A rhyme and a reason!

This is an article that I had written years back for a children's magazine as  part of my IBO english language assignment. The objective was to create awareness in children about global issues in a fun way.

Hi friends! Let's have some fun today. All of us are familiar with nursery rhymes. How much we enjoyed reciting the catchy rhymes on top of our voices when we were in kindergarten. And even today, we remember and enjoy some, if not all, of those rhymes. So today, let's open up the windows of our minds, let's broaden the horizons of our imaginations, and try to explore the hidden meaning in these rhymes. Let's find out what these rhymes are actually trying to tell us.

             

One of the all time favorite rhyme is:

                                              Twinkle twinkle little star

                                              How I wonder what you are

                                              Up above the world so high

                                              Like a diamond in the sky!

    

How I wonder what you are!

         

 

                                     



How I wonder where you are??

  All of us have experienced at some point in our lives, the awe and wonder at the sight of a sky full of twinkling stars. How delightful it is to lie  in an open space under the sky, and to gaze at the bright stars and marvel at the vastness of universe! But a sky full of stars is becoming a rare sight in cities these days and is getting confined only to villages and remote areas.Why is it so? Because the smoke from vehicles, industries and various other sources is polluting the air, and thus we are not able to see the stars. If the situation remains the same, in the future we may not find any child looking at the sky with awe and addressing the star that, 'How I wonder what you are'!

Another popular rhyme is :
                                     Jack and Jill went up the hill
                                     to fetch a pail of water
                                     Jack fell down and broke his crown
                                     and Jill came tumbling after.




And miles to go before I sip...

To fetch a pail of water!

Water and life are synonymously interchangeable. When we talk of water, life in all forms emerges as a vivid picture.You think of water and feel cool. You think of water and feel quenched. You think of water and feel life – transparent and flowing.It is a gift of nature and a renewable resource, but our demands on this resource have increased overwhelmingly high, causing limitations on its quality and quantity. In many Indian villages women have to walk miles carrying heavy pots on their heads to fetch water. So next time before wasting water, give a thought about those for whom each drop is precious. 

Now let's have a look at this:
                   
                                There was an old woman who lived in a shoe,
                           She had so many children she didn't know what to do!
                           So she gave them some broth without any bread,
                           And she whipped them all soundly and sent them to bed! 


They lived in a shoe....

These children do not even have a shoe house.....

This rhyme draws our attention to the problem of population explosion. The world's population is increasing with each passing day and there are not enough resources to support the bursting billions.There is a huge economical gap between rich and poor. Millions of children  in the world have limited or no access to the most basic requirements like nutritious food, clean water, proper housing and clothing, and a good education. Let's join hands and do our bit for these children.

Now let's find out what message this popular rhyme is giving us:

                               Ladybird ladybird,

                               Fly away home

                               Your house is on fire  

                               And your children all gone.

Ladybird is a small insect that lives on plants. Trees are home for many species of animals. When a tree is cut, along with it countless other lives that survive on it, suffer. Deforestation is disturbing the delicate ecosystem.  The cutting of trees must stop to save the earth. Let's plant as many trees as we can! Because a green environment is a clean environment!

Now let's pay attention to this one:

         Bits of paper

         lying on the floor

         makes the place untidy

          pick them up!

                   

Proper disposal of garbage is very essential for a clean environment.The stench and ugly sight of garbage dumped on the roadside is not at all uncommon in India. Just as we keep our room and house clean, we should keep our surroundings clean by disposing of garbage in a proper way. Segregation of dry and wet garbage helps in recycling.As individuals, we need to realize that we do generate quite a lot of waste. We dump the containers that can be reused, and we throw away paper that can be recycled. It is important to reduce our wastage of resources, and to dispose our waste in a responsible manner. 

So my dear young friends, let us save our earth, which is round and full of good things, let's save our Humpty Dumpty! Let us be grateful for the gifts of mother earth and celebrate 'earth day' everyday! Link your young hands and feet together, and join the race to make the world a better place.Remember that each tiny step counts as the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step! use.