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The Brook: by Alfred Lord Tennyson (CBSE CLASS IX)

1.    The Brook: by Alfred Lord Tennyson

Lines 1-12: I come from haunts of coot and herns……..to join the brimming river/For men may come and men may go,/But I go on for ever.”

I come from haunts of coot and hern, 
I make a sudden sally 
And sparkle out among the fern, 
To bicker down a valley. 

By thirty hills I hurry down, 
Or slip between the ridges, 
By twenty thorpes, a little town, 
And half a hundred bridges. 

Till last by Philip's farm I flow 
To join the brimming river, 
For men may come and men may go, 
But I go on for ever. 

Word-meanings: 1. Brook: A brook may be called a narrow stream of water that runs through the narrow passages between mountains and valleys 2. Haunts: The places which are frequently (again & again) visited by animals/birds/human beings 3. Coot: it is a black-coloured bird with white beak and it lives near water 4. Hern (heron): a large bird with a long neck and long legs: It also lives near water 5. Sally: here it means to leave a place in a determined and enthusiastic way 6. Sparkle out: shine brightly 7. Fern:  a plant with tender leave and without flowers 8. Bicker: here it means to make noise 9. Ridge: mountain ranges 9. Thorpes: small villages 10. Brimming: overflowing

About the Poem:  In this poem, the brook has been personified. So it narrates its story in the first person. And tells us how it passes through the high mountains, tough terrains, deep valleys and finally overcoming all the hurdles of the way, reaches its destination, the overflowing river. The brook represents Nature and also reiterates that it is permanent while the life of human beings is impermanent. Human beings take birth on this earth, grow up and then die. But the brook goes on forever. It faces all of its obstacles boldly and keeps on moving forward with a strong determination to reach its goal.

Paraphrase: In the very first line, the brook tells us about its origin. It comes out of the places that are frequently visited by the birds like coot and heron. It may be a widely spread lake surrounded by high mountains.

Then it quickly moves forward with a strong determination and great enthusiasm. When it moves through the fern-plants, its water shines brightly with the sun rays falling on it. After that it falls down from a height creating a lot of noise to enter a valley.

It passes by thirty hills, twenty small villages, a little town and fifty bridges. During its journey, the brook moves quickly and slips (runs fast) between the ridges. Finally, it passes by Phillip’s farm (the landmark as the last point of the journey) and after that it joins the river whose water is full to its brims (edges).

The brook again says that it produces a chattering sound while moving forward. It also says that it flows for ever and its life is permanent because it represents nature. The human beings come on this earth for a short time. Their life is not permanent.

Lines 13-24

“I chatter over stony ways………But men may come and men may go/ But I go on forever.”

Word-meanings:

I chatter over stony ways, 
In little sharps and trebles, 
I bubble into eddying bays, 
I babble on the pebbles. 

With many a curve my banks I fret 
By many a field and fallow, 
And many a fairy foreland set 
With willow-weed and mallow. 

I chatter, chatter, as I flow 
To join the brimming river, 
For men may come and men may go, 
But I go on for ever. 

1.    Chatter: to talk quickly, prattle, babble: here it means to create a noise 2. Little sharps and trebles: sharp and high pitched tunes 3. Eddying: moving in a circle, swirling 4. Bays: a part of sea or a lake 5. Babble: to create a low pitch of voice as many people speak together 6. Pebbles: small pieces of stone, shingles, gravel 7. Fret: to be unhappy, not able to take rest 8. Fallow: uncultivated land 9.foreland: the piece of land that lies in front of something 10. Willow: a tree with long leaves 11. Weed: wild plants, unwanted plants 12. Mallow: a plant with stems covered with small hairs and pink, purple and white flowers

Paraphrase:

In these lines the brook describes its journey through the ways that are full of hurdles like big and small stones. While passing through, the water of the brooks strikes against the stones and creates sharp notes (sharp musical sound). The sound varies according to the speed of the water current. Sometimes a low gurgling sound is produced and some other times it seems to be a murmur. The poet calls it a ‘chatter’ and tries to stress upon the idea that one natural object communicates with other objects of nature.

The brook moves further in a curved manner, sometimes striking against the land at its banks. It passes by both fertile as well unfertile lands. Sometimes very beautiful fairy-land type places near the sea come in its way where the trees like willow and plants like mallow grow.

The willow tree

The mallow plants

The brook again says that it produces a chattering sound while moving forward. It also says that it flows for ever and its life is permanent because it represents nature. The human beings come on this earth for a short time. Their life is not permanent.

Lines 25-36

I wind about, and in and out, 
With here a blossom sailing, 
And here and there a lusty trout, 
And here and there a grayling, 

And here and there a foamy flake 
Upon me, as I travel 
With many a silvery waterbreak 
Above the golden gravel, 

And draw them all along, and flow 
To join the brimming river 
For men may come and men may go, 
But I go on for ever. 

“I wind about, and in and out………but I go on forever”

Word-meanings: 1. Wind about: move about 2. In and out: this phrase has been used to show the flow of water of the brook making curves 3. Blossom: flowers 4. Sailing: floating 5. Lusty trout: a healthy freshwater fish 6. Grayling: a kind of fish 7. Foamy: full of foam/bubbles/froth 8. Flake: piece of foam 9. Water break: It means that when the flowing water strikes against the gravel, it causes break in the flow of water and then the sun-rays are reflected in it and that seems to be silvery due to brightness. 10. Golden gravel: the gravel that has become golden due to the sunrays falling on it in the evening.

Explanation: In the above lines, the brook continues telling about its journey. It moves making curves in and out through the valley. It passes the places where several beautiful flowers float on its surface. Sometimes freshwater fish and graylings are found in its water. While moving forward, big flakes of foam gather on its surface. Sometimes golden gravel comes in its way. The flowing water of the brook strikes against it and some breaks are created due to that. The water becomes silvery bright due to sunrays falling on it. The strong current of water of the brook draws the gravel with it. It keeps on flowing to join the brimming water of the river.

It also says that it flows for ever and its life is permanent because it represents nature. The human beings come on this earth for a short time. Their life is not permanent.

Lines 36-42

I steal by lawns and grassy plots, 
I slide by hazel covers; 
I move the sweet forget-me-nots 
That grow for happy lovers. 

I slip, I slide, I gloom, I glance, 
Among my skimming swallows; 
I make the netted sunbeam dance 
Against my sandy shallows. 
Word-meaning:1. Steal by: pass by silently 2. Slide by: moved easily without any hurdle 3. Hazel: Hazel is a small sized fruit tree covers: bushes/groves: 4. Forget –me-not: a kind of flower 5. Slide: to move smoothly 6. Gloom: darkness or dark plain 7. Glance: to have a quick look 9. Skimming: moving/flying 10. Swallow: a kind of bird 11. Netted: caught in a net

12. Sunbeams: the sunrays

Explanation: In the above lines, the brook describes its journey through the plains. It passes by lawns and grassy plains. Then it moves quickly and smoothly by the hazel-tree groves. It also moves sweet smelling forget-me-not flowers that grow for the happy lovers. In this way the brook continues its journey. Sometimes it moves and slides quickly on the way to reach its destination. It passes through the gloomy shades of the trees growing on its banks. After sometimes, it comes out of the darkness and then it is able to glance here and there. The swallows also softly touch its surface. When the water of the brook becomes shallow near its banks, the sunrays seem to be trapped in its net. They seem to be dancing on the sand in the shallow water.

Lines 45-52

“I murmur under moon and stars 
In brambly wildernesses; 
I linger by my shingly bars; 
I loiter round my cresses; 

And out again I curve and flow 
To join the brimming river, 
For men may come and men may go, 
But I go on forever.“

Word-meanings: 1. Murmur: here it means to the low pitched sound  2.brambly : full of wild bushes having thorns 3.wildernesses: a large piece of land that is not used for any purpose 4. Linger: here it means to move on slowly 5.shingly: rocky or full of pebbles 6.bars: here it means hurdles created by pebbles 7.cresses: plants of small leaves, often used for salad  8.loiter: stand of wait for somebody: to move aimlessly

Explanation: In the above lines the brook continues narrating its story of journey. While reaching its destination, the brook has to continue its journey under the moon light and stars. It does not stop anywhere, but sometimes its speed gets slow when there are some hindrances like thorny bushes, rocks and shingles. Sometimes thorny bushes come in its way. Then its water starts making a whirlpool around it. At that time, It appears that the brook is wandering about to relax before joining the brimming river.

It has to curve and flow forward. Sometimes bigger hurdles come in the way of the brook. If it keeps on struggling against those hurdles and does not think about other easy option to continue its journey, it would be wastage of time. So the flowing water changes its course and in doing so, it seems that the brook is taking a curve in and out.

In life also, wise people think about other options when they face big hurdles in life.

Thus overpowering all of its hurdles, it joins the river. It also says that its journey is everlasting while man’s life ends with death. Human life is short and temporary while the brook’s life is ever going and everlasting. Its merging with the river makes it more powerful.

‘The Dear Departed’ by Stanley Houghton (CBSE CLASS X) Part 1 of 5

Dear students, open your Literature book of class X. Today I’ve brought for you a drama ‘The Dear Departed’ by Stanley Houghton from your prescribed book, .

In this play, the characters are the two sisters, Mrs. Slater, Mrs. Jordon, Victoria Slater is a girl of ten years and their husbands, Mr. Henry Slater and Mr. Ben Jordon. Mr. Abel Merry Weather is the father of the two sisters.

As the scene opens, you assume that the stage is in front of you. I try to describe the scene. It is of a lower middle class.

 There is a sitting room of a lower middle class people of a provincial town.

On the left side of the spectators, there ia window in the wall, and the blinds are down.

A sofa is placed in front of it and there is a fireplace on the right side, having under the mantelpiece. An armchair is also lying near it.

In the middle of the wall facing the spectators, there is a passage that leads inside. A cheap & shabby chest is lying to the left of the central door and to its right side there an almirah made up of a board. It the centre of the living room there is  a round table with some chairs around it. An American clock is placed on the mantelpiece.  A kettle is put on the hearth also.

There is a pair of slippers near the board almirah. The necessaries for meals are put on the almirah and also some old magazines and papers.

If you enter the central door and proceeds to the left, it would lead you to the main door and if you turn toward the right, you will find upstairs. In the passage a hat stand is also visible.

When the curtain rises, Mrs. Slater is seen laying the table for tea.

Mrs. Slater is vigorous, vulgar in speech, not ready to yield in arguments, wearing blacks, not in complete mourning dress.

 Then she heard some voice coming from the window, walks fast towards it, opens the window and shouts at Victoria and orders her to come in.

Then she closes the window and the blinds straight.

Victoria is precocious (adult before time) girl. She is fond of wearing colourful dresses.

Her mother chides her for wandering in the street while her father is lying dead in his bed. She tells her to change her colorful dress before her uncle Mr. Ben and aunt Mrs. Jordon come.

 She advises her to wear a white frock as her uncle and aunt would not like her in colourful dress.

Victoria shows her ignorance to all what is happening in the house. She asks her mother as to why Mr. Ben and Mrs. Slater are visiting them.

She uses exaggeration in telling her mother that they have not come there for ages.

Her mother tells her that they are coming to settle matter on account of the death of their father.

See how materialism makes human beings selfish. They are just worried about the property, not for the dead person in the house.

She tells Victoria that her father had sent a telegram to them as soon as he was found dead.

At the very moment, some voices are heard from the street. They think that they have come. She is alert at once. She wishes that they should not come at that time.

Mrs. Slater hurries to the door and it was Henry Slater. He is a stooping heavy man with drooping moustache. He is also in black dress, carrying a paper parcel. He enters searching for the guests here and there.

Mrs. Slater tells Victoria to go upstairs at once to change her dress.

Then Mrs. Slater talks to Henry and says that she is not satisfied with the black dress she is wearing.

After that she thinks about Mr. Ben and Mrs. Slater and feels happy that they would have not thought about the mourning dress. She thinks that they would outshine Mr. Ben and Mrs. Jordan.

Henry sits at the armchair near the hearth. She orders him to remove his shoes as he had come from outside with those must have dirt on them. She says that her sister Mrs. Slater has prying eyes and she would detect even the slightest atom of the dirt in the house.

She also tells him to wear the slippers of her father, which were lying there near the almirah.

Henry doubts that they would come at all because she had said that she would never set foot in this house when there was a quarrel between the two sister.

Mrs. Slater is sure that she would come running the moment she comes to know about the death of her father.

She would definitely come to decide her share. She is so stubborn and hard for her selfish motives.

She wonders while tearing the parcel that Henry had fetched as to why she is so stubborn and finds an apple pie in it. She puts it in the dish at the table.

Henry speaks in a playful way that stubbornness has come to Mrs. Slater from her family, that is from her father.

Henry asks for his slippers, but Mrs. Slater tells him to wear the new pair as his were old and worn out.

Then she shows as if she was breaking down emotionally at the death of her father. She says that she cannot bear to see the things belong to her father lying here and there scattered & quite useless. She justifies her suggestion mad e to Henry about wearing the slippers of her dead father.

Henry says that the slippers do not fit in his feet as they are small in size, but she will have her say and tells him that they would get stretched.

She has finished laying the table. Then she suggests him to bring down the bureau that is lying in father’s room. She also says that SHE ALWAYS WANTED TO HAVE IT AFTER HER FATHER’S DEATH.

Persue, Persual, Pursue, Pursuance?

Lie (lied, lied, lying) lie (lay, lain) lay (laid, laid)

Greatful or grateful?

The Inchcape Rock by Robert Southey

The Inchcape Rock by Robert Southey

About the Poem:

The poem is about the struggle that always goes on between the good and evil forces in this world. The person who digs a ditch for others also falls himself in it. Nature also takes its nemesis. Evil forces are punished by the Divine at last. For some time they seem to be winning, but in the end Good wins over defeating the Evil. In this poem, the same thing happens. Sir Ralf the Rover symbolises evil forces and the Abbot of Aberbrothok  stands for the Good forces.

There was a reef (long line of sand or rocks) 18 kms. away from the eastern coast of Scotland. It posed a danger to the ships and the sailors passing by that way. Many ships were damaged and sailors lost their lives after the accidents. In stormy weather when the wave rose very high, the Inchcape Rock could not be seen by the sailors, so their ships or boats used to strike against the rocks in the ocean. An Abbot did an act of kindness by setting up a bell there. Whenever the waves rose high, the motion of the waves would pull and loosen the chains of the bell and make it ring to warn the coming sailor of the impending danger hidden under the waves there.

1.No stir in the air, no stir in the sea,
The Ship was still as she could be;
Her sails from heaven received no motion,
Her keel was steady in the ocean.

There was no movement in the air and the sea. Therefore, the ship was also motionless. Her sails were erect and there was no motion in them. Her keel was also in balance. (A keel is a piece of wood or metal that gives support to the whole structure of the ship or the boat.)

2.Without either sign or sound of their shock,
The waves flow’d over the Inchcape Rock;
So little they rose, so little they fell,
They did not move the Inchcape Bell.

The waves of the ocean flowed over the Inchcape Rock smoothly without creating sound of the warning bell. It was only because the movement of the waves was so slow that it could not make the bell ring. The waves were not rising up high, so they were not able to hide the dangerous Inchcape Rock.

3.The Abbot of Aberbrothok
Had placed that bell on the Inchcape Rock;
On a buoy in the storm it floated and swung,
And over the waves its warning rung.

When the Rock was hid by the surge’s swell,
The Mariners heard the warning Bell;
And then they knew the perilous Rock,
And blest the Abbot of Aberbrothok

A buoy: It is an object that floats on the sea or a river to mark the places where it is dangerous and where it is safe for boats to go.

Abbot: the head of a monastery

Surge: sudden flow of water coming: swell: rising up

The Abbot of the Abberbrothok  knew the danger of the submerged rock and acted to save the lives of the sailors. He set up a bell there on the Inchcape Rock. It floated on a buoy in the storm and moved and produced the ringing sound that warned the coming sailors on the time of the hidden danger posed by the Inchcape Rock that was submerged (underwater).

The Mariners approaching there would hear the ringing bell and understand the danger created by the hidden rock. Thus they would bless the Abbot of the Aberbrothock.

4.The Sun in the heaven was shining gay,
All things were joyful on that day;
The sea-birds scream’d as they wheel’d round,
And there was joyance in their sound.

Paraphrase: In the above lines, the poet describes that the day was very joyful. The sun in the sky was shining brightly. The sun was gay means happy and also making all the creatures on the earth happy with his pleasant sunrays. It is a kind of personification as the sun has been described in human terms. Heaven is the symbol of the sky. All things mean all the creatures on the earth. The seabirds were also joyous and screaming to express their happiness while flying in the sky making some circles.

5.The buoy of the Inchcape Bell was seen
A darker speck on the ocean green;
Sir Ralph the Rover walk’d his deck,
And fix’d his eye on the darker speck.

Paraphrase: The buoy is the object that floats on the surface of the sea to mark the safe and dangerous places.

As we know that the Inchcape bell was tied to the buoy, so it was visible to Sir Ralph when he stood on the deck (the deck is the upper part of a boat or a ship) of his ship. Then he fixed his eye on the dark spot. Actually the Inchcape bell seemed to like that of a dark spot in the green water of the ocean.

6.He felt the cheering power of spring,
It made him whistle, it made him sing;
His heart was mirthful to excess,
But the Rover’s mirth was wickedness.

Paraphrase: The Rover (the person who loves to travel a lot is called a rover) Sir Ralph, the rover experienced the cheerful effect in him and it made him whistle and sing to express his joy. He felt the joy excessively, but it was not pure. It got generated from his wickedness. It had something devilish in the guise of joy.

7.His eye was on the Inchcape Float;
Quoth he, “My men, put out the boat,
And row me to the Inchcape Rock,
And I’ll plague the Abbot of Aberbrothok.”

Paraphrase: His eye was fixedly looking at the Inchcape Float (it was the buoy that enabled the bell to float). Then he ordered his men to take out the boat to move it with him towards the Inchcape Rock. He also clarified his intention to annoy the Abbot of Aberbrothok. (You must remember here as to what the Abbot had done that was not liked by Sir Ralph, the rover.)

8.The boat is lower’d, the boatmen row,
And to the Inchcape Rock they go;
Sir Ralph bent over from the boat,
And he cut the bell from the Inchcape Float.

Word-meanings: 1. Lowered: let the boat go down the sea

Paraphrase : The boatmen lowered (let the boat go down the ocean from the ship) the boat and rowed it to the Inchcape Rock. Sir Ralph bent down from his boat to reach his hand to the rope that held the bell to the buoy and the Inchcape Rock. After that he cut it.

9.Down sank the Bell with a gurgling sound,
The bubbles rose and burst around;
Quoth Sir Ralph, “The next who comes to the Rock,
Won’t bless the Abbot of Aberbrothok.”

Word-meaning: 1.gurgle: it is a sound created by water when it passes through a very narrow passage. 2. Quoth (used in old English):  said

Paraphrase: As soon as the evil minded Ralph cut the rope, the Bell sank down into the deep water of the ocean creating a gurgling sound. The bubbles also appeared on the surface of the water and they burst at once.

Deriving satanic pleasure out of his wicked job of cutting the rope, he said that the person who followed next towards the Inchcape Rock would not bless the Abbot of Aberbrothok.

 It means the person sailing towards the Rock would not be able to listen to the warning Bell and collide his ship or boat against the Inchcape Rock and die. In that way he would not be able to bless the Abbot.

10.Sir Ralph the Rover sail’d away,
He scour’d the seas for many a day;
And now grown rich with plunder’d store,
He steers his course for Scotland’s shore.

Word-meanings: 1. scour’d: searched for something valuable 2. Plundered: looted 3. Steered: moved in a particular direction/rowed/sailed 4. Course: route/way

Paraphrase: After cutting the rope of the bell, Sir Ralph Rover sailed away from there. He was a pirate and, so, he searched for the ships and boats to loot them of the valuables.  He did so  for many days and  became a rich person with the plundered (looted) valuable things. One day he was on his way to Scotland shore.

11.So thick a haze o’erspreads the sky,
They cannot see the sun on high;
The wind hath blown a gale all day,
At evening it hath died away.

Word-meanings:1. Haze: the sky becomes hazy when the atmosphere becomes full of elements of dust/vapours, etc. 2. Hath: has 3. Gale: a strong wind

Paraphrase: It so happened that a thick fog filled the atmosphere/ It was spread far and wide making the sun invisible to Sir Ralph, the Rover and his companions. A fast wind had also blown throughout the day. But it became silent as the evening time approached.

12.On the deck the Rover takes his stand,
So dark it is they see no land.
Quoth Sir Ralph, “It will be lighter soon,
For there is the dawn of the rising Moon.”

Word-meanings: 1. Deck: the top floor at a ship or a boat 2. Dawn: the period of time when light of the sun appears in the sky.

Paraphrase: Sir Ralph, the Rover stood on the deck and they could not see any land nearby. After that Sir Ralph, remaining optimistic, said that it would soon be some light in the sky as the moon was about to appear.

13.“Canst hear,” said one, “the breakers roar?
For methinks we should be near the shore.”
“Now, where we are I cannot tell,
But I wish we could hear the Inchcape Bell.”

Word-meanings: 1. methinks: I think

 Paraphrase: A sailor on board also expressed his opinion on the situation. He said that they might be near the shore as no ‘roar’ of the waves was heard by them at that time. He could not explain the right location where they were at that time. He also wished that it would have been better if they had heard the Inchcape bell.

14.They hear no sound, the swell is strong,
Though the wind hath fallen they drift along;
Till the vessel strikes with a shivering shock,
“Oh Christ! It is the Inchcape Rock!”

 Paraphrase: They heard no sound and there was a very high swell in the sea-water. The wind had grown weak and they continued rowing their vessel (ship/boat) here and there till it struck against something solid and it sent a shivering shock to the vessel. They immediately understood and uttered in dismay (disappointment) that it was the Inchcape Rock against which their ship had got struck.

15.Sir Ralph the Rover tore his hair,
He curst himself in his despair;
The waves rush in on every side,
The ship is sinking beneath the tide.

Paraphrase: Sir Ralph, the Rover tore his hair in frustration and to show his foolishness and helplessness. He cursed himself for his wrong-doing. The waves rushed into the ship from all sides to take it down the sea water.

 16.But even in his dying fear,
One dreadful sound could the Rover hear;
A sound as if with the Inchcape Bell,
The Devil below was ringing his knell.

Paraphrase: As the ship was proceeding down to rest in the watery grave (As the ship was going down into the sea water,…), the Rover heard the sound like that of the Inchcape Bell. It was the sound of the death-knell that reminded him of his approaching death due to his misdeed done. Nature always takes revenge for the wrong-doings. One, who digs a ditch for others, falls in that very ditch someday.

Journey By Night by Norah Burke

2. Journey By Night by Norah Burke

The author describes a night’s journey by a boy of just twelve years in this lesson. The boy has a load of his younger brother, who is suffering from stomach pain, in the sling tied to his back and forehead. He had to pass through dense forest replete with its dangers. Sometimes he was frozen to see the snake spreading its hood on his way, horrified to see the marks of the bear’s paws and then he had a narrow escape from a herd of elephants. After that he had to cross two rivers.

Detailed Summary of the Lesson

As the story begins, we find Sher Singh’s younger brother twitching with pain in his stomach. He is in a small hut of Laldwani village. Sher Singh’s age is twelve and his brother is of nine years.

The condition of the boy is getting worse.

The writer also tells us about Sher Singh in the second paragraph. He is a brown cheerful boy of the jungle, who was habitual of living in the hard conditions of life. These had been other children in the family, but they had died of several reasons. They had died of cholera, malaria, influenza or by jungle accidents.

Now, Sher Singh and Kunwar were left in the family.

Sher Singh’s mother told him that she would wring out rags in boiling water and then lay them on the stomach of Kunwar so that the pain in his stomach might subside. The writer also comments that she did not smile and she did not weep. He means to say that she had already experienced the loss of her several children. She had already undergone the pain that a mother experience when her child or children die. That’s why, she neither smiled nor wept.

Sher Singh was feeling very bad inside him because of the worse condition of his brother Kunwar. He asked her what he should do in that situation. Then he decided to bring sticks and  dung for fuel. He  brought them by running here and there and then he tore the rags and also bought water.

Carelessly they used fuel to boil the water immediately. Both of them laid clothes dipped in steaming water on the stomach of Kunwar. But after sometime, when Sher Singh’s mother did not see any improvement, she told him that Kunwar must be carried to Kalaghat to be admitted in the hospital there.

At the mention of the word ‘hospital’, Sger Singh understood at once that his brother was about to die.

Actually, it was the perception that had developed in the minds of all the people living there. They thought that hospital was the place where only unfortunate people are taken.

It means that they had seen very few people who had come back survived from the hospital. Tha was the reason for their hopelessness about the hospital.

The boy felt his throat choked with emotions for his little brother.

He suggested to his mother that he should go to call his father back from the expedition.

She said that it would take a long time to reach there and find him.

Now the author acquaints us with Sher Singh’s father whose name was Sher Singh, the Bahadur.

He was known far and wide as a famous hunter. The title ‘Bahadur’ was attached like a medal to his name due to his acts of bravery. He lived in the village Laldwani along with his family. There were several other families were also there in the village. His occupation was farming. He had some domestic animals also. Whenever there was some expedition for hunting animals or photography, people sent for Sher Singh, the bahadur.

He had such a sharp sense that he could find tigers where no tigers were thought to be there. He could look at the dry grass and tell what had happened there. He could understand the cry of a cheetal telling others about the killing a panther had done and also about possible killings. There was a long scar on his back that went down from his skull to the back and shoulder. It had happened when he was dragging his friend from the clutches of a tiger, which attacked him by its paw and dug the nails deep in his back making a long scar there.

Once a snake bit him and then he cut and burned that wound to neutralised the effect of poison on his leg.

His face had marks of scars and his two fingers were missing due to an accident. There was another incident that the author describes here. He walked for five miles with his ‘pugree’ wrapped around his stomach to stop everything from falling down through the torn skin. That day had gone along with other male members of the village as beaters on a photographic expedition.

His house was made up of mud and grass in which Kunwar, his younger son lay crying on a low stringed ‘charpoy’. Sometimes he coughed due to smoke in the hut and was mostly glazed and silent.  (It meant, his body was shining under the effect of fever and perspiration.

Sher Singh saw his brother carefully and understood that there was death in his eyes. He was about to die if not taken to hospital at once.

He told his mother that he would take him to the city because there was no man in the village.

His mother was to stay behind at home because she had to do several things. She would work in the fields and take care of the cattle and manage for their fodder, etc. Both of them understood each other’s duty without uttering a single word.

Sher Singh’s mother was hill woman. It meant that she was very laborious. She was habitual of carrying loads up and down the hill. Her home was away in the high mountains. She also knew how to make a sling that could help a person lifting loads on back. One part of the sling was to be tied round the forehead and another prt of the cloth was to tie around the waist. In this way, the strong muscels of the neck and shoulders take fabulous weight up and down the valley without any fatigue (tiredness).

Sher Singh’s mother took two saris and makes a sling. Then she lifted Kunwar, who had doubled up with pain, and put him into the sling with a great difficulty.

Sher Singh felt at once the heat of Kunwar’s body through the cloth.

Sher Singh also understood at once that the burden was too heavy for him to carry to such a long distance. Is mother was also in despair (depression, hopelessness).

He said no word and set out on his journey silently.

Journey through the Jungle

It was evening time when he set out on his journey. The writer describes here that the huts of Laldwani village looked golden in the glow of the sunrays falling on them.

The small fields for cultivation and the ‘maidaan’ where their cattle grazed spread around the village. The villagers also had made hedges of piled up thorn branches around the village. It was done so that the wild animals would not find it easy to enter their village and prove dangerous for their own and their animal’s life.

After that, there was a pound (a prison for the stray animal) where the forest guards would lock up the domestic animal in case it was found grazing in the restricted area of the forest.

Then followed an area where dry grass had been burnt to stop any forest fire moving towards the residential area.

The real jungle began beyond that.

First of all, there were shrubs, and rough grass in which there thorn trees here and there. Then followed ‘sal’ trees which were used for making the railway sleepers at Kalaghat, which was fifty miles away from Sher Singh’s village.

Sher Singh had made a plan to reach Kalaghat by morning the next day. He would cross the dense forest and two rivers that lay between him and his goal. After that, he could get a lift in some bullock-cart or a truck during the last part of his journey.

The writer tells us that only ox and pony had been the means of transport since immemorial time. But then, motors had started to appear on the roads of that jungle.

But it was just a beginning for Sher Singh. He had to cover 50 miles to reach Kalaghat.

He started moving on the rutted track made by the wheels of the bullock carts. He was bare-footed and his toes would disappear in the silk-soft dust.

He was quite alone moving on his way to Kalaghat, but an unknown jungle sense made him hesitate to move further.

Suddenly a cobra hissed and stood in front of him swaying its hood. The spectacle mark at the back of its hood was clear in the disappearing rays of the evening sun.

Sher Singh stood frozen and after sometime, he started moving his steps backward. The snake wanted to move away and then it disappeared into the matted grass.

Sher Singh’s legs were still shaking with fear. He was unable to move forward for some time.

As you know, he had on his back the load of ailing Kunwar. He continued twitching and groaning and his movements in the sling were making him heavier that before.

He wished for rest to relax his muscles, but he knew it was too early to stop for rest at that time.

Now, it was a second wind (turn) of his journey.

There was primeval ( praimival: very ancient) forest around him and a struggle of vegetation and the struggle of life continued there. It was very difficult for the undergrowth (the small plants like bushes, grass, etc.) to survive and the bamboo trees grew luxuriously (comfortably) from their nodules (it’s a small lump-type growth from where other branch sprouts). Several wild animals like tigers, panthers, bear, elephants, monkeys and birds like raucous (creating loud sound) peacocks lived there.

The wild animals had to feed themselves on domestic animals and sometimes even men then as the number of deer had decreased by the poachers (persons who hunt birds and animals illegally).

After sometime, the night fell and the faint light of the evening gave way to the darkness of the night and then stars shone bright in the purple background. Sher Singh had good eyesight and he could see the things. Presently the moon also rose and spread its dim light.

He also saw the footmarks of a bear in the dust on the way and it made him scared and he looked here and there feeling uneasiness. Once he had seen a man being mauled (attacked and injured) by a bear and his whose face was torn away. So he quickened his steps. He had reached a cliff (high area of a rock almost steep) above a river bed. He was so much tired that he felt that it was very difficult to move any further without taking rest. Sweat was now running down on his shaking muscles.

He put the sling in which he carried his brother down with an extra care so that it would not hurt him. But there was a little jolt (jerk, shake) and Kunwar cried a little at it. As he had pushed the band off his forehead, the hair under it was straining.

Feeling helpless, Sher Singh uttered sobbing (taking sudden sharp breaths while weeping) to his brother, “What can I do for you?”

The child was delirious (excitement that is especially caused by fever) and answered meaninglessly.

As his muscles came back to their normal position, he felt acute pain. Blood was coming     back at the spot on the forehead where there was a constant pressure of the band due to the load of the boy Kunwar. He lay for a while by putting his back against a tree to relax his body and closed his eyes also.

At that very moment, he heard the jostle and cries (squeal: yelling/ shrill cry) of elephants coming towards the direction where Sher Singh was relaxing.

The elephant usually do not travel silently in the jungle and presently a herd of them was coming up towards a new feeding ground. Sher Singh was happy to think that he was not in their way.

He was above the elephants sitting at the slope of the rock from where the river-bed looked like an ivory in the moon light. He could see a spread of pebbles on each side of the river. In between, there was flowing shallow water creating a chuckling sound and in which there were plenty of fish moving here and there. There lay long spread of sand on which the elephants were moving fast crushing the sand and leaving behind their foot marks in a jumbled way.

There were cows and babies and a male tusker among them. An oily flow of musth (The condition in which elephants are very aggressive) was coming down his cheeks. In that condition, he could kill a man. Normally the elephants do not bother. Their ears were flapping, their tails were in up position, and their shadows were clearly visible on sand. They were now passing just below where Sher Singh was taking rest. Sher Singh could hear the squeak (screeching sound) of sand that was being crushed by their feet. The sound of rubbing against each other was also reaching his ears. He could easily see their heads and black backbones tossing when they were moving with quick steps.

The tusker seemed very much cautious and observant because he was moving his trunk to and fro in the air to learn from the coming breeze about any danger to the herd. Presently, he hesitated (not willing to move). He must have got the smell of the boys who were sitting above him on the cliff. He moved his trunk towards the boys.

Sher Singh was chilled (frozen) due to fright. He was in such a position that he was unable neither to climb nor to run from there with the burden of Kunwar on his back.

He started uttering prayer after prayer like a frightened spirit.

Page 12.

The tusker showed different reactions. He snorted, trumpeted, shook his head and then suddenly moved quickly in angry mood up the river bed. The entire herd followed him.

Sher Singh breathed one more prayer of thanks at that time. Now he decided to move from there at once. He sat down to pick up the sling and put on its band on the forehead. He tried two times with all his might, but could not lift Kunwar. Then he heard the trumpet of an elephant at some distance. The fear made him jump at once. He was able to lift his brother.

Presently he scrambled (moved quickly but with difficulty using his hands down the rock) in the river bed.

He was well acquainted (introduced to) with this river as he must have seen it during the day. He knew that, sometimes, more water also is added to it if snow-water comes flooding down. Before that, he could easily wade (to walk with an effort) through it. The water was spread to a broad stretch but was shallow (not deep). He came to know that the water was shallow because it was creating some sound when the current of water strikes against pebbles.

 He saw a troutlet (a small fish) moving in water as it was made clear by the moon light.

He put his step into the water.

He felt it cooler than usual as some icy water had got mixed into it. He had to go slow but carefully because he could fall down as the stones were slimy. Finding footholds carefully, he moved on and he was now waist deep. It was because more water had been added in the river.

He thanked God thinking that there was a bridge at the second river.

Page 13.

It was not a proper bridge made up of cement, sand, concrete and steel. It was made up of bamboo sticks, poles, rings laced with thick grass and surfaced with river gravel (small stones).

As Sher Singh moved up to the shore, water appeared into his footprints. He also saw footprints of a tiger that seemed to walk out of the river a few moments ago because he foot prints looked to be fresh as they had some glitter (shine o f water) of water in them.

He plodded (went on moving into the river as if you were tired).

Steadily (in a balanced manner).

Every hour or so he had to take some rest. It became very difficult for him to move further after taking rest because he was very much tired. He had mastered the method of picking up the load of his brother Kunwar. While going on, he started sobbing as his body was not able to take the load any further, but he had to reach the hospital to save the life of his brother.