The Magic of Cleanliness, a story for children
By Zeenat Iqbal Hakimjee
Twenty kilometers west of the bounty road a small lane wound its way to a small castle. The castle looked like it was built for a prince and princess to stay in. The sky seemed to hug the earth there. The cheerful sun smiled and beamed on the earth and the flowers opened up and smiled back.
The towers which seemed to reach up to the sky had music playing in them. Little children danced to the tune, Ho hum ta ra rum…one leg moved left, one right, hands in the air. The atmosphere was filled with happiness and cleanliness.
The bear with his snowy, clean coat of fur cuddled up with the monkey who had a well combed tail. King Lion with his shampooed mane was sleeping and a fly fluttering its wings came and settled on his nose but that did not seem to bother him. The freshly groomed horses sung,
“Neigh ho, here we go, Right and left, high and low. On and on till we meet miss doe.
We’ll stop her and tell her to come to the show.
Sniff, sniff what do I smell in the air?
The sweet smelling flowers nodding their heads from here to there”.
Mr Green the plant was as bright as a day just as if the rain had cleansed it. Freddy the frog sat on the pond and was puzzled to see another frog staring back at him. He wanted to shake its hand but as he touched the water he found nothing there. It was only his reflection. Big Wing the butterfly had hurt one of its legs. Off it flew to the hospital to get it cleaned and plastered. Daisy the cow sat grazing on the grass. “I’ll have a glass of milk shake”.
Big Wing told her, “You get some hair for my bald head”, said Daisy with a smile. “I’ll get you some from Kaku the lion. Urn, mum” he went as he drank the milk it was as white as snow.
The brook was bubbling at its seams. Daffy the duck was busy pointing its beak towards the fish. “I want to play with you”, she said. They all went to Popo the owl’s school.
Naughty calf had to jump thrice over the fence for going to school with a dirty uniform and Mammy the mouse was not given cheese to eat as punishment for wearing dirty shoes.
One day the sky was all dark. The moon hid behind the clouds. The lion growled and the bear started to fight. The pond water became black as night. The air started to smell.
The grass sprouted weeds and the flowers died. Everything was gripped with fear. Some aliens from outer space had come to earth to dirty and destroy it. They sprinkled dust everywhere with their guns and threw litter everywhere. The animals went to uncle and auntie cleanwallah and begged them to help them overcome this problem. They advised them to take three elephant trunks full of soap, two mouthful of happiness; five bucketful of fairy tonic and ten images of lions paws.
Make a potion of this and spray it on the enemy and they shall beat a hasty retreat. The animals sat down to this task and did as they were told. Lo and behold! It was not long before they saw the backs of the aliens.
Ends
