English - Lesson 1: "SNAKE BITE" - Shankar ' Life with Grandfather' a story from the collection (PUBLIC EXAMINATION)

SNAKE BITE 

One day I saw a small snake in the compound. It was crawling (crawling: moving slowly pulling the body along the ground) along slowly but when it saw me, it moved away quickly and hid itself in a coconut shell. 

I quietly went near and closed the mouth of the coconut shell with a stone. 

Then I took the shell and ran to Grandmother.

“Look, Grandma,” I cried, “I have caught a snake.”

“Snake?” asked Grandmother in alarm. (in alarm: in anxiety, (here) in fear)

She was shocked. She cried for help. Grandfather came running. 

When he learnt (learnt: gained knowledge (here) was told) that I had a snake in the shell, he snatched the shell and threw it away. (shell: hard outer covering of coconut or nuts)

The snake crawled away and disappeared behind some bushes. 

Grandfather warned me never to go near a snake, because snakes were very dangerous.

Later in the evening, I tried to catch a bee and it stung me on my finger. 

I felt a sharp pain.

I ran to grandmother and told her that I had been bitten and wanted her to do something to stop the pain. 

Grandmother thought that I had been bitten by a snake. 

She called out to Grandfather, “Come and see what has happened to Raja.”

Grandfather came at once. He looked at my finger and there was a blue mark. Without a word he took me in his arms and started running. 

He ran across the garden and through the paddy fields. 

He ran and ran and did not stop until he reached a small house quite some distance away from our home. Then he shouted for the man who lived there.

An old grey-haired man came out of the house. He knew the cure for snake bite. Grandfather asked him to cure me. (cure: treatment)

The old man took me inside. He looked at my finger and then asked me to sit down and not to move. 

I sat on Grandfather’s lap. The old man then took some water in a small brass vessel (vessel: a container to hold liquid), sat in front of us and started reciting some mantras. (recite: say something aloud)

I wanted to tell him that it was a bee and not a snake that had bitten me. 

But Grandfather held me tight and did not allow me to talk. 

Grandmother too had arrived by then and some other people with her. 

They looked sad and silently watched me.

By this time the pain in my finger had stopped. But still I had to sit there and get cured of ‘snake bite.’

After a few minutes, the old man got up, washed my finger and gave me some water to drink. He asked me to keep quiet for some more time. 

Then he turned to Grandfather and said, “Thank God, you brought Raja in time. He is out of danger now. It was indeed a poisonous snake that bit him.”

Grandfather, Grandmother and all others thanked the old man for the magic cure. On returning home, Grandfather sent him gifts.

– Shankar ‘Life with Grandfather’

(a story from the collection)

TERMINAL QUESTIONS

1. What do you think Raja felt when he had to sit in front of the old man to be treated for a snake-bite?

He might have felt restless and helpless.

2. Why do you think Raja’s grandfather did not let Raja speak? Do you approve of Raja’s silence?

Raja’s grandfather did not let him speak because he was very sure about what was wrong with Raja and about what had to be done. He did not want to waste time talking about it because he believed Raja’s life was in danger.

If I was in Raja’s place, I might have freed myself from my grandfather’s arms and run away. However, I do not approve of Raja’s silence, he should have told his father the reality.

3. In your opinion what kind of a person was the old man?

He was shrewd and dishonest.

4. If you were the old man would you accept the gifts sent by Raja’s grandfather? Give reasons for your answer.

5. Many people are afraid of snakes. Why do they fear snakes? Do you think they are right? Give reasons for your answer.

INTEXT QUESTIONS

Answer the following questions.

1. Why do you think the snake hid itself? because it was scared of human beings.

2. What did Raja do when he saw the snake going into the coconut shell?

Raja put a stone on the mouth of the coconut shell to close it.

3. Why was Grandmother shocked? How did she react?

Raja’s grandmother was shocked to hear that Raja had brought home a snake. She cried for help.

4. Imagine you are Raja’s grandfather. Raja brings home a snake. How do you think you would react?

Say whether the following statements are true or false:

1. The snake hid under a stone. FALSE

2. Raja was very excited to see the snake. TRUE

3. Raja’s grandparents were very worried to see the coconut shell with the snake in

it. TRUE

4. The coconut shell broke and the snake crawled away. FALSE

Answer the following questions:

1. Why did the bee sting Raja? because Raja tried to catch it.

2. Why did Raja go to his grandmother? because he was in pain and wanted his grandmother to help him stop the pain.

3. What did his grandmother think? Why did she think so?

Grandmother thought that a snake had bitten Raja because he told her that he had been bitten, and because he had brought home a snake in the morning.

4. What do you think his grandmother should have done when Raja came to her after being stung by a bee?

Raja’s grandmother should have spoken to him and asked him to tell what had happened.

5. What would have happened if Raja had been bitten by a snake, but his grandmother believed that he was bitten by a bee? Explain in about 30-40 words.

Say whether the following statements are true or false:

1. Raja’s grandfather got very worried to see the blue mark on Raja’s finger. TRUE

2. Raja had to run through the paddy fields with his grandfather. FALSE

3. Raja and his grandfather ran to catch the bee. FALSE

4. Raja’s grandfather had to run a long-distance carrying Raja in his arms. TRUE

5. Raja’s grandfather shouted because he was angry. FALSE

Answer the following questions:

1. What did Grandfather tell the old man to do?

Grandfather told the old man to cure Raja of snake-bite.

2. What two things did the old man do?

i. took some water in a vessel

ii. recited mantras

3. Why was everyone sad and silent?

Everybody was sad and silent because they thought Raja had been bitten by a snake and his life was in danger.

4. Why did Raja’s grandfather send gifts to the old man?

Grandfather sent gifts to the old man as a reward for curing Raja.

5. Do you think the old man cured Raja? Give reasons for your answer.

No, the old man did not cure Raja. The old man knew how to cure snake bite, but Raja did not have a snake bite. He had a bee sting, and his bee sting stopped hurting before the old man washed his finger and gave him water to drink.

6. If you were Raja would you keep quiet like him?

Say whether the following statements are true or false:

1. The old man gave Raja medicine to cure him. FALSE

2. Only Raja knew that he had not been bitten by a snake. TRUE

3. Raja’s grandfather did not give Raja a chance to tell what had happened to him. TRUE

4. As time passed the pain in Raja’s finger stopped. TRUE