Fairy dust

Everynight the fairy comes to check if kids are in deep sleep or not. If they are in deep sleep , she will sprinkle done gold fairy dust on their eyelids and the children will dream the most wonderful dreams of all. 

In the dreams, children will be in the sky among the clouds.. Bouncing on fluffy clouds, and slide down rainbows

The sea bird and the crabs

There was this sea bird that wanted to cross the ocean In Search of warmer land during the winter season. 

So she set off . But along the way she got tired and wanted to rest. But it was the middle of the ocean! Where could she stop? SHe dragged himself on feeling more and more weary when at last she spied a ship at sea. She descended upon the mast of the ship and rested, so grateful for a chance to rest her wings. As she sat there on the mast she became aware of a chattering sound. Where is that coming from she wondered. 

Looking deep down into the hold she saw hundreds and hundreds of crabs! This was a crabbing ship! Out to catch crabs ! 

SHe flew down to ask one of the crabs what was going on. 

The crab said - I don't know. They took us from our home and we have no idea where we are. 

The bird listened and laughed! Haha you crabs are in a crabbing ship! SHe was going to continue when one of the crabs shouted - look out behind you! 

The bird looked around and saw a figure approaching her with a net and she quickly flew away, missing the net by inches

As the bird hovered over the ship it though of the kind crab who had warned her and felt bad for having laughed at them for being caught . She thought about how she could help then. She thought and thought and thought and hovered above the ship for days / careful to stay high above so as not to get caught. 

Then she got it! I have strong powerful beaks! I'll bite through their nets and free them! She waited till dark then flew down to the hold and meticulously bit through the nets holding them down. The crabs crawled out and all over the deck and many slowly climbed out if the ship and jumped into the ocean! Thru could swim though and swan down to the ocean bed where they made a new home for themselves 

As the bird was biting through the last net a sailor came up behind her shouting " what do we have here? A crazy bird setting the crabs free?! This cannot be! We need to get rid of this bird! And so saying. He threw a net a over her and captured her! One of the crab saw wHaf was happening and he crawled back ft the edge if the ship and bit the sailor hard  on his foot. Screaming the sailor let go of the bird and the bird freed itself from the net. Before flying off she carefully picked up the crab who saved her In her beak- careful not to hurt her, and flew off ! She knew the sailor would have hurt the crab otherwise! 

And she dropped the crab off In The ocean a good way away from the ship. 

The crabs were happy to be free and the bird was delighted she saved some crabs . It was frightening but worth it! 

first attempt at a modernist poem!

Piles

A ball of fear

A ball of hate

A ball

A ball

A ball

Appal

Appal

Appal

___________

Inspired by, of all people, Gertrude Stein, after having heard her reading of her poem: 
If I told him: A completed portrait of Picasso

When I first heard it, I couldn't believe it - this was not poetry I thought! but it stayed with me, I can hear her voice monotonously repeating the words, and then, as I thought about this most annoying affliction, I thought of  it in these words and terms - and voila - a modernist poem! merely inspired by Stein, not even close I suppose - I wish I could understand her genius and not dismiss it as diss! 

When does a person stop being a person

When does a person stop being a person?

When people become statistic
When one dead child becomes one of a hundred
When news of killings become 'old' news or the 'same' news
When the extraordinary becomes ordinary

When does a human stop being human?
When we stop empathizing
When we equate one person with the whole nation
When one small child is seen as only the offspring of the enemy

When we see the enemy as less than human,
We too become less than human

- written on July 22, as Israel razes down Gaza while the world watches

The Eagle and the Hare

Once there was this beautiful eagle. It used to soar high up in the skies, free and majestic. One day it started circling around a clearing and flew lower and lower. A hare was in the clearing - totally absorbed in munching and oblivious to the descending eagle. The eagle swooped down suddenly and pounced near the hare. The hare stood on its hind legs stock still and petrified. The eagle leaned in close to the hare.... and went "hahaha! You thought I was going to eat you! " and it guffawed in the hare's face! The hare trembled and nodded. The eagle shrugged and said"well, I'm not. I'm a vegetarian see- I swooped down here to eat these tasty mushrooms!" pointing at the brown fungus blooming in the clearing. 

The hare felt weak with relief and started breathing again. He watched while the eagle munched on the mushrooms and then said- if you like mushrooms you should follow me! And he bounded away - bounce bounce bounce- the eagle tottered behind him/ clumsy on the ground unlike in the air. 

They went behind this great oak tree and saw a wide glittering array of mushrooms! They enjoyed their mushroom party side by side. 

As they ate they talked. "how come you are vegetarian?" asked the hare. "Not that I'm complaining of course!"

"oh that. Ya my parents were most surprised. They kept asking me to try meat but every time I tried it my tummy would wibble and wobble uncontrollably! Like I was perpetually being tickled. It got too tiring after a while. When I stuck to vegetables my tummy was ok. So...there you have it! " 

And the eagle and hate stayed great friends - seeking out mushrooms together whenever they could! . 

The boy and the frog

Once there was a little boy who liked to play in the garden. There was a well in the garden. One day he looked I to the well and saw a little frog inside! He panicked- the soft hearted little boy thought the frog could not swim and Ai he heroically jumped into the well himself- to save it. But... He didn't know how to swim and soon begs struggling. The frog liked the boy though he couldn't understand why he would jump in like that. It could tell the boy was struggling and so started croaking as loud as he could. A pelican flying overhead heard the racket and swooped down to find out what was the matter. The frog quickly told the bird that the boy was drowning and the pelican flew into the well and picked up the boy in his huge beak and brought him up to safety. The not lay panting in the grass when the frog asked the pelican to help him up as well. So down went the pelican again and brought up the frog. Then the frog asked the boy- "why did you jump on for?!?!?!?" 

The boy sputtered- I wanted to save you! The frog was stunned- he hopped over to the boy and gave him a big wet kiss and snuggled up to him. The pelican smiled and flew off. 

Later the boy told his mother! " mum you will never believe what happened! I fell into a well to save a frog and a pelican rescued me! " 

" yes dear " said the mother smiling. She didn't believe him of course... But you and I know what happened don't we! 

The eagles and the turtle - by akshaya

Akshaya's story: with a little bit of magic " "just like Enid Blyton"

Once there were a pair of eagles and a pair of turtles who were friends and who both wanted kids very much. The eagles prayed to all the eagle gods and all their eagle friends prayed for them too 

Soon a baby eagle and a baby turtle were both born! And they were great friends and the eagle could swim and the turtle could fly and they grew up in eac others houses.