Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree,

Merry merry king of the bush is he.

Laugh, Kookaburra laugh,

Laugh, Kookaburra laugh,

Kookaburra, Gay your life must be!!!!

I can very well remember Sangeeta Ma'am singing this lovely poem to the tiny tots of 3rd standard in Rajmata, and we all were so mesmerized  by what she told us about this little unusual bird.Its unmistakable call, which sounds uncannily like loud, echoing human laughter.Then she told so many things about Australia (native place of this bird.).....the small triangular island below it (Tasmania)....the coral reef.

This was all out of course books. Just for our knowledge. We learnt that poem n used to proudly sing it to everyone in school n at home as if it was something very special and no one else knows it coz Sangeeta Ma'am taught us.

Its been 15 years,I didn't hear it anywhere.  I came across this poem in a newspaper article sometimes back.It brought back all those lovely memories!!! But then reading that article made me sad.It said:

"In 2010, an Australian primary school director, Garry Martin, asked school children to replace "gay your life must be" with "fun your life must be." After outcry from internet users that he was banning the word gay and the Australian gay and lesbian advocacy group (Also Foundation), Martin tried to clarify his position. He stated: "All I was doing, relatively innocently, was substituting one word because I knew if we sing 'Gay your life must be' the kids will roll around the floor in fits of laughter." 

A sweet,simple nursery rhyme meant for innocent,little children could be given such a meaning and dragged to a controversy which had no logic and sense.Its pathetic.For these toddlers Gay is just Gay...happy...fun...it'll be a different meaning only if they are told about it.

The World's same for all, its just how you see it matters.

Someone has rightly said " I am only responsible for what i say, not what you understand"