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Pappu Grows Wiser

Suddenly Pappu remembered.  His English teacher had given him a project.  He had to write 5 sentences about his grandfather or grandmother, about their likes and dislikes.  So Pappu ran into grandpa's room.

Grandpa was dyeing his hair.  Why should a 65 year-old man dye his hair?  Pappu was a precocious child.  Though he was studying in class 5 some of the questions that rose in his mind belonged to class 10.

"Grey hairs are a sign of maturity and wisdom," explained Grandpa with a mischievous grin.  "I possess neither of them.  That's why I'm dyeing my hair."

The next morning, as soon as the school bus dropped him on the campus, Pappu ran to Matheikal Sir, one of the teachers in the school, and asked, "Sir, why don't you dye your hair?"
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Comments

  1. UnknownJuly 29, 2013 at 11:07 AM

    Sometimes the dye cannot hide the wisdom ;)
    Your wisdom will shine even through the dye if you decide to dye :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tomichan MatheikalJuly 29, 2013 at 4:49 PM

      I'm not going to do it, Aram. Hasn't the colour become part of my identity?

      Delete
  2. wingsJuly 29, 2013 at 11:38 AM

    The Grandpa may be yet another Matheikal!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tomichan MatheikalJuly 29, 2013 at 4:50 PM

      All characters have something or the other to do with the author's personality. So you are right.

      Delete
  3. Vaishali JainJuly 29, 2013 at 12:03 PM

    Ahaha! Pappu sure has grown wiser. :P

    ReplyDelete
  4. Brendan DabhiJuly 29, 2013 at 3:03 PM

    Smart Pappu. He's gonna pass this year, I guess! :D

    ReplyDelete
  5. Easwar ArumugamJuly 29, 2013 at 4:58 PM

    Ha ha ha.The child is more wise that the grandpa.Precocious children make life more lively. They are really the masters.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Tomichan MatheikalJuly 29, 2013 at 7:11 PM

    That's why, perhaps, Wordsworth said that the child is father of man :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. jahidJuly 29, 2013 at 11:20 PM

    It seems gradually I'm becoming matured and gaining wisdom as well :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. mandakolathurJuly 30, 2013 at 10:56 AM

    The very best of self deprecation. FANTASTIC, though not true.

    If you are the "Matheikal sir" then the school, fully residential, is not the one you work in. The logic is equally applicable in the other direction.

    RE

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tomichan MatheikalJuly 30, 2013 at 12:12 PM

      This is fiction, Raghuram. What actually happened is very simple. I was in the hostel the evening before I wrote this. One of the students asked me the question why I didn't dye my hair. I gave some banal answer. But the question tickled my mind while I was half asleep. Quite many of my stories are born in that state: while I'm half asleep. This too was born thus.

      Delete
    2. Tomichan MatheikalJuly 30, 2013 at 12:13 PM

      This is fiction, Raghuram. What actually happened is very simple. I was in the hostel the evening before I wrote this. One of the students asked me the question why I didn't dye my hair. I gave some banal answer. But the question tickled my mind while I was half asleep. Quite many of my stories are born in that state: while I'm half asleep. This too was born thus.

      Delete
  9. CYNOSUREJuly 30, 2013 at 12:44 PM

    Although this is a fiction, it reminded me of a kid who used to live next to my house...she used to come up with the same questions and she was not even in 5th class... :P

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tomichan MatheikalJuly 30, 2013 at 6:00 PM

      Children are born intelligent, the school ruins the intellect :)

      Delete
  10. UnknownJuly 30, 2013 at 3:25 PM

    Lol....that kid was tell you something :P

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tomichan MatheikalJuly 30, 2013 at 6:00 PM

      Indeed, Pankti. There are some real kids of the kind I've created here.

      Delete
  11. AnonymousJuly 30, 2013 at 6:56 PM

    Short and sweet story :)
    So when are you dyeing your hair?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tomichan MatheikalJuly 30, 2013 at 10:21 PM

      Thanks, Diventia. Even if I want to, I can't dye my hair for the simple reason that I'm terribly allergic to the dye.

      Delete
  12. UnknownJuly 30, 2013 at 8:12 PM

    A brilliant piece of writing having the flavour of a good short story. I enjoyed this laconic one.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tomichan MatheikalJuly 30, 2013 at 10:22 PM

      Some flashes of inspiration that come occasionally, that's all Kajal ji.

      Delete

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