Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Happy Deepavali 2012
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Agastya's comments
Friday, February 24, 2012
Eat One, Eat Two, or Eat All Three by Swati
By Swati Goel, Grade 4, Hoover Elementary School
Submitted to Children's Theater for Playwright competition
(Based on an Indian Folk Tale)
Characters:
Son
Mother
Uncle
Fairy 1, Fairy 2, and Fairy 3
Grandma the narrator
Scene I
Grandma: Welcome my friends. Today, let me take you back in time. To a time
where there were small villages and kingdoms, separated by forests where
robbers used to live. To a time where there were no cars – your only choices of
transportation were by foot or by horse carriages. To a time where there used
to be magic, fairies, and monsters. In that time, there lived a young boy with
his old mother. This is their story...
One fine day, a bright young man and his mother ran out of riches so
suddenly that the mother was forced to send her son to a neighbouring village
to find work.
Son: Do not despair dear mother. Soon I will be back with some money and we
will no longer go to sleep with hunger in our stomachs.
Mother: It is not that I do not trust in your capabilities dear son. It is just that I cannot bear to lose my only child.
Son: You will not lose me dear mother. Dry your tears for I will return soon
enough.
Mother (sigh): You are right dear son. I will pack three pieces of bread with
some water for your journey tomorrow morning. However, be aware of the
robbers and do not travel in the dark.
Son: Okay mother. I shall start with the first light of dawn.
Scene II
Grandma: And so, early in the morning the son began his journey. He only
travelled until mid-day when he felt the need to rest.
Son: Oh I am so hungry, thirsty, and tired that I must rest. I see a well. I will
stop there.
(He trudged over to the well and took out his food and water.)
Son (opening his lunch pack): Oh I am so hungry. I wonder if I should eat one of
them, eat two of them, or eat all three of them?
Grandma: What the son did not know was that there were three fairies living
in the well.
Fairy 1: Who said that?
Fairy 2: May be a monster!
Fairy 1: Why would he want to eat us?
Fairy 2: Didn’t you hear? It is very hungry.
Fairy 3: May be if we gave the monster a magical object which gave him food,
he wouldn’t want to eat us.
Fairy 1 and Fairy 2: That’s a great idea. Let’s go!
[The fairies appear in front of the son]
Fairies: Do not eat us. Do not eat us. We will give you a magical bowl which
will give you food when you get hungry. All you have to say is “Oh my pot, I am
your master, Cook me food, cook it faster.”
And when you are done eating then just say “Oh my pot, you have done well,
End my food, and then all will be swell.”
Son (murmuring to himself): Hmmm it seems that the fairies have mistaken
me. (now speaking to fairies) Very well. I suppose that it does not matter as
long as it tastes good. I will make this bargain with you.
Fairies: Thank You.
Son (talking to himself): I should go back to my mother. However, I will have
to stay at my uncle’s house for the night because the woods are full of robbers
when it’s dark.
(Walks over to his uncle’s house and knocks on the door)
Son: Uncle, please open the door.
Uncle (opens the door): Oh dear me. Another mouth to feed. Come in, I guess.
Son: Oh no dear uncle. You will not have to feed me. All I need is shelter. I have
enough food to feed us all.
Uncle: Well, I do not see you carrying any food.
Son: Because it will come out of this magic pot. Watch “Oh my pot, I am your
master, Cook me food, cook it faster.”
Uncle: Oh my! Oh me! Oh may! This food looks delicious. But it’s too much.
Son: Do not worry. “Oh my pot, you have done well, End my food, and then all
will be swell.”
(They eat)
Uncle: Wonderful. Simply wonderful food my boy. Let me show you to your
room. Good night.
(In the middle of the night, the uncle visited the son’s room)
Uncle: Where has the boy put a pot of his? Aha! Here it is. Let me replace
it with this pot which looks exactly like it. The boy will never notice the
difference until it’s too late.
Scene III
Grandma: The next morning, the son left his uncle’s house and came back
home to his mother.
Mother: How come you are back so early?
Son: I found a magic pot which will feed us all our lives. Watch. “Oh my pot, I
am your master, Cook me food, cook it faster.”
Mother: My son, I do not see any food. Someone must have tricked you.
Son (angrily): I can’t believe that these fairies tricked me. Mother please pack
me three pieces of bread again and I am going to get back at them.
Grandma: So the next morning, the son started off again and reached the same
well at mid-day. He sat down and repeated.
Son (opening his lunch pack): Oh I am so hungry. I wonder if I should eat one of
them, two of them, or eat all three of them?
Fairy 1: Why is this monster back?
Fairy 2: Let’s ask him.
[The fairies appear in front of the son]
Fairies: Why do you want to eat us now? We gave you a magic pot to feed you
and your family.
Son: Magic. That only served food once at my uncle’s house where I spent the
night. Now I am going to eat you all.
Fairies (talking among themselves)
Fairy 3: Hmmm... seems like someone in the Uncle’s house must have stolen
the magical pot.
Fairy 2: How do we prove it?
Fairy 1: I have an idea. Let’s give him a magical rope and cane to catch the
thief.
Fairies (facing the son and giving him a rope and cane)
Fairy 1: Young man take this cane and rope and go spend the night again at the
same place.
Fairy 2: Things will sort out by themselves.
Fairy 3: Make sure you tell at your uncle’s house that the cane and rope are
magical but you do not know how the magic works.
Son: Very well. However, if this magic pot does not start working then I will
come back and eat you all. No matter what you say.
(Son walks over to his uncle’s house and knocks on the door)
Son: Uncle, please open the door.
Uncle (opens the door): Welcome my nephew. What brings you here again? I
see you carry something.
Son: Yes, I hold two other magical objects. However, their magic is secret. Can I
spend the night at your place?
Uncle: Of course.
Son: Thank you Uncle.
(In the middle of the night, the uncle visited the son’s room carrying an
identical rope and cane)
Uncle: Where has the boy put his cane and rope? Aha! There they are. Let me
replace them with this cane and rope. The boy will never notice the difference
until it’s too late.
Grandma: As soon as the uncle touched the magical rope and cane, the rope
wound itself around him and the cane started beating him while singing a
song. “Oh my deary rope, hold him tight, While I beat him blue and white.
Until he returns what he stole in the night, Oh my deary rope hold him tight”
All this commotion woke up the son.
Uncle: Dear nephew, please save me from this cane. I admit it. I stole your
magic pot. Please stop this cane and I will return your pot to you and promise
to never steal again.
Grandma: The son understood why the fairies gave him the cane and rope.
The son got back his magic pot along with rope and cane and came back to his
village to his mother. From that day forward, he and his mother lived happily
ever after.
Submitted to Children's Theater for Playwright competition
(Based on an Indian Folk Tale)
Characters:
Son
Mother
Uncle
Fairy 1, Fairy 2, and Fairy 3
Grandma the narrator
Scene I
Grandma: Welcome my friends. Today, let me take you back in time. To a time
where there were small villages and kingdoms, separated by forests where
robbers used to live. To a time where there were no cars – your only choices of
transportation were by foot or by horse carriages. To a time where there used
to be magic, fairies, and monsters. In that time, there lived a young boy with
his old mother. This is their story...
One fine day, a bright young man and his mother ran out of riches so
suddenly that the mother was forced to send her son to a neighbouring village
to find work.
Son: Do not despair dear mother. Soon I will be back with some money and we
will no longer go to sleep with hunger in our stomachs.
Mother: It is not that I do not trust in your capabilities dear son. It is just that I cannot bear to lose my only child.
Son: You will not lose me dear mother. Dry your tears for I will return soon
enough.
Mother (sigh): You are right dear son. I will pack three pieces of bread with
some water for your journey tomorrow morning. However, be aware of the
robbers and do not travel in the dark.
Son: Okay mother. I shall start with the first light of dawn.
Scene II
Grandma: And so, early in the morning the son began his journey. He only
travelled until mid-day when he felt the need to rest.
Son: Oh I am so hungry, thirsty, and tired that I must rest. I see a well. I will
stop there.
(He trudged over to the well and took out his food and water.)
Son (opening his lunch pack): Oh I am so hungry. I wonder if I should eat one of
them, eat two of them, or eat all three of them?
Grandma: What the son did not know was that there were three fairies living
in the well.
Fairy 1: Who said that?
Fairy 2: May be a monster!
Fairy 1: Why would he want to eat us?
Fairy 2: Didn’t you hear? It is very hungry.
Fairy 3: May be if we gave the monster a magical object which gave him food,
he wouldn’t want to eat us.
Fairy 1 and Fairy 2: That’s a great idea. Let’s go!
[The fairies appear in front of the son]
Fairies: Do not eat us. Do not eat us. We will give you a magical bowl which
will give you food when you get hungry. All you have to say is “Oh my pot, I am
your master, Cook me food, cook it faster.”
And when you are done eating then just say “Oh my pot, you have done well,
End my food, and then all will be swell.”
Son (murmuring to himself): Hmmm it seems that the fairies have mistaken
me. (now speaking to fairies) Very well. I suppose that it does not matter as
long as it tastes good. I will make this bargain with you.
Fairies: Thank You.
Son (talking to himself): I should go back to my mother. However, I will have
to stay at my uncle’s house for the night because the woods are full of robbers
when it’s dark.
(Walks over to his uncle’s house and knocks on the door)
Son: Uncle, please open the door.
Uncle (opens the door): Oh dear me. Another mouth to feed. Come in, I guess.
Son: Oh no dear uncle. You will not have to feed me. All I need is shelter. I have
enough food to feed us all.
Uncle: Well, I do not see you carrying any food.
Son: Because it will come out of this magic pot. Watch “Oh my pot, I am your
master, Cook me food, cook it faster.”
Uncle: Oh my! Oh me! Oh may! This food looks delicious. But it’s too much.
Son: Do not worry. “Oh my pot, you have done well, End my food, and then all
will be swell.”
(They eat)
Uncle: Wonderful. Simply wonderful food my boy. Let me show you to your
room. Good night.
(In the middle of the night, the uncle visited the son’s room)
Uncle: Where has the boy put a pot of his? Aha! Here it is. Let me replace
it with this pot which looks exactly like it. The boy will never notice the
difference until it’s too late.
Scene III
Grandma: The next morning, the son left his uncle’s house and came back
home to his mother.
Mother: How come you are back so early?
Son: I found a magic pot which will feed us all our lives. Watch. “Oh my pot, I
am your master, Cook me food, cook it faster.”
Mother: My son, I do not see any food. Someone must have tricked you.
Son (angrily): I can’t believe that these fairies tricked me. Mother please pack
me three pieces of bread again and I am going to get back at them.
Grandma: So the next morning, the son started off again and reached the same
well at mid-day. He sat down and repeated.
Son (opening his lunch pack): Oh I am so hungry. I wonder if I should eat one of
them, two of them, or eat all three of them?
Fairy 1: Why is this monster back?
Fairy 2: Let’s ask him.
[The fairies appear in front of the son]
Fairies: Why do you want to eat us now? We gave you a magic pot to feed you
and your family.
Son: Magic. That only served food once at my uncle’s house where I spent the
night. Now I am going to eat you all.
Fairies (talking among themselves)
Fairy 3: Hmmm... seems like someone in the Uncle’s house must have stolen
the magical pot.
Fairy 2: How do we prove it?
Fairy 1: I have an idea. Let’s give him a magical rope and cane to catch the
thief.
Fairies (facing the son and giving him a rope and cane)
Fairy 1: Young man take this cane and rope and go spend the night again at the
same place.
Fairy 2: Things will sort out by themselves.
Fairy 3: Make sure you tell at your uncle’s house that the cane and rope are
magical but you do not know how the magic works.
Son: Very well. However, if this magic pot does not start working then I will
come back and eat you all. No matter what you say.
(Son walks over to his uncle’s house and knocks on the door)
Son: Uncle, please open the door.
Uncle (opens the door): Welcome my nephew. What brings you here again? I
see you carry something.
Son: Yes, I hold two other magical objects. However, their magic is secret. Can I
spend the night at your place?
Uncle: Of course.
Son: Thank you Uncle.
(In the middle of the night, the uncle visited the son’s room carrying an
identical rope and cane)
Uncle: Where has the boy put his cane and rope? Aha! There they are. Let me
replace them with this cane and rope. The boy will never notice the difference
until it’s too late.
Grandma: As soon as the uncle touched the magical rope and cane, the rope
wound itself around him and the cane started beating him while singing a
song. “Oh my deary rope, hold him tight, While I beat him blue and white.
Until he returns what he stole in the night, Oh my deary rope hold him tight”
All this commotion woke up the son.
Uncle: Dear nephew, please save me from this cane. I admit it. I stole your
magic pot. Please stop this cane and I will return your pot to you and promise
to never steal again.
Grandma: The son understood why the fairies gave him the cane and rope.
The son got back his magic pot along with rope and cane and came back to his
village to his mother. From that day forward, he and his mother lived happily
ever after.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Things that need attention before abortion issue
To all those folks who have made such a big CRY about pro-life just want to remind them it is a PERSONAL choice and no one has any authority to decide what a woman should do or not do. And then there are so many pressing issues that need the attention:
1. The unrest in the world around us
2. America in serious risk of losing the economic advantage
3. Millions dying in Africa due to poverty, famine, and civil wars
4. So many orphans around the world
5. Our environment and global warming
6. The rate at which we are losing the forests
7. The rate at which our precious wildlife is getting extinct
7. Sex and drug trade
8. How to educate all?
9. Gun violence
10. Provide better medical care
11. And many more...
1. The unrest in the world around us
2. America in serious risk of losing the economic advantage
3. Millions dying in Africa due to poverty, famine, and civil wars
4. So many orphans around the world
5. Our environment and global warming
6. The rate at which we are losing the forests
7. The rate at which our precious wildlife is getting extinct
7. Sex and drug trade
8. How to educate all?
9. Gun violence
10. Provide better medical care
11. And many more...
Thursday, February 9, 2012
What I like most about myself by Swati
What I like about myself
You know what I like about Sarah? She’s dependable. You know what I like about Camille? She’s kind. You know what I like about myself? I am funny! I am a jokester, a prankster, a trickster, you name it. I find being annoying very refreshing. Like, jumping into a pond on a hot summer day. Hey! You know what else I like about myself? I am poetic. Say what? You don’t believe me? I’ll show you!
The Notes
Gliding in a song,
That is all we stand to do.
We are part of the foundation,
Of the music played by you.
Now do you believe me? Thank you for that yes. Do you want to hear what I like about my appearance? I am going to ignore your no and get on with it. It’s my height. Being tall means that I can go on rides meant for people a couple of years older than me. The only bad part is that people think that I am older than I really am so they expect more from me. Hey! I just realized that we haven’t been properly introduced! Okay, so my name is S. G. and I am nine years old. And you are? Oh! So, you are x years old and you are one of those literary types? But I can still talk to you, right?
I hope you like nature. I do. I think we should be more protective of our environment. It makes me happy that I am doing my part. I switch off all the lights that my parents leave on. I try not to waste food. My mom and I are doing a yard sale to raise money to plant trees in Africa.
Alright, bear with me. Only three more things left to say. First, I would like to address the fact that like any other human being, I have faults. One of which is a hot temper. But I have a way of controlling that. I just take a pebble or a leaf and throw it at a tree. When I do this I pretend that the tree is the person that I am mad at. That makes some of my anger go away.
Second, I am proud of my reading abilities. Once I read for twelve hours in a day. Also, I finished all seven books of Harry Potter before I turned eight. That’s pretty good, right? Umm, hello? Oh, she fell asleep. Too bad! She will never know the third thing. I still have twenty minutes before it’s dark. Now I can go to the public library.
You know what I like about Sarah? She’s dependable. You know what I like about Camille? She’s kind. You know what I like about myself? I am funny! I am a jokester, a prankster, a trickster, you name it. I find being annoying very refreshing. Like, jumping into a pond on a hot summer day. Hey! You know what else I like about myself? I am poetic. Say what? You don’t believe me? I’ll show you!
The Notes
Gliding in a song,
That is all we stand to do.
We are part of the foundation,
Of the music played by you.
Now do you believe me? Thank you for that yes. Do you want to hear what I like about my appearance? I am going to ignore your no and get on with it. It’s my height. Being tall means that I can go on rides meant for people a couple of years older than me. The only bad part is that people think that I am older than I really am so they expect more from me. Hey! I just realized that we haven’t been properly introduced! Okay, so my name is S. G. and I am nine years old. And you are? Oh! So, you are x years old and you are one of those literary types? But I can still talk to you, right?
I hope you like nature. I do. I think we should be more protective of our environment. It makes me happy that I am doing my part. I switch off all the lights that my parents leave on. I try not to waste food. My mom and I are doing a yard sale to raise money to plant trees in Africa.
Alright, bear with me. Only three more things left to say. First, I would like to address the fact that like any other human being, I have faults. One of which is a hot temper. But I have a way of controlling that. I just take a pebble or a leaf and throw it at a tree. When I do this I pretend that the tree is the person that I am mad at. That makes some of my anger go away.
Second, I am proud of my reading abilities. Once I read for twelve hours in a day. Also, I finished all seven books of Harry Potter before I turned eight. That’s pretty good, right? Umm, hello? Oh, she fell asleep. Too bad! She will never know the third thing. I still have twenty minutes before it’s dark. Now I can go to the public library.
Friday, January 6, 2012
How little one needs
In the process of moving as I am packing things, I am realizing that one does not need much stuff to live a comfortable life. We just acquire stuff over time and then just letting it lie in the closets. Have to really get better with not to buy useless stuff.
Agastya's Goofy Questions
During our trip to Florida, we visited NASA. Agastya's question to Astronaut was - How do you poop in the rocket ship? :-)
Another question about the dinosaur - how do the dinosaur drink without a straw?
Another question about the dinosaur - how do the dinosaur drink without a straw?
Call of the Wild by Swati
The grassland is peaceful
So quiet and sound
There waits a tiger
Ready to pounce.
Went he stalking through the night,
When with your gun you ended his life.
We know that it was not in the rabbits sake
For you killed the rabbit in your wake
You are worse than the tiger who kill for food
You kill for fun which we never understood
So quiet and sound
There waits a tiger
Ready to pounce.
Went he stalking through the night,
When with your gun you ended his life.
We know that it was not in the rabbits sake
For you killed the rabbit in your wake
You are worse than the tiger who kill for food
You kill for fun which we never understood
Hunting by Swati
When silver-backed Gorillas
Lived on mountain tops
Hunters started hunting
And their population went ker-plops.
It happened at the time
When hunting was without reason
And hunters started to hunt
In the birthing season.
And ever since then
Still to this very day
The rule has been made
That hunters can't hunt this way
I hope you will respect this
And respect even more
The fact that you should never hunt
An animal with a less than thousand score
Lived on mountain tops
Hunters started hunting
And their population went ker-plops.
It happened at the time
When hunting was without reason
And hunters started to hunt
In the birthing season.
And ever since then
Still to this very day
The rule has been made
That hunters can't hunt this way
I hope you will respect this
And respect even more
The fact that you should never hunt
An animal with a less than thousand score
Tree Love by Swati
There once was a tree named Ray,
His trunk was brown, green, and gray,
He had a big crush,
On a tree named Lush,
But she was cut down to clear the way.
His trunk was brown, green, and gray,
He had a big crush,
On a tree named Lush,
But she was cut down to clear the way.
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