Peacocks and Pakodas!

Authors: Mala Kumar, Manisha Chaudhry

Illustrator: Priya Kuriyan

I can see big, black clouds in the sky and I can hear BADABOOM , the roll of thunder.

The monsoon is here. It is called Varsha Ritu in Sanskrit. I love the smell of wet earth. After a long hot summer, the soil also loves the first raindrops I think.

The rain makes beautiful patterns on the ground. My uncle has kept big drums in some places to save rain water. The rain water from the terrace comes and falls into these drums. So I call them waterfalls!

Aunty likes to sing aloud when it starts raining.

Shubha aunty who lives in Varanasi, taught me some lovely songs called ‘Kajari’ .

Do you know, Miyan Tansen, a very famous singer in the court of Emperor Akbar, could bring the rain down from the skies just by singing a song in raag ‘Miyan ki Malhar!'

I am going to start learning Indian classical music too.

I got wet in the rain when I came running back from school, but it was fun. I saw peacocks dancing in the fields near our house. They never seem to get wet!

I cannot wait to sit on the swing that Manu has put up on the big tree, and feel the cool rainy breeze on my face.

I can smell the pakodas being fried in the kitchen. Can I be greedy and eat some corn too? Amma makes us drink hot milk.

Yesterday, she had made spicy puffed rice. And tomorrow, she says she will make puris!

All the trees and plants will look green and happy. Just like the green dupatta that Hari bhaiya sent for me from Jaipur. He said it is called a ‘dhaani chunariya.’

‘Dhaani’ means the fresh green colour of paddy saplings. Grandpa told me that good rain means the farmers will get a good crop. We all wait for the rains, but farmers worship the rain gods.

My mango tree has grown very tall during the monsoon season. I do not have to water it at all! And when the wind blew hard last month, my tree stood firm. When will my mango tree be as big as this one?

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Story Attribution:

This story: Peacocks and Pakodas! is written by Mala Kumar , Manisha Chaudhry . © Pratham Books , 2012. Some rights reserved. Released under CC BY 4.0 license.

Other Credits:

This book has been published on StoryWeaver by Pratham Books. Pratham Books is a not-for-profit organization that publishes books in multiple Indian languages to promote reading among children. www.prathambooks.org

Illustration Attributions:

Cover page: Girl and peacock in the rain , by Priya Kuriyan © Pratham Books, 2012. Some rights reserved. Released under CC BY 4.0 license. Page 2: Girl enjoying the rain , by Priya Kuriyan © Pratham Books, 2012. Some rights reserved. Released under CC BY 4.0 license. Page 3: Girl looking at rain water collecting in drums and man standing with umbrella , by Priya Kuriyan © Pratham Books, 2012. Some rights reserved. Released under CC BY 4.0 license. Page 4: Girl and lady playing musical instrument , by Priya Kuriyan © Pratham Books, 2012. Some rights reserved. Released under CC BY 4.0 license. Page 5: Girl looking at peacocks dance in the rain , by Priya Kuriyan © Pratham Books, 2012. Some rights reserved. Released under CC BY 4.0 license. Page 6: Girl and boy sniffing aroma from kitchen , by Priya Kuriyan © Pratham Books, 2012. Some rights reserved. Released under CC BY 4.0 license. Page 7: Girl in the field , by Priya Kuriyan © Pratham Books, 2012. Some rights reserved. Released under CC BY 4.0 license. Page 8: Girl hugging tree in the rain , by Priya Kuriyan © Pratham Books, 2012. Some rights reserved. Released under CC BY 4.0 license. Disclaimer: https://www.storyweaver.org.in/terms_and_conditions

Some rights reserved. This book is CC-BY-4.0 licensed. You can copy, modify, distribute and perform the work, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. For full terms of use and attribution, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Peacocks and Pakodas! (English)

From listening to a melodious Kajari to watching tiny waterfalls, and from the lovely scent of moist soil to the smell of Amma's pakodas, Meenu loves every bit of the monsoon.

This is a Level 2 book for children who recognize familiar words and can read new words with help.

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