Mocomi TimePass The Magazine - Issue 35

Get Your Daily CopY! facebook.com/mocomikids ISSUE 35 MAY 7, 2020 GO tO Why did ancient Egyptians mummify people? Thousand gold coins and a handful grain Interesting facts about ancient Egyptians

FOLKTALE Thousand gold coins and a handful grain Tenali Raman: A long time ago, there lived a beautiful woman called Vidyullatha in Vijayanagar. She was a learned lady who was accomplished in all genres of fne arts. One day, because of her pride and arrogance about her abilities, she put a hoarding outside her house that said, “A reward of one thousand gold coins would be presented to those who would be able to defeat me in humour, wit and knowledge of ancient texts.” This became an issue of prestige for all the scholars in the region. Many of them took up the challenge and tried to defeat Vidyullatha in the war of words, but none succeeded. One morning, a vendor happened to pass by her house selling frewood. He had a shrill voice and was shouting continuously which irritated Vidyullatha. She stormed out of the house and called the vendor, “Oh vendor! Come here! I will buy your frewood. Just tell me how much do you want for it, but please stop shouting.” The vendor replied, “Madam, I will not sell this for money. If you can give me a handful grain I will readily give you all the frewood that I have.” Vidyulltha agreed. The vendor said again, “I need a handful grain, Madam. Have you understood me clearly?” Vidyulltha yelled at the vendor, “I am the most learned lady in the entire district! I know what you want. Now stop arguing and put this frewood in the backyard.” The persistent vendor said, “Madam, I pity you! You really do not know what I want. If you cannot pay the price, you should pay me one thousand gold coins and wipe the invitation hoarding on the compound wall.” Vidyullatha was infuriated. She asked angrily, “What nonsense are you saying?” The vendor said, “This is no nonsense. I told you the price and you agreed to it. Now if you cannot pay the price, you must give me one thousand gold coins for you have clearly failed to understand what I meant. And considering that, I have defeated you in the war of words.” A heated argument ensued between the two and then Vidyullatha decided to approach the provincial Court of Law for justice. She presented her argument in front of the judge, “My Lord! This frewood vendor is crazy. He asked for a handful of grains in lieu of his load of frewood. I agreed to give him that but he keeps saying that I do not know what it means and wants me to wipe of the board in front of the house. I plead for justice!” The judge looked at the vendor and asked him what the matter was. He humbly replied, “Sir, I informed her beforehand that the load of frewood would cost her a handful grain. I actually wanted one grain that could fll the hand. If she cannot understand this much, she has no right to put up that hoarding in front of her house.” Vidyullatha was outwitted by the frewood vendor and the verdict was given in favour of the vendor. Vidyullatha was ordered to pay him one thousand gold coins and ordered to take down the hoarding from her wall. That witty vendor was none other than Tenali Raman.

Find the Hidden Objects Why did ancient Egyptians mummify people? A mummy is the body of a person that has been preserved by being embalmed with scented lotions and chemicals at frst and then covered with wraps of linen after death. The Egyptians believed that when they died, they would make a journey to another world where they would lead a new life. Mummifcation helped preserve the body that they would need in this afterlife It took about 70 days to completely convert a body into a mummy. The priest in-charge used to commence the ceremony and wear a mask of a jackal representing the god Anubis. The mummifed body was stored in a massive stone cofn known as sarcophagus. Mummifcation, being an expensive process, was reserved only for the rich. 2

Coley & Bumbley Oh I feel so lazy About health and more! Exercise regularly, keep healthy! Exercise is very important to stay active. But it does not have to be only at gym class. It can be something fun too. Playing is not just fun but also keeps you physically active. Exercise helps build stronger muscles and bones. It makes one less likely to become overweight and decreases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol. It also helps to get better sleep at night and handle physical and emotional challenges — from running to catch a bus to studying for a test. Regular aerobic activity like playing on the ground helps in developing endurance, strength and fexi- bility. It also strengthens the heart and improves the body’s ability to deliver oxygen to all its cells. PONDERING Egyptians believed cats were magical creatures, capable of bringing good luck to the people who housed them. Besides being great companions, cats may have actually saved people from starvation and disease. In ancient Eygypt, where threat lurked in every corner in the form of asps, rats and venomous scorpions; cats seemed to be the creatures that could keep the world safe. To honour these treasured pets, wealthy families dressed them in jewels and fed them treats ft for royalty. When the cats died, they were mummifed. In the late 1880s, more than 200,000 mummifed animals, most of them cats, were found in the cemetery of Beni Hasan in central Egypt. One of the earliest deities of ancient Egypt was the goddess Mafdet, who was highly revered by people seeking protection against venomous animals like snakes and scorpions. She was shown as a cat with a woman’s head. Bastet and Sekhmet were two other ancient Egyptian dieties that were depicted with cat-like heads. Cats were so special in ancient Egypt that those who killed them, even by accident, were sentenced to death. CORNER Why did ancient Egyptians worship cats?

spot ten differences 4

stories in rhyme The Cat and the Fox once took a walk together, Sharpening their wits with talk about the weather And as their walking sharpened appetite, too; They also took some things they had no right to. Cream, that is so delicious when it thickens, Pleased the Cat best. The Fox liked little chickens. With stomachs flled, they presently grew prouder, And each began to try to talk the louder-- Bragging about his skill, and strength, and cunning. "Pooh!" said the Fox. "You ought to see me running. Besides, I have a hundred tricks. You Cat, you! What can you do when Mr. Dog comes at you?" "To tell the truth," the Cat said, "though it grieve me I've but one trick. Yet that's enough--believe me!" There came a pack of fox-hounds yelping, baying. "Pardon me", said the Cat. "I can't be staying. This is my trick." And up a tree he scurried, Leaving the Fox below a trife worried. In vain he tried his hundred tricks and ruses (The sort of thing that Mr. Dog confuses) Doubling, and seeking one hole, then another. Smoked out of each until he thought he'd smother. At last as he once more came out of cover, Two nimble dogs pounced on him. All was over! The Cat And The Fox Word Puzzle make from the following letters: How many words can you U S T O D E L I 5

Tickle your funny bone Q: How do brave Egyptians write? A:In hero-glyphics! Q: Where does an Egyptian go for a bad back? A:A Cairo-practor. Q: What sound does an Egyptian goose make? A:Ankh-Ankh AMUSING NEWS Ancient Egyptians Invented Toothpaste Due to the grit and sand in their bread, Egyptians had a lot of trouble with their teeth. They contributed to innovations in dental hygiene with the invention of toothpaste – ingredients included the powder of ox hooves, ashes, burnt egg- shells and pumice. Archaeologists recently found a toothpaste recipe and how-to-brush guide written on papyrus that dates back to the Roman occu- pation in the fourth century A.D.

a comic story sir dig-a-lot The Ancient Egyptian Civilization “I want to learn about ancient Egypt today,” Rohan said. “It was one the greatest civilizations in history. The monuments and the pyramids continue to stand strong even after 4000 years. Egypt is considered a holy place for Christians as a good amount of the Old Testament happened in Egypt.” 7

“Egypt is located in the northeastern corner of the continent Africa. In ancient Egypt people used to live around the river Nile. This was because the land around the river was extremely fertile and suitable for agriculture. River Nile is the largest river in the world, Rohan." "Egypt is made of deserts, so without the river life would be very tough. It not only provides water and food but is also important for transportation till today. This is the reason why Egypt is sometimes referred to as the ‘Gift of the Nile.’” “Egypt existed as two separate kingdoms initially- the north known as the white crown and the south known as the red crown. It was only in 3200 BC that the Pharaohs unified the two parts by conquering it. Their king Menes, was the most important king who also built the capital, Memphis." 8

"Egypt reached the pinnacle of its power during the New Kingdom under the Hittite, Mitanni and the Assyrian empires. After this Egypt fell in the hands of foreigners. After the death of Alexander the Great, one of his generals donned the role of the king but could not manage the kingdom. During the reign of Cleopatra, Egypt became a part of the Roman province.” “Egyptians were strong mathematicians and scientists. They introduced a system of mathematics, an effective medical system and built ships.” “Well said, Rohan,” said Sir Dig-a-Lot, as he made his exit. “Learning about ancient civilizations is always fun! Now I should sleep,” Rohan said. 9

My dreams were fnally coming true! After much begging and pleading, my parents were taking me to see the amazing pyramids in Egypt. I had always been fascinated by them and been hoping for years that our next family holiday would be to Egypt. I had a secret plan to explore the pyramids and I wasn't going to tell my parents yet! Complete the Story... fun facts with Hamlet the Hamster To know or not to know, that is the question! Well, wouldn’t you prefer to know? Facts about Ancient Egyptians It is believed that the Egyptians invented writing. It made use of various pictorial symbols called Hieroglyphs. They used ink to write on a special kind of paper called papyrus. A pharaoh had to keep his hair covered all the time. The pharaohs were buried with their precious belongings in the pyramids which is why several traps and curses were put on the pyramids to try and keep robbers at bay. King Tut’s gold mask was made with 10 kgs of pure gold. Bread was the staple food of the ancient Egyptians, but it was so hard that most of the Egyptians had severely damaged teeth. 10

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Mocomi TimePass The Magazine - Issue 35