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Short Story: The little girl who became Oprah Winfrey

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By Shivi Singh

“Sally!” called granny. “Come here, let me tell you a story”. Sally rushed to the garden where her grandmother was sitting on her rocking chair with her glasses and a thick book.

“Oh granny, tell me, I love to listen to your stories.” “Ah, yes! Sally dear, I am sure you will love this particular one.” Granny picked up the bulky book and showed her granddaughter the cover.

“Do you recognise who this is, Sally?” On the cover page was a lovely woman with a very kind expression and a heart-warming smile. “No granny, I don’t recognise her. Is she the protagonist of the story you will tell me?”

“Yes, Sally dear. It is a very beautiful story. Once upon a time, there was a little girl. She lived with her grandma in a simple house in Kosciusko, Mississippi. One day while doing her chores, she said to her, “Grandma, I have done the dusting of the house.”

“Good, now go fetch some water,” said her grandma. “No, grandma, I don’t want to go! I have nothing to wear except that old and tattered potato sack. The other girls make fun of me!”

“Enough! You will do as I say,” rebuked grandma.  

With tears in her eyes, the little girl went out with a bucket in a small potato sack.

“Oh! Look what she’s wearing,” chuckled one girl. “Look at her, might as well put her in the sack and sell her, ” said another. The girls made fun of her.” And this teasing she had to face daily.

“One day she decided to move away from her grandmother’s house. She went to live with her mother who worked as a housemaid. Her mother and father were separated, therefore, her mother could not support her. She earned a scanty wage and couldn’t help the girl with her education. So, when her mother gave birth to two other children, the girl was sent to live with her father. She attended her middle-school and her father made her education a priority. She missed her mother and that’s why she decided to go to her house and complete her higher secondary education there.”

“After a few months, because of her hard work, she attained good marks. The girl realised her interest in elocution and got a job at a radio platform. This was when things started looking up for her.

In about 3 years, she got a new job at a news segment. After many days of efforts and hardships, the little girl grew into a strong woman. With her dedication, she became a multi-billionaire, a talk show host, an actress and an author. This little girl is none other than Oprah Winfrey.”

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