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Question
Do you know of similar stories in your mother tongue or in other languages? Narrate it in short.
Solution
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The Old Shoemaker Once, there was an old shoemaker who lived in a small town. He was kind-hearted and always willing to help those in need. One cold winter night, he had a dream in which he saw a vision of God telling him, “I will visit your home tomorrow.” The shoemaker was excited and spent the next morning preparing for the special visitor. As the day went on, different people came to his shop: a poor beggar shivering from the cold, a young mother struggling to comfort her baby, and an old, tired man who was hungry. The shoemaker, moved by compassion, helped each of them in different ways. He gave the beggar warm clothes, shared food with the old man, and made sure the young mother and her baby were taken care of. By the evening, the shoemaker was disappointed that God had not visited him. He prayed, “God, I waited for You all day.” Suddenly, a gentle voice replied, “I visited you three times today—in the form of the beggar, the young mother, and the old man. Whatever you did for them, you did for me.” The shoemaker realized that he had indeed received the most special visitor by showing kindness and compassion to those in need. |
RELATED QUESTIONS
Read the following passage and do the activities:
A1 True or False:
Rewrite the following statements and state whether they are ‘true’ or ‘false’.
(i) Mashelkar’s mother did menial work to bring him up.
(ii) Mashelkar’s father died when he was twelve.
(iii) Mashelkar was born in a very rich family.
(iv) Tatas added much value to Mashelkar’s life.
I start with my greatest guru-my mother. I was born in a very poor family and my father died when I was six. We moved to Mumbai and my mother did menial work to bring me up. Two meals a day was a tough challenge. I studied under street lights and I walked barefoot until, I think, I was twelve. I remember when I passed the seventh standard and I wanted to go into the eighth standard, our poverty was such that even to secure 21 rupees for secondary school admission became a big challenge. We had to borrow from a lady, who was a housemaid in Chaupati in Mumbai. That was the tough life I had.
In fact, I remember, my passing the SSC Examination-i.e. 11th standard. Those days it used to be not 10th standard or 12th standard but 11th standard. I stood 11th among 1,35,000 but I was about to leave higher education and find a job. What helped me was the scholarship by Sir Dorab Tata Trust. It was just 60 rupees per month and would you believe that 60 rupees per month from Tatas added so much value to my life that I have been able to stand here today before you to speak to you.
I am on the Board of Tatas now and it is very interesting that the same Bombay House where I used to go to collect that 60 rupees per month now one goes and sits there like a Director on the Board of Tata Motors. The turn that these 40 years have taken is very interesting. It has all been possible because of the chance I got to do higher studies at the insistence of my mother. She gave me the values of my life. She was one of the noblest parents I have met in my life.
So, my greatest guru was my mother. My second guru was Principal Bhave, about whom I made a mention earlier. He taught us Physics. Because it was a poor school, I remember, it had to innovate to convey to the young students the message of Science.
A2 Complete:
Complete the following sentences and write:
(i) Mashelkar was inspired by his greatest guru _______
(ii) Mashelkar studied under _______
(iii) Principal Bhave taught _______
(iv) The scholarship by _______ Trust helped him in higher education.
A3 Find the meaning:
Choose the appropriate meaning of the underlined words from the given alternatives:
(i) We moved to Mumbai and my mother did menial work.
(a) skilled
(b) hard
(c) unskilled
(d) of low status
(ii) Because it was a poor school, it had to innovate to convey to the young students the message of science.
(a) do a cheap experiment
(b) introduce new things
(c) avoid
(d) try hard
(iii) I got to do higher studies at the insistence of my mother.
(a) firm saying
(b) being inspired
(c) being inspected
(d) being instigated
(iv) That was the tough life I had.
(a) difficult
(b) soft
(c) cheap
(d) simple
A4 Match:
Match the following sentences with their tags:
| 'A' | 'B' | ||
| (i) | I stood 11th among 1,35,000 |
(a) | aren’t I? |
| (ii) | I am on the Board of Tatas | (b) | didn’t we? |
| (iii) | It was a poor school | (c) | didn’t I? |
| (iv) | We moved to Mumbai | (d) | wasn’t it? |
A5 Personal Response:
“Mother is the greatest Guru.” Discuss.
Discuss the following in pairs or in groups of four:
Because India's tribal communities are basically bilingual there is a danger of dismissing their languages as dialects of India's major tongues.
How do you respond to these lines?
Light, chill and yellow,
Bathes the serene
Foreheads of houses
Discuss in groups and share with one another.
When you go for a picnic, what and how do you enjoy?
Find sentences from the play related to the given points.
The tension between different loyalties
- It’s little we get but abuse from the people, and no choice but to obey our orders.
- ________________________________
- ________________________________
- ________________________________
Name the following.
Did not let the passes go waste.
Why did everyone ridicule the boy?
They use ______ as bait.
Answer the following yes or no question.
Did Bujju realise his mistake?
_____ fights with everyone in school.
