Sanction no.

ः MSCERT/avivi/sp/2015-16/1673 Date : 06/04/2016

Maharashtra State Bureau of Textbook Production and

Curriculum Research, Pune.
First Edition : 2016 © Maharashtra State Bureau of Textbook Production and
Curriculum Research, Pune - 411 004.

The Maharashtra State Bureau of Textbook Production

and Curriculum Research reserves all rights relating to
the book. No part of this book should be reproduced
without the written permission of the Director, Maharashtra
State Bureau of Textbook Production and Curriculum
Research, ‘Balbharati’, Senapati Bapat Marg, Pune 411004.

English Language Committee :

Dr Prabha Sampath, Chairman
Dr Manjushree Sardeshpande, Member English Language Study Group :
Dr Rohit Kawale, Member
Dr Muktaja Mathkari, Member Shri. Akhil Bhosale Shri. Balkrishna Shinde
Dr Shruti Chaudhary, Member Dr Jyotimani Rocque Shri. Bhuvnesh Kumbhar
Shri. Shridhar Nagargoje, Member Smt. Manjusha Sagrolikar Shri. Dagdu Garkar
Shri. Nilesh Kedare, Member Shri. Nilkantheshwar Patil Shri. Gajendra Mugale
Smt. Dhanavanti Hardikar,
Shri. Pundalik Kaviraj Dr Juee Kulkarni
Member-Secretary
Smt. Renu Dhotre Shri. Mahesh Dudhankar
Cover and Illustrations  : Smt. Saraswathi Suram Shri. Nadeem Khan
Reshma Barve Shri. Sharad Pandhare Shri. Rajiv Sangpal
Smt. Smita Pore Shri. Raju Korde
Co-ordination : Shri. Amol Kamble Shri. Rakesh Jadhav
Dhanavanti Hardikar
Shri. Anil Petkar Shri. Santosh Gaikwad
Academic Secretary for Languages
Shri. Ashok Gaikwad Smt. Yogita Patil
Santosh J. Pawar
Subject Assistant, English

Production : Publisher :
Vivek Uttam Gosavi
Sachchitanand Aphale Typesetting :
Controller
Chief Production Officer DTP Section (Languages)
Maharashtra State
Sachin Mehta Textbook Bureau, Pune. Textbook Bureau,
Production Officer Printer : Prabhadevi,
Nitin Wani Shree Printers, Pune Mumbai - 400 025.
Production Assistant
Print Order No. :
N/PB/2016-17/
Paper :
70 GSM Creamwove
The Constitution of India

Preamble

WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having

solemnly resolved to constitute India into a
SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to secure to
all its citizens:
JUSTICE, social, economic and political;
LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith
and worship;
EQUALITY of status and    of opportunity;
and to promote among them all
FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of
the individual and the unity and integrity of the
Nation;
IN OUR CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY this
twenty-sixth day of November, 1949, do HEREBY
ADOPT, ENACT AND GIVE TO OURSELVES
THIS CONSTITUTION.
Preface

The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 and
National Curriculum Framework 2005 are two important events that have
influenced primary education in our country. In the State of Maharashtra, too,
the revised Primary Education Curriculum 2012 reflects their guidelines and
expectations. We are happy to place this English Balbharati for Standard Six based
on the revised curriculum in your hands.
The RTE Act emphasizes all-round development of the child, as also learning
through activities, discovery and exploration in a child-friendly and child-centred
manner; making the child free of fear, trauma and anxiety and helping the child to
express views freely. We have tried to design this textbook so that these principles
become an integral part of the teaching-learning process. For the convenience of
teachers and parents, we have also specified the various competencies that should be
developed by the end of Std VI.
Balbharati Six is meant for use in English medium schools. It aims at a balanced
development of all the four language skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing.
In addition, some activities have been included to improve the children’s study
skills. Some of the content is designed to create an awareness about the structure
and function of language. The main focus, however, is on making the process of
education engaging and joyful.
The textbook has been prepared in a big size with plenty of colourful illustrations
to enhance its visual appeal for children. We hope that children will enjoy handling
this textbook throughout the year.
This book was scrutinized by teachers and experts from various parts of the State
to make it flawless and more useful. The English Language Committee, Study Group
and the artist have taken great pains to prepare this textbook. The Bureau is grateful
to all of them.
We hope that the textbook will receive a warm welcome from students, parents
and teachers.

Pune
Date : 9 May 2016, (Dr Sunil Magar)
Akshay Tritiya, Director
Indian Solar Year : Maharashtra State Bureau of Textbook
Vaishakh 19, 1938 Production and Curriculum Research, Pune.
Statement of Competencies
The child should be able to -
3.2 Read a poem with proper pace, rhythm,
Listening and intonation.
1.1 Understand, enjoy and appreciate the 3.3 Read aloud meaningfully, maintaining
contents of a wide range of stories proper pace.
representing different cultures. 3.4 Guess the meaning of new words from the
1.2 Understand words, phrases and sentences context.
in normal conversational speed and guess 3.5 Read to understand the format of a text.
their meaning from the context. (Letter, report, short play, speech, story,
1.3 Understand and enjoy verbal humour, riddles and jokes, etc.)
jokes, skits, anecdotes and riddles. 3.6 Read the given material silently with
1.4 Listen carefully to a speech/passage being understanding.
read aloud.
1.5 Understand the basic story line, events and Writing
points.
1.6 Listen to short informal conversations so as 4.1 Frame relevant, appropriate questions.
to participate in them. 4.2 Write short compositions on his/her topics
1.7 Understand the ideas, information, of interest.
or message expressed in a speech, 4.3 Describe a picture or a scene.
audio or TV programme.
4.4 Describe a personal experience in short.
4.5 Write a book review.
Speaking
4.6 Write short dialogues or conversations.
2.1 Recite songs and poems individually and 4.7 Write using different formats.
in groups with proper gestures and actions. 4.8 Attempt writing a short poem, story,
2.2 Repeat messages correctly. monologue, etc.
2.3 Present a simple informative speech or
demonstrate a process.
Study Skills
2.4 Present a short dramatic monologue
effectively.
5.1 Learn to make use of different dictionaries.
2.5
Take part in a conversation with
5.2 Develop presentation skills through short
confidence.
speeches, demonstrations.
2.6 Present a short skit, play, etc. effectively.
5.3 Read to find out specific facts and details
2.7 Articulate his/her thoughts, ideas, feelings. about a given topic.
5.4 Identify words belonging to one register.
5.5 Make notes for personal reference.
Reading
5.6 Understand information presented through
3.1 Read a passage clearly taking proper graphics.
pauses and using proper intonation. 5.7 Try to present information using graphics.
Language Study

6.1 Identify the main parts of speech. 6.6 Understand and use simple word formation
6.2 Understand and use degrees of comparison process - some prefixes and suffixes.
(adjectives and adverbs). 6.7 Understand and use common idioms,
6.3 Use adjectives and adverbs in proper order. phrases and some proverbs.
6.4 Identify and use main verbs, auxiliary and 6.8 Appreciate special features like alliteration
modal auxiliary verbs correctly. and rhyming words.
6.5 Frame wh-questions and polar question 6.9 Enrich his/her vocabulary through exercises
correctly. and activities.

For Teachers ...

1. Please take into account the various competencies specified above. They indicate the areas of
language developments and the stages which a child is expected to reach by the end of Std VI. You
can plan your classroom interaction and assessment of pupils in the light of these specific goals.
2. Use the textbook in three ways –
2.1 Learning language: Learning to communicate one’s own ideas, thoughts, feelings, etc.
in English.
2.2 Learning through language: Using English to seek knowledge in other areas of study like
science, history, geography and even art and craft; learning to properly organize and present
the information or knowledge one gets through English; learning to identify the difficulties
in one’s understanding and then to make efforts to overcome them; ‘personalise’ learning by
making notes for reference and so on. Many activities in the textbook focus on these ‘study
skills’. They will enable the students to use English throughout their life as an effective medium
of learning.
2.3 Learning about language: After getting acquainted with the English language for several
years from an early age, children may now be ready to consciously observe how it works. The
Language Study activities in the book acquaint the students with a few grammatical terms. The
aim here is only to build an awareness of the language system. Such an awareness will help
them to rectify their own errors and to refine their own expression. The teacher should not use
this content for mechanical drilling.
3. Please go through the entire book before you start teaching it. Also, because the activities and
games are graded in order of difficulty, do use them in the given order. However, once an activity or
game is introduced, feel free to use it again from time to time, according to the needs and interests
of your class.
4. Many of the games and activities in the book involve open-ended questions. Please give the children
enough time and opportunity to respond to these using their own ideas. Do not use readymade (or
‘teacher made’) answers.
5. Watch over the classroom participation and development of each child in the classroom and provide
opportunities of growth to all of them.
6. An innovative teacher may come up with many parallel or extension activities but do take care to
see that all tasks and activities given in the textbook are carried out first.
Contents

Voyage One Page Voyage Three Page

1.1 Don’t Give Up ! 1 3.1 It Can Be Done 49

1.2 Who’s the Greatest ? 2 3.2 Seven Sisters 51
1.3 Autobiography of a 6 3.3 Stone Soup 58
Great Indian Bustard
3.4 Sushruta 64
1.4 Children are going 10 (A Peep into the Past)
to school ...
3.5 The Donkey 68
1.5 A Kabaddi Match 12
3.6. The Merchant 70
1.6 The Peacock and 18
of Venice
the Crane
3.7 At the Science Fair 75
1.7 Param Vir Chakra : 20
Our Heroes

Voyage Two Page Voyage Four Page

2.1 The Clothesline 23 4.1 Sleep, My Treasure 81

2.2 The Worth of a Fabric 25 4.2 The Story of 83
2.3 A Wall Magazine for 29 Gautama’s Quest
your Class ! 4.3 Mr Nobody 86
2.4 Anak Krakatoa 34 4.4 A Mad Tea Party 88
2.5 The Silver House 38 4.5 If I can stop one 93
2.6 Ad‘wise’ Customers 40 heart from breaking ...

2.7 Yonamine and Bushi 44 4.6 The Phantom Tollbooth 94

(A Book Review)
4.7 The Sword in the Stone 98
4.8 An Autumn Greeting 104
1.1 Don’t Give Up !
If you’ve
’ tried
i d andd hhave not won,
Never stop for crying;
All’s that’s great and good is done
Just by patient trying.

Though young birds, in flying, fall,

Still their wings grow stronger;
And the next time they can keep
Up a little longer.

Though the sturdy oak has known

Many a blast that bowed her,
She has risen again, and grown
Loftier and prouder.

If by easy work you beat,

Who the more will prize you?
Gaining victory from defeat -
That’s the test that tries you!
- Phoebe Cary

l give up : Here, it means lose heart l has known many a blast : has survived
and stop trying. many blows of stormy winds
l sturdy : strong l Loftier : taller and stronger
l you beat : Here, it means ‘you win’.
POINTERS
1. Have you ever given up on something good ?
Share your story with your friend.
2. Your friend fell down learning to ride a bicycle, and now has given it up
altogether. What do you think will be the poet’s advice ? Write it down.
1
1.2 Who’s the Greatest ?

E mperor Akbar or Akbar the Great is known as one

of the greatest rulers in the world - not just because he
had a vast empire, a very strong army, untold wealth,
but because he was a good human being. He cared for
his subjects. He had great respect for scholars, writers,
poets and artists belonging to different religions. He was a
patron of art and culture. The nine gems or ‘nav-ratnas’ in
his court were famous. Many people believe that of these
nine gems, Birbal was the closest to the Emperor’s heart.
Akbar loved to pose interesting questions or problems
in his court, and Birbal never failed to come up with an
equally interesting answer.
We don’t know whether all the Akbar and Birbal
stories that we hear today have any basis in history. They
have been handed down over generations mainly by word
of mouth. Here are two of them :
One day, the Emperor entered the court with a very
serious expression on his face. As soon as he was seated,
he said, “I have a question for all of you. What should be
the punishment for someone who pulls my moustache ?’’
The court was stunned !
Pull the Emperor’s
moustache ! It was unheard
of !
“Flog him ! Give him
fifty lashes of the whip !’’
exclaimed one nobleman.
“That’s not enough.
Put him in jail without food
and water,’’ said another.

2
“Whip him !’’
“Beat him up !’’ “Hang
him !’’ “Cut off his
offending hands.’’ The
agitated courtiers began
to cry out. Only Birbal
was silent. He was even
smiling a little.
“What do you say,
Birbal ? What is yourr
opinion ?’’
“In my opinion, O Giver of Peace to the World, the
offender should be given his favourite sweetmeats.’’
“Raja Birbal, are you
out of your mind ? Give
sweetmeats for such a grave
offence ?’’ The courtiers
began to say. Birbal smiled
and offered an explanation:
“Yes, who would be so bold
as to pull the Emperor’s
moustache ? Only his own
grandson !’’
When Akbar heard this,
he burst out laughing because
that is exactly what had happened in the morning !
On another occasion, Akbar was relaxing with some
of his courtiers. A few of them thought this was a good
opportunity to shower praise on the Emperor and get some
favours from him. They began to compete with each other
in praising Akbar.
“You are the greatest of the kings !’’
“You are the greatest of the kings or emperors that
ever lived on the earth !’’

3
“You are the greatest of all the people in heaven or
earth !’’
“You are as great as God Almighty !’’
“You are greater than the God Almighty !’’
Now, Akbar was no fool. He did not care for false praise.
He stopped the courtiers and asked, “Do you all believe so?’’
“Yes !’’ they answered in one voice.
“All right, then, prove it to me. Tell me at least one
thing that I can do but God Almighty will not be able to
do. Otherwise, you will all incur our royal displeasure ! You
have till tomorrow morning to prove it !’’
Akbar then left the place without another look at the
courtiers. They were in a proper fix. They thought and
thought but couldn’t think of any such thing. In the end, they
went to Birbal. When Birbal heard their story, he told them
not to worry.
The next morning, the court was full. Everyone was
curious to see what would happen next.
“Well,’’ said the Emperor, “Have you found a good
answer to my question ? Or are you ready to leave the court
forever ?’’
Just then Birbal stepped forward and bowed low. “Please
don’t be angry with those who think you are the greatest.
There’s certainly at least one thing that you can do, but the
God Almighty cannot !’’
Akbar looked at Birbal thoughtfully, “And what is that
one thing ?’’
“When you want to punish someone, you can banish
that person - you can throw him out of your kingdom. But
God’s kingdom extends everywhere. The Almighty cannot
banish anyone from his kingdom.’’
Akbar’s face was lit up with a smile, “That was very
clever, Birbal ! While showing how I have an advantage,
4
you have also shown that God is greater. I believe you.’’
Akbar was so pleased with the answer that he forgave
the courtiers for their stupidity.

l patron of art and culture : a person who l agitated : disturbed

appreciates, supports and encourages art and l incur our displeasure : make me angry
culture l in a proper fix : in a tight corner, in a difficult
l flog : beat someone hard, especially with situation
a whip

POINTERS

1. Listen to the stories carefully, as your teacher reads them aloud. Note down the new
words, ideas or concepts. Discuss them in the class.
2. Guess the meaning of the following words and phrases :
untold wealth, closest to the Emperor’s heart, grave offence, banish.
3. Say with reasons, whether the following statements are true or false.
(a) Akbar wanted to punish the person who pulled his moustache.
(b) Akbar thought he was greater than God.
(c) Birbal thought Akbar was greater than God.
4. Write a sentence each about three of your friends. Each time you should say what your
friend cannot do, and yet, pay a compliment to your friend.
5. Write a short note on Emperor Akbar.
6. Convert the stories into dialogues and read the dialogues aloud in the class.
7. Form pairs and make a ‘pair presentation’ of any one of the two stories.
To do so, each person presents only one sentence at a time, and the next one
is immediately presented by the partner. Thus, each person in the pair presents
alternate sentences without breaking the flow of the narration.
8. Find at least five other Akbar and Birbal stories and share them with your
friends. Make a list of the stories collected by the entire class. Put your list in
alphabetical order.
9. Visit a library : Find the stories of l Mulla Nasiruddin l Gopal Bhand
and l Tenali Raman. Share them in the class.

5
1.3 Autobiography of a Great Indian Bustard

Which is the heaviest flying bird in India? Well,

friends, it’s me – The Great Indian Bustard. I feel proud
to be known as the ‘Great Indian’ Bustard. I have more
than 30 different names in various Indian languages.
In Marathi, I am known as ‘Maldhok’ or ‘Hoom’. I can
weigh up to 18 kilos and can stand up to four feet in height
- reaching up to your shoulders or even higher ! I have
got a long white neck; brown wings, tall yellow legs and a
black cap on my head. My wife - Mrs Bustard is smaller
and slimmer than I am and her neck is not white. But I
have heard humans say that we both look impressive!

I live on grasslands and deserts along with my other

friends including chinkara, blackbuck and larks. I eat
everything including snakes, lizards, small fruits and
berries and all sorts of insects. That’s a very healthy habit!
But grasshoppers and beetles are my favourite food items.

When it starts raining, we all gather at our favourite

grasslands where there are no people to disturb us. I perform
a wonderful dance by gulping air in the special feathery
pouch attached below my neck. This pouch helps me to
produce a resonating sound similar to the one produced by
the cow - ‘Hoooooom’. I dance in joy with puffed out
feathers and cocked up tail and dropped down wings.
It helps me to impress my soul mate.

You know that we birds lay eggs and our young ones
hatch out of eggs. Mother GIB lays just one egg directly
on the ground. We don’t believe in building nests - but

6
we have a special trick to protect our eggs from predators.
The egg looks like a stone. Monitor lizards, foxes, dogs,
pigs, snakes and eagles are enemies of my egg and chick,
but my wife protects the egg from all of them. By the time
our young one hatches out of the egg, rains arrive. There’s
plenty of grass, swarming with insects - fresh food for my
family. Young ones of other birds soon fly away from the
nest, but a Great Indian Bustard mother and chick stay
together for nearly one year. The chick learns many good
habits from the mother.

You may have heard about a great human friend of ours

– Dr Salim Ali. He had even suggested that we should be
given the status of the ‘National Bird’ of our country but
the honour went to our beautiful relative - the peacock. I
am happy to tell you that I am the State bird of Rajasthan.
We have got ten sanctuaries for our protection but sadly,
our number is still going down. We used to live in all parts
of India. But slowly the growing population of man pushed
us away from more than 90 percent of our home regions.
We are afraid of hunters that kill us for fun. We also die
due to electric power-lines that we can’t see while flying.
We are losing our homes. Today, only the last 200 of us are
left in the world. We need your support and love in order to
survive. Can you help us?

You can write letters to your leaders and make

an appeal to help us. You can make my drawing and
submit it to your teacher. You can discuss this with your
parents. Come to see us at a sanctuary, because now
you will not see us in other places. And who knows,
if humans don’t help us, none of us will be left on the
earth. You will only see us in pictures.

- Dr Pramod Patil

7
l pouch : Here, it means a pocketlike space. l predators : animals that hunt, kill and eat
l resonating : producing a loud, clear and deep other animals
sound
POINTERS

1. Read the passage aloud.

2. You are going to meet a Great Indian Bustard very soon. Prepare at least 10 questions
to interview him.

3. Play the roles of an interviewer and a Great Indian Bustard and present the
interview in the classroom.

4. Write a letter to your friend about the Great Indian Bustard. You may use the following
points :
l Why we need to protect the bird.
l What you plan to do to help the bird.

5. Form pairs and decide whether the following statements are those of a Great Indian
Bustard or not.

Statements Great Indian Some Other

Bustard Bird
(a) I am the heaviest flying bird in India.

(b) I am known as Maldhok or Hoom in Marathi.

(c) I live in mountainous regions.

(d) I don’t like grasshoppers or beetles.

(e) We don’t believe in building nests.

(f) Our chick stays with the mother for a period of

nearly one year.

(g) I am the State bird of Maharashtra.

(h) We have been pushed away from more than 90 percent

of our home regions.

8
6. With the help of the internet and other sources, obtain more information
about the critically endangered birds and animals in India. Find the names of
their sanctuaries.

Some critically endangered birds and animals in India :

‘CR’ or critically endangered birds or animals are those that are likely to
become extinct in the wild. We may never see them again.

l Forest Owlet l Indian Vulture l Siberian Crane

l Deolali Minnow (fish) l Asiatic Cheetah l Himalayan Wolf

l Amboli Toad

7. Prepare a poster on the need for the conservation of the Great Indian Bustard.

8. Write a short autobiography of any bird or animal of your choice.

9. Make a list of the channels available on your TV under the following categories :
News, entertainment, sports, movies, music, etc.
Which are the channels on which you can watch programmes on animals, wild
life, conservation of environment, etc.?

10. Ask your parents to show you TV programmes on animals, wild life and
conservation on channels like the following :
DD National, National Geographic, Discovery and Animal Planet.

11. You have won a prize to visit a wild life sanctuary or National Park in Africa
or Australia. Choose a location, read about it. Imagine that you are visiting it
and write a letter to your friend about it.

12. Language Study : Identify the following from the list given in the box below :
4 nouns, 4 verbs, 4 adjectives, 4 adverbs, 4 pronouns.

bird wonderful friends gather humans we I

healthy grasslands helps directly protect arrive
together away happy slowly afraid you us

***

9
1.4 Children are going to school ...

Morning light spreads

over the earth.
Once again, the Sky bows his head in respect,
For children are going to school.
The Sun, after his morning dip in the river
dressed up in his golden muslin turban
waits and smiles on one side of the road,
For children are going to school.
Through the green-topped branches,
Breezes sing their songs of blessings.
Fragrant flowers awaken the sleepy roads
with their melodies.
At the corner of the lane,
the Peepal in his lush deep foliage
waves his hands
For children are going to school.
Angels of light have set out ...
Every road is a-gleam.
At this hour,
every particle of the earth
throbs like a mother’s heart.
Time, sitting on an old roof,
flies pigeons in the sky.
For children are going to school.

- Translated from ‘Bachche school ja rahe hain’

By Nida Fazli

l muslin : a kind of soft cotton fabric

l foliage : greenery; leafy cover
l a-gleam : shining bright

10
POINTERS

1. Read the poem aloud.

2. Find at least two things from the poem that show the following :
(a) It is early morning.
(b) The atmosphere is pleasant.

3. Apart from the children, no other human beings are mentioned in the poem.
However, many natural elements are shown to act like persons. Name them and
also write what they do.

4. Draw a picture of the scene described in the poem.

5. The whole world is happy because children are going to school.

Why is it so ? Discuss it in the classroom.

6. Write about how your family supports you to go to school.

7. What would happen if children didn’t go to school ?

Discuss the question in groups of 5-8 and prepare a short composition on it.

8. Write in short about what your parents/guardians feel when they send you
to school.

9. List five of your favourite Hindi or Marathi poems or songs.

Try to translate any one of them into English.

10. Visit a library. Find a school poem. Recite it to your parents.

A Project : ‘Sources of Light’

(a) List all possible sources of light which enable you to see. Try to list at
least 10 to 15. You may add the following to your list : Different kinds
of lamps in your house, different sources you see in nature, different
sources used by man in the past, etc.
(b) Collect as many pictures as you can, or draw diagrams of all the sources
you have listed above. Make a scrapbook using them.
(c) Think of different ways of classifying them, for example, electric and
non-electric, day-time sources and night-time sources.
(d) What is your favourite source of light ? Write its autobiography. (10 - 15 lines)

11
1.5 A Kabaddi Match

The school sports meet was scheduled next

month. The practice matches had already begun.
9 B were the favourites as they had strong
players in their team. The Kabaddi trials were
on. This year there were three new students in
class 9 A. To everyone’s surprise, they proved
to be outstanding players. 9 A’s hopes soared.

When the match started, all the spectators

clapped and boosted the morale of both the
teams. 9 A won the toss and sent their raider
Govind. He was so swift that before the opponents
realized it, he had touched Suresh from 9 B, and
was already heading home. A point was scored.
Ravi from 9 B was a very strong player. He
alone was sufficient to catch hold of any player
so tightly in between his legs twisted like scissors
that releasing oneself from his grip was next to

12
impossible. All the players were literally afraid of him.
This ace player had won many matches for 9 B. With
the support of Mohan and Vinod, 9 B were unbeatable.

Mangesh from 9 A was also strong. He was a

good match for Ravi. Ravi was relaxed as he had
never dreamt of any strong opposition from any team.
When Mangesh was wrestled down by Ravi and
his friends, everyone in the spectators thought that
9 A would lose Mangesh. But Mangesh proved
his mettle. He was on the ground with the
anti-raiders catching hold of his waist and legs.

Slowly, he inched
towards his court. All
the anti-raiders with
all their might were
trying their best to pull
him back. But with
great determination,
and without losing
his breath, Mangesh
successfully touched
the midline. There
were cheers in the air.
He had not only saved himself but
was also able to score three points for his
team as Ravi, Mohan and Ajinkya who
were holding him were also declared out.

13
Now, 9 B began to play cautiously. Mihir,
one of their raiders, even managed to tag Sohan
in 9 A. Nothing much happened in the next few
raids. Now it was Vivek’s raid. He always
played with strategies and they worked fine. The
remaining three players from 9 B trapped Vivek.
He slowly moved back towards his court, the three
anti-raiders also moved with him. When they
caught his arm and were trying to pull him
back, Vivek slipped his leg beyond the midline
with the anti-raiders still hanging on to his arm.
Oh ! The whole of the 9 B team was declared out.
9 A had actually managed to get three more bonus
points of lona. It was an icing on the cake ! What
an enviable score! It set the heads of 9 B reeling.
After the half time break, the star players of 9 A
were full of confidence. Once again, they managed
to catch hold of the ace raiders Mohan, Ajinkya
and Ravi ! 9 A outplayed 9 B in all the areas of
Kabaddi. Their team spirit, their confidence, their
strategies, their swiftness, suppleness helped them
to beat 9 B who had never tasted defeat earlier.

14
Kabaddi is an ancient sport. It originated in India and
has now become popular in many countries, so that many
international events are organized. In these events, international
rules are followed, but several other Kabaddi styles such ass
Sanjeevani, Gaminee, Amar, etc. are followed in different ntt
parts of India.

In Kabaddi, two teams of seven members each

face each other in a flat rectangular court, divided by
a midline. The game is usually played in two halves
with a halftime break in between. After the break, the
teams exchange their sides in the court.
To play the game, each team sends ‘raiders’ across
the midline to the other team. The raider tries to ‘tag’
the opponents and run back to his side, all in one
breath. To show that he hasn’t inhaled again, he has
to chant ‘Kabaddi-Kabaddi’ all the time. If he has to
inhale again, he is ‘out’. The opponents try to catch
the raider and stop him going back to his half till he
loses his breath, and has to inhale again. If the raider
manages to go back successfully, all the persons he
has tagged and all those who have touched him are
declared out. For each player declared out, the opposite
team scores a point. If all the seven players in a team
are ‘out’, the opposite team gets bonus points - a lona.
The team with the maximum points wins the m atch.
match.

The game of Kabaddi requires good health, muscular strength, h,

strategic skills, a lot of practice and above all, great determination.
Indian girls and boys have always excelled at Kabaddi. Would you
like to be an ace Kabaddi player when you are a little older ? Who
knows, if you make a resolve now, one day you may help win
glory for your school, district, or even the State and the Country.

15
POINTERS

1. Form pairs. Make a list of as many games as you can. (At least 25)
Then classify the games using the following criteria :
- Indoor and outdoor games.
- Games played with and without any equipment.
- Games which have one-to-one matches and those in which teams play against
each other (Single player or team)
- Games played mostly by children and games played by adult players.
- Shape and size of the court or field.
Use the following figures to show your classification.

2. Read the description of the Kabaddi match and do the following :

(a) Note down the names of the players and say whether each one belongs
to 9 A or 9 B.
(b) Describe, in your own words, the important events in the first half.
(c) Write, in your own words, what happened in the second half.
(d) Choose any one event and draw a diagram to show what happened.

3. List all the words specially used in the game of Kabaddi.

4. From the internet or other sources, find the other names by which Kabaddi is known in
different parts of our country and the world.

5. What characteristics are needed to be a good player of Kabaddi ? What should you do to
develop each ? Discuss this in groups of 5 and write a composition on it.

16
6. Read the following note from a school girl’s diary :

is
iss Fe rn an de s is ou r new class teacher. She
M
ey hair,
age of 50. With her gr
slim and fit even at the rict !
cle s an d pla in fo rm al clothes, she looks so st
specta
t
t we dis co ve re d th at her classes can be grea
Bu
nute
n. W e be gin ea ch cla ss with a simple two-mi
fu s
ac tiv ity . To da y, we ha d to write as many word
game or s. I wrote
could, within 60 second
beginning with ‘a‛ as we rt‛ !
t a pa t on my ba ck fo r making ‘the best effo
50 ! I go
rld.
I feel on top of the wo

Write diary entries for the interesting or important events that take place in your school.
Write at least 3 entries.

7. Language Study : Degrees of comparison.

We use different forms of adjectives and adverbs to show comparison. They are known
as degrees of comparison.

Positive : Mangesh was as strong as Ravi.

She is as tall as her sister.
Comparative : Mangesh was stronger than other players.
She is taller than her sister.
Superlative : Mangesh was the strongest player in the team.
Their sister is the tallest amongst the three.
8. Complete the following sentences using your own ideas.
l The princess was as ................... as ................... . (Positive)
l The princess was ................... than ................... . (Comparative)
l The princess was the ................... amongst all ................... . (Superlative)

Note that we usually add ‘-er’, ‘-est’ to short adjectives

and use ‘more’ or ‘most’ with longer adjectives.
Examples :
l high - higher - highest l attractive - more attractive - most attractive
l nice - nicer - nicest l interesting - more interesting - most interesting

9. Read the following words and name the degree of comparison shown by each.
good - better - best bad - worse - worst

17
1.6 The Peacock and the Crane

There was once a very conceited Peacock who had a gorgeous

tail like no other bird. So, when he met a Crane one day, the
Peacock scoffed at the Crane’s colourless and dull feathers, and
immediately spread his own colourful tail for the Crane to see and
admire.
“Look at my feathers,” he boasted, “how they shine in all the
colours of the rainbow, while yours are so pale! I am dressed like
a king!”
“That’s true,” the Crane answered, “but I can fly high above,
among the clouds and the stars and I can see all the beauty of the
earth in all its glory, while you live down here just like any other
cock.”
Fine feathers don’t make fine birds.

18
18
l conceited : very proud, vain, arrogant l Fine feathers don’t make fine birds : The
l gorgeous : beautiful, magnificent, stunning saying ‘Fine feathers make fine birds !’ is
l scoffed at : laughed at (the crane) rudely used in a negative sense, to indicate that looks
and scornfully or flashy clothes may not be very important
after all.
POINTERS

1. Read the following sentences carefully and choose the correct meaning.
(a) The Peacock had a gorgeous tail like no other bird.
No other bird had a tail.
The Peacock’s tail was more beautiful than any other bird’s.
All birds had gorgeous tails.
(b) Fine feathers don’t make fine birds.
You cannot use feathers to make birds.
You can judge something by its outward beauty.
Something that looks beautiful may not really be useful.
2. Read the story aloud (or present it) in groups of three - the narrator, the peacock and
the crane.
3. Imagine you are the Crane. What actions and words of the Peacock would you not like ?
Write about it in short.
4. Discuss what a friendly and good-natured peacock would say to a crane.
Write his speech. (5-8 lines.)
5. Find one more example which shows that a beautiful appearance is not enough.
6. List 5 adjectives and 5 nouns from the story.
7. Find five adjectives that end with (a) ‘-ful’ and (b) ‘-less’.
Then write the antonym of each.
8. Start a collection of proverbs. A proverb is a short, well-known sentence or phrase that
gives advice or tells you what is generally true. For example, ‘A stitch in time saves
nine’ means ‘If one does something in time or immediately, it saves a lot of work later’.
A proverb is also known as a saying. Here are some proverbs for your collection.
l Appearances can be deceptive.
l Do not judge by appearance; a rich heart may be under a poor coat.
l All that glitters is not gold.
l You can’t tell a book by its cover.
l Clothes do not make the man.
9. Visit a library : This story is a fable. Find two more fables. Share them with your friends.
19
««««« 1.7 Param Vir Chakra : Our Heroes «««««
You may have heard about legendary heroes of the past and their extra-
ordinary acts of bravery. But even today many brave soldiers of our country
sacrifice their own lives for our safety. Their brave deeds are honoured by
bestowing military decorations on them.
Param Vir Chakra is India’s highest military decoration. It is awarded for
the most conspicuous
sp bravery or some daring or pre-eminent act of valour or
self-sacrifi
rifice
ce,, in tthe
he p
pre
presence
rese
senc of the enemy, whether on land, at sea or in the
air.
The Param Vir Chakra is a very rare
honour. So far, it has been awarded
only 21 times. Fourteen of these
awards were given posthumously.

Indra’s vajra or thunderbolt is

supposed to be a matchless weapon.
But what makes the weapon invincible
is the supreme sacrifice of the sage
The medal itself is very Dadhichi.
simple in appearance. It is made According to legend, thousands
of bronze, and is fitted with of years ago, a demon had stolen
swivel mounting and has a plain all the water in the world. Innocent
purple ribbon. On the obverse, it people were suffering and dying
has the Indian national emblem without water. This demon could not
be defeated by any ordinary weapon
at the centre, surrounded by
made of ordinary material like wood,
four replicas of ‘Indra’s Vajra’.
metal, etc. Something extra-ordinary
On the reverse, the words Param was required. It was learnt that the
Vir Chakra are engraved in Hindi sage Dadhichi had bones of such
and English, with two lotus extra-ordinary power. But how could
flowers in between. one ask for the bones of a living man?
Sage Dadhichi was a noble person. He
The Param Vir Chakra himself laid down his life and gave his
medal was designed by Savitribai own bones to help the people. Indra-
Khanolkar. She was a European vajra, Indra’s weapon of thunderbolts,
was fashioned from these bones and
lady, who married Vikram
the demon was defeated.
Khanolkar, an Indian Army
Just as the Indra-vajra derived
Officer. Savitribai loved India
power from Sage Dadhichi’s bones,
and took Indian citizenship. She the Indian military derives its strength
spoke Marathi, Sanskrit, Hindi and power from the sacrifice of the
fluently and had studied Indian bravest of the brave -the Param Vir
arts and traditions in depth. Chakra holders.
20
Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon
The 21 Bravest of the Brave 10877 F (P), PVC
Param Vir
Squadron No 18 : The Flying Bullets

« Major Somnath Sharma On the 14th of

December 1971, Srinagar
« Lance Naik Karam Singh
Airfield was attacked by a
« 2nd Lieutenant Rama wave of six enemy Sabre
Raghoba Rane aircraft. Flying Officer
Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon
« Naik Jadunath Singh
was on readiness duty at
« Company Havildar Major Piru that time. He could not take off immediately
« Captain Gurbachan Singh Salaria because of clouds of dust raised by another
aircraft. By the time the runway was clear,
« Major Dhan Singh Thapa
the enemy aircraft were overhead. They were
« Subedar Joginder Singh flying low, firing and attacking the airfield
with bombs. Even then Flying Officer Sekhon
« Major Shaitan Singh
took off in his Gnat fighter the moment he
« Company Quarter Master could. He began to combat the powerful
Havildar Abdul Hamid Sabre jet aircraft of the enemy. He damaged
two of them. His fight with the attacking
« Lieutenant-Colonel Ardeshir
aircraft now continued at tree-top height. At
Burzorji Tarapore
last, the enemy aircraft fled from the scene of
« Lance Naik Albert Ekka battle. The airfield and the town of Srinagar
were saved. But alas ! Flying Officer Sekhon’s
« 2/Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal
aircraft, too, crashed and he was killed.
« Major Hoshiar Singh
Flying Officer Sekhon displayed great
« Naib Subedar Bana Singh flying skill and determination in the face of
certain death. He showed unmatched heroism
« Major Ramaswamy Parameswaran
above and beyond the call of duty ! Salute
« Lieutenant Manoj Kumar Pandey to the bravest of the brave - Flying Officer
Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon !
« Grenadier Yogender Singh Yadav
Do read more on the internet at
« Rifleman Sanjay Kumar www.paramvirchakra.com, about the
gallant PVC awardees who laid down their
« Captain Vikram Batra
lives in the service of the country. You will
see that they belong to various communities
« Flying Officer Nirmal Jit
and religions. Do find and read the inspiring
Singh Sekhon accounts of how they faced the enemy
without any regard for their fatal wounds
and physical pain. 21
l legendary : very famous and admired l thunderbolt : a flash of lightning with a clap
l conspicuous : outstanding of thunder that strikes at something

l posthumously : after a person’s death l invincible : impossible to defeat

l fitted with swivel mounting : fixed in a way l determination : strong resolve, perseverance
which allows it to move freely l gallant : brave, courageous
l obverse and reverse : the front and back l inspiring : motivating
sides (of the medal)
l account : a description of an event
l emblem : symbol; an object that represents
something l fatal : causing death

POINTERS

1. Read the passage and answer the following questions :

(a) What is ‘Param Vir Chakra’ ?
(b) What is seen on the obverse and reverse of the PVC medal ?
(c) Who designed the PVC medal ?
(d) What makes Indra’s vajra or weapon invincible ?
2. Write the story of Sage Dadhichi’s sacrifice in your own words.
3. Read aloud the account of how Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon sacrificed his life
to defend our country.
4. Find more information about other Param Vir Chakra awardees. Prepare a collage using
photographs, pictures and text matter written in beautiful handwriting.
5. Find more information about the Indian Armed Forces - the Army, the Navy and the Air
Force.
6. What can you do to show your love, respect and support to the soldiers who fight for
the country ? Discuss this in the classroom. For example, you can send greeting cards to
them on various occasions, with the help of your teacher.
***
Sometimes, we use two or three adjectives together to describe a noun.
In such cases, the order in which adjectives are used depends on the meaning.
The adjectives that express/show your opinion about something are usually
put first. The other adjectives are normally put in the following order :
Size, age, shape, colour, origin, material, use or purpose
Examples : l a nice little basket l a brave young woman,
l a big red, plastic bag l a noisy, old, drilling machine.

22
2.1 The Clothesline

Hand in hand they dance in a row,

Hither and thither, and to and fro,
Flip! Flap! Flop! and away they go —
Flutt’ring creatures as white as snow,
Like restive horses they caper and prance;
Like fairy-tale witches they wildly dance;
Rounded in front, but hollow behind,
They shiver and skip in the merry March wind.
One I saw dancing excitedly,
Struggling so wildly till she was free,
Then, leaving pegs and clothesline behind her,
She flew like a bird, and no one can find her.
I saw her gleam, like a sail, in the sun,
Flipping and flapping and flopping for fun.
Nobody knows where she now can be,
Hid in a ditch, or drowned in the sea.
She was my handkerchief not long ago,
But she’ll never come back to my pocket, I know.

- Charlotte Druitt Cole

l restive : restless, fidgety, unable to remain l wildly : Here, it means very hard,
still violently.
l caper : leap, skip or dance about in a lively, l pegs : pins used to secure something
playful manner in place, as for example, clothes on a
l prance : walk or move with high, springy clothesline
steps

23
POINTERS

1. Read the poem aloud. Recite any stanza of your choice from memory.
2. Answer the following questions with reference to the poem.
(a) What is described in the poem ?
(b) What are the clothes compared to? Give two examples.
(c) What do restive horses do ?
(d) What do fairy-tale witches do ?
(e) What did one of the fluttering creatures do ?
(f) What could have happened to the one who flew away ? Who was she ?

3. Form groups and discuss the following questions :

(a) Why are the clothes compared to living things ?
(b) The events described in the poem take place at a certain place, at a certain period
of the year, under specific weather conditions. Describe the place, the time and the
weather conditions.
4. When we say that two or more words rhyme, we mean that they end with the same
sound or syllable. For example, ‘ring-sing’. Rhyming words are often used in verse at
the end of the lines. List the rhyming words from the poem. Note the words ‘behind’ and
‘wind’. They have similar spellings, that is, they look the same. But they are pronounced
differently, that is, they do not ‘sound’ the same. This is known as ‘eye rhyme’.
Separate the examples of eye rhymes from the following list.
l cry-try l stronger-longer l laughter-daughter l known-grown
l none-shone l beat-feat l shut-put l won-done l imply-simply
5. List all the phrases from the poem in which two or more words are joined
with ‘and’.
6. Form groups and discuss what must have happened to the handkerchief.
Write the story in your own words.
7. Wash your handkerchief clean. Hang it with a peg to dry in the wind.
Watch how it flutters.
8. Complete the following comparisons.
l as white as ................ l as green as ................ l as red as ................
l as blue as ................ l as black as ................ l as bright as ................
(a) Rewrite these comparisons using the comparative degree.
Example : Whiter than snow
(b) Find suitable objects for each comparison.
Example : Petals or flowers or feathers whiter than snow.
24
2.2 The Worth of a Fabric

Thiruvalluvar was a great Tamil Saint-poet, who lived

more than two thousand years ago. ‘Thirukkural’ is the
book of his teachings. It is greatly loved and respected
even today.
Thiruvalluvar was a textile weaver. He wove beautiful
fabrics and saris and sold them in the market. People said
that he never got angry, never used bad words, never
shouted at anyone.
In the same town, there lived a rich young man. He
wasted most of his time roaming around with his friends.
They often made fun of other people.
“I don’t believe what people say about this Valluvar,”
said the young man one day. “I’m sure I can make him
angry. Come on, let’s have some fun today!”
So the arrogant young man approached Thiruvalluvar
in the market and picked up a beautiful piece of fabric.
“How much does this whole fabric cost ?” he asked.
“Eight coins,” the saint named the price.
The young man unfolded the fabric and tore it into two.
“What’s the price of this piece, now ?”

25
“Four coins,” the Saint answered politely.
The youth was taken aback. ‘Why doesn’t the man get angry ?’
he thought. He then tore the half pieces into half again.
“And now ?”
“Two coins!” was the answer.
Now it was the young man who became impatient and agitated.
He tore the pieces into half again and again, saying, “And now?
What’s the price now ?”

Thiruvalluvar calmly went on reducing the price to half

every time.
At last, the fabric was reduced to rags. So, Thiruvalluvar said
in a quiet tone, “Now this fabric has become worthless. I will not
name any price for these rags.”
The young man did not know what to say. But he was proud
of his riches. So he offered to pay eight coins to the Saint. For the
first time, Thiruvalluvar smiled but he refused to take the money.
“Young man, now this fabric is of no use. It has become
worthless. Why ? Because no one will be able to wear it now.”

“Do you know, the fabric was not made in a day. Many people
have toiled to make it. The farmer who grew cotton in his field
worked hard for months through sun and rain. He picked cotton
from each boll and gave it for spinning. Then someone else carded
the cotton and spun it into long, uniform threads. The threads were
dyed carefully so that they took on these lovely colours. My wife
and I wove the threads together, putting in beautiful designs. We
thought, some day, someone will like this fabric, will be happy to

26
wear it. Then all our work would have been rewarded. When you destroyed the fabric,
you destroyed all the love and labour that went into its making. Money cannot bring
it back.”
The softly spoken words touched the young man’s heart. Now he was really
ashamed of himself.
“And do you know,” Thiruvalluvar went on to say, “I can weave another fabric
like this, but our life is also like this fabric. If you tear it apart with hasty, thoughtless
actions, it will be destroyed. And you will not get it back again.”
Thiruvalluvar’s words opened the young man’s eyes. There and then he decided to
give up his idleness and bad habits.

l boll : pod of the cotton plant l spun : drew out and twisted cotton (to make
yarn or thread)
l spinning : process of making yarn or thread
out of cotton wool l rewarded : when one is rewarded, one gets
what he has worked for
l carded : cleaned and combed cotton to
remove seeds l idleness : laziness

POINTERS

1. Form pairs. Present in the class, the conversation between Thiruvalluvar and the
young man.

2. Describe the following with the help of the story.

l Thiruvalluvar l The rich young man l The fabric woven by Thiruvalluvar

3. Read aloud the speech in which Thiruvalluvar explains how the fabric was made.
Present the process in the form of a chart. Draw pictures for the chart and label them.

4. Classify the words in (a) and (b) into ‘positive’ and ‘negative’ words.
(a) great, beautiful, arrogant, impatient, quiet, worthless, proud, happy,
thoughtless, hasty
(b) shouted at, wasted, answered, offered, smiled, refused, toiled, grew,
dyed, rewarded, destroyed.
5. Write the antonyms of the following words :
l politely Í .......... l calmly Í .......... l softly Í .......... l carefully Í ..........

6. Find the following adverbs in the story. What verbs do they tell us more about ?
Write down the pairs of verbs and adverbs.
l ago l greatly l today l politely l calmly l hard

27
7. Use the following phrases in your own words.
l roam around l again and again l bring something back l there and then

8. Discuss in groups and think about it.

(a) List a few occasions on which you had become angry.
What do you do when you are angry?
(b) Mention three occasions on which you have made someone else angry.
What made that person angry? Can you avoid such things in future?
9. Choose any one of the objects we use daily and find out how it is made.
Present the information in the form of a chart.

10. Visit a library : Read the biographies of other Indian Saints. Share at least one story from
their life with your friends. What message does it contain ?

11. Form groups and display the quotes and messages from different saints in your classroom.

A Project : Fabrics
1. Find out the synonyms for the word ‘fabric’ from a dictionary.
2. How are fabrics used in our daily life? List all the things that are
made up of fabrics in your home. (At least 25)
3. How many of them are personal articles? How many of them are
used for beautification of your home? How many of them are meant
for utility (to fulfil a useful function in the household)?
4. List at least ten articles which use fabrics in their making. (Umbrella,
school bag, tents, shamianas, stage curtains, canvas, chairs, etc.)
5. Can you name different types of fabrics? Which is the most
expensive fabric you know? Talk to your parents or to a textile
shop assistant. Collect samples of as many types as you can and
paste them in your scrapbook. Name each type.
6. Find out the different processes by which fabrics are made. Find
illustrations and write a few lines on each process.
7. Name the type of fabric closely associated with Mahatma Gandhi,
the Father of the Nation. Why did Gandhiji want all of us to use
this fabric?
8. India is famous for its handloom fabrics. Write the story of a
handloom kurta in your own words.

28
2.3 A Wall Magazine for your Class !

Students of VI A bubbled with enthusiasm all the time - be it sports,

hobbies or studies. This year they surprised the rest of the school by bringing out
a wall magazine. The idea became so popular that soon there were unique wall
magazines in almost every class in the school. This is what Class VI A did to
plan and prepare their wall magazine.

First, the students and class teacher sub-editors, illustrators (artists) and writers
of VI A brought several children’s (those who actually copied or typed the issue
magazines and pages of children’s in beautiful letters.)
sections in periodicals and newspapers to Anyone in the class could send
the classroom. contributions to the issue. The editors would
They studied the contents to see select the articles to be included and their
what all was included in the magazines. decision would be final.
There was a tremendous variety - stories, Thus, there would be four different
poems, puzzles, riddles, craft ideas, teams to work on the four issues.
informative articles, interesting tidbits
of informotion, jokes, board games, The columns (regular features in all four
book reviews, quizzes, study tips, health issues) were planned with the help of the
tips and even recipes ! There were also class teacher. Apart from the editorial teams,
columns about students’ achievements, more groups were made to run columns like
doubts and problems. These columns were Craft Ideas, Recipes, ‘I need help !’, Science
run with the help of teachers or parents. Corner, etc. It was the job of these groups to
collect material for their respective columns.
After studying all the material, a
discussion was held in the class to choose With the teacher’s help, a prominent
sections for their own magazine. It was place was fixed to display the magazine in
decided that : the classroom.
There would be at least four A long discussion was held to choose a
issues of the magazine. There would good name for the magazine.
be a separate team for each issue. The
team would have an editor, one or two
For the teacher : Please
use the procedure outlined
here to bring out Wall
Are you tempted to do something similar for your
Magazines prepared by your
own class ? What are you waiting for ? Go ahead ! students. Give them freedom
On the next few pages, you will find some to choose regular features or
columns. Please see that every
specimens from the wall magazine of VI A. We are child contributes something to
sure you can create even more interesting pages, if the magazine or shares some
you use your own ideas and talents ! of the work.

29
Teacher : Wally, ‘What are the
three words
why are you late? most often us
ed by students
the teacher as ?’
ked the class.
Wally : The train had ‘I don’t know,’
sighed a
a flat tyre. student.
‘That’s correc
t!’ said the
teacher.

a
e r : I w is h you‛d pay
Teach on.
little attenti
ttle
Why did the teacher
nt : I ‛m paying as li
Stu d e possible.
wear sunglasses? attention as
Because his students
r
were so bright.
w d id y o u find you
o
Dad : H am?
maths ex lost!
t u n a t e ly , it wasn‛t
nfor
Son : U

y five and she can spell

Teacher : Your daughter’s onl
t’s remarkable!
her name backwards? Why, tha
proud of her.
Mother : Yes, we’re very very
dau ghter’s name?
Teacher : And what is your
Mother : Anna.

Fun with words

What’s the
difference between
Which bird can
a hungry person
lift the heaviest
What can you and a greedy
weights?
serve, but never person?
The crane. What jam
eat? can’t you eat? One longs to eat,
and the other eats
A tennis ball. A traffic jam! too long.

30
30
Science
S cience C
Corner
orner

Why do water, tin sheets

become hot in the sun, but
not a tree?

Water and tin sheets are non-

living. When they receive heat,
they get heated according to their
properties and may even change
the state in which they are. Water
turns into vapour, and even tin sheets melt at very high temperatures.
They do not make any attempts to cool themselves.
But you know that bodies of living things carry out different
processes that help them to survive or to adapt to their surroundings.
Plants carry out a process called transpiration. In this process, water
is absorbed by the roots and is sent up through the stems, up to the
leaves. On the underside of leaves, there are pores (or holes) called
‘stomata’. Plants use up some of the water they absorb and the rest
is given out through these stomata. This process helps plants to cool
themselves.
(Humans also use a similar process to cool themselves. Can you
guess what it is ? Yes, sweating !)
Also, you know that big trees have trunks. The trunks consist of
wood. Wood is not a good conductor of heat.
You may relate this information with what is given in your science
textbook (Responsiveness to stimuli, Heat, States of Matter, etc.)

Some questions for the next issue :

l Why do the sun and moon change their size?
l How can we see many channels on the same TV set ?
l Why do we see one image when we have two eyes ?

311
3
I am confused. Please help !

My best friend is ignoring me this

year : I feel angry and unhappy about
it, but I still think of her as my best
friend. Why is she doing this to me ?
I am confused. Please help !

Expert advice from senior friends !

Hmmm ! Don’t we all feel this some time or other ? Don’t
worry. Let’s see what we can do. First, please think about it
without getting upset. Is she really ignoring you ? What are the
things that you used to do together, but don’t do any more ? For
example : sitting on the same bench, having your tiffin together,
coming to school or going back home together and so on. If you
still do most of these things together, you may be wrong in thinking
that she is ignoring you. You can talk to her about it. Find out if
you have hurt her in some way, if there is a misunderstanding and
that is why she is not as warm towards you as she was before. If
that is so, you can simply say sorry and she will immediately be
friends with you again.
Has she made new friends ? Is that what is making you feel a
little jealous and sad ? Well, you can always be friends with her
new friends ! Your friend may appreciate it.
If your last year’s best friend has really started ignoring you
without any reason, do not keep brooding about it. You can make
friends with others. Maybe after a few days, your old friend will
also be close to you, once again.
me
hat co uld be so e
W r th
blems fo
other pro e? -
next issu

32
32
The Little Rose Tree Rhyme and Rhythm
Every rose on the little tree
Is making a different face at me!
Some look surprised when I pass by,
And others droop - but they are shy.
These two whose heads together press
Tell secrets I could never guess.
Some have their heads thrown back to sing,
And all the buds are listening.
I wonder if the gardener knows,
Or if he calls each just a rose?
- Rachel Field
Lyrics
a flying horse
Did you ever see a horse fly,
a horse fly, a horse fly? a horsefly
Did you ever see a horse fly,
a horse fly, fly, fly?
Did you ever see a pen stand,
a pen stand, a pen stand?
Did you ever see a pen stand,
a pen stand, stand, stand?
You can use these
funny phrases in shoe lace, hair pin, tooth pick, eye drop,
place of ‘horse fly’ neck tie, eye lash, yard stick, ear drum
or ‘pen stand’. Enjoy
the puns (different
meanings) !
One Bright Day ...
(A Hand-clapping Rhyme)

One bright day in the middle of the night,

A deaf policeman heard the noise
Two dead soldiers got up to fight.
And ran to save the two dead boys.
Back to back they faced each other,
If you don’t believe this lie is true,
Drew their swords and shot each other.
Ask the blind man, he saw it too.

33
33
2.4 Anak Krakatoa

Krakatoa is an island in the Sunda and spread in the sky. Big, glowing,
Strait between Java and Sumatra in burning chunks of rock and red hot
Indonesia. It is known for its volcano lava are thrown out of the crack in the
which erupts regularly. earth. Very hot mud and ash are also
thrown out. A great volcanic eruption
What is a volcano ? A volcano
can change the landforms in an area.
is a crack or opening in the earth’s
crust. There is hot molten rock near the Volcanoes are popularly classified
earth’s centre. Sometimes, it rises to into three categories:
the surface of the earth through such a
(a) Active volcanoes : Active
crack or opening and flows out. When
volcanoes erupt regularly.
this happens, we say that the volcano
has erupted. (b) Dormant volcanoes : Dormant
means temporarily inactive or in a deep
A volcanic eruption happens on a
sleep. We find information about the
tremendous scale. Thick, dark clouds
eruptions of these volcanoes in history,
of smoke rise high from the opening
but now they are quiet.

34
(c) Extinct volcanoes : Geographers away by the sea water. But then the lava
can guess (by looking at the rock started flowing out of the crater faster.
formation) that they used to erupt This volcanic material was not all taken
long, long ago, but there is no record away by the waves, and a new mountain
of it in history. An extinct volcano is began to grow. It kept growing and
unlikely to erupt again. was soon seen above the water. Thus, a
new island grew from the old island of
Krakatoa is an active volcano. It
Krakatoa. It was named ‘Anak Krakatoa’
has erupted many times causing great
or the ‘Child of Krakatoa’.
disasters. The worst of the eruptions took
place in August 1883. The volcano erupted Anak Krakatoa is still an active
with such a loud boom that it was heard volcano. Eruptions have begun again
more than 3500 km away in Australia. It since 1994. It lies quiet for a few days
is believed to be the loudest sound that and then again there are eruptions. With
man has ever heard. The island, which more lava flowing out, the island is still
was a volcanic mountain, collapsed on growing bigger. Since 1950, the island
itself. The dust that was thrown up in the has grown at an average rate of five
eruption rose to about 80 km in the sky. inches per week!
It spread in the sky around the world and A part of the old island known as
later settled in different parts of the world Rakata is still visible in the sea, a little
thousands of kilometres away. away from the new arrival - Anak
The eruption caused giant waves or Krakatoa.
tsunamis in the sea near the island. About After Krakatoa’s eruption in 1883, all
165 villages and towns were destroyed the surrounding islands and coasts were
due to the eruption and the tsunamis. covered with hot ash. No life remained.
The eruption destroyed two thirds of the When a scientist visited it in 1884, he
island of Krakatoa. It collapsed beneath found just one spider there.
the surface of the sea, creating a huge
But the living world on Rakata was
underwater volcanic crater or hole. The
not lost and gone forever. The wind and
hole was more than 6 km wide.
the sea brought seeds of plants to the
Then, in 1927, a plume of smoke island. Some seeds came with the birds
rose out of the water on the crater. It was who flew over the island. Plants and
followed by another eruption. A few days animals that live in the sea came to the
later, a new island volcano broke water. coasts again. Small land animals like
How did it happen? ants, termites or even rats and lizards
When the underwater volcano threw travelled to the island on plants floating
up ash and rock, it was quickly taken in the sea. One edge of the island was

35
soon teeming with plants and animals. can observe this also in a part of Anak
It was like a laboratory where Krakatoa, which does not get covered
scientists can see how living things slowly with volcanic ash.
develop in an area. Today, scientists The western coast of Java was
greatly affected by Krakatoa’s eruption.
Very few human beings were left there.
But the wild animals and plants in that
area grew in number again. In fact, the
wildlife grew naturally since there were
no human beings to interfere with it -
there was no one there to cut the trees or
kill the animals. So, this region became
rich in wildlife.
POINTERS

1. Draw a diagram to show a volcanic eruption from its description given in this passage.
Label the diagram. Show the following in it : Volcano; earth’s crust; crack in the earth’s
crust; hot molten rock; red, hot lava; smoke; ash; burning chunks of rock.
2. Show the three categories of volcanoes using the following tree diagram structure.

Write a very short description of each category below the box.

3. Show the stages in the process in which Krakatoa callapsed and then Anak Krakatoa
formed in the course of volcanic eruptions. Use the flowchart given below.

à à à ...

4. Draw a diagram to show how life returned to the island. Label the diagram.
(Use the technique of drawing diagrams when you study science, geography, etc.)

5. Write short notes on the following :

(1) The 1883 eruption (2) The living world on Rakata

6. Find the pronunciation of the following words from a good dictionary.

strait, eruption, tremendous, dormant, extinct, tsunami, crater, plume.

36
7. Read aloud with the leader : Form groups of five. Read the passage aloud in groups. The
leader begins every sentence and stops after a few words. The other members complete
the sentence, reading it aloud in chorus.
8. Look at the following words carefully for one minute. Now close your book and try to
write down as many of the words as you can remember.

crust tremendous lava crater volcanic tsunami island ex•nct

disaster dormant erup•on plume inland molten ac•ve coast
9. Read the passage and find the verbs used with the following nouns and phrases :
l volcano l molten rock l volcanic mountain l dust

l 165 village and towns l the wind and the sea l seeds l birds

In the fifth standard, you have The verbs be, have and do are also used
learnt to identify verbs like rise, with the main verbs in a sentence to show
flow, happen, etc. that are used certain things. Then, they are called
in a sentence. auxiliary or helping verbs.
The verbs be, have, and do l ‘Do’ is used with the main verb -
can be used as main verbs in
a sentence. (a) To form questions :
be : am/are, is/are, was/were, Do you know the answer?
being, been. Did you see the bird ?
have : has/have, having, had What do you want ?
do : does/do, doing, did, done What did the queen tell them ?
Examples : What did they do?
be : I am twelve years old. (b) To form negative sentences :
They were ready. We did not go back.
have : I have a brother.
The dinosaur had a long tail. l ‘Be’ and ‘have’ auxiliaries can also form
questions and negatives.
do : Do it ! She did some work.
‘Do’ is not needed when these are used.
Examples :
There are other verbs like can,
(a) Questions : Are you writing a story ?
could, may, might, will, would,
shall, should, must, used to, etc. Is it necessary?
which show whether something Have you written this ?
is possible, allowed, necessary, Why have you come back ?
etc. They are known as modal (b) Negatives : I was not feeling well.
auxiliaries or modal verbs or
She had not seen the book.
helping verbs. We will look at
their examples later on.

37
2.5 The Silver House

There’s a silver house in the lovely sky,

As round as a silver crown;
It takes two weeks to build it up,
And two to pull it down.
There’s a man who lives in the silver house,
In a lonely sort of way;
But what his name is no one knows,
Or no one likes to say.
Yet when you go to bed tonight,
Just draw the window blind,
And peep out at the silver moon,
This lonely man to find.
But if his house is taken down,
And all the sky is bare,
Then go to bed, because, of course,
The poor man won’t be there.
- John Lea

l crown : a silver coin that was used in England in the past.

l window blind : a protective covering for the window. A window blind keeps out light.
l taken down : pulled down, dismantled

POINTERS

1. What do the following words in the poem mean ?

(a) crown (b) round (c) draw (d) blind
Do these words have other meanings ? List them.
2. Find four pairs of rhyming words from the poem.
3. In each of the following line, spot the sound that is used repeatedly -
l There’s a silver house in the lovely sky.
l As round as a silver crown
l It takes two weeks to build it up.
And two to pull it down.

38
4. What is implied in the following phrases or lines?
(a) A silver house in the lovely sky
(b) It takes two weeks to build it up
(c) And two to pull it down.
5. Make a ‘pair presentation’ of the poem, in the class.
6. The man in the moon is mentioned in many nursery rhymes and stories. When people
see the spots on the surface of the moon, they imagine that it’s a human face, or the
figure of a man who lives on the moon. Sometimes, other characters like rabbits are also
imagined
ag ed to o live with thee man.
ve w a . Here
e e aaree two
wo nursery
u se y rhymes about thee man
y es abou a in thee moon.
oo .
-1- -2-

The man in the moon The man in the moon

Came down too soon Looked out of the moon,
To ask the way And this is what he said,
to Norwich.
‘Tis time that
He went by the South Now I am getting up,
And burnt his month All babies went to bed.’
With eating cold lll
pease porridge.
lll

7. Are there any stories/legends about the moon or special names for the moon in your
language? Talk to your friends and family members and collect this information.
8. Do you know any poem or song about the moon in your own language ?
Sing it in the class.
9. Form pairs. Write a poem with rhyming lines on at least one of the following :
the moon, stars, a tree, a flower, a river/lake, rain, the wind, clouds.
***

39
2.6 Ad‘wise’ Customers
You must have seen ‘ads’,
‘ads’ that is,
is they see them.
them They feel like buying
advertisements on TV and in many the product - that is what the owners
other places. Advertisements are given want! But is the advice in the ads always
by owners of different companies to tell good for you ? You must think about it
people about their products. Their aim is carefully.
to make people buy those products. You must act like a wise customer,
Advertisements are designed in such and decide what to buy, how much to buy
a way that people are impressed when and what not to buy!

What the ad says :

Feeling happy ? Feeling sad ? Feeling tired?

Krispy Krunchy ! Krispy Krunchy ! Krispy Krunchy !

Lost the match ? Won the cup ? Day and night,

Krispy Krunchy ! Krispy Krunchy ! Krispy Krunchy !

Now and then For you and me

Krispy Krunchy ! Krispy Krunchy ! Every time !
Krispy Krunchy !
Only for ` 5!
Get one pack
free on 5 !

40
My Teacher says :

We see many types of chips, wafers and

other snacks in the market. We get them in
attractive packets or pouches. These snacks
are usually fried foods that contain a lot of
salt and spices. They are good to taste - but
not so good for your health if you eat them Dal rice,
peanuts,
all the time. bananas,
beans and
Growing children need a balanced and yoghurt are
nourishing diet that includes different types my favourites.
of cereals, pulses, fresh vegetables, fruits,
nuts, milk, etc.

POINTERS

1. Enact the advertisement :

Seven children wait in different places, striking a suitable pose as shown in the ad.
The character ‘Krispy Krunchy’ comes in dancing. He goes near every child, singing the
words shown in the ad. He offers a Krispy Krunchy piece to every child.
The child eats it and begins to smile and clap. At the end, the character faces the
class, shows a big pack of Krispy Krunchy and presents the last few lines.

2. Discuss the following questions after you have seen a presentation of the ‘ad’.
l What does the ad tell you ?
l How many times is the name Krispy Krunchy repeated in the ad ? Why ?
l What would happen if you never ate Krispy Krunchy ?
l What would happen if you ate proper meals like rice and dal or dal-roti ?
l What would happen if you never ate fruits and vegetables ?

3. Present the information in the box ‘My Teacher says’.

Translate the box ‘My Teacher says’ into your mother tongue.
4. Watch the advertisements on TV. Choose any one of them for group discussion and
analysis. Write your report on the advertisement.

41
What the ad says :

Didi, Didi,
Look at this!
My new dress
for the party.
Where’s yours ?
No party for me! Five days to fairness!

Bitia Rani,
Tap, tap, tap!
My new shoes
for the party.
Where are yours ?
Hemagauri will make
No party for me!
your skin shine!

Bitia Rani,
Ting, ting, ting.
Choose new bangles
for the party.
Be fair as a fairy with
No party for me!
Hemagauri.

What’s the matter ?

Why are you sad ?

My skin is so dark.
I feel so bad.
No party for me!

` 10 off
Is that all ?
on every 100 gm tube
Don’t worry.
or bottle -
Solve your problem
with Hemagauri.
Hurry! Offer closes
on 1 April.

42
My Teacher says :

Who says black is not beautiful ? The

colour of your skin has nothing to do with
your beauty. It’s more important to be
healthy, neat and tidy if you want people
to like your looks.
You should eat well, exercise well,
sleep well and drink enough water to get
a healthy, glowing skin. Never feel bad
about the colour of your skin or your
natural looks.
My fur coat
Be careful when you try fairness is always
creams. They may have side effects. clean and
shiny.

Mia, let’s go out

and exercise to get
a glowing skin.

POINTERS

1. Enact the ad by playing the roles of Didi and her relatives. One more child acts as
the salesman of ‘Hemagauri’ and presents the text given in white letters in pink bubbles.
2. Discuss the following questions after you have seen a presentation of the ‘ad’.

l Why does Didi say ‘No party for me!’ ?

l Can you become fair in five days ?

How long will the effect of the cream last ?
l Will you love your brother or sister only if she’s fair ?

l Think of the people you like.

Do you like them because they have a fair (white) skin or because of
some other qualities ? List those qualities.
3. Who do you think benefits most from commercial advertisements ?
4. Have you seen non-commercial advertisements - those that are not ‘selling’ anything
but are only giving people useful information ?
5. Write a useful ‘ad’ for : importance of games, drinking enough water,
your own school.

43
2.7 Yonamine and Bushi
Yonamine Chiru was the most admired girl in Okinawa.
She was intelligent, tall, strong, big and beautiful; and most
important of all, she was so well trained in Karate that no
one could beat her.
When it was time to get her married, her father,
who was a rich merchant, began to worry. He loved his
daughter and wanted her to be happy and well cared for.
She was beautiful and she would inherit a fortune from
him. But where, oh where, could he find a young man who
would come forward to marry a woman who was stronger
than him?
Yonamine had her own ideas about marriage.
She declared firmly: “ I will only marry a man who
can beat me in a fair fight!”
Surprisingly, many young men picked up the
challenge and came forward to fight her. After
all, she was a beautiful girl with a fortune! Many
wrestlers were eager to win her in a contest of
martial arts.
One of the first to ask for her hand was
Kojo, who was actually bigger and stronger than
Yonamine. He was so tall and well built that his
hands were like shovels, and his legs resembled
tree trunks. But he played foul! Even as Yonamine
was bowing to him, in the customary sign of respect

44
to one’s opponent, he threw a punch at her, breaking the
rules of the game. Yonamine was angry. She caught hold
of his arm and twisted it so powerfully that the unsportive
Kojo fell down in a heap and had to limp away, defeated.
Many promising young wrestlers tried their hand, but
Yonamine defeated them all. Her father was in despair.
Young men wanted to marry girls who would cook and
wash and make tea for their husbands. Who would marry
a girl who enjoyed wrestling?
Bushi Kiyo was just such a man! He had trained
under the Karate master Sakugawa. He proved to be such
an expert that he was recruited by ShoKo, the King of
Okinawa, to be his personal guard.
His friends said to Bushi, “You should take on the
challenge of this girl, Yonamine. She may be big; but you
are stronger and smarter than her.” Bushi too was keen to
marry a girl like Yonamine. He did not want a delicate,
fragile girl for a wife.“I shall fight with her and win over
her,” he decided.
Yonamine was impressed at the sight of her new
challenger. She had heard that he was one of King Shoko’s
personal warriors. He was tall and slim; he stood firmly
on his feet and seemed unshakeable. Above all, he had
dark piercing eyes, which looked straight at the opponent,
and showed that he was fearless and straightforward.
The wrestling match began. Yonamine and Bushi
bowed to each other, and then began to attack each other

45
in earnest. They punched, kicked and twisted,
using their best techniques. It looked as if
the match was going to be a tie… nobody
winning, nobody losing…
But, at a crucial moment in the fight,
Yonamine paused, ever so briefly. Bushi
took advantage of the moment, and brought
her down with a swift punch.
Yonamine’s father was a very happy
man! Bushi and Yonamine were married in
a splendid ceremony.
It was a happy marriage. Yonamine was
kind and loving; she cooked and cleaned
and kept the house spick and span. One day,
when she was sweeping the kitchen, Bushi
saw her lift a huge bag of rice with her left
hand, as she swept beneath the bag with her
right hand. He grew thoughtful, “Is she really
so strong? And yet I brought her down with
one punch…”
One day, Yonamine announced that she
would like to visit her parents. “I will leave
in the evening, and return the next day, in
time to cook your dinner,” she said to her
husband.
“You really should not travel during the
night,” Bushi said to her firmly. “There are
bandits about; it is just not safe for a woman
to go out alone after it is dark.”
“My dear husband, you forget that you
married a trained wrestler,” Yonamine said
to him with a smile.
“Don’t forget that I threw you down,
flat on the ground,” said Bushi. “You are not
unbeatable.”
“Don’t worry,” said Yonamine. “Bandits
46
are not as skilled as you are. I can take care
of myself.”
Bushi was not pleased. “She is
overconfident,” he thought to himself. “She
must be taught a lesson…for her own good!’’
That evening, Yonamine left to walk to
her father’s home. As soon as she departed,
Bushi disguised himself as a bandit, wearing
shabby clothes, smearing dark colours over
his hands and covering his face with a scarf.
He ran as fast as he could to hide behind a
clump of trees at a fork on the road.
Darkness fell and he saw Yonamine
approaching the fork, from where she would
take a left turn to reach her father’s house.
When she crossed the clump of trees, Bushi
jumped out from behind the trees and tried to
attack her.
Yonamine was swift and sharp in her
reaction to the attack. She held her attacker
by the hand and kicked him with such
force that the attacker fell to the ground,
unconscious. Yonamine dragged him and
tied him to a tree with her sash. She adjusted
her backpack and set off round the corner for
her father’s home.
The next day, as she was returning home
in the afternoon, she saw her ‘bandit’ still tied
to the tree, as she had left him the previous
night. “Shall I untie you now, or leave you
here?” she asked him.
“Please untie me,” mumbled the bandit.
“I beg you to forgive me. I shan’t ever do this
again.”
Swiftly she untied him and walked away
quickly. She was in a hurry. She had to reach

47
home in time to cook her husband’s I am not mistaken,” he said, looking into
evening meal! Little did she realise that her eyes.
she had just released her husband from “Oh, Bushi, was it you? I am so
his captivity! sorry!” exclaimed Yonamine.
That evening, quite a while after she “You don’t have to be sorry,” said
had set the dinner ready, Bushi walked Bushi. “You taught me a lesson that I
in looking tired and dull. She helped him won’t forget all my life. And that is, don’t
wash and set out fresh clothes for him to underestimate anybody!”
wear. She invited him to have a hot meal.
“Not even a woman?” asked
As Bushi sat down to dinner, he Yonamine playfully.
brought out a white sash from his pocket
and gave it to his wife. “This is yours, if “Especially not a woman,” said
Bushi. And they burst out laughing,
together.
POINTERS

1. Read the story and write about the following in short.

(a) Yonamine Chiru of Okinawa (b) Kojo (c) Bushi Kiyo
2. Discuss and write 1-2 lines about the following,
(a) Yonamine’s ideas about marriage.
(b) How Bushi defeated Yonamine in the wrestling match.
(c) Why Bushi told Yonamine not to travel at night.
(d) Yonamine’s fight with Bushi (disguised as a bandit).
(e) The lesson that Bushi learnt.
3. Divide the story into different sections to show the different events and time periods in it.
Give a suitable title to each section. Examples :
Finding a suitable man for Yonamine Kojo comes forward and is defeated.
4. Write a short monologue using one of the following ideas. Write down the monologue
and present it in the class.
(a) Yonamine’s father worrying about getting her married.
(b) Bushi disguised as a bandit.
5. Form groups and hold debates on the following topics. Make bulleted lists of points in
favour of the topic (pros) and those against it (cons). (3-6 points each)
(a) Boys cannot cook or do any housework.
(b) Girls cannot do everything that boys do.
(c) You should never lose a match.
(d) You should admit your mistakes.
6. Visit a library : Read more stories from Japan, China and Korea.
48
3.1 It Can Be Done

The man who misses all the fun,

Is he who says, “It can’t be done.”
In solemn pride he stands aloof
And greets each venture with reproof.
Had he the power he’d efface
The history of the human race;
We’d have no radio or motor cars,
No streets lit by electric stars;
No telegraph nor telephone,
We’d linger in the Age of Stone.
The world would sleep if things were run
By men who say “It can't be done.’’
-Anonymous

l In solemn pride : Here, it means ‘looking

very serious, grand and important’.
l aloof : separately, without getting involved in
anything
l venture : adventure, a dangerous or risky task
l reproof : criticism, negative comments
l efface : wipe out, remove

49
POINTERS

1. Answer the following questions in one sentence each.

(a) Who misses all the fun ?
(b) What does the title of the poem say ?
(c) What does the man who misses all the fun do ?
(d) Why does he ‘miss all the fun’ ?
(e) What would he do if he had the power to do it ?
(f) What examples of man’s progress have been given in the poem ?
(g) What should human beings do in order to make progress ?
2. Form groups. List a few articles of everyday use. Discuss how they can be improved.
3. Form pairs. Discuss and prepare a list of things which can be and will be done
in future. (5 things) Spot the modal verbs in your answer. (See page 37.)
4. Complete the following sentences using your ideas. :
(a) I can ......................... (b) They can ......................... (c) We can .......................

ls
t : Whee
A Projec te.
f or a minu
1. Think
ca r e f u ll y
th e th in gs/objects
all
r y and recall els.
Jog your
m e m o
o u h a v e seen whe
y
on which m down.
Write the r e f er to boo
ks
ds or eld e r s ; em.
o u r f rie n a r e u s e d. List th
lk to y wheels hy?)
2. Now, ta e objects on which u r f ir st list? W
th y o
about all iss out on
in
years ago
, is
and read ny d id y o u m
ore th an 6 0 0 0
(How ma b a b ly in vented m d v a n c e s made by
hich was
pro ical a civilizatio
n?
w he e l, w g r e a te s t technolog in h u m a n
3. The f the so importa
nt
o f as one o is f
th o ug h t
u th in k th e w h e el
? T r y a n d think o
y do yo without w
heels around.
man. Wh in e li f e o w h e e ls
u imag ere n
4. Can yo b e li k e if there w r f a ces like sa
nd,
w o u ld fere n t s u
what life els m ove on dif fe r e n ces you s
ee?
ow w h e the d if
e y ou seen h a d ? What are ts
5 . H a v
s s o r a p rop e r r o
ie s , e n te rtainmen
gravel, g
ra ctivit
th e g a m es/play a
6. What a
re wheel?
that use a
w h e e l- li ke objects
arious
a b out the v ol and
7.W r it e
a t h o m e, in scho
you see ad.
on the ro

50
50
3.2 Seven Sisters

Hello, everyone! Have you guessed who we are? We are the Seven
Sisters of Northeast India, still unexplored, isolated territories to most of
you and to the rest of the world. Our sister Sikkim lies to the north, but
we seven sisters are contiguous to each other. We are famous for our
natural beauty, lush forests and wild animals as well as our colourful
costumes, traditional jewellery, exotic flowers and our own unique dance
and music. Nature lovers have designated our whole area as one of the
world’s biodiversity hotspots.
Now we will introduce ourselves one by one.

Arunachal Pradesh
Hi, they call me the Land of the
Rising Sun - the Land of the Dawn
Lit Sun! I am Arunachal Pradesh. My
people are simple and hospitable. They
belong to many tribes speaking their own
languages.
Their diet is largely made up of
rice with fish, meat and many green
vegetables; and a popular dish is momos
– steamed buns with meat or vegetable
stuffing.
I am a nature lovers’ heaven. My
land is spotted with monasteries, lush
green forests, lakes, waterfalls and deep
river valleys. In my limestone caves
(known as tapenuru) and forest reserves,
you will find a great variety of wild life.
You must make it a point to visit
the 400 year old Buddhist monastery at
Tawang and enjoy cultural festivals at
Ziro. Don’t miss the Namdapha tiger
project. You are also welcome to the
many wild life sanctuaries and national
parks where you may see rare animals,
birds and plants. I am also home to
India’s first orchid sanctuary.

51
Assam
Friends! I am Assam, also known as Ahom.
You will find my land between the beautiful
valleys of the Brahmaputra and Barak rivers.
They call me the gateway to the seven sisters.
My people are very hospitable. If you come
here you can enjoy the cuisine which has its
own distinctive aromas and flavours. I am
known for my artistic heritage, exotic dance
forms and elegant temples.
The rivers ensure that my territory is
lush and fertile, with wetlands, orchards, tea
estates, and scenic forests and parks. Kaziranga
National Park and Manas National Park are
World Heritage Sites. My picturesque landscape
of golden-green rice fields and landscaped tea
estates is awesome to behold! And you know,
Assam tea is world famous!
The Brahmaputra is Assam’s lifeline. The
land is also rich in petroleum, natural gas, coal,
limestone and other minor minerals.
My hand woven silks are exquisite, with
natural colours and designs. They say our women
weave fairy tales on their looms! Assam’s silk
fabrics ‘Eri’, ‘Muga’ and ‘Pat’ are the most
sought after silks in the world of fashion.
I am known as the land of fairs and
festivals. The major festival of Assam is Bihu.
Cane and bamboo are the inseparable parts
of my life. As souvenirs you can take the Jappi
(traditional sunshade) and masks. Don’t forget
to visit the Ahom palaces.

Meghalaya
Hello friends, I am the abode of clouds,
Meghalaya. My capital city Shillong is called
‘Scotland of the East’ because of its highlands,
fog and scenery. My people speak English,

Words to remember and use : l distinctive l exotic l elegant l scenic

52
Khasi, Pnar and Garo. I am overwhelmingly
beautiful, and everything here is impossibly
green and alive. The rolling mists in the valleys,
the undulating hills, numerous lakes, waterfalls,
caves, sacred forests and exotic flora and fauna
are fascinating.
Here, Jhum or shifting cultivation is
practised even today. I have lovely mountains,
with stretches of valley and highland plateaus.
The rock formations here contain rich deposits of
valuable minerals like coal, limestone, uranium
and sillimanite. I have many rivers.
Please come to see Cherrapunji/Mausinram -
the wettest places on earth. You can enjoy the
forests and ‘sacred groves’ here.
I boast of several National Parks and
Wildlife Sanctuaries. Friends, you would be
amazed to see the Krem Liat Prah which is the
longest cave, and Synrang Pamiang which is the
deepest cave. You can enjoy the panoramic view
of Bangladesh from here. Do come to this pine-
fresh mountain state during the Wangala festival
in autumn.

Manipur
Hey! I am the fourth sister, Manipur, the
Jewelled Land. (I am proud to be the jewel of
my mother India). I am also known by my nick
names Kangleipak or Sanaleibak.
My capital is Imphal where you can see
the cyclists’ velodrome. Many of my people
belong to the Meetei ethnic group and speak
Meetei/Manipuri language. I have the credit of
introducing polo to the Europeans.
My people’s staple diet consists of rice, fish,
large varieties of leafy vegetables ( both aquatic
and terrestrial). But our cuisine is so different
from the rest of India, due to the use of various

l picturesque l awesome l exquisite l overwhelmingly l impossibly

53
aromatic herbs and roots that are peculiar to
my state.
Blessed with an amazing variety of flora and
fauna, I am home to a host of rare endemic
plant and animal life here. A treat for the eyes
is the Keibul Lamjao National Park, an abode
of the rare and endangered species of brow
antlered deer. This ecosystem contains 17 rare
species of mammals. It is the only floating
national park of the world. You should come
to see the Loktak Lake and Floating Islands.
Our Manipuri dance is one of the most
acclaimed classical dances of India. The folk
dances of tribal people captivate the beholders
with their exotic costumes and simple but
graceful rhythm. You should not fail to witness
the Manipuri Martial Arts - ‘Thang Ta’ and
‘Sarit Sarak’.

Mizoram
Hello! I am Mizoram. Mizoram implies ‘land
of the hill people’ referred to as the Kukis. I
invite you to see my land of lush hills, sheer
cliffs, serene lakes and waterfalls. Rolling hills
stretch across hundreds of miles, and the plains
and valleys are covered with lush forests and
thick bamboo groves, green paddy fields, vine
yards, teeming with diverse wild life. My regret
is that not many of you come to visit me! Well,
travelling in Mizoram is a little difficult, but it
has its own rewards. The natural beauty here
is exquisite and must be seen to be believed!
My capital is Aizawl, and from its scenic
location, you can get a captivating view of lush
emerald Tlawng river valley in the west and
the Tuirial river valley in the east. The museum
in the heart of the city, Zarkawt, portrays the
culture of Mizoram with a splendid collection of
costumes, artefacts and historical relics.

l fascinating l lovely l panoramic l aromatic l amazing l rare

54
The Palak lake is the biggest in Mizoram
and covers 30 hectares (74 acres). Do you know
that it is believed that the lake was created as a
result of an earthquake or a flood ? Champhai,
with its fertile vineyards, is known as ‘the fruit
bowl’ of Mizoram. I am also host to numerous
species of birds, wildlife and flora. You can
visit the two national parks and six wildlife
sanctuaries here.
Mizo is the official language and the most
widely used language.

Nagaland
Hello! I am Nagaland, one of the smallest
States of India, called the Switzerland of the East.
Here, we have a land of folklore passed down
through generations, with music as an integral
part of our life. The exquisitely picturesque
landscapes, the vibrantly colourful sunrise and
sunset, lush and verdant flora make my land
unimaginably beautiful.
The State capital is Kohima. The State is
mostly mountainous. Mount Saramati is the
highest peak with a height of about 3,840 metres
and its range forms a natural barrier between
Nagaland and Burma.
There are over 16 tribes and sub-tribes
that inhabit my exotic hill State, each with its
own unique colourful and intricately designed
costumes, jewellery and beads that adorn them.
Today, many of my young people have ventured
into fashion designing, creating fabrics that blend
our traditional motifs with modern appeal. So
much so, I have become a paradise for those
who are into fashion designing. People refer to
me as an affluent fashion station of the East.
My land is an ideal place for trekking, rock
climbing, jungle camping and offers limitless
exploration possibilities in its lush and verdant

l acclaimed l graceful l serene l splendid l vibrantly

55
sub-tropical rain forests. Here we have an
abundance of medicinal herbs too.
I am known as the ‘Falcon capital of the
world.’ The great Indian hornbill is one of the
most famous birds found here.
Nagas, by nature, are lovers of fun and
frolic and here, life is one long festival. Dance
and songs are a part and parcel of all our
festivities. Most of our dances are performed
with a robust rhythm. If you love a colourful
life and appreciate ethnic customs and traditions
with their unique songs, dances and festivals,
you must come to our Naga Heritage Village,
which showcases our cultural heritage. Do come
and participate in our Great Hornbill Festival!

Tripura
Hello, I am Tripura, the third smallest State
in the country, bordered by Bangladesh to the
north, south, and west,
Tripura meaning ‘three cities’ ‘Tripura’ also
means ‘near water’. Some scholars also believe
that the land was ruled in ancient times by
a King named Tripur, from whom my name
emerged.
My land has three distinct geographical
zones: 1. The hill ranges which run from North
to South; 2. The undulating plateau land and
3. The low-lying alluvial plains. Many rivers
nourish my land and sustain the activities of
my people. Chief among them are the Gumti,
the Muhuri and the Feni. Rice, cotton, jute, tea,
tobacco and oilseeds are grown here.
The Kokborok speaking Tripuri people are
the major group among the many tribes and
subtribes. Bengali and Manipuri people have
co-existed in peaceful harmony with the people
of Tripura for generations.

l unimaginably l verdant l robust l peaceful l gorgeous

56
I am rather difficult for you to access because
only one major road or National Highway connects
my land with the rest of the country. Agartala
is my capital city. People come to visit me for
ecotourism and archaeological tourism. My lush
tea gardens and wild life sanctuaries and my
specially set up eco-parks are a great attraction;
as are the famous rock carvings at Deotamura.
The Neermahal is a gorgeous red-and-white water
palace, empty but shimmering on its own island
in the lake of Rudrasagar.
People of all communities and tribes
participate in State festivals like Garia, Durga
Puja, Buddha Purnima, Kharchi, Pous Sankranti,
Bijhu or Christmas.
Come and visit me; you will be fascinated
by my rich cultural heritage, beautiful palaces,
wild life sanctuaries, historical temples, palaces
and museums. My folk dances will enthrall you,
and my people will welcome you with warmth
and courtesy!

POINTERS

1. Present any one of the speeches given above.

2. Choose any one of the seven States. Find more information about it and prepare a leaflet
or brochure to invite people to visit it.

3. From the passage, find and write any two examples of the following :
(a) Use of the verb ‘be’ (am, is, are, etc) as the main verb.
(b) Sentences containing l ‘must’ l ‘can’.
(c) Sentences beginning with ‘Don’t’.

4. Write a short speech for the State of Maharashtra.

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3.3 Stone Soup

(A village. A few small cottages standing close by. They belong to Motiram, Sonabai,
Hirabai and Rupabai. It’s evening. They are chatting outside Motiram’s house.)

Motiram : Your farm produce was really good

this year, I’m told.
Sonabai : So was yours, I hear.
Motiram : I don’t want to advertise it, though. It
might attract guests.
(Traveller enters from a corner. The villagers don’t
see him.)
Hirabai : You are right. Guests can be a nuisance.
Sonabai : I agree. Especially uninvited guests.
Motiram : Uninvited guests are pests.
(Traveller becomes nervous. Doesn’t come forward.)
Hirabai : True. I never waste good food and
money on others.
Rupabai : Do you think that is right ? How can
we refuse them ?
Hirabai : Just find some polite excuses.
That’s all.
Sonabai : You are right. I can always cook up
some excuse.
Motiram : Me, too. For me, ‘Charity begins at home’ and stays at home. Anyway,
I must attend to my work now. See you.
All neighbours : See you later.
(They enter their homes. Traveller comes forward.)
Traveller : What hard luck ! I’m a poor, footsore traveller. And I’m so hungry !
But this bunch of villagers looks tough. I don’t think they’ll offer
me food or rest, but let me try.
(He knocks on Motiram’s door. Motiram opens the door.)

58
Motiram : Yes ? Who are you and what
do you want ?
Traveller : I am a traveller. I am very
hungry and tired. Can I
please have some food and
a place to rest for the night ?
Motiram : Dinner is over. There is nothing
left. Try elsewhere.
(Shuts the door with a bang.)
Traveller : How rude ! Hmm... ! Let me try
the next door.
(Knocks on Sonabai’s door. She comes out.)
Good evening, kind lady. I am a traveller. Can I have some food and a
corner to rest for tonight ?
Sonabai : (putting her hand behind her ear) What did you say ?
Traveller : (aloud) Can I have some food ?
Sonabai : Wood ? Why, there is plenty in the forest. Find a fallen tree and chop all
the wood that you need.
Traveller : I said ‘food’. I’m hungry.
Sonabai : You agree ! Fine, then go
and chop the wood ! (Goes
back into the house.)
Traveller : Well, well, that was a clever
excuse. She pretended to
be hard of hearing. Let me
try elsewhere.
(Knocks on Hirabai’s door.)
Anyone at home ? Any food
for a hungry traveller ?
(Hirabai comes out.)
Good evening. Ma’m ! I
wonder if I could get something to eat and a place to rest for the night ?
Hirabai : (pretending not to understand his language) Og yawa. On doof dna on
tser rof enoyna ereh.
Traveller : I don’t understand you.

59
Hirabai : (shaking her hand) Doog. I od
ton tnaw uoy ot. Og erehwesle.
(Goes back inside leaving the traveller
bewildered.)
Traveller : So that was her trick. Talking
gibberish. I’m not defeated.
(Knocks on Rupabai’s door. She comes
out.)
Rupabai : Yes ? Who are you, young
man ? I have not seen you
around.
Traveller : I am a traveller and I wondered if I could get some food as well as a
corner to rest for this night.
Rupabai : (thinks) Alas. My larder is empty.
I am so hungry myself but I have
nothing left in the house.
Traveller : I am sorry to hear that.
Rupabai : I’m sorry too. But I can’t help it.
Sorry ! (Turns to leave.)
Traveller : (aloud) Wait, Madam. If you are
also hungry, I can make us both
some soup.
Rupabai : But I told you my larder’s empty.
I can’t offer you anything.
Traveller : All I need is a cooking pot, a spoon and some water. I have a magic
stone in my bag. When you boil it in water, it makes a delicious,
nourishing soup.
Rupabai : Really ? A magic stone ? And all you need is a pot of water ? I think I can
manage that much.
Traveller : Yes. Just a pot of water. Only, a big one.
(Rupabai goes back to her cottage. Traveller collects wood and makes a fire in one
corner. Other neighbours peep out from their door/windows and watch quietly but
curiously. Rupabai comes out with a very big pot.)
Rupabai : Here’s your pot of water.
Traveller : Thank you. Now just wait and watch.
(Puts the pot on the fire. Takes out a stone from his pocket and drops it in the pot.)

60
Rupabai : A magic stone that makes soup ? I
can hardly believe this. (Sits down
to watch.)
Traveller : (sniffing and pretending to enjoy
the aroma) Aah ! Lovely ! It’s
going to be really delicious. (To
Rupabai) If only we had one or
two potatoes to add! It tastes
heavenly with potatoes. But alas !
We don’t have any.
Rupabai : Ummm, one or two, you said ? Let
me see if I have just one or two left
somewhere. (Brings a few peeled
potatoes.) Here! Luckily, I had
just a few left. I’ve even peeled
them for you.
Traveller : Wonderful !
(Puts the potatoes in the pot, stirs for some time
and sinffs again.)
What with the potatoes you’ve given, the soup will now be terrific.
(Sniffs) Carrots and tomatoes would give it a tempting colour, wouldn’t
they ? But that would be too much to hope for ...
Rupabai : Um ... I don’t know ...
(Sonabai comes out with some tomatoes.)
Sonabai : Hello, hello, maybe I can be of
some help. I had reserved these
tomatoes for tomorrow. But I’m
always willing to help, you know.
And I know that Hirabai has plenty
of carrots, but I’m not sure if she’ll
share a few with us.
Hirabai : (enters with a few carrots) I don’t
have plenty. In fact, I, too, was
reserving these for tomorrow. But
never mind, if Sonabai can spare
her tomatoes, I, too, can spare
these. After all, you don’t get to see
a magic stone making a magic soup
every day.

61
Traveller : (bows to the women) I’m really speechless, you noble ladies. This is
going to be a famous soup. (Adds the vegetables, stirs, and sniffs.)
It reminds me of the soup I had made some time ago. I had added just a
few beans, onions ... and I think a little piece of ginger, and what flavour
it had ! Those are the only little things missing now, but what we have is
also good enough. You can’t always have the best ! (Enter Motiram.)
Motiram : Why not ? If you
can have the best,
why miss the
golden chance ?
Here. Take
these. When help
is needed, old
Motiram doesn’t
lag behind.
(Offers vegetables.)
Traveller : (bows) How can
I ever forget
your generosity ?
(Adds all the
vegetables, stirs and sniffs.) ... Aha ! ... Absolutely mouthwatering ...
what flavour ... what aroma ... what taste ... (takes a sip) ... marvellous
... if only I could add a pinch of salt, it would be perfect !
Rupabai : I’ll get some salt and bowls for all of us.
Traveller : Thank you. I was about to suggest that. (Exit Rupabai.) You are all being
so kind and helpful. It’s an unforgettable experience.
(Rupabai returns with the salt, pepper and bowls. Traveller adds the salt, stirs and
serves the soup to everyone.)
Rupabai : Ah ! Wonderful ! You can taste the goodness of fresh vegetables!
Sonabai : Yes. Unbelievable. No one would think that this soup was made with a
stone !
Motiram : You’ve said it. Such delicious vegetable soup and made with a stone !
Hirabai : I wonder what happens to the stone ? Does it melt away ?
Traveller : Oh, no ! It remains the same. (Takes out the stone from the pot.) Take
a look. This was the stone that made the soup. (Aside, to the audience)
Have you guessed the secret of the stone soup ? (Smiles) You can make
it even without the stone !
(Curtain as everyone enjoys the soup.)

62
POINTERS

1. Answer the following questions :

(a) Where does the story take place ?
(b) List the characters in the play and write one or two lines about each.
(c) How do the following avoid giving anything to the traveller ?
l Motiram l Sonabai l Hirabai l Rupabai
(Answer in one or two lines each.)
(d) Find what Hirabai tells the traveller by reading her words from right to left.
(e) Apart from the stone, how many things go into the soup ?
(f) Does the traveller really have a magic stone ?
2. On any one page, note against the speech of every character, what feelings it should show
to bring out the meaning best. For example, joy, fear, anger, nervousness, friendliness,
dislike, surprise, wonder, excitement, politeness, rudeness, cunning, curiosity.
3. Read aloud / Enact the play.
4. Write a recipe for the stone soup.
5. Form pairs. Write at least one short dialogue for each of the following expressions.
(a) I agree. (b) True ! (c) You are right.
(d) Why not ? (To mean that something can be done.) (e) Thank you.
For example :
Amit : I think all schools should have big playgrounds.
Sumit : I agree !
6. Find the meaning of ‘Charity begins at home’. Find other sayings which have a similar
meaning.
7. List five questions from the play which can be answered with ‘yes’ or ‘no’.
8. ‘Smart Answers’ : Form a large group. Each person asks the next one a question to get
him to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’. He/She can use appropriate statements, requests or even other
questions as a response. But if he/she says ‘yes’ or ‘no’, he/she is out. Otherwise he/she
continues the game. Questions cannot be repeated.

9. Visit a library : Find stories about hosts and guests. Share them with the class.
Classify the stories into funny and serious stories.
***

63
3.4 Sushruta
(A Peep into the Past)

Part 1
Sushruta was indeed a bright student
of veterinary medicine. His teacher,
Shalihotra, once decided to test him.
He asked Sushruta what all he would
need to perform a surgery on a wonderful
horse. Sushruta, very quickly listed down
all the instruments and the medicines that
would be needed.
“Three things are missing.’’ Shalihotra
said.
Confused, Sushruta looked at him.
“I will give you a week to find them.’’
Shalihotra consoled.
Curious to find out what those three
things were, Sushruta observed his teacher
carefully for the next one week.
Before operating the horse, Shalihotra
observed every part of the horse. And then
Sushruta found the first missing thing!
‘A good veterinarian should have an
eagle’s eye.’
Then Shalihotra treated the animal as
if it were his own; balancing science and
compassion equally. And lo! Sushruta
found his second rule. ‘A good veterinarian
should have a lion’s heart.’
Shalihotra helped the horse recover
after the surgery. Sushruta came to know
that ‘A good veterinarian should have a
mother’s touch too.’
Later in his life, Sushruta wrote a
book on surgery!

64
Part 2
A tradition of veterinary therapy
developed very early in India and this
has survived to the present time. Based
on the Ayurveda, Indian veterinary
medicine is known for its specialized
literature, which provides information
on ancient methods of preventing and
treating diseases of animals. Some of
these treatments, little known outside
India, are still practised today.
The oldest existing veterinary
text from India is a treatise entitled
‘Asvayurveda Siddhanta’ (Complete
Ayurvedic system for horses)
attributed to Shalihotra (around
2350 BCE), the founder of veterinary
medicine. Subsequently, various
treatises on horses and diseases of
horses were composed. Nakula, one
of the five Pandavas, was a horse
specialist himself. Among the best
known works of animal literature
is ‘Asva cikitsita’ (Therapeutics of
horses), written by Nakula!
Sushruta, a disciple of Shalihotra,
wrote on animal surgery. This made
people aware of surgical methods,
dressing of wounds, bandaging of
fractures, etc.
Later, during the reign of Chandra
Gupta Maurya (around 300 BC),
veterinarians started accompanying
armies, to treat horses, elephants as
well as cattle.
The great Emperor Ashoka erected
the first known veterinary hospitals

65
of the world. He arranged cultivation of curd, khoa, etc. was a common practice
herbal medicines for men and animals in and still is. Chicken was utilized for its
his empire and adjoining kingdoms. meat while sheep was utilized for its
Giving the animals general tonics wool.
and stimulants was practised in order to Although India has always had
ensure good mental and physical health. immense knowledge in the field of
Prevention of the occurrence of veterinary sciences, it is not chosen as a
diseases was also given importance. career by many due to a lack of awareness.
Cleanliness of animals, maintenance Being an agriculture based country,
of stalls and stables, quality of food, today, India needs more veterinarians
disadvantages of overfeeding were who empathize with animals and give
looked after. their cent percent to the profession.

Utilization of animal by-products - Dr. Chirantana Mathkari

was also done wisely by our ancestors!
Conversion of milk into butter, ghee,

POINTERS

1. Answer the following questions :

(a) Who was Sushruta ?
(b) Who was Shalihotra ?
(c) What question did Shalihotra ask to test Sushruta ?
(d) How long a period did Shalihotra allow to find the missing things ?
(e) How did Sushruta find the missing things ? Select the appropriate answer.
(1) By reading several books
(2) By consulting his friends
(3) By observing his teacher carefully and thinking about what he did
(4) By meditating
(f) Who erected the first known veterinary hospitals of the world ?
2. What were the three things that Sushruta discovered ?
3. Explain the meaning of the following phrases :
(a) An eagle’s eye (b) A lion’s heart (c) A mother’s touch.
4. Narrate the story of Sushruta in your own words.
5. List all the words related to surgery from the passage.

66
6. Write short notes on the following :
(a) Veterinary Science in Ancient India.
(b) Care of animals in the regime of Emperor Ashoka.
(c) Utilization of animal by-products in the ancient world.

7. Form pairs. Complete the following table through discussions.

Occupation Necessary Qualities Reasons

Student
Teacher
Housewife
Sportsman
Artist
Singer
Author
Umpire
Actor
Scientist

8. Note these pairs of words : l care-carefully l equal-equally.

Here we see that the letters ‘-ly’ are added at the end of the word to make another
word. A letter or group of letters added at the end of a word to make another word is
called a suffix.
(a) Use the suffix ‘-ly’ to make other words from the following :
l subsequent l frequent l wise l immense l beautiful

(b) Find two examples each, of the words made by using the following suffixes.
l -ness l -er l -let l -ful l -tion/sion l -y

9. Frame questions beginning with the following words, based on the above passage.
l Who l What l Where l When l How l Why (One question each)

10. Visit a library : Find more information/stories about scholars of the ancient world -
Aryabhatta, Bhaskaracharya, Varah Mihir, Charak, Nagarjuna, Jeevak.

***

67
3.5 The Donkey

I saw a donkey one day old.

His head was too big
for his neck to hold;
His legs were shaky
and long and loose,
They rocketed and staggered
and weren’t much use.

He tried to gambol
and frisk a bit,
but he wasn’t quite sure
of the trick of it.
His queer little coat
was soft and grey
and curled at his neck
in a lovely way.

His face was wistful

and left no doubt
that he felt life needed
some thinking about.
So he blundered round
in venturesome quest,
and then lay flat on the ground
To rest.

He looked so little
and weak and slim,
I prayed the world
might be good to him.

- Anonymous

l rocketed : moved suddenly l wistful : full of hope, longing for something

l staggered : tottered, moved unsteadily l venturesome : daring, adventerous
l gambol : leap, move playfully l quest : search, the act of looking for
something

68
POINTERS

1. Rewrite the poem in the form of a prose passage.

2. List the pairs of rhyming words from the poem.
3. What does the poet pray for ? Why ?
4. Have you seen a newborn young one of an animal ?
5. Talk to your parents and family members and write what you could do when -
l you were a day old l you were one month old
l you were six months old l you were one year old.
6. Form groups and hold debates on the following topics. Make bulleted lists of points in
favour (pros) and those against (cons) the given statement. Let the whole class vote on
who won the debate.
(a) Man should use animals for his own needs.
(b) Contact with man has helped animals to survive.
7. Find what the young ones of the following animals are called :
l donkey - l sheep - l owl -
l horse - l lamb - l swan -
l lion - l cow - l eagle -
l tiger - l pig - l duck -
l elephant - l whale - l peacock -
8. Complete the following using your own ideas :
(a) His head was too big to hold his neck.
(b) He was too shy to ............................ .
(c) She was too proud to ............................ .
(d) They were too tired to ............................ .
(e) We are too busy to ............................ .
(f) He was too lazy to ............................ .
9. Write a conversation between :
(a) A donkey and a dog (b) A donkey and a horse (c) A donkey and a school boy.
10. If you saw someone abusing an animal, what would you do ? Write about it in 5 lines.
11. Visit a library : Find poems about animals. Copy them and recite them to your friends.

***

69
3.6 The Merchant of Venice

Antonio was a merchant who lived best friend was Bassanio. Bassanio was
in Venice, a prosperous city in Italy. In a young and handsome nobleman but
those days, that is, about five hundred unfortunately, he had no money.
years ago, sea voyages were dangerous.
And yet, some adventurous merchants Bassanio wanted to marry Portia.
travelled across the seas. Some others Portia was beauti
beautiful and intelligent.
spent a lot of money in sending
ding ships She was the
th only daughter of
to faraway countries. Thesee ships a very wealthy man. Her
brought back spices and other fathe
father had died, leaving
treasures from India and other
her her a large estate.
countries. The merchants ts In his will,
sold these things in Europe.
e. P
Portia’s father
They made a lot of profit in had written how
this business. Portia’s husband
At the time when the should be
story begins, Antonio was selected. He had
waiting for his ships to set a test for her
return with merchandise. Hee ssuitors. They had
had put almost all his moneyy to choose between
in the ships. th
three caskets - one
of gold,
g one of silver
Antonio was a kind man. o of lead.
and one
ut his
He had many friends, but

70
Each casket had something written Shylock, the Jewish moneylender, and
on it. On the gold casket, it was written asked him for the money.
‘Whoever chooses me shall gain what
Shylock had a lot of money, but he
many men desire’; on the silver casket,
was not at all generous. Money was all
‘Whoever chooses me, shall get as much
that he cared for. He did not like Antonio,
as he deserves’; on the casket of lead,
because Antonio sometimes lent people
‘Whoever chooses me must give and
money without charging any interest for it.
hazard all he has’.
So, Shylock decided to take
One of Portia’s suitors was the
advantage of this situation. He gave
Prince of Morocco. He chose the gold
them the money on a strange condition.
casket. But when he opened the casket,
If Antonio failed to return the money
the message inside said that it was not
within three months, Shylock would cut
the right casket. ‘All that glitters is not
off a pound of Antonio’s flesh. Antonio
gold !’
agreed to this, and borrowed the money
Another suitor, the Prince of Arragon, for Bassanio.
chose the silver casket. But that too was
Bassanio went to Belmont. When he
not the right casket.
saw the caskets, he chose the lead one.
Bassanio wanted to try his luck with That was the right casket, and Bassanio
the caskets. To do that, he had to travel won Portia’s hand by choosing it. Portia,
to Belmont where Portia lived on her too, was glad to marry Bassanio.
estate. He needed money for that. When
In the meanwhile, Shylock heard
Antonio came to know this, he wanted to
that Antonio had lost his ships. He was
help. He told Bassanio to borrow money
very happy that Antonio would not be
in his (Antonio’s) name. They went to
able to pay the money. He took Antonio
71
to court and Then the
demanded that he young lawyer
fulfil the strange and cruel requested Shylock
condition. The Duke liked Antonio and to show mercy,
was sorry for him. But what could he do ? though the law
Antonio had written a bond to Shylock was on Shylock’s
and according to the law, Shylock was side. The lawyer
right. pleaded that mercy
is a quality of God
When Bassanio and Portia heard all
himself. When
this, they rushed back to Venice. Portia
a person shows
told Bassanio to pay Shylock twice the
mercy to someone
amount to save Antonio. But Shylock was
else, they are both
adamant. He demanded only a pound of
blessed. Mercy was
Antonio’s flesh.
more valuable than
Everyone in the court, including a king’s crown. But
the Duke, felt that Shylock’s demand all this had no effect on
was inhuman. The Duke asked Shylock Shylock.
to show mercy towards Antonio but
The young lawer then said that the
Shylock was not ready to do so. He felt
law allowed Shylock to take a pound of
that Antonio and others had treated him
flesh, and he could do that. At the same
badly before, and he wanted revenge.
time, the lawyer warned that while
Just then, a young lawyer entered cutting off the flesh, Shylock should not
the court. He said that he would fight shed even one drop of Antonio’s blood.
Antonio’s case. He asked Antonio Also, he should cut exactly one pound
whether he had agreed to Shylock’s of flesh - nothing less, nothing more.
condition. Antonio said that he had That would not be allowed by the law.
agreed.

72
Shylock realised that he
could not do what the young
lawyer asked him to do, and he
accepted his defeat. Antonio’s
life was saved.
Who was the young lawyer ?
Bassanio and Antonio found out later
that it was none other than Portia herself,
dressed as a young man.
Later, it was learnt that Antonio’s ships were safe,
and so he had not in fact lost his money. Thus, the story
which could have ended in a tragic manner ended happily.

POINTERS

1. Say whether the following statements are true or false.

(a) The merchant ships brought spices and other treasures from India and other
countries to Italy.
(b) Antonio had gone on a long voyage.
(c) Bassanio was very rich.
(d) Portia had many brothers and sisters.
(e) Portia’s suitors chose the gold and silver caskets.
(f) Bassanio borrowed money from Shylock in Antonio’s name.
(g) Shylock was not at all generous.
(h) Shylock demanded a pound of Antonio’s flesh.
(i) Portia saved Antonio in the court of law.
(j) Antonio’s ships were lost at sea.

73
2. Write a few lines about each character.
3. Write the following in short :
(1) The story of the three caskets.
(2) What the young lawyer pleaded.
(3) The events at the court.
4. Write the conditions that Portia put down to warn Shylock.
5. Find four words ending with ‘-ous’ from the story.
Can you add three more words ending with ‘-ous’ to this list ?
6. Read the following words. Write the words that are combined to make these words.
l faraway l nobleman l whoever l moneylender l sometimes
Add ten more words to the list on your own. Each of the component words must be
meaningful.
7. Read the following chains of words :
l fortune - fortunate - fortunately - unfortunately
l know - knowing - knowingly - unknowingly
l amaze - amazing - amazingly
l possible - impossible - impossibly
8. A letter or group of letters added to the front of a word to change its meaning and make
a new word is called a prefix.
Examples : fortunately - unfortunately, agree - disagree, possible - impossible,
human - inhuman, legal - illegal
Add proper prefixes to the following words to make new words.
l kind l intelligent l advantage l happy l allow l safe

9. Find at least three sentences in the story which have modal verbs.
10. Visit a library : Read other tales from Shakespeare, for example, Julius Caesar, As You
Like It, Macbeth and The Tempest.
11. Hold a mock trial for any one of the following offences. There should be a complainant,
a defendant, and lawyers to argue the case on behalf of them. The whole class can vote
to pass the judgement. On what occasions will you plead for justice ? What punishment
will you suggest ? When will you plead for mercy ?
(a) A very poor and honest servant has broken a vase while cleaning it. The vase was
valuable and the employer liked it very much.
(b) A poor man stole some ornaments from a rich girl.
(c) A young man was injured in a road accident due to another man’s careless driving.

***
74
3.7 At the Science Fair

The Science Fair at Vidya Vardhini School was

always an exciting affair. There were a number of
stalls (never less than 50), entertainment booths and of
course refreshments ! There were two basic rules. One,
everything should be handled by students and two,
everything - even the entertainment booths and
refreshment stalls - had to have a scientific base !

Preparations for the fair began at and Food and Nutrition. Considering
least a couple of months in advance. the area of the school playground and
The first step was brainstorming. The the estimated turnout, it was decided to
Principal invited ideas for the event from allow 56 stalls in the Fair. The stalls were
students, teachers and even parents ! A allotted to as many groups of children.
host of ideas poured in. Luckily, many Each group selected a topic/idea from
parents not only contributed ideas but the chosen themes. (The committee had
also volunteered to help with the planning to make sure that the topics were not
and implementation of the big event ! So repeated.)
a committee of parents and teachers was
set up to look after all the work of the
fair. Some student representatives were
also taken on the committee to give them
a first hand experience of managing big
programmes like this.
The committee identified certain
themes for the fair. They were - Plants,
Animals, Properties of Substances,
Energy (forms of energy and energy
resources), Science in our Everyday Life,
Latest News from the World of Science, PLANTS

PROPERTIES OF SCIENCE IN OUR

SUBSTANCES ANIMALS
EVERYDAY LIFE

LATEST NEWS FROM FOOD AND ENERGY

THE WORLD OF SCIENCE (FORMS OF ENERGY
NUTRITION AND ENERGY RESOURCES)

75
The young scientists began their work in earnest. They began by collecting a lot of
information about their topic using their science textbook, their school library and also
the internet. They shared and discussed this information in their groups. The next step
was to decide the exact activity for their stall - whether they would build and display
a model, or give a demonstration, or present their project through posters or simply
exhibit a collection.
The Principal announced that the language, appearance and content of the
presentations were all important. The language teachers helped the young stall holders
to make their graphic and oral presentations more effective.

Graphic Presenta•ons
l Write to the point so that a
visitor may read a chart or
poster at a glance.

l Make use of bullet points or l Use pictures and diagrams

bulleted lists. and label them.

l Use pictograms, graphs, pie-charts l Plan all your posters, charts properly
etc. to show numerical data. before you start making them.

l Make a rough ‘mini-copy’ before you begin work on the big, final poster or chart.

l Don’t forget to check your spellings, sentences or other errors in the ‘mini-copy’ itself.

l Use different colours to highlight important features, but use them judiciously.

l If you have used any text, pictures, diagrams, etc. from elsewhere,
acknowledge the source.

Oral Presenta•ons
l The oral presentations or speeches l Be confident when you make a
should be short and to the point - presentation.
2 to 3 minutes at the most.
l Rehearse the speech well.
l They should be directly related to the
model, demonstration or specimens l Be ready to answer relevant questions.
exhibited in the stall. Practise doing that with your friends.
76
l Make use of the visuals or graphics in the stall.
Point to the relevant parts when you speak.
l Wear clean and tidy clothes, but do not ‘dress up’
to show off.
l Be polite, be pleasant when you talk to the visitors.
If you don’t know the answer to a question, say
so. But later on, try to find the answer.
l Smile !

At last the big day arrived ! The fair premises spick and span during the
was inaugurated by the oldest science Fair, though they expected more than a
teacher, Mr Gizare. It was Mr Gizare thousand visitors and half as many stall
who had come up with the idea of holders - they were a disciplined lot,
a ‘Science Fair’ some 25 years ago. but what with so many activities and
Initially, it was meant for just one class, experiments going on, it was bound to
but the idea had become so popular that create a lot of litter ! They were well-
now the entire school participated in it. equipped with garbage cans,
scoops, brooms and wipes.
Mr. Gizare explained the importance
of using the scientific method to find
the answers to the questions relating
to the physical world around us. He
was happy to see the stalls, especially
the ones that showed simple methods
of identifying food adulteration. He
appreciated the fact that in most of the
stalls, visitors could also try out the
various science experiments and models.
He gave a special pat on the back to the
Clean Brigade. The brigade members
made rounds of the Fair spreading
the message of cleanliness. But
that was not all. They had
vowed to keep the school

77
Let us also take a round of the fair to see some of the highlights. The sixth
following stalls:
standard children were handling the followi

Use of kine•c energy Use of Poten•al

Energy
- A plas•c bo!le
motorboat.

The stall
displayed the model of a watermill. Electrosta•c
Energy
Sound

This stall was so popular, that

additional help was needed to blow
Everyone enjoyed making balloons as quickly as they were
simple string telephones at used up.
this stall and then using them.

Fun with
Food magnets
Adultera•on

Even the parents learnt Visitors queued up to see the different

something at this stall ! types of magnets at work.
78
Some of the visitors made video clips of
Maintaining the presentation at this stall. It consisted of
machines different children playing the roles of different
machines, all crying out turn by turn, ‘Hey,
we, too, need your attention ! We can serve
you well only if you take care of us’.
The fair was such a huge success that the school had to run it for three days instead
of two ! The Principal allowed this change in the time table only because it was a truly
educational activity - not just for the children but also for their family and the entire
community. No wonder everyone is already looking forward to the next year’s year s Fair !

The Scientific Method

Why does a fridge magnet stick

Observe what is around you. to the fridge door but not to
the kitchen platform?
â â
Ask questions - Maybe it has some special powers.
why, why not, how, etc.
â â
Can you think of an explanation ? I will try to stick it to different things
(This is what is called ‘hypothesis’ - a wall, a tile, a potato, a wooden table,
in the scientific method.) pots and pans, a plastic bottle, a cup.
â
Set up an experiment
to try out your ‘hypothesis’.
â
Record your observations
in detail.
(This is your data.)
The magnet sticks to some surfaces
â but not to others.
Draw conclusions. â
Do they match your hypothesis ? It seems as if some metal objects are
If yes, why ? If not, why not ? attracted to the magnet.
â They are made of iron or steel.
Write down your findings â
and share them with others. Magnet attracts iron, but not all
substances - not even all metals.
79
POINTERS

1. Answer the following questions :

(a) What two basic rules were followed in the Science Fair ?
(b) How early did the preparations for the Science Fair begin ?
(c) How was the committee formed ?
(d) What themes did the committee identify ?
(e) How did the students prepare for their stalls/presentations ?
(f) What did Mr Gizare appreciate the most ?
(g) What did the Clean Brigade do ?

2. Make charts to show the important points to remember while making -

(a) A graphic presentation (b) An oral presentation.

3. Relate the themes of the Fair to your science textbook by writing the relevant chapter
numbers under each theme.
4. Find, in your science textbook, the topics of the stalls handled by students of VI A.
(Write the page number.)
5. What themes would you like to add to the themes given in this passage ?
6. Imagine you are visiting the Science Fair. What other stalls (apart from the ones
mentioned here) are you likely to find there ? Try to list at least five more stalls.
7. Using your imagination, and information from other sources, describe any one stall in
detail.
8. Choose a ‘question’ through your own observation. Try to follow the scientific method
to find the answer to that question. Take the help of your teacher/parents to set up the
experiment.
9. Visit a library : Find and read the biography of your favourite scientist.

***

80
4.1 Sleep, My Treasure

Sleep, sleep, my treasure,

The long day’s pleasure
Has tired the birds, to their nests they creep;
The garden still is
Alight with lilies,
But all the daisies are fast asleep.

Sleep, sleep, my darling,

Dawn wakes the starling,
The sparrow stirs when he sees day break;
But all the meadow
Is wrapped in shadow,
And you must sleep till the daisies wake!
- E. Nesbit

POINTERS

1. Answer the following questions :

(a) Who is the speaker in the poem ?
(b) To whom is the poem addressed ?
(c) What time is being described in the poem ?
(d) Name the white and bright things mentioned in the poem.

2. Guess the meaning of the following from the context.

(a) The garden still is alight with lilies.
(b) Dawn wakes the starling.
(c) The meadow is wrapped in shadow.

3. What is your favourite time of the day ? Describe it in detail.

4. Visit a library : Find and read stories and poems written by Edith Nesbit.

81
5. Draw word webs for the following. Begin with the given word and go on writing as
many other words associated with it, as you can. Use these words to write other related
words to form a word web.

dream bed

sleep day

rest night

garden bird

meadow

6. An activity : Speak fast, think faster !

Form groups of 4-6. Discuss each of the following topics. Then each person in the group
should choose a topic and speak about it for one minute. Try to say as many sentences
as you can in that time.
(a) What may happen ...
‘I may study ... A bird may fly into the classroom. The Principal may call me ... It
may rain ... A dog may chase a cat ... A king may lose his kingdom ... My friend may
give me a story book to read ... Mother may make idlis today ...’ etc.
(b) What is not likely to happen or will never happen ...
‘It won’t rain in the classroom ... I won’t ever see a live dinosaur ... The sun will
never set in the east ...’ etc.
(c) Imagine you are watching a scene. For example, someone learning to ride a bicycle;
or a cricket match. Give a running commentary on what you see.
‘Monu is sitting on the bicycle. It has side wheels. Monu tries to push the pedal
down - No - he stops. His uncle holds the seat in one hand and the handle in the other
hand. He says, ‘Come on, Monu’ ... etc.
For the Teacher : Allow students to speak on their own, using their own ideas. The objective here is
fluency, good speed and giving scope to the students’ creative thinking.
Later on, draw their attention to modal verbs like ‘may’, ‘will’, ‘should’, etc.
82
4.2 The Story of Gautama’s Quest

G autama the Buddha was born over two

thousand five hundred years ago, as Prince
Siddharth. He was the son of a king - Raja
Shuddhodana. He was born on the sacred day
of Vaishakh Purnima at Lumbini, situated
near the city of Kapilavastu. Seven days after
his birth, his mother Mayadevi passed away.
It was prophesied at his birth that the infant
would grow to be either a great Chakravarti
(an Emperor) or a sannyasi (a renunciate) who
would bring comfort to thousands of lost souls.
The king was determined to prevent his
beloved son from renouncing the world. He
surrounded the Prince with every imaginable
luxury and comfort. It is said that the King had
three magnificent palaces, one for each season
of the year, and in the beautiful atmosphere of
these royal mansions, Prince Siddharth lived
his secluded, protected life.
In good time, the prince was married to one
of the most beautiful girls of the realm - Princess
Yashodhara, the daughter of the Koliyan king.
Soon, a son, Rahul was born to them. At the
age of twenty-nine, Siddharth went out to see
his kingdom and to meet his subjects. He beheld
what the Buddhist books call the ‘four signs’ -
witnesses to the impermanence of the world. He
saw an old man, a diseased man, a dead man,
and a monk. And there entered into his heart
a vision of dukkha, the world-sorrow. “What
is the way out of the world-sorrow?’’ he asked
himself, repeatedly. The unanswerable question
led him to renounce worldly life, leave his wife
and son and set out in quest of the Truth of life.

83
then scattered a handful of grass on
the ground beneath the Bodhi tree and
formed a seat for himself. “I care not if
my skin and nerves and bones decay !’’
he thought. “I care not if my life-blood
dries, I shall not give up until I attain to
The story of Gautama’s quest that enlightenment.’’
ends in illumination and attainment of What divine will-power in these
nirvana, is one of the most moving tales words ! And what may not a man achieve
of our times. For six years did Gautama if he would wake up his will-power !
practise intense asceticism. For several
days in succession, he ate barely a grain It is said that he saw a vision which
of rice. His strong, athletic body was contained a message for him: it acted as
reduced to a bag of bones. But it a spiritual stimulant to him. The
served no purpose ! The Buddha words were:

84
Tune the sitar neither low nor high, please accept my offering of milk and
The string overstretched breaks rice.’’ Buddha accepted her offering. This
and the music dies. was his first meal after many days of
The string overslack is dumb starvation. It refreshed him and infused
and the music dies. a new strength in him. He realized that
He thought to himself, ‘I too, have making the body suffer was not the way
tortured my body to starvation. I have to enlightenment and truth.
taken to extremes. Let me follow the Gautama had longed for
middle path’. enlightenment. That night, he found the
When he tried to get up to take a bath answer to his query. What is the cause
in the river, he found that he had become of sorrow ? The cause of sorrow is desire.
so weak that he could not rise. Just then, The cure for sorrow is to give up all
a beautiful girl named Sujata appeared desires and adopt Right Living.
before him, carrying a golden bowl filled Born under a tree, the Buddha
with sweetened milk and rice. received illumination also, under a tree.
When she saw the weakened ascetic, To this day, we venerate this tree as the
she offered the bowl at his feet. “Lord, Bodhi Tree.

POINTERS

1. Complete the following sentences with reference to the passage :

(a) Gautama, the Buddha, was born over two thousand five hundred years
ago, as ................ .
(b) The king was determined to prevent his beloved son from ................ .
(c) For six years did Gautama practise ................ .
(d) He realised that making the body suffer was not ................ .
(e) To this day, we venerate this tree as ................ .
2. Write short notes on the following :
(a) Prince Siddharth’s protected life.
(b) The ‘four signs’ that Prince Siddharth beheld.
(c) The message in the vision.
(d) Sujata’s offering
3. Read aloud a paragraph of your choice from the passage.
4. Visit a library : Read stories about Gautama Buddha. Relate one story in the class.
85
4.3 Mr Nobody

I know a funny little man,

As quiet as a mouse,
Who does the mischief that is done
In everybody’s house!
There’s no one ever sees his face,
And yet we all agree
That every plate we break was cracked
By Mr Nobody.

Tis he who always tears out books,

Who leaves the door ajar,
He pulls the buttons from our shirts,
And scatters pins afar;
That squeaking door will always squeak,
For prithee, don’t you see,
We leave the oiling to be done
By Mr Nobody.

The finger marks upon the door

By none of us are made;
We never leave the blinds unclosed,
To let the curtains fade.
The ink we never spill; the boots
That lying round you see
Are not our boots - they all belong
To Mr Nobody.
- Author Unknown

POINTERS

1. Read the poem aloud.

2. Complete the following chart of personal pronouns using words from the brackets -
him, our, we, he, her, their, it, me, your)

Person Pronouns
First I, ............ my, ............ .........., us mine, ours
Second you .................... you yours
Third ............ she, it, they his, ..... its, ........... ........ her, them his, hers, its, theirs

86
l Which of the above pronouns do you use when you talk about yourself ?
l Suppose you are telling someone about the good/bad things they have done.
What pronoun are you likely to use ?
l Suppose you are complaining about one or more persons/things to your teacher/
mother. What pronouns will you use ?
3. Write all the instances of the mischief done by Mr Nobody.
4. What characteristics of Mr Nobody do we learn about from this poem ?
5. Imagine that there is a Mr Somebody who has to correct all the wrongs that are done by
Mr Nobody. Write in the following table, what Mr Somebody will have to do.

Mr Nobody’s Actions Tasks for Mr Somebody

1. The plate is broken/cracked. Mend the plate. / Throw it away carefully.
2. The book is torn. .........................................................
3. The door is ajar. .........................................................
4. The buttons are pulled from the shirt. .........................................................
5. The pins are scattered. .........................................................
6. The door is still squeaking. .........................................................
7. There are finger marks upon the door. .........................................................
8. The ink has spilled over. .........................................................
9. Boots are lying around. .........................................................
10. ........................................................ .........................................................
11. ........................................................ .........................................................
l Add a few more things to the list in the above table, using your own ideas and experience.
6. Write about one occasion each when you have behaved like -
(a) Mr Nobody (b) Mr Somebody.
7. Listen and complete : Close your books. The teacher will dictate some lines from the
poem. She will say the first half and you have to write the entire line/verse.

(a) I know a funny....... ....... . (b) There’s no one ever sees his face,
As quiet as a ........ And yet we all .......
Who does the mischief that is done That every plate we break was .......
....... ....... ....... ! By ....... .......

8. Use the following expressions in your own sentences :

(a) We all agree that (c) Don’t you see
(b) It is he/she who (d) None of us
87
4.4 A Mad Tea Party

(Alice in Wonderland is a fantasy

novel written by Lewis Carroll. It tells
us of the adventures of a little girl called
Alice who falls into a rabbit hole and finds
herself in a fantasy world where funny
people mingle with peculiar creatures.
Here she happens to attend a tea party
with three of them: the March Hare, the
Mad Hatter and the Dormouse.)

There was a table set out under a tree

in front of the house, and the March Hare
and the Hatter were having tea at it: a
Dormouse was sitting between them, fast
asleep, and the other two were using it as
a cushion, resting their elbows on it, and
talking over its head. ‘Very uncomfortable
for the Dormouse,’ thought Alice; ‘only,
as it’s asleep, I suppose it doesn’t mind’.
The table was a large one, but the
three were all crowded together at one
corner of it: ‘No room! No room!’ they
cried out when they saw Alice coming.
‘There’s PLENTY of room!’ said Alice
indignantly, and she sat down in a large
arm-chair at one end of the table.
‘Have some wine,’ the March Hare
said in an encouraging tone.
Alice looked all round the table, but
there was nothing on it but tea. ‘I don’t
see any wine,’ she remarked.
‘There isn’t any,’ said the March
Hare.

88
‘Then it wasn’t very civil of you to eat what I see”!’
offer it,’ said Alice angrily. ‘You might just as well say,’ added
‘It wasn’t very civil of you to sit the March Hare, ‘that ‘I like what I get’
down without being invited,’ said the is the same thing as ‘I get what I like !’
March Hare. ‘You might just as well say,’ added
‘I didn’t know it was YOUR table,’ the Dormouse, who seemed to be talking
said Alice; ‘it’s laid for a great many in his sleep, ‘that ‘I breathe when I sleep’
more than three.’ is the same thing as ‘I sleep when I
‘Your hair wants cutting,’ said the breathe !’
Hatter. He had been looking at Alice for ‘It IS the same thing with you,’ said
some time with great curiosity, and this the Hatter, and here the conversation
was his first speech. dropped, and the party sat silent for a
‘You should learn not to make minute, while Alice thought over all
personal remarks,’ Alice said with some she could remember about ravens and
severity; ‘it’s very rude.’ writing-desks, which wasn’t much.

The Hatter opened his eyes very wide ‘Have you guessed the riddle … yet?’
on hearing this; but all he said was, ‘Why the Hatter said, turning to Alice again.
is a raven like a writing-desk ?’ ‘No, I give it up,’ Alice replied:
‘Come, we shall have some fun ‘what’s the answer?’
now!’ thought Alice. ‘I’m glad they’ve ‘I haven’t the slightest idea,’ said the
begun asking riddles – I believe I can Hatter.
guess that,’ she added aloud. ‘Nor I,’ said the March Hare.
‘Do you mean that you think you can Alice sighed wearily. ‘I think you
find out the answer to it?’ said the March might do something better with the time,’
Hare. she said, `than waste it in asking riddles
‘Exactly so,’ said Alice. that have no answers’.
‘Then you should say what you ‘If you knew Time as well as I do,’
mean,’ the March Hare went on. said the Hatter, ‘you wouldn’t talk about
‘I do,’ Alice hastily replied; ‘at least wasting IT. It’s HIM.’
– at least I mean what I say – that’s the ‘I don’t know what you mean,’ said
same thing, you know’. Alice.
‘Not the same thing a bit!’ said the ‘Of course you don’t!’ the Hatter said,
Hatter. ‘You might just as well say that tossing his head contemptuously. ‘I dare
“I see what I eat” is the same thing as “I say you never even spoke to Time!’

89
‘Perhaps not,’ Alice cautiously replied: ‘but I know I have to beat time
when I learn music’.
‘Ah! that accounts for it,’ said the Hatter. ‘He won’t stand beating.
Now, if you only kept on good terms with him, he’d do almost anything
you liked with the clock. For instance, suppose it were nine o’clock in the
morning, just time to begin lessons: you’d only have to whisper a hint to
Time, and round goes the clock in a twinkling! Half-past one, time for
dinner!’
(‘I only wish it was,’ the March Hare said to itself in a whisper.)
‘That would be grand, certainly,’ said Alice thoughtfully: ‘but
then – I shouldn’t be hungry for it, you know’.
‘Not at first, perhaps,’ said the Hatter: ‘but you could keep it to half-
past one as long as you liked’.
A bright idea came into Alice’s head. ‘Is that the reason so many tea-
things are put out here ?’ she asked.

90
‘Yes, that’s it,’ said the Hatter with a ‘I’m getting tired of this. I vote the young
sigh: ‘it’s always tea-time, and we’ve no lady tells us a story.’
time to wash the things between whiles’. ‘I’m afraid I don’t know one,’ said
‘Then you keep moving round, I Alice, rather alarmed at the proposal.
suppose?’ said Alice. ‘Then the Dormouse shall !’ they
‘Exactly so,’ said the Hatter: ‘as the both cried. ‘Wake up, Dormouse!’ And
things get used up.’ they pinched it on both sides at once.
‘But what happens when you come The Dormouse slowly opened his
to the beginning again?’ Alice ventured eyes. ‘I wasn’t asleep,’ he said in a
to ask. hoarse, feeble voice: ‘I heard every word
‘Suppose we change the subject,’ you fellows were saying’.
the March Hare interrupted, yawning.

l indignantly : angrily, the anger caused by l between whiles : between two occasions or
something wrong, unjust or mean two short periods
l civil : polite, well-mannered l hoarse : rough, grating (This adjective is
used to describe human voice or sound.)
l wearily : in a tired manner

POINTERS

1. Read the passage aloud playing the roles of the different characters.

2. Write any three of the silly remarks made by the characters other than Alice. Write why
you think the remark is silly.

3. Read the following.

l I mean what I say. I say what I mean.
l I see what I eat. I eat what I see.
Use your imagination to write a funny sentence on this pattern.

4. Write what would you like to do if ‘Time’ was your friend.

5. Can you think of a similarity between a raven and a writing desk ?

Write at least five differences between the two.

6. Visit a library : Read Lewis Carroll’s book ‘Alice in Wonderland.’

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Some Funny Riddles

The Man in the Wilderness asked of me

‘How many blackberries grow in the sea?’
I answered him as I thought good.
‘As many red herrings as grow in the wood.’

The Man in the Wilderness asked my why

His hen could swim, and his pig could fly.
I answered him briskly as I thought best.
‘Because they were born in a cuckoo’s nest.’

The Man in the Wilderness asked me to tell

The sands in the sea and I counted them well.
Says he with grin ‘And not one more?’
I answered him bravely, ‘You go and make sure.’

- Anonymous

l wilderness : a wild region, a region not l cuckoo’s nest : madhouse, a home for the
occupied by people, for example, a desert insane
or a forest

A Project : Time Tables

1. We all follow a class time table made by the school. Imagine for a
minute what will happen if there was no time table for your class.
2. Apart from class/school, where else are you likely to find a time table
useful?
3. Make a time table of your daily routine
(1) On a school day
(2) On a holiday, and
(3) During examinations.
Start at the time you normally get up and
list your activities hourly : 7 am to 8 am, and so
o on.

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4.5 If I can stop one heart from breaking ...

If I can stop one heart from breaking,

I shall not live in vain ;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.

-Emily Dickinson

l I can ease one life the aching : If I can l cool one pain : reduce the pain, give relief
reduce the sorrow in someone’s life l unto : to

POINTERS

1. What does the poet want to do ?

2. Does the poet expect anything in return? What is the poet’s reward ?

3. List the phrases that indicate sorrow or pain.

4. Form groups of five and discuss : There are many things

that seem small, minor or insignificant to some people but
the same may be the cause of great pain, suffering for others.
Can you list such things ? What can you do to provide
help on those occasions ?

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4.6 The Phantom Tollbooth (A Book Review)

Milo was a young boy who lived happened to you? So was Milo.
in San Francisco in the States. He ‘I don’t think it’s my birthday,’
lacked for nothing. Being an only he puzzled, ‘and Christmas must be
child, at home he was surrounded by months away, and I haven’t been
all sorts of expensive toys. In school outstandingly good, or even good at
too, there was nothing that he could all.’ - Milo was an honest boy, so
complain about. But …! But Milo was he admitted the last bit to himself.
bored! Nothing really interested him.
He thought of everything as a waste He couldn’t return the parcel; there
of time, and school as the greatest was no sender’s address on it. So, just
waste of time of all. Poor Milo! in order to be polite, Milo decided to
open the envelope.
‘ONE GENUINE
TURNPIKE TOLLBOOTH,’
it was written inside,
‘EASILY ASSEMBLED AT HOME,
AND FOR USE BY THOSE WHO
HAVE NEVER TRAVELLED IN
LANDS BEYOND.’
Like you, Milo was also intrigued
by the words, ‘lands beyond’. There
‘There’s nothing for me to do,
nowhere I’d care to go, and hardly
anything worth seeing,’ he thought.
(You must have guessed by now that
Milo belonged to an age when TV,
video games and computers were not
invented!)
But on one long afternoon like any
other, Milo suddenly received a huge
parcel with a bright blue envelope
attached to one side. The envelope was
addressed to him, ‘FOR MILO, WHO
HAS PLENTY OF TIME’! Wouldn’t
you be surprised if something like this

94
was also a list of the contents of the – there was no highway attached to
parcel. It contained - the booth! Nevertheless, Milo set up
the precautionary signs, unfolded the
‘One (1) genuine turnpike toll- map and chose a destination. He chose
booth : to be erected according it at random because he had never
to directions. heard of any of the places shown on
Three (3) precautionary signs : the map, and so one was as good as
to be used in a precautionary any other!
fashion. Milo was not sure that this new
Assorted coins : for use in paying game would turn out to be interesting.
tolls. However, he sat in his toy car,
One (1) map : up to date and approached the booth, paid the toll
carefully drawn by master with the coins, and drove past the toll
cartographers, depicting natural booth. But when he looked back, Oh
and man-made features. wonder of wonders, the toll booth had
disappeared along with Milo’s room
One (1) book of rules and traffic and even his house! He found himself
regulations, which may not be speeding down a highway into an
bent or broken.’ unknown territory!
And in smaller What happened
Milo met the
letters at the bottom, next is the story
Lethargarians when he
it concluded: ‘Results of Norman
was in the Doldrums.
are not guaranteed, Juster’s novel,
The Lethargarians
but if not perfectly ‘The Phantom
spent all their time in
satisfied, your Tollbooth’!
daydreaming and taking
wasted time will be naps. They dawdle and Though Milo
refunded.’ they delay, they bide didn’t know it then,
Because Milo their time, they linger he had begun his
had nothing else and loiter, they put jjourney in the land
to do, he followed off for tomorrow what of expectations.
the ‘directions’ and they could do today, He was in the
erected the tollbooth. they loaf and lounge, kingdom of
It was a proper they dillydally and wisdom. He had
booth with windows yet they complain that many adventures
and a roof and a such a busy schedule there. He had
coin box. leaves them almost to rescue the
no time for brooding, pprincesses Rhyme
‘But what’s the and Reason from
lagging, plodding, or
use?’ thought Milo castles of air. Was
procrastinating!

95
Milo find his life interesting later on?
You must read the novel to find it out.
The novel ‘The Phantom Tollbooth’
was written more than 50 years ago
but it continues to be a classic of
children’s literature. It is a fantasy
but it has an important message for
children all over the world. It has
helped them to look at their school
and studies in a new light.

he successful in his mission? Who

were the strange people and creatures
he met there? What happened to the
toll booth? Did Milo see it again? Did

POINTERS

1. Read the passage and answer the following :

(a) Which book is introduced in the passage ?

(b) Where does the story take place ?

(c) Who is the main character in the story ?

(d) Why is the tollbooth called a ‘phantom’ tollbooth ?

(e) When was the book written ?

(f) Who has written the book ?

2. List the various people and places mentioned in the passage. The places Milo visits and
the people he meets have unusual names. Write the meanings of those names.
3. List the various things that the Lethargarians do or want to do. Can you sum up all of it
in one word or phrase ?
4. In the novel, the Lethargarians give a whole day’s time table of their activities.
Can you guess what it would be like ? Use your own ideas and prepare their time table.
5. Try to write interesting time tables for imaginary people or creatures.
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6. Activity :
Start a collection of new and interesting words. Write the words in coloured ink on cards
of equal size and arrange them in alphabetical order. Try to use the words in your writing
or conversation from time to time.
7. Discuss what makes the following sentences funny.
- Your wasted time will be refunded.
- There was no highway attached to the booth.
8. The following boxes represent a word or phrase, through a special arrangement of letters.
Guess the words.

Example :

F
S A
T STAND L
ONE I L

Cornerstone .... .................... . ..........................

S B
T B
R E A D I N G A AAC
R CK
K
.......... ........... ........ ................ .......... .......... ...... ..........

Try to represent the following words or phrases using such special graphic arrangements.
l fair and square l side by side l round table l breaking news l an ice cube
l once upon a time l Hurry up l cool down l as big as

9. Write a review of your favourite book. Use the following points :

- Title of the book - Author/Authors - The central idea or story

- The important characters - Some special features of the book

- Why it is your favourite book.

***
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4.7 The Sword in the Stone

(King Arthur, famous in legends and On Christmas morning, just as they

history as one of the bravest and noblest were leaving the Church, a strange sight
Kings of Britain, grew up as an orphaned drew their attention. In the churchyard
youth, before Destiny intervened, in was a large stone, and on it an anvil of
the form of his protector and guardian, steel, and in the steel a naked sword was
Merlin the Magician, to reveal his true held, and about it was written in letters of
identity to the people of Britain.) gold, ‘Whoso pulleth out this sword is by
right of birth King of England.’
In ancient Britain, at a time when the
land was invaded by wild barbarians, Many of the knights could not hold
the good and noble Lord Uther fought themselves back. Fancying themselves
them bravely and drove them away from as future kings, they rushed to the stone
his land. The people made him king of and attempted to draw the sword from
Britain and gave him the title, Pendragon, its steel anvil. They pulled with all their
meaning Dragon’s head. King Uther might, but none of them could so much as
Pendragon ruled Britain wisely and well; move the sword.
the people were content. But very soon,
“Obviously, the man who might
the king died; it was thought that he had
draw the sword and prove himself to
been poisoned by some traitors. There
be our rightful king, is not amongst us
was no heir to the throne of Britain.
this morning,” said the Archbishop.
The powerful Lords and Knights “However, every man who wishes to try
who had been kept under control by King his hand at drawing this sword, is free
Uther, now began to demand that one of to do so, for the next few days. He who
them should be crowned King of Britain. draws the sword will be crowned King.
Rivalry grew amongst the Lords, and And to celebrate the appearance of this
the country as a whole began to suffer. magnificent sword and prepare ourselves
Armed robbers roamed the countryside, for the arrival of our future king, we will
pillaging farms and fields. People felt hold a magnificent tournament on New
unsafe and insecure in their own homes. Year’s Day.”
Fear gripped the country and lawlessness
On New Year’s Day, a great
prevailed over the divided kingdom.
number of young and brave knights
Nearly sixteen years had passed gathered to attend the Church Service.
since the death of Lord Uther. All After that, they met in the field nearby,
the Lords and Knights of Britain had to participate in the Great Tournament.
assembled at the Great Church of Dukes and Counts, Earls, Barons and
London for Christmas. Knights crowded on to the field.

98
Among them was Sir Ector, a noble “No, it isn’t,” smiled Arthur. “I
knight. He was accompanied by his two thought it would take me too long to
sons, Sir Kay and young Arthur. Kay get home and bring your sword. I found
was his own son, who had been recently this sword in the Churchyard. It looked
knighted; Arthur, whom he had brought good and I thought you could use it just
up as a foster son, was actually an orphan for today. We will, of course, put it back
whom he had raised as his own child. The when the Games are over.”
good Sir Ector loved both his sons dearly.
Sir Kay stood speechless, staring at
As Sir Kay was preparing to join the his younger brother. He knew all about
tournament, he realized that he had left the magic sword and what it signified;
his sword behind, at home. Hastily he but Arthur was unaware of it all ! Arthur
summoned his younger brother and said had always been a brave and valiant
to him, “Arthur! You want me to win this boy, and he had excelled in fencing and
tournament, don’t you? Then you must archery, he adored his father and his half
help me out. Take my horse and gallop brother and his dream was to become the
home as fast as you can. Get my sword squire to his dashing brother ! And now,
and rush back here at once.” without even knowing what it implied,
Arthur had drawn the magic sword from
“I’m going,” called Arthur, rushing
the stone! Kay’s mind was working
off at once. “You shall have your sword
rapidly. He actually held the Sword of the
sooner than you think!”
Stone in his hand; the very same sword
As he rushed past the church, a glint that the strongest and best knights could
of steel caught his eye - the blade of a not so much as grip or get hold of !
sword, shining brightly in the morning
Sir Kay seized the sword and ran to
sun. The sword was mounted on an
their father, leaving a bewildered Arthur
anvil on top of a block of marble, right
behind him. He said to Sir Ector, “Father,
in the middle of the churchyard. It was
father! This is the Sword of the Stone and
the magic sword in the stone; but Arthur
I have it in my hand! I am the rightful
knew nothing about it. All he saw was
King of Britain!”
a sword that was available for taking.
‘Kay shall have his sword straight away,’ Sir Ector was a wise man. “How
Arthur said to himself. He ran up to the did you get hold of this sword, son?” he
stone, seized the sword by the handle and asked his eldest born.
drew it out effortlessly. He rushed back
“What does that matter? I have it in
to his brother and handed the sword to
my hand. It was meant to be mine. Isn’t
him, breathless with excitement.
that enough?” Kay retorted, angrily.
“You are back very soon,” Sir Kay
“That’s not enough,” said the father,
said to him, “But hey, this is not my
quietly. “How did you get hold of this
sword!”
sword?”

99
“ I’ve got it, and that’s what matters,” “I assure you father, I did not steal
Kay replied, stubborn as ever. the sword. Kay needed a sword urgently,
and I did not want to keep him waiting.
“Well then, come with me,” Sir Ector
Rather than ride all the way home, I
said, and led his son inside the Great
decided to take the sword which I found
Church which was now empty. Taking
in the churchyard. And see, it is back in
the Holy Book from the choir, Sir Ector
its place now. I fully intended to put it
said to his son, “Swear on the holy book
back in place after the tournament.” And
that you drew the sword from the stone.”
glancing at his brother, he added, “I am
Sir Kay lowered his eyes. He could sure that is what Kay would have told me
not face his father now. to do, wouldn’t you, brother?”
“How did you come by the sword, Sir Kay did not speak a word.
son?” Sir Ector asked him, once again.
“Alright Arthur, I believe you,” said
“Arthur brought it to me, father,” Sir Ector. “Now let me see you draw that
said Kay, still with his eyes lowered. sword out as you did the first time. First,
you, Kay.”
“Bring Arthur here, and let the three
of us go to the churchyard,” Sir Ector told But try as he might, Kay could not so
him. “We have to know the truth about much as grip the handle. And he could not
this.” move the sword however hard he tried.
Soon, the three of them were at the “Now, it is your turn Arthur,” said
churchyard. Sir Ector, sternly.
“Put the sword back on its anvil,” Sir Arthur gripped the handle of the
Ector said to Kay. But try as he might, sword and drew the sword out, gently but
Kay could not put the sword back. It firmly.
struck the anvil and slid off the block.
Sir Ector made him repeat the action
Arthur saw what was happening, again, and again. Each time, Arthur
and thought that his father was angry gripped the handle and drew the sword
with them because he thought the sword out, without any hesitation.
was stolen. Sir Ector had always told his
Sir Ector was overwhelmed. He
sons, “What matters most for a knight is
fell on his knees before his young son
integrity, being honest and truthful at all
who held the mighty sword in his hand,
times, on all occasions.”
and bowed his head in deep devotion.
Arthur stepped forward impulsively. Wordlessly, Kay followed his example.
“Here, let me put it back,” he said. And,
Arthur jumped back in surprise.
taking the mighty sword from his elder
“Father, why do you kneel before me?
brother, he thrust it back on the anvil and
Am I not your son?”
it slipped in, neatly.

100
“That is what I had thought, until “How could that be? You and I know
now,” Sir Ector replied. “But now, I that I was an orphan boy entrusted to
know better. I know whose son you are. your care.”
You are the son of the good King Uther
Silently, Sir Ector pointed to the
Pendragon, and I bow to you, as you are
inscription on the stone which Arthur
the King of Britain now.”
101
had not seen until now. ‘Whoso pulleth the hand, he announced to the assembly,
out this sword is by right of birth King of “Behold, the rightful King of England.”
England.’
For a moment, there was silence.
“But it can’t be me! Father, I am And then, the crowd burst out in angry
your son, and I shall always remain your protests. “How can we believe you?”
son!” “Who is this unknown boy?” “Where did
There was a flash of light, and he come from?” “How is he any better
Merlin appeared before them, a hooded than one of us?”
figure with bright, shining eyes and a The Archbishop took them all to
bewitching smile. Lovingly, he laid his the churchyard. The entire assemblage
hand on Arthur’s head and said to him, watched in awe, as Arthur inserted
“Indeed, I was the one who entrusted you the sword in the anvil and drew it out
to good Sir Ector, for your own safety. effortlessly. Some of the Lords and
Your father and I knew that great danger Knights also tried to draw the sword, but
lay ahead for the kingdom and yourself. failed to do so.
No sooner than you were born, your
father blessed you and handed you over Again, and yet again, Arthur drew the
to me, with the solemn request that you sword from the stone before his people.
would take your rightful place on the Each time, cheers went up, and each
throne of England when it was safe for time, more and more Knights drew their
you to do so.” swords and held them high, in a gesture
of loyalty to their newfound prince.
Turning to Sir Ector, Merlin said, “In
Loud cheers rose from the common
the name of the Late King Uther, I thank
people, who had surrounded the
you. You have done a splendid job of
churchyard, eager to greet their new king.
bringing up the heir to the British throne.
Now, you must inform the Archbishop Now, Merlin stepped out of the
and your fellow Knights of all that has shadows and addressed the crowds,
happened here. I shall await your return.” “Behold, O People of Britain, I present to
Forthwith, Sir Ector called upon the you, the one and only son of King Uther
Archbishop and all the Lords assembled Pendragon and his queen. He is your
at the Tournament. Holding Arthur by rightful king!”

102
l Archbishop : An Archbishop is a bishop who helped, advised and guided Arthur.
or priest of the highest rank. Merlin, with the help of the Archbishop,
l Merlin : In the legends of King Arthur, had arranged the ‘sword in the stone’ so
Merlin is portrayed as a great wizard that Britain would get its rightful king.

POINTERS

1. Read the passage. Underline the new words. Guess their meaning from the context.
Verify it from a good dictionary.

2. Put the following events in chronological order.

(a) The sword in the stone appeared in the churchyard.
(b) Lord Uther died.
(c) Lord Uther drove the barbarians away.
(d) The Lords and knights began to fight for the kingdom.
(e) Sir Kay left his sword behind at home.
(f) Merlin announced that Arthur was the son of Lord Uther.
(g) Arthur brought the sword from the churchyard.
(h) Ancient Britain was invaded by wild barbarians.
(i) Many knights tried to pull the sword out of the stone.
(j) Arthur grew up in Sir Ector’s house.
(k) Merlin entrusted a baby to Sir Ector.

3. What do the following events/actions tell us about the characters ? Discuss.

(a) The Archbishop announced that everyone was free to try his hand at the sword and
called all the Lords to a Tournament.
(b) Arthur agreed to bring Sir Kay a sword at once.
(c) Sir Ector asked Sir Kay to show him whether he could draw the sword out of
the stone.
(d) Sir Ector kneeled before Arthur.

4. Write five words each -

(a) with the suffix l -less l -ly l -ness
(b) with the prefix l un- l in-

5. Visit a library : Read the stories of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table.

***
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4.8 An Autumn Greeting

“Come, little leaves,’’

Said the wind one day,
“Come over the meadows
With me, and play;
Put on your dresses
Of red and gold;
Summer is gone,
And the days grow cold.’’

Soon as the leaves

Heard the wind’s loud call,
Down they came fluttering,
One and all;
Over the meadows
They danced and flew,
Singing the soft
Little songs they knew.

Dancing and flying

The little leaves went;
Winter had called them
And they were content -
Soon fast asleep
In their earthy beds,
The snow laid a soft mantle
Over their heads.

- George Cooper

l Recite the poem with proper rhythm and intonation.

104