Reading Time: < 1 minuteIn Yashoda’s kitchen, there was one pot kept on the highest shelf.
It had been there for years. Nobody touched it. Nobody moved it.
It was the very pot young Krishna used to climb up to reach, again and again, trying to steal butter when his mother wasn’t looking.
Yashoda would catch him every time, hands sticky, cheeks smeared, looking as innocent as he could manage.
“Krishna!” she would say, trying to sound strict. “How many times must I hide this pot from you?”
He would just smile at her, and she would find she wasn’t really angry at all.
Years passed. Krishna grew up and went away to Mathura, where he had important things to do.
The kitchen grew quiet without him.
One day, an old friend visited Yashoda and noticed the dusty pot still sitting on the shelf, untouched.
“Why do you keep it there, empty?” she asked. “Why don’t you use it?”
Yashoda smiled gently. “Because every time I look at it, I remember him climbing up for it, again and again. I remember his laughter. I remember how full this kitchen used to feel.”
“Doesn’t it make you sad?” her friend asked.
“A little,” Yashoda said. “But mostly, it makes me happy. The pot helps me remember.”
She left it exactly where it was, on the same shelf, where it had always been.
📄 Free printable worksheet available below.
Complete the learning activities and download it at the end of this lesson.
💡 The Lesson Inside
This story reminds us that the things our loved ones leave behind — even small, ordinary things — can hold big memories. We don't always need to let go of those memories to move forward. Sometimes keeping a small reminder, like Yashoda's pot, helps love stay close even when someone has grown and gone away.
✨ Words Worth Keeping
Innocentappearing not guilty, even if you may have done something wrong
Strictfirm and serious, expecting rules to be followed
Untouchednot used, moved, or interfered with
Smearedspread messily, often with food or a substance
Gentlyin a soft, kind, and careful manner
Memorysomething remembered from the past, often with strong feeling
Quietcalm, with little noise or activity
Remindersomething that helps you remember a person or moment
🌱 Phrases to Remember
Sticky fingershands covered in something messy, like butter or food
Wasn't really angryfeeling annoyed on the surface but not truly upset underneath
Grew quietbecame calmer or less lively than before
Look at itto observe or notice something, often thoughtfully
Stay closeto remain emotionally connected, even at a distance
📚 Quick Glossary
Yashoda
Krishna's foster mother, who raised him with great love in Vrindavan
Mathura
the city where Krishna went after growing up, to take on important responsibilities
Butter pot
a traditional clay pot used to store butter, central to many stories of young Krishna
Shelf
a flat surface used for storing or displaying objects, often placed on a wall
Innocent look
a facial expression suggesting someone has done nothing wrong, even playfully
🗣️ Say It Right
