EXCELSIOR

March 2010

Wynberg-Allen School,Mussoorie

The winding journey through towering hills is barely over when the proud walls of Wynberg-Allen peep

through the forested slopes. As a phoenix rises from its ashes, its eyes sparkling with anticipation at the op-

portunity to live again, the arena of our school comes to life with rejuvenated faces, all ready to fill each

brick and stone with their piquant peccadilloes and jubilant laughter.

This stirring reunion of friends was merely a prologue to a year promising joy and undiscovered adventure.

Attired in coats, mufflers and gloves, we got ready to deal with Mussoorie‟s eccentric weather comprising

brief spells of sunshine and black nimbus heralding turbulence in nature. Amidst the routine school hubbub

were concealed emotions of the I.S.C. batch- a blend of nervousness, perhaps the result of their approaching

examinations, and the excitement of leaving behind a familiar, secure environment and moving across the

threshold to enter a chaotic, competitive world. The days they spent in school will most certainly create

somewhere within the depths of their hearts, a meadow full of the joys of spring- the cheerful childhood

memories that will fetch a smile to their lips in times to come .

The other students about to begin a new school year were like birds ready to gather scattered bits of corn ,

their perked up spirits eager to take up the daunting challenges that this new school year has to offer and to

reach out to new horizons.

As the editorial board, we confess that we have spent sleepless nights pondering over what your reaction will

be as we present to you our very first edition. Every word that fell into place brought forward squeals of

delight that sowed the seeds of an enriching experience. We recall a voyage that began from being in awe of

the brilliant efforts of the last editorial board to eventually embracing the responsibility and acknowledging

the creativity that it calls for.

The Editorial Board

FOR PRIVATE CIRCULATION ONLY

Mr. Tindale- Breaking new ground!!

Sneaking away during study hour, Mr. Tindale and his accomplices were all

geared up to straighten out a “tattler” on the loose. Stealthily they crept to the

door of this unsuspecting victim and pounced on him. Trapping him in blan-

kets and ropes, they accomplished „Phase 1 of Mission-Kidnapping‟. Unfor-

tunately, their prisoner screamed his head off as they carried him up the steps

of our very own Science Block. They had only intended to leave him there to

burn in guilt and sorrow!!

Mrs. Pundir- Maggi Mania!!

Mrs. Pundir and her friends, like all hostlers, were Maggi

buffs. They would always sneak in delicious food items,

especially Maggi as they loved it the most. All of them

would get together and cook their yummy Maggi and

feast on it in the loo!!

Mr. Mishra-Marriages are made

in heaven!

Mr. Mishra once had a lovely doll „gudda‟

who happened to fall in love with a number

of „gudiyas‟ that belonged to his friend

„Baby‟. So, Mr. Mishra and Baby – the eter-

nal cupids – would actually get the „gudda‟

married to all the poor „gudiyas‟.Now, Baby

had a beautiful blue silk cloth inlaid with

brocade.

This caught Mr. Mishra‟s fancy and he

wanted it with all his heart. He managed,

very cleverly, to ask Baby to give it to him

as dowry, in return for all the „gudiyas‟ his

„gudda‟ had married. As expected, Baby

wouldn‟t hear of it. Left with no choice, Mr.

Mishra quietly stole the cloth and hid it.

What‟s more, when a woebegone Baby

asked him to help her look for it, he actually

agreed and accompanied her in the search.

But through it all, not for a second did Mr.

Mishra let out the secret and Baby only came

to know of the trick that had been played on

her years later.

Mr. Radcliffe- Commend-

able Cartoonist!!

In addition to singing well, Mr. Rad-

cliffe has to his credit the accom-

plishment of being an excellent car-

toonist. He used to encourage his

friends to make hilarious caricatures

of the people around them!!

SKELETONS IN THE CLOSET!

Ms. Mehrotra- Better than the best!!

Ms. Mehrotra had us rolling with laughter as she told us

of her outrageous pranks. Picture ma‟am, trying to keep a

straight face as her teachers walked in to find their desks

full of welcoming spiders and their screams being

drowned by the sound of crackers, cleverly placed under

their chairs, not giving away the identity of those respon-

sible for the prank. Their loving class teacher would have

never guessed what was in store for him when he took

them out for a treat for being their class teacher for three

consecutive years. They in turn rewarded him by flavour-

ing his coffee with a generous amount of chili sauce. Ha-

hahaha!!!!

"If you lose your temper, you‟ve lost the argument."

Mr. Champa- Splashing

All The Way!!

Even during early years of

childhood, Mr. Champa was an

athlete at heart. He would run

out of school, now you would

probably think that he was

watching movies or enjoying at

his favourite hang-outs. But that

was not to be , for our sports

star would have a gala time

splashing about in a nearby

swimming pool!!

Mrs. Mishra- Interest-

ingly ill!!

In spite of being a simple and

sober girl, Mrs. Mishra too

gave in to her mischievous

impulses. Informing the

school that she was suffering

from severe illnesses (all con-

cocted), Mrs. Mishra would

run out to have a jolly good

time of her own!!

Mr. Choudhary- Fun with words!!

When questioned during Russian classes, Mr.

Choudhary tactfully converted “Butter Brat”

which means “butter and bread” in English to

“Kabuter Brat”, causing the audience to laugh

uproariously, much to his teacher‟s exaspera-

tion!!

Mr. Wilson- Helpless or hopeless!!

Of all the seasons it was the monsoon downpour

that Mr. Wilson and his friends looked forward to

the most. They would soak themselves silly in the

rain, splash around in the filthiest puddles and

arrive at school looking like „Mudmen‟ come

alive. “Poor children cycling to school in spite of

the torrential downpour!”said the unsuspecting

teachers. They got the perfect response from

their principal, who promptly sent them home to

get out of their wet clothes. Oops! Correction re-

quired- not „home‟ because Mr. Wilson would

happily run off to his favourite haunts and enjoy

his day off from school.

Mr. McFarland- Day scholars beware!

Mr. McFarland casually told us that he would help

himself to some of the delicious homemade food of

his friends. After all, we must share and care!!

Mr. Kurian- Mission movies!!

Guess what happened when Mr. Kurian, a die-hard

Amitabh Bachchan fan was kept from watching his

latest hit?? He actually stuffed pillows in his bed,

sneaked out of his boarding school and took a bus to

the nearest theatre to fulfil his heart‟s greatest desire.

He always managed to return to his hostel unno-

ticed. The best is yet to come- 20 years later he tells

his warden of his escapades, leaving him com-

pletely astonished!!

Mr. Kailash Singh- Merry Mimicker!!

Mr. Kailash Singh, our very own indisputable

Mathematician was a leading actor in his school

days. With a captivated audience surrounding

him, he would imitate his teachers.

Mr. Teron- Botany Brainstorming!!

A favourite of all, Mr. Teron was his jolly self even

during the days he spent in his Botany lecture hall…

or rather…did not spend in the hall!!! Once atten-

dance was marked, the lecturer would turn towards

the board. That very moment, Mr. Teron and his

friends would walk quietly to the huge windows and

leap out into the arms of freedom!!

Mr. Sharma- Teachers Beware!!

An unfortunate teacher is never going to forget the

roller-coaster ride that Mr. Sharma once took him on,

metaphorically speaking. Handing over some money,

the teacher had asked him to get something from the

market. Now, for some reason, Mr. Sharma really did

not like the responsibility given to him and decided

not to attend school for ten whole days! His panic-

stricken teacher investigated the matter , only to dis-

cover that Mr. Sharma was having a lovely time pur-

chasing tickets to his favourite movies !!

Mr. Bhatt- General Footing!!

While the cricket season was in full swing, Mr.

Bhatt and his friends would often write the let-

ters „G.F.‟ (General Footing) on their board.

Like some secret language, these letters actually

indicated that study time was over. Within mo-

ments, they would all run out of the classroom,

most excited to go and watch the matches taking

place!!

Ms. Edgar- Anything For Papayas!!

Unbelievable as it may sound, Ms Edgar was

once a most daring little girl. She actually

hopped across the boundaries of her strict con-

vent school and tiptoed to a tree full of the most

ripe and juicy papayas. After the most difficult

part of this top secret mission had been success-

fully accomplished, Ms Edgar and her friends

would eat these papayas in their secret headquar-

ters- the laundry room!!

Mr. Chandra Singh- Perfect Prefect!!

Mr. Chandra Singh never missed a single opportunity

to play hooky from school to catch the latest movies.

His teachers, unaware of his jaunts, chose him as a

responsible school prefect! A big mistake! While His

teachers believed him to be monitoring the other stu-

dents, he would happily be treating himself to their

yummy food. He did this so regularly that by the end

of the year he was the „Google Search Engine‟ – ex-

tremely adept at getting to the exact location of all his

favourite dishes!!

Mr. Mani- Food, Fun and Frolic!!.....and yet more Food!!

Mr. Mani‟s favourite pastime was stealing food.However, he was most selective as far as his victims were concerned. He most enjoyed emptying the lunch boxes that belonged to inno-cent girls. Now it so happened that once during a campaign trip, he and his friends were asked to prepare a meal entirely on their own. They obviously had no idea where to begin and were completely trapped. But these genius minds could wriggle out of every difficult situation. So, they jumped over their camp boundaries and hurried over to a nearby restau-rant. Without any guilt whatsoever, they ordered a perfect meal and proudly presented it as their own.

Internationally Acclaimed Chefs!!

„The Hawker‟

The day started on a perfect note. A crisp winter morning - no sign of the dreaded NIF- North Indian Fog. Birds chirping in uni-

son, children being seen off by mothers, daily wage labourers rushing off with lunch boxes in their hands to their sweat shops,

budding cricketers hammering wickets into the hard and parched ground to begin a game of cricket and myself getting ready to

embark on a train journey. Let me trade a little secret with you all- train journeys have always fascinated me since I was a little

child. It is the journey and not the destination which has satisfied and entertained me in all my living years. The flood gates

open and old memories come pouring out whenever I travel by train. This day was no different. I hurriedly threw in my clothes

and belongings in a duffel bag and headed for the railway station. I had to catch a train from Panipat Junction for New Delhi

and then board the Lucknow Mail to the Lucknow .

The familiar sights and „smell‟ of the railway station hit my nostrils as I prepared myself to somehow reach the enquiry counter

which was already crowded with passengers straining to read the indecipherable handwriting of the railway clerk. Miraculously

my connecting train was only two hours away ,which further reinforced my belief that it was indeed a perfect day. After procur-

ing my travelling ticket I proceeded towards Platform Number 2.

A railway platform is a true indicator of the disparities that exist in our country. One can see the difference in front of one‟s

eyes. The elite ilk waiting for a porter who will haul their luggage on a trolley up to the comfort of the air-conditioned coach

and the poor hauling their own load into the second - class compartments -cramped with sweaty, tired and emaciated people.

In our country the poor dream all their lives of getting enough to eat and imitate the rich while the rich spend a lot of money

to look like the poor- I mean lean and thin like the poor. They first put on oodles of weight due to their opulent and sedentary

lifestyle and then spend millions trying to shed that extra weight.

Anyway, my train arrived exactly two hours late-on time and I hurriedly jumped on to the compartment which stopped in front

of me. It was a three -tier sleeper coach. By the grace of God ,I got a seat and after settling down I engaged in a friendly con-

versation with a gentlemen sitting on my right side.

“Oh! I tell you, nowadays train journeys have become such an ordeal. No train runs on time. Each train is 4 to 6 hours late. I

don‟t know what will happen to this country .Only God can save this land.”

Well, I agreed fully with this gentleman , a businessman from Ludhiana ,who was returning from New Delhi after making a

business deal. We Indians are certainly the blue-eyed boys of God because 99% of all train journeys are completed safely with-out any major accident.

Two little children were jumping and climbing, climbing and jumping from an upper birth below- oblivious of their antics two

ladies sitting on the lower berth were animatedly discussing a plot of some popular TV serial. Suddenly, the younger boy fell

with a loud thud on the floor. This put an end to their conversation. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a gentleman jumped down from

the berth above my head and began to console the bawling child. After the commotion died down ,this gentleman realized that

I was on his seat and ordered me ,rather rudely, to sit somewhere else .A gangly dishevelled young man seated on the oppo-

site berth offered a place to me. I thanked him for his generosity and made some polite conversation with him which I don‟t

remember now , but I distinctly remember the conversation he had with his mother over the cell phone.

The balance in his phone was running low and he pleaded with his mother to get it recharged but to no avail. Mother had no

time to get this task done as she was hosting some party.

-I guess maybe a “kitty party”!! Anyway, no prizes for guessing that I was enjoying my journey thoroughly.

The train stopped with a screeching halt.

Continued on page 9.

IN CONVERSATION WITH MISS SEN

When did you join W.A.S? What were you doing for the first seven years in Mussoorie?

I joined W.A.S in 2003. Before that, I was working at Mussoorie International School – right across on the other end of

Mussoorie.

Ma’am, I am sure you have heard all of us say that you have betrayed us and ‘ditched’ us ever since we came to know of

your leaving. So, how are you taking this accusation? Well, there is a twinge of guilt every time I hear that. Sadly, at times, these decisions need to be taken in spite of the heart-

ache they might cause. “For everything there is a season...” as they say. That‟s life.

Have the children in the other school also heard your ghost stories that were meant for us?

Ghost stories are custom-made. In any case, most of the stories I told you‟ll were from Bengali storybooks which these chil-

dren have already read. So, perhaps, one day, I will tell them about the wild-haired spectre that the girls in Wynberg insist

makes her appearance every Diwali night.

So, you have always caught us talking in Hindi but you love Bengali. Do you stop students from talking in Bengali there?

Of course! Old habits die hard! And these students have already mastered the fine art of switching into English – even mid-

sentence – when they see me approaching.

What would you miss most about Wynberg-Allen? Could you narrate some of your most memorable moments during

your seven years in Wynberg-Allen?

The 30th of June, 2006 has left an indelible mark for more reasons than one. That was the day we were bidding farewell to

Mr. and Mrs. Phillips. I was the M.O.D on that day. And then, I think many yet remember what happened later on in the day.

If you ask me about moments, there are too many to list – our morning assemblies – the waylaying of students for the „compo‟ register – stealing moments to practise for a debate or a class assembly – waiting at Big Bend for buses to take us

away on all those exciting excursions – singing Easter hymns in the golden glow of a rising sun – practising late into the

night for a play in the darkened Sir Kirby Laing Auditorium – the frantic hunt for the elusive piece for Elocution – the strains

of the hymn „Abide With Me‟ echoing in the mountains – the Christmas carols sung together as the year draws to an end –

these are just a miniscule fraction all those times that I will always remember. Like the infinite number of patterns in a kalei-

doscope, these memories are too myriad to describe.

How would you say you have grown personally and professionally during your seven years in Wynberg-Allen and four-

teen years in Mussoorie?

Mussoorie is where I began my first job – and my teaching career. There was a time when the thought of having to teach

senior students who towered above me even when they were seated filled me with an indescribable dread. I miss the dais in

our old classroom that put this apprehension in proper perspective. As far as personal growth is concerned – fourteen years is

a long time. One meets people who impact one‟s life in ways that one hasn‟t foreseen. There are situations that open up new

dimensions of experience. At the end of the day, it is difficult to plot one‟s personal growth on a graph, isn‟t it?

In W.A.S, you were so involved with the lives of students. You were with the children the whole day. In Kolkata, the inter-

action does not stretch beyond the classroom routine. Do you find this different? Working in a day school is very different from working in a residential school. I do miss spending time with the children

beyond the normal classroom routine – but, truthfully, there are many opportunities to do so should I wish to.

In spite of this, do the students connect with you on an equally one on one basis as we do?

In spite of differences in background and environment, children everywhere are basically the same. Similar things will excite

and enthuse them or hurt and upset them. If only one is able to place a finger on that pulse – the rest falls in place.

And do you promise to always remember each one of us when you leave?

That goes without promising!!

ARTICLES TO LOOK FORWARD TO IN THE NEXT ISSUE.

INTERVIEWS OF THE NEW TEACHERS.

CLASS 7‟S VIEWS ABOUT THE SENIOR SCHOOL.

ANOTHER CARTOON STRIP OF NISTHA‟S PHERBIE

AND LOUX AND YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS.

Flight of the Robin The sun opened its eyes,

And benignly smiled upon the earth.

Its pleasant warmth touched infinite lives,

Flowers blossomed and life burst forth.

A little robin sat in her nest,

Her tiny heart joyously beating against her chest. She wanted to soar high in the sky,

But her loving mother told her it was too early to fly.

“I am old enough and I can fly!” protested the bird si-

lently,

She perched morose on the highest branch of the tree. A tiny voice said, „Come on , little one , You‟ve got to give

it a shot.”

She jumped off the branch and gave it all she had got.

The Robin fluttered her wings

frantically.

Disappointed! She thought she would die instead of being free.

The bird hit the ground,and everything went blank.

She thought of her mother-then in darkness sank.

But then a miracle happened and she opened her eyes

again, She was in her cosy nest ,but her body was in pain.

She faced her mother with head bowed and face red,

But the mother put a kindly hand on her baby‟s head.

„There is a time for everything, my dear,” she chirped,

Hugging the little one to her heart, as the former had

hoped. Finally, the day came when the Robin did fly,

She unfurled her glorious wings and soared in the sky!

Ayushi Mishra

GOODBYE I.S.C !

What I am feeling right now does qualify as pain,

Though it is too muddled for me to explain. This heart of mine is too little,

For such great emotions to be contained.

Though it is a wonderful thing,

To be back here once again.

Something heavy is burdening my heart,

And happiness I can‟t seem to feign.

Deep within I am aware,

Of all that I am going to miss. But the bond that had strengthened over the

years

Will provide an eternity of bliss.

People leaving are not just friends,

Siblings would be a better word. Sharing secrets, and current trends,

Powerful memories these words have stirred.

With their wings spread , they are ready to fly,

All set for a different way of life.

Go ahead and face the world,my friends,

Life „s journey continues, but never ends.

Ankita Ranjan

10 B

The final countdown has begun for the ISC 2010 batch - only few days left for them to leave school. They were asked to share their thoughts and feelings with us, and some of them responded immediately in spite of their busy study schedule. Here are some of the responses to the questions asked to them.

PRACHI

I will really miss

the meals at

Wynberg and the

Class 1 and 2

corridor.

My Alma Mater

has given me the

confidence re-

quired to voice

my opinion.

I can never forget

the Class 10 ex-

cursion to Jaipur

and the overnight

outing to Brent-wood.

Don‟t shy away

from opportuni-

ties and responsi-

bilities.

PRERNA

KHULLAR

I will really

miss my

friends and the

childhood

memories that I leave behind.

My favourite

haunt was the

box room and

the roof (?).

My Alma Ma-

ter has given

me the strength

to face any

kind of chal-lenge and diffi-

culty in life.

I cannot forget

the strike when

the teachers

cooked for us.

MANSI

I will miss

Mr. Cash-

more‟s

food and

SUPER GREAT

PALS and

the winter

line!

My Alma

Mater has

taught me

to be inde-

pendent .

Unforget-

table mo-

ments.

Midnight

birthday parties,

„Yo Fidah

Jokes‟ and

Mc B vis-

its.

ISHA

I will miss

Mr. Cash-

more‟s

food.

My Alma

Mater has

taught me to

be tolerant .

I will miss

„Midnight

Birthday

Parties‟,

„Yo Fidah Jokes‟ and

hikes.

ANISHA

I will really miss Mr.

Cashmore‟s food

(drool!) and sleeping

in the chapel area and

asking a friend to wake me up in five

minutes but... never

being woken up.

My Alma Mater has

taught me the value of

companionship.

My unforgettable mo-

ments.

When I joined in

Class 1 I thought that

the monkeys were pets owned by the

school.

Running out wearing

one slipper when an

earthquake shook

Mussoorie in the early

hours of the morning.

Watching the movie

„Gandhi‟.

Class I assembly.

Make the most of life

in school and make us

proud.

YASHAA

I will miss

the

yummy...y

ummy

food and fun with

friends.

My fa-

vourite

haunt was

my cosy

bed.

Anchali

I will

miss the

food at

Wyn-

berg and my

friends.

My fa-

vourite

haunts

were the

chapel area and

the cafe-

teria.

Hold on

to the

good

things in

life while

they last,

for you

never

know

how

long

they will

last.

YASH

I will miss

teachers scold-

ing me , the

Headmaster‟s

and Principal‟s office.

My school has

taught me disci-

pline and how to

tie my laces.

Everything

about my school

is the best.

Morning runs

were good but

some times I did

not feel like

getting up.

Enjoy your

years in school

because after

you leave you

will miss them.

GURJEET

I will miss the audi-torium and games.

My Alma Mater has taught me innumer-able and invaluable lessons. Also, it has

made me proficient in handling all elec-tronic items.

You can keep com-plaining about what the school hasn‟t given you or not

taught you, but re-member what you are is because of the school.

Morning runs were

good.

PETER

I will miss

games, teach-

ers scolding

me and time

spent with friends...also

the Headmas-

ter‟s office.

My favourite

haunt was the

dormitory and

the balcony.

My school has

taught me

discipline, to

never give up

trying and to brush my

teeth in the

morning.

Don‟t trouble

the staff too

much!

Morning runs

were annoying

and good at

the same time.

SIDDHARTH

My favourite haunts

were the gym and the

dormitory.

My school has taught

me to be independ-

ent.

PUNTSOK

I will miss cross

country and

football prac-

tices , the swim-

ming pool and the music equip-

ment.

My favourite

haunt is the

room behind the

Science Block

(though I have-n‟t been there

much).

My most unfor-

gettable experi-

ence includes

each minute of

the last four years I spent

here.

Message to

other students.

Do not sleep

during class or

assemblies.

FAIZAN

My school has taught me the

value of discipline and to re-

spect others.

Have fun and respect your

teachers.

GAUTAM

My favourite

haunt on campus

was the lounge.

AMRINDER

I will miss the Junior School baker.

My favourite haunt was my classroom

( after tea).

My school has taught me to be independ-

ent.

My favourite activity in class was sitting

and listening attentively to the teacher.

Boys, turn up for the morning and evening

runs because they will help you a lot.I

wish I could attend more of them.

HIMANSHU

I will miss the wonderful

people of the school .

My favourite haunt was my

bed.

Morning runs were good.

Siddhart Marwaha

“Saar saar pakdo, mera chips lekar bhag gaya!!!”

Johnny

Fitness Quack! Can destroy lives with his advice related to

weigh training!! Johnny is Injurious to health! Gill

Sly boy! Plays an active role in inciting Dhanraj!!! Sunny

Deol of ISC… STAR OF GADAR 2!!!

Phuntsok

Silencer!

Yadav

(Poli‟s comment for Yadav.)

Chota sa hai aur din bhar logon ko marne ki baat karta hai!

Favourite line –Mein „smart‟ hoon na??

Himanshu Singh (Poli)

Mal-nutritioned barbarian from budbuda! Enjoys hot water.

Vishesh Pathak(a.k.a HP)

He‟s really happy that his school is between Saharanpur and

Sister‟s Bazaar.

Hamza

„Mussoorie ki slope pe endaavor (Endeavour)lana mushkil

hai!‟

jawad

Lazy camel-wants everything on his bed!!

Lama

Hydrogen bomb that is dropped everyday in the ISC and

ICSE dorms. Mosst important thing for him….KHANA!!!

Anisha

The Dimple Goddess! Cute and sweet. Correct

description of SUPERWOMAN…swimming… basketball…table tennis…multi-tasking…huh…

all in one!!

Isha

You‟ll catwalk all the way from Punjab to Haali-

wood!!

Insha(a.k.a Kashmir Beauty/Exercise Freak) “ After lunch walk awhile ,after dinner walk a

mile.”

Fidah

You‟re winning the marathon all the way to

laughter challenge .Even Mr.Bean will roll

over with laughter after an encounter with

you.

Yashaa

“Girls ya, please switch off the lights!”

Prerna

(a.k.a LITTLE MISS MUFFET)

Mansi- Minsiee! You’ll beat Sajid Khan at mimicking people.

Anchali

Strawberry Shortcake Girliee!!

“Mirror Mirror on the Wall”

It‟ll break if you don‟t stop….”

We count it one of the sweetest privileges of our lives to have known and conversed with the students of ISC 2010. Their smiles and words

have sunbeams in them, so that interaction with them has always warmed our hearts.Here are some thoughts and one-liners gathered through years of our comradeship.

“See! I told you. The Indian Railways is not going anywhere. The train hardly moves a few kilometres and is stopped soon af-

ter. At this rate we will reach Delhi in four hours,” complained the businessman. Thankfully, the train started off again with a

jolt and now my attention was caught by the piercing voice of a man- it was a hawker selling assorted wares. He was a middle -

aged man with a stubble , wearing a simple kurta pyjama. He was carrying certain items which were quite unique: a book which taught you to speak in English in 2 months, Rubik‟s cube, digestive „Churan‟, chains for securing luggage, locks, toy cell

phones, combs of myriad shapes and colours, mobile phone covers, potato chips and what not. All of a sudden a loud cry rang

out in the compartment ,“Hey you! Can‟t you see? You better watch your step . Are you blind?” Well, the hawker had stepped

upon the foot of a fellow passenger. Yes, the same gentleman who had asked me to vacate his seat. Divine justice! “Arre, I tell

you these hawkers are real thieves. They divert your attention by such tactics while their assistants take away your belongings.”

The rich businessman judiciously added. “These rascals should not be allowed to board trains. What is the RPF doing?” ex-

claimed another man. “I am so sorry Saheb, but I am no thief ,” said the hawker and shuffled off. We caught his last sentence as

he neared the door . “What can I possibly steal , I have been blind since I was a baby!” There was a stunned silence in the com-

partment. Slowly the hawker made his way through the crowd.

Unwittingly, he had driven home a very hard-hitting message . This man was an epitome of self- reliance, honour and

pride. Instead of taking the easy route out , he had chosen the more difficult option. He was one of the teeming millions who

make India a force to reckon with across the globe, who make the country what it is –a fast developing ,fearless ,modern nation. A nation of winners!

[P.S Who says being Headmaster of a school has no benefits? I want to thank Navneet Singh and Brijjit Bhadoo for their pa-

tience and hard work while typing out this „short‟ but this true story.]

Mr.P.Radcliffe

A B Y C D N E F G H S

I B R J K O L M N T Y

O L R P Q M R P R S R

T U E V U E E A W F R

O E B L X L W P M I E

C B P Y P B Z A S G H

I E S P E A R Y N U C

R R A R S A G A O A P

P R R K H V R N L V Q

A Y J N D O A A E A R

L N B S E C P N M I T

J I W I K A E A E W V

M A C N G D S B A K W

B E R H A O R N P I Y

R Y L O I O K H R C Z

Clues for you!!

1. A fruit rhyming with wig.

2. A fruit that gets its name from a colour.

3. A fruit shaped like an elongated melon, with edible orange flesh and small black seeds.

4. Yellow citrus fruit with a lot of sour juice.

5. Round fruit with a shiny red or green skin.

6. Small Chinese fruit, very popular in Dehradun.

7. Fruit – narrow at the top and wide at the bottom.

8. Soft, round fruit with a purple or red skin.

9. Famous fruit of New – Zealand which shares its name

with a bird.

10. A fruit rhyming with lemon.

11. Three kinds of berries in the puzzle – find them all.

12. A fruit which has the word „cot‟ in the end.

13. A fruit which grows on bunches of a climbing plant. 14. A fruit which can also be a little girl‟s name.

15. A tropical fruit mostly eaten before a meal.

16. A fruit which is added to a pancake to make it deli-

cious.

Mehkash Lalwani

12 C

FRUIT PUZZLE

Jokes

Teacher: David, what is the outermost part of a tree

called? David: I don‟t know, Sir.

Teacher: Bark, David, Bark!

David: Bow! Wow!

A man was found continuously staring at his mar-

riage certificate, much to the irritation of his wife. She wanted to know what he was doing. On being

asked, the man replied, “I was just searching for the

expiry date.”

Teacher: What is the chemical formula for water?

Pupil : H I J K L M N O

Teacher: Have you gone mad? Pupil : Sir, yesterday you told us that the chemical

formula for water is H to O!

It's always darkest before the dawn. So if you're going to steal your neighbor's

newspaper, that's the time to do it. ~Author Unknown

Dear Readers,

This is the first edition of the Excelsior for

the year 2010.We hope to publish many

more and request you to be generous con-

tributors. Our tussle with the „Publisher‟

has borne fruit (although we are still trying

to master some of its applications).

Students and teachers , please hand in your

articles– poems, stories, puzzles , pictures,

cartoons, sketches, accounts of adventures

undertaken over the holidays etc. to Class

12 students.

Thank You.