Now ask your partner questions about each picture.
(i) Where is the stag?
(ii) What is he doing?
(iii) Does he like his antlers (horns)?
(iv) Does he like his legs?
(v) Why is the stag running?
(vi) Is he able to hide in the bushes?
(vii) Where are the hunters now?
(viii) Are they closing in on the stag?
(ix) Is the stag free?
(x) What does the stag say about his horns and his legs?
(i) The stag is standing by the side of a pond
(ii) He is going to drink water. He sees the shadow of his horns in water
(iii) Yes, he finds them beautiful
(iv) No, the stag thinks that his legs are very thin and ugly
(v) The stag is running on seeing the hunters
(vi) No, he is not able to hide in the bushes because of his horns
(viii) The hunters are just behind the stag
(ix) Yes, they are closing in on the stag
(x) Yes, the stag is able to run fast because of his legs and is free now.
Complete the following word ladder with the help of the clues given below.
Now write the story in your own words. Give it a title.
(i) How much did you pay for that hilsa? The woman asked the man how much he had paid for that hilsa.
(ii) Why is your face half-shaven? Gopal’s wife asked him
(iii) I accept the challenge, Your Majesty. Gopal told the king
(iv) I want to see the king. Gopal told the guards
(v) Bring the man to me at once. The king ordered the guard
Look at the pictures and read the text aloud.
Why did the king want no more talk about the hilsa-fish?
Find out the meaning of the following words by looking them up in the dictionary. Then use them in sentences of your own.
challenge mystic comical
courtier smearing
How did Gopal get inside the palace to see the king after he had bought the fish?
What three things did Gopal do before he went to buy his hilsa-fish?
Explain why no one seemed to be interested in talking about the hilsa-fish which Gopal had bought.
What did the king ask Gopal to do to prove that he was clever?
What did Nishad give Mr Nath? Why?
Why did the king want to know answers to three questions?
What is the secret that Meena shares with Mridu inthe backyard
What was the author’s opinion about Mr Gessler as a bootmaker?
Why did the neighbours kill the dog?
What is “strange” about Mr Nath’s Sundays?
Messengers were sent throughout the kingdom
(i) to fetch wise men.
(ii) to find answers to the questions.
(iii) to look for the wise hermit.
(iv) to announce a reward for those who could answer the questions.
Mark your choice.
How does Ravi get milk for the kitten?
Why did the author visit the shop so infrequently?
Mark the right item.
(i) The old farmer and his wife loved the dog
(a) because it helped them in their day-to-day work.
(b) as if it was their own baby.
(c) as they were kind to all living beings.
(ii) When the old couple became rich, they
(a) gave the dog better food.
(b) invited their greedy neighbours to a feast.
(c) lived comfortably and were generous towards their poor neighbours.
(iii) The greedy couple borrowed the mill and the mortar to make
(a) rice pastry and bean sauce.
(b) magic ash to win rewards.
(c) a pile of gold.
“Have you children...” she began, and then, seeing they were curiously quiet, went on more slowly, “seen anyone lurking around the verandah?”
(i) What do you think Rukku Manni really wanted to ask?
(ii) Why did she change her question?
(iii) What did she think had happened?
The old farmer is a kind person. What evidence of his kindness do you find in the first two paragraphs.
Do you think Mr Gessler was a failure as a bootmaker or as a competitive businessman?
Complete the following sentences.
(i) Ravi compares Lalli’s playing the violin to
(ii) Trying to hide beneath the tray of chillies, Mahendran
(iii) The teacher played a few notes on his violin, and Lalli
(iv) The beggar said that the kind ladies of the household
(v) After the lesson was over, the music teacher asked Lalli if
What is “strange” about Mr Nath’s Sundays?
(i) After a very long spell of heat, the weather is at last. (ii) We have no right to people who do small jobs.
(iii) Nitin has always his uncle, who is a self-made man.
(iv) The police are the matter thoroughly.
(v) If you want to go out, I will the children for you.
(vi) I promise to on your brother when I visit Lucknow next.
(vi) when you are crossing the main road.
Add im- or in- to each of the following words and use them in place of the italicised words in the sentences given below.
What is the significance of the title? To whom or to what does it refer
The words helper, companion, partner and accomplice have very similar meanings, but each word is typically used in certain phrases. Can you fill in the blanks below with the most commonly used words? A dictionary may help you.
(i) business
(ii) my on the journey
(iii) I’m mother’s little .
(iv) a faithful such as a dog
(v) the thief’s
(vi) find a good
(vii) tennis/ golf / bridge
(viii) his in his criminal activities
The word ‘tip’ has only three letters but many meanings. Match the word with its meanings below.
(i) finger tips – be about to say something
(ii) the tip of your nose – make the boat overturn
(iii) tip the water out of – the ends of one’s fingers the bucket
(iv) have something on – give a rupee to him, the tip of your tongue to thank him
(v) tip the boat over – empty a bucket by tilting it
(vi) tip him a rupee – the pointed end of your nose
(vii) the tip of the bat – if you take this advice
(viii) the police were – the bat lightly touched tipped off the ball
(ix) if you take my tip – the end of the bat
(x) the bat tipped the ball – the police were told, or warned