Sharing makes joy grow

Told in English, Telugu.

In a little village near the Godavari river, there lived a girl named Chinni. Chinni had two long plaits, a little green skirt, and the biggest smile in the whole street.

One summer morning, Ammamma called her. "Chinni, come here! I have something for you." Ammamma opened her hands, and there was a big, ripe, golden mango. It smelled so sweet!

"Is it all for me?" asked Chinni. "All for you," said Ammamma, and she smiled.

Chinni sat on the front steps. She held the mango close. "I will eat it all by myself," she said. She took one bite. It was sweet. But the steps were very quiet. Nobody was there to say, "Mmm!" Nobody was there to laugh with her. The mango was sweet, but Chinni felt a little bit alone.

Just then, her little brother Bunny came running. He looked at the mango with big round eyes. Chinni thought for a moment. Then Ammamma cut a slice for him.

"Here, Bunny. One for you and one for me!" Bunny took a big bite. Mango juice ran down his chin. Chinni laughed. Bunny laughed. Now there were two happy faces on the steps.

Can you say it with me? One for you and one for me, sharing makes us happy, see!

Next came Lakshmi from the house next door, carrying a basket of jasmine flowers. "What are you eating?" she asked. Chinni held out a slice. "One for you and one for me!" Lakshmi ate it and giggled. Then she tucked a string of jasmine into Chinni's plait. "For you, my friend," she said. Now there were three happy faces, and the air smelled of flowers.

One for you and one for me, sharing makes us happy, see!

Then a green parrot flew down onto the neem tree. "Kee, kee!" it called. Chinni put a tiny piece of mango on the wall. The parrot nibbled it, flapped its wings, and sang a happy song. Bunny clapped. Lakshmi danced. Chinni spun round and round.

One for you and one for me, sharing makes us happy, see!

Soon, all the mango was gone. Only the big seed was left. Bunny took the seed and said, "Let us plant it!" So together they dug a little hole in the corner of the yard, and patted the soil down with their small hands.

Ammamma came out and saw them, sticky and smiling. "Chinni, your mango is finished. Are you sad?"

Chinni shook her head. "No, Ammamma. When I ate alone, I had one mango and one small smile. When I shared, I had lots of smiles, lots of laughing, jasmine in my hair, and a parrot's song. My mango got smaller, but my happiness got bigger!"

Ammamma hugged her tight. "That is the secret, kanna. Sweets get smaller when we share. But joy grows bigger."

And one day, from that little seed, a mango tree will grow, with mangoes enough for the whole street.

Let us say it one last time, softly, softly. One for you and one for me, sharing makes us happy, see!

Good night, little one.