Wonder Book 4

Vocabulary

Use each of these words to make a sentence of your own.

noise clever hungry star laugh

Comprehension Activities

1 Answer the following questions.
a. How was Pinocchio created?
b. What did Pinocchio buy with the money his father gave him?
c. Who took the bag of food that Pinocchio bought?
d. What happened to Pinocchio’s nose when he told lies?
e. Where did Stromboli, the puppet master, put Pinocchio?

2 Put the following qualities in the right box.

telling lies disturbing others being kind to others
telling the truth being rude to others being helpful

Good qualities Bad qualities

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3 Read the clues to find out what these words are.
a. CCHOPNIOI .......................................................
He is the main character of the story.
b. FRYIA .......................................................
She helped Pinocchio become a real boy.
c. LEI .......................................................
This is the opposite of truth.
d. PPUETP .......................................................
This is a type of toy.
e. OBILOMRTS .......................................................
He is the puppet master.

4 Fill in the blanks.

a. Geppetto had the ability to make ............................ things out of
wood.

b. Geppetto wanted to cook .............................. for Pinocchio.
c. A clever old ................................................. and a thin, hungry

.............................. were hiding by a bridge.
d. The puppet show started and Pinocchio began to ....................
e. Geppetto ................................. Jiminy down the dark street to

release his son from the cage.

Think, Pair and Share

What lesson can you learn from the story? Collect the views from the
classmates and present them in the class.

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Literary Terms

Characterization is the information the author gives the reader about the
characters in the story. The author may present a character in several ways,
such as:
a) his/her physical appearance
b) what he/she says, thinks, feels and dreams
c) what he/she does or does not do
d) what others say about him/her and how others react to him/her
What is Pinocchio like in the story? Write it in a paragraph.

Leisure Activity

Draw a picture of any toy you like and colour it as you like.

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25 The Little
Match-Seller

Before you proceed

When do people celebrate Christmas?
What things are done to celebrate it?

New Words without clothes, bare
take hold forcefully, grab
Naked: small sum of money
Seized: speak in a series of spitting sounds
Penny: extended, became longer and wider
Sputtered:
Stretched:

The Little Match-Seller

On a cold New Year’s Eve, a poor, young girl tried to sell matches in the
street. It was too cold and dark. The snow was falling heavily. She was
already shivering from cold .In the cold and the darkness, a poor little girl,
with bare head and naked feet, roamed through the streets.
She lost her too large slippers. They had belonged to her mother, and the
poor little creature had lost one of the slippers in running across the street
. a boy seized upon the other and ran away with it So the little girl went on
with her little naked feet, which were quite red and blue with the cold.

In an old apron she carried a number of matches, and had a bundle of
them in her hands. No one had bought anything of her the whole day, nor
had any one given her even a penny.

She took a shelter of an alley.She had drawn her little feet under her, but

154 A course in English literature Book - 4

she could not keep off the cold. She dared not go home, for she had sold
no matches, and could not take home even a penny of money. Her father
would certainly beat her.

Do you think she was suffered with domestic violence or extreme
poverty?

She wanted to keep her warm so she drew one out - “scratch!” how it
sputtered as it burnt! It gave a warm, bright light, like a little candle, as she
held her hand over it. It was really a wonderful light. She felt that she was
sitting by a large iron stove, with polished brass feet and a brass ornament.

She rubbed another match on the wall. It burst into a flame, and where
its light fell upon the wall and she could see into the room. The table was
covered with a snowy white table-cloth, on which stood a splendid dinner
service, and a steaming roast goose, stuffed with apples and dried plums.
Then the match went out, and there remained nothing but the thick, damp,
cold wall before her.

She lighted another match, and then she found herself sitting under a
beautiful Christmas-tree. It was larger and more beautifully decorated than
the one which she had seen through the glass door at the rich merchant’s.
The little one stretched out her hand towards them, and the match went
out.

The Christmas lights rose higher and higher, till they looked to her
like the stars in the sky. Then she saw a star fall, leaving behind it a bright
streak of fire.

She again rubbed a match on the wall and saw the appearance of
grandmother. she made haste to light the whole bundle of matches, for she
wished to keep her grandmother there.

The first successful friction match was invented in 1826 by
English chemist John Walker, a chemist and druggist from
Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham. He developed a keen
interest in trying to find a means of obtaining fire easily.

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She took the little girl in her arms, and they both flew upwards in brightness
and joy far above the earth, where there was neither cold nor hunger nor
pain.

In the dawn of morning there lay the poor little one, with pale cheeks
and smiling mouth, leaning against the wall; she had been frozen to death
on the last evening of the year.

“She tried to warm herself,” said some.
No one imagined what beautiful things she had seen, nor into what
glory she had entered with her grandmother, on New-year’s day.

Vocabulary

1. Match the following words with their meanings.

Dark businessperson

Roamed fame

Merchant moved without any work

Alley somber

Glory a narrow path

Comprehension Activities

1 Answer the following questions.

a. When did this event happen?
b. What did the girl suffer with?
c. Why did the girl not return back home in the evening?
d. Did she sell her all matches?
e. Who came there to take her after her death? Where was she taken?

156 A course in English literature Book - 4

2 What did she see with the flame of fire?
a. First scratch:
b. Second scratch:
c. Third scratch:
d. Fourth scratch:

3 Write T for true and F for false statements.
e. The girl was ordered to sell the matches by her father.
f. She had slippers of her own
g. She saw several lovely visions in the glow of matches.
h. She died after running out of the matches.
i. People had shown kindness before her death.

Think, Pair and Share

The girl could not return back home due to the fear of her father that she
could not sell any matches on that day. What type of sympathy do you
express towards the little girl and what is your reaction towards her father?
Discuss in group and share your personal views on them.

Leisure Activity

Solve the Brain Teasers Questions
a. It walks with four legs in the morning, two legs at noon and
three legs in the evening, what is it?
b. I’m as light as feather but even the strongest man of the world
can’t hold me more than five minutes, what am I?

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26 Hansel and
Gretel

Before you proceed

Meet the characters.

Hansel Gretel Witch

Who do you think are Hansel and Gretel? Are they friends? Are they

prince and princess? Are they brother and sister?

New Words - to avoid, to throw away
get rid of

breadcrumbs - tiny pieces of bread

Hansel and Gretel

Once upon a time, there was
a poor woodcutter. He had a
son and a daughter. His son’s
name was Hansel. Gretel was
his daughter. Hansel and
Gretel had a stepmother. They
lived in a tiny cottage.

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The stepmother did not like Hansel and Gretel. “There is not enough food
in the house but there are too many mouths to feed. We must get rid of
Hansel and Gretel,” she always said to the woodcutter.

One day, the stepmother shouted at the woodcutter again. “Take them
away from my house. Leave them in the forest so they cannot find their
way back home,” she said. The children listened to what their stepmother
had told their father.

The woodcutter had no choice. He called his children. “Follow me! We
need to go somewhere,” he said.

Hansel and Gretel followed their father. Hansel took some bread while
leaving the house. He dropped the pieces of the bread on the way to the
forest.

Why do you think Hansel dropped the pieces of bread on the way to the
forest?

When they reached in the middle of the forest, their father left them there
and returned home.

“Please don’t leave us father. Come back!” Gretel cried.

“Don’t worry Gretel, we will find our way back home,” Hansel said to his
sister.

Hansel and Gretel looked for the breadcrumbs to find their way. But the
birds of forest had eaten the breadcrumbs. They were lost in the forest.

While Hansel and Gretel were walking in the forest, they saw a strange
cottage. Hansel went near the cottage and shouted, “Look! This cottage is
made of chocolates!”

They were very happy. They started to eat the pieces of the cottage.

“We will stay here forever,” said Hansel happily.

A course in English literature Book - 4 159

He broke a piece of a biscuit door and the door opened slowly.

An old woman came out of the cottage and said, “Hello, little kids. Come
in, come in! You don’t have to be afraid.”
Hansel and Gretel went inside the cottage. They did not know that the
cottage belonged to an old witch.

What do you think the old witch will do to the children?
The witch looked at Hansel and said, “You are very thin. You only have
bones and skin on your body. I will make you fat and then eat you up!”
Hansel and Gretel were very scared. The witch locked Hansel in a cage. She
ordered Gretel to do the work of the house. The witch could not see clearly.
So, she touched Hansel’s fingers every day to find out if he was getting any
fatter.
One day, Gretel gave Hansel a chicken bone. When the witch went to touch
Hansel’s finger, he held out the chicken bone. Then the witch said angrily,
“You are still too thin.”

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The witch became tired of waiting. “Light the oven! We are going to eat
a tasty roasted boy today!”
she said to Gretel.

“Is the oven hot enough?”
asked the witch after a
few minutes. Gretel was
very scared. She looked at
the witch and said, “I do
not know if the oven is
hot enough or not.”

The witch shouted, “You
are useless! I will check
myself. Move away!”

The witch went to check the oven. Gretel followed the witch.

Why do you think Gretel followed the witch?

She pushed the witch into the oven from the back and shut the door. The
witch died burning in the oven.

Gretel ran towards her brother and opened the cage. “You are very brave,
my sister,” Hansel said happily.

They stayed in the house and ate more chocolates. One day, they found a
big chocolate egg in the cottage. They broke the egg and found many gold
coins inside it.

“We are rich now. We don’t have to live here anymore.” Then they left the
house.

Hansel and Gretel were walking in the forest. They saw their father coming
towards them. Their father ran towards them and cried, “I am sorry, my children.
Your stepmother is dead. Please come back home.”

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Hansel and Gretel hugged their father. “Never leave us again, father,” cried
Gretel.
Hansel showed the gold coins to his father and said, “Look father! We are
rich now.”
The father was very happy. They returned to their house and lived happily.

Vocabulary

1. Fill in the missing letters and complete these words.
a. co ………… ta ………… e
b. st ………… pmo ………… her
c. w ………… odcu ………… ter
d. w ………… tch
e. fo ………… est

2. Now find the same words in the word puzzle below. O
R
ZA S FGCETY Q
S T E PMO T H E D
QKP R P TRT P S
Z T LWI T CH L X
XHRNKAQVK Z
S FQE LGZCN R
VV F OR E S TM
WO O D C U T T E

162 A course in English literature Book - 4

3. Now use the words in Exercise 2 in sentences of your own.

Comprehension Activities

1 Answer the following questions.
a. Why did the stepmother want to get rid of Hansel and Gretel?
b. What would happen to the children if they had dropped pebbles

instead of breadcrumbs on the way?
c. Who lived in the small cottage?
d. How did they kill the witch?
e. Did they return to their house?
f. Do you think the father shouldn’t have left the children in the

forest? Why?

2 Give reasons.
a. Why did the father say this?
“Follow me! We need to go somewhere.”
..................................................................................................
b. Why did the stepmother say this?
“Take them away from my house.”

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c. Why did Gretel say this?
“Please don’t leave us, father. Come back!”
....................................................................................................
d. Why did the witch say this?
“You are useless! I will check myself. Move away!”
....................................................................................................
e. Why did Hansel say this?
“You are very brave, my sister.”

3 Complete the paragraph by filling in words from the text.
Hansel and Gretel were very ............................. The witch

............................ Hansel in a cage. She ............................ Gretel
to do the ............................ of the house. The witch could not see
............................. So, she ............................ Hansel’s fingers every day
to find out if he was getting any .............................

Think, Pair and Share

If you were Hansel or Gretel and reached at the chocolate cottage, what
would you do? Share your ideas in the class.

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Nepal special

Parijat
My Visit to Hanuman Dhoka Palace Museum
Indra Jatra
Jomsom
The Wedding of a Rat

Welcome to the Nepal special section!
We will learn different things about Nepal in this section. We will learn about Nepali
people and culture. We will learn about places in Nepal. We will learn about events that
happen in Nepal.
We will also read a story from Nepal!

27 Parijat

Before you proceed

Do you know the name of the flower?
When do the flowers bloom?

Parijat

Parijat is a famous Nepali writer and poetess. Her real name is Bishnu
Kumari Waiba. She was born in Darjeeling in the year 1937.
Her father was Dr.K.N. Waiba, a phychologist. Her mother was Amrit
Moktan. Her father had two wives. He had 11 children. She lost her mother
at a younger age. She was brought up by her father and grandparents.
She was interested in writing poems and novels from her childhood. She
also had keen interest
in singing in her early
days. A serious disease
attacked her and
became physically weak
at the age of 13.
She started her
school education in
Darjeeling and came
to Kathmandu in 1954.
Then she completed her
school life at Padma
Kanya School. Her
father wanted to teach

166 A course in English literature Book - 4

her science and English literature but she devoted her
time in Nepali literature.
She is also popular in writing short stories like ‘Maile
Najanmayeko Chhoro’. Her very famous work is ‘Siris
Ko Phul’,a white flower. She published some novels
like Baishko Manchhe, Usle Rojeko Bato, Toribari
Bata ra Sapanaharu etc.
She remained unmarried and devoted her life to
strengthening the Nepali literature and other social
causes. Her novel ‘Siris Ko Phul’ has been included in

syllables in
various American Universities.
She was the first woman to open
up voice of Nepalese women to
the outer world. She has played a
significant role in strengthening
the Nepali literature. Some of
her works dealt with the issue of
social injustice against women
while other are based on love,
emotion, nationalism, society,
etc.

Her most acclaimed publication is Shiris Ko Phool (The
Blue Mimosa), which has also been adapted in the literature
curriculum of some colleges in some English-speaking
countries like United States, England etc.The notable
university where Parijat’s Shirish Ko Phool was adopted as
curriculum is University of Maryland, USA.

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VoVcaobcualabryulary

1. Find the words from the text that have the following meanings:

a. kept b. fond of c. famous
d. an important topic or problem e. feeble

2. Make sensible sentences by using the following words.

a. poetess b. interested c. literature

d. publish e. role

Comprehension Activities

1 Answer the following questions.
a. When and where was Parijat born?

b. When did Parijat become physically weak?

c. Which one was her major work?

d. What was her contribution to Nepalese literature?

e. What were the major issues of her writing?

2 State whether the following statements are true or false.
a. She has become family-less from her early age.
b. Her novel is taught only in Nepalese university.
c. She completed her study in Darjeeling.
d. She was popular for poems.
e. She contributed Nepalese literature.

Leisure Activity

Borrow the book ‘Shiris ko Ful’ from your school library,read it and try to
write about the book.

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My Visit to the 28
Hanuman Dhoka
Palace Museum

Before you proceed

Do you know what a museum is?
Have you visited any museum?
Can you name a couple of the museums that are in Nepal?

New Words

amazed - My friend was amazed to see me after so many years.

compound - Our school has a very big compound for playing games.

shifted - My family shifted to a new house.

various - We celebrate various festivals in Nepal.

coronation - The prince became a king after his coronation.

My Visit to the Hanuman Dhoka Palace
Museum

This Saturday, I went to visit a museum with my mother. A museum is
a place where old and very important things are kept. We went to the
Hanuman Dhoka Palace Museum. Some people also call it Hanuman
Dhoka Museum. It is called Hanuman Dhoka because there is a statue of
Monkey God (Hanuman) in front of the main palace gate. The palace is
located at Basantapur Durbar Square in Kathmandu.

A course in English literature Book - 4 169

I was amazed to see such a great palace. My mother said it is spread over
five acres of land. It is about five times bigger than our school compound.
The museum is also very big. It was the palace of the Malla kings of
Kathmandu. Some Shah kings also lived in the palace until 1886 AD. After
that, they shifted to Narayanhiti Royal Palace, which is also a museum
now. Hanuman Dhoka is used for various important ceremonies.

I saw many things inside the museum. I got much information about
Nepal and the Shah kings. The displays included photos of the kings,
their collections, awards and honours they received, weapons, thrones,
newspaper clippings, gifts they received, clothes they wore during special
occasions, etc. The museum is divided into three sections. They are:
Tribhuvan Museum, Mahendra Museum and Birendra Museum. All these
sections are dedicated to these three kings and their works for the country.

The Tribhuvan Museum gives all the necessary information about King
Tribhuvan. I saw the items that were used by the king during special
occasions. There were also some clothes of the late king - the clothes he
wore during marriage, coronation, etc. I also saw his collection of pocket

170 A course in English literature Book - 4

watches, stamps, coins and other such items. I saw the oil paintings of the
king with his father. Also the king’s bed and his office are kept in display.
Close to it were photographic instruments such as camera and lights used
by the king. I saw the guns the king used for hunting. I also saw many
photographs of the king and his works. Moreover, I saw the pictures of the
king during his visits to different places with different people. I learned a
lot about the late king Tribhuvan in the museum.

Read the following statements and write whether they are true or
false in the boxes.

Trihbuvan Museum is dedicated to King Mahendra.

King Tribhuvan collected coins.

There are no clothes of King Tribhuvan in the museum.

There is an oil painting of the king with his grandfather.

King Tribhuvan liked photography and hunting.

The next section is the Mahendra Museum. These two museums are
separated by Nautale Durbar. This palace section has nine floors which is
how it got its name. The Durbar has oil paintings of various Shah Kings on
each floor. We climbed few floors but didn’t go to the top. This museum
is dedicated to the late king Mahendra. There are many items here. I saw
many pictures of the king from his childhood to his death. I also saw the
collections of his musical instruments, song records, literary works by him
as well as other authors, coin collection, etc. I came to know a lot about
King Mahendra. He was a lover of literature and music. He must have had
a very interesting life. He had many hobbies as well. I also saw two thrones
in this part of the museum.

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Another museum is dedicated to the late king Birendra. It is the last part
of the museum. The museum has many similar things like the other two.
But it also has gifts the king received during his birthdays and coronation,
etc. I saw many gifts he had received. I had never imagined anyone could
get so many gifts.
There is also the collection of stamps that were used during his period.
There are collections of other personal items used by the late king. I also saw
the awards, medals and honours he had received from various countries.
There were so many of them. They were so interesting and beautiful. I wish
I had some!
There is also a temple for Hanuman. I wanted to go there but we were
not allowed. It is only open for the temple priest. It has five circular roofs.
Beside it, there is a doorway that leads to another Chowk. We went to the
Chowk. I saw a water sprout and also a temple of Lord Vishnu there. My
mother said that the Malla kings used to take a bath in the water sprout.
The visit to the palace was really exciting and useful. I enjoyed it a lot. I also
saw other children there. Some of them were with their parents and the
others with friends. Also, many tourists had come to visit the museum. My
mother said many tourists come to visit the museum every day. It is very
popular. The ticket is also not very expensive. The museum gives students
discounts on Fridays only.

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Vocabulary

1. Choose suitable words and fill in the blanks.

compound shifted coronation amazed

a. My mother was .......................... to find a gift for her on the
table.

b. We opened the gate and entered the .......................... of our
grandmom’s house.

c. My aunt’s family .......................... from their old house to a new
one.

d. My father was watching the .......................... of the new king on
television.

2. In the spaces given below, write down the words which have
opposite meanings to the ones given.

a. front ..................................
b. close ..................................
c. top ..................................
d. last ..................................
e. never ..................................

A course in English literature Book - 4 173

Comprehension Activities

1 Answer the following questions.
a. Where is the Hanuman Dhoka Palace Museum?
b. Why is it called Hanuman Dhoka Palace?
c. How many sections are there in the museum?
d. What can you see inside the Mahendra Museum?
e. Why is Nautale Durbar named as such?
f. Have you visited any museum or any historical place of Nepal?

Describe what you saw there.

2 Complete the sentences by matching these two columns.

a. King Tribhuvan has many gifts given to the
king by his people.

b. King Mahendra was named after the statue
of the Monkey God.

c. Nautale Durbar is called so because it has nine floors.

d. Hanuman Dhoka liked hunting and
photography.

e. Birendra Museum liked literature and music.

Creative Writing

Write a short essay about a place you have visited. Read it aloud to the class
after you finish it.

Think, Pair and Share

If you were asked to choose the place to visit which one will you choose
for your next vacation and why? Discuss in group and present in the class.

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Indra Jatra 29

Before you proceed

Do you know what a jatra is? Discuss about jatras with your

friends and teacher.

New Words

plucking - pulling something
erected - raised
ancient - very, very old

Indra Jatra

Indra Jatra is one of the major street festivals of the Kathmandu Valley. It
is celebrated for eight days each year in September. It is celebrated at the
Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square. Do you know why it is celebrated?

According to the legends, Lord Indra came to earth a long time ago. He
came to earth dressed like a farmer. He wanted to take the Parijaat flower
for his mother. She needed it for her Puja. He found the flower and started
plucking it. But he was caught by the owner of the land. The people then
tied his hands with a rope. They put him on display in the town square of
Maru. It was a punishment for stealing flowers.

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His mother knew he went to get flowers on earth. But he had not returned
for many days. This worried her. So, she came down to earth looking for
him. She saw her son tied with a rope. She told the people he was Lord

Indra. People realized their mistake and apologized. But they told the Lord
that they needed rain for the crops. Lord Indra’s mother promised them
rainfall. The people let Indra and his mother go. Since then, every year,
Indra Jatra is celebrated to remember the incident. It is celebrated to please
Lord Indra and ask for rainfall.
Many people living in the Kathmandu Valley come to celebrate this festival.
On the first day, a huge wooden pole is erected in front of the ancient
Hanuman Dhoka Palace. It is named after Lord Indra. He is the God of
Rain and also the King of Heaven. Also, a large mask of Lord Bhairav is
brought out. A large pipe is kept at Bhairav’s mouth. Alcohol and rice beer
comes out of the pipe on different days.
One of the major events of the Indra Jatra is the Kumari Jatra. It is also
called Kumari festival. It occurs on the third and fourth days. During these

176 A course in English literature Book - 4

days, the three-tiered chariot or the Rath of Living Goddess Kumari is
taken around Kathmandu. Also the chariots of Lord Ganesh and Bhairav
(Kumar) are taken along with Kumari’s.
The festival is celebrated with songs, masked dances and religious chants.
Dasha Avatara masked dance is also performed. This dance shows the ten
forms in which Lord Vishnu came to earth. The head of our country comes
to take the blessing of Kumari on this day. On the last day, the long wooden
pole is lowered with religious ceremonies and other rituals.

Indra Jatra is a very famous street festival in Nepal. Many people come to
see this festival. They also hold the chariot and help it move around the
town. People living in Kathmandu also get a holiday at Indra Jatra.

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Vocabulary

1. Fill in the blanks with the words given below.

celebrate festival holiday mistake punishment

a. People of Nepal .................................. many festivals.
b. We get .................................. if we do not complete our homework.
c. We always get a .................................. on Saturday.
d. Dashain is our main ...................................
e. We should say sorry if we make a ...................................

2. Use each of the five words given above to make a sentence of
your own.

Comprehension Activities

1 Answer the following questions.
a. Why did Lord Indra come to earth?
b. What did Lord Indra’s mother promise to do?
c. Why is Indra Jatra celebrated?
d. What did people do to Lord Indra when they found him plucking

flowers?
e. What is one of the major events of Indra Jatra?

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2 Write T for true and F for false statements.
a. Indra Jatra is celebrated for ten days every

September.

b. Lord Indra came to the earth dressed like a
farmer.

c. Lord Indra is the God of land.

d. Indra’s father came to rescue him.

e. Pancha Avatar masked dance is also performed
during Indra Jatra.

3 Match the following and complete the sentences.

a. Indra Jatra is one of the them rainfall.
major

b. Lord Indra’s mother masked dances
promised and religious
chants.

c. One of the major events of a holiday at Indra
the Jatra.

d. The festival is celebrated with street festivals
songs, of Kathmandu
Valley.

e. People living in Kathmandu Indra Jatra is the
also get Kumari Jatra.

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4 What do we do during Indra Jatra? Choose the right answers and

write in the box below.

erect a wooden pole dress like a cow display the mask of

sing rhymes dance wearing a Bhairav
move the chariot

mask around

Things you do at Indra Jatra

Creative Writing

Indra Jatra is one of the famous street festivals. Do you know about any
other famous festivals? Think and write about any one of them.

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Jomsom 30

Before you proceed

Which of the following temples do you think is close to Jomsom?
Tick ()the right answer.
............ Pashupatinath Temple
............ Manakamana Temple
............ Muktinath Temple

What do you think Jomsom is popular for? Circle the words below.
apple elephant ride rafting trekking pony ride

Jomsom

What do you know about Jomsom?

Jomsom is a beautiful town in Mustang district which is situated on the lap
of the magnificent Himalayas. The place is popular for apples, pony ride
and trekking.

Jomsom is located to the north of Pokhara. It is also called Dzongsam or
New Fort. It is the district headquarters of Mustang. It is a beautiful place

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with many hills around it. The
people who live here are mostly
Thakalis.

There are many apple farms here.
Apples from Jomsom are very
famous. They are also used to make
juice and drinks. People in Mustang
make apple titaura. They also make
apple pies on their birthdays.

Pony ride is one of the exciting activities you can do in Jomsom. The
place does not have good roads for vehicles. So, pony is the best means of

transport here. Pony riding is very
enjoyable. You can see people riding
on their ponies. Some people also
walk on foot. But the roads are not
even. So, they prefer to climb up on
pony’s back.

You can also climb up to the Kagbeni
village from Jomsom. You can walk
till there or you can take a pony ride. There are many prayer wheels and
chortens here. There is also a Buddhist monastery in the Kagbeni village.

Where do you think people live during home-stay? Tick () the right
answer.
............. local guest house
............. local people’s house
............. lodge

There are some hotels and lodges in Jomsom. Also, some people let the
tourists live in their own homes. It is called home-stay.

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Jomsom is famous for trekking. It is a type of adventure where you
climb hill or go on long walks. You can trek to Muktinath temple. It is a
very important temple
for the Hindus and
the Buddhists. There
are 108 water spouts
in Muktinath. You
can see the beautiful
mountain peaks from
here. Some of them are
Annapurna, Dhaulagiri,
Nilgiri, Himchuli,
Machhapuchre and
Thorang peaks.

Every year, many pilgrims visit Jomsom. They go for a trek to Muktinath.
The best time for the trek is the spring season. It is also the best time to go
to Jomsom. The weather is clear and bright then. You can see clear views of
the snow-capped mountains. Many tourists also go to Jomsom every year
to observe its beauty and culture. A strong wind blows in Jomsom at noon.
This has been mentioned in the Nepali song Jomsome bazaar maa baarha
baje haawaa sarara.... .

Jomsom is a culturally rich town. It is also very beautiful. It is popular
among the Nepalese as well as foreigners. If you haven’t been to Jomsom
once, ask your parents to arrange for a visit.

Vocabulary

Use each of the words given below in a sentence of your own.

beautiful trekking culture popular bright

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Comprehension Activities

1 Answer the following questions.
a. What is Jomsom popular for?
b. Where is Jomsom located?
c. What is the other name of Jomsom?
d. Why do tourists visit Jomsom?
e. Which season is best for going to Jomsom?
f. What makes Jomsom a place worth visiting?

2 Write T for true and F for false statements.
a. Jomsom is in the Terai region.
b. Jomsom is popular for apples.
c. Pilgrims never visit Jomsom.
d. You can trek to Kagbeni from Jomsom.
e. Trekking is a type of adventure where you

go on a long distance walk.

3 Fill in the blanks.
a. Pokhara is situated to the ......................... of Jomsom.
b. The major tribe living in Mustang is ......................... .
c. Letting the tourists stay in your own house is called

......................... .
d. In Muktinath, there are ......................... water spouts.
e. The best time to trek in Muktinath is the .........................season.

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Think, Pair and Share

Sit in pairs. Choose a place and discuss what you will do if you go there.
Then tell the class what you have discussed.

Leisure Activity

Join the dots and lines and complete the picture. Colour it as you like.

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31 The Wedding
of a Rat

Before you proceed

Have you participated in the Wedding ceremony in your community?

New Words to ask for someone’s hand
stronger
Proposed: under
Mightier: to make someone believe.
Beneath:
Convince:

The Wedding of a Rat

Once a rat felt loneliness in his life. He made a plan to marry. He thought
that he must have none other than the king’s daughter for his wife. So, he
went to the king and proposed to wed the princess. The rat said to the king,
“You are the greatest one on earth.”

The king, however, said: “Not me. The sun is mightier than I am.”

So the rat went to the sun and said: “You are mightier than the king. Please
give me your daughter in wedding.”

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“But the cloud is more powerful than me,”
said the sun.

The rat went to the cloud and said to him:
“Please give me your daughter. You are
mightier than the sun.”

“I am not that powerful,” said the cloud,
“The wind pushes me around. He is stronger
than me.”

So, the rat went to the wind and said to him, “Please let me marry your
daughter.”

“No, I am not as strong as you think,” said the wind, “Howsoever hard I
blow I cannot take the grass away with me. The grass is, therefore, more
powerful than me.”

• Rats take care of injured and sick rats in their group.
Without companionship rats tend to become lonely
and depressed.

• Rats have excellent memories. Once they learn a
navigation route, they won’t forget it.

• A rat can go longer than a camel without having a
drink of water.

• Rats are recognised as the vehicle of Lord Ganesh in
Hindu religion.

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The rat went to the grass and asked for
his daughter’s hand.
But the grass said: “The rat burrows
beneath me, cuts at my roots and kills
me. I cannot stop him. The rat is more
powerful than me.”
The rat was now convinced more than ever that there was none greater on
earth than a rat. So, he married a rat.

Vocabulary

1. Match the following words with their opposite meanings.
mightier soft
loneliness discourage
hard companion
convince above
beneath weaker

Comprehension Activities

1 Answer the following questions.
a. What did the rat plan to do?
b. How did he request with the king?
c. What did the grass suggest him to do?
d. What was the rat convinced about?
e. What lesson can you learn from the story?

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2 Who said those statements? Show with them in speech bubble
with pictures.

a. “The rat is more powerful than me.”
b. “Please let me marry your daughter.”
c. “But the cloud is more powerful than me,”
d. “You are the greatest one on earth.”
e. “The wind pushes me around. He is stronger than me.”

Think, Pair and Share

Which one do you think more powerful in the story and why? If you were
the rat,what would you do for the marriage? Exchange your ideas with
your friend nearby.

Leisure Activity

Draw picture of rats in the form of bride and bride-groom.

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Feature

Wonders of the Past

A feature is an interesting article to read. You get to read about people, places or
events.
A feature is usually long and has many sections. In each section you learn something
new about the topic.

Wonders 32
of the Past

• Introduction • Easter Island Statues
• Stonehenge • The Taj Mahal
• Tutankhamun’s Treasure • The Colosseum
• The Great Wall of China • The Alhambra
• Petra • Angkor Wat

Introduction

What is a wonder? It’s something amazing.

When we see it, we ask, “How is this possible?”

Nature makes many wonders. People make wonders, too!

What is a wonder of the past? It’s something amazing that people made a
long time ago.

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What are these wonders of the past?
Can you name some of them?
Where are they?
What wonders are there in our country?

Stonehenge

The Stonehenge stone circles are in England. People transported the first
stones to this place about 5,000 years ago. We don’t know a lot about
Stonehenge. Who built it? How did they build it? Why did they build it?
It’s a mystery.
People built Stonehenge with bluestones and sarsen stones. There were
about 80 bluestones. They came from mountains 250 kilometres away
from where Stonehenge stands today. They are very heavy!

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The sarsen stones are even bigger and heavier. About 4,000 years ago,
people transported them from 30 kilometres away.

How did people use Stonehenge? Maybe they used it as a cemetery or a
place for studying the sun and the stars. Maybe it was also a temple. It’s still
a special place for some people today. Every year, on June 21, lots of people
go to Stonehenge to celebrate the longest day of the year.

1 Answer the following questions.
a. Where did the bluestones come from?
b. How did people use Stonehenge?
c. When is the longest day of the year?

2 What do you think of Stonehenge? Colour the stars and write your
answer in a paragraph.

Interesting Beautiful Important

Tutankhamun’s Treasures

Tutankhamun was a king in Egypt more than 3,300 years ago. He died
when he was only 19 years old. When he died, people put a gold mask over
his face. They put his body in a coffin made of gold. Then they put the coffin
into two bigger coffins. They put all three coffins in a tomb with food and
many treasures. The Egyptians thought that the king needed these things
after he died.
Tutankhamun’s tomb was in the Valley of the Kings. No one discovered it
for a long, long time. Then a British archaeologist named Howard Carter
discovered it in 1922 AD. When he broke through the door, he was amazed.

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There were gold statues, boats, jewels, toys, masks and even a gold bed!
There were about 3,500 treasures. For ten years, Carter took the treasures
from the tomb, and wrote about them.
Tutankhamun was one of the most famous kings in the world. Today, many
of his wonderful treasures are in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo in Egypt.

1 Find six words hidden in the word pyramid and write them.
s

dre
kbedo
a ema s k e
d bm j e w e l f
t t omb u r t a d e
co f f inrk ingzb

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a. ...................................................
b. ...................................................
c. ...................................................
d. ...................................................
e. ...................................................
f. ...................................................
2 Suppose you found Tutankhamun’s treasures. What would you do

with them?

The Great Wall of China

About 2,400 years ago, there were many small countries in China. War was
very common then. People didn’t want enemies in their country, so they

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built big walls to keep them out. For more than 2,000 years, people built
walls, destroyed them, and built new walls.
The Great Wall of China is actually a collection of many walls. Together
they are about 6,500 kilometers long. The walls are about 7 metres high.
There are also many tall towers.
Prisoners, soldiers and other people built the wall. They transported the
stones and bricks by hand. This work was hard and dangerous. About three
million people died while building the wall. Later, more than one million
soldiers guarded the wall, but it was hard to stop the enemies. People also
used the wall as a road. Today, tourists like to walk on the wall.

1 Choose the correct words and complete the sentences.
enemies years bricks soldiers hard stones countries

1. In Ancient China, there were many ......................................

2. People built the wall because they didn’t want their ..............................
........ in their country.

3. For more than 2,000 ............................ago, they built the wall.

4. People made the wall with ............................................ and .....................
........................

5. Working on the wall was very .......................................

6. More than one million ...................................... guarded the wall.

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Petra

About 2,000 years ago, people in the Middle East bought and sold clothes
and spices in many countries. They often travelled across land in large
groups called caravans. They used camels to transport people and things.
One of the places where the caravans stopped was Petra. Petra is a fantastic
city in the desert of Jordan. People built the city in the pink cliffs. The
caravans stopped in Petra because it had water and places to sleep, and it
was safe from enemies.
At different times, people from different places lived in Petra. They made
wonderful temples, a theatre, a palace, and tombs in the pink cliffs. Later,
earthquakes destroyed a lot of Petra. Today, many tourists visit this amazing
place. People also make movies here. Some of the movies made here are
Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade.

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1 Match the following to complete the sentences.

a. The caravans built in the cliffs.
stopped at Petra
because to transport people
and things.
b. The palaces and it had water and
tombs are places to sleep.
you can still see some
c. The caravans used of it today.
camels to sell in different
places.
d. People carried
clothes and spices

e. Earthquakes
destroyed a lot of
Petra, but

Easter Island Statues

Easter Island is in the Pacific Ocean, far from anywhere. The island is
famous for its 887 stone statues. They have big heads and little bodies.
Why are the statues here? There is a story which says that 1,700 years ago,

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people were lost on the ocean. They arrived at this beautiful island. There
were lots of plants and animals, so they stayed here.

These people made these big statues for their gods. They made the statues
with stone from the middle of the island. Then, around 250 people
transported the statues across the island to the coast, where they stand
today.

After a few hundred years, there were too many people for this small island
to support. They cut down many of the trees. This was bad for the ground,
and bad for other plants and animals, too. Soon there wasn’t much food.
People started to fight and they pushed over many of the statues.

Today, people come to see the statues and learn about Easter Island.

1 Answer the following questions.
a. Where is Easter Island located?
b. What is special about Easter Island?
c. When did people arrive in Easter Island?
d. What was in Easter Island when they arrived there?
e. Write a few lines about the statues found in Easter Island.

2 Which of the following statements are true? Tick the true and cross

the false ones.

a. Easter Island lies in the Pacific Ocean. 

b. Easter Island was a desert when it was discovered. 

c. People made statues for their gods. 

d. We can find the stone statues on the coast of the island. 

e. No one visits Easter Island today. 

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The Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal is in India. It looks like a palace, but it’s a tomb. It’s one of
the most beautiful tombs in the world. There are gardens and fountains
around the building.
The tomb is made up of 28 types of stones and jewels from all over India
and other countries. Most of the tomb is made of a beautiful white stone
called marble. About 20,000 people built the Taj Mahal, and it took them
22 years. More than 1,000 elephants helped to move the stones for the
building.

The Taj Mahal was built about 400 years ago. The Emperor Shah Jahan built
it for his wife, Mumtaz, so it is also called Mumtaz Mahal. She died when
she had her 14th baby. Shah Jahan was very sad, so he built the Taj Mahal
to remember his wife. Later, Shah Jahan’s son wanted to be the emperor, so

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