Cloud : 3 Drop : 2
Cover art by Eesha Srinivas raindropsmag@gmail.com
www.raindr0psmag.com
Contents 1.
From the Editors’ desk
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2.
Giggles and his Rainforest friends
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3.
Alex in Mesozoica - II
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4.
Elements
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5
Travelogue
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A Story feature
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7
Passpartout
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8
Recycle Bean
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9
Grandpa Tidbit's blog
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10
Tidbit's Tales
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11
Crafty’s Corner
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Introduction to the amazing, supernatural cloud species of RainBoogle Island
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Limerick's Lyrics
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14.
Posty’s Mailbox
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From the Editors' desk... Sorry folks, there has been a delay in bringing out this issue of Raindrops. The main reason is that most of our regular contributors are slogging it out in school (it's exam time in this part of the world!) and we had to dig into our reserves for features for this issue. Must admit that it was fun doing it though and in piecing the finds together. The result is this colourful quilt like issue which we are quite proud of. We hope you like it too. We are very grateful to all our contributors who keep sharing their creations with us. Thanks to them, our bank was full! All of us at Raindrops wish you the very best for your exams and hope to see you back soon. We will be making some changes to the magazine starting from the next issue. 1) We will not have any feature that will run across multiple issues. This is because, we received feedback that since we have a new issue coming out only once in two months, it sometimes becomes difficult to follow a story line or wait in suspense :). So stories like Giggles, Geet and Uma, Alex in Mezozoica etc. will be moved to the RainBoogle Island library on our web-site www.raindrops.com, where the authors will post updates more often (say once in two weeks). Once a series is completed, it will go as a complete book to the library. This will not affect the features, where each edition is independant of the other - like the "Elements" 2) The "Grandma" Raindrop will come aboard starting next issue. She will be reviewing "interesting" childrens' books along with you. So if you have read any books of late that you would like to share with others, please send in your review, addressed to Grandma Tidbit at raindropsmag@gmail.com. The books need not be just recent publications. Talk to your parents/grandparents about what they would read when they were younger. You may come across some interesting titles. Who knows? You may be surprised at how much you have in common with them! :) As usual, spread the fun - share Raindrops with all your friends. warmly, The Raindrops Team.
This is a nostalgic note written by Afreen at the end of her school year...
Wish you all a happy day! Hi, I am Afreen Anwar and as we are drawing closer to the end of another academic year, I would like to share with you a few thoughts about my school, teachers and classmates. My class mates are good team-players and participate in various competitions and programs. Amongst them are many dancers and singers. One of my class-mates Vishnu Vasan has even won a gold medal in the Abacus (mental maths) classes. Our class teacher - whom we affectionately call Rocking Raveendran Sir, gives us a lot of support and makes mathematics an interesting subject (which is quite an achievement!). I am very proud of my school and am looking forward to another exciting year ahead. Sincerely, Afreen Anwar 3
A story feature... Giggles and his Rainforest friends by Eesha Srinivas Giggles and Howler ran until they reached the heart of the rainforest. Ginger was in a tree hollow, fast asleep. "This is a good time for resting!!", exclaimed Howler as he pulled Ginger out of the hollow by the tail. Then he climbed a tree, reached one of the emergent branches and left Ginger on it. "Hey! What are you doing?" said Ginger. "This is no job for lazy bones kiddo!" chuckled Howler. "I'll pick you up once it is done!". So saying, he climbed down, leaving Ginger fuming on the branch. Suddenly, she gasped. From her high perch, she could see the poacher's truck driving away, back to town and Mayuri was inside it! Suddenly there was a "SSSSSSSS!" '' AMEEBHA!'' shouted Ginger and she threw herself down the tree. Suddenly, something (which Ginger throught was Ameebha's jaw) clamped itself around her tail. "Ow!" she cried out. "You are very lucky, kiddo", said a calm voice. "You could have broken your neck". Ginger turned her head. A dazzling flash of orange met her eye. She blinked. It was a beak! She blinked again. The image of a brightly colored toucan swam into focus. "That was obvious!", said a raspy voice. Ginger turned again and saw a bright emerald green poison dart frog. "Albert", said the toucan, giving Ginger his wing. "Norbert", said the poison dart frog crisply. "Un-happy to be of service.....", he continued. "Well, if you are um...er...happy to be service, then can you get me a cage containing a err.....mmm...green parrot from ...er...that cage in that...err.....truck?". "Certainly!" said the toucan. "We shall do it together". "Together?!" asked Norbert sharply. "Yes", said the toucan. "And would you mind leaving the err....ah! OFFICIAL talking to ME !!!'' Ginger and Norbert climbed onto Albert's back. He spread his wings and took off into the sky.
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The journey continues...
Alex in Mesozoica - II
by Arun R
It was morning. The raptors were asleep under the tree. Alex waited and waited, but they did not leave. Finally, he thought of a trick. He looked in his pockets and found a catapult, some stones, a camera, and a mirror. He took the catapult and shot a stone at one of the raptors. “Roo!? Graaah! Aaaarghhh!” it roared, waking all the other raptors. All of the raptors looked up and growled. Alex grinned. His plan was working! He raised the mirror and showed it to the raptors. The raptors, on seeing it, thought that there were other raptors trapped in the strange glass item (the mirror)! They hissed and barked and growled at the mirror, but whatever they did, the raptors in the mirror did too! Finally, Alex kept the mirror in his pocket and took out the camera. In it, he had taken a video of a Tyrannosaurus Rex roaring. He had pirated it from a dinosaur movie for fun. When he played the video in front of the raptors, they fled, yowling and howling. Alex leapt down the tree and ran after the raptors with the video set to REPEAT. The poor creatures ran and ran until Alex left them alone, and that was only because the video had become unclear. He decided that the only option he had was to explore the land of Mesozoica . And so, he set out. “Whew!!” Alex said in relief. One thing, however, surprised him: how had the raptors been so easily tricked? The ’stand-still-technique’ that he had used was supposed to work on a Tyrannosaurus only!! Alex shook his head and climbed down the tree (which he had climbed up after his adventure with the raptors!). Just then, he felt something tickling him. He looked down and saw a small Compsognathus nibbling his sneakers. “Shoo!” he was about to yell. Then he felt something. What could it be? The ground shook tremendously. Alex trembled. And then, out of the trees, a huge “Roar!!” was heard. Alex started to run as fast as he could, but he tripped on a tree root and fell, headfirst, in the mud. The ground shook even more, and out of the trees emerged a huge male Tyrannosaurus Rex!! It growled at the sight of Alex. “Roar!” it roared, showing all of its big teeth.
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Elements
by PanchBoothBaba
Water Water is all around us. It never stops traveling. It seems to be magic. Here it is and now it's gone! You see it and you don't. It is now water- now vapor - now a cloud! It falls from the sky! It's a pool on the ground. Now it's gone again! It runs down the river but the river is still full. It pours steadily into the ocean but the ocean never runs over. While water seems to be almost everywhere, it is more plentiful in some places than in others. The greatest amount is in the oceans which join together to make one really large ocean that covers almost three fourths of the earth. More water is locked in the ice that covers the polar regions. There are warm jungles (called rainforests) where so much rain falls that trees and vines grow so close together that you have to literally cut a path through them if you wish to pass. The desert is quite different. There the rain almost never falls. Any water that may be in the ground is too far down for men to reach. Perhaps you live in a place where the amount of water seems just right, where trees grow well and water is always available at the turn of a faucet. But even in such a place you may hear people talk of dry and wet seasons and what to do about them! Water is so important to people that they must live where they can get it. For thousands of years, they had to live where water was found - on or near the top of the ground. Which explains why some of the greatest ancient civilizations were all located near big rivers or lakes - like the Egyptians, Harappans, Aztecs etc. Now people have figured out ways of getting water from many hundred feet underground. Dams are also constructed across rivers, upstream, to store water for the arid seasons. Gates in the dams hold back the abundant rain water from the wet seasons. When the gates are opened during the hot dry season, pipelines carry the water down to the valleys where farmers can use them for watering crops. Like any precious resource, water can sometimes be a source of contention amongst people who cannot agree on how to "share" it. The river Kaveri (or Cauvery) flows in the southern part of India and has been following her path from the hills to the sea for thousands of years. Even after the political boundaries of the two states of Karnataka and TamilNadu were made, the Kaveri continued her path, for man-made boundaries hold no meaning for her. However, the waters of the river Kaveri have become the bone of contention and a source of serious conflict between the people of these two states. In this sensitive poem about the Kaveri, Aditi Elassery expresses her sentiments about the conflict while emphathising with the Kaveri.
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Elements
contd..
The poor Kaveri
by Aditi Elassery
Quiet flows the Kaveri while fights there are many Over her clear waters. Fighting they were for many a year Over her clear waters . When settled this dispute will be the answer is to wait and see the dispute Over her clear waters. A peaceful solution should be arrived at then let us leave it at that And fights no more Over her clear waters. Only then be really peaceful, the atmosphere, Over her clear waters.
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Travelogue Super Singapore
by Devanshika Bajpai
The legend of the city of Singapore Once upon a time, there lived a brave and valiant Malay prince called Sang Nila Uttama of the great Sri Vijaya empire. One day, he decided to go on a sea voyage to discover different and amazing lands. Before he set off, his father, the king, gave him a bejeweled Crown. After some time, he and his crew saw a far off island. The Prince asked, “What is that island?” One of his crew members answered, “That is the fisher village of Temasek, your majesty”. “Let us explore it, then,” said the prince . But, as soon as they neared the island, the sea became rough. Strong winds blew and it seemed as if the evil spirits were against them. All the prince’s crew were huddled together, terrified. But the prince knew what he must do. He threw his bejeweled crown into the sea, as a gift to the sea spirits. Immediately, the sea became calm and they were able to set anchor on the island. As soon as they got off the ship, they were confronted with a strange beast, a lion, but the prince and his crew didn’t know what a lion was. So, the prince drew out his sword and went forward to kill him. But as the prince looked into the lion‘s eyes, a moment of understanding passed between the lion and the prince. Slowly, the lion moved away and allowed the prince and his crew to enter the island. “From now on, this island shall be known as Singapura, after the beast that guards it,” announced the prince. And to this day, on the coins of the city, it is written as Singapura, not Singapore.
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Travelogue Super Singapore
contd...
Modern day Singapore was founded in 1819 by Sir Stamford Raffles, who was a trader with the British East India company. In the year 1966, the Singapore tourism board decided that Singapore needed a new symbol as an attraction. So, the Merlion was created. The lion head of the Merlion symbolizes the legend of Singapura and how the city got its name. The fish tail symbolizes the many blessings of the sea that Singapore has, and of the way Singapore has flourished as a seaport. There are two Merlions in Singapore : the one at Sentosa island is eight storeys tall. There are balconies on the head and mouth .The view from the head’s balcony is an amazing view, in which you can see the whole of Singapore. It was a pleasure to meet forward to seeing it
the Merlion and I look again!.
A few facts about Singapore: Over 50 islands make up the Republic of Singapore. Many of the smaller islands are uninhabited. Almost all the people live in the capital which also has the name of Singapore. It is a country where most of the food and water for its people have to be imported from other countries. Yet it has become one of the richest countries in Southeast Asia due to its success in shipping, banking and international trade. A railway links Singapore with Malaysia. The Changi International Airport, on the eastern end of the island, is the nation's chief airport.
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A story feature... The Stupid Hen by Arun Elassery Once upon a time there was a very stupid but very lucky hen. Let me tell you a story about her to show you what I mean. You see the stupid hen belonged to a poor old woman who lived in a small hut. So the stupid hen would roam around all over the neighborhood all day and eat whatever she could get and would come back to the hut in the evenings. The old woman didn’t have to take care of the hen and once in a while she got an egg or two so she didn’t mind. Now in one of the farms nearby where the stupid hen roamed there were two large fierce guard dogs. The dogs were let loose in the garden around the farmer’s house and every animal and every person who had to come near the farmer’s house was afraid of the dogs. Except the stupid hen! Why? You see she was just too stupid to be afraid. She would wander into the garden everyday and when the dogs came running and barking towards her, she would cluckcluck as if asking, ‘Hey, what’s wrong with you both?’, and she would hurry flapping her wings through a hole in the hedge into a neighboring farm. This happened everyday.
Art by Aditi Elassery
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The Stupid Hen
contd...
The dogs were surprised at why the hen came back every day and wasn’t frightened off by their fierceness. They decided to do something about it before they became the laughing stock of all the animals around. So one day they lay in wait for her. The stupid hen always came in through the same hole in the hedge. The dogs waited, lying close to the hedge on either side of the hole, so that the hen could not see them easily. The hen came in the same way but just as she was almost into the garden she saw something tasty to eat in the hedge and so she withdrew her head and turned to peck at it. The dogs seeing the head come through the hedge pounced at it only to see it vanish back. In all the confusion there was a head on collision and one fierce nose hit one fierce head and the dogs lost interest in the hen for the day. The next day they decided to let the stupid hen come into the garden before stalking and catching and killing her. The stupid hen like always came in through the same hole in the hedge and started pecking around in her stupid aimless manner. The dogs quietly moved closer hiding behind bushes and trees till they were just behind her. The stupid hen was walking on a pile of dry leaves that the gardener had left for burning on a sloping part of the garden. The dogs leapt at the stupid hen together and would have surely caught her but the stupid hen disappeared in front of their eyes and they were so surprised that they fell slipping and sliding to the bottom of the slope. You see the stupid hen had just fallen into a hole in the ground covered by the dry leaves. She came out of the hole and went about her aimless wandering business and after some time went into a neighboring farm not realizing how close she had been to being caught by the dogs. The dogs decided that there was no point being clever about catching the stupid but lucky hen. So, from the very next day, they barked at her and drove her out of their garden like they used to and everyday the hen ran away in her stupid but lucky manner.
The End
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Passpartout's Page It has been nearly two years since our first issue of Raindrops was launched in June 2008! In this issue, we decided to re-feature the web-site that we featured in our very first issue - www.poptropica.com. This still remains one of my favourite web-sites. It has changed a lot since we first featured it, with new islands being added (though the ghost carnival one never got released). Anyway read on ...
Poptropica is a site where you can create a character, customize his/her looks and then use her to "complete" islands basically you need to complete tasks which will earn you medallions (which are wearable) and credits. The credits can be used to buy special features for your character. You get 25 credits when you first create and save your character, 50 when you complete a mini-quest and 100 for completing an island.
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Passpartout's Page
contd...
There are about 3 or 4 icons in the top right corner of the screen. The star icon shows stats, store and stuff. The "stats" tab shows your character's credits, islands completed, battle ranking, recent activity and latest news. The "store" shows all the virtual items you can buy, like costumes and other cool items. "Stuff" is about the real stuff like mugs, t-shirts etc. which you buy with "real" money.The "backpack" icon is your inventory, which has all your items including medallions, bought stuff and the stuff you collected from the islands. The "shirt" icon is a customizer. If you really like the looks of another character in poptropica, click on the shirt and then click the character. You can figure out the rest. Some of the islands offer really cool stuff for your character. Head to the Poptropica towers on Early Poptropica island and select any of the balloons to color your face. Go to the Carrot King Diner on 24 Carrot island and you can mix colors to make a drink which will color your hair. While completing Nabooti island, you will pick up a phone. You can dial the following numbers on it: 411 - to get a brain on top of your head (instead of your hair)....gross? cool! 911 - to get a police costume 1225 - to become a Santa 1337 - to become Ned Noodlehead (beware, this is easily the ugliest costume) I have been playing on Poptropica for close to 3 years now (that long?!) and I still enjoy it. Hope you find it interesting too. Write to me about your experiences on Poptropica and we'll start a club here on RainBoogle Island to share the fun. Aurevoir, Passpartout. 13
Recycle Bean Trash to Treasure!
by Eesha Srinivas
Recycle Bean has been in really high spirits of late. The reason People seem to be focusing a lot more on recycling and re-using stuff of late and the icing on the cake is that some of the recycled stuff is not just functional but fun and beautiful! In January a "Litter-Free Auroville campaign" to encourage recycling and waste reduction was organized in Auroville, India. As a grand finale of that event, there was a "trashion show" - a fashion show where designers displayed clothes and accessories made only from waste materials. Everyday waste like plastic bags, bottles, CDs, and wrappers of coffee, chips etc. had got transformed into "cat-walk" ready creations. These along with creations made from recycled material was exhibited at Bharat Nivas, Auroville. Recycle bean went berserk with joy on seeing "waste" like plastic bottles, empty chip packets, tech. waste etc. made into stuff like bags, lampshades, puppets, hats and of course clothing! My favourite was a robot named "Layso". Apparently he had starred in a puppet show which we missed. Layso had a plastic bottle body, a thermocol head, bottle-cap eyes, a cape made from an empty Lays packet and a Lays lable stuck on his front. Our friends Aiyana and Garima had come with us and Aiyana's favourite was an elephant named "Elefunk". Elefunk had plastic bottle feet, a basket for a bum and a rope tail. He had wheels from a toy truck for eyes. We decided to invite Layso and Elefunk over to RainBoogle Island for an interview. Layso said he loved Lays chips, but then Foody got mad because she considers Lays as junk food and chased both of the trash creations out of the island.
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Grandpa Tidbit's blog
"Vegetables are good for you. Eat them up!" I am sure this is the most dreaded sentence for most children (and some adults) at every meal. In any poll, french fries, burgers and chocolate would win hands down against the poor broccoli, carrot and peas. The food pyramid as well as FIVE servings of fruits and vegetables a day are facts that are to be learnt (and forgotten) in science class! Recently some one sent me a slide show titled - "God's pharmacy". It talked about how our food (vegetables, fruits, fish etc.) was created much before we were and also about how there is a clue left as to what foods help with which parts of our body. I found it amazing and thought I'd share parts of it with you. So the next time some one says, "Carrots are good for you"....you can say, "Obviously!". I am sure your food is never going to look the same again to you. Let me know what you think your food looks like to you. And no, "Goo and Gunk" are not valid answers :) Bon appetit :) Affectionately Grandpa Ganesan Mumbai - India.
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Grandpa Tidbit's blog
contd...
God's pharmacy A sliced Carrot resembles the human eye including the pupil, iris, and radiating lines. Science indicates that carrots help protect the vision, especially night vision.
A Tomato has up to four chambers and is commonly red. Tomatoes are rich in lycopene and helps prevent heart disease and some forms of cancer. Tomato juice can also reduce the tendency toward blood clotting.
Walnuts resemble the brain, mimicking the wrinkles and folds of the neocortex. Research suggests that walnuts may reduce the risk or delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease. The high concentration of omega-3 fats in walnuts promotes healthy brain function.
Kidney Beans (or Rajma) true to their name are kidney shaped. They provide nutrients that are helpful to the human kidneys.
Celery has a bone like appearance and is rich in silicon and Vitamin K, which are needed for healthy joints and bones.
Sliced Onions resemble skin cells and contain quercetin which is useful in the prevention and treatment of certain cancers.
Sweet Potatoes resemble the pancreas and have a low glycemic index count, which is beneficial for diabetics.
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Tidbit's Tales Crafty was making a pot of gold (look at it on the next page). That reminded me of the pot of gold at the end of a Rainbow and the leprechauns who were supposed to be guarding it. Then I remembered the Irish festival - "St.Patrick's day" which is celebrated yearly in some parts of the world on March 17th. Though St.Patrick's day started off as a day in honor of Ireland's patron saint St.Patrick. Leprechauns, clovers (or shamrocks as they are known in Ireland) and parades have now become part of this festival. This festival is now a fun-filled holiday to celebrate Irish culture. Ireland is a land of mythical beauty full of legends to explore. It is called the land of Shamrock, the three-leaf clover carpeting most parts of Ireland forests. In the 9th century, Ireland was invaded by the Vikings. The Vikings were great travelers who loved raiding, trading and settling in other lands. They enjoyed pretty items, and loved to express their status with golden jewellery, gem stones and other valuable materials. Leprechauns are the most popular and well-loved figures in Irish folklore. These two feet tall elves are believed to be often found wearing cocked hats, leather aprons, silver shoes and glasses. They are great shoemakers. Many Irish people believe that Leprechauns usually dress in green clothes made of costly material. This may be because they have sacks of gold and gardens of four-leaf clovers (also known as shamrock) so they are rich and always lucky. They are pipe smokers who love drinking beer and Irish whiskey. It is believed that Leprechauns will drown in a light rain, float away in a breezy day and get buried in a snowstorm! They are known for their naughty ways. These mischeivous fairies may be the ones playing tricks on humans whom they regard as foolish and greedy. From myths, Leprechauns are selfappointed guardians of ancient treasure left by Vikings. Leprechauns would show the person who could catch them the place where the treasure was hidden. But they would usually trick that person and disappear when his or her back was turned. According to Irish folklore, there is also a rainbow bridge connecting heaven and earth. At the end of the rainbow, there is a 4-leaf clover garden (called Lucky Charm) where the Leprechauns’ pot of gold was hidden. From the myths, Leprechauns seemed to hate the rainbow since it would reveal where the gold was hidden!!! This probably led to the common belief that there is a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow ,or as Pooh bear and his friends believe..."There is an orange balloon at the end of every rainbow!"
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Crafty's Corner Leprechaun's Pot of Gold You need: 1) a small clay pot 2) thick cardboard 3) black and gold acrylic paints 4) tape 5) white glue 6) old newspapers
Make it: Mix 1 part of white glue with 3 parts water in a cup to get a milky liquid. Cut a cardboard circle that is big enough to just about cover the mouth of the pot. Cut a slit in the center of the circle that is big enough for coins and notes to fit into. Now tape the circle to the top of the pot. Tear the newspaper into tiny pieces. Dip each piece into the glue mixture and stick onto the pot. Repeat this until the entire pot and cardboard circle are covered, uniformly, except for the slit. Leave to dry. When completely dry, paint the entire pot black. If you wish you can add the word "MONEY" on it in gold letters. Let the paint dry and your money pot is ready to use. Keep saving until next march, and you can break your pot of gold to get your treasure. Then make another one. Creatively Yours, Crafty
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Introduction to the amazing, supernatural cloud species of RainBoogle Island Clouds are soft, fluffy creatures that are native to RainBoogle Island. It is easy to spot wild clouds by just glancing up at the sky, but tame ones - that can be pets - are only found in RainBoogle Island. Almost all the raindrops living on the island have their own pet cloud. Here are the celebrities of RainBoogle Island along with their (even more) celebrity pets! There are many types (or species) of pet clouds and each has its own personality. Starting this issue, we will provide a basic introduction to each of the cloud species. This time we will look at the "Cumulus" clouds. Chloe (Passpartout's cloud) and Icicle (Crafty's cloud) are some famous Cumulus clouds.
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Meet the Cumulus cloud
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Limerick's Lyrics Nonsense By Eesha Srinivas
Ben the hen, Ran into his pen. But the fox took him to his den From where he was rescued... by ten men!
Tog the frog, fell into a bog, hopped onto a log, rushed into a drainpipe... and made a clog!
Blish the fish was baked in a dish. But when they cut it open... he leapt out ---- flash-flish!
Zig the pig was extremely big. They loaded him in a gig And he munched up... Two thousand figs!
Low the cow went onstage and took a bow. The audience clapped and said... “Wow! What a wonderful cow." 22
Posty’s Mailbox Hello, It's springtime again, the time to celebrate festivals like Holi, St.Patricks day and Easter. Also, this was a very special spring for the Raindrops because two important things happened - 1) They had a special interview and visit by Layso and Elefunk (the trash creations) and 2) Recycle Bean, who loves gardening, found a fourleaved clover growing in the park. He promised to open the park and have it full of clovers by next march. Meanwhile, the Raindrops spent hours searching for Leprechauns and finding rainbows. They had fun playing Holi splashing colours (ecofriendly ones, that they made themselves) at each other. Maybe in some future issue, they would share these recipes with us. We would also like to announce the winner of the "Spot-the-skull" contest in the October-November 2009 Issue - Aditi Elassery! Congratulations Aditi! You will get early access to the RainBoogle library. Meanwhile, Passpartout has agreed to give everyone this sneak peek ... warmly, Posty
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Celebrations in March, April and May 1) March 1 - Holi 2) March 17th - St.Patrick's day 3) April 2 - Easter 4) May 9 - Mother's Day
Art by Tom Yaari
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