5. Write the summaries of the following lessons:
(a)Three Questions (b) The Gift of Chappals (c) The Tiny Teacher (d)
Bringing Up Kari
Answers
(a.)Three Questions
In the short story “Three Questions” Leo Tolstoy explores the theme of wisdom, acceptance, kindness, and forgiveness. The story is about a king who wants to know the answer of the three questions so as to get enlightenment. In order to run the kingdom in a proper way, he wanted to know the solutions from his countrymen. He disguised himself and then went on to find solutions to his answers. The hermit tells the king that all the answers are within himself. By helping the wounded man and by spending time with the hermit he gets to know the answer to his questions which he got through self-realization. He learned to do good to others without thinking about own-self.
(b.)The GIft of Chappals
Ravi and Meena were visited by Mridu. She left her slippers at the gate with a pair of slippers which is old and weary. Ravi then took her to the backyard. Behind a thick bitter – berry bush sat a kitten in a torn football sipping milk from a coconut shell. They secretly kept the kitten as it might annoy their grandmother Ravi commented on double standards of elders. He added that it was difficult for him to manage milk for Mahendran the kitten. He concocted a story behind the name of the kitten. He told that the kitten is a descendant of Pallava lion, the emblem of Pallava dynasty, he had seen at Mahabalipuram. He further added that it was a descendant of Mahabalipuram Rishi cat and he kept on adding that cats are worshipped in ancient Egypt. He had admiration for himself during the conversation. Then they heard a screeching sound of violin played by Lalli.
(c.)The Tiny Teacher
The tiny teacher itself depicts the dedication of the smallest creature towards their duties assigned them to perform in a very sincere way. Being the hard working and intelligent creature, they perform their duties in the form of cleaners, nurses, workers, soldiers and trainers. They lived in an anthill having hundreds of little rooms and passage for all ants. The queen ant only lays eggs after its wedding flight with a drone. Through the life cycle, a perfect ant appears. They learn their duties from old ant and ready to survive in the world of work like cleaners, nurses, workers, soldiers and trainers. They also allow other creatures to live in their anthill to get pleasant smell, sweet juice and playthings. People should learn many qualities from this wisest creature hard work, sense of duty and discipline, loyalty towards their country. Although ants are tiny creatures, they are big teachers. Humans can learn hard work, duty and discipline, cleanliness, caring for our young ones and firm loyalty to the land from them. By working intelligently and bravely like them and behaving in a non-interfering way, we too can live a peaceful life.
(d.)Bringing up Kari
This story is about a nine year old boy and five month old elephant, Kari. Both of them grew together. The first thing which Kari did was to save a boy. Kari was like a baby and full of mischief. One day he developed the taste of bananas and since then he took all steps to steal the bananas. The narrator was very annoyed. So he scolded Kari for his mischief. The narrator took all efforts to teach elephant to walk and to sit down. The most difficult and important thing was to teach master call. Master call is a strange rising sound which can help the master reach home, if one is lost in the jungle. Kari took five years to learn it properly.