Benny has a beautiful kitchen garden and lawn.
But he does not care! He tramples on plants while playing.
Every day Benny goes to school.
His classroom is in front of the school garden.
Benny plucks leaves and flowers and plays with the plants.
One day, Benny’s teacher notices him pulling out plants.
She tells Benny not to play with the plants.
She tells him that the plants also have life like him.
She says, “We should not hurt plants. They are our friends.”
But Benny does not listen to his teacher.
The teacher keeps a watch on Benny while he plays.
One day, as Benny is plucking a leaf, his teacher quietly comes and pinches him on his arm!
Benny is surprised! He does not understand his teacher’s action.
The teacher looks at him lovingly.
She asks, “What did you feel when I pinched you, Benny?”
“I felt pain,” says Benny.
“Plants also feel pain, when you pull out their leaves and f lowers,” the teacher tells him.
Benny now understands why his teacher pinched him.
He promises not to hurt the plants in future.
The teacher teaches about the importance of plants, in the class.
“Plants give us f lowers, food, clothes and medicine. They also help us breathe.”
From that day on, Benny looks after the plants in his home.
