wonder book 5

The Peanut 15
Butter Thief

Before you proceed

If a thief broke into your house, what would you do?
Would you hide under the bed, shout for help or call the
police?

The Peanut Butter Thief

This is an incident from the Honeybun family. The family members are
mom (Mrs. Honeybun), twins - daughter (Sambi) and son (Simba),
younger son (Tambi) and father (Mr. Honeybun). Mr. Honeybun stays
abroad so he isn’t home.
It is a bright and sunny Friday morning. The Honeybun family is
going to have their breakfast. The breakfast is laid in front of them.
“Where’s the peanut butter?” Sambi yelled.
“It’s in the cupboard,” Mom called.
“In the cupboard? That’s where I was standing. I saw beans ...
biscuits ... and potatoes ...I need peanut butter,” Tambi said.
There was a wound on Tambi’s elbow. Tambi scratched it. A drop
of blood dripped onto his shirt. “Aghh! Now I need a band-aid.”
As Tambi stepped away from the cupboard, the twin brother,
Simba, came up behind Sambi and yawned. He smelled like a
peanut butter sandwich.

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Sambi thought maybe Simba was the one to misplace the peanut
butter jar. Tambi was yelling because the blood drops scared him.
“You don’t
need to yell.
The band-aids
are in here.”
Sambi opened
the medicine
cabinet and
sitting next to
the first aid
box was the jar
of peanut butter.
Sambi squinted, and said, “Mom, why would you put the peanut
butter in here?”
“I didn’t.” She made her long brown hair and patted Sambi on the
shoulder. “Don’t you want a band-aid?”
“Oh, yeah.” Sambi took one out, put it on Tambi’s elbow, and
eyeballed the peanut butter. She felt the bottom of the container.
“Nope, it hadn’t grown legs. So how had it moved from the
cupboard to the medicine cabinet?”
The next day was Saturday – the day to have pancake with peanut
butter and jam along with cookies on the side. Simba came near
the table as Mom was just going to put two pancakes on Sambi’s
plate. He smelled good, like peanut-butter. “Pass the peanut butter,
please,” Sambi said.
They looked at each other and Simba asked, “What peanut butter?”
Sambi looked all over the table and under the table. Also in the
cupboard. “There’s no peanut butter. It has disappeared again.”
“Maybe you put it in the fridge by mistake,” Mom said. Sambi
walked to the fridge, “None in here.”

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Sambi walked to the fridge, “None in here.”
“There’s NO PEANUT BUTTER!” Sambi shouted as she pulled her
head out from the fridge.
“Well, you
don’t need
to yell. Did
you check
the medicine
chest?”
suggested
Mom.
Simba’s eyes
widened. “The
medicine cabinet? Why would it be there?”

Among all the members, who do you think likes to eat peanut
butter most?
“Someone put it there yesterday.” Sambi went and checked the
medicine cabinet, but all she saw was that same first aid box. She
looked around, pulled the drawers of the kitchen and finally found
it, it was only half-full. “Yesterday, there had been a whole jar, and
Simba was the one who smelled like peanuts all the time. It had to
be him,” thought Sambi.
Sambi asked, “Simba, are you the one eating the peanut butter and
leaving the jar in weird places?”
“No. I don’t know anything about it.” He turned back to watch TV.
“If it’s not you, then how come you always smell like peanuts?”
asked Sambi.
“I smell like peanut butter because I used that special soap that
smells like peanut butter. Remember, the one that dad brought
from China,” said Simba.

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“If it wasn’t Simba, that means one thing – there is a peanut butter
thief around! This has to be stopped before there isn’t any peanut
butter left in town. Come on, Simba and Tambi, we’ve got a crime to
solve,” Sambi said. “The first thing we need to do is to find clues.”
“There’s nothing here but a strand of long brown hair,” said Tambi.
Simba scratched his head. “Must be mine.”
“And a piece of blue string that’s probably mine.” Sambi looked at
her blue skirt.
“What about that elastic hair band?” Simba asked.
“I don’t know. It’s probably not even a clue,” Sambi asked.
That night they set a trap for the thief.
“I’m putting the peanut butter on the table. Then I will knot a piece
of string around the jar long enough to reach our bedroom,” said
Sambi.
“I’ll tie this string to your foot,” Sambi said to Simba, as they got
ready for bed. “When the thief picks up the peanut butter, there’ll
be a tug on your toe.”
“Why my toe? Why not yours?” asked Simba.
“Because you wake up easier than us,” answered Sambi smilingly.
At night while everyone in the house was sleeping...
BANG! CRASH!
Something flew off the
top. “What’s going on?”
Sambi said, rubbing her
eyes.
Simba sat on the floor,
rubbing his head. “The
string jerked me out of
bed.”

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“Are you okay?” asked Tambi.
“Hmph,” Sambi grunted, rubbing it more.
They untied the string. “I’ll turn on the light,” Sambi whispered,
as they tiptoed into the kitchen.
“When I count to three, I’ll flip the light on and Simba, grab him.
One... two...” Sambi ordered.
“Die, you peanut butter thief,” he yelled.
“Three...” Sambi flipped the switch. There stood Mom, with a
tablespoon of peanut butter in her mouth. She looked awake but
she really wasn’t.
“Shhh,” Sambi put her finger to Simba’s lips. “Don’t wake her up.
She’s eating in her sleep.”
“That explains the clues,” Simba said. “The long brown hair and
elastic hair band were hers.”
Sambi took the spoon from her and put it on the table. “The blue
string came from her gown.”
The kids guided her towards the bedroom.

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Some people walk in their sleep. This is
called sleep-walking or somnambulism. The
somnambulist, or the person who walks in sleep,
isn’t aware of what he or she is doing.

Vocabulary

1. Write the words next to their meanings.
squint pat whisper tiptoe jerked grunt
a. moved suddenly and quickly …………………………………………………
b. step with the tip of your toe
c. to make a low rough noise …………………………………………………
d. to partly close your eyes in order to see more clearly
…………………………
e. to speak very quietly, using the breath but not the voice ……………
f. to touch someone or something gently and usually repeatedly
with the hand flat …………………………………………………

2. Use each of these words given below to make a sentence of your
own.
clue flipped bottom container thief

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Comprehension Activities

1 Write T for true and F for false statements and correct the false.

a. On Friday, the peanut butter was found in the medicine
cabinet.

b. The peanut butter had grown legs and it moved itself.

c. On Saturday, the peanut butter wasn’t missing.

d. The string was tied on Simba’s toe.

e. The father was the peanut butter thief.

2 Who said these lines and why?
a. “Where’s the peanut butter?”
b. “Aghh! Now I need a band-aid.”
c. “Why my toe? Why not yours?”

3 Answer the following questions.

a. Where was the peanut butter on Friday morning?
b. What wasthefamily goingtoeat asbreakfast on Saturday

morning?
c. Who smelled like peanut butter?
d. Why did Simba smell like peanut butter?
e. What were the clues that guided Sambi, Simba and Tambi to

the peanut butter thief?
f. How did they set a trap for the thief?
g. Who was the peanut butter thief?

Literary Terms

A Mystery is also known as a detective story or crime story be-
cause it involves investigation on a crime or curious situations.
In a detective story or a mystery, you can see a clear problem

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that needs to be solved or a crime that has to be investigated.
Which one of the following is the main problem in ‘The Panut
Butter Thief’?
1. Who is the main culprit behind the theft of peanut butter?

†† Why does mother walk at night?
†† How does the peanut butter get vanish?
†† Who left the brown hair, blue thread and a rubber band?

2. Who are the detectives in the story?

Creative Writing

Look at the pictures and write a story. Use the key words.
night... two boys

sneaking out of school
hostel... see a ghost...

scared... scream...

run back... ghost
takes off his sheet... all

have a hearty laugh

Project Activity

Get in groups of five. Hide something that belongs to the class. Write
down the clues to find it. Give the clues to another group and see if they
can find it. Have fun. Make sure you hide the item inside the class.

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Non-fiction

●● Kids Collect!
●● A Trip to Mahendra Cave
●● Looking at the Moon
●● Stonehenge : a Riddle

Non-fiction gives information and facts about a topic. It tells
about real people, places or things.
The title and the first paragraph usually tell what the text is
about. The middle part tells more about the topic. The last paragraph
summarizes the topic or tells what the author thinks is important.

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16 Kids Collect!

Before you proceed

tweezers magnifying glass label

a. Do you like to collect things?

b. Do you have a collection of anything?
Here, we are going to learn about various things kids like to
collect.

New words

reference - a mention of something

antique - very old

stuffed - filled with material in order to keep its shape

hollow - having a hole or empty space inside

swab - a small piece of soft material

leisure - time when you are not working

rust - a reddish brown substance that forms on the
surface of iron and steel

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Kids Collect!

Stamps and coins

Welcometo Bhim’sstampcollection!
He has been collecting stamps for
three years. “I began by clipping
stamps from envelopes that came
in the mail,” Bhim explains. “Now
I buy new stamps from the post
office. I also get packets of stamps
at stamp shows.”
Bhim keeps his collection in stamp albums. “I organize them by
country. The pictures on the stamps teach me a lot. I learn about
each country’s history, geography, government and people.” Bhim
handles his stamps carefully. He holds them with tweezers, not his
fingers. They stay in a better condition that way!
Like stamps, coins can also teach a collector about a nation’s history
and people. Maya has a large coin collection.
Maya gets most of her coins by trading notes for coins at the local
shops. She examines each coin with a magnifying glass. She uses
a guidebook to determine its value. Maya takes good care of her
coins. “Hold a coin by the rim to protect the surface,” she advises.
“Store it in a plastic bag.”

Rocks and shells The place

Did where

YOU coins
and notes

Know? are made

is called

mint.

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Some collectors prefer to work outdoors. Dolma began to collect
rocks while taking strolls in the park at her leisure. Now she also
gathers rocks on camping and hiking trips. “At first I didn’t know
what I was finding,” she admits. “Now I use a reference book to
identify each rock. I scrape the rock to see what minerals it contains.”
Dolma prepares labels with each rock’s name. She adds the time
and place where it was found. Dolma displays larger rocks on her
shelves. She keeps smaller ones in shoe boxes.
Johnny also does his collection outdoors. He roams around river
banks to find seashells in and near the water. “The best time to find
shells is at night or in the early morning at low tide,” Johnny says.
“I use a net to sweep along the edges of the water.”
After finding a seashell, Johnny takes it home and cleans it. First,
he boils it in a pot of water. After it has cooled, he washes the shell
with soap and water. Then he lets it dry in the sun.
Like Dolma, Johnny labels each piece in his collection. Then it goes
on his shell shelf!

So far whose collection did you like?
Pins and buttons

Anita likes to collect
pins. She first became
interested in them while
visiting a jewellery
shop. “There were so
many designs. I found
a beautiful glass pin
for only fifty cents.
I’ve been stuck on pins ever since,” says Anita. Getting stuck is
something that can make a pin collector feel uneasy. Anita keeps
her pins closed. She handles them very carefully. Anita finds pins
at markets and jewellery shows. She has pins for shirts, suits, hats
and ties. She keeps them all in a large jewellery box.

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Ram used to be
disappointed if a
button fell off his shirt.
Now he likes loose
buttons. That’s because
Ram collects clothing
buttons. “I’ve got all
kinds of buttons in
different shapes and sizes,” Ram says. “I have glass, metal, plastic,
shell, stone – even bone!” Ram received many buttons from his
grandmother. She worked in a laundry. She even gave him an antique
button with a small picture painted on it. Ram also trades buttons
with his friends. They have a button club that meets monthly.
Bells
Najma’s name may
not ring a bell. Najma
certainly does! She has
a large collection of bells
in her bedroom shelves.
“When my family or
friends travel, they bring
me bells from the places
they visit. Many of my bells bear the names of the cities and towns
they came from,” Najma says.
“I’m always looking for new bells,” Najma adds. “If you see one,
just give me a ring!”
Dolls and stuffed animals
Kanta’s doll collection began when she learned to walk. That’s
when her parents gave her a doll that could walk, too. Today Kanta
still has that doll, along with many others. “I’ve got dolls that can
walk, talk, sing, cry, sit up, spit up and blink!” Kanta laughs. “Of
course,

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some need batteries.”
Kanta also has simpler
dolls. Some are rag dolls
stuffed with soft cloth.
“My favourite activity is
dressing the dolls,” Kanta
says. “I even sew some of
their clothing!”
It makes sense that a boy
named Tanka might collect
Teddy bears. However,
bears are only a part of
Tanka’s vast stuffed animal collection. “You name the animal,
and I’ve probably got it,” Tanka says with a laugh. “Dad calls my
bedroom ‘The Zoo’. I group the animals by type–mammals, birds,
fish, and so on.”
Tanka finds some of his animals at local stores. He gets others

from friends who are
throwing out their old
stuffed animals. “I wash
the animals gently in the
sink,” Tanka explains. “I
clean plastic parts, like
the eyes, with dry cotton
swabs. I keep the animals
out of the sun so their
colours don’t fade.”
Bottles and cans
Binita finds it easy to collect bottles. “They’re everywhere!” She
says, “My collection includes water bottles and juice bottles. My
mom also gives me her empty perfume bottles and jars.” Some of
Binita’s bottles are glass and others are plastic. How does she clean
them?

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“If I want to save the label,
I fill the bottle with warm,
soapy water. Then I empty
it, rinse, shake, and rewash
it. I let the bottle dry for a
few days. Sometimes I do
not want the label. Then I
soak the whole bottle in the
sink. The next day I peel the
label off.”
Ishan prefers to collect cans instead of bottles. Cans don’t break.
That avoids a lot of disappointment. “I’ve got over a hundred

cans,” Ishan says proudly.
“They don’t cost a thing to
collect!” Ishan keeps many of
the food cans that his family
empties each week. “We’re not
allowed to drink soda,” Ishan
explains, “so I worked out a
compromise with my parents.
I collect empty soda cans from
our neighbours and local restaurants.”
Football cards and postcards
Jay has plenty of shoe boxes. They’re not filled with shoes. They
hold his collection of football cards. “I used to organize my cards
by team,” Jay explains. “But lately
I’ve added older cards of
players whose team no longer
exists. Now I arrange the cards
alphabetically by players’ last
names.” Jay buys some cards
at stationery shops in town. He
also trades with friends.

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“Collecting the cards has
taught me a lot about the
history of football,” Jay
says. “The player facts on
the back of the card are
fun, too. They even help
me with my math!”
Nisha also collects cards, but not football cards. She saves picture
postcards. They come from all over the world. “I have pen pals
in many countries,” Nisha says. “We send each other postcards
each month. They show pictures of popular tourist spots in each
country.” Nisha keeps her postcards under plastic sheets in photo
albums. The plastic protects the paper and keeps the cards in good
condition.
Every month, Nisha reviews all her cards from each country. “I love
looking through my albums. It’s as if I’m taking a trip around the
world!” she exclaims.

Vocabulary

Make a sentence using each of the following words.

picture : ..................................................................................................

cost : ..................................................................................................

hobby : ..................................................................................................

prefer : ..................................................................................................

history : ..................................................................................................

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Comprehension Activities

1 Fill in the blanks.
a. Like stamps, .............................can also teach a collector
about a nation’s history and people.
b. Maya examines each coin with a ............................. glass.
c. Johnny uses a net to sweep along the ............................. of
the water.
d. The ............................. protects the paper and keeps the
cards in good condition.

2 Write the names of people who collect the following items.
a. football cards :
b. bottles :
c. pins :
d. bells :
e. rocks :
f. postcards :
g. coins:

3 Answer the following questions.
a. What does the picture on the stamp teach?
b. How does Maya take care of her coins?
c. Which time is the best to find the seashell? Why?
d. What kinds of buttons does Ram have?
e. How can we peel the labels of bottles off?

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Write Long Answer

What can we learn from the collection of stamps and coins?

Creative Writing

Can we reuse the household things? What are the items that can be
reused and for what?
Example:
a bottle : to drink water

Think, Pair and Share

What is your hobby ? Do you have a hobby of collecting something?
Why do you like to collect them?

Project Activity

Collect what you like to and display your collection in the classroom and
add to it from time to time.

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A Trip to 17
Mahendra Cave

New words

exhibit - to show something publicly
terrain - an area of land, when considering its natural

features
tunnel - a long passage under or through the ground,

especially one made by people

duck - to move the head or the top part of your body
quickly down, especially to avoid being hit

A Trip to Mahendra Cave

“Welcome to the world
of caves!” said Professor
Kharel. A group of explorers
was standing at the mouth
of a dark cave in Pokhara.
They were all ready to enter
the cave. Most of them were
excited. But some of them
looked scared, too.

“This is actually my first trip into a cave!” Saguna said. “I’m afraid

of the dark.”

“Well, don’t worry,” said Madan. “You’ll be fine.”

“Cave explorers are called spelunkers,” said Prasan. “The study of

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caves is called speleology.”
“The terrain in these caves can be dangerous,” said Professor
Kharel. “Some areas are not open for visitors to explore.”
“Which way do we go?” asked Rohan. “All of the paths look same
to me.” He looked nervous.
“Yes, that’s why it’s easy to get lost,” warned the professor. “I know
these caves, though. Let’s just make sure we all stay together.”
Professor Kharel took the lead. The group started down the dark
tunnel of Mahendra Cave.
“Mind your head,” said Madan to Saguna.
“Bumping into a stalactite can hurt.”
“What is a stalactite? I’m afraid I don’t know much about caves,”
admitted Saguna.

What infromation might they learn about the cave?
“Stalactites are sharp rocks,” Madan explained. “They hang from
the roof of the cave.”
“It can take thousands of years for a stalactite to form,” said Kiran.
“Mineral-rich water drips down. It slowly hardens into a slender
stone formation,” said Prasan. He sounded as if he were reading
from a textbook.
“Stalactites can be coloured by different minerals,” added the
professor. “They can be red, blue, yellow, or other colours.”
“Are these on the cave floor also stalactites?” asked Saguna.
“No! Those are stalagmites,” explained Kiran. “They form from
falling water droplets. I love them!”
Professor Kharel told them that these rock forms weren’t as strong
as they looked. He warned them not to touch anything. Protecting
the treasures of the cave was just as important as exploring it.
Saguna got a good shot of the scene with her camera.

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“Do you think we’ll see
any animals in this cave?”
asked Saguna.
“Maybe,” said Madan.
“We’ll have to look closely.
Most animals in caves are
very small. There are a few
larger ones as well.”
“Many of the animals in
caves are like the ones
outside,” said Kiran. “But there is one big difference. They’re blind.”
“They have adjusted to the total darkness of the cave,” said Prasan.
“Sight wouldn’t help them here. So, they use their other senses to
get around.”
“Bats also live in caves,” said Prasan. “They aren’t blind, though,
whatever people say.”
“Aren’t bats dangerous?” asked Amrita. “Don’t they carry diseases?”
“Well, some bats do carry rabies. It’s best to avoid contact with them,”
warned Kiran. “Don’t worry. Bats will want to avoid you, too!”
“Bats are helpful in checking the number of insects. They eat
thousands every night,” explained Prasan.
“One small bat can eat about 600 insects an hour!”
“Friends! Shine your flashlights up!” said Kiran. “What are those
furry things up there?” gasped Amrita.
“Hmm. I think those are bats,” replied Prasan.
“Wow!” said Saguna. “Look how many there are! I hope we didn’t
disturb them. Do they usually move around so much?”
“Only when they are getting ready for a flight!” said Kiran.
“Quick!” said Kiran. “Everybody, duck! Make way for the bats!”

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Vocabulary stalactite
speleology
Match the description with the correct answer. stalagmite
●● cave explorer spelunker
●● long, sharp stone hanging from the
roof of the cave
●● a column of rock rising from the
floor of a cave
●● the scientific study of caves

Comprehension Activities

1 Write T for true and F for false statements and correct the false
statements.
a. Saguna has a camera with her.

b. Bumping into a stalactite can’t hurt.

c. One small bat can eat about 600 insects a day.

d. Cave animals have adjusted to the total darkness of
the cave.

2 Who said the following lines?
a. “Cave explorers are called spelunkers.”

b. “Stalactites can be coloured by different minerals.”

c. “Bats also live in caves.”

d. “It can take thousands of years for a large one to form.”

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3 Answer the following questions.
a. How many people are there in the cave?
b. Who looked nervous?
c. How is stalactite formed?
d. What was just as important as exploring the cave?
e. Which disease do some bats carry?
f. Do you wish to visit a cave? Why?

Creative Writing

Write a paragraph on how a cave is useful to all the people. How does it
help to the nation?

Think, Pair and Share

Have you ever visited any cave? If yes, share your experiences with the
class. If no, ask with your parents and tell it to your friends.

Project Activity

Draw a picture of a bat. It doesn’t have to look like an ordinary bat. You
can make it funny or strange. You may colour it in any way you like.

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18 Looking at the
Moon

Before you proceed
a. What do you think when you see the Moon?

b. Do you want to be there? Do you know why it shines?

New words

fragment - piece

craters - large holes on the surface of the
dome moon astronaut - space traveller

- large, circular building

Solar System

Moon seen from the Earth Phases of Moon
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Looking at the Moon

People always looked at the Moon and wondered what it would be
like to be there. Even the scientists did not know at first.
Now most scientists believe that an object as big as Mars collided
with the Earth. The force of the crash would have been incredible.
The Moon was formed from a fragment of the Earth. The rocks
found on the Moon are very similar to the Earth rocks. Some of the
rocks are over four billion years old. These rocks were brought to
the Earth during the space trips.
Moon is the second brightest object in the sky. But the moonlight
does not come from the Moon at all. It actually comes from the Sun.
It is the sunlight that bounces off the Moon. The Moon has no light
of its own. The Moon revolves around the Earth. It takes about one
month to revolve around our planet. The Moon also spins on its
axis just like the Earth. It spins in such a way that the same side of
the Moon always faces the Earth.

The Moon looks
different to us each day
as it circles the Earth.
At the beginning of its
trip, we call it a new
Moon. The surface of
the Moon does not
reflect any sunlight
then. Day by day,
more of the surface of
the Moon reflects the
sunlight. It starts from the right edge. In the middle of the Moon’s
trip around the Earth, we see a full Moon. During that time, the
entire side of the Moon facing us reflects the sunlight. Slowly, the
light starts moving towards the left edge of the Moon. Then it starts
again, with another new Moon.

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A fine grey powder covers the Moon. There is no air, no wind, and
no rain on the Moon. Still, it is not as smooth as it looks like from
here. Objects from space have been hitting the Moon for billions of
years, leaving craters. The largest one is 1,500 miles wide! There
are also mountains on the surface of the Moon. Some are as tall as
Mount Everest. They were formed by volcanoes billions of years
ago.

How were the craters formed?

The tides in the Earth’s seas are caused by the Moon. Tides are the
rise and fall of the levels of the oceans. They occur because of the
pull of gravity between the Earth and the Moon. Gravity also keeps
the Moon revolving around the Earth.

The Moon is the only place in space that people have visited. The
U.S.S.R. (now called Russia) sent a rocket there in 1959 AD. It also
took pictures of the dark side, the side we never see. In 1969 AD, Neil
Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the Moon. The trip was one
of the major events for humans on Earth. More than a billion people
watched it on television. The astronauts gathered rock samples and
conducted tests.

There’s no air on
the Moon. At night
the temperature
falls to hundreds
of degrees below
freezing. During
the day, it rises
to hundreds of
degrees above
freezing! Even so, many scientists think that people may be able to
build a small town there. It could be a good place to visit during
the holiday.

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To survive, people would need air, food and water. Perhaps they
might live in giant domes, where such necessities would be made
available.

Vocabulary

1. Which word in the brackets means almost the same as the word given?

looked (read, watched, breezed)
brightest (dullest, sparkling, dark)
different (same, unlike, common)
powder (dust, cake, stone)
rising (soaring, waiting, leaving)

2. Look at the pictures and complete the crossword.

S R TR
C

E T

S

M N
N

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Comprehension Activities

1 Write ‘true’ or ‘false’ against the following statements.

a. The Moon has no light of its own.
b. The Earth revolves around the Moon.
c. The surface of the Moon is smooth.
d. Gravity also keeps the Moon revolving around the Earth.
e. In the Moon, the temperature rises to hundreds of degrees at

night.

2 Answer the following questions.
a. How was the Moon formed?
b. Which is the brightest object in the sky after the sun?
c. What is a tide?
d. Who walked on the Moon in 1969 AD?
e. Is it possible for people to live in the Moon? Justify your answer.

Write Long Answer

What differences and similarities do you see between the Earth and the
Moon?

Creative Writing

Suppose you got a chance to go to the Moon. Write in about 150 words
what you would like to do there.

Think, Pair and Share

How often does a Full moon occur? Get the information from your teacher
and seniors, then share it.

Project Activity

Collect some information about Appolo I, which reached the Moon.

128 A course in English literature Book -5

Stonehenge: 19
a Riddle

Before you proceed

a. Have you ever piled stones like in the pictures above?
b. How tall was your stone stack?

In this chapter we are going to learn about old prehistoric
monument of stone circles.

New words - extremely interested
- someone who studies historic buildings,
fascinated
archaeologist graves and other objects
- remains
ruins - a long narrow open hole dug into the
ditch
ground at the side of a road or field
awesome - causing feelings of great admiration

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Stonehenge: a riddle

Stonehenge is a circle
of tall stones. It is
about 80 miles west of
London, in England.
This circle of stones
has fascinated people
for thousands of years.
There are many other
stone circles all over
Europe. This one,
however, is the most famous.
People study Stonehenge. They write about it. They talk about it.
Experts have ideas about who built it. Even so, no one is really sure
of who built it, or why.
Archaeologists try to figure out how old ruins are. They dig
carefully. They look at the tools the builders used. If the tools are
made of stone or bone, the builders probably worked before metal
was used. As people dig, they look for materials which were once
a part of living things. They look for wood or bone. These can
be tested to see how old they are. The digging and the tests have
helped scientists figure out when Stonehenge was built. It was a
long time ago!
The stones at Stonehenge no longer stand as they once did. Many
are missing. Some have fallen. The ones that are left disclose a lot.
They show that Stonehenge was carefully planned and built at a
very slow pace. It was built over a long period of time. The stones
are set up in three main stages. The stages were many years apart.
They are often called Stonehenge I, Stonehenge II and Stonehenge
III. Each stage was different.

Does Stonehenge stand in the same way as it used to in the
past?

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Stonehenge I
Many people underestimated the
age of Stonehenge. Archaeologists
now think that workers began
building it about 3100 B.C. That’s
more than 5,000 years ago! They
began by digging a round ditch.
The ditch, extending about twenty
feet from side to side, was about
six feet deep. Workers dug fifty-
six holes inside the ditch. Nobody
is sure what the purpose of the
holes was.
Stonehenge II
The second building stage took place around 2100 B.C. Workers
put about eighty rocks in the centre of the site. These rocks are
called bluestones, because of their colour. The bluestones are the
smallest rocks at Stonehenge. Still, each one weighs several tons.
They probably came from mountains in Wales, about 240 miles
away. There were no carts with wheels back then. Maybe the stones
were carried over water. Maybe workers used log rollers to drag
the stones over land. No one is sure.
Stonehenge III
More giant stone blocks were added to Stonehenge between 2000
B.C. and 1500 B.C. Workers built
acircleofuprightstones.Theyput
a ring of flat stones on top. One
flat stone topped each pair of
upright stones. Nobody knows
exactlyhowthebuildersliftedthe
heavy stones. In the more recent
past, people took stones from
Stonehenge to build houses.

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Now, half of the stones are fallen or missing. Even so, Stonehenge
is an awesome sight.
Scientists have reasoned that Stonehenge was very important in
its time. Many workers were needed to carry the stones. Many
more were needed to shape the stones and put them up. New rocks
were added over a period of 1500 years. Maybe the building was
for important religious events. Again, no one knows for sure. The
circle of stones is still a riddle.

Vocabulary

1. Of the words listed below, circle the words which are re-
lated to Stonehenge.

aeroplanes circle upright
bones historic stones jungle
fairy blocks umbrella

2. Make a sentence of your own using each of these words.
awesome missing carefully away

Comprehension Activities

1 Fill in the blanks.

a. ..........................................is a circle of tall stones.

b. As people dig, they look for .......................................... which
were once a part of living things.

c. It is estimated that workers began building Stongehenge about
...................................... years ago.

d. The distance between the mountain in Wales and Stongehenge
is ........................................... .

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2 Write T for true and F for false statements and correct the
false statements.

a. It took centuries to build Stongehenge.
b. The stones at Stonehenge stand same as they used to in the

early days.
c. Eighty rocks in the centre of the site are called yellow stones.


d. Though half of the stones have fallen or are missing,Stonehenge

is still an awesome sight.

3 Answer the following questions.

a. Where is the most famous stone circle?
b. What has helped scientists figure out about Stonehenge?
c. In how many stages is Stonehenge set up? What are they?
d. Which is the smallest stone in Stonehenge and where did it

come from?
e. Why are the stones in Stonehenge missing?

Write Long Answer

Write one important thing that had happened in each of the following
stages:

Stonehenge I ................................................................................................

Stonehenge II ..............................................................................................

Stonehenge III ...........................................................................................

Think, Pair and Share

Imagine that you were born 5000 years ago in London, England at the
time Stonehenge was built. Why would you build the Stonehenge? For
what purpose would you make Stonehenge? Share your ideas with the
class. You may solve the riddle!

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Biography

●● Malala

A biography is a story about someone’s life written by someone
else. The word biography is a combination of two words – bios and
graphien. Bios means life and graphien means to write.
A biography tells important things about a person. It tells about
when and where they were born. It tells about what great things they
did. It says how the person became famous.
Do you know the biography of any famous person?

Malala 20

Before you proceed
a. Can you tell any names who won the Noble Prize?

b. Who is the youngest Noble Prize Winner in the world?

New words

warrior : person actively involves in war.

injured : wounded

prominent : important, famous

access : means of entry

Malala

Every year Noble prizes are distributed for the people who
contributed a lot in the world. Among them a muslim girl only
at the age of 17 succeded to win Noble Peace Prize in 2014 A.D.
Her name was Malala Yousafzai. She was born on 12 July 1997 in
Mingora, the Swat District of north-west Pakistan . She was from
Sunni Muslim family.

Who do you think Malaa is?
She was named Malala, which means ‘grief stricken’ after a famous
female Pashtun poet and warrior from Afghanistan. She strongly
fought for the human rights,education and women’s rights.
Her father, Ziauddin Yousafzai is a poet and runs a chain of public

A course in English literature Book - 5 135

schools. He is a leading educational advocate himself. She began
to raise her voices through BBC. She has received numerous peace
awards. Malala was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 along
with Kailash Satyarthi, an Indian children’s rights activist.

Why were they awarded the Nobel Prize?

She spoke against
the cruelty of
Taliban like
banning television,
music,banning
women from going
shopping and
limiting women’s
education. She and
her father began
to receive death
threats for their
outspoken views

She was shot with a
single bullet which
went through her
head, neck and
shoulder. Two
other girls were
also injured, though not as badly as Malala. She was able to survive
in it. On 12 July 2013, she spoke at the United Nations to a group
of 500 youths calling for worldwide access to education. She got
chance to meet with Obama too.

Since 2013, she has studied at Edgbaston High School in Birmingham.
She has continued to be a prominent activist based with her family
living in Birmingham. In 2015, a documentary about Yousafzai was
shortlisted for the Oscars ‘He Named Me Malala.’

She even had got chance to address in the assembly of UN. She

136 A course in English literature Book -5

announced there in July 12,2013 and said “One child, one teacher,
one pen and one book can change the world. Education is the only
solution. Education first.” Through her voices and heroic struggle
she became leading spokesperson for girls’ rights to education.

Vocabulary

1. Change the underlined words with similar words from the
passage.
a. Malala is well-known all over the world.
b. Ravi started to learn computer.
c. The boy obtained some information about his teacher.
d. The poet was rewarded as national hero.
e. There is no opportunity of playing cricket in village.

2. Make sentences of your own using the words given below.
a. woman rights
b. views
c. chance
d. survive
e. music

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Comprehension Activities

1 Write T for true and F for false statements.

a. Malala was born in a Muslim family.

b. Her father is a renowned politician.

c. She had never done any struggle in her life.

d. She raised her voices through BBC.

e. She was killed by a Talibani soldier.

2 Answer the following questions.

a. When and where was Malala born?
b. Who attacked her and why?
c. In which areas did she work?
d. What important reward did she obtain?
e. What lesson do you learn from the biography of Malala?

Creative Writing

Suppose you won the Nobel Prize, What would you do with the
money? Write your plans.

Think, Pair and Share

In your locality there may have some female characters who might
have fought for the rights and justice for the people. Collect the
information about one them and prepare a short biography about
her and present it in the class.

Project Activity

Collect the names of well known female personalities of your country
who contributed a lot to the nations.

Example: Jhamak Kumari Ghimire- She wrote a novel with legs.

138 A course in English literature Book -5

Poetry

●● Be Glad, Your Nose Is on Your Face
●● Father William
●● Stupid Technology
●● Stopping by woods on a snowy evening
●● Underground

A poem uses words in special ways. The words help you see a
picture in your mind.
A poem uses sensory words. Sensory words tell about things that
you feel or hear or smell or taste.
In a poem, words often rhyme. Words that rhyme end with the
same sound.
A poem uses words that sound good together. Some words that
sound good together begin with the same sound.
A poem uses words to make rhythm. Lines with few words can
make the rhythm fast. Lines with many words can make the rhythm
slow.
What is your favourite poem?

21 Be Glad, Your
Nose Is Your Face

Before you proceed
What are the functions of different parts of your body?
The eyes.............................................................................................
The ears..............................................................................................
The nose.............................................................................................
The hands...........................................................................................
The legs .............................................................................................
The stomach......................................................................................

Meet the poet

Jack Prelutsky is an American writer of children's poetry
who has published over 50 poetry collections. He lives
in Seattle, Washington with his wife, Carolynn. He was
born on September 8, 1940 in Brooklyn, New York.He
was named a U.S. Children's Poet Laureate by the Poetry
Foundation in 2006.

New words

precious - valuable

sandwiched - inserted between two things

tickled - lightly touch the part of body

despair - the absence of hope

catastrophe - an event causing great damage or loss.

breeze - blowing wind

140 A course in English literature Book -5

Be Glad your, Nose Is on Your Face

-Jack Prelutsky

Be glad your nose is on your face,
not pasted on some other place,
for if it were where it is not,
you might dislike your nose a lot.

Imagine if your precious nose
were sandwiched in between your toes,
that clearly would not be a treat,
for you'd be forced to smell your feet.

Your nose would be a source of dread
were it attached atop your head,
it soon would drive you to despair,
forever tickled by your hair.
Within your ear, your nose would be
an absolute catastrophe,
for when you were obliged to sneeze,
Why your brain would rattle from the breeze.

Your nose, instead, through thick and thin,
remains between your eyes and chin,
not pasted on some other place--
be glad your nose is on your face!

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Vocabulary

1. Find the words from the passage that have the following
meanings.
a. happy
b. vividly
c. dilemma
d. valuable
e. stick

Comprehension Activities

1 Correct the wrong statements.

a. It is bad to have the nose on the face.
b. The nose is valuable.
c. The hair disturbs if the nose is on the toes.
d. There is no harm for the brain if the nose is in the ear.
e. The nose helps to smell the things.

2 Answer the following questions.

a. Why should we remain happy, according to the poet?
b. At what time do we not like our nose?
c. What would happen when the nose were between the toes?
d. Would it suitable to be the nose atop of your head?

Write Long Answer

Write a short summary of the poem.

Literary Terms

Funny and humorous poems are the poems with full of wit and
wisdom. They will tickle our funny bone and bring a smile to our
face. Those poems will have us laughing out loud.

142 A course in English literature Book -5

Famous funny poems provide wit, cleverness and sometimes irony
to keep readers on their toes and laughing out loud.‘Be Glad, Your
Nose Is on Your Face’ is an example of funny poem it also gives a
lesson that it can be dangerous to try to change something that was
perfectly fine to begin with.

Creative Writing

How would you feel if your eyes were on the back of your head? Tell
some funny ideas.

Think, Pair and Share

Have you ever seen a man with no ear lobes? Are they able to
listen to you when you speak with him/her?

Project Activity

Compose a similar type of poem changing the title like ‘Be Glad,
Your Nose Is on Your Face’
Be glad your mouth is on your face,
Not pasted on some other place,
For if it were where it is not,
You might have problem a lot.

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22 Father William

Before you proceed
Do you have elderly people at home? Do you respect them?

Meet the poet

Lewis Carroll (January 27, 1832 AD – January 14,
1898 AD) is the name chosen by English author
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, to use in his published
works. He was an author, mathematician and
photographer and he wrote many children’s book.
His most popular books are Alice in Wonderland
and Through the Looking Glass.

New words

1. without stopping, continuously
2. a person’s hair
3. a smooth greasy substance used on the skin to help wounds heal

or make skin soft
4. flexible and elastic
5. an arm or leg of a person or animal, or a large branch of a tree
6. a unit of money used in Britain
7. to hurt

144 A course in English literature Book -5

Match the words in this crossword with their meanings given just above.

Father William

-Lewis Carroll
“You are old, Father William,” the young man said,
“And your hair has become very white;
And yet you incessantly stand on your head–
Do you think, at your age, it is right?”
“In my youth,” Father William replied to his son,
“I feared it might injure the brain;
But, now that I’m perfectly sure I have none,
Why, I do it again and again.”
“You are old,” said the youth, “as I mentioned before,
And have grown most uncommonly fat;
Yet you turned a back-somersault in at the door–

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Pray, what is the reason for that?”
“In my youth,” said the sage, as he shook his grey locks.
“I kept all my limbs very supple,
By the use of this ointment– one shilling a box
Allow me to sell you a couple?”

Vocabulary

1. Make a sentence using each of these words.
head stand fear lock use

146 A course in English literature Book -5

2. Choose one word from the poem that means the same as:

a. aged
b. without stopping
c. hurt
d. plump
e. head over heels
f. a pair
g. flexible
h. arms and legs
i. unusually
j. wise man

Comprehension Activities

1 Who said these lines and to whom?

a. “And your hair has become very white.”
b. “But, now that I’m perfectly sure I have none.”

2 Answer the following questions.

a. Who are the two characters in this poem?
b. What according to the young man should Father William not

do at his age?
c. What does Father William do now that he was afraid to do in

his youth?
d. How does Father William explain the suppleness of his body?

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Literary Terms

‘Father William’ by Lewis Carroll is a parody. A parody means
a mock song. A parody copies the style and ideas from some
serious writings or songs and makes fun of them. Although the
writers change the characters and conversation, a parody looks
and sounds like the original work.

This poem can be read as a parody of Robert Southey’s poem
‘Old Man’s Comfort’. In the ‘original’ poem, the poet talks about
how the old man became successful in his life. Within the
conversations, the old man instructs the young boy on many
things. In this parody, the young man reminds the old man -
Father William - about his age. He makes fun of him.

You already know that a drama contains dialogues. But
sometimes, poets include dialogues between the characters in
their poems. Such poems are also called dramatic poems. Are
‘The Owl and the Pussycat’ and ‘Father William’ examples of
dramatic poetry? Write the names of the characters involved in
dialogues in each poem.

Creative Writing

Describe you father in a few lines.

Think, Pair and Share

What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of old
age? Have a class discussion and the final draft present in the
class.

Project Activity

Can you walk on fours. Write a few lines after your walk on fours
for a minute.

148 A course in English literature Book -5

Stupid 23
Technology

Before you proceed
a. Have you ever taken part in handwriting competition?

b. Have you secured any remarkable position there?

c. Do you like your own writing?

New words
technology - scientific knowledge
rage - anger
realizing - coming into actual position

Stupid Technology

Never again,
Never ever again,
Will I ever type my work up!

I'll save myself from computer error
By handwriting my poems.
Then and only then
Will I put them to the computer!

The self- hatred,
The hate for technology,
Increases as my rage boils over.

Realizing that all the words,
All my emotions and feelings,
So thoughtfully phrased and typed,

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Are lost,
Is a feeling like no other.
Rewriting the words,
Trying to remember exact phrases,
Is just painful!
Never again,
Never ever again,
Will I ever type my work up!

Handwriting is a writing created by a person with
writing materials. Each person is unique in their
style of writing. But the styles can be categorized like
printing, cursive, joining ,straight and so on.
Calligraphy is the word related to writing which
means the way of writing artistically. It is an art or
design of lettering with writing equipment. It makes
the writing decorative.
Best Handwriting of the world (Prakriti Malla from
Nepal)

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