Class-6 Supplementary Reader (A Pact With the Sun) Chapter-2, The Friendly Mongoose, Additional Exercises with Solutions / NCERT/CBSE

 

The Friendly Mongoose

मिलनसार नेवला

 

ONCE a farmer and his wife lived in a village with their small son. They loved him very much. “We must have a pet,” the farmer said to his wife one day. “When our son grows up, he will need a companion. This pet will be our son’s companion.” His wife liked the idea.

एक बार एक किसान और उसकी पत्नी अपने छोटे बेटे के साथ एक गाँव में रहते थे। वे उससे बहुत प्यार करते थे। "हमारे पास एक पालतू जानवर होना चाहिए," किसान ने एक दिन अपनी पत्नी से कहा। "जब हमारा बेटा बड़ा हो जाएगा, तो उसे एक साथी की आवश्यकता होगी। यह पालतू जानवर हमारे बेटे का साथी होगा।” उनकी पत्नी को यह विचार पसंद आया।

One evening, the farmer brought with him a tiny mongoose. “It’s a baby mongoose,” said his wife, “but will soon be fully grown. He will be a friend to our son.”

एक शाम किसान अपने साथ एक नन्हा नेवला लेकर आया। "यह तो एक शिशु नेवला है," उसकी पत्नी ने कहा, "लेकिन जल्द ही पूरी तरह से विकसित हो जाएगा। वह हमारे बेटे का दोस्त होगा।”

Both the baby and the mongoose grew. In five or six months the mongoose had grown to its full size — a lovely animal with two shining black eyes and a bushy tail. The farmer’s son was still a baby in the cradle, sleeping and crying alternately.

बच्चा और नेवला दोनों बड़े हो गए। पाँच या छह महीनों में नेवला अपने पूरे आकार में बढ़ गया था - दो चमकदार काली आँखों और एक झबरीली पूँछ वाला एक प्यारा जानवर। किसान का बेटा अभी भी पालने में रहने वाला बच्चा था, जो बारी-बारी से सोता और रोता था।

One day, the farmer’s wife wanted to go to the market. She fed the baby and rocked him to sleep in his little cradle. Picking up the basket, she said to her husband, “I’m off to the bazar. The baby is sleeping. Keep an eye on him. Frankly, I don’t like to leave the child alone with the mongoose.”

एक दिन किसान की पत्नी बाजार जाना चाहती थी। उसने बच्चे को दूध पिलाया और उसके छोटे से पालने को हिला कर उसे उसमें सुला दिया। टोकरी उठाकर उसने अपने पति से कहा, “मैं बाज़ार जा रही हूँ। बच्चा सो रहा है। उस पर नजर रखें। सच कहूँ तो मैं नेवले के साथ बच्चे को अकेला छोड़ना पसंद नहीं करती।"

“You needn’t be afraid,” said the farmer. “The mongoose is a friendly animal. It’s as sweet as our baby and they are the best of friends, you know.”

"आपको डरने की ज़रूरत नहीं है," किसान ने कहा। "नेवला एक मिलनसार जानवर है। यह हमारे बच्चे की तरह प्यारा है और वे सबसे अच्छे दोस्त हैं, आप जानती हो। ”

 

The wife went away, and the farmer, having nothing to do in the house, decided to go out and take a look at his fields not far away. He ran into some friends on the way back and didn’t return for quite some time.

पत्नी चली गई, और किसान के पास घर में करने के लिए कुछ नहीं था, उसने बाहर जाकर अपने खेतों को देखने का फैसला किया। रास्ते में वह कुछ दोस्तों से मिला और काफी देर तक नहीं लौटा।

The farmer’s wife finished her shopping and came back home with a basketful of groceries. She saw the mongoose sitting outside as if waiting for her. On seeing her he ran to welcome her, as was customary. The farmer’s wife took one look at the mongoose and screamed. “Blood!” she cried. The face and paws of the mongoose were smeared with blood.

किसान की पत्नी ने अपनी खरीदारी समाप्त की और किराने का सामान लेकर घर वापस आ गई। उसने नेवले को बाहर बैठे देखा मानो उसका इंतजार कर रहा हो। उसे देखकर वह उसका स्वागत करने के लिए दौड़ा, जैसा कि हमेंशा होता था। किसान की पत्नी ने नेवले पर एक नजर डाली और चिल्ला पड़ी- "खून!" वो रोई। नेवले के चेहरे और पंजे खून से सने थे।

“You wicked animal! You have killed my baby,” she screamed hysterically. She was blind with rage and with all her strength brought down the heavy basket full of groceries on the blood-smeared mongoose and ran inside to the child’s cradle.

“हे दुष्ट प्राणी! तुमने मेरे बच्चे को मार डाला है," वह उन्माद से चिल्लाई। वह रोष से अंधी थी और अपनी पूरी ताकत के साथ खून से सने नेवले पर किराने के सामान से भरी भारी टोकरी दे मारी और बच्चे के पालने की तरफ अंदर भाग गई।

The baby was fast asleep. But on the floor lay a black snake torn and bleeding. In a flash she realised what had happened. She ran out looking for the mongoose.

बच्चा गहरी नींद में सो रहा था। लेकिन फर्श पर एक काला साँप फटा पड़ा था और खून बह रहा था। एक पल में उसे एहसास हुआ कि क्या हुआ था। वह नेवले की तलाश में बाहर भागी।

“Oh! You saved my child! You killed the snake! What have I done?” she cried touching the mongoose, who lay dead and still, unaware of her sobbing. The farmer’s wife, who had acted hastily and rashly, stared long at the dead mongoose. Then she heard the baby crying. Wiping her tears, she went in to feed him.

"ओह! तुमने मेरे बच्चे को बचा लिया! तुमने साँप को मार डाला! मैंने किया क्या है?" वह नेवले को छूकर रोई, जो अभी भी मरा पड़ा था और, उसके रोने से अनजान था। किसान की पत्नी, जिसने जल्दबाजी और उतावलापन दिखाया था, मरे हुए नेवले को बहुत देर तक देखती रही। तभी उसने बच्चे के रोने की आवाज सुनी। अपने आँसू पोछते हुए वह उसे खिलाने चली गई।

(a story from The Panchatantra)

(पंचतंत्र की एक कहानी)

 

Choose the correct option:

 

1)  Who believed that the mongoose would be their son’s companion and friend in future?

a.   Farmer (✔)

b.   Farmer’s wife

c.    Farmer’s child

2)  The farmer’s wife returned home from the market carrying a basket full of…...

a.   Clothes

b.   Flowers

c.    Groceries(✔)

3)  Where did the farmer’s wife find the mongoose?

a.   Near the cradle

b.   Near the farm

c.    at the entrance of the house (✔)

 

Fill in the blanks with the words given in the box:

mongoose, conclusion, village, guilty, entrance of the house

 

(a)A farmer, his wife and their small child lived in a village.

(b)                The farmer and his wife went out leaving the child alone with the mongoose.

(c) Farmer’s wife found the mongoose at the entrance of the house with blood on his face and paws.

(d)                Farmer’s wife jumped to the conclusion that it was her son’s blood, and the mongoose was the guilty one.

 

State whether true or false:

1)  Farmer’s wife did not like the idea of having a pet. (False)

2)  One evening, the farmer brought with him a tiny mongoose. (True)

3)  The mongoose had grown to its full size in five or six months. (True)

4)  The farmer’s wife wanted to go to a wedding. (False)

5)  She was blind with rage and with all her strength brought down the heavy basket full of groceries on the blood-smeared mongoose. (True)

 

Underline adjectives:

1)  It was a lovely animal with two shining black eyes and a bushy tail.

2)  The mongoose is a friendly animal.

3)  You wicked animal!

4)  The farmer’s wife, who had acted hastily and rashly, stared long at the dead mongoose.

Answer these questions:

1.   Why did the farmer bring a baby mongoose into the house?

Ans- The farmer brought a baby mongoose into the house so that his son will have a companion when he grows up.

 

2.   Why didn’t the farmer’s wife want to leave the baby alone with the mongoose?

Ans- The farmer’s wife didn’t like to leave the child alone with the mongoose because mongoose was a fully grown animal and she did not trust him for child’s safety.

 

3.   What was the farmer’s comment on his wife’s fears?

Ans- The farmer’s comment on his wife’s fears was, “You needn’t be afraid. The mongoose is a friendly animal. It’s as sweet as our baby and they are the best of friends.”

 

4.   Why did the farmer’s wife strike the mongoose with her basket?

Ans- The farmer’s wife struck the mongoose with her basket because she became blind out of rage thinking that the Mongoose has killed the child.

 

5.   Did she repent her hasty action? How does she show her repentance?

Ans- Yes, she repented her hasty action by sobbing and saying, “Oh! You saved my child! You killed the snake! What have I done.”

 

 

Who said to whom?

Statement	who said?	to whom?
We must have a pet.	Farmer	His wife
I’m off to the bazar	Farmer’s wife	farmer
I don’t like to leave the child alone with the mongoose	Farmer’s wife	farmer
You wicked animal! You have killed my baby.	Farmer’s wife	Mongoose

 

Do you have a pet — a cat or a dog? If not, would you like one? How would you look after it? Are you for or against keeping birds in a cage as pets?

I do not have a pet but I would like to have a dog.  I will take my dog for a walk every day. I will give him healthy food to it. I would also make sure that my dog is vaccinated.

All the birds have fundamental right to fly in the sky and human beings have no right to keep them in small cages.

Click here to reach the Table of Contents of this book