Mass Media in educatiom

There are a good number of media for mass communication such as radio, Television, newspapers and films
etc. Previously, the mass media in the form of illustrative were only put to marginal and individualized use.
There was neither any coherent thinking nor a scientific organization of these materials in the educational
process. But their increased use has been mainly due to interest and initiative of certain teachers.

The media of communication is the medium by which a piece of information or knowledge is communicated to
us. This medium is the message, which is of greater importance. Because, the same piece of information when
conveyed on a printed page or over the telephone by radio or television will appear different and have entirely a
different effect on us. Hence the effectiveness of a piece of information depends upon the medium through
which it is imparted. Thus, the mass-media are not only the messages, but also the massage. Because it
massages the sensory organs and stimulates them to respond actively. Hence, the mass media is very important
for class room teaching as a part of the process of instruction. The sole objective is to improve the teaching-
learning process with the use of various media. Therefore, the main purpose of mass-media in education is to
benefit more students with fewer teachers or to obtain quality education.

In fact, the mass media have become a well of message around the world of today and have entered into all the
structures of daily life, h can be used and in fact is being used as a means of education. So the role of mass
media in education is gaining importance every day

Importance of Mass Media:

1. Mass Media provide information to the mass within a less time.

2. It takes a wide coverage of information regarding anything that is happening in any comer of the world.

3. It brings the entire world to the individual or to the classroom. Children spend hours together sitting in front
of the television and can visualize, hear and acquire knowledge about the world.

4. These media easily reach groups, allow repeated use, give more reality, influence attitudes, show cause
and effect relationships and ultimately motivate the audience.

5. It sends information to remote places and helps in distant learning.

6. It helps in modification of attitudes, inculcation of desirable values and acquaintance with cultural
heritage.

7. Mass media acts as an agency of social change

8. Mass media are useful for reinforcing group dynamics and interpersonal communication.

9. Mass media as means of communication make ideas clear to children and help them to acquire correct
knowledge. They help in simplifying and in giving vividness to explanation.

10. Mass Media make the instruction concrete and stimulate interest and excite curiosity in things.

Education today, therefore, has a far greater responsibility than it had ever before. It has to meet the
demands of a dynamic world which change its character every day. Contemporary education has to be
more comprehensive and complete than it was ever before. The role of the various agencies of education
like home, society, community etc. has consequently increased, so has the role of the mass media like
television, radio, cinema, newspaper increased. So now-a-day, press, radio, cinema, television, etc. are
becoming more and more important in an individuals life.

Mass media in education are press, radio, motion-picture, television, etc. So mass media are many and
these are technically called passive agencies of education. They influence the attitude and behaviour of
the people indirectly. These agencies cover entertainment, informatory propaganda, historical record,
education and improvement of moral judgement and moral tone of the people.

Conclusion:

Mass media have proved to help in classifying concepts, stimulating group and individual activities, developing
a collective critical awareness, changing attitudes, imposing a new structure or organisation on certain subjects
and encouraging originality and creativeness. Therefore, teachers have to be properly motivated and made
interested in the use of such materials. And they have also to be trained and oriented in the adequate use and
maintenance of the materials.

As we know, good teachers are not born, they are made. Training in the methods, techniques, use of various
means and media help a teacher to be good and efficient. All illustrative materials will be aids to his teaching.
His educational outputs will be optimized through judicious uses of modem methods, techniques, means and
mass media Educational research has also proved that instruction can be greatly improved through the wise
selection and utilization of modem media of communication

3. Func tions of M ass Media

1) Providing Information: These media help in disseminating information for the mass. People
acquire different knowledge very quickly.
2) Providing vocational information: Media help in providing vocational and professional
information to a larger group of the community.
3) Spreading awareness and civic responsibility: People can be aware of different problems of
the society and their role in changing society through mass media. People know their rights and
duties for the nation clearly.
4) Educational programmes: Mass Media help in forming suitable habit for different
programmes and they utilize their leisure time in a productive way. It also influences the
behavior of the people through different programmes.
5) Role as a non-formal agency: Now in an advanced society mass media are not treated as
informal agencies of education. They are called non-formal agencies due to its wide coverage
of educational items in a systematic way. It is viewed that these media can substitute the
classroom teaching in future
Motivation for the work

Every person has different motivations for working. The reasons for working are as individual as the person.
But, we all work because we obtain something that we need from work. The something we obtain from work
impacts our morale and motivation and the quality of our lives. Here is the most recent thinking about
motivation, what people want from work.

Work IS about the Money

Some people work for love; others work for personal fulfillment.Others like to accomplish goals
and feel as if they are contributing to something larger than themselves, something
important. Some people have personal missions they accomplish through meaningful
work.Others truly love what they do or the clients they serve. Some like the camaraderie and
interaction with customers and coworkers. Other people like to fill their time with activity.
Some workers like change, challenge, and diverse problems to solve. Motivation is
individual and diverse.

Whatever your personal reasons for working, the bottom line, however, is that almost everyone works for
money. Whatever you call it: compensation, salary, bonuses, benefits or remuneration, money pays the bills.
Money provides housing, gives children clothing and food, sends teens to college, and allows leisure activities,
and eventually, retirement. To underplay the importance of money and benefits as motivation for people who
work is a mistake.

Fair benefits and pay are the cornerstones of a successful company that recruits and retains committed workers.
If you provide a living wage for your employees, you can then work on additional motivation issues. Without
the fair, living wage, however, you risk losing your best people to a better-paying employer.

In fact, research from Watson Wyatt Worldwide in The Human Capital Edge: 21 People Management Practices
Your Company Must Implement (or Avoid) to Maximize Shareholder Value, (Purchase) recommends, that to
attract the best employees, you need to pay more than your average-paying counterparts in the marketplace.
Money provides basic motivation.

Got Money? What's Next for Motivation?

I've read the surveys and studies dating back to the early 1980s that demonstrate people want more from work
than money. An early study of thousands of workers and managers by the American Psychological Association
clearly demonstrated this.

While managers predicted the most important motivational aspect of work for people would be money,
personal time and attention from the supervisor was cited by workers as most rewarding and motivational for
them at work.

In a Workforce article, "The Ten Ironies of Motivation," reward and recognition guru, Bob Nelson, says, "More
than anything else, employees want to be valued for a job well done by those they hold in high esteem." He
adds that people want to be treated as if they are adult human beings.

While what people want from work is situational, depending on the person, his needs and the rewards that are
meaningful to him, giving people what they want from work is really quite straight forward.

People want:

Control of their work inspires motivation: including such components as the ability to impact
decisions; setting clear and measurable goals; clear responsibility for a complete, or at least defined,
task; job enrichment; tasks performed in the work itself; and recognition for achievement.
To belong to the in-crowd creates motivation: including items such as receiving timely information
and communication; understanding management's formulas for decision making; team and meeting
participation opportunities; and visual documentation and posting of work progress and
accomplishments.
The opportunity for growth and development is motivational: and includes education and training;
career paths; team participation; succession planning; cross-training; and field trips to successful
workplaces.

Leadership is key in motivation. People want clear expectations that provide a picture of the outcomes
desired with goal setting and feedback and an appropriate structure or framework.
The Boys with the Golden Stars (Fairy Tale)
synopsis

The Boys with the Golden Stars (Fairy Tale)

A herdsman had three daughters. The youngest was the most beautiful. One day, the emperor was passing with
attendants. The oldest daughter said that if he married her, she would bake him a loaf of bread that would make
him young and brave forever; the second one said, if one married her, she would make him a shirt that would
protect him in any fight, even with a dragon, and against heat and water; the youngest one said that she would
bear him twin sons with stars on their foreheads. The emperor married the youngest, and two of his friends
married the other two.

The emperor's stepmother had wanted him to marry her daughter and so hated his new wife. She got her brother
to declare war on him, to get him away from her, and when the empress gave birth in his absence, killed and
buried the twins in the corner of the garden and put puppies in their place. The emperor punished his wife to
show what happened to those who deceived the emperor.

Two aspens grew from the grave, putting on years' growth in hours. The stepmother wanted to chop them
down, but the emperor forbade it. Finally, she convinced him, on the condition that she had beds made from the
wood, one for him and one for her. In the night, the beds began to talk to each other. The stepmother had two
new beds made, and burned the originals. While they were burning, the two brightest sparks flew off and fell
into the river. They became two golden fish. When fishermen caught them, they wanted to take them alive to
the emperor. The fish told them to let them swim in dew instead, and then dry them out in the sun. When they
did this, the fish turned back into babies, maturing in days.Wearing lambskin caps that covered their hair and
stars, they went to their father's castle and forced their way in. Despite their refusal to take off their caps, the
emperor listened to their story, only then removing their caps. The emperor executed his stepmother and took
back his wife.

Story Ali Baba and his elder brother Cassim are the sons of a merchant. After their father's death, the
greedy Cassim marries a wealthy woman and becomes well-to-do, building on their father's business. Ali Baba
marries a poor woman and settles into the trade of a woodcutter. One day, Ali Baba is at work collecting and
cutting firewood in the forest, and he happens to overhear a group of 40 thieves visiting their treasure store. The
treasure is in a cave, the mouth of which is sealed by magic. It opens on the words "open sesame" and seals
itself on the words "close sesame". When the thieves are gone, Ali Baba enters the cave himself and discreetly
takes a single bag of gold coins home.

Ali Baba and his wife borrow his sister-in-law's scales to weigh their new wealth. Unbeknownst to them,
Cassim's wife puts a blob of wax in the scales to find out what Ali Baba is using them for, as she is curious to
know what kind of grain her impoverished brother-in-law needs to measure. To her shock, she finds a gold coin
sticking to the scales and tells her husband. Under pressure from his brother, Ali Baba is forced to reveal the
secret of the cave. Cassim goes to the cave, taking a donkey with him to take as much treasure as possible. He
enters the cave with the magic words. But in his greed and excitement over the treasure, he forgets the words to
get out again. The thieves find him there and kill him. When his brother does not come back, Ali Baba goes to
the cave to look for him, and finds the body quartered and with each piece displayed just inside the cave's
entrance, as a warning to anyone else who might try to enter.

Ali Baba brings the body home where he entrusts Morgiana, a clever slave-girl from Cassim's household, with
the task of making others believe that Cassim has died a natural death.[4] First, Morgiana purchases medicines
from an apothecary, telling him that Cassim is gravely ill. Then, she finds an old tailor known as Baba Mustafa
whom she pays, blindfolds, and leads to Cassim's house. There, overnight, the tailor stitches the pieces of
Cassim's body back together so that no one will be suspicious. Ali Baba and his family are able to give Cassim
a proper burial without anyone's asking awkward questions.
The thieves, finding the body gone, realize that yet another person must know their secret, and they set out to
track him down. One of the thieves goes down to the town and comes across Baba Mustafa, who mentions that
he has just sewn a dead man's body back together. Realizing the dead man must have been the thieves' victim,
the thief asks Baba Mustafa to lead the way to the house where the deed was performed. The tailor is
blindfolded again, and in this state he is able to retrace his steps and find the house. The thief marks the door
with a symbol so the other thieves can come back that night and kill everyone in the house. However, the thief
has been seen by Morgiana who, loyal to her master, foils the thief's plan by marking all the houses in the
neighborhood similarly. When the 40 thieves return that night, they cannot identify the correct house, and their
leader kills the unsuccessful thief in a furious rage. The next day, another thief revisits Baba Mustafa and tries
again. Only this time, a chunk is chipped out of the stone step at Ali Baba's front door. Again, Morgiana foils
the plan by making similar chips in all the other doorsteps, and the second thief is killed for his failure as well.
At last, the leader of the thieves goes and looks himself. This time, he memorizes every detail he can of the
exterior of Ali Baba's house.

The leader of the thieves pretends to be an oil merchant in need of Ali Baba's hospitality, bringing with him
mules loaded with 38 oil jars, one filled with oil, the other 37 hiding the other remaining thieves. Once Ali
Baba is asleep, the thieves plan to kill him. Again, Morgiana discovers and foils the plan, killing the 37 thieves
in their oil jars by pouring boiling oil on them. When their leader comes to rouse his men, he discovers they are
all dead and escapes. The next morning, Morgiana tells Ali Baba about the thieves in the jars. They bury them,
and Ali Baba shows his gratitude by giving Morgiana her freedom.

To exact revenge after some time, the leader of the thieves establishes himself as a merchant, befriends Ali
Baba's son (who is now in charge of the late Cassim's business), and is invited to dinner at Ali Baba's house.
However, the thief is recognized by Morgiana, who performs a sword dance with a

dagger for the diners and plunges it into the thief's heart, when he is off his guard. Ali Baba is at first angry with
Morgiana, but when he finds out the thief wanted to kill him, he is extremely grateful and rewards Morgiana by
marrying her to his son. Ali Baba is then left as the only one knowing the secret of the treasure in the cave and
how to access it.

The Pig King ( Fairy Tale)

A king and a queen had no children after seven years. One day, the queen slept in the garden, and three fairies
saw her. One gave her a son and that no man could harm her; the second, that no one could offend her, and the
son should have every virtue; the third, that she would be wise, but the son should be a pig until he had married
three times. Soon after, the queen had a son in the form of a pig. The king at first thought to throw the pig into
the sea, but decided against it, and had him raised as a child. He learned to talk, but wallowed in mud whenever
he could. One day, he told his mother that he wished to marry and persisted until the queen persuaded a poor
woman to give her oldest daughter to him. The girl was persuaded by her mother but resolved to kill her
bridegroom their wedding night. In the night, he stabbed her with his hooves, and she died. He then asked to
marry her sister, and she was persuaded, but she died as her sister had. Finally, he married the third. The third
sister behaved politely to him, and returned his caresses. Soon after their marriage, the prince revealed a secret
to her: he took off his pigskin and became a handsome young man in her bed. Every morning, he put the skin
back on, but she was glad to have a man as her husband. Soon, she gave birth to a child, a son in human form.
But finally, the princess revealed the secret to the king and queen and told them to come to the bedchamber at
night. They did, and saw their son. The king had the pigskin, lying to one side, torn to pieces, and then
abdicated and had his son crowned. He was known as King Pig, and lived long and happily with his queen.
Soonimaya (Folk Tales from Nepal)

Once, during the reign of a great king, there lived a little girl name Soonimaya, the daughter of a hill shepherd,
Mahan Singh, and his wife, Dahn Jita. The three had a very happy life together. In the summertime they
wandered with their flocks over the high mountain pastures of Dhor, and in the wintertime before the snows
came to close the pass, they came down to their stone house in the river valeey of Neeshee to plant corn. When
Soonimaya was ten years old her mother, Dahn Jita, fell sick and died. For days Soonimaya grieved. Mahn
Singh did not know what to do to comfort her. Finally he decided to marry a widow whose husband had left her
with a girl Soonimayas age and a boy a few years younger. In this way, thought Mahn Sing, my little girl
will have a sister and a mother, and I will have a wife and a son.After they had lived together for a while,
Mahan Singh knew he would have a difficult time caring for such a large family. His little flock of goats and
sheep was too small.

There was no money for clothes or peppers. One day he told his wife: I will go into the army so I can send
money home every year. Then, when you have bought enough animals and land to feed us all, I will come
home to stay.Now the stepmother treated Soonimaya as well as she did her own children while Mahn Singh
was at home, but as soon as he left for the army she began to treat Soonimaya differently. She made her stay up
all night to guard the flock after working all day in the fields. She gave her husks to eat instead of good rice she
cooked for her own children. But Soonimaya never complained. One day the stepmother sent Soonimaya into
the jungle to bring fodder for the animals, but she would not give her a kukari, a large hunting knife, to cut the
leaves or a tumpline to carry them home. Soonimaya went into the jungle and wept. When some snakes came
by and asked her why she was crying, she told then what the stepmother expected of her.Stop crying,
Soonimaya, said the snakes. We will crawl up into the trees and cut some branches for you, if you will gather
the leaves. Then, we have a good load, you can make us into a tumpline and we will help you carry the fodder
home. Set us down gently, so we wont get hurt, and we will slip back into the forest.Soonimaya gathered the
leaves as fast as the snakes threw them down from the trees, and she piled them into a big bundle.

When the stepmother saw the load of fodder Soonimaya had brought home, she was very puzzled. I will have
to think of something she cannot do at al, she thought to herself. Then I can send her away for disobeying
me, and her father will not blame me when he returns.Some time alter the stepmother gave Soonimaya a sieve
and told her to bring some water from the spring. Soonimaya knew this would be a hopeless task, but she went
to the spring with the sieve as she told. She tried and tried to make the sieve hold water. She cupper her hands
under it, she lined it with leaves, she filled the holed with clay. But always, before she reached home, the sieve
would be empty. Finally she sat down on a stone near the spring and wept. Some ants came out of the ground
and asked Soonimaya why she was weeping. My stepmother expects me to carry water in this, she moaned,
holding up the sieve so they could see it. What shall I do?

Stop crying, pleaded the ants when they heard her story. We will help you. Each of us will sit over a hole in
the sieve and you can fill it with water. When you get home would the water very slowly in your storage jar.
Then tap the sieve lightly with stick and we will fall to the ground and come back to the spring.Soonimaya
was grateful to the ants and did just as she was told. When the stepmother saw the water in the storage jar, she
was surprised and annoyed. This girl is too clever, thought the wicked woman. I shall have to find a more
dangerous task.When the monsoon arrived the stepmother told Soonimaya to go into the jungle to get some
tigers milk for her stepbrother and sister. Soonimya did not know how she could obey without being eaten by
the tiger. She started into the jungle with her wooden pot, but the trail was so slippery she fell after every few
steps. Finally she sat down on a big rock and wept from fear and exhaustion.Now it happened that under the
rock lived a mother tigress and her four baby kittens. The kittens heard Soonimaya crying and came out to see
what as the matter. When Soonimaya told them the task her stepmother had set for her, they said:Do not cry so
loudly, Soonimaya, our mother will wake up and eat you! Give us you taykee and we will fill it while she is
asleep.Soonimaya sat very still while the tiger kittens disappeared into the den to collect the milk. When they
returned he hugged them all and hurried home to give the milk to her brother and sister. The stepmother saw
her children drinking the tigers milk and stared. This girl is a witch, she muttered to herself. I must get rid
of her.It was a long time before she thought of something else for Soonimaya to do. Finally she said to her, I
need a Champa flower for some medicine. Get me one.

Soonimaya walked to the base of the mountain that rose steeply behind her village and looked for a way to
climb to the high shelf where the Champa flowers grew. There was no path and she could not find footholds in
the cliff. After a few hours she gave up in despair. A big vulture, seeing her distress, swept don and landed on
the ground in front of her.Oh, Little Sister, why are you so upset? he asked, hopping nearer. Soonimaya told
him as well as she could between sobs. Well now, this is a problem we can solve, said the vulture cheerfully.
Hang on tight and I will carry you up.Eefore the tears had dried her cheeks, Soonimaya found herself aloft on
the back of the big bird, sailing up and up, above the valley floor to the top of the mountain. Suddenly her ride
came to an end and she was tossed, with a swoosh and a bump, into a bed of beautiful Champa flowers. The
bird and the girl laughed with pleasure.While they sat looking out over the valley, the vulture spied a number of
his relatives circling the river to the south.

Something is going down there, he said to Soonimaya. I will have to leave you for a little while, but pick all
the flowers you want and I will come back to carry you home.The vulture swung into the air and soared out
across the valley toward the river. Soonimaya watched the flight of her friend, then turned her eyes to the main
road winding along far below her. She saw travelers moving up and down the narrow trail. Some of them were
carrying heavy loads and some were walking behind the herd of goats. Tiny bells tinkled in the wind. One of
the travelers was a soldier coming up the trail with two porters, each lowry as he sat down under a tree to rest.
Suddenly she recognized him! He was her own father coming home on leave, with wonderful presents for
everyone. Oh, Ba! Ba! she shouted, jumping and waving her arms to catch his attention. But Soonimaya,
forgetting where she was in her excitement, slipped and fell to her death.Word of Mahn Singhs homecoming
had already reached the village. People ran to tell him the terrible news and to take him to the foot of the cliff.
When Mahn Singh reached his little girl he was overcome with sorrow. He carried her to a place near the river
and buried her there. Slowly his sorrow changed to anger. What was Soonimaya doing on such a high cliff?
he said to himself. He went straight home to his wife and demanded an answer.

I dont know, said the deceitful woman, I told her not to go up there, but she would not obey me. Oh dear!
she sighed, I expected something like this would happen because she did very strange things. She was never
quite the same after you left, you know. Why, she even tried to carry water in a sieve!When the evil
stepmother thought she had calmed her husband, she cooked him a fine meal of a curried chicken and long,
white rive. She gave him wine of three-waters and rubbed his tired legs. But Mahn Singh, though his anger
slowly left him, still felt deeply the loss of his little daughter. He stayed only a week home before he returned to
the army.A few days later, a beautiful golden pillar sprang up from the ground where Mahn Singh had buried
Soonimaya. A blacksmith passing by saw it and hurried to report it to the king. Bring it at once! was the
order. So I may judge its worth.The king stood in awe of the golden pillar. Never had anything like it been
brought to the palace. He reached out to feel the gold with his hands, and instantly the pillar turned into a
beautiful young girl. The king was delighted.See what has come to us! he exclaimed to his courtiers. Is this
not a fitting bride for my eldest son?

All the people of the palace were enchanted with the girl who had sprung form the golden pillar. They knew the
king had been searching everywhere for a bride for their favorite prince, and at last one had been found. Now,
amidst great rejoicing, the wedding preparations began. News of marriage went out all over the country and
soon it reached the ears of Mahn Singhs wicked wife. She was very disappointed, for she had hoped her own
daughter would one day be the queen. Months later the king announced the birth of a son to the happily married
pair. Everyone in the country was invited to the naming feast. The wicked stepmother was so eager to see the
princess that she was the first to arrive at the palace on the feast day. She turned pale with astonishment to find
the girl sitting beside the handsome prince, holding baby in her arms, was Soonimaya.When the stepmother
returned home, she said to her daughter: You will never guess who is the mother of the baby prince.
Soonimaya! Squatting by the fire, she added: And to think someday she will be queen over us all.After a
long pause, she coughed and said: You look enough like your stepsister to be her twin. Why not go to the
palace tomorrow to visit her? After you are acquainted again, you can invite her to the river for a swim. Perhaps
she might have an accident and drown. Remember, the girl who is married to the eldest prince will someday be
the queen.The daughter, who had grown as wicked as her mother, would have done anything to become the
queen. She carefully packed a basket full of food and presents, and set out the next morning for the palace.
When she was shown into the room where the princess was sitting, she rushed over and, covering her head with
her shawl, bowed very low in a gesture of great respect. Soonimaya returned the greeting graciously and
ordered tea brought for both of them.

Sister, said the visitor, after she had given Soonimaya the presents and talked a while. The day is full of
sunshine. Let us go to the river and bathe together.Soonimaya could think of no good reason to stay at home,
so she strapped her little son onto her back and left the palace with her stepsister. When they reached the river,
the stepsister said:The water is much clearer over here in this lovely big pool. I will hold baby Lakshman for
you while you take your swim, and you can hold him while I take mine.Soonimaya did not notice that the pool
was very deep. She handed Lakshman to her companion, removed her velvet blouse and golden sari, and turned
to step into the river. At that moment the stepsister pushed Soonimaya. The princes lost her balance, tumbled
into the pool, and sand out of sight. The girl on the bank dressed quickly in Soonimayas beautiful clothes,
strapped the baby onto her back, and hurried up the trial to the palace. Everyone, including the prince, thought
the girl who returned from the river was Soonimaya. Only Baby Lakshman knew she was not his mother; when
it was time for him to nurse he began to fret, and soon he was crying loudly.

When Soonimaya sank down into the deep pool she came to the home of two large water snakes. She bowed to
each in turn, very politely. The male snake was so surprised he said:When we saw you coming we were
planning to eat you, but since you have greeted us with such respect we will spare your life for three days.That
night Soonimaya asked the snakes if she could go back to the palace to nurse her little son. The snakes
consented to let her go if she promised to return into the river before dawn. Soonimya readily agreed and left
for the palace. She circled the courtyard to avoid being seen in the moonlight, ran up the long flight of stairs to
the balcony, and stole cautiously along the wall to the nursery door. In her haste she failed to notice a tailor,
wrapped in a blanket lying against the balcony wall. He had not been able to go to sleep because of the babys
crying. The tailor was startled to see a woman walk past him in the middle of the night, but he lay very still.
Soonimaya unbolted the door and slipped inside. At once the baby stopped crying. That is an unusual way for
the princess to enter the palace, the tailor thought to himself. and why does she let the baby cry so long
before she feeds him?When the visitor left the nursery just before dawn, in the same mysterious fashion, the
tailor was even more puzzled.

The tailor worked hard all the next day, but by sundown he still had not finished his masters vest. He set his
work aside, lay down, and rolled up in his blanket. He was awakened from sleep by the cries of Baby
Lakshman, and soon after, he heard the light step of feet on the stairway. He opened his eyes and saw
Soonimaya, again entering the nursery. Some time after the baby had been quieted, the princess departed in the
same stealthy manner. The tailor sat up and peered through the carved grill of balcony. He watched his mistress
circle the courtyard, run along the shadow of the garden wall, and hurry down the trail to the river. Something
very strange is going on, he thought. When the prince awakens, I will tell him all I have seen.As soon as the
prince heard the tailors story he said, We will both watch tonight. If the woman comes again, we will catch
her and make her tell us what she is doing.That night the prince hid in a corner of the balcony and the tailor
lay against the balcony wall under his blanket. Baby Lakshman began to cry, as usual, because he was now very
hungry. About midnight the tailor saw the woman running up the hill toward the palace. Here she come,
Sahib-ji, he whispered to the prince. They both watched her circle the courtyard and run forward to the palace
stairs. They heard her footsteps as she climbed to the balcony. In another moment she had reached the nursery
door, lifted the latch, and gone inside. Instantly the baby stopped crying. The prince ran to the door and peeked
into the room. There he was Soonimaya holding little Lakshman in her arms, rocking him gently while he
nursed. The prince knew at once that his sons real mother. When Lakshman had finished nursing, Soonimaya
bathed him with, sweet oil and laid him in his cradle. Then, with her tears in her eyes, she kissed him and
turned to leave. But when she reached the door the prince jumped and caught her.

Oh! Please! she begged. Do not detain me. The snakes in the river gave me three days grave to live, and
they permitted me to visit Lakshman if I promised to return before dawn. Perhaps if I keep my promise they
will spare my life a little longer.But the prince would not let her go. He took her inside the palace and made
her tell him everything.Now, it was the habit of the stepsister to rise very early in the morning and go for a
walk. This morning she as up at the usual time and out walking in the garden. Just as the sun came up, the
palace was aroused by a terrible scream! Everyone rushed out to see what was the matter and there,
disappearing in the distance, were two large snakes, dragging a girl down the trail to the river.The princess!
shouted the excited cook. Get your kukaris!But there is the princess! answered the shepherd boy, pointing
to the balcony. Great was the rejoicing when everyone discovered the real Soonimaya was standing by her
husbands side. The stepmother was banished from the kingdom forever, and the prince and Soonimaya were
able, at last, to live happily ever after the little baby name Lakshman, who never had to go hungry again

Why the Jackal Howls

Long, long ago, when the lake left the valley of Kathmandu, there lived in a rhododendron forest a jackal and a
bulbul bird. These two animals were not fond of each other but they roamed about in the same forest and they
often met while searching for food. One day the jackal said to himself, If I become a meet (friend) to that
bulbul bird, I will have a good excuse to follow him about all day. Then when the hunting is poor and I can find
nothing else to eat, I can have my little brother for dinner. He laughed aloud at his own cunning. The next
time the jackal saw the bulbul bird, he called out in a voice full of feigned affection: Oh, little bulbul, you
work too hard. Come down here where it is easy to pick up the seeds that have fallen to the ground. The he
added: It is a pity two gentlemen of such good taste do not see each other more often. We should become mate
and dedicate ourselves sharing the finer things of forest together. What do you say to that, my friend?

Now the bulbul was sure he did not want to become a brother to jackal. But to refuse such an offer would be
an insult the jackal would never forget, and to be eaten by a jackal was not a very pleasant prospect.I am
flattered that you should want me for a meet, answered the bulbul, without emotion. Of course I can do
nothing but accept.So the jackal and the bulbul exchanged silver rupees to consummate their brotherhood and
began immediately to call each other by the respectful title of Meetju (friend) Now, Meetju, began the
jackal, whose mind was never at rest when he wanted something, our life in the forest is hard enough. We
must help one another as much as we can. As long as we meet, why dont we build a house and live in it
together as real brothers should?This thought the bulbul, is going too far!What kind of a house would it
be? I would die if I had to live in a den, said the bulbul, giving the jackal something to think about. And you
would not certainly want to keep house in a nest! Perhaps we should compromise. You build a den to suit your
needs on the ground and I will build my nest in a tree above it. In that way we can still look out for each other.
Good! said the jackal satisfied for the moment that he would always know where to find the bulbul. You are
such an intelligent fellow. But that, after all, is why I am proud to call you Meetju!

He tried to make his smile look very sincere, yet all the bulbul could see where the jackals two long rows of
shiny white teeth.The two meets finished building their living quarters by nightfall. They had planned to go
hunting the next day, but when the jackal was getting out of bed, he found that the bulbul was up and ready to
leave. Oh, Meetju, called the jackal. Where are you going today? I will join you when I have finished my
breakfast.I am going to the east side of the river,: the bulbul called back. See you there! And off he flew
into the forest.As soon as the jackal had eaten his cornmeal mush he went to the east side of the river to find the
bulbul bird. But he could no find him anywhere. He searched until sundown without catching anything good to
eat. That night he was so exhausted he settled for a supper of cold cornmeal mush and went unhappily to
bed.The next morning the bulbul again was up and ready to go to the forest long before the jackal.Where are
you going today, Meetju? the jackal called out after the bulbul bird.I am going to the west side of the river,
Brother Dear, the bulbul shouted back. Come along when you are ready! And he disappeared into the
jungle.The jackal hunted all day long for the bulbul on the west side of the river, but he had no more luck this
time than he did the day before.

The next morning when he heard the bulbul getting ready to leave, he raised himself up form the bed and called
out: Oh, Little Brother! Where are you off to, today? I think I shall go back to the east side of the river
again, answered the bulbul. The hunting is excellent there. Why dont you join me? And off he flew, without
waiting for an answer.This time I will! shouted the jackal, lying back on his bed. Then he added to himself:
And this time the hunting will be excellent!But now the Jackal knew that the bulbul was deceiving him. If the
bulbul said he was going to the east side of the river, he would surely be flying to the opposite side. The jackal
got out of bed with great determination and went no to the east side of the river but to the west side. There he
found the bulbul bird on the ground, eating berries. Out of the bushes jumped the jackal, shouting:Little
Brother, I will eat you now for deceiving me!But the nimble bird was too quick for the jackal. Up he flew, into
the berry bush-the jackals jaw snapping the air behind him.Oh, Meetju, you are right! admitted the bird
quickly, to the great surprise of the angry jackal. I have deceived you and that is the very worst thing anyone
could do to his beloved meet. His voice was full of penitence. For punishment I deserve to be eaten, but it
would make my next life easier if I give myself up rather than allow you to catch me. You will gain great favor
with the Gods, yourself, if you grant me this last, small request. Open your mouth and I will fly in. But be sure
to close our eyes, because I cannot bear to have you see me die this way.The obliging jackal sat on his
haunches, closed his eyes, and opened his mouth as wide as possible. But the bulbul bird, instead of plunging to
his death, picked a big cluster of sour berries from the bush, flew over the jackals mouth, and dropped them in.
The jackal gagged on the sour berries; his body doubled up as he coughed and choked.When the bulbul looked
back and saw the success of his little trick he laughed so hard his eyes turned red, and they have been red ever
since.The jackal, who was never able to catch his Meetju, howled at his own helplessness. He can still be heard
howling on a warm, dark night