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THE TREASURE HUNT - A GHOST STORY FOR CHILDREN

Two weeks had gone after his father's death. Ramarao's only relation from his parental side had been severed. The old man had spent his entire older life uselessly, searching for a huge hidden treasure, for which he believed he had a clue about its location and retrieval. Ramarao had to sell out his wife's meager golden rings to do the last rites for his father.

Ramarao's father had been without job for most period of his life. He had accumulated a huge debt and the responsibility to repay them rested heavily on Ramarao's shoulders. Except for a family pride that their forefathers were once kings of a segment of land under Chola dynasty, Ramarao was virtually a pauper now. He just could not manage anything with his paltry income as a peon in the local Bank. If only he could locate the treasure that his father failed to locate in his life time!

Rama Rao's father had only one property: An old steel trunk box. Ramarao took it out from the attic, brought it to the back yard and opened it. There were a pair of dhoties, worn out shirts, some account note-books, a few ball point pens without refills, an old non-functional time piece, and a thick and worn out diary.

Ramarao became curious. Is it likely that his father had cracked the clues to the location of the fortune? Perhaps he might have reached very close to it but just missed it; perhaps Ramarao can try and make the final lap and grab it?

Ramarao opened the diary and leafed through contents very eagerly.

The Diary had no date entries. His father must have been scribbling whatever he felt compelled to jot down. The first page started like this:

"This is the copy of the Original 8-point-Prophesy written in the Palm-leaf manuscript that my grand-father had in his possession; it had been handed over to him by his father; The prophesies are as follows:

1) "The Treasure belongs to the dynasty and to none else."

2) "The 2nd and 3rd leaves contain the clues to reach the village"

3) "The 4th and 5th leaves contain the clues to reach the Palace."

4) "Only a Ghost shall ever get to know of it."

5) "Only the Ghost has the power to guide you to get to it."

6) "The 6th leave contains the clues to the Mantra to evoke the ghost"

7) "The 7th and 8th leaves contain the list of contents in the Treasure."

8) "Thy shall record your progress for your son's benefit just in case you fail. None else shall ever know."

"My great-great grandfather had succeeded in deciphering 2nd and 3rd leaves of the Palm-leaf

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