Dimdima april2020 (1)

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COPYRIGHTS: BHARATIYA VIDYA BHAVAN. ALL RIGHTS
RESERVED THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.
April 2020
Vol. 4 Issue 11
Bhavan’s
Dimdima
Bring out the Winner in You
Comics Open House
29 The Math Tutor
Quest
26 Living Underground
46 Q & A
Stories
45 It Happened to Me
47 Jokeshop
6 The Blackmailer
34 Vijay and the
Melon Plant
Movie Watch
29 Pawfect Entertainment
Fact-o-Meter
42 Exotic Foods
First & Foremost
32 Fastest Mammal
12 Boomslayer: The Mist
28 Secret Agent Zero
36 The Wise Carpenter
50 Haddiraj
Curiosities
41 Book Bandit
Cover: Prachi Killekar & Snehangshu Mazumder
Anniversary
23 50th Earth Day
Nature Watch
India File
44 The Ancient City of Lakes
Hall of Fame
9 Champion of the
Downtrodden
Turning Point
43 The Star Stroker
10 Teasers & Puzzles
49 Word Whiz
33 Poetry Nook
Brain Power
In this issue:
24 My Winter Friend

4 Dimdima
April 2020 Issue Vol 4
Many times the toilets in my school stink even
though they are cleaned twice a day. When I
complained to my granddad about this, he told
me an anecdote of Gandhiji. Once Gandhiji was
staying at the Ripon College in Kolkata. He
wanted to use the toilet but could not enter it
because of the stink. He asked one of the
volunteers why they hadn’t cleaned it. The man
replied that it was the scavenger’s job,
not theirs. Gandhiji quietly took a
broom and cleaned the toilet
himself, leaving the volunteers
stupefied.
My grandfather says we need
not clean our school’s toilets but
we should pour sufficient water
after using them so that they
remain clean and don’t stink.
◆ Once a newspaper reported that a
gold mine 10 times larger than the
Kolar mines had been discovered
in Kochi, Kerala. Hundreds of
people gathered at the site
mentioned, only to discover that it
was an April Fools’ Day prank.
◆ In another instance, a Jordanian
newspaper reported on its front
page that spaceships flown by
3-metre tall aliens, had landed in a
town in their country. Utter
mayhem prevailed in that town and
just as its Mayor was planning to
sue the newspaper for creating
panic, he was told that it was an
April Fools’ Day prank.
—Sonali Shah
—Nisha Shah, Std.7,
Navrachana International School,
Vadodara.
CHUCKLES
4 Dimdima
GIVE ME
SOME GOOD
NEWS!
YOU WILL HAVE
FAME, WEALTH
& HAPPINESS!
BUT THE BAD
NEWS IS....
...TODAY IS
APRIL FOOLS’
DAY!

Dimdima
April 2020 Issue Vol 4 5
Rearrange the letters
in the grid to get a
word that means a
joker or a trickster.
Send your
answers to contest@dimdima.com
as fast as you can before 30 April
if you want to be among the five lucky
winners whose names will be
published on this page.
Winners of February Word Puzzle
Answer: AMBIGUITY
◆ K S Shreya, Std. 3-A, Bhavan's Vidya
Mandir, Irinjalakuda.
◆ Anjadip Mahato, Std. 4-A, Bhavan's
Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose
Vidyaniketan, Haldia.
◆ Kartik Mahajan, Std. 5-C, Bhavan’s
B P Vidya Mandir, Trimurti Nagar,
Nagpur.
◆ Kamal Tanvir, Std. 6-G, Bhavan’s Sri
Ramakrishna Vidyalaya, Sainikpuri,
Hyderabad.
◆ Shreyans Mishra, Std. 7-E, Bhavan's
Gangabux Kanoria Vidyamandir, Salt
Lake City, Kolkata.
A reporter asked a
104-year-old lady what
she thought was the
best thing about being
so old.
The toothless
centurion smiled and
replied, “No peer
pressure.”
The boss of a small
company had kept
his birthday a secret.
On 1st May, he
overheard some of
his employees
discussing the
probable month of his birthday. Their conversation
went thus:
George: I think his birthday was in March. I've
studied numerology and according to my
calculations, his birthday must be in a
month beginning with M or N, that is,
March, May or November.
Aarti: He is a warm person so his birthday should
be in a warm month, from April to
September.
Meena: I remember him saying that his birthday
month has only 30 days.
Harish: I think it's in October.
Shekhar: It must either be in the last three or the first
three months of the year.
Anand: I have a feeling his birthday is not this month
or the next, but either in July or August.
The boss chuckled knowing that only one of them
was right. Can you guess who?
The Australian numbat is an
anteater. It doesn’t chew
food; yet, it has 50
to 52 teeth, the
largest number
among marsupials.
Happy
Easter!
Knock… knock!
Who's there?
Ass…
Ass who?
Keep asking! April Fool!!!
—Nandu Bhave, Std. 8-A,
Adarsh Gurukul Academy,
Vadgaon, Kolhapur.
Since
only
one
of
them
is
right,
it
must
be
the
person
who
mentioned
or
indicated
a
month
that
no
one
else
did.
This
month
is
December
and
it
is
was
indicated
by
Shekhar.
So
he
is
the
only
one
who
is
right
Dimdima

6 Dimdima
H
ANU and her cousins,
Vinu and Pihu, sat
with Rafuchakkar, the
cook. The poor chap was
being blackmailed.
He held the threatening
messages between his
masala-smeared fingers,
sobbing. The three took the
notes from him and read
them again.
‘GO...go...OR…’ and
there was a picture of a
skinned chicken.
‘Run...away...AWAY...Or
else…’ There was a photo of
a noose.
“Where did you find
these?” Vinu asked.
“In my room. They were
pushed under my door,”
Rafuchakkar sniffed.
maid? Or the driver who
comes to the kitchen to pick
up our tiffins? Rafuchakkar’s
room is next to the kitchen.”
“But, why would any of
them blackmail him? They
are all good friends,” Hanu
said.
“THAT is what we have to
find out,” Vinu said firmly.
Theirs was a joint family.
The house was full of aunts,
uncles and children of all
ages. It was great fun,
especially during holidays
and festivals.
Next morning, as was the
routine, all the children sat
down to study. It was
vacation time and during
vacations, their Uncle always
became their tutor.
“Tell us,” Vinu asked,
“have you seen something
that you should not have
seen?
“ N o . . . n o t h i n g , ”
Rafuchakkar answered.
“Okay, Rafuchakkar, you
get back to work. We promise
we will not let anything
happen to you,” said Vinu
trying to comfort him.
After he left, the trio
began talking in earnest.
“Look at these letters,” Hanu
said, spreading them. “They
are printed letters cut out
from a book and then glued.
The notes were pushed
under his door. Who could
it be?”
“The gardener?” Pihu
wondered. “Pushpa, the
STORY
Dimdima
6

Dimdima
“Where is your Letter
Book?” Uncle asked four-
year-old Palak. Palak just
shrugged her tiny shoulders.
“Lost? Did you eat it for
breakfast?” he joked.
Others laughed, but the
three children pricked up
their ears! Almost like a dog
would!
Just then, their aunt
came, holding her baby.
Varun smiled at his baby
sister and gave her his copy.
The baby grabbed the
copy and ... rrriippp! She tore
a page right out!
Varun let out a loud moan
but Uncle said, “Okay, no
worries. Take the tube of
glue from Palak and stick it
back.”
Palak checked her bag
and shrugged again. No
glue—she had lost that too.
Uncle wailed, “I am not
sitting with students! I am
sitting with a bunch of
losers, moaners and
destroyers! Help me God!”
Everyone laughed, but
not Hanu, Vinu and Pihu.
After the study session, they
met in the garden and took
stock. Letter book lost, glue
lost—stolen and used to
make notes to blackmail!
Sukhi, their gardener,
appeared. He was very fond
of the children and his face
brightened on seeing them.
“Come, come. Here are
seeds,” he said. “I will show
you how to plant them.”
Hanu took the seeds,
which were wrapped in a
crumpled paper. Then she
stared...not at the seeds, but
at the paper. The letters were
the same as the ones pasted
on the blackmailer’s letters!
“Can’t be him,” said Vinu
who had learnt all about
insects from Sukhi and had
got good marks because of
that.
“But, this paper is the
proof,” Pihu said. “And if we
find the glue tube in his hut,
then surely...”
“We have to search
Sukhi’s room. But,” said
Hanu, scratching her head,
“why would he want to
blackmail Rafuchakkar?”
No one had an answer.
So that afternoon when
Sukhi went out, the three
children went into his hut.
They looked everywhere but
did not find a glue bottle.
That evening, as they sat
thinking, Pihu said “Let us
have some nimbu-paani. It
helps me think.”
They marched into the
kitchen. Vinu cut a lemon
and squeezed the juice into
three glasses of water. He
then took the lemon peels to
throw into the garbage bin.
He lifted its cover and his
eyes caught sight of
something. He bent down
and pulled something out.
It was a plastic tube, the
tube of glue. Twisted and
empty.
Next morning, the
children sat down to study
as usual. As soon as Uncle
came, Varun proudly
showed him his copy and
said, “I have stuck the page.”
Hanu asked immediately,
“How did you stick the page,
Varun?”
“Pushpa stuck it for me.”
The three exchanged
quick looks, knowing where
they had to head next.
In the afternoon, they
entered Pushpa’s room
while she was working in the
kitchen and searched for
clues. A pile of folded saris
were kept on a table. Pihu
carefully looked into each
fold. And there it was – a
picture book with pictures
cut out from it! There were
also a few pages of the Letter
Book. And a blade.
“Now we need to make
both Sukhi and
Dimdima

8 Dimdima
STORY
Pushpa talk,” Vinu said.
The children went to
Sukhi’s hut. He was lying on
his bed, listening to music.
“Sukhi, do you want to
learn reading?” Pihu asked.
“Why?”
We know you keep the
pages of Palak’s Letter Book
with you. We can help you,”
she said and showed him the
page.
Sukhi looked at it
dismissively. “Pushpa gave me
the pages to keep seeds.
These are thick sheets. They
don’t tear,” he said.”Hmph!
Read? At this age? Hehe!”
“So it’s Pushpa,” Vinu
said, grimly.
“Looks like it,”said the
girls, sounding sad. Pushpa
was sweet and nice.
The children went to the
kitchen where Pushpa was
washing dishes.
“Pushpa, do you like
pictures?” Hanu asked.
Pushpa looked at him,
perplexed. Vinu waved
the picture book and the
pages of the Letter Book
The children exclaimed,
“PUSHPA! The radishes are at
the back of the garden. The
rose bushes are in the front.
How could he have seen
you?”
“I got scared,” Pushpa
whimpered. “I thought if he
saw me, he would
complain.”
“And so you sent him
those horrible messages?”
Vinu said. “Poor Rafuchakkar
was being terrorised for
nothing.”
“Sorry. Don’t tell Saheb
that I chewed tobacco.”
“Arrey Pushpa, he will
not dismiss you for chewing
tobacco, but he surely will
for blackmailing,” Hanu said.
Pushpa howled like a
large walrus.The children
tried to calm her down but
her howls brought the aunts
and the moms into the
kitchen.
“What’s the matter?”
they asked.
After hearing the entire
story, they sat Pushpa down
and assured her that her job
was safe as long as she did not
act foolishly. Pushpa swore by
all the gods of the heaven that
she would never chew
tobacco or do anything stupid
again.
Then the ladies said, “We
will leave the matter here.
Well done, children!”
The three hoped for a
reward, but nope, there was
no word about that. That is,
until they were treated to ice
cream in the evening.
—Sniggdha Jauhari
in front of her.
Pushpa’s face crumpled.
Large tears flowed down her
cheeks and she wrung her
hands desperately.
Vinu asked gently, “Why
did you threaten
Rafuchakkar?”
Pushpa wailed, “He saw
me eating. I thought he will
complain to Saheb. Saheb
warned me never to eat.”
“Eating WHAT? Lunch,
dinner…” The children
asked in unison.
“Not eating. Chewing
tobacco. Saheb said if I chew
tobacco, he will dismiss me,”
she bawled.
“But why did you
threaten Rafuchkkar?” Pihu
asked.
“Rafuchakkar saw me
chewing tobacco.”
“Did he threaten you?”
“No, he said nothing.”
“When did he see you?”
“He was plucking
radishes in the garden. I was
standing by the rose bushes.
He must have seen me
then,”he said.
8 Dimdima

Dimdima
❊
❊
❊
❊
❊ For 26 years, until 1961, child actors were awarded the Juvenile Oscar.
The trophy was about half the size of the standard Oscar statuette.
HALL OF FAME
ChampionoftheDowntrodden
Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (1891–1956), better known as Babasaheb Ambedkar,
was a redoubtable champion of the Dalits.
BORN on 14 April 1891, Babasaheb, was a
bright, intelligent child, who often got into
trouble for being naughty. He would gather
the neighbouring children to play cricket,
football or hockey and raise quite a ruckus,
too!
Babasaheb’s father was an officer in the
British army; yet, it did not shield him from
the humiliating treatment meted out to the
lower castes in society. He got his first taste
of untouchability when he enrolled in a
government school. He and his brothers had
to sit in a different room, avoid contact with
other children of the higher castes and never
touch the water tap. They were given water
by the peon — and, no peon meant no
water. He was only six then. Babsaheb faced
this kind of injustice even as an adult despite
being a brilliant student and a capable
lawyer.
After his mother died, Babasaheb lived
with his siblings under his aunt’s care while
his father worked at Koregaon in Satara.
Once in 1901, his father suggested that the
boys spend the summer vacation with him.
The boys were excited. They were going to
ride on a train for the first time. They bought
new English-made clothes and shoes for the
journey. Their father promised to send a peon
to receive them at the station.
The boys went by train to Masur, the
station closest to Koregaon. They waited for
an hour but there was no sign of their father
or his peon. Seeing their smart clothes, the
stationmaster initially treated them kindly.
But as soon as he learnt of their low caste,
his behaviour changed.
After a long wait, the boys decided to hire
a bullock cart driver. But none was willing
to take them though they offered to pay
double the fare. One agreed on the
condition they drove the cart themselves and
the driver walked alongside. That way he
could avoid the risk of getting ‘polluted’.
Day turned into night. The boys began
to suspect treachery. Around ten o'clock,
they halted at a toll booth to rest for the
night. The toll collector refused to let them
drink water at his booth.
Distressed, the boys barely
slept. Hungry, thirsty and
tired, the boys finally
reached their father's
house around noon the
next day.
The experience left a
deep impact on young
Babasaheb's mind. It
sowed the seeds of a stellar
career dedicated to the
upliftment of the
depressed classes.
Dimdima

10 Dimdima
Teasers & Puzzles
BRAIN POWER
1. That more you use me, the thinner I become. What am I?
2. What is it that has a neck but no head, two arms but no
hands?
3. When do maps become annoying?
4. Who shaves 25 times a day and still has a beard?
5. A lady places a book before the man at the
counter. The man tells her to pay 150. The lady
pays the money and goes away without taking
the book. The man notices this, but does not call
her back. Why?
AQuick Think
B Odd One Out
C Spot the Mistake
Observe the picture carefully
and spot the mistake.
There is an error in one of the rows
below. Which one?
A. K N Q T W Z
B. B F J N R V
C. A F K P V Z
D. 3 6 9 12 15 18
E. 7 11 15 19 23 27
F. 13 18 23 28 33 38

Dimdima
❊
❊
❊
❊
❊ Grasshopper mice are unaffected by scorpion venom as their
bodies have evolved to make the venom painless.
Answers on page 45
— Beena Menon
Tito’s uncle buys ten dozen apples from the market and
asks him to count them. While doing so, Tito realises that
• when counted in twos, there is one extra apple;
• when counted in threes, there are two extra;
• when counted in fours, there are three extra;
• when counted in fives, there are four extra;
• when counted in sixes, there are five extra;
• but when counted in sevens, there are no extras.
How many apples are there in all?
E Fit the Pattern
Which two pieces will produce pattern no. 5?
F Keeping Count
D Teaser
Farmer Faltu ties his bull Kaloo with a
rope that is 2 metres long so that Kaloo
can graze comfortably in the pasture. Yet,
in the evening, Faltu’s neighbour
complains that Kaloo had entered his
field 6 metres away and trampled upon
his cabbage patch. How is this possible?

12 Dimdima
COMICS
COMICS
Boomslayer The Mist
Another day, but the
same problem. What to
eat and how to get it.
How? How?
How?!!!
Param
Boka!
The same! The last time we met, you tried
to help me overthrow Sheru
and take his place as king of
Ritarati Forest but things went
wrong. now I’ve another plan!
You do?
But I’m not
interested. I
cannot betray
Sheru again and
again. He’s my king,
you know.
Look, if I
become king,
you can become
deputy king!
Which means food of
your choice for
breakfast, lunch and
dinner served to you
on a platter!
Food of my
choice served
to me!
Story: Luis Fernandes
Illustrations: Marina Pereira
Hello,
there!

Dimdima
❊
❊
❊
❊
❊ For deaf people, the Japanese created a smoke
alarm that pumps spicy wasabi mist into the air.
Food! Snacks!
Anytime of the day!!!
What do I have to
do! What do I have
to do! What do I
have to do!!!
On a platter…or
banana leaves if you
prefer. Snacks, any
time of the day…or
night!
According to my
spy in the sky,
there’s a mist
headed this way…
Mist?
…a thick, red mist! So
thick you won’t be
able to see beyond
your nose! We’ll take
advantage of the
mist to kidnap Sheru.
And how do
we do that?
You’ll locate Sheru,
knock him out and
hand him over to
my trusted
lieutenants…
Boole and
Foole!
What
brutes!!!
All brawn no brain! All
they know is that they have
to pick up Sheru, take him
to the cliff and heave him
into the sea!

14 Dimdima
COMICS
That’s all very well,
but what makes you
think I could knock
out Sheru? He’s big
and strong! I’ve come well
prepared!
This bag
contains a
dozen knock-
out fruits!
They’re soft and squishy but deadly!
Throw one or two at him and the
fumes they give out when they burst
will put him to sleep in a jiffy!
And then?
I’m coming to that.
When Sheru is
knocked out…
…take this glowing
stone and keep it near
him. And then you just
walk away. Go home.
Your role is over.
And what will
happen to
Sheru?
We’ll take good
care of him. The
glowing stone will
lead Boole and
Foole to the spot.
They will pick him up,
take him to the cliff
and throw him over
into the sea.
I must tell
you that
Sheru is a
very good
swimmer.

Dimdima
❊
❊
❊
❊
❊ Ravens in captivity can learn to talk better than
some parrots.
By the time he makes his way
back to the palace, the mist will
have lifted and I will have
installed myself on the throne. Ah, here it
comes!
Gog-Magog!
That mist looks
wicked! All
sorts of things
could happen in
it!
Now get to work!
We’ll meet after
the mist has lifted. He’s
running
away…
…leaving me to do
the dirty work...
Under the
watchful eyes
of these two
dumbbells!
Something tells me I might have
made a mistake in agreeing to help
Boka, but can I back out now? How
I wish Boomslayer was with me! He
never knows what to do but he
always knows what NOT to do!
They’re following me
like bloodhounds!
Let’s see if I can shake
them off.

16 Dimdima
COMICS
Aha! Can’t see
them anywhere!
I’ve outrun them
I’ve outsmarted
them! I’ve…
(Gasp)…!
J-Just admiring the
bush…heh-heh…nice
leaves…nice
smell…nice…

Dimdima
❊
❊
❊
❊
❊ Play-Doh, a clay-like children’s toy, was initially sold
as wallpaper cleaner.
Mist!
Can’t see them!
Can’t see
myself! But got
to get away
from here!
Some dark shape
coming my way…
Gog-Magog!
It…It’s…
Can’t see a thing! I’m
lost…completely
lost.
...Sheru! Can’t
mistake that
swagger…it’s him
all right! You! Who are
you? Speak!
O-One of
your
subjects,
Y-Your
Majesty!
Maybe he
has not had
breakfast
and is
looking
for a meal!

18 Dimdima
A JACKAL WOULD
BE JUST RIGHT
FOR HIM…I’D
BETTER ACT FAST!
WHAM!
WHAMM!!
WHAMMM!!!
DHOP!
HE’S
KNOCKED
OUT!
I’LL KEEP THIS
GLOWING RED
STONE ON
THIS ROCK
HERE…
…AND MAKE
MYSELF SCARCE!
COMICS

Dimdima
❊
❊
❊
❊
❊ Sweden is so good at recycling that only 1% of its garbage
ends up in landfill.
THE GLOWING STONE ATTRACTS THE
ATTENTION OF YET ANOTHER DENIZEN OF
RITARATI FOREST, LOST IN THE MIST -
WHAT’S THAT?
A GLOWING STONE!
IT LOOKS READY TO
EXPLODE!
BETTER THROW
IT FAR AWAY.
T
T
T
T
THOD!!!
HOD!!!
HOD!!!
HOD!!!
HOD!!!
THE STONE HITS AN UNINTENDED TARGET!
THE BRIGHT GLOW OF THE STONE, NOW LYING ON
THE GROUND DRAWS THE ATTENTION OF TWO
SINISTER FIGURES -
THERE!
UNHESITATINGLY, THEY PICK UP THE ANIMAL
LYING NEAR THE STONE…

20 Dimdima
COMICS
…RUSH TO THE CLIFF… …AND-
THROW!
EH?
NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
THAT SOUNDED
LIKE… …THE BOSS!
YES, IT’S HIM!
BOSSSS! WE’RE
COMING!
MEANWHILE, BOOMSLAYER, WANDERING AROUND,
SEARCHING FOR HIS FRIEND, COMES UPON ….
GROWWLLL!
SHERU!
COMICS

❊
❊
❊
❊
❊ At the summit of Mt. Everest , water boils at 68°C instead of
100°C.
WHO’S
THERE!
FRIEND OR
FOE?
F-F-FRIEND,
YOUR
MIGHTINESS!
MY COUSIN
MEGATOOTH
SERVES AT YOUR
COURT!
AH, SO YOU’RE
ONE OF US! I
HAVE TO BE
CAREFUL YOU
KNOW…
MY ENEMIES ARE
STALKING ME IN
THIS DARNED FOG!
ONE OF THEM EVEN
THREW ROTTEN
FRUITS AT ME!
ROTTEN
FRUITS!
YES, SOME SMELLY
FELLOW…THERE HE
IS! HE’S STILL
STALKING ME!!!
BIGGIE! I…I…I…
HE’S A FRIEND TOO,
YOUR MIGHTINESS!
HE’S SEARCHING
FOR YOU TO TELL
YOU THAT ONLY YOU
CAN GET RID OF
THIS MIST! I!
OF COURSE I CAN! I’M
LORD OF THE SKIES! YES,
I CAN COMMAND THIS
MIST TO DISAPPEAR
AND I WILL DO IT!!!
Dimdima

22 Dimdima
COMICS
GRANDPA SAID THIS
MIST WILL LAST
ABOUT TWO HOURS.
ITS TIME IS UP
AND IT’S THINNING
ALREADY!
GOOD
THINKING,
BOOM!
GO, MIST, GO!
I COMMAND
YOU TO GO!!!
IT WORKED,
YOUR
MAJESTY! THE
MIST IS
THINNING!
IT’S
GOING…GOING…
IT’S
GONE!!!
COME TO THE PALACE BOTH
OF YOU AND LET’S
CELEBRATE MY ROYAL POWER
OVER MIST AND FOG!!!
AH! FOOD SERVED
ON BANANA LEAVES!
HIS PROMISE CAME
TRUE IN A WAY! WHOSE
PROMISE?
THE KING’S! LONG
LIVE SHERU!
HURRRAH!!!

Dimdima
ANNIVERSARY
❊
❊
❊
❊
❊ Humans are the only animals that blush.
(from left to right)
Aarna, Mikhail,
Issabel, Rafael,
Aryan, Ruhaan and
Ahana (at the back).
SEVEN Class 3 students
Rafael, Mikhail, Aryan,
Ruhaan, Issabel, Ahana
and Aarna from Bombay
Scottish School in
Mahim, Mumbai, have
started a group called
the Eco Savers Inc. to
protect our Earth.
The idea to start the
group was conceived by
Rafael Lobo, who dreamt
one night that glaciers were
melting and causing Earth
to become very hot. “When
I woke up, I told Mummy
about the dream and asked
her if it was true. And, she
said, ‘Yes’.”
Her reply deeply
disturbed Rafael, who told
his twin, Mikhail, about it.
The two of them discussed
the matter with their
classmate Aryan, and
decided that it was their
duty to save Earth. They
were joined by four other
classmates. The first thing
on their agenda was to
make all their classmates
aware of how Earth was
getting damaged.
illustrations. They also jotted
down the things to follow:
Earth Day is observed to
draw attention to the
damage that human
activities are causing our
planet. The first wakeup
call was given fifty years
ago on 22 April. Since
then, countries around the
world have been trying to
create awareness to
protect the planet.
◆ Recycle things. For
example, convert a used
plastic can or container
into a craft item.
◆ Switch off lights/gadgets
after use.
◆ Don’t waste water.
◆ Put trash only inside the
trash bin.
Miss Shah, their class
teacher, was so impressed
with the Eco Savers’ charts
and agenda that she told
them to stage a play which
she said she would record
and show the entire school
on Earth Day.
“Through the play, we
will show how our
thoughtless actions are
polluting Earth,” said
Mikhail, who will be
directing the play.
So they prepared charts
depicting the grave situation
Earth was facing. Each one
came out with ideas, which
Mikhail, the group’s artist,
brought to life through
◆ Walk to school if you
live close to it.
◆ Don’t burst
firecrackers.
◆ Don’t smoke, and
request people
around you also not
to smoke.

24 Dimdima
NATURE WATCH
O
ne cool and misty winter morning,
when I was walking along my
favourite path around a pond in my
neighbourhood, I saw what looked like
small white specks bobbing up and down
at the water’s edge. I went closer and found
it was a little bird with a long tail, which it
was wagging up and down vigorously! It was
perched on a log that had fallen into the
pond. The blurred specks I had seen through
the mist were the white feathers on either
side of its tail.
Not wanting to disturb it, I stood very still
to get a better look. Just a little bigger than
a sparrow, the bird was sleek and slim with
a smart coat of grey feathers on its back and
over its head, while the belly was a
contrasting yellow. The tail, which was as
long as its body, was also grey, edged with
white on either side. This was the first time I
had noticed this little bird. I watched it for a
while and keeping a mental picture till I
returned home, looked up my Book of Indian
Birds by Sálim Ali, and identified it as a male
Grey Wagtail.
The next morning, I rushed to the same
spot. To my delight, the wagtail was there,
not sitting on the log this time but busily
darting about at the water’s edge, picking
at the soggy ground with its pointed beak.
It would make short, low flights to the
bushes around with a high-pitched chi-
chip..chi-chip..chi-chip call, but would
invariably return soon to its special place on
the log. It didn’t seem to mind my presence
and would often spring up in the air to snap
up a tiny flying insect.
This became a daily routine for
me—to stop by the pond and look for the
wagtail and he was always there throughout
the winter. Sometime in March, as soon as
the weather turned warm, I couldn’t find him
anywhere! I even sat by the pond and waited
in the hope that he would suddenly emerge,
but in vain. The bird had disappeared as
mysteriously as it had come! I couldn’t help
feeling a sense of
loss—as though a friend had gone
away.
Where had he come from? Where
had he gone? These questions filled
my mind as the months went by and
the seasons changed from summer
to monsoons and to the dryer, cooler
climate at the end of the year. By
then, I had stopped looking for the
little bird.
While walking past the pond one
chilly morning, I heard a familiar chi-
chip..chi-chip..chi-chip! My joy knew
24 Dimdima

Dimdima
no bounds when I saw the little Grey Wagtail
sitting on the path just ahead of me. As I
went nearer, he took off, but flew close to
the ground for a couple of metres and again
sat on the ground wagging his tail. Once
more as I walked ahead, he repeated the
low flight and landed on the path ahead,
and repeated this a few times, almost as if
he was playing a game with me, till he
decided to fly away into the bushes with a
graceful undulating flight.
Winter was just setting in and for the next
few months I enjoyed the company of my
playful feathered friend till again when the
weather changed, and he left without any
warning like he had in the previous year.
Grey Wagtails are migratory birds that
come all the way from the Himalayan
mountain regions of Ladakh, Kashmir and
Kulu in India, or our neighbouring countries
Nepal and Pakistan, to spend the winter
months on the plains. In summertime, the
weather is cool in the mountains and perfect
for these birds to breed and bring up their
chicks. They build a simple nest with grass
and fibres like wool or hair on the ground
or hidden between rocks and the females
lay small, grey-coloured eggs.
Both the parents look after the chicks,
feeding them high-protein insect food till they
are strong enough to fly.
Once the harsh Himalayan winter sets in
with snow, frost and cold winds, the adult
Grey Wagtails, along with the young ones,
fly down to lower altitudes, even to the
coasts where it is warmer, some going as far
Dimdima
as Sri Lanka and the Maldives. This journey,
covering hundreds of kilometres, over hills,
forests, fields and even towns and villages,
is an amazing achievement, which these tiny
birds undertake twice in a year — once in
autumn to escape the freezing winter season
and again in spring to go back to their home
in the Himalayas. They are known to return
to the same winter spot every year, but no
one knows why they choose a particular
place or how they find their way!
My little wagtail friend visited me for
three winters in a row and I was delighted
that my neighbourhood pond was his
favourite spot. I was filled with wonder that
though he had travelled such a long distance
he was not exhausted, but looked bright
and cheery. How I wish I could have
followed him to his summer home in the
mountains!
— Tara Gandhi
(Author and wildlife conservationist)

26 Dimdima
QUEST
From the time of the Neanderthals around
1,00,000 years ago, human beings have lived in
caves. A cave is a hollow area in the earth that
has formed naturally. It may consist of a single
chamber that is not very far from the surface, or
a network of passages and chambers that may
descend deep under the ground and run for
many miles.
Troglodyte Tales
A human cave-dweller is called a troglodyte. Are
there any modern-day troglodytes? Yes, and they
are found in a number of countries, ranging from
Tunisia, Iran and China to Italy and Turkey!
In Tunisia’s Matmata, located in the arid
Djebel Dahar region, the Berbers have lived in
underground homes for centuries. The houses
protect them from the extreme desert cold and
heat, remaining cool in summer and cosy in
winter. They are built by digging a deep circular
pit in the soft sandstone. Then cave-like rooms
are excavated around the edges of the pit. The
main pit is a courtyard open to the sky.
In the 1960s, unexpectedly heavy downpours
flooded the area, destroying or damaging the
underground dwellings. The Tunisian
Climate change, air pollution, shrinking spaces and overcrowding may
one day force humans to burrow underground like moles!
government encouraged
the Berbers to settle in towns
and cities.
The houses became a
tourist attraction after one
of them featured as Luke
Skywalker’s home in a Star
Wars film. Today, only a
handful of families who are
reluctant to move away
from their land and homes,
remain in Matmata.

Dimdima
Wherever people have
constructed cave dwellings,
whether it is Matmata,
Iran’s Kandovan, Turkey’s
Cappadocia, or Italy’s Matera,
the landscape has lent itself to
easy digging and excavation.
Kandovan and Cappadocia both
have caves hollowed out of
volcanic ash and debris, while in
Matera, it is pliable limestone. In
China’s Shanxi province, the cave
houses are built from loess, fine
particles of soil.
Opal City
In Coober Pedy, an Australian
opal mining town, the residents
went underground to escape the
dust storms and searing summer
heat (47°C). They cut into the
sandstone mounds to make their
‘dugouts’. After tunnelling out
the rooms, lacquer was applied
to the walls and concrete floors
laid. All modern dugouts have
wall-to-wall carpeting,
furnishings, running water and
electricity.
Underground, the
temperature remains constant all
year round at 24°C (controlled by
air ventilation shafts). Except for
the dim light, the faint echoes
and the mild smell of salt from
the earth, life is not much
different from that above
ground. The only drawback is the
dust!
Mole People
Of course, in all these places,
living underground is tolerable
not only because electricity and
water are available, but also
because the inhabitants know
they can come to the surface if
they crave sunshine and fresh air! —Jayanthi Mahalingam
Would humans adapt so well if they had
to live entirely under the earth 24/7?
The biggest lack underground is sunlight.
Sunlight is necessary for growing food crops
and stimulating the production of Vitamin
D in the human body. Vitamin D is essential
to maintain bone health.
Another danger is Seasonal Affective
Disorder or SAD which affects people in
winter when the days are long and dark.
When isolated in caves without light,
humans have been observed to sleep for
48 hours at a stretch! Artificial lights to
regulate Circadian rhythms would be
needed.
Most humans have a natural fear of
being buried alive in confined underground
spaces. So, going underground is physically
possible and an ecologically sound idea, but
it may cause psychological stress.
Did You Know?
◆ An earth shelter or berm home is a house with
earth (soil) packed against the walls or on the
roof or entirely buried underground. The packed
earth maintains a steady indoor air temperature
and reduces energy costs. Earth sheltering
became popular in the 1970s, especially among
environmentalists.
◆ In several metro cities, such as Beijing, Las Vegas
and New York, homeless people live out their
lives in abandoned air-raid shelters, basements,
sewer pipes and subway tunnels.

28 Dimdima
COMICS
Story: Luis Fernandes
Illustrations: Marina Pereira
A WAITER’S LIFE
IS SO EASY AND
SECURE.
HE RUNS NO RISK...
GETS LOTS TO EAT...
AND PROBABLY MAKES
MORE MONEY THAN I
DO, IN TIPS.
PARVATI ONCE
TOLD ME SHE KNOWS A
WOMAN WHOSE HUSBAND
WAS A WAITER. I WONDER
IF HE COULD GET ME A
JOB IN A RESTAURANT
LIKE THIS.
YOU REMEMBER I TOLD
YOU I KNEW A WOMAN
WHOSE HUSBAND WAS A
WAITER?
YES!
I WOULD
LIKE TO
MEET HER!
YOU WOULD?
WELL, SHE IS
IN THE HALL.
SHE IS HOPING YOU
COULD HELP HER
HUSBAND GET A JOB
IN THE SECRET
SERVICE.

Dimdima
❊
❊
❊
❊
❊ Viking men wore make-up.
MOVIE WATCH
—Sadbhawana Tiwari, Std-8,
Bhavan’s Prism School,
Mankahari, Satna.
BASED on the stories of the character
Paddington Bear, created by Michael Bond,
Paddington 2 (2017) is the super successful
sequel to the 2014 film Paddington.
It narrates the story of a bear called
Paddington who is happily settled with the
Brown family in Windsor Gardens. He spreads
happiness and marmalade wherever he goes
and is much loved by the local community.
While looking for a suitable gift for his Aunt
Lucy's 100th birthday, he comes across an
interesting pop-up book featuring London in
Samuel Gruber's antique shop. He picks up a
series of odd jobs and saves money to buy the
book but unfortunately, it gets stolen. He gives
chase but the thief escapes. Worse, as there is
no evidence that the thief even existed,
Paddington is blamed for the theft and
imprisoned.
The Browns, who try to clear Paddington's
name, discover who stole the book and why:
Pawfect
Entertainment
Pawfect
Entertainment
the book contains a series of clues that
reveal the location of a secret treasure.
Watch the film to find out how
Paddington and his family ultimately
win the day.
Directed by Paul King, Paddington
2 is a feel-good film with a message.
It features sterling performances,
good music and adorable characters,
particularly the bear Paddington.
The film is an animation hybrid i.e.
it weaves the CGI bear into live-action
settings. It was nominated for three
BAFTA (British Academy of Film and
Television Arts) Awards, including
Outstanding Film of the Year.
—Shweta Mittal

30 Dimdima
I
n my childhood, I was very poor at math!
Whenever I was asked to solve a sum, I
felt dizzy. The math class was almost like
a concentration camp for me. Up to class 6,
my marks never exceeded the single digit,
five.
That’s when my parents arranged for a
tutor who was famous for his extraordinary
method of dealing with donkey-brained kids
and transforming them into exceptionally
good students. The tutor had a bushy
moustache and fiery eyes. An unbreakable
cane adorned his brawny hands. When he
used to reprimand, his rumbling voice
sounded like thunder. For two hours, four
days a week, he would mash me up in his
pounder with his cudgel of sums without
caring to explain or find out whether I had
understood them.
A new tutor? My heart beat fast. I hoped
he wouldn’t be too hard on me. In the
evening, when my tutor arrived, instead of
being depressed, I felt somewhat relieved.
For, the man stooped, looked nervous and
was thin and pale. He had a thick unkempt
beard and wore soiled clothes and spectacles
with thick lenses. He carried a long umbrella
in one hand and a torn bag stuffed with
papers on his shoulder.
He patted me affectionately on my
shoulder. “Are you very poor at math?” he
asked. I nodded.
“Very frightened of that subject, aren’t
you?” he spoke again after a moment, and
added softly, “I too am but don’t tell anyone,
please.”
I was dumbfounded.
“I need this job. If I lose it, I won’t be able
to have even one square meal a day,” he
said. “I don’t have a good knowledge of
math. In fact, I’m even afraid of hard and
tricky sums. You are my only hope.”
“I…I…how…ho-hope...?” I stammered,
panic-stricken.
He held one of my hands tightly and said,
“I may get confused while solving the sums.
Please help me then. You are young and
innovative and can surely come up with
unique ideas. Please don’t tell anyone else
about this… or I will be in great trouble.”
His face looked shrunk and his voice, sad.
My heart filled with compassion for the man
and then all of a sudden, I felt courage and
self-confidence surge through me. I wanted
to help him even if I had to work hard and
try to solve the sums on my own. I told myself
that I would think hard, understand the logic
behind the sums and master the examples.
I had to score good marks in the exam, as
only then would his job be safe.
Suddenly my fear of math vanished. I
began to work hard, day and night. Chapter
by chapter, I read all the examples,
comprehended them and solved the sums.
Whenever I found the sums complicated, I
would persist for hours together until I was
OPEN HOUSE
The Math T
The Math T
The Math T
The Math T
The Math Tutor
utor
utor
utor
utor
When I secured zero marks in the half-
yearly examination, my grandfather
dismissed my ruthless tutor and arranged for
another tutor.
“He is good at mathematics, but is
extremely poor. Hopefully, this man can put
some sense into him,” he said to my father,
pointing at me.

Dimdima
❊
❊
❊
❊
❊ The 100 folds in a chef’s hat represent 100 ways to
cook an egg.
able to solve them. I had only one aim in my
mind and that was to save my tutor.
Within three weeks, I realised that I had
mastered all the chapters. Just by reading a
difficult sum, I could understand its solution.
I was finally able to experience the happiness
and the excitement of solving a tough sum.
Gradually, the student-tutor role got
interchanged.
“You have solved it already?” he would
say, smiling. “Can you explain how?” Then,
as if I was the teacher, I would explain the
sum to him.
“Oh, so this is it!” he would remark, and
then to brush aside his embarrassment at not
being able to solve it, he would point to a
difficult sum, and say, “This won’t be that easy!”
However, I would then tighten my chin,
strain my eyebrows and exercise my brain
until I found out the answer. My tutor’s face
would brighten up with a smile at my
success. “You do have a wonderful brain!
Looks like my tuition will continue,” he
would say.
By then I had developed immense self-
confidence. “I won’t fail you, sir,” I
promised.
My school teachers were also astonished.
I was now the first to solve a sum. One day,
my Math teacher, Abhinash Sir, said to me,
“With what magic did your blockhead brain
become such a genius? I can’t believe it!!”
“You will find it even more unbelievable
when you see my marks in the annual exam,
sir!” I replied, tongue in cheek.
When I returned home and told my tutor
about it, he said disapprovingly, “You must
not exaggerate like that. Suppose you forget
all the things like before?”
I looked at him and said calmly, “How can
I forget? I have the picture of all the sums in
my mind. I have to succeed for you, if not for
anyone else!”
For the first time, I saw his timid eyes
shine. Whether it was with tears of
melancholy or excitement, I couldn’t say
then. The day the results came out, my
schoolteachers were speechless. The boy
who had never scored marks with two digits,
was promoted from Class 6 to Class 7 with
marks that had three digits. Hundred out of
hundred!
I now realize that all this was possible
only because of my math tutor. He had
ignited my talent through his extraordinary
ways, and changed my life forever.
—Neel Datta

32 Dimdima
THE cheetah is the swiftest
mammal in the world,
capable of bursts of speed
of around 110 kilometres
an hour, for a few hundred
metres.
The animal gets its
name from the Sanskrit
word citrika, ‘spotted
one’. Once found all over
India, Pakistan, Central
and West Asia, the Asiatic
cheetah (Acinonyx
jubatus venaticus), now
survives in only a few areas
in Iran.
Hunting cheetahs was
a royal sport in India, with
maharajas going on
periodic hunts to display
their valour and prowess in
shooting. Cheetahs are
easily tamed and that
proved their downfall
during the heyday of the
Mughals. The Mughal
emperors used trained
cheetahs to chase and
bring down fleet-footed
animals like gazelles
(chinkara) and antelopes
(blackbuck), so cheetahs
were trapped in large
numbers for
domestication. Emperor
Akbar described the
cheetah as ‘one of God’s
wonders’. Later, during the
British Raj when Europeans
began shooting them down from howdahs perched on
the backs of elephants, the cheetah was pushed to the
brink of extinction. The finishing touch was given in 1947
by Maharaja Ramanuj Pratap Singh Deo of Koriya, now in
Chhattisgarh, when he shot what was thought to be the
last three Asiatic cheetahs left in the country. Though a
lone female cheetah was spotted in the forests of
Chattisgarh in 1951 and sporadic sightings continued
right up to 1975, the cheetah was declared extinct in India
in 1951–52.
The African cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), slightly larger
and darker than its Asiatic cousin is found in around
25 countries in Africa.
There are only slight genetic differences between the
Asiatic and the African cheetahs, so now there is a
proposal to bring a few cheetahs from Africa and release
them into carefully selected environments in India.
Some say we should try to bring Asiatic cheetahs from
Iran instead of African cheetahs which would be a foreign
species but Iran is loath to part with any of its cheetahs —
experts say there are less than 50 left in that country.
The Iranian national football team players proudly
flaunt a cheetah design on their jerseys.
FIRST & FOREMOST

Dimdima
❊
❊
❊
❊
❊ The longest wedding veil, worn by a Cyprus
woman, was longer than 63 football fields.
POETRY NOOK
Let's go out for a nature walk
To admire the world of woods
And make animals talk
To me and you and everyone.
I hear an echo, a strange echo
I start turning yellow
Oh! It’s just peacocks dancing
And lions pouncing.
I love the birds' chirping
And songbirds' singing
I forget all my pain
In the freshness of rain.
The yellow hot sun blazing
And the sky hazing
The green smell of grass
Forget my Maths class.
Walking through the woods,
What do you feel?
It's happiness, bliss and joy,
It's happiness, bliss and joy!
—Ayush Kumar, Std. 8-A,
Bhavan's N.S.C.B. Vidyaniketan,
Haldia.
Natur
Natur
Natur
Natur
Nature W
e W
e W
e W
e Walk
alk
alk
alk
alk
Books
Books
Books
Books
Books
By the Riverside
By the Riverside
By the Riverside
By the Riverside
By the Riverside
By the riverside,
sitting on the shore,
Oh how pleasant it is!
With birds chirping
and the river gurgling,
the wind swaying.
Tell me there is more!
By the riverside,
I feel like a flying bird,
when the wind passes by
and slaps my lifted arms.
My heart feels light,
just like a feather.
Beautiful is the weather!
By the riverside,
as Dad and Mom,
lifted me up,
I felt I touched the sky!
To see the river every morn
how I wished there was,
A little house beside!
Rishonah Terese Jose, Std. 4-A,
Bhavan’s Vidya Mandir, Girinagar, Kochi.
Books tell us stories
Fiction and non-fiction
Keeping our minds free
from worries
They can be an addiction.
Wherever we are
We can take them with us
For they engage us every hour
Without any fuss.
From sports to science
They are our reliance
Giving us knowledge
Even after we finish college.
—Ananya Shyam,
Std. 8-A,
Bhavan’s Vidya Mandir,
Wayanad.

34 Dimdima
V
IJAY was a cobbler. He
lived a simple life,
making sandals and
selling them for a living.
Vijay was a sun worshipper.
Every morning at sunrise,
after a dip in a nearby
stream, he would stand in
the middle of the stream and
gaze at the sun, offering his
worship.
One morning he stood in
the middle of the stream with
hands outstretched to
receive the sun god’s
blessings. Vijay saw
STORY
something small and bright
fall from the sky. He reached
out with his right hand and
caught it. When he opened
his palm, he found a shiny
golden seed. “A gift from
Surya!” he thought. “I must
go home and plant it in the
best soil.”
So Vijay hurried home,
found a large pot, filled it
with soil, and planted his
precious golden seed. Soon
the seed sprouted and
started to grow. As Vijay
carefully tended his
seedling, watering it every
day, making sure it got
plenty of sunshine and
plucking out the weeds that
popped up, he grew to love
it very much. The seedling
34 Dimdima
grew into a verdant plant
with many vines and leaves
that hung down from the
pot’s sides. Vijay had to hang
the pot on his largest
window.
One morning, Vijay was
delighted to discover a
bright yellow blossom on his
beloved plant. In a few days,
the flower turned into a
golden oblong fruit, almost
the size of a cobblestone.
Vijay was excited. But after
several more days of
watching and waiting, the
fruit didn’t get any bigger.
Vijay was worried. “I
must get some fertilizer from
the farmer in exchange for
my sandals,” he thought.
Just then he heard a knock

Dimdima
on his door. When he
opened it, he saw a bearded
sadhu standing at the door.
“Good afternoon,” said
the sadhu. “I understand you
are the local cobbler. I have
travelled all the way from
Allahabad, wearing out my
sandals in the process. Now,
I must return to attend the
Kumbh Mela. Could you
please sell me a pair of
sandals?”
Vijay said, “I have only
one pair of sandals left and I
need to exchange them for
fertilizer.”
“May I ask why you need
the fertilizer?” inquired the
sadhu.
Vijay pointed to the
hanging plant and said, “My
precious plant, a gift from
Surya himself, has produced
a fruit, but it isn’t growing
any more. So it must need
fertilizer.”
The sadhu walked over
to the plant and examined
it. Then he said, “Your melon
plant does not need
fertilizer; it needs to be set
free from the narrow confines
of the pot. Plant it in your
yard and it will spread out in
all directions
and bear
many golden
fruits, more
than you
could eat, and
you could sell
the surplus to satisfy the
hunger and thirst of those
who pass by. For you see,
Vijay, the melon plant is not
Surya’s gift to you; it is his gift
to everyone.”
“But what if birds eat the
fruit? It’s so small and
vulnerable. What if some
hungry person steals it?
What if...”
“Who can know the
future?” interrupted the
sadhu. “One thing is for
certain, though. If you don’t
give the melon plant room
to grow in the open air and
sunshine, in the great
bosom of Mother Earth, it
will become stunted and
wither away.”
The sadhu put his hands
on Vijay’s shoulders, and
looking deeply into his eyes,
he said, “Have trust in Surya.
He will protect the melon
plant and give it all that it
needs to grow and bear fruit.”
With a deep sigh, Vijay
handed the sandals to the
sadhu, folded his hands
and bowed. The sadhu
bowed in return and left.
Vijay took the melon
plant outside without
hesitating, lest he changed
his mind. Digging a hole in
the middle of his lawn, he
carefully lowered his
beloved melon plant into it.
As he did so, he gazed up at
the sun and prayed, “O
Dimdima
35
Surya, forgive me for being
overprotective and
possessive of your gift, which
I now realize I must let go of
and share with others. I trust
you will take care of it.”
As Vijay finished praying,
the sun seemed to brighten
in response. Then it went
behind some dark clouds.
Before long, a gentle rain
fell, quenching the dry
ground with water and
helping the melon plant to
recover from the shock of
transplanting.
Just as the sadhu had
predicted, the melon plant
flourished and covered
Vijay’s entire lawn, bearing
dozens of large melons,
whose reputation for
sweetness spread so far and
wide that many people came
to buy them. And every
morning, Vijay gazed at the
sun, and thanked Surya for
his bounty and protection.
— Wayne H. Purdin

36 Dimdima
COMICS
36
The Wise
The Wise
The Wise
The Wise
The Wise
Carpenter
Carpenter
Carpenter
Carpenter
Carpenter
– Adapted from a
Tibetan folk tale
Script: Meera Nair
Illustration: Sonali Shah
DA JANG, A CARPENTER AND PELZANG, A PAINTER, WORKED
IN THE ROYAL PALACE. THE TWO WERE BITTER ENEMIES.–
LIFE WOULD BE SO
WONDERFUL IF I COULD GET
RID OF DA JANG ONCE AND
FOR ALL!.
YOUR MAJESTY, LAST
NIGHT I HAD A STRANGE
DREAM….EXPERIENCE, RATHER. YOUR
FATHER SENT AN ANGEL DOWN TO EARTH
TO TAKE ME TO HEAVEN TO MEET HIM!
YOUR MAJESTY, YOUR FATHER LIVES
LIKE A KING UP THERE. HE has ASKED
ME TO GIVE YOU THIS LETTER.
A LETTER?
THE KING SENT FOR DA JANG.
MY FATHER IN HEAVEN WANTS
YOU TO GO UP THERE AND
BUILD HIM A TEMPLE.
IN HEAVEN? BUT
YOUR MAJESTY,
HOW CAN I GO
TO HEAVEN?
DA JANG FOUND THE REQUEST RATHER STRANGE.–
ONE DAY-–
MY SON,
I’M IN HEAVEN AND very
HAPPY. I HAVE EVERYTHING I
NEED. I WANT TO BUILD A
GRAND TEMPLE HERE FOR THE
GODS BUT THERE ARE NO GOOD
CARPENTERS UP HERE. SO I
WANT YOU TO SEND ME YOUR
BEST CARPENTER.
YOUR FATHER,
KING GENCHOG
THIS SOUNDS
LIKE FATHER!
HE WAS ALWAYS
BUILDING
TEMPLES WHEN
HE WAS ALIVE.

Dimdima
❊
❊
❊
❊
❊ The speed of a computer mouse is measured in
‘mickeys’.
THEN WOOD SHOULD BE
kept AROUND HIM AND
SET ON FIRE so that THE
SMOKE’ll take him to
heaven.
YOUR MAJESTY, YOUR
FATHER wants THE CARPENTER
to PILE HIS TOOLS here on
the ground AND SIT ON
TOP OF them.
SO BE IT. BUT can
I TAKE OFF FROM
THE FIELD OUTSIDE
MY HOUSE?
so PELZANG’S
BEHIND THIS!
i should have
guessed!
okay. GET READY
TO LEAVE IN
SEVEN DAYS. YES, YOUR
MAJESTY.
Later-
PELZANG’S SCHEMING
TO KILL ME. I HAVE ONLY SEVEN
DAYS LEFT. I HAVE TO THINK FAST!
YES! I KNOW WHAT TO DO!
TOGETHER WE’LL BUILD A
TUNNEL FROM OUR HOUSE TO
THE FIELD OUTSIDE..
and-
now i’ll fill the
opening with sticks
and pile my tools
over them so that
no one will see it!
THE FOLLOWING DAY —

38 Dimdima
DA JANG sat ON THE PILE OF TOOLS —
STACK THE WOOD
AROUND HIM AND SET
IT ON FIRE!
DA JANG WAITED UNTIL THE FLAMES
BEGAN TO LEAP AND THEN —
LOOK! THERE
HE GOES
RIDING ON
THE SMOKE!
WHERE?
THERE!
PLAN ONE,
SUCCESSFUL! NOT A
SOUL KNOWS
OR WILL KNOW THAT
I’M HERE!
MEANWHILE HIS WIFE
STITCHED HIM A ROBE LIKE
SHE HAD SEEN THE GODS
WEAR IN paintings. –
THERE,
IT’S READY!
TRY IT ON,
DEAR.
THANKS. NOW
I THINK IT’S
TIME
FOR ME TO
EXECUTE PLAN
TWO.
THE NEXT MORNING —
THREE MONTHS without
SUNSHINE HAS MADE YOUR
FACE SO PALE… ALMOST
WHITE! EVERYONE WILL
BELIEVE THAT
YOU HAVE RETURNED
FROM HEAVEN.
WHEN HE REACHED THE PALACE —–
YOU’VE RETURNED!
HOW’S MY FATHER
KEEPING? DID YOU
BUILD THE TEMPLE? TELL
ME EVERYTHING!
DA JANG DESCRIBED HIS
STAY IN HEAVEN–—
AND, YOUR
MAJESTY, HERE’S
A LETTER FROM
YOUR FATHER.
COMICS

Dimdima
❊
❊
❊
❊
❊ Pumpkins, squash and gourds belong to the same family.
MY DEAR SON,
I’M HAPPY TO HEAR THAT YOU ARE A GOOD KING AND
THAT YOUR SUBJECTS LOVE AND RESPECT YOU. THREE
MONTHS AGO, YOU’D SENT A CARPENTER UP HERE. HE
HAS BUILT A MARVELLOUS TEMPLE AND I WANT YOU TO
GIVE HIM A HANDSOME REWARD WHEN YOU MEET HIM.
AND NOW, I WANT YOU TO SEND THE BEST PAINTER UP
HERE TO PAINT THE TEMPLE. SEND HIM UP THE SAME
WAY YOU’D SENT THE
CARPENTER.
YOUR FATHER,
KING GENCHOG
MY FATHER SAYS
YOU HAVE BUILT A FINE
TEMPLE FOR HIM!
YES! ALL IT
NEEDS NOW IS
A COAT OF
PAINT!
GIVE DA JANG
A SACK OF GOLD COINS !
YOUR MAJESTY,
YOU ARE VERY
KIND!
DA JANG HAS RETURNED FROM
HEAVEN AFTER BUILDING THE
TEMPLE. NOW MY FATHER WANTS
YOU TO GO THERE AND PAINT
IT FOR HIM.
I THOUGHT HE had
perished in the fire!
HIS SKIN LOOKS SO PALE…. AND
HE’S WEARING SOME STRANGE
ROBE! IS IT POSSIBLE THAT HE’S
RETURNED FROM HEAVEN, THEN?.
LEAVE IN
SEVEN DAYS!
YES, YOUR
MAJESTY!
ON THE SEVENTH DAY–—

40 Dimdima
COMICS
YOUR MAJESTY, LET’S
SEND HIM OFF WITH
SOME MUSIC!
THERE WAS A DEAFENING
SOUND FROM DRUMS,
CYMBALS and HORNS AS
THE FIRE WAS LIT.–
HELP!
as the flames increased — –
HELP!
BUT THE MUSIC WAS SO LOUD THAT
NO ONE HEARD PELZANG SCREAM -
SOMEHOW PELZANG MANAGED
TO GET OUT OF THE FIRE –
...and
SO YOU THOUGHT YOU
COULD FOOL ME!
YES, THE SAME WAY
YOU TRIED TO
TRICK ME!
THE KING WAS ANGRY WHEN HE HEARD ABOUT
THE FARCE —
LEAVE THE
KINGDOM AND DON’T
EVER LET ME SEE YOUR
FACE AGAIN!
as for da jang, He and his wife lived the rest
of their lives in comfort with the gold the
king had given him.

Dimdima
❊
❊
❊
❊
❊ For years, the Ford ModelT car was available only in black,
as this paint dried the fastest.
IN December 1981, Diana Melnychuk, a
librarian in Muhlenber College,
Pennsylvania, noticed a middle-aged grey-
haired man pottering about near the
shelves. He was over six feet tall, big-built
and carelessly dressed. He looked like a
professor. Melnychuk suddenly recalled
that she had seen his picture. The
nondescript man was James Shinn, a
master book thief who targeted world-class
libraries. Libraries were on the alert because
Shinn had been arrested eight months
earlier for stealing 63 books from Oberlin
One of the craftiest thieves in American history targeted
an unlikely place — the library!
College, Ohio, but had jumped bail.
Now in Pennsylvania, FBI agents and
police discovered 26 stolen books in Shinn’s
motel room. There were jars of shoe polish
he used to mask the library markings on the
book spines. They also found a folder
containing fake title pages, stolen licence
plates, false IDs, and guides on how to crack
safes and disable alarms.
Shinn had a long record of robberies of
antiques, jewellery, rare stamps and books.
He had built contacts with legitimate book
dealers under various false names. His
modus operandi was to make a
wish list of valuable books and
find out the libraries that stocked
them. He studied library security
techniques and developed tools
and tricks to override them.
Over the years, Shinn had stolen
hundreds of books from
universities all over the US,
including UCLA, Princeton,
Stanford, Carnegie-Mellon and
Johns Hopkins. Their total value
was estimated at over a million
dollars.
Shinn was sentenced to
20 years in prison in 1982. He
inspired the Oberlin College library
director to launch a 25-year-long
intensive campaign for library
security. There is even a bathroom
called The Shinn Room in Oberlin
where Shinn had locked himself
and tried to flush away a device
he had used to scan books.
CURIOSITY

42 Dimdima
If you get to bite into the costliest, oldest, smelliest, most dangerous or most
unusual food, the dining experience becomes all the more thrilling!
Century eggs, a Chinese dish,
is made by preserving raw duck
eggs in a mixture of clay, ash, salt,
quicklime and rice husk for months
till the yolk turns green and the
white, a transparent brown jelly.
The eggs are then peeled and
relished!
The world’s
most expensive spice
is saffron. It takes at least 1,00,000
saffron flowers to produce 1 kg of
the spice as only the stigmata of the
flower is used. Iran produces
94% of the world’s
saffron.
The flesh of the puffer
fish, the second-most poisonous
vertebrate on Earth, is a delicacy in
Japan! Though it is prepared only
by the most thoroughly trained
chefs, approximately five people
a year die while eating it.
The white
truffle is the most
One of the oldest
food items is bog butter i.e.
The durian, a
Southeast Asian fruit,
is the world’s stinkiest
fruit — it has the stench
of dirty socks that can be smelled
from yards away. Little wonder it is
banned from public transportation,
hotels and planes in some
Asian countries.
butter that was buried
in the peat bogs
of Ireland long ago.
Bog butter as old as
3,500 years is still
edible!
expensive mushroom, fetching
up to US$3,000 per kilo. It
grows only in the wild, about a
foot underground, in northern
Italy. Dogs are specially trained
to sniff out white truffles.
FACT-O-METER

The
Star
Stroker
The
Star
Stroker
Dimdima
TURNING POINT
INDIA’S star opener, Smriti
Mandhana was named the
best female cricketer of the
year in December 2018 by
the International Cricket
Conference (ICC). Smriti,
who bats left-handed, was
born in Mumbai on 18 July
1996. When still a toddler,
she moved to Sangli with her
family where her father was
a distributor of textile
chemicals. Her father was a
good club level cricketer and
her elder brother, Shravan
played for Maharashtra’s
Under-16 side in the national
championships.
Smriti, when she was just
nine, would accompany her
brother to his practice
sessions. There, her father
would lob balls at her to hit
in order to keep her
occupied. He was amazed at
her skill and the power in her
shots, and therefore took her
to a junior state coach for
training. Two years later, she
was picked for the
Maharashtra Under-19
squad but had to spend a
couple of years on the
reserves bench.
When Smriti turned 15,
she had an important decision to make: whether to take
up science as a discipline in college or to concentrate on
cricket as a career. Her mother convinced her to take up
commerce, which would allow her more time to devote
to her game. That decision, the attractive young player
believes, was the turning point in her life. Later that season,
in the Under-19 inter-state one-day competition, Smriti
scored three hundreds and a double century. A few more
big scores in the Challenger Trophy and she was soon
being talked about as the next big thing in women’s cricket.
Smriti made her one-day international (ODI) and T20
debuts in 2013, when she was only 17. She has now
amassed more than 2,000 runs in ODIs and is also closing
in on that mark in T20 internationals. She also led India in
a T20 series. Smriti has represented Brisbane Heat and
Hobart Hurricanes in the Women’s Big Bash League in
Australia and has played for Western Storm in the English
T20 league.
A fluent stroke player and astute cricketer, she is said to
be a mischief-maker and prankster off the field.
—Austin Coutinho
❊
❊
❊
❊
❊ Fear of the number 13 is called triskaidekaphobia.

44 Dimdima
April 2020 Issue
Vol 4
INDIA FILE
AT the northwest corner of
Khadir, an isolated island
in the Great Rann of Kutch
in Gujarat, is the village of
Dholavira. It rose to
importance in the 1960s
when archaeologists
excavated the ruins of the
second largest Harappan
site in India, inhabited
over a period of 1,200
years, from 3000 BCE
through 1800 BCE.
Locally known as Kotada
or the ‘large fort’, the hilly
site spans an area of 100
hectares. It contains the
remnants of a well-planned
Harappan city, constructed
in the shape of a
parallelogram, with houses
mostly made of stone and
sun-dried mud bricks. Right
at the top, is the citadel,
where the rulers and high
officials lived. Below it is the
quadrangular middle town,
and at the ground level is the
lower town which housed the
markets and the workers’
houses.
The city had an amazing
water management and
conservation system. Nine
reservoirs at various places
once stored fresh water
diverted from two seasonal
streams, Manhar and
Mansar. There are also the
ruins of a 5000-year-old
stepwell that was built to
harvest rainwater—73.4m
long, 29.3m wide and 10m
deep, it is three times the
size of the Great Bath at
Mohenjo Daro.
In 2014, archaeologists
dug out a signboard at the
northern gateway of the
city that contains ten large
size signs inscribed in the
Harappan script. This could
perhaps be the oldest
signboard in the
world.
More information
on the city of lakes,
as it must have been
in its heyday, is
available at the
well-maintained museum
at the entrance of
Dholavira.
Displayed inside the
museum are terracotta
pottery, beads, gold and
copper ornaments, fish
hooks, animal figurines,
tools, urns and vessels, all of
which go to show that the
city was a busy trading port.
The most fascinating
artefacts, however, are the
seals that were fastened on
cargo to identify their
source and to prevent
tampering and the
remarkably uniform and
accurate weights that the
Harappans developed in
three series — one to
weigh light articles,
second to weigh heavy
objects and the third to
weigh precious metals and
gems.

❊
❊
❊
❊
❊ There are around 1,00,000 kilometres of blood vessels
in the human body.
Dimdima
IT HAPPENED TO ME
ONCE I was on holiday in Ireland with my
mum and dad. We were driving through a
small village. It was time for lunch, so we
stopped at a restaurant.
It was a large, old building. When we looked
through the window, we saw many people,
eating, drinking and chatting. A musician was
playing the violin. But there was something
strange about them. They weren't wearing
normal, modern clothes. They were wearing
hats, jackets and dresses from another century.
We couldn't understand it. But we were
hungry, so we opened the door and went in.
When we went into the restaurant,
everything was different. The people were
wearing regular clothes. There was no
ONCE, my best friends and I had a small
misunderstanding. We had been inseparable till
then. It broke my heart and I became miserable.
Desperate to solve the problem, I tried to talk
to them, but they ignored me. Yet, I still
considered them as my best friends. When
anyone spoke ill about them, I would always
take their side.
Then one day, I mustered up the courage to
talk to them. The problem was solved and we
were all best friends again. From that incident,
I learnt that any problem with friends can be
solved by talking it out.
—Ananya Shyam, Std. 8-A,
Trouble in Friend Land
A. 1. A soap. 2. A shirt. 3. When they
become spam. 4. A barber. 5. The
lady is at the library, paying a fine for
returning a book late.
B. Row C. All the rows follow a pattern.
Example: In A, two letters are skipped,
in B three, and in C, four — the error
is in the letter V, which should be U.
C. It is a rooster laying an egg! Roosters
do not lay eggs, hens do.
D. Farmer Faltu forgot to tie the other
end of the rope to something!
E. 7 and 8
F. There are 119 apples. The first clue
indicates that the number is an odd
number. When divided by 5, the
remainder is 4 — this means that the
number either ends with 4 or 9. As 4
is an even number, only 9 may be
considered. The last clue indicates
that the number is a multiple of 7.
That narrows down the choices to 49
and 119 of which only 119, satisfies
all the conditions.
Answers to
Teasers & Puzzles
Share your experiences with us.
Send it to contest@dimdima.com.
If it is published, you can
win a surprise gift!
musician — the music was on CD. It was a
very strange experience!
—Abhik Samanta, Std. 10-A,
Bhavan's Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose
Vidyaniketan, Haldia.
A Strange Experience

46 Dimdima
QUEST
Q & A
While it is true that Jupiter, Uranus and
Neptune also have rings around them, the
rings of Saturn are the most spectacular
and most extensive, extending for hundreds
of thousands of kilometres from the
planet. Also, the rings of Saturn were
the first to be discovered (as early as
1610 by Galileo Galilei).
The rings of Jupiter, Uranus
and Neptune were discovered
only in the second half of the
20th
century—the rings of
Uranus in 1977, the rings of
Jupiter in 1979 and those
of Neptune in 1989.
Why is Saturn
called the ‘Ringed Planet’
when other planets too have
rings around them?
What is the
The God particle is the nickname for the
Higgs boson, a sub-atomic particle long
thought to be a fundamental building block
of the universe.
The nickname was derived from the title
of a book The God Particle written in 1993
by American physicist Leon Lederman and
science writer Dick Teresi. The original title
of the book was ‘The Goddamn Particle’, the
swear word being used to convey the
frustration of physicists who were hunting
for the particle for over two decades. The
publishers, however, changed the title to ‘The
God Particle’ and when the Higgs boson was
finally discovered, the nickname ‘God
Particle’ was bestowed on it by the popular
media, much to the horror of the scientists
involved in its discovery.
God particle?

Dimdima
❊
❊
❊
❊
❊ Oxford University is older than the Aztec Empire
by over 200 years.
Jokeshop
Manjula: My husband underwent
a major surgery a year
ago. The doctor promised
that he would have him
on his feet in two weeks.
Lata: And did he?
Manjula: Yes. He had to sell his car
to pay the hospital bill!
Roy bought a pastry decorated with icing
in the form of a chessboard.
He took one bite and told the baker,
“Hey, the cake is stale, mate.”
The baker insisted, “No, mate.”
Roy handed him the pastry, looked him
in the eye and said, “Check, mate.”
“Happy Birthday!” exclaimed Rohan
and Mohan, wishing their mother in
the morning. They insisted that she
stay in bed and wait for her surprise.
Soon, the aroma of warm toast and
eggs filled the air. After waiting for a
long time, the mother went to the
kitchen to investigate. Her sons were
at the dining table, eating scrambled
eggs on toast.
“Surprise!” said Rohan. “We have
made our own breakfast!”
Teacher: Anil, recite the
numbers from 1 – 10.
Anil: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.
Teacher: Why did you leave out 4?
Anil: I heard on the news
that 4 died in an
accident yesterday.

48 Dimdima

Dimdima
❊
❊
❊
❊
❊ The glass-winged butterfly has transparent wings,
helping it avoid predators.
Word Whiz
BRAIN POWER
Alluring Alliteration
◆
◆
◆
◆
◆ Twelve twins twirled twelve twigs.
◆
◆
◆
◆
◆ Crisp crusts crackle crunchily.
◆
◆
◆
◆
◆ Two toads, totally tired.
What do these three sentences have in
common? If you guessed that they are
tongue twisters, you are right. Apart from
being tongue twisters, they are also
alliterations.
Alliteration is repetition of the starting
sound in several words of a sentence.
Usually, these are used to attract attention
and are considered catchy. It is used in the
names of comic characters such as Mickey
Mouse, Donald Duck, Woody Woodpecker
and our own Chacha Chaudhary.
Expressions like ‘pay the price’, ‘the
‘Shutting
the
stable
door
after
the
horse
has
bolted’
is
an
idiom
meaning
‘to
stop
an
untoward
incident
after
it
has
happened’.
Did you know?
more the merrier’, ‘sink or swim’ and ‘watch
and wait’ are commonly used. And in the
election season, you hear campaigning
parties use alliteration for slogans!
So, next time your friend challenges you
with a tongue twister, you can challenge
back with an alliteration!
Ranjit: Dad, there was a robbery at
Himanshu’s place last week. His dad has
now fixed a door alarm.
Dad: He is shutting the stable door after
the horse has bolted.
Ranjit: Why did you say that, Dad, when you
know that Himanshu doesn’t have a horse?”
What did Ranjit’s dad mean?
Guess the Proverb
A group of crows is called a murder of crows.
It’s not clear how the word murder came to
be associated with crows but it could be
because many ancient cultures view the crow
as an omen of death. The phrase also dates
back to a time when all groups of animals
had colourful and poetic names like
ostentation of peacocks, a parliament of owls
and a knot of frogs.

50 Dimdima
COMICS
COME QUICK,
BHAIYA! SEE HOW
DADDY LOOKS!
HE ALREADY
LOOKS A
HUNDRED NOW!
HIS FRIEND HAS GOT A
FACE AGEING APP AND
HE HAS SENT DAD…
IT’S A REVERSE
AGE APP… THIS
IS HOW I
LOOKED AT 29!
Haddiraj Ashwin & Abhijeet
HOW DADDY
LOOKS?
…A PICTURE OF
HOW HE WILL
LOOK WHEN
HE’S 70 YEARS
OLD! HOW
EXCITING!
DON’T BE
MEAN!
DAD, I DON’T
THINK YOU
SHOULD…
I SHOULD
NOT WHAT?
WOW!
DID YOU REALLY
LOOK LIKE
THIS? I CAN’T
REMEMBER!
YOU LOOK
LIKE A
HERO, DAD!
SEE ACROSS
THE TIME
BARRIER?
THERE!

51
TALENT SCOUT
Dear Principals and Teachers,
Is there a child in your school who is exceptionally gifted in some way…in
sports, music, chess, craft, dance, cookery, maths or anything else?
Tell us about him or her!
We will introduce the child through TALENT SCOUT, our new page in Dimdima.
If a child from your school makes it to our Talent Scout page, the profile of your
school will feature in the adjoining (facing) page along with whatever information
you want to give about your school.
Send us the information at contest@dimdima.com or post it to Dimdima,
Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Gora Gandhi Compound, 505, Sane Guruji Marg, Tardeo,
Mumbai–400034.
Winners of the February
Cricket Crazy Contest
Hurry! There are Three Prizes to be Won!
Your entry should reach us by
30 April, 2020.
CONTEST
Udita Bhattacharyya,
Std. 2-B, Bhavan's Netaji
Subhash Chandra
Bose Vidyaniketan,Haldia.
Fathima Zahra, Std. 5-A,
Bhavan’s Vidya Mandir,
Kodungallor.
Taksht K Jain, Std. 4-B,
Pragnya Bodhini High
School, Goregaon
Mumbai.
EAR
EAR
EAR
EAR
EARTH
TH
TH
TH
TH
D
D
D
D
DA
A
A
A
AY
Y
Y
Y
Y
EAR
EAR
EAR
EAR
EARTH
TH
TH
TH
TH
D
D
D
D
DA
A
A
A
AY
Y
Y
Y
Y
A small step goes a
long way to make the world
a better place to live in. Can you
tell us of one change that you will
adopt in your life on this Earth Day to help
Planet Earth? Tell us about it in your own
words and send it along with your name, class
and school address to contest@dimdima.com or
post it to Dimdima, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan,
Gora Gandhi Compound, 505 Sane Guruji
Marg, Tardeo, Mumbai-400034.
You can WhatsApp it to 9326817483.

52
Registered with Registrar of Newspapers of India under RNI. No TNENG/2016/67791
Registration No: TN/CH (C)31/2018 -2020 and WPP TN/PMG/(CCR)/WPP/549/2018 -2020
Date of Publication: 24th
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