It was afternoon. The books in the library were resting. The story book was the laziest of all and just lay down where it was. Its pages were fluttering in the fan’s breeze, but the lazy one was not at all worried to take care of the pages. The thin Mathematics Book standing just opposite to Cheeky, the story book was looking at its condition of the book.
“Cheeky set your pages properly!” She said.
“Let it be. I want to sleep for the moment,” Cheeky was just saying when Venkat quickly picked her up. “I will read this book. It has many interesting stories.” Venkat said happily. Cheeky was irritated.
“Oh! This Venkat troubles me every day during my rest time. Whenever I think of resting he picks me. I cannot rest during the day or sleep at night because of him. I do not know how to get rid of him?”
Cheeky was upset. She had wanted to rest the whole day and here she could not rest for a moment. What could she do? She went along with Venkat with a long face.
The next day Cheeky, saw Venkat coming towards her as she was about to rest.
“Oh! He has come again today. Let me run away.” Cheeky ran and hid behind some thick books.
“I am safe here.” Cheeky thought. However Venkat was removing the thick books in search of her.
“Where do I hide now?” Cheeky came out of there and went and sat on the topmost shelf of the cupboard.
“This is just right.”
Venkat was not leaving even the higher shelves. He took the help of a stool to climb up to the shelves that were out of his range.
“Now I will be caught.” Cheeky ran in confusion. “Be careful,” the other books cried out. But Cheeky pushed the other books in such a manner that all the books of that row fell. In bewilderment Cheeky jumped off the shelf.
“Wow! This is a good place. No one will ever know I am hiding here, because no books are kept here.” Cheeky exclaimed looking at the place underneath the almirah. She sneaked and hid herself. The Mathematics book was watching all this. At last it could not keep quiet any longer and said, “Why are you doing all this? Do you not understand the meaning of books? They are not meant for just themselves. Their life is meant to educate others. To show them the right path and you are a story book, full of morals. Whoever reads your pages will learn something or the other. He will find something new in life.”
“The joy one gets in being useful is more than in resting. Venkat likes you because you have a special importance in his life. You should try to go to Venkat. You should not do this, come out.” The Mathematics book tried to make her understand.
Cheeky was listening to her talk. After a long fruitless search Venkat went away empty handed, when he could not find her. Cheeky got a chance to rest. She lay down to sleep. She slept for a while in comfort.
However, soon she felt an emptiness. She was bored for no one was there beside her. She became restless after some time. She came out from under the almirah. She looked at the Mathematics book and said, “You told the truth my friend! But how should I climb up?”
“Now you will have to wait for someone to come. But do not worry, this is a library where someone or the other always comes in. In any case Raju, the cleaner will come even if no one turns up. Be patient and do not panic,” said the Mathematics Book.
Cheeky calmed down. She smiled and said, “From where have you learnt such good things, my friend?”
“I read all these from your pages, when you were too lazy to put your pages together.” On hearing these words of the Mathematics book, Cheeky felt ashamed. Now she just waited for someone to come, pick her up and place her back in the almirah so that Venkat could read and be happy.
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