Quest for the Lost Seed

A small village called Lolaland was experiencing a severe water shortage. The lake was dry, and the fields had cracked under the harsh sun. The wells, which were the only water supply remaining, were about to dry up as well. Rain came only occasionally, in light showers that weren’t heavy enough to fill the depleted water table, nor the lake, nor to moisten the cracked land. Lolaland was going through a tough time, and the only option left seemed to be migration — to leave and settle in a new village.

By the dry lake sat three friends: Hari, Kishore, and Rani. They were discussing what would happen if they left Lolaland. None of them wanted to say goodbye. Hari, with watery eyes, said, “I don’t want to go anywhere without you guys.”

“Me too, but we can’t do anything,” Rani added, tears rolling down her cheeks.

Seeing her cry, Hari began to cry too. Suddenly, a soft voice came from the side. “What if we find a way to bring the water back?”

Hearing that, Hari and Rani looked at Kishore, who sniffled. Kishore added, “We are migrating because our water is disappearing. So if we can somehow bring it back, maybe we won’t have to leave.”

“And how do we do that?” Rani asked.

“That’s what we have to figure out,” Kishore said.

All three began to think hard. Suddenly, Hari sprang up. “I know someone who can help!”

“Who?” Kishore and Rani asked.

“Just follow me!” Hari said, running off with the other two following closely behind.

Hari’s grandmother was the eldest in the village, and Hari knew if anyone could help, it was her. They reached her house just as she sat outside, enjoying the sunset.

“What’s the matter?” she asked, seeing them out of breath.

“We need your help, Dadi,” Hari said.

“I will be more than happy to help, beta. So tell me, what troubles my three precious stars?” Dadi asked.

“We want to bring the water back so we don’t have to leave Lolaland,” Rani said.

“Can you help us?” Kishore asked.

“I can, but it will be a tough journey,” Dadi warned.

The children looked at each other, and Hari said, “We’re ready.”

Dadi smiled softly and began her story.

“When I was your age, there were five of us friends. Our village was full of greenery — tall trees where we climbed to see the whole village, and a small river nearby where we swam on hot afternoons.

“One day, while playing in the river, I noticed something shining on the riverbank. It was partly buried in the silt, so I picked it up and washed it in the water. It was a seed, glowing softly with a subtle fragrance.

“I kept it in my pocket and showed it to my friends the next day. We decided to plant it where your lake is now. We took turns caring for it, and the seed grew into a beautiful tree — a magical tree. As it grew, the lake formed magically, and the village was filled with its fragrance. The tree bore bright red flowers and pink fruits, and because of its magic, we offered it at the temple.

“But one morning, someone cut down the tree. After that, everything began to deteriorate. The village has been like this ever since.”

The children listened intently. They had heard the story before, but it still felt mystical and hopeful.

“So we have to find the person who cut down the tree and bring the seed back,” Hari said.

“Exactly,” Dadi smiled.

“Where can we find it?” Kishore asked.

“You must first travel to Suryamukhi village, where a friend of mine named Lalu lives. He will help you. From there, travel north until you see a glowing hill. From that point, you must find your own way,” Dadi explained.

“Our own way? No more clues?” Kishore asked.

“No, but I know you three can bring the lost glory back,” Dadi said.

Determined, the children decided to leave the next day.

Early the next morning, they packed their bags with snacks and water and set off. On the way, they met a farmer transporting hay to Suryamukhi village on his bullock cart. The children pleaded for help, and the kind farmer gave them a ride.

They reached the village sooner than expected and asked around until they found Lalu’s house. But Lalu wasn’t home. The children waited on his doorstep but soon fell asleep from exhaustion.

When Lalu returned, he found them sleeping peacefully at his door. Gently, he opened his house and placed the children inside to rest.

The next morning, the delicious smell of breakfast woke Kishore. He looked around, confused.

“What happened? Where are we?” he whispered.

Hari and Rani woke too, equally puzzled.

A voice called from behind them, “You’re awake! You must be hungry — breakfast is ready.”

The children froze, unsure of who spoke.

Hari gathered courage. “Who are you? How did we come here?”

“I’m Lalu,” the man said kindly. “You came to see me, but you fell asleep at my door. I brought you in to rest.”

Relieved, the children sat down to eat.

“How did you know we were coming?” Hari asked.

“Your grandmother’s letter fell from your bag when I found you,” Lalu said, smiling.

“So how do we bring the tree back?” Kishore asked.

“It’s not the tree you need to bring back — it’s the seed,” Lalu explained.

“But how?” Rani asked.

“I’ll tell you everything after breakfast,” Lalu said.

After breakfast, Lalu handed Hari a small bottle of water.

Hari was surprised. “Water? That’s it?”

“This is no ordinary water,” Lalu said. “It’s the water from the lake when the seed was there. You must pour this water over the seed to revive its power.”

Hari carefully placed the bottle in his bag.

Lalu prepared a bullock cart to take the children to the outskirts of the jungle near the glowing hill.

The driver dropped them there, warning, “You must cross the jungle to reach the glowing hill.”

The dense jungle was thick with tall trees and twisted vines. The sunlight barely touched the ground, casting eerie shadows. The friends held hands tightly, hearts pounding with excitement and fear.

As they walked deeper, they heard birds calling and small animals rustling in the bushes.

Suddenly, Rani stopped. “Did you hear that?”

Hari nodded. “Let’s be careful.”

They moved cautiously until, after what felt like hours, they reached a clearing.

In the center stood the glowing hill, shimmering faintly in the sun’s light.

“We made it!” Kishore exclaimed.

They climbed to the summit and found a small cave glowing with soft pink light.

Inside, crystals embedded in the walls cast rainbow reflections.

On a stone pedestal lay an old wooden box carved with leaves and flowers.

Hari opened it carefully and found a small pouch inside.

“This must be the seed!” he said.

As he took it out, the cave trembled and a warm breeze swept through.

A gentle voice echoed, “Guardians of Lolaland, the seed has been waiting for you. Use the water wisely.”

Remembering Lalu’s gift, Hari poured the lake water over the seed.

The seed glowed brightly, growing until it transformed into a small sapling in their hands.

“It’s alive!” Rani gasped.

The cave’s glow intensified, and the glowing hill radiated beams of light toward Lolaland.

Filled with hope, they carefully carried the sapling down the hill and through the jungle.

When they reached the village, they hurried to the dry lakebed and planted the sapling in the cracked earth.

The ground trembled, and water bubbled up beneath, slowly filling the lake.

The cracked land softened, green shoots sprouted all around.

Villagers gathered, astonished and joyful, as the lake filled with fresh water and the sapling grew rapidly into a magnificent tree with bright red flowers and pink fruits, just as Dadi had described.

The magical fragrance filled the air.

For the first time in many years, laughter and song returned to Lolaland.

Hari, Kishore, and Rani smiled, knowing they had saved their village — and kept their friendship unbroken.