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Maharashtra Board Class 10 Solutions for English Reader – The Rats’ Feast
Pre-reading Activities
Question 1:
Opinion Poll
We usually don’t accept new people / things / ideas easily in our lives. Suppose your favourite teacher is transferred to another school and you have to accept a new one. Discuss with your partner and express your opinions in the given form. Report to the class and check your responses to each of the statements.
Answer:
Statements | Agree | Disagree |
Can’t say |
|
i. | We should accept him/her without comparing
with previous teacher. |
✓ | ||
ii. | We will form our opinions from his/her appearance. | ✓ | ||
iii. | We will recognize his/her personality within a brief span. | ✓ | ||
iv. | We must be polite in our attitude. | ✓ | ||
V. | We will accept him/her as he/she is. | ✓ | ||
vi. | We will give more and more time to know him/her. | ✓ | ||
vii. | We will not consider it seriously. | ✓ | ||
viii. |
Just from his/her talking we will come to know about his/her personality. |
✓ |
Question 2:
Personality
Look at the following characteristic features of a personality. Which one of them you would like to see in your teacher? Discuss with your partner and put the features in two boxes: desirable and undesirable. You may add some of your own.
Answer:
A1. Factual Reading
Question 1:
Read the passage in about 10 minutes and write your responses whether you ‘agree’ or ‘disagree’.
Answer:
Question 2:
Glance quickly through the passage again and choose the correct alternatives and write your responses.
i. The new Sanskrit teacher ______
a. Bichkun b. Kalikumar
Answer:
b. Kalikumar
ii. The sacrifice of the Black pumpkin ______
a. rhyme b. chorus
Answer:
a. rhyme
iii. Bichkun was the name of _____
a. gentleman b. a boy
Answer:
b. a boy
iv. The sweets were actually eaten by _____
a. boys b. rats
Answer:
a. boys
Question 3:
Glance through the passage and match column A with column B.
Column ‘A’ | Column ‘B’ | ||
i. | Adkhola station | a. | black pumpkin fresh chilli |
*ii. | Bichkun | b. | a rowdy boy |
*iii. | Mr. Dundle Head | c. | the train pulled up at |
*iv. | Asansol | d. | an elderly gentleman boarded the train |
Answer:
(i – d) , (ii – b), (iii – a), (iv – c)
Question 4:
Find the speaker
Who said the following?
i. “No room here…”
ii. “The whole train is packed.”
iii. “Whose last rites?”
iv. “Black Pumpkin Fresh Chilli.”
Answer:i. Bichkun ii. The old man
iii. The old man iv. Bichkun
Question 5:
Glance through the passage and say whether the following statements are True or False.
i. The students refused to study under the new
teacher.
ii. Mr. Kalikumar Tarkalankar was the new
Geography teacher.
iii. The vacation was not yet over.
iv. At Adkhola station, an elderly gentleman
boarded the train.
v. An elderly gentleman had with him a bedroll.
vi. He had with him a sack and an umbrella.
vii. The whole train was empty.
Answer:
i. True ii. False
iii. False iv. True
V. True vi. False
vii. False
Question 6:
Name the following with reference to the passage.
i. The subject that the boys refused to study under the new teacher.
ii. The rhyme made by a naughty boy and repeated m chorus.
iii. The station where the elderly gentleman boarded the train.
iv. The station where the old man got down to have bath.
Answer:
i. Sanskrit
ii. ‘The sacrifice of the Black pumpkin’
iii. Adkhola
iv. Asansol
Read the passage from line (1 to 33) on page (9, 10) of your textbook and answer the following questions.[“It’s so unfair!” said………….
…………..lose his temper.]
A2. Understanding the Passage
Question 1:
Find sentences as a proof for the following statements.
i. The boys didn’t want the old man in the compartment.
ii. The train was overcrowded.
iii. The old man was a gentleman.
iv. The children were mischievous.
Answer:
i. “No room here, Mr Dundle head, go to another compartment.”
ii. “The whole train is packed, there’s no room anywhere.”
iii. “The whole train is packed, there’s no room anywhere. I’ll sit in this comer and won’t trouble you at all.”
iv. “Black Pumpkin Fresh Chilli,” came the reply the boys started chanting the rhyme.
Question 2:
Complete the Web.
Answer:
i. a bedroll
ii. two-three earthen pots
iii. a tin trunk
iv. a few bundles
Question 3:
Read the sentences and choose the correct answer.
i.The name of the rowdy boy was _____.
a. Kalikumar b. Bichkun
c. Black Pumpkin
Answer:
b. Bichkun
ii. The boys were returning to school by the ______.
a bus b. plane
c. train
Answer:
c. train
iii. An elderly gentleman boarded the train at ______.
a. Adkhola b. Tarkalankar
c. Dundle
Answer:
a. Adkhola
iv. The new teacher was going to teach ______.
a. Maths b. Art
c. Sanskrit
Answer:
c. Sanskrit
Question 4:
Complete the following web for the various names used for the Sanskrit teacher.
Answer:
i. New teacher
ii. New Sanskrit teacher
iii. Kalikumar Tarkalankar
iv. Black pumpkin
A3. Meaning from the Text
Question 1:
Look at the sentences given below with a word in a box. Now select the appropriate word from the list given below that best explains the meaning of the word given in the box. One is done for you.
Answer:
i. unfolded ii. stopped
iii. everywhere iv. left
v. protected
Question 2:
Choose the correct words from the passage for the following meanings.
i. Made of clay
ii. A number of things tied together
iii. Enough space
iv. Got up and left the seat
v. Very hungry
vi. Tricks that are played as a joke
Answer:
i. earthen ii. bundles
iii. room iv. vacated
v. famished vi. pranks
Question 3:
Match the following words with their correct meanings.
Column ‘A’ | Column ‘B’ | ||
i. | naughty | a. | gentleman |
ii. | elderly | b. | boy |
iii. | earthen | c. | pumpkin |
iv. | a black | ‘d. | pots |
Answer:
(i – b), (ii – a), (iii – d), (iv – c)
Question 4:
Find a proper word for the following explanation from the passage.
i. express unwillingness =
ii. behaving badly =
iii. respond sharply and quickly =
iv. singing together in a group =
Answer:
i. refuse ii. rowdy
iii. retorted iv. chanting
A4. Language Study
Do as directed.
Question 1:
“It’s so unfair !” said the boys.
(Write the sentence selecting the correct option)
i. The boys exclaimed that it was very unfair.
ii. The boys exclaimed that it is very unfair.
iii. The boys said that, that was very unfair.
Answer:
ii. The boys exclaimed that it is very unfair.
Question 2:
The boy said, “We refuse to study under the new teacher.”
[Choose the correct alternative (indirect speech)]
i. The boy said that he refuse to study under the new teacher.
ii. The boy said that he was refused to study under the new teacher.
iii. The boy said that they refused to study under the new teacher.
Answer:
iii. The boy said that they refused to study under the new teacher.
Question 3:
A naughty boy had already changed the name of the teacher. (Change the voice)
Answer:
The name of the teacher had already been changed by a naughty boy.
Question 4:
The boys roared with laughter.
(Frame a ‘Wh’ question to get the underlined part as an answer)
Answer:
Who roared with laughter?
Question 5:
He vacated the seat.
[Choose the correct alternative (voice)]
i. The seat is vacated by him.
ii. The seat was vacated by him.
iii. The seat will be vacated by him.
Answer:
ii. The seat was vacated by him.
Question 6:
Complete the following indirect speech.
i. He asked the boys, “Where are you going?”
He asked the boys _____ .
Answer:
He asked the boys where they were going.
ii The old man said, “The whole train is packed.”
The old man said _____ .
Answer:
The old man said that the whole train was packed.
A5. Personal Response
Question 1:
What do you think of the elderly gentleman in the story?
Answer:
I think that the elderly gentleman in the story had an adjusting nature. He maintained his cool even when the boys played various pranks on him. He overlooked the mischief of the boys and treated them well.
Question 2:
Do you enjoy making fun of elderly people?
Answer:
I don’t enjoy making fun of elderly people. They are older in age and are more knowledgeable and experienced than me. So, I treat them with respect and try to help them in every possfole manner.
Question 3:
How would you feel if you were insulted by other fellow passengers on a train journey?
Answer:
I would not like it if I were insulted by other fellow passengers on a train journey. I would feel sad and I would try to find out the reason for their misbehavior. I would be patient and calm and I would politely ask them to behave.
Question 4:
The behaviour of the boys was right or wrong. Write your opinion.
Answer:
According to me, the behaviour of the boys was wrong. They were naughty and mischievous and they made fan of an elderly person, which was incorrect. Irrespective of who he was, they should have treated him with respect and should have helped him.
A1. Factual Reading
Question 1:
State whether the following statements are True or False. Correct the false statements.
i. The old gentleman was on the look out for his relative.
ii. The old gentleman was an English teacher.
Answer:
i. False. The old gentleman was on the look out for a job.
ii. False. The old gentleman was a Sanskrit teacher.
Question 2:
Read the passage in about 10 minutes and write your responses whether you ‘agree’ or ‘disagree’.
Answer:
Question 3:
Glance quickly through the passage again and choose the correct alternatives from the one’s given below.
i. At _____ , the train was to stop for an hour.
a. Bardhaman b. Adkhola
Answer:
a. Bardhaman
ii. The old man was accompanied by _____ .
a. the boys
b. the sweet vendor
Answer:
b. the sweet vendor
iii. The boys let out a _____ and started
jumping about.
a. hurrah b. a sigh
Answer:
a. hurrah
*iv. The name of the secretary _____
a. Tarkalankar
b. not mentioned
Answer:
b. not mentioned
Question 4:
Glance through the passage and match column A with column B.
Column ‘A’ | Column ‘B’ | ||
*i. | Kalikumar Tarkalankar | a. | a packet of sweets |
*ii. | Sweet vendor | b. | bent down to touch the teacher’s feet |
iii. | The boys | c. | the new Sanskrit teacher |
iv. | The Secretary | d. | let out a hurrah |
Answer:
(i – c), (ii – a), (iii – d), (iv – b)
Read the passage from line (34 to 65) on page (10,11) of your textbook and answer the following questions.
[At Bardhaman the train……….
…………….bent down to touch his feet.]
A2. Understanding the Passage
Question 1:
Find sentences as a proof for the following statements.
i. The old man was generous.
ii. Mr. Tarkalankar wanted a job.
iii. The boys wanted Mr. Tarkalankar to be their Sanskrit teacher.
iv. The Secretary respected Mr. Tarkalankar.
Answer:
i. He handed everyone a packet of sweets, saying, “This time the rats won’t go hungry.”
ii. “I’m on the look out for a job,” said he. “I’ll get off wherever I find a suitable one.”
iii. They all clapped and said, “In that case, it will be great to have you in our school.”
iv. And he bent down to touch his feet.
A3. Meaning from the Text
Question 1:
Look at the sentences given below with a word in a box. Now select the appropriate word from the list given below that best explains the meaning of the word given in the box.
Answer:
i.enter
ii.screamed
iii.showing excitement
iv.leaned
Question 2:
Write from the passage words that mean the following.
i. a separate chamber inside a train
ii. person selling things on cart
iii. to go along with someone, as a company
iv. area near the place referred to
Answer:
i. compartment
ii. vendor
iii. accompanied
iv. neighbourhood
A4. Language Study
Do as directed.
Question 1:
They got on the train. (Add a question tag)
Answer:
They got on the train, didn’t they?
Question 2:
The boys said to the gentleman, “Tell us where you are going?”(Rewrite in indirect speech)
Answer:
The boys told the gentleman to tell them where he was going.
Question 3:
You are making things hard for me.(Rewrite in Present Perfect Tense)
Answer:
You have made things hard for me.
Question 4:
All of us will leave the school.(Rewrite as a negative sentence)
Ans: None of us will stay in the school.
A5. Personal Response
Question 1:
How do you react when a new teacher is introduced to you for a particular subject?
Answer:
When a new teacher is introduced for a particular subject, I would be very curious to leam from him/her. I would eagerly wait for the first lecture and be attentive in the class. I would be positive in my attitude to accept the new teacher.
Additional Questions for Practice
Question 1:
Read the story again and after discussing with your partner answer the following questions. Take help of the clues provided.
i. Answer in only one word or a phrase.
a. For whom did the boys compose a rhyme? (Find the person)
Answer:
The boys composed a rhyme for their new Sanskrit teacher, Mr. Kalikumar Tarkalankar.
b. Where did an elderly gentleman board the train? (Find the place)
Answer:
An elderly gentleman boarded the train at Adkhola station.
c. What did the old gentleman see? (Find the thing)
Answer:
The old gentleman saw that all the sweets in his two pots had been polished off.
d. What were added to the feast? (Find the thing)
Answer:
A basket of mangoes were added to the feast.
e. Who bent down to touch the feet of Mr. Tarkalankar? (Find the Person)
Answer:
The Secretary of the school bent own to touch the feet of Mr. Tarkalankar.
ii. Answer in just two or three sentences.
a. Describe in short the appearance of the elderly gentleman.
Answer:
The gentleman looked old in appearance and had a kind smile.
b. Why did the old man board in the boys’ compartment? (Find the reason)
Answer:
The whole train was packed. There was no room anywhere. He saw a vacant seat in the boys’ compartment. So, he boarded their compartment and sat on the vacant seat.
c. What made the boys feel disappointed? (Find the reason)
Answer:
The boys played various pranks to trouble the old man. Despite that, he did not lose his temper. So, the boys were disappointed on seeing that the old man was not getting angry.
d. Who accompanied the old man and what did he give to the boys? (Find the Person)
Answer:
A sweet vendor accompanied the old man to their window pushing his cart. He gave a packet of sweets to each boy.
iii. Write in brief now.
a. Who do you think are the ‘rats’ and what is their ‘feast’?
Answer:
According to me, the ‘rats’ are the school boys in the compartment of the 1 train. Their ‘feast’ is the sweets in the earthen pots, covered with a cloth and ripe mangoes in the bundle that belonged to the elderly gentleman
Question 2:
Reading a story
Your teacher will ask any one of you to read the story aloud. Get ready. While reading aloud take care of the following.
Sound Speed of reading
Pronunciation Stress and intonation
Meaningful group of words Pauses
Understanding
[Students are expected to attempt the above activity on their own.]
Question 3:
Expressions
Find out as many expressions as you can from the text for the following persons.
i. The new Sanskrit teacher
a. ______ b. _____
ii. The Boys
a. ______ b. ______
iii. Bichkun
a. ______ b. ______
iv. The Secretary
a. ______ b. ______
Answer:
i. a. an old man ‘
b. the elderly gentleman
ii. a. the children
b. the rats
iii. a. a rowdy boy
b. a naughty boy
iv. name or expressions are not mentioned in the text.
Question 4:
Ordering Sentences
Glance through the story again and arrange the following sentences in order of their occurrence in the story. You may discuss with your partner and decide.
i. An elderly gentleman boarded the train.
ii. The boys ate up all sweets from the pots of the old man.
iii. The boys were prepared not to let Mr. Tarkalankar set foot in the school.
iv. The boys were returning to school after the vacation.
v. The old gentleman arranged a feast of sweets and mangoes for the boys.
vi. The gentleman wished that if he had known about rats, he would have brought more sweets.
vii. The boys had made up their mind not to study under the new Sanskrit teacher.
viii. The old man got down to take a bath.
ix. A naughty boy had made a rhyme by changing the name of the new Sanskrit teacher.
x. The boys wished that the old man would join their school as Sanskrit teacher.
xi. The secretary welcomed Mr. Tarkalankar by touching his feet.
Answer:.
i. The boys had made up their mind not to study under the new Sanskrit teacher.
ii. The boys were prepared not to let Mr. Tarkalankar set foot in the school.
iii. The boys were returning to school after the vacation.
iv. A naughty boy had made a rhyme by changing the name of the new Sanskrit teacher.
v. An elderly gentleman boarded the train.
vi. The old man got down to take a bath.
vii. The boys ate up all sweets from the pots of the old man.
viii. The gentleman wished that if he had known about rats, he would have brought more sweets.
ix. The old gentleman arranged a feast of sweets and mangoes for the boys.
x. The boys wished that the old man would join their school as Sanskrit teacher.
xi. The secretary welcomed Mr. Tarkalankar by touching his feet.
Question 5:
Word Puzzle .
Complete the following word puzzle using the clues given below.
Across
2. body which has authority of controlling and directing
3. container for fruits and vegetables
4. Billy likes _____ word that rhymes with the name
5. big round shaped vegetable
7. loud sound made by a lion
Down
1. period when we have holidays
6. king of fruits
Answer:
Question 6:
Translation skill
Your younger brother/sister wants to know the story.
‘The Rats’ Feast’.
Translate it in your mother tongue for him/her.
[Students are expected to answer this question on their own.’] ‘
Question 7:
Opposites
Use a dictionary to find the opposites of the following words and rewrite.
i.efficient ii. probable
ii.determinate iv. attractive
iii.obedient vi. conventional
Answer:
i. inefficient ii. improbable
iii. indeterminate iv. unattractive
v. disobedient
vi. unconventional
Question 8:
Using words
Replace the underlined expressions with the words from Activity 12.
i. It’s highly not probable that anybody will agree.
Answer:
It’s highly improbable that anybody will agree.
ii. Being short and overweight it looks not pleasant to look at the figure.
Answer:
Being short and overweight it looks unattractive to look at the figure.
iii. ‘How can you not follow and refuse my orders,’ said the officer.
Answer:
‘How can you be disobedient and refuse my orders,’ said the officer.
iv. In the light of the energy crisis we will have to be in search of not the same type of methods.
Answer:
In the light of the energy crisis we will have to be in search of unconventional methods.
V. My friend could not get the job as he was found not fit to do the work.
Ans:
Answer:
My friend could not get the job as he was found inefficient to do the work.
Question 9:
Direct and Indirect
i. Look at the following sentences and discuss the responses with your partner. Write down your observations.
a. “It’s so unfair!” said the boys.
• What are the words said by the boys?
Ans: If s so unfair
• How are the words said by the boys, written?
Ans: The words said by the boys are written in inverted commas.
b. The boys exclaimed that it was very unfair. Discuss
• What differences do you observe in the sentences ‘a’ and ‘b’?
Answer:
In sentence ‘a’, the actual words spoken by the boys are written in inverted commas. In sentence ‘b’, the words spoken by the boys are reported and the inverted commas are not used in this sentence.
• What is the change in the tense?
Answer:
In sentence ‘a’, the present tense is used.
In sentence ‘b’, the past tense is used.
• What is the change in the punctuation marks?
Answer:
There are inverted commas and an exclamation mark in sentence ‘a’. There are no inverted commas and no exclamation mark in sentence ‘b’. There is a full stop at the end of the sentence.
• What new words are added in the place of underlined word in sentence ‘a’?
Answer:
The word ‘exclaimed’ is used in sentence ‘b’ in place of the word ‘said’ in sentence ‘a’.
• Are the words spoken by the boys used as they were in sentence ‘a’ and why?
Answer:
No, the words spoken by the boys are not used as they were in sentence ‘a’. In sentence ‘b’, the actual words spoken by the boys are not mentioned, rather they are reported.
• Why and when is it essential to make a change of this type?
Answer:
It is essential to change a sentence into indirect speech when we are reporting to a third person about what was said in the past. This change is made to avoid confusion of who said the words and when they were said.
ii. Now, find the sentences of this type from the story and change them as done here. Check with the help of the following checklist for the expected changes.
Answer:
a. The old man said, “The whole train is packed.” (Direct)
The old man said that the whole train was packed. (Indirect)
b. Bichkun said, “It’ll be better if you move out of this compartment.” (Direct)
Bichkun said that it would be better if he moved out of that compartment. (Indirect)
c. The gentleman said, “It’s all my fault.” (Direct)
The gentleman said that it was all his fault. (Indirect)
d. The gentleman said, “I won’t trouble you any more.” (Direct)
The gentleman said that he wouldn’t trouble them any more. (Indirect)
e. He said, “I’m a Sanskrit teacher.” (Direct)
He said that he was a Sanskrit teacher. (Indirect)
iii. Now, look at the following sentences and discuss the changes in sentence ‘a’ and ‘b’ with the help of your partner and teacher. Note the changes with the help of a checklist.
a. “Whose last rites are you performing?” said the old man.
b. The old man asked whose last rites they were performing.
Checklist
• Use of proper reporting word
Answer:
The reporting verb ‘asked’ is used for the question.
• Change in the tense
Answer:
The present tense is changed to the past tense in sentence ‘b’.
• Change in personal pronouns
Answer:
In sentence ‘a’, the personal pronoun
‘you’ in the second person is used because it is a direct address made to the boys. In sentence ‘b’, personal pronoun ‘they’ in the third person is used to refer to the boys.
• Change in an adverb
Answer:
There are no adverbs in the sentences.
• Change in the punctuation marks Ans: In sentence ‘a’, a question mark is used.
In sentence ‘b’, no question mark is used; instead, a full stop is used at the end of the sentence.
Removal of punctuation marks
Answer:
The inverted commas- and question mark used in sentence ‘a’ are removed in sentence ‘b’.
iv. There are many sentences of this type.in the story. Write sentences of this type and then convert them as in the sentence ‘b’.
Answer:
a. The boys said to the gentleman, “Where are you going?” (Direct)
The boys asked the gentleman where he was going. (Indirect)
b. He asked, “Why would the management engage me?” (Direct)
He asked why the management would engage him. (Indirect)
Question 10:
Traveler reports
Imagine that you were one of the travelers on the train in the compartment of the boys. You have listened to the complete dialogue between the children and the teacher. Report all the happenings. Consider the changes expected in the tense, personal pronouns, etc.
Answer:
I was visiting my native place. I boarded the train and found a group of boys returning to school after their vacation. They were talking about how unfair it was to have a new Sanskrit teacher. They refused to study under him. One of the boys, who was naughty, had already changed the name of the teacher and made a rhyme called, “The sacrifice of the Black Pumpkin.” They were repeating this in a chorus.
At Adkhola station, an elderly gentleman boarded the train with his luggage (bedding, earthen pots, bundles, etc.) A rowdy boy called Bichkun shouted at him and told him to go to another compartment. The old man said that the train was packed and there was no room anywhere. He said that he would sit in a comer and not trouble them at all. He then vacated the seat and settled down in a comer. When he asked the boys where they were going, Bichkun said that they were going to perform the last rites of their new Sanskrit teacher, whom they had named Black Pumpkin Fresh Chilli.
When the train stopped at Asansol, the old man got down to have a bath. When he returned, Bichkun told him to move out of that compartment as there were rats all over the place. The old gentleman saw that all the sweets he was carrying in two pots, were polished off. The old man smiled and said that the poor rats must have been famished. The boys roared with laughter and said that the rats would eat even if they were not hungry and would have devoured more sweets if there had been more. The old man blamed himself and said that if he had known there were so many rats on the train, he would have brought more sweets. Despite all these pranks, the old man was not angry and as a result, the boys were rather disappointed.
At Bardhaman, the train was to stop for an hour. They had to change the train. The old man offered to move into another compartment but the boys did not allow him. They said that they would watch his bundle and see that nothing would go missing. The gentleman told the boys to get in the train and that he would be back in a minute. In a short while, a sweet vendor accompanied by the old man came to their window, pushing his cart. He gave each boy a packet of sweets saying that the rats would not go hungry now. The boys let out a hurrah and started jumping around. Then came a mango seller along with his basket of mangoes, which were added to the feast. The boys asked the gentleman where he was going and why. The gentleman replied that he was on the look out for a job and would get off wherever he would find a suitable one. They asked him about his occupation. He said that he was a Sanskrit teacher. The boys were happy. They told him that they would love to have him in their school. The old man doubted whether the management would engage him. The boys said that the management would surely engage him because they would not let Black Pumpkin Fresh Chilli set foot in the neighbourhood. The old man asked what if the Secretary didn’t like him. The boys said that he would have to or they would all leave the school. The old man then agreed and told them to take him to their school.
The train arrived at the station. The Secretary of the school himself was waiting. Seeing the old man, he welcomed him and said that his rooms were ready. Then, he bent down to touch his feet. The boys were surprised and shocked to find that the old man was none other than Mr. Tarkalankar, their new Sanskrit teacher, himself.
Question 11:
Admitting your guilt
Imagine you are one of those naughty boys in the train. You realized that Kalikumar is joining your school as a new Sanskrit teacher. You felt sorry for what you did and now you want to say sorry. Develop an imaginary dialogue between you and Kalikumar.
You may begin as:
You : Good morning, sir.
Kalikumar : Yes, Good morning. What is it?
You : Can I have a word with you?
Kalikumar : Of course, go ahead.
You : _____
Kalikumar : _____
Ans:
Myself : Good morning, sir.
Kalikumar : Yes, Good morning. What is it?
Myself : Can I have a word with you?
Kalikumar : Of course, go ahead.
Myself : Sir, I want to say something about ………..
Kalikumar : Something about what? I think we met for the first time in the train yesterday, right?
Myself : Yes, Sir. I am really sorry on behalf of my friends for our behaviour. We shouldn’t have troubled you in such a manner.
Kalikumar : What do you mean by ‘such a manner’?
Myself : Sir, we behaved rudely and played pranks on you. We also polished off all the sweets that you were
carrying.
Kalikumar : I know. You were very indecent and rude.
Myself : Yes, Sir. We have realized our mistake. We didn’t know who you were. We should have respected your age.
Believe us, Sir, we were just having fan. But when we came to know that you were our Sanskrit teacher, we were even more ashamed of our behaviour.
You were so patient with us and you didn’t lose your temper. Please excuse us.
Kalikumar : It’s alright. I am happy that you have realized your mistake.
I forgive you. I know you are all good boys and will never misbehave with anyone in the future.
Myself : I promise, Sir. We will not disappoint you. Thank you.
Question 12:
Retelling the story
In the story ‘The Rats’ feast’ a naughty boy, Bichkun wanted to narrate his experience in the train to his parents. Working in pairs/groups, rewrite the story as Bichkun would narrate it. You may use following points but they are in jumbled order.
i. Handed packets of sweets with mangoes
ii. Old man got down
iii. Boys were returning to school
iv. Recognized new Sanskrit teacher
v. The old man boarded the train
vi. Didn’t lose his temper
You may begin the story as follows:
“We all seven boys boarded the train. While returning to school, all of us got the news that a new teacher _____
Language support
• You may use starters like:
o I thought
o We were disappointed
o He didn’t bother about
o He gave us
• Use the past tense.
• Us&short sentences.
• Make use of dialogues.
• Select words properly.
• Take pauses where essential.
• Pay attention to intonation.
Answer:
“Seven of us boarded the train. While returning to school, we got the news that a new teacher was appointed for Sanskrit. We were unwilling to accept him. We named the new teacher ‘Red Pumpkin Fresh Chilli’. We made up a rhyme in his name and began repeating aloud in chorus. Then, an elderly gentleman boarded our compartment at Adkhola station. We were rude to him and told him to find a place in some other compartment. He said that he would sit in the comer and not trouble us. He had bedding, earthen pots and a few bundles as his luggage. He got down at Asansol station to have a bath. At this time, we took out the sweets from the pots and polished them off. When he returned, we told him that there were rats all over the place and that they had emptied the contents of the pots and the bundle of ripe mangoes. He was very calm and did not lose his temper. We thought that he would become angry, but we were disappointed. We had to change the train at Bardhaman station. The old gentleman said that he would change the compartment, but we did not let him go. Instead, we assured him that we would watch his bundles. The old man asked us to enter the train and left for a while. He returned with a sweet vendor and gave a packet of sweets to each one of us. Then came a mango-seller and the mangoes were added to the feast. We now asked the old man about him. He said that he was a Sanskrit teacher and was on the look out for a job. We invited him to join our school as we had decided not to allow Black Pumpkin Fresh Chilli to set foot in the neighbourhood. We assured him that the Secretary would appoint him and if he didn’t, we would all leave the school. When the train arrived at the station, we saw the Secretary of our school waiting. He welcomed the old gentleman and bent down to touch his feet. We realized at that time that the man whom we had troubled a lot was none other than Mr. Tarkalankar, our new Sanskrit teacher. We were very ashamed of our behaviour.”