wonder book 5

d. What did the doctor say for her illness, according to his wife?
e. Who was more clever,crocodile or monkey and why?

3. Re-arrange the following statements in correct order.

a. The crocodile was in dilemma.
b. The monkey tricked the crocodile and made him fool.
c. The wife of crocodile was jealous with their relationship.
d. He had to bring monkey’s heart for her life.
e. The crocodile and the monkey had very good relationship.

Think, Pair and Share

a. There are three characters in the story. Which one do you like
most and why?

Combine your ideas with your friends and present them in the class.

Project Activity

There are many proverbs we can find about a friend and friendship like
‘A friend in need is a friend indeed.’ Collect three more proverbs and note
them down in your collection book.

A course in English literature Book - 5 51

Davy Saves the

8 World
A tall tale from America

Before you proceed
a. Have you heard about Halley’s Comet?

Halley’s Comet (or Comet Halley as it
is also known) is the most well-known
comet. It is known as a periodic comet
(or short term comet) because the time
it takes to orbit the Sun is less than 200
years. It can be seen with the naked
eye from the Earth every 75 to 76 years.
b. Have you heard about any super hero who saves the
world?

New words

rake
telescope
island
coonskin cap

52 A course in English literature Book -5

Davy Saves the World

Davy Crockett was the greatest
woodsman ever lived. He combed
his hair with a rake, shaved his
beard with an axe, and could run
so fast that whenever he went out,
the trees had to step aside to keep
from getting knocked down.
During his time, scientists with
telescopes discovered the biggest
ball of fire and ice coming from
the space. Its name was Halley’s
Comet, and it was coming in
a great force straight towards
America. Its tail alone was two
million miles long. If it were to
hit the earth, everyone would be
blown to pieces!
The President of the United
States started getting big piles
of letters telling him to stop
Halley’s Comet before it was
too late. He made a law telling
the comet it couldn’t crash into
the earth, but the comet paid no attention. It just kept speeding
towards America and growing bigger every day.

Who do you think Davy Crockett is?
Finally, the President had an idea. He had heard of a brave man
named Davy Crockett, who lived somewhere in the mountains far
away. He put an advertisement in all the newspapers in America
that said:

A course in English literature Book - 5 53

WANTED

BY THE PRESIDENT OF
THE UNITED STATES DAVY
CROCKETT TO PULL THE TAIL

OFF HALLEY’S COMET
Meanwhile, Davy Crockett didn’t know a thing about any comet.
He had no idea that the earth was even in danger. Davy was off in
the forest with his pet bear, Death Hug. He was teaching himself
to dance so that he could impress a real pretty girl named Sally
Sugartree. He was not reading any newspapers.

It took two whole weeks to learn all the latest dances. He combed
his hair nice and slow with his rake, shaved his face carefully with
his axe and walked off toward Sally Sugartree to please her.

Who do you think Sally Sugartree is?
All this time, of course, Halley’s Comet was getting closer and
closer to the earth and moving faster by the minute. Now, Sally
Sugartree was not just pretty, but she was really smart too. Sally
read the newspaper and she knew all about Halley’s Comet. She
had also seen the advertisement from the President. She showed
Davy the advertisement from the newspaper.

54 A course in English literature Book -5

Davy still didn’t know what Halley’s Comet was, but if the President
of the United States wanted to see him, he would waste no time
getting to Washington where the president lived. He rode on Death
Hug and set out like a high-powered hurricane. He could dance
with Sally later. Death Hug was so fast that rocks, trees, cows and
snakes all flew out behind him.
By the time they reached the White House, Halley’s Comet was
getting so close that there wasn’t a minute to lose. The President
told Davy to climb the highest mountain and to twist that comet’s
tail off before it could destroy the earth. Then the President posed
with Davy for pictures and pretended to look calm.

Davy combed his hair with his rake, rolled up his sleeves, and ate
a big plateful of pickled crocodile brains fried by lightning to give
him energy. Then he commenced to climb all the way to the top of
Eagle Eye Peak in the Great Smoky Mountains. Eagle Eye Peak was
so high you could see every country and river and mountain. You
could also look far off into outer space. By the time Davy reached the
top, it was night. Halley’s Comet spotted Davy Crockett right away.
It took a flying leap and zoomed past all the stars and p laughed and
headed straight toward Davy like a red-hot ball!

A course in English literature Book - 5 55

Lightning and thunder shot out of its eyes! There's lights in its tail
that, even though it was night, the entire countryside lit up and
all the roosters started crowing! This made Davy so mad that he
jumped right over its shoulders and onto its back. Then he planted
his teeth around the comet’s neck and hung on. Halley’s Comet
spun around and around like a whirlwind trying to throw Davy
off, but it couldn’t. Next, that comet tried to drown Davy by diving
into the Atlantic Ocean. The water got so hot that it boiled! The
whole world was covered with steam, and the sun didn’t shine as
bright as usual for a month.
Just in time, the ocean put out that comet’s fir It washed up an
island, and before it could grow back to its original size, Davy
grabbed what was left of Halley’s tail, spun around seventeen
times and threw the comet back into outer space.
That’s how Davy Crockett saved the world. In fact, he did such a
good job that there was a huge parade in his honour. He married
Sally Sugartree.
Of course, that fireball burnt the right these days Davy Crockett
always wears a yak-skin cap.

Vocabulary

1. Match the meanings of column 'A' with thr words in column 'B'.

A B
a. to cause someone to admire or crash
b. to make a large jump impress

c. to have an accident hurricane
d. a violent wind which has a cir
leap

2. Make a sentence of your own using each of these words.
didn’t know a thing about wast no time as bright as

56 A course in English literature Book -5

Comprehension Activities

1. Fill in the blanks.

a. Davy used a ....................... to comb his hair and .........................
to save his beard.

b. ............................... was getting nearer and nearer to the
earth and moving faster by the minute.

c. It took Davy ............................. days to learn all the latest
dances.

d. Davy spun the comet for ............................... times before
throwing it into the outer space.

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

a. Davy Crockett was busy practising dance moves to impress Sally
Sugartree.

b. Davy Crockett had a lion as his pet.

c. Davy Crockett had a lot of information about Halley’s Comet.

d. Eagle Eye Peak was so high you could see every country, river and
mountain.

e. Davy Crockett always wears a hat.

3. Answer the following questions.

a. Who was Davy Crockett and where did he live?
b. Who showed Davy the advertisement from the newspaper?
c. How did he prepare himself before climbing Eagle Eye Peak?
d. What made roosters crow at night?
e. Why does Davy Crockett wear a cap these days?
f. Does this story sound realistic or unnatural? Give reasons for

your answer.

A course in English literature Book - 5 57

Literary Terms

Characterization is the information the author gives the reader about
the characters. It may be his/her physical appearance, what he/she
says, thinks, feels and dreams, what he/she does or does not do, what
others say about him/her and how others react to him/her.
Write a short character sketch of Davy Crockett, who is the hero in
this story.

Setting is the time and location in which a story takes place. For some
stories, the setting is very important, while for others it is not.
Describe the setting of the place where Davy had gone to fight with
the comet. What kind of place was it and why was it important?

Creative Writing

Write a paragraph about your favourite superhero. Mention the qualities
that make him or her a superhero. Also describe some heroic deeds that he
or she has done.

Think, Pair and Share

What do you think about Davy Crockett? Was he that strong? What do you
have to say about this story? Do you believe this story? Why or why not?
Share your answer in the class.

Project Activity

Collect some information about a bear and post it on the display board of
your school.

58 A course in English literature Book -5

Stone Soup 9

Before you proceed
a. Have you ever heard of stone soup?
b. Do you think stone soup will be tasty?

New words

crisis - problem; disaster

drifted - moved

curious - interested

generous - friendly and helpful

Stone Soup

Once upon a time, there were three monks. Their names were Hok,
Lok and Tok. One day, they travelled along a mountain road. As
they were walking quietly, they heard the sound of a bell. They
looked toward the direction of the sound. They saw the rooftops of
a village below. They were very high above. So they could not see
what the village looked like.
The village had gone through many difficulties suffered food crisis,
floods and war. It had made them tired and untrusting of strangers.
They did not even trust their neighbours. The villagers worked
hard, but only for themselves.

Who lived in the village? What profession did they have?
There were many people in the village. There was a farmer, a tea
merchant and a scholar. There was also a doctor, a carpenter and
many others. But they did not talk with one another.

A course in English literature Book - 5 59

The monks climbed down the mountain. But soon, the villagers
disappeared into their houses. No one came to the gates to greet them.
And when the monks entered the village, people closed their windows
tight.

The monks knocked on the door of the first house. T answer. Then the
house went dark. They knocked on the second door and the same thing
happened. It happened again and again, from one house to the next.

“These people do not know happiness,” all monks agreed.

“But today,” said Tok, his face bright as the moon, “we will show them
how to make stone soup. ”

They gathered twigs and
branches and made a fire.
They placed a small tin
pot on top. They filled it
with water from the village
well. A brave little girl had
been watching them. She
came close to them. “What
are you doing?” she asked.

“We are gathering twigs,”
said Lok.

“We are making a fire,” said Hok.

“We are making stone soup. We need three round and smooth stones,”
said Tok.

The little girl helped the monks look around the courtyard. They found
just the right ones. Then they put them in the water to cook.

“These stones will make excellent soup,” said Tok. “But this pot is very
small. There will not be much soup. ”

“My mother has a bigger pot,” said the girl.

60 A course in English literature Book -5

The little girl ran home. She started to take a pot. But her mother asked
what she was doing.

“The three strangers are making soup from stones,” she said. “They
need our biggest pot. ”

“Hmm,” said the girl’s mother. “Stones are easy to come by. I’d like to
learn how to do that!”

The monks poked the coals. The smoke drifted up. The neighbours
looked out from their windows. They saw the fire a in the middle of the
village. All of them were very curious about it.

One by one, the people of the village came out. They wanted to see what
this stone soup was.

“We need salt and pepper to give the soup original flavour,' Said Hok.

“That is true,” said Lok as he stirred the giant pot. It was filled with
water and stones. “But we don’t have any …”

“I have some salt and pepper!” said the scholar, his eyes big with curiosity.
He disappeared and came back immediately with salt and pepper. He
also brought a few other spices.

Tok took a taste. “Do you remember this kind of soup we had last time?
The carrots made the soup very sweet. ”

“Carrots?” said a woman
from the back. “I may
have a few carrots! But
there are just a few. ” And
off she ran.

She returned with as many
carrots as she could carry.
She dropped them into

the pot.

A course in English literature Book - 5 61

“Do you think it would be better with onions?”asked Hok.

“Oh, yes, maybe an onion would taste good,” said a farmer. Then, he
hurried off. He returned in a moment with five big onions. He dropped
them into the bubbling soup.

“Now, that’s a fine soup!” he said.

It smelled delicious. So, all the villagers nodded their heads.

“I wish we had some mushrooms,” said Tok, rubbing his chin.

What items did the villagers mix to prepare the soup?

Several villagers licked their lips. A few went away. They returned with
fresh mushrooms, noodles, pea pods and cabbages. Something magical
began to happen among the villagers. As each person opened their heart
to give, the next person gave even more. Because of this, the soup grew
richer and smelled more
delicious.

“I imagine the Emperor
would suggest we add
dumplings!” said one
villager.

“Garlic!” “Ginger Root!”
“Soy sauce!”

“I have some! I have
some!” people cried
out. And off they ran,
returning with all they
could carry.

The monks stirred and
the pot bubbled. How
good it smelled! How
good it would taste!

62 A course in English literature Book -5

How giving the villagers had become!

At last, the soup was ready. The villagers gathered together. They
brought sweet cakes. They brought tea to drink. They also lit lanterns.
Everyone sat down to eat. They had not been together for a feast like
this for a long time. After the banquet, they told stories, sang songs and
celebrated for a long time.

This incident brought a lot of changes in their behaviour. They unlocked
their doors and took the monks into their homes. The villagers gave
them very comfortable places to sleep. In the gentle spring morning,
everyone gathered together to say farewell.

“Thank you for having us as your guests,” said the monks. “You have
been most generous. ”

“Thank you,” said the villagers. “With the gifts you have given, we will
always have plenty. You have shown us that sharing makes us all richer.”

“And to think,” said the monks, “to be happy is as simple as making
stone soup. ”

Vocabulary

1. Match the words with those which are opposite in meaning to the
following words.

a. high  tough
b. brave  tiny
c. easy  low
d. original  scarce
e. giant  duplicate
f. plenty  coward

A course in English literature Book - 5 63

2. Make a sentence using each of the following words.
brave ......................................................................................
original ......................................................................................
giant ......................................................................................
plenty ......................................................................................

Comprehension Activities

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

a. The villagers used to trust their neighbours.
b. No one came to greet the monks.
c. The little girl ran home to take a pot.
d. The villagers did not give anything to the monks to add to the

stone soup.
e. The villagers gave the monks very comfortable places to sleep.


2. Answer the following questions.

a. What type of difficulties had the villagers gone through?
b. What did Tok decide to make?
c. Who was watching the monks when they made the fire?
d. Why did the villagers come out of the house?
e. What lesson did the villagers learn?

64 A course in English literature Book -5

3 Complete the crossword puzzle with the hints given in
the incomplete sentences below. Write the words in the
blanks also.
a. The three …………………………………………… went to the village.
b. The monks were about to make ……………………………………soup.
c. The ………………………………………… brought some salt and pepper.
d. The farmer brought ………………………………………………………….
e. To be ………………………………… is as simple as making stone soup.

b

a cS

dO

e

Creative Writing

What happens when we help our neighbours and share our happiness
and sorrows with them?

A course in English literature Book - 5 65

Think, Pair and Share

Which is your favourite dish? Can you prepare any dish? Share the recipe
with the class.

Project Activity

Go home and help your mother in the kitchen. Prepare a cup of tea and
taste it.

66 A course in English literature Book -5

Myths and Legends

●● The Devil’s Favourite Game
●● Samundra Manthan

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

A course in English literature Book - 5 67

The Devil's

10 Favorite Game

Before you proceed
a. Have you seen a devil in your life so far?

b. What may be the differences between a god and a devil?

New words became visible
earned value or right
appeared - not normal
deserved - bad, wrongful
unusual - curve structure forming passage
wicked - fell downwards
archway -
descended -

The Devil’s Favourite Game

One Sunday, a Devil appeared and wanted to join in a game and certainly
enjoyed himself....

In the 17th Century, Sunday was a special day, reserved for prayer and
thanking God. Almost everybody went to church and, after church, people
spent their day praying and reading the Bible.

The villagers of Marston Moretaine, in Bedfordshire, wanted to have fun.
They argued, they worked hard from Monday to Saturday and went to
church on Sunday morning to pray. After doing their duty, they felt they
deserved to enjoy themselves for the rest of the day instead of reading
Bible.

68 A course in English literature Book -5

Warnings of the devil and hell were ignored, especially by the young
people. One particularly lively, noisy young man and his friends would
sit quietly through the Sunday morning service, then rush out of church to
play and have a laugh in the nearby fields.

The village church of St. Mary was itself quite unusual because, like the
church in nearby Elstow, its tower was separated from the main church
building. Legend says that, when the churches were built, they tried to
build the towers and churches together but the devil tried to steal the towers
away. When he failed to do this, he pushed them apart and the devil would
secure a place to sit and watch all the wicked activities of the local people.

Where would the devil stay to watch the bad activities of the local people?

The people of Elstow were mainly good, but those in Marston Moretaine
gave the Devil plenty of reason to smile. About halfway up the tower
called archway provided the devil with a comfortable position to sit and
watch the villagers misbehave.

The vicar of Marston Moretaine tried his hardest to advise the villagers
to enjoy themselves during the week but to behave on Sunday. One day,
he met the Young Man near the church and asked him whether he and his
friends would play more quietly after the church service.

"Why?" he asked, "Do you think the Devil himself is going to join in?"

The Young Man may have been laughing loudly.

Vicars have various titles based on what role they are
performing. An apostolic vicar is a bishop or priest
who heads a missionary particular Church. He stands
as the local representative of the Pope, in the Pope's
role as bishop of all unorganized territories.

A course in English literature Book - 5 69

In church the following Sunday, the vicar tried again to make the villagers
listen but they ran out to the fields and started playing the loudest game of
leapfrog.

This group of friends loved the game. However, unknown to the young
men, someone else who loved the game was sitting in the old archway of
the church tower, for it was the devil's favourite game. He loved to play -
especially an extra noisy game on a Sunday.

He watched for a while as the young men ran round shrieking and laughing
and then rose from his seat . With a mighty step he landed on the roof of
the local inn.

Looking down he saw the Young Man bend over ready for the rest of his
friends to leap over him. This was the devil's chance - with an enormous
jump he leapt on the Young Man's back.

The Young Man's loud "Whooohooo" changed to a deafening "Waaahaaa",
when he realised the stinking smell and hot iron grip didn't belong to any
of his friends. The Devil's next leap took himself and the Young Man high
above Marston Moretaine.

The young man started to struggle but it was no use, the devil's grip never
loosened and, as they descended, to the horror of the onlookers, a huge hole
appeared in the field below them. The young man and the devil plunged
into the hole, followed by the rest of the screaming gang as the ground
disappeared beneath them. They were going straight to hell.

Did the devil really take them into the hell?

The hole closed and field returned to normal. All that was left was a single
stone standing in the field. The next Sunday, the villagers came in Marston
Moretaine church and listened carefully to the vicar. When the church
service finished they had a decision to make: would they spend a few
hours reading the Bible and praying in the eyes of God, or engage in a
some noisy playing with the Devil? The village remained quiet.

70 A course in English literature Book -5

From that day, the Devil wasn't seen in Marston Moretaine again, nor was
the young man or his friends. The stone in the field became known as
the Devil's Leaps. When families passed by, the parents often used it as a
reminder to their children to beware, for the Devil himself enjoys a game!

VoVcoacbaublaurylary

1. Match the following words with their meanings.
engage thought
quiet take part
plunge opportunity
screaming silence
realize dive quickly
chance shouting
A course in English literature Book - 5 71

2. Fill in the blanks with appropriate words.
noisy, advice, praying, enjoy, peep

a. People went to the church for ......... and reading the Bible
b. The villagers wanted to …….. playing the game.
c. Actually the people of Elstow followed the …… of the priest.
d. The devil used to …….. the villagers' misbehave from the

tower.
e. People were playing a……. game that the devil liked.

Comprehension Activities

2 Re-arrange the following statements into correct order.
a. He liked the game that people were enjoying.
b. The young people ignored the warnings of the priest of the
church.
c. Suddenly he participated in the game and took them into the
hell.
d. The villagers of Marston wanted to have fun instead of
reading the Bible.
e. People used to pray and read the Bible after church praying.
f. The devil observed misbehave of people from the tower.

1 Answer the folowing questions.
a. How did the people spend Sundays?
b. What did the villagers of Marston Moretaine want to do after
praying?
c. What was the advice of Vicar?
d. Where was the devil watching their games from?
e. Why did the village remain quiet at last?

72 A course in English literature Book -5

Creative Writing

Have your ever played with new friends? Describe the moment how
you felt when your played with them.

Think, Pair and Share

If the Devil appeared in your garden one afternoon wishing to join in
your game, what would do? Would you be very frightened or delighted?
Discuss and share with the class.

Leisure Activity

Imagine the appearance of a devil and draw a picture of him.

A course in English literature Book - 5 73

11 SSMMaammaannuuttnnhhddaarrnnaa

Before you proceed
Let’s know the characters in this story.

Lord Indra Lord Vishnu Lord Shiva

As you progress in this story, you will know the reason behind
the occurrence of solar and lunar eclipses. Prepare yourself in
advance. A solar eclipse occurs when the moon goes in front
of the sun and blocks most of the sun’s light from the earth.
A lunar eclipse occurs when the earth’s shadow falls on the
moon.

74 A course in English literature Book -5

New words - angry
furious

accomplish - achieve

stir - mix

gigantic - huge, massive

tragedy - very sad event

whirled - turned around in circles

gulp - to eat or drink food or liquid quickly by swallowing

immortal - never-ending; not dying
revenge - harm done to someone as a punishment for the

harm that they have done

disguised - having an appearance that hides the true form
assembly - gathering

Samundra Manthan

A course in English literature Book - 5 75

One day, the great sage Durvasa Muni offered a beautiful garland
to Indra, the king of gods. Indra ignored the garland and put it on
the tusk of his elephant, Airawat. Airawat crushed the garland with
her feet. Indra was lost in his own pride. He did not understand that
Durvasa had honoured him by offering him that garland; instead
he insulted Durvasa by giving it to his elephant.
Seeing Indra’s disrespect, the holy sage became furious. He cursed
Indra saying that he and the other gods would lose all their powers.
Eventually, Indra and the other gods began losing all battles against
the demons, and the demons took control of the Universe.
Seeing no other means, the helpless Indra rushed to Vishnu the
Great Lord, for help. Vishnu had a plan. He said that to get back
their powers the gods would have to churn the oceans and bring
out the magical nectar – amrit. Only after consuming it could they
regain their powers. This great churning is known as Samundra
Manthan. But as the gods were powerless now, they needed the
help of the demons to accomplish this huge task.
“You must use Mount Meru, which stands at the centre of the
Universe, as your churner and request Vasuki, the King of Snakes
to be the churning rope,” Vishnu added.

What were the two materials that were used while churning?
The gods and demons got together for the task. The huge mountain
Meru was used as the pole to stir the waters. First, they gathered
many precious herbs and added them to the milky waters. Then
they went to Mount Meru and lifted it. But the gods could not hold
it up and the mountain collapsed upon them, crushing thousands
of gods and demons.
Seeing this terrible tragedy, Vishnu appeared on his vehicle Garuda,
the eagle. With one finger Vishnu lifted Mount Mer on Garuda’s
back, who then flew it to the centre of the ocean.
Vasuki curled around the mountain and the chur But as the pole
entered the water it kept sliding into the depths of the ocean. To stop

76 A course in English literature Book -5

this, Vishnu quickly changed himself into a tortoise and placed the
mountain on his back.
Once the pole was balanced, it was tied to the gigantic snake, Vasuki,
and the gods and demons started pulling it from either side. As
the churning began and the massive waves whirled, an extremely
poisonous drink called halaahal came out. The gods became scared
because this blue drink could destroy the creation.
They all got together and prayed to the powerful Lord Shiva to help
them. Shiva appeared before all and gulped the entire poison. But,
he did not swallow it. He kept the poison in his throat. Since then,
Shiva’s throat became blue, and he became known as ‘Neelkantha’
or the blue-throated one.
The churning continued and poured forth a number of gifts and
riches. They included Kamdhenu, the wish-fulfilling cow; the
goddess of wealth, Laxmi; the wish-fulfilling tree, Kalpavriksha;
and finally, came Dhanvantari carrying the pot of amrit and a book
of medicine called Ayurveda. Once the amrit was out, the demons

A course in English literature Book - 5 77

forcefully took it away. Two demons, Rahu and Ketu, disguised
themselves as gods and drank the amrit. The Sun and Moon gods
recognised it to be a trick and complained to Vishnu, who in turn,
cut off their heads with his Sudarshan Chakra. As the divine nectar
did not get time to reach below the throat, their heads remained
immortal, but their body below died. Even today, Rahu and Ketu
take revenge on the Sun and Moon every year during solar and
lunar eclipse.

A great war between the gods and demons followed. Finally,
Vishnu disguised as the charming Mohini tricked the demons and
recovered the nectar. While fleeing the demo amrit to Garuda. But
the demons caught up and a figh During this fight a few drops
of the drink fell at Allahabad and Haridwar. The drops are said
to h land and it is here that every year devotees come to wash away
their sins in the famous assembly called Kumbha Mela.

Once Garuda returned and the gods drank the nectar, they became
immortal. But as some demons had managed to taste a few drops
of the drink, they too became immortal and to th between good and
evil continues.

Vocabulary

1. Write the words from the text next to their meanings.
a. a circle of flowers or leaves that is worn around the neck
..............................
b. this occurs when sun, moon and earth come in the same line
.........................
c. to get back something you no longer have .......................
d. a word or phrase that has a magic power to make something bad
.................................
e. very pleasant and attractive .......................
f. to damage something so badly that it no longer exists
.......................
g. a magic liquid that is believed to make people live forever
.......................

78 A course in English literature Book -5

2. Make a sentence of your own using each of the following words.
original nectar medicine centre garland control

Comprehension Activities

1 Match the items in the two columns correctly.

a. Sage Durvasa crushed the garland.

b. Airawat offered a garland to Indra.

c. Garuda is Vishnu’s vehicle.

d. Shiva disguised as the charming Mohini.

e. Vishnu is blue throated.

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

a. The ocean was churned out to bring the magical nectar-amrit.
b. Lord Shiva disrespected Sage Durvasa.
c. Lord Shiva gulped the entire poison.
d. Laxmi is considered the goddess of wealth.
e. Indra disguised as Mohini tricked the demons and recovered

the nectar.

3 Fill in the blanks.

a. Seeing Indra’s disrespect, the holy sage became
..........................

b. Meru, which is situated at the centre of the ..........................
was used as churner.

c. The blue coloured poisonous drink that came out during the
churning was ...............................

A course in English literature Book - 5 79

d. The demons who had managed to taste a few drops of the
drink became..........................

e. .......................... curled around the mountain and the
churning finally began.

4 Answer the following questions.

a. What did Durvasa offer to Indra?
b. How did Indra insult sage Durvasa?
c. What was used to obtain the amrit?
d. What else did come out from the churning process?
e. When did Vishnu disguise as Mohini?
f. What would have happened to earth if the demons had got

the amrit instead of the gods?

Literary Terms

Mythology is a collection of traditional stories that express the
beliefs or values of a group of people. For example, ‘The legend
of the North Star’ expresses the belief of the Palute Indians and
Samundra manthan shows the belief system of the Hindus. Mythical
stories are often considered sacred. Besides, they try to explain
how things came to be or why the world is as it is now.

People have always wanted to know who made the universe;
why there is day and night; why the stars come in the sky at
night, etc. People created myths to answer these questions
about the world and things around us. Now scientists try to
answer these questions differently. Now read ‘Samundra
manthan’ and find out which question about the nature or
universe has been answered.

You have read two myths. Now check whether you can find
the following elements in them.

80 A course in English literature Book -5

Name of the story ⟶ The legend of the Samundra manthan
North Star

Elements of myth or legend ⇣

It tries to explain the elements
of nature or life or it tells how
things happened.

It has gods and goddesses or
people who do heroic deeds.

In it, good is usually rewarded
and evil is punished.

Think, Pair and Share

Have you ever played a role in a drama? Describe how you felt at
that moment.

A course in English literature Book - 5 81

Short Stories

●● The Musical Donkey
●● A good Night’s Work
●● Matilda

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

The Musical 12
Donkey

Before you proceed
Why do people keep animals in their houses?
A Donkey carries heavy loads.
A dog ..................................................................................................
A horse ...............................................................................................
A cow .................................................................................................

New words
crept - moved very slowly to save from being noticed.

fences - bars, railings

poultry - domestic fowls like chickens, geese

cautioned - said something as a warning

conch - shells of large snails

assured - made it sure.

annoyed - made angry

mortar - a short smooth- bore gun for firing shells

appreciate - be grateful for

The Musical Donkey

There lived a washerman's donkey, whose name was Uddhata.

During the day, the donkey would carry the washerman's bags, but
during the night, he was set free to eat the green grass in a nearby
field.

A course in English literature Book - 5 83

However, instead of grazing in the nearby fields, he crept into nearby
farms and ate vegetables of his choice. Before day-break it would
come back to the washerman's house.

One night, the donkey met a jackal while wandering in a nearby
farm. They became good friends, and started meeting every night.

The donkey, being fat, was able to break the fences of the farms.
While he ate on the vegetable, the jackal would enter through the
broken fence and ate the poultry on the farm. Before day-break, they
would return to their respective home to meet again next night. This
continued for many days.

One night, the donkey said to the jackal, "Nephew, I feel like singing
on nights like tonight, when the moon is full and beautiful. What
Raaga (note combination) shall I sing?"

What do you think the donkey could sing sweetly?

The jackal cautioned, "Uncle, we are here to steal. Thieves should
keep as quiet as possible. I may add, your voice is not as pleasant
as you think, and sounds like conch being blown! Your voice can
be heard over a long distance. It will awaken the farmers who are
sleeping, and you will have us caught."

The jackal assured, "Please uncle, eat as much as you like, and forget
about singing!"

This annoyed the donkey and he said, "Dear nephew, it is because
you are a wild animal that you don't appreciate music. I shall sing a
melodious Raaga. Wait till you hear it!"

Observing that the donkey was determined to sing; the jackal did not
risk staying there anymore. He said, "Uncle, if you must sing, please
wait till I go outside the fence and keep a watch on the farmers."

He ran outside the fence, and hid himself. Then, the donkey started
to bray at the top of his voice.

When the farmers heard the donkey braying, they could see easily in
the fullmoon-lit farm that the donkey was in their farm.

84 A course in English literature Book -5

The angry farmers chased the donkey with sticks, and beat him so
hard that he fell on the ground. Then, they tied a wooden mortar
around his neck and let him go.

When the donkey was returning through the broken fence, the jackal
laughed, "Musical uncle! That was a great Raaga! I see the farmers
have rewarded you with this necklace!"

VoVcoacbaublaurlyary

1. Match the following words with their opposite meanings.

free unhappy

melodious ended

started bondage

inside bitter

pleasant outside

2. Make sensible sentences by using the following words.

reward
ground
music
farm
broken

Comprehension Activities

1 Arrange the following sentences in correct order.

a. The famers came and beat him so hard. 85
b. The jackal teased the donkey a lot.

A course in English literature Book - 5

c. The jackal and the donkey became friends and met every
night.

d. The donkey used to graze green grass at night.
e. Both of them enjoyed their meal together.
f. One night the donkey sang Raaga at the farmers’ farm.

2 Who said the following statements.

a. “I feel like singing on nights like to-nights.”
b. “We are here to steal.”
c. “If you must sing, wait till I go outside the fence and keep a

watch on the farmers.”
d. “Eat as much as you like and forget about singing.”
e. “I see the farmers have rewarded you with this necklace.”

3 Answer the following questions.

f. What did the donkey do during the night?
g. How did they continue their days?
h. When did the donkey sing Raaga?
i. Why did the donkey get angry?
j. What happened to the donkey at last?

Think, Pair and Share

The jackal tried to convince the donkey but could not. If You were the
jackal how would you convince it so that he could easily agree. Discuss in
group and present the idea in the class.

Project Activity

Collect any five adjectives each to describe the donkey and the jackal.

86 A course in English literature Book -5

A Good Night's 13

Work

Before you proceed
a. Do you know who detectives are?
b. Do you think it is exciting to be a detective? Why?

New words a person who tries to find out a about a crime
or solve a mystery
detective - to examine a crime or problem

investigate -

A Good Night’s Work

The telephone rang. Detective Lee picked it up and listened. When
he put it down, he turned to Detective Chang and said, “Two people
have broken into a factory. Let’s go and investigate.”

The two detectives quickly grabbed torches, two-way radios and
handcuffs.

They jumped into their car and raced towards the factory. As they
got near, Lee turned off the lights of the car. Another empty car was
parked nearby. Chang quietly called the police station to check on
the car. It was a stolen car.

Both men got out of their car silently. Chang opened the factory
door. It was very dark. Lee stood and listened. Then, he turned on
his torch and shone it around. Nothing!

A course in English literature Book - 5 87

“I am going upstairs to have a look around,” Chang whispered to
Lee. Lee followed him.
When they were climbing up the stairs, they heard the sound of
voices. The sound was coming from the office where all the money
was kept.

Chang took a deep breath and opened the door. They shone the light
of the torch. They saw two men there. The men were emptying the
money from the safe into a sack.
“Police!” shouted Chang. “Stay where you are. Don’t move!”
The two men did not care. They jumped to their feet and rushed
towards the door. Chang fell down when the two men pushed past
him.
A man with fair hair ran towards the stairs. Lee dived and pushed
the robber in the back. The robber went crashing down the stairs.
Lee raced after him. In no time at all, Lee placed the handcuffs on
the thief and tied him to a table. Then he went back upstairs to help
Chang.

88 A course in English literature Book -5

Together they searched everywhere - but could not find the second
thief anywhere.

‘He can’t have disappeared!’ Chang exclaimed. Just then they heard
a gurgling noise. It came from a large water tank in the corner.

The two detectives crept towards the tank. Lee pulled the cover off
and there almost completely covered with water, was the second
thief. Lee pulled him out and led him downstairs too.

‘A good night’s work,’ smiled Chang. The two thieves did not smile.
They did not agree. It was a bad night for them!

VoVcoacbaublaurlyary

1. Here are some words from the text. Make a guess and match
the words with their meanings.

grabbed spoke very quietly

handcuffs moved slowly

whispered took in hand

crept metal rings used to tie culprits’ hands

A course in English literature Book - 5 89

2. Homophones are the words that are pronounced in the same way
but have different meanings and spellings. Some of the examples are
fair and fare, bare and bear, etc. Choose the correct homophone to
complete each of the sentences given below.

a. The thief said it was not ........................ (fair / fare).
b. The ........................ (bear / bare) lived in the jungle.
c. I ate a ........................ (pair / pear).
d. I gave the robber a ........................ (stair / stare).
e. My ........................ (hare / hair) got wet in the rain.

Comprehension Activities

1 Write T for true and F for false statements.

a. The two detectives quickly grabbed torches, two-way radios
and handcuffs.

b. Chang went upstairs to have a look around.
c. The men were emptying the money from the sack into a safe.


d. They heard a gurgling noise coming from a large water tank in

the corner.
e. The detectives did not catch the thieves.

90 A course in English literature Book -5

2 The words are all jumbled up in the sentences be-
low. Rearrange the words and write the correct
sentences. First one is done for you.

a. jumped they car raced into and towards their the factory
They jumped into their car and raced towards the factory.

b. going am upstairs I around to a have look
..............................................................................................

c. men two the did not care
..............................................................................................

d. man with a fair hair stairs towards ran the
..............................................................................................

e. then they just a gurgling heard noise
..............................................................................................

3 Circle the things that the detectives took with them.

torches phones two-way radios
bags handcuffs table lamp

4 Answer each of the following questions.

a. What are the names of the two detectives in the story?

b. Why do you think Lee turned off the car lights when they came
near the factory?

c. How did Lee and Chang guess someone was in the factory
before they went in?

d. What were the two men doing when the detectives first saw
them?

A course in English literature Book - 5 91

e. What made the detectives look in the water tank?
f. Who did not agree that it was a good work?

Creative Writing

Do you have any experience of stealing the things like a pen, an eraser,
a pencil or something else? Describe how you did it during that moments.
Did you realise you made a mistake?

Think, Pair and Share

Have you ever seen thieves caught by the police or people? What would
be the condition of thieves in the jail? Share your ideas with your bench
partners.

92 A course in English literature Book -5

Mitilda 14

Before you proceed
a. Do you like reading books?
b. Have you read any other books besides your school books?
c. Let’s meet the characters from this story.

Mr. Wormwood Mrs. Wormwood Michael Wormwood
Matilda’s father Matilda’s mother Matlida’s brother

Matilda Wormwood Mrs. Phelps Miss Jenifer Honey
Librarian Matilda’s teacher

A course in English literature Book - 5 93

New words
applauding - clapping, praising

cosy - comfortable

stunned - very surprised

splendid - wonderful wan-

dering - roaming
chatterbox - someone who talks too much

Matilda

Mr. and Mrs.
Wormwood were
busy in their
own silly little
lives. They hardly
gave time to
their children.
They failed to
notice anything
unusual about
their daughter,
Matilda. Matilda
was brilliant. Her mind was very quick to learn. Matilda’s elder
brother, Michael was a perfectly normal boy, but the sister was
extraordinarily talented.
By the age of one and a half her speech was perfect. She knew as
many words as most grown-ups. The parents, instead of applauding
her, called her a noisy chatterbox.
Every weekday afternoon Matilda was left alone in the house. Her
brother (five years older than her) went to school. Her father went
to work and her mother went out playing bingo in a town far away
from home.

94 A course in English literature Book -5

On the afternoon of the day when her father had refused to buy her
a book, Matilda set out all by herself to walk to the public library
in the village. She reached the library. She introduced herself to the
librarian, Mrs. Phelps. She asked if she might sit awhile and read a
book. From then on, every afternoon, as soon as her mother had left
for bingo, Matilda would walk down to the library. Matilda used to
sit quietly by herself in a cosy corner reading one book after another.
When she had read every single children’s book in that place, she
started wandering around in search of something else.

How did Matilda spend her day time when her parents weren’t
home?
Mrs. Phelps, who had been watching her for the past few weeks,
now got up from her desk and went over to her. ”Can I help you,
Matilda?” she asked.
“I’m wondering what to read next,” Matilda sai the children’s books.”
“You mean you’ve looked at the pictures?” said Mrs. Phelps.
“Yes, but I’ve read the books as well,” Matilda said.
Mrs. Phelps looked down at Matilda and Matilda looked right back
up at her.
Mrs. Phelps was stunned.

A course in English literature Book - 5 95

‘’Exactly how old are you, Matilda?” she asked.
“Four years and three months,” Matilda said.
Mrs. Phelps was more stunned than ever.
Over the next six months, Matilda read many books. Later, Matilda
was enrolled in a school near her home. Matilda was put in the
bottom class, where there were eighteen other small boys and girls
about the same age as her. Their teacher was called Miss Jennifer
Honey. Miss Jennifer Honey was a gentle and quiet person liked
by all the children. Matilda went to the class for t that day was the
revision day.
“Now then, has any one learnt the table of two already?”
Matilda put up her hand. She was the only one.
“Wonderful,” Miss Honey said. “Please stand up and recite as much
of it as you can.”
Matilda stood up and began to say two’s table. When she got to twice
twelve is twenty-four she didn’t stop. She went right on with twice
thirteen is twenty-six, twice fourteen is twenty-eight, twice fifteen
is thirty, twice sixteen is . . .”

96 A course in English literature Book -5

Miss Honey gazed at Matilda with absolute amazement. “That is
really splendid,” she said.

“But of course multiplying by two is a lot easier than some of the
bigger numbers. What about the other multiplication tables? Do
you know any of those?”
“I think so, Miss Honey. I think I do.”
“I hope the rest of you are listening to this,” she said to the class.

“Did your father teach you? Or did your mother teach you?” asked
Miss Honey.

“No, Miss Honey,” Matilda said quietly. “My father and mother did
not teach me.”
“You mean you taught yourself?” said Miss Honey.
“I don’t know,” Matilda said truthfully. “It’s just that I don’t find it
very difficult to multiply one number by another.”

Vocabulary

1. Make a sentence of your own using each of the words given below.
normal library notice corner gentle

2. Write the correct word next to its meaning.

truthfully extraordinarily chatterbox amazement

a. very unusually; specially ...............................

b. a person, especially a child, who talks a lot ...............................

c. honestly and without any lies ...............................

d. extreme surprise ...............................

A course in English literature Book - 5 97

Comprehension Activities

1 Fill in the blanks with appropriate words.
a. Mrs. Wormwood played ................... all day.
b. Matilda’s parents failed to notice that their daughter was
..................... .
c. Mrs. Phelps was more ................... than ever watching Matilda
reading books in the library.
d. Miss Jennifer Honey was a ................... and quiet person liked
by all the children.
e. Matilda did not find it difficult to ................... one number by
another.

2 Write T for true and F for false statements and correct the false
statements.
a. Matilda was a brilliant girl.
b. Matilda was seven years old when she started going to the
library.
c. Miss Honey was the librarian.
d. Mr. and Mrs. Wormwood were caring parents.

3 Answer the following questions.
a. Do you think Mr. and Mrs. Wormwood were wise parents?
b. When did Matilda start going to the library?
c. What did Matilda do in the library?
d. How many students were there in Matilda’s class?
e. Why was Miss Honey surprised looking at Matilda?

98 A course in English literature Book -5

Creative Writing

What kinds of books attract you? Write a story that you read in your school
library.

Leisure Activity

Play bingo in the class. Make 25 square boxes on a small piece of paper.
Write numbers from 1 to 25. Your teacher will write random 5 numbers on
the black board. If the numbers written by the teacher match with yours and
make a straight line or a vertical line or a diagonal line, shout “bingo” and
you win the game.

1. Vertical Bingo 2. H orizontal Bingo 3. Diagonal Row
Bingo

Projects Work

Go to your school library and find the book Matilda. It is a children’s novel
written by Roald Dahl. You may also look for other books by Roald Dahl as
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Mr. Fox, and The BFG.

Read any one of these books and write a short report. Submit the report to
your teacher. You may also read out the report in class.

A course in English literature Book - 5 99

Mystery

• The Peanut Butter Thief

A mystery is a story that usually includes one of the following:
• A problem that needs to be solved
• An event that cannot be explained
• A secret
• Something that is lost or missing
• A crime that has been committed
You may meet some special characters in a mystery.
• Suspects : Characters believed to have possibly committed the

crime
• Detective : Character trying to solve the mystery
• Witnesses : Characters who saw the crime being committed
Clues are what help the reader and the detective solve the
mystery. Clues can be things people say or do, or objects that are
found that provide important information.
In the mystery that you are going to read, do not forget to look for the
clues!