literature 6D

NEW PATHWAYSRevised An Interactive Course in English LITERATURE READER 6 GAYATRI KHANNA

3 Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide. Oxford is a registered trade mark of Oxford University Press in the UK and in certain other countries. Published in India by Oxford University Press 22 Workspace, 2nd Floor, 1/22 Asaf Ali Road, New Delhi 110002 © Oxford University Press 2012, 2016, 2020 The moral rights of the author/s have been asserted. First Edition published in 2012 Second Edition published in 2016 This New Edition published in 2020 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of Oxford University Press, or as expressly permitted by law, by licence, or under terms agreed with the appropriate reprographics rights organization. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside the scope of the above should be sent to the Rights Department, Oxford University Press, at the address above. You must not circulate this work in any other form and you must impose this same condition on any acquirer. ISBN-13: 978-0-19-012157-0 ISBN-10: 0-19-012157-2 Typeset in Calibri Regular by Recto Graphics, Delhi 110096 Printed in India by Multivista Global Pvt. Ltd., Chennai 600042 Oxford Areal is a third-party software. Any links to third-party software are provided \"as is\" without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, and such software is to be used at your own risk. Illustrations by Surojit Bhattacharya and Sohom Bhattacharjee Cover image: © photo-nuke/Shutterstock Although we have made every effort to trace and contact copyright holders before publication, this has not been possible in all cases. If notified, the publisher will rectify any errors or omissions at the earliest opportunity.

About the Authors Debjani Rudra has been a teacher in the pre-primary and kindergarten sections of La Martiniere for Girls, Kolkata, for over thirty years. Gayatri Khanna has considerable experience in teaching English in schools affiliated to the CBSE as well as to the Cambridge International Examinations (CIE). She is an ELT consultant and a resource person for the development of materials with the CBSE and the NCERT. Mala Palani is a senior ELT consultant. She is currently the Director of a reputed teacher education institution. Over the past twenty-five years, she has taught in leading schools across the country teaching curricula prescribed by the CBSE, ICSE, state boards and international boards (IB and CAIE). Alongside, she has trained teachers teaching at all levels for the past decade. She has qualifications from EFL University, Hyderabad, University of Warwick and Cambridge. Malathy Krishnan is a retired Professor at the Department of ELT, School of Distance Education, EFL University, Hyderabad. Pooja Kewlani has retired as Head of the Primary Wing of Sardar Patel Vidyalaya, New Delhi. She has been an English language teacher for primary classes for almost three decades. She has also been a facilitator for English language learning in children with special needs. She is a mentor to special educators in ELT and a resource person for the development of teaching aids. Teresa Paul has been a facilitator for speaking and writing skills in various organizations for seniors and has worked on curriculum development and teacher training in Placid Vidya Vihar Senior Secondary School, Kristu Jyoti Group, Changanassery, Kerala, enabling self-sufficiency in fluency and accuracy. Usha Dutta is a former Professor of English with the NCERT. Key to the icons in New Pathways Audio in Oxford Educate and the additional digital resources VB For Value-based Questions For Oxford Areal 3

Preface Revised New Pathways: An Interactive Course in English has been designed to address the needs of educators for a comprehensive input-rich curriculum that lays the foundation for spontaneous language building. Digital Coursebooks Workbooks Resources for (Primers A and B; (Activity Books A and B; 1 to 8) each level 1 to 8) New Pathways Course Package includes Teacher’s Resource Literature Readers Books (Primers and (1 to 8) 1 to 8) Literature Reader The Literature Reader is an intrinsic component of the course package as exposure to good literature is one of the most effective ways of learning a language and assimilating its finer nuances. 4

The Literature Reader: promotes reading as an enjoyable activity and inculcates in the learner the habit of reading widely develops literary sensitivity in the learner through a wide range of literary selections across genres and periods sharpens the learner’s interpretative skills and encourages them to become conscious and discerning readers makes the learner aware of the multiplicity of human responses to any given text by means of exposing them to a range of themes and emotions This edition of the New Pathways Literature Reader includes a variety of new stories and poems. The learner has the opportunity of appreciating literary works that exemplify a variety of literary genres such as fiction, autobiography, poetry and drama. In the socio-political context of today’s world, it has become very important for the learner to be sensitive and respectful towards ethnic and cultural pluralism. In keeping with this, the selections in the Literature Reader range across nations and cultures. Every text in the Literature Reader is accompanied with a variety of tasks and activities. They are designed to serve the dual purpose of keeping learner involvement at the centre of the learning process while reinforcing the elements of communicative competence. 5

Reading comprises a variety of task types which require the learner to focus on factual as well as inferential comprehension of the text. In case of poetry, there is an emphasis on the formal and linguistic characteristics of the verse to develop in the learner a more nuanced response to poems. Highlighted value-based questions promote critical thinking and allow a deeper exploration of the values suggested in the text. Vocabulary tasks provide practice in words derived from the passage in order to extend and fine-tune the learner’s lexical knowledge. The exercises are presented in a variety of forms such as crossword puzzles, cloze texts, matching lists, tabulation, missing letters and filling the blanks. Writing tasks are linked to important themes in the texts and therefore designed to retain the learner’s interest and foster their imagination and creativity. They include posters, autobiographical narratives, articles, letters, diary entries, stories, newspaper reports and dialogues. Speaking tasks range from role-plays and simulations to interviews, and from debates and presentations to open class discussions. With a focus on the productive skill of speaking, listening is combined with it as its natural complement. An Activity accompanies every poem. It builds on the theme of the poem and encourages the learner to extend their understanding of the poem to life beyond the classroom. The focus of these activities is on the application of concepts and skills in different situations and contexts. New Pathways is a sincere attempt to fulfil the needs of educators as well as learners today and to facilitate the teaching–learning process. It is our hope that both teachers and students will enjoy the course and provide us with valuable feedback in the years to come. 6

Contents 4 8 Preface 9 Acknowledgements 17 1. Kali and the Rat Snake—Zai Whitaker 25 2. A Day’s Wait—Ernest Hemingway 28 35 How the Little Kite Learned to Fly— Katharine Pyle 44 3. Pret in the House—Ruskin Bond 47 4. Pandora and the Mysterious Box—Myths 56 60 The Magical Earth—Gulzar 70 5. The Cop and the Anthem—O. Henry 74 The Spider and the Fly—Mary Howitt 6. The Merchant of Venice—William Shakespeare Daybreak—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 7. Say the Right Thing—G.C. Thornley 7

Acknowledgements ‘Kali and the Rat Snake’ by Zai Whitaker, published by Tulika Publishers, Chennai, 2000; ‘Pret in the House’ by Ruskin Bond published in Great Stories for Children, published by Rupa Publications in 2011. Reprinted with permission of the author; ‘The Magical Earth’ by Gulzar, translated by Pavan K Varma from Green Poems. Reprinted with permission from Penguin Random House India Pvt. Ltd. The publishers have applied for permission to the following: The Hemingway Society for ‘A Day’s Wait’ Every effort has been made to contact the owners of the copyright of the pieces published here. However, a few have been difficult to trace. It would be appreciated if the copyright owners of the following pieces could contact the publishers. ‘Say the Right Thing’ by G.C. Thornley Photographs image of kite flying, p.25, 26 © Jolliolly / Shutterstock; image of watercolour floral illustration, p.44 © VerisStudio / Shutterstock 8

1 Kali and the Rat Snake Kali walked along the thorny forest track. As slowly as he could. He was on his way to school. Kali’s father was one of the most famous snake-catchers among the Irula tribe. He had caught over a hundred cobras just this monsoon and bought many good things for the family. The snake cooperative paid 150 for each poisonous snake. They took out the poison from snakes to make anti-venom serum. When Kali went snake-catching with his father, his legs worked like machines. But now he slowed down. “I hate school,” he told the bushes as his walk got slower and slower, “and school hates me.” The bushes did not seem to understand or feel sorry for him. “It’s been two months since I joined school but I don’t have a single friend. I get the feeling ... I think they think we Irulas are weird.” On the first day of school, each student had to stand up and tell the whole class three things: his or her name, the name of the village and what Father did. “My name is Ramu, my village is Meloor, my father is a bus-conductor,” said the first child. Then came, “Selvi, Orathoor, postman.” When it was Kali’s turn, he was so proud he felt like a balloon. “I am Kali, my village is Kanathoor, my father is a snakecatcher.” 9

The children giggled and nudged one another as if he had said something silly. For the first time in his life, Kali did not feel proud of being an Irula. He wished he were just like the others—an ordinary boy with a bus-conductor father. Anyway, that was two months ago. Kali was getting used to it but it was hard. And his school walk got slower and slower. Kali reached the school gate as the bell was ringing. As usual, he sat in the back row. Alone. Wishing he had friends. Wishing he could fail and be thrown out of school. But failing wasn’t easy. He had tried. But however badly he wrote his lessons, the teacher was always happy with him. This morning they had Maths and writing, and then it was break time. The children rushed outside to have their snack. Some had idli, others had mixture, a slice of bread, or two or three biscuits. Kali opened his tiffin box. Oh no! Fried termites! His favourite actually, but what if someone saw? He’d have to hide. He sat on the wall, far away from all the others, and finished his tiffin. 10

Termites didn’t taste as good here as at home. “Suppose someone comes near me? Suppose someone asks what I’ve brought?” Kali worried. The bell rang. Break was over. It was the same teacher but another subject, English. They had to write the English alphabet on their slates. Teacher walked around the room with a stick, hitting the hands that made bad mistakes. “Lucky,” thought Kali. Lucky they could make the teacher angry! He too would try and make a mess of his slate. Teacher stood in front of Kali. But instead of a swish of the stick, he got a pat on the back. Teacher held up Kali’s slate for the class to see. “Here! This is the sort of work I want to see from everyone,” he said. Now the others would hate him more than ever. Kali could hear the whispering in the classroom. He’d never have friends in school. Just then, something happened in the room. At first Kali didn’t understand. Arms and legs flew. Bodies ran, tumbled over each other, fell, ran some more. There were shouts from all directions. “Help! Help! Teacher, help!” But Teacher was under his table. Eyes and hands pointed to the ceiling. Now Kali understood. There on the roof was a large rat snake. It must have smelt the rats on the roof tiles and come after them. By mistake, it had taken a wrong turn and come to class instead. 11

Kali’s father said that sometimes snakes smelt humans and mistook them for rats. Maybe this one thought, “Wonderful, here’s a roomful of rats!” The rat snake was wrapped around a palmyra beam1 on the roof. It stretched out its neck curiously. It must have been surprised by all the excitement. Slowly more and more of its body uncoiled from the beam. Kali, looking up, knew what was going to happen 1palymra beam (here) a long piece of wood from a next. And it did. kind of a palm tree to support the roof of a building Dhopp! Down the rat snake fell. The noise and confusion grew worse. Chairs crashed. Heads banged. Bodies hit the wall, the floor, one another. Teacher was now on, not under, his table, yelling, “Save me! Save me!” The rat snake was terrified. It went to one side of the room, then the other. The children ran in the opposite direction. For a few seconds Kali was too surprised to do anything. His people, the Irulas, always went towards snakes, not away from them. Had everyone gone mad? He walked slowly to where the snake was. He reached out his hand. Suddenly, the room grew still. No sound, no movement. All eyes were on Kali. The rat snake—it was over six feet long—reared back like a horse, opened its mouth wide, hissed and struck. Luckily, it missed Kali’s hand. 12

“The bite of a big rat snake is very painful.” This was the thought that went through Kali’s mind as he grabbed the snake behind the head. His other hand gripped the long muscular body. Soon, Kali was all wrapped up in snake. Kali thought he would find a big bag to put the rat snake in. He’d take it home to Father. The Vandalur Zoo near Chennai paid a good price for rat snakes. He’d buy his baby sister a new dress ... But what was this noise? What was happening? Was there another snake in the room? Confused, Kali looked up. Everyone was clapping and cheering. And then they were chanting: “Ka-Li! Nand-Ri! Ka-Li! Nand-Ri! Ka-Li! Than-Kyou! “ It was so wonderful. Kali’s eyes soon became wet with happiness. He grinned and the clapping grew louder. “You saved us!” shouted one of the boys. “How brave you are!” “From now on, you sit next to me!” “No, me!” And the children started quarrelling about who Kali would sit next to. “Who taught you to be so brave?” asked Ramesh, the class bully. “Come on, name it. We’ll give you whatever you want, you saved our lives.” “Well, what I want now,” replied Kali, “is a bag. A big one. To put this fellow into.” Ten children ran off in ten different directions to find bags. The others looked at Kali with admiration. From the corner of his eye, Kali saw Teacher climb down from his desk. 13

Teacher walked up to Kali, but he was careful not to get too close. “Silly children!” he scolded. “Why did you get so scared? Running all over the place just because of a non-poisonous snake!” Teacher walked back to his desk. As soon as his back was turned, Kali and the children grinned at one another. Secret grins, the kind that friends use. Zai Whitaker Zai Whitaker is a well-known environmentalist and children’s writer. She is currently the principal of Outreach School in Bengaluru and spends her time educating the children in nearby rural areas. She has written many books for young children and adults with Cobra in My Kitchen, The Boastful Centipede and Other Creatures being some of her most famous works. Reading Answer the following questions. 1. What did Kali’s father do for a living? 2. How did the students react to Kali? Why? Do you think their attitude was fair? 3. What happened when the snake arrived? Why was Kali only ‘surprised’? 4. Irulas only went towards snakes, not away from them. Explain. 5. The snake has been described as a threatening one. Pick words and phrases to justify this. 6. Kali and his friends grinned secretly at each other. What were they grinning about? 7. Give one reason to justify each of these traits in Kali. VB perceptive  friendly  intelligent  courageous  loving 14

Vocabulary Irulas: the Daredevil Snake Catchers Use the clue words in the brackets to fill in the blanks with the correct words from the box. advent  vocation  obscurity  tribe adapting  menace  venomous  hazard The (a) ...................... (a group of people with the same culture) gets its name from the word irular meaning ‘the dark people.’ Catching (b) ...................... (poisonous) reptiles is part of their day’s work for the Irulas. Historically this tribe survived by hunting snakes that were a (c) ...................... (threat) to farmers. But of late modernisation and the (d) ...................... (coming on) of new and improved methods for dealing with this problem has almost destroyed their livelihood. The (e) ...................... (trade or profession) of the Irulas exposes them to many occupational hazards. The Irulas use a traditional method known as earthen pot fumigation, in which they blow smoke out of their mouths to weed out snakes and rodents. This method poses a serious health (f) ...................... (danger) and often leads to respiratory problems. After decades of near (g) ...................... (being unknown), the lives of the Irulas have improved immensely over the recent years. Today, most members of the Irula community work as part of the Irula Snake-Catchers Cooperative, an organization that uses their skills to capture poisonous snakes for the purpose of creating anti-venoms. 15

Irulas have been successful in (h) ...................... (adjusting) to the modern world, but they undoubtedly remain one of the very few communities that have retained their ancient knowledge and traditions. This certainly makes them one of the most interesting tribes in the world. Writing Imagine that you are Kali. Write a page in your dairy a few days after the episode to describe how people’s attitude towards you has changed. .................................................................................................................. .................................................................................................................. .................................................................................................................. .................................................................................................................. .................................................................................................................. .................................................................................................................. .................................................................................................................. .................................................................................................................. .................................................................................................................. .................................................................................................................. .................................................................................................................. .................................................................................................................. .................................................................................................................. .................................................................................................................. .................................................................................................................. .................................................................................................................. Speaking A stereotype is an over-generalized belief about a particular category of people. For example: ‘Teenagers are irresponsible.’ or ‘Old people are forgetful.’ 1. In this story Kali was a victim of stereotyping. Do you agree? 2. Think of any one stereotype that you have come across or read about. How can this belief be dispelled? 16

2 A Day’s Wait He came into the room to shut the windows while we were still in bed and I saw he looked ill. He was shivering, his face was white, and he walked slowly as though it ached to move. “What’s the matter, Schatz?” “I’ve got a headache.” “You better go back to bed.” “No. I’m all right.” “You go to bed. I’ll see you when I’m dressed.” But when I came downstairs he was dressed, sitting by the fire, looking a very sick and miserable boy of nine years. When I put my hand on his forehead I knew he had a fever. “You go up to bed,” I said, “you’re sick.” “I’m all right,” he said. When the doctor came he took the boy’s temperature. “What is it?” I asked him. “One hundred and two.” Downstairs, the doctor left three different medicines in different colored capsules with instructions for giving them. 17

One was to bring down the fever, another a purgative1, the third to overcome an acid condition. The germs of influenza can only exist in an acid condition, he explained. He seemed to know all about influenza and said there was nothing to worry about if the fever did not go above 104 degrees. This was a light epidemic of flu and there was no danger if 1purgative a pill to clear the stomach you avoided pneumonia. Back in the room I wrote the boy’s temperature down and made a note of the time to give the various capsules. “Do you want me to read to you?” “All right. If you want to,” said the boy. His face was very white and there were dark areas under his eyes. He lay still in the bed and seemed very detached from what was going on. I read aloud from Howard Pyle’s Book of Pirates; but I could see he was not following what I was reading. “How do you feel, Schatz?” I asked him. “Just the same, so far,” he said. I sat at the foot of the bed and read to myself while I waited for it to be time to give another capsule. It would have been natural for him to go to sleep, but when I looked up he was looking at the foot of the bed, looking very strangely. “Why don’t you try to go to sleep? I’ll wake you up for the medicine.” “I’d rather stay awake.” After a while he said to me, “You don’t have to stay in here with me, Papa, if it bothers you.” “It doesn’t bother me.” 18

“No, I mean you don’t have to stay if it’s going to bother you.” I thought perhaps he was a little light-headed and after giving him the prescribed capsules at eleven o’clock, I went out for a while. It was a bright, cold day, the ground covered with a sleet that had frozen so that it seemed as if all the bare trees, the bushes, the cut brush and all the grass and the bare ground had been varnished with ice. I took the young Irish setter2 for a little walk up the road and along a frozen creek, but it was difficult to stand or walk on the glassy surface and the red dog slipped and slithered and I fell twice, hard. We flushed3 a covey4 of quail5 under a high, clay bank with overhanging brush and I saw two as they went out of sight over the top of the bank. Some of the covey hid in trees, but most of them scattered into brush piles. At the house they said the boy had refused to let anyone come into the room. “You can’t come in,” he said. “You mustn’t get what I have.” I went up to him and found him in exactly the position I had left him, white-faced, but with the tops of his cheeks flushed by the fever, staring still, as he had stared, at the foot of the bed. I took his temperature. “What is it?” “Something like a 100,” I said. It was 102 and 4/10th. “It was a 102,” he said. 2Irish setter a breed of dog   3flushed caused “Who said so?” a bird to rise and fly away suddenly in fear  “The doctor.” 4covey a small flock of birds   5quail a small species of bird 19

“Your temperature is all right,” I said. “It’s nothing to worry about.” “I don’t worry,” he said, “but I can’t keep from thinking.” “Don’t think,” I said. “Just take it easy.” “I’m taking it easy,” he said and looked straight ahead. He was evidently holding tight onto himself about something. “Take this with water.” “Do you think it will do any good?” “Of course it will.” I sat down and opened the Pirate book and commenced to read, but I could see he was not following, so I stopped. ”About what time do you think I’m going to die?” he asked. “What?” 20

“About how long will it be before I die?” “You aren’t going to die. What’s the matter with you?” “Oh, yes, I am. I heard him say 102.” “People don’t die with a fever of 102. That’s a silly way to talk.” “I know they do. At school in France the boys told me you can’t live with 44 degrees. I’ve got a 102.” He had been waiting to die all day, ever since nine o’clock in the morning. “You poor Schatz,” I said. “Poor old Schatz. It’s like miles and kilometres. You aren’t going to die. That’s a different thermometer. On that thermometer, 37 is normal. On this kind, it’s 98.” “Are you sure?” “Absolutely,” I said. “It’s like miles and kilometers. You know, like how many kilometers we make when we do 70 miles in the car?” “Oh,” he said. But his gaze at the foot of the bed relaxed slowly. The hold over himself relaxed too, finally, and the next day it was very slack and he cried very easily at little things that were of no importance. Ernest Hemingway Ernest Miller Hemingway (1899–1961) was an American journalist and novelist. He also used to write short stories. Some of his most famous works include A Farewell to Arms and The Old Man and the Sea, for which he won the Pulitzer prize. He was also awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954. 21

Reading Answer the following questions. 1. What was wrong with Schatz? What were the symptoms? 2. How did Schatz react when his father read to him the first time? Why did he behave that way? 3. Why did Schatz think that he was going to die? 4. Why do you think Schatz struggled with his fear alone and did not want to share it? 5. At which point in the story is Schatz’s internal conflict resolved? 6. What is that one character trait that, according to you, may have contributed to Schatz’s internal conflict? 7. Justify the title of the story ‘A Day’s Wait’. Vocabulary Antonyms Tick the best choice of the antonyms of the words given in bold. 1. But when I came downstairs he was dressed, sitting by the fire, looking a very sick and miserable boy of nine years. a. fortunate b. ecstatic c. despondent d. wretched 2. He lay still in the bed and seemed very detached from what was going on. a. entangled b. involved c. indifferent d. separated 22

3. I thought perhaps he was a little light-headed and after giving him the prescribed capsules at eleven o’clock I went out for a while. a. dizzy b. groggy c. slack d. vigilant 4. He was evidently holding tight onto himself about something. a. apparently b. vaguely c. distinctly d. hazily 5. I sat down and opened the Pirate book and commenced to read, but I could see he was not following, so I stopped. a. instigated b. dismissed c. embarked d. concluded 6. The hold over himself relaxed too, finally, and the next day it was very slack and he cried very easily at little things that were of no importance. a. taut b. hard c. flexible d. limp 23

Writing Imagine you are Schatz’s older brother or sister. After this episode you wish to advise him. What would you say? Write an email. You can include the following points: • Children are often unable to deal with unfounded fears. • At times adults unable to understand fears and emotions of children. • The fears are more frightening, than the actual physical dangers we face. • Don’t believe all that you hear. • Be open to asking questions. From: ............................................................................ To: ............................................................................ Subject: ............................................................................ ............................................................................ Body: .......................................................................................... .......................................................................................... .......................................................................................... .......................................................................................... .......................................................................................... .......................................................................................... .......................................................................................... .......................................................................................... Speaking In this story a small misunderstanding leads to a lot of mental agony. Talk of a situation where a misunderstanding has made the situation much worse than it ought to have been. What can you do to avoid misunderstandings? 24

How the Li�le Kite Learned to Fly “I never can do it,” the little kite said, As he looked at the others high over his head. “I know I should fall if I tried to fly.” “Try,” said the big kite, “only try! Or I fear you never will learn at all.” But the little kite said: “I’m afraid I’ll fall.” The big kite nodded: “Ah, well, good-by; I am off.” And he rose toward the tranquil1 sky. Then the little kite’s paper stirred2 at the sight. And trembling he shook himself free for flight. First whirling3 and frightened, then braver grown, Up, up he rose through the air alone, Till the big kite looking down could see The little one rising steadily. 1tranquil quiet 2stirred moved 3whirling moving quickly round and round 25

Then how the little kite thrilled with pride, As he sailed with the big kite side by side! While far below he could see the ground, And the boys like small spots moving round. They rested high in the quiet air, And only the birds and clouds were there. “Oh, how happy I am,” the little kite cried. “And all because I was brave and tried.” Katharine Pyle Katharine Pyle (1863–1938)  was an American artist, poet, and children’s writer. In 1879, while she was a 16-year-old student at Wilmington’s Misses Hebb’s School, her poem ‘The Piping Shepherd’ was published in Atlantic Monthly. She wrote and illustrated about thirty books and illustrated a number of books by other authors, including Anna Sewell’s Black Beauty. Many of her stories were drawn from fairy tales, ancient myths, nursery rhymes, and stories about animals. 26

Poem appreciation 1. “I never can do it,” the little kite said. What could the kite not do? What was the apprehension? 2. What was the big kite’s advice to her? 3. Why did the big kite fly away? 4. How did the little kite react to this? 5. What did the little kite see as it flew? 6. How did the little kite’s mood change in the poem? VB 7. What is the message of the poem? 8. Personification means giving human qualities to a non-human thing (object or animal). What has been personified in the poem? 9. Mention the rhyme scheme of the poem. Activity The first kites were built in China about 3,000 years ago, using materials, such as bamboo and silk. From China they were taken to Japan and other Asian countries. Long ago kites were widely used in religious festivals. It was much later that the popularity of kites spread and these came to be used as a leisure activity. In fact, scientists used kites for conducting scientific experiments. 1. Fill in the blanks with the names of well-known scientists who used kites for various experiments. Use the Internet for help. a. In the 15th century, .................................... discovered how to use a kite to span a river. b. In 1749, Scottish scientist .................................... used several kites, attached in a row, to measure and compare air temperature at different altitudes. c. .................................... flew a kite during a thunderstorm to demonstrate the connection between lightning and electricity. d. In 1901, .................................... used a kite to help transmit the first trans-Atlantic wireless telegraph message. 2. Frame ten rules for safe kite flying. 27

3 Pret1 in the House It was Grandmother who decided that we must move to another house. It was all because of a pret, a mischievous ghost, who had been making life intolerable for everyone. In India, prets usually live in peepul trees, and that’s where our pret first lived. He lived in the branches of an old peepul tree which had grown through the compound wall. It had spread into the garden on our side and over the road on the other side. For many years the pret had lived there quite happily, without bothering anyone in the house. I suppose the traffic on the road had kept him fully occupied. Sometimes, when a tonga2 was passing, he would frighten the pony, and as a result the little pony-cart would go speeding off in the wrong direction. Occasionally, he would get into the engine of a car or bus, which would have a breakdown soon afterwards. He liked to knock the hats off the heads of sahibs. They would then curse and wonder at the breeze that had sprung up so suddenly and died down again just as quickly. Although the pret could make himself felt, and sometimes heard, he was invisible to the human eye. At night people avoided walking beneath the peepul tree. It was said that if you yawned beneath the tree, the pret would jump down your throat and ruin your digestion. 1pret Hindi word for an invisible and mischievous ghost who moves furniture and throws objects around in a house  2tonga Hindi word for light carriage pulled by a horse 28

Grandmother’s tailor, Jaspal, who never had anything ready on time, blamed the pret for all his troubles. Once, while yawning, Jaspal had forgotten to snap his fingers in front of his mouth— always mandatory when yawning beneath peepul trees—and the pret had got in without any difficulty. Since then, Jaspal had always been suffering from tummy upsets. But it had left our family alone, until, one day, the peepul tree had been cut down. It was nobody’s fault except, of course, that Grandfather had given the Public Works Department permission to cut the tree. It had been on our land and they wanted to widen the road. The tree and a bit of the wall were in the way, so both had to go. In any case, not even a ghost can prevail against the PWD. Hardly had a day passed before we discovered that the pret, deprived of his tree, had decided to take up residence in our bungalow. Since a good pret must be bad in order to justify his existence, he was soon up to all sorts of mischief in the house. He began by hiding Grandmother’s spectacles whenever she took them off. “I’m sure I put them down on the dressing-table,” she grumbled. A little later they were found, balanced precariously on the snout of a wild boar whose stuffed and mounted head decorated the verandah 29

wall. Being the only boy in the house, I was at first blamed for this prank but a day or two later, when the spectacles disappeared again, only to be discovered hanging from the wires of the parrot’s cage, it was agreed that some other agency was at work. Grandfather was the next to be troubled. He went into the garden one morning to find all his prized sweet-peas snipped off and lying on the ground. It was then Uncle Ken’s turn to suffer. He was a heavy sleeper, and once he’d gone to bed he hated being woken up. So when he came to the breakfast table looking bleary-eyed and miserable, we asked if he was feeling all right. “I couldn’t sleep a wink last night,” he complained. “Every time I was about to fall asleep, the bedclothes would be pulled off the bed. I had to get up at least a dozen times to pick them off the floor.” He stared banefully at me. “Where were you sleeping last night, young man?” I had an alibi. “In Grandfather’s room,” I said. “That’s right,” said Grandfather. “And I’m a light sleeper. I’d have woken up if he’d been sleep-walking.” “It’s that ghost from the peepul tree,” said Grandmother. “It’s moved into the house. First my spectacles, then the sweet-peas, and now Ken’s bedclothes! What will it be up to next, I wonder?” We did not have to wonder long. There followed a series of disasters. Vases fell off tables. Pictures fell from walls. Things got worse when Aunt Minnie came to stay. The pret seemed to take an immediate dislike to Aunt Minnie. She was a nervous, excitable person, just the right sort of prey for a 30

spiteful ghost. Somehow her toothpaste got switched with a tube of Grandfather’s shaving-cream. She appeared in the sitting-room, foaming at the mouth. Uncle Ken shouted that she’d got rabies and we ran for our lives. “We’ll have to leave this house,” declared Grandmother. “If we stay here much longer, both Ken and Minnie will have nervous breakdowns.” “I thought Aunt Minnie broke down long ago,” I said. “None of your cheek!” snapped Aunt Minnie. “Anyway, I agree about changing the house,” I said breezily. “I can’t even do my homework. The ink-bottle is always empty.” “There was ink in the soup last night,” complained Grandfather. And so, a few days and several disasters later, we began moving to a new house. Two bullock-carts laden with furniture and heavy luggage were sent ahead. The roof of the old car was piled high with bags and kitchen utensils. Everyone squeezed into the car, and Grandfather took the driver’s seat. We were barely out of the gate when we heard a peculiar sound, as if someone was chuckling and talking to himself on the roof of the car. “Is the parrot out there on the luggage-rack?” asked Grandfather. “No, he’s in his cage on a bullock-cart,” said Grandmother. Grandfather stopped the car, got out, and took a look at the roof. “Nothing up there,” he said, getting in again and starting the engine. “I’m sure I heard the parrot talking.” 31

Grandfather had driven some way up the road when the chuckling started again, followed by a squeaky little voice. We all heard it. It was the pret talking to itself. “Let’s go, let’s go!” it squeaked gleefully. “A new house! I can’t wait to see it. What fun we’re going to have!” Ruskin Bond Ruskin Bond (1934-present) is an Indian author of British origin. He is best known for his writings for children—the most famous stories being The Room on the Roof, The Blue Umbrella and The Flight of Pigeons. Reading Answer the following questions. 1. Why did Grandmother decide to move to another house? 2. How did the pret cause mischief during the day while he lived on the peepul tree? 32

3. What was believed about the pret’s behaviour at night? 4. Why did the pret start troubling the family? 5. What did the pret do after it started staying in the writer’s bungalow? 6. How did the writer’s family discover the pret was shifting with them? 7. Do you like or dislike the pret? Give reasons. Vocabulary Tick the correct antonym of the underlined word from the choices given below. 1. It was all because of a pret, a mischievous ghost, who had been making life intolerable for everyone. a. educated c. inactive b. sober d. well-behaved 33

2. I suppose the traffic on the road had kept him fully occupied. a. restricted c. idle b. boundless d. open 3. They would then curse and wonder at the breeze that had sprung up so suddenly and died down again just as quickly. a. bless c. bother b. amuse d. annoyance 4. Hardly had a day passed before we discovered that the pret, deprived of his tree, had decided to take up residence in our bungalow. a. provided with c. privileged b. driven out d. destitute 5. A little later they were found, balanced precariously on the snout of a wild boar whose stuffed and mounted head decorated the verandah wall. a. happily c. securely b. quickly d. dangerously Writing Imagine you visit this house haunted by this naughty pret. Write a letter to you friend about what happened. Speaking The grandmother wants to sell the house because of the bothersome pret. How would she convince a customer to buy it? Remember she should not hold back the information about the pret. She can only make him sound interesting. Enact the role play. 34

Pandora and 4 the Mysterious Box Long, long ago, there was a child named Epimetheus who had neither father nor mother. To keep him from feeling lonely, another child, like himself, was sent to be his playmate—a girl named Pandora. In those days, children didn’t need people to look after them all the time because there was no danger. Food grew on trees; there was no hard work to be done, no lessons to be studied; there were only lots of happy games and dances. What was most wonderful was that the children never fought among themselves. Oh, those were such good times! The first thing that Pandora saw when she entered the cottage where Epimetheus lived was an enormous box. The first question she asked him was this: “Epimetheus, what do you have in that box?” “My dear Pandora,” answered Epimetheus, “that is a secret, and you must be kind enough not to ask any questions about it. The box was left here to be kept safely, and I do not know myself what it contains.” “But who gave it to you?” asked Pandora. “It was left at the door just before you came, by a person who was dressed in an odd kind of cloak and wore a cap that seemed to be made partly of feathers. It looked almost as if the cap had wings,” replied Epimetheus. 35

“I wish we didn’t have to keep looking 1pouting pushing out one’s lips to show displeasure at that box!” exclaimed Pandora pouting1. “O come! Don’t think of it any more,” cried Epimetheus. “Let us go out and play.” But Pandora continually kept saying to herself and to Epimetheus, “But what could be inside that box?” Epimetheus had grown tired of the subject. “I wish, dear Pandora, you would try to talk of something else!” Pandora thought it best not to mention it any more because Epimetheus’s face showed much horror at the idea of looking inside the box. And yet she could not help thinking and talking about it all the time. One day, while Epimetheus was out alone, Pandora stood gazing at the box. She noticed that it was almost like a piece of artwork. It was made of beautiful dark wood and was so highly polished that little Pandora could see her reflection in it. Around the edges there were figures of graceful beings and the prettiest children Pandora had ever seen. In the centre of the box, there was carved the most beautiful face 36

of all. It had very lively features but wore a slightly mischievous expression. She noticed that the box was secured not by a lock but by a very fine knot of gold cord. Pandora was certain that there was something very beautiful and valuable in the box, and she wanted to take a look. She could not keep her curiosity under control any longer and decided to open it. First, she tried to lift it. It was too heavy for a slender child like Pandora. She raised one end of the box a few inches from the floor and let it fall again with a loud thump. The next moment, she heard something stir inside the box. There seemed to be a kind of hushed murmur within! Her eyes fell upon the knot of gold cord. It was cunningly twisted with so many ins and outs. “It must have been a clever person who tied this knot,” said Pandora to herself. So she took the golden knot in her fingers and was soon busily trying to undo it. Meanwhile, through the open window she heard the merry voices of the children playing. What a beautiful day it was! Would it not be wiser to leave the troublesome knot alone, join her little playmates and think no more about the box? But just then she gave the knot a twist and the gold cord untwined itself as if by magic and left the box without a fastening. “What will Epimetheus say? And how can I possibly tie it up again?” wondered Pandora. “When he finds the knot untied, he will know that I have done it. How will I make him believe that I have not looked inside the box?” And then she heard the murmur of small voices within: “Let us out, dear Pandora. Please let us out! We will be such nice, pretty playmates for you! Only let us out.” “What could that be?” thought Pandora. “I will take just one peep. There can’t be any harm in just one little peep!” 37

In the meantime, Epimetheus decided to go back to Pandora. Upon entering the cottage, he found Pandora with her hand on the lid, ready to open the mysterious box. The cottage grew very dark, as a black cloud swept over and covered the sun. There was a heavy peal2 of thunder. But Pandora ignored all this, lifted the lid upright and looked inside. At that very moment a sudden swarm of winged creatures burst out of the box and spread all over the dark room. The next instant she heard Epimetheus crying out in pain. “Oh, I am stung!” he screamed. “I am stung! Pandora, why have you opened this wicked box?” Pandora let the lid fall, and in a state of shock she looked about her to see what had happened to Epimetheus. The thundercloud had so darkened the room that she could not see very clearly what was in it. But she heard a disagreeable3 buzzing, as if numerous huge flies, or giant mosquitoes, were darting about4. She saw a crowd of ugly little shapes, with bat’s wings, looking very spiteful5 and armed with terribly long stings in their tails. It was one of these that had stung Epimetheus. In another few moments, Pandora herself began to scream in fright. An ugly little monster had settled on her forehead and would have stung her if Epimetheus had not run and brushed it away. The hideous little shapes were the whole family of Earthly Troubles. There were a great many kinds of Cares6; there were more than a hundred and fifty Sorrows; there were Diseases, in a vast number of miserable and painful shapes; there were more kinds of Wickedness than one could talk about. In short, everything that has ever troubled our minds and bodies had been shut up in 2peal loud sound   3disagreeable unpleasant  the mysterious box, 4darting about moving quickly   5spiteful with the and by Pandora’s intention of doing harm   6Cares worries 38

lifting the lid of that miserable box, these Troubles were released in the world of humans. They have never left us since that day long, long ago. The two children, screaming in fear and pain, flung open the doors and windows in the hope of getting rid of the horrible creatures. But the winged Troubles flew out and started to torment people everywhere. Their malicious effect was such that all the flowers on earth, which had never faded before, now began to droop and shed their petals within a few days of blossoming. The children who had earlier always remained young now began to slowly grow older and came to be men and women. Epimetheus and the naughty Pandora remained in their cottage. Both of them had been dangerously stung and were in terrible pain. Their pain seemed more unbearable to them because it was the first pain any human being had felt since the world began. They were also angry and depressed. Epimetheus sat gloomily in a corner with his back towards Pandora, while Pandora lay on the floor sobbing as if her heart would break. Suddenly there was a gentle tap on the inside of the lid. “What can that be?” cried Pandora, lifting her head. 39

Epimetheus refused to reply. “You are so unkind,” said Pandora, sobbing louder, “All right. Don’t speak to me!” Again came the tap! “Who are you, inside this wicked box?” asked Pandora. A sweet little voice spoke from within: “Lift the lid, and you shall see.” “No, no,” answered Pandora sobbing, “I have had enough of lifting the lid!” “Ah!” said the sweet little voice again. “You won’t regret letting me out. I am not like those cruel creatures that have stings in their tails. Come, my pretty Pandora, let me out.” There was a kind of cheerfulness in the tone that made it almost impossible to refuse anything. Pandora’s heart had grown lighter at every word that came from within the box. Epimetheus too, though still in the corner, had turned half around and seemed to be in better spirits than before. “Epimetheus,” cried Pandora, “Did you hear the little voice?” “Yes, I did,” he answered. “Shall I lift the lid again?” asked Pandora. “Do as you please,” said Epimetheus. “You have made so much mischief already. One other Trouble can’t make much difference.” “Come, my dear Pandora, lift up the lid. I am so eager to comfort you.” cried the little voice in a laughing tone. “Epimetheus,” exclaimed Pandora, “no matter what happens, I will open the box!” Then Epimetheus came running across the room, “The lid is heavy; let me help you!” 40

So the two children again lifted the lid. Out flew a bright and smiling little being and hovered about the room, throwing a light wherever she went. She flew to Epimetheus and gently touched with a finger the spot where Troubles had stung him, and immediately all his pain was gone. Then she kissed Pandora on the forehead, and her hurt was also cured. “Please tell us who you are, beautiful creature!” said Pandora. “I am Hope!” answered the sunny figure. “I was packed into the box too so that I could make up for that swarm of ugly Troubles that have been let loose.” “And will you stay with us,” asked Epimetheus, “for ever and ever?” “As long as you need me,” answered Hope, with her pleasant smile, “and that will be as long humans live in the world. There may be times now and then when you will think that I have vanished. But again, and again, when everything around you seems dark and gloomy, you shall see the glimmer of my rainbow wings on the ceiling of your cottage. From now on, you’ll never be alone because Hope will never leave you.” Myths Myths are stories about heroes who are the sons and daughters of the gods. According to ancient Greek mythology, Pandora was the first woman, created on the order of Zeus—the most powerful of all Greek gods. Pandora was meant to be a punishment for humankind. Her box contained many evil things, such as toil, illness and despair, but it also contained hope. When the box was opened, these evils, as well as hope, were released into the world. 41

Reading Answer the following questions. 1. Before Pandora opened the box, Epimetheus’s world had no troubles; it was near-perfection, but it was stagnant, with nothing new to look forward to. Pandora, therefore, brings Hope and anticipation to this world, along with some troubles. Comment on this and give reasons for your answer. 2. Why did Pandora not open the box in the beginning even though she had wanted to look inside it from the first moment? 3. How did Troubles tempt Pandora into opening the box? 4. Why did Pandora and Epimetheus open the box the second time? 5. What did Hope promise the children? 6. Do you think this story tries to give us a message? VB What is it? 7. Why is Hope so important to human beings? VB Vocabulary The words given in the box represent different emotions. Use them to fill in the blanks in the sentences given below the box. overjoyed  ashamed  grieving  guilty  sorry concerned  confident  confused  shocked  scared 1. I shouted because I was angry. Later I felt .................... of the way I had behaved. 2. I was .................... for being rude to my mother. 3. I was .................... because my father was coming home after a year’s posting abroad. 4. I was .................... the death of my pet parrot. 5. The doctor was .................... about the well-being of his patient. 42

6. My elder brother felt .................... for having bullied me. 7. I am .................... of going out alone in the darkness. 8. My sister was .................... of getting a job because she knew her subject well. 9. When everyone questioned me, I was .................... and couldn’t answer anyone. 10. Her rudeness .................... us all because we had believed her to be the best-behaved girl in the class. Writing 1. Pandora feels guilty because she opened the box which released so many troubles and evils into the world. With sadness, she writes a short note for Epimetheus, leaves it next to him while he is asleep and quietly goes away. Imagine that you are Pandora. Write a note for Epimetheus, telling him that you are sorry, but also present your point of view; your only fault was curiosity, so was it really so wrong to open the box? Hasn’t the box also given Hope to the world? VB 2. Epimetheus is deeply concerned for his friend and goes out to search for her. After hours of searching, he finds her sitting under a tree—alone and crying. He talks to her, comforts her and persuades her to come back home. Write a short dialogue between Pandora and Epimetheus in this situation. Does she agree to go back with him? Speaking Form groups of six—five Evils (e.g. child labour, war and poverty) and Hope. Plan a role-play. Each Evil will emerge and threaten Pandora, while Hope will provide a solution to deal with these evils. VB 43

The Magical Earth There is something indeed in the earth of my garden Is this earth magical? The earth knows how to do magic! If I sow a guava seed, it gives me guavas If I put in a jamun kernel1 it gives me jamuns A bitter gourd for a bitter gourd, a lemon for a lemon! If I ask for a flower, it gives me pink flowers Whatever colour I give to it, it returns that to me Has it hidden all these colours in the soil below? I dug a lot but found nothing The earth knows how to do magic! The earth knows how to do magic It shows so many tricks When it balances these long coconut trees on its fingers It does not even let them fall! The wind does its best, but the earth does not let them fumble2! A sherbet3, or milk, or water Anything may fall, it absorbs them all How much water does it drink?! It gulps down whatever you give Be it from a jug or a bucket Amazingly, its stomach never fills I have heard that it can even hide a river inside! The earth knows how to do magic! 44 1kernel inner part of a nut or seed  2fumble (here) fall  3sherbet (here) a fruit drink

Are there sugar godowns4 under the earth? Or rocks of lime5? How does this earth put sweetness into fruits? From where does it get all this? Pomegranates, plums and mangoes—in all of them Sweetness, but different kinds The leaves tasteless but the fruits sweet The musambi sweet, the lemon sour Undoubtedly, it knows magic! Otherwise, why is the bamboo tasteless, and the sugarcane sweet? 4godown a building where goods are stored   5lime (here) a substance that is used to help plants grow Gulzar (translated by Pavan K. Varma) Sampooran Singh Kalra (b.1934), known popularly by his pen name Gulzar, is an Indian film director, lyricist and poet. He has won several Indian National Film Awards, one Academy Award and one Grammy Award among others. Poem appreciation 1. Complete the table with the amazing or magical things that the earth performs on each of these items. Item The magic the earth performs on them 1. Seed 2. Flowers 3. Trees 4. Water 5. Fruits 45

2. Hypophora is a figure of speech in which a writer raises a question, and then immediately provides an answer to that question. Give two examples of hypophora in the poem. 3. Refrain refers to a phrase, line, or group of lines repeated at intervals throughout a poem. Give an example of a refrain from the poem. Why do you think has this line been repeated? 4. Personification is a figure of speech in which a thing—an idea or an animal—is given human attributes.  How has the ‘earth’ been personified in the poem? 5. Imagery consists of descriptive language that helps the reader to better imagine the world through five senses, namely the details of taste, touch, sight, smell, and sound. This poem has examples of sight and taste images. Give three examples of each. Activity Go out and observe nature. Then just as the poet writes about plants and trees, write a diamond poem on any one object in nature. The DIAMOND POEM is seven lines long. It begins with one idea and end with the opposite. Line 1- NOUN A Line 2- 2 ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE NOUN A Line 3- 3 GERUNDS (VERB+ING) FOR NOUN A Line 4- 4 NOUNS Line 5- 3 GERUNDS (VERB+ING) FOR NOUN B Line 6- 2 ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE NOUN B Line 7- NOUN B Example: SUNLIGHT LARGE BRIGHT  SHINING WARMING LIGHTING TREES BIRDS CHILDREN FLOWERS SOOTHING SMILING COOLING BEAUTIFUL COLOURFUL MOONLIGHT 46