Learn Curve for Girls

Suhani Dewra

Krishna and Sudama were students at teacher Sandipani’s ashram. They were fellow classmates as well as best friends.

One morning, the teacher tasked them to collect wood pieces for bonfire, from the nearby forest. The two friends walked through the forest and got on the job. They cut the wood pieces and wrapped them in a cloth that they had carried from the ashram. It was time to go back to the teacher. As they started on their journey back, it started to pour torrentially.

“Oh, Krishna, we must take shelter somewhere. The rain is heavy and I am beginning to get drenched. I don’t want to catch a cold,” suggested Sudama.

“Sure, let’s see if there is shelter around,” agreed Krishna looking around.

The boys found a gigantic tree, such that they had never seen before. The branches were thick and the leaves so voluminous that heavy rain seemed only mere drizzle under the bushy canopy of the leaves of the tree.

Soon after the boys took refuse under the tree, Sudama felt hungry. While leaving the ashram in the morning, the teacher’s wife had given him two pouches of roasted chickpea just in case the friends got hungry. One for Sudama and another for Krishna.

The hungry Sudama fished for his pouch of chickpea in his pocket and began to eat. “Tastes heavenly,” he said. In that moment, greed arose in his mind. He decided to eat Krishna’s share as well.

“Hey, Krishna. I realize I dropped the pouch of chickpea ma’am gave me for you. I am sorry that you will have to stay hungry. But don’t you worry, we will soon get home,” Sudama lamented.

Krishna knew that Sudama was quite a foodie. There have been moments in the past when Sudama tried to steal Krishna’s share of food while at the ashram. Krishna gave an investigative look at Sudama’s pockets and knew that the other pouch was also in there.

“Hey, Sudama, are you sure you dropped the pouch. How about you rummage through the pocket carefully. I am sure you will find my pouch of food in there,” Krishna said pointing to Sudama’s pocket which had the chickpea pouch.

Sudama knew in that moment that his friend had turned clever and outspoken. It wasn’t any use trying to fool him.

Pretending to search his pockets, Sudama pulled out the pouch with chickpea and said innocently, “Oh, ya Krishna, it’s right here. So light that I didn’t realize it was even in my pocket. There you go.”