Story time: The present

Punchi was the only child in his family. So his parents loved him very much. They expected him to be happy all the time, and therefore, never refused anything he requested. It was very rarely that Punchi heard the word 'No'. So his room began to fill with toys, nice teddy bears, bags, clothes and footwear, day by day.

One day, Punchi went shopping with his mother. Punchi wanted a soya ice-cream and said, "Amma, I have never tasted soya ice-cream". So, his mother said, "OK darling, let's buy one." It was delicious. A little while later, he saw a nice blue teddy bear in a toy shop. Punchi told his mother, "Amma, did you see that teddy over there? I would love to have it." His mother said, "Darling, you have many teddies.

Why do you want another?" "Oh Amma, though I have many of them, I don't have a blue teddy. Please, buy it for me," Punchi cried. It took him only minutes to convince his mother to buy him the blue teddy bear.

They continued with their shopping, and before long, Punchi saw a beautiful pair of shoes with some multi-colour lights studded on it. Punchi thought, "I don't have shoes like this. Surely, mother will buy them for me."

He tapped his mother on the arm and said, "Amma, there is a beautiful pair of shoes in that shop; it flashes light when you put it on and walk. Couldn't I get it please?". But his mother didn't have enough money left to buy the shoes, so she suggested that she would buy it the next day.

"Oh....Amma, if you wait till tomorrow, somebody else might buy it, you must buy it today," he cried aloud. All the people in the shop looked at Punchi's mother. She was ashamed of her weeping child and dragged him out of the shop and continued walking along the street in spite of the child's weeping.Suddenly, Punchi's mother saw a small girl seated on the pavement wearing a dirty frock.

An old shoe was by her side on the pavement. But the girl was singing a song and seemed quite happy.

Mother said to Punchi, "look here darling, your room is full of toys, you have many pairs of shoes, but you are crying for another. Look at that little girl; she is singing. Is she unhappy like you? I think her parents are not there to give her everything that she likes to have."

Punchi asked his mother, "Amma, how can she be happy without the things that children love?" His mother's answer was, "My dear son, as she is poor, she can't spend money to buy everything she likes. So she doesn't have any thoughts of owning such stuff and therefore, she is happy."

Then Punchi said, "OK Amma, I understand, I don't want those shoes. Shall we give a present to this little girl?" Mother felt very happy about her son and said, "OK son, I'm very proud of you." They bought a nice frock, a packet of lunch, some candy and a beautiful pair of slippers.

They gave the package of presents to the girl. She was very pleased and said, "Thank you very much, madam, I have never got presents like this from anybody before." She opened the package, looked on for a moment and said, "Please, take the pair of slippers back. I can't use it." The mother and son came to know that she had lost her leg in an accident. She had lost her parents too and was now living with her poor grandmother.

Punchi was very upset, he thought that she might be happy with his teddy bear and offered it to the girl. She happily accepted it. Punchi's mother was surprised by her son's action. Thereafter, he became a kind and helpful boy and never asked for every little thing that he saw in shops.

Duwani Kanchana de Silva, Katana.

Dinosaur loved by children

This dinosaur is not the one which appears in the television series, Barnie and Friends. When I asked him his name, this yellow dinosaur just gave me his hand, and kept on laughing.

This happy fellow was seen at a fair on consumer goods; that is a place where clothes, shoes, toys and things to eat are sold. The fair was held at the Sri Lanka Exhibition and Convention Centre, Colombo.

Some parents hire ponies and playhouses for children's parties. This dinosaur is also for hire and children love him, perhaps because he is big and fat, and yet, friendly.

I have read about a dinosaur who appears in a television series in the United States. Children, especially those around four and five years of age, love that dinosaur, because he tells the children, that he loves them very much.

Speaking of love, some time ago, it was thought that love between parents and their children was different in different countries and among different races, or types of people. Now, cultural anthropologists (people who learn about the behaviour of people in different places or countries) say that love between parents and children is the same all over the world.

We adults love children because they are small, nice, simple and loveable, and because children need the love and attention of adults. Children in turn love adults because adults care for them and provide them food, shelter and guidance.

Some people who have studied the culture and behaviour of the Sinhalese have said that in rural areas, parents love their children very much, but don't pet them enough. One authority or specialist, a Sinhalese lady doctor, told parents in Sri Lanka on television, to show more love to their children by petting them.

Elmo Leonard