📖 Chapter 6 – The Gift of Skills (She practices a skill daily and grows confident.)
🌅 A Bright Morning
The sun peeked through Lakshmi’s window.
Its golden rays lit up her room, making everything shine.
Lakshmi yawned and stretched.
She felt happy because today was a new day for learning.
Amma came in with a smile.
“Good morning, Lakshmi! Are you ready for a new adventure today?”
Lakshmi nodded eagerly.
“Yes, Amma! But what adventure?”
Amma sat beside her.
“Today, I want you to think about a skill you want to learn. A skill is something you can do really well if you practice every day.”
Lakshmi thought hard.
“I want to draw beautiful pictures. I want to tell stories with colors!”
Amma nodded.
“That is wonderful. Remember, my dear, every skill grows like a little plant. If you water it every day with practice, it will bloom beautifully.”
Lakshmi smiled. “Then I will begin today!”
✏️ The First Attempt
Lakshmi sat with her new sketchbook and pencils.
Her fingers trembled with excitement.
She tried to draw a flower.
“Hmm… not perfect,” she said. The petals were uneven, and the colors went outside the lines.
Her brother peeked.
“Didi, it looks funny!”
Lakshmi laughed. “Yes, it looks funny now. But I will practice every day. I know it will get better.”
Amma encouraged her.
“See, Lakshmi, every great artist started just like this. Mistakes are part of learning.”
So Lakshmi tried again. She drew a tree this time. It had crooked branches, but she felt proud because she had tried.
🕰️ Daily Practice
Every morning, Lakshmi spent half an hour on drawing.
Sometimes she drew flowers.
Sometimes animals.
Sometimes she tried faces of people in her village.
At first, her drawings were simple and messy.
But slowly, they started to look better.
Her brother joined sometimes, drawing alongside her.
“You are getting better, Didi!” he cheered.
Lakshmi smiled. “Yes, little by little, we are growing. Practice is magic.”
Amma watched from the doorway.
“Daily practice is like giving a gift to yourself. It makes you stronger, smarter, and more confident.”
🎨 The Art of Patience
One afternoon, Lakshmi tried to draw a peacock.
She wanted the feathers to shine with all the colors of the rainbow.
But it was difficult.
She tried again and again.
The feathers did not come out right.
Frustrated, she sighed.
“I can’t do it! Maybe I am not good at this.”
Amma came and sat beside her.
“Lakshmi, remember the mango tree in our garden? It did not grow fruits in one day. It grew slowly, every day, with sunshine and water. Skills grow the same way. Patience is the key.”
Lakshmi took a deep breath.
She picked up her pencil and tried once more.
This time, she drew one feather at a time, carefully.
By evening, her peacock was still not perfect—but it was beautiful.
She smiled proudly. “I did it. I didn’t give up.”
🏫 Sharing Skills at School
One day, Lakshmi’s school announced a “Talent Day.”
Students could show their skills: singing, dancing, drawing, or storytelling.
Lakshmi felt nervous.
“What if my drawing is not good enough?” she whispered.
Amma said, “Remember, my dear, confidence comes from practice. You have worked hard every day. That is your true gift.”
At school, Lakshmi set up her drawings on a table.
Children came to see her art.
“Wow! Your drawings are so colorful!” said Meena.
“Look at this tree! It looks real!” said Arjun.
Lakshmi blushed. She felt shy but proud.
She realized her hard work was being noticed.
💡 Learning a New Skill
Lakshmi did not stop at drawing.
She wanted to try more skills.
She learned to:
Bake simple cookies with Amma.
Write small stories in her notebook.
Tie her hair in different styles.
Plant seeds in the garden.
Every day, she picked one skill and practiced.
Sometimes she failed.
Sometimes she laughed at her mistakes.
But she never gave up.
🌧️ Overcoming Challenges
One rainy week, Lakshmi wanted to practice drawing, but the pencils were wet, and paper stuck together.
She felt frustrated. “I can’t do anything in this rain!”
Amma smiled. “Even when there are obstacles, you can find a way. Skills grow when you are determined.”
Lakshmi found small notebooks that stayed dry.
She drew tiny sketches on them.
Even in the rain, she practiced.
By the end of the week, she had filled three small books with her art.
“I didn’t let the rain stop me,” she whispered proudly.
👫 Teaching Others
Soon, Lakshmi’s friends noticed her confidence.
They wanted to learn too.
Lakshmi invited them over.
“Let’s practice together,” she said.
She taught them:
How to hold a pencil properly.
How to color inside the lines.
How to enjoy mistakes as learning.
Her friends were happy.
They laughed, drew, and learned together.
Lakshmi felt joy.
Teaching others made her feel confident and kind.
🌟 Confidence Grows
Months passed.
Lakshmi’s drawings became more detailed.
Her stories became longer and exciting.
Her cooking skills were tasty.
Her planting skills made the garden bloom beautifully.
She realized something important:
Skills are gifts that grow when we practice daily.
She felt confident—not because she was perfect, but because she had tried every day.Amma hugged her.
“You see, Lakshmi, when you give yourself the gift of practice, you grow in ways you cannot imagine. Confidence comes from your own effort.”
🎉 The Talent Show
The next school talent show arrived.
Lakshmi showcased her:
A big colorful drawing of the village.
A short story she wrote about animals in the forest.
Cookies she had baked herself.
Children and teachers clapped and cheered.
“Lakshmi, your skills are amazing!” said the principal.
Lakshmi smiled. She remembered her first wobbly flower drawing.
From that small beginning, she had grown so much.
Her heart was full of pride.
Not because of the applause—but because she had practiced, learned, and never given up.
🌙 The Lesson of Skills
That night, Lakshmi sat in her room.
She looked at her sketchbooks, notebooks, and baking tray.
She whispered to herself:
“Every day, I gave a little time to practice. Every day, I learned something new.
Mistakes are okay. Effort is treasure.
Skills are gifts I give myself.
Confidence grows from patience and practice.”
She closed her eyes with a happy smile.
Her gift of skills had become a treasure she would carry forever.
✨ Moral
Practice daily to grow your skills.
Patience turns mistakes into learning.
Effort builds confidence.
Every little step makes you stronger, smarter, and proud of yourself.
