A CBT PUBLICATION

SHORT
STORIES
FOR
CHILDREN

This is a compilation of stories submitted by the

participants at a Writers Workshop conducted by
Children's Book Trust.

by CBT 1982
Reprinted 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996,
1998, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2008.
ISBN 81-7011-314-8
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced
in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without
the prior written permission of the publisher.
Published by Children's Book Trust, Nehru House,
4 Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi-110002 and printed
at its Indraprastha Press. Ph: 23316970-74 Fax: 23721090
e-mail: cbtnd@cbtnd.com Website: www.childrensbooktrust.com

SHORT
STORIES
FOR
CHILDREN

Children's Book Trust, New Delhi

Contents
Man Overboard

Vasantha

3
12

When Papa Scolded Me

Ira Saxena

18

To The Memory Of A Lion

Tara Tixoari

The Triumphant Smile

K.C. Batra

The Turkish Cap

B.P. Gupta

The Goose Thieves

Padmini

Christmas Bells

Bannerjee

R.K.

Murthi

27
31
37
45
53

In A Guava Orchard

N.P.

All Because Of My Hair

Singh

S.G. Haidar

The Pink Card

Indira

E.
Valjayanti

Hanuman And I

That Sunday Morning

The Boy From Standard III

Sheila

Savant-Tonpe
Rupa Gupta

At The Party
Outwitted

59
64

Ananthakrishrwn

The Unforgettable Journey

Varunkaka's Lemonade Pals

Murthi

Anil
Tara

Ekbote

Parameswaran

73
80
89
94
99
104

Savita Singh

108
Pratibha Nath

Illustrated by Subir Roy and Geeta Verma

Man Overboard
I stood on the deck of S.S. Rajula. As she
slowly moved out of Madras harbour, I waved to
my grandparents till I could see them no more.
I was thrilled to be on board a ship. It was a new
experience for me.
"Are you travelling alone?" asked the person
standing next to me.
"Yes, Uncle, I'm going back to my parents in
Singapore," I replied.
"What's your name?" he asked.
"Vasantha," I replied.
I spent the day exploring the ship. It looked
just like a big house. There were furnished rooms,
a swimming pool, a room for indoor games, and
a library. Yet, there was plenty of room to 11111
around.
The next morning the passengers were seated
in the dining hall, having breakfast. The loudspeaker spluttered noisily and then the captain's
voice came loud and clear. "Friends we have just
received a message that a storm is brewing in the
Indian Ocean. I request all of you to keep calm.
Do not panic. Those who are inclined to sea3