A frayed flag becomes stronger when a village mends it together.
**Hook:** Independence Day approached, and the school flag looked tired—edge shredded into whispers. Replacing it felt correct; repairing it felt respectful.
**Rise:** The headmistress laid the flag on the desk and invited hands. A tailor brought green thread; a farmer brought a clean handkerchief for a missing corner; a grandmother added a stitch that had survived three floods; a boy stitched clumsy but careful, tongue between teeth. Stories rose as steadily as the needle. Children learned why the white stripe matters on hot days—because peace is shade. They learned why saffron smells of spice and sacrifice. They learned mending is also making.
When they hoisted the flag, the patch didn’t hide; it glowed—the color of participation.
**Finish:** Wind caught the cloth and the village felt itself pull together. **Moral:** What we fix together belongs to us more deeply than what we buy alone.
