essay on blessing of childhood for class 9

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✍️Essay on Childhood: Samples in 100, 150 and 200 Words

• Updated on  
• Nov 2, 2023

Essay on Childhood: How was your childhood? I bet it was full of adventure, fun and joyful activities. Agatha Christie has rightly said – ‘One of the luckiest things that can happen to you in life is, I think, to have a happy childhood.’ Childhood memories are considered one of the most beautiful days one can ever experience in their life. Those are the days one can never forget. Well, no amount of words can describe those good old days. Today we will highlight the importance of childhood with some essays on childhood which you can use anywhere.

Table of Contents

• 1 Importance of Childhood
• 2 Essay on Childhood in 100 Words
• 3 Essay on Childhood in 150 Words
• 4 Essay on Childhood in 200 Words

Importance of Childhood

Childhood is life’s early stage of development where growth and changes rapidly take place A child needs to be nurtured and loved by all their family, friends, and teachers around him. At the same time, the child must have a healthy childhood to have a better mental health lifelong.

Childhood is that stage where young children get to learn about themselves as well as their surroundings. Early childhood is the best time to learn about developing good habits that will help them shape their future and at the same time be good human beings. Children should get into the habit of eating healthy food, getting fresh air, drinking plenty of water and finally doing a lot of exercise. By doing so, this will help them to grow into resilient adults who will be able to handle any situation.

Moreover, a child’s childhood is that period of their lifetime when they get to develop their personalities. Also, it is the time when they must be exposed to a variety of situations to develop into responsible people. It is important to remember that childhood is a time when children learn from their experiences and mistakes, explore various opportunities and create memories from them. 

Also Read: Essay on the Importance of the English Language for Students

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Essay on Childhood in 100 Words

Childhood is that period when a child is considered to be one of the most carefree and joyful. In this period, a child has a lot of innocence, an unlimited number of opportunities and is naive. 

Some of the best childhood memories one can have are learning new things, playing with their friends, spending time with their family and finally learning skills which will help them lifelong. We all can recall those days when we used to play various types of games with our friends in the evening after school. The excitement of finishing our studies and going out, those days of watching our favourite TV shows can never be forgotten. 

Apart from all the fun days, childhood is the best time for personal development. We pick up the skills necessary such as communication skills and engage with the world. Each of us develops our distinct interests.

Also Read: Essay on Save Environment: Samples in 100, 200, 300 Words

Essay on Childhood in 150 Words

We all remember that magical period of our lives- Childhood. It was that time of our lives when the world around us was full of excitement when we were surrounded by our close ones and had nothing to worry about. Those days when all we had to do was study, meet friends, go to school and play outside. We all had created our exciting worlds. 

One of my most treasured childhood memories is, spending time with family and friends. Those days when we would visit our grandparent’s house, listening to stories during vacations is another of the best memories. All these memories have led to the creation of a unique bond between our family and who we have become as adults.

Apart from all the memories, childhood is the most important period of our lives when we get to learn new things and mould ourselves. It is rightly said that what we learn during our childhood days we get to carry throughout our lives.

How beautiful was that period, when we got to cultivate our talents, pick up new skills, and create our own distinct identities 

Also Read: Essay on Unity in Diversity in 100 to 200 Words

Essay on Childhood in 200 Words

Childhood is a magical period of one’s life. Those days of innocence, fun and endless possibilities, oh, how can one forget that It is now that we wish that we had the chance to relive that period once again? How can we forget that time when we created an endless amount of memories which will last a lifetime?

Gone are those days when we fought with our parents to buy us toys or play. With time, the definition of childhood has also changed. Children in the 21st century will now have a unique childhood experience, shaped by the technological advancements and social changes of our time. Now, children have access to information on their electronic devices (iPads/Phones). How can we forget, that children now prefer to use smartphones for entertaining themselves rather than playing outside? 

Despite these changes, the meaning of childhood can change no matter if the way of living has changed. Growing children still crave the love, support and guidance which will help them to be responsible adults. 

To conclude, everybody’s childhood is a priceless period. Parents and other adults who care for children contribute to their joyful and fulfilled childhood by showing them love, support, and guidance.

Related Articles

The time of life from birth to adolescence is known as childhood. It is a period of fast-paced cognitive, emotional, and physical growth. During this period, children learn and develop, acquiring the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed as adults.

Early experiences have a significant impact on how the brain develops in children.

There is no specified age for childhood. It depends on the person’s brain development. A person aged 18 or 21 can be considered as a child than someone who is 16 or 17.

For more information on such interesting topics, visit our essay-writing page and follow Leverage Edu ! 

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Malvika is a content writer cum news freak who comes with a strong background in Journalism and has worked with renowned news websites such as News 9 and The Financial Express to name a few. When not writing, she can be found bringing life to the canvasses by painting on them.

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Essay On Blessing Of Childhood

Essay on blessing of childhood (200 words).

Childhood is the most cherished and delightful period of one’s life. It is a period of innocence, curiosity, playfulness, and freedom. During this period, children learn and explore the world enthusiastically and joyfully. Childhood is a blessing because it lays the foundation for one’s future and shapes one’s personality and character.

Childhood offers a carefree and joyous environment that allows children to develop social and emotional skills. They learn to form relationships, communicate with others, and become confident individuals. Children also develop cognitive abilities during this period, which is crucial for academic success.

Another blessing of childhood is the abundance of playtime. Children have the luxury of spending hours playing games, running around, and exploring the outdoors. Playtime allows children to develop their creativity, imagination, and problem-solving skills. Moreover, it helps them to relax and relieve stress, leading to a healthier and happier life.

In conclusion, childhood is a blessing that should be cherished and nurtured. It offers a unique opportunity for children to learn, grow, and develop skills that shape their future. The memories and experiences gained during childhood last a lifetime and influence one’s personality and character. Therefore, parents, educators, and society must ensure children have a safe and nurturing environment that fosters their growth and development.

Essay On Blessing Of Childhood (500 words)

Childhood is a period of life that everyone goes through, and it is a time that is often described as the “blessing of childhood.” This is because childhood is a time of innocence, wonder, and discovery, and it is a time when we are free to explore the world around us without the responsibilities and burdens that come with adulthood. In this essay, I will discuss the many blessings of childhood and why it is such an essential time in our lives.

One of the most important blessings of childhood is the opportunity to learn and grow. As children, we constantly learn new things, explore new ideas, and discover the world around us. We are like sponges, absorbing everything we see, hear, and experience; this learning and growth process helps us develop our minds, bodies, and spirits. Childhood is a time of incredible curiosity and wonder; through this curiosity and wonder, we develop the knowledge and skills that will serve us throughout our lives.

Another blessing of childhood is the opportunity to form deep and meaningful relationships. As children, we form close bonds with family members, friends, and other important people. A deep sense of trust, love, and support often characterizes these relationships. They provide a solid emotional and social well-being foundation we can draw upon throughout our lives. Childhood friendships can be especially powerful, as they are often based on shared experiences, interests, and a sense of playfulness and fun unique to our lives.

In addition to the blessings of learning and relationships, childhood is a time of freedom and creativity. As children, we are free to play, explore, and imagine; this sense of freedom and creativity is essential to our development. Expressing ourselves in ways often discouraged or forbidden in adulthood allows us to develop our unique sense of self and identity. Whether building forts in the woods, painting pictures, or creating imaginary worlds, childhood is when we are free to be ourselves and explore the world in our way.

Finally, one of childhood’s greatest blessings is its sense of possibility and potential. As children, we are filled with dreams and aspirations, believing anything is possible. This sense of possibility and potential is incredibly powerful, as it helps us to develop the confidence and motivation that we need to pursue our goals and achieve our dreams. Whether we dream of becoming an astronaut, a doctor, or a teacher, childhood is a time when we are free to dream big and to believe that we can make our dreams a reality.

In conclusion, childhood is a time of incredible blessings, and it is a time that should be cherished and celebrated. From the opportunities to learn and grow, to the deep and meaningful relationships we form, to the freedom and creativity we can express, childhood is a time of great potential and possibility. As we grow older and take on more responsibilities, it is essential to remember the blessings of childhood and to hold onto the sense of wonder and curiosity that we experienced during this special time in our lives.

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Sana Mursleen is a student studying English Literature at Lahore Garrison University (LGU). With her love for writing and humor, she writes essays for Top Study World. Sana is an avid reader and has a passion for history, politics, and social issues.

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Blessing of Childhood Essay And Article for Students

This Post discusses different types of the blessing of childhood essay. for the help of students and professionals in writing Blessings of childhood essay

Blessing of Childhood Article. In this first essay, we will discuss the Blessings of Childhood. Childhood is full of pure joy and wonder. It is a period of innocence, curiosity, and boundless energy. During this time, we are free to explore the world around us, learn new things, and make memories that last a lifetime. In this essay, we will delve into the blessings of childhood and explore the ways in which this special period in our lives shapes who we are as individuals. From the freedom to play to the joy of discovery, childhood offers a unique perspective on the world that we can carry with us throughout our lives.

Blessing of Childhood essay. In this second essay. We will discuss the memories of Childhood. Childhood is often considered the most carefree and innocent phase of life. It is a time when we are free to be ourselves, without the pressures of society or the expectations of others. During this time, we are able to explore our interests, make mistakes, and learn important life lessons that shape our personalities and our futures. In this essay, we will examine the blessings of childhood and explore how this period of our lives influences our development, our relationships, and our perceptions of the world around us.

Blessing of Childhood Article. In this third essay, We will discuss the Innocents of our Childhood. Childhood is a time of growth, exploration, and discovery. It is a period in our lives that is filled with wonder and amazement, as we learn about the world around us and develop important skills that will shape our future. In this essay, we will explore the blessings of childhood and how they contribute to our development as individuals. From the innocence of youth to the freedom to play, childhood offers a unique perspective on life that is often lost in adulthood. Through this essay, we hope to celebrate the beauty of childhood and inspire others to embrace the blessings that come with it.

Blessing of Childhood Essay #1

Childhood is a beautiful phase of life that we all experience at some point. It is a time when we are carefree and happy, and the world is full of endless possibilities. Childhood is a blessing, and it is essential to recognize the significance of this stage of life.

One of the blessings of childhood is the ability to learn and absorb new things quickly. Children have an incredible capacity for learning and are like sponges, soaking up information and experiences. They are curious about the world around them and are eager to explore and discover new things. This ability to learn and grow is a precious gift that can help children build a strong foundation for their future.

Another blessing of childhood is the ability to form close relationships with others. Children are naturally social creatures and enjoy spending time with their family and friends. They are able to form deep and meaningful connections with others, which can help them develop a sense of belonging and self-worth. These relationships can also provide a support system for children as they navigate through life’s challenges.

Finally, childhood is a time when children can experience joy and happiness in their daily lives. They are able to find joy in simple things like playing with their toys, spending time with loved ones, and exploring the world around them. These moments of joy and happiness can help children develop a positive outlook on life, which can stay with them as they grow older.

In conclusion, childhood is a blessing that should be cherished and celebrated. The ability to learn and grow, form close relationships, and experience joy and happiness are all precious gifts that children have. As adults, it is our responsibility to nurture and support children during this phase of life so that they can grow up to be healthy, happy, and successful adults.

Blessing of Childhood Essay #2

Childhood memories are some of the most precious and cherished moments in our lives. They are the moments that we look back on with fondness and nostalgia, and they often hold a special place in our hearts. The blessings of childhood memories are many, and they are an important part of our lives.

One of the childhood memories is the ability to transport us back to a time when life was simpler and more carefree. Memories of playing with friends, family vacations, and holiday celebrations can help us relive the joy and happiness we felt as children. These memories can be a source of comfort and happiness during difficult times, and they can remind us of the importance of finding joy in the simple things in life.

Another childhood memory is the ability to provide us with a sense of identity and belonging. Memories of our childhood experiences and the people who were a part of our lives can help us understand who we are and where we come from. These memories can also help us feel connected to our family and community, which can provide a sense of belonging and support.

Finally, childhood memories can be a source of inspiration and motivation. Memories of our childhood dreams and aspirations can remind us of our goals and aspirations in life. These memories can motivate us to work hard and pursue our passions, knowing that we have the ability to achieve our dreams.

In conclusion, childhood memories are a blessing that should be treasured and celebrated. They are a source of joy, comfort, and inspiration, and they can help us understand who we are and where we come from. By cherishing our childhood memories, we can hold onto the magic of childhood and keep it alive in our hearts forever.

Blessing of Childhood Article #3

Childhood is often considered the most blissful phase of life. It is a period of innocence, joy, and freedom from the complexities and pressures of adult life. During childhood, we are carefree and full of life. It is a time when we are filled with wonder and curiosity about the world around us. There are many blessings of childhood, and in this essay, we will explore some of them.

The first blessing of childhood is the joy of discovery. Children are naturally curious and have a thirst for knowledge. They are always exploring their surroundings and trying to make sense of the world. Whether it’s discovering new colors, shapes, or sounds, every day is an adventure for a child. Their sense of wonder and amazement at even the simplest things is contagious and reminds us of the beauty and mystery of life.

Another blessing of childhood is the freedom to play. Children are not burdened by the responsibilities and pressures of adulthood. They can spend hours playing, using their imagination to create new worlds and scenarios. Play is not only a source of entertainment, but it is also essential for a child’s development. It helps them to learn important life skills such as problem-solving, social interaction, and communication.

Childhood is also a time of innocence. Children are not burdened by the weight of the world and its complexities. They are free from the worries of bills, work, and relationships. They see the world in a simpler way, with a black-and-white view of right and wrong. This innocence allows them to approach life with an open heart and a positive attitude, make friends easily, and see the good in people.

Childhood is also a time of growth and development. Physically, children grow rapidly and experience many milestones, from their first steps to their first words. Mentally, children develop important skills such as language, reasoning, and critical thinking. Emotionally, children learn to navigate their feelings and develop important social skills. All of these developments lay the foundation for a healthy and happy life.

Finally, childhood memories are some of the most cherished memories of our lives. The memories of playing with friends, learning new things, and experiencing the world with fresh eyes stay with us forever. Childhood memories have the power to transport us back to a time of innocence, joy, and wonder. They are a reminder of the blessings of childhood and the importance of embracing life with an open heart and a positive attitude.

In conclusion, childhood is a precious and beautiful phase of life. It is a time of discovery, play, innocence, growth, and cherished memories. As we grow older, it is important to hold onto the blessings of childhood and carry them with us throughout our lives. We should never forget the joy and wonder of childhood and strive to approach life with the same enthusiasm and curiosity.

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‘My Childhood’ by Abdul Kalam Class 9 Explanation & Meanings

• Post category: NCERT English Class 8

‘My Childhood’ by Abdul Kalam Class 9 Explanation & Meanings: Here you would get para-wise meanings and explanation of the lesson ‘My Childhood’ in Class 9 NCERT English book ‘Beehive’. Click here for other lessons .

Para Wise Meanings & Explanations

1. I WAS born into a middle-class Tamil family in the island town of Rameswaram in the erstwhile Madras State. My father, Jainulabdeen, had neither much formal education nor much wealth; despite these disadvantages, he possessed great innate wisdom and a true generosity of spirit. He had an ideal helpmate in my mother, Ashiamma. I do not recall the exact number of people she fed every day, but I am quite certain that far more outsiders ate with us than all the members of our own family put together.

• Erstwhile: Former, in the past.
• Innate: Inborn, natural, existing from birth.
• Helpmate: A helpful companion or partner.
• Ideal: Perfect or most suitable.
• Generosity of spirit: A kind and giving nature.
• Recall: Remember.
• Outsiders: People who are not part of the family or a particular group.

Explanation:

The author begins by providing details about their background, stating that they were born into a middle-class Tamil family in Rameswaram, which was part of the former Madras State. The father, Jainulabdeen, is described as someone with limited formal education and wealth. Despite these apparent disadvantages, the father is characterized by great innate wisdom and a true generosity of spirit. This suggests that, despite lacking in traditional measures of success, the father possesses valuable qualities that go beyond material wealth or academic achievements.

The term “helpmate” is used to describe the author’s mother, Ashiamma. It implies that she is not just a spouse but an ideal companion or partner, suggesting a harmonious and supportive relationship. The author expresses admiration for the mother’s generosity, highlighting that she fed a significant number of people every day. The phrase “far more outsiders ate with us than all the members of our own family put together” emphasizes the selflessness and hospitality of the family. It paints a picture of a household that extends its generosity to a broader community, welcoming and providing for more people outside their immediate family.

Overall, this passage sets the stage for the author’s upbringing in a modest family, emphasizing the importance of qualities like wisdom, generosity, and community care over material wealth or formal education.

2. I was one of many children — a short boy with rather undistinguished looks, born to tall and handsome parents. We lived in our ancestral house, which was built in the middle of the nineteenth century. It was a fairly large pucca house, made of limestone and brick, on the Mosque Street in Rameswaram. My austere father used to avoid all inessential comforts and luxuries. However, all necessities were provided for, in terms of food, medicine or clothes. In fact, I would say mine was a very secure childhood, both materially and emotionally.

• Undistinguished: Not standing out, ordinary or unremarkable.
• Ancestral: Relating to one’s ancestors or family heritage.
• Pucca: Solid, permanent, often used in the context of buildings to signify solidity and durability.
• Austere: Simple, plain, without excess or luxury.
• Inessential: Not necessary, superfluous.
• Luxuries: Comforts and pleasures beyond basic necessities.
• Secure: Safe, protected, free from danger or want.

The author describes themselves as one of many children, emphasizing their unremarkable appearance. Despite being short and having ordinary looks, they were born to tall and handsome parents. The family resides in their ancestral house, built in the middle of the nineteenth century. The term “pucca” is used to describe the house, indicating that it is a solid and permanent structure made of limestone and brick. The location is specified as Mosque Street in Rameswaram.

The father is characterized as austere, avoiding inessential comforts and luxuries. Despite this, the author emphasizes that all necessities, including food, medicine, and clothes, were provided for. The term “secure childhood” suggests that the author felt both materially and emotionally secure during their upbringing. This implies a sense of stability and protection within the family environment.

In summary, this passage provides insights into the author’s physical appearance, family background, and the nature of their ancestral home. It portrays a family that values simplicity and practicality, ensuring the fulfilment of basic needs while avoiding unnecessary extravagance. The use of the term “secure childhood” underscores the emotional well-being and stability experienced by the author during this period.

3. The Second World War broke out in 1939, when I was eight years old. For reasons I have never been able to understand, a sudden demand for tamarind seeds erupted in the market. I used to collect the seeds and sell them to a provision shop on Mosque Street. A day’s collection would fetch me the princely sum of one anna. My brother-in-law Jallaluddin would tell me stories about the War which I would later attempt to trace in the headlines in Dinamani. Our area, being isolated, was completely unaffected by the War. But soon India was forced to join the Allied Forces and something like a state of emergency was declared. The first casualty came in the form of the suspension of the train halt at Rameswaram station. The newspapers now had to be bundled and thrown out from the moving train on the Rameswaram Road between Rameswaram and Dhanuskodi. That forced my cousin Samsuddin, who distributed newspapers in Rameswaram , to look for a helping hand to catch the bundles and, as if naturally, I filled the slot. Samsuddin helped me earn my first wages. Half a century later, I can still feel the surge of pride in earning my own money for the first time.

• Princely: Grand or impressive, often used ironically to emphasize a small or modest amount.
• Brother-in-law: The brother of one’s spouse.
• Dinamani: Presumably a reference to a newspaper, possibly a local publication.
• Allied Forces: The military alliance of the Allied Powers during World War II.
• State of emergency: A situation of national danger or disaster, usually involving government restrictions.
• Casualty: In this context, a negative consequence or effect.
• Train halt: A stopping point for trains.
• Rameswaram station: Presumably a railway station in Rameswaram.
• Dhanuskodi: A place or region mentioned in connection with Rameswaram.

The author recalls the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939 when they were eight years old. During this time, there was an unexpected demand for tamarind seeds in the market. The author took advantage of this by collecting and selling the seeds to a provision shop on Mosque Street, earning one anna for a day’s collection. The term “princely sum” is used ironically to emphasize the modest amount earned.

The author’s brother-in-law, Jallaluddin, shared stories about the War, and the author tried to verify these stories by reading headlines in Dinamani, a newspaper. Despite their area being initially isolated from the war’s impact, India eventually joined the Allied Forces, leading to a state of emergency. The suspension of the train halt at Rameswaram station and the need to distribute newspapers led to a unique opportunity for the author.

The author’s cousin, Samsuddin, who distributed newspapers in Rameswaram, enlisted the author’s help in catching newspaper bundles thrown from a moving train between Rameswaram and Dhanuskodi. This activity helped the author earn their first wages. The mention of feeling a “surge of pride” in earning their own money highlights the significance of this experience in the author’s memory.

In summary, this passage provides a glimpse into the author’s childhood during the Second World War. It illustrates their entrepreneurial spirit in responding to market demands, the impact of the war on their community, and the unique opportunity that arose due to the war-related changes, leading to the author’s first earning experience.

4. Every child is born, with some inherited characteristics, into a specific socio-economic and emotional environment, and trained in certain ways by figures of authority. I inherited honesty and self-discipline from my father; from my mother, I inherited faith in goodness and deep kindness and so did my three brothers and sister. I had three close friends in my childhood — Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindan and Sivaprakasan. All these boys were from orthodox Hindu Brahmin families. As children, none of us ever felt any difference amongst ourselves because of our religious differences and upbringing. In fact, Ramanadha Sastry was the son of Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry, the high priest of the Rameswaram temple. Later, he took over the priesthood of the Rameswaram temple from his father; Aravindan went into the business of arranging transport for visiting pilgrims; and Sivaprakasan became a catering contractor for the Southern Railways.

• Inherited: Received from one’s ancestors or parents.
• Socio-economic: Relating to the social and economic factors that influence one’s status in society.
• Emotional environment: The atmosphere or surroundings that shape one’s emotional experiences.
• Self-discipline: The ability to control one’s own behaviour, especially in terms of work and personal conduct.
• Faith in goodness: A strong belief in the inherent goodness of people or situations.
• Orthodox: Adhering to traditional and established beliefs or customs.
• Brahmin families: Families belonging to the Hindu priestly class, traditionally associated with religious and scholarly pursuits.
• Priesthood: The position or role of a priest.
• Catering contractor: A person or business responsible for providing catering services.
• Southern Railways: Presumably a reference to the railway system in the southern region of India.

The author reflects on the idea that every child is born with certain inherited characteristics and is raised in a specific socio-economic and emotional environment. From the author’s father, they inherited honesty and self-discipline, while from their mother, they inherited faith in goodness and deep kindness. The author’s siblings also inherited these qualities.

The author had three close friends in childhood—Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindan, and Sivaprakasan. All of them came from orthodox Hindu Brahmin families. Despite religious and upbringing differences, the children did not feel any distinctions among themselves. Ramanadha Sastry, the son of the high priest of the Rameswaram temple, eventually took over the priesthood from his father. Aravindan became involved in arranging transport for visiting pilgrims, and Sivaprakasan became a catering contractor for the Southern Railways.

This passage emphasizes the influence of family, upbringing, and friendships in shaping the author’s early life. It also highlights the diversity of career paths and choices made by the author’s childhood friends, showcasing how individuals with different backgrounds can pursue distinct professions while maintaining their bond of friendship.

5. During the annual Shri Sita Rama Kalyanam ceremony, our family used to arrange boats with a special platform for carrying idols of the Lord from the temple to the marriage site, situated in the middle of the pond called Rama Tirtha which was near our house. Events from the Ramayana and from the life of the Prophet were the bedtime stories my mother and grandmother would tell the children in our family.

• Shri Sita Rama Kalyanam: A religious ceremony or ritual related to the marriage of Lord Rama and Sita in Hindu tradition.
• Idols: Images or representations, often of deities in a religious context.
• Marriage site: The location where a marriage ceremony takes place.
• Rama Tirtha: The name of the pond mentioned in the passage.
• Ramayana: One of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India, narrating the life of Prince Rama.
• Prophet: Typically used in the context of Islam, referring to a person who delivers messages from a divine source.
• Bedtime stories: Stories told to children before they go to sleep.

The passage describes a family tradition during the annual Shri Sita Rama Kalyanam ceremony. During this event, the family arranged boats with a special platform to carry idols of Lord Rama from the temple to the marriage site, located in the middle of the pond called Rama Tirtha near their house. This tradition suggests a strong religious and cultural connection within the family, involving active participation in religious ceremonies.

The mention of events from the Ramayana and the life of the Prophet being bedtime stories indicates the religious and cultural education provided to the children in the family. The Ramayana is a significant Hindu epic, while the term “Prophet” suggests Islamic teachings, showcasing a multi-religious influence within the family’s storytelling. This reflects a rich cultural environment where children are exposed to narratives from both Hindu and Islamic traditions.

In summary, the passage highlights the family’s involvement in a religious ceremony, emphasizing the importance of cultural traditions and religious education within the household. The mention of stories from both the Ramayana and the life of the Prophet reflects a diverse cultural and religious upbringing for the children in the family.

6. One day when I was in the fifth standard at the Rameswaram Elementary School, a new teacher came to our class. I used to wear a cap which marked me as a Muslim, and I always sat in the front row next to Ramanadha Sastry, who wore the sacred thread. The new teacher could not stomach a Hindu priest’s son sitting with a Muslim boy. In accordance with our social ranking as the new teacher saw it, I was asked to go and sit on the back bench. I felt very sad, and so did Ramanadha Sastry. He looked utterly downcast as I shifted to my seat in the last row. The image of him weeping when I shifted to the last row left a lasting impression on me.

• Fifth standard: A specific grade level in primary education.
• Elementary School: A school that provides primary education.
• Sacred thread: A symbol worn by some Hindus, typically signifying a ritual or ceremony.
• Hindu priest’s son: The child of a Hindu religious leader.
• Social ranking: The perceived hierarchy or status within a social group.

The author recounts an incident from their time in the fifth standard at Rameswaram Elementary School. A new teacher entered the class, and the author, who wore a cap that identified them as a Muslim, habitually sat in the front row next to Ramanadha Sastry, who wore the sacred thread, a symbol of Hindu identity. The new teacher, seemingly uncomfortable with the seating arrangement, decided to enforce a different seating plan based on perceived social or religious differences.

Due to the teacher’s bias, the author was asked to move to the back bench, ostensibly because of their Muslim identity and the proximity to a Hindu classmate. This incident made both the author and Ramanadha Sastry feel sad. The emotional impact on Ramanadha Sastry is particularly highlighted, as he appeared visibly upset when the author moved to the last row. The author emphasizes the lasting impression of seeing Ramanadha Sastry in a state of distress.

This passage highlights issues of prejudice and discrimination based on religious identity and social perceptions within an educational setting. It underscores the emotional impact of such incidents on individuals, leaving a lasting impression on the author and shaping their awareness of social biases.

7. After school, we went home and told our respective parents about the incident. Lakshmana Sastry summoned the teacher, and in our presence, told the teacher that he should not spread the poison of social inequality and communal intolerance in the minds of innocent children. He bluntly asked the teacher to either apologise or quit the school and the island. Not only did the teacher regret his behaviour, but the strong sense of conviction Lakshmana Sastry conveyed ultimately reformed this young teacher.

• Respective: Belonging individually or separately to each of the mentioned parties.
• Summoned: Called or requested someone to come.
• In our presence: While we (the students) were there.
• Poison: Metaphorically used here to describe harmful ideas or influences.
• Social inequality: Unfair differences in social status or opportunities.
• Communal intolerance: Lack of tolerance or acceptance between different religious or ethnic communities.
• Bluntly: Directly and without mincing words.
• Apologise: Acknowledge and express regret for one’s actions.
• Quit: Leave or resign from a position.
• Reformed: Changed for the better, often implying personal or moral improvement.

Following the incident at school, where the author and Ramanadha Sastry were asked to change their seats based on religious differences, they went home and informed their respective parents. Lakshmana Sastry, presumably an influential figure in the community or school, took action. He summoned the teacher and, in the presence of the students, addressed the issue directly.

Lakshmana Sastry admonished the teacher, expressing that spreading the “poison” of social inequality and communal intolerance among innocent children was unacceptable. He gave the teacher a choice: either apologize or leave the school and the island. The use of the term “bluntly” suggests that Lakshmana Sastry was firm and straightforward in conveying his message. The passage indicates that the teacher not only regretted his behavior but was also ultimately reformed by the strong sense of conviction that Lakshmana Sastry conveyed.

This passage illustrates a positive outcome where a person in authority took a stand against discrimination and intolerance. Lakshmana Sastry’s intervention not only addressed the immediate issue but also had a transformative effect on the young teacher, potentially influencing their future actions and attitudes. It emphasizes the importance of standing up against injustice and fostering a sense of equality and tolerance.

8. On the whole, the small society of Rameswaram was very rigid in terms of the segregation of different social groups. However, my science teacher Sivasubramania Iyer, though an orthodox Brahmin with a very conservative wife, was something of a rebel. He did his best to break social barriers so that people from varying backgrounds could mingle easily. He used to spend hours with me and would say, “Kalam, I want you to develop so that you are on par with the highly educated people of the big cities.”

• On the whole: Generally, considering all aspects.
• Rigid: Strict, inflexible.
• Segregation: The action or state of setting someone or something apart from others.
• Social groups: Different communities or classes within society.
• Science teacher: A teacher specializing in the subject of science.
• Orthodox Brahmin: A person adhering to traditional beliefs and practices, belonging to the Brahmin caste in Hinduism.
• Conservative: Holding to traditional attitudes and values.
• Rebel: Someone who resists or defies authority or convention.
• Social barriers: Obstacles or restrictions that prevent social interaction between different groups.
• Mingle: Mix or socialize with others.

The author describes the small society of Rameswaram as being very rigid regarding the segregation of different social groups. However, they introduce their science teacher, Sivasubramania Iyer, who, despite being an orthodox Brahmin with a conservative wife, is portrayed as a rebel. The teacher goes against the social norms by making efforts to break down barriers, allowing people from diverse backgrounds to mingle easily.

Sivasubramania Iyer’s approach stands out in the context of the rigid social structure of Rameswaram. He spends time with the author, expressing a desire for them to develop and be on par with the highly educated people of big cities. This mentorship and encouragement reflect a positive influence on the author’s education and aspirations.

In summary, this passage highlights the contrast between the rigid social norms of Rameswaram and the progressive mindset of the science teacher, Sivasubramania Iyer. It emphasizes the teacher’s rebellion against social barriers and the encouragement he provides to the author, emphasizing the importance of education and breaking down societal constraints for personal development.

9. One day, he invited me to his home for a meal. His wife was horrified at the idea of a Muslim boy being invited to dine in her ritually pure kitchen. She refused to serve me in her kitchen. Sivasubramania Iyer was not perturbed, nor did he get angry with his wife, but instead, served me with his own hands and sat down beside me to eat his meal. His wife watched us from behind the kitchen door. I wondered whether she had observed any difference in the way I ate rice, drank water or cleaned the floor after the meal. When I was leaving his house, Sivasubramania Iyer invited me to join him for dinner again the next weekend. Observing my hesitation, he told me not to get upset, saying, “Once you decide to change the system, such problems have to be confronted.” When I visited his house the next week, Sivasubramania Iyer’s wife took me inside her kitchen and served me food with her own hands.

• Invited: Asked someone to join for a meal or an event.
• Ritually pure: In a religious context, clean and in accordance with religious rituals.
• Perturbed: Disturbed or unsettled.
• Hesitation: Pausing or being uncertain before deciding or acting.
• Confronted: Dealt with or faced directly.
• System: In this context, likely referring to social or cultural norms and practices.

The author recounts an incident where their science teacher, Sivasubramania Iyer, invited them to his home for a meal. However, the teacher’s wife was horrified at the thought of a Muslim boy dining in her ritually pure kitchen. She refused to serve the author in her kitchen. Instead of getting upset or angry, Sivasubramania Iyer took matters into his own hands. He personally served the author and sat down beside them to eat the meal. The teacher’s wife observed from behind the kitchen door.

The author reflects on whether the teacher’s wife noticed any differences in their behavior during the meal. When leaving, Sivasubramania Iyer invited the author to join him for dinner again the next weekend. Understanding the author’s hesitation, the teacher encouraged them not to get upset, emphasizing that when one decides to change the system, such problems must be confronted.

During the next visit, the teacher’s wife took the author inside her kitchen and served them food with her own hands, signaling a shift in her attitude. This episode illustrates the teacher’s commitment to breaking down social barriers and challenging existing norms. It also reflects the transformative power of personal actions in fostering understanding and change within societal systems.

10. Then the Second World War was over and India’s freedom was imminent. “Indians will build their own India,” declared Gandhiji. The whole country was filled with an unprecedented optimism. I asked my father for permission to leave Rameswaram and study at the district headquarters in Ramanathapuram.

• Imminent: About to happen, impending.
• Gandhiji: An honorific term used for Mahatma Gandhi, a key figure in the Indian independence movement.
• Unprecedented: Never before known or experienced.
• Optimism: A hopeful and positive outlook on the future.
• District headquarters: The administrative center of a district.
• Ramanathapuram: A district in the southern part of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

The passage describes a significant historical moment—the end of the Second World War and the imminent freedom of India. Mahatma Gandhi declares that “Indians will build their own India,” creating a sense of unprecedented optimism throughout the country. This period is marked by the anticipation of India gaining independence.

In response to this optimistic atmosphere, the author expresses a desire for change and growth. They request permission from their father to leave Rameswaram, their hometown, and study at the district headquarters in Ramanathapuram. This decision indicates the author’s aspiration for education and a broader perspective, aligning with the spirit of building a new India as envisioned by leaders like Mahatma Gandhi.

The passage captures the historical context of India on the brink of independence and the individual’s response to the changing times, symbolized by the desire to pursue education at a district level. It reflects the collective hope and optimism of the nation during this transformative period.

11. He told me as if thinking aloud, “Abul ! I know you have to go away to grow. Does the seagull not fly across the sun, alone and without a nest?” He quoted Khalil Gibran to my hesitant mother, “Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself. They come through you but not from you. You may give them your love but not your thoughts. For they have their own thoughts.”

• Thinking aloud: Expressing one’s thoughts audibly, often without addressing a specific listener.
• Seagull: A type of bird commonly found near coastlines.
• Hesitant: Showing uncertainty or reluctance.
• Quoted: Repeated or cited the words of someone else.
• Khalil Gibran: A Lebanese-American poet, writer, and philosopher.
• Sons and daughters: A figurative way of referring to children.
• Longing for itself: A desire for existence or continuation.
• Give them your love but not your thoughts: Implying the importance of allowing children to form their own ideas and beliefs.

The author’s father responds to their request to leave Rameswaram and study at the district headquarters in Ramanathapuram. He addresses the author by the name “Abul” and shares a profound perspective. He mentions that he knows the author has to go away to grow. Using the metaphor of a seagull flying across the sun alone and without a nest, the father implies that individual growth often involves venturing into the unknown.

To further convey his point, the father quotes Khalil Gibran to the author’s hesitant mother. The quote emphasizes the idea that children are not possessions of their parents; rather, they are the result of life’s longing for itself. The quote advises parents to give their children love but not to impose their own thoughts on them because each child has their own thoughts and individuality.

This passage reflects a moment of deep understanding and wisdom on the part of the author’s father. It emphasizes the importance of allowing children the freedom to explore, grow, and develop their own perspectives in life. The use of metaphors and the quote from Khalil Gibran add depth to the father’s message about the nature of parenthood and the journey of self-discovery for each individual.

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NCERT Solutions for Class 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12

NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 6 My Childhood

NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 6 My Childhood are part of NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English . Here we have given CBSE Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 6 My Childhood.

NCERT Textbook Questions

Thinking About The Text (Page 74)

I. Answer these questions in one or two sentences each.

Question 1. Where was Abdul Kalam’s house? Answer: Abdul Kalam’s house was on the Mosque Street in Rameswaram.

Question 2. What do you think Dinamani is the name of? Give a reason for your answer. Answer: Dinamani is the name of a newspaper. Abdul Kalam attempts to trace the Second World War’s news in the headlines of this newspaper.

More Resources for CBSE Class 9

NCERT Solutions

• NCERT Solutions Class 9 Maths
• NCERT Solutions Class 9 Science
• NCERT Solutions Class 9 Social Science
• NCERT Solutions Class 9 English
• NCERT Solutions Class 9 Hindi
• NCERT Solutions Class 9 Sanskrit
• NCERT Solutions Class 9 IT
• RD Sharma Class 9 Solutions

Question 3. Who were Abdul Kalam’s school friends? What did they later become? Answer: Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindan and Sivaprakasan were his school friends. Ramanadha Sastry became a priest of the Rameswaram temple. Aravindan went into the business of arranging transport for visiting pilgrims. Sivaprakasan became a catering contractor for the Southern Railways.

Question 4. How did Abdul Kalam earn his first wages? Answer: Abdul Kalam earned his first wages by distributing newspapers.

Question 5. Had he earned any money before that? In what way? Answer: Yes, he earned money before also. He used to collect the tamarind seeds and sell them to a provision shop on the Mosque Street. A day’s collection would fetch him the princely sum of one anna.

II. Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph (about 30 words).

Question 1. How does the author describe:

• The author describes his father as a wise and generous person. He felt happy when he helped others. He did not have much formal education and riches. He was a man of confidence and great wisdom. He avoided inessential comforts and luxuries.
• His mother was a noble and kind- hearted woman. She used to feed a large number of people. She had all the attributes of a typical Indian mother.
• I was born into a middle-class Tamil family. I was a short boy with rather undistinguished looks, born to tall and handsome parents. I studied physics and aerospace engineering and became a scientist.

Question 2. What characteristics does he say he inherited from his parents? Answer: The author inherited humility and benevolence from his parents. He learnt lessons in honesty and integrity from his parents. He was self-disciplined because of his parents’ exemplary life.

III. Discuss these questions in class with your teacher and then write down your answers in two or three paragraphs each.

Question 1. “ On the whole, the small society of Rameswaram was very rigid in terms of the segregation of different social groups,” says the author.

• Which social groups does he mention? Were these groups easily identifiable (for example, by the way they dressed)?
• Were they aware only of their differences or did they also naturally share friendships and experiences? (Think of the bedtime stories in Kalam’s house; of who his friends were ; and of what used to take place in the pond near his house.)
• The author speaks both of people who were very aware of the differences among them and those who tried to bridge these differences. Can you identify such people in the text?
• Narrate two incidents that show how differences can be created, and also how they can be resolved. How can people change their attitudes?
• The author talks about the people who belong to various castes and follow various religious preachings. Yes, these groups were easily identifiable. Their dressing, traditions, culture and rituals were different.
• They did share their personal experiences and friendships. Lakshmana Sastry summoned the teacher who separated the author and his friend in the class and told him that he should not spread the poison of social inequality and communal intolerance in the minds of innocent children.
• The school teacher encouraged communal differences and Lakshmana Sastry and Sivasubramania Iyer discouraged this malpractice.
• The influential people can do both the things. A teacher has the ability to bridge communal differences and can play with sentiments of the innocent and ignorant people. This is what the new teacher did. But the Science teacher Sivasubramania Iyer changed his wife’s attitude and showed her the right path.

Question 2.

• Why did Abdul Kalam want to leave Rameswaram?
• What did his father say to this?
• What do you think his words mean? Why do you think he spoke those words?
• Abdul Kalam wanted to leave Rameswaram to study at the district headquarters in Ramanathapuram.
• His father said that he knew he had to go away to grow. He gave the example of a seagull and said that a seagull flies across the sun alone and without a nest.
• He spoke these words because he intended to hone his skills. He knew the harsh reality of life that children may have to live far from their parents to make their career and earn their livelihood. So he showed his wisdom and intelligence in uttering these words.

Thinking about language (Page 75)

Question 1. Find the sentences in the text where these words occur:

Answer: The sentences in the text where these words occur are the following:

•  . . . a sudden demand for tamarind seeds erupted in the market.
•  . . . I can still feel the surge of pride in earning my own money for the first time.
•  . . . I would later attempt to trace in the deadlines in Dinamani.
•  . . . a short boy with rather undistinguished looks, born to tall and handsome parents.
• The first casualty came in the form of the suspension of the train halt at Rameswaram Station.

Look these words up in a dictionary which gives examples of how they are used.

Question 2. Now answer the following questions. 1. What are the things that can erupt? Use examples to explain the various meanings of erupt. Now do the same for the word surge. What things can surge?

2. What are the meanings of the word trace and which of the meanings is closest to the word in the text?

3. Can you find the word undistinguished in your dictionary? (If not, look up the word distinguished and say what undistinguished must mean.)

Answers: 1. An earthquake can erupt. Emotions can erupt. Anger can erupt. Example: An earthquake erupted in Sicily last night. Surge means a sudden powerful forward or upward movement. A wave surges. A crowd surges. A storm surges. Example: Birds search for fish when waves surge towards the shore.

2. ‘Trace’ means to find out, to copy, to draw an outline, etc. ‘Finding out’ is the closest meaning to ‘trace’ in the text.

3. I can’t find the word ‘undistinguished’ in my dictionary because it is not the root word. It is there under the word ‘distinguished’ because ‘undistinguished’ is opposite to ‘distinguished’. It means: not specific, not prominent, not distinct, etc.

II. Question 1. Match the phrases in Column ‘A’ with their meanings in Column ‘B’.

Question 2. Study the words in italics in the sentences below. They are formed by prefixing un- or in- to their antonyms (words opposite in meaning).

• I was a short boy with rather undistinguished looks, (un + distinguished)
• My austere father used to avoid all inessential comforts, (in + essential)
• The area was completely unaffected by the war. (un + affected)
• He should not spread the poison of social inequality and communal intolerance, (in + equality, in + tolerance)

Now form the opposites of the words below by prefixing un- or in-. The pre-fix in- can also have the forms il-, ir-, or im- (For example : illiterate—il + literate, impractical—im + practical, irrational—ir + rational). You may consult a dictionary if you wish.

— adequate — regular — demanding — true — patriotic — accessible — logical — responsible — acceptable — tolerant — active — permanent — disputed — coherent — legal — possible

— inadequate — irregular — undcmanding — untrue — unpatriotic — inaccessible — illogical — irresponsible — unacceptable — intolerant — inactive — impermanent — undisputed — incoherent — illegal — impossible

Question 3. Passive voice (See NCERT Textbook on pages 76 & 77.)

IV. Rewrite the sentences below, changing the verbs in brackets into the passive form.

Question 1. In yesterday’s competition the prizes (give away) by the Principal. Answer: In yesterday’s competition the prizes were given away by the Principal.

Question 2. In spite of financial difficulties, the labourers (pay) on time. Answer: In spite of financial difficulties, the labourers were paid on time.

Question 3. On Republic Day, vehicles (not allow) beyond this point. Answer: On Republic Day, vehicles were not allowed beyond this point.

Question 4. Second-hand books (buy and sell) on the pavement every Saturday. Answer: Second-hand books are bought and sold on the pavement every Saturday.

Question 5. Elections to the Lok Sabha (hold) every five years. Answer: Elections to the Lok Sabha are held every five years.

Question 6. Our National Anthem (compose) Rabindranath Tagore. Answer: Our National Anthem has been composed by Rabindranath Tagore.

V. Rewrite the paragraphs below, using the correct form of the verb given in brackets.

Question 1. How Helmets Came To Be Used in Cricket

Nari Contractor was the Captain and an opening batsman for India in the 1960s. The Indian cricket team went on a tour to the West Indies in 1962. In a match against Barbados in Bridgetown, Nari Contractor (seriously injure and collapse). In those days helmets (not wear). Contractor (hit) on the head by a bouncer from Charlie Griffith. Contractor’s skull (fracture). The entire team (deeply concern). The West Indies players (worry). Contractor (rush) to hospital. He (accompany) by Frank Worrell, the Captain of the West Indies Team. Blood (donate) by the West Indies players. Thanks to the timely help, Contractor (save). Nowadays helmets (routinely use) against fast bowlers. Answer: How Helmets Came To Be Used in Cricket Nari Contractor was the Captain and an opening batsman for India in the 1960s. The Indian cricket team went on a tour to the West Indies in 1962. In a match against Barbados in Bridgetown Nari Contractor was seriously injured and collapsed. In those days helmets were not worn. Contractor was hit on the head by a bouncer from Charlie Griffith. Contractor’s skull was fractured. The entire team was deeply concerned. The West Indies players were worried. Contractor was rushed to hospital. He was accompanied by Frank Worrell, the Captain of the West Indies Team. Blood was donated by the West Indies players. Thanks to the timely help, Contractor was saved. Nowadays helmets are routinely used against fast bowlers.

Question 2. Oil From Seeds Vegetable oils (make) from seeds and fruits of many plants growing all over the world, from tiny sesame seeds to big, juicy coconuts. Oil (produce) from cotton seeds, groundnuts, soya beans and sunflower seeds. Olive oil (use) for cooking, salad dressing, etc. Olives (shake) from file trees and (gather) up, usually by hand. The olives (ground) to a thick paste which is spread onto special mats. Then the mats (layer) up on the pressing machine which will gently squeeze them to produce olive oil. Answer: Oil From Seeds Vegetable oils are made from seeds and fruits of many plants growing all over the world from tiny sesame seeds to big, juicy coconuts. Oil is produced from cotton seeds, groundnuts, soya beans and sunflower seeds. Olive oil is used for cooking, salad dressing, etc. Olives are shaken from the trees and gathered up, usually by hand. The olives are grounded to a thick paste which is spread onto special mats. Then the mats are layered up on the pressing machine which will gently squeeze them to produce olive oil.

Dictation (Page 77)

Let the class divide itself into three groups. Let each group take down one passage that the teacher dictates. Then put the passages together in the right order. To Sir, with Love

1. From Rameswaram to the Rashtrapati Bhavan, it’s been a long journey. Talking to Nona Walia on the eve of Teacher’s Day, President Dr. A.PJ. Abdul Kalam talks about life’s toughest lessons learnt and his mission—being a teacher to the Indian Youth. “A proper education would help nurture a sense of dignity and self-respect among our youth”, says President Kalam. There’s still a child in him though, and he’s still curious about learning new things. Life’s a mission for President Kalam.

2. Nonetheless, he remembers his first lesson in life and how it changed his destiny. “I was studying in Standard V, and must have been all of 10. My teacher, Sri Sivasubramania Iyer was telling us how birds fly. He drew a diagram of a bird on the blackboard, depicting the wings, tail and the body with the head and then explained how birds soar to the sky. At the end of the class, I said I didn’t understand. Then he asked the other students if they had understood, but nobody had understood how birds fly,” he recalls.

3. “That evening, the entire class was taken to Rameswaram shore” the President continues. “My teacher showed us sea birds. We saw marvellous formations of them flying and how their wings flapped. Then my teacher asked us, ‘Where is the birds’ engine and how is it powered?’ I knew then that birds are powered by their own life and motivation. I understood all about birds’ dynamics. This was real teaching—a theoretical lesson coupled with a live practical example. Sri Sivasubramania Iyer was a great teacher. ” That day, my future was decided. My destiny was changed. I knew my future had to be about flight and flight systems. Answer: For attempt at class level. Paragraphs are put together as given below:

To Sir, With Love

From Rameswaram to the Rashtrapati Bhavan, it’s been a long journey. Talking to Nona Walia on the eve of Teacher’s Day, President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam talks about life’s toughest lessons learnt, and his mission—being a teacher to the Indian Youth. “A proper education would help nurture a sense of dignity and self-respect among our youth”, says President Kalam. There’s still a child in him though, he’s still curious about learning new things. Life’s a mission for President Kalam.

Nonetheless, he remembers his first lesson in life and how it changed his destiny. “I was studying in standard V, and must have been all of 10. My teacher, Sri Sivasubramania Iyer was telling us how birds fly. He drew a diagram of a bird on the blackboard, depicting the wings, tail and the body with the head and then explained how birds soar to the sky. At the end of the class, I said I did not understand. Then he asked the other students if they had understood, but nobody had understood how birds fly”, he recalls. “That evening, the entire class was taken to Rameswaram shore”, the President continues. “My teacher showed us sea birds. We saw marvellous formations of them flying and how their wings flapped. Then my teacher asked us, “Where is the bird’s engine and how is it powered?” I knew then that birds are powered by their own life and motivation. I understood all about birds’ dynamics. This was real teaching—a theoretical lesson coupled with a live practical example. Sri Sivasubramania Iyer was a great teacher. That day, my future was decided. My destiny was changed. I knew my future had to be about flight and flight systems.

Speaking (Page 78)

Here is a topic for you to

• think about;
• give your opinion on.

Find out what other people think about it. Ask your friends/seniors/parents to give you their opinion.

‘Career Building Is the Only Goal of Education.’ Or ‘Getting a Good Job Is More Important than Being a Good Human Being.’ You can use the following phrases.

(i) while giving your opinion:

• I think that…
• In my opinion …
• It seems to me that…
• I am of the view that…
• As far as I know …
• If you ask me …

(ii) saying what other people think:

• According to some …
• Quite a few think …
• Some others favour…
• Thirty per cent of the people disagree …
• Fifty per cent of them strongly feel…

(iii) asking for other’s opinions:

• What do you think about…
• What do you think of…
• What is your opinion about…
• Do you agree …
• Does this make you believe …

Career Building is the Only Goal of Education

The eminent educationists aver that education does not make a child a bookworm. It sharpens the pupils’ intellect and inspires them to build their career by getting themselves enrolled in professional courses. In my opinion, the fundamental goal of education is to help a learner in opting for a perfect stream and assist him in earning his livelihood. Answer: Class Activity.

Writing (Page 79)

Question 1. Think and write a short account of what life in Rameswaram in the 1940s must have been like. (Were people rich or poor? Hard working or lazy? Hopeful of change, or resistant to it?). Answer: The people of Rameswaram in 1940s were orthodox and tolerant. It is mentioned in the story that every child is bom into a specific socio-economic and emotional environment and trained in certain ways by figures of authority. The people of Rameswaram were not ready to allow anybody to instigate their children on the basis of communal intolerance. They were all religious people and did not like to enjoy the luxuries of life. They had pucca houses made of limestone and brick. They used to avoid all inessential comforts and were emotionally attached to the members of their family.

Extract Based Questions (3 marks each)

Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:

Question 1: During the annual Shri Sita Rama Kalyanam Ceremony, our family used to arrange boats with a special platform for carrying idols of the Lord from the temple to the marriage site,jsituated in the middle of the pond called Rama Tirtha which was near our house.

• What was the annual event held in Rameshwaram ?
• Where did the boats carry the idols of the Lord ?
• Find a word from the passage that means “images of God”. (Board Term 1,2012, ELI-014)
• The annual event held in Rameshwaram was Shri Sita Rama Kalyanam Ceremony.
• The boats carried the idols of the Lord in the middle of the pond on the site of the marriage (or ceremony or function).

Question 2: During the annual Shri Sita Rama Kalyanam Ceremony, our family used to arrange boats with a special platform for carrying idols of the Lord from the temple to the marriage site, situated in the middle of the pond called Rama Tirtha which was near our house. Events from the Ramayana and from the life of the Prophet were the bedtime stories my mother and grandmother would tell the children in our family.

• How did the speaker’s family help in Shri Sita Rama Kalyanam Ceremony?
• What light does the passage throw on speaker’s family ?
• Find the word in the passage which means the same “the place where some event takes place”. (Board Term 1,2012, ELI-016)
• The speaker’s family used to help in Shri Sita Rama Kalyanam Ceremony by arranging boats with a special platform for carrying idols.
• The passage shows that the speaker’s family is a truly secular family which respected other religions also.

Question 3: After school, we went home and told our respective parents about the incident. Lakshmana Sastry summoned the teacher, and in our presence, told the teacher that he should not spread the poison of social inequality and communal intolerance in the minds of innocent children. He bluntly asked the teacher to either apologize or quit the school and the island. Not only did the teacher regret his behaviour, but the strong sense of conviction. Lakshmana Sastry conveyed ultimately reformed this young teacher.

• What brought about a change in the teacher ?
• What kind of society did the speaker live in ?
• Find the word/phrase in the passage which means “strong opinion or belief”. (Board Term 1,2012, ELI-017)
• The strong sense of conviction that Lakshmana Sastry conveyed brought about a change in the teacher.
• The speaker lived in a society which was truly secular.
• Conviction.

Question 4: His wife watched us from behind the kitchen door. I wondered whether she had observed any difference in the way I ate rice, drank water or cleaned the floor after the meal. When I was leaving his house, Sivasubramaniam invited me to join him for dinner the next weekend. Observing my habitation, he told me not to get upset, saying “Once you decide to change the system, such problems have to be confronted.” When I visited his house next week, Sivasubramaniam Iyer’s wife took me inside her kitchen and served me food with her own hands.

• Why did the teacher’s wife watched them from behind the kitchen door ?
• Why was the narrator hesitant to eat food, with a Hindu family ?
• Find the word from the passage that means “to deal with” (Board Term 1,2012, ELI-017)
• The teacher’s wife believed in the segregation of different people. She did not want APJ Kalam to enter her kitchen and serve food. She as a result hid behind kitchen door and saw everything.
• The narrator felt hesitant to eat food with a Hindu family because he felt he was not welcomed in the family.
• Confronted One day, he invited me to his home for a meal. His wife was horrified at the idea of a Muslim boy being invited to dine in her ritually pure kitchen. She refused to serve me in her kitchen.

Question 5: Sivasubramaniam Iyer was not perturbed, nor did he get angry with his wife, but instead, served me’ with his own hands and sat down beside me to eat his meal.

• Who is “he” and “me” in the first sentence ?
• Why was his wife horrified ?
• Find the word from the passage that means “agitated/upset”. (Board Term 1,2012, ELI-019)
• “He” is Sivasubramania Iyer, and “me” is Abdul Kalam.
• His wife was horrified at the idea of serving food to a Muslim boy in her kitchen.

Short Answer Type Questions (2 marks each) (About 30-40 words each)

Question 1: Why did A.P.J. Abdul Kalam call his childhood a secure childhood ? (Board Term 1,2012, ELI-015) Or “Kalam’s childhood was a secure one, both materially and emotionally”. Illustrate the fact. (Board Term 1,2012, ELI-042) Answer: A.P.J. Abdul Kalam called his childhood a secure one because he had loving and caring parents.-He had all necessary things which included food, clothes, medicine, etc.

Question 2: Do you think the new teacher deserved the treatment meted out to him ? Why/why not ? (Board Term 1,2012, ELI-016) Answer: Yes, he deserved the treatment meted out to him. He was spreading the poison of communal intolerance among the young minds which was a serious crime. If a teacher indulges in such a mean act he deserves no sympathy.

Question 3: What was the difference in the attitudes of the science teacher and his wife towards A.P.J. Abdul Kalam ? (Board Term 1,2012, ELI-029) Answer: Though his science teacher was an orthodox Hindu, he broke the social barriers, and mixed with other religions and commjmities. He invited Abdul home and served him meals and even sat and ate with him. On the contrary, his wife was conservative and refused to serve Abdul.

Question 4: How did Second World War give opportunity to Kalam to earn his first wages ? (Board Term 1,2012, ELI-030) Answer: Kalam’s cousin was a news agent. Train halt at Rameshwaram station was suspended. So, the newspapers were bundled up and thrown out from a moving train. Kalam helped his cousin to catch the bundles. He was given money for it.

Question 5: How does Abdul Kalam describe his mother ? (Board Term 1,2012, ELI-035) Answer: Abdul Kalam describes his mother by saying that she was an ideal wife and a gentle lady. He learnt from his mother to be gentle and kind. She even used to feed a lot of outsiders every day.

Question 6: What did Abdul Kalam’s family do during the annual Shri Sita Ram Kalayanam Ceremony ? (Board Term 1,2012, ELI-038) Answer: Abdul Kalam’s family arranged for a boat with a special platform for carrying the idols of Lord Shri Sita Ram from the temple to the marriage sites situated in the middle of a pond called as Rama Tirtha. His parents even told him stories from the Ramayana.

Question 7: What characteristics did Abdul Kalam inherited from his parents ? (Board Term 1,2012, ELI-043) Answer: Abdul Kalam inherited honesty and self discipline from his father and faith in goodness and kindness from his mother. Like his parents even he respected all religions.

Long Answer Type Questions (4 marks each) (About 80-100 words each)

Question 1: What do you know about A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s family after reading the lesson “My childhood”? (Board Term 1,2012, ELI-013) Answer: A.PJ. Abdul Kalam tells us that his family was a Tamil middle class family from Rameshwaram. His father Jainulabdeen was not much educated, wasn’t rich but was generous, wise, simple man but very strict and severe. His mother Ashiamma was a generous lady, and used to feed unlimited numbers of people in their home. Kalam’s family respected all religions. They took part in Hindu festivals. His mother and grandmother told him stories from Ramayana. They always showered their love on their children and never forced their thoughts on them.

Question 2: What incident took place at the Rameshwaram Elementry School when a new teacher came to the class ? (Board Term 1,2012, ELI-023) Answer: Kalam used to wear a cap and Ramanandha Sastry wore a sacred thread which marked him to be a Brahmin. When the new teacher came he could not tolerate a Hindu priest’s son sitting with a Muslim boy. He ordered Kalam to go and sit on the back bench. This made Ramanandha sad. Abdul started to sit in the last row but it left a bad impression on Abdul. Both the kids narrated the incident to their parents. As a result the teacher was rebuked and reprimanded for spreading communalism and hatred among children.

Question 3: How did Abdul Kalam earn his “first wages” ? How did he feel at that time ? (Board Term 1,2012, ELI-024) Answer: Kalam was only 8 years old when the second world war broke out in 1939. Then there was a great demand for tamarind seeds. Abdul used to collect those seeds and sell them in the market. His cousin Shamsuddin distributed newspapers. The train would not stop at Rameshwaram and the bundles of newspapers were thrown from the running train. Abdul was employed by his cousin to collect them. This way he earned his first wages. He felt very proud on earning his first wage.

Question 4: “Once you decide to change the system, such problems have to be confronted.” What system is being refer in the sentence from the chapter “My Childhood”? What are such problems ? (Board Term 1,2012, ELI-025) Answer: System means system of discrimination on the basis of religion. The system includes the narrow-mindedness and poison of social inequality and communal intolerance. The Brahmins did not allow Muslims to enter their kitchen. The science teacher – a rebel by nature, invited Kalam to his home and proved that if one is determined to face problems and change the system, he will definitely succeed. Though, such indifferences come in everybody’s life but a person should have a broader outlook and overcome the obstacles.

Question 5: How was the Science teacher Siva Subramaniam Iyer, though an orthodox. Brahmin with a very conservative wife, a friend of Abdul Kalam. Give incidents to support your answer. (Board Term 1,2012, ELI-025) Answer: The Science teacher, Siva Subramaniam Iyer, wanted to break the social barriers between the Hindus and the Muslims. He wanted Kalam to be very highly educated as he recognized his intelligence. One day, he invited him over to a meal. His orthodox wife was totally horrified at the idea of a Muslim boy dining in her ritually pure kitchen. He did not mind anything said by his very conservative wife. He rather served the food to Abdul by his own hands. He also sat with him and dined together as well as invited him over again for another meal the coming weekend. Thus, this shows that he was a friend of Abdul Kalam even though Kalam was a Muslim and he himself was an orthodox Brahmin.

Value Based Question (4 marks)

Question 1: ‘Childhood’ is the formative period of a child’s life. The lessons learnt here always stays with a person. Comment on it in the light of the lesson A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. Answer: A.P.J. Abdul Kalam is one of the finest scientists in our country and was also our eleventh President. From his autobiography “Wings of Fire” it is amply clear that lessons learnt in our childhood not only shape our personality but also decide the kind of person we become. He learnt the lessons of religious tolerance, honesty and self-discipline early in his life. These qualities stayed with him throughout his life and have helped to make him one of the finest President of our country with so many diverse cultures.

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NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Chapter 6 - My Childhood

• NCERT Solutions
• English Beehive
• Chapter 6 My Childhood

NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 6 - My Childhood Free PDF Download

NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 6 My Childhood are provided in this article in the form of pdf notes which will help the students to practise with the NCERT Solutions of this chapter and ensure good preparation for their CBSE Class 9 English Exam.

Students having difficulty grasping Chapter 6 of Class 9 English Beehive can refer to the study of NCERT Solutions for easy understanding. In the NCERT Class 9 English chapter My Childhood , we get to know about Dr APJ Abdul Kalam’s life . NCERT Solution for Class 9th English Chapter 6 My Childhood would help students revise the chapter thoroughly and score good marks. So, download the free-to-download NCERT Solutions in this article and refer for further preparation. 

Access NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 6- My Childhood

Thinking about the text.

I. Answer these questions in one or two sentences each.

1. Where was Abdul Kalam’s house?

Ans: Abdul Kalam’s house was in Rameswaram on Mosque Street.

2. What do you think Dinamani is the name of? Give a reason for your answer.

Ans: Kalam traced the stories of the war. The name of the newspaper was Dinamani.

3. Who were Abdul Kalam’s school friends? What did they later become?

Ans: Abdul Kalam had few friends. Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindan, and Shivaprakasan were his close friends. Ramanadha became a priest, Aravindan became a transport businessman and Shivprakasan had a catering contract with Southern railways.

4. How did Abdul Kalam earn his first wages?

Ans:  Newspapers were thrown out in bundles out of a moving train during the second world war. Abdul made the best use of this and earned his first wages by distributing these newspapers with his cousin.

5. Had he earned any money before that? In what way?

Ans: When there was a sudden surge for tamarind seeds in the market when the Second World War broke. Abdul Kalam and his cousin collected the seeds and sold them at a provision shop on Mosque Street. They earned one anna per day.

II.Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph (about 30 words).

1. How does the author describe: 

(i) his father 

Ans: Jainulabdeen was Abdul Kalam’s father. He was an honest and generous man but wasn't wealthy or well educated. He lived like a simple man and avoided all luxuries.

(ii) his mother 

Ans: Ashiamma believed in kindness and was a pillar to her husband. She believed in goodness and fed many people every day.

(iii) himself?

Ans: Kalam’s parents were grounded and provided him with a secure childhood. He, just like his parents, believed in profound kindness. Physically he was a short boy with undistinguished looks.

2. What characteristics does he say he inherited from his parents?

Ans: His parents were kind and generous individuals. He inherited self-discipline from his father and deep kindness and love for humanity from his mother.

III. Discuss these questions in class with your teacher and then write down your answers in two or three paragraphs each.

1. “On the whole, the small society of Rameswaram was very rigid in terms of the segregation of different social groups,” says the author.

(i) Which social groups does he mention? Were these groups easily identifiable (for example, by the way, they dressed)?

Ans: Kalam mentions two religious groups- Brahmins and Muslims. By the way, these two sects dressed they were easily identifiable. The Muslims wore a cap while the Hindus wore a seared thread.

(ii) Were they aware only of their differences or did they also naturally share friendships and experiences? (Think of the bedtime stories in Kalam’s house; of who his friends were; and of what used to take place in the pond near his house.)

Ans: No, they were not only aware of their differences but also naturally shared friendships and experiences.

Kalam’s mother and grandmother were liberal women who appreciated stories from across the world. They would tell the children stories from Ramayana as well as tales from the prophet. They even carried idols from the temple to the marriage site in Rama Tirtha, in boats. It was near their home and they enjoyed the event, irrespective of religion.

(iii) The author speaks both of people who were very aware of the differences among them and those who tried to bridge these differences. Can you identify such people in the text?

Ans: The teacher who came to join Kalam’s Rameswaram elementary school was aware of the difference between the two religions, Hindus and Muslims. His wife used to serve in her ritually pulled kitchen but refused to serve Kalam since he was Muslim and her orthodox mindset didn’t allow her to serve him. His science teacher, Sivasubramania Iyer tried to bridge this and served and dined with him to break the social barrier which is superficial.

(iv) Narrate two incidents that show how differences can be created, and also how they can be resolved. How can people change their attitudes?

Ans: The first incident to show that how differences can be created is that when the new young teacher found a Muslim student sitting beside a Hindu student, he asked Kalam to sit in the last raw. His friend Ramanadha Sastry was heartbroken. Their parents were strictly against this step and summoned the teacher, conveying their discontent towards same.

People changed their behavior towards an individual when they observed their eating style, drinking water, and other minor activities since it was different for both Hindus and Muslims.

His science teacher, Sivasubramania Iyer was a very conservative and orthodox Brahmin but he tried to bridge the differences between them in every possible way.

(i) Why did Abdul Kalam want to leave Rameswaram?

Ans: Abdul Kalam wanted to study further. He wanted to study in Ramanathapuram and hence wanted to leave Rameswaram.

(ii) What did his father say to this?

Ans: Kalam’s father was incredibly supportive of his idea to continue his studies in another city. He said he knew he would have to leave to build his life further. His mother was unwilling to send him but then he quoted Khalil and said, “Her children were not their own children. They were the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself. They come through their parents, but not from them. They may give them their love, but not their thoughts as the children have their own thoughts.” He also gave him the analogy of a seagull and asked him to explore life further.

(iii) What do you think his words mean? Why do you think he spoke those words? 

Ans: Abdul Kalam’s father wanted him to go beyond the place he grew up in and explore the essence of life further. He not only supported him to go further but also convinced his mother to allow her son to go and fly across alone. He shouldn't be restricted in his life because of parental love and his duties towards them. He wanted him to live his own life too.

Thinking about Language

I. 1. What are the things that can erupt? Use examples to explain the various meanings of erupt. Now do the same for the word surge. What things can surge?

Ans: A few things that can erupt are anger, volcano, tooth, rash, riots, unrest, etc. Erupt has several meanings. Their explanation, with examples, is given as follows:

(i) Start Unexpectedly

Example: Riots erupted in the city.

(ii) Start To Burn or Burst Into Flames

Example: The spark soon erupted into flames.

(iii) Become Active and Spew Forth Lava and Rocks

Example: The molten lava erupted out of the active volcano.

(iv) Forceful and Violent Release of Something Pent Up

Example: The difference in their views soon erupted in a fight.

(v) Sudden Appearance on the Skin

Example: On the day of the party, a pimple erupted on her face.

(vi) Break Out

Example: Eruption of the wisdom tooth gives a lot of pain.

Things that can surge are pride, anxiety, waves, boats, the army, etc. The several meanings it has can be explained with the following examples:

(i) Sudden Forceful Flow

Example: The boy drowned in the surging waves.

(ii) Rise and Move Forward

Example: The army surged towards their enemy.

(iii) Heave Upward Under the Influence of a Natural Force

Example: The boat surged in the high tide.

(iv) See One’s Performance Improve

Example: Hard work helped to surge Sandra’s scores.

(v) A Sudden or Abrupt Strong Increase

Example: The surge in the stock market left people in shock.

(vi) Rise Rapidly

Example: As time passed, her tension surged.

2. What are the meanings of the word trace and which of the meanings is closest to the word in the text?

Ans: The following are the meanings of the word trace:

(i) Follow, discover, or ascertain the course of development of something

(ii) Make a mark or lines on a surface

(iii) To go back over again

(iv) Pursue or chase relentlessly

(v) Find or discover through investigation

(vi) Make one’s course or travel along a path; travel or pass over, around, or along

(vii) Read with difficulty

The closest meaning of the word ‘trace’ in the text is ‘to find or discover through investigation’.

3. Can you find undistinguished in your dictionary? (If not, look for the word distinguished and say what undistinguished mean.)

Ans. No, the word undistinguished does not exist in the dictionary. However, its meaning can be derived from the meaning of the word ‘distinguished’, which denotes the ‘special or eminent appearance or behaviour of a person. Thus, undistinguished symbolizes the ‘ordinary appearance or behaviour of a person.

I. 1. Match the phrases in Column A with their meanings in Column B.

2. Study the words in italics in the sentences below. They are formed by prefixing un – or in – to their antonyms (words opposite in meaning).

• I was a short boy with rather undistinguished looks. (un + distinguished)
• My austere father used to avoid all inessential comforts.(in + essential)
• The area was completely unaffected by the war.(un + affected)
• He should not spread the poison of social inequality and communal intolerance. (in + equality, in + tolerance)

Now form the opposites of the words below by prefixing un– or in-. The prefix in- can also have the forms il-, ir-, or im– (for example: illiterate –il + literate, impractical –im + practical, irrational – ir + rational). You may consult a dictionary if you wish.

_____adequate  

Ans: Inadequate

_____acceptable

Ans: Unacceptable

_____regular

Ans: Irregular

_____tolerant

Ans: Intolerant

_____demanding

Ans: Undemanding

______active  

Ans: Inactive

______true  

Ans: Untrue

______permanent

Ans: Impermanent

 ______patriotic

Ans: Unpatriotic

______disputed

Ans: Undisputed

______accessible

Ans: Inaccessible

_______coherent

Ans: Incoherent

 ______logical

Ans: Illogical

_______legal  

Ans: Illegal

_______responsible  

Ans: Irresponsible

_______possible

Ans: Impossible

IV. Rewrite the sentences below, changing the verbs in brackets into the passive form.

1. In yesterday’s competition the prizes (give away) by the Principal.

Ans: In yesterday’s competition the prizes were given away by the Principal.

2. In spite of financial difficulties, the labourers (pay) on time.

Ans: In spite of financial difficulties, the labourers were paid on time.

3. On Republic Day, vehicles (not allow) beyond this point.

Ans: On Republic Day, vehicles are not allowed beyond this point.

4. Second-hand books (buy and sell) on the pavement every Saturday.

Ans: Second-hand books are bought and sold on the pavement every Saturday.

5. Elections to the Lok Sabha (hold) every five years.

Ans: Elections to the Lok Sabha are held every five years.

6. Our National Anthem (compose) Rabindranath Tagore.

Ans: Our National Anthem was composed by Rabindranath Tagore.

V. Rewrite the paragraphs below, using the correct form of the verb given in brackets.

1. How Helmets Came To Be Used in Cricket

Nari Contractor was the Captain and an opening batsman for India in the 1960s. The Indian cricket team went on a tour to the West Indies in 1962. In a match against Barbados in Bridgetown, Nari Contractor (seriously injure and collapse). In those days helmets (not wear). Contractor (hit) on the head by a bouncer from Charlie Griffith.

Contractor’s skull (fracture). The entire team (deeply concern). The West Indies players (worry). Contractor (rush) to hospital. He (accompany) by Frank Worrell, the Captain of the West Indies Team. Blood (donate) by the West Indies players. Thanks to the timely help, Contractor (save). Nowadays helmets (routinely use) against bowlers.

Ans: Nari Contractor was the Captain and an opening batsman for India in the 1960s. The Indian cricket team went on a tour to the West Indies in 1962. In a match against Barbados in Bridgetown, Nari Contractor got seriously injured and collapsed. In those days helmets were not worn. The contractor was hit on the head by a bouncer from Charlie Griffith. The contractor’s skull had fractured. The entire team was deeply concerned. The West Indies players were worried. A contractor was rushed to the hospital. He was accompanied by Frank Worrell, the Captain of the West Indies Team. Blood was donated by the West Indies players. Thanks to the timely help, the Contractor was saved. Nowadays helmets are routinely used against bowlers.

2. Oil from Seeds

Vegetable oils (make) from seeds and fruits of many plants growing all over the world, from tiny sesame seeds to big, juicy coconuts. Oil (produce) from cotton seeds, groundnuts, soya beans, and sunflower seeds. Olive oil (use) for cooking, salad dressing, etc. Olives (shake) from the trees and (gather) up, usually by hand. The olives (ground) to a thick paste which is spread onto special mats. Then the mats (layer) upon the pressing machine which will gently squeeze them to produce olive oil.

Ans: Vegetable oils are made from seeds and fruits of many plants growing all over the world, from tiny sesame seeds to big, juicy coconuts. Oil is produced from cotton seeds, groundnuts, soybeans, and sunflower seeds. Olive oil is used for cooking, salad dressing, etc. Olives are shaken from the trees and gathered up, usually by hand. The olives are ground to a thick paste which is spread onto special mats. Then the mats are layered upon the pressing machine which will gently squeeze them to produce olive oil.

Question 1. Abdul was in which class when the conservative teacher came to the class?

(a) Abdul was in 4th standard

(b) Abdul was in 5th standard

(c) Abdul was in 7th standard

(d) Abdul was in 6th standard

Answer: (b) Abdul was in 5th standard

Question 2. Name the marriage site mentioned in the poem that was said to be the center of the pond?

(a) Kalyan Mancha

(b) Rama Tirtha

(c) Tirtha Bharathi

(d) Rama Mandir

Answer: (b) Rama Tirtha

Question 3. What did Sivasubramania expect Abdul Kalam to be?

(a) Sivasubramania expected that Abdul will become the president

(b) Sivasubramania expected that Abdul will become the Prime Minister

(c) Sivasubramania expected that Abdul would be like the highly educated people who resided in the big cities. 

(d) Sivasubramania expected that Abdul will become filthy rich

Answer: (c)  Sivasubramania expected that Abdul will be like the highly educated people who resided in the big cities. 

Question 4. Abdul’s father quoted which author’s line at the end of this chapter?

(a) He quoted Rabindranath Tagore’s line

(b) He quoted Kahlil Gibran’s line

(c) He quoted Paulo Coelho’s line

(d) He quoted Azhar Samsuddin’s line

Answer: (b) He quoted Kahlil Gibran’s line

Question 5. Abdul’s father believed in

(a) Freedom of thoughts

(b) Communal difference

(c) Cast system

(d) Supernatural power

Answer: (a) Freedom of thoughts 

NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 6 - My Childhood - Benefits of the NCERT Solutions 

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Following are the benefits which are rendered by NCERT Solutions: 

NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Chapter My Childhood are easy to understand and provide point-wise solutions that come in handy while preparing for exams. 

It includes exercise questions. They help students to understand what and how much they should write in their exams. 

The solutions help to revise quickly, and an expert teacher gives guidance following the latest syllabus and CBSE Guidelines. 

The solutions on Vedantu are 100 percent accurate and the topics along with subtopics are mentioned and restricted for students' convenience.

NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 6 - My Childhood - Extra MCQs For Practice 

Question 2. Name the marriage site mentioned in the poem that was said to be the centre of the pond?

(a) Sivasubramania expected that Abdul will become the president.

(b) Sivasubramania expected that Abdul will become the Prime Minister.

(d) Sivasubramania expected that Abdul will become filthy rich.

(a) He quoted Rabindranath Tagore’s line.

(b) He quoted Kahlil Gibran’s line.

(c) He quoted Paulo Coelho’s line.

(d) He quoted Azhar Samsuddin’s line.

Answer: (a) Freedom of thoughts

Question 6. in which standard was kalam when the new teacher with a conservative mind had come to his class?

 (a) 4th 

 (b) 5th 

 (c) 7th 

 (d) 6th

Answer: 5th

Questions 7. __ was the marriage place situated in the midst of the pond near to Abdul’s house was

 (a) Kalyan Mancha

 (b) Tirtha Bharathi

 (c) Rama Mandir

 (d) Rama Tirtha

Answer: Rama Tirtha

NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 6 - My Childhood - Key Takeaways  Character Sketch of Abdul Kalam

APJ Abdul Kalam described himself as a simple boy with basic looks. Born in a middle-class family, he was a hard-working person and had an ambitious personality. Kalam wanted to find out and explore things. Additionally, he was curious about studying and wanted to sit in the front category. He was delighted with his first earnings which tells that he wanted to be self-dependent. He did not believe in breaking society based on creed, caste, or class. He says that he had obtained fairness and self-discipline from his father and profound kindness and goodness from his mother. He wanted to fly and explore a sort of bird.

APJ Abdul Kalam’s Father

Kalam’s father Jainulabdeen was a boat owner and imam of an area’s mosque. His mother Ashiamma was a housewife. His father had a boat that took Hindu pilgrims back and forth within Rameswaram and the now-abandoned Dhanushkodi. Dr Kalam’s father was an easy person with a humble and low background. He was respected by everyone and also had tons of self-respect. Jainulabdeen was a shipbuilder and owned boats that he rented fishers to earn his living. Although he was a faithful Muslim, Dr Kalam’s father was patient towards other faiths. He maintained cordial ties with Hindu school teachers and non-secular leaders in Rameswaram.

Tips to Study Class 9 English Beehive

Following are some tips that are required to be followed by the students of CBSE Class 9 in order to score good marks in English: 

The students are required to read the chapter well to understand each element of the chapter.

The students will be able to solve the questions and answers which are given at the back of the chapters. 

They are also required to solve the sample question papers and check with the previous year's question papers.

More attention should be given to the character sketch, the background of the story, the author, and different meanings in the story. 

Hope this content was beneficial for the CBSE Class 9 students. They are required to download the free NCERT Solutions of Chapter 6 My Childhood where they can practise the questions and answers appropriately.

Apart from that, they must also pay attention to the character sketches of the characters which are also presented in this article. One can also take note of the tips and suggestions, this will help the students to score outstanding marks in CBSE Class 9 English.

Along with this, students can also view additional study materials provided by Vedantu, for Class 9.

NCERT Solutions For Class 9

Revision Notes for Class 9

CBSE Class 9 Syllabus

NCERT Class 9 English Beehive Chapters

Chapter 1 - The Fun They Had

Chapter 2 - The Sound of Music

Chapter 3 - The Little Girl

Chapter 4 - A Truly Beautiful Mind

Chapter 5 - The Snake and The Mirror

Chapter 7 - Packing

Chapter 8 - Reach for the Top

Chapter 9 - The Bond of Love

Chapter 10 - Kathmandu

Chapter 11 - If I Were You

NCERT Class 9 English Beehive (Poem)

Chapter 1 - The Road Not Taken (Poem)

Chapter 2 - Wind (Poem)

Chapter 3 - Rain On The Roof (Poem)

Chapter 4 - The Lake Isle of Innisfree (Poem)

Chapter 5 - A Legend of The Northland (Poem)

Chapter 6 - No Men Are Foreign (Poem)

Chapter 7 - The Duck and the Kangaroos (Poem)

Chapter 8 - On Killing A Tree (Poem)

Chapter 9 - The Snake Trying (Poem)

Chapter 10 - A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal (Poem)

Class 9 Chapter 6 - My Childhood is an important chapter that lays the foundation for the future in English. Vedantu's Class  9 English Chapter 6 “My Childhood” NCERT Solutions is a comprehensive and informative resource that will help students to understand the concepts, solve problems, and improve their analytical skills. Practicing more questions is essential for success in exams. Vedantu's Class  9 English Chapter 6 My Childhood NCERT Solutions includes a large number of practice questions with solutions, which will help students to prepare for their exams. Students can also download a free PDF of Vedantu's Class  9 English Chapter 6 Solutions for easy access and offline use.

FAQs on NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Chapter 6 - My Childhood

1. The author talks about two people who were conscious of the variations among them and people who tried to attach these differences. Are you able to identify such people within the text?

The person who was conscious of these differences was the young teacher who came to teach Kalam’s class in the fifth standard. He ordered Kalam to take a seat on the last bench as he belonged to a lower caste. Sivasubramania Iyer’s wife, who was also his teacher, was a conservative Hindu Brahmin. She denied to serve him food as she doubted his presence would render the kitchen impure. The people that connected these differences were Lakshmana Sastry, Ramanadha Sastry’s father and Sivasubramania Iyer. The priest of the Rameswaram temple was Sastry. He scolded the young teacher and asked him to apologise for sowing the seeds of spiritual discrimination into the innocent minds of the youngsters. Finally, Sivasubramania Iyer gave food to Kalam and sat alongside him to eat which mended his wife.

2. What did Kalam’s father say about Kalam’s decision of leaving Rameshwaram? What did his words imply?

Kalam's father said that he knew Abdul had to go away from home as he had to fulfil his dreams. He gave the instance of the Seagull bird which flies endlessly over long distances and doesn't have a nest too. Kalam's father pacified Kalam's mother by quoting a couple of lines from the poem 'Your children' by Khalil Gibran. He said that her children weren't her possession but were ‘life's desire for itself’. She shouldn't impose her thoughts on them but should allow them to fulfil their thoughts. He wanted him to pursue higher studies allowing him to travel to Ramanathapuram.

3. Is writing answers in English for Chapter 6 of Class 9 English Beehive difficult?

No subject is difficult if you practice regularly. However, English is a literature subject, and many students might find it to be a bit challenging to frame their answers properly. Literature subjects usually have deeper meanings that need to be appropriately comprehended to do well in examinations. But careful study and explanations will make the students understand better. Students will get the confidence and develop the ability to write better answers. You can refer to Vedantu to understand how you can write answers for Chapter 6 of Class 9 English Beehive.

4. Who is Kalam, according to Chapter 6 of Class 9 English Beehive?

Here in this story, Chapter 6 of Class 9 English Beehive, Kalam is the simple boy from a middle-class family who had an ordinary life with great virtues. He was seen to work hard and had desires to reach great heights that were understood by his wish to sit in the front row. When he earned his first salary, he was delighted with joy, which was a sign of his desire for self-dependence. This story explains the character of Kalam beautifully.

5. Where can I get the best solutions for Chapter 6 of Class 9 English Beehive?

You can find the best NCERT Solutions for Chapter 6 of Class 9 English Beehive on the Vedantu website. Follow these steps to download them:

Visit the page NCERT Solutions for Chapter 6 of Class 9 English Beehive.

Select the PDF on the next page that you want to download.

Now you will be redirected to download the NCERT Solutions for free.

These solutions are also available on the Vedantu app for free.

6. Who was Kalam’s father in Chapter 6 of Class 9 English Beehive?

Here, Kalam is none other than APJ Abdul Kalam Azad. We learn about the father and mother of this great personality from this story given in English Beehive Class 9 Chapter 6 called My Childhood. Dr. Kalam’s father’s name was Jainulabdeen. In his profession, he was the imam of an area’s mosque. Apart from that, he was the owner of boats and made his living out of it. He was a simple and humble man and had a simple lifestyle.

7. What did his father do with the boats?

It is seen that Dr. Kalam’s father was a shipbuilder and had his boats. In these boats, he took Hindu pilgrims to and fro from Rameshwaram and Dhanushkodi. This very aspect showed how liberal this man was. Even though he was a Muslim, he was tolerant and humble with people from other religions and castes. Also, he had good relations with eminent people from the Hindu religion and other non-secular people.

Summary of My Childhood Class 9th Beehive

Summary and explanation of my childhood (character sketch and quick revision notes).

• My Childhood” is an extract taken from the autobiographical book, ‘Wings of Fire’ by A.P.J.Abdul Kalam. Here Dr. Kalam who is one of the greatest scientists of India and also the 14th President of India gives an account of his childhood days. 
• His journey from a middle-class family in Rameswaram to the President’s house has not been a soomth ride. He worked hard and faced all the challenges of life. 
• This great scientist and the missile man of India was born in a middle class muslim family in 1931 in the island town of Rameswaram, Tamilnadu. 
• In his childhood he was greatly influenced by his parents, his teachers and his friends. His father, Jainulabdeen, was not much educated but he was very generous and kind person. 
• He was not rich but provided a secure childhood to Abdul and his brothers and sisters. Abdul inherited honesty and self discipline from his father and faith in goodness and deep kindness from his mother.
• Kalam earned his first wages by working as a helping hand to his cousin, Samsuddin, who distributed newspapers in Rameswaram.
• In his childhood he had three close friends- Ramanadha Sastry,Aravindam and Sivaprakashan. Once when he was in fifth standard, a new teacher asked him not to sit in the front row along with the high caste Brahmin boys. Abdul found Ramanadha Sastry weeping as he went to the last row. This made a lasting impression on Abdul.
• Abdul was also greatly influenced by his science teacher, Sivasubramania Iyer. He learnt the lesson of breaking social barriers from him. Iyer invited him to his home for a meal.
• His wife was an orthodox Brahmin who refused to serve food to a muslim boy in her so called ritually pure kitchen. 
• Iyer served him with his own hand and sat down beside him to eat his meal. He convinced his wife to serve meal with her own hands and thus was successful in changing the conservative attitude of his wife.
• For higher education he sought permission from his father to leave Rameswaram and study at the district headquartes in Ramanathapuram. 
• He said, “Abdul! I know you have to go away to grow. Does the seagull not fly across the sun, alone and without a nest?” To his hesitant mother, quoting Khalil Gibran, he said, “Your children are not your children. 
• They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself. They come through you but not from you. You may give them your love but not your thoughts. For they have their own thoughts.”

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• My Childhood Summary Class 9 English

Summary of My Childhood

My childhood summary deals with the famous biography “Wings of Fire” of the celebrated Indian APJ Abdul Kalam. My Childhood refers to a section in this book. This section or chapter talks about the early days’ of Kalam. Furthermore, the chapter gives us an idea of how the childhood of Abdul Kalam prepared him to become a successful scientist and president in the future. Much has to do with his upbringing which Kalam discusses in this section from “Wings of Fire”. Moreover, Kalam tells us about his parents and siblings here. He also mentions the important role of his friends in his life. In short, one can say, that in My Childhood, Kalam mentions everything that had an impact on his life. These things shaped him into the successful man he became in the future.

My Childhood Summary in English

APJ Abdul Kalam was born into a Muslim family that was middle class. Furthermore, he had three brothers. Moreover, Kalam also had one sister. Furthermore, his father and mother were both of good nature. Moreover, Kalam’s childhood house was ancestral.

The father of APJ Abdul Kalam lived a life that one can say was very simple. Nevertheless, his father made all the necessities available to his children.  Furthermore, his parents didn’t have any education and they were also not rich. Moreover, many outsiders ate with the family every day. Also, Kalam had the qualities of self-discipline and honesty due to his parents.

Kalam’s family was secular in nature. His family gave an equal amount of respect to all the religions. Furthermore, there was participation from his family in Hindu festivals. Moreover, Kalam heard stories of the Prophet and Ramayana from his grandmother and mother. All of this clearly shows the secularism present in his family.

Friendship was influential in Kalam’s childhood. Furthermore, he had three friends. Furthermore, their religious backgrounds were different. Moreover, there was not a trace of feelings of discrimination among those friends.  All these friends including kalam went into different professions.

In 5th standard, a new teacher came to the class of Kalam. In class, Kalam was wearing a cap. This cap certainly gave Kalam a distinct Muslim identity. Moreover, Kalam always sat near Ramanandha, a Hindu priest son. This was something that the new teacher was not able to tolerate. Consequently, Kalam was required to sit on the backbench. After this incident, both the friends felt very sad and told this to their parents.

Furthermore, Ramanandha’s father met with the teacher to inform him not to spread the social inequality and communal hatred.  He made a demand that the apology must come. Furthermore, in case of refusal, the teacher must quit. Consequently, there was reformation the nature of the teacher and an apology came from him.

On one occasion, a science teacher of Abdul asked him to come to his home for dinner. However, the wife of this science teacher didn’t agree to serve Kalam due to her belief in religious segregation. Consequently, the science teacher made a decision to serve food to Kalam.  Furthermore, the teacher himself sat beside Kalam to eat a meal. The wife of the science teacher was observing all this behind the door. The science teacher gave the second invitation to Kalam for a meal next weekend. This time, the wife served with her own hands, but from inside the kitchen.

Kalam’s upbringing came to an end when he received permission to go Ramanathapuram for further studies after the end of Second World War. His father and mother certainly loved. However, this love didn’t mean they forced their decisions on Kalam.

Read Summaries of Other Chapters here – 

• The Fun They Had Summary
• The Sound of Music Summary
• The Little Girl Summary
• A Truly Beautiful Mind Summary
• The Snake and The Mirror Summary
• Packing Summary
• Reach for the Top Summary
• The Bond of Love Summary
• Kathmandu Summary
• If I Were You Summary

Conclusion of My Childhood

My Childhood summary brings out the essence of the childhood of this great Indian president in front of the readers.

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English Beehive

• The Fun They Had Summary Class 9 English
• A Legend of The Northland Summary Class 9 English
• The Snake Trying Summary Class 9 English
• Wind Summary Class 9 English
• A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal Summary Class 9 English
• The Duck and the Kangaroo Summary Class 9 English
• Kathmandu Summary Class 9 English
• Reach for the Top Summary Class 9 English
• Packing Summary Class 9 English

13 responses to “My Childhood Summary Class 9 English”

Ask the writer to avoid repetition of more over, further more,…. quite irritating to read them repeatedly.

this is true using these words is ok but using them instead of a comma or a semi-colon is not right

i think so this much useful as compared to book and the repetition makes the content in our mind so pls when u sending ur feedback pls think with ur brain thankyou friend bye…

it was fine

I wanted to know about the lesson which we get from this chapter

Subscribe to existingly loud thi is my channel

It was excellent , brillent but more over , therefor words are repeating which don’t sound good

I am not saying that ur explanation was not good . I thinks that it was a very good explanation for such a chapter but repeating words don’t sounds good so I request u to not repeate this thing again plzzzzzzzzzzzz

It’s not good to read the words repeatedly….Also you should have mention the meaning of difficult words, well I think in summary difficult words should not be used for the ease of understanding the summary..

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Class 9 Essay Topics | Interesting Essay Writing Topics & Ideas for 9th Grade

May 2, 2023 by Veerendra

Get inspired with great narratives and Class 9 Essay Topics. Avail the Grade Specific Essay Writing Topics curated belonging to different categories. Bring up the Creative Mind and Imagination in you by referring to the 9th Standard Essay Topics. Enhance your Vocabulary with the Grade 9 Essay Writing Topics & Ideas and express your thoughts into essays on your own. 9th Std Essays are beneficial to win prizes in your competitions or speeches.

Essay Topics List for Grade 9 Students & Children

Not everyone can express their views in the form of Essays.  Try to read the Class 9th Essays belonging to diverse categories. All of them are given in an efficient manner and you can access the Grade 9 Essay Topics of different subjects via quick links available. The 9th Standard Essay Topics prevailing encourages self-study among kids and gives a fair idea on what to write on several topics.

• Essay on School’s Surroundings and Examinations
• Essay on Festivals
• Essay on Persons We Come Across
• Essay on About Myself
• Essay on Relationships
• Essay on Visits
• Essay on Scenes, Sights, and Journeys
• Essay on Health and Fitness
• Essay on Personalities/People
• Essay on Events
• Essay on Monuments
• Essay on Vacation/Holidays
• Nature Essay
• Essay on Sports
• Essay on Cities
• Essay on Life
• Essay on Animals
• General Essays
• Global Warming
• Essay on Environmental Issues & Awareness
• Essay Topics Based on Proverbs
• Essay on Moral Values
• Education Essay
• Essay on India
• Essay on Science & Technology
• Essay on Social Issues & Social Awareness
• Argumentative Essay Topics

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NCERT Solutions for class 9th English Chapter 6 My Childhood

TEXTBOOK QUESTIONS SOLVED THINKING ABOUT THE TEXT

Ans. Do yourself. People speak Tamil here.

Que I. Answer these questions in one or two sentences each.

• Where was Abdul Kalam’s house?
• What do you think Dinamani is the name of? Give a reason for your answer.
• Who were Abdul Kalam’s school friends? What did they later become?
• How did Abdul Kalam earn his first wages?
• Had he earned any money before that? In what way?
• Abdul Kalam’s house was on the Mosque Street in Rameswaram.
• Dinamani is the name of a newspaper. Abdul Kalam attempts to trace the second world war’s news in the headlines in this newspaper.
• Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindan and Sivaprakasan were his school friends. Ramanadha Sastry became the priest of the Rameswaram temple. Aravindan went into the business of arranging transport for visiting pilgrims. Sivaprakasan became a catering contractor for the Southern Railways.
• Abdul Kalam earned his first wages by distributing news papers.
• Yes, he earned money before that also. He used to collect the tamarind seeds and sell there to a provision shop on Mosque street. A day’s collection would fetch him the princely sum of one anna.

II. Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph (about 30 words).

• How does the author describe: (i) his father, (ii) his mother, (iii) himself?
• What characteristics does he say he inherited from his parents?
• (i) The author describes his father as a wise and generous person. He feels happy when he helps others. He did not have much formal education and riches. He was a man of confidence and great wisdom. He avoided inessential comforts and luxuries. (ii) His mother was a noble and kind-hearted woman. She used to feed a large number of people. She had all the attributes of a typical Indian mother. (iii) He was one of many children. He was a short boy with rather undistinguished looks, born to tall and handsome parents. He was born into a middle-class Tamil family.
• The author inherited humility and benevolence from his parents. He learnt lessons in honesty and integrity from his parents. He was self-disciplined because of his parent’s exemplary life.

III. Discuss these questions in class with your teacher and then write down your answers in two or three paragraphs each .

• ‘‘On the whole, the small society of Rameswaram was very rigid in terms of the segregation of different social groups,’’ says the author. (i) Which social groups does he mention? Were these groups easily identifiable (for example, by the way they dressed)? (ii) Were they aware only of their differences or did they also naturally share friendships and experiences? (Think of the bedtime stories in Kalam’s house; of who his friends were; and of what used to take place in the pond near his house.) (iii) The author speaks both of people who were very aware of the differences among them and those who tried to bridge these differences. Can you identify such people in the text? (iv) Narrate two incidents that show how differences can be created, and also how they can be resolved. How can people change their attitudes?

(i) The author talks about the people who belong to various castes and follow various religious preachings. Yes, these groups were easily identifiable. Their dress, traditions, culture, and rituals were different. (ii) They did share their personal experiences and friendships. Lakshmana Sastry summoned the teacher who separated the author and his friend and told him that he should not spread the poison of social inequality and communal intolerance in the minds of innocent children. (iii) The school teacher encouraged communal differences and Lakshmana Sastry and Sivasubramania Iyer discouraged this malpractice. (iv) The influential people can do both things. A teacher has the ability to bridge communal differences and can play with

Que 2. (i) Why did Abdul Kalam want to leave Rameswaram? (ii) What did his father say to this? (iii) What do you think his words mean? Why do you think he spoke those words?

Ans. (i) Abdul Kalam wanted to leave Rameswaram to study at the district headquarters in Ramanathapuram. (ii) His father said that he knew he had to go away to grow. He gives the example of a seagull and says that a seagull flies across the sun alone and without a nest. (iii) He spoke these words because he intended to hone his children’s skills. He knew the harsh reality of life that children leave their parents. So he showed his wisdom and intelligence in uttering these words.

THINKING ABOUT LANGUAGE

I. Find the sentences in the text where these words occur:

erupt surge trace undistinguished casualty

Look these words up in a dictionary that gives examples of how they are used. Now answer the following questions.

• What are the things that can erupt? Use examples to explain the various meanings of erupt. Now do the same for the word surge. What things can surge?
• What are the meanings of the word trace and which of the meanings is closest to the word in the text?
• Can you find the word undistinguished in your dictionary? (If not, look up the word distinguished and say what undistinguished must mean.)

Ans. • The sentences in the text where these words occur are the following:

• ……… a sudden demand for tamarind seeds erupted in the market.
• ……… I can still feel the surge of pride in earning my own money for the first time.
• ……… I would later attempt to trace in the deadlines in Dinamani.
• ……… a short boy with rather undistinguished looks, born to tall and handsome parents.
• The first casualty came in the form of the suspension of the train half at Rameswaram Station.

• Answer of the above questions:

Que1 . An earthquake can erupt. Emotions can erupt. Anger can erupt. Example: An earthquake erupted in Sicily last night. Surge means a sudden powerful forward or upward movement. A wave surges. A crowd surges. A storm surges. Example: Birds search for fish when waves surge towards the shore. Que2 ‘Trace’ means to find out, to copy, to draw an outline, etc. ‘Finding out’ is the closest meaning to ‘trace’ in the text. Que3. I can’t find the word ‘undistinguished’ in my dictionary because it is not the root word. It is there under the word ‘distinguished’ because ‘undistinguished’ is negative to ‘distinguished’. It means: not specific, not prominent, not distinct, etc.

II. 1. Match the phrases in Column A with their meanings in Column B

Que2, Study the words in italics in the sentences below. They are formed by prefixing un- or in- to their antonyms (words opposite in meaning).

• I was a short boy with rather undistinguished looks. (un + distinguished) • My austere father used to avoid all inessential comforts. (in + essential)
• The area was completely unaffected by the war. (un + affected)
• He should not spread the poison of social inequality and communal intolerance. (in + equality, in + tolerance)

Now form the opposites of the words below by prefixing un– or in–. The prefix in– can also have the forms il–, ir–, or im– (For example: illiterate—il + literate, impractical—im + practical, irrational—ir + rational). You may consult a dictionary if you wish.

__adequate __acceptable __regular __tolerant __demanding __active __true __permanent __patriotic __disputed __accessible __coherent __logical __legal __responsible __possible

Ans . inadequate unacceptable irregular intolerant undemanding inactive untrue impermanent unpatriotic undisputed inaccessible incoherent illogical illegal irresponsible impossible

III. Passive Voice

Study these sentences:

• My parents were regarded as an ideal couple.
• I was asked to go and sit on the back bench.
• Such problems have to be confronted. The italicised verbs in these sentences are made up of a form of the verb be and a past participle. (For example: were + regarded, was + asked, be + confronted) These sentences focus on what happens, rather than who does what. Notice that the doer of the action is not included in the sentences. If necessary, we can mention the doer of the action in a byphrase. For example:
• The tree was struck by lightning.
• The flag was unfurled by the Chief Guest.

IV. Rewrite the sentences below, changing the verbs in brackets into the passive form.

• In yesterday’s competition the prizes (give away) by the Principal.
• In spite of financial difficulties, the labourers (pay) on time.
• On Republic Day, vehicles (not allow) beyond this point.
• Second-hand books (buy and sell) on the pavement every Saturday.
• Elections to the Lok Sabha (hold) every five years.
• Our National Anthem (compose) Rabindranath Tagore.
• In yesterday’s competition the prizes were given away by the Principal.
• In spite of financial difficulties, the labourers were paid on time.
• On Republic Day, vehicles were not allowed beyond this point.
• Second-hand books are bought and sold on the pavement every Saturday.
• Elections to the Lok Sabha are held every five years.
• Our National Anthem has been composed by Rabindranath Tagore.

V. Rewrite the paragraphs below, using the correct form of the verb given in brackets.

1. How Helmets Came To Be Used in Cricket

Nari Contractor was the Captain and an opening batsman for India in the 1960s. The Indian cricket team went on a tour to the West Indies in 1962. In a match against Barbados in Bridgetown, Nari Contractor (seriously injure and collapse). In those days helmets (not wear). Contractor (hit) on the head by a bouncer from Charlie Griffith. Contractor’s skull (fracture). The entire team (deeply concern). The West Indies players (worry). Contractor (rush) to hospital. He (accompany) by Frank Worrell, the Captain of the West Indies Team. Blood (donate) by the West Indies players. Thanks to the timely help, Contractor (save). Nowadays helmets (routinely use) against fast bowlers.

2. Oil From Seeds

Vegetable oils (make) from seeds and fruits of many plants growing all over the world, from tiny sesame seeds to big, juicy coconuts. Oil (produce) from cotton seeds, groundnuts, soya beans and sunflower seeds. Olive oil (use) for cooking, salad dressing, etc. Olives (shake) from the trees and (gather) up, usually by hand. The olives (ground) to a thick paste which is spread onto special mats. Then the mats (layer) up on the pressing machine which will gently squeeze them to produce olive oil.

Let the class divide itself into three groups. Let each group take down one passage that the teacher dictates. Then put the passages together in the right order

To Sir, with Love

1. From Rameswaram to the Rashtrapati Bhavan, it’s been a long journey. Talking to Nona Walia on the eve of Teacher’s Day, President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam talks about life’s toughest lessons learnt and his mission—being a teacher to the Indian Youth. ‘‘A proper education would help nurture a sense of dignity and self-respect among our youth’’, says President Kalam. There’s still a child in him though, and he’s still curious about learning new things. Life’s a mission for President Kalam.

2. Nonetheless, he remembers his first lesson in life and how it changed his destiny. ‘‘I was studying in Standard V, and must have been all of 10. My teacher, Sri Sivasubramania Iyer was telling us how birds fly. He drew a diagram of a bird on the blackboard, depicting the wings, tail and the body with the head and then explained how birds soar to the sky. At the end of the class, I said I didn’t understand. Then he asked the other students if they had understood, but nobody had understood how birds fly,’’ he recalls.

3. ‘‘That evening, the entire class was taken to Rameswaram shore’’ the President continues. ‘‘My teacher showed us sea birds. We saw marvellous formations of them flying and how their wings flapped. Then my teacher asked us, ‘Where is the birds’ engine and how is it powered?’ I knew then that birds are powered by their own life and motivation. I understood all about birds’ dynamics. This was real teaching—a theoretical lesson coupled with a live practical example. Sri Sivasubramania Iyer was a great teacher.’’ That day, my future was decided. My destiny was changed. I knew my future had to be about flight and flight systems.

Ans. For attempt at class level. Paragraphs are put together as given below:

From Rameswaram to the Rashtrapati Bhavan. It has been a long journey. Talking to Nona Walia on the eve of Teacher’s Day, President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam talks about life’s toughest lessons learnt, and his mission—being a teacher to the Indian Youth. ‘‘A proper education would help nurture a sense of dignity and self-respect among our youth’’, says President Kalam. There’s still a child in him though, he’s still curious about learning new things. Life’s a mission for President Kalam.

Nonetheless, he remembers his first lesson in life and how it changed his destiny. ‘‘I was studying in standard V, and must have been all of 10. My teacher, Sri Sivasubramania Iyer was telling us how birds fly. He drew a diagram of a bird on the blackboard, depicting the wings, tail and the body with the head and then explained how birds soar to the sky. At the end of the class, I said I did not understand. Then he asked the other students if they had understood, but nobody had understood how birds fly’’, he recalls.

“That evening, the entire class was taken to Rameswaram shore”, the President continues. ‘‘My teacher showed us sea birds. We saw marvellous formations of them flying and how their wings flapped. Then my teacher asked us, ‘‘Where is the bird’s engine and how is it powered?’’ I knew then that birds are powered by their own life and motivation. I understood all about birds’ dynamics. This was real teaching—a theoretical lesson coupled with a live practical example. Sri Sivasubramania Iyer was a great teacher. That day, my future was decided. My estiny was changed. I knew my future had to be about flight and flight systems. Life is actually a mission for President Kalam. It has been a long trek from Rameswaram to Rashtrapati Bhavan. There’s still a child in him though, and he is still curious about learning new things.

Here is a topic for you to 1.think about; 2.give your opinion on.

Find out what other people think about it. Ask your friends/seniors/parents to give you their opinion.

‘Career Building Is the Only Goal of Education.’

‘Getting a Good Job Is More Important than Being

a Good Human Being.’

You can use the following phrases.

(i) while giving your opinion:

• I think that…
• In my opinion…
• It seems to me that…
• I am of the view that…
• As far as I know…
• If you ask me…

(ii) saying what other people think:

• According to some…
• Quite a few think…
• Some others favour…
• Thirty per cent of the people disagree…
• Fifty per cent of them strongly feel…

Ans. Career Building is the Only Goal of Education

The eminent educationists aver that education does not make a child a bookworm. It sharpens the pupils’ intellect and inspire them to build their career by getting themselves enrolled in professional courses. In my opinion, the fundamental goal of education is to help a learner in opting for a perfect stream and assist him in earning his livelihood.

Think and write a short account of what life in Rameswaram in the 1940s must have been like. (Were people rich or poor? Hard working or lazy? Hopeful of change, or resistant to it?).

Ans. The people in Rameswaram in 1940s were orthodox and tolerant. It is mentioned in the story that every child is born into a specific socio-economic and emotional environment and trained in certain ways by figures of authority. The people of Rameswaram were not ready to allow anybody to instigate their children on the basis of communal intolerance. They were all religious people and did not like to enjoy the luxuries of life. They had pucca houses made of limestone and brick. They used to avoid all inessential comforts and were emotionally attached to the members of their family.

Related Articles:

• NCERT Solutions for Class 9
• NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Language & Literature
• My Childhood Class 9 Notes English Chapter 6

NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 6 My Childhood

NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 6 My Childhood are given below. This chapter contains many questions that are essential for exams. Our expert teachers answered all the questions with a detailed explanation that help students to complete their assignments and homework. We have also provided NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Chapter 6 My Childhood in PDF format so that you can download them for offline use.

My Childhood NCERT Questions and Answers

Thinking about the Text

I. Answer these questions in one or two sentences each.  

Question 1.  Where was Abdul Kalam’s house?

Answer:  Abdul Kalam’s house was on the Mosque Street in Rameswaram.

Question   2 . What do you think Dinamani is the name of? Give a reason for your answer.

Answer:  Dinamani is the name of a local newspaper. It is so because Kalam traced the stories of the war in the head lives in Dinamani. 

Question   3 . Who were Abdul Kalam’s school friends? What did they later become?

Answer:  Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindan and Shivaprakasan were Abdul Kalam’s school friends. Ramanadha Shastry became the high priest of the Rameshwaram temple, Aravindan a transport businessman and Shivprakasan was the catering contractor for the southern railways. 

Question   4 . How did Abdul Kalam earn his first wages?

Answer:  Abdul Kalam earned his first wages by catching bundles of the newspapers thrown out from the moving train on the Rameswaram Road between Rameswaram and Dhanuskodi and distributing them.

Question   5 . Had he earned any money before that? In what way?

Answer:  Yes, he had earned money before that too. He used to collect the tamarind seeds and sell them to a provision shop on Mosque Street. A day’s collection would let him earn one anna.

II. Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph (about 30 words). 

Question 1. How does the author describe: (i) his father, (ii) his mother, (iii) himself?

(i) The author, Abdul Kalam describes his father as an honest and generous man. He had neither much formal education nor much wealth. However, he possessed great innate wisdom and a kind heart. He was self-disciplined and avoided all inessential luxuries.

(ii)  He describes his mother, Ashiamma as an ideal helpmate to her husband. She was a woman with a big heart who fed many people everyday.

(iii) He describes himself as a short boy with undistinguished looks. He possessed the qualities of honesty, self-discipline and kindness which he inherited from his parents.

Question   2 . What characteristics does he say he inherited from his parents?

Answer:  He says that he inherited honesty and self-discipline from his father; and faith in goodness and deep kindness from his mother.

III. Discuss these questions in class with your teacher and then write down your answers in two or three paragraphs each. 

Question 1:  “On the whole, the small society of Rameswaram was very rigid in terms of the segregation of different social groups,” says the author.

(i) Which social groups does he mention? Were these groups easily identifiable (for example, by the way they dressed)?

(ii) Were they aware only of their differences or did they also naturally share friendships and experiences? (Think of the bedtime stories in Kalam’s house; of who his friends were; and of what used to take place in the pond near his house.)

(iii) The author speaks both of people who were very aware of the differences among them and those who tried to bridge these differences. Can you identify such people in the text?

(iv) Narrate two incidents that show how differences can be created, and also how they can be resolved. How can people change their attitudes?

(i) He mentions two social groups of Rameshwaram – orthodox Brahmins and Muslims. Yes, these groups were easily identifiable. For example, by the way they dressed; Kalam wore a cap which marked him as a Muslim. Ramanadha Sastry wore a seared thread which marked him a Hindu. 

(ii) They were not aware only of their differences. They also naturally share friendships and experiences. Kalam’s mother and grandmother would tell events from the Ramayana and from the life of the Prophet as bedtime stories. All his friends belonged to orthodox Hindu families. During the annual Sita Rama Kalyanam Ceremony, his family would arrange boats with a special platform for carrying idols of the Lord from the temple to the marriage site situated in the middle of the pond called Rama Tirtha which was near his house.

(iii) The author speaks both of people who were very aware of the differences among them and those who tried to bridge these differences. Yes, we can identify such people in the text.

The new school teacher and Sivasubramania Iyer’s wife were very aware of the differences among the social groups but Sivasubramania Iyer and Lakshamana Sastry tried to bridge these differences.

(iv) The first incident to show that how differences can be created is that when the new young teacher found a Muslim student sitting beside a Hindu student, he asked Kalam to sit in the last raw. His friend Ramanadha Sastry was heartbreaken. They informed their respective parents Lakshmana Sastry summoned the teacher and conveyed the strong sense of conviction which ultimately reformed him. The other incident shows that how differences can be resolved. The author’s science teacher, Sivasubramania Iyer, though an orthodox Brahmin with a very conservative tried to bridge these differences. People can change their attitudes by observing no difference in the way of Hindu’s and a Muslim’s eating of meals, drinking of water and cleaning of the floor. 

2. (i) Why did Abdul Kalam want to leave Rameswaram?

Answer: Kalam wanted to leave Rameswaram for further studies. He wanted to study at the district headquarters in Ramanathapuram.  

(ii) What did his father say to this? 

Answer: His father said, ““Abul ! I know you have to go away to grow. Does the seagull not fly across the sun, alone and without a nest?”

(iii) What do you think his words mean? Why do you think he spoke those words? 

Answer: Abdul Kalam’s father’s words bear great meanings. First, he inspired his son to go ahead above giving the example of the seagull. Secondly, he explained Kalam’s mother to give his son opportunities to get higher education and to make progress. I think he spoke those words to encourage Abdul Kalam and to control the emotional attachment of his wife for Kalam.  

Thinking about Language

I. Find the sentences in the text where these words occur: 

Erupt surge  trace  undistinguished  casualty 

Look these words up in a dictionary which gives examples of how they are used. 

Now answer the following questions. 

1. What are the things that can erupt? Use examples to explain the various meanings of erupt. Now do the same for the word surge. What things can surge? 

Answer:  The sentences in the text where these words occur are the following:

(i) a sudden demand for tamarind seeds  erupted  in the market.

(ii) I can still feel the  surge  of pride in earning my own money for the first time.

(iii) I would later attempt to  trace  in the headlines in Dinamani.

(iv) a short boy with rather  undistinguished  looks, born to tall and handsome parents.

(v) The first  casualty  came in the form of the suspension of the train halt at Rameswaram Station.

A few things that can erupt are violence, volcano, emotions, riots, etc. 

Different sentences to explain the various meanings of erupt are given below:

(i) Violence erupted during the protests.

(ii) He erupted in anger.

(iii) The volcano erupted, spewing lava across a wide area.

(iv) On the day of the party, a pimple erupted on her face

Things that can surge are waves, electric current or voltage, boat, prices, crowd, etc.

Different sentences to explain the various meaning of surge are given below:

(i) A power surge at that generator created a blackout across the whole district.           

(ii) The fans surged forward to see their favourite actor.

(iii) The army surged towards their enemy.

(iv) The prices of gold surged tremendously this year.

2. What are the meanings of the word trace and which of the meanings is closest to the word in the text? 

Answer: The different meanings of the word trace are:

(i) To move along, follow, or traverse 

(ii) To find something or someone through investigation

(ii) To follow the development or process of something

(iii) To draw, sketch, outline, etc.

The closest meaning of the word ‘trace’ in the text is to find something or someone through investigation.

3. Can you find undistinguished in your dictionary? (If not, look for the word distinguished and say what undistinguished mean.) 

Answer: No, the word undistinguished does not exist in the dictionary. 

However, its meaning can be derived from the meaning of the word ‘distinguished’, which denotes the ‘special or eminent appearance or behaviour of a person’. Thus, undistinguished symbolises ‘ordinary appearance or behaviour of a person’. 

 II. 1. Match the phrases in Column A with their meanings in Column B.  

2. Study the words in italics in the sentences below. They are formed by prefixing un – or in – to their antonyms (words opposite in meaning). 

• I was a short boy with rather undistinguished looks. ( un + distinguished) 
• My austere father used to avoid all inessential comforts.( in + essential) 
• The area was completely unaffected by the war.( un + affected) • He should not spread the poison of social inequality and communal  intolerance . ( in + equality, in + tolerance) 

Now form the opposites of the words below by prefixing un – or in -. The prefix in- can also have the forms il -, ir -, or im – (for example: illiterate – il + literate, impractical – im + practical, irrational – ir + rational). You may consult a dictionary if you wish. 

IV. Rewrite the sentences below, changing the verbs in brackets into the passive form. 

1. In yesterday’s competition the prizes (give away) by the Principal. 2. In spite of financial difficulties, the labourers (pay) on time. 3. On Republic Day, vehicles (not allow) beyond this point. 4. Second-hand books (buy and sell) on the pavement every Saturday. 5. Elections to the Lok Sabha (hold) every five years. 6. Our National Anthem (compose) Rabindranath Tagore.

Answers: 1. In yesterday’s competition the prizes were given away by the Principal. 2. In spite of financial difficulties, the labourers were paid on time. 3. On Republic Day, vehicles are not allowed beyond this point. 4. Second-hand books are bought and sold on the pavement every Saturday. 5. Elections to the Lok Sabha are held every five years. 6. Our National Anthem was composed by Rabindranath Tagore.

V. Rewrite the paragraphs below, using the correct form of the verb given in brackets. 

1. How Helmets Came To Be Used in Cricket 

Nari Contractor was the Captain and an opening batsman for India in the1960s. The Indian cricket team went on a tour to the West Indies in 1962. In a match against Barbados in Bridgetown, Nari Contractor (seriously injure and collapse). In those days helmets (not wear). Contractor (hit) on the head by a bouncer from Charlie Griffith. 

Contractor’s skull (fracture). The entire team (deeply concern). The West 

Indies players (worry). Contractor (rush) to hospital. He (accompany) by Frank Worrell, the Captain of the West Indies Team. Blood (donate) by the West Indies players. Thanks to the timely help, Contractor (save). Nowadays helmets (routinely use) against bowlers. 

Answer:  Nari Contractor was the Captain and an opening batsman for India in the 1960s. The Indian cricket team went on a tour to the West Indies in 1962. In a match against Barbados in Bridgetown, Nari Contractor got seriously injured and collapsed. In those days helmets were not worn. Contractor was hit on the head by a bouncer from Charlie Griffith. Contractor’s skull had fractured. The entire team was deeply concerned. The West Indies players were worried. Contractor was rushed to hospital. He was accompanied by Frank Worrell, the Captain of the West Indies Team. Blood was donated by the West Indies players. Thanks to the timely help, Contractor was saved. Nowadays helmets are routinely used against bowlers. 

2. Oil from Seeds 

Vegetable oils (make) from seeds and fruits of many plants growing all over the world, from tiny sesame seeds to big, juicy coconuts. Oil (produce) from cotton seeds, groundnuts, soya beans and sunflower seeds. Olive oil (use) for cooking, salad dressing etc. Olives (shake) from the trees and (gather) up, usually by hand. The olives (ground) to a thick paste which is spread onto special mats. Then the mats (layer) up on the pressing machine which will gently squeeze them to produce olive oil. 

Answer: Vegetable oils are made from seeds and fruits of many plants growing all over the world, from tiny sesame seeds to big, juicy coconuts. Oil is produced from cotton seeds, groundnuts, soya beans and sunflower seeds. Olive oil is used for cooking, salad dressing etc. Olives are shaken from the trees and gathered up, usually by hand. The olives are ground to a thick paste which is spread onto special mats. Then the mats are layered up on the pressing machine which will gently squeeze them to produce olive oil. 

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NCERT Books

NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 6 My Childhood

NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 6 My Childhood are part of  NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English . Here we have given NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 6 My Childhood.

TEXTBOOK EXERCISES (Page 74)

Answer For self-attempt. The language Tamil is spoken there.

I. Answer these questions in one or two sentences each.

• Where was Abdul Kalam’s house ?
• What do you think Dinamani is the name of ? Give a reason for your answer.
• Who were Abdul Kalam’s school friends ? What did they later become ?
• How did Abdul Kalam earn his first wages ?  (CBSE)
• Had he earned any money before that ? In what way ?

Answers 1.  Abdul Kalam’s house was situated in Rameswaram. 2.  Dinamani is the name of the newspaper. Abdul Kalam used to trace the headlines of this newspaper for news about the War. 3.  They were : Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindan and Sivaprakasan. Ramanadha Sastry became the priest of the Rameswaram temple. Aravindan took up the transport business. Sivaprakasan became a catering contractor for the Southern Railways. 4.  He earned his first wages by becoming a helping hand to his cousin. He caught the newspapers bundles for him from the moving train. 5.  Yes, by collecting tamarind seeds and selling them to a provision shop.

II. Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph (about 30 words).

• How does the author describe :  (i)  his father,  (ii)  his mother,  (iii)  himself?
• What characteristics does he say he inherited from his parents ?

Answers 1.  (i)  The author describes  his father  as a simple man. He had neither much formal education nor wealth. But he had great wisdom. He was very large-hearted. He was very considerate. He was also an austere man. (ii)  The author describes  his mother  as kind and large-hearted. She used to feed many people everyday. She had all the motherly qualities. The author went to Ramanathapuram for further studies. She became emotional then. (iii)   About himself  the author says that he was one of many children. He was a short boy with rather undistinguished looks. Theirs was a middle-class Tamil family in Rameswaram.

2. The author inherited faith in kindness and deep kindness from his mother. He also inherited honesty and self-discipline from his father. His three brothers and sister also inherited these like him.

III. Discuss these questions in class with your teacher and then write down your answers in two or three paragraphs each. 1. “On the whole, the small society of Rameswaram was very rigid in terms of the segregation of different social groups,” says the author. (i)  Which social groups does he mention ? Were these groups easily identifiable (for example, by the way they dressed) ? (ii)  Were they aware only of their differences or did they also naturally share friendships and experiences ? (Think of the bedtime stories in Kalam’s house ; of who his friends were; and of what used to take place in the pond near his house.) (iii)  The author speaks both of people who were very aware of the differences among them and those who tried to bridge these differences. Can you identify such people in the text ? (iv)  Narrate two incidents that show how differences can he created, and also how they can be resolved. How can people change their attitudes ?

Answers (i)  The author mentions social groups created by caste or community. These were the Hindu Brahmins and the Muslims. These were easily identifiable from the dresses. The Hindu Brahmins used to wear the sacred thread. The Muslims used to wear a cap which marked them as Muslims.

(ii)  They were aware only of their differences. They shared friendships and experiences. But in the author’s house it was different. As the author says his mother and grandmother used to tell the bedtime stories. These were of the Ramayana and from the life of the Prophet to them. His friends were the Hindu Brahmins. The author’s family used to arrange boats with a special platform for carrying idols of the Lord from the temple to the marriage site. It was situated in the middle of the pond called Rama Tirtha.

(iii)  The persons who were very aware of the differences among them were : the new teacher at the Rameswaram Elementary School and the wife of Sivasubramania Iyer. T^re persons who tried to bridge their differences were : Lakshmana Sastry’ Sivasubramania Iyer.

(iv)  The incident showing how differences can be created is : the new teacher couldn’t stomach that Abdul, a Muslim, sits by the side of a Hindu priest’s son in the class. The incident showing how it can be resolved is of Abdul’s science teacher Sivasubramania Iyer. He brought round his wife to resolve this difference by inviting Abdul again to dinner. He also sat by his side to eat to resolve this difference.

2.  (i)  Why did Abdul Kalam want to leave Rameswaram ? (ii)  What did his father say to this ? (iii)  What do you think his words mean ? Why do you think he spoke those words ?

Answers (i)  Abdul Kalam wanted to leave Rameswaram to study further at the district headquarters in Ramanathapuram. (ii)  His father said that he knew he had to go away to grow. A seagull flies across the sun alone and without a nest. (iii)  His words mean that sooner or later one has to leave one’s parents. This is for living alone in this world. He spoke these words because this is the harsh reality of life.

THINKING ABOUT LANGUAGE I.  Find the sentences in the text where these words occur: erupt, surge, trace, undistinguished, casualty

Answers The sentences in the text where these words occur are the following :

• …… a sudden demand for tamarind seeds  erupted  in the market.
• …… I can still feel the  surge  of pride in earning my own money for the first time.
• ……. I would later attempt to  trace  in the headlines in Dinamani.
• ……. a short boy with rather  undistinguished  looks, bom to tall and handsome parents.
• The first  casualty  came in the form of the suspension of the train halt at Rameswaram Station.

Look these words up in a dictionary which gives examples of how they are used.  Now answer the following questions. 1. What are the things that can erupt ? Use examples to explain the various meanings of erupt. Now do the same for the word surge. What things can surge ? 2. What are the meanings of the word trace and which of the meanings is closest to the word in the text ? 3. Can you find the word undistinguished in your dictionary ? (If not, look up the word distinguished and say what undistinguished must mean.)

Answers 1. An earthquake can erupt. Emotions can erupt. Anger can erupt. Example :  An earthquake erupted in Sicily last night. Surge means a sudden powerful forward or upward movement. A wave surges. A crowd surges. A storm surges. Example :  Birds search for fish when waves surge towards the shore. 2. ‘Trace’ means to find out, to copy, to draw an outline etc. ‘Finding out’ is the closest meaning to ‘trace’ in the text. 3. I can’t find the word ‘undistinguished’ in my dictionary because it is not the root word. However, it is there under the word ‘distinguished’ because ‘undistinguished’ is negative to ‘distinguished’. It means : not specific, not prominent, not distinct etc.

II. 1. Match the phrases in Column A with their meanings in Column B.

2.  Study the words in italics in the sentences below. They are formed by prefixing un – or in to their antonyms (words opposite in meaning).

• I was a short boy with rather undistinguished looks. (un + distinguished)
• My austere father used to avoid all inessential comforts, (in + essential)
• The area was completely unaffected by the war. (un + affected)
• He should not spread the poison of social inequality and communal intolerance, (in + equality, in + tolerance)

Now form the opposites of the words below by prefixing  un –  or  in – The prefix in- can also have the forms il -, ir -, or im – (For example : illiterate – il + literate, impractical – im + practical, irrational – ir + rational). You may consult a dictionary if you wish.

• responsible
• unacceptable
• undemanding
• impermanent
• unpatriotic
• inaccessible
• in coherent
• irresponsible

IV. Rewrite the sentences below, changing the verbs in brackets into the passive form.

• In yesterday’s competition the prizes (give away) by the Principal.
• In spite of financial difficulties, the labourers (pay) on time.
• On Republic Day, vehicles (not allow) beyond this point.
• Second-hand books (buy and sell) on the pavement every Saturday.
• Elections to the Lok Sabha (hold) every five years.
• Our National Anthem (compose) Rabindranath Tagore.
• In yesterday’s competition the prizes were given away by the Principal.
• In spite of finanèial difficulties, the labourers were paid on time.
• On Republic Day, vehicles were not allowed beyond this point. ..
• Second-hand books are bought and sold on the pavement every Saturday.
• Elections to the Lok Sabha are held every five years.
• Our National Anthem has been composed by Rabindranath Tagore.

V. Rewrite the paragraphs below, using the correct form of the verb given in brackets.

1. how helmets Came To Be Used in Cricket Nari Contractor was the Captain and an opening batsman for India in the 1960s. The Indian cricket team went on a tour to the West Indies in 1962. In a match against Barbados in Bridgetown, Nan Contractor (seriously injure and collapse). In those days helmets (not wear). Contractor (hit) on the head by a bouncer from Charlie Griffith. Contractor’s skull (fracture). The entire team (deeply concern). The West Indies players (worry). Contractor (rush) to hospital. He (accompany) by Frank Worrell, the Captain of the West Indies Team. Blood (donate) by the West Indies players. Thanks to the timely help, Contractor (save). Nowadays helmets (routinely use) against bowlers.

2. Oil From Seeds Vegetable oils (make) from seeds and fruits of many plants growing all over the world, from tiny sesame seeds to big, juicy coconuts. Oil (produce) from cotton seeds, groundnuts, soya beans and sunflower seeds. Olive oil (use) for cooking, salad dressing etc. Olives (shake) from the trees and (gather) up, usually by hand. The olives (ground) to a thick paste which is spread onto special mats. Then the mats (layer) up on the pressing machine which will gently squeeze them to produce olive oil.

Answers 1. How Helmets Came To Be Used in Cricket Nari Contractor was the Captain and an opening batsman for India in the 1960s. The Indian cricket team went on a tour to the West Indies in 1962. In a match against Barbados in Bridgetown Nari Contractor was seriously injured and collapsed. In tho§e days helmets were not worn. Contractor was hit on the head by a bouncer from Charlie Griffith.

Contractor’s skull had been fractured. The entire team was deeply concerned. The West Indies players were worried. Contractor was rushed to hospital. He was accompanied by Frank Worrell, the Captain of the West Indies Team. Blood was donated by the West Indies players. Thanks to the timely help, Contractor was saved. Nowadays helmets are routinely used against fast bowlers.

2. Oil From Seeds Vegetable oils are made from seeds and fruits of many plants growing all over the world from tiny sesame seeds to big, juicy coconuts. Oil is produced from cotton seeds, groundnuts, soya beans and sunflower seeds. Olive oil is used for cooking, salad dressing etc. Olives are shaken from the trees and gathered up, usually by hand. The olives sire grounded to a thick paste. It is then spread onto special mat? Then the mats are layered up on the pressing machine. It would gently squeeze them to produce olive oil.

DICTATION Let the class divide itself into three groups. Let each group take down one passage that the teacher dictates.  Then put the passages together in the right order.

To Sir, with Love

1.  From Rameswaram to the Rashtrapati Bhavan, it’s been a long journey. Talking to Nona Walia on the eve of Teacher’s Day, President Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalatn talks about life’s toughest lessons learnt and his mission—being a teacher to the Indian youth. “A proper education would’ help nurture a sense of dignity and self-respect among our youth”, says President Kalam. There’s still a child in him though, and he’s still curious about learning new things. Life’s a mission for President Kalam.

2.  Nonetheless, he remembers his first lesson in life and how it changed his destiny. “I was studying in Standard V, and must have been all of 10. My teacher, Sri Sivasubramania Iyer was telling us how birds fly. He drew a diagram of a bird on the blackboard, depicting the wings, tail and the body with the head and then explained how birds soar to the sky. At the end of the class, I said I didn’t understand. Then he asked the other students if they had understood, but nobody had understood how birds fly,” he recalls.

3.  “That evening, the entire class was taken to Rameswaram shore.” the President continues. “My teacher showed us sea birds. We saw marvellous formations of them flying and how their wings flapped. Then my teacher asked us, ‘- Where is the birds’ engine and how is it powered ?’ I knew then that birds are powered by their own life and motivation. I understood all about birds’ dynamics. This was reed teaching – a theoretical lesson coupled with a live practical example. Sri Sivasubramania Iyer was a great teacher.” That day, my future was decided. My destiny was changed. I knew my future had to be about flight and flight systems.

Answer For attempt at class level. Paragraphs are put together as given below :

To Sir, With Love

From Rameswaram to the Rashtrapati Bhavan . It has been a long journey. Talking ‘ to Nona Walia on the eve of Teacher’s Day, President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam talks about life’s toughest lessons learnt, and his mission-being a teacher to the Indian Youth. “A proper education would help nurture a sense of dignity and self-respect among our youth”, says President Kalam. There’s still a child in him though, he’s still curious about learning new things. Life’s a mission for President Kalam.

Nonetheless, he remembers his first lesson in life and how it changed his destiny. “I was studying in standard V, and must have been all of 10. My teacher, Sri Sivasubramania Iyer was telling us how birds fly. He drew a diagram of a bird on the blackboard, depicting the wings, tail and the body with the head and then explained how birds soar to the sky. At the end of the class, I said I did not understand. Then he asked the other students if they had understood, but nobody had understood how birds fly”, he recalls.

That evening, the entire class was taken to Rameswaram shore. The President continues, “My teacher showed us sea birds. We saw marvellous formations of them i flying and how their wings flapped. Then my teacher asked us, “- Where is the bird’s engine and how is it powered ?” I knew then that birds are powered by their own life and motivation. I understood all about birds’ dynamics. This was real teaching- a theoretical lesson coupled with a live practical example. Sri Siva Subramania Iyer was a great teacher. That day, my future was decided. My destiny was changed. I knew my future had to be about flight and flight systems.

Life is actually a mission for President Kalam. It has been a long trek from Rameswaram to Rashtrapati Bhavan. There’s still a child in him though, and he is still . curious about learning new things.

WRITING Think and write a short account of what life in Rameswaram in the 1940s must have been like.  (Were people rich or poor ? Hard working or lazy ? Hopeful of change, or resistant to it ?).

Answer Life in Rameswaram in the 1940s must have been quite different from that today. The people were not very rich. Every single anna must have been very important for them. It would have been a hard-earned money. But its purchasing power must have been much more.

Life on the whole must have been very hard in the absence of many sources of livelihood. Education must not have been widespread. The main occupation of the people would have been to earn for livelihood. The people must have been very hardworking, honest and sincere. There must have been complete communal harmony and peace. There would have been no illwill according to caste or creed or religion.

The people on the whole must not have been very enthusiastic or hopeful of change. They would have taken everything in a normal way. They could not have been resistant. But they would have abided by the social norms or elders’ orders. Life, thus, must have been peaceful, tension-free and contented.

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NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 3 The Little Girl

NCERT Class 9 Beehive Page No. 38

Thinking about the Text

I. Given below are some emotions that Kezia felt. Match the emotions in Column A with the items in Column B. 

All Chapters: CBSE Class 9 English Syllabus 2020-21

II. Answer the following questions in one or two sentences.

1. Why was Kezia afraid of her father?

Kezia was afraid of her father because he was very strict. He used to talk to her harshly. He was in a habit of finding out her mistakes.

2. Who were the people in Kezia’s family?

Kezia had her mother, father and grandmother in her family.

3. What was Kezia’s father’s routine (i) before going to his office? (ii) after coming back from his office? (iii) on Sundays?

(i) Before going to his office, Kezia’s father went into her room to give her a casual kiss.

(ii) After coming back from his office, he would ask for newspaper and tea.

(iii) On Sundays, he would stretch out on the sofa. He would cover his face with his handkerchief, put his feet on one of the cushions, sleep soundly and snoring.

4. In what ways did Kezia’s grandmother encourage her to get to know her father better?

Kezia’s grandmother encouraged her to get to know her father better by sending her to the drawing room to talk to her parents on Sundays. She also suggested Kezia to make a gift of a pin-cushion on her father’s birthday.

III. Discuss these questions in class with your teacher and then write down your answers in two or three paragraphs each.

1. Kezia’s efforts to please her father resulted in displeasing him very much. How did this happen?

Kezia efforts to please her father resulted in displeasing him. On every Sunday, her grandmother sent her down to the drawing room to have a nice talk with her father and mother. But her father always got irritated with her. He used to call her ‘little brown owl’. One day her grandmother suggested her to make a gift of a pin-cushion on her father’s birthday. Kezia stuffed her pin-cushion with papers. But the sheets she had torn and filled in the cushion were her father’s speech for the Port Authority. He scolded her and punished her by hitting her palm with a ruler.

2. Kezia decides that there are “different kinds of fathers”. What kind of father was Mr Macdonald, and how was he different from Kezia’s father?

Mr. Macdonald was a loving father. He would play ‘tag5 with his children. He would put the baby Mao on his shoulders. Two girls would hang on to his pockets. He would run round and round the flower beds laughing. He was very nice and friendly with his children. He was just opposite to the Kezia’s father. He never punished his children. He played with them whenever he was free. Kezia’s father, on the other hand, never played with her. He always looked angry and harsh.

3. How does Kezia begin to see her father as a human being who needs her sympathy?

One day, Kezia’s mother became ill, and she and her grandmother went to hospital. Kezia was left at home in the care of Alice, the cook. At night, when Alice put her to the bed she had a nightmare. She saw a butcher with a knife and a rope. He came close to her with a dreadful smile. She could not move but cried out. But, to her surprise, she found her father standing near her bed. He took her in his arms and made her sleep by his side. 

After some time, still half asleep, she crept close to him, snuggled her head under his arm and held tightly to his shirt. Now she felt comfortable. Her father told her to rub her feet against his legs and get them warm. This made her realise that he had to work hard every day due to which he got too tired to play with her like Mr Macdonald. She expressed her feelings for her father by telling him that he has a ‘big heart’.

NCERT Class 9 Beehive Page No. 39

Thinking about Language

I. Look at the following sentence.

1. Use an appropriate word from the synonyms given above in the following sentences. Clues are given in brackets.  (i) She was __________ by the news of her brother’s wedding. (very pleased) (ii) I was __________to be invited to the party. (extremely pleased and excited about) (iii) She was __________ at the birth of her granddaughter. (extremely happy) (iv) The coach was __________ with his performance. (satisfied about) (v) She was very __________ with her results. (happy about something that has happened).

(i)  She was  thrilled  by the news of her brother’s wedding. (ii)  I was  delighted  to be invited to the party. (iii)  She was  overjoyed  at the birth of her granddaughter. (iv)  The coach was  pleased  with his performance. (v)  She was very  happy with her results.

2. Study the use of the word big  in the following sentence. He was so  big  − his hands and his neck, especially his mouth… Here,  big  means  large in size . Now, consult a dictionary and find out the meaning of  big  in the following sentences. The first one has been done for you. (i) You are a big girl now.  older (ii) Today you are going to take the biggest   decision of your career. _________ (iii) Their project is full of big ideas. _________ (iv) Cricket is a big game in our country. _________ (v) I am a big fan of Lata Mangeskar. _________ (vi) You have to cook a bit more as my friend is a big eater. _________ (vii) What a big heart you’ve got, Father dear. _________

(ii) most important 

(iii) innovative

(iv) popular

(vi) gourmand

NCERT Class 9 Beehive Page No. 40

1. Underline the verbs of reporting in the following sentences.

(i) He says he will enjoy the ride. (ii) Father mentioned that he was going on a holiday. (iii) No one told us that the shop was closed. (iv) He answered that the price would go up. (v) I wondered why he was screaming. (vi) Ben told her to wake him up. (vii) Ratan apologised for coming late to the party.

(i) He  says  he will enjoy the ride. (ii) Father  mentioned  that he was going on a holiday. (iii) No one  told  us that the shop was closed. (iv) He  answered  that the price would go up. (v) I  wondered  why he was screaming. (vi) Ben  told  her to wake him up. (vii) Ratan  apologized for coming late to the party.

2. Some verbs of reporting are given in the box. Choose the appropriate verbs and fill in the blanks in the following sentences.

(i) “I am not afraid,” __________ the woman. (ii) “Leave me alone,” my mother __________. (iii) The children __________ that the roads were crowded and noisy. (iv) “Perhaps he isn’t a bad sort of a chap after all,” __________the master. (v) “Let’s go and look at the school ground,” __________ the sports teacher. (vi) The traffic police __________ all the passers-by to keep off the road.

(i) “I am not afraid,”  replied  the woman. (ii) “Leave me alone,” my mother  shouted . (iii) The children  were complaining  that the roads were crowded and noisy. (iv) “Perhaps he isn’t a bad sort of a chap after all,”  remarked  the man. (v) “Let’s go and look at the school ground,”  suggested  the sports teacher. (vi) The traffic police  ordered  all the passers-by to keep off the road.

The Little Girl Extra Questions and Answers Class 9 English Beehive

The little girl extra questions and answers short answer type.

Question 1. Why was Kezia scared of her father? Answer: Kezia’s father was a busy man and had little time for the little girl. Being a very disciplined man, he was strict with Kezia as well and she would at times get harsh words of scolding and physical punishment from him. He never displated any soft feelings for his little daughter nor did he play with her like Mr Macdonald. All he did was giving her a perfunctory kiss rather than a loving one. Moreover, he was a large man, and his size, too, terrified the little girl. So scared was Kezia of him that she felt relieved when he was gone from home.

Question 2. Who were the people in Kezia’s family? Answer: There were four people in Kezia’s family – her father who was very strict, her mother who was stem and aloof, her soft-hearted and loving grandmother and little Kezia herself.

Question 3. What was Kezia’s father’s routine before going to office and after coming back in the evening? Answer: Before going to office, Kezia’s father would come to her room, give her a perfunctory kiss and leave for work. He would return in the evening and in a loud voice ask for his tea, the papers and his slippers to be brought into the drawing-room. He would wait for Kezia to help him take off his shoes and exchange a few words with Kezia.

Question 4. What was Kezia’s routine when Father returned from office? Answer: When Father returned home from office, mother would tell Kezia to come downstairs and take off her father’s shoes. She would also be told to take the shoes outside. Father would ask her a couple of questions and she would stutter out her replies. He would order her to put his teacup back on the table and then she would make good her escape from his presence.

Question 5. What was Father’s and Kezia’s morning routine? Answer: Before going to his office, Kezia’s father would come to Kezia’s room and give her a perfunctory kiss. She would respond with “Goodbye, Father”. Since she was afraid of him, she always felt relieved after his departure.

Question 6. Why did Kezia go slowly towards the drawing-room when mother asked her to come downstairs? Answer: Kezia was afraid of her dominating father. He always scolded her for one thing or the other and did not display any soft feelings or affection for his little daughter. So frightened was she of him that she went very slowly towards the drawing-room when she was asked to come downstairs to take off his shoes.

Question 7. Why was Father often irritated with Kezia? Answer: Kezia was very scared of her father. She stuttered when he spoke to her. Also, the terrified expression on her face irritated him. In his presence she wore an expression of wretchedness. He felt that with such an expression, she seemed as if she were on the verge of suicide.

Question 8. What was unusual about Kezia’ stuttering? Answer: Kezia was able to speak without stuttering to everyone in the household but her father. In her father’s formidable presence she could barely speak and she stuttered as she attempted to speak to him.

Question 9. Why did Kezia stutter while speaking to Father? Answer: Kezia’s father’s had a loud and domineering personality and he frequently frequent rebuked her for her behaviour and appearance. His constant criticism and scolding shook her self-confidence. Moreover, his large size frightened her. Though Kezia tried her best to please him, she found herself tongue-tied while talking to him. This made her stutter in his presence.

Question 10. Why did Kezia feel that her father was like a giant? Answer: Kezia felt that her father was like a giant because he had very big hands and neck. His mouth seemed big especially when he yawned. He had a loud voice and would often call out orders. In addition, his stem and cold behaviour made the little girl think of him as a giant.

Question 11. Why did Kezia avoid her father? Answer: Kezia avoided her father because she was afraid of him. She saw him as a harsh, emotionless person who never spoke to his daughter alfectionately. He reprimanded Kezia for making mistakes. Kezia stammered in front of her father since he was a very huge and giant-like figure lacking in the warmth of a father.

Question 12. In what ways did Kezia’s grandmother encourage her to get to know her parents better? Answer: Kezia’s grandmother wanted that the little girl to bond with her parents. Therefore, every Sunday afternoon she would encourage Kezia to go downstairs to the drawing-room, have a nice conversation with them, and get to know them better. She also suggested Kezia make a pin-cushion out of a beautiful piece of yellow silk as a gift for her father’s birthday.

Question 13. What was Kezia’s father’s routine on Sundays? Answer: On Sundays, Kezia’s father did not go for work. He would relax in the afternoon. He would stretch out on the sofa in their drawing-room, put handkerchief on his face, feet on the best cushion and sleep snoring soundly. All this while, her mother would be absorbed in reading.

Question 14. On Sunday afternoons Grandmother sent Kezia down to the drawing-room? What happened when she went there? Answer: When on a Sunday afternoon the little girl went to the drawing-room, she always found Mother reading and Father stretched out on the sofa, his handkerchief on his face, his feet on one of the best cushions, sleeping soundly and snoring. Kezia would sit on a stool and gravely watch her father until he woke up and stretched to ask the time. Then, he would look at her and tell her not to stare at him as it made her look like a brown owl.

Question 15. What did Grandmother ask Kezia to make and why? Answer: Grandmother wanted Kezia to bond with her father and to bring them both close to each other. She tried various ways to achieve this end. Once, she asked Kezia to make a pin-cushion out of a beautiful piece of yellow silk as a birthday present for Father. She wanted the little girl to present this pin-cushion as a surprise gift and make her father happy.

Question 16. In what ways did Kezia’s grandmother encourage her to get to know her father better? Answer: Kezia’s grandmother was a mature and understanding woman who realised her granddaughter was afraid of her father. To improve matters better between them she encouraged her to get to know her father better by sending her to the drawing room to talk to her parents on Sundays. She also suggested Kezia to make a pin¬cushion out of a beautiful piece of yellow silk as a gift for her father’s birthday.

Question 17. What did Kezia make as a birthday gift for her father? How did she prepare it? Answer: Kezia made a pin-cushion as a birthday gift for her father out of the beautiful piece of yellow silk that her Grandmother had given her. She laboriously stitched its three sides with a double cotton and stuffed it with papers that she took from the bed-table in her mother’s room. Finally, she sewed up the fourth side and the gift was ready.

Question 18. That night there was a hue and cry in the house. What night was that? Why was there an uproar? Answer: The night Kezia finished making the pin-cushion for her father, there was an uproar in the house. Father could not find his great speech for the Port Authority. Rooms were searched; servants questioned. Finally Mother came into Kezia’s room and, on questioning her, found out Kezia had mistakenly tom the papers and stuffed them in the pin-cushion that was to be a surprise gift for her father on his birthday. The hue and cry at night was for those missing papers.

Question 19. “Father’s great speech for the Port Authority Iliad been lost.’ What had happened to father’s speech? Answer: Father’s speech had been tom to pieces by the little girl, Kezia. She was making a pin-cushion as a gift for her father, to give him on his birthday. As she was not able to find anything to stuff the cushion with, she tore the speech and stuffed it into her cushion.

Question 20. Who dragged Kezia down to the dining-room at night? Why? Answer: Kezia’s father was extremely angry as he had been looking for his important Port Authority speech and he could not find the papers. Her mother dragged her down to the dining-room at night and took her to her father when she came to know that Kezia had tom the papers that had his great speech for the Port Authority.

Question 21. Why did Father come to Kezia’s room with a ruler? What do you learn about him from the incident? Answer: Father was a strict disciplinarian who believed in the use of physical punishment to correct children. He came to Kezia’s room with a ruler because he wanted to punish her and teach her not to touch what did not belong to her. This also shows that he was a firm, unforgiving person.

Question 22. Kezia’s efforts to please her father resulted in displeasing him very much. How did this happen? Answer: On grandmother’s suggestion, Kezia would go to the drawing-room to have a “nice talk with Father and Mother” and sit on a stool waiting for him to wake up and talk to her. He would wake up and look at her staring apprehensively at him. He would be irritated by her scared look and call her a brown owl. On another occasion, on her grandmother’s suggestion, she decided to make a pin-cushion as a birthday gift for her father hoping that it would please him. But instead he was furious because she had inadvertently tom the papers of his Port Authority speech and used them as a stuffing in the pin-cushion.

Question 23. Do you think Kezia was wrong in tearing her father’s papers? What does it show about her character? Answer: Kezia tore up certain papers she found on the bed-side table in her mother’s bedroom. Unfortunately, the papers were an important speech her father had written for the Port Authority. Undoubtedly, Kezia was wrong in having taken his papers without his permission and in tearing them up, even though she had done so with the best of intentions. The incident only shows that she was too innocent and immature to know the wrong she was doing. All she wanted was to please her father with a birthday gift.

Question 24. Why was Kezia punished by her Father? Was he right in doing so? Answer: Kezia wanted to give her father a birthday present she had made for him herself. She decided to make a pin-cushion for him. She stitched it out of piece of yellow silk and stuffed it with some papers that were his speech for the Port Authority. Her father punished her for taking something that did not belong to her without permission. He was not right in punishing her as he did. He should have understoodd her feelings and explained to her the error of her ways.

Question 25. How did Father punish Kezia? What was the impact of the punishment? Answer: Father punished Kezia by hitting her hard on her little, pink palms with a ruler. The impact of this punishment was so strong the Kezia could never forget it. Next time when she saw him, she at once hid her hands behind her back and her cheeks flushed with fear.

Question 26. How and why did Grandmother comfort Kezia after her father hit her with a ruler? Answer: Hours after Kezia’s father hit her with a ruler, her grandmother wrapped the little girl in a shawl and rocked her in the rocking-chair, with the child clinging to her soft body. She gave her a clean hanky to blow her nose and tried to put her to sleep comforting her with loving words.

Question 27. Kezia asks her grandmother, “What did God make fathers for?” What does she mean by this? Answer: Kezia questioned why God made fathers because she was very hurt and traumatised by her father’s behaviour and the punishment he meted out to her. She felt that he had been too harsh and unforgiving with her.

Question 28. Grandmother tells Kezia, “I tried to explain to Father but he was too upset to listen tonight.” Why does she say that? Answer: Kezia’s grandmother wanted Kezia to bond with her parents and always tried to bridge the gap between her and her parents, especially her father. She told Kezia that her father was too upset that night to listen to her because she did not want the little girl to nurture any grudge against her father.

Question 29. Do you think that Kezia’ father didn’t love her? Answer: I think Kezia’s father loved his daughter. Underneath his frightening and strict exterior, beat a father’s loving heart. If at he appeared too strict or lacking in understanding or compassion, it was probably because he was too tired or engrossed in his work, or wanted his daughter to be well-brought up.

Question 30. Who were Kezia’s neighbours? What did she observe about them? Answer: The Macdonalds were Kezia’s neighbours. She saw that Mr Macdonald played with his children. He laughed when they turned the hose on him and ran about the flower-beds with his young son, Mao, on his shoulders and his two little daughters hanging on to his coat pockets.

Question 31. Who was Mr. Macdonald? Answer: Mr MacDonald was Kezia’s neighbour. He loved his five children and played ‘tag’ with them. The father with the baby, Mao, on his shoulders, would run round and round the flower-beds, shaking with laughter, the two little girls hanging on to his coat pockets. Once Kezia saw the boys turn the hose on him—and he tried to catch them laughing all the time.

Question 32. Kezia felt that Mr Macdonald was a better father as compared to her own father. Why? Answer: Kezia observed that Mr Macdonald was a good-humoured cheerful fellow who enjoyed the company of his children and played with them, laughing even when they drenched him with the hose. Contrary to this, her own father was a strict disciplinarian and quite aloof. He did not express any affection or show any leniency towards Kezia, despite her young age.

Question 33. Why did Kezia like Mr Macdonald? Answer: The Macdonalds who lived next door were an exuberant, playful family. Looking through the vegetable garden-wall, Kezia saw the five Macdonald children playing with their father, turning a hose at him and the father tickling the children. When compared with her frightening father who never played with her, Kezia saw the extent of love between father and his children. This made her like Mr MacDonald.

Question 34. Why was Kezia left alone in the house with the cook Alice? Answer: One day Kezia’s mother had suddenly taken ill and had to be hospitalized. Grannie, too, went along to look after her in the hospital. Kezia was left at home with Alice, their cook till her father returned from work.

Question 35. Why was Kezia afraid to sleep alone? Answer: That night, when Alice was putting Kezia to bed, the little girl suddenly felt afraid as she had to sleep alone. She was scared of the dark and often had nightmares at night. Normally, whenever she had a nightmare, Grandmother would take her into her bed but tonight she was not there at home.

Question 36. What kind of dreams did Kezia usually have? Answer: Usually, Kezia had horrible nightmares. In her nightmares, she saw a butcher with a knife and a rope coming closer and closer to her with a dreadful smile while she stood still, unable to move, overpowered by fear.

Question 37. How did Father comfort the little girl, Kezia, when she got scared in her sleep? Answer: When Kezia cried out in her sleep in fear, her father came to her room, lifted her in his arms, took her to his bed and made her sleep close to him. He allowed her to warm her feet against his legs. She felt secure and protected as she snuggled up to him.

Question 38. When and how did Kezia’s feelings for her father undergo a change? Answer: Kezia’s feelings of fear for her father underwent a change when her father came to her rescue when she had a nightmare. He gently carried her to his room, carefully tucked her up and slept beside her. Kezia felt reassured and safe and snuggled up to him. That is when she realised that her father was not a hard-hearted giant but a large-hearted loving father who got extremely tired by the end of the day.

Question 39. What kind of a person was Kezia’s father? Answer: Kezia’s father was a hardworking man, but he was short tempered. He was a strict disciplinarian too. It was only when Kezia’s mother was hospitalized, that ahe realized that her father loved her but didn’t have the art of expressing his love.

The Little Girl Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Question 1. Write a short note on the relationship between Kezia and her father Answer: Initially, the relationship between Kezia and her father was formal and restrained. As a strict disciplinarian and the head of the family Father asserted his authority over everyone, including his little girl. Every morning, before going to office, he perfunctorily kissed her and she as formally said, “Goodbye, Father.”

She was made to take off his shoes and put them outside when he returned from office in the evening. He often scolded her for her sad looks and for stuttering. He even punished her when she unknowingly tore his important papers. He did not give her even one chance to explain herself and failed to see her loving intention behind the mistake. As a result, Kezia feared her father and stayed out of his way.

However, their relationship underwent a drastic change towards the end of the story. Father displayed his love and concern for his daughter when he and Kezia were alone and she was scared by her nightmare. He carried her in his arms to his room, tucked her comfortably in his bed, lay down close to her and provided to her the assurance and security that children seek from parents. This protective, caring and considerate side of her father helped her understand him. She realised that he had a big heart which was full of love for her.

Question 2. Do you think the Kezia deserved the beating she got for her mistake? What light does this incident throw on her father’s character? Answer: Kezia earned her father’s wrath for tearing his speech for the Port Authority to stuff a pin-cushion she was making for him as a birthday present. When Father discovered that Kezia was the culprit, he punished her by beating her little pink palms with a ruler to teach her not to touch what did not belong to her.

I think it was too harsh a punishment for an innocent mistake of a fond daughter who was making a gift for her father. Undoubtedly, the papers were extremely important for him and their loss must have caused him a lot of inconvenience but he should have heard out Kezia’s explanation, and understood and appreciated Kezia’s intentions. A firm but gentle reprimand would have sufficed to teach the sensitive Kezia not to touch things that did not belong to her. This incident shows that Father was a very insensitive and harsh man who demanded a very high standard of discipline from his daughter and did not tolerate any disobedience.

Question 3. Briefly comment on Kezia’s relationship with her grandmother? Answer: The little girl is extremely close to her loving and sympathetic grandmother. Failing to get any expression of affection from her parents, especially her father, Kezia turns to her grandmother for the emotional support and comfort that she needs. She turns to her to fulfill her need for love and protection.

Grandmother too showers love upon the little girl. She keeps trying to help the girl build her bridges with her parents. She advises Kezia to talk to her parents when they would be more relaxed as they sat in the drawing¬room on a Sunday afternoon. Again, she suggests to Kezia suggests that she should make a pin-cushion for her father as a present for his birthday. When Father beats Kezia, it is grandmother who tries first to reason with her son and then consoles and comforts Kezia by covering her with her shawl and allowing the child to cling to her soft body.

We also learn that, at night, when Kezia is scared by the dark or by her nightmares, it is for her grandmother that the little girl calls out, and it is grandmother who takes her into her own bed. Hence, her love and support make Kezia look upto her for everything.

Question 4. What impression do you form of Kezia’s mother? Answer: Kezia’s mother is very unapproachable, aloof figure, quite unlike a loving mother a young girl desires and needs. Perhaps her ill-health and her strict and domineering husbands demands leave her with very little room to pay the desired attention to her daughter. Her relationship with her daughter is distant. She treats the little girl in accordance with her husband’s expectations. She orders her to take off her father’s shoes and put them outside as this would indicate obedience. On Sunday afternoons, she spends her time engrossed in her reading, rather than talking to her daughter.

When Kezia innocently tears her father’s papers, she drags her downstairs to face Father’s wrath. She does not try to reason with Father when he reprimands and beats the little girl. She neither defends nor protects her in any way. She does not even go to assuage her traumatised daughter’s physical and emotional hurt. Little wonder then that Kezia turns to her grandmother to fulfill her need for motherly care and affection.

Question 5. Kezia decides that there are “different kinds of fathers.” Comment on Kezia’s remark in the light of her relationship with her father and that of the Macdonald children with their father? Answer: Kezia’s father was a busy man. He was so lost in his business that he had no time for his family. Being a very strict disciplinarian, he was strict with Kezia as well. He did not display any soft feelings for his little daughter through word or deed. All he did was give her a perfunctory kiss rather than a loving one as he left for work each morning. His presence at home frightened Kezia and she was relieved when he was gone. Kezia was unable to speak without stuttering in her father’s presence. Yet, despite all this, Kezia’s father had a loving heart as Kezia discovered when she had her nightmare and she was alone with him.

At once, Father came and took her to his room, made her lie with him and comforted her. He asked her to rub her feet against his legs for warmth. This showed the little girl her father truly loved her and it brought her close to her father. Mr Macdonald, Kezia’s next door neighbour, had five children and Kezia would often see them playing in their garden. One day, when Kezia looked through the gap in the fence she saw the Macdonalds playing ‘tag’.

It was evening, and Mr Macdonald had just returned from work but unlike her father, he looked happy to be playing with his children. He had baby Mao was on his shoulders, and the two girls were hanging on to his coat pockets. The party ran around the flower beds, shaking with laughter. Mr. Macdonald’s sons turned the hose on him and he tried to catch them laughing all the time.

This happy scene made Kezia conclude that there were different sorts of fathers. Mr Macdonald was so different from her own father. He was not at all strict, was always happy and thoroughly enjoyed the company of his children. In contrast, her own father was often in an angry mood and remained much too busy in his work. She dreaded him and avoided his company as much as she could. Whenever she was with him, she would stautter and look silly, like “a brown owl”. His strict discipline and his domineering nature made Kezia wonder what God made fathers for.

Question 6. How does Kezia begin to see her father as a human being who needs her sympathy? Answer: Kezia was scared of her father as he looked like a giant. Every morning he came to her room and gave her a perfunctory kiss before leaving for work, but even that contact with him left her feeling uneasy. She was relieved when her father left home for work. Kezia’s father often mocked or rebuked her and once he even beat her for tearing some of his important papers. So great was her fear of him that she stuttered while answering him.

However, a nightmare one night made Kezia discover the tender, caring and loving side of her father. One night when she was alone at home with her father, and she cried out in fear, he came at once to her room, lifted her in his arms and took her to his room. He comforted her and tucked her up nicely and slept next to her. He asked her to rub her feet against his legs for warmth. This incident brought her close to her father.

She felt sorry for him as he had to work so hard that he had no time to play with her. She even realized that her father loved her but didn’t have the art of expressing it. Thus, her attitude towards her father changed and became more understanding and sympathetic.

Question 7. Why did Kezia’s father punish her? Was he right in doing so? Answer: Kezia wanted to give a present to her father for his birthday. She decided to make a pin -cushion for him. She took a beautiful piece of yellow silk and stitched it on three sides. Now, she needed something to fill it. She went into her parents’ room. There, she found some sheets of fine paper lying on the table. She tore them up into pieces and used them to stuff them into pin cushion. Then she sewed up its fourth side.

What she didn’t know was that the papers were her father’s important speech for the Port Authority. When her father came to know about Kezia’s misdeed, he became very angry. He took a ruler and beat her. He was not right in punishing her. He should have realized that she was innocent. Her intention was good. He should have explained to’ her the error of taking someone’s things without permission and warned her gently but firmly.

Question 8. What were the circumstances that forced Kezia to change her opinion about her father? Answer: When Kezia’s mother was hospitalized, her grandmother went to stay with her. Kezia was’alone at home with her father. As Alice, the cook, put Kezia to bed at night, the child was terrified of the dark and of being alone. She was afraid of the nightmares which she usually saw. On other occasions she was comforted by her grandmother, but tonight Grannie wasn’t there.

That night, Kezia again had the horrible dream and she woke up shivering and crying for her grandma. However, her father stood beside her bed with a candle in his hand. He gently took her in his arms and carried her to his room. He tucked her nicely in his bed and made her sleep close to him. She felt secure with him near her. That was when she realized that her father was busy with work and had no time to play with her. She even realized that her father loved her but didn’t have the art of expressing it. Thus, her attitude towards her father changed.

Question 9. Kezia’s efforts to please her father resulted in displeasing him. Elaborate. Answer: Kezia was very scared of her father and stuttered while answering his casual queries because she was trying so hard to say the words properly. This annoyed him and he rebuked her for looking wretched and on the brink of suicide. When she was sent to talk to him on Sunday afternoons, she always found her mother absorbed in reading and father sleeping on the sofa in their drawing-room. She would sit on a stool and wait for him to wake up.

He would then mockingly call her “a brown owl.” Once she unknowingly destroyed some of his important papers while stuffing a pin-cushion which she wanted to present to him on his birthday. This made him very angry and he beat her up badly. Therefore, Kezia’s efforts to please her father often resulted in displeasing him very much.

The Little Girl Extra Questions and Answers Reference to Context

Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.

Question 1. To the little girl he was a figure to be feared and avoided. Every morning before going to work he came into her room and gave her a casual kiss, to which she responded with “Goodbye, Father And oh, there was a glad sense of relief when she heard the noise of the carriage growing fainter and fainter down the long road!

(a) Who does ‘he’ refer to in this extract? Answer: He refers to the father of the little girl, Kezia.

(b) What kind of a person was Kezia’s father? Answer: He was a strict disciplinarian with a harsh exterior.

(c) What were the feelings of the little girl towards him? Answer: The little girl was afraid of him and tried to avoid him.

(d) How did she feel when her father left for office? Answer: She heaved a sigh of relief after he left for his office.

Question 2. To the little girl he was a figure to be feared and avoided. Every morning before going to work he came into her room and gave her a casual kiss, to which she responded with “Goodbye, Father”. And oh, there was a glad sense of relief when she heard the noise of the carriage growing fainter and fainter down the long road!

(a) Who is the little girl? Answer: The little girl is Kezia.

(b) Who were the people in Kezia’s family? Answer: Kezia’s family consisted of her father, mother, grandmother and herself.

(c) What did ‘he’ do before going to work every morning? Answer: Before going to work every morning, he came to Kezia’s room and casually kissed her.

(d) What does this gesture show about him? Answer: This gesture shows that he loved her girl but was not very expressive in his affection.

Question 3. She never stuttered with other people – had quite given it up – but only with Father, because then she was trying so hard to say the words properly.

(a) Who is ‘she’ in this extract? Answer: ‘She’ is Kezia, the little girl who was afraid of her father.

(b) What had she “quite given up”? Answer: She had quite given up the occasional stuttering in front of other people.

(c) How did ‘she’ speak in the presence of her father? Answer: In the presence of her father, Kezia stuttered while speaking and displayed lack of confidence.

(d) Why did ‘she’ stutter in her father’s presence? Answer: Kezia was afraid of her father and hesitated to speak to him, also whenever she had to speak to him, she would stutter because then she was trying so hard to say the words properly.

Question 4. ‘‘What’s the matter? What are you looking so wretched about? Mother, I wish you taught this child not to appear on the brink of suicide … Here, Kezia, carry my teacup back to the table carefully. ” He was so big – his hands and his neck, especially his mouth when he yawned. Thinking about him alone was like thinking about a giant.

(a) Who is the speaker in these lines? Answer: The speaker is Kezia’s father.

(b) Where are they at the moment? What time is it? Answer: They are in the drawing room. It is evening and Father has just returned from work.

(c) How does Kezia look in her father’s presence? Why? Answer: Kezia looks miserable and gloomy in his presence because she is scared of him.

(d) Why was she scared of her father? Answer: She was scared of him because he was a large, loud man and he often reprimanded her.

Question 5. Slowly the girl would slip down the stairs, more slowly still across the hall, and push open the drawing – room door.

(a) What time of the day is it? Answer: It is evening and Father is back from work.

(b) Where is the little girl going? Answer: The little girl is going to the drawing room, where her father is sitting.

(c) Why is she going there? Answer: She is going there to help him take off his shoes.

(d) Why does she go slowly? Answer: She goes slowly because she is afraid of her father and is reluctant to go in his presence.

Question 6. He was so big – his hands and his neck, especially his mouth when he yawned. Thinking about him alone was like thinking about a giant.

(a) Who is ‘he’ in the above extract? Answer: In this extract, ‘he’ refers to the father of Kezia, who was a very strict disciplinarian.

(b) Why does the speaker find him so big? Answer: The speaker is his little daughter, Kezia, who is very scared of him. Hence she finds a really big and giant-like with big hands, neck and mouth.

(c) Why does the speaker think of him as a giant? Answer: The speaker, Kezia, thought of him as a giant because to a small girl like her, his big body structure was as frightening as that of a giant of children’s stories.

(d) When did his mouth especially appear big? Answer: His mouth especially appeared big when he opened it wide while yawning.

Question 7. On Sunday afternoons Grandmother sent her down to the drawing-room to have a “nice talk with Father and Mother”. But the little girl always found Mother reading and Father stretched out on the sofa, his handkerchief on his face, his feet on one of the best cushions, sleeping soundly and snoring.

(a) Where did Grandmother send ‘her’? Why? Answer: Grandmother would send her to the drawing room to talk to her parents.

(b) What would ‘her’ parents be doing? Answer: Her mother would be reading and her father would be sleeping.

(c) What do you learn about Mother from this passage? Answer: Mother is unconcerned and not very loving as she would ignore Kezia and continue to read.

(d) What would Father say to the little girl when he got up? Answer: When he got up Father would ask why Kezia was looking at him like a brown owl.

Question 8. One day, when she was kept indoors with a cold, her grandmother told her that father’s birthday was next week, and suggested she should make him a pin-cushion for a gift out of a beautiful piece of yellow silk.

(a) Who had a cold? What was the result of the cold? Answer: Kezia had a cold and so she could not go out, but had to stay indoors.

(b) What was the occasion next week? Answer: It was Kezia’s father’s birthday next week.

(c) What did her grandmother want her to do? Answer: Grandmother wanted Kezia to make a gift for her father, a pin-cushion.

(d) What did Kezia use for stuffing the pin-cushion? Answer: Kezia used some papers she found on a bed-table in her parents’ bedroom for stuffing the pin-cushion. Unfortunately, the papers were an important speech written by her father.

Question 9. “Mother, go up to her room and fetch down the damned thing – see that the child’s put to bed this instant. ”

(a) Who speaks these lines and to whom? Answer: Kezia’s father speaks these lines to his mother.

(b) What is the mood of the speaker in these lines? Answer: The speaker, Kezia’s father, is very angry while speaking.

(c) What does the speaker refer to as the ‘damned thing’? Answer: The ‘damned thing’ referred to by the speaker, Kezia’s father, is the pin-cushion Kezia had made for him.

(d) Who is the ‘child’ here? Why does the speaker wish the child to be put to bed immediately? Answer: The ‘child’ here is Kezia. Her father, the speaker, wishes her to be put to bed immediately because he is furious at the damage caused by her. He wants to punish her for tearing up his papers.

Question 10. “Sit up, ” he ordered, “and hold out your hands. You must be taught once and for all not to touch what does not belong to you. ”

(a) Who is the speaker? Who is he talking to? Answer: Kezia’s father is talking to Kezia.

(b) Where are they at the moment? Answer: They are in Kezia’s bedroom where she had been sent for tearing up her father’s papers.

(c) Why does the speaker want the listener to hold out her hands? Answer: Kezia’s father wanted her to hold out her hands so that he could punish her by hitting her on the palms

(d) What do you learn about the speaker from these lines? Answer: He is a strict disciplinarian and is punishing his little daughter for tearing up his important papers. He is also unforgiving.

Question 11. “But it was for your b-b-birthday. ” Down came the ruler on her little, pink palms.

(a) Who speaks these words? To whom? Answer: Kezia speaks these words to her father.

(b) Where are they at the moment? Answer: They are in Kezia’s bedroom at the moment.

(c) Why does she speak these words? Answer: She speaks these words to try and explain to her father why she had cut up the papers.

(d) Who brought down ‘the ruler on her little, pink palms’? Why? Answer: Kezia’s father brought down the ruler on her palms to punish her for touching his papers without permission.

Question 12. “Here’s a clean hanky, darling. Blow your nose. Go to sleep, pet; you ’ll forget all about it in the morning. I tried to explain to Father but he was too upset to listen tonight. ”

(a) Why does the speaker offer the listener a clean hanky? Answer: Grandmother, the speaker, offers a clean hanky because Kezia had been crying after she was punished by her father for tearing up his important papers. She needed a clean hanky to blow her running nose.

(b) What did the speaker want the listener to forget? Answer: Grandmother, the speaker, wanted Kezia, the listener to forget about the beating that she had got from her Father.

(c) Why did she want the listener to forget it? Answer: She wanted her to forget it because the punishment was not given to hurt but to make her understand that things belonging to others must not be touched.

(d) What do you think had the speaker tried to explain to Father? Answer: Grandmother, the speaker, tried to explain to Father that Kezia had not destroyed the papers intentionally and that she had been trying to complete his surprise birthday gift.

Question 13. But the child never forgot. Next time she saw him, she quickly put both hands behind her back and a red colour flew into her cheeks.

(a) What did the child never forget? Answer: The child, Kezia, never forgot how her father had punished her and hit her.

(b) Why did she put her hands behind her back? Answer: Father had hit her on her palms with a ruler. She remembered the pain, and was afraid of being punished again.

(c) What had she done to get punished by her father? Answer: She had tom up his important speech in order to stuff the pin-cushion she was making as a surprise gift for him.

(d) What did she wish her father to be? Answer: She wished for her father to be more like Mr Macdonald

Question 14. Looking through a gap in the fence the little girl saw them playing ‘tag ’ in the evening. The father with the baby, Mao, on his shoulders, two little girls hanging on to his coat pockets ran round and round the flower¬beds, shaking with laughter. Once she saw the boys turn the hose on him-and he tried to catch them laughing all the time.

(a) Who is ‘them’? Answer: ‘Them’ refers to Kezia’s neighbours, Mr Macdonald and his five children.

(b) What is the little girl doing at the moment? Answer: The little girl is looking at her neighbours, the Macdonald’s through a gap in the fence. The family are playing together.

(c) How is the relationship of the children with their father different from the little girl’s with hers? Answer: Unlike Kezia, the Macdonald children were not at all afraid of their father. In fact they were all playing and laughing together.

(d) What did she wish as she saw the family? Answer: As she the children laughing and playing with their father, the little girl wished for her father to be like Mr Macdonald.

Question 15. “What’ll 1 do if I have a nightmare? ” she asked. “I often have nightmares and then Grannie takes me into her bed—I can’t stay in the dark- gets ‘whispery ’…”.

(a) Who is the speaker in these lines? Who is being addressed? Answer: In these lines, the speaker is Kezia, the little girl and she is addressing Alice, the cook.

(b) What happens when the speaker has nightmares? Answer: When Kezia has nightmares, she is comforted by her grandmother who takes the little girl into her bed

(c) Where was Grannie right now? Answer: Kezia’s Grannie was at the hospital with Kezia’s mother who is unwell.

(d) Who was beside her bed when she woke shivering that night? Answer: Kezia’s father came to her when she had her nightmare and cried out in her sleep. He took her to his bed with him.

Question 16. Oh, a butcher – a knife – I want Grannie. ” He blew out the candle, bent down and caught up the child in his arms, carrying her along the passage to the big bedroom. A newspaper was on the bed – a half-smoked cigar was near his reading-lamp. He put away the paper, threw the cigar into the fireplace, then carefully tucked up the child. He lay down beside her.

(a) Who wanted Granny? Why? Answer: Kezia wanted Granny because whenever she had a nightmare Granny would soothe her and take her into her bed with her.

(b) Who blew out the candle? Why? Answer: Father blew out the candle because he wanted to carry Kezia to his room.

(c) Where was the butcher? Answer: The butcher was in Kezia’s nightmare.

(d) What does her father’s behaviour in the passage show? Answer: He was a loving and caring father.

Question 17. Then the dark did not matter; she lay still.

(a) When did the dark not matter? Why? Answer: The dark did not matter because Kezia’s father had brought her to his bed. She felt safe now.

(b) Why had she been afraid in the dark? Answer: She was afraid of the dark because of her nightmare.

(c) What nightmare did she have? Answer: Kezia dreamt of a butcher with a knife and a rope, who came nearer and nearer, smiling a dreadful smile, while she could not move, could only stand still, crying out in fear.

(d) What did her father do? What does her father’s behaviour show? Answer: Her father got her to his bed and tucked her in nicely next to himself. This shows he was a loving, caring father.

Question 18. He was harder than Grandmother, but it was a nice hardness. And every day he had to work and was too tired to be a Mr Macdonald… She had torn up all his beautiful writing … She stirred suddenly and sighed.

(a) Who was harder than Grandmother? Answer: Kezia’s father was harder than her grandmother.

(b) Explain “harder than Grandmother”. Answer: Her father was more strict and firm than her grandmother was.

(c) Who was Mr Macdonald? Why could “he” not be like him? Answer: Mr Macdonald was Kezia’s neighbour. He had five children and Kezia had seen him laughing and playing with his children. “He” could not be like mr Macdonald as was a hard working man and was too tired to play with her.

(d) Why did she sigh? Answer: She sighed in understanding and happiness. She had understood her father and his love for her. She was no longer afraid of him.

Question 19. “Oh, ” said the little girl, “my head’s on your heart. I can hear it going. What a big heart you’ve got, Father dear. ”

(a) Where is the little girl at this time? Why? Answer: The little girl is in bed with her father. He had picked her up and got her here after she had cried out because of her nightmare.

(b) Where has she put her head? Why? Answer: Kezia has put her head on the big heart of her father. She has done so because she is free from her fears and is happy to discover the tender and loving side of her otherwise strict father.

(c) What can the little girl hear? Answer: Kezia can hear the heartbeat of her father. She has realised that her father loves her.

(d) How does the little girl feel at this time? Answer: Kezia is no longer afraid of her father. In fact, she feels happy and safe at this time.

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English Essay on “Science A Blessing Or A Curse” Best Essay, Paragraph for Class 9, 10, 11, and 12

Science a blessing or a curse.

The gifts of science are indisputable and countless. There can be no denying the fact that science has made so much progress that the life of a man, society, nation and the world has advanced tremendously. The knowledge gained through science and scientific technology speaks volumes about man’s ingenuity and skill. If all this was not achieved by science it would be no wonder that even today, a man might have been the animal as he was in the ages past — i.e. just another animal. It is Science that has given us all the amenities of modern living that we can proudly boast of and enjoy.

The drudgery of household work has been reduced to almost nil by the numerous gifts of science. You have many tasks to do, and there is a machine to do them for you. In its social aspect, no matter where we want to go, whomsoever we want to meet, the scientist has helped us and we have umpteen scientific modes of traveling to and fro. We want entertainment; the radio and then the television is at our doorstep to do the job, in our drawing rooms or in the bedrooms. If we want to gain knowledge we have other media — books. This is also the result of the mechanization of solving problems. When we want to know more about other countries of the world, we have the internet to help us out. So, in a nutshell, we can say that the twins of science and mechanism have brought us out of the darkness of the woods. Let us understand that science and mechanization are the two sides of the same coin – science is the subject, and mechanization is the outcome. We can say the two are like two bodies and one soul.

Our lifestyle is now undoubtedly much above and the animal that of manages back. This journey has taken man centuries but, it has been worth it. Now, having studied the gifts of Science to mankind, it will do us some good if we do some introspection and try also to study how, and to what extent we are now misusing our scientific knowledge. As far as science is helping man to make life better it is very good but, does a man stop there? He continues his so-called study and research which further leads him on to the destructive capability of science. We are in for making bombs, using nuclear energy for purposes of destruction. Today man has the most destructive weapons ever produced. One bomb can annihilate civilization. In the event of a third world war, there is no doubt that man will perish. It is at this aspect of scientific growth we must put a stop to whose gain will it be if the world is destroyed? I am sure it will benefit none. Yes, none at all. We must understand that we should not pursue the track that leads to annihilation. All the gifts of science must be enjoyed to the full and that can happen only if man survives to taste the fruits of mechanization. Production of destructive weapons the greatest curse of science to men.

On the home front also it is felt that too much mechanization, accounts for our inability to work for own self. We get so used to machines that our bodies get absolutely frozen and become unfit to do any work. Moving about all the time in cars makes our physique. This creeps several diseases. We become basically very lazy.

On the national front, mechanization has led to industrialization which, in turn, has given birth to extensive unemployment and capitalism. Machines being devices to save labor have mercilessly thrown thousands out of employment, and capitalism has led to class struggle. The big capitalists exploiting the poor laborers.

At the lowest and smallest level of life, man has lost his own humaneness as though he himself has become a machine. He has got so enmeshed in the machines that he has lost all contact with his own species that make for his live company. This live company has been sacrificed for the mechanical idiot box. As soon as a man loses touch with his kin, he is most likely to become a machine whose company he keeps all the while. The human touch which was so special about a family and society is getting lost as every individual has become more or less a machine.

Besides these mundane and down-to-earth results of scientific growth, there is one very important aspect which has got lost. Science leaves no place to accommodate God or religion. The scientific and mechanical mind can understand only what he sees or something that can be explained with some amount of reasoning. God and religion are two things that can have no mathematical formulae to explain. Today’s man cannot understand this so-called foolish premise of the existence of any God.

This disbelief in God is leading to further degeneration of the family and the society, the two essential composites of a healthy nation. There does not in today’s context seem to be any force that can convince man of the necessity of being God-fearing and thus being good. Man understands only what he can see and these days his vision is too blurred to see the place of God in the scheme of things. This irreligious attitude of man is further bringing down to the lowest ebb, the sensitivity of our very beings.

Thus we see that the blessings of science through innumerable, have a matching number of abuses. The abuses are so great that they even pose the danger of complete annihilation of the human race, both physically and mentally and of course spiritually. Looking at the sum total of the scenario the abuses outnumber the blessings. This is because man is basically destructive by nature and getting too much scientific know-how will only confirm his doom.

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NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 6 - My Childhood

Page No. 75

Thinking about the Text

• Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindan and Shivaprakasan were Abdul Kalam’s school friends. 
• Ramanadha Shastry became the high priest of the Rameshwaram temple, Aravindan was a transport businessman and Shivprakasan was the catering contractor for the southern railways.
• During the Second World War , the newspapers were bundled and thrown out of a moving train. 
• Abdul Kalam earned his first wages  by helping his cousin, who distributed newspapers in Rameswaram , to catch these bundles.
• Yes, Abdul Kalam had earned some money before he started helping his cousin. 
• When the Second World War broke out, there was a sudden demand for tamarind seeds in the market . 
• He collected the seeds and sold them at a provision shop on Mosque Street. Usually, a day's collection earned him one anna.
• Kalam’s father, Jainulabdeen, was not a wealthy or educated person. 
• However, he was an honest and generous man with great innate wisdom. He was self-disciplined and avoided all inessential luxuries.
• Kalam’s mother, Ashiamma, was an ideal helpmate to her husband. 
• She believed in goodness and profound kindness and fed many people every day.
• The author describes himself as a short boy with undistinguished looks, who had a secure childhood. 
• He is an honest and self-disciplined person who believes in goodness and deep kindness.
• He mentions two social groups of Rameshwaram – orthodox Brahmins and Muslims . 
• Yes, these groups were easily identifiable.   Example: by the way they dressed, Kalam wore a cap, which marked him as a Muslim. Ramanadha Sastry wore a seared thread, which marked him a Hindu.
• No, they were not only aware of their differences, but also they naturally shared friendships and experiences.
• Kalam’s mother and grandmother would tell the children of his family bedtime stories about the events from the Ramayana and the life of the prophet. 
• During the Shri Sita Rama Kalyanam ceremony , his family used to arrange boats with a special platform for carrying idols of the Lord from the temple to the marriage site, situated in the middle of the pond called Rama Tirtha near his house.
• The people who were very aware of the differences among them were the young teacher who joined the Rameshwaram elementary school and came to teach Kalam’s class, the fifth standard, and his science teacher’s conservative wife, who refused to serve Kalam in her ritually pull kitchen. 
• Those who tried to bridge these differences were Kalam’s science teacher, Sivasubramania Iyer, who invited, served, and dined with him to break social barriers so that people could mingle easily , and Lakshmana Sastry, who conveyed a strong sense of conviction to the new young teacher to reform him.
• The first incident to show how differences can be created is that when the new young teacher found a Muslim student sitting beside a Hindu student, he asked Kalam to sit in the last row. 
• His friend Ramanadha Sastry was heartbroken. They informed their respective parents. Lakshmana Sastry summoned the teacher and conveyed a strong sense of conviction, which ultimately reformed him.
• The other incident shows how differences can be resolved. The author’s science teacher, Sivasubramania Iyer, though an  orthodox Brahmin with a very conservative, tried to bridge these differences .
• People can change their attitudes by observing no difference in the way Hindus and Muslims eat meals, drink water, and clean the floor.
• Kalam's father said that he knew that one day Kalam had to go away to grow. He gave him the analogy of a seagull that flies across the sun alone and without a nest . 
• He then quoted Khalil Gibran to Kalam's mother, saying that her children were not their own children. 
• They were the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself. They come through their parents, but not from them. 
• They may give them their love, but not their thoughts, as the children have their own thoughts.
• Abdul Kalam’s father’s words bear great meaning . First , he inspired his son to go ahead above, giving the example of the seagull. 
• Secondly , he explained to Kalam’s mother to give his son opportunities to get higher education and to make progress. 
• I think he spoke those words to encourage Abdul Kalam and to control the emotional attachment of his wife to Kalam.

Look these words up in a dictionary that gives examples of how they are used. Now answer the following questions. Q1. What are the things that can erupt? Use examples to explain the various meanings of erupt. Now do the same for the word surge. What things can surge? Ans:  A few things that can erupt are anger, volcano, tooth, rash, riots, unrest, etc.   Erupt has several meanings. Their explanation, with examples, is given as follows:

• Start unexpectedly. Example: Riots erupted in the city.
• It starts to burn or burst into flames. Example: The spark soon erupted into flames.
• Become active and spew forth lava and rocks. Example: The molten lava erupted out of the active volcano.
• Forceful and violent release of something pent up. Example: The difference in their views soon erupted in a fight.
• Sudden appearance on the skin. Example: On the party day, a pimple erupted on her face.
• Break out. Example: Eruption of the wisdom tooth causes a lot of pain.

Things that can surge are pride, anxiety, waves, boats, army, etc. The several meanings it has can be explained with the following examples:

• Sudden forceful flow. Example: The boy drowned in the surging waves.
• Rise and move forward. Example:  The army surged towards their enemy.
• Heave upward under the influence of a natural force. Example: The boat surged in the high tide.
• See one's performance improve. Example: Hard work helped to surge Sandra's scores.
• A sudden or abrupt strong increase. Example: The surge in the stock market left people in shock.
• Rise rapidly. Example: As time passed, her tension surged.

Q2. What are the meanings of the word trace and which of the meanings is closest to the word in the text? Ans:  The following are the meanings of the word trace:

• Follow, discover, or ascertain the course of development of something.
• Make a mark or lines on a surface.
• To go back over again.
• Pursue or chase relentlessly.
• Find or discover through investigation.
• Make one's course or travel along a path; travel or pass over, around, or along.
• Read with difficulty.
• The closest meaning of the word ‘trace’ in the text is ‘to find or discover through investigation’.

Q3. Can you find undistinguished in your dictionary? (If not, look for the word distinguished and say what undistinguished means.) Ans:

• No, the word undistinguished does not exist in the dictionary. 
• However, its meaning can be derived from the meaning of the word ‘distinguished’, which denotes the  ‘special or eminent appearance or behaviour of a person ’ . 
• Thus, undistinguished symbolizes the ‘ordinary appearance or behaviour of a person.’

Page No. 76

Q2. Study the words in italics in the sentences below. They are formed by prefixing  un  – or in  – to their antonyms (words opposite in meaning).

• I was a short boy with rather undistinguished  looks. ( un  + distinguished)
• My austere father used to avoid all inessential  comforts.( in  + essential)
• The area was completely unaffected  by the war. ( un  + affected)
• He should not spread the poison of social inequality  and communal intolerance . ( in  + equality, in  + tolerance)

Page No. 77

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• CBSE Notes For Class 9
• Class 9 English Notes and Summary
• Supplementary Chapter 1 The Lost Child

The Lost Child Summary & Notes - CBSE Class 9 English Moments

Summary of the lost child.

Chapter 1 of the Class 9 English Supplementary Reader ‘Moments’ is titled The Lost Child. It is a story about a young boy who visits a spring fair with his parents. As he explores the fair, he soon gets lost in the midst of people. Want to know what happens next? Class 9 students can read the prose summary of CBSE Class 9 English Prose Notes – The Lost Child in CBSE English Notes Class 9 format here to find out what happens to the child. We hope this summary will help students to get a brief understanding of the chapter and refer to it while revising for their exams.

Students can also learn how to write an effective essay by going through the essays page at BYJU’S to increase marks in Class 9 English papers.

CBSE Class 9 English The Lost Child Summary

The Lost Child is an interesting story written by Mulk Raj Anand. In this story, a child visits a spring fair with his parents. The place was crowded with people, and there were different kinds of stalls set up at the fair. The child was overjoyed when he saw the toys in the shops and pleaded with his parents to buy him a toy. But his father gave him a stern look upon hearing his request. Meanwhile, his mother asked him to see the mustard field, which looked like a field of gold. A group of dragonflies were fluttering their colourful wings over the mustard flowers. The child tried catching one of those colourful insects, but his mother called him to the footpath, and he ran towards his parents gaily. He heard the cooing of doves and picked up some petals in the grove. But again, as his parents called him, he made his way towards them while he was running around the banyan tree.

When the child reached the fair with his parents, he saw a sweetmeat seller calling out ‘gulab-jamun, rasagulla, burfi, jalebi’. His mouth watered seeing the tasty sweets, and he asked his father to buy him a sweet. But no one paid heed to his request. As he went ahead with his parents, he heard a flower-seller selling ‘a garland of gulmohur’. He saw the basket of flowers and wanted to buy a garland. However, he knew his parents would not buy him the flowers, so he moved on with them. Then, he noticed a balloon-man selling rainbow-coloured balloons. He wanted to buy those balloons but he knew that his parents would refuse, considering he was comparatively older to play with those colourful balloons. Hence, he walked past the balloon-man with his parents.

As he moved forward, the child noticed a snake-charmer who was playing the flute to a snake coiled in a basket. He went closer to the snake-charmer, but he knew his parents would disapprove of his listening to such coarse music. So, he walked further and saw a merry-go-round. He observed that many people were enjoying the ride and called out to his parents that he wanted to take a ride. But there was no reply from them. When he turned around, he couldn’t find his parents nearby. The child desperately looked out for his parents, but they were nowhere to be found. He understood that he was lost, so he started sobbing.

The child gave out a loud, deep cry, and tears started rolling down his eyes as he searched for his parents everywhere. He cried loudly and ran to and fro, but he couldn’t find his parents anywhere. The place was very crowded, and he ran to the shrine to see if he could find them there. Unfortunately, he was lost, and as he was little, he went ahead, crossing many people who were huge in size.

Suddenly, a man heard his cry and lifted him up in his arms. The child was fortunate that he was picked up by an affectionate man. The kind man asked him about his parents, but the child replied sobbingly, not knowing their whereabouts. The man tried to pacify the child and asked him if he would like to take a ride on the merry-go-round. But the child replied that he wanted his parents only. Soon, the man took the child to the balloon-man, sweet shop and flower-seller and asked if he would like to buy any of those, but the young boy refused. He was adamant that he wanted nothing but his parents. The child turned his face away from all those things which he wanted to buy earlier. The child only shouted, ‘I want my mother, I want my father!’

Conclusion of The Lost Child

The chapter – The Lost Child illustrates the lesson to students that children love their parents unconditionally. Although parents rebuke their children sometimes for their good, children always want their parents around them and feel lost in their absence. You have here the CBSE Class 9 English Moments Prose Summary of The Lost Child that will help all 9th standard students to get a complete insight into the chapter.

Besides, BYJU’S offers important resources such as CBSE Notes and CBSE study materials . They can also view several years’ question papers and CBSE sample papers and download BYJU’S: The Learning App to get access to a plethora of useful resources.

Frequently Asked Questions on CBSE Class 9 English The Lost Child

Who is the author of ‘the lost child’.

The Lost Child is an interesting story written by Mulk Raj Anand.

What is the importance of a parent in a child’s life?

Children look up to their parents and consider them as their role models. They also follow and imitate their parents from a very young age. So it is necessary for parents to treat the right things to children.

What is a ‘gulmohur’?

Gulmohur is a tree with scarlet or orange flowers and feathery pinnate leaves. It is of Madagascan decent.

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