24-2-2014 ∑ ›˘–˲$–È∆ÊˇÖ 77772) The poet had four different feelings towards the snake.

What were they?Which one do you think is thestrongest?

A. The poet had four different feelings towards the snake. Theywere:-1. Cowardice 2. perversity 3. Humility 4. Honour Ithink honour is the strongest one.

3. How did the poet feel as soon as he threw a log at him orAlthough the poet tried to kill the snake he later regret-ted why?

A. The poet felt regretted as soon as he threw a log at the snakebecause he thought that his act was mean. The poet alsohated himself for doing such a shameful act of throwing alog at the snake.

4. What is the feeling that the poet felt with at the end of hisexperience?

A. At the end of his experience, the poet felt that he shouldmake up for his wrong doing

Fire in the ForestOn a hot midday a man jogging on through the jungle, took alast draw of his cigarette and threw it on the path.The cigarettestub had still life in it. It came in contact with a thread of drygrass. A spark snapped. It crackled up into a tiny flame. The windcould not put out the fire. The fire rapidly spread. They lit thecounterfire all along the edge of the fire line and forced it to trav-el upwind to meet the on coming fire.

All the animals were resting under the cool shades of thetrees on that hot day. They were not aware of the fire in the for-est. A chital hind was lying by herself, away from the herd. in theforest glade as she had recently given birth to a fawn. The hindwas at peace because there was no danger either to its fawn orherself from any quarter. The hind was dreaming about the futureof her baby. Suddenly the hind threw up her head. She couldsmell the scent of smoke. She became alert. She got to her feetand stood with out- stretched neck, staring nervously up wind.Stamped lightly in warning, and stood ready to stamp again.

The hinds' eyes because painful became of the smoke. Theheat of the fire increased. She saw thick clouds of smoke. Shefelt that there was a mortal danger. She wanted to take her babyto a safe place as the fire was fast approaching them. The hindsprang sharply to her fawn and nudged him to her feet.

The fawn got up shakily and gave a little frisky jump andfell over. It got up again and came playfully towards its mother.The hind was helpless and urged her baby to follow her. The hindwas gripped with fear and tession as the fire was fast approach-ing them. The fawn was too weak. It could not follow the hind.The fawn kept sinking down, exhausted and refusing to get upagain. It was slow and disobedient too.

The hind became cruel and forced the fawn on with roughbites nipping his soft flesh. The fawn squealed and staggeredalong. It was afraid of its mother, but not of fire. The fire wasclose behind them. Pieces of flying burnt twigs alighted on thefawn and the hind. The fawn could not bear the pain. It stood,staggered and fell. It lay quivering

Both mother and baby were caught in between the two fires.Sparks were faling all around. All the animals were running indifferent direction to save their lives. The fawn leapt to its feetand stood on the edge of the steep valley. The frantic motherpushed her baby and it started rolling down the steep bank andstopped right by the pool. The hind also followed her baby. Itpushed its baby forward into the edge of the water. The fawn laymotionless. The hing was watching all around.

The hind saw a tiger crouching on the other side of the pool.the tiger stared at the hind. The tiger wanted to kill the hind butwas prevented to do so because it was frightened and corneredjust like other animals. When the fire was put out all the animalsstarted running helter skelter. The hind could not leave as thefawn was still unable to move. The tiger was ready to pounce andkill the hind. In the meanwhile someone was coming in thatdirection shouting instructions in hindi. The tiger moved offhaughtily into the jungle.

Meanings1. Scrub= stunted forest growth2. Ruby=live glowing red spot3. Cling=stick on4. Popping=making quick, explosive sound5. Waver=become unsteady, irresolute

6. Halt=stop7. Stubble=the stump of a tree8. Upwind=moving against the wind9. Blaze=bright flame, fire10. Furnace = oven, a great flame11. Glade=clear open space between forest trees12. Speckled = haring spots, spotted13. Ripple=move in a wavy fashion, stir14. Threaten = frighten15. Contentment = satisfaction16. Chital hind = female spotted deer17. Stripy = having stripes18. Dappled = marked, spotted19. Aquiver = tremble, fluctuate20. Suffuse = spread over, well up from within21. Antlers = branch like horns of a deer22. Velvet = soft skin, smooth23. Gossamer = light, filmy substance24. Drift = to be carried, float25. Smart = feel acute pain26. Stoop = bend27. Frayed = ragged, rough edged, worn28. Nudge = push with elbows, drew, drag, gentle push29. Frisky = joyful, playful, lively30. Urge = strong desire31. Exhausted = very tired, lost all the strength32. Dense = thick, tightly packed33. Under growth = shrub bush34. Scurry = run hurriedly35. Anguish = severe mental suffering, agony, sorrow36. Mortal = causing death, deadly, fatal37. Nip = pinch, bite38. Squeal = utter shrill cry39. Stagger = walk unsteadily, waver40. Sting = bite, pain, prick, wound41. Charred rain = blacken with fire, scorch, burn42. Thump = heavy blow43. panting = breathing with difficulty44. Disconnection = lack of understanding45. Singe = burn superficially46. Explode = burn with a loud noise47. Wrench = twist or pull violently48. Gale = high speed wind49. Mend = alter, to add fuel to fire50. Spat bang = fell suddenly51. Panick = Sudden uncontrollable fear or alarm, terror52. Course = advance, continue, line, direction, route, path, track53. Boulder = big rock54. Bearings = bodily attitude55. Strewn = spread about over a surface56. Timber drag = trail of broken undergrowth caused by drag-

ging timber57. Brink = edge, bark, border, boundary58. Descent = dive, drop, fall, act of descending, way down59. Ooze = discharge, emit60. Fizzle = hiss feebly61. Crouch = bend low62. Loll = hang loosely63. shallow = not deep64. Tread = step, stamp65. Tepid = luke warm, light warm66. Refuge = place of shelter

Important Questions & Answers1) Why was the deer lying away from the herd? Why do you

think she had chosen that spot?A. The spotted deer was lying away from the herd because she had

just given birth to a fawn. She had chosen the speckled shadowbecause she, being a spotted deer, could hide her identity in thedeep grass. At that time she was at peace with the world, happyand successful. Soon afterwards a fire broke out in the forest andshattered her peace and happiness.

2) She was at peace with the world, happy and successful.How was the deer at peace with the world?

A. The deer was at peace with the world, happy and successfulbecause no danger was threatening her and her new bornfawn. The light was warm. The grass was cool, fresh andsweet with a drop or two of dew still hidden under it. Soonafterwords fire broke out in the forest and shattered herpeace and happiness.

3) How does the deer spot danger? Why was she on alert allthe time?

A. The deer spots danger actually when she sees a tiger or apanther. She was on the alert the whole time to find outwhether there was any danger waiting for her and her fawn.

Her ears are flicking this way and that way to throw off fliesand to bring her news of danger. Her eyes are staring into theshadows of the stripy tiger grass. Her nostrils are trembling.

4. What were the thoughts and feelings of mother deerwhen she became aware of danger?

A. The deer stooped anxiously to her fawn. Then up again tolook and listen when she became aware of danger. The deersprang sharply to her fawn and nudged him to her feet. The deer's thoughts and feelings were about the future of herfawn. She thought that her fawn was too weak to move and gowith the herd. She also thought that when her fawn grewstronger they would go out together and join up with the othersand live their life in the great forest.

5) Why did the deer stay back even when other animalswent away? What did she do?

A. The fawn was not strong enough to move. So the deer stayedback with her fawn even when other animals went away. Thedeer and her fawn stayed there cooling their burns and drink-ing warm water in pool. When the fawn recovered and wasstrong enough they would move into the un burnt forest andjoin the herd again.

6) The forest department started a fire to stop the fire whatwas the idea behind it? (or)How did the forest department halt the fire?

A. There were firelines cut ready through the jungle for exactlythis purpose. All trees and undergrowth were cleared away.The forest department lit a counter fire along the edge of thefire line, beating out with branches, any tiny flames that triedto travel the wrong way back ward across the stubble of thefireline. Thus the counter fire travelled against the wind tomeet the on coming flame. When the two fires met theywould both go out as there was nothing left for them to burn.

7. How did the deer react when she first got the smell ofdanger?

A. The deer rose to her feet and stood with out-stretched neckstaring nervously up wind. She stamped lightly in warming.Her eyes began to smart. She bent anxiously to her fawn,then up again to look and listen. She sprang sharply to herfawn and nudged him to her feet.

8) Give two reasons why the tiger did not eat the deer andthe fawn?

A. The animals which were sandwitched between the two fires,took refuge in a river bed which was dried to a larger extent.They forgot their natural enmity and the wild beasts didn'ttry to kill even the animals of their pey because they werefacing common danger. This was the first reason. When thefire came to an end the tiger heard a man's voice shoutinginstructions. These were the two reasons why the tiger didnot eat the deer and the fawn.

Vinobha - A portrait Sketch

Vinoba started the land gifts mission in 1951. He started this mis-sion for the upliftment of the down trodden, poor peasants. He visit-ed many villages and came face to face with the misery of the land-less peasants. He came on foot to Hyderabad, during the spring sea-son in 1951, from the place where he lived. He visited a particularvillage where communist violence was daily expected and appealedto the land lords to treat him as one of their sons and give him hisshare. He did not appeal for charity but for a rightful share. The landlords were pleased to gift the land and thereafter the communistsnever regained their hold there.

Vinoba's piligrimage differed from that of the traditional voyageas it was not related to any religion. Vinoba was devoted towards hismission. He was leading the life of an obscure peasant. He was 57years old. His thin and frail body gave a much older look than hisactual age. The author who interviewed Vinoba was awe-struck toknow Vinoba had given up every thing to lead the life of an obscurepeasant. The author was puzzled to see how Vinoba transcendedfrom a scholar to lead a simple peasant life.

Every Hindu would like to retire and try to attain renuncia-tion at a certain age. On the contrary, Vinoba reversed to processand started Bhoodan movement at the age of 57. Vinoba'sapproach to one and all was that of humanism. He spoke wordsof affection, irrespective of their creed or condition. Vinobaspoke sixteen languages. That helped him to converse freely withpeople of different languges. Vinoba acquired his strengththrough renunciation. He had an iron will. At the age of ten, hetook a vow of chastity. At the age of twenty he burnt all his cer-tificates inspite of his mother's protests. He didnot attend hismother's funeral as he was against caste system.

Summary

Lesson -8

Summary

Lesson -7