Peppery Thoughts

Happy New Year 2025

2025-01-01T01:02:00.000-08:00

Thoughtful Thoughts

2024-01-11T00:02:00.000-08:00

If I say thoughts are thoughtful,

Will you lend your ears to me,

No, you will think I'm just

Playing some word game,

To spend my empty time,

Just for a joke timing.

No my friend, thoughts are indeed thoughtful,

Think and then come back to me.

Happy

2023-09-04T02:31:00.003-07:00

Happy

Today I said to self,

I feel happy.

Self told me,

Why you are Happy.

I said don't ask me WHY,

I can give you no reason,

Give me that space to remain Happy.

Trouble

2022-05-17T02:37:00.000-07:00

Look around you can find Trouble,

But have you ever seen Trouble?

No said she, I have faced it,

And you, have you seen it?

O God, Trouble is there everywhere,

It pops up even if you don't invite it,

It is so shameless, goes anywhere and everywhere,

Gets stuck and creates Trouble in life,

Not unknown but unwanted,

Yet it roams about like WANTED.

The Monkey and the Crocodile | Short Stories | Panchatantra Tale | Storyteller | Kid's Stories

2022-01-12T23:04:00.002-08:00

The Monkey and the Crocodile is a story for kids in English. It is a tale from the Panchatantra. Kids always fascinate watching and listening to animal stories which are also funny and has a moral at the end. Do watch this story and click on the like button to like the video and click on the subscribe button to subscribe to this story. And don’t forget to click on the bell button to receive notifications.

Moral of the story: Stay calm at difficult times and think hard how to get over it. Intelligence can beat physical strength.

The Blue Jackal | Story for Kids in English | Moral Stories | Storyteller | Panchatantra Stories

2022-01-09T20:52:00.015-08:00

The Blue Jackal is a story from the Panchatantra. It has a beautiful moral at the end for the young and adults. Listen to the story or read it yourself.

Moral of the Story: You cannot hide your true nature for long. How much you change your character, your true self will be exposed.

The Farmer and the Well | Story for Kids in English | Moral Stories | Storyteller | Story Telling

2021-12-30T22:23:00.001-08:00

The Farmer and the well is a unique story which shows the wit of a person in dealing a cunning man.

The Lonely Elephant

2021-12-10T00:47:00.001-08:00

The lonely elephant was walking through the forest looking for friends.

Soon she met a monkey and asked, “Hi! Can we be friends?”

The monkey said, “You cannot swing from tree to tree like me. So we can’t be friends.”

to know the complete story watch this video below here

The Disobedient Puppy

2021-12-08T22:45:00.003-08:00

A mother dog and her pups lived on a farm. On the farm, there was a well. The mother dog always told her pups never to go near or play around it.

One day, one of the pups was overcome by curiosity and wondered why they weren’t allowed to go near the well. So, he decided he wanted to explore it.

To know more about the story watch the video below....

Gilli Danda – An Ancient Indian Game

2021-11-25T00:44:00.002-08:00

Gilli Danda also called Gulli-Danda), is a sport originating from the India, played in the rural areas and small towns.

What it needs to play:

It is a game played using two sticks, one long and the other short. It is played by hitting the shorter stick with the longer one.

In this game there are rules but no fixed one as it is played by children who like to add and subtract some rules as per their likes and dislikes.

If we are to follow the rules of this game then we can follow these ways of how to play.

Playing the Game:

Gilli danda is played with two wooden sticks, one long and one short. The short one, known as the Gilli, is about 6 inches and sharped at both ends more like a child’s pencil sharped end. The ends may not be very sharp but give an edge for the ends to not touch the ground. The longer one is about one and a half feet or about 18 inches long. This danda is used to hit the gilli.

There are no restrictions on the number of players. Some children play it singly without any group. They get the winner by counting the number of points. So variations are made as this is not an international or national game but an ancient game, more so on the forgotten side.

Two teams play this game. One team occupies the field to get a catch, and, the other team members waiting for their chance to hit the gilli.

To play this game has to dig in a small hole. On that let the gilli sit with the two sides resting on the ground. That small hole will give space to the danda to dig in and fling out the gilli. If the gilli is caught by the fielding side then the hitting team is out. The fielding team gets a chance to hit.

Once the gilli is hit and falls on the ground, the hitter gets a chance to hit the gilli from its side to rise up and then fling the gilli a long way with the hit of the danda. Once caught the game is over.

Getting points is simple. It is a child’s game and children love to play the winner and loser game with the help of points. Distance is counted as points. To count the points, the danda is used. From where the last giili has fallen the counting starts up to the starting point. The danda is the measuring stick. The stick count is the final point.

The team that gets the most points is declared the winner.

Little boys and girls play this game together.

Lack of open space does not give a chance for children to play this game. Who knows the game of cricket must have been influenced by this game.

Ancient Indian games are losing out. But there is always space to remember it and also find ways that children get a chance to play this game which may one day be said, “Once upon a time in India children used to play the game of Gilli Danda”.Q

© Gouri Guha 2021

Hopscotch - Children's Game

2021-10-22T02:33:00.002-07:00

Hopscotch is a popular playground game, in which players toss a small object, called a marker into numbered triangles or a pattern of rectangles outlined on the ground and then hop or jump through the spaces and retrieve the object. It is a children's game that can be played with several players or alone.

The Court

To play Hopscotch, first have to draw the court. The court may be drawn on the ground with the help of a stick or a chalk can be used to draw on concrete surface. We also used a small broken brick piece to draw the lines of the court when chalk was not available.

The court is divided into blocks which may vary from 8 to 10.

Now let me tell you how we played Hopscotch in our childhood.

Here’s the court.

It is divided into 8 blocks. The first 3 numbers are in the large rectangles. The next numbers 4 and 5 are from a large rectangle that is divided into two from the middle. Next number 6 is large rectangle. Numbers 7 and 8 is again a large rectangle, divided from the middle. And the last house is on the top, a small square where you reach when you have played all the houses. It is called the Home. From there you can stand and throw the marker and win a block of any number. This becomes your own and other players cannot hop or play on it. More like winning your own space.

To play we have to have a marker to throw on the different blocks. This marker can be a small piece of stone, a coin, small metal chain, anything that can be thrown to land safely on a block. I used a bunch of safety pins to play. It was always easy to throw on the correct block.

You can have your own way of lining up players if you have many. The first player throws the marker on the first block from the start. Then have to jump this block on to the next one. When you reach block 4 and 5 you can put two feet on the two numbers. Next a one leg jump, and, then again two legs where the block had a divide line. You turn back from there and come back the way you went forward but before jumping out you have to collect your marker and then jump out. You go on playing as long as you place your marker on the blocks one by one. But if your marker misses the block you are to play on with your throw you miss your chance. It passes on to the next player. This way each player gets a turn to play.

Once you are successful in playing all the blocks, you reach the last block, the Home on the top. From there you turn your back to the court and throw the marker so that it lands in a block. Now this block becomes your and others cannot trespass it they have to jump over it or lose their chance.

This way the game goes on. Children enjoy this game. The one who gets possession of the maximum number of blocks, is the winner. There is no fixed rule for playing this game. Children sometimes make addition and alterations in the rules for their pleasure. No national or international events ever organized for this game.

All that can be said of Hopscotch, is, it’s a game every child will enjoy. Its requirements are that can be found around. But what else is needed when children are happy.

The Talkative Tortoise

2021-08-31T00:35:00.001-07:00

The Talkative Tortoise is a take from the Panchatantra and has a very important moral story for kids, the old and young alike.

The Game of Carrom – An Indoor Game

2021-07-21T01:48:00.001-07:00

Most people know about the game of Carrom. Playing this game is fun. Many houses have Carrom Board at home. If not at home, even some schools have Carrom Board as indoor activities for children. There are many small clubs in every city or town. Even in villages they have formed clubs. In many club houses, apart from other indoor games, they also have a carrom board. It is not only the game of youngsters, even elders and seniors enjoy playing this game.

In a home, when children play there may be chance of disrupting this game when one loses. No results, some howling, shouting, some tears, all this rest in peace after sometime. Here, though we are speaking of playing this game with members of the family and friends, there are certain things to know about this game. In short we can know some details about his game.

About the Game of Carrom:

The game of Carrom originated in India. It became very popular among the masses after World War I. Gradually, people across the world organised tournaments to play this game.

To play this game we need:

Equipment:

The game is usually played on a square board made of plywood, with a pocket in each corner. The dimension of the standardised board is a 29 inches (74 cm) square playing surface. The edges are bounded by bumpers of wood, and the underside of each pocket is covered by a net. Even small size carrom boards are there. Some homes have it for their kids.

There are nine dark or black pieces and nine light or white pieces plus a red piece called the "Queen" and a Striker. The Striker is normally heavier than the other wooden pieces. Chalk dust or talcum powder at home is used to make the pieces slide more easily over the surface of the board.

Arranging the Board:

The Queen is placed in the center circle. Around the queen, the red and white pieces are placed alternately to complete the first circle. The rest of the remaining black and white pieces are used to complete the next circle. Board is ready for the game.

Two players sit opposite to each other. The one, who starts the game, uses the Striker from one corner and targets the middle to break the circle formed. The one who strikes first gets the white pieces. One chance and if the coloured piece of the one who strikes enters a pocket, will get another turn. Or else it passes to opponent. Once the Queen is put into a pocket has to be covered by the piece of the colour the player is playing with or loses the Queen. Once a player finishes putting all the pieces of the same colour into the pockets, the game is over.

This is how a friendly game is played. As we are not talking about tournaments, we stick to this simple way it is played at home.

To play this game it needs a lot of time and patience. After all it’s a good way to spend some free time in engaging in a game like this.

Leisure time spent in some activity is the need of the hour.

© Gouri Guha 2021

Newspaper -- A View and Review

2021-07-12T03:46:00.000-07:00

Hello everybody,

Today let us talk about the Newspaper.

You will find in your home, the newspaper is always a good match with a hot cup of morning tea. The father may be the first person at home to catch a hold of the morning newspaper. The others wait for their daily dose one after another. Someone interested in the sports page, someone else likes the page on films, entertainment and the glamour world, while the topic on horoscope can interest anybody. But at the end the newspaper loses its value once the sun starts moving up to stretch the day longer. The old one will be stacked up in the pile of The Old Ones making way for the new one.

With the coming of the internet, the newspaper has lost some of its gloss. People can read whatever news they want from the internet. Some believe the electronic media will take over the print media. Who knows what will happen. We have to wait.

Do we still know from where the Corona virus came. We are still waiting to know the truth. Like the electronic media the print media will also tell us the true story of Covid19 once the truth is known.

Let me tell you something about the newspaper.

A newspaper is a publication printed on paper containing news, information, and advertising usually printed on low-cost paper called newsprint. A daily newspaper comes every day. It gives information and opinions about current events and news. Usually people like to read them to stay informed about their local city, state or country. A regular subscriber can get the newspaper delivered at home. Old newspapers can be sold off to one who buys the old ones and sends them for recycling. You can also buy newspaper at a store or kiosk.

Newspapers are printed in different languages to make it more understandable for persons who prefer the language they like.

Newspapers cover a wide range of topics like, political events, crime, business, sports, weather news, entertainment, crosswords, horoscopes, even have illustrated storied which also includes comics. Photographs supplement many stories.

It is not easy to print a newspaper. So many people work behind the curtains and so many works on the field to create the Newspaper for the readers every day.

THE GAME of LUDO

2021-06-27T01:32:00.005-07:00

The lockdown has made you all stuck-up at home. I can feel your discomfort in not being able to go out of the house, go to school, cannot meet friends, even can’t visit friends’ homes. But what can we do?

This is the pandemic that has spread across the globe. Every country is taking precautions so that this infection does not spread. So, we should also follow the do’s and don’ts to be safe.

Being at home some time can be spent in playing indoor games.

Let’s talk about the game of Ludo. I think most of you have played Ludo. For those who have, can now think about it.

So let me tell you something about the game of Ludo.

Just a simple description: Ludo is a strategy board game for two to four players, in which the players race their four tokens from start to finish according to the rolls of a single dice. Like other cross and circle games, Ludo is derived from the Indian game Pachisi, but is much simpler.

What is needed to play this game:

Ludo is a strategy board game for two to four players. You need a Ludo board and 16 tokens with 4 tokens each of a different colour and a dice. The Ludo board is easily available at the toy store near your home or you can purchase it online with the help of your parents.

The players race their four tokens from start to finish according to the rolls of a single dice and whoever reaches the finish first with all his or her four tokens is the winner.

How to play:

Players take turns in a clockwise order. A piece simply moves in a clockwise direction around the track given by the number thrown with the dice. If no piece can legally move according to the number thrown, play passes to the next player.

A throw of 6 gives another turn to throw the dice.

A player must throw a 6 with the dice to move a piece from the starting circle onto the first square on the track. And then you move your token easily with the throw of your dice. Once the four tokens of a player is out of his or her starting circle it becomes easy for the player to play. The player decides which tokens to move. The token moves around the track and crosses the others to reach home safely. Each player gets a turn one after another. If a token lands on a token of the opponent colour, that token of the opponent is sent back to the starting circle.

If a piece lands upon a piece of the same colour, this forms a block. This block cannot be passed or landed on by any opposing piece.

The first person to move all 4 pieces into the home triangle wins.

Young children like this game. It is simple and easy to play. And then of course the counting is there with the throw of the dice. Why children, even elders enjoy playing this game.

What is it about Ludo that has made it such a longstanding game across hundreds of years? Perhaps the charm lies in its simplicity and elegant design. Or maybe it’s about the way it brings people together in order to spend some quality time. No matter what, one thing is for sure – Ludo is extremely fun.

Having said about the Ludo game I want to share some experiences. As children we used to play Ludo. Four players. The game would be at its full swing. Suddenly someone’s token has to go back to the starting point…then the fight would start. The board with all the tokens and dice would be simply just messed up and the whole game and game time lost and spoilt.

As children, such strong emotions run when losing a game. There would be exchange of words and the game would stop. But soon with everything patched up the game would start again with laughing and talking. At times the quarrel among the players would be such, the Ludo board would be torn to number of pieces and if the board was lucky the tear would be from the middle. But home remedy was there. Gum and paper would soon fix the board into whole.

So, friends if you have a Ludo board at home, play the game and see what happens next.

Keep me informed about your Ludo Game adventure so that we can have a share of your thoughts and then think whether to laugh or…

See you again.

Mini's Garden

2021-06-25T00:07:00.001-07:00

Mini was in her garden watering her plants. It was her usual habit to water her plants in the morning. For that she gets up early in the morning.

She got this habit from her mother who loved to plant flowering plants that made her garden looked so colourful when the flowers of different colours bloomed.

She tended her plants very carefully.

This was one of the hobbles Mini had.

Her mother was happy with Mini's garden work.

When the flowers bloomed Mini's friends came to see them. Giggling and laughing and chatting they would laugh and play.

Mini was a sweet little girl who loved and enjoyed this hobby. Some of her friends started following this hobby.

Within some time they were able to form a group and shared their gardening ideas with one another.

After all Mini was happy girl who also made others happy.

The Garlic and Ginger Fight

2021-06-11T03:08:00.000-07:00

The Garlic and Ginger sat across the table and were into a fight. Said Ginger, do you know how important I am to humans.

Garlic, who has a white face could not change its face colour but was a bit unhappy with friend Ginger for the words. Said, don't be so proud, I'm equally important to the world.

Hahahahaha, laughed Ginger to hearts content. The other day that darling of a lady was so happy to add me to her tea. She told her friends how she loved her ginger tea.

Then listen to me said Garlic. The other day Minu's mother took some pieces of raw mango, added seven garlic cloves, salt, and sugar and made this chutney which everyone in the family relished it. Some loved the garlic flavour.

Hey Garlic why do we have to fight .I know people love Garlic and Ginger. We are no way less than one another.

Did you see Rani enter the kitchen. Soon she will take a little of you and little of me and make it into a paste. we have no way to run away on our own. we are so dependent. So why fight.

Come Ginger lets spend some time with some pep talks.

...and the rest is...

Words of Thought

2019-12-27T06:00:00.002-08:00

Year comes and goes,
We stand with them,
In the thick and thin,
Life's malady plays the tune,
We dance with this tune,
In mirth and sorrow,
For that is the life,
We get with every coming morrow.

School Break

2019-08-01T02:36:00.000-07:00

The bell rang,
Children ran out of their classes,
Laughing and giggling,
Their small tiffin boxes in their tiny hands.

Amid all the shouts and laughs,
The tiffin boxes opened,
And food from different homes,
Come out in the open.

Mothers love was packed in the small boxes,
Filled with taste and smell,
The children ate and shared,
With loved spilled all over.

Day - How Was Your Day?

2018-11-30T01:59:00.000-08:00

Someone asked me,

How was your day?

Good, I said.

How did you spend it?

Like everyday.

The look from the other side was bitter,

Maybe my days taste did not fit into HERS.

Life and Days

2018-08-13T01:14:00.000-07:00

The count of life
Sails with the days,
But every day
Tick tocks with the minutes hand,
And, seconds hand comes to help,
To tell one and all
There is the Clock who tells,
The story of every moment of Life.

India, Indians and Summer Time

2018-04-11T03:11:00.002-07:00

India, Indians and Summer...all have something to say.

India -- The country that is famous for its "Unity in Diversity".

Does India have 3 or 4 seasons.

My mind says 3. Summer, hot and sweaty. Monsoon or the Rainy season, when rain comes down and cools the earth that was heated by the Summer. Winter, everyone likes as it keeps the sweat away. Blossoms of many colours are seen and then picnic and outings feature in the life of the people.

Indians -- Indians love their food, their dressing sense,and of course the different languages. Move out from one state boundary, sure to meet people speaking a different language from another state. Food habits differ and of course some cultural difference. But, Indians like to live in this diversity.

Summer -- Ufh!!! the summer has stepped in. Now its time for cotton clothes. Cotton clothes are so soothing to the body.

Temperatures will start rising but people in India wait for this season for the Mangoes. Eat it raw or ripe, doesn't matter.Pickle it or drink ripe mango juice. Soothes the body and the palate. Food habits change, less spicy and something cold. Ice-creams and soft drinks fill up space in the stomach.

How can you hate Summer in India when the Mangoes come.

Silly but true. Ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!!!!!!

Mangoes -- The Summer Hit

2017-06-06T02:01:00.000-07:00

Indians, mostly everyone except very few, can confess openly that they love the summer mostly for the mangoes.

I may be right or wrong in what I think or believe, but the fact remains, my fact is very right.

Again there can be difference of opinion. But the face remains, raw or ripe, makes mango the King of Fruits.

Again a pause.

What is there about the raw mango and the ripe ones.

Aah hhah! No jumping the guns but straighten them.

Get your raw ones and pickle them to enjoy throughout the year. Pickle the mangoes giving them the punch and make it, sour taste, sweet taste and also half-sweet half-sour taste.

O god, why the big fuss, make them to satisfy the individual taste buds.

Enough is enough.

Ripe mangoes. What a space they have on the plate.

Cut them to pieces or even suck the small ripe ones and find the juice going into your mouth. Some juice just running down from your hand to the elbow. But nothing to worry. Once the seed comes out from the tough skin...and suck and suck and suck...the seed till no more pulp or juice remains.

Eat your mangoes the way you like but don't curse the summer for the heat as this season gives us this King of Fruits, The Mango, comes only with summer.

Thought of the Day -- Sun Fun

2016-09-01T02:21:00.000-07:00

The sun rose to bring my day
And
I
Have all the time to make my day.

Good great sun you bring
The jingle of life in everyone
And let the living live
The day to wait again for your visit again.

(c) GG.

The Smiling Sun

2016-08-17T04:35:00.000-07:00

"Have you seen the smiling sun", the child asked his mother.

"No. But where did you find the smile on sun's face", asked the mother enquiringly.

"I have got it just near me" was the smiling child's reply.

The mother looked in astonishment at the child's face. "You have got the sun near you.

But how?" was the enquiry.

"Don't worry, come close and peep into my drawing book. You will find the smiling sun

here", said the child as he laughed away.

The mother thought for a while and then it came to her mind, how innocent a child's

thought can be. If only we elders could have such purity in our hearts then that would

make a whole lot of difference to us and to this world.