Summer vacation days....

Those were the years when playgrounds would be buzzing in Summer Vacation. Umang, Tapan, Ravi and Rajesh were few of those kids. Their days began with cricket and ended with cricket. They would not leave the playground until forced by their parents. On one such day after the cricket match, they sat on the ground chit-chatting with each other. Their talks moved from one topic to the other and then one of the friend suggested of a group picnic, to which everyone agreed instantly. These four boys decided to go the very next day. Their destination was a small forest near their city where people generally went for having fun filled adventure.

They started to discuss on various things to be carried for the trip. Umang said it was mandatory for everybody to bring a water bottle and food such as energy bar, dry fruits etc... Tapan asked everyone to bring an extra pair of clothes along with first aid kit. Ravi said that it is important to carry a torch, cap, handkerchief and chalks. Rajesh excitedly said that he will carry a camera to click some adventurous pictures in the forest.

That night each one of them became good boys as they got the permission for the picnic. Each one of them woke up early and got ready quickly. Bags were flooded with things which they thought were important for the trip. And finally they were about to begin their adventure trip. They took a bus and reached their destination.

They were just about to enter the forest, the thrill and adventure was about to begin. As they moved inside they came across many giant trees, dried leaves which laid on the ground covering it. The dried leaves made sound with each of their step. As they started moving inside they had a feeling that somebody was following them but whenever they turned around they failed to spot anyone. Sensing something fishy they decided to walk silently and keep a track of the sound which followed them but it did not fetch them any result.

Umang suggested everybody to pick anything they found on their way which they think would protect them. Umang noticed a sharp edged stone and instantly took it in his hands. Tapan found a piece of wood and took it for his safety. Ravi and Rajesh collected few stones which they noticed on the way. By now they had walked quite a distance and were tired and hungry, the sound of the footsteps which seemed to follow tem had also vanished, so they decided to rest and to have some snacks. A few minutes later Umang noticed a tall man approaching them and as he moved closer he put his hand in one of his pocket to remove a big knife. In reflex to what he saw, Umang threw the sharp edged stone targeting the man's leg and shouted 'run, run, run. Everybody instantly got up and started running and as they ran they threw all the stones, wooden piece they had found on that man who was now no lesser than a monster for them.

As they ran they started shouting for help. After running for about 20 minutes, they saw a man in uniform running towards them. Rajesh started shouting "that's an officer, please help".

In no time the man following the kids had reached near them and he was about to catch them. As he moved his hand forward to catch the boys, the forest officer caught the man and handcuffed him. The officer informed the boys that they had helped the forest department to catch this thief who was in their wanted list. The forest officer thanked the boys for their bravery and courage. And this achievement of their made the picnic a memorable one and also made their parents proud of them. A little amount of name and fame was earned by them as the bravery story of these young boys was published in the local newspaper.

Moral: One should stay alert when in a new place.