His share of the profits from the sale of tiger skins, meat and bones was sufficient to keep the small mud hut well provisioned for himself and his old mother. All was well until a particularly bitter winter. During a snowstorm, Chen Ma's son was separated from his fellow hunters and became food for a hungry tigress.

After her initial shock and grief subsided, Chen Ma took stock of her own utterly desperate situation -- an old woman left all alone. She went and implored the magistrate to provide her with compensation for the loss of her son, who was her only source of support. The magistrate decreed that henceforth, she would have a small share of profits from the kill of each tiger by the hunters. Needless to say, his decision was not taken well by the hunters, who had plenty of mouths of their own to feed -- both old and young.

So, when the hunters succeeded in killing the tigress that ate Chen Ma's son, they decided not to give her a share of the profits. Instead, they brought her the tigress' newborn cub. He was a small quivery ball of golden fur with wobbly legs and toothless gums. The rope they tied around his neck was so tight that it was practically choking him. Instantly, Chen Ma's heart went out to this helpless creature, whose jade-green eyes were glistening with tears. After the hunters left, the tiger cub wobbled to where Chen Ma sat and lay at her feet. She bent down to rub his ears and he licked her shoes with his soft tongue.

The elderly widow looked at the tiger baby and sighed. "They told me to butcher you, to salt and smoke your flesh for my meat supply. Your skin would make warm boots for my feet; your bones are good for making Tiger Bone Wine to ease the pain in my joints. But oh, how can I bear to kill you? You are so young and vital, while I am so old and frail."

And so, Chen Ma untied the rope from the little tiger's neck and fed him a paste of cooked roots with her fingers. Her son had a good supply of grains and roots in the attached shed and she planned to stretch the food out to last the winter.

When the store of the firewood was running low, Chen Ma was unable to keep her bedroll on top of the kang warm (a kang is a bed base built of bricks with space for a small fire). So she slept curling against the baby tiger, whose soft fur was cozy and warm.

Once ever so often, women from nearby villages would bring sewing for Chen Ma to do. She was very handy with a needle. They paid her for her labor with dried venison and small sacks of grain. At first they did not find the little tiger's presence alarming; he was no bigger than a piglet. However, when spring came, he had grown into the size of a calf, showing a full set of teeth and claws. The women told their hunter husbands and the men came to kill the young tiger.

Musical Bumps

All the players have to run, jump, skip, hop,dance etc. while the music plays, When the music stops they have to sit on the floor as quickly as possible The last one to sit down is out. Continue the music until you have a winner.

Guessing game

Collect about 10 boxes before for party, eg shoe box size, cut a hole in the top big enough to put your hand in, cover the boxes label or number them so you know which is which. place a different object in each box. Blindfold all players, get them to put their hand in the box one by one and guess what they are feeling Eg:- erasers,cotton wool, toy soldiers, playdough, toy spider, marbles, toothbrush, dinky cars,sugar lumps. You can further use your imagination and The list can be endless but don't go for anything too messy.

LAND and WATER

This is a game which calls for attention and is real fun to play. On hearing the word "land" the players jump forward, on hearing the word "water" backward.
Then the word "land" can be suddenly changed into "bank". The actions of the players must be the same as after the word "land" i.e jump forward The word "water" may be changed into "sea", "lake", "river", etc. The player who gets it wrong is out.

Aiming

On cardboard draw or paint a simple dart board with rings and points.
Give each player 3 balls made from plastacine, put a tape on the floor for the throwing line or draw the line with chalk. The players take turns throwing to the dart board, aiming for the centre ( Bulls eye) The player with the highest score is the winner.

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Top Activities

Parenting tips: gardening with children

Gardening with your child, whether you’re growing vegetables or flowers, can be an educational experience that is also fun. Successful gardening requires patience, dedication, and careful planning.

If you are planning to garden with children it is particularly important to plan ahead. Keeping your child’s skill level and attention span in mind, you will need to plan out an appropriate garden and gardening chores. There are several ways to successfully combine children and gardening. Children can be assigned small chores as part of maintaining a large family garden, children can be given their own small garden plot either within a larger garden or all on its own to maintain, and container gardens are also an excellent option.

Before you head out to play in the dirt, you need to make sure your child is properly equipped! Many chain department stores carry child sized gardening supplies including gloves, shovels, trowels, rakes and other common equipment. Taking a trip to your local library to check out books about gardening, and how plants grow will provide valuable information that will help enrich your child’s gardening experience.

It is also important to settle on a garden plan, and the contents of the garden. Involve your children in deciding what plants to grow. Ask them what vegetable they like to eat, or what flowers they like. Again, having a book to consult at this point is very handy. Children can look at the pictures of flowers, plants or vegetables in the book and use them as a guide for selecting what they would like in their own garden. Research the types of plants you would like to grow in order to ensure that they will grow well in your area and during your current (or intended) growing season.

You will also want to decide with your child if you will be starting your plants from seeds, or if you will purchase potted plants from a local nursery. Starting plants from seeds is more economical and generally offers a wider range of plants to choose from. The experience of planting the seed, tending it, and watching it grow into a plant and bear fruit is something most children enjoy. Some plants are difficult to start from seed, in which case buying a potted plant helps ensure good results, and provides instant gratification for younger children who may be too impatient to watch their garden grow. Once you have your gardening equipment and have decided what you’d like to grow it is time to plan out your garden.

A family garden is a wonderful experience for children. Even the smallest of children enjoy the opportunity to be outside, and toddlers can be given small jobs that will make them feel included. Older children can take an active roll in planning and maintaining a family garden. If you would like to have a large garden, you will need to ensure that as the adult you have the time to maintain it as the responsibility will ultimately fall to you. Children can help with everything from planting the seeds and/or started plants to watering, composting, mulching, weeding and harvesting. Assign each child a daily, weekly, or ‘as needed’ chore that will be their special job. Be clear in explaining the job, and be sure to take the time to explain why that job is important to maintaining the garden!

If your child is old enough to maintain their own small garden plot then the work and the reward of planning and maintaining it will be all theirs! It is a good idea to start small. It is much better to have a small well tended garden than one that is too large to maintain! Your child can be given a plot within a larger garden, or a separate garden of their own. Raised garden beds are also excellent for children since they are so accessible. If you are planning a raised garden for your child, make sure that the width is narrow enough for your child to easily reach the center of the bed. The raised bed can be any length!