In the Bazaars of Hyderabad by- Sarojini Naidu:ICSE CLASS IX

In the Bazaars of Hyderabad by- Sarojini Naidu

What do you sell O ye merchants?

Richly your wares are displayed.

Turbans of crimson and silver,

Tunics of purple brocade,

Mirrors with panels of amber,

Daggers with handles of jade.

Paraphrase: The poet Sarojini Naidu begins this poem by asking  a question to the merchants of the bazaars of Hyderabad.She asks them what they were selling there. She gets the immediate reply that they were selling crimson (dark red) coloured turbans, tunics (without sleeves loose and long clothing) of purple brocade (a thick cloth having gold or silver embroidery on it), mirrors with panels (frames) of amber (yellowish)  and the daggers with handles of jade (hard stone of green colour).

What do you weigh, O ye vendors?
Saffron and lentil and rice.
What do you grind (crush), O ye maidens?
Sandalwood, henna, and spice.
What do you call , O ye pedlars?
Chessmen and ivory dice.

Paraphrase: The poet Sarojini Naidu also asks  a question to the vendors. She asks them what they are weighing. She quickly gets their response when they say that they are weighing saffron( It is a bright yellow powder made from a plant), lentil (it is a green coloured seed used as ‘daal’: masuur)  and rice. Then she seems to move forward and asks some maidens as to what they are grinding (crushing). They reply that they are grinding sandalwood, henna and spice. Again she moves on and asks the pedlars (In the past, some sellers used to travel from one place to the other with the load of their goods on their heads and those persons are called pedlars). She gets the answer that they sell Chessmen (thirty two pieces used in the game of chess) and the ivory dice.

What do you make, O ye goldsmiths?
Wristlet and anklet and ring,
Bells for the feet of blue pigeons
Frail as a dragon-fly’s wing,
Girdles of gold for dancers,
Scabbards of gold for the king.

Paraphrase: After that, the poet moves to the goldsmiths and asks what items of jewellery they are making. They tell her that they are making several items of jewellery like wristlets, anklets and rings, very thin bells (as thin as the wings of a dragon fly)  for the feet of blue pigeons, girdles (belts worn around the waist) for the dancers and scabbard (covers for the swords: sheaths) for the king.

What do you cry,O ye fruitmen?
Citron, pomegranate, and plum.
What do you play ,O musicians?
Cithar, sarangi and drum.
what do you chant, O magicians?
Spells for aeons to come.

Paraphrase: Next, she visits the fruit-sellers and asks them the same type of question. They also reply the poet that they sell various kinds of fruit like citron, pomegranates and plums. She moves further and her eyes fall on the musicians. She asks them what they play. The tell her the names of instruments like ‘sitar’, ‘sarangi’ and ‘drum’. She even asks the magicians as to what they chant (mantras and religious words are chanted {sung/recited)). They say that they chant to call the thousands of years to come.

What do you weave, O ye flower-girls
With tassels of azure and red?
Crowns for the brow of a bridegroom,
Chaplets to garland his bed.
Sheets of white blossoms new-garnered
To perfume the sleep of the dead. 

Paraphrase: Finally the poet asks the girls what they are weaving with the flowers and the tassels (bunch of threads) of blue and red colours. They reply that they are making crowns for the foreheads of the bridegroom and garlands to decorate his bed. They are also making sheets of white fresh flowers to spread their perfumes for the dead in their graves.

In this way the poet describe the traditional bazaar of Hyderabad in a very vivid manner

The Frog And The Nightinagle by Vikram Seth: CBSE Class X

The Frog And The Nightinagle by Vikram Seth: CBSE Class X

Detailed line-wise paraphrased

Once upon a time, a frog had the craze to croak every night from the evening to the morning of the next day in Bingle Bog. The poet has given the name Bingle to a bog (a piece of land that is muddy). It is an imaginary place here. The frog had an illusion that his voice was very sweet and he sang very well and all the creatures there listened to his songs with rapt (full) attention. But the reality was that all of them had become fed up with his rough voice. They loathed (disliked) his continual croaking. They had no choice but to tolerate his harsh voice.

His crass(stupid) cacophony (loud and unpleasant voice) blared out (came out at a high-pitch) from the sumac tree (a tree of the cashew-nut species). The frog

minstrelled (sang) his song every night from the foot of the tree where he used to live.

The frog was so much determined to make a show of his heart’s elating (joy/happiness) that stones, sticks, insults, complaints and prayers could not stop his craziness about singing.

One night it so happened that a nightingale happened to perch (rest/sit on) that tree. It was a pale and moonlit winter night. As the nightingale started singing her sweet melodious song, all the creatures of that marshy (muddy) land were full of praise for the bird and the frog was also dumbstruck (extremely surprised. He gaped (kept mouth opened in surprise) at the sweet musical notes that flowed from the throat of the nightingale.

 All the creatures of the bog listened to the song with rapt (full) attention. As she finished singing, all of them clapped in appreciation. Ducks came swimming, herons came wading (moving with difficulty) to her as she serenaded (sang at night). A lonely (feeling alone) loon (a bird that eats fish) also heard the nightingale’s song. It was so much moved by the song that it started weeping. Other creatures were toads( A toad is also like a frog), teals (wild ducks that are small in size) and toddlers (very small fish) were so much enraptured (filled with great pleasure and joy) that tey cheered the nightingale by saying: “Bravo”, Too divine”, “Encore! (Once more)”

Lines 33-56

The next night, the nightingale sat on the tree, shook her head and twitched (jerked suddenly) her tail. Then she closed her eyes, fluffed (spread) her wing and cleared her throat to get ready for singing. At that very moment, she heard croak and was startled (surprised very much). After some moments, she saw a frog hopping (jumping) towards her from the bog marshy ( land. She enquired if he was the one who spoke. The frog replied in positive and said that he was the frog who owned that tree. He further said that in that bog, he had been known for his splendid (excellent) baritone (male singing voice). He keeps on boasting of himself saying that, sometimes he writes songs for the musical group named Bog Trumpet. The nightingale seemed to be impressed by him and asked if he liked her song. He commented that it was not too bad but it was far too long. He added that the technique was fine but it lacked a certain force. The nightingale was agreed and also impressed by the way the frog gave his critical comments on her art of singing and the voice by such a famous singer.

The nightingale modestly said that she did not think that her song had anything divine about it, but she was proud that it belonged to her.

Lines 57-68

The heartless frog told the nightingale that there was nothing in her song about which she could feel proud. In his pride, the frog thought himself to be the best trainer called the nightingale a mere beginner and she needed training for her voice. He also suggested to her that she could be a winner if she got training from him. The nightingale was impressed by the frog and she imagined that it was all like a fairytale for her. She thought him to be the Mozart in disguise who had come down on the earth in front of his eyes.

After that, the frog told her that he charged a modest (small) fee for the training. It made the nightingale a little bit sad. Seeing her in sad mood, the clever frog suggested to her that she would not be a loser if she got training.

Lines 69-76

Now the nightingale felt very much inspired, excited and confident about herself because the frog was going to train her voice in the art of singing. She was filled with great expectations about her art of singing and the appreciation she would get through it. She began singing. Her magical sound created so much sensation in the surroundings that the animals from distant places started moving towards the place from where the sweet notes of music were flowing. The frog precisely (exactly, accurately) counted the number of the visitors and also charged fee from them.

Lines 77-86

The next morning, in spite of raining, the frog started training nightingale’s voice. The nightingale expressed her inability to sing in that weather, but the frog insisted upon her to continue singing. He advised her to put on her scarf and sash (a long strip of cloth worn around waist or put over one shoulder as a part of dress) to avoid rain. Thus, both of them started singing up and down the musical scale. Both of them continued singing in that manner for six hours. At last, it was found that the nightingale caught cold and it started shivering. Her voice also became hoarse (rough) and quivering (shaky)

Lines 87-98

The nightingale had been for six hours and she was also not able to sleep, so her enthusiasm was at a low level. But at night, her throat regained energy. The sumac tree bowed down with the burden of birds who had perched on its branches to listen to the sweet music sung by the nightingale. The listeners included Owl od Sandwich, Duck of Kent, Mallard (a wild duck) and Milady Trent (here they are used to show respectable guests), Martin Cardinal Mephisto and Coot of Monte Cristo. Among them, their females sat wearing shining tiaras(a jeweled ornamental band on the front of a woman’s hair) and twittering in joy. The frog also sat there observing them with mixed feelings of joy and jealousy.

Lines 99-110

The frog continued training the nightingale’s voice and at the same time he sold his songs also to her to get money. Like a strict music teacher, he scolded her from time to time to make her realize that her voice not trained and she needed a lot of training for it. He would say, “You must practice even longer/Till your voice, like mine, grows stronger.” He reminded her that she had become nervous in the middle of the song while singing her second song the previous night.

He also admired her to add more trills (techniques used in singing) in her songs because such additions were liked by the audience. He further added that she should make her audience happier by giving them something sharp and snappier (more lively). The greedy and cunning frog did not forget to mention that she owed him sixty shillings at that time and she should aim at for selling more tickets for her song.

Lines 111-122

The nightingale grew pale and sorrowful as the days passed by one after the other. In spite of that, she continued singing night after night with full speed and energy. (zipped: sang with energy and speed: trilled: sang in a vibrating sound)

Her song had grown dull by continuous singing. It no more remained fresh. The result was that the audience (other birds and animals) grew fed up with the song. Even Nightingale was not happy with her own voice. It had nothing inspiring in her song now. The income of the ticket office also fell down (decreased). The nightingale grew sad because she was habitual of listening to her appreciation in excess (unrestricted). She felt no delight in singing song all alone at night.

123-140

The decrease in income infuriated the frog. He called the nightingale ‘Brainless Bird’. He reminded her that she was on the stage at that time. He also advised her to use her intelligence so as to attract more and more audience by introducing the latest style in her singing. The frog grew so much greedy to raise income by her singing that he forced the bird to sing with full passion and by pressing her lungs with breath.

The obedient nightingale trembled in fear. She was afraid of her failure. She silently tried to use maximum force of breath while singing. Her vein burst in that attempt and she died.

The frog was responsible for the death of the innocent and obedient bird. But the cruel frog expressed no sympathy in his words. He said that he was trying to teach her the techniques of music and called her a stupid creature. He blamed her for death and said that she was very much nervous and under tension. So she was unable to influence others. He also delivered a piece of advice that the nightingale should have sung her own songs and boasted of himself by saying that he always sang his own songs.

The frog again started croaking in the same harsh and rough voice after removing his competitor from the tree.

A Dog Named Duke by William D Ellis: A Detailed Summary with Questions & Answers

Lesson 2 (Class IX): A Dog Named Duke by William D Ellis

Brief Summary of the Lesson

Charles Hooper, nicknamed as Chuck was a zonal manager in a company of chemicals.  He is the owner of Duke, a Doberman dog. One day, Chuck met with an accident. He was taken to a hospital where he stayed for about two months. His left side was paralysed. After that, he was sent home and put in a wheelchair. His dog, Duke remained sitting beside him for the whole time. Duke was very sensible and came to know about the difficulty of his master. It was difficult for Charles Hooper to resume his work in the company in that condition. So he became depressed. His wife was much worried about him. She had to go to her office. During the whole day, he was alone with his dog Duke. After some days, Chuck started moving with the help of his dog. They continued this practice for more time. At last, the day came when Chuck improved considerably with the dog’s help. He started going to his company and resumed his work as usual. But, as ill luck would have it, one day, the dog got wounded very badly in an accident. He was taken to the hospital, but could not be saved.

Detailed Summary of the Lesson

1.Charles Hooper, nicknamed as Chuck was a very popular zonal salesman in a chemical company. His broad and real smile used to make his extremely competitive nature more attractive. He was six feet in height and he used to play in the football team of his university. At present, he was considered to be very strict salesman of his company.

2.All was going well until he had a severe accident when he was driving home one autumn evening. He was immediately taken to the hospital. He suffered from subdural haemmorrahage (heavy bleeding) in the motor section of his brain. It completely paralysed his left side.

3.One of his district managers took his wife Marcy to the hospital. She noticed that her husband was unable to speak. He could breathe, see and his vision was double. Marcy thought of Duke as he was alone at home. She requested her neighbour to put Duke in the kennel.

4.Hooper had to remain with the patients of critical condition in the hospital for a month. After the fifth week, some employees of his company came there and suggested to him that he should take one month’s leave. They also said that they would create a job that could e done while sitting at a place in the office.

5.After six weeks, the hospital put him in a wheelchair. There was an attendant, who used to move his paralysed affected arm and leg move. That activity was followed by bath, exercises and wheeled –walker. In spite of all these activities, Chuck did not improve much.

6.After staying for about two months in the hospital, Chuck was discharged in March. Sometime passed in the excitement of the home-coming, but, after that, he went down in the state of depression. At hospital, he was not alone; there were other injured persons. But now, each morning Mary had to go out of the house and after that, he had to face loneliness in the house.

7.Finally, Duke was brought home from his kennel.

When Duke was to be brought in the house, Chuck wanted to stand up. So he was made to stand up. Duke’s nails had grown much in the four months’ of his confinement. When he saw Chuck, he stood quivering vigorously and then he released a deep cry, spun his long nailed paws and sprang up to three meters in height. He was like a twenty-three kg powerful missile of joy just ready to hit his master. It made Chuck stagger to maintain his balance.

8.Those who were the eyewitnesses said that the dog had understood at once Chuck’s physical condition and never jumped on him afterwards. From that time, he sat at a place round the clock near his master’s bed.

9.Even Duke’s presence near his bed did not improve Huck’s state of mind. The muscles which used to be so strong started losing grip on the bones.

 Marcy would secretly cry as she watched her husband’s smile fade away. He would stare fixedly for hours together at the ceiling, then out of the window and then at his dog, Duke.

 While doing so, hard linings would emerge on his face and stay there continuously.

10. The whole day would pass in boringly as he and Duke would stare at each other in silence. Finally, the dog could not bear it. He would spring to his feet, quivering (shaking) in impatience.

11.  “Ya-ruff”

12. “Lie-down. Duke!”

13. Then Duke would move in a proud manner to the bed, put his pointed nose under Chuck’s elbow and lift it. After that, he would nudge (push gently), needle (tease) and snort (release breath noisily).

14. “Go run around the house. Duke.”

15. But Duke was not ready to leave the place. He would keep on watching as if it wanted to motivate Chuck to walk and talk with him. After one hour, he would come over to the bed again and bark and push him. The dog didn’t leave the bedside of Chuck and kept sitting there.

One evening, Chuck hooked the leash on to duke’s collar to make him still. But he created a lightning effect in Duke. He stood up at once and readied himself anticipating (hoping) something good. What was to follow next was difficult to explain for Chuck.

16. He asked his wife, Marcy to help him stand up to his feet. Duke jumped forward while Chuck struggled for balance. He took the leash in his left hand and tried to grip it with his paralysed fingers. Then he bent forward and Marcy supported him by the elbow. First he moved his right leg out in front.

17. He had to drag his left foot forward along

 with the right. But it could not be called a step.

Duke felt that the leash was suddenly loosened, so he pulled and made it tight. It made Chuck somewhat swayed, but he saved himself from falling with the help of his right leg. After that, he straightened himself and struggled to keep standing three times, but fell exhausted into the wheelchair.

18. Next day, the dog came running and stood near Chuck’s healthy side. He pushed his nose under the elbow and raised his head up. Hooper’s healthy arm reached to grab the leash. As Hooper stood up, the dog walked up to the end of the leash and pulled it steadily. He took four steps on that day.

19. Hooper learned to balance himself against the pull without Marcy by leaning against the pull. On Wednesday, he took five steps and on Thursday six steps. On Friday, he could not take more than two and felt exhaustion. But both of them could reach the front porch in two weeks.

20. The neighbours would daily see Chuck progressing with the help of the dog in front of the house. They saw the dog pull the leash tight and then stand and wait. Hooper would drag himself near the dog. After that, the dog would move forward to the end of the leash and wait again. Both of them used to set their new targets and touched them.

21. One day, Marcy told Hooper’s doctor about what the dog was doing for her husband. Then, the doctor prescribed a course of physiotherapy with weights, pulleys and whirlpool baths (special bath in which water moves in a circular current) and also walking with Duke every day on limited slow level.

22. It was a routine scene for the neighbours to see them walk on the same pattern. On June 1, news spread that Duke and Hooper had reached the crossing. It was very far away from there.

23.Very soon, Duke started moving out with Hooper twice a day and they kept lengthening the targets also. It was one road at one time.

24. On January 4, Hooper succeeded in taking a big leap. He walked for 200 meters from the clinic to the local branch office of his company. That office was also under him and the staff was amazed by the visit. Hooper Chuck told Gordon Duke, the manager, that he should tell him about the progress of the work till then so that he could start working. The manager kept watching him quite amazed. He continued saying that he would work for an hour every day. He would use an empty desk lying in the warehouse and he needed a dictating machine for that purpose.

25. When the company came to know about it, there arose some problems. When an employee struggles so much to make his comeback in his company, it would be difficult to say that he would not be able to handle his job. It would be difficult also for Chuck because he was unable to move around in the field as a salesman. Another difficulty for the company was that he would work for only one hour daily.

26. After March 1, Hooper did not need any physiotherapy. He depended on on Duke, who pulled him along the street faster and faster making him more balanced in walking.

He also started walking after dark. He would stumble and fall. After that time, Duke would keep standing still like a rock and watch his master struggling to stand up.

27. For thirteen months, Hooper worked full days and then he was promoted to regional manager and more than four states came under him.

28. In March 1956, Chuck, Marcy and Duke shifted the house. The area in which Hooper bought a house did not know the story of Duke and his master. They knew only that their new neighbor walked with the help of the dog.

29. On the evening of October 12, 1957,  Hooper had some guests  in the  house. Over some low voices Chuck heard the screech of brakes outside. He looked for Duke as if feeling some intuition.

30. The people carried the big dog inside the house. Marcy understood at once the critical condition of the dog.

“Phone the Vet,” she said, “Tell him, I’m bringing Duke.”

The people present there jumped to lift the dog. But she herself lifted the big dog, put him into the car and at once drove to the hospital of the animals.

31. Duke was kept under the effect of drugs until 11 o’clock the next morning. But he was badly injured.

32.-33. After some weeks, the chemical company’s headquarters sent some words that seemed to be a tribute to Duke.

“…therefore, to advance our objectives step by step, Charles Hooper is appointed Assistant National Sales Manager.”

Word-meanings:

1. Grin: to give a wide smile or a wide smile

2. Hard-charging: one who works or performs with too much energy

3. Twilight: the dim light at the time of sunset

4. Subdural haemorrahage: very much bleeding in the brain

5. Kennel: a small house for a dog 
6. Hit a new low: to become depressed again

7. Confinement: imprisonment

8. Quivering: trembling/shaking

 9. Bellow: a deep sounded cry

10. Launch: to start, to make public know about a new product, to send something like an airship, weapon in the sky/space, etc.

11. Slacked: not very tight, became loose

12. Rangy: having long and thin arms or legs

13. Day in and day out: everyday for a long time

14. Stalked: here it meant to walk in angry and proud manner

15. Nudge: to push somebody gently, especially with your elbow

16. Snort: to breathe out air noisily

16. Reproachful: blaming, accusing

17. Yap: bark

18. Leash: Bridle restraint

19. Shimmy: to dance or move in a way that shakes your back and shoulders

20. Prance: to move with long steps being conscious of the fact that people are watching you.

21. Taut: tight

22. Jabbed: pushed

23. Abreast: near, side by side with  

24. Surge out: to move quickly and forcefully in a direction 

25.Physiotherapy: under this treatment the patient is given massage and told to do some physical exercises

26. Whirlpool bath: it is a bath in a tub or a big container in which water turns speedily like a whirlpool

27. gradual: slow

28. pattern: design/style

29. intersection: crossing

30. Jurisdiction: authority, the area in which a person is authorized to pass judgment

31. Gape: to open mouth in surprise

32. Stable: in balance

33. Suburb: an area where people live outside of the centre of the city

34. Rampageous: one who is violent and ready to cause much damage to life and property

35. Babble: the confused sound that comes when many people talk together at a low pitch of sound

36. Stubbornness: the act of being stubborn, obstinate: one who is not ready to change his/her behavior or attitude

Instinctively: in a natural way

====================================

 Short-answer type Question & Answers

1.   Q1. Describe Charles Hooper’ s personality.

Ans. Charles Hooper, nicknamed as Chuck was a very popular zonal salesman in a chemical company. His broad and real smile used to make his extremely competitive nature more attractive. He was six feet in height and he used to play in the football team of his university. At present, he was considered to be very strict salesman of his company.

Q2. How did Charles Hooper meet with an accident? What damage was caused to him?

 Ans. He had a severe accident when he was driving home one autumn evening. He was immediately taken to the hospital. He suffered from subdural haemmorrhage (heavy bleeding) in the motor section of his brain. It completely paralysed his left side.

Q3. Who informed Marcy about her husband’s accident? What did she do at once? What did she notice about her husband?

Ans. One of his district managers took his wife Marcy to the hospital. She noticed that her husband was unable to speak. He could breathe, see and his vision was double. Marcy thought of Duke as he was alone at home.

Q4. What did the employees of Hooper’s company suggest to him after the fifth week? What more did they say to him?

Ans. After the fifth week, some employees of his company came there and suggested to him that he should take one month’s leave. They also said that they would create a job that could e done while sitting at a place in the office.

Q5. How did Hooper’s attendant serve him at the hospital, when he was put in a wheelchair? Did Chuck improve?

Ans. After six weeks, the hospital put him in a wheelchair. There was an attendant, who used to move his paralysed affected arm and leg move. That activity was followed by bath, exercises and wheeled –walker. In spite of all these activities, Chuck did not improve much.

Q6. Why did Hooper go down in depression after he was brought back home from hospital?

Ans. Sometime passed in the excitement of the home-coming, but, after that, he went down in the state of depression. At hospital, he was not alone; there were other injured persons. But now, each morning Mary had to go out of the house and after that, he had to face loneliness in the house.

Q7. Why did Marcy cry secretly?

Ans. Marcy would secretly cry as she watched her husband’s smile fade away. He would stare fixedly for hours together at the ceiling, then out of the window and then at his dog, Duke.

 While doing so, hard linings would emerge on his face and stay there continuously.

Q8. Where did Charles get Duke from? How did his wife like it?

Q9. Who was Marcy/ What was her attitude towards Duke?

Q10. How was Hooper a favoured young man?

Q11. Why was Duke put in a kennel?

Q12. When Duke was brought from the kennel, how did he react to see his master?

Long-answer type Questions

Q1.How can you say that everything was going on well before Hooper’s accident?

Q2.