The Day the River Spoke

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Jahnavi is a bright young girl who lives with her parents and three brothers in a coastal village in India. She dreams of going to school and learning to read and write.

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Jahnavi wants to go to school, learn to read and write, and discover answers to her questions about the world.

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The River is important because it speaks to Jahnavi, listens to her worries, gives her advice, and helps her gain courage to go to school.

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The River tells Jahnavi that little girls can do as much as little boys and that she should slip into school one morning, sit in class, and listen. It encourages her to try on her own.

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It means Jahnavi must show courage and take the first step herself. The River can encourage her, but she must act on her own.

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She wonders why spiders are yellow in yellow flowers, why bamboo trees rustle, why the moon comes from behind the hills, and why baby fish in the field water become frogs.

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The River teases Jahnavi because she is not afraid of a green lizard, a snake in the bamboo clump, or big trains rattling past, so it thinks she is braver than she believes.

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Jahnavi feels scared at first, but she still goes to school. This shows that courage does not mean feeling no fear; it means doing something important even when fear is present.