Jalebi

Grade 6
Once in a small town lived a boy Rashid who was very intelligent and obedient boy. He always came first in his class and was adorable. His teachers, parents, relatives all loved him greatly. He never disobeyed his elders and never roamed outside school or his home. He ate what he was provided by his parents. His uncle was a respectable lawyer in the town and his father was a teacher.

One day while going to school he saw a sweet shop, the halwai was frying jalebis. The scent entered his nostrils and he felt tempted to have hot and syrupy jalebis. He had to submit his fees in school that day so there was money in his pocket. He felt driven towards the jalebis but his conscience stopped him. He thought what the people would say if they saw him eating sweets outside. Further the money was meant for paying fees not eating jalebis. He had scruples but temptation won in the end. He thought he would pay his fees next day when he would get his scholarship money. No one would know that he ate jalebis with fees money. He went to shop and spent all money he had to buy jalebis. He ate to his fill. He was contented. When he couldn’t eat more he decided to distribute jalebis to beggars and poor people of his town. They all gathered around him. They were happy to get free jalebis. Rashid was feeling like a benevolent king while distributing jalebis. He gave all jalebis to poor and went his school afterwards. In school the teacher who had to collect fees was on leave, so Rashid had no fear. But he got a bad news that the scholarship money of that month was delayed for a month, so he wouldn’t have scholarship money. He felt sad to know that. How he would pay his fees, was his concern. Like a guilty culprit he went back home with a heavy heart. His heart was sinking. He couldn’t eat anything that night and had bouts of vomit. He concealed the fact of eating jalebis and he was suffering due to telling lies. Parents didn’t suspect him at all. From next day he started avoiding going to school lest he should be caught. He went to railway track at the end of the town. He thought nobody will know about it. He started praying daily to God for giving him the fees money. He sat the whole day there and returned home late in afternoon. He was desperate as God didn’t help him. He ever thought that God helps those who are needy. His fears didn’t leave him at all. He was respected in school but what his classmates, teachers would think if they came to know about his foolishness. One day he thought to play a game. He prayed God to hide his fees money under a stone while he was away to touch the railway track. He ran and came back, he lifted the stone but he saw a worm crawling out. He left all his hope and returned home. The news of his absence in school had reached his home. His parents enquired him and he told the whole thing. They mildly rebuked him for his carelessness but didn’t beat him. His fees money was paid. From that day he resolved not to be tempted in future. He concentrated on studies and became the best student of his school.