There are two friends named Sam and Ben. Sam is very handsome and smart. He is a curious and cheerful kid who loves solving puzzles and cracking jokes. With a sharp mind for numbers and a kind heart, he enjoys helping friends with homework. He’s always ready for an adventure especially if it involves a mystery or a math challenge! His greatest ambition is to be good in all subjects. He studies a lot because he is afraid that he might score less marks in his exams.
Ben is a confident and thoughtful 10-year-old who loves logic games and solving tricky math problems. He’s calm under pressure and likes to figure things out step by step. Loyal and honest, Ben enjoys friendly challenges. He was also very handsome. He has a birthmark on his face. He is good at EVS and Maths.
They both are students of ABC World School. The school is very big and has a red brick building. The school has a large green lawn and colorful murals. The teachers are very kind and helpful. They both go to the same class and are in Grade 6, section Diamond. They both walk to school together in the morning and often go back together too. They share everything, from pencils and erasers to jokes and secrets. But there was one thing they didn’t agree on: who is better at mathematics. And often argued about the same!
It all began one Tuesday afternoon during lunch break. The boys ran to their favorite spot under the big peepal tree near the playground. Sam opened his tiffin and took out two warm aloo parathas, while Ben pulled out a neatly packed sandwich and a slice of mango. As they began munching, Sam said with a big grin, “I finished yesterday’s math homework in just 15 minutes!”
Ben said, “Really? I did it in 10. And I didn’t even use a pencil. I worked it all out in my head.
Sam said, “Oh is that so, remember how I solved the maths problem given by the teacher last week.”
Ben replied, “Do you remember how I solved that maths olympiad problem, which nobody else could.”
Sam said, “Yeah.. you solved that but don't forget who got A++ in the maths test last week. It was me.”
The friendly banter quickly escalated into a nasty fight. The news of their argument reached the staffroom and their class teacher Miss Kanchan came running to see what was the problem. She realized that the whole issue was who is better in Maths. She said, “There is only one way to end this argument for once and all. We will have a contest tomorrow. You both come prepared for it.”
They reach the school next morning and are excited. Soon the teacher calls both of them in the school auditorium and they read about “Math Buddies”. They realize that it is a group competition. Both of them are upset that they are on the same team. The competition begins and they try to outsmart each other and aren't able to solve anything. Then Ben said, “Sam you are fast with calculation so you focus on that I will look for shortcuts and tricks.” Once they started working together they breezed through the puzzles.
As they solved the third puzzle in record time, they looked at each other and laughed. “Why didn’t we do this before?” Sam asked.
“Because we were too busy competing to notice we make a great team,” Ben replied.
Miss Kanchan smiled and said, “Sometimes we spend so much time trying to prove we are better that we forget that we are stronger when we work together.” As a reward they both were named the captain for the Math Club. Their happiness knew no bounds.
From that day on, whenever someone asked who was better at math, they both said with a smile, “We both are!”