Tatayya's story with a lesson

Told in English, Telugu.

The evening was cool in the village of Kothapeta. The stars were coming out one by one, and Tatayya sat on the verandah in his big wooden chair.

Little Bujji climbed onto his lap. Her lip was pushed out, just a little.

"What happened, Bujji?" asked Tatayya.

"Ammamma made ladoos today," said Bujji. "Ravi wanted one. But I hid them all. Now Ravi is not playing with me."

Tatayya smiled a soft smile. "Shall I tell you a story?"

Bujji nodded.

"Once upon a time, near a big tamarind tree, there lived a little squirrel named Chitti. One morning, Chitti found a guava. It was round and green, and it smelled so sweet.

Chitti's friends came running. The parrot said, 'Oh, what a lovely guava!' The little mynah said, 'Can we have a taste?'

But Chitti hugged the guava tight. 'No! It is mine, all mine!' And Chitti ran up the tree and hid in a hole.

Chitti took a bite. Crunch. It was sweet. Chitti took another bite. Crunch. But it was very quiet inside the hole. No one to talk to. No one to laugh with. Soon, the guava did not taste so sweet anymore."

"Why, Tatayya?" asked Bujji.

"Because, my little one, a sweet thing eaten alone is only half as sweet. Can you say this with me? Share a little, smile a lot."

Bujji whispered, "Share a little, smile a lot."

"Chitti peeped out of the hole. Down below, the parrot and the mynah were sitting quietly. They looked a little sad.

Chitti thought and thought. Then Chitti climbed down with the guava and said, 'I am sorry. Come, let us share.'

Chitti broke the guava into three pieces. One for the parrot. One for the mynah. One for Chitti.

The parrot laughed. The mynah sang. Chitti did a happy little dance, with a bushy tail going swish, swish. And the guava? It tasted sweeter than ever before.

Share a little, smile a lot.

The next day, the parrot found some red berries. Did the parrot hide them? No! The parrot shared them with Chitti and the mynah. And the day after that, the mynah found grains of rice near the well, and she shared too.

So Chitti learned that when you share, kindness comes back to you, just like a ball bouncing back into your hands."

Tatayya stopped. Bujji was quiet for a moment.

"Tatayya," she said, "tomorrow I will take two ladoos to Ravi. One for him and one for me. And we will eat them together."

"That is my clever Bujji," said Tatayya, and he kissed the top of her head.

Ammamma came out with a glass of warm milk. "What are you two whispering about?"

Bujji gave a big, sleepy smile. "Share a little, smile a lot, Ammamma."

The next morning, under the neem tree, Bujji and Ravi sat side by side. Each had a round yellow ladoo. They took a bite together, and they laughed and laughed. And Bujji was sure it was the sweetest ladoo in the whole wide world.

Tatayya watched from the verandah and smiled.

Now close your eyes, little one. Tomorrow, maybe you will share something too. Share a little, smile a lot. Goodnight.