Kabir's Diwali Sweets

Read-aloud note

After the story, ask one simple question about how the friend felt.

Story

Ma had cooked the sweet laddoo mixture that morning, and now it was cool enough to touch. Roll, roll, round! Kabir rolled one, two, three… nine golden laddoos. Then he rolled one more, the biggest of all. He set it on his own little blue plate. "This one's mine," he said.

Ma set out three shiny plates. "At Diwali, we take sweets to our neighbors," she said. Kabir put three laddoos on each plate and tucked a marigold beside them. One plate for the twins next door. One for Mr. Iyer. One for Joseph Uncle. Three plates, all in a row.

Down the corridor they went. Knock, knock! "Happy Diwali!" The twins jumped up and down. Knock, knock! Mr. Iyer laughed and gave Kabir a high five. Knock, knock! Joseph Uncle said, "Ah, laddoos! My favorite!" Every plate made a smile.

Back home, Kabir picked up his little blue plate. Then he stopped. At the very end of the corridor was one more door, with no lights and no rangoli. "Ma, we didn't make a plate for Farida Nani!" Farida Nani lived all by herself. Ma looked at the empty tray. "Oh, we've used up all the laddoos," she said softly. "We'll make more tomorrow."

Kabir looked at his big laddoo. He thought about tomorrow. Tomorrow felt very far away. So he carried his blue plate all the way down the corridor. Knock, knock. The door opened slowly. "Happy Diwali, Farida Nani! This is the biggest one." Farida Nani's eyes went shiny. "For me?" she said. "Such a big laddoo, from such a big heart."

That evening, there was a knock at Kabir's door. It was Farida Nani, holding the little blue plate. It wasn't empty. It was piled high with her crumbly nankhatai biscuits. "In our building," she smiled, "a plate never goes back empty." Ma made room on the balcony, and the three of them sat together, watching the Diwali lights glow all across the street.

Scenes

Roll, Roll, Round

Ma had cooked the sweet laddoo mixture that morning, and now it was cool enough to touch. Roll, roll, round! Kabir rolled one, two, three… nine golden laddoos. Then he rolled one more, the biggest of all. He set it on his own little blue plate. "This one's mine," he said.

A Plate for Every Door

Ma set out three shiny plates. "At Diwali, we take sweets to our neighbors," she said. Kabir put three laddoos on each plate and tucked a marigold beside them. One plate for the twins next door. One for Mr. Iyer. One for Joseph Uncle. Three plates, all in a row.

Knock, Knock, Happy Diwali!

Down the corridor they went. Knock, knock! "Happy Diwali!" The twins jumped up and down. Knock, knock! Mr. Iyer laughed and gave Kabir a high five. Knock, knock! Joseph Uncle said, "Ah, laddoos! My favorite!" Every plate made a smile.

The Quiet Door

Back home, Kabir picked up his little blue plate. Then he stopped. At the very end of the corridor was one more door, with no lights and no rangoli. "Ma, we didn't make a plate for Farida Nani!" Farida Nani lived all by herself. Ma looked at the empty tray. "Oh, we've used up all the laddoos," she said softly. "We'll make more tomorrow."

The Biggest One

Kabir looked at his big laddoo. He thought about tomorrow. Tomorrow felt very far away. So he carried his blue plate all the way down the corridor. Knock, knock. The door opened slowly. "Happy Diwali, Farida Nani! This is the biggest one." Farida Nani's eyes went shiny. "For me?" she said. "Such a big laddoo, from such a big heart."

Never Back Empty

That evening, there was a knock at Kabir's door. It was Farida Nani, holding the little blue plate. It wasn't empty. It was piled high with her crumbly nankhatai biscuits. "In our building," she smiled, "a plate never goes back empty." Ma made room on the balcony, and the three of them sat together, watching the Diwali lights glow all across the street.

Read-aloud note

After the story, ask one simple question about how the friend felt.