The Capital of Afghanistan

written by: Najia Nijat

First Lane:

Sana and Ilyas are playing in the alley. Sana worries about the peddler that why he has not come for a long time to the alley. Meanwhile, peddler comes, children welcome him and ask about his absence. Peddler says that he had gone to the capital of the country. Children ask about the capital.

Peddler turns the talking box.

Sana, a resident of Ghazni province says: “the center of a country is called capital.”

 Malalai, a first-grade student says: “The capital of Afghanistan is Kabul city and president sit on the throne in his office.”

The children want more information about the capital of a country. Peddler says that every country has a capital then he asks about the name of our country. Children say that the name of our country is Afghanistan. Peddler says that Afghanistan has only one capital which is the Kabul city. The president of the country and all ministers are in the capital city and all provinces are governing from the capital. Then the peddler shows them the capital of Afghanistan and provinces in a map to the children. The rabbit tells a poem to the children about the capital to know the capital more.

The children learn the poem and peddler gives each of them a map to find the capital of Afghanistan and other provinces in it and he goes to the next lane.

Second Lane:

Mina asks Parviz to tell him a joke. Parviz says that he could not remember any joke. They hear the voice of the peddler and go near to him. Peddler welcomes them. Mina says that she wanted Parviz to tell her a joke but Parviz did not tell her. Peddler brings out the talking box from his bag and turns it on.

A girl says the following joke: “A boy comes home after the exam and he is praying to Allah to change the capital of Afghanistan from Kabul to Herat. His father asks the reason. The boy says that he answered a question in the exam that Herat is the capital of Afghanistan.”

The children like the joke. Peddler asks them to learn new jokes for the next time and he goes to the other lane.

Third Lane:

Peddler and Golden Wings fairy enter the lane. Peddler is playing the flute. Ilham and Shafiqa welcome them. Shafiqa says that the story of Nek-Bad is finished and they do not know any other story.

Golden Wings fairy says that she would tell them a part of another story, “Birds Nest” and she starts the story.

Birds Nest: First Part:

Ilham and Shafiqa are waiting for peddler and Golden Wing fairy to come and tell them a new story.

Peddler arrives and they welcome him. Shafiqa asks about the Golden Wing Fairy. Peddler says that she is absent today. Ilam asks that who would tell them a new story. Meanwhile, Golden wing fairy comes out from the bag and started a new story: “Birds Nest”.

Golden Wing fairy says: “Haroon and Haider were close friends. They were always going to school together and were playing together.

Birds Nest: First Part

One day Haroon and Haidar were playing football in the lane. Meanwhile, two birds fought to each other and they fell on the ground but flew back very soon. Hair became very happy to see the birds and left his playing. Haroon asks the reason. Haidar said that he remembers something after he saw the birds and he said to Haroon that when they took their sheep to the pasture, he would know the whole story.

End of the first part.