“Is there anybody here who has ever crossed a river by a country boat?”

“I have, teacher,” said Jamil. “And I clearly remember what happened in that journey."

“Would you please tell us what happened?” the teacher asked.

"Okay, teacher. It happened when I was in class 6. On a weekly bazar day, people were coming back with their shopping bags and baskets in hands, on shoulders and heads. They had to cross the river. It was not a big river. There was a ferry boat plying on the river. The boat could cross it in 8-10 minutes. It was just after sunset. The weather was getting bad. The wind started blowing from the north-west. Black clouds were moving fast in the sky.

Everybody was trying to get into the boat. "No more, no more, please wait,' shouted the boatman. But nobody listened to him.”

“What happened then, Jamil?" asked Rumi.

“With too many people on board, the boat sank in the middle of the river," replied Jamil.

“Oh no! What happened then?" asked the teacher. "Thank God. There were no casualties. All the passengers swam to the other side. But some of them lost the stuff they were carrying such as oil, salt and milk,” said Jamil.

“Were you on the boat?" asked the teacher. "No, teacher. Seeing the boat overcrowded, I waited for the next trip," replied Jamil. “You did the right thing, Jamil.”