ਮੇਰੀ ਘੰਟੀ!
My Bell!
Set 2, book three. The crow says everything is his, even the cow’s bell, so your child shouts that it’s theirs. New words: ਮੇਰਾ, ਮੇਰੀ (my) and ਘੰਟੀ (bell).
Words you'll read
- ਗਾਂ
- ਕਾਂ
- ਹਾਂ
- ਘੰਟੀ
- ਮੇਰਾ
- ਮੇਰੀ
Your child's word in this book: ਮੇਰੀ. Each time it's coming, pause and let them shout it.
How to read this book
This is a controlled-vocabulary reader — a little book your child can read on their own. It uses only a handful of Punjabi words, repeated often, so a brand-new reader succeeds from the very first page.
- Read it together first, pointing at each word as you say it.
- Then let them read it back to you — sounding out the Gurmukhi.
- Reread it. Kids reread what makes them laugh, and rereading is how reading becomes automatic.
- Turn the English captions off (button below) once they know the story, for pure Gurmukhi practice.
What this book is really about
For grown-ups: the crow is a toddler shouting MINE. He says ਮੇਰਾ ਘਾਹ (my grass) and ਮੇਰਾ ਪਾਣੀ (my water), but ਮੇਰੀ ਘੰਟੀ (my bell). Punjabi changes ਮੇਰਾ to ਮੇਰੀ for a feminine word, and your child hears both, many times, with a picture each time. You don't need to explain it. When the crow turns to your child, they shout ਮੇਰੀ! and claim the bell for themselves. He never shares, and in the end the cow turns his own word back on him.
“Look! Grass! My grass!”
“Eat it? No! No! My grass!”
“Look! Water! My water!”
“My grass! My water! Mine! Mine! Mine!”
Then he sees it.
“A bell! A bell! A bell!”
“My bell!”
Whose bell is it? (Your turn: shout ਮੇਰੀ! Mine!)
“No! Mine! My bell!”
(Shout it again! ਮੇਰੀ!)
“No! No! No! Mine! Mine! Mine!”
“My grass! My water! My bell!”
“Bell… cow… MY cow!”
“Yes! My cow!”
The cow gets up.
“No! No! My bell!”
Swing… swing… stop.
“My crow,” says the cow.
Words in this book
- ਗਾਂ gaan cow
- ਕਾਂ kaan crow
- ਹਾਂ haan yes
- ਘੰਟੀ ghanTee bell
- ਮੇਰਾ meraa my, mine (masculine)
- ਮੇਰੀ meree my, mine (feminine)
After this book, your child can read 6 Punjabi words. Read it together, then let them read it back to you — the repetition is where the reading comes from.
Where to go next
- Sikh children's books Illustrated stories to read together — Fateh Singh, Simran Kaur, and the Gurus.
- Shabad Stories Bilingual bedtime books built around a single line of Gurbani.
- Punjabi picture dictionary Hundreds of everyday Gurmukhi words with pictures, to grow the words they know.
- Learn Gurmukhi Letters, matras and tracing worksheets — the writing side of the same skill.