The Boy Who Learned from His Mistake

Told in English, Telugu.

In a small village near the Godavari river, there lived a boy named Vamsi. He was eight years old, he had a gap in his front teeth, and he could run faster than any boy on his street.

Vamsi lived with his Amma, his Nanna, and his Thatha. Behind their house was a little cattle shed, and inside the shed lived a sweet brown calf called Gowri. She had big wet eyes and a white spot on her forehead, like a little moon.

Every evening, Thatha would say, "Vamsi, after you give Gowri her water, close the gate and tie the rope. Gowri is young and curious. If the gate is open, she will wander away."

And every evening, Vamsi would say, "Yes, Thatha. I will."

One afternoon, Vamsi was filling Gowri's water bucket when he heard his friends shouting from the street.

"Vamsi! Come quickly! We are playing gilli danda, and we need one more player!"

Vamsi's heart jumped. He loved gilli danda more than anything. He poured the water so fast that half of it splashed on his feet. Then he ran out of the shed, laughing, and he did not look back.

Can you guess what he forgot? Yes. He forgot to close the gate.

Vamsi played and played until the sky turned orange. When he came home, he heard loud voices near the front door. Their neighbour, Ramaiah garu, was standing there with his hands on his head.

"My tomato plants!" Ramaiah garu was saying. "My brinjal plants too! Someone's animal walked right into my garden and trampled everything. Weeks of work, gone in one afternoon!"

Thatha looked worried. He turned to Vamsi. "Vamsi, did you close Gowri's gate today?"

Vamsi's stomach went tight, like a fist. He thought about the gilli danda. He thought about the water splashing on his feet. He knew the truth. But he was scared that everyone would be angry with him.

So he said, very quickly, "Yes, Thatha. I closed it. Maybe the wind opened it."

Ramaiah garu shook his head. "It must be that boy Chandu. He brings his goats past my garden every day. I am sure his goats did this. I will go and tell his father."

Vamsi said nothing. He went inside and sat in a corner. The dosa Amma made for dinner smelled lovely, but somehow it tasted like nothing at all.

Then Nanna came in from the shed, holding a lantern. "Gowri is not in the shed," he said. "The gate is wide open."

Everyone stood up at once. Night was coming. Where could a little calf go in the dark?

Thatha took one lantern, and Nanna took another. Vamsi ran behind them, his heart thumping. They walked past the temple, past the well, and past the paddy fields, calling, "Gowri! Gowri!"

As they walked, they passed Chandu's little hut. Vamsi saw Chandu sitting outside on the step, his head down. His eyes were red, as if he had been crying. His father was telling him, "You must be more careful with the goats, Chandu."

Vamsi stopped walking. Something heavy pressed on his chest. Chandu had done nothing wrong. And now he was sad because of a lie that Vamsi had told.

Just then, they heard a soft sound from the sugarcane field. Moo. Thatha lifted his lantern high, and there was Gowri, standing between the tall green stalks, chewing happily as if nothing had happened.

Vamsi ran to her and threw his arms around her neck. "Gowri, you are safe!" he whispered. Gowri licked his ear, and for a moment he almost laughed.

But when they walked home, Vamsi was very quiet. At last, near the gate of their house, he stopped and pulled Thatha's hand.

"Thatha," he said in a small voice. "I did not close the gate. I forgot, because I wanted to play gilli danda. Gowri went into Ramaiah garu's garden because of me. And I said the wind did it. Now Chandu is being blamed, and he is crying."

His eyes filled with tears. "I am sorry, Thatha."

Thatha did not shout. He knelt down so his face was close to Vamsi's face.

"Vamsi," he said gently, "everyone makes mistakes. Even Thatha. But listen carefully. When we hide a mistake, it grows bigger and heavier, until someone else has to carry it too. When we tell the truth, the mistake becomes small again, and we can fix it."

Vamsi wiped his nose. "How do I fix it?"

"What do you think?" asked Thatha.

Vamsi thought for a moment. "First, I must tell Ramaiah garu the truth. Then I must tell Chandu that I am sorry."

The next morning, Vamsi walked to Ramaiah garu's house. His legs were shaking, but he spoke clearly. He told him everything.

Ramaiah garu was quiet for a long moment. Then he said, "That was not easy to say, was it?"

Vamsi shook his head.

"Then here is what you can do," said Ramaiah garu. "Come every evening this week and help me replant my tomatoes."

Then Vamsi went to Chandu's hut. "Chandu, it was not your goats. It was my calf. I am sorry they blamed you."

Chandu looked surprised. Then he smiled a big smile. "Can I help you plant the tomatoes?" he asked.

So every evening that week, two boys knelt side by side in the soft brown soil, pressing tiny green plants into the earth and pouring water around them. By the end of the week, they were the best of friends.

And from that day on, Vamsi always closed Gowri's gate and tied the rope. Then he would tug it once more, just to be sure, before he ran off to play.

When the tomatoes turned red, Ramaiah garu sent a basket of them to Vamsi's house. Amma made the most delicious tomato pappu. And this time, it tasted wonderful.