Birds in My Garden  I live in a bungalow surrounded by a fairly large garden. There are a number of fruit trees growing in the garden along with many plants and a lot of grass. At first glance the garden appears very quiet but actually many birds and animals live in it or visit it frequently. Every morning I am awakened by the shrill songs of a magpie-robin. The sound is...

My First Acting Role  The first time I acted in a ply was when I was in standard three. I was chosen to play the role of a farmer. Rathi, the prettiest girl in class, played the role of the farmer’s wife. So I felt a little elated about my role. We spent a whole week rehearsing about the play. Learning the lines by heart was tedious. The first rehearsal was...

Crew Cut The day I went to school with a crew cut, I was greeted by roars of laughter and plenty of comments. I really looked funny with this hair cut but I was forced to have my hair cut that way. The monthly ritual of visiting the barber to get my hair cut was tedious. Long hair was like a sin and mine was beginning to cover my ears. My...

The Day I Lost My Wallet When I was seven years old, I was given a small wallet to keep my pocket-money in safely. It made me feel grown up and I carried it proudly in my hip pocket. One day, during recess in school, I discovered that my wallet was missing. I searched all my pockets but could not find it. I was close to tears. It was not so...

A News Paper Man  The newspaperman delivers newspapers to us and many other houses in the neighborhood. I hear his motorcycle every morning when he comes to deliver the daily paper. He comes promptly at 6.30 a.m. every morning, rain or shine, unless something extraordinary prevents him from doing so. He is so regular and prompt that I do not need any alarm clock to wake me up. At six-thirty, the...

The Haunted House  Everyone says that the old house at the end of the road is haunted. It used to be the residence of a rich family but now none of them stays there. So the house is vacant and uncared and the compound is filled with over-grown weed and grass. One evening, me and my friend Varun bravely entered the house and prepared to spend the night there. We brought...

Walking in the Rain  As I descended the steps of the bus, I saw dark clouds in the sky. It looked as though it would rain. I walked briskly towards home which was a few kilometers away. My mother had warned me not to get wet in the rain because I might catch a cold or something. I wondered if I could get home before it rained. Suddenly, the raindrops started...

Some Funny People I Have Met  The first funny person that comes to my mind is a man who sits on the branch of a tree by a road and shouts at the car that passes by. He is mad of course, but still it is strange that a madman can shout at passing cars. He never seems to notice me somehow when I pass by on my bicycle. For him...