Summary Notes

Ch1-Letter to God
A Letter to God is a story written by G.L. Fuentes which depicts the firm faith of a poor and simple-minded
farmer named Lencho in God. Lencho was a poor yet dedicated farmer. He was hoping for a decent harvest. To
his dismay, a hailstorm suddenly destroyed all his crops and the harvest completely. Seeing the damage, the
poor farmer was taken aback and felt sad. However, he had a strong faith in God. He was a learned man who
knew how to read and write. Due to his straightforward nature, he was certain that God would definitely help
him. Thus, he decided to draft a letter to God while addressing his financial concerns to him. In the letter, he
requested God to send him one hundred pesos to sow his fields again and save his family from starvation. Soon
he wrote a letter and went to the post office. He placed a stamp on the letter and dropped it into the mailbox.
When the postman took out the letter from the letterbox, he laughed heartily after reading it. He immediately
rushed to the postmaster and showed him the strange letter. The postmaster read the letter but laughed out
loud when he noticed that the letter was addressed to God. However, he was also moved by the faith of the
farmer. He lauded the poor farmer’s unquestionable faith in God and decided to help him. Soon, he asked the
employees of the post office to contribute some money as charity and also gave a part of his salary so that
Lencho’s faith in God is not shaken. However, the money collected was a little less than what Lencho had
requested from God. The postmaster then put all the money collected in an envelope and addressed it to the
poor farmer.
The following Sunday, Lencho went to the post office to check if there was a letter for him. The postmaster
gently handed over the letter to him. Lencho was not surprised at all to see the letter with money inside the
envelope. He confidently opened the envelope to count the money but became angry when he saw that there
were only seventy pesos in it. He was sure that God could have never made such a grave mistake. He instantly
went to the window to ask for paper and ink and wrote another letter to God, and dropped it into the letterbox.
When Lencho had left the place, the postmaster opened and read his letter immediately. In it, Lencho had
raised a complaint to God that he had initially requested one hundred pesos, but he was upset to find seventy
pesos only. Furthermore, he criticized the post office employees and felt that they must have stolen the
remaining thirty pesos from his envelope. He urged God to send him the rest of the money since he was in
urgent need of it. However, he requested God not to send the money through the mail because Lencho thought
that the post office employees were ‘a bunch of crooks’ who might have stolen the remaining money from the
envelope.

CH2- Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom is an extract from the autobiography of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela that describes
the struggle for freedom of black people in South Africa. On 10th May 1994, Nelson Mandela took the oath as South
Africa’s first Black President after more than three centuries of White rule. His party had won 252 out of the 400 seats in
the first democratic elections in the history of South Africa.

Many dignitaries and political figures from several countries attended the inauguration ceremony that took place in the
Union Buildings amphitheatre in Pretoria. In his speech, Mandela addressed all dignitaries respectfully and assured his
fellow countrymen that his country would never experience similar suppression by one group over another. While taking
his vow as the first black President, he established democracy in the country and said there would be no discrimination
against people, irrespective of caste, colour, creed or race. He assured that the government would always treat all the
people of the country with due respect and equality.

The lovely day of inauguration was symbolic for Mandela as the South African people sang two national anthems – the
vision of whites sang ‘Nkosi Sikelel –iAfrika’ and the blacks sang ‘Die Stem’, the old anthem of the Republic. All these
events reminded Mandela of how black-skinned people were exploited by white people earlier. He deeply felt the pain of
his race and said that this type of suppression and racial domination of the white-skinned people against the dark-skinned
people on their own land gave rise to one of the harshest and most inhumane societies the world had ever seen or known.
He strongly believed that no person is born to hate the other person on the basis of skin colour, background or religion.
However, people must learn to hate because if they learn to hate, they can be taught to love as well, as love comes more
naturally to humans than hate. He also mentioned how a person becomes brave, not because he does not feel afraid, but
because he knows how to conquer his fears.

Furthermore, Mandela stated that every man in life has two major obligations. The first one is his obligation towards his
family, which includes his parents, wife and children, and the second is towards his motherland, countrymen and his
community. Everyone is able to fulfil those obligations according to his own interests and inclinations. However, it was
difficult to fulfil both these obligations as a black man in a country like South Africa before the democratic wave took over
the nation by storm. When Mandela became an adult, he realised that freedom was merely an illusion and temporary in
nature for the black-skinned people of his country. He felt that they were treated as slaves of exploitation, and all the
people of his race were treated unfairly by the white-skinned people.

According to Mandela, freedom was indivisible for all. But the people of his colour and race were bound in chains of
oppression and tyranny. He knew that the oppressor must be liberated just like the oppressed because a person who
snatches another’s freedom is also a prisoner of similar oppression. Thus, the oppressor is not free too and feels shackled
in the chains of oppression himself.

CH3- Two Stories About Flying

Two Stories about Flying Part 1: His First Flight Summary

The story “His First Flight” is written by Liam O’Flaherty and is based on a young seagull who was afraid to take his first
flight because he feared that his wings wouldn’t support him while flying. All his siblings took the plunge to fly fearlessly in
the open air despite having smaller wings than him. However, the young bird could not muster up the courage to take the
plunge as he did not trust in his wings. Whenever he tried to come forward towards the brink of the ledge while
attempting to fly, he became afraid and went back. His parents constantly upbraided and threatened him that unless he
flew away, he would have to starve alone on the ledge, but all their efforts went in vain. He would just watch his parents
teaching his siblings how to skim the waves and dive for fish.

One fine day, the whole family flew to a big plateau and taunted the young seagull for his cowardice. As the sun rays
blazed on his ledge, he could feel the heat and had been starving since the previous nightfall. The young bird begged his
mother to bring him some food. He uttered a joyful scream when his mother quickly picked a piece of fish and flew across
to him. He leaned out eagerly and jumped at the fish, exasperated by hunger. Suddenly he fell outward in the open space,
and a monstrous terror seized him as he could feel that he was falling downward. The next moment, he felt his wings
spread outwards, and he was able to fly fearlessly. Finally, the young seagull took his first flight and soared higher and
skimmed through the waves and dived along with his siblings.

Two Stories about Flying Part 2: Black Aeroplane Summary

“Black Aeroplane” is a mysterious story written by Fredrik Forsyth that revolves around a pilot. The narrator of the story is
a pilot who wants to be with his family and enjoy a wholesome breakfast with them in England. He had to fly from France
to England to spend time with his family. Once he crossed Paris, he came across storm clouds that looked like black
mountains. However, he flew through the clouds and soon realized that everything around him had turned completely
black. Nothing was visible to him outside the aeroplane as he lost control of it.
Suddenly, he noticed that there was another aeroplane with no lights on its wings. The pilot of that aeroplane waved his
hands and signalled him to follow. He blindly followed the other pilot since the radio signals of his plane were not
reachable, and even the fuel tank was low. Soon he passed through the dark clouds and landed safely on the runway with
the help of the other pilot. Upon landing, he inquired at the reception about who was the other pilot who helped him in
such a critical situation as he wanted to thank him for saving his life. But the woman in the control centre told him that
there was no other aeroplane in the night sky other than his aeroplane.

CH 4-From the Diary of Anne Frank

From the Diary of Anne Frank is an autobiography of a young Jewish girl who wrote her thoughts in a diary. At first, she felt
it was an unusual experience for her to pen down all her thoughts. She believed that no one in the near future would be
interested to read about a young girl’s past experiences from her diary. However, she still decided to write her thoughts in
her diary and named it “Kitty”. She considered her diary to be her true and loyal friend as she was lonely and had no
friends to talk to. Anne felt that her diary had more capacity to absorb thoughts than people with low patience levels.
Further, she mentioned how much she loved her family, especially her adorable father, who gifted her the diary on her
thirteenth birthday.

On 20th June 1942, Anne stated how her entire class was nervous about their exam results. Although she was confident
about other subjects, she wasn’t quite sure about mathematics. She and her friend, G, pleaded with the students to calm
down and not make noise, but all in vain. She felt that about a quarter of the class were dummies who should be kept back
in the same class as they did not participate in other activities.

Besides, Anne also mentioned how the maths teacher, Mr Keesing, was annoyed by her talkative nature. He would often
punish her with extra homework whenever she talked more during his class. In the first punishment, he asked her to write
an essay on ‘A Chatterbox’, which in itself was a weird topic for Anne. She gave good thought to the topic and decided to
present convincing arguments in her essay, justifying her points in support of talking. She mentioned that she would try to
improve herself, but she could not do anything about the trait that she inherited from her mother. When her teacher read
the essay, he found it amusing and assigned her a second essay, ‘An Incorrigible Chatterbox’, for her unreformable
talkative nature.

However, during the third lesson, Mr Keesing had read enough of her justifications and assigned her another topic
entitled, ‘Quack, Quack, Quack, Said Mistress Chatterbox’ as a punishment for her incorrigible habit. Anne almost ran out
of thoughts after writing essays on similar topics previously. This time she took the help of her friend, Sanne, who was
good at poetry and wrote the essay from beginning to end in satirical verse. When her teacher read the essay he took it
lightly and thoroughly enjoyed it. Since then, Anne was allowed to talk in class and was never assigned any extra
homework by Mr Keesing.

CHAPTER- 5- Glimpses of India Part 1: A Baker from Goa Summary

This story is written by Lucio Rodrigues, who talked about Goa, which was once ruled by the Portuguese. Due to this
reason, the people of the region are swayed by the Portuguese culture. Baking was the conventional profession of the
Goan people, and the bakers were known as ‘paders’ there. This story particularly revolves around the bakers living in a
Goan village. The author mentioned how people in old times ate loaves of bread which were baked in large furnaces. The
paders would come to sell those loaves in the street and would make a jingling sound with the bamboo whenever they
arrived. He further added how the villagers enjoyed eating the loaves and bread-bangles brought in baskets for children by
these bakers during his childhood.

The author also described the special attire of the bakers called Kabai, which was a single-piece frock that would reach up
to their knees. Besides, he also mentioned how baking became the most profitable profession among people in Goa, and
many bakers led a prosperous life, and their jackfruit-like physical appearance was a valid testimony of their well-being.

Glimpses of India Part 2: Coorg Summary

Coorg is a story written by Lokesh Abrol. He described Coorg as the smallest district of Karnataka. The author said Coorg,
or Kodagu is a beautiful place that is located midway between Mangalore and Mysore. The heavenly city has evergreen
forests, spices and coffee plantations and many tourists throng to this destination from September to March every year.
The air of this region is filled with coffee scents. The people of this region are very independent and have some Greek or
Arabic connection since the time a part of Alexander’s army had settled here permanently. They settled here and married
the local people and the tradition continues to exist. The people of Coorg wear Kuppia, which is a long black coat that is
quite similar to the ones worn by Arabs.

Besides, the Coorgi people are very brave. One of the most significant regiments in the Indian Army is the Coorg Regiment.
Notably, the first Indian Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army was General Cariappa, who hailed from this beautiful
place. The hilly regions and forests of Coorg are a major source of water for the Cauvery River. Visitors who are interested
in high-adventure sports can have fun and frolic in this place and also explore the different types of animals particularly
found in this region.

Glimpses of India Part 3: Tea from Assam Summary

Tea from Assam is a story written by Arup Kumar Datta. This is the last story of the prose, Glimpses of India. The story
began with two friends, Rajvir and Pranjol, who were travelling to Assam. On their way, they bought fresh tea from a
roadside vendor and discussed the special tea of this region. As they sipped the hot steaming tea, Rajvir told Pranjol that
over eighty crore cups of tea are being consumed every day throughout the world. Rajvir thoroughly enjoyed the scenic
beauty of Assam, consisting of tea plantations and bushes, while Pranjol was engrossed in a detective book.

Rajvir further explained to Pranjol about Assam as a place that is famous for having the largest tea plantations. However,
no one knows the origin of tea in the region. According to a Chinese legend, a few leaves of tea accidentally fell into a pot
of boiling hot water. The Emperor enjoyed the delicious flavour of the liquid, and that’s how tea came into being. Further,
Rajvir mentioned how an Indian legend, Bodhidharma, who was a Buddhist monk, cut off his eyelids because he fell asleep
during meditation. In no time, ten tea plants grew out of his eyelids and when these leaves were put in hot water, it
helped in banishing sleep.

Soon, both of them arrived at Mariani Junction, picked up their luggage and made their way towards Dhekiabari Tea
Estate. On their way, they saw batches of tea-pluckers who draped plastic aprons with bamboo baskets hung on their
backs as they plucked the newly sprouted leaves. Pranjol’s father had come to receive both of them. Pranjol’s father was
amazed at Rajvir’s knowledge about tea plantations when he heard the young boy mention the second flush or sprouting
period of tea that yields the best tea. Rajvir further said that he was keen to learn more about the place from Pranjol’s
father.

CHAPTER-Mijbil the Otter Summary

The story, Mijbil the Otter, begins with the writer, Gavin Maxwell, who was travelling to Basra with his friend to the
Consulate-General to collect and answer their mail from Europe. During their journey, Maxwell expressed his desire to
keep an otter as a pet instead of a dog, as he felt very lonely after losing his pet dog earlier. His friend suggested he get an
otter from the Tigris marshes in Iraq. When they reached the destination, his friend received the mail immediately, while
Maxwell had to wait for a few more days to receive his mail. Once he received the mail, he took the sack that was brought
by two Arabs carrying a message from his friend and discovered an otter inside it. He christened the otter ‘Mijbil’ and
would often refer to it as Mij.

It took a little while for the little creature to adapt to its surroundings. In due course, Maxwell observed that Mij enjoyed
playing with water and how it learned to open the bathroom faucet on its own. The writer was thoroughly amazed at the
games played by Mij with its own touch of creativity. Soon it was time for Maxwell to return to England with his pet otter.
However, British Airlines had a few restrictions that barred animals from travelling with human beings, so he booked
another flight that allowed Mij to travel with him. The new airlines insisted that Mij should be packed in a box so that it
didn’t disturb other co-passengers onboard. Henceforth, Maxwell arranged for a box one hour before the flight, put Mijbil
inside and left to grab a quick meal.

When he returned, he found there were holes in the box and the edges were stained with blood. He understood that Mij
must have injured himself inside the box. He cleaned the box properly and reached the airport a few minutes before the
flight took off. When he boarded the flight, he explained the entire incident to an air hostess who advised him to keep his
pet on his lap rather than locking his pet inside the container. Maxwell was filled with gratitude for her kind words. But the
moment he opened the box, Mij leapt out and vanished in thin air, which caused a lot of chaos on the flight. Many co-
passengers were astonished to see the little creature moving around. But the kind-hearted air hostess took Mij and
handed it to Maxwell in no time. Soon, they reached London, and Maxwell thanked the crew for their support onboard.

In London, Mij got used to its surroundings gradually. It started playing with marbles and ping-pong balls. The writer was
also amazed by the game that Mij had developed with his broken suitcase. Maxwell often took Mij for a walk, and the
people of London would make wild guesses about his pet. Some called Mij to be a baby seal, beaver, or squirrel, and there
were still a few more who would refer to the otter as a hippo. The most shocking response that Maxwell received from a
labourer who was digging a hole when he asked him, “Here, Mister — what is that supposed to be?”

CHAPTER -Madam Rides the Bus Summary

The story, Madam Rides the Bus, illustrates the sensitive story of a young eight-year-old Tamil girl Valliammai. Valli was
always curious to explore the outside world. She had no friends to play games with. So, her favourite pastime was to stand
in the doorway of her house and watch all that was happening on the street outside. She would watch people get on and
off the bus that travelled between her village and the nearest town. The bus that was filled with a new set of passengers
filled her with a sense of unending joy. She had a strong urge to take a bus ride to explore the adventurous bus journey.
Hence, she collected information about the bus timings by listening to the conversations of the people taking the bus ride.
Soon she learnt that the bus journey from her village to the nearest town was approximately six miles. The bus fare costs
thirty paise for a one-way ride. So, Valli started saving enough money to take a ride on the bus.

Valli planned to travel on the bus during the afternoon when her mother would be asleep. She stood on the roadside
waiting for the bus. As the bus arrived, she told the conductor she wanted to go to town. The conductor happened to be a
jovial person and referred to her as ‘madam’ and told her to hop into the bus and take her seat. She got into her bus
quickly and noticed that the bus was painted in green and white colour stripes and looked brand new. The bus seats were
luxurious, and the ride was comfortable. During her journey, Valli enjoyed looking at the greenery outside and the scenic
natural beauty of the bus. She was thoroughly enjoying her bus ride and was amused when she saw a young cow that ran
wildly in front of the bus and crossed the road. The driver blew the shrill horn as the cow crossed the road. This was a
fascinating experience for Valli as she realised her dream of travelling on a bus had finally come true.

As Valli enjoyed watching the beautiful landscape outside, the bus started getting empty as the passengers got down to
their respective stops. Soon, the conductor asked her if she would like to roam about the stalls in the town, but she told
him that she had limited money, which she needed to take the return bus ride. The conductor casually smiled at her reply.
Valli stayed on the bus and took a ticket from the conductor to return to her village. As the bus started again, she noticed a
dead cow and realised that it was the same cow that had run wildly in front of her bus during her onward journey to the
town. Looking at the sight of the bleeding cow made her very sad, and she understood the meaning of life and death from
this incident. Soon, the bus dropped her at the bus stop near her home, and she returned home just on time. Thus, no one
in her family knew about her adventurous bus trip that she had taken all by herself without their knowledge.

CHAPTER- The Sermon at Benares Summary

The Sermon at Benares illustrates the valuable preachings of Lord Buddha. Lord Buddha was born as a prince named
Siddhārtha Gautama in North India. When he was twelve years old, he was sent away from home to study the sacred
Hindu scriptures. He returned four years later and married a beautiful princess. They had a healthy son and led a life of
royalty for ten years. Being a part of the royal family, he was protected from the sufferings and unpleasant happenings
around the world.

One fine day while he went out hunting, the Prince met an ailing man, an old man, a funeral procession and a monk
begging for alms. He was moved by the encounters, and soon he left royalty behind to seek enlightenment for all the
sorrows that he witnessed. After seven years, he attained Salvation and sat under a tree and renamed it the ‘Bodhi Tree’
(Tree of Wisdom) and began preaching and sharing his new understandings. Soon, he came to be known as the Buddha
(the Awakened or the Enlightened). He gave his first sermon in Benares, the holy city on the banks of the river Ganges. In
one of his sermons, he taught about a lady, Kisa Gotami, whose only son had died. She was devastated and in extreme
grief for the sudden loss. She went from one house to another, seeking help and medicine to bring her son back to life.
People thought that she had lost her mind owing to her grief.

One day, she met a man who directed her to approach Lord Buddha for guidance. He felt that Lord Buddha could possibly
help her in this crisis. The lady approached the monk as directed and begged him to cure her son. Lord Buddha asked her
to procure mustard seeds from a house where the family had never lost a family member, relative or friend. Kisa Gotami
was filled with a ray of hope and immediately went in search of it from one house to another, but she could find none. She
felt disheartened and finally realised how selfish she had been in desperately searching for something that was not
possible to achieve. Thus, she understood that man is a mortal being; all who come to Earth have to leave behind all their
relations and belongings when they die. This was the lesson that Lord Buddha taught her and wanted her to understand,
that life and death are the cycles of the universe and no one can escape it.

Lord Buddha taught a valuable lesson to all that feelings of sorrow and grief only escalate man’s suffering and pain. It
deteriorates one’s health and worsens the current situation. Therefore, a wise person is one who is completely aware of
how Mother Nature functions and must not lose hope or remain in constant grief for something that is bound to happen.
It is only then one can enjoy life and stay happy and blessed in life.

CHAPTER-The Proposal Summary

The chapter, The Proposal, is a comedy-drama that is based on the tendency of two wealthy families who seek ties with
each other to increase their estates by encouraging marriage that would improve their wealth. The play began with Ivan
Lomov, who visited Stephan Chubukov, a wealthy neighbour of Lomov. Lomov was a wealthy person himself who was
dressed neatly and had come to seek Chubukov’s twenty-five-year-old daughter, Natalya Stepanovna’s hand in marriage.
Initially, Chubukov was curious about Lomov’s sudden visit and assumed that the young man had come to ask for money
which he might not return.

Lomov was a thirty-five-year-old gentleman who suffered from severe heart-throbbing and became upset easily. He
thought that Natalya was an excellent housekeeper, a well-educated and average-looking woman who would be an ideal
partner to marry. However, when Chubukov heard about the proposal, he was glad and embraced Lomov. He immediately
rushed inside to call his daughter, Natalya.

When Natalya arrived, Lomov began the conversation about how both families share a cordial relationship. As he spoke
about his land Oxen Meadows, which was a disputed property, Natalya objected that the land belonged to her family.
Lomov yelled back, stating that the land belonged to him. Both of them had a heated argument on this topic until Lomov
had a sudden palpitation attack with numbness in his feet. In no time, Natalya’s father, Chubukov, arrived, and the father-
daughter duo started abusing Lomov. Feeling insulted, Lomov rushed out of the house. As Chubukov continued to defame
the young man, he accidentally mentioned Natalya about Lomov’s marriage proposal. Hearing this, Natalya immediately
regretted insulting Lomov and asked her father to bring him back.

Chubukov rushed out of the house immediately to call Lomov. When the young man returned, Natalya started a
conversation about their dogs. In no time, a second round of debate ensued between her and Lomov, where she
mentioned that her dog Squeezer was better than Lomov’s Guess. Soon, Chubukov entered the scene, and the argument
worsened. All three people began quarrelling, and soon Lomov fainted with another attack of palpitation.

Seeing this, Natalya asked her father to wake up Lomov as she expressed her desire that she like him too. Suddenly when
Lomov made a movement, they offered him some water to drink, and Chubukov put Natalya’s hand over his hand. They
agreed to marry, but the quarrel persisted as Natalya said that Squeezer was better than Guess. However, Lomov was
adamant and refused to accept that his dog, Guess, was worse than Squeezer, Natalya’s dog. The curtain went down as
the verbal fight continued among the characters.