Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
Textbook<br />
<strong>Little</strong> <strong>girls</strong> <strong>wiser</strong> <strong>than</strong> <strong>men</strong><br />
It was an early Easter. Sledging was only just over; snow still lay in the<br />
yards and water ran in streams down the village street.<br />
Two little <strong>girls</strong> from different houses happened to meet in a lane between<br />
two homesteads, where the dirty water after running through the farm-yards had<br />
formed a large puddle. One girl was very small, the other a little bigger. Their<br />
mothers had dressed them both in new frocks. The little one wore a blue frock<br />
the other a yellow print, and both had red kerchiefs on their heads. They had just<br />
come from church when they met, and first they showed each other their finery,<br />
and then they began to play. Soon the fancy took them to splash about in the<br />
water, and the smaller one was going to step into the puddle, shoes and all, when<br />
the elder checked her :<br />
‘Don’t go in so, Malasha’, said she, ‘your mother will scold you. I will<br />
take off my shoes and stockings, and you take off yours.’<br />
They did so, and then, picking up their skirts, began walking towards each<br />
other through the puddle. The water came up to Malasha’s ankles, and she said:<br />
‘It is deep, Akoulya, I’m afraid !’<br />
‘Come on,’ replied the other. ‘Don’t be frightened. It won’t get any deeper.’<br />
When they got near one another, Akoulya said : ‘Mind, Malasha, don’t<br />
splash. Walk carefully!’<br />
She had hardly said this, when Malasha plumped down her foot so that<br />
the water splashed right on to Akoulya’s frock. The frock was splashed, and so<br />
were Akoulya’s eyes and nose. When she saw the stains on her frock, she was<br />
angry and ran after Malasha to strike her.<br />
Malasha was frightened, and seeing that she had got herself into trouble,<br />
she scrambled out of the puddle, and prepared to run home. Just then Akoulya’s<br />
mother happened to be passing, and seeing that her daughter’s skirt was splashed,<br />
3<br />
15
and her sleeves dirty, she said :<br />
16<br />
‘You naughty, dirty girl, what have you been doing?’<br />
‘Malasha did it on purpose’, replied the girl. At this Akoulya’s mother<br />
seized Malasha, and struck her on the back of her neck. Malasha began to howl<br />
so that she could be heard all down the street. Her mother came out.<br />
‘What are you beating my girl for?’ said she; and began scoldidng her<br />
neighbour. One word led to another and they had an angry quarrel. The <strong>men</strong><br />
came out and a crowd collected in the street, every one shouting and no one<br />
listening. They all went on quarrelling, till one gave another a push, and the<br />
affair had very nearly come to blows, when Akoulya’s old grandmother, stepping<br />
in among them, tried to calm them.<br />
‘What are you thinking of, friends ? Is it right to behave so ? On a day<br />
like this, too! It is a time for rejoicing, and not for such folly as this.’<br />
They would not listen to the old woman and nearly knocked her off her<br />
feet. And she would not have been able to quiet the crowd, if it had not been<br />
for Akoulya and Malasha themselves. While the wo<strong>men</strong> were abusing each<br />
other, Akoulya had wiped the mud off her frock, and gone back to the puddle.<br />
She took a stone and began scraping away the earth in front of the puddle to<br />
make a channel through which the water could run out into the street. Presently<br />
Malasha joined her, and with a chip of wood helped her dig the channel. Just<br />
as the <strong>men</strong> were beginning to fight, the water from the little <strong>girls</strong>’ channel ran<br />
streaming into the street towards the very place where the old woman was trying<br />
to pacify the <strong>men</strong>. The <strong>girls</strong> followed it; one running each side of the little<br />
stream.<br />
‘Catch it, Malasha ! Catch it!’ shouted Akoulya ; while Malasha could not<br />
speak for laughing.<br />
Highly delighted, and watching the chip float along on their stream, the<br />
little <strong>girls</strong> ran straight into the group of <strong>men</strong>; and the old woman, seeing them,<br />
said to the <strong>men</strong>:<br />
‘Are you not ashamed of yourselves ? To go fighting on account of these<br />
lassies, when they themselves have forgotten all about it, and are playing happily<br />
together. Dear little souls! They are <strong>wiser</strong> <strong>than</strong> you!’<br />
Textbook
The <strong>men</strong> looked at the little <strong>girls</strong>, and were ashamed, and, laughing at<br />
themselves, went back each to his own home.<br />
‘Except ye turn, and become as little children, ye shall in no wise enter<br />
into the kingdom of heaven.’<br />
Textbook<br />
- Leo Tolstoy<br />
Glossary<br />
easter /'i:stJ(r)/ feast day in memory of Christ’s rising from<br />
the dead<br />
sledging /'sledZiN/ to go or race down slopes on a sledge<br />
homesteads /'hJUmstedz/ farms or homes with the land round them<br />
puddle /'pVdl/ small quantity of water lying in a hollow,<br />
e.g. in the road<br />
finery /'faInJri/ beautiful clothes and orna<strong>men</strong>ts<br />
scold /skJUld/ to blame, find fault with<br />
plumped /plVmpt/ fell suddenly<br />
stains /steInz/ coloured marks<br />
scrambled /'skr&mbld/ to climb using the hands and knees<br />
howl /haUl/ (of a dog, wolf etc) to make a long, loud<br />
cry when you are in pain, angry, amused<br />
etc.<br />
abusing /J'bju:ziN/ speaking rudely (to a person)<br />
lassies /l&siz/ <strong>girls</strong><br />
ye /ji:/ you<br />
17
Vocabulary<br />
18<br />
Exercises<br />
A. Match the words given under ‘A’ with the meanings given under ‘B’<br />
A B<br />
stream - noisy ill-tempered woman<br />
catch - understand<br />
heads - crowd of people or things all<br />
moving in one direction<br />
scold - some trick<br />
follow - the front side of a coin, which often<br />
has the head of a king, queen,<br />
president etc on it<br />
B. Use the following words in sentences of your own.<br />
watch, look, except, folly, stains<br />
C. Find single words in the lesson which have the meanings given below.<br />
1. a way, course, or passage for liquids<br />
2. a Christian holy day in March or April when Christians remember the<br />
death of Christ and his return to life<br />
3. only just<br />
4. not obeying a parent, teacher, set of rules etc.<br />
5. close fitting nylon gar<strong>men</strong>ts covering the foot and leg, worn especially<br />
by wo<strong>men</strong><br />
Textbook
D. If the word ‘NEVER’ occurs before a pause or before a word beginning with<br />
a consonant (as in ‘never better’) then it is pronounced with no /r/ sound. If<br />
the immediately following word begins with a vowel, then /r/ is pronounced.<br />
Now say -<br />
better off, here it is, four or five, dark cloud Easter<br />
Comprehension<br />
A. Answer each of the following questions in about 25 words.<br />
1. Describe the place where the two <strong>girls</strong> were playing.<br />
2. Who is younger, Malasha or Akoulya ? How do you know ?<br />
3. Why did Akoulya run after Malasha ?<br />
4. Why did the <strong>girls</strong> dig the channel ?<br />
5. What made <strong>men</strong> laugh at themselves ?<br />
B. Answer each of the following questions in about 50 words.<br />
1. Do you agree with the author that <strong>girls</strong> are <strong>wiser</strong> <strong>than</strong> <strong>men</strong> ? Elaborate.<br />
2. What made <strong>men</strong> forget their quarrel and calm down ?<br />
Grammar<br />
A. Study the following sentences.<br />
• They had just come from church when they met.<br />
• She had hardly said this, when Malasha plumped down her foot so that<br />
the water splashed right on to Akoulya’s frock.<br />
The underlined clauses are in past perfect.<br />
Now read the following examples and underline the past perfect clauses in the<br />
given sentences.<br />
1. The meeting had ended when we arrived.<br />
Textbook<br />
19
20<br />
2. He had just gone out when his friend called.<br />
3. Long after, he confessed that he had made a fool of himself.<br />
4. When I read the book I was much <strong>wiser</strong>.<br />
5. Mary, who had disappeared on her own business, soon rejoined them.<br />
Speaking Activity<br />
A. Here are the dialogues from the lesson. Divide yourself in a group of five<br />
each. Assuming yourselves Malasha, Akoulya, Malasha's mother,<br />
Akoulya’s mother and the old lady. Now repeat the related dialogues in<br />
proper sequense.<br />
• Your mother will scold you. I will take off my shoes and stockings and<br />
you take off yours.<br />
• It is deep, Akoulya, I'm afraid !<br />
• Come, don’t be frightened.<br />
• Mind, don’t splash. Walk carefully.<br />
• You naughty, dirty girl.<br />
• What are you beating my girl for ?<br />
• Is it right to behave so ?<br />
• Are you not ashamed of yourselves ?<br />
B. You are passing with your friend through a forest. You come across a stream.<br />
Discuss how you will cross it.<br />
Writing Activity<br />
A. Write a letter to your friend describing the memorable event you and your<br />
grandparents shared. (50 words)<br />
B. Write on ‘Innocence is a bliss’. (150 words)<br />
Textbook
Think it over<br />
A. Children play in small groups. They are emotionally attached to one another<br />
yet they sometimes quarrel. Try to remember an incident in which you were<br />
involved.<br />
B. Many a time the policy of ‘forget and forgive’ helps us. Think.<br />
Things to do<br />
There are five situations given in the chart below. Each situation calls for<br />
an action by the people. Write in the blank space what actually happens<br />
and what should happen. One is done for you.<br />
Situation What generally What should<br />
happens happen<br />
1. There is a road People avoid him People should help<br />
accident at a lonely and go away the injured person.<br />
place. A person is<br />
badly injured. He is<br />
lying on the road.<br />
2. The children of a<br />
colony want to play<br />
a badminton match.<br />
But they do not<br />
have money to buy<br />
shuttlecocks.<br />
3. A little boy works in<br />
a tea shop. He wants<br />
to study. He is<br />
compelled to work<br />
due to poverty. He<br />
begs for help.<br />
Textbook<br />
21
22<br />
Situation What generally What should<br />
happens happen<br />
4. A small puppy has<br />
fallen into a shallow<br />
pit. It is unable to<br />
climb out. It howls<br />
in anxiety.<br />
5. You have not<br />
completed your<br />
homework. You<br />
have just started<br />
doing it. Your<br />
friends call you for<br />
a friendly match.<br />
Textbook