Eidgah (Prose)

Unit 1 – Prose

Lesson: Eidgah

Warm Up

Observe the pictures and write the names of the festivals in the blanks. One is done for you.

Diwali

Festivals

Discuss in pairs
1. Which is your favourite festival?
2. When do you celebrate it?
3. Do you celebrate with your family or friends?
4. Why do you celebrate it?

Section I – Reading

How wonderful and beautiful was the morning of Eid! The trees looked greener, the field more festive, the sky had a lovely pink glow. The sun seemed brighter and more dazzling than before to wish the world a very happy Eid.

The village was filled with excitement. Everyone was up early to go to the Eidgah. The boys were more excited than the others. They had been talking about it all the time. Finally the day had come. And now they were impatient. They were taking their treasure out of their pockets, counting and recounting it before putting it back.

• Mahmood counted:
  “One, two, ten, twelve” – he had twelve coins.
• Mohsin had:
  “One, two, three, eight, nine, fifteen” coins.

With this money, they would buy countless things: toys, sweets, paper-pipes, rubber balls – and much more.

The happiest of the boys was Hamid. He was only four, thin and poorly dressed. Last year his father had died of cholera. Then his mother also died. From then Hamid lived with his old Granny Ameena and was as happy as a lark. She told him that his father had gone to earn money and that his mother had gone to Allah to get lovely gifts for him. This made Hamid very happy.

Hamid had no shoes on his feet; the cap on his head was soiled and tattered. He knew that his father would come back with sacks full of silver and his mother with gifts from Allah. Then he would have more than Mahmood, Mohsin, Noorey and Sammi.

Hamid’s Granny Ameena was sad. It was Eid and she did not have even a handful of grains. If only her son were there, it would have been a different kind of Eid!

Hamid went to his grandmother and said,

“Granny, I will be the first to get back. Don’t worry!”

Ameena was worried. Other boys were going out with their fathers. How could she let him go to the fair all by himself?

Hamid left with the other boys. Hamid was like one with wings on his feet. They ran on ahead of the elders and waited for them under a tree. They reached the suburbs of the town. On both sides of the road were big houses of the rich. In the gardens, mango and leechee trees were full of fruits. Then they came across the stores of the sweets-vendors. All decorated so gaily! Every store had sweets piled up in heaps like mountains.

Glossary

• dazzling – extremely bright
• tattered – torn
• suburbs – outlying area
• gaily – in bright colours

Choose the correct answers and fill in the blanks

1. ‘Finally the day had come’. Here the day refers to Eid.
2. With their treasure, the boys would buy toys and rubber balls in Eidgah.
3. Hamid’s friends are Mahmood, Mohsin, Noorey and Sammi.
4. ‘If only her son were there, it would have been a different kind of Eid!’ Her son had died.
5. Hamid was like one with wings on his feet. This means he ran fast.

Section II

Take turns and read this passage aloud.

Soon the roads began to get crowded. Some people were on tongas and ekkas, some in motorcars, all wearing perfume; all bursting with excitement. The children were a calm and contented lot. For village children everything in the town was wonderful. Whatever caught their eye, they stood and gaped at it with wonder.

At last, the Eidgah came into view. There were row upon row of worshippers as far as the eye could see. Newcomers lined themselves behind the ones already there.

The prayer was over. Men embraced each other. They descended on the sweet and toy-vendors’ stores like an army moving to attack.

There was the merry-go-round with wooden elephants, horses and camels! You paid one paisa and had twenty-five rounds of fun. Mahmood and Mohsin and Noorey and other boys mounted the horses and camels.

Hamid watched them from a distance. All he had were three paisas. He couldn’t part with a third of his treasure for a few miserable rounds!

They were soon done with their rides. Then it was time for the toys. There was a row of stalls on one side with all kinds of toys:

• soldiers and milkmaids
• kings and ministers
• water-carriers and washer-women
• holy men

Mahmood bought a policeman in khaki with a red turban on his head and a gun on his shoulder. Mohsin bought a water-carrier while Noorey got a lawyer. Those toys cost two paisa each.

Hamid had only three paisas. How could he buy such expensive toys? If they dropped out of his hand, they would be smashed to bits. If a drop of water fell on them, the colour would run. But he looked at them hungrily and wished he could hold them in his hands for just a moment or two.

After the toys it was sweets. Someone bought sesame seed candy, others gulab-jamuns or halva. They smacked their lips with relish. Only Hamid was left out.

Glossary

• gaped – stared
• smack your lips – open and close lips noisily to show enjoyment
• relished – enjoyed or took pleasure in the taste

Work in pairs and answer the following questions

1. Write the names of Hamid’s friends in column A and the toys they bought in column B

A	B
Mahmood	policeman
Mohsin	water-carrier
Noorey	lawyer

1. Write the names of the toys against each picture.
   (Pictures not shown in text)

Think and Answer

1. Who does ‘They’ refer to? Did they move one by one in a line or in a big group?
2. Hamid’s friends enjoyed the ride in the merry-go-round. But Hamid didn’t go on it. Why?
3. How did Hamid’s friends show that they enjoyed eating the sweets?

Section III

Read this passage in pairs.

Next to the sweet-shops there were a few hardware stores and jewellery shops. The boys were not interested in anything there. So they walked ahead except Hamid.

It occurred to Hamid that his granny did not have a pair of tongs. Each time she cooked chappatis, the iron pan burnt her hands. If he bought her a pair of tongs she would be very pleased. She would never again burn her fingers. It would be a really useful thing to have in the house.

So Hamid stopped to look at a pile of tongs at the hardware shop and asked the shopkeeper,

“How much for this pair of tongs?”

The shopkeeper looked at him and replied

“It’s not for you.”

“Is it for sale or not?”
“Why should it not be for sale? It will cost you six paisa.”

Hamid’s heart sank.

“Tell me the correct price,” he said.

“All right, it will be five paisa, take it or leave it.”

Hamid said,

“Will you give it to me for three?”

Then he walked away, afraid that the shopkeeper would scream at him. But the shopkeeper did not scream. On the contrary, he called Hamid back and gave him the pair of tongs.

Hamid carried it on his shoulder as if it were a gun to show it to his friends.

Mohsin laughed and said,

“Are you crazy? What will you do with the tongs?”

Hamid flung the tongs on the ground and replied,

“Try and throw your water carrier on the ground. It will break.”

Mahmood said

“Are these tongs some kind of toy?”

“Why not?” replied Hamid.
“Place them across your shoulders and it is a gun; carry them in your hands and it is like the musical instrument carried by singing monks. My tongs are like a tiger among toys.”

Sammi who had bought a small tambourine asked

“Will you exchange them for my tambourine? It is worth eight paisas.”

But Hamid would not.

The pair of tongs won every one over to its side.

By eleven, the village was again filled with excitement. All those who had gone to the fair were back at home. Hamid too returned home. As soon as she heard his voice, Granny Ameena ran out of the house, picked him up and kissed him.

Suddenly she noticed the tongs in his hand.

“Where did you find these tongs?”

“I bought them.”

“How much did you pay for them?”

“Three paisas.”

“You are a stupid child! It is almost noon and you haven’t had anything to eat or drink. Couldn’t you find anything better in the fair than this pair of iron tongs?”

Hamid replied in an injured tone,

“You burn your fingers on the iron pan so I bought them.”

Granny was deeply moved by Hamid’s selflessness. She started crying. For the wretched woman, the pair of tongs was as precious as sacks of silver.

Story by Munshi Premchand
Translated and Adapted by Uma Raman

Tick the correct answer

1. Hamid thought that his grandma would be pleased if he bought a pair of tongs.
2. Hamid’s heart sank because the price of the tongs was too high for him.
3. ‘My tongs are like a tiger among toys.’ It means Hamid valued his toy.
4. Hamid’s granny scolded him for buying iron tongs. Then she understood that Hamid had bought it out of love and concern.

Glossary

• tongs – a tool used to hold hot things
• precious – valuable
• wretched – unhappy

Read and Understand

A. Answer the following questions

1. What did Granny say about Hamid’s parents?
2. Write about Hamid in one or two sentences.
3. How did Hamid’s friends enjoy the games in the fair?
4. What did Hamid buy at the fair? And for whom?
5. Why did Granny scold Hamid?

B. Rearrange the jumbled sentences and write them in the correct order

• But Hamid bought a pair of tongs.
• Granny Ameena felt proud of her grandson.
• Hamid’s friends bought different toys of their choice.
• Hamid proudly compared his tongs with a brave tiger.
• Hamid had less money than his friends.
• Granny Ameena was worried as he had to go to the Eidgah alone.

Vocabulary

C. Fill in the blanks with the help of the picture clues

A pair of tongs

D. Who am I? (Use a pair of …)

1. We wear this on our face to see clearly a pair of spectacles
2. We wear this on our ears a pair of earrings
3. We wear this on our face when it is sunny a pair of sunglasses
4. We cut things with a pair of scissors
5. We wear this on our feet a pair of shoes

E. Add a suitable prefix or suffix and make new words

Word	New Word
child	childhood
wonder	wonderful
noon	afternoon
count	counting
relation	relationship
patient	impatient
happy	unhappy
excite	excitement
danger	dangerous
perfect	perfection

F. Match the following and write them in Column C

A	B	C
a cupful	of coffee	a cupful of coffee
a bagful	of silver	a bagful of silver
a spoonful	of sugar	a spoonful of sugar
a pocketful	of money	a pocketful of money

G. Fill in the blanks with suitable words from the box

1. The thieves came out of the house with a bagful of gold and silver.
2. My mother throws a handful of grains for the parrots every day.
3. He took a mouthful of the cake.
4. Ram takes a spoonful of soup before food.
5. John added a cupful of sugar to the lemon juice.
6. The child was happy with his pocketful of chocolates.

Language Check

Don’t say	Say	Note
She is my cousin sister	They are my cousins.	The word ‘cousin’ is used to refer both male and female.
I have two daughter-in-laws.	I have two daughters-in-law.	‘s’ is added to the first word ‘daughter’ to form the plural.

Listening

H. Listen to the teacher read the passage. Then listen again and tick the correct answers

1. The three boys went for swimming in the sea.
2. They watched the waves tumbling towards the shore.
3. The gulls were flying over the sea.
4. When the sea was calm they would skim stones.
5. Thirty six was Gopal’s record.

Speaking

I. Talk about yourself using the clues given

1. When I was a little boy, I had a red bicycle.
2. On the first day of school ..........
3. As a child I spent my free time ..........
4. I used to admire ..........
5. Last year at this time I ..........
6. Now I really enjoy ..........
7. While I was ..........
8. I have never visited ..........

Picto Grammar

• There are many flowers in the bunch. Only a few are fresh.
• There are some biscuits in the plate.
• Are there any mangoes in the basket?
  No, there aren’t. But there are some guavas.

Note to the teacher
Determiner is a word that comes before a noun or noun phrase. A determiner identifies whether the noun or noun phrase is general or specific.

Use Grammar

J. Tick the correct option

1. There are many apples in the basket. Only a few are green.
2. There isn’t much traffic on Sundays.
3. There isn’t any water in the glass.
4. There aren’t any eggs in the basket. But there are a few near it.

K. Fill in the blanks with some/ any/ much/ many

1. There is some coffee left in the pot. Do you want?
2. Do you have any coins with you? I need some.
3. She asked me for some magazines, but I could not find any.
4. I can’t carry the luggage any more. I need some help.
5. There are many places to visit but we don’t have much time to visit them.

Writing

L. Describe Kandan’s family in about 60 words using the pictures and clues given

(Pictures not shown)

M. Read the telephonic conversation between Malar and Selvi. Write a similar message based on her conversation with Malar

Message
………..(Date) ...…….(Time)
Dear Papa
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
............................................
............................................

Creative Writing

N. Describe the picture in 50 words and give a suitable title

Words: modern world – left alone – busy – gadgets – cell phones – ignored – feels alone – lonely – sad feeling
Note: (Grand Parents Day – 1st Oct)

O. Here are some words that express feelings. Write the suitable one in the blanks

1. Your mom made your favourite dinner. thankful
2. You lost your geometry box, and someone returns it to you. thankful
3. You are waiting for your exam results. anxious
4. It is very late at night and your father hasn’t returned from the office. worried
5. You have won the first prize in the essay writing competition. proud
6. The first day at school excited
7. You find it tough to learn a new language dejected

Practice Practice Exercises

1. Which is your favourite festival?

2. When do you celebrate it?

3. Do you celebrate with your family or friends?

4. Why do you celebrate it?

1. child

2. wonder

3. noon

4. count

5. relation

6. patient

7. happy

8. excite

9. danger

10. perfect

1. The thieves came out of the house with a of gold and silver.

2. My mother throws a of grains for the parrots every day.

3. He took a of the cake.

4. Ram takes a of soup before food.

5. John added a of sugar to the lemon juice.

6. The child was happy with his of chocolates.

1. The three boys went for bathing / swimming in the sea.

2. They watched the waves / dolphins tumbling towards the shore.

3. The gulls were flying over the sea / oyster catchers .

4. When the sea was calm / rough they would skim stones.

5. Twenty six / thirty six was Gopal’s record.

2. On the first day of school

3. As a child I spent my free time

4. I used to admire

5. Last year at this time I

6. Now I really enjoy

7. While I was

8. I have never visited

1. There are (many or much) apples in the basket.

Only (some or a few) are green.

2. There isn’t (many or much) traffic on Sundays.

3. There isn’t (some or any) water in the glass.

4. There aren’t (some or any) eggs in the basket. But there are (much or a few) near it.

1. There is coffee left in the pot. Do you want?

2. Do you have coins with you? I need some.

3. She asked me for magazines, but I could not find

4. I can’t carry the luggage more. I need help.

5. There are places to visit but we don’t have time to visit them.

(Date)

1. Your mom made your favourite dinner

2. You lost your geometry box, and some one returns it to you

3. You are waiting for your exam results.

4. It is very late at night and your father hasn’t returned from the office

5. You have won the first prize in the essay writing competition

6. The first day at school

7. You find it tough to learn a new language .

1. ‘Finally the day had come’. Here the day refers to

2. With their treasure, the boys would buy in Eidgah.

3. Hamid’s friends are

5. Hamid was like one with wings on his feet. This means

1. Who does they refer to? Did they move one by one in a line or in a big group?

2. Hamid’s friends enjoyed the ride in the merry-go-round. But Hamid didn’t go on it. Why?

3. How did Hamid’s friends show that they enjoyed eating the sweets?

1. Hamid thought that his grandma would be pleased if he bought

a. a pair of tongs.

b. sweets for himself.

c. toys.

2. Hamid’s heart sank because the price of the tongs was for him.

a. too high

b. too low

c. affordable

3. ‘My tongs are like a tiger among toys.’ It means

a. Hamid valued his toy.

b. Hamid bought a tiger toy.

c. Hamid wanted to exchange his toy.

4. Hamid’s granny scolded him for buying iron tongs. Then she understood that Hamid had bought it

a. out of compulsion.

b. out of love and concern.

c. out of interest.

1. What did Granny say about Hamid’s parents?

2. Write about Hamid in one or two sentences.

3. How did Hamid’s friends enjoy the games in the fair?

4. What did Hamid buy at the fair? And for whom?

5. Why did Granny scold Hamid?

1. We wear this on our face to see clearly

2. We wear this on our ears

3. We wear this on our face when it is sunny

4. We cut things with

5. We wear this on our feet