but she was not

anywhere near.

Puppy got scared

he began to cry,

kid got upset but

he wouldn't cry.

Kid was fearless

he looked around,

but puppy’s mama

couldn't be found.

 Kid was one who

wouldn't give in,

puppy’s mama was

behind an old cabin.

Puppy’s mama

was lost in sleep,

she couldn't hear

her puppy weep.

Kid signaled

and softly called,

puppy didn't move

he lay sprawled.

 Kid picked him up

as if he was a doll,

he tried to wriggle

was about to fall.

 But kid was caring

he didn't relent,

behind old cabin

with puppy he went.

Puppy saw his mama

and jumped with joy,

 he gave her a hug

and thanked little boy.

                                                © i b arora

Monkey Babies

Monkey babies

jump on roof,

monkey babies

love to goof.

Monkey babies

pull the tails,

monkey babies

bite and wail.

Monkey babies

are full of fun,

they play pranks

on all and one.

Mama monkey

stares at them,

she slaps them for

 being foolish one.

But mama monkey

is kind of heart,

and she never

slaps them hard.

Monkey babies

pay no heed,

and they keep on

with silly deed.

Mama monkey

losses her cool,

she slaps them hard

  they laugh like fools.

                                                   © i b arora

The Vacant House

(a ghost story in two parts)

All three of them started as small time crooks. They were school drop outs. Their fathers thought that education was a waste of time. Fathers forced them out of schools to the streets; to earn a living for the families.

All three of them started as rag pickers. Slowly they moved to petty crime. They would snatch anything of value they could from little kids. They would pilfer things here and there; steal from this shop or from that hawker.

But as they crossed age of adolescence they became uninterested in petty crime and began to aim for something challenging. Being small time crooks no longer satisfied them. Nor did it fulfil their needs which were growing faster than their age.

“What we need is a place of our own.” this was one who called himself Sambha.

“I agree. We need to be independent and we need some privacy,” this was one who had named himself Sachiin.

“Well, do you have anything particular in mind? Or, as usual, you are depending on me?” asked Govinda.

“What can you suggest?” asked Sambha.

“We must find some decent place and move there. We need to think big, plan big and live big.”

“Out with your idea,” Sachiin said impatiently.

“There is house on Marx Road.  It is vacant for many years. Owner is an old man, he lives in some village. His son lives in America and never comes to India. I suggest that we move into that house. Back door of that house opens into a deserted lane. I know how to open it. We can use that door. And I have thought of a brilliant plan to deter prying eyes.”

“How do you know all this?” asked Sachiin.

“I have not been wasting my spare time,” Govinda retorted.

“Is there no caretaker or watchman to look after the house?” Sachiin asked.

“No,” said Govinda.

“And what is your brilliant plan?” asked Sambha

“We shall quietly spread a rumour that it is a haunted house. On some dark moonless night we will go into that house, create some commotion and leaveh before anyone can come to enquire. If anybody does come to check, he will find strange and scary things in the house like a human skull or headless chickens or a pot filled with blood. Once the rumour spreads, no one would dare to come into that house. We would then be able to move there without any fear or worry.”

“I like the plan. Let us get on with it straightaway,” said Sambha.

 And they got on with it straightaway. Next moonless night they intruded into the house through the back door. They caused enough commotion to alert watchman who was guarding a house on other side of the road. They left before anyone could come to inquire. And they left behind a goat’s head smeared with vermillion.

 A rumour quickly spread about the house. Rumour was that someone had performed magical rites in that house and left behind headless chickens smeared with vermillion. Some people insisted that the house was haunted for years.

“Well, well, Govinda you were right on the mark,” Sambha said and patted his back.

“But we did not leave behind headless chickens, did we?” Govinda was a bit perplexed.

“People just say anything that comes to their mind. I don’t think anyone would have actually gone inside that house. Everyone likes to believe the hearsay,” said Sambha.

 A few days later they again entered the house and this time they left behind a few dead squirrels. The rumour got reinforced.  

“It is strange that people found few dead crows while we had left there dead squirrels.”  Govinda was scratching his head. Sachiin too was looking a bit worried.

“How does it matter what people found in that house. Now we will move into that haunted house and let us think of something big and good,” Sambha said.

A few days later they quietly moved into that house.  To their delight they found a small secret door that opened towards a park which remained deserted during night.  

“Now, can I have some big idea or suggestion?” Sambha asked.

“Let me make a suggestion. We should kidnap a child of some wealthy businessman. I have done some homework and I have a plan. Have you seen the beautiful house which is at the end of this road?” asked Govinda.

“Yes.”

“That is the house of P. Kumar. Only last week he bought a very expensive car.  He has a small, stupid son. He would be eight years of age. We can kidnap that child, we can ask for any amount as ransom money. P. Kumar loves his son; he will never do anything stupid that could put his child in harm’s way.”  

His friends liked Govinda’s scheme. They made arrangements for keeping the child in the haunted house. They carried out a mock exercise of kidnapping the boy. Once they were satisfied with their arrangements, they kidnapped the child.

They had injected a sedative in fruit juice packets which they had stored in the kitchen cupboard. Sambha asked Sachiin to bring a packet of juice. But when Sachiin opened the cupboard, he got a shock of his life. There were couple of dead squirrels in cupboard.

He rushed to Sambha, “What is this? Who kept dead squirrels in the cupboard?”

Sambha was taken aback, “What nonsense are you talking? Let me see.”

But when Sambha checked the cupboard he could only see fruit juice packets, biscuits, chocolates and other things that they had brought for the child. There were no dead squirrels.  Sachiin could not believe his eyes.

“Stop being funny and do what you are supposed to do,”Sambha said in an angry tone.

Sachiin did not know what to say. He was sure that he had seen the dead squirrels in the cupboard. When Sambha left with a packet of fruit juice, he shuffled everything kept in the cupboard but he could not find the dead squirrels. (to be continued)

© i b arora

Ghosts that Walk

If it is dark

and if you walk

into a street that is 
glum and dark,

you may hear

coming from rear

sounds of footsteps

loud and clear.

If it is dark

and dogs bark,

you may not see

but there they will be

ghosts that walk

in the streets

 glum and dark.

 If it is dark

and dogs cry,

you shouldn’t try

to look at ghosts

who may not shout

but are surely out

in the streets 
glum and dark.

And, if you must

then carry you must

a smouldering match stick

clenched in your teeth,

and don’t forget

to loudly breathe

through clenched teeth.

 And then you will see

that just in a wee

the ghosts that walk

in streets 
gum and dark

will tremble in fear.

And it will be a fun

to see them run 
and quickly scamper

in a foul temper.

© i b arora

Ghosts in the Well

Behind an ancient house

 there is an ancient wall,

there is a thick grove

beyond that ancient wall.

Besides the thick grove

 there is an ancient well,

two unhappy ghosts

therein dwell.

 The ghosts are sickly

 they suffer from rickets,

their teeth are missing

they talk like crickets.

 The ghosts are real and

  pretend to be fearsome,

they play dirty tricks

 and try magic on some.

But their tricks are stale

and their magic is rotten,

whatever they may try

 even a kid they can’t frighten.

The ghosts are truly scared

 of big naughty boys,

who are up to mischiefs

and make a lot of noise.

If a boy comes their way

ghosts scamper like hell,

they hop like a grasshopper

and hide in the ancient well.

© i b arora

Blue Crab

The crab was blue; as blue as the deep blue sea. His friends envied him. His mother was proud of him. But his father made fun of him.

“Say you, Bluuee, how much blue ink did you eat today?” mocked his father.

“He cannot eat blue ink? Can he? He can only drink it,” his kid-brother said. The kid-brother was a serious fellow who disliked silly jokes.

“I never drink blue ink,” blue crab mumbled.

“Then how come you are as blue as blue ink,” taunted his father.

“He is not blue like blue ink. He is blue like deep blue sea, just like my grandfather and his great grandfather,” his mother shouted at the father.

The father was scared of the mother, as all fathers usually are, and he never entered into any argument with the mother.

Blue crab had never seen deep blue sea. His friends had also not seen deep blue sea. They all lived in shallow back waters, away from the sea. But blue crab was curious about deep blue sea. 

The blue crab would ask anyone he met, “Sir, have you seen deep blue sea? Is it really blue? Is it really deep blue?”

And everyone had thus far said, “You have asked three questions. My answer to each of these questions is same, no.”

“If you have not seen deep blue sea, how can you say that it is not deep blue?” he would say in irritation.

One day he was busy finishing his homework. A huge white bird landed on a tree just in front of his house. When blue crab looked at him he said, “Good day, and what a pleasant day it is.”

“Have you ever seen deep blue sea?” asked the crab as was his habit.

“Yes, many a time.”

“What is it like?”

“It is deep and blue, very deep and very blue.”

“I wish I could see it.”

“You can if you want to.”

“It is far away. I can’t walk all the way to sea. And I can’t fly like you.”

“But you can, I mean you can fly.”

“How can I fly? I am a crab, I have no wings?”

“But you can go in an aeroplane. I know your kid-brother has a beautiful aeroplane.”

“It is only a toy plane.”

“It does fly and it is good enough for you.”

“Yes, you are right. I think I can fly it.”  

Blue crab could wait no longer. He was eager to see deep blue sea. He rushed into kid-brother’s room. Toy plane was there in one corner. His brother was away on some errand. He quickly entered the cockpit of the toy plane. He pulled one lever. He pushed two buttons. He turned few dials. He switched on a couple of switches. The plane began to move. He drove it out of his house. He knew that he would have to drive it on a runway before it would start flying. He saw a large plank of wood lying nearby.

“This plank can be the runway,” he said to himself.

He drove the toy plane on the wooden plank and in a flash he was flying in the air. His joy knew no bounds. He waved his arm and quickly aimed for the sea.

Actually the sea was not far away. In a few minutes he reached the sea. When he saw the sea from his plane he was dumbstruck. The sea was really deep blue.

“My, my.......it is beautiful, it is wonderful, it is really deep blue, as deep blue as I am. Mother was always right. I am as blue as deep blue sea.”

Blue crab was proud of himself and he loved his mother more than ever.   He flew over the sea for quite some time and then headed for his home. It was the happiest day of his life. 

But then the blue crab made a mistake. In his excitement he forgot to land his plane on the wooden plank. He crash landed in backwaters. His kid-brother and a friend were playing nearby. His kid-brother was shocked to see the crashed plane. He let out a loud cry and attacked him like an angry tiger.

The blue crab would never forget the spanking he got from his mother that day, the happiest day of his life.

© i b arora

One 2 Ten

One big rabbit was

sleeping under a tree,

Two clever foxes

looked at him with glee,

Three days back

they had killed a goat,

Four nasty hyenas

took it to a moat,

Five long days

 foxes get nothing to eat,

Six minutes or less

and there would be a treat,

Seven little birds

watched from the tree,

Eight feet below

there will be fun for free,

Nine warning calls

 the birds screamed loudly,

Ten quick hops

 and rabbit ran away quickly.

© i b arora

Hearty Laughter

A green grass hopper

hopped on an ox,

the ox was sleeping

like a baby in a box.

 

Near the rocks was  

a brown cunning fox,

he wanted to eat

the sleeping ox.

A clan of hyenas

was standing away,

they had gathered

to enjoy the play.

The fox was clever

he stared at the ox,

he kept on plotting

hiding behind rocks.

Green grass hopper

reclining on the ox,

kept a watchful eye

on the cunning fox.

Green grass hopper

jumped before it was late,

he woke up the ox who was

in a dreaming state.

At that very moment

the fox made his move,

but the ox was ready

he kicked him with his hoof.  

The poor brown fox

let out a blare,

he flew like a ball

and spun in the air.  

He landed on the earth 

his teeth were less by half,

the hopper and the hyenas

had a hearty laugh.

© I b arora

Jumping Frog

The jumping frog

jumps on a leaf,

 the leaf trembles

and dips into sea.

The jumping frog

 jumps on a log,

 the log rolls

and off goes the frog.

The jumping frog

jumps on a reed,

the reed bends

and leans on a croc.

The jumping frog

jumps on the croc,

the croc is angry

and kicks the frog.

The jumping frog

can no longer jump,

it has broken one toe

and lost its hump.

Three Little Piglets

Three little piglets

were playing under a tree,

their mother was away

 on a hunting spree.

 Three little piglets

were full of joy,

mother had given them

a pretty bouncing toy.

 Three little piglets

were dancing and singing,

they irritated the wolf

who was nearby sleeping.

Three little piglets 

were shrieking in terror,

  angry wolf glared at them

 but that was an error.

 Three little piglets

were trembling in fear,

 but mother had come back

she kicked the wolf in rear.

Three little piglets

hugged their dear mother,

she was the greatest mother

and there was none like her.

© i b arora

Cry of the Ghost

It was cold

and night was dark,

dogs were shivering

and too scared to bark.

Trees were silent

as if in deep sleep,

but we could all hear

 the little ghost weep.

Houses were gloomy

and streets were sad,

the moon was shining

but the light was bad.

Cry of the ghost

we could all hear,

down our spines

his cry sent a shiver.

 Doors were closed

someone was knocking,

everything was quiet 

but someone was walking.

Kids were warned

not to look and peep,

even through a key hole

the ghost could creep.

But one little kid

was a mischievous brat,

what was it about

he wanted to look at.

He was sure that

the ghost was in distress,

his trouble, the kid knew,

he wanted to redress.

 He opened a window

when papa was busy,

but mama saw him

and she was in a tizzy.

There was the ghost

 lying in the lane,

the kid could see

that he was in pain.

“Ghost, ghost

why are you crying,

and why on the ground

are you lying?”

”Don’t even ask me

I have stomach pain,

for I am foolish

I ate a croc’s brain.

 The croc was silly and

empty was his brain,

my stomach didn’t agree

now I have a pain.”

“Don’t you worry

I’ll surely help you,

if I have stomach pain

mama gives me a bitter brew.”

The kid gave him a brew

and asked him to drink,

the ghost took a sip and 

felt his heart would sink.

But the ghost was brave

he gulped the bitter brew,

in a flash he was smiling

and said, “Thank you.”

 The ghost patted the kid

he was cured of his pain,

the kid saw mama rushing

she was carrying a cane.

His mama was scared

she was muttering a prayer,

but she didn’t find the ghost

for he had vanished in air.

          © i b arora