Out comes a story!

Our editor Mala Kumar shares this story and says “As editors in a publishing house we’re used to getting a lot of stories, but nothing comes close to the ones narrated by spunky, bright-eyed children!”

Like Santa Claus, we wait with bated breath for his arrival. All of seven years, he has so much to

give, that we wait for our turn to receive our gifts with utmost curiosity. His eyes shine. His head

jerks this side and that, to assess his audience. You can see a hundred thoughts flitting through his brain. You can see the words wanting to rush out of his mouth. We wait with anticipation…..what atrocious story is he going to come out with next?

Even before we open the front door, he has rushed into the house, taken his place on a chair,

carefully away from our pet’s jaw, and then he is out with his first gift, his first story for this

visit. “Do you know what happened to Sweizer, S-W-E-I-Z-E-R, not C-E-A-S-A-R, he jumped over the fence and ran way and no one could hear him barking because Joshi Uncle from 6th floor had scolded him about making too much noise and …..”

Just when the story about Sweizer, the German Shepherd, seems like it will have no end, the boy switches track. “Shall I tell you the story of the thirsty crow?” And without waiting for an answer, he shoots off the story. It definitely has many unique additions that no teacher in school could have furnished! Next he turns to an aged relative and asks if he can recite a poem. “Tell it in Tamil,” I coax, and the next minute, without batting an eyelid, he gives us a poem first in English, then translated roughly into Kannada, and then again in Tamil!

He has so many tales to tell, so much concern for everyone in the family, so much love for all his fellow beings, and gives it all away with so much gaiety. I dread the times when people ask him to stop talking. I dread the times when people ask him to put a finger on his mouth. He’s a noisy entertainer, no doubt. But so is Santa Claus! Ho! Ho! Ho! And a Merry Christmas to all!

Image Source : Alberto+Cerriteño