A Herbal Holi

Holi is around the corner. Let's do something different!" said Dinky deer,to her friends.

- Vandana Gupta

The children of Madhuvan-Browny bear, Roro rabbit, Marco monkey, and Sally squirrel who had gathered by the large oak tree to play, stopped and looked at Dinky.

"Jojo jackal and Hari boar have started selling Holi gulals in their grocery shop, like they do every year. Do you want to check it out?" Browny asked.

"Their gulal is of poor quality. My father is sure that it gave him breathing allergies last year," Marco said.

"My mother's eyes turned red from those colours. For days, I'd scream at night, thinking she was a red-eyed monster," Browny said sourly, while his friends burst out laughing.

"I got pimples all over my face after last Holi," Dinky added.

"Why not celebrate Holi with herbal gulals this year?" Freddy flamingo suggested, flapping down to sit among them.

He was visiting Madhuvan with his cousins, during their annual migration. "It'll be safer for us sensitive birds, and better for the residents and environment of Madhuyan too."

"That's a great idea! But none of us know how to make herbal gulals," Dinky said.

"That's what the Madhuvan Library and internet are for," Freddy said confidently.

The next day, the children visited the library and began to read about the harmful effects of chemical colours, in a book called 'The Science of Colours'.

"It says here that green chemical gulal contains copper sulphate, which is harmful to the eyes. Browny, this is the colour that must have caused your mother's eyes to turn red!" Sally said, and Browny nodded angrily.

"Purple chemical gulal contains chromium iodide, which can cause allergies and asthma," Roro read aloud from another page.

"Marco, now we know the culprit in the case of your father's allergy," Freddy said.

"And last year, you used a red colour on me," remarked Dinky, turning to Marco.