[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":501},["ShallowReactive",2],{"/books/simran-kaur-and-the-fence":3},{"id":4,"title":5,"ageRange":6,"amazonLink":7,"body":8,"bookAuthor":473,"coloringSheet":474,"description":475,"downloadLink":461,"draft":476,"extension":477,"featured":478,"genre":479,"illustrator":461,"imageUrl":482,"language":483,"listed":478,"meta":484,"navigation":478,"pages":485,"path":486,"premium":476,"publishedAt":487,"publisher":488,"rating":489,"relatedQuiz":461,"reviewer":489,"seo":490,"stem":491,"tags":492,"twitterUrl":461,"type":499,"__hash__":500},"books/books/simran-kaur-and-the-fence.md","Simran Kaur and the Fence","5-8 years","https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GRCMG8PV",{"type":9,"value":10,"toc":460},"minimark",[11,16,20,23,26,29,32,35,38,41,44,47,50,54,57,60,63,66,69,72,75,78,94,97,100,104,107,110,113,116,119,122,125,130,134,137,140,143,146,149,152,155,158,161,164,167,170,173,176,179,182,185,188,191,194,197,200,203,206,209,213,216,219,222,225,228,231,234,237,240,243,246,249,252,256,263,269,274,285,291,293,297,405,407,411,428,430,434],[12,13,15],"h2",{"id":14},"three-days","Three Days",[17,18,19],"p",{},"Simran Kaur counted everything. Fourteen red doors on her street. Twelve fridge magnets. Seven streetlights from her bedroom window. Thirty-two steps to the school bus.",[17,21,22],{},"On Monday, she counted a boy sitting by the fence at the edge of the playground. He sat on the ground with his knees pulled up, his back against the chain-link, while everyone else played. Simran didn't know his name. He was in Ms. Park's class — the other Grade 2 class.",[17,24,25],{},"On Tuesday, he was there again. Same spot. Same knees. The football game roared past him. Two girls played hopscotch near the door. Nobody stopped.",[17,27,28],{},"On Wednesday, he was there again.",[17,30,31],{},"Three days. Same fence. Same boy. Same nobody.",[17,33,34],{},"Simran sat with Maya and Ethan at lunch. Maya was drawing a robin — she was still on birds. Ethan was crafting something out of juice boxes.",[17,36,37],{},"\"Who's that boy by the fence?\" Simran asked.",[17,39,40],{},"Maya looked up. \"I think his name is Aiden. He started last week.\"",[17,42,43],{},"\"He sits there every day,\" said Simran.",[17,45,46],{},"Ethan shrugged. \"He probably likes it there.\"",[17,48,49],{},"Simran looked at the boy through the window. He didn't look like he liked it there. He looked like he was waiting for something that wasn't coming.",[12,51,53],{"id":52},"the-strap","The Strap",[17,55,56],{},"The next morning, Simran sat at the kitchen table eating her toast. Her mum was braiding her hair — thirty-eight strokes of the kanga, then the braid - perfectly tight for school.",[17,58,59],{},"Her dad came downstairs in his work shirt, tucking it in. As he reached for his jacket on the hook, his shirt pulled up at the side and Simran saw something she hadn't noticed before — a small strap across his chest, and tucked against his body, a small curved sheath.",[17,61,62],{},"\"Papa, what's that?\"",[17,64,65],{},"Her dad looked down. He paused, then sat beside her. He pulled his shirt open slightly so she could see — a small kirpan, no bigger than her hand, in a wooden sheath.",[17,67,68],{},"\"This is a kirpan,\" he said.",[17,70,71],{},"\"Is it a knife?\" she asked.",[17,73,74],{},"\"No, puttar. It looks like one, but it's something different.\" He rested his hand on the sheath. \"Do you remember when I told you about Guru Gobind Singh Ji — how he gave the Khalsa five gifts?\"",[17,76,77],{},"Simran nodded. \"The kara. The kanga. The kesh.\"",[17,79,80,81,85,86,89,90,93],{},"\"And this. The kirpan.\" He said the word slowly. \"",[82,83,84],"em",{},"Kir-pan",". It comes from two words — ",[82,87,88],{},"kirpa",", which means mercy, and ",[82,91,92],{},"aan",", which means honour. It's a mercy blade. Guru Gobind Singh Ji gave it to the Khalsa as a promise.\"",[17,95,96],{},"\"A promise of what?\"",[17,98,99],{},"\"That we will protect those who cannot protect themselves. That we will never walk past someone who needs us.\"",[12,101,103],{"id":102},"the-promise","The Promise",[17,105,106],{},"Her dad held the kirpan in his palm — still in its sheath. It didn't look dangerous. It looked like a promise you could carry.",[17,108,109],{},"\"Waheguru's love is for everyone,\" her dad said. \"The kirpan is our promise to make sure everyone feels safe and seen. We carry it to remind us: if someone is in trouble, we are the ones who help.\"",[17,111,112],{},"He slipped the kirpan back under his shirt and put on his jacket.",[17,114,115],{},"\"You don't use it,\" said Simran. It wasn't a question.",[17,117,118],{},"\"I've never used it,\" her dad said. \"I've never had to. But I carry it every day because it reminds me — if someone needs help, I don't wait. I don't walk past. I go to them.\"",[17,120,121],{},"He kissed the top of her head. \"That's the promise.\"",[17,123,124],{},"Simran's mum finished her braid. Her kara clinked against her lunchbox as she picked it up. Thirty-two steps to the bus. She counted them, but today her mind was somewhere else.",[17,126,127],{},[82,128,129],{},"I don't walk past.",[12,131,133],{"id":132},"the-fence","The Fence",[17,135,136],{},"At recess, Simran stood by the door and looked across the playground.",[17,138,139],{},"The boy was there. Fourth day. Same fence. Same knees pulled up. A jacket too big for him, sleeves past his hands.",[17,141,142],{},"Maya ran past. \"Coming to play?\"",[17,144,145],{},"\"In a minute,\" said Simran.",[17,147,148],{},"She looked at the boy. She thought about her dad's kirpan — small, quiet, hidden under his shirt. He carried it every day and never used it. But it was there. The promise was there.",[17,150,151],{},"Her stomach tightened. It was a long way across the playground. Everyone would see her. She didn't know what to say. She didn't know if he wanted her to come. Maybe Ethan was right — maybe he liked it there.",[17,153,154],{},"But he didn't look like he liked it there.",[17,156,157],{},"Simran counted her steps. One. Two. Three. The football game was loud on her left. Four. Five. Six. A skipping rope slapped the ground. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten.",[17,159,160],{},"She stopped in front of the fence and sat down next to him. Not too close. Close enough.",[17,162,163],{},"The boy looked up. His eyes were brown and a little bit surprised.",[17,165,166],{},"\"Hi,\" said Simran. \"I'm Simran.\"",[17,168,169],{},"\"Aiden,\" he said.",[17,171,172],{},"\"I know.\"",[17,174,175],{},"They sat there. Simran didn't try to fix anything. She didn't ask why he sat alone. She didn't tell him to come and play. She just sat with him, the chain-link fence cool against her back, the sound of the playground washing over them both.",[17,177,178],{},"After a minute, Aiden said, \"That's a nice bracelet.\"",[17,180,181],{},"Simran looked at her kara. \"Thanks. It's a kara. It was a gift.\"",[17,183,184],{},"\"From who?\"",[17,186,187],{},"\"From my Guru. A long time ago.\"",[17,189,190],{},"Aiden nodded, like he understood. They watched the football game together. A pigeon landed on the fence above them and bobbed its head.",[17,192,193],{},"\"Five,\" said Simran.",[17,195,196],{},"\"What?\"",[17,198,199],{},"\"Five pigeons. There were four yesterday.\"",[17,201,202],{},"Aiden looked up at the fence. \"That one's got a funny walk.\"",[17,204,205],{},"\"They all have funny walks, don't they?\" said Simran.",[17,207,208],{},"Aiden almost smiled.",[12,210,212],{"id":211},"five","Five",[17,214,215],{},"The next morning, Simran counted everything. Fourteen red doors. Thirty-two steps. Seven wraps of her dad's dastar. The small shape of the kirpan under his shirt as he bent to tie his shoes.",[17,217,218],{},"At recess, she walked to the fence. Ten steps. But this time, Aiden wasn't sitting against it. He was standing a few steps forward, near the edge of the playground, watching the football game.",[17,220,221],{},"\"Hi,\" said Simran.",[17,223,224],{},"\"Hi,\" said Aiden. \"That pigeon's back.\"",[17,226,227],{},"It was. The one with the funny walk, bobbing along the top of the fence.",[17,229,230],{},"Maya came over with her sketchbook. \"Can I draw that pigeon?\" she asked. \"It walks like my uncle.\"",[17,232,233],{},"Aiden laughed — a real laugh, short and surprised, like he hadn't expected it.",[17,235,236],{},"\"Come on,\" said Maya. \"You can hold the book steady.\"",[17,238,239],{},"They sat in a row — Simran, Aiden, Maya — with the sketchbook balanced on Aiden's knees while Maya drew the pigeon and Aiden held the corners flat.",[17,241,242],{},"Simran counted the pigeons on the fence. Five today. The same as yesterday. She counted the kids on the playground — she lost track at twenty-six because the football game kept moving. She counted the steps from the fence to where Aiden was sitting now — three steps closer to everyone else than yesterday.",[17,244,245],{},"Three days she had watched. One day she had walked across. That was all it took.",[17,247,248],{},"Five pigeons. Ten steps. One promise she would keep.",[250,251],"hr",{},[12,253,255],{"id":254},"discussion-questions","Discussion Questions",[17,257,258,262],{},[259,260,261],"strong",{},"Let's Talk About It:"," Simran noticed Aiden sitting alone for three days before she went to him. Why do you think it took three days? What made her go on the fourth?",[17,264,265,268],{},[259,266,267],{},"Let's Think About It:"," Simran's dad says the kirpan means \"we don't walk past.\" What does it mean to \"walk past\" someone who needs you? Have you ever seen someone sitting alone?",[17,270,271,273],{},[259,272,261],{}," Simran didn't try to fix anything — she just sat next to Aiden. Why do you think sitting with someone can be enough?",[17,275,276,278,279,281,282,284],{},[259,277,267],{}," The word kirpan comes from ",[82,280,88],{}," (mercy) and ",[82,283,92],{}," (honour). How is what Simran did an act of mercy?",[17,286,287,290],{},[259,288,289],{},"Let's Try It:"," Tomorrow, look for someone at school or in your neighbourhood who might be on their own. You don't have to say anything big. You can just sit nearby. Sometimes showing up is the bravest thing.",[250,292],{},[12,294,296],{"id":295},"word-meanings","Word Meanings",[298,299,300,313],"table",{},[301,302,303],"thead",{},[304,305,306,310],"tr",{},[307,308,309],"th",{},"Word",[307,311,312],{},"Meaning",[314,315,316,325,333,341,349,357,365,373,381,389,397],"tbody",{},[304,317,318,322],{},[319,320,321],"td",{},"Daal",[319,323,324],{},"Lentil stew — a staple of Punjabi meals",[304,326,327,330],{},[319,328,329],{},"Dastar",[319,331,332],{},"A turban — a cloth wrapped around the head to cover and honour kesh",[304,334,335,338],{},[319,336,337],{},"Kanga",[319,339,340],{},"A small wooden comb used to care for hair — one of the five articles of Sikh identity",[304,342,343,346],{},[319,344,345],{},"Kara",[319,347,348],{},"A steel bracelet worn on the wrist — one of the five articles of Sikh identity",[304,350,351,354],{},[319,352,353],{},"Kesh",[319,355,356],{},"Uncut hair — one of the five articles of Sikh identity",[304,358,359,362],{},[319,360,361],{},"Khalsa",[319,363,364],{},"The community of initiated Sikhs, founded by Guru Gobind Singh Ji in 1699",[304,366,367,370],{},[319,368,369],{},"Kirpa",[319,371,372],{},"Mercy, compassion — the root of the word kirpan",[304,374,375,378],{},[319,376,377],{},"Kirpan",[319,379,380],{},"A small ceremonial blade carried by Sikhs — one of the five articles of Sikh identity, symbolising the duty to protect the vulnerable",[304,382,383,386],{},[319,384,385],{},"Puttar",[319,387,388],{},"Child — a term of love used by Punjabi parents",[304,390,391,394],{},[319,392,393],{},"Roti",[319,395,396],{},"Flatbread — a staple of Punjabi meals",[304,398,399,402],{},[319,400,401],{},"Waheguru",[319,403,404],{},"The Wonderful Creator — the Sikh name for God",[250,406],{},[12,408,410],{"id":409},"about-this-story","About This Story",[17,412,413,414,417,418,421,422,424,425,427],{},"This is the fourth story in the ",[82,415,416],{},"Simran Kaur"," series — five stories set in Toronto, each woven around one of the Five Kakars (the five articles of Sikh identity given by Guru Gobind Singh Ji to the Khalsa in 1699). In this story, the Kirpan — often misunderstood as a weapon — is shown as what it truly is: a promise of mercy and protection. The word ",[82,419,420],{},"kirpan"," comes from ",[82,423,88],{}," (compassion) and ",[82,426,92],{}," (honour). Guru Gobind Singh Ji gave it to the Khalsa as a reminder to always stand with those who cannot stand for themselves.",[250,429],{},[12,431,433],{"id":432},"explore-more","Explore More",[435,436,437,446,453],"ul",{},[438,439,440,445],"li",{},[441,442,444],"a",{"href":443},"/guides/the-five-kakars-articles-of-sikh-faith/","The Five Kakars — Articles of Sikh Faith"," — What the Five Kakars are and why they matter",[438,447,448,452],{},[441,449,451],{"href":450},"/books/simran-kaur-and-the-picture/","Simran Kaur and the Picture"," — The third story in the Five Kakars series",[438,454,455,459],{},[441,456,458],{"href":457},"/books/the-drumbeat-a-holla-mohalla-story/","The Drumbeat: A Holla Mohalla Story"," — A story about courage and community",{"title":461,"searchDepth":462,"depth":462,"links":463},"",2,[464,465,466,467,468,469,470,471,472],{"id":14,"depth":462,"text":15},{"id":52,"depth":462,"text":53},{"id":102,"depth":462,"text":103},{"id":132,"depth":462,"text":133},{"id":211,"depth":462,"text":212},{"id":254,"depth":462,"text":255},{"id":295,"depth":462,"text":296},{"id":409,"depth":462,"text":410},{"id":432,"depth":462,"text":433},"The Maastarji Team","/coloring/simran-kaur/simran-kaur-and-the-fence.pdf","Simran counts a boy sitting alone by the playground fence — three days in a row. When she learns what her dad's kirpan really means, she finds the courage to walk across.",false,"md",true,[480,481],"Children","Religious Education","/images/books/simran-kaur-and-the-fence/cover.jpg","English",{},1,"/books/simran-kaur-and-the-fence","2026-03-04","Maastarji.com",null,{"title":5,"description":475},"books/simran-kaur-and-the-fence",[377,493,494,495,496,497,498,416],"Five Kakars","courage","Toronto","compassion","mercy","Guru Gobind Singh Ji","original","4e0k7MJXYW0yyIK_ErJHrMc3SgEqbb9gEXdHrGw5rDU",1775652681127]