The Tinkling Bells

This is the story 'The Tinkling Bells' from your book, Santoor (Chapter 2). Here it is, told in short.

Chinna is a boy in grade 4 who lives in a village. More than anything, he loves to play with his pet kid, Tara. (A kid is a young goat.) Tara is five months old and milky white. One day, on his way back from school, Chinna sees a pair of shiny tinkling bells at Chacha's shop. They cost ten rupees. But when he puts his hand in his pocket, the money Dadaji gave him is gone! He searches every pocket, then sadly gives the bells back and walks home.

At home, his mother, Kamala, sees that he is unhappy. Chinna hugs her, cries, and tells her about the lost money. She comforts him and promises to give him money for the bells, but asks him to be careful with money from now on. Then the two of them go to the market.

At the market they buy apples, mangoes, tomatoes and brinjals. Chinna wants pineapples too. The pineapples cost ₹45 each. Kamala buys two, which cost ₹90, and gives the fruit seller a ₹100 note. She asks Chinna to take the change and goes on to other shops. The change should be ₹10, but the fruit seller gives Chinna two ₹10 notes, which is ₹20. That is ₹10 too much! Chinna runs to his mother and whispers that he wants to keep the extra money for the bells and some chocolates.

Kamala tells him that keeping it would be stealing. She asks him how he felt when his own money went missing. Chinna says he felt very sad and angry. The fruit seller will feel the same, she says. Chinna thinks about it, runs back and returns the extra ten rupees. The fruit seller is very happy and says Chinna is an honest boy. Then Kamala takes Chinna to Chacha's shop just before it closes, and Chinna buys the bells for ten rupees. At home, Tara hears the bells tinkling and comes running, and Chinna ties them round her neck.