Story: The King Who Hated Circles

Once in the kingdom of Golotol there lived a whimsical king of a similar name Goltol. He lived in a magnificent palace with round roofs and tall round pillars. Outdoors he had round gardens with round fountains in between and lots and lots of pretty flowers. Goltol's room was also round with round soft cushioned chairs to sit on and a soft round bed to sleep in. His favourite dress was a beautiful long red kurta with golden round polka dots on it. On his head he wore a round turban with round gems on it. Lots of rounds, circles right!

One day, Goltol was sitting for his lunch on his round table wearing his favourite dress. The cook put a round plate with five round bowls in front of him. One bowl had a round gulab jamun, another had round jalebis, his favourite; the third bowl had round kachoris, the fourth bowl kadhi with round pakodas and the fifth bowl had……. just plain dal but with round peas in it. The cook served him hot round rotis. Suddenly Goltol cried out "Enough! "

"What is wrong" minister asked

"Everything is round, circles everywhere. I don't want circles. I hate circles. I won't eat this. No No No No No"

Everyone was astonished, "What!"

Goltol said, "I hereby banish everything circle in shape. No circles. Change everything, change all shapes. I don't want circles"

Minister said, "But king, rotis are always circle and jalebis too and your favourite dress has.…"

"Change them all" Gotol ordered.

And so it was, everything was changed. The chairs, tables, bed, fountains, plates, bowls, rotis, jalebis everything became square, triangle, oval, semi circle, even Goltol's favourite dress. It was now red with golden triangles all over it. Goltol was happy, very happy.

Soon it was the big Olympics day. The Golotol's were having a sports competition against the neighboring kingdom Puchtach. There were four games scheduled- cricket, flying frisbee, bounce ball and the king's favourite horse cart racing.

Goltol was getting dressed and the servant with great difficulty had managed to make a square turban. But the moment it was placed on Goltol's head it slipped over his eyes. The servant tried a semicircle turban but it would keep toppling over. Finally, he managed to put on a triangle turban.

King Puchtach looked at him and burst out laughing, "You look very funny", he said. Goltol ignored it.

The games began with cricket. King Puchtach looked puzzled, "Why is the stadium oval and the ball square," he asked.

"That's how we play cricket here", Goltol replied

But can you imagine playing with a square ball…..the ball just would not roll. No fours and sixes, not even runs, and the players kept getting hurt because the sharp corners of the square ball.

"Next game" Goltol quickly announced.

It was Frisbee flying. The Puchtach's had brought their own round Frisbee. It flew well, very high and they caught it well. Gotol's Frisbee was rectangle, it would not spin like the round Frisbee's, it did not fly high and the corners were so sharp, it hurt. Puchtach won the game.

"Next game" Goltol quickly announced

It was bounce ball and again Puchtach had brought their own ball. It bounced well and they quickly scored. But, poor Goltols, their ball was triangle, it would not bounce at all, they even tried a square, rectangle and semicircle ball, none would bounce. Puchtach won the game.

"Last game" Goltol quickly announced.

Now horse cart racing was Goltol's favourite game, specially because he himself was participating in it against King Puchtach. King Goltol climbed into his beautiful white horse cart, with white a horse and square wheels. King Puctach had a brown horse cart with brown horse and circle wheels. The race began with a "1, 2, 3 go."

King Puchtach's horse ran quickly. Goltol's crawled. He told his horse "Faster, faster, run faster, quick", but the poor horse, no matter how hard he pulled the square wheels would not go as fast as circle wheels. Finally Goltol jumped off and started pushing the cart along. He was strong. Soon they both reached a slope. Puchtach laughed "ha ha ha" and quickly rolled down the slope, he was fast, too fast, he started slipping and sliding "Aieeeee, help" he yelled. Goltol's square wheels did not roll, they were sliding down the slope too, but not as fast.

"I must help, King Puchtach will crash ", Goltol thought. He jumped down his cart. Now did I tell you, Goltol was a fast runner too. He ran as swift as a fast rolling ball. He tugged at Puctach's cart and held on to it hard. The cart screeched to a halt.

King Puchtach jumped out. He was so relieved, "Thank you King Goltol, you saved my life"

"You are welcome King Puctach" Goltol said, "and congratulations, you won the game, you came first, your cart with round wheels was the fastest"

King Puchtach thought and said, "No you ran faster than my cart and you saved my life. The prize is yours"

A few hours later a messenger announced " Hear hear hear, King Gotol has declared everything in his kingdom should be circle in shape. No squares, no rectangles, no triangles, only circles!"

Now children, imagine what will happen if everything is circle in shape?

The Umbrella Fashion

For once its raining heavily and the ubiquotous umbrellas are back in fashion. I remember as a child i would hate wearing the hot raincoats and fight to carry an umbrella as a child. I pictured it as one of the most amazing things grown-ups could own.(Yes I tried to fly with it, use it as a parachute, even flaot in it) I was proud of my first umbrella while in high school. Then the umbrella fashion industry dawned on me, there were kids with pretty umbrellas they could tie on their head as a headband, there were those shaped like a cap, whistle at the bottom, pretty handles. But the industry for adult umbrellas woeful. Just about manual and automatic umbrellas.

Then came the revoultion with tow-folds, three-folds and miniature umbrellas. The best were the ones that could be safely tucked out of sight, fit into a pocket. Not to be seen till it rains and easy to carry. From flowery the colours became unisex, bold single colours, silver on the underside.

A few years down it was back to "show me the umbrella honey". Big, oversized large umbrellas that could fit in the whole family. Then it moved back to the original wild west types, showy with cane like handles and frilly borders, in more colours than ever. Now its the a means of advertising, so the friendly bank will give you one in their colours and their name proudly declared on it when you open a new account, even the local kiranna wala will give you one, . On your way to work you know which company that guy or gal is going to, she has a employee umbrella of course with the industry name in big bold letters.

I have always had the tuck away three-fold umbrellas and had my eye upon the new long ones. so when my company offerend me one I readily gaily happily took it. Trouble started from day 1. The large umbrella got in the way when moving through crowds. Agreed its big so protects from rain, but in a crowd you don't get wet due to rain, you get wet due to the water dropping from other umbrellas. I quetly folded away mine and accepted the fate.

Day 2 -Reach the station. Its raining. Time to open the umbrella, but, you got to straighten the umbrella point it up and then open it. How do I straighten it in a milling crowd. I managed to eke out some space and thanked all my lucky stars for two things 1- I was a girl, and, 2- The person whose bottom I poked was a girl too. Whew!

Then those everyday troubles - where do I park my umbrella. It wont fit in the sink. In the bucket it upturns and upsets everything, I have to hold it high above my head like a tribal doing a war dance, everytime someone wants to walk pass me byinbetween the train seats, i can't place it on the luggage rack and then........i pointed at some vegetables i wanted to purchase using the umbrella (my hands were full), the vegetable vendor was offended and refused.

And then...on the way to an overnight business trip my husband insisted I carry it along (could be used for protection like a cane! I slept cuddled with the umbrella in my arms. My husband is jealous, not beacuse i cuddled, he loves the big umbrella and vies for one, but he won't take mine, hates the idea of being a billboard. He won't escape for long tho, i have my eyes set on his tiny many fold umbrella that fits well into his pocket. Aah imagine I could simply squeeze it into my jeans pocket on a Friday or hide it away in my gunny bag (large office bag). And maybe just maybe forget it some place and then drench in the rain. Oh how joyful getting wet in the rain.

Story time........

Oh I am on a roll, made up another story for my pre-preschoolers

The Black Crow
Kayaka was a beautiful black crow.
He lived in a garden with pretty flowers and tall trees. There were red roses, pink lilies, yellow sunflowers, orange marigolds, red apples, green coconuts. And there were birds, insects and small animals too.
Kayaka looked at the pretty colourful garden and then looked at himself. “Look at me, just black”, he said. Kayaka did not like his black colour.
He saw the sun - “I wish I was yellow like the sun”
He saw the sky - “I wish I was blue like the sky”
He saw the parrot - “I wish I was green like the parrot”
He saw the apples - “I wish I was red like an apple”
He saw the rabbit - “I wish I was white like the rabbit”
Poor Kayaka! He was so sad.
Then one day, when Kayaka was flying, he saw buckets of paints lying on the green grass.
“Wow, look at all the colours. I am going to paint myself”, he said.
Kayaka dipped into the yellow paint. “Wow, look at me, all yellow, just like the sun.”
Then he dipped into the blue paint. “Wow, look at me, all blue, just like the sky.”
He dipped into the green paint. “Wow, look at me, all green, just like the parrot.”
He dipped into the red paint. “Wow, look at me, all red, just like an apple.”
He dipped into the white paint. “Wow, look at me. Wait…what’s this….. I am not white!”
The colours were mixing together.
“Oh, no,” the crow said. “Let me try another colour.”
Quickly he dipped into orange paint, but he did not turn orange
Then he dipped into pink, but he did not turn pink
He dipped into purple, but he did not turn purple
He dipped into brown, but he did not turn brown
All the colours dripped, swirled, mixed and soon, he was all black
“Oh no I am black again,” said the crow
A koel who sat on the tree saw the crow and laughed,
“Yes black, black like the night sky, black like bees, black like the little mouse and black like me.
Black is such a pretty colour.”

Kayaka listened and then he thought and thought.
“Yes black is such a pretty colour, like the night sky, the black bees, the black little mouse.
And It is Just Right for me.”
Kayaka quickly washed off all the paints. He looked at himself, “Wow! I am a pretty black, he said.
Kayaka was now a very happy black crow.
Kaa kaa. Good bye.

Story time......

Made up a story for some preschoolers.........

Story – Cooty’s Birthday Party
It’s Cooty’s birthday tomorrow and Cooty, the happy little crocodile was having a party.
“Come to my party,” Cooty said to all the animals, “It’s at my home, on Cooty island. We will play lots of games and sing songs and I have prizes too. I will send a boat”.
“We will”, the animals chorused, and they were all very happy and excited.

Next day, when the sun rose, Sammy Snail and Tutu Tortoise woke up bright and early. “Good morning” said Sammy. “Good morning” said Tutu. “Let’s go”, they chorused. And they began crawling. They crawled and crawled.

“Where are you going”, asked Ruffu rabbit
“To Cooty's birthday party”, said Sammy and Tutu
“So slow, ha ha ha you will never reach there” laughed Ruffu
But, Sammy and Tutu didn’t stop. They crawled, and crawled and crawled

Where are you going”, asked Dippy Deer
“To Happy’s birthday party”, said Sammy and Tutu
“So slow, ha ha ha you will never reach there” laughed Dippy
But, Sammy and Tutu didn’t stop. They crawled, and crawled and crawled

Where are you going”, asked Squirpy squirrel
“To Cooty's birthday party”, said Sammy and Tutu
“So slow, ha ha ha you will never reach there” laughed Squirpy
But, Sammy and Tutu didn’t stop. They crawled, and crawled and crawled

Where are you going”, asked Catty cat
“To Cooty's birthday party”, said Sammy and Tutu
“So slow, ha ha ha you will never reach there” laughed Catty
But, Sammy and Tutu didn’t stop. They crawled, and crawled and crawled
And crawled some more

Soon they reached the water.
Ruffu Rabbit, Dippy Deer, Squirpy squirrel and Catty cat stood there.
“Ha ha ha. We came first”, they said
They were waiting for the boat

But, Tutu and Sammy didn’t wait for the boat.
Tutu tortoise flopped on his back and Sammy snail climbed up.
Together they rowed to Cooty’s little home on the little island.
“Happy Birthday Cooty”, Sammy and Tutu said

“Wow you reached so fast". Cooty said, "Here I have a special present for reaching first” .

New new.... too new

Ok so it was different. Different enough to get married and land up with a new family, new house and even a new job. Quite a roller coaster!

Being busy....busy Being

My friends say its love................Well I have been very busy since I got engaged in Sep and even before that so is that so? n true I m spending less time with friends and more time with my fiancee so is that so? but i meet him only on weekends.......Nah its just a busy phase at work......or is it so?

A Lyrical Frame

Once in a while i get bitten by the lyrics bug and come out with some weird ones.........
Down by the sea
As the hungry tide swells
Three little words
Hear me spell
I uh U uh EOLV
The winds messing them up

2 lazy hearts
On a lazy day
A Indonesian meal
And a romp in the bay
1 lazy heart
On a lazy day
Wheres my companion
Is it a busy day?

Many words
Sleepy souls
Droning words
Nodding heads
Two words
Alert Awake
Exams tomorrow
No No Oh No


My thirsty mind
Awaits....
Until raindrops
Splash a lyric
Through the gates

And I thought petrol strike was loco......

Things are going round and round, circles and more circles. It all started with a small thingie....me wanting to get married.....innocent aye I know not so small really........ but almost everyone do want to do it at some point of time. Well, so  I went in and gave an ad in the paper and things just went loco from there. True I got a good deal of decent, can be considered replies but to reach to them we (me n family) had to swim through some good hilarious loco poco expereinces. Like the one my sis-in-law told me, of a guy who is in the business of selling onions. He called her up and insisted on speaking to me. He was convinced that the only reason we weren't already married was that she wasn't letting us. Then there was this other guy who incidentally was married and sent me a long mail trying to convince me to become his second wife, my incentive..he would include me in his passport (oh I am so blessed!). Then there was this guy who kept sending "sidey" messages to my bhabi thinkin it was me until my bro called him up and gave him a earful (thats where earache starts). Haven't heard of him since.  

 

Speakin of matrimonial ads...... I don't understand the many responses of "innocent divorcee" that i have got. i mean whats that innocent about. Either u r a divorcee or u r not, why do u have to go ahead and feel guilty about it, shuldn't u be glad that the worst is over and now u r wiser.
but as I say "Before criticising someone walk a mile in their shoes......that way you will have walked a mile and you will have their shoes!! " ....hooh here i am tryin to get married and already discussing divorce. Ouch! Better get back to checkin the responses after all my Prince in shining steed, Knight on Royal armour or something like that is waitin just for me.