In the small coastal town, there lived a small Raju. He loved to run through the narrow lanes after school. He enjoyed racing the red crabs near the beach and collecting shiny seashells for his little sister, Meera.
One cloudy evening, while hurrying home before the rain, Raju heard a faint whimper near an overturned basket by the fish market. Curious, he bent down and found a tiny brown-and-white puppy shivering in the drizzle. Its fur was wet, and its eyes pleaded for help.
Raju carefully scooped up the puppy. “Don’t worry, little one,” he whispered. The puppy licked his palm, as if saying thank you.
At home, Raju’s mother was busy preparing dinner. When she saw the muddy bundle, she frowned. “Raju, we can’t keep every animal you find,” she said kindly. But when the puppy gave a soft cry, her heart melted. “All right,” she sighed. “But it stays only until we find its owner.”
Next morning, Raju and Meera walked through the town, asking the shopkeepers and fishermen if anyone had lost a puppy. Everyone shook their heads. An old fisherman said, “Sometimes people leave them when they can’t care for them. Poor thing.”
Raju felt a lump in his throat. He remembered how his grandmother always said, “A kind act, no matter how small, makes the world better.”
The puppy soon became a part of their daily life. It followed Raju to the school gate and waited patiently till he returned. At night, it slept near the veranda, tail wagging even in dreams. Raju named him Chintu, because he was so tiny.
After a week, Raju’s father noticed how happy the children were. He patted Raju’s head and said, “Sometimes, a friend chooses us. If we give love, we also receive it.” The family agreed to keep Chintu as their own.
Months passed. Chintu grew stronger and cleverer, warning them when strangers came near and cheering the family with his playful jumps. Raju often thought of the rainy evening when he had first heard that faint cry.
Whenever neighbors asked about Chintu, Raju would smile and say, “He was once a stray, but now he is family.”
Moral:
Kindness to those in need—be it a person or an animal—can fill a home with joy and turn strangers into loved ones.