Short Stories For Everyone
Inspiring incidents from Gandhiji's Life: Selected from the book Everyone's Gandhi
(For the children in the age group of 10 to 15 years)

Chapter 7: Basic Pen

Most people have lost a pen at some time or the other. So did Gandhi. He had a costly fountain pen which was pilfered. The pen was immediately replaced but the theft pained him. Henceforth, he decided, he would not use anything so attractive that it would tempt someone to steal it.
He began using a pen-holder and a nib. (Do you know what this was like? Ask your parents if YOU don't.) But even this did not last forever. For the nib once got bent and he had to send Manubehn to get a new one.
This was a loss of time when every moment was precious. Even a few minutes' delay could upset a whole day's schedule. When Manubehn returned, she found Bapu sharpening the other end of the wooden holder. "Why"' she wanted to know.
At which Gandhi said, "Now the point of my nib will never get curved. In olden days, people used such kittas for writing purposes. Using them made the handwriting better, and they did not cost a paisa." So he now had a pen that would neither be stolen or spoilt. And do you know to whom the first letter to be penned with this kitta was addressed--Lord Mountbatten.