What does the word courage exactly mean? It means the ability to do something that frightens something or someone.
I am Avni Karmarkar going to tell you a story of a woman named “Virginia Hall.”
Once upon a time, there was a woman with a wooden leg. Her name was Virginia, and she called her leg Cuthbert. Though she walked with a limp, Virginia was amazingly determined. When the second world war broke out, she joined the British Special Forces and set off across the English Channel to help the France Resistance fight the Nazis.
Virginia was a master of disguise. One time, she pretended to be an elderly milkmaid. She dyed her hair grey, put on a long skirt, and shuffled along so that nobody could see she had a limp. She sent out secret radio messages telling the Allies about German troop movements. It was hazardous, and Virginia knew that she would be tortured and killed if she were discovered. But she carried on regardless.
As she was known, the limping lady was considered the most dangerous of all Allied spies. Nazi secret police put wanted posters all over France, but Virginia always stayed one step ahead of them.
Once, she almost died crossing the Pyrenees Mountains on foot in the middle of Winter. She Radioed a message to London: “Having trouble with Cuthbert.” They did not realize she was talking about her leg. “If Cuthbert is giving you difficulty,” they replied, “Have him eliminated!”
By the end of the war, The Limping Lady’s team was destroyed four bridges, derailed several freight trains, blown up a railway line, cut down telephone wires, and captured hundreds of enemy soldiers. Virginia was declared America’s most outstanding female spy and received a medal for her bravery.
Name: Avni Karmarkar
Grade: 5C
Billabong High International School, Thane
If you look at the world now compared to the past, you might find the present life easier, but you will also notice that the world's culture and spirituality are lost.
There was a lot of respect for culture and religion in the past. Everyone looked forward to religious festivals and ceremonies, but most of us hardly care about culture and faith in the present world. Most of us have forgotten that we have a family to spend time with. We look up to social media to communicate and share things. Most of us have forgotten that social media is just an app. We have our family and friends, some real people that actually understand our feelings.
Apart from that, there is also a lot of unemployment in the world. People are greedy for money, even businessmen! Despite having more than enough, they still want more! People with greed pay less to their employees and don't control their spending.
Now, it's your choice. What would you like - a spiritual and happy world or a lost and greedy world?
Every small step can make a big one.
Rishona Chopra
Grade V
Gyanshree School
