Once upon a time, in a tiny village, there lived a little boy named Sha. The village was very green. The grass was soft like a carpet. The sky was bright blue.
Sha loved his home. Sha loved his family. Sha had a big dream. Do you know what it was?
Can you guess? Sha wanted to help everyone! He wanted to be a big helper for the whole state. He wanted to be an IAS officer.
That is a very special job. An IAS officer makes sure everyone is happy and safe. Sha was a small boy, but his dream was big. Boom!
Boom! went his heart with excitement. Every morning, Sha would wake up early. The sun would peek through his window.
Peek-a-boo! Sha would jump out of bed. He would run to the kitchen. Yummy smells filled the air.
His mother was cooking breakfast. Good morning, Mother! said Sha. She smiled a warm smile.
Eat your oats, Sha. They will make you strong. Sha ate every bite. Slurp!
Gulp! Yum! Sha wanted to be strong for his big dream. After breakfast, Sha went to school.
The school was small but happy. The teacher was kind. Her name was Mrs. Roy.
Good morning, class! she said. Good morning, Mrs. Roy!
shouted the children. Sha loved to learn. He learned his A-B-Cs. A for Apple.
B for Ball. C for Cat. He learned his 1-2-3s. One, two, three, look at me!
Sha raised his hand high. I want to help the village! he said. Mrs.
Roy clapped her hands. Clap! Clap! Clap!
That is a wonderful dream, Sha. But you must study hard. You must learn many things. Sha nodded his head.
Yes, Mrs. Roy. I will study hard. After school, Sha would sit under the big mango tree.
It was his favorite spot. The leaves rustled in the wind. Whoosh! Whoosh!
Sha would read his books. He read about the world. He read about stars and mountains. He read about rivers and oceans.
Sometimes, it was hard. The words were long. Sha would feel tired. But then, he would remember his village.
He remembered the bumpy road. Bump! Bump! Ouch!
The road hurt the carts. He remembered the broken bridge. Splash! The water was too deep to cross.
Sha wanted to fix the road. He wanted to fix the bridge. I can do it, thought Sha. I will try my best.
One day, a wise old man came to the village. His name was Grandpa Joe. Grandpa Joe had a long white beard. He walked with a stick.
Tap! Tap! Tap! He sat next to Sha under the mango tree.
Hello, little one, said Grandpa Joe. What are you reading? I am reading about being an IAS officer, said Sha. I want to help our village.
Grandpa Joe smiled. That is a big dream, Sha. But do you know the secret? Sha shook his head.
No, what is the secret? Grandpa Joe leaned close. The secret is Gratitude. Gra-ti-tude?
asked Sha. What is that? It means saying thank you, said Grandpa Joe. It means remembering who helped you.
It means being kind. When you are grateful, your heart grows bigger. Zoom! Your heart gets so big, it can hold the whole world.
Sha looked at his heart. He wanted a big heart. Thank you, Grandpa Joe, said Sha. You are welcome, little one, said Grandpa Joe.
Years went by. Tick-tock, tick-tock went the clock. Sha grew taller. Taller and taller.
Soon, he was not a little boy anymore. He was a young man. It was time for the big exam. The exam to become an IAS officer.
It was a very hard test. Sha was a little nervous. Butterflies flew in his tummy. Flap!
Flap! But he remembered his village. He remembered Grandpa Joe. He remembered the secret.
Gratitude. Sha sat down to take the test. He wrote and wrote. Scratch!
Scratch! Went his pencil. He answered all the questions. He worked very hard.
He did not give up. Finally, the day came for the results. Sha waited by the mailbox. Click!
Clack! The mailman came. He had a letter. It was for Sha!
Sha opened the envelope. Rustle! Rustle! He read the paper.
His eyes got wide. Wow! He had done it! He had become an IAS officer!
Hooray! shouted Sha. I did it! I did it!
He ran to tell his mother. Look! Look! I am an officer now!
His mother hugged him tight. Squeeze! I am so proud of you, she said. Sha was very happy.
But he did not forget. He did not forget the secret. He packed his bags. He put on his special uniform.
He looked very smart. He was ready to go to the big city to work. But first, he went to the mango tree. Grandpa Joe was there.
Thank you, Grandpa Joe, said Sha. Thank you for teaching me about gratitude. Grandpa Joe patted his shoulder. Now go, Sha.
Go and help the world. Sha went to the city. He worked in a big office. He had a big desk.
He had many important papers. He made big decisions. He helped build schools. He helped build hospitals.
He was very busy. Ring! Ring! went the phone.
Buzz! Buzz! went the computer. But Sha always remembered his village.
Every night, before he slept, he closed his eyes. He thought of the green grass. He thought of the blue sky. He thought of his mother and Mrs.
Roy. Thank you, he whispered. Thank you for everything. One day, Sha got a message.
The village in the road was still broken. The bridge was still broken. They needed help. Sha knew what to do.
He went back to the village. Vroom! Vroom! went his car.
The people were so happy to see him. Sha is back! Sha is back! they cheered.
Sha looked at the bumpy road. He looked at the broken bridge. Do not worry, said Sha. I am here to help.
Sha called the workers. Dig! Dig! went the shovels.
Pour! Pour! went the cement. They worked together.
Teamwork makes the dream work! Sha worked right beside them. He was not too proud to work. He remembered where he came from.
Soon, the road was smooth. Zoom! Cars could drive fast. Soon, the bridge was strong.
Clump! Clump! People could walk across safely. The village had a big party.
They had food and music. La! La! La!
went the songs. Sha stood up to speak. Everyone clapped. Yay, Sha!
But Sha shook his head. No, said Sha. Do not clap for me only. Clap for everyone.
He pointed to his mother. She taught me to be strong. Clap! Clap!
He pointed to Mrs. Roy. She taught me to read. Clap!
Clap! He pointed to Grandpa Joe. He taught me the secret of gratitude. Clap!
Clap! He pointed to the villagers. You taught me how to love. Clap!
Clap! Clap! The noise was loud and happy. Sha felt a warm feeling inside.
It was the feeling of gratitude. His heart was full. It was big enough to hold the whole world. Sha was an IAS officer.
He was a big helper. But most of all, he was a kind friend. And he never forgot to say thank you. The end.
Can you say thank you too? Try it now! Thank you!