Gandhiji's Pencil

Soon after Gandhiji's return from South Africa, a meeting of the Congress was held in Bombay. Kaka Saheb Kalelkar was also present there.

One day Kaka Saheb found Gandhiji anxiously searching around his desk for something. He inquired about the matter. 

To this Gandhiji replied that he had lost his pencil!

Kaka Saheb could not understand why Gandhiji was wasting his precious time over a small pencil! He took out his own pencil and offered it to him.

However, Gandhiji insisted that he would use his own little pencil! 

Kaka Saheb insisted that Gandhiji should use the pencil for the time being and the former would find his pencil meanwhile. But Gandhiji did not agree to it! 

Gandhiji said that the little pencil was very dear to him as it was a token of love from Natesan's little son who had given it to him in Madras. He had given it to him with so much love and affection and now he cannot bear to lose it! 

Kaka Saheb did not argue further and joined Gandhiji in the search! 

At last, they found it! It was a tiny piece, barely two inches long. But Gandhiji was much delighted to find it! To him, it was not an ordinary pencil but the token of a child's love and hence was very precious!