Tiny Tales From the Heart – A monthly column that presents the world as seen through the eyes of Desi kids.
This monthly column features the work of Vidya Murlidhar’s students aged 9-13. By giving them the space to share their thoughts, she hopes to empower them to delve deep and tap into the power of creating and writing. The second story in the series, by Namish Agarwal, was written in a workshop where kids created reimagined classic fairytales.
Prompt: Culture deeply influences the setting and the characters of a story. For e.g., if Little Red Riding Hood lived in Iceland, she would probably meet an Arctic Wolf, or if Goldilocks was in China, she would probably finish a bowl of noodles instead of porridge. Take a story you know and change its setting. How would your story change? You don’t have to stick to the original plot line. Allow your characters to think and act differently.
Goldi-Ji and the Milk Merchant’s Family
There was once a girl, who everyone called Goldi-Ji, because her skin was so pale. She lived in Delhi, India, and enjoyed walking down its busy streets. Goldi-Ji was very mischievous, and often got scolded for a lot of things. Today, she could smell fresh, sweet milk coming from the milk merchant that lived down the street.
Meanwhile, at the merchant’s house, his wife was pouring a little bit of the milk into a glass for the milk merchant to taste.
“Mm mm mm, this is so good! I hope we sell more milk bottles today! I am going to go out and deliver the milk bottles and come back for lunch. Want to join me?” he asked his wife.
“I would love to! But I have to set the lunch for us both!”
The milk merchant said, “Take a break today. We can pick up bhel puri and maybe some pani puri from the street vendor!”
Goldi-Ji couldn’t resist having a bottle of milk. As soon as the merchant and his wife left the house, she snuck her way into the house and tiptoed into the kitchen. She saw three bottles of milk that the milk merchant had left for himself and his wife.
“Oh waah! It smells so good! I have to try it.” She opened the bottle and gulped down the entire bottle. “Kitna achchha hai! This is amazing!” And before she knew it, she was opening another bottle and gulping it down. Then she finally gulped down the last few drops of the third bottle.
Drinking the milk made Goldi-Ji very drowsy, and she went upstairs to find a bed to sleep in. “They will come back later. I can take a nap for some time.” She saw a big bed and a blanket on it with soft fur. The moment she got on the bed, she was out, cold.
After a while, the milk merchant and his wife returned. They gasped when they saw the empty bottles of milk.
“Hai Bhagwan! Oh my gosh, there was a robber in the house! He drank all of our sweet milk!”
Just then, they heard a deep snore coming from their bedroom. “The robber is still here! Let’s get him!”
They went up the marble stairs, neglecting the fact that they should be silent.
Goldi-Ji instantly heard them and tried to jump out of the window. But the milk merchant caught her foot and dragged her back into the room. “Tu kaun hai? Who are you?” he questioned.
“Goldilocks, but everyone calls me Goldi-Ji,” said Goldi-Ji quietly.
“YOU DRANK ALL OF OUR MILK!”
Goldi-Ji started to cry. “I couldn’t help it. The milk was so good, so I drank all of it! Please forgive me, sir, I will do something in return to repay you.”
The milk merchant looked at his wife, then back at her. “You like our milk?” he asked.
“Haan ji,” replied Goldi-Ji.
“Do you go to school?” he asked.
“Haan ji,” replied Goldi-Ji again.
“Goldi-Ji, I would like you to tell all of your friends, teachers, and family about our milk. Tell them about how good it is, how sweet and wonderful it is. And if we get at least ten families to purchase our milk, I will forgive you.”
Goldi-Ji happily agreed, and the next day, told everyone about the milk. She convinced her teacher, and her family, as well as a few of her best friends, to at least try the milk. They all happily enjoyed the milk and became lifelong customers for the milk merchant and his wife, and soon, their business was better than anyone else’s. It was a win-win for everyone.
Namish Agarwal, the author of the story: Hello, my name is Namish Mayank. I am 11 years old, and I love to write about almost anything! I love using my creativity in my writing pieces! When I grow up, I want to become a businessman and also an author that writes books for kids.
Vidya Murlidhar is a children’s book author, essayist, and teacher who lives in Charlotte, NC. A seasoned golf widow and a rookie empty-nester, she is learning to revel in her own company and looks forward to a life of traveling solo and having new experiences.