Joy in Jordan

Today was the turn of another natural wonder to bewilder the boys. Sid had recently learned about the New Seven wonders of the world, and was interested in Petra. He managed to convince Joy, and told the fairy so when she arrived in the night.
Happily, the Fairy took them to the nearby country of Jordan. Soon, they reached the Al-Siq, a long and narrow natural passage through the rocks that leads to the ancient city of Petra.
“We will need to walk through this passage. It is too narrow to fly.” explained the blue Fairy. And so the trio started walking through the winding route of Al-Siq. Before long, Joy grew very tired, and refused to walk any more. He liked flying much better.
“I’ll stay here and wait for you guys. Anyways, I am not interested in Putra.” Said he.
“Petra!” corrected Sid. The whole city is carved out of mountains, Joy. You can not miss it.” The blue fairy insisted too, and finally Joy had to agree.
Soon they saw the first glimpse of the Treasury building of Petra. The elegant rose-red building fascinated Sid and he showed no signs of fatigue. He ran towards the building and started exploring the mystical city of Petra. Joy, on the other hand, was rather unimpressed.
“It looks the same in pictures”, he complained, much to the amusement of Blue Fairy.
“May be you will be more interested in another tourist attraction of Jordan. It might also help Sid to get over his fear of water.” she suggested.
That got Joy’s attention!! “Dead Sea!” he exclaimed. “It’s a great idea!!”
And so, they flew towards the dead sea after a while. Sid, as expected, was quite unhappy with this development.
“You both know I don’t like water much.” He protested.
“The water of dead sea is special.” Blue Fairy replied. “It is so salty that anyone can easily float on it.”
“It is also the lowest dry point on the earth”, added Joy quickly, eager to show off his knowledge.
Well, so they reached the Dead Sea, and the boys did try their hand at swimming. Sid had a whale of time floating easily on the saline waters of Dead Sea. He did indeed, as planned, overcame his fears.
In a little while, they were on their way back home. “It has been, by far, the most useful trip” commented little Sid, pleased with his experiences with water. “Let’s go to a normal water body next time.”
And the boys got in an argument over the next destination even before they could reach home! The blue fairy lost her patience listening to their quarrel, and said she’ll take them to a place of her choice.
“But Norway was your choice too!!” complained the boys together.
“Did you not like it?” she asked. Obviously they did, and so they decided it really would be better that the fairy decides the next stop. Till then, they can bet on it!

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Joy in Norway

Much to Sid’s surprise, Joy wasn’t keen on planning anything for this week’s trip. He was rather quite against the idea. “This is sure unusual”, thought Sid. “Joy is always so enthusiastic about the trips!”
He understood Joy’s feelings better when the Blue Fairy visited them that night. Joy was still gloomy and grumpy, and when the Blue Fairy asked them their destination, Joy said he wasn’t interested.
“Ok”, the Blue Fairy said, with a mischievous smile. “I suppose I should go back to the fairyland then?”
“That is where I want to go.” Joy replied immediately. “I miss the wonderful sights of the FairyLand , Blue Fairy.”
“And what is it that you miss the most, my boy?” asked the Fairy.
Joy thought for a while, and said, “I know Earth has umpteen wonders too, but I liked Fairy Lands’ seven rainbow lit sky the best. Everything looked magical under that sky. Sure Earth can not match that beauty. Our sky is always in the boring shades of blue and black.”
“Let me surprise you”, said the Blue Fairy, and took the boys to Norway.
“Norway is a Scandinavian country, very close to the north pole.” She told them only this much, and decided to let them see the other wonders themselves.
They landed in front of a building apparently fully covered with ice. As they walked inside, they realized that the building is not covered, but is made up of ice itself. The walls, the floor and even the furniture were made of ice!!
The boys, now covered with the fairy’s magical shawl, could only mutter a wow!
“It is the ice hotel.” The Blue Fairy told them. “It is made anew from ice every winter, and it melts down every summer.”
Sid was amazed at this, but Joy still thought that nothing compared to the magical wonders of the FairyLand. Little did he know, that the Blue Fairy had taken upon herself to renew his interest in the endless beauty of Earth. She guided them out of the hotel, and asked them to look at the north sky.
To their surprise, they saw a sky illuminated. The sky was filled with streaks of colourful lights, much more marvelous than a hundred rainbows!! They were red and green, and seemed to paint the canvas of sky with an ethereal beauty.
“How did you do that!” gasped Joy. The unbelievable sight had to be work of Blue fairy’s magic, he was sure.
“I did nothing.” She replied. “These are called Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, and are natural. They can be seen in places around the Poles.”
Suddenly Sid realized that the sky was lit, sun was up, and this meant it was already morning!! They were late for their trip back home. “Our parents must have found out our absence. They must be so worried” he panicked, and so did Joy. Strange enough, the blue Fairy was calm.
“There’s plenty of time to reach back home” she said. “Norway is called the land of midnight sun. Here, Sun does not sets completely during the summers. Nevertheless, we must start our journey back.”Full of memories that can surpass any fairy tale, the boys returned to the familiar coziness of their homes. There, Joy declared he’ll never underestimate Earth ever again!

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Joy at the Niagara Falls

There was nothing to discuss. Everyone knew the place to go this week- the thunderous Niagara Falls. So much so, that the Blue Fairy came prepared with two magical raincoats handy!
“Why do we need raincoats? Does it rain often at the falls?” asked Sid.
“No, the raincoats are not for the rainwater, dear.” Replied the blue fairy. “The Niagara falls are massive- they are actually a set of waterfalls, and the water from these falls can drench you. This might be especially distracting while flying.”
Armed with the raincoats, the boys flew towards the Niagara Falls. Joy was most excited, because he had read about them in a book a few days ago. Now that he had a chance, he also wanted to show off his knowledge to the fairy.
“I am thrilled about seeing the Horseshoe Falls, Blue Fairy” he said.
“Horseshoe Falls!” exclaimed Sid. “I thought we were going to the Niagara Falls.” As it is, he didn’t like water much. And now Joy is taking them to yet another waterfall!
“Horseshoe falls are a part of the Niagara Falls, Sid.” The Blue Fairy saw his unhappiness, and explained. “They are not much high, but are very wide. They mark the boundary between USA and Canada. A lot of water falls down this exceptionally powerful waterfall everyday. In fact, Niagara Falls are a very important source of electricity in that area.”
“Electricity??” cried the kids. “A waterfall can give us water, but how can it give us electricity?”
“Electricity can be generated from a number of ways, children”, the fairy replied. “And fast moving water is one of those ways. The electricity thus generated is called Hydroelectricity.”
Much of the blue fairy’s sentence was drowned in a loud noise. It sounded like thunder, except that the sky was totally clear. It also sounded like fast moving traffic on a highway, but there was not much traffic in night. What was this thunderous sound??
The Fairy shouted on top of her lungs to be audible: “It is the sound of the falls. We are approaching them now.”
The boys flew right behind the blue fairy, and soon were flying over an incredibly beautiful display of nature’s power. They landed at the ground just besides the falls. The water fell in three sections- the main ‘Horseshoe Falls’, the ‘American Falls’ and the small ‘Bridal Veil Falls’.
“I’ll come back to take you guys home”, shouted the Blue fairy, so that the awestruck boys could hear her.
“No please.” Sid immediately pleaded with her. “I’ll be with you”.
Wonderful, as the scene was, Sid was scared of the water. He remembered his encounter with sharks last season while using the magical fins.
Reluctantly, Joy too agreed to leave for home early. And the kids reached back home much sooner than expected.
“Make sure you learn to swim during the summers!” said Joy to Sid. “Then we can spend more time at such lovely locations.”

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Joy at TajMahal

Joy at the Taj Mahal


“Where shall we go next?” is what Joy and Sid kept discussing the whole week. Sid wanted to go to see the Taj Mahal, but Joy was keener on the Niagara Falls. Finally, they wrote the two names on pieces of paper, folded them, and asked Ginni to pick one up. Ginni picked up the paper marked “Taj Mahal”. So they agreed to go to Taj Mahal this week, and to Niagara Falls the next.
The Blue Fairy was only too happy to oblige. “Taj Mahal is the epitome of love”, she explained.
“What love?” asked Joy, still a little grumpy, since he wanted to go to the world famous waterfalls instead of yet another building.
The blue fairy noticed his lack of enthusiasm and said, “I guess you don’t know enough about the Taj Mahal. It is no doubt a very beautiful building, marked by intricate carvings in white marble, on the banks of river Yamuna. But the marvel of Taj Mahal lies in something else.”
“Something else! What?”asked the two children in chorus.
“Taj Mahal was built as a symbol of love. The Mogul emperor of India, Shah Jahan, got it made in memory of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal.”
“Oh!!” said the children, obviously not finding much to be impressed about. Sid told Joy that it is one of the Seven Wonders of the World, and that got some of his attention.
Soon the trio reached Agra, the north Indian city where Taj Mahal is situated. Joy looked around the city, hoping to find Taj Mahal towering above the rest of the city.
“We have been visiting only tall buildings lately”, said the blue fairy, smiling. “You can’t find Taj Mahal like that.”
Sid had a better idea to locate the Taj Mahal. Knowing that it is situated on the banks of river Yamuna, he followed the river, and soon found himself flying over one of the most beautiful buildings in the world.
“Wow!!” was the only thing the kids could utter. They roamed around and about the timeless monument, and were taken in by its’ sheer beauty.
“The Blue Fairy didn’t leave us tonight?” suddenly Joy asked. “She usually comes back only to pick us up.”
That was strange indeed. There must be some reason why the fairy decided to stay back at the Taj. She was sitting silently at the base of the Taj Mahal, looking tirelessly at it. The boys stopped goofing around, and quietly tiptoed to her. Only when they were rather close to her, they noticed that the Blue Fairy was crying!!
This puzzled them. But Sid soon understood. He went up to the fairy and hugged her.
“Oh!” exclaimed the blue Fairy, wiping away her tears. “How I wish someone loved me as much..” she said softly, still looking wishfully at the majestic Taj Mahal.
While Sid sat down with the Fairy, Joy flew fast to one of the many souvenir shops nearby. He picked up a small marble replica of the Taj Mahal, and rushed back to the Fairy.
“We love you!!” he yelled, and presented the little Taj Mahal to the fairy. A lovely smile glowed on her beautiful face, as she held the kids close.
“I love you too!” she said gently. “And it is now time for you two monkeys to go back home.”
They laughed and giggled all the way home, thanking God probably for the first time for each other.

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Joy in Paris

JOY IN PARIS

This time Joy and Sid had decided to behave nicely on their special trip. They had heard a lot about Paris, and wanted to see it. But the Blue Fairy was in a bad mood last time due to their blunders, and they knew that they should keep her happy if they wanted these weekend trips to continue.
So when the Blue Fairy came in their dreams this night, they put on their best behavior.
“Blue Fairy, we want to see the Eiffel Tower. Can you please take us to Paris today? We promise not to be naughty at all.”
Blue Fairy was extremely happy to hear that. “I always wanted to see Paris.” She said. “Do you know it is the fashion capital of the world? It boasts of the world’s finest designers and dresses.”
Joy and Sid were least interested in fashion. They wanted to see the world famous Eiffel Tower.
So, the Blue Fairy and the two kids flew across the skies to Paris. Blue Fairy was so excited about Paris; she kept on talking about the wonderful dresses and fashion houses based there.
“Do you think I can get to try some dress for myself?” she wondered aloud.
“Joy, won’t we get bored if all Blue Fairy shows us is those dresses and shops? I hate shopping!!” exclaimed Sid.
“Well, we’ll ask her to drop us at the Eiffel Tower.” Joy replied, and so they did. The Blue Fairy dropped them off at the second level of the Eiffel Tower, and rushed off. She was in such a hurry, she didn’t even ask them not to be naughty!! Anyhow, the boys had made enough mistakes in the past, and knew they had to be careful from now.
Paris looked stunningly beautiful from the heights of Eiffel Tower. The iron tower: all lit up against the dark night sky, looked magnificent as well. Joy and Sid spend a lot of time climbing its stairs and running around.
Soon, it was time to go back home, but the Blue Fairy was nowhere to be seen!! They had to reach home before the crack of dawn. The friends waited for the Blue Fairy for some more time, but it became clear quickly that there has been some trouble. Blue Fairy has never been late before….
They decided that it is time to fly down the tower and start looking out for the Fairy. So the boys flew down, over the dark streets of Paris, looking for their Blue Fairy. Not long after, they saw someone shimmering quietly in a dark corner. As they approached, they found it was the Blue Fairy indeed. She sat sobbing sadly in a corner, without her wings or the magic wand!!
“I wanted to check the lovely, fashionable dresses in these boutiques”, she explained. “So I took my wings and wand off and kept them here on the pavement. Disguised as a normal girl, I went in the store and was mesmerized by all the clothes. But when I came out, I couldn’t find my wings and wand anywhere. They are lost, and I can’t fly or do any magic now.”
“We’ll find them” said Joy, and the boys started flying low on the streets looking everywhere for the fairy’s wings and wand. They found it lying in a dustbin nearby- someone obviously thought it was trash!!! When they got it back to the blue fairy, she was extremely thankful.
“I didn’t know even fairies are mad about fashion!” said Sid, as they flew back home just in the nick of time.
“Girls!” sighed Joy, wondering if they should ask the Blue Fairy to be more careful from next time on!!!

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Joy in Paris

JOY IN PARIS

This time Joy and Sid had decided to behave nicely on their special trip. They had heard a lot about Paris, and wanted to see it. But the Blue Fairy was in a bad mood last time due to their blunders, and they knew that they should keep her happy if they wanted these weekend trips to continue.
So when the Blue Fairy came in their dreams this night, they put on their best behavior.
“Blue Fairy, we want to see the Eiffel Tower. Can you please take us to Paris today? We promise not to be naughty at all.”
Blue Fairy was extremely happy to hear that. “I always wanted to see Paris.” She said. “Do you know it is the fashion capital of the world? It boasts of the world’s finest designers and dresses.”
Joy and Sid were least interested in fashion. They wanted to see the world famous Eiffel Tower.
So, the Blue Fairy and the two kids flew across the skies to Paris. Blue Fairy was so excited about Paris; she kept on talking about the wonderful dresses and fashion houses based there.
“Do you think I can get to try some dress for myself?” she wondered aloud.
“Joy, won’t we get bored if all Blue Fairy shows us is those dresses and shops? I hate shopping!!” exclaimed Sid.
“Well, we’ll ask her to drop us at the Eiffel Tower.” Joy replied, and so they did. The Blue Fairy dropped them off at the second level of the Eiffel Tower, and rushed off. She was in such a hurry, she didn’t even ask them not to be naughty!! Anyhow, the boys had made enough mistakes in the past, and knew they had to be careful from now.
Paris looked stunningly beautiful from the heights of Eiffel Tower. The iron tower: all lit up against the dark night sky, looked magnificent as well. Joy and Sid spend a lot of time climbing its stairs and running around.
Soon, it was time to go back home, but the Blue Fairy was nowhere to be seen!! They had to reach home before the crack of dawn. The friends waited for the Blue Fairy for some more time, but it became clear quickly that there has been some trouble. Blue Fairy has never been late before….
They decided that it is time to fly down the tower and start looking out for the Fairy. So the boys flew down, over the dark streets of Paris, looking for their Blue Fairy. Not long after, they saw someone shimmering quietly in a dark corner. As they approached, they found it was the Blue Fairy indeed. She sat sobbing sadly in a corner, without her wings or the magic wand!!
“I wanted to check the lovely, fashionable dresses in these boutiques”, she explained. “So I took my wings and wand off and kept them here on the pavement. Disguised as a normal girl, I went in the store and was mesmerized by all the clothes. But when I came out, I couldn’t find my wings and wand anywhere. They are lost, and I can’t fly or do any magic now.”
“We’ll find them” said Joy, and the boys started flying low on the streets looking everywhere for the fairy’s wings and wand. They found it lying in a dustbin nearby- someone obviously thought it was trash!!! When they got it back to the blue fairy, she was extremely thankful.
“I didn’t know even fairies are mad about fashion!” said Sid, as they flew back home just in the nick of time.
“Girls!” sighed Joy, wondering if they should ask the Blue Fairy to be more careful from next time on!!!

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Joy in NewYork

JOY IN NEW YORK

Joy and Sid had discussed at length about the place they would visit this weekend. Finally, they had decided to see the Statue of Liberty in New York. Soon, the friends slept, waiting for the Blue Fairy to come.
When the Blue Fairy came in Joy’s dreams that night, she wasn’t expecting a ready request. “We want to go to see the Statue of Liberty!” Joy appealed, even before she could say anything!!!
Smiling, she teased him, “I thought you said Earth isn’t as much fun as Fairy Land!”
“Oh please, Blue Fairy”, he pleaded. “I and Sid have found out numerous exciting places we’d like to go. Earth is indeed wonderful.”
The Blue fairy obliged and took Joy and Sid to New York. As they flew, the freezing cold air numbed them, and they could fly no more. The Blue Fairy noticed. “New York gets very cold in winters”, she said and gave them a light shawl. They quickly wrapped it around, and became weather-proof. The Blue Fairy left them at the Liberty Island, where the Statue of Liberty is situated.
“Wow!!” exclaimed Joy. “It is so tall!”
“46.5 m, to be exact”, said Sid. “It was a gift from the French to the American people on the centenary of their independence.”
“How old is she?” asked Joy, flying in circles around the statue.
“Well, she was erected in 1886!” told Sid.
“Hmm, she doesn’t look that old” said Joy, and started laughing. But soon, there was no more to look at. How long can two flying, restless children spend near a statue? Joy spotted a land full of skyscrapers in distance.
“What is that place? I’ve never seen so many tall buildings together!” he asked.
“It is Manhattan.” Sid was quick to reply. He was equally fascinated. “I have seen it in T.V.”
Without much deliberation, the boys flew to island county of Manhattan. They flew over the towering buildings much like the birds do, and it sure was a great view. After flying a great deal around Manhattan, they came near the tallest building.
“It is Empire State building, and is 102 floors high. It became the tallest building in Manhattan after the World Trade Center towers fell.”
“I know” snubbed Sid, who was tempted by the huge Antenna and lightning rod at the very top of the building. He flew very close to it, and his shawl got entangled in the rod.
As much as he tried to free himself, he couldn’t. Joy flew near, and tried to help, but it is difficult to work at such heights while wearing a shawl and flying. Sid tried to come out of the Shawl, but it was very cold.
“Don’t leave the shawl” cried Sid. “You’ll not be able to fly because of the cold.” The kids struggled awkwardly with the shawl for a long time, till the Blue Fairy arrived.
She was aghast at finding them in trouble (again!), and that too at a place different from where she left them. The fairy warned them to behave safely from the next trip, or else she’ll stop taking them around the world.
Sid wanted to see more of Manhattan, but the Blue Fairy was very angry. “May be I’ll ask that sometime later.” He mumbled, and flew back home with Joy like a good obedient child.

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