THE STUDENT OF TODAY

             It is not unnatural that ideologies and ideals change from generate of to generation. The students in olden days mainly followed an oft-quoted maxim, ‘Reading is a meditation for the students’. The main objective of an ideal student at that time, was reading, reading and reading to learn his coveted subjects. The students were diligent and dutiful in those days. They were also very much obedient to their teachers and betters.
             But the image of the students today is somewhat different. The calm of the earliest days is absent now. Today’s students face more competition. Pressures in various forms plague them today. The total degeneration of the society, cultural decadence and multifarious activities which are the essential features of present day’s hectic life have given the students somewhat different face. The present age demands not only study, but also some other achievements to suit the need of the day.
             Actually in these days, full of variegated problems a student faces some practical problems which were absent in olden days. Now, a student is called upon to show courage and determination o hold up his ideals.

STORY OF TWO CRABS

             Two crabs lived on the beach of a beautiful ocean. They were of the same age. But their sizes were different. One was big and fatty while the other was small. They were good friends. But the bigger crab had the habit of teasing the smaller crab for his size and shape. He often laughed at smaller one and treated him badly.
The smaller crab felt sorry for such behaviour of his friend. Gradually, he began to hate the bigger one and was waiting for a chance to teach his friend a lesson.
One day, the two friends saw some humans on their beach. They were very far away from the sea. So it was impossible for them to run and jump into the sea quickly. They decided to hide somewhere before they caught.
“My friend”, said the smaller crab, “it is better to hide in this crevice until the humans go away. Then we swim back into the sea.” The bigger agreed. But the crevice was not so big. The smaller crab went inside and easily slipped into a little corner safely.
“Oh, I am stuck!” cried the bigger crab, “only my front pincers have entered the rock. Please help me!” The smaller crab remained silent. So the humans spotted the bigger crab and pulled him out and enjoyed a delicious meal made from him.
The smaller crab was very happy to punish his enemy. He returned, to the sea after the humans left.
Moral: Cruelty never yields good result.

DISCOVERY: SUCCESSFUL SPACE-TRAVELOGUE

Mission: Launching of ‘Discovery’, NASA’s space-ship.

Cause: Repairing the defects detected in the International Space Research Centre placed in USA space-ship buoyed there.

Site: Cape Canaveral Rocket Launching Pad of NASA, USA.

Team of astronauts: Six mechanics under the leadership of Elean colins .

Time & Date: 10.39 am (local time), 26th July, 2005. Zoomed Discovery.

           The mission, from the very start, was not at all a bed of roses. NASA had to postpone the timely despatch of Discovery as some technical defect was detected in the fuel -tank of the vessel. Then again a foam measuring 33’ inch in length fell off the fuel tank. Besides these, two pieces from the man body of the air-ship came off at the time of launching. These apart, the astronauts had to repair a number of mechanical defects in the main body of the vehicle. During the flight through the space they had to carry on repairing jobs for long five hours on the 3rd August. When the mechanics stopped their work, quite satisfied, a 20 inch wide heat-resistant sheet just below the cockpit came off the main-body. A hole suddenly appeared. Which had to be sealed up with ceramic tiles. Two member-mechanics, Soichi Noguchi and Steve Robinson went on repairing defects after defects developing one by one. The date for descent was postponed due to the inclement weather. Where the Discovery would come down—in Florida or in California?—This could not be finally decided the timing of descent of the Discovery was postponed for twenty four hours in order to set off any risk.
           It was 5.10 p.m. Indian time, 9th Aug, 2005. The Discovery entered the earth’s stratosphere at a speed of twenty-six thousand km/p.h. Then she slowly landed on the Airstrip of California at 5.42. p.m.
After the successful voyage in the space, the leader of the astronaut team, Elean Colins, told the News, I have no word to express my joy after successfully coming back to home—the earth. This is the most glorious moment
           The entire world felt elated to partake of this happiness with her.
With the experience of Discovery in store, the ‘Atlast-5’ rocket of NASA started her journey to the Mars.

GOD IS ALWAYS GOOD

           One day a rich merchant was riding through a forest. He had with him a bag containing a large sum of money. It was evening. The weather was foul. The sky was cloudy: So he was in a hurry to go out of the forest. But as a heavy shower of rain came down, he had to halt for some time. He was drenched to the skin and began t grumble at the wet weather which had detained him on the way. Just then a robber appeared before the merchant with a gun or his shoulder. In a thunderous voice be ordered the merchant to give him the bag. But the merchant refused to part with it. The robber turned the trigger of his gun. But fortunately for the merchant, the jobber’s ‘gun did not go off, for the powder inside the gun had got wet in the rain.
“How lucky you are !” exclaimed the robber, “Rain has saved you today.” So saying he went into the woods.
The merchant then realized that God does everything for man’s welfare.

THE WOODEN HORSE OF TROY

Manclaus, the King of Sparta had a very beautiful queen named Helen. Once Paris, the prince of Troy, carried her off to his land.
          This was a great insult to the Greeks. They all responded to the call of Manelaus and sailed for Tray to rescue Helen?
          The Greeks laid siege to the city of Troy for ten tong years. Yet they could neither siege Troy nor recover Helen. At last Odysseus, a famous Greek hero hit upon a very clever plan and built a huge wooden horse. Some of the bravest Greek warriors remained concealed in it at night.
          The joy of the Trojans knew no bounds when they saw the Greeks burn their camps and sail away. The wooden horse was of course left behind.
          In the morning the Trojans broke the parts of the walls of the city and dragged the wooden horse inside it.
          At dead of night the Greek warriors came out of the wooden horse. They gave a signal to the Greek heroes who had only sailed a short distance away. They attacked the sleeping Trojans, and the city was burnt to the ground. Helen was thus rescued and Manelaus, King of Sparta sailed back to his home in triumph.

LIFE IS WORK

        A man is known to the world by what he does not by how long he lives. A man may die young, yet in his short span of life he may do such noble deeds which may make him immortal. A lily lives only for a day and yet in its short span of life it delights the people with its beauty and fragrance. Similarly, if a man lives a long but otherwise a barren life, it will not be considered worthy. But if it can show some good deeds or achievements to it credit it will be considered worthy. Swami Vivekananda died before he was forty and Keats died at the age of twenty six. But who can forget the tremendous and magnificent work done by Swami and the finest poetry written by Keats? It is men like them who drive the wheel of progress forward and form history. It is not given to every man to over himself with glory, or to be on the list of the great. But each man can live his life worthily in his own little sphere. Kind neighborly acts, good and honest living, truthfulness and snail acts of generosity are not beyond us. Among warriors, statesmen, poets and prophets there have been many whose lives have been brief but full of noble achievements. Their deeds kept their memory shining and undimmed through ages. They live on in our hearts for their great activities. They never die. Even though their deeds become the tales of the past, they easily outlive their deeds. They translate their lives into deeds. They are virtually the workmen of human civilization.

A LITTLE LEARNING IS A DANGEROUS THING

        A Learned man is held in high esteem in all societies. It is through learning that man has progressed in civilization. Science and technology are the products of learning. No modern research is possible without learning. One has to learn systematically even music or dance or dramaturgy. Learning is a discipline, and if it is undertaken halfheartedly or haphazardly, if it is abandoned half way, we do not expect to achieve anything.
        A little or incomplete learning often becomes a liability rather than an asset. Very often it proves quite dangerous. A medico is a saviour to the sick. But a quack, who is a half-doctor, is a dangerous person. To consult a quack is to take a great risk. It is far safer to be in the hands of an ignorant person. At least he has no vanity or pretension, he will not mislead anybody. A little or half-learned man, on the other hand, always tries to hide his ignorance. The result is disastrous.
        Think of a car-driver whose knowledge of driving is very little. Is he not dangerous as a driver? Will he not cause road accidents? In all trades, professions and fields of specialization, therefore, a little learning is really a dangerous thing.