In the green and peaceful town of Sundargram lived a boy named Raju.
Raju was smart and active, but sometimes he forgot to say “please,” “thank you,” and didn’t always listen to elders.
One morning, Raju was running to school when he bumped into the old gardener, Kaka.
Raju didn’t stop. He just rushed ahead.
At school, his teacher, Ms. Meera, noticed Raju wasn’t paying attention.
She smiled and said,
“Raju, let’s try something different today.”
She handed him a small plant.
“This plant will grow only if you treat it with respect—talk gently, water it carefully, and give it time.”
Raju took the plant home and tried very hard. He watered it, placed it in sunlight, and spoke softly to it every day.
One day, Gardener Kaka saw him and said,
“Ah! Plants grow well when we show them respect. Just like people.”
Raju felt a little embarrassed and whispered,
“Sorry, Kaka… I’ll be more careful now.”
Kaka smiled and patted his head.
Slowly, the little plant grew strong—and so did Raju.
He began saying “please,” “sorry,” and “thank you.”
He listened to his parents, respected his teachers, and spoke kindly to everyone.
His teacher smiled and said,
“See, Raju? Respect makes hearts grow—just like your plant.”
And from that day on, Raju became the boy who respected everyone… and in return, everyone respected him too.
Moral: Respect helps us grow—and makes our relationships stronger.