The character of Sibia, the protagonist in Norah Burke’s story “The Blue Bead” is an example of a little girl’s arduous journey of shaping her simple dream of a necklace in the midst of heavy hardships of a poverty-stricken life.

Sibia was meticulously caring about her household chores. Even when she was toddler she husked corn and gathered sticks. In fact, all her work was her companion.

Her physical and mental agility was like a rock goat. Her adventurous nature made her every inch familiar with the surroundings –

from boulder to boulder she came leaping like a goat.

Sibia enkindles her ceaseless effort in going further and further to have her dream fulfilled.  She wins our admiration by dint of her enterprising inner strength and fortitude. It is no wonder that she never shows any grudges against poverty. She is possessed with endurance that is hardly present in a child of twelve-year age. Sibia is presented as a propeller with huge staying stamina by which she went further and further in her struggle for existence and got the final reward of blue bead for her necklace that sustained her to fight against all odds of life.

A simple girl, Sibia shows her heroic deed by saving a woman from the clutch of a dangerous crocodile. She waged war against the crocodile and thus triumphed over her hazardous journey of life.

We must acknowledge her selfless devotion for the neighbouring woman whom she saved without any instinct of self-preservation. Against the backdrop of Himalayan foothills such heroic deed of a girl goes unnoticed. No one is there to praise her altruism. Interestingly, this most striking incident is of no importance to her. Not even does she care for any recognition. Instead, she remains focused on her newly got blue bead. She returned home triumphantly saying –

Something did!
I found a blue bead for my necklace.

Sibia’s struggle against the crocodile was really like a valiant soldier pouncing upon the crocodile. She was always ready to venture into any courageous deed. She is a saviour in the true sense of the term.

Such story of little girl is of educative value for readers. Sibia’s avid compassion for fellow neighbours transcends the periphery of regionalism and attains the universal status. Thus, through the character of Sibia the story sings the song of humanity.