The Pigeon

:  Written by: Wajiha Sayar

First Lane:

Osman visits Faisal in the alley. Faisal has a pigeon in a cage. Osman wants to take the pigeon from him but Faisal does not want to give the pigeon to him. Meanwhile, Mastora comes and informs them from the coming of the peddler with his rabbit.

The children greet the peddler. Peddler asks about their argument. Faisal says that he has caught a pigeon but Osman wants it. Mastora wants Faisal to release the pigeon but Faisal does not accept. Peddler asks the children to see the fear of the pigeon. Faisal says that when he caught the pigeon, her heart was beating very fast. The rabbit tells them a poem about the pigeon. Faisal and other children like the poem, and Faisal releases the pigeon and he says that when someone feeds a pigeon, the friendship between him and the pigeon would increase the pigeon would always come for his visit.

Peddler appreciates him and says to the children to encourage their friends not to capture birds and then he gives a plastic pigeon to each child and goes to the other lane.

Second Lane:

Janan is waiting for his sister, Frishta to come and play with him. Meanwhile, peddler comes and Janan welcomes him.  Frishta also arrives and she has something in her skirt. Janan asks about it. Frishta says that she would tell a puzzle, if Janan finds the correct answer of it, she would give some of them to Janan. Frishta says the puzzle as follows: “It is a small box(container) of flour which has a stick inside it.” Janan says that it’s a cookie. Frishta does not accept. The rabbit says that it might be a date but Frishta says no to it. Peddler says that it is sea-buckthorn. Frishta counts the answer correct and she divides them to the children.

Janan asks that how people eat sea-buckthorn. Peddler turns on his tape recorder. Sajida says that her mother mixes them with other fruits in Naw Roz (the first day of the new year). Ahmad says that he peels and eats sea-buckthorns. Peddler says that eating 20 sea-buckthorns a day, clean the stomach but eating more, might create some health problems. Peddler gives some sweet oranges to the children and he goes to the story lane.

Story Lane:

Sultana and Samim are waiting for the peddler to come and tell them the last part of the story.

Peddler arrives and the children welcome him. Sultana asks him to tell them the last part of the story.

Peddler asks them to tell him the previous part first.

Sultana and Samim tell the previous part as follow: “The frog asked Sana and Fahim to go near her. Fahim asked the frog that why she prevented him from entering the ditch. The frog said that she became sad when she heard from his sister that you were sick. Fahim said that he was sick but now he is enough well. The frog said that you caused me, our froglets and fish in the ditch to become sick.

 

Fahim asked the reason. The frog says that she knows the cause of his illness too. Fahim asked about it.”

The peddler tells the last part of the story.

Dirty Water: Last Part:

The frog said that when you swam in the ditch, you became sick. Fahim said that they were swimming in the same ditch before but they never got sick. The frog said that at that time, there was no problem in this water but now there are many problems. Fahim asked the problems. The frog entered into the water and she brought out an old can and said that her daughter cut her hand with the edge of this can. Then the frog brought out a spoiled onion and gave it to Fahim. Fahim closed his nose and said that it has a bad smell.

The frog said that you have thrown many things inside the ditch and they caused you sickness. Sana said that the frog is right, we always throw our house garbage into the ditch.

Fahim promised that they will never drop anything into the ditch and he asked the frog that how to clean the ditch.

The frog said that she and her froglets would bring out all the thingس out of the ditch. Fahim said that they would collect those things and would throw them in a proper place today.

End of the story.