Revisiting forgotten stories with lessons to remember

Iget nostalgic remembering the simple bedtime stories from childhood, especially those narrated so zestfully by my maternal grandparents when we visited them in the village. We listened to them intently under the starry sky during the summer months. Some were short, some long; some amusing, some emotional but they all had a lesson in the end, introducing many characters to us, from birds and animals to kings and queens.

I still remember the curiosity we carried for every story session that was a treat like no other. During the day too, we asked them to read stories to us from our textbooks, and with every listening, our bond towards the stories kept growing stronger.

Like many of my classmates, I also hold no ordinary bond for the stories our Punjabi syllabus had in Classes 9 and 10. They were dotted with many depths and hues of life, all penned by writers of Punjab, including Nanak Singh, Kartar Singh Suri, Santokh Singh Dheer, Kulwant Singh Virk, to mention some. But it was our Punjabi teacher, Shanni sir, who added magic to them, considering how beautifully he presented them to us, usually punctuating them with his life experiences.

Sometimes, he would walk in and tell us to keep the books closed and instantly begin recounting a story. At the end, he would announce, “This is a story in your book.”

We would sit still through the narration, listening to him throw light on various characters. Such has been the impact that even after decades, most of my school friends remember the stories and what they tried teaching us. The stories made me a storyteller for I love sharing them as they engross minds young and old.

Intriguingly, the other day, I was taken back to those kindergarten stories, as a little guest, who visited us, listed out many of the popular tales, when encouraged by his mother. Be it any part of the world, generation after generation, combs through stories that are believed to have their origins in Greece. As I loved them so dearly, I can not only recall their titles but also every scene, and what they aimed to make us realise. Ask me their titles, and there I go: The Greedy Dog, The Goose with the Golden Eggs, The Hungry Mouse, The Boy Who Cried Wolf, The Sour Grapes, and so many more.

But when we grow up, most of us forget the stories and their lessons. We forget that there was a reason they were introduced to us – to plant basic skills for a good life, besides helping to widen our imagination and discover the world around us. The more we go away from their morals, the more hollow and unhappy our life becomes.

So, if we really want to help ourselves, there’s no harm revisiting the stories, our first teachers. Pick up those simple kindergarten stories and they can show us a way out and free us from shackles, if we have the will. For a good reason, Albert Einstein once observed, “Try not to become a man of success, rather become a man of value.” Values make all the difference!