Warming Up!

1. Chit Chat

‘A lie can run around the world before trust has got its boot on.’

The above quotation expresses how fast rumours spread.

Talk with your group about some recent rumour, when people believed at first and suffered for it, later.

There was a rumour that the sea water in one of the beaches in Mumbai had turned sweet and was a miracle of God.

Also discuss, how one can decide whether some news is a fact or fake.

We can decide whether some news is fact or fake by first checking on multiple news sources from television to print. We can also ask our elders and take their views.

Who, do you think, are responsible for spreading false news?

People who forward messages without thinking, people who want to create commotion and also people with vested interests are responsible for spreading false news.

Do you believe in all the news that you come across?

No, I do not believe in all news that I come across.

Give one example of a rumour which seemed to be a fact in the beginning, later it was proved false.

The rumour that the sea water on one of the beaches in Mumbai had turned sweet seemed true because many people initially said they had tasted the water themselves and thousands of people turned out at the beach.

2. Read the following statements. Describe whether it is a fact or rumour. Justify your decision.

1) Cows give birth to a calf. – Fact – Since young ones of cows are known as calves.

2) In 2025, the sun will swallow the earth – Rumour – There is no evidence of this even from NASA.

3) You receive a message that you have won rupees five crores in a lottery – Rumour – People cheat you this way and take your bank account details.

4) Bees beat their wings 270 times in a second – Fact – Bees can flap their wings very fast at up to 270 times a second.

5) Many ships and aeroplanes have disappeared in Bermuda Triangle – Rumour – No evidence has been found yet.

6) Driverless cars are no more a dream – Fact – Many technology companies are already testing driverless cars in developed countries.

7) Sophia is world’s first robot citizen – Fact – Sophia became with world’s first robot citizen in 2017.

8) Ghosts dwell in banyan trees – Rumour – No evidence of this has been found.

9) Do not step out on a new moon day – Rumour – No evidence of any problems occurring has been found.

10) Aliens will conquer the earth – Rumour – No evidence of aliens have been found yet.



From the main chapter pages:

1. Name the characters of the story.

Ans: Seth Govind Ram, Nathu, Sitaram, Mrs. Srivastava, Mrs. Bhushan, Mr. Bhushan, Kamal Kishore, Deep Chand, Old Ganpat, Bank Manager, Town Folks.

2. Which action of Nathu shows his annoyance?

Ans: Nathu banging his pan against a dustbin and sweeping hurriedly and carelessly shows his annoyance.

3. How do you show your annoyance?

Ans: I show my annoyance by not talking to anyone.

4. To whom did Sitaram talk about Nathu?

Ans: Sitaram spoke to Mrs. Srivastava about Nathu.

5. Why was Mrs. Bhushan uncomfortable?

Ans: Mrs. Bhushan was uncomfortable due to the summer heat.

6. Which shop was just next to the photography shop?

Ans: The barber shop was next to the photography shop.

7. Who did Deep Chand call a bird?

Ans: Deep Chand called Seth Govind Ram a bird.

8. Who was Mr. Srivastava talking to?

There is no mention of Mr. Srivastava in the story.

9. Who surprised everyone and how?

Ans: Old Ganpat the beggar, who had a crooked leg and had been squatting on the pavement for years calling for alms surprised everyone by leaping to his feet and running at top speed towards the direction of the bank.

10. What were the four rumours about Seth Govind Ram?

Ans: The four rumours about Seth Govind Ram were 1) he had indulged in excesses, 2) He had fled the state, 3) He had fled the country, 4) He had hanged himself from the tamarind tree.

11. Who was the last to know about the Pipalnagar Bank going bankrupt?

Nathu was the last to know about the Pipalnagar Bank going bankrupt.

12. Discuss and share – How are rumours spread? Are the rumours harmful? Why / Why not?

Ans: Rumours are spread by people exaggerating something they have heard and telling someone else. They are spread due to people’s nature of gossiping. Rumours are harmful because they can cause panic amongst people which can lead to other problems.



English Workshop Questions and Answers

1. Who am I? (Identify the character from the extract)

a) I am the washerman’s son. Who am I? – Sitaram

b) I am the owner of the bank, who am I? – Seth Govind Ram

c) I am the sweeper, who am I? – Nathu

d) I am the friend of Mrs. Srivastava, who am I? – Mrs. Bhushan

e) I am the hair dresser. Who am I? – Deep Chand

f) I have a crooked leg, who am I? Old Ganpat

2. Make a list of customers of Pipalnagar Bank, from the extract.

Old Ganpat
Deep Chand
Elderly Gentleman – Deep Chand’s customer
Betel-seller
Tailor
Jeweller
Free-vendor

3. Match the following and write the complete meaningful sentences.

1) Sitaram was looking out for any job… c) That might suit Nathu.

2) According to Mrs. Bhushan… d) It was the hottest summer in the history of Pipalnagar.

3) Govind Ram was… a) Holidaying in Kashmir.

4) The manager told the customers… b) To go home and come back the next day.

4. Write who said to whom.

a) “Don’t raise such dust!”
Sitaram said to Nathu

b) “Who would have thought the bank would collapse!”
Nathu said to himself.

c) “Where did you disappear?”
Mrs. Bhushan said to Mr. Bhushan

d) “The bird has flown!”
The elderly gentleman said to Deep Chand.

5. Why was the manager of the bank in a dilemma? Write down in 5 or 6 lines in your notebook.

The manager of the bank was in a dilemma because by noon, the small bank had gone through all its ready cash. Emergency funds could only be obtained from another bank some thirty miles distant and the manager was not sure whether he could persuade the angry crowd to wait until then. On top of that, there was no way of contact Seth Govind Ram on his houseboat in Kashmir.

6. Cross out the odd man.

a) Sweeper, hooligan, beggar, declare, locker
b) hurriedly, carelessly, salary, definitely, suddenly
c) imminent, latest, pavement, awful, shocking
d) morning, scattering, raising, collecting, shouting

7. Find the describing words for the following from the text.

Customary – Tour
Photography – Shop
Plate glass – Window
Crooked – Leg

8. Complete the following table.

Verb:
Pay
Declare
Cheer

Noun:
Payment
suddenness
declaration
cheerfulness

Adjective:
Payable
sudden
declarative
cheerful

Adverb:
Suddenly
declaratively
cheerfully

9. Write in your own words a few sentences about each of the following:

a) Nathu
Nathu was the sweeper working in Pipalnagar Bank. He was annoyed as he had not been paid his salary even on the twentieth of the month and was denied a raise of Rs. 2 per month as well.

b) Mrs. Srivastava
Mrs. Srivastava lived in Pipalnagar. She was the one Sitaram spoke to about a job for Nathu. Mrs. Srivastava had a friend named Mrs. Bhushan.

c) Seth Govind Ram
Seth Govind Ram was the owner of the Pipalnagar Bank. He was holidaying in Kashmir and completely unaware of the events back in Pipalnagar.

d) Sitaram
Sitaram was the washerman’s son. He was also Nathu’s friend and was looking out for a suitable job for Nathu. He was delivering the freshly pressed clothes to the customers.

10. Expand the theme in a write-up of about 20 lines.

a) ‘Rumours are spread by fools and accepted by greater fools.’

Rumours are a huge problem in our society. Foolish people who simply want to create problems or sensationalize a matter for their own pleasure spread rumours whenever they can. Unfortunately these rumours end up hurting so many people in various different ways. What is even more unfortunate is that people who read these rumours end up believing in them without verifying the facts. Some would argue the ones accepting the rumours are greater fools when compared to the ones spreading the rumours. This is because we are allowing a few sadistic people with vested interests to ruin our society, the unity and wellbeing of the people. No one should get upset or accept something if they are simply told about it without first trying to see if the rumour is true or not. Currently our society is going through so many problems where people attack one another or stop interacting with others simply because they heard a rumour. In many cases, rumours spread panic amongst people and the one believing in these rumours end up spoiling their own health. It is unfortunate that today so many people keep forwarding things via text messages, chat applications and through other means without knowing whether what they are forwarding is real or simply misinformation being spread through digital means. Therefore it is rightly said that rumours are spread by fools but are accepted by even greater fools.

b) ‘Books are our real friends’
Real friends -> Real companion -> World of Treasures -> Confidence and courage to speak -> Improve language skills -> Treasures of knowledge -> Personality development -> Keep us away from unwanted habits -> Keep us focussed

In today’s world, if there are true friends, then it has got to be the books that we have. Books are our true companion. They can go with us wherever and whenever we want. The amount of information or knowledge contained in books are no short of having a world of treasures at our disposal. We often do not realize how books help us in so many different ways. They help in building confidence with us and give us the courage to speak. Reading regularly helps in improving our language skills while they also continually develop our personality over time. The knowledge within books moulds our way of thinking and helps us learn things that we would otherwise not know. The best part about books is that they develop good habits within us. People who read regularly are often safeguarded against unwanted habits and utilize their time effectively. Being engrossed in interesting books helps us maintain focus. All these positive habits assists us in our daily lives whether we are students or working in an office. Reading books is not simply a good hobby but an excellent way of life. Nothing can affect us positively the way books can do over time. There is no doubt that books are our real friends. Books will always be by our side and never leave us during our time of need. Books show us the right way forward and remain with us all throughout the journey of life.

11. Project: Collect the names of books written by Ruskin Bond.

The room on the roof
The night train at Deoli and other stories
Roads to Mussoorie
Binya’s blue umbrella
Rusty
The Ruskin Bond children’s omnibus
Tales and legends from India
A flight of pigeons
Book of humour
A season of ghosts
The road to the bazaar

Language Study

1. I know of a sweeper boy who’s looking for work.

Observe the underlined part of the sentence. It tells us more about the sweeper boy. An adjective clause begins with words such as how, that, what, whatever, who, which, where, why etc.

Now, complete the sentences given below using your own adjective clauses.

a) I know of a school boy who is very clever.
b) I know the joke that you are trying to tell.
c) I know of a doctor who is an excellent surgeon.
d) I know of a place where there are tall trees.
e) I know the reason why you didn’t come to school.

2. Rewrite the following sentences joining them with ‘when’, ‘where’, ‘which’, ‘why’.

a) Sitaram had a bundle of freshly pressed clothes. He balanced it on his head.

Ans: Sitaram had a bundle of freshly pressed clothes, which he balanced on his head.

b) A large shady tamarind tree grew at one end of the bazaar. Mr. Srivastava found her friend Mrs. Bhushan there.

Ans: A large shady tamarind tree grew at one end of the bazaar, where Mr. Srivastava found her friend Mrs. Bhushan.

c) The Pipalnagar Bank has stopped paying employees. It is about to collapse.

Ans: The Pipalnagar Bank is about to collapse, which is why it has stopped paying its employees.

d) He had finished his work. He sat down on the highest step.

Ans: When he had finished his work, he say down on the highest step.