Fun Stories for Children: Easy to Read

By Shubhada Dasgupta

Children are so engrossed in technology these days that they are unaware of the joys of reading. This book is here to change that. This book contains simple stories which are illustrated and are written as such so as to make it fun and joyous for the children to read. Gift your child the joy of reading. Grab a copy now

• Language: English
• Publisher: Shining Star Press
• Release date: Feb 27, 2019
• ISBN: 9781386796961

Book preview

Lekha

Avery long time ago there lived a Bheel tribe in the valley of Aravali hills. Their chief was a man known as Chand. Chand was extremely wicked and of cruel nature. He was not married; he lived alone.

Once his younger brother and his wife died in an accident. His brother had only one daughter-Lekha. The young child-Lekha was left alone after the death of her parents; and since there were no other relatives to take care of her, Chand brought her home.

it was because of the cruel nature of Chand that no one in the region was prepared to give his daughter's hand in marriage to him. Though Chand had a great dislike for Lekha, it was binding on him to up bring the young girl. He had kept her imprisoned in a slender turret on top of his building.

Poor Lekha, kept in isolation, would weep bitterly remembering her parents. Gradually she grew up and there was no girl in the whole of the tribe who could match the peerless beauty of Lekha. She had such long hair that if she stood on the balcony of the turret and let her hair hang loose, it would touch the ground, and her face was as beautiful as the moon. By nature also she was very good.

Once a prince happened to pass by riding on his large white horse. He fell in love with Lekha to see her sitting at the window. Lekha also liked the prince very much dressed in dazzling white gauzy dress.

Now the prince made it a routine to come and pay her a visit almost every day. Lekha would twist and tie her long wavy hair together and then hang her braided hair to help the prince climb up. Thus the prince would come up to the turret, talk to her for some time and then return in the same manner

In the same region there lived an old woman who was known for her wickedness. One day she approached Lekha and said, Lekha! it is for your advantage that l have come to tell you something. The prince who comes to see you everyday is extremely wicked. He is cheating you. Free yourself from his clutches, or else, you may have to repent one day. saying this the old woman went away from there.

Next time when the prince came to see Lekha, she told him everything the old woman had said to her. This created doubt in the mind of the prince. He began thinking This old woman may put this innocent girl in trouble. The prince said to Lekha, Lekha! it’s not safe for you to live here anymore. Come with me. I shall take you to my town, marry you and then we shall live happily.

Lekha agreed to go with the prince. She took with herself the three things given by her mother. One of the three things was a water bottle, the other thing was a small bag of red chilly powder and the third thing was a bag full of marbles.

As soon as Lekha and the prince rode the horse and began moving, the old wicked woman began chasing them. They were terribly frightened to see her following them. And as soon as the prince sped up his horse, the old woman also increased her speed behind them.

Then suddenly Lekha was reminded of the three bags given by her mother. She opened the bag of red chilly powder and threw it in the air. The chilly powder began spreading all around in the air and falling in the eyes of the old woman. Rubbing her eyes, still the old woman continued following them.

Then Lekha opened up the bag which was full of marbles, and scattered them all in the way. The old woman slipped many times but she would stand up again and continue following them.

When Lekha realised that she was not able to check the old woman from advancing, she ultimately poured all the water of the bottle behind her. This showed a positive result. Now there was a big pool of water between the horse and the old woman. This became a problem for her; but since she wanted to follow them at any cost, she stepped into the pool of water. But this time luck was not with her. The right foot of the old woman slipped and she drowned in the deep water of the pool.

The prince entered his kingdom with Lekha. There he said to her, I shall go to the palace and inform everyone there about you. You will be welcomed ceremoniously and taken to the palace with honour. There was a big tree and a fountain nearby. The prince hid Lekha behind the big leaves of the tree, so that no one could see her. Then he set forth towards the palace.

A black female grocer happened to come there to fetch water from the fountain just after the prince left for the palace. Just when she bent down to fill her pitcher from the fountain, she saw the image 0f beautiful Lekha sitting on a branch of the tree. The female grocer mistook it to be her own image. She threw her petcher away and said, I am more beautiful than any princess. Now I shall marry only a prince. I am not meant to do ordinary things.

Thinking this she turned to go home. Just than she happened to see Lekha hiding behind leaves on a branch of the tree. The female grocer climbed up the tree and sat by the side of Lekha and asked, Who are you? Who brought you here? Lekha narrated her story and told her that she was waiting for the prince to come and take her to the palace.

The female grocer continued talking to Lekha for some time, and then looking at her hair she said, You have got beautiful hair, but due to long journey your hair has become dirty and looks unkempt. I don’t think it is advisable to go to the palace with such hair. Come, I shall comb your hair properly.

Lekha realized that what the female grocer said was genuine, and she must present herself in the palace in her immaculate coiffure. Then she asked the female grocer to do her hair in style. While combing the hair of Lekha, the female grocer took out a needle from her hair and drove it into Lekha’s head. And immediately Lekha was transformed into a sterling. She flew away.

The prince returned after some time and saw a black female grocer sitting under the tree in place of Lekha. He was taken by surprise to see her. When asked the female grocer said, I am the same Lekha. Sitting in the sun for so long has changed my colour and I have become black.

The prince couldn‘t believe what she said, but he had no alternative either. There was a big gathering in the palace and everyone was waiting for the bride eagerly. Much against his will, the prince took her to the palace.

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EVERYONE IN THE PALACE was full of criticism for the choice of the prince, but of course in a low volume. They were surprised how the prince chose a girl whose complexion resembled ebony colour. Apart from her complexion she looked ugly also. But no one could dare say anything. From that day onwards there was a drawn and haggard look about the eyes of the prince. The beautiful face of Lekha continued to haunt his imagination.

Time rolled on. Recently a starling had begun fluttering around the palace. She would come to the royal garden and ask the wife of the gardener Is the prince all right? How does he behave with the queen?

He behaves all right, the wife of the gardener would reply and the starling would fly away.

One day when the prince was taking a stroll in the royal garden, the wife of the gardener gathered up some courage and said to him, "Prince, it is since the