Uncle Green Hands

The holidays were over, and school was about to begin again. Shyam sat near the window with his chin on his knees. His school uniform was laid out on the bed. It was clean, but a little faded. His shoes lay under the cot. One had a small tear near the toe.

“I want new shoes,” he whispered. “And a new bag too.”

His mother was folding clothes. “But Shyam beta,” she said gently, “your uniform is just fine. And your shoes—Papa will take them to cobbler chacha. He’ll mend them like new.” Shyam’s eyes filled with tears. “But everyone gets new things when school starts…”

Papa walked in with his usual soft smile. “New year doesn’t mean new shoes,” he said. “It means a new you. New learning. New thinking.”

“And we don’t throw away good things just because they’re old,” his mother added. “That’s not a good habit, beta. If we can fix something, we must use it.”

Shyam didn’t say anything. His throat felt tight. He looked out of the window. A dragonfly zipped past. The sky was golden and still.

The next day, all the students gathered at school for a special welcome session. Some wore brand-new uniforms. Some had colourful school bags. Some had shiny new shoes.
Shyam stood quietly in his old uniform. He felt small.

“You didn’t get anything new?” Francis asked, pointing to Shyam’s bag. “Look at mine—it has a pocket that plays music!” another boy grinned. Shyam looked down. He didn’t reply.

Just then, the headmistress clapped loudly and called out, “Children! Please come to the courtyard. We have a very special guest with us today.” A tall man stepped forward. He had a white beard and kind eyes. He wore a soft white khadi kurta and sandals. His smile was warm, like early sunshine. “This is Dr. Gojen Pegu—but you can call him Uncle Green Hands,” said the headmistress. “He teaches people how to care for our Earth.”

The children clapped and sat down under the big mango tree.

Uncle Green Hands looked around at the children sitting cross-legged. “Tell me,” he asked with a twinkle in his eye, “What do you love about nature?”

“I love trees. They give us shade,” said Puja.

“I like rivers,” said Tousif.

“I like birds,” whispered Shyam.

Uncle Green Hands nodded happily. “Wonderful! And how do we take care of these beautiful things?”

A boy raised his hand. “We shouldn’t throw plastic in rivers.”

“Plant more trees!” added another.

“Lovely answers,” said Uncle Green Hands. “Now, let me tell you a story.” He opened a soft cloth pouch and showed them a handful of round seeds. “These are from a forest I helped grow.”

The children leaned forward. Their eyes widened.

“You grew a forest?” Francis gasped.

The group was full of awe. Uncle Green Hands smiled. “There was once a patch of land filled with plastic, broken glass, and waste. People said nothing could grow there.”

“But we cleaned it up. We planted native trees. We gave them water and care. Soon, small green leaves appeared. Then birds. Then butterflies.” He pulled out a photograph from his bag. It showed a lush green forest, with tall trees and fluttering birds.

The children gasped. “It’s real?” someone whispered.

“Yes,” said Uncle Green Hands.

“Did children help you?” Shyam asked.

“Yes,” he smiled. “Lots of children. Just like you.” Then he asked, “Would you like to learn something fun—and help grow a forest too?”

Everyone cheered, “Yes!”

Uncle Green Hands brought out tubs filled with clay, compost, and seeds. He held up a lump. “This is clay—soft and sticky. It holds everything together.”

Then he showed them a handful of dark crumbs. “This is compost,” he explained. “It’s made from old leaves, fruit peels, and bits of plants. It feeds the soil and helps seeds grow strong.”

Finally, he held out tiny round seeds. “And what are these called?”

“Seeds!” the children shouted together.

Uncle Green Hands laughed. “Very good!... We’re going to make seed balls today. These little balls can grow plants even where the ground is too hard to dig.”

Shyam scooped up some wet clay with his fingers. It was cold and squishy.

Uncle Green Hands showed them what to do. “Take a pinch of clay, a little compost, and one tiny seed. Mix them all together like dough. Then roll it into a ball. That’s your seed ball!”

The children giggled and squished and rolled. Soon, banana leaves were full of little brown seed balls, lined up like sweets.

“We don’t bury them,” Uncle Green Hands said. “We just throw them on dry land. The sun and rain will do the rest.”

They walked to a patch of dry, cracked ground behind the school. It looked dusty and forgotten. “It looks like nothing can grow here,” someone said.

Uncle Green Hands smiled. “That’s what they said about my forest too.”

One by one, the children gently tossed their seed balls onto the land. 

Shyam threw his last one near a stone and whispered, “Grow well, little seed.” His hands were muddy. His heart felt light.

“But remember,” said Uncle Green Hands, “Just throwing seed balls isn’t enough. If we see a sapling grow, we must water it, protect it, and help it live.”

The children nodded. Their eyes sparkled. Uncle Green Hands stood beside the headmistress and looked at the smiling faces. “Superheroes are great in stories,” he said. “But in real life, the Earth needs quiet heroes—kids who use what they have wisely and care for the world around them.”

“Planting trees isn’t enough. We also need to take care of the things we already have.” He looked at the children.

“How can we do that?”

“Don’t waste water!” one child shouted.

“Don’t waste paper!” added another.

“Close the tap when brushing!” someone called out.

Uncle Green Hands nodded. “Yes! And we can reuse bags, bottles, boxes—even uniforms, if they’re still good.” Then he asked, “Who here wore old shoes or an old uniform today?”

There was a pause. Then—Shyam raised his hand. Three other children did too. The children were called near him. 

Uncle Green Hands smiled wide. “These four children did something special. They didn’t throw away what could still be used. Well done, kids.”

Uncle Green Hands shook hands with them. Shyam was beaming with joy. He stood tall. He looked at his shoes, then at the dry patch behind the school. Maybe one day, that land would become a forest too.

He remembered what Father had said: “New year doesn’t mean new things. It means a better you.”

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Activity Time with Uncle Green Hands

Now that you’ve read the story, can you think of ways to become a quiet hero too? Try this:

1. Can you think of one thing you can reuse this week?
(It could be a bottle, an old box, or a school bag.)

2. Can you plant a seed with the help of an adult?
You can try it in a small pot, a tin, or even a patch of soil near your home or school.

3. Draw your own seed ball and label its parts — clay, compost, and seed!