Story for Children - Gary's Temple Visit

This is a story set in an Indian village. This is presented in 3 parts. After reading each part, please check the next part mentioned immediately below the story. Glossary of the uncommon words are also given at the end. Hope the children would be able to enjoy this story.

In a small village, there lived an old man. He lived alone in a small house as he had lost his wife few years back and his children were away in the city with their families. He did all his household chores himself. He washed his vessels, cooked his food, cleaned his house, and washed his clothes, everything all alone.

After a few days, he felt the need to have a friend with whom he could talk and who would also enjoy his company but who would not interfere in his life. As he was wondering how to get such company he found a small kitten lying in his garden, with a wounded leg. The old man felt sorry for the kitten and picked him up. He called him Gary. The old man nursed him with utmost care and gave him milk every day.

Within a month Gary grew up to be a beautiful and healthy-looking pussy cat, in white and black, with silky fur and bright eyes. Gary and the old man became great friends. Gary followed him like shadow everywhere. The old man talked to Gary about his dead wife and his children who never bothered to visit him. Like an obedient child Gary sat and listened to his master’s sorrows and joys and he mewed sadly or happily in between to show his response.

It made the old man happy. Gary followed him even to the field, to the shops and to the temple. He felt it was his responsibility to take care of his master who took care of him when he was wounded and abandoned by his mother.

Now, every day after the pooja was over the temple priest gave the old man some prasadam . The old man smeared a little sandal paste on Gary's forehead and kept a flower on his ears. Gary felt very great about it. After reaching home, he gave him a spoonful of the payasam he had received from the temple along with the prasadam . Gary enjoyed eating the delicious payasam, which he had never tasted before meeting the old man, and he looked forward for the temple visit each morning.

One day the old man fell ill and couldn’t go to the temple. Gary was very sad, and began to cry.

(To be continued in Part II)

Glossary: Prasadam = food offered to the deity, Payasam = a sweetened milk preparation