This is a story about Popple and the fairies . Popple is a pig with wings . He lives with his mum in a sty at Blackberry Farm . His mum isn 't sure how he came to have wings as she doesn 't have any and neither does his dad . She wondered if the fairy folk had anything to do with it . He kept his wings folded up on his back in the daytime . Nobody really noticed them . They just thought he had rather a baggy jumper on . At night when everyone was asleep Popple would shake out his wings and go for a lovely fly with his fairy friends . One day fairy Juniper said it was her birthday and she wanted to do something special to celebrate . She invited Popple to a swimming party at the fairy pool . Lots of fairies would be there but Popple would be the only pig . He said he didn 't mind . Popple and Juniper flew off out of Popple 's bed - sty window to fairyland . It was dark in Pigland but it was bright as day in fairyland . At the pool everyone was lying in the warm moonlight , moonbathing . The light was silvery , not yellow like sunlight . All the fairies had shimmery swimming costumes . Popple was embarrassed because he didn 't have a swimming costume and he started to cry . Juniper said that pigs didn 't wear swimming costumes , only fairies and people did , and he mustn 't get upset . Popple soon cheered up when he discovered that his wings made a lovely boat for the fairies to sit on in the water . He floated around while fairies floated on and off his boat wings . Suddenly there was a plop and a loud wail . One of the fairies ' children was crying out . He had dropped his golden jelly spoon into the water and it had disappeared . Everyone swam to the edge of the pool to think about what to do . None of the fairies could swim underwater , and Popple had never tried . Then Popple had an idea . He would see if he could walk along the bottom of the pool and find the spoon with his trotters . He tried hard to sink his legs to the bottom , but his wings kept floating out sideways , keeping his feet well away from the bottom of the pool . Popple got the fairies to wind the wool round and round his body to hold his wings down tightly . They were not very good at tying knots , but at last it was done . Then Popple tiptoed into the water . He took a big breath and dived down into the pool . There on the bottom he saw the jelly spoon . He picked it up in his mouth and swam to the surface again . Everyone cheered . Popple was a hero . The fairies handed him the biggest slice of birthday cake imaginable . Popple thought he would have a quick fly over the pool to show off his flying skills . He spread his wings out . They felt rather heavy . Oh dear , he couldn 't flap them at all . Popple 's wings were waterlogged . Whatever could he do ? He had to fly back home before sunrise , but his wings were too full of water to flap . Now it was the fairies ' turn to help Popple . They all picked up their towels and came over to him and started rubbing his wings dry . Some fairies turned their backs towards him and flapped their wings really fast , to make a draught like little hairdryers . After a few minutes they asked Popple to try flying again . Children of the world all feel the need to be loved . We all hope that our parents love us and that our brothers and sisters love us . But is that enough ? I am going to tell you a story about a child called Surya who was about eight years old . She lived in a small village in India and had two brothers . Surya was usually a happy child . She would often help her mother to carry water back from the well to her home . Each day this task had to be done - once at sunrise and once at sunset . It was quite a long walk to the well . She and her mother would carry the water jars on their heads . Surya 's mother could carry a larger jar than Surya , but Surya knew the water she carried was just as important . " All the water you carry will be used . So however much you carry , it is all useful , " her mother always reassured her . This made Surya feel important . She knew that without water her family would not survive . She knew that her family depended on her work so that they could wash , drink and cook their food . She was pleased to be able to help them . They would smile at her and call her , " Our water carrier " . Surya liked this . It made her feel nice and warm inside . Even if she was tired and weary , when they smiled she felt better . One day she asked her mother about this feeling . " Mother , what is it in my body that makes me feel warm and happy when I bring back the water and daddy smiles at me ? Something inside me seems to get bigger and get warm . " It feels so nice . It doesn 't happen when people turn their heads away from me and don 't notice me . It feels like a little warm animal inside me . When someone smiles , it gets up and turns round , and fluffs out its fur and snuggles down . When no - one smiles , it just lies there and doesn 't move . It just stays there very quiet , waiting and hoping for a smile . " " Ah , I see , my child . You have begun to notice your heart . Yes , it is just like a little animal . It likes to give love and to be loved . When it can do both , it is very happy . When it gives love and nobody notices , it does not feel so happy . It waits quietly until someone notices it and then it wags its tail and turns round and round and is happy . And so it is with everyone . We all have a little warm feeling which comes into our hearts when we know we are loved . When we lose someone we love , or maybe our pet dies , then we feel very heavy inside . Our little warm place changes to a cold stone sitting in our chest , and our little furry animal seems to have gone away . We feel all alone . But it is then that we need to remember that everybody has love somewhere in their heart . If we need love , we must give love . Give a smile and a kind word to another person and you will make them feel nice and warm inside . In turn they will smile at you and thank you for your kindness and you will not feel alone any more . Love is what we all need and in order to get it , we must be sure to give it . Children are very good at giving love . It is something they do very easily and it is something that they need to remember to do as they get older . No matter how hard life is at times , if you can love people , you will never feel lonely . " As a child I lived with my parents in a village not very many miles from the outskirts of Beijing . They were only allowed to have one child because it was feared that the population would expand too rapidly if families had more than one offspring . After I was born my father went to Beijing to work in the city . He had a rickshaw and he would work very hard to earn money to send home to us . We did not see him very often . When he came back for one of his short visits , he was always overcome with joy to see us . The tears would roll down his face as he embraced us . My mother would make a very special meal . She never stopped smiling when my father was around . As I grew older , I asked my father why he did not stay at home with us . He could work on the land , as mother did , growing vegetables . We could sell them and make enough money so that he did not have to go away . " No , no , my son , " he would say . " If I were to stay at home , your mother and I would argue . We would not be happy . She would have more children and we would be in trouble . This is the best way for us all . " I did not understand my father . Mother was always happy when he was at home . Why did he think they would argue ? She was always smiling when he was around and when he went away she grew quiet and sad . " Deng Zhang , my son , sometimes it is difficult to explain your feelings to your child . I love your father very much , but before you arrived when there were just the two of us , he would spend some of the time working in Beijing , just the same as now . When I asked him why he said . ' I cannot live with one person all my life . I need time alone , time to think . Although I love you , and I do not have eyes for any other woman , to be with you all day , every day , would be too much for me . I told you this when we married and you agreed that you would be happy to let me go away at times . When our child is born I will go away and work in the city . I will send you money to bring up our son or daughter , and I will visit you sometimes , but do not ask me to stay . This I cannot do ' . " My mother said she was sad about not having father around , but she accepted his decision . She had agreed to living separate lives , even before they were married , although she would have preferred not to . She was not alone - many of the women in our village had husbands who worked away from home . It was very common . None of mother 's friends had husbands at home . Some of them never came back at all after they left for Beijing . Some sent money regularly and some did not . Some would return , penniless perhaps once a year and their wives would feed them and mend their clothes . They in turn would help with the heavy work of mending the roof or adding another room to the house . Then they would be off again . She could laugh and joke with the other women in the village and they supported each other in times of trouble . I grew up knowing that my father loved me and the times my family spent together were very happy . I would have liked to have seen my father more , but it was not to be . If mother had been harder on my father , he may never have come home at all , like so many of my friends ' fathers . Her forgiveness made it possible for him to keep returning and she was grateful for the happy times they had together . Unfortunately my mother died when I was twelve years old . My father was away from home at the time . I decided I would try to find him and his rickshaw in Beijing . I haven 't found him yet , but I am still looking . QUESTIONS : Support answers to questions 2 to 6 with evidence from the text . What a disaster - the ladder slipped . I had not tied it to the down pipe like my dad always did . There was slimy green stuff growing on the guttering and the ladder just slipped sideways . I felt myself falling . I heard my voice shouting out … I raised my hands to my face , but I didn 't feel anything . I just remember landing on the ground with a horrible thud . The ladder smashed the porch , but I had not been at the top of it fortunately , however I had fallen a long way and had landed awkwardly . My foot was bent at a funny angle underneath me and when I tried to stand up my legs wouldn 't take my weight . Then the pain started . It was terrible . My Mum was at work and my neighbours were on holiday . If I was to get help I had to somehow move myself from the back garden up the drive to the road in the front . Then hopefully someone would see me and call for an ambulance . It was difficult to think straight because of the pain I was feeling . It came in waves and when it was at its worst I thought I was going to be sick . I managed to drag myself on to my hands and one knee . The other leg didn 't seem to belong to my body any more . It was just hanging on to me at the hip like a dead fish . I heard my breath coming in great gulps . I was angry because I thought I may be crying and I didn 't want anyone to find me in tears . Then I realised that it was just my body reacting to the shock and the pain . I looked around for blood and couldn 't see any , so I thought I 'd try pulling myself along the ground dragging the dead fish beside me . As I got closer to the dustbin by the garden gate I spotted my brother 's old skate board tucked in behind a pile of newspapers . I pulled it out and tried to lay my unusable leg along it . It made my progress to the end of the drive much easier , though it still seemed to take ages . Eventually , trembling and gasping I reached the pavement outside my house . A man was walking along the road with his dog . He looked down at me as I reached up towards him . By this time I was beginning to feel faint . Sounds were coming and going and I couldn 't focus on anything . I wanted to cry out for help but I could not . I felt myself sink down onto the pavement and enter a kind of blackness . Next thing I knew I was being lifted into an ambulance on a stretcher . The blue light flashed turning the surrounding buildings a weird colour . Someone was stroking my forehead . It felt very comforting , and a kind voice told me I would be all right , ' probably a broken leg ' , they said . I passed out again . I don 't remember anything after that until I saw my mum and dad looking down at me . I was in a strange room . The lights were bright and I could see pale curtains half enclosing us . My parents looked very concerned . My mother immediately started to cry and to kiss my hand . My dad explained that I was in hospital and that I had had an emergency operation on my ankle . Apparently I had hurt it so badly when I fell that it would not have righted itself . Oh , no , not broken my ankle ! That meant that I wouldn 't be able to play for the team this term . I couldn 't believe it . I had tried so hard for a place in the team , and they had finally selected me last week . Now this . I felt so stupid and so angry . It was the football that had caused this disaster in the first place . I let out a huge moaning sigh . " Whatever happened ? " said my mum ; " We saw the ladder and the broken windows next door . " I couldn 't tell them . How could I say I was such a lousy shot I had kicked the ball up on the roof ? My dad had been pretty sarcastic about my place on the team . Now what would he say ? I had to make myself into a hero instead of a laughing stock . " And your football is still stuck in the gutter , which is where it might as well stay for the next few months , because you certainly won 't be needing it . You 'll be able to help me in the shop like I asked you to . Sorry , son , but you never have been the greatest footballer in town , and I could really use your help on a Saturday afternoon . You can show me how to work out the accounts on the computer . " I looked away , too embarrassed and disappointed to speak . " Tell you what , son , don 't make feeble excuses to explain away your carelessness and I won 't make fun of your sporting efforts . By the time your ankle has healed you will have taught me all I need to know about computing , and I 'll buy you that bike you 've been wanting . That 's much more up your street isn 't it ? You don 't have to score goals on a bike do you ? Oops , sorry , Dave . " 6 . If people don 't believe you when you are telling the truth , how does that affect you ? 7 . Would you rather be known as a liar or an honest person ? When my sister , Usha , reached the age of thirteen my mother started to fret about finding her a husband . In India in those days , girls married very young . Life was often short ; you had to get on with the business of living before you died . My sister did not want to think about getting married . She was enjoying being a girl . She enjoyed playing in the rain , swimming in the river and climbing trees . Mother would scold her saying , ' How do you expect anyone to want to marry you when you always look so untidy ? Look at your hair , look at the mud on your clothes . You are a young woman now . It 's time you stopped all these childish pursuits ! ' But my sister did not listen . She was enjoying herself too much . Usha who was hiding behind the door in the next room felt herself fill with pride . I saw her straighten up and look important when father mentioned that she was in charge of the crops . She peeped round the corner and her eyes met the eyes of the merchant 's son . I have never seen my sister acting as strangely as she did on that morning . She happened to be clean and tidy as it was early in the day and she had not had time to get muddy . She stepped boldly from the shadows and said : " Very well , Usha , I 'm sure Mother will be very glad of your help , " replied Father , and he disappeared leaving us to show the merchant and his son our crops . I say us , because I certainly did not want to miss out on watching my sister in this new role she had suddenly taken on . It was a transformation . My sister , instead of laughing , running and skipping was walking quietly behind my mother who was discussing business with Mr . Singh . His son had certainly noticed her . He couldn 't take his eyes off her . " I don 't know , I 'll have to ask my father , " said Usha , blushing . She chatted away to the young man about all sorts of things . I soon lost interest and wandered off . " Ah , my daughter , I see a change is coming to us . I see we need to talk about your future . I have nothing against the young man personally . Indeed he is a fine young man . However , he is not of the same background as you . He is not a Brahmin , he is one of the merchant classes , not a high enough caste for this family . If you were to see him and you were to do everything he wanted you to do , you would soon be very close indeed . So close that there would be no space for even a piece of hay to be squeezed between you , then you would have to marry the boy and bring up your child according to his caste . Tell me this , Usha ? Do you enjoy the way of life that we have ? Do you like to have a big house and land and servants to help you ? How would you feel if you lived in a tiny shack and spent most of your time out in the sun working very hard in between rearing your babies with no help at all ? " " Then why not wait and give yourself properly in marriage to a suitable young man who will provide you with a lifestyle that you are accustomed to . There is plenty of time in spite of what your mother says . She was eighteen when I married her . She refused many suitors before her perfect man came along … " " Well , I don 't think there 's any hurry really , dear . I do agree with Father that it is best to keep your love and your body to yourself until someone suitable in every way comes along . You can be sure that he will . How many unmarried women do you know ? " " Well , my dear , best keep yourself to yourself , stay chaste rather than be chased , that 's what my mother used to say to me ! And when a really good suitable hunter comes along , you will be able to enjoy the chase ! " My Mother patted Usha . A silence followed . My sister stood up looking wistful . " I 'm glad you 're not going to get married yet , " said I . " It 's good to have someone to climb trees with . Father says I 'm too old to be climbing trees , but I love it ! " N . B . This story raises several issues which require some explanation . The caste system is a part of the Indian tradition , where society is divided into different classes or castes . Within each caste people have their own system of values and behaviour . At the top are the Brahmins , a class of priests , to which Ramesh and his family belonged . The class below would be the Kshatriyas who in the past were barons and warriors . The Vaisyas are the next class , being merchants , or commoners . Lastly the Sudras are the craftsmen and labourers . Below them are those who do very menial work , such as road sweepers . The Hindi name for them is Harijan which means people loved by God , the implication being that nobody else loves them . ( Hari means Lord , Jana means people ) . In English they are referred to as ' the Untouchables ' . In the West we have royalty and aristocracy at the top of the social tree followed by the upper classes ( landed gentry ) then the middle classes , followed by the working class . People resist the mixing of the classes in general and certainly in the past it would be frowned upon if for example a servant married her master ( or his mistress , as the case may be ) . In India one is expected to follow one 's dharma or path in life according to spiritual law . It is a taboo * or forbidden to act against dharma . You are expected to marry into your own caste . The word for caste in Sanskrit is vara and it means ' colour ' , but has nothing to do with the colour of one 's skin . It means a leaning towards , a tendency , an inclination of the mind . Hindus believe that we come into this world into an appropriate caste for our required life experience at that time , bearing in mind they believe we each have many lives on this earth . This is the reason it is taboo to marry outside one 's caste . However , a woman may marry into one caste above hers , but not into a lower caste . This is because it is thought that a woman will not respect her husband if he is of a lower caste . Some modern spiritual leaders now say there is only onSociety is gradually becoming more mixed up these days , as education allows those with ability from the lower classes to have good jobs and earn good incomes . In modern times we say that everyone is equal , all human beings are due the same respect . Usha 's father was worried that she might fall in love with a young man who could not provide her with the sort of life that she was used to . This is a practical consideration and a matter of real concern for parents , then as now . In those days , ( and indeed even now in some areas of countries such as India and Pakistan ) girls got married as soon as their periods started . This was to make sure that if a girl became pregnant , she and the child would belong to a family that would be able to support them both emotionally and financially . Although the girls were very immature , the extended family system would look after the young parents and help them to bring up their children . The girl 's mother - in - law would always be available . What is a sensible way ? Pressure from friends , from TV ' soaps ' , from magazines and from advertising all seem to spell out a message that anything goes . People need to bear in mind many things before they start a sexual relationship . When puberty arrives and our bodies change and sex hormones start to make us feel attracted to the opposite sex , it can be very tempting to start to experiment with sex . But at that stage in our lives it is a dangerous game to play . Maturity helps us to make better decisions . When people are more mature sex adds to the joys of a loving relationship , but it is important that the love comes first , not the sex . It is true that love sometimes follows sex and this is because sex can be such a powerful experience , but this creates great difficulties between people . Relationships built on sexual attraction alone soon become weak because all the other things that make a strong relationship may be missing . Things such as shared values , interests , family backgrounds and education are the true basis of relationship . Sexual appreciation should come after these aspects are considered . Sex is a promise of loving attention to the other person , but many people have forgotten this . They have short - term meaningless relationships , often of the sort where one of the partners ends up feeling ' used ' . Sexuality is a beautiful gift to be enjoyed in sexual intercourse or we can choose to express it 's energy and excitement in other ways , through our creativity , dancing or singing or other exciting experiences . Casual sex is an empty , meaningless and dangerous activity . On the other hand sex in a loving and committed partnership strengthens the bonds between partners and brings them closer in understanding . That is not to say that the sex act is an essential activity in all loving partnerships . Some people find that it becomes unnecessary in their relationship at a certain age . Others continue their sexual activities into their sixties and seventies and consider it to be a very important part of life . All creatures have an instinct to reproduce . Human beings are drawn to reproduce and form lasting relationships in order to look after their young . For us sex is a means of creating children and also a means of giving and receiving deep and loving pleasure . Sex is fun and is there to be enjoyed . It is a very strong desire in humankind but if it is treated with disrespect , it can lead to many problems . When people have careless sexual relationships , the result is that fatherless babies are born to girls and women who are ill equipped to look after them . This is happening all over the world . In the UK figures in the year 2007 showed that we have more teenage pregnancies than any other country in Europe . Many children are brought up by only one parent . For the children this creates a huge gap in their lives , either having no father or sometimes no mother . The young parents miss out on having a supportive and loving partner to share the joys and also the many difficulties of bringing up a family . It can be a very hard and lonely job for the single parent . Girls may decide to have an abortion , a very difficult decision to make . Occasionally , if old - fashioned methods are used , they may have difficulties in becoming pregnant later on when they do have a loving partner and they both want a family . Although there are many modern solutions to unwanted pregnancy , they do not come without a price : Pressure might be put on a girl to have casual sex because of the easy availability of contraception and ' morning after ' pills and she could pick up one of the many sexually transmitted diseases . Some of these diseases cause sterility ( being unable to have babies ) , some are difficult to treat medically and may affect people for the whole of their lives ; some such as AIDS are often fatal . Although these diseases are relatively uncommon , more and more people are affected by them , especially people who are promiscuous ( those who have casual sexual intercourse with many partners ) So when dealing with sex the first consideration is respect for oneself and for the other person who is involved . It is best to let sex develop in committed relationships . Perhaps the relationship will not turn out as you hoped , but at least you will have loved and respected the other person , and were also loved and respected yourself . We need to understand how our bodies work . It is dangerous to hide behind ignorance and the excitement of being swept away by the moment . If we do decide we are mature enough to cope with the possible results of pregnancy , then the safest way we can do this is to use contraception properly . It does not come with a hundred percent guarantee of safety , either from pregnancy or from picking up a disease , but it does reduce the likelihood of either or both , depending on the method used . * 2 In the West it is now considered quite normal for children to learn about their own bodies by touching them and getting used to the sensations produced . It is not something to feel guilty about and for some people it releases tensions and removes the distraction of sexual thoughts . In the West girls and boys do go out with each other before marriage . Young people have to decide what is responsible behaviour , and ' how far they can go ' without risk to their health , happiness , or to their future . Sober , clear - headed decisions are required to keep you out of trouble . The average age of first sexual experience with another person in the UK in the 1990s was 17 for girls and 15 for boys , but most of those who had had early sexual experiences said they wished they had waited longer * . They had been pushed into experimenting with people they had no real feelings for , or had acted out of curiosity . Some had been under the influence of drink or drugs which dull the mind and make bad decisions more likely . Once a young person starts this kind of activity it can become harder to refuse the next time or the next person . Are young teenagers really ready for serious relationships , which could result in pregnancy and the responsibility of bringing up children , or for making agonising decisions about abortion ? The world trumpets sex in nearly every advertisement , in most TV programmes , in magazines and in newspapers . It is easy to be taken in by all this publicity and to want to join in with what appears to be going on . Thoughtful people do not act in careless and irresponsible ways . The subject clearly needs some very careful thought and discussion before decisions are made . Marty is an Inuit , or what we used to call Eskimo . He lives in a village in Canada . His grandfather lived the true Inuit life - travelling across the Arctic wastes , searching for polar bears and seals . His father knew a lot about Inuit life ; he had been born in a village in Northern Canada . He had hunted with packs of dogs but he had never lived in an igloo nor a tent made of skins . His home was made of concrete blocks , like all the village houses . Marty enjoyed hearing about Inuit life . His father was an electrical engineer . He would make sure all the phone lines were in good repair . After storms and blizzards Marty 's dad would go out with chains on his wheels and fix fallen lines . He was an important man in the village . When winter turns into spring , the days start to become longer in the Arctic . The sun appears and starts to warm the land . During these times Marty 's father would suggest a trip out with the dogs for a bit of seal hunting . They would use Marty 's uncle 's dogs as they no longer kept their own . One day they packed their equipment for a weekend trip and Marty , his dad and his uncle set off to the pack ice to look for seals . Even in modern times their meat is valued and the skin is very useful for making articles of clothing . They carried their ice cutting tools as they planned to make an igloo for the weekend . Marty had heard about how you make igloos , but had never actually made one himself . His dad said it was a skill that all Inuit needed to learn . It was a survival skill which in their cold , hard land , could come in very useful sometimes . If you wanted to go hunting you had to travel great distances over the ice to catch anything . Animals travelled far and wide on the icecap and you had to follow them to track them down . Of course these days modern tents can be used if you stay out overnight , but they are expensive and can be ripped open by polar bears . The old bear seems to avoid igloos and they are warmer to sleep in too . On this occasion Marty 's uncle was showing Marty how to make the igloo . His dad was off tracking . The two were cutting up blocks of ice with the special ice saw . It was hard going . Marty had thought his uncle was an old man , and was surprised at how much stronger he was than Marty himself . Cutting the ice was tiring and lifting the blocks into position was difficult . They were heavy . Marty was not very used to hard work . He began to realise how little he actually used his muscles and his body in his own daily life . He never walked very far . In the winter when it was dark for most of the day his body became very lazy . He played on his computer , watched TV and did his school work . He was in the basketball team , but everyone seemed to lose interest in the dark months . It was almost like they were hibernating - sleeping a lot like the old grizzly bear . His uncle was a carpenter . He worked hard , winter and summer on his wood . He liked to saw by hand when possible . That way he said , his body stayed strong . Certainly it was much stronger than Marty 's body . Half heatedly Marty stumbled to his feet . He could hear the irritation in the old man 's voice . Marty thought he ought to be able to do better than he had . He was embarrassed . Gratefully Marty bit off a large chunk . He felt more like working now . He struggled to lift the first block . Uncle Pete had to help him . Together they made the beginnings of the wall . It was slow going . Marty was shocked at how little he could do . He had heard that two people could construct an igloo in a couple of hours . There was no way he and Uncle Pete could do that . He had to keep resting . Uncle Pete did most of the work . He wanted to help but he was just not strong enough . Finally after about five hours the igloo was built and Marty 's dad returned empty handed . The three sat inside the igloo and discussed the day 's work . Marty admitted to his dad how little he had been able to do . " I wanted you to find that out for yourself , " said his dad . " You have to keep using your body , making it work , winter and summer . Otherwise when you need it , it will let you down . That 's why we like wrestling so much . It can be done in a small space . It 's cheap and it requires strength and agility . You don 't need daylight to do it . Computer games are all very well , but they are not like the real thing . All you have been exercising is your thumbs and fingers . " Now Marty understood why his dad had been against him spending so much time on this computer . His body was losing out and he could feel it . He decided he 'd do something about it as soon as they returned to the village . He offered to help Uncle Pete in his woodshed and signed up for the wrestling practise nights twice a week in the village hall . Marty 's friend Bill agreed to do the same . They would both get fit together , and then they 'd be ready for anything . You will find that you may easily hurt yourself , strain muscles , sprain joints , run out of energy , be short of breath , not be able to keep up with others . You may feel lazy and sleepy like a much older person . It 's harder to have fun when you are unfit ! The Doll and the Snake ( A short story about forgiveness for age 6 - 9 years ) March 6 , 2008March 29 , 20168 Comments A Short Story about Forgiveness ( for children 6 - 9 years ) I was cold . I sat with my arms hugging my body on the step outside my house . I was cross . My sister had been annoying me again and I shouted at her . I threw her doll out of the window . My dad told me to go and get it and not to be so silly . I stamped outside and slammed the door . Why should I get her stupid doll ? What did I care if it got wet in the rain ? It didn 't matter to me . The porch over the front door was small , but it was keeping me dry . I didn 't want to go back indoors again . I started shivering . I only had my tee shirt on . I jumped down off the step and ran into the garden . There under the tree was her doll . I picked it up . It cried . It was one of those dolls . I ran back in through the front door . My sister took the doll and gave it a hug . She pulled me through to the living room and put her snake toy in my hand . Suddenly I felt much better . I felt happy again , and warm . We played a good game with the doll and the snake . The snake was magic and it could bring the doll anything it wanted . And you know what the doll wanted ? She wanted a big brother to play with . So I pretended to be the doll 's big brother . My sister does think up some strange games ! " Ramesh , why on this beautiful day , with the birds singing and the river running do you look sad ? What could you have to feel sad about ? The world is a beautiful place . Be happy . " " But why should that trouble you , Ramesh ? Do you not like your two friends ? Are you not completely happy with them when you lose yourselves in the forest , when you climb the trees and wear parrots feathers in your hair ? " " Happiness is happiness , my son . You cannot measure it . You cannot count it . You must learn to know it when you have it and be content with it , and if you are not lucky enough to be happy one day , then still be content to wait until it comes to you again , for surely it will . God is great . God is watching and providing for all of his children , but it makes Him unhappy to see you with a long face . So go and find your friends , my son . You do not want to make God , your father , unhappy do you ? 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A story for children of 6 - 10 years old Archives January 2017