Category: History
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The French Revolution – Part I
Revolution is usually a sudden change made to the government or other structures of power. Between the years 1789 – 1799 there were changes in the ideas about how France should be ruled. So there were many changes made in the government. This period is popularly known as The French revolution. At that time, France was ruled by King Louis…
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Happy Hanukkah
Moshe was supremely happy. His favorite time of the year was back again. Today was the beginning of Hanukkah – the Jewish festival of lights. Moshe and his family were Jews. Like how Christians celebrate Christmas, Hindus celebrate Diwali and Muslims celebrate Id, Jews all over the world celebrate Hanukkah! This eight day festival each year brings along a lot of fun and frolic for Moshe. Just like every year,…
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Shoes – Now and Then
Shoe shopping time is an enormous task. Isn’t it? First of all, we decide what type of shoes we want – sandals, sports shoes, boots, slippers, slip-ons etc. Then, we move on to decide which one looks nicest – the green one or the black one, the brown one or pink or purple. The final deciding factor being comfort! Thousands…
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The Wall That is Made in China
You might think what is so great about something made in China. Almost every thing is made in china these days. But this wall was made many, many hundreds of years ago. The wall was built in the 3rd century BC by the order of Chinese emperors to keep the invaders out of their country. The wall…
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Secret Passageways
Long ago, when castles, mansions, alcazars, fortresses and palaces existed, then within these also existed secret passages. These secret passages were hidden routes somewhere inside the building. Only a few trusted people knew about these tunnels. These concealed tunnels led to private rooms or to an exit far away from the building. Anybody crawling through them…
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The Spirit Of ThanksGiving
I love thanksgiving dinner. Actually, I love that special carrot cake mom makes every year. I wait all year just for that. Only problem is, everybody loves it. And when there are plenty cousins to share with, I rarely get enough. This time I wanted more. But mom wasn’t just going to hand me more, right? And no one…
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Aesop’s Fables
Have you heard the fable of “The crow and the pitcher” where the thirsty crow gets the water level in the pitcher up by filling it up with stones? This story teaches us “Necessity is the mother of invention”. There is another one about “The tortoise and the hare” where both the animals decide to get…
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Mysterious Stones
(Image Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons) Imagine you are walking on a lush green beautiful country side, and abruptly you come across giant stones arranged in concentric circles. Do you think such a place exists? There is such a place that is 90 miles from the city of London in United Kingdom there lies a pre-historic monument…
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Chacha Nehru’s Birthday
Today 14th November, is celebrated as the birth anniversary of Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru, the famous freedom fighter and the first prime minister of free India. Mr Nehru, fondly called as Chacha Nehru, by all the children had a special love for children. He firmly believed in the educational development of Indian children. And that is why 14th November is…
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Avast! Ye Pirate
“Aye Matey, ye ready?” Anne asks her friend and crew-mate, Mary. In reply, Anne sees Mary grasp her pirate cutlass. Anne herself is more than ready, brandishing pistols in both hands. Her dagger is tucked safely in her waistband. Anne approves Mary’s clothes. Like her, she is back in men’s khaki pants and a shirt. While Anne tucks her…
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Wooden Cars And Paper Planes
Imagine a world without metal. Cars would be made of stone. Or maybe of wood like a bullock cart! Would we have aeroplanes then? Stone would be too heavy to fly, and wood might break! Sounds strange, right? But did you know that a world without metal did exist? A very long time ago people only had clay,…
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The Emperor and The Old Woman
A big orange sun hung low in the sky. The sweet smell of the jasmine filled his nostrils. The noisy chirping of birds returning home made it impossible to hear anything. Yet, Chandragupta sensed he was safe now. The soldiers outside the jungle were gone. He hadn’t heard their horses neigh for a while. Chandragupta was fleeing the Magadh…