The Apple Tree And The Farmer (Supplementary)

Unit 2 – Supplementary

The Apple Tree and the Farmer

Once upon a time there was a farmer. He lived in a village, up in the hills, beside a forest. In his farm where he grew many kinds of vegetables, he also had an apple tree. For many years the farmer and his family had enjoyed the tastiest apples from the tree.

As a boy, the farmer and his friends played under the apple tree. They played hide and seek around the tree. They climbed the tree and swung on it and in season they plucked and ate the apples.

As the years passed the boy grew into a man. He took over the farm and continued to enjoy the fruits from the tree. In the meantime many small animals and birds started living in the tree. The man’s children and their friends started playing under it.

The large and shady apple tree now grew old and was bearing fewer and fewer fruits. It was nice to sit under its shade in the summer but nothing grew under it. The farmer felt the space could be used to grow some vegetables. He also felt he could use the wood to build a new room in his house. Therefore, he decided to cut the tree. He did not think about the wonderful times he and his friends had playing around the tree or the delicious apples they ate. Rather he felt the tree had outlived its usefulness and should be cut down.

When the farmer took his axe and began chopping the tree, all the little animals, birds and insects that lived in the tree came rushing down. They started running around in alarm, chirping and squeaking all over the place. The farmer was adamant. He raised his axe and the uproar grew.

The farmer, however, forgot his childhood and his animal friends. He began to chop the tree harder. All the little animals became desperate, and wanted to protect the apple tree at any cost. They ran around in circles making a huge commotion.

This brought the children out. The farmer’s daughter and her friends began to plead with him. They gathered around the farmer and said:

“Please don’t cut the tree. We play here just like you did. These small animals live here. If you cut the tree, where will they go? You can enjoy the shade when you become old. It is a beautiful tree.”

All of a sudden, the farmer noticed a small fruit hanging from a branch. It was an apple and looked as delicious as the ones he ate as a boy. He plucked it and bit into the juicy fruit. The memories of the fun he had had as a boy came rushing back. When his daughter saw the changed expression in her father’s face, she started pleading harder.

The farmer put down his axe. He understood that the tree was home to many lovely animals and provided them with so many things. He wanted his little girl to have the childhood that he had had. He threw away the axe and said to his daughter:

“I promise that I will never cut this tree. You and your friends will have your tree and your playground.”

A. Read the following statements. Say True or False.

1. The farmer had spent his childhood playing under the tree.
2. The farmer felt the space could be used to build a house.
3. The apple tree requested the farmer not to cut it.
4. All the little animals were happy about the farmer’s decision.
5. The apple tree was home for all the little animals.

B. Identify the speaker / character.

1. “Please don’t cut the tree.”
2. “You can enjoy the shade when you become old.”
3. “I promise that I will never cut this tree.”

C. Choose the right option.

1. The animals became worried because
   a. there was heavy rain.
   b. the farmer began to chop the tree.
   c. the farmer chased them away.
   d. the tree became old.

2. The farmer’s daughter and her friends came out because
   a. they wanted to play under the tree.
   b. they heard the commotion of the creatures.
   c. the farmer called them.
   d. they heard the farmer's voice.

3. The farmer promised that he would
   a. grow more trees.
   b. provide shelter to all the little animals.
   c. not cut the tree.
   d. be thankful to the children.

D. Read the passage and answer the following.

All of a sudden, the farmer noticed a small fruit hanging from a branch. It was an apple and looked as delicious as the ones he ate as a boy. He plucked it and bit into the juicy fruit. The memories of the fun he had had as a boy came rushing back. When his daughter saw the changed expression in her father’s face, she started pleading harder.

1. What did the farmer notice?
2. What made him recall his childhood?
3. Why did his daughter start pleading?

E. Rearrange the jumbled sentences.

1. He decided to cut the tree thinking that it was useless.
2. The farmer had an old apple tree in his garden.
3. He spent all his childhood playing under the apple tree.
4. All the little animals in the tree pleaded with him.
5. He did not listen to their cries.
6. The farmer continued cutting the tree.
7. The taste of the apple brought back his childhood memories.
8. His childhood memories made him realize his mistake.

F. Think and answer.

1. Which part of the story do you like? Why?
2. If the little animals become homeless what will happen?
3. What made the farmer realise his mistakes?

PROJECT

G. Look at the table. Read any story. Then fill the table.

| Title of the story | When the Trees Walked |
| Name of the author | Ruskin Bond |
| No of characters | three |
| The character you like the most | Grandfather |
| Main points | Grandfather loved trees and grew trees
Grandmother loved flower gardening
The author too loved trees and helped grandfather |

| Title of the story | |
| Name of the author | |
| No of characters | |
| The character you like the most | |
| Main points | |

CONNECTING TO SELF

H. Lilly was on a trip to the beach with her friends. Some of her friends carelessly threw plastic bags on the road after eating their snacks. She wanted to convince them that what they were doing was not correct and they should be good citizens.

Discuss in your group. What could Lilly say? Role play the conversation with one person being Lilly and the other a friend.

STEPS TO SUCCESS

I. For each item write the word that has the same relationship as the pair on the left.

Example
desert : dry :: valley : fertile

1. creeper : tendril :: tree : bough
2. river : flow :: mountain : still
3. breeze : gentle :: storm : violent
4. mango : sweet :: lime : sour
5. bark : timber :: flower : fruit

LEARNING LINKS AND REFERENCES

e-links

1. https://www.forests.tn.gov.in/
2. http://ifs.nic.in/
3. http://envfor.nic.in/
4. http://fsi.nic.in/

Books

1. Growing up with Trees – Ruskin Bond, NBT
2. The World of Trees – Ruskin Bond, NBT
3. A Bond of Love – Pushpa Saxena, NBT
4. Friends of the Green Forest – Ganesh Haloi, NBT

ICT Corner – Hangman Game

Screenshot of the Hangman Game

Demo Steps

1. Scan the QR code. It will go to a website.
2. You can see a link for the software / application.
3. Click the link to download the software / application.
4. Click next and select the suffix by clicking the drop-down arrow.
5. Click the letters to form the word.

Images for the Demo Steps
Download the Software / Application

Language Activity

1. Write down the list of words you learned.

Practice Practice Exercises

1. The farmer had spent his childhood playing under the tree.

2. The farmer felt the space could be used to build a house.

3. The apple tree requested the farmer not to cut it.

4. All the little animals were happy about the farmer's decision.

5. The apple tree was home for all the little animals.

1. Please don't cut the tree.

2. You can enjoy the shade when you become old.

3. I promise that I will never cut this tree.

a. there was heavy rain.

b. the farmer began to chop the tree.

c. the farmer chased them away.

d. the tree became old.

a. they wanted to play under the tree.

b. they heard the commotion of the creatures.

c. the farmer called them.

d. they heard the farmer's voice.

a. grow more trees.

b. provide shelter to all the little animals.

c. not cut the tree.

d. be thankful to the children.

1. What did the farmer notice?

2. What made him recall his childhood?

3. Why did his daughter start pleading?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

1. Which part of the story do you like? Why?

2. If the little animals become homeless what will happen?

3. What made the farmer realise his mistakes?

a. leaf

b. bough

c. flower

d. fruit

a. beautiful

b. high

c. trees

d. still

a. violent

b. wind

c. sea

d. rain

a. fruit

b. sour

c. tree

d. juice

a. branch

b. plant

c. fruit

d. stem