Bengali

Robu the robot can do every chore but can’t laugh. Rishi and Tuli try jokes, funny faces and tickles with no luck. Then their puppy Bhulo slips on a banana peel and tumbles into a box, the kids burst out laughing, and Robu laughs for the first time.

A farmer owns a hen that lays one golden egg a day. Growing greedy, he ignores his wife’s advice and cuts the hen open to get all the eggs at once. There are none inside, and he loses even the daily golden egg. As the Bengali proverb says, too much greed ruins the weaver.

After a stormy night, Arka finds a fallen sparrow’s nest with three chirping chicks. He and his father place it in a basket and tie it to a strong, high branch. The mother bird returns, and later the young birds sing at Arka’s window every morning.

An ancient banyan tree, “Grandpa Banyan,” shades the village. When it’s marked to be cut for a road, the children draw pictures, write posters and appeal to the village council head, who reroutes the road. Children still swing from its hanging roots today.

On the kite-flying festival of Vishwakarma Puja, Tatai’s red kite soars high and complains that its string holds it back. When the string is cut, the kite tumbles into a tree. Tatai ties a new string, and the kite realizes the string helps it fly high.

Ariyan plays ball indoors against his mother’s wishes and breaks her favorite vase. He hides the pieces and is tempted to blame the cat, but confesses and apologizes. His mother hugs him, saying his honesty matters more than any vase.

Ritu loves stars and planets. One night a glowing little spaceship takes her on a tour: bouncing on the Moon, passing red Mars, seeing Saturn’s rings and Jupiter’s Great Red Spot, and finally the beautiful blue Earth. She wakes up determined to become a space scientist.

Two stubborn goats meet in the middle of a narrow bridge and refuse to back down. They butt heads until both fall into the cold river. The next day, one sits down so the other can step over, and both cross happily.

During a stormy night the power goes out and Bubai and his little sister Mishti get scared. Grandma brings a hurricane lantern and tells them about her childhood village without electricity — counting stars and watching fireflies. Her traditional Bengali lullaby sends them to sleep.

Shombhu the snail is always late because his steps are small, and his friends laugh. When he misses the cake at a picnic, a ladybug helps the others understand. The next picnic is held right by his house, and the friends learn to wait for each other.