The next morning, Anjali told her best friends, Ravi and Lila, about Meena’s plea. Ravi, who loved climbing trees, puffed out his chest. “I’m not scared of any cave!” Lila, who knew every flower in the village, clapped her hands. “We’ll solve those riddles together!” With a basket of mangoes, a rope, and a lantern, the trio set off toward the Whispering Cave, a mysterious place hidden in the hills beyond the village.

In a little village nestled on the banks of the sparkling River Kaveri, where coconut trees swayed and rice fields shimmered under the golden sun, lived a curious girl named Anjali. The village of Kodipura was a place of laughter, where children chased butterflies, and elders told tales under the ancient banyan tree. But the heart of the village was the Kaveri, a river so clear it mirrored the sky, and so gentle it seemed to hum lullabies.

Anjali, with her braided hair and bright eyes, loved the river most of all. Every morning, she’d skip down the muddy path, her anklets jingling, to dip her toes in the cool water. “Good morning, Kaveri!” she’d sing, and the river would ripple as if answering back. But lately, something was wrong. The river’s song had grown faint, its waters dull. Fish darted less, and the lotus flowers drooped. The village elders whispered of a curse, but Anjali didn’t believe in curses. “Kaveri is my friend,” she said. “She’s trying to tell us something.”

One evening, as the moon painted the river silver, Anjali sat by the bank, tossing pebbles into the water. Suddenly, a soft glow appeared beneath the surface. She leaned closer, heart thumping. A tiny, shimmering fish, no bigger than her palm, popped its head out. Its scales sparkled like a rainbow, and its eyes twinkled like stars. “Anjali,” it said in a voice like tinkling bells, “I am Meena, guardian of the Kaveri. The river is in trouble, and only a kind heart like yours can save her.”

Anjali’s eyes widened. “Me? But I’m just a girl!”

Meena swam in a circle, sending sparkles flying. “The river’s song is fading because a precious gem, the Heart of Kaveri, has been lost. It lies hidden in the Whispering Cave, guarded by riddles. Will you help?”

Anjali nodded, her fear melting into determination. “I’ll find it, Meena. For Kaveri.”

The next morning, Anjali told her best friends, Ravi and Lila, about Meena’s plea. Ravi, who loved climbing trees, puffed out his chest. “I’m not scared of any cave!” Lila, who knew every flower in the village, clapped her hands. “We’ll solve those riddles together!” With a basket of mangoes, a rope, and a lantern, the trio set off toward the Whispering Cave, a mysterious place hidden in the hills beyond the village.

The path was overgrown with vines, and monkeys chattered overhead. The air grew cooler as they reached the cave’s mouth, where mist curled like a dragon’s breath. Inside, the walls glistened with dew, and a strange hum echoed. “It’s like the river’s song,” Lila whispered.

Deep in the cave, they found a stone door carved with fish and lotuses. Above it was a riddle etched in ancient script: “I am weightless, but you can see me. Put me in a bucket, and I’ll make it lighter. What am I?”

The children scratched their heads. Ravi guessed, “Air?” Lila shook her head. “Air isn’t seen.” Anjali thought of the river, how it carried leaves and light. “A hole!” she exclaimed. “It’s weightless, you can see it, and it makes a bucket lighter by letting water out!” The door rumbled open, revealing a glowing chamber.

Inside, a crystal pedestal held the Heart of Kaveri, a gem that pulsed like a tiny sun. But before they could grab it, a shadow slithered across the floor—a giant eel with eyes like coals. “Only the truthful may take the gem,” it hissed. “Answer this: What is the river’s greatest gift?”

Ravi whispered, “Fish?” Lila suggested, “Water?” But Anjali remembered the river’s song, how it brought the village together. “The river’s greatest gift is life,” she said. “It feeds our fields, quenches our thirst, and sings to our hearts.”

The eel’s eyes softened. “You speak truth, child.” It vanished in a puff of mist, and the gem floated into Anjali’s hands, warm and humming.

The children raced back to the river, where Meena waited. Anjali gently placed the gem in the water. It sank, then burst into light, spreading through the Kaveri like a sunrise. The river sparkled again, its song loud and joyful. Fish leaped, lotuses bloomed, and even the birds seemed to sing louder.

The village celebrated that night under the banyan tree, with drums and sweets. The elders praised Anjali, Ravi, and Lila, but Anjali just smiled at the river. “Thank you, Kaveri,” she whispered. Meena winked from the water, then vanished in a swirl of bubbles.

From that day, the Kaveri flowed brighter, and Kodipura thrived. Anjali grew up, but she never forgot Meena or the river’s secret. And whenever the village faced trouble, the children of Kodipura would sit by the Kaveri, listening for her song, knowing she’d guide them with her gentle, singing heart.