Brave Bhumika’s Adventure

Story: N. Chokkan, N. Nangai, N. Mangai

Illustrations: Pratham Books

Illustrations Courtesy: Pratham Books

Released In “Creative Commons – Attribution”

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful village.

A lady lived there, along with her family. She went to fetch water from the nearby river everyday.

One day, while she was carrying water back home, she met a young girl. Her name was Bhumika.

The lady asked her, ‘Dear, you look so pale. What happened?’

Bhumika answered, ‘I was sitting alone near my favorite plant, enjoying the scenery around me. Suddenly, a fierce-looking fox came there.’

‘That fox looked so hungry and tried to eat me. I ran fast and escaped from the fox.’

‘Good!’ the lady patted her back, ‘you are a brave girl Indeed.’

‘But, now, I am lost. I don’t know how to go back to my village’ told the girl. ‘Oh, Where is your village?’ the lady asked. ‘I don’t know. All I know is, it has beautiful farms, cattle, coconut trees, monkeys and my pet chicken Clucky who can jump so high, she will leap over my father’s mango tree!’

Suddenly, a flower in the nearby bush spoke. ‘Dear Bhumika, I know your village. My cousin lives there. He sends me bee-mails regularly, where he has mentioned about Clucky’s heroics.’

‘What is a Bee-Mail?’

‘Haven’t you heard about it? When bees go flower to flower to collect nectar, they also deliver messages to us from our relatives and friends, That’s what we call Bee-Mail.’

‘I know from the bees that your village is down this river. Just go with the flow and you will find it.’

‘But, I don’t know to swim.’

‘Don’t worry dear. I will make a raft for you.’

The lady collected some sticks and made a beautiful raft.

Bhumika got onto the raft. She told Good Bye to the kind lady and the helpful flower.

The stream looked friendly with fishes swimming nearby. The girl enjoyed the ride and looked forward to meeting her folks again.

Her father saw his girl coming on the raft. He jumped with joy and took her in his arms.

Everyone felt so happy to see Bhumika again, especially her pet chicken Clucky.