2 Nature Cares

Introduction
Look carefully at the two pictures given below and then answer some
questions.

A B

(i) Observe the two pictures and tell what these signify?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

(ii) Which would you like to visit during your vacation— Forest A or B?
________________________________________________________

(iii) Give one reason as to why you chose the particular forest.
________________________________________________________

(iv) How can we prevent Forest A from becoming Forest B? Suggest any
two ways.
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

31
 a
A.1. Some situations are given below. What would you do in these situations?
Discuss with your partner before you tick (3) your choice.
(i) You are sitting on the bank of a river.
You have a toffee wrapper in your
hand. You would—
throw it in the river.
throw it in the dustbin, kept at
some distance.
put it in your pocket.

(ii) You are eating an orange at home.

You would throw the pips and peels—
near the bed.
in the dustbin kept in the kitchen.
in the drain near your house.

(iii) You are sharpening a pencil in the

classroom. You will throw the pencil
chips—
in the dustbin kept in the class.
throw them under the desk.
keep them in your box to be thrown in
the dustbin later.

32
A.2. Now read the story given below.

THE GOD OF RIVER

Once there was a small village called Dhampur. Kishan, a farmer,
lived with his family in a small cottage in the village.
He had a son Ramesh. Ramesh
was eleven years old.
Kishan went to the fields for
farming and Ramesh went
to a school near the village.
Whenever Ramesh’s mother
cleaned the house, she told
him to collect the garbage and
throw it away. He collected the
garbage and threw it into the
river that flowed near their
cottage. This was his daily routine. Many other families also did
the same. The place where people threw the garbage became very
dirty and smelly, but nobody bothered.
One day, when Ramesh was about to throw the garbage, he saw
someone wearing a golden crown come out of the river.
He was tall and fair and held a golden pot, full of water, in his
hand. But he looked very sad. Ramesh felt scared. But he soon
took courage and asked the person who he was and why he was
so sad.
The person said slowly, ‘I’m the God of
water. I’ve been living in this river for
many years. I’m sad because you are
always throwing garbage into my water
and polluting it.
This river has now
become very dirty!’
‘What do you mean
by polluting water?’
asked Ramesh.

33
The water God said, ‘When you
throw garbage into the water, it
gets dirty. This garbage contains
chemicals and plastics which
are very harmful for the fish.
It has germs too. If someone
drinks this water, he or she may
catch diseases like typhoid and
jaundice.’
Ramesh was surprised to know
all this. He felt guilty for polluting
the river so much. He took his
garbage and went back to his
home.
Next day, Ramesh went to his school and shared his experience
with his friends and his teacher. The teacher gave him more
information about water pollution.
The teacher said, ‘We throw domestic and industrial waste, flowers
and so many other things into the river. These things pollute our
rivers and make them dirty.’
‘Where should I throw the
garbage then?’ asked Ramesh.
The teacher replied, ‘Dig a pit
outside your house and put
all the garbage into that pit.
When the pit is full, cover it
with leaves. Leave it for a few
days. The garbage will turn
into manure. Your father can
use the manure in his fields.’
Ramesh was very happy at
the idea. His father dug a pit
the same day and they started
throwing the garbage into the
pit instead of throwing it into
the river.

34
A.3. Write ‘T’ for true and ‘F’ for false statements. Rewrite the false statements
correctly.
(i) Ramesh was thirteen years old.
________________________________________________________
(ii) Ramesh always threw the garbage in the dustbin.
________________________________________________________
(iii) The place where garbage was thrown became dirty.
________________________________________________________
(iv) Ramesh saw a woman wearing a silver crown, coming out
of the river.
________________________________________________________
(v) The person who came out of the river was very happy.
________________________________________________________
(vi) The water of the river had become dirty because of a factory.
________________________________________________________
(vii) The teacher advised Ramesh to throw the garbage into the river.
________________________________________________________

A.4. Answer the questions briefly.

(i) What was Ramesh’s daily routine?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
(ii) How did the God of water look?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
(iii) Why was the God of water sad?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
(iv) What might happen to a person who drinks dirty water?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
35
A.5. A three-letter word is hidden in all the words below. Work with your
partner and underline all those words. In some cases, you may be able to
find more than one word. The first one has been done as an example.
(i) FARMER (ii) VILLAGE (iii) FLOWERS (iv) ABOUT
(v) GOLDEN (vi) WATER (vii) YEARS (viii) DISEASE
(ix) START (x) INSTEAD

A.6. Fill in the blanks with the words given in the box below.
smelly scared pollute bother instead surprise

(i) Dust and smoke ________________ the air.

(ii) I can carry the suitcase myself. Please don’t ________________.
(iii) Mother said she wanted to give me a ________________.
(iv) Your socks are dirty and _____________. Why don’t you change
them?
(v) You should take juice ________________ of Coke or Pepsi.
(vi) It was dark outside but the child did not feel ________________.

A.7. Life Skills

How do we all knowingly or unknowingly contribute to water pollution?
How can children help in curbing water pollution?
A.8. The teacher solves Ramesh’s problem by suggesting to him the correct
way of garbage disposal. Ramesh recollects the instructions to convey
them to his father. Help him in doing so.
(i) Dig a pit outside the house.

(ii) Put the ______________________________

(iii) Cover the ____________________________
(iv) Leave the ____________________________
(v) The garbage __________________________
(vi) Use the manure _______________________
36
 Now frame a set of instructions for sowing a sapling. You may use the
words given below.
• dig pit ground
• remove soil
• place sapling
• cover soil
• water sapling
• protect hot sun birds animals

A.9. Read the given poster carefully.

USE DUSTBIN
• Do not throw garbage into the rivers.
• Do not throw garbage on the roads.

Prepare a similar poster on Water Pollution.

B
B.1. There are various things that we get from trees. Work in pairs. Underline
and then write the names of five such things hidden in the groups of
letters given below. The first one has been done for you.

wood
(i) fjdfjwooderst ____________ (iv) oodhoxygendj ___________
(ii) khjfruitsjfdjlk ____________ (v) ojlmvegetables ___________
(iii) bnmedicinesh ____________ (vi) yrlkhpaperkfjnn ___________

37
B.2. Now read this well known poem on trees.

TREES ARE THE KINDEST THINGS I KNOW

Trees are the kindest thing I know
They don’t harm, they simply grow
And spread a shade for sleepy cows,
And gather birds among the boughs.........

They are the first when day’s begun

To touch the beams of the morning sun,
They are the last to hold the light
When evening changes into night,

And when a moon floats on the sky

They hum a drowsy lullaby
Of sleepy children long ago..........
Trees are the kindest thing I know
—Harry Behn

B.3. Fill in the blanks to complete the summary of the poem.

Trees are the of all things that we know because they

do not anyone. They grow peacefully and spread
their branches all around. Cows rest in their and
birds gather to rest in their . When the day begins,
the first beam of the falls on the trees. They are the
last to hold the of the sun when the day turns into
. During the night, the moon on the
sky, and the leaves move about silently humming a to
help the children sleep.

The trees have been serving mankind selflessly for ages, hence they are
the kindest things that we know.
38
B.4. Describe the three acts of kindness shown by trees.
(i) __________________________________________
(ii) __________________________________________
(iii) __________________________________________

B.5. Complete the following table of rhyming words. Pick out one rhyming
word from the text and one of your own choice.

know sow
boughs arouse
begun none
light bright

B.6. Find out from the poem the words which mean the same as the words
given below.
(i) The branches of a tree b __ __ __ __ __

(ii) A song that is sung to put a baby to sleep l __ __ __ __ __ __

(iii) Sleepy d __ __ __ __ __

(iv) To sing in a low tone h __ __

(v) Rays b __ __ __ __

B.7. Value Based Questions

(i) Why does the poet call the trees kind? Choose from the following:
(a) they give us many things.
(b) they do not ask for anything in return.
(c) they do not harm anyone.
(d) all the above.
Explain with reasons.
(ii) What do trees teach us?
39
 C
C.1. Have you ever visited a museum? Write below the names of five things
that you saw there.

(i) ____________________

(ii) ____________________

(iii) ____________________

(iv) ____________________

(v) ____________________

Compare your list with your partner’s.

If you have not visited a museum, ask your teacher what a museum is?
After listening to her, make a list of a few things that you expect to see
there.

C.2. Now read this dialogue between a young girl Minu and a dinosaur kept
in a museum.

MINU AND DINO

Minu, a ten year old girl, goes
to see a museum. There are
many strange things in the
museum. Many things are
kept in the glass boxes with
labels. Minu reads the labels
one by one.

As she is moving around, she

sees a dinosaur on a table.
She goes near the table and
admires the big animal. It had
a huge body, long neck and

40
twinkling eyes. Minu finds its eyes very attractive. Suddenly the
dinosaur starts speaking.

Dino: Hello Minu, I am Dino, the Dinosaur. How are you?

(Minu cannot believe her ears. She feels very scared and
tries to run away, but Dino calls her back.)

Dino: Don’t be afraid of me. I’m your friend. Don’t you want to
talk to me? (Minu comes near the Dinosaur, hesitatingly.)

Dino: I love children. They are very nice. They do not harm anyone.

Minu: But I have heard you harm others. That’s why you are kept
here and not allowed to roam about.

Dino: No, Minu, when we lived on the earth, we didn’t harm

anyone. We just wanted to live peacefully like other animals.

Minu: Then why are you kept here? Where are your mama, papa
and friends?

Dino: We used to live on the earth thousands of years ago.

But many atmospheric changes pushed our species to
extinction, which means none of my family or species is
found on this planet anymore.

Minu: Oh! That is so sad. Couldn’t we, the humans, do anything

to save you?

Dino: No, Minu we disappeared from the earth long before

humans arrived. But, you can save many other species
from extinction.

Minu: Really, how?

Dino: Let me explain it to you. You see, man and other animals
share this beautiful earth. They have been doing so, for a
long time. Once there was enough of everything, enough
food and water, enough forest cover and grassy plants. But
slowly the number of people grew, their needs too grew.
So, they started cutting trees and killing animals. Today,
there is very little space left for some animals.

41
 The bird, dodo has already disappeared from the earth.
Many more species of animals are endangered and may
also disappear in a few years. Pandas, gorillas, grizzly
bears, elephants, tigers and copper butterfly are all
endangered animals.

Minu: That’s really sad. What can we do to save those animals?

Dino: Man must stop cutting forests and killing animals.

Minu: But why do we kill animals?

Dino: To get leather, oil, medicines or maybe just for fun.

Minu: That’s a pity. I’ll tell all my friends not to harm animals,
otherwise there will be more animals in museums than in
forests.

C.3. Complete the following statements using words from the box.

dinosaur extinct endangered museum

dodo tiger dinosaur elephant

(i) Minu went to a ____________.

42
 (ii) She saw a ____________ in the museum.

(iii) Animals who are in danger of becoming

extinct are known as ____________ animals.

(iv) Animals that have disappeared from the earth

are known as ____________ animals.

(v) ____________ and ____________ are examples of extinct animals.

(vi) ____________ and ____________ are two endangered animals.

C.4. Answer the following questions.

(i) What did Minu get scared of?

________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

(ii) How did the dinosaur in the museum look?

________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

(iii) How did Minu react when the dinosaur began to speak?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

(iv) Why do men kill animals?

________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

43
C.5. Complete the following table with the information from the text.

Whom it was Why was it

Statement Who said it?
said to? said?

Don’t be afraid
of me.

I have heard you

harm others.

We used to live
on the earth.

That’s really sad!

C.6. Fill in the blanks with the words given in the box.

huge admire disappear

strange attractive hesitatingly

(i) Trees looked ______________ in the darkness

of the night.

(ii) We should ______________ the courage

shown by the little girl.

(iii) When the sun rises, the fog will ______________.

(iv) She ______________ asked the teacher to explain the

poem again.

(v) There is a ______________ banyan tree in front of our house.

(vi) Dresses displayed in the showroom looked very ______________.

44
C.7. Given below are the names of a few places having various purposes to
serve. Match the places with their names.
(i) An area with lots of
trees where wild animal
and birds live. It is their
natural home. (a) sanctuary
(ii) A place where wild
animals are kept for the
public to see. (b) forest
(iii) A place where people
can see old and
interesting things. (c) zoo
(iv) A place where wild
animals and birds are
protected. (d) museum

C.8. When we visit a zoo, we see various animals. Write a conversation

between yourself and a lion whom you happen to meet in the zoo. You
can use the words and phrases given for your help.

where live cage like free forest dislike

people eat meat provided laugh and disturb

C.9. Life Skills

Find out how we all, especially children, can help in saving endangered
species.
45
 D
D.1. Match the given parts of the tree with the benefit that we get out of them.

Parts of a tree Benefit that we get

Leaves Wood for furniture

Stem Eaten for taste and energy

Fruits Provide place for birds to rest

Branches Used to make cups and plates

D.2. Read the following story.

TREES
There is lovely old story of a
tree and a little boy who used
to play in its shade. One day
the boy sat leaning against
the trunk of the tree, crying.
He was hungry. ‘Eat my fruit,’
said the kind tree, bending
down one of its branches.
The boy ate the fruit and was
happy. The boy grew up.
One day he sat under the tree
with an anxious look on his
face.

46
‘What is the matter?’ asked the tree,
who still loved him.
‘I’m going to marry and I want a house
to live in,’ said the young man.
‘Cut down my branches and build your
house,’ said the tree.
The young man built a house with the branches of the tree.
The young man became a sailor.
One day, he sat under the tree with a worried look.
‘What’s the matter?’ asked the tree.
‘My captain is a cruel fellow. I want a ship of my own,’ said the
sailor.

‘Cut down my trunk and build a ship.’

The sailor lost his ship and returned home a helpless old man. On
a cold winter’s day, he stood where the tree once was. The old man
was leaning on his stick and trembling with cold.

47
 ‘Make a fire of me,’ said the stump of the tree, ‘and warm yourself.’
The stump of the unselfish tree burnt in the fire, softly humming
a tune.

D.3. Now answer the following questions by completing the sentences. Work
in pairs.
(i) Why was the boy crying?
He was crying ____________________________________________
(ii) Where did the boy play?
He played _______________________________________________
(iii) What did the tree give to the boy?
It gave him ______________________________________________
(iv) Why did the tree allow the boy to cut its branches?
It did so because __________________________________________
(v) Why did the young man need a boat?
He needed it because ______________________________________
(vi) Why did the old man look helpless?
He looked helpless because __________________________________
(vii) How did the tree help the old man?
He asked the old man ______________________________________

48
D.4. The sentences given below tell the sequence of the story, however, they
are in a jumbled order. Number them correctly in their proper order.
A young boy used to play in the shade of a tree.

The old man burnt the stump of the tree to escape cold weather.

The young man cut the branches of the tree to build his house.

The young boy ate the fruit of the tree to satisfy his hunger.

The young man used the trunk of the tree to build a ship of his own.

D.5. Here are some statements given below. Write who said these to whom
and when?
(i) Eat my fruit ___________ said to _______________
when ______ was __________________
_________________________________
(ii) I want a house to live in ___________ said to _______________
when ______ was __________________
_________________________________
(iii) My captain is a cruel fellow ___________ said to _______________
when he __________________________
_________________________________
(iv) Make a fire of me ___________ said to _______________
when ____________________________
_________________________________

D.6. Find words in the story which mean the same as given below. First work
individually and then discuss with your partner.
(i) bending _____________________
(ii) strong part of the tree _____________________
(iii) worried _____________________
(iv) a person who works on ships or boats _____________________
(v) a person who is not kind _____________________
49
D.7. Write the opposites of the following words. Follow the example.

Words Opposites
(i) lovely ugly

(ii) little
(iii) cry
(iv) happy
(v) love
(vi) young
(vii) cruel
(viii) lost
(ix) selfish

D.8. Value Based Question

Look at this picture. The tree says someone is killing it.

50
 If we cut a tree with an axe, it gets killed. But we harm the trees in many
more ways.
(i) We cut away too many branches of a tree along with the leaves on
them.
(ii) The ground close to the tree is cemented.
(iii) We dig the earth near the root of the tree.
(iv) We put advertisements on tree with nails.
Trees gives us so much. Should we not express our gratitude to them?
Discuss in the class how we can repay for the kindness of the trees. One
example is given below.
We can water the saplings planted near our home.

D.9. Think of a slogan on the importance of trees and write in the box
provided. You may use the words given in the box.
Plant one Trees Don’t Plant Wood Each one
Grow Cut Save Burn More

Grow More Trees

D.10. Request your teacher to allot a corner for your class either in the
classroom or in the school ground. Maintain it as a ‘Green Corner’.
Water and nurture the plants kept there. Regularly observe and discuss
with your friends the changes that you observe in the plants every week.

51
 E
Listen to the audio CD, titled Listen & Comprehend (Class-III). After listening,
answer the questions verbally. Thereafter, complete the given questions. The
tape script is also given on page no. 54.

E.1. Listen to the tape script carefully and complete the following statements.

(i) ______________ and _____________

often use poly bags to pack things.

(ii) Poly bags are used to supply

_____________ also.

(iii) Poly bags are made of _____________.

It is a kind of ______________ and
_____________ plastic.

(iv) Poly bags are both useful and

_______________.

(v) Instead of poly bags we should use _____________, _____________

or _____________ bags to pack things.

E.2. What happens in the following situations? Complete the statements.

(i) If we throw a poly bag in a drain, _____________________________

________________________________________________________

(ii) If an animal eats a poly bag, _________________________________

________________________________________________________

(iii) If we burn a poly bag, ______________________________________

________________________________________________________

52
 F
Read it Yourself
CHIPKO MOVEMENT

Chipko is a Hindi word. It means ‘to clasp’, ‘to

hug’. In March 1974, a contractor went to the
forest in the Chamoli district of Uttar Pradesh,
to cut trees. Gaura Devi, a brave village
woman, came to know of it. She took a group
of 26 women to the forest and they hugged the
trees there. They said that the woodcutters
would have to cut their bodies before cutting Gaura Devi
the trees. The trees were saved.

This incident showed a new way to save

the trees and led the Chipko Movement.
Sunder Lal Bahuguna and Chandi Prasad
Bhatt are the main leaders of the Movement.
Bahuguna once said that, a tree is like ten sons
because it gives ten valuable things: oxygen,
water, energy, food, clothes, medicines, timber,
Sunder Lal
fodder, flowers and shade.
Bahuguna
53
 Tape Script

HARMFUL EFFECTS OF POLYBAGS

Vegetable sellers, grocers and bakers give us things packed in poly
bags. Milk is also often supplied in poly bags. Poly bags are made
of polythene, which is a kind of thin, soft plastic. It is strong, and
cannot be destroyed easily. That is why we find it so useful. But
that is also why it is so harmful.

What should we do with poly bags after we have used them? If

we throw them in a drain, the drain will get choked. If an animal
eats a poly bag, the bag will get stuck to its throat and it will not
be able to breathe. It may even die. If we burn a poly bag, it will
produce poisonous gases, which will pollute the air. The best
thing is not to use poly bags at all and to pack things in paper,
clothes or jute bags.

54
 3 Regard for Values
Introduction
At every step we are required to make a choice—to choose between right
and wrong, and good and bad. Sometimes we have to choose between
love and hatred, selfishness and sacrifice. What we choose makes our
personality.

Given below are few qualities/values some of which are desirable while
others are not. Pick up the ones which you would like to cultivate and
write them in the bubbles below.

sympathy courage sacrifice kindness jealousy

affection truthfulness hatred selfishness

Qualities/Values that I would like to cultivate:

55
 A
A.1. Read the following and tick (3) your responses. You may tick in more
than one box.
(i) Imagine that your friend is weak in Mathematics. You offer her
your help in the subject. At the end of the year, she scores more
marks in Mathematics than you do. Will you feel—
jealous of her,
happy for her,
sad for yourself?
Why?

(ii) Imagine that you are getting late for your exam. On the way to your
school you see a man lying on the roadside with a bleeding foot.
Will you—
run from there lest he should call you for help,
not bother about him at all,
request someone to take him to a hospital?
Why?

A.2. Now read this story.

NINA IS THE WINNER

Nina was very excited as the next
day, Annual Sports Competition
was going to be held in her
school. Nina had given her name
for 100m race. She was confident
that she would be the winner
Nina’s best friend was Medha.
She was also a good runner. This

56
sports competition was going to be special because the Principal
had announced that a trophy would also be awarded to the best
student of the school.

Everyone in the school seemed very excited. The school ground

was beautifully decorated. The chief guest had already arrived.
The parents had also come to watch the performance of their
children. Nina and Medha were waiting for the race to start. After
the chief guest’s speech, the 100m race was announced. All the
participants took their position and started running as soon
as the signal was given. Nina gradually picked speed. She was
running ahead of all the participants and just behind her was
her best friend Medha.

Just when they were going to reach the finishing point, Medha
sprained her ankle and fell down on the ground. Nina saw her
falling down. She felt confused whether to stop to help her dear
friend or to run for the first prize. She thought for a second and
turned back to help her friend. The girl who was just behind
Medha crossed the finishing point and thus got the first position.
But Nina was not bothered about the prize. She was worried about
her friend. Medha’s ankle was swollen and she was in great pain.
Some of the teachers also came to help Medha and took her to the
medical room.

57
 At the time of prize distribution,
the chief guest called Nina to
the stage and asked her, ‘Dear,
you were just near the finishing
point and would have stood first.
Why did you stop and lose your
chance to win the first prize?’
Nina replied, ‘Sir, Medha is my
best friend. She was in trouble.
The prize can be won next year
also, but it was my moral duty
to help my friend during her
difficult time.’ The chief guest
and the other listeners were
much impressed with Nina’s
sense of duty. Nina lost the race
but the Principal awarded her
the ‘Best Student Trophy’.
All the students, teachers and guests clapped for Nina.

A.3. The sentences given below have one factual error each. Find the error
and write the correct answer in the space provided. The first one has
been done for you as an example.
(i) Nina wanted to participate in the 50m race. 100 m

(ii) The school auditorium was beautifully

decorated for the sports competition.

(iii) It was announced that a trophy would be

awarded to the best sports person.

A.4. Answer the following questions in 15-20 words.

(i) Why was everyone in the school excited?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

58
 (ii) What happened to Medha during the race?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

(iii) What did Nina do when she saw Medha falling down?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

(iv) Who got the Best Student’s Trophy? Do you think she deserved it?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

A.5. ‘Nina saw her falling down. She felt confused... .’

Why was Nina confused? How did she overcome this confusion?

A.6. Nina lost the race. But the title of the story says ‘Nina is the Winner’. In
what way is she a winner?

A.7. Read the sentences given below and replace the underlined words with
their synonyms from the story. Clues are given for your help.

(i) I am sure that India will win this match.

n d t
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

(ii) He saved every penny that he earned. Slowly, step by step, he became
rich.

g d
__ l __ __
__ __ __ __ __ __

(iii) I am unable to decide which of these is the route to Jaipur.

c f
__ d
__ __ __ __ __ __ __

(iv) A true sports person is never worried about the result.

What matters the most is participation.

b t r d
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

59
A.8. Life Skills
(i) How would you have behaved had you been in Nina’s place?
Would you have stopped to help your friend or would you have
completed the race to get the trophy? Explain with reasons.
(ii) Do you think Nina helped Medha only because she was her friend?
Had there been any other person, would Nina have done the same?
Discuss.

A.9. Value Based Question

You have read about Nina who sacrificed her trophy to help her friend.
Now let us see how you can help others in the situations mentioned
below. One example has been given as a clue.

Situation What I would do

• An elderly woman falls I would help the lady
on the road because to get up, get her some
of severe heat. All the water and collect her
articles in her bag get articles.
scattered.

• You see a child crying

with hunger on your way
to school.

• You see your partner

feeling nervous before an
examination because he/
she does not understand
some important topics.

• You see some of your

classmates mocking at
some poor children.

Now compare your response with those of your friends’.

60
A.10. Form pairs of two. One of you should prepare a ‘Thank You’ card
for Nina on behalf of Medha. The other student should prepare a
‘Get Well Soon’ card for Medha on behalf of Nina.

A.11. Imagine yourself to be Medha. Write a letter to

your cousin narrating to him the accident that
happened during the race. Do not forget to
mention how you felt when you saw Nina turning
back towards you and also when she was awarded
the Best Student’s Trophy.

B
B.1. Answer the following questions.
(i)
Do you ever fight with your brother/sister over things like sharing
stationery, clothes, etc.? If yes, make a list of few such things.
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

(ii) Do your parents punish you for quarrelling

with your brother/sister? What kind of
punishment do you get?
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________

(iii) How do you finally resolve the issue with your

brother/sister? Do you think peaceful means are
better to solve such problems or do you think
that fighting solves the purpose better? Why?
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________

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B.2. Now read the poem.

TWO LITTLE KITTENS

Two little kittens
One stormy night,
Began to quarrel
And then to fight.

One had a mouse,

And the other had none;
And that was the way,
The quarrel begun.

‘I’ll have that mouse,’

Said the bigger cat.
‘You’ll have that mouse?
We’ll see about that!’

‘I will have that mouse,’

Said the tortoise shell;
And, spitting and scratching,
On her sister she fell.

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I’ve told you before
It was a stormy night,
When these two kittens
Began to fight.

The old woman took

The sweeping broom,
And swept them both
Right out of the room.

The ground was covered

With frost and snow,
They had lost the mouse,
And had nowhere to go.

So they lay and shivered

Beside the door,
Till the old woman finished
Sweeping the floor.

And then they crept in

As quiet as mice,
All wet with snow
And as cold as ice.

They found it much better

That stormy night,
To lie by the fire,
Than to quarrel and fight.

—Jane Taylor

63
B.3. Read the following and write ‘T’ for true and ‘F’ for false statements.
Correct the false statements and write them in the space provided.
(i) The two kittens started quarrelling over a mouse.
________________________________________________________

(ii) One of the kitten was bigger than the other.

________________________________________________________

(iii) The two kittens were thrown out of the room because they were
unable to catch the mouse.
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

(iv) The weather outside was bright and sunny.

________________________________________________________

(v) The old lady permitted the kittens to come inside.

________________________________________________________

(vi) The kittens started fighting again after coming inside the room.
________________________________________________________

B.4. How did the two kittens get punished for their greed?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

B.5. What lesson do you learn from this poem?

_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

B.6. The first stanza of the poem says—

Two kittens
One stormy night,
Began to quarrel
And then to fight.
64
 What is the difference between ‘a quarrel’ and ‘a fight’? You may consult
a dictionary. Write your answers in the space given below.

quarrel __________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________

fight __________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________

B.7. Read the following:

• As quiet as mice
• As cold as snow
Do you think the above comparisons are suitable? The mice move
around very quietly. Don’t they? The snow is always cold. Isn’t it?
Similarly the following comparisons can also be made.
• As quick as mice
• As white as snow

Now find suitable comparisons for the following:

(i) as soft as ________________

(ii) as light as ________________
(iii) as bright as ________________
(iv) as fast as ________________
(v) as long as ________________
(vi) as hard as ________________
(vii) as black as ________________
Compare your answers with your partner’s.

65
B.8. Read the poem again and find out at least six pairs of rhyming words.
Also, add at least one more rhyming word of your own to each of these
pairs. One example has been given to help you.

Rhyming words from the poem Additional word

(i) night fight right
(ii) that
(iii) fell
(iv) broom
(v) go
(vi) door
(vii) ice

B.9. Value Based Question

Have you read/heard the story of ‘The Two Cats and a Monkey’ from
The Panchtantra? One student can narrate the story in the class. Now
work with your partner and find out a few similarities and differences
between the story and the poem ‘Two Little Kittens’.

Similarities Differences

What do you think this poem and the story teach us?

66
 C
C.1. Answer the following questions individually.
(i) How many friends do you have?
____________________________________

(ii) Who is your best friend?

____________________________________

(iii) Write at least two/three things that you like most about your best
friend.
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

C.2 What does true friendship mean to you? Give your opinion by putting a
tick mark (3) in the boxes provided. Is it—
(i) sharing your lunch, books, toys, etc., with your friend,
(ii) helping each other in studies,
(iii) playing together,
(iv) listening to each other’s problems and finding a solution together,
(v) helping each other unconditionally without expecting anything
in return,
(vi) having faith in your friend,
(vii) loving your friend irrespective of his social status,
(viii) all of the above?

Match your answers with your partner’s.

67
C.3. Now read the story.

KRISHNA AND SUDAMA

Krishna and Sudama
were best of friends
during their days at
the gurukul. When
they grew up, Krishna
became the king of
Dwarka while Sudama
remained poor. He
married a noble but
poor lady and they
had many children.
But often there was no
food at home and the
family had to starve.
Sudama’s wife often reminded him of Krishna, ‘Krishna is now a
great king and has plenty of money. He will surely be happy to
help you. Why don’t you go to him?’

In the beginning, Sudama was unwilling. But hard times continued

and he had to agree.

Before leaving Sudama said to his wife, ‘I am going to meet a

friend. How can I go empty handed? I should take some offering
for him.’ She gave him a little puffed rice in a small bundle. That
was all they could afford.

After walking for many days, Sudama reached Dwarka. He looked

shabby in his dirty and tattered clothes. He was tired and his
feet were sore. As he stood outside Krishna’s grand palace, he
wondered whether Krishna would even recognise him. At one
point of time, he even decided to turn back. But the thought of
his starving children gave him courage and he sent a message to
Krishna. Krishna immediately came out, hugged Sudama lovingly
and took him inside the palace. Krishna’s wife Rukmini also
welcomed him warmly.

68
Together they washed his feet, made him sit on a throne and
served him a sumptuous meal.

Sudama felt ashamed of the puffed rice he had brought for Krishna.
But Krishna saw the bundle, snatched it from Sudama and ate the
rice with great relish.

Sudama stayed with

Krishna for a long time.
But not even once did he
ask for any help. Finally,
he took leave of Krishna
and left Dwarka. When
he reached his village,
he was surprised to see
a beautiful house at the
site of his hut. And his
wife came out to receive
him wearing beautiful
clothes and jewellery.

69
C.4. Fill in the blanks with one word only.
(i) Krishna and Sudama became friends while studying at the __________.
(ii) Krishna was the king of _____________.
(iii) Sudama took with him some ____________ rice as an offering for his
friend.
(iv) The name of Krishna’s wife was ____________.
C.5. Answer the following questions briefly.
(i) Why did Sudama’s wife suggest to him to go to Krishna?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
(ii) What was Sudama’s condition when he reached Krishna’s palace?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
(iii) How did Krishna welcome Sudama?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
(iv) How did Krishna help Sudama?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

C.6. Read the following and tick (3) the correct option(s).
There may be more than one correct answer.
(i) ‘In the beginning, Sudama was unwilling to go to Krishna....’
Why do you think Sudama was unwilling to go to his friend?
He thought that his friend might think him to be greedy.
He thought it to be bad manners to ask for help.
He was not sure whether his friend would even recognise him.
He was ashamed of his poverty.
He was not sure whether Krishna would help him.
All of the above.
70
 (ii) ‘At one point, he even decided to turn back....’
Why do you think Sudama decided to turn back?
He was looking shabby and unfit to meet a king.
Krishna had become a king and Sudama was not sure
whether he would like to meet his poor, old friend.
He had not brought any expensive gift for Krishna.
He thought that the courtiers of Krishna might laugh at him.
He was not sure of his friend’s love for him.
All of the above.

C.7. Pick out at least three instances/examples to prove that Krishna and
Sudama were true friends. One example has been given.
(i) Even though Krishna was the king, he came out
himself to receive and welcome his old friend.

(ii) __________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________

(iii) __________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________

C.8. Find the words from the text which mean the same as the following:

(i) to go without food _______________________

(ii) to be ready to do something _______________________

(iii) in a very bad condition _______________________

(iv) splendid, rich _______________________

(v) to like or enjoy _______________________

71
C.9. In five to six sentences write what Sudama felt when he returned and
saw a beautiful house in place of his hut. Begin like this:

When I reached back, I did not see my hut.

I saw a beautiful house.

D
D.1. Read the following quotations.

Kindness may not bring you an

immediate reward but it will
surely make you happy.

B e kin
d wit h y o u want
If r
s eekin o ut
e w a rd fo
g an y a r ss,
be n e f o u k indne
it i n y re
you a
r et u r .
n. selfish

Discuss in the class how we can be kind to birds, animals, trees, etc.
72
D.2. Now read the story.

THE BIRTHDAY KITTEN

It was Peter’s birthday—and will
you believe it, all he had was
one card, and one present! Peter
lived with his Aunt Sally, and she
didn’t really know what small boys
liked. So Peter’s one present was
a new pair of socks—and socks
aren’t at all exciting, are they, for
a birthday? ‘I did so want that big
book of adventure stories in the
bookshop,’ thought poor Peter, as
he pulled on his new socks. Peter went to school as usual, and
because it was his birthday the children clapped their hands eight
times for him—he was eight. On the way home he saw something
under a hedge, and he looked to see what it was. At first he thought
it was a big grey mouse. But it wasn’t. It was a tiny kitten! Peter
couldn’t think how it had come there, for there was no house
near. It was mewing, as the weather was cold, and the kitten was
hungry. Peter was kind and he bent over the tiny creature.
‘You poor little thing!’ he said. ‘I can’t leave you here. I shall take
you home under my coat.’ So he popped the tiny creature inside
his coat—it did feel nice there—and ran home with it. Aunt Sally

was not pleased to see it. She said Peter could only keep it if it lived
outside in the shed. So Peter made it a warm bed there, and fed it
73
everyday himself. The kitten loved Peter very much and always ran
to welcome him home from school.
One morning the school teacher
said that, the children would
have a pet show. They could
each bring their pets, and she
would look at them all, and see
which was the best cared for. So,
of course, Peter brought his cat
along, too. It was still a kitten,
but big and fat, and its striped
fur was as soft as silk.
It was fun that day at school. Ellen brought her canary in its cage.
John brought his dog and so did George. Mary took her white
rabbit and Doris had a tortoise, but it was asleep in its box for
the winter, and they didn’t wake it. Harry had a cat and so did
Nellie. And, of course, Peter had his kitten, which he said was
his birthday kitten because he had found it on his birthday. The
teacher looked hard at every animal and bird. She said they all
looked well cared for and happy. But when she came to Peter’s
kitten, purring loudly and looking so fat and silky and sleek, she
really couldn’t help picking it up to stroke it.

‘Peter, your kitten wins the prize!’ she said. ‘She is simply beautiful—
quite perfect! I can see you love her and look after her well. Go and
fetch the prize from the table.’ And what do you think the prize
was? Guess! Yes—it was the big book of adventure stories! ‘You are
a real birthday kitten!’ he said to his cat. ‘You have brought me the
birthday present I so badly wanted!’

74
D.3. Tick (3) the correct answer.
(i) How old was Peter?
seven years.
eight years.
nine years.

(ii) What did Aunt Sally give Peter on his

birthday?
new book.
new shoes.
a pair of socks.

(iii) What did Peter find under the hedge?

a big grey mouse.
a kitten.
a puppy.

(iv) How did Peter bring home the little

creature he had found?
in his pocket.
under his hat.
under his coat.

(v) Aunt Sally told Peter that the little

creature could only live outside—
in the shed.
in the garden.
on the stairs.

(vi) The teacher said she would judge

whose pet was the—
fattest.
cutest.
best cared for.
75
D.4. Answer the following questions briefly.
(i) Why wasn’t Peter happy on his birthday?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

(ii) Why did Peter bring the little kitten to his home?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

(iii) Who got the prize for the best cared for pet? Why, according to the
teacher did Peter’s kitten deserve the prize?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

(iv) Why did Peter call his pet ‘the birthday kitten’?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

D.5. Match the pets in Column A with their owners in Column B.

Column A Column B

dog Ellen
canary George
tortoise Mary
rabbit Dorris
kitten Harry
cat Peter

D.6. How did Peter’s kindness win him the prize that he so badly wanted?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

76
D.7. Value Based Question
Write on a piece of paper any act of kindness that you have done. Fold
the paper and put it in a box. DO NOT mention your name on the
paper. Remember, kindness does not ask for any reward. Your teacher
should read all the responses and select the best act of kindness. This
should be put up on the bulletin board for everybody to read! The
activity could be repeated fortnightly.

E
Listen to the audio CD, titled Listen & Comprehend (Class-III). After listening,
answer the questions verbally. Thereafter, complete the given questions. The
tape script is also given on page no. 79.

E.1. Listen to the tape script carefully and answer the following questions.

(i) What was written on the gold plate that fell from the sky?
________________________________________________________

(ii) What happened to the plate when a boy touched it?

________________________________________________________

(iii) Where was the plate kept?

________________________________________________________

(iv) What happened when the poor farmer touched the gold plate?
________________________________________________________

E.2. Why do you think the plate didn’t turn into lead when the poor farmer
touched it? What was special about the farmer?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

77
E.3. Given below in the box are a few words. Which of these do you think
describe the farmer the best?

humble helpful selfish caring

greedy selfless kind cruel

F
Read it Yourself

THE THREE RULES

What is the Iron Rule?
The rule of savage men:
If evil is done unto you,
Evil do thou again,
This is the Iron Rule.
What is the Silver Rule?
The rule of worldly men:
If good your neighbour
does to you,
Do good to him again,
This is the Silver Rule.
What is the golden rule?
The rule of righteous men:
If evil is done unto you,
Return thou good again,
This is the Golden Rule.

78
 Tape Script

THE PLATE OF GOLD

One day a gold plate fell from the sky. Everybody was surprised.
A boy read these words on the gold plate, ‘God’s gift to his best
servant’. He picked up the plate. It turned into lead. He put it
down. It turned into gold again. All the villagers came and touched
the gold plate. When they touched it, the plate turned into lead.

Soon it was clear that none of the villagers was God’s best servant.

One day a poor farmer came to the temple where the plate was
kept. ‘My good man’, the priest asked him, ‘What brings you
here?’ The farmer replied, ‘Holy sir, I just want to pray to God to
give me strength. I want to be strong to serve my fellow beings.
I want to serve to the poor too.’ ‘Don’t you know about our gold
plate?’

‘No sir.’

‘Come’, said the priest,

‘touch the plate.’ The
farmer went inside the
temple and touched the
plate. To everybody’s
surprise, the plate didn’t
turn into lead, it started
shining even more brightly.
This simple man did not
know his own greatness.
He loved all living beings,
shared his food with the
hungry, nursed the ill and
took care of the old. He
was kind to others.

He was indeed God’s best

servant!

79