2.3 The little River

Difficult Words

• Meanders - Flow with twists and turns वळणे घेत जाते
• Slime - think the slippery substance चिकट पदार्थ
• Kash - tall, grass with white feathery flowers पांढरी फुले असणारे उंच गवत
• Gamchhas - thin cotton towels पातळ सुती पंचे
• Wade - walk in a source of water it is not deep ज्यातून चालणे कठीण आहे अश्या चिखलातून चालत जाणे
• Washcloths - small cloth for washing face चेहरा पुसण्यासाठी वापला जाणारा कापड, रुमाल
• scour - scrub घासून पुसून स्वच्छ करणे
• In spate - a sudden flood in a rever आलेला अचानक पूर
• rife - full of सर्वत्र पसरलेला
• dabbling - talking rapidly खळबळ करत
• torrent - the rapid flow of water जोरदार प्रवाह
• Stir to life - become alive with sound and movement उत्साह संचारने

Margin Questions

Q.1. How do we know that the river is just knee-deep?

Ans. In summer the water is only knee-deep,

         And cows and carts can cross it with ease,

         Show the water is shallow.

Q.2. What does one see along the banks of the river?

Ans. One sees shiny, bright sand, white blossom Kash fields along the banks of the river. One hears the chirping of Mynahs and the howling of a jackal at night. There are groves of mango and palm on the banks. The village priests live under their cool shade. Girls and boys are taking baths and splashing water.

Q.3.How do the young children enjoy in the river?

Ans. Girls and boys bathe close to the banks of the river. They are walking in the shallow water and splashing it with a cotton cloth.

Q.4. How does the river change in 'Ashadh'?

Ans. In Ashadh, clouds gather in the sky and it starts raining. the water level of the river is very high and it flows strong making sounds. People celebrate and welcome the rain.

ENGLISH WORKSHOP

Q.1. (A) Name the following from the poem.

Ans.

1. Two trees: Mango, Palm
2. Two animals: Cows, Jackal
3. Two seasons: Summer, Ashadh
4. Two non-English Words: Kash, Gamchhas
5. Two different timings of the day: Dusk, Dawn

Q.1. (B) Pick from the poem words that describe sounds.

Ans

1. Babbling
2. Chirping
3. Howl
4. Swirl

Q.1. (C) Pick from the poem words that describe the flow of the river water.

Ans.

1. Water rises
2. Muddy torrent
3. Strong Current
4. In spate
5. Meanders

Q.2. (A) Find out dive lines from the poem that contain the Figure of speech Alliteration. Underline the initial sound of words, repeated in each of the lines.

Ans.

1. And cows and carts can cross it with ease,
2. No sign of slime, the shine bright,
3. The jackal's howl is heard there at night.
4. At dusk and dawn, once their bath is done,

Q.2. (B) Pick out 4 lines that contain the Figure of speech ' Onomatopoeia'.

Ans.

1. Chirping Mynaths through that site.
2. The jackals howl is heard there at night.
3. The air is life with babbling sounds.
4. As the muddy Torrent swirl along.

Q.3.Rearrange the words in Alphabetical order.

(1) summer, sign, slime, sand, shade, stir, scour, sound, swirl, strong.

Ans. Sand, scour shade, sign, slime, sound, stir, strong, summer, swirl.

(2) banks, blossom, boys, bathe, babbling.

Ans. Babbling, banks, bathe, blossom, boys

(3) these, though, too, throng, there, their, they, trap, torrent.

Ans.their, there, these, they, though, throng, too, torrent, trap

Q.4. What aspects from the poem do the following phrases describe?

(a) their cool shade - Shadow of mango and palm tree.

(b) only knee-deep - Depth of the river.

(c) not too steep - Banks of the river.

(d) housework on the river bank - Housework of the women.

(e) in spate - river's water

(f) rife with sounds - The air

Q.5. The poem describes two different pictures of the river in summer and in the rainy season.

Write down four points of contrast in the changing scene of the river.

Q.6. Guess who I am.

• I always run, I never walk.
• I often murmur but never talk.
• I have a bed but never sleep.
• I have a mouth but hardly eat.
• I have to fall, but can't climb up.
• Guess who I am. Please don't give up.

Ans. River.

Try to translate the above riddle in your medium of instruction, in a poetic form.

• मी नेहमी पळते, पण चालत नाही कधीच.
• मी खूपदा कुजबुजते, पण बोलत नाही कधीच.
• बिछाना आहे, पण नाही मला झोपच.
• तोंड आहे, पण खाते मी क्वचितच.
• पडायला आवडते मला, पण वर नाही शकत चढू.
• ओळख पाहू मी कोण, कृपया प्रयत्न नका सोडू .

Q.7. Imagine you were at a river-side class picnic and slipped and fell into the river while playing games. Write in about 12-15 lines how your classmates saved you.

Ans. Last year, our teacher announced a picnic to Koyana Dam. We, all class, went to enjoy the beauty of nature. About1 p.m. We stopped for lunch. After having lunch together we were playing Hide and seek on the bank of the river. All were busy in enjoying the play.

Suddenly I slipped and fell down in the river. The river was deep and I didn't know the art of swimming. I was about to down. Boys went on shouting. Some of my best friends noticed it and jumped into the water. They held me tight and pulled me towards the bank. They saved my life that day.

See References.