Written by: Suphiyana Ghimire - 2026024, Grade VI
Posted on: 12 October, 2020
Once upon a time, in a village, there lived a man and his daughter. He loved his daughter very much. Her name was Saroha. He let her do whatever a boy could do! He never regarded her as weak and was never biased with her gender. So, his daughter turned out to be as brave as the tiger and did not fear anything. She climbed trees, did adventurous things, and played with her friends all day long. One day, when she was going to call her friends, their mother scolded her and said, “Don’t you need to learn household works? You are not a boy so you cannot play day. Now go away and don’t spoil our daughter! I will not send my daughter with you to play. I don't want my daughter to be careless and spoiled at her husband's house later in life.”
That day she went back home and sadly she asked her father why girls cannot play and need to work but boys can do whatever they want to do. Her father said that it was more like a custom in the village that girls couldn’t play but boys could do whatever they wanted! Saroha thought of complaining about this to the Head of the village.
“Rest my child for today and tomorrow we will go together to complain”, said her father. The next day they went to the head of the village to complain. The head of the village called all the mothers of Saroha’s friends and asked what the matter was? Saroha’s father told the Head of the village what the problem was! Saroha’s friends’ mothers told the Head that if girls would not learn the household work then who will marry them later in life. The Head thought for a while and announced, “It's true if girls with not learn the household work then who would do it? Men certainly won’t do it!”
Although Saroha’s father was disappointed with the Head and his verdict he did not lose hope and taught Saroha whatever boys could learn. Thus she was smart, athletic, and more confident than the other village girls. A few months later, there was a big flood and everyone started to run away. The Head of the village was also going to his relative’s house when his little child got stuck in the rising water and started to cry. The head did not know how to swim and cried for help. No one helped him but at that time Saroha plunged into the water and saved the little kid. The Head of the village was shameful because he remembered his words to Saroha’s father. He learned his lesson and rewarded Saroha. He realized that girls when given opportunities are as smart and brave as boys.
Moral: Never judge a person by gender.
