Wonder Book 4

Approved by the Curriculum Development Centre, Sanothimi, Bhaktapur

Editors 4 Contributors
Yuba Raj Subedi Anisha Bhattarai
Ishwori Pande Course Director
Deependra Rijal Uday Sharma Sama Kharel
Author Sheela Gurung

Santosh Bhattarai

Published by:
Oasis Publication Pvt. Ltd.
Anamnagar, Kathmandu
Tel.: 01-4224004, Fax: 01-4227718

Edition:
First - 2071
Second -20176 (Revised Edition)

Copyright:
Publisher
Layout and Design:
Oasis Desktop
Anamnagar, Kathmandu

Illustration:
Kaji Rana Magar

Printed in Nepal

Foreword

Why is literature important? Why should educators, parents and community
members help students develop love and passion for reading?

Giving children access to all genres of literature is extremely important for a number
of reasons. It not only helps in developing cognitive skills but also exposes children
to the wisdom of the ages. It gives students appreciation about their own cultural
heritage as well as those of others.

It fosters emotional intelligence and creativity. It nurtures growth and development of
the student’s personality and social skills. It makes the students think about, analyse,
appreciate, learn from and respond to various underlying themes and messages of
literature.

Wonder is a truly wonderful literature course, with texts gleaned from a variety of
genres and supplemented with engaging activities. As the students begin reading
the texts, they can no more afford to remain passive readers. They are constantly
questioned and asked to respond. Quality literature does not tell the reader everything
he or she needs to know. Rather, it allows for some difference in opinion. One reader
may take something completely different away from a piece of literature than the
next reader, based on the two personal viewpoints and experiences. Students learn
to evaluate and analyse literature, and in the process, they develop as independent
thinkers who can form and express opinions with clarity.

Through this series, we have attempted to foster the culture of reading. Well-read
children of today will certainly go on to build a more cohesive society tomorrow.

We would be delighted to receive your feedback. We pledge to assist all those involved
in the teaching and learning of this series. Do use the resource materials that are
provided free and also feel free to contact us.

Contents 5
6
Fables and folktales 12
1. The Bat, the Birds and the Beasts 17
2. Lion’s Bad Breath 24
3. How the Princess Learned toLaugh
4. The Beggar and the Miser

Short stories 29
5. The Way God Helps 30
6. From a Small Town to the Big City 35
7. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer 41

Myths and legends 46
8. Siddhartha and the Swan 47
9. The Competition, Athena and Poseidon 54

Mystery 59
10. The Joker 60

Non-fiction 67
11. April Fish! 68
12. How Do You Say Hello? 71
13. Dinosaur Days 77
14. The Solar System 83

Biography 90
15. Mark Elliot Zuckerberg 91

Play 95
16. Momo Eating Competition 96

Fantasy 104
17. The Wolf Goes to School 105

Poetry 112
18. Spring Voices 113
19. Leisure 117
20. The Rain 120
21. Mr. Nobody 124
22. My Mother Ts Not ‘Employed’ 128

Fairy Tales 132
23. Little Red Riding Hood 133
24. Pinocchio 144
25. The Little Match-Seller 154
26. Hansel and Gretel 158

Nepal Special 165
27. Parijat 166
28. My Visit to the Hanuman Dhoka Palace Museum 169
29. Indra Jatra 175
30. Jomsom 181
31. The Wedding of a Rat 186

Feature 190
32. Wonders of the past 191

Fables and folktales

The Bat, the Birds and the Beasts
The Fox and the Lamb
How the Princess Learned to Laugh
The Beggar and the Miser

A fable is a short story that teaches a lesson. Often a fable ends with a moral. The moral
is a sentence that explains the lesson. Many fables are about animals. The animals act
as though they are people. The animals speak to one another and sometimes to people.
A folktale is a made-up story that took place long ago. People have told folktales
many times over many years. Parents tell them to their children. One day they will tell
the stories to their children. Like all stories, folktales have characters, settings, and plots.
Characters are the people, animals, or things that the story has. The setting is the time
and place in which the story happens. The plot is what happens.

1 The Bat, the Birds
and the Beasts

Before you proceed

Do you help your friends when they need you?
Has any of your friends refused to help you when you needed his/her help?

The Bat, the Birds and the Beasts

Once upon a time, there was a big jungle. The birds and the beasts lived
there. A bat also lived
there.

One day, the birds and
the beasts had a big
fight. The fight was
leading to a war. They
started to make two
different armies for
themselves. The birds
had one army and the beasts had another.

When the time came to join the army, the bat hesitated. He did not want
to join the army and fight.

One morning, the birds came to see him. “Come with us,” they said.

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“I am a beast,” he said, “I cannot join you.”

Another day, some beasts came to him. They requested him to join their
army. But he said, “I am
a bird. I cannot fight for
you.” He did not join any
army. He did not want to
fight and die.

Luckily, no war broke
out and peace was
established. Everyone
was celebrating. So, the
bat came to the birds and
said, “Can I join you?”

But they did not allow him to join them. “You are a beast,” they said, “you
cannot join us in celebrations.”

Then, he went to the beasts.

What do you think the beasts said?

The beasts said, “You said you are a bird. So, you are not one of us. Go to
them.”

The bat had nowhere else to go. He became sad and went to his home. He
realized his mistake.

The birds and the beasts were angry with him. He had not helped them
when they needed it. He felt he was not one of them. He felt alone.

He understood that to be friends with someone, you have to be a good
being first.

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Did Bats are the only mammals that can fly.

YOU

Know?

The bumble bee bat is the The world’s largest bat is the
world’s smallest bat. giant golden-crowned flying
fox, a rare bat.
Vocabulary

1. Fill in the missing letters and complete the words.
a. ju ___ g ___e
b. b ___ as ___
c. he ___ ita ___ ed
d. re ___ lize ___
e. cele ___ rati ___ ns

2. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words from the text and
complete the paragraph.

Another day, some beasts ................................... to him. They .............
...................... him to ................................... their army. But he said, “I
am a bird. I cannot ................................... for you.” He did not join any
army. He did not want to fight and ....................................

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Comprehension Activities

1 Answer the following questions.
a. What was the fight leading to?
b. Why did the bat hesitate?
c. What did the bat say to the birds when they asked him to join

them?
d. Why did the bat not join any army?
e. What did the beasts say when the bat went to them during

celebrations?
f. What did the bat feel like?

2 Tick () the correct answer.

a. One day, the birds and the beasts had a big

fight.

party.

meeting.

b. The bat joined

birds’ team.

beasts’ team.

none of the teams.

c. The bat was not welcomed in

birds’ party.

any party.

beasts’ party.

A course in English literature Book - 4 9

d. The bat realized that

he should have helped the birds.

he should have helped the beasts.

he should not have been selfish.

3 Match the following pictures with their names.

parrot

bat

sparrow

crow

pigeon

10 A course in English literature Book - 4

Literary Terms

The events in a story take place in a certain place and at a certain time.
Such description of time and place in a story is called setting. The
setting of the story usually comes at the beginning of the story. Now,
read the first three sentences of “The bat, the birds and the beats” and
write the setting of the story.

A story is made up sequence of events. Such sequence of events is called
the plot of the story. Here are some events from the story. Arrange
them according to the plot of the story.

The birds and the beasts were angry with him.
He did not want to join the army and fight.
One day, the birds and the beasts had a big fight.
He became sad and went to his home.
He felt he was not one of them.

Think, Pair and Share

Imagine your best friend really needs your help for something that you
don’t like. What will you do and what will your classmate do? Discuss and
share your conslusion with the class.

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2 The Fox and
the Lamb

Before you proceed

Have you faced very difficult situation in your life?
How have you brought idea to solve the problem?

The Fox and the Lamb

Once upon a time,
there lived a little
lamb in the forest.
The lamb was grazing
on a meadow along
with a flock of sheep.
Unfortunately, the
poor little lamb
wandered some distance away from the sheep. It began to enjoy the fresh
and delicious grass found there. It had come a long way from its group, but
was unaware of that.

Did A group of foxes is called a skulk or leash. A male is called ‘dog
fox’ while a female is called a ‘vixen’ whereas a group of sheep is
YOU known as a herd, flock or mob. An adult male is called ram and
female is called ewe.
Know?
A course in English literature Book - 4
12

The lamb was also unaware of another fact: a wolf was closely following it!

When the lamb realized that it had lost its way and was far away from the
flock, it decided to return and join them. However, the lamb was shocked
to see a hungry and cunning wolf standing behind it.

The lamb realized that there was no option except to be there patiently.

The lamb asked the wolf, “Are you going to eat me?”

The wolf said, “Yes, at any cost!”

The lamb said again, “But can you please wait for some more time? I have
eaten a lot of grass now and my stomach is filled with grass. If you eat me
now, you will feel as though you are eating grass! So please wait until the
grass is digested.”

The wolf agreed, “Oh yes, I will wait. You are here before me and I can wait
for some more time!”

The lamb thanked the wolf.

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After some time, the wolf got ready to kill the lamb, but it stopped him
again.

“Dear wolf, please wait for some more time. The grass is yet to be digested.
If you eat me now, you will see a lot of grass in my stomach! Let me dance
and then it will be digested easily.”

The wolf agreed.

Could the lamb save life playing trick like this?

The little lamb danced crazily for a while, and then suddenly stopped.

The wolf enquired what had happened.

The lamb said, “I cannot dance properly because there is no music. You see
this bell around my neck? Can you untie this bell and ring it loudly? Then
I can dance fast and the grass in my stomach also will get digested fast.”

The wolf, overcome with the desire to eat the lamb, was ready to do anything.
He removed the bell tied to the lamb’s neck and rang it with all his might.

Meanwhile, the shepherd was searching for the little lamb and heard the
bell ringing. He saw the wolf and the lamb. He ran towards the wolf with
a stick. Seeing the shepherd with a stick, the wolf ran away, and the lamb
was saved.

Vocabulary

1. Match the words of column ‘A’ with their meanings in Column ‘B’.

A B
Crazily Madly

Cunning clever

delicious tasty

shocked confused

agreed accepted

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2. Make sentences of your own using the words given below.
a. ready
b. stomach
c. wandered
d. danced
e. crazily

Comprehension Activities

1 Answer the following questions.
a. What did the lamb begin to do when it was far from other sheep?
b. Who was watching for the lamb?
c. Why was the lamb shocked?
d. Why did it dance crazily?
e. What did the fox play for the music?
f. Did the fox eat the lamb at last?

2 Write T for true and F for false statements.
a. The lamb was grazing alone.
b. It surprised to see the fox in front of it.
c. The fox did not want to wait for the food.
d. The fox untied the bell and started ringing.
e. The fox was cleverer than the lamb.

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3 Who said the following statements: ‘The Lamb’ or ‘The Fox’?
“Are you going to eat me?” ...................................................
“Can you untie this bell and ring it loud?” ..............................................
“Oh yes, I will wait.” ...................................................
“What had happened?” ...................................................
“If you eat me now, you will see a lot of grass in my stomach!” ...........

Literary Terms

Stories are written with characters. They can be people, animals,
gods and things too. In the story, the characters act, play or involve in
communication. They make the stories dynamic and lively. In this story
there are two characters, The Lamb and The Fox. Some words are used to
describe them like a cunning fox, little lamb etc.

Think, Pair and Share

It has mentioned in the initiation of the story that the fox was cunning.
Do you think the fox was really cunning?
Which character do you like in the story and why?
If you were the fox, would you follow the words of the Lamb?
Discuss in groups and share your thoughts in class.

Leisure Activity

Compose a similar type of story by applying another trick as is done by the
little Lamb.

16 A course in English literature Book - 4

How the Princess 3
Learned to Laugh

Before you proceed
What words do you use to describe these pictures?

sad
cheerful
angry
serious

sick
surprised

Have you ever had a funny experience? Has anyone
laughed at you?

How did you feel when others laughed at you?

New Words

chased - The cat chased the mice away.

spare - Do you have a spare pen?

coach - Cindrella’s coach was pulled by six horses.

horsewhip - The cruel owner beat his horse with a horsewhip.

A course in English literature Book - 4 17

How the Princess Learned to Laugh

There once was a princess who never laughed. Her father, the king, was
worried about his daughter. He promised her hand in marriage to any

young man who could make her
laugh.
A king in a nearby country had
two sons. He thought that his
elder son was clever, but that his
younger son was a fool. Each
son wanted to try to make the
princess laugh so he could marry
her.
The elder son who was proud
and selfish set off on his journey. He was sure that he would make the
princess laugh and would then marry her.
The prince stopped to eat his midday meal near a well. An old man came
up to the prince. He asked,
“Can you spare a little bread
for a hungry traveller?” The
selfish prince chased the old
man away with his horsewhip.
When the prince arrived at
the castle, he stood before the
princess. He did a little dance
and made funny faces. She
didn’t smile. He told jokes.
She didn’t smile. He turned
and jumped like a fool and stood on his head. Nothing he did made the
princess smile. He had to return home as a failure.
When the younger son heard that his brother had failed, he set off to try.

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He too met the old man when he stopped at the well to eat his midday
meal. When the old man asked for some bread, the kind prince gladly
shared what he had.

“Bless you, friend!” the old man said. They ate their meal together. Then the
young prince settled down to take a nap.

Which prince shared the bread with the old man?
While he slept, the young prince had a strange dream. In his dream the old
man was an angel sent to Earth to find someone kind. When the prince
awoke, he saw a strange sight. There stood a golden coach shaped like a
pumpkin. The coach was pulled by a goose and a gander. The coachman
was a cross-eyed dog.
The young prince climbed into the coach and started off to the castle. Along
the way, people pointed and laughed at the strange coach. It was too late to
go to the castle that day, so the young prince stopped at an inn, leaving the
coach in the inn’s courtyard.
The next morning, the innkeeper’s greedy wife came into the courtyard.
She began to cut gold off the coach with a large kitchen knife. “Oh, no!”
she cried. “I’m stuck to the coach.” She pulled and pulled, but she couldn’t
get free.

A course in English literature Book - 4 19

The young prince didn’t see her as he got into the coach. Off he went to the
castle, with the innkeeper’s wife running along behind. Along the way
people tried to pull her off the coach, but they got stuck, too. Soon, the
innkeeper’s wife was stuck to the coach, a baker was stuck to the innkeeper’s
wife, a soldier was stuck to the baker, and a washerwoman was stuck to the
soldier.
The princess came to see what all the noise was about. Suddenly, the crowd

heard a sound they had never heard before. It was the princess laughing
harder than anyone! The next day the princess and the kind prince were
married. And the princess was never sad again.

20 A course in English literature Book - 4

Did • Laughter is a behaviour produced and recognized
by people of all cultures.
YOU
• The speaker tends to laugh more than the
Know? audience.

• In groups, women laugh more than men. Women
also laugh more at men than men laugh at women.

• Laughter occurs in short bursts of
vowel-like sounds such as “ha-ha”,
“ho-ho” or “he-he”.

• Laughter releases anger, fear, guilt, anxiety and
tension.

• Besides improving our moods, laughter can reduce
stress, help fight infection, and reduce pain.

Vocabulary

1. Find six words from the text in the word grid given below.

PUMPKIN TRAVELLER MARRIAGE PROUD BREAD SPARE

QA V S B NM I O P T
WE R P ROUDYUO
A S MA R R I AG E G
H J ERKL ZXCVB
NMA E B R E A D X L
VBLH J KLOPRT
CTRAVE L L E RB
N P UMP K I NU I M

A course in English literature Book - 4 21

2. Write the words next to their meanings.

gander horsewhip inn courtyard

a. male goose ..............................

b. a small hotel usually in the countryside ..............................

c. a flat ground which is partly or completely surrounded by the

walls ..............................

d. a whip to hit the horse ..............................

Comprehension Activities

1 Find the character that:

a. did tricks and told jokes ..............................................

b. helped her husband run the inn ..............................................

c. helped protect the country ..............................................

d. was the ruler of the country ..............................................

e. made the princess laugh ..............................................

2 Write T for true and F for false statements. Rewrite the statements
correctly.
a. The elder prince did a little dance, made funny face and
told jokes.

b. The elder prince saw a golden coach shaped like a pumpkin.

c. The innkeeper’s wife was kind and helpful.

d. The younger prince returned home as a loser.

e. The princess laughed and was married to the younger prince.

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3 Answer the following questions.
a. Why was the king worried about his daughter?
b. What did the king promise any young man who could make his
daughter laugh?
c. How did the elder son try to make the princess laugh?
d. Who was the old man? How did he repay the younger son for his
kindness?
e. What finally made the princess laugh?
f. Have you made somebody laugh? What did you do to make
him/her laugh?

Literary Terms

Characters in a story have various qualities. Some are good, some are
bad and some are neither good nor bad. The main character who has
some good qualities is a protagonist. Who is the protagonist in ‘How
the princess learned to laugh’: the elder prince or the younger prince?
The following words describe the two princes. Put the words in correct
columns.
foolish clever selfish kind proud helpful failure successful
elder prince younger prince

Theme means a message or the main idea in a story. What is the theme
of the story you have just read? Choose one.
a. Princesses are generally angry and they don’t laugh.
b. If we are kind to other, god also will be kind to us.
c. We must not help to old people.

Creative Writing

Write how you would make the princess laugh. Share your idea with the
class.

A course in English literature Book - 4 23

4 The Beggar and
the Miser

Before you proceed

A person who begs for a living is called a beggar. Have you ever seen a
beggar?

Why do you think people beg? Discuss in pairs and write down two
reasons.

.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................

The Beggar and the Miser

Once upon a time, there was an old beggar.
One day, he came to an old village. He came across a big beautiful house.
It was a miser man’s house. The man was very rich but he never helped
anyone.
The beggar did not know that. He knocked at the door. The miser opened
the door.

24 A course in English literature Book - 4

“Please give me some meat or milk,” said the beggar.
The miser replied roughly, “No, I can’t! Go away!”
“Maybe you can give me some wheat or beans,” asked the beggar again.
He was very hungry.
“I don’t have anything!” said the miser.
“Then give me a piece of bread,” said the beggar, “I will be grateful to you.”
“Go away, I don’t have bread!” said the miser angrily.
“At least give me some water, I’m very thirsty!” said the beggar.
“I don’t have water,” screamed the miser.
The beggar became very sad. He was very hungry and thirsty. The miser
did not give him anything. The beggar also became angry.
But instead of shouting angrily, he smiled. At last he said, “Oh, my son,

A course in English literature Book - 4 25

why are you sitting here then? Come with me and start begging for food
from the good people. You are even poorer than I am!”

Vocabulary

1. Find the following words in the word puzzle.

BEGGAR MISER BEAUTIFUL

HUNGRY THIRSTY BEG

B EAUT I FUL J
E F S QWR T E J T
G B AM I S E RHY
G EDHUNGR Y P
AGH J KCQT EO
RXTH I R S TY I
K Z V C NM L K J G
2. Now use each of the words given above in a sentence of your own.

26 A course in English literature Book - 4

Comprehension Activities

1 Who said these and to whom?
a. “Please give me some meat or milk.”
....................................... said this to ........................................
b. “I don’t have anything!”
....................................... said this to ........................................
c. “No, I can’t! Go away!”
....................................... said this to ........................................
d. “I don’t have water.”
....................................... said this to .......................................
e. “You are even poorer than I am!”
....................................... said this to ........................................

2 Circle the items that the beggar asked the miser for.

meat rice wheat beans
juice bread fruit money

4 Write down five things that you can give to a beggar.

a. ............................ d. ............................

b. ............................ e. ............................
c. ............................

5 Answer the following questions.
a. Whose house was big and beautiful?
b. What did the beggar say to the miser when he opened the door?
c. What did the miser say when the beggar asked him for wheat

and beans?
d. Why didn’t the man give anything to the people?
e. What did the beggar say to the miser at last?
f. If a young person with his hands and legs normal like ours comes

begging at your home, would you give him something?

A course in English literature Book - 4 27

Literary Terms

1. Read the story once again and complete the chart.

Setting time place
Characters ............................... a village
...............................
the beggar rich
poor mean
patient angry
calm

2. You have read four stories till now. Now, read the stories again and tick
in the boxes if you find such qualities in the respective stories.

The Bat, the The Lion's How the The Beggar
Birds and the Bad Breath Prince Learned and the Miser
to Laugh
Beasts

The story
has animal
characters.
The story
has a moral
lesson.
The story
takes place
once upon a
time.
The story
takes place
in a jungle or
village.
The story
has a happy
ending.

Think, Pair and Share

Share your views about beggars and begging with your classmates. At the
end of the story the beggar himself request at th miser to come and beg
with him. What would be the reply of the miser? Discuss with your friends
and share your ideas with the class.

28 A course in English literature Book - 4

Short Stories

The Way God Helps
From a Small Town to the Big City
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

A short story is a story with made-up characters. The characters in a story might be
people. They might be animals or things that talk and act like people.
A short story is a story with made-up events. The events, or the things that happen, in
a story have not happened in real life. But the events may seem real.
A short story has a setting. The setting is where the story happens. The setting can be a
real place, even if what happens there is made up. Sometimes the setting is also made-
up. A story can happen in the past, the present, or the future.
A short story has a plot. The plot is what happens in the story. The events of the plot
help tell the story. The story has a beginning, middle, and end.
Do you remember any short story that you have read before?

5 The Way God Helps

Before you proceed

What are the natural disasters that the people face in the earth?
Have you faced any disaster in your life?

New Words leave
sank
Evacuate: seemed
Submerged:
Appeared:

The Way God Helps

There was a small village by the river. Everyone lived happily and offered
regular prayers at the village temple (Church). Once during the monsoon
season, it rained heavily. The river started overflowing and flood entered
the village. Everyone started to evacuate their homes and set out to go to
the safe place.
One man ran to the temple (Church). He quickly went to the priest’s room
and told him, “The flood water has entered into our homes and it is rising
quickly. And water has also started to enter the temple. We must leave the
village as in no time it will sink under the water! Everyone has set out to
go to the safer place and you must come along”.

30 A course in English literature Book - 4

The priest told the man, “I am not an atheist like you all and I have a full
faith in God. I trust the God that he will come to save me. I will not leave
the temple, You may go!” So, the man left.

Soon, the water level started to rise and reached the waist height. The
priest climbed on the desk. After a few minutes, a man with the boat came
to rescue the priest. He told the priest, “I was told by the villagers that you
are still inside the temple, so I have come to rescue you, please climb on
the boat”. But the priest again refused to leave giving him the same reason.
So the boatman left.

Why do you think the priest did not leave the place?
The water kept rising and reached to the ceiling, so the priest climbed to
the top of the temple. He kept praying to the God to save him. Soon the
helicopter came, they dropped the rope ladder for the priest and asked
him to climb on and get inside the helicopter so they can take him to the
safer place. But the priest refused to leave by giving him the same reason
again! So the helicopter left to search and help others.
At last, when the temple nearly submerged under the water, the priest kept
his head up and started complaining, “Oh Lord, I worshipped you for all
my life and kept my faith in you! Why didn’t you come to save me?!” The

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God appeared in front of him and with a smile, he said, “Oh mad man, I
came to save you three times! I came running to you to ask you to leave
for the safest place with other villages, I came with a Boat, I came with a
Helicopter! What is my fault if you didn’t recognize me?!”
The priest realized his mistake and asked for forgiveness. He got his chance
to go to the safe place one more time, which he accepted.

Did The word ‘Atheist’ refers to a person who disbelieves
or lacks a belief in the existence of God or gods
YOU whereas a person who has great faith in god and
divinity is called ‘Pantheist’. Similarly, polytheist
Know? believes that there’s the existence of multiple gods
and monotheist believes the existence of a single
god in the world.

32 A course in English literature Book - 4

Vocabulary

1. Find the opposite words of the following.
a. dangerous
b. accepted
c. outside
d. sadly
e. partial

Comprehension Activities

1 Fill in the blanks choosing the appropriate words from the box.
refused set out forgiveness atheist sink

a. The flood made the people ……… to go to the safer place.
b. The temple was going to ………under the water.
c. The priest was not ………………….. .
d. The boatman came to request him but he …….. to leave the place.
e. The priest asked the god for ……………… .

A course in English literature Book - 4 33

2 Answer the following questions

a. What happened in the village during monsoon?

b. What did one of the man say to the priest?

c. How did the man convince the priest?

d. Who complained to the god and why?

e. Did he go to the safer place at last?

Think, Pair and Share

Do you think the god come to help us in our misery?
The story suggests a moral story that the opportunities come unknowingly,
if we fail to recognize it, we can’t lead successful life.
Do you believe that everybody get opportunities in the life?
Share your ideas with the friends.

Leisure Activity

Solve the riddles:

a. What always runs, but never walks, often murmurs never talks,
has a bed never sleeps, has a mouth but never eats?

b. What’s black when you get it, red when you use it and white
when you are all through with it?

34 A course in English literature Book - 4

From a Small Town 6
to the Big City

Before you proceed

Can you think of three things that you find in the city but not in a
small town?
...................................................................................
...................................................................................
...................................................................................

New Words

yard - a piece of land next to a house, usually used for growing flowers

and other plants

flight - a set of steps or stairs

stoop - a raised flat area in front of the door of a house, with steps leading

up to it

From a Small Town to the Big City

Some families live in small towns. Other families live in big cities. Each
place can be a great place to live. Each place has some facilities as well as
some difficulties. What happens when a family that has always lived in a
small town moves to a big city? They must get ready for some changes!
In a small town, Janak’s family lived in a house. The house was on a quiet
street with lots of trees. Janak’s house had a yard. This is where Janak and
his sister played. Janak’s mom had a flower garden.

A course in English literature Book - 4 35

Janak went to school in the small town. The town had three schools - a
preschool, a primary school and a high school. Most of the time, Janak’s
family went from place to place by car. Sometimes they walked if something
was near their home. They shopped in small stores. The town also had one
police station, one fire station, one park and one public library.
The family had to move because Janak’s mom got a new job in the city.
Janak didn’t want to leave his friends. He wondered what it would be like
in a city!
Janak’s family moved to an apartment in the city. Many families lived in
the building. Janak’s family have to go up several flights of stairs to get to
their apartment. They don’t have a yard. They go to the park to play. Now
his mom grows plants in a window box. People sit and talk on the stoop in
front of the building.
In the beginning, Janak and his family were surprised by the noise of the

36 A course in English literature Book - 4

city. It is very different from the quiet neighborhood in the small town.
The streets are busy. You can hear the cars honking: Honk! Honk! Honk!
The city has many, many schools for children. Janak’s family chose a school
for Janak near their apartment. It is a larger school than Janak’s school in
the small town. Janak’s mom says that he will have a chance to make more
friends!
Janak’s family sold one of their cars. They don’t need two cars in the city.
Instead, they walk where they need to go. Sometimes they take a city bus
or a taxi.
There are many small shops and even big stores in the city. Janak can’t
believe how many stores there are to choose from. This is very different
from the small town where there are fewer stores.
Janak also visits different parks and libraries in the city. The small town
had one of each. He goes to the zoo, the theatre and museums too.
Janak’s life in the city is different from his life in the small town. He sees
more people. He goes to more places. He hears more noise! But some
things are the same. He is with his family. And it is still his job to learn at
school and help at home.

A course in English literature Book - 4 37

Vocabulary

1. Unscramble these words from the story and write the correct
words.

osrtes (you can buy things here) ................................

dfirens (they study and play with you) ................................

tsretes (you walk on them) ................................

onsie (very loud sound) ................................

2. Now use each of the correct words from the above list to make a
meaningful sentence.

Comprehension Activities

1 Answer the following questions.
a. Why did Janak’s family move to the city?
b. How many schools did the town have? What were they?
c. Where did Janak’s family live in the city?
d. What are the two things that are same in the small town and in
the big city?

2 Fill in the blanks by choosing the correct words from the box.

friends noise quiet wondered sold
a. The house in the small town was on a ……………..street with
lots of trees.
b. He ……………..what it would be like in a city!
c. Janak’s family were surprised by the ..................... of the city.
d. Janak’s family ……………..one of their cars.
e. Janak didn’t want to leave his …………….. .

38 A course in English literature Book - 4

3 Here are some statements. In the box, write T if they are true and F
if they are false.
a. In the small town, Janak’s family lived in an apartment.
b. In the town, Janak’s family went from place to
place by car.

c. The streets in the city are busy.

d. There are not many big shops and big stores in the city.

e. Janak also visits different parks and libraries in the city.

4 Read the story again. In the table below, list any four things Janak

found in the big city and in the small town.

Things Janak found in the small Things Janak found in the big
town city

Think, Pair and Share

Which life do your think the better life: village life or town life. Discuss in
group and present your final ideas in the class.

A course in English literature Book - 4 39

Leisure Activity

Here are six pictures. Identify which ones belong to the big city and
which belong to the small town.

40 A course in English literature Book - 4

The Adventures of 7
Tom Sawyer

Before you proceed

Do you sometimes help your parents at home?
Can you think of five ways in which you can help your mother and
father at home?

New Words to paint (a wall or a fence) with white colour
whitewash - an important job

mission -

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
-Mark Twain

It was a Saturday morning in the middle of summer. It was very hot and
the best thing to do was to go swimming in the river.
Tom wasn’t happy that morning. His aunt was angry with him. She said,
“You must whitewash the fence, naughty boy!”
Tom looked at the fence and felt sad because the fence was very long. Tom
didn’t want to work on a sunny morning. He wanted to go swimming and
play with his friends.
“Poor me!” he thought. “Those boys will laugh at me! What shall I do?”
Tom thought and thought and thought.
Suddenly Tom had a great idea. He took his brush and began to whitewash

A course in English literature Book - 4 41

the fence. Soon, a boy came to him. It was Ben Rogers. He had a big apple
in his hand. He stopped and looked at Tom. Tom went on whitewashing
the fence.
“Are you working, Tom?” Ben asked in a mocking voice. Tom didn’t look at
him.
“Oh, it’s you, Ben. I didn’t see you, sorry,” said Tom.
“I’m going swimming,” said Ben
Rogers. “Don’t you want to
swim? It’s a hot day today! Oh,
I see, you have to work. Poor Tom!”
Tom stopped
working and
looked at Ben.
“Work? What
do you call
‘work’?” Tom
went on
whitewashing.
“Isn’t that work?” Ben asked. Tom stopped working again.
“Of course, it isn’t work! It’s Tom Sawyer’s special mission! Sorry, I can’t talk
to you now.”
Ben didn’t know what to say. He didn’t want to go swimming now. He
wanted to have a special mission, too.

Why didn’t Ben want to go swimming?
“Tom, let me whitewash a little,” Ben said.
Tom said, “No, I can’t let you do that. Aunt Polly likes her fence very much!

Not every boy can paint it well.”

42 A course in English literature Book - 4

“Tom, please! I’ll be very careful,” said Ben. “I … I can give you my apple.”
Tom thought and then gave Ben his brush.
Ben Rogers worked hard under the hot sun, while Tom lay in the shade
eating the apple.
One by one the boys came and stopped to laugh at the workers but then
stayed to whitewash Aunt Polly’s fence. By 12 o’clock in the afternoon, Tom
was rich. He had a key, a comic book, a piece of a mirror, a knife, three old
coins, five pebbles, seven shells, a bone and a dead rat and a frog.
The fence was whitewashed three times. Tom went to Aunt Polly.
“Can I go swimming now, Aunt?” he asked.
“What?” What about the fence?” she said.
“It’s all done, Aunt.”
Aunt Polly went to look at Tom’s work. The fence was whitewashed. The
grass in front of it was whitewashed too. Aunt Polly was so glad that she
went to the kitchen, took the biggest piece of cake and gave it to Tom.

Vocabulary

Choose the correct antonyms for the words given below. sad
poor
cold ....................... hot
short ....................... long
rich ....................... big
small .......................
happy .......................

A course in English literature Book - 4 43

Comprehension Activities

1 Answer the following questions.
a. What was the best thing to do on a very hot day?
b. Why was Tom sad?
c. What did Ben Rogers give Tom?
d. What was Tom Sawyer’s special mission?
e. What did Aunt Polly give Tom?
f. Is there someone in your class who is as clever as Tom Sawyer?
Who is he/she?

2 Fill in the blanks using the words from the story.
a. It was a ……………………. morning in the middle of summer.
b. Aunt Polly made Tom whitewash the …………… .
c. Tom Sawyer wanted to go ………….………… and play with his
…………………… .
d. Tom lay in the shade …………………….. an apple.
e. The fence was …………………….. three times.
f. Aunt Polly was very ………….. with Tom’s work.

3 Here are some statements. Write T for true and F for false sentences.
a. It was a Tuesday morning in the middle of summer.
b. Tom looked at the fence and felt sad because the fence was very
long.
c. Tom took his brush and began to whitewash the fence.
d. The fence was whitewashed seven times.
e. Aunt Polly took the biggest piece of cake and gave it to Tom.

44 A course in English literature Book - 4

4 Make a list of things that Tom got from his friends.
......................................................................................................
......................................................................................................
......................................................................................................

Creative Writing

Imagine that you are Tom Sawyer. Write a paragraph about how you made
your friends whitewash the fence.
....................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................

Literary Terms

1. Who is the protagonist of the story?
2. What is the main problem of the protagonist in the story?

a. He has many friends.
b. He has to whitewash the fence.
c. He could not go to swimming as Aunt Polly is angry with him.
3. How did the protagonist solve his problem?
a. By making his friends whitewash the fence.
b. By bringing various gifts like key, comic book and a piece of mirror.
c. By talking lovingly with Aunt Polly.

A course in English literature Book - 4 45

Myths and legends

Siddhartha and the swan
Poseidon and the kingdom of Atlantis

A myth is a story that explains something. A myth may tell how the world began or
why there are stars. Some myths tell about gods or goddesses.
A legend is a story from long ago. A legend may tell about a person who is not real.
It may also tell about a real person from the past. But all legends have events that are
made-up or imaginary. Legends may be serious or funny.
What myths or legends do you already know?

Siddhartha and 8
the Swan

Before you proceed

Meet the characters from the story you are going to read.

Siddhartha King Suddhodhana Devadatta swan

New Words

retorted - answered someone quickly in an angry way
stroke - to move a hand gently over something or someone
luxury - comfort
fortune-teller - a person who can tell things that will happen in the future

You will come across these words in the text below. Circle them.

Siddhartha and the Swan

Long ago, there lived King Suddhodhana and his wife, Queen Mayadevi.
One day, the Queen gave birth to a baby boy, their first child. They called
the baby Siddhartha.

Many people came to see the new baby. A wise old fortune-teller had also
come to see the baby.

A course in English literature Book - 4 47

“Tell me,” said the king, “what future do you see for my son?”

“Well, your majesty,” replied the old man, “your son could become a great
king one day...”

“I knew it!” exclaimed the king excitedly.

“He will rule the kingdom after me.”

“On the other hand,” continued the old man, “he may choose to leave the
palace and lead a simple life, devoting himself to helping others instead.”

“He’ll do no such thing!” retorted the king. “He’s going to be a king like me!”

So the young prince Siddhartha grew up surrounded by luxury. The king
watched over him and gave him everything he needed. He was proud of
his son. He wanted him to be happy and enjoy the royal life.

And so, Siddhartha began his education. He was taught how to ride a horse,
how to shoot an arrow, how to use a sword: all the skills that a warrior king
would need.

Then, one evening, he saw three beautiful wild swans flying overhead.
Suddenly, as he watched, one of the swans fell to the ground.

“Oh no!” cried Siddhartha. “What could have happened?”

Siddhartha went very quietly up to where the swan lay and began to stroke
it gently. An arrow was sticking out of its wing.

“Now I understand,” said Siddhartha.

“Someone has shot you.”

Taking great care, he removed the arrow and took off his shawl and
wrapped it around the swan.

“I’ll look after you until your wing is better,” he said.

48 A course in English literature Book - 4

Just then, he heard a voice. “Where is it? I know it must be around here
somewhere; I saw it fall!”

It was Devadatta, Prince Siddhartha’s cousin, who came running up
carrying his bow and arrow.

“Hey, that’s my swan! I shot it. Give it
to me,” he demanded.

“You can’t have it,” replied Siddhartha.
“It’s a wild swan. It doesn’t belong to
you.”

“I shot it, so it’s mine; everyone in
this kingdom knows that,” said
Devadatta, getting angry.

“You’re right, that is the law of our
kingdom,” replied Siddhartha, “but
this swan isn’t dead. She is injured
and I want to help her get well again.”
The two boys began to argue.

A course in English literature Book - 4 49

“Stop,” said Siddhartha. “This isn’t helping. Let’s go and ask the king and his
wise ministers to help us settle this.”

Who do you think is the rightful owner of the swan? Why?

All the ministers listened as Siddhartha and Devadatta told them what had
happened.

Now the ministers were puzzled. Who did the swan belong to?

“I think I can help,” a voice said. Looking up, they saw an old man standing
in the doorway.

The old man said, “If this swan could talk, it would tell us that it wanted to
be well again and be free to fly and swim with the other wild swans. None
of us wants to feel pain or die and it is the same for the swan. It wants to
live, so it should go to whoever wants to give it life.”

“Siddhartha shall keep the swan. Thank you, old man, for your wise advice,”
said the king.

All this time, Devadatta had stood silent. He realized that the animals and
birds too felt pain.

And so the two boys
cared for the swan until it
was well again. And one
evening, when its wing
was completely healed,
they set it free.

Soon, the swan rose into
the air to join her friends.

50 A course in English literature Book - 4