My Friend Kenchu

One fine morning, when the sky was covered with dark clouds, Kittu, our young friend decided to help her mother in the garden. Her mother was sowing new seeds in the soil. Kittu was happy to be around her mother and help her out.

Playing with soil was her favorite activity. She loved to touch and feel the soft and smooth texture of the soil. While digging the soil with her little spade, Kittu was surprised to see something near a plant. She looked closely. There was a wriggly worm peeping out of the soil. Within no time, the shiny worm was wriggling around her feet. The look on Kittu's face was enough for her mother to understand Kittu's curiosity to know all about this unexpected new friend in the garden. She told Kittu to go near the worm and observe it closely. Kittu was thrilled to see how the little worm's body was moving up and down, in and out, up and down, in and out! And as Kittu was taking a good look at her new friend, poof! It just disappeared- as if it was trying to play hide and seek with her.

She had so many questions on her mind. Where does it come from? Why couldn't she see it in the winters or in the summers? Where do they live? What do they eat? To calm her down, her mother told her that they live right under the soil. After knowing this, she thought, "Maybe it has a secret passage inside the soil. Maybe, it has made hundreds of tunnels for creeping -n- seeping into the ground." Another thought popped into her little head. "Does it live near the roots of the plants?" Maybe, these worms are the neighbors of the roots! And maybe, they nibble the carrots and the potatoes and the beat roots under the soil. But what is it doing here? Why is it out? Hmm- maybe it wanted to go for shopping. Or maybe it has come out to find a new friend.

While she was pouring her thoughts out in front of her mother, she saw her little friend crawling around her feet again. She tried to catch and touch the earthworm. But in it went again and out it came again, in it went again and out it came again. The little wriggly shiny earthworm was not stopping for a minute. Up and down, in and out- Up and down, in and out! Finally, when Kittu got a chance to touch it, it coiled up in her palm like her rubber band. Kittu was happy to meet this new friend and named it "Kenchu". From that day on wards, Kittu and Kenchu were best of friends.