In the village school, the children were famous for their mischief. The teacher used to say that if children were left alone for five minutes, they would discover a new way to be naughty. That day was no different.
As soon as the teacher left the classroom, the children started enjoying themselves.
Pintu said, “Let’s do something big today; we play small games every day.” Golu said, “Yes, today we will do something that will surprise the teacher.”
Then the children decided to turn the classroom ceiling into the “sky.” They moved the tables and benches and raised their hands toward the ceiling, saying, “Look, we have lifted the sky on our heads.”
Pintu said, “Now we will hold the sky so that the rain takes a holiday.”
Just then, the teacher returned. Seeing the condition of the classroom, his eyes widened in surprise. The children were standing on benches and pretending to look at the ceiling as if they had really lifted the sky.
The teacher asked, “What is going on here?”
Golu said, “Sir, we are learning science. We found out that the sky is very high, so it is difficult to lift it on our heads.”
The teacher smiled and said, “If you lift the sky on your head, where will you keep your studies?”
The children fell silent.
The teacher explained, “Lifting the sky on your head means dreaming big, not trying to shake the ceiling.”
Pintu innocently asked, “Sir, do dreams also sit in the classroom?”
The teacher said, “Yes, if you work hard, your dreams will come to you.”
That day, the children learned that mischief is good, but befriending studies is even better.
At dismissal time, the children walked out laughing, and Pintu said, “Today we really lifted the sky on our heads… but the teacher caught us.”
People in the neighborhood say that on that day, the children raised both mischief and knowledge a little higher.
RAJEEV VERMA 