Title: The Little Saviour
Sanyogita More lived with her parents in a small village on the bank of a river. One afternoon during the monsoon she was returning from school with her friends. The river was in spate. Suddenly she heard a scream. A little boy, Raju, who had gone near the bank to float a paper boat, had slipped and was being carried away by the current.
The other children froze with fear and some ran to call the elders. Sanyogita did not waste a moment. She remembered the swimming lessons her father had given her. She threw off her school bag, grabbed a long bamboo lying nearby and ran along the bank to a spot where the water was shallower. Holding a tree root with one hand, she stretched the bamboo towards Raju and shouted to him to catch it. The frightened boy held on, and with all her strength she pulled him towards the bank. By then the villagers had arrived and helped them out.
Raju was saved. The whole village praised Sanyogita’s presence of mind and courage. The headmaster sent her name for the National Bravery Award. A few months later, on Republic Day, she stood on the stage in New Delhi in her school uniform, and so, with tears of joy and pride, the 10 year old Sanyogita More received the National Bravery Award from the Prime Minister.