Riya’s bright idea

By Anish Vedsen

Once upon a time, there was a girl named Riya who lived in a small village in Madhya Pradesh. She was a smart, studious, playful, and lively child who loved to sing, run after the cattle, swim in the pond, climb the trees, swing on the branches, play hide-and-seek, and even help her friends with their studies.

One day, her father got some work in Indore. So, she decided to accompany him. They went to stay at their uncle’s house. There was a beautiful park nearby with lush greenery.

Riya was mesmerized by the park’s view; there were varieties of swings and colourful slides, a seesaw, and a merry-go-round. There was a captivating fragrance of flowers all around. Looking at the park, she missed her friends.

However, she was disappointed to see that the park was mostly empty. She asked the gatekeeper about the kids and got to know that all the kids were busy watching television, playing online games on their computers, or sitting at home. They rarely came to the park.

She thought, ‘Why are kids not playing at the park?’ She got a bright idea and with the help of her cousins and gatekeeper, made an announcement that “tomorrow there is a grand birthday party at the park. Please come and join us to have fun.” Those who come will get chocolates, ice creams, and cakes.”

This news spread like wildfire and tempted the children. The next day, they went to the park. But, there was no party. They saw a little girl standing there. Riya introduced herself and told them that the party would begin soon. Until then, let’s play.

Everyone agreed and started to play. Some were running around, cycling, rolling and sliding and playing cricket. They were having so much fun that they forgot about the party.

After two hours, Riya told them the truth. The children got angry, but at the same time, they were happy too, as they enjoyed playing a lot. Riya told them that she was from a small village and all these things were not available there. But in the city, everything was so good, planned and advanced. She encouraged them to try to take full advantage of these facilities. She reminded them that playing in the park is so much fun. Outdoor games are very important for kids’ mental and physical development, and we also get sunshine vitamins. So, to stay fit and healthy, we should all play.

The children realize their mistakes and promised that every day they would come to play at the park.

Later, Riya went back to her village and narrated the whole story of city life to her friends and family. Everyone was proud to hear that, being a village girl, she taught a good lesson to children.

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