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Book Review: The Bicycle by Dash Benhur

During school time many students, one generation after another, must have gone through a very popular story about called The Tribute, in which Babuli passes his inherited land to his elder brother as a tribute. Well, many might not still know that the writer of that story was Dash Benhur. The name sounds foreign, but he is an Indian writer. His real name is Jitendra Narayan Dash, but he writes under the pseudonym of Dash Benhur.


There is another famous story by the same author, widely read in the Indian schools. The name of the story is ‘The Bicycle’. The story is about an eleven-year-old school-going boy named Mike. He lives with his parents, the family is happy despite being poor. Mike’s father works as a carpenter and his mother as a homemaker.

Mike hikes for around one mile every day to reach his school. Not knowing much about his parents financial limits, Mike asks for a bicycle on his approaching birthday. On that bicycle he can go to school, saving his as well as his father’s time and labuor, as some time his father drops him to the school.

Well, on the morning of his birthday, he wakes up excited about the bicycle. Later, on the same day, his father gives him a nicely wrapped up gift. Mike opens the gift only to find books inside. He feels a bit sad but doesn’t pester his father for the bicycle. Soon, it becomes clear that his father is poor man to afford a bicycle for him.

One evening while walking back home from school, Mike sees a boy riding a small cycle. There was something misfit about the scene. The boy is bit bigger than the bicycle – so as he is riding it uncomfortably and also in great speed. Soon, the boy loses control and collides with a post; as a result he skids along with the bicycle for some distance. This accident injures the boy severely. Mike runs in his direction to help him. He recognizes the boy as Sam from his school. There aren’t people around to help Sam with his injuries, his left leg and hands are badly bruised and of course bleeding. First, Mike provides him water to drink, and then he takes up his bicycle and runs in the direction of hospital. Soon an ambulance comes to the accident site and takes away Sam.

Mike rides to Sam’s house and informs his parents about his accident. Mike reasons out that Sam met with an accident because of the smaller size of the bicycle. Sam’s parents thanked Mike for his timely help. Mike visited Sam in the hospital every day until he got discharged.

Once back in good health, Sam buys a new suitable bicycle. When he learns that Mike doesn’t have any bicycle, he gifts him his old bicycle.

This is a very touching story about a poor boy’s craving for bicycle as well as showing kindness in the face of adversity.

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