India's Six Seasons

Told in English, Telugu.

In a little village near the Godavari river, there lived a girl named Chinni. Every evening, Chinni sat on the cool verandah with her Nanamma.

One evening Chinni asked, "Nanamma, why is it hot sometimes and cold sometimes?"

Nanamma smiled. "Because six friends come to visit us every year, Chinni. They are called the six seasons. Each one comes, stays a while, and then waves goodbye."

Then Nanamma sang a little song.

Round and round the seasons go, six good friends all in a row.

"The first friend is Vasanta," said Nanamma. "Vasanta comes with Ugadi. New green leaves come out on the trees. The koel bird sings, koo, koo, koo. Flowers open, and the mango trees fill with tiny raw mangoes. We make Ugadi pachadi, sweet and sour and a little bitter too."

Chinni clapped. "I love Vasanta!"

Round and round the seasons go, six good friends all in a row.

"The second friend is Greeshma," said Nanamma. "Greeshma is the hot summer. The sun shines big and bright. So we drink cool buttermilk and sleep under the fan. And guess what? The sun makes the mangoes ripe and sweet."

Chinni licked her lips. "Mango juice running down my chin!"

Round and round the seasons go, six good friends all in a row.

"The third friend is Varsha," said Nanamma. "Varsha brings the big grey rain clouds. Pitter, patter, the rain comes down. The thirsty fields drink the water. The frogs sing, and the farmers plant green paddy in the wet mud. Because the rain comes, our rice can grow."

"And I make paper boats!" said Chinni.

Round and round the seasons go, six good friends all in a row.

"The fourth friend is Sharad," said Nanamma. "When Sharad comes, the rain goes away. The sky turns clear and blue. At night the moon shines so bright and round. We celebrate Dasara, and the whole village is full of flowers and lamps."

Chinni looked up. The moon was peeping over the coconut trees. "Is that Sharad's moon?"

"Maybe it is," Nanamma laughed.

Round and round the seasons go, six good friends all in a row.

"The fifth friend is Hemanta," said Nanamma. "Hemanta brings cool mornings. Tiny drops of dew sit on the grass like little pearls. The paddy turns golden, and the farmers bring the rice home. Then comes Sankranti. We draw big muggulu in front of the house and fly kites high in the sky."

"My kite goes the highest!" said Chinni.

Round and round the seasons go, six good friends all in a row.

"The sixth friend is Shishira," said Nanamma softly. "Shishira brings chilly winds. Old leaves fall from the trees, one by one. We wrap ourselves in warm blankets. But look closely at the bare branches, Chinni. Tiny buds are waiting there."

"Why are they waiting?" asked Chinni.

"Because they know who is coming next," said Nanamma. "Can you guess?"

Chinni thought and thought. Then her eyes went wide. "Vasanta! The first friend comes back!"

"Yes, my clever girl. The six friends go round and round, like a happy circle, every single year."

Chinni counted on her fingers. "Vasanta, Greeshma, Varsha, Sharad, Hemanta, Shishira. Six friends!"

Can you count them too? Six friends. Now let us sing the song together, one more time.

Round and round the seasons go, six good friends all in a row.

Chinni yawned a big yawn. She snuggled close to Nanamma. Outside, a cool breeze rustled the leaves, and the moon shone gently on the sleepy village.

Good night, little one. Good night, six season friends.