The platypus has genes of mammals, birds and reptiles! Discover more about this mysterious animal in Mocomi TimePass Magazine Issue 85. Every issue has something fun for everyone. In each magazine you will find folktales, trivia, puzzles, health tips, jokes and much more!

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ISSUE 85
JUNE 26, 2020
L E A R N A B O U T T H E
L A N D D O W N U N D E R
H O W I S T H E W E I G H T
O F A S H I P M E A S U R E D ?
WHY DOES A YEAR
HAVE 12 MONTHS?
TheStrang
e
Platypus

2. But there was one problem; the grapes were
way beyond his reach. He skipped and
jumped and tried his best but still could not
manage to reach them. He was getting more
and more tempted by the sight of the
grapes.
After spending about an hour and trying
different techniques to reach the grapes,
Fitru finally gave up.
Fitru looked at the grapes with disgust and
said, “Oh the grapes must be terribly sour.
And they look really glossy; the farmer must
have loaded them with pesticides. I am sure
he did not wash them nicely enough to
remove the poisonous pesticide from them.
It’s good that I don’t have that poisonous
fruit.”
He took one last look at the grapes and
walked away quietly.
One day, Fitru fox was in a jolly and relaxed
mood. He had nothing to do for an entire
day. The farmer was home guarding his
chickens as it was a holiday. Thus, the
chickens were way out of Fitru’s reach. Fitru
was, however, delighted to find some
leftover food from last night. He closed his
eyes, and started thinking about the food.
Once he opened his eyes, he saw some fresh
bunches of luscious looking grapes. Firtu
was very excited.
He imagined biting into the grapes and its
sweet juice flowing through his throat. He
started salivating at once.
FOLKTALE
The Fox and
the Grapes

3. What’s wrong in the Picture?
Boats
Hitch up your cattle
And drive to Seattle
To see all the boats come in,
From Kibi and Kobi
And Panama Dobi
And some from the Islands of Myn.
They’re bringing us rices
And cocoa and spices
And pineapples done up in tin,
And maybe Aunt Dinah
Will come back from China
If ever the boats get in.
Silly Rhymes
2

4. Sam Visits the Duck-Billed Platypus
I'm stuck in the middle of a forest but
check it out! I found an animal that lays
eggs but strangely is also a mammal,
strange right?
The platypus (Ornithorhynchus anati-
nus), also known as the duck-billed
platypus, is a semiaquatic egg-laying
mammal endemic to eastern Australia.
The platypus is one of the most unusual
creatures in the animal kingdom.
A typical platypus is 15 inches (38 centi-
meters) from its head to the end of its
rump. Its tail adds an additional 5 inches
(13 cm) to the animal’s length. Platypus-
es (which is the correct plural form, not
“platypi”) have a paddle-shaped tail like a beaver; a sleek, furry body like an otter; and a flat bill and
webbed feet like a duck.
The first time a platypus was brought from Australia to Britain, people couldn’t believe that it was a real
animal. They thought that a trickster had sewn two animals together. The coolest thing though is that
the platypus is venomous! It has a small spur at the end of its foot that shoots out the venom.
Science explorer
How is the Weight
of A Ship Measured?
To measure the weight of a ship, we will use
the Archimedes’ Principle. Archimedes’ Princi-
ple states that “any floating object displaces
its own weight in fluid.”
Let’s say that we have to measure the weight
of a ship.We will need a water dock, measured
in cubic meters. Note down the current water
level. Put the ship into the dock. Now note the
level. Here the water level has increased by 5
cubic meters.
So by Archimedes’Principle -
Weight of the ship = 5m3 x Density of water
Weight of the ship = 5m3 x 995.65 kg/m3
Weight of the ship = 4978.25 kg
This is how we calculate the weight of a ship.

5. People across the world follow the Gregorian calendar which was
adopted in 1752. Before that, people around the world followed
different calendars. Infact people who farm, still use a combination
of solar and lunar calendars.
The 12 months in the calendar, as we know them today, were first
introduced by Julius Caesar, in the year 45 BC, on 1st January.
The calendar used previously consisted of 10 months. But it couldn’t
account for the cyclic revolution of the earth around the sun, which
takes exactly 365.2422 days. The previous Roman calendar, began
the year in March and ended it in December. It had been in use from
753 BC, by Romulus, the legendary first king of Rome.
This calendar was later modified because it accounted for only 304
days in a year.
The second king of Rome, Numa Pompilius added two months at
the end of the calendar, Ianuarius and Februarius, to account for the
missing days. He also introduced an intercalary month that occured
after Februarius in certain years. These years became known as leap
years. In addition, he deleted one day from all the months that had
30 days, so that they had 29 days instead.
This resulted in a total of 355 days in a common year and 377 days
in a leap year. The leap years were declared at the whim of the king.
Although unstable, the calendar was in use for 700 years.
But it got very confusing because seasons and calendars did not
match. It played havoc with the farmers.
So Julius Caesar, in 45 BC, under the guidance of his astronomers,
decided to alter the calendar and make it more stable. Finally, the
seasons had a chance to catch up!
Who Decided
a Year Should
Have 12 Months?
Pondering
Corner
spot ten differences

6. Tickle
your
funny
bone
AMUSING NEWS
A platypus is considered a weird
animal - most of its genes make it
a mammal. However, unlike
mammals, they lay eggs! Odder
still, their eggs are hard-shelled,
like that of a bird! If it wasn't
already confusing, the platypus
also has reptile genes, as it can
deliver venom through spurs in
its hind legs!
A Genetic Milkshake
Q: What do you call a
platypus with 8 tentacles?
A: Octypus
Q: What is a platypus'
favourite game?
A: Beak-a-boo!
Q: What do you get when you cross
a platypus with a long divison sum?
A: A mathypus

7. The Rajputs
stories from history
In the 7th and 8th century a group of people emerged who called themselves
Rajputs which meant ‘Sons of Kings.’ They were warriors who hailed from Ra-
jasthan and parts of Central India. They belonged to three kinds of ancestries;
Suryavanshi, Chandravanshi and Agnivanshi. Under Agnivanshi were the clans of
Pratiharas, Solankis, Paramaras and Chauhans. These clans established King-
doms in Marwar, Ujjain, Malwa, Kannauj, Ajmer and Gujarat.
6

8. Rajputs were known for their courage and loyalty. Rajput women were trained
for war and did not hesitate to go into the battlefield if their men were out-
numbered. However, if the King and all his men were killed in a battle, Rajput
women preferred to commit suicide rather than allow themselves to be taken
as prisoners. This ritual was known as ‘Jauhar.’
One of the most prominent Rajput Kings was Prithviraj Chauhan. He ascended
the throne at the age of 13, after the death of his father. He was adept at
military targets and was known to hit moving targets merely by listening to
the sound. He was a romantic, chivalrous and an extremely fearless person.
He spread his empire and controlled most of Rajasthan and Haryana, unifying
Rajputs against Muslim invasion. A Muslim conqueror named Mohammad Sha-
hab-ud-din Ghori was capturing nearby kingdoms. As he covered more areas,
he became a threat to Prithviraj’s territory.
Prithviraj prepared for war. The two clashed at the First Battle of Tarain.
Prithviraj defeated him with his massive army of loyal soldiers. As Ghori re-
treated, Prithviraj was advised to attack the retreating army. The noble king
refused to do so, and this proved to be his undoing as Ghori soon came back
with his armies for a second attack.

9. At the second battle of Tarain, Prithviraj was defeated and captured. In 1192
AD, Prithviraj Chauhan died, ending an era of profound bravery, courage and
mortality.
Maharana Pratap, Bappa Rawal and Rani Padmini have all made an indelible mark
on the pages of Indian history. Maharana Pratap, the ruler of Mewar, is synon-
ymous with Rajput valour and chivalry. He continued his combat against the
Mughals and other infiltrators for the rest of his life. Gradually the power of
the Rajputs dwindled as they were no match for the Mughals. When the British
arrived in India, the Rajput states became colonies, this ending the reign of the
Rajputs forever.
Take out a pen and
paper and make as
many words as you can
with the letters in the
wheel.
Fun With
WordS S
T
T
S
R
N
A
E
G
8

10. with Hamlet the Hamster
To know or not to know,
that is the question!
Well, wouldn’t you
prefer to know?
fun facts
Facts about Australia
Australia is the largest island and the smallest continent in the world. It is two times larger
than India.
Geologists believe Australia to be the world’s oldest continent.
Two-thirds of Australia is made up of flat desert area.
The population of Australia is more than 19 million. But Australia’s sheep population is
fourteen times more than its human population!
Complete
the Story...
The archeologists were hard at work,
chiseling away at a chunk of rock
they believed contained fossils. The
sweltering sun was shining down on
them. One of the archeologists gave
a shout, as her work revealed a
beautiful fossil pattern, it looked like
an ancient platypus!

11. 10
Feed the Platypus

12. Jesh Krishna Murthy
Aryaa Naik Dalmiya
Contributing Writers
Lavanya Khare
Assistant and Copy Editor
Layout and Design
Artists
Kaniz Fatima Khan
Deepti Raavi
Raunaq Amarnani
Archana Rajagopal
Priyanka Garegat
Ekta Bhatnagar
Rituparna Chatterjee
Content
Amol Padwal
Shailendra Havane
Sujith VS
Rohini Dusane
Bhavini Damani
Sitanshu Bhartiya
Atul Wankhade
Archana Rajagopal
Bharat Pillai
Tushar Rokade
Walmik Pawar
Kalpana Siromani
Dnyanesh Thombre
Prashant Kini
Shekhar Ramaiah
Digital
Marketing
Distribution
Creator
Editor
The Team

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Mocomi timepass is a mini magazine available daily for children!
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