The Dog Finds His Master

The Dog Finds His Master




This happened long ago. God had just created birds, animals and men they all lived together in the forest. But they were afraid of one another. Small creatures kept out of the way of the larger ones.

One such small creature was the dog.

“what will I do if a big animal attack me?” he asked himself. He began to look for a safe hiding place. One day he found a dark cave. But how long could he stay hidden in a cave? He had to come out and look for and water.

“This big world frightens me,” he thought. “I must find someone strong and brave with whom I can live. He must be so strong that he would not be afraid of anyone! So I must find the most powerful animal on earth and stay with him.”
The dog wanted to ask god to help him find a protector. He found him deep in the forest, ”why did you make me so small ?” he asked god. “I simply can’t live alone because I’m afraid of all the big animals around me. I think I’d like a big and powerful protector. Do you think can tell me which is the greatest animal on the earth?”

God replied that it was the elephant . so the dog went to the elephant. Dear elephant , god says you’re the greatest creature on the earth. Will you let me live with you? I’ll help you in whatever way you want will you be my master?”

“of course!” said the elephant.” You’re welcome to stay with me. I shall take care of you, my little friend”. The dog was happy. When it was night, a strong wind started blowing through the forest the tress swayed madly. The dog grew frightened and began to bark. Dogs always bark in the dark, especially when there is a strong wind blowing.





But this made the elephant angry. ”don’t bark so loudly!” he said crossly . “If the tiger hears you, he’ll come here. And then I shall have to run for my life”. The dog thought,” o, the elephant is afraid of the tiger, so the tiger must be greater than him.”

He went to the tiger’s cave. There he begged the tiger to protect him. The tiger simply growled a “yes!” he was not a chatty fellow, you see. Now the dog was happy. He had the powerful tiger as his master and who would dare attack him now?

That night when a cool breeze fanned the forest, he began to bark. “shut up!” growled the tiger immediately. “If you bark so loudly, the naga man will hear you. He will come in search of us.”

“o, ho!” thought the dog. “so the tiger is afraid of the naga man. Let me search for the naga man he must be the greatest creature on earth.”

And off he went, looking for the naga man.

After a long search, at last the dog found him. “please may I live with you as your servant?” he asked the naga man. “even the mighty tiger is afraid of you. Will you protect me in this big bad world?” the man agreed.

At night, when the dog began to bark at the wind, the man came rushing up. ”o, good!” he said, happily. “bark on. Bark loudly. It will keep away strangers and I shall sleep peacefully at night!”

Now, the dog was happy. “I’ve found my true master!” he thought . “ he is not afraid of anything . that is why he does not mind me barking at night.” From that day, the dog became man’s most faithful friend and servant

That’s what I What

That’s what I What


Yong Selvam lived in a village in Tamil Nadu. One day, his mother said,” your aunt has not seen you for many months now. Why don’t you visit her?”





Selvam was excited. ”yes, mother!” he said. “I’d like that!” so his mother packed him some food for lunch. Then she showed him the way. His aunt lived in the village across the stream. “Just follow that narrow path that leads to the stream,” selvam’s mother told him. “Then jump across the stream and follow the path again. You will come to the village where your aunt lives. Don’t stray from the path.”

Selvam waved goodbye and skipped away happily. He was soon at the stream. He felt hungry. He sat near the stream, with his feet in the water, and ate his lunch. Then he got ready to jump across the stream. “Athirimakku!” he yelled and jumped! He landed on the other side safely and soon reached his aunt’s house.

“My, look at you! How you have grown!” said Selvam’s aunt, who was very happy to see him.

Selvam’s aunt was a good cook. She made delicious things for him to eat everyday. One day it was idiappam, another day, masala-dosai, and a third day, it was payasam. Selvam enjoyed himself.

Soon it was time for Selvam to go home. That day his aunt made a sweet dish that was wonderful. It was a lovely, soft and white dumpling. He bit into one the sweet coconut filling simply melted in his mouth. Selvam was thrilled. He had never eaten this delicious sweet before

“This is really scrumptious. What is it called?” he asked.

“It’s called kozhukottai”, she replied.

“I must tell mother to make some for me!” said Selvam as he ate the kozhukottai.


Selvam are all the kozhukottais that his aunt made. Then he set off to walk home. All along the way he muttered,” kozhukottai, kozhukottai…” he wanted to remember the name to tell his mother.





Soon he came to the stream. He took a deep breath and got ready for the leap. “Athirimakku!” he shouted and leapt. He landed safely on the othe side. Selvam got up and dusted himself. Then he found that he had forgotten the name of the sweet he racked his brains and bit his lips and tried hard to remember. But the only word that he could think of was “athirimakku.” “That must be the name of that sweet!” he thought. So he said, “Athirimakku, athirimakku” over and over again till he reached home.

“Mother!” he cried, hugging his mother. “Mother, will you make me some athirimakku?”

His mother was puzzled. ”what is that, Selvam?” she asked. He tried to explain to her: “It is sweet inside. It is white on the outside. It is round and very soft”

But his mother did not understand. “Sweet and white and round and soft and called athirimakku?” she asked. “There is no such sweet!”

“of course there is, mother. Aunty made some for me!” replied the boy. “will you make some athirimakku?” His mother got irritated. “I don’t know what it is,” she told him impatiently. “now go and play”.

But Selvam could not forget that wonderful dish and kept coming back to his mother to say, ”mother, make me some athirimakku.” At last his mother got angry and said, ”stop troubling me. Go away!” and she gave him a push. Selvam fell against a shelf. His head hit the edge of the shelf. “Ooowww!” he cried. Very soon a round swelling appeared on selvam’s head.

Just then selvam’s father walked in. “what is the matter, Selvam?” he asked. ”why is there a swelling like a kozhukottai on your forehead?”

Now Selvam remembered the name of the sweet! He forgot his pain and the swelling. Kozhukottai! Yes! “Mother! That’s what I want-kozhukottai, not athirimakku! Will you make me some?”

“Of course!” answered his mother hugging him.