EXCERPTS FROM "TALK"- THE ANTHONIAN LITERARY K(C)LUB BULLETIN

Here are some excerpts from the first issue (February, 2012) of TALK. Although the contributions are from students we assure you that they are original pieces. Their merit stands to be judged by you, the readers of the blog and we would like to read your valued comments on the same. So, go ahead and TALK.

ADELBERT AND THE WITCH

Once upon a time in Belgium lived an orphan named Adelbert with his loving grandmother and their cow Wilma on the outskirts of the Ardennes close to the river Meuse. He was a hardworking boy, helping with milking Wilma and making cheese and collecting wood for the fire and so on. His grandmother loved him more than anything in the world. After all he was her only cause for living. 

Every morning Adelbert woke up early and went into the nearby woods to collect firewood. When he returned he would help his grandmother make the fire and they would sit beside it tending the porridge that would be their breakfast. Then he would get down to the business of milking the cow, while his grandmother prepared the meal and did other household chores. Adelbert never went to school, but his grandmother taught him to read and write. Suddenly one morning Wilma was nowhere to be found. Adelbert searched for her everywhere but without success.

One day he decided to go deeper into the woods in search of Wilma. The tall pine trees and the lush green foliage around him drew him in deeper and deeper till he realized that he had gone too far. The dews of the early morning had moistened the soil so much that Adelbert began to slip and slide here and there. There was a cave in a hill before him and it seemed so enchanting that Adelbert could not resist going towards it. He tried hard to keep his feet steady, but alas, he did not see the patch of moss on the floor and slid headlong into the cave. He managed to bring his slide to a halt with the help of his arms. In spite of the bruises he could feel on his elbows and ankles Adelbert jumped to his feet and stared in amazement. Right in front of his eyes was a little hut made entirely out of chocolate and biscuits! And tied to a pole at the side of it was Wilma! So someone had stolen Wilma and had used her milk to make all the chocolate for the hut. The aroma of the tempting chocolate was too difficult to resist and as Adelbert put out his hand to touch the wall of the hut a beautiful young lady dressed in white emerged and asked him who he was and what he was doing there. Adelbert narrated to her his misadventure and she smiled and asked him to enter the hut. What he did not realize was that she had other plans for him. In the centre of the hut was a cage into which she thrust him. Adelbert was too taken aback to protest and right in front of his eyes the beautiful lady was transformed into an ugly haggard witch. Seeing the shock on his little face the witch cackled aloud and told him that since he had discovered her secret abode she could not ever let him go. He would be her servant forever. Adelbert could think of nothing but the disappointment his grandmother would feel when she came to know that he had disobeyed her by going too far into the woods. 

But Adelbert was a bright boy. And so he fought back his tears and set to the task of thinking out ways by which to escape from the cage and the cave. Suddenly he noticed a hen sitting on a straw bed in a corner of the hut. The brown bird sat so still that it seemed lifeless. It seemed to be in deep meditation. But just then it got up and walked out of the hut leaving behind a beautiful golden egg. Adelbert just couldn’t believe his eyes. So, the fabled bird that laid golden eggs was not a goose but a hen and it was in the possession of the witch whom he could hear singing somewhere in the cave. 

Wonders did not cease for Adelbert for he suddenly realized that the witch was dreadful for sure but not too smart. She had left the keys to his cage on a ledge of the hut’s window and it was within his reach! He grabbed the keys and leaving the cage was just about to exit the hut when she appeared out of nowhere and slammed the doors shut. But Adelbert was quick to realize that escape from the hut would be quite pleasurable. The hut was made of chocolate and all he would have to do was eat his way out. The next half hour he spent tasting some of the finest dark chocolate he had ever had. The hole he had thus managed to make was large enough for him to get out of. But now Adelbert was determined to leave with the witch’s hen and Wilma. He untied the cow and tiptoed all around the cave with the animal searching for the bird till he found it in a small fountain bathing itself. Fascinated though he was at the sight he wasted no time in grabbing the surprised creature and ran out of the cave. Wilma kept pace with him beautifully. He had gone quite far when he heard horrid screams in the distance behind him. The witch had made the discovery that she had lost not only her captive but her precious hen as well.

Adelbert managed to reach home before long. His grandmother was outside the door looking out for him. She heaved a sigh of relief at the sight of her grandson and looked pretty amazed to see Wilma in tow. After he had told her his story he had to prove that he had not been lying by making the hen sit down to lay its egg. It did take some time, but once she held the shining thing in her hand she was convinced of Adelbert’s adventure. Of course, he promised never to disobey her again and they had no cause to fear the anger of the witch for they soon left the place and lived happily ever after. 

Manjeet Singh Dutt (10 A)

VALIDATE

Recently, while taking part in the moral science class at school, I came across the valuable concept of validation, something I feel the world is very much in need of. A highly acclaimed short film which centered round the idea of how validation can change people’s lives and make the world a happier place was shown to us. A cheerful parking attendant does more than simply validate parking. He delivers compliments about their appearances and the inner qualities behind them. Everyone who comes up to him with a ticket walks away validated as a worthwhile human being. Soon, the parking attendant becomes so popular that people line up for validation. He appears on news broadcasts and even ends up validating George W. Bush and Saddam Hussein. His life hits a roadblock when he goes to get his driver's license photo taken and is met with a beautiful photographer whom he can't get to smile.  He loses his urge to validate and soon all his customers as well. By some quirk of fate he discovers he has a knack for being a feel- good photography expert as he can get people to smile like no one can. Once again he becomes quite popular in his new line of work. When he returns to get his driver’s license renewed he learns that the girl he could not get to smile was fired because she began taking drivers’ smiling photographs. The parking attendant-turned-photographer then goes on a quest for her and discovers that her life changed when he got her wheelchair bound grandmother to smile for a photograph, something she had completely forgotten to do. The two finally come together and it is all smiles for everyone in the audience. I decided there and then that I would propagate this concept, apart from putting it into practice on a daily basis, to do my bit for the planet we live in and its inhabitants we live among.

What does the word “validation” actually mean? To my mind it means making something valid – a ratification, a substantiation, a confirmation of the action or deed, the dress or expression of a person. Everyone wants to be rewarded, but not everyone qualifies for the rewards the world dangles in front of us like the proverbial carrot. Validation is one of the methods to reward people. Speaking good about the person, giving him / her encouragement, applauding the person’s efforts or even simply saying a kind word are forms of validation. It brings a smile on the face of the person who is being validated. Just as one expects to be validated, one should also readily validate others. In order to validate one has to be happy because an unhappy person cannot make someone else happy. After validating someone the only thing one expects in return is a genuine smile. If a person does not validate others then in the long run he / she might not be validated too. 

So go ahead and validate. It’s the best you can do for your fellow beings, without putting in too much effort.

Aman Rahaman (10 A)