Summary of chapter a short monsoon diary
Answers
Answer:
In this chapter are the extracts from the diary of the famous author and nature lover Ruskin Bond. The author describes the flora and fauna during the monsoon in Mussoorie. He wrote these experiences day-wise.
24th June is the first day of the monsoon mist. The mist has covered the hills and also quietened the birds. He can hear Bijju calling his sister and feel that he is running. However, due to mist, he is unable to see Bijju. The author says that the mist has changed the Mussoorie hills in two ways. Firstly, one can not see the hills and secondly can not hear the birds chirping.On 25th June, the rain is warm and humid and is thus comfortable, unlike the winter rain. The flowers are blooming. He describes the hill station as ‘A Paradise that might have been’.
On 27th June, one can see leeches appearing due to the monsoon. A leopard was also seen stealing dogs and other animals. Some new birds like minivets can also be seen. Minivets are bright coloured birds and sit silently among the leaves. One can also see some seasonal flowers blooming.
It’s 2nd August and has rained all night. The sound of the rain on the tin roof delights him. He feels he is untouched yet is in touch with the rain.
On 3rd August, the rain stops and there is sunshine. Animals, birds, and humans are all out in open sunshine. The author is pleased to hear a song of a whistling thrush coming from a distance.
On 12th August he writes that it is been raining non-stop for more than a week. Everything is damp but not cold. Flowers have covered the hills. If one needs to go out, he needs to carry an umbrella.It’s 31st August and monsoon growth can be seen everywhere. The seeds of the cobra lily are becoming red which is an indication that the rains are coming to an end. Snakes and rodents have taken shelter in attics, roofs, and godowns as the holes are full of rainwater.
It’s on the 3rd of October. This year the monsoon was much longer than usual. Usually, it starts in the last week of June and continues until the end of August. Now, the winter rain has begun.
On 26th January, the author wrote a poem about winter rain. He says that the winter rain makes him feel lonely as a friend who was staying with him has left. He also says that there are no flowers in winter rain as there were in monsoon rains.
It’s 23rd March and is the end of winter. One can see a rainbow in the clear sky after a hailstorm.
Explanation:
Answer:
The lesson gives us a glimpse into the diary of Ruskin Bond and the first day being talked about is June 24, the time around which monsoon begins. He mentions how the mist silences the birdsong and conceals the hills making everything invisible. By June 25, humidity emerges as they begin receiving some early monsoon rain. The first cobra lily rears its head from the ferns. The author describes the hill station and valley in one sentence, “A paradise that might have been”. The rains also heralds the arrival of a few seasonal visitors like the leopard, leeches, scarlet minivets and drongos. Because of the downpour, there is no dearth of food for the insect-eating birds. He mentions how the rain continued all night on August 2. The springing leaks from the tin roof made him feel touched by the rain while actually remaining untouched. By the twelfth day of August, Mussoorie had been receiving showers for a stretch of eight to nine days straight. They had nowhere to go. One could only pace in the room or look out of the window. The last day of August marked the peak of the lush monsoon growth. The reddening of the seeds of the lily cobra signified that the rains are about to come to an end and the ferns will now start turning yellow. With October, comes the winter rain bringing snow on the higher altitudes. The late March marks the end of the winter season when the hill station experiences the darkest clouds that make way for a rainbow to form after it has hailed thus, leaving the sky clear.