?Today Ma?am in the Dance class was angry with me.? spoke little Alma
?Ohmigawd ! But why ?? I looked startled
?Because I was not dancing well?. That?s simple childhood logic. No major issues, no pros and cons, no complicated arguments, just plain acceptance of a fact.
I looked into her big, round eyes sadly, wondering how to protect her from the harsh realities which she has to go through in order to excel.
She sensed my pain and smiled ?But don?t worry. Oswald was standing with me and holding my hand. He made me dance. We both danced so well !?
?Oswald ? The Octopus ? How did he manage to come over there ??
?Oswald always appears ? whenever I need him.? Alma nodded gravely.
I started laughing - remembering the good old days of my own childhood when imaginary friends used to help me tide through the tough times. Indeed, there is something called Genetics.
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Who is Oswald ?
Oswald is a cartoon character who visits our home every afternoon at 2 PM on Pogo TV. That?s about the time when I come back for lunch and spend two hours with the li?l ones as they have their lunch, discuss their school activities and watch half an hour of ?Oswald?. Of course, we watch the Hindi version of Oswald since they are too young to comprehend English yet.
What is Oswald like ?
Oswald is a round, blue octopus who has the kindest heart and the sweetest disposition in the world. He lives alone in his apartment with a cute little dog called Weenie who is shaped like a hot dog. The series is about the quiet, peaceful life of Octopus and his friends. There are no misadventures and no violence.
What does Oswald do ?
Oswald is a peaceful soul, who loves to help his friends, goes for idyllic picnics, arranges dance parties, plays his piano, bakes delicious looking cakes and he sings ! Does this cute octopus sing ! He sings in the most lullaby-like fashion which means? that I often feel like going to sleep after lunch, just hearing Oswald?s deep, bass voice. However, since I can?t afford to sleep since I have to rush back to work, I often curse this blue fat guy for his songs.
Who are Oswald?s friends ?
His friends include : A penguin called Henry, who always looks at the serious side of like and can be quite stern on poor Oswald sometimes ; Daisy, a little sunflower who is vivacious and extrovert ; Eggburt Twins, two twins who are actually eggs ! ; Madame Butterfly, the sweet little butterfly who has solutions to all problems ; Catrina, the baby butterfly who is always game for some fun.
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I often tend to forget all my problems and tensions when I am watching Oswald. I feel that life is like a white sailboat sailing smoothly on blue, placid waters. Life is so simple in Oswald?s world. The problems include how to fly a kite when there is no wind ; How to have a picnic when it?s raining ; How to bake a cake when there are no eggs ; How to grow tomatoes in your garden when snails are eating everything in sight and more such simplistic how-tos.
One word about Oswald : He is thoughtful and empathetic ; always at hand whenever there is a crisis.. He is a practical, sensible fellow with ideas which usually work out. He takes out time for everyone and encourages people when they are down in the dumps.
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Watching Oswald, you cannot help wishing you had a friend like Oswald. Lucky Alma !
But does he have to sing like that ? !!!