The Book friend

On my way-back from my school I found a book lying on the road. As I picked it up, it thanked me. I brought it
home, but didn’t even opened it.

Everyday playing phone games is my activity, always enjoying with friends chit-chatting is my hobby, my name
is Leo.

All call me naughty boy. Mummy always want me to be a wise boy. But I never change.

One thing I never like is BOOKS.

Next day, I took the book to my school’s office room and asked to enquire about anyone who lost this book,
but no one claimed it, it came back to me. So I dropped it on the road, still someone reached it to me. I threw
it, still it came back to me like a boomerang. I felt annoyed and kept it in my book shelf not to face it again.

Next day, without my knowledge that book came into my school bag. No teacher scolded me not even for my
unfinished home-works. When I was with my friends everybody spoke to me about studies and important
classes, no dump things. Unexpectedly, sports master asked me to join athletics. All was surprising but I knew
nothing to be a part of any. I was frustrated. I went home, that book fell beside me from my bag. I understood
it was all because of this book. I got angry on that book. I slept by its side.

God of books appeared in my dream. He said the book is him. I asked “why did you come to me?” He said,
“You are a good boy. You need some blessing to prove yourself to others”. I was curious to know what it is. I
asked him,” what should I do to get it?” He asked me to read my school books. I said “I don’t like it”. He said
that it will show you like a good boy for your teachers. I tried it. Next day all my teachers praised me for my
answering in class. I helped my mummy in a speed calculation with a vendor. So she happily appreciated me.
All friends also liked me. This made be happy and satisfying. Then I thanked the God and asked him to leave
me.

God of books, warned if he leaves now, then he will not come back. The boy was confident. The God left.

The next day, his teacher sent him for a surprise competition on behalf of the school. Then he realised he
don’t know anything more than school books. He again called the God back. But now god only spoke to him
and said always never drop any work in the middle. Now only thing I can tell you is go to your library. He went
to there and read few books which helped him win the competition.

Then he came back to the God and said thank you wholeheartedly. He also had a question to the god that “its
we who have to thank you but, why did you ‘thank’ me when I picked you?” The God said, “Now-a-days kids
don’t read books. Not even care to save them. This made me unhappy. You were the one who picked me fron
road and wanted to keep me safe . So I thought of blessing you with knowledge, so that all will realise that
books are friends who will always be with everyone in the form of knowledge from your story.” Saying this
God vanished.

From then I read lots of books and advise my friends to read too, understanding a moral “A book in hand, is a
friend in need”

End

Book by Phovicharcithan