Long ago in the quiet village of Willowbrook, there lived a cheerful girl named Amina. Amina loved helping her grandmother sell fruits at the market. Every day, she carried a small basket of bananas on her head and walked a long distance through the hills.
One morning, Amina found her grandmother sitting quietly. “My legs ache too much today,” Grandma said softly. “We may not be able to sell anything.”
Amina hugged her. “Don’t worry, Grandma. I’ll go alone.”
With her little basket, Amina set off. But halfway through the journey, the strap on her basket broke, and the fruits tumbled down the hill.
“Oh no!” she cried, chasing after them.
Just then, a gentle voice called out, “Need help?” Amina turned and saw a woman dressed in bright yellow robes, holding a walking stick made of shining wood. Her hair sparkled in the sunlight, and she had a warm smile.
“I dropped all the fruit,” Amina said, trying not to cry.
The woman raised her hand, and suddenly, the bananas rolled back into the basket—now whole and unbruised. Even more amazing, the basket glowed golden and looked brand new.
“I’ve seen how you care for your grandmother,” said the woman. “Take this golden basket. It will never break, and it will always fill with fruit when you need it.”
Amina gasped. “Thank you so much! But… my friend Bola lives alone and sells fruits too. She has no one to help her. Could she get a basket too?”
The woman beamed. “Because you thought of someone else, you will receive two golden baskets.”
When Amina got home, her basket was full of fresh bananas and mangoes. She gave one golden basket to Bola, who cried with joy.
From then on, Amina and Bola helped feed the village. No one ever went hungry again—all because a kind girl shared her magic and her heart.
Moral: When we share what we have, no matter how little, kindness comes back to us in magical ways.
Kids and Health
How to handle a medical emergency
A medical emergency is when a kid or an adult is sick or hurt and needs care from a doctor right away. The most important thing you can do in an emergency is call for help.
How do I make an emergency phone call?
If you make an emergency phone call, here’s what to do:
· Take a deep breath to try to feel calm.
· Call 911.
· Tell the operator there’s an emergency.
· Say your name and where you are. Give the exact address if you know it.
· Explain what happened. Be sure to say how many people are hurt or sick and any other details.
· Follow the operator’s instructions. Listen carefully to what they tell you to do.
Stay on the line. Don’t hang up until the operator says it’s OK.
What should I do after making an emergency call?
If the area isn’t safe: Don’t go near the person who needs help. Instead, wait in a safe spot until a grown-up or an emergency team arrives. Try to stay calm.
If the area is safe: Stay with the person who needs medical help and wait for help to arrive. Don’t move the injured person if you know that they fell, or they hurt their neck or a bone. Moving someone like that can make their injury worse. Try to stay calm.
How can I be prepared for an emergency?
You can prepare for an emergency by knowing what to do before one happens. Here’s how:
Know how to call 911 or your local emergency number (if it isn’t 911). Make sure you know how to do it on a cellphone that has a locked screen in case that’s the only kind of phone around.
Learn first aid. Ask a parent to help you find a basic first-aid class. Many organizations teach them, like your local Red Cross, the YMCA or YWCA, the Boy or Girl Scouts, 4-H clubs, or your local hospital. You can also ask your school nurse to teach a first-aid class just for students in your school.
If someone needs help in an emergency, you can make a big difference when you know what to do.
Quiz
1. What is the name of the longest river in Nigeria?
2. Which Nigerian state is known for producing the most groundnuts?
3. What is the capital city of Cross River State?
4. Who composed the Nigerian national anthem?
5. What is the traditional title for a king in Igbo land?
6. What popular Nigerian soup is made with okra?
7. What is the Nigerian national flower?
Answers
1. River Niger 2. Kano 3. Calabar 4. Arise O Compatriots – lyrics by John A. Ilechukwu and five others; music by the Nigerian Police Band under Benedict Odiase 5. Igwe or Obi 6. Okro soup 7. Costus spectabilis
Did you know?
1. Elephants are the only animals that can’t jump.
2. Nigeria has the highest twin birth rate in the world, especially in Igbo-Ora, Oyo State.
3. The heart of a blue whale is as big as a small car.
4. The Nigerian film “The Wedding Party” was once the highest-grossing Nollywood movie.
5. Nigeria has 36 states and a Federal Capital Territory.
6. Some fish can walk on land — like the mudskipper.
7. The human nose can detect over 1 trillion scents.
Riddles
1. What runs but never walks, has a bed but never sleeps?
2. What comes down but never goes up?
3. I am not alive, but I grow; I don’t have lungs, but I need air. What am I?
4. What has 88 keys but cannot open a single door?
5. I have branches, but no fruit, trunk, or leaves. What am I?
6. What flies without wings and cries without eye
7. I am taken from a mine, and shut in a wooden case, but used by everyone. What am I?
Answers
1. A river 2. Rain 3. Fire 4. A piano 5. A bank 6. A cloud 7. Pencil lead
