Prasanna

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A Tale of Two Birds Summary Class 6 English A Pact With the Sun

A Tale of Two Birds Summary in English

Once there lived a mother bird in a forest. She had built her nest in a tall, shady tree. She had two new-born babies. She took great care of them.

One day, a storm came. There was thunder, lightning and rain. Many trees were uprooted. The tall tree with the nest also came down. The mother bird was killed. But the baby birds were saved. The strong wind blew them away to the different sides of the forest.

One bird came near a cave, in which robbers lived. He learnt their ways. The other came outside a rishi’s ashram. It learnt the gentle ways of the rishi. Both became big birds with the passing of time.

One day the king of the country came to that forest to hunt. He rode after a deer. He lost his way. He was tired. He stood near a cave. He heard the voice of a bird. It asked the robbers to come and loot the traveller. The king was afraid. He rode away at once.

Soon he reached the rishi’s ashram. He sat down in the shade of a tree. He heard a bird’s voice. It was sweet and gentle. It welcomed the king.

Soon the rishi returned to the ashram. The king told him the story of the two birds. The birds looked alike. But they spoke differently. One imitated the robbers. The other welcomed the king sweetly.

The rishi explained the reason why it was so. The two birds were brothers. But they behaved differently. It was the result of the company, they kept.

A Tale of Two Birds Summary in Hindi

एक समय एक मादा पक्षी एक जंगल में रहती थी। उसने अपना घोंसला एक ऊँचे घने छायादार वृक्ष पर बना रखा था। उसके दो नवजात बच्चे थे। वह उनका बहुत ध्यान रखती थी।

एक दिन एक तूफ़ान आया। बादल गरजे, बिजली कौंधी तथा वर्षा होने लगी। अनेक वृक्ष समूल उखड़ गये। ऊँचा लम्बा वृक्ष भी घोंसले के साथ नीचे गिर गया। मादा पक्षी मर गई। पर उसके बच्चों की जान बच गयी। तेज हवा उन्हें जंगल के अलग छोरों पर उड़ा ले गई।

एक पक्षी तो एक गुफा के निकट पहुँच गया जिसके अन्दर डाकू रहते थे। उसने उन्हीं के रंग-ढंग सीख लिये। दूसरा पक्षी एक ऋषि के आश्रम के बाहर आ गिरा। उसने ऋषि के नेक तरीके अपना लिये। समय बीतने पर दोनों पक्षी बड़े हो गए।

एक दिन उस देश का राजा उस जंगल में शिकार के लिये पहुँच गया। एक हिरन के पीछे उसने घोड़ा दौड़ाया। वह रास्ता भटक गया। वह थक गया था। वह एक गुफा के निकट खड़ा हो गया। उसने एक पक्षी की आवाज़ सुनी। पक्षी ने डाकुओं को बोला जल्दी आकर यात्री को लूट लो। राजा डर गया। वह तुरंत भाग चला।

शीघ्र ही वह ऋषि के आश्रम में पहुँच गया। वह एक वृक्ष की छाया में बैठ गया। उसने एक पक्षी की आवाज़ सुनी। आवाज़ मधुर तथा सौम्य थी। उस पक्षी ने राजा का स्वागत किया।

शीघ्र ही ऋषि आश्रम में लौट आये। राजा ने उन्हें दोनों पक्षियों की कहानी सुनाई। पक्षी एक जैसे दिख रहे थे पर उनकी भाषा भिन्न थी। एक डाकुओं का साथ दे रहा था। दूसरे ने राजा का गर्मजोशी से स्वागत किया।

ऋषि ने इसका कारण बताया। दोनों पक्षी भाई थे पर उनका आचरण विपरीत था। यह उनकी संगति का परिणाम था।

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A House is not a Home Summary in English by Zan Gaudioso

A House is not a Home by Zan Gaudioso About the Author

Zan Gaudioso is an author based in California. She has contributed stories to and edited the famous Chicken Soup for the Soul book series. These books consist of short stories that seek to comfort and inspire readers. Among these, her most notable contributions have been for the book, Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul III. Zan has also co-writered The Buddha Next Door: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Stories.

A House is not a Home Summary in English

This story relates the experiences of the writer after she joins a new high school. All her friends have gone to a different school and she feels very isolated among the new students and teachers. She often visits the teachers in her old school and they encourage her to participate in the activities at her new school. They assure her that in time she will grow to love her new school.

On a Sunday afternoon soon after, the writer is seated on the dining table, doing her homework. As it is a cold and windy day, there is a fire going in the fireplace. The writer’s red tabby cat is lying on top of her school papers. The reader is informed that the writer had rescued the cat when it was a kitten and since then they have had a close relationship. Suddenly, the writer smells something strange: she looks up to the ceiling sees that smoke is pouring in through its seams. It fills the room quickly and they run out of the house to find that the fire has engulfed the roof. While the writer runs to the neighbour’s house to call the fire department, her mother runs back into the house.

The writer’s mother returns with a metal box that has important documents and then runs back in. The writer knows she has gone to collect pictures of her father who had passed away when she was young. She knows that the pictures are all that her mother has left of him. The writer tries to run into the house after her mother but is restrained by a fireman—by this time, the street is full of fire trucks. She tells him that her mother is in the house and he assures her that the other firemen have gone into the house to rescue her. He wraps her in a blanket and makes her sit in a car.

Soon enough, a fireman emerges with the writer’s mother. The writer is relieved and runs to her mother and hugs her. She feels that the happiness of that moment has washed over all the times she had argued with her mother and hated her.

It takes five hours to douse the fire and the house appears almost completely destroyed. At this time, the writer remembers her cat and realises that it is nowhere to be found. She becomes overwhelmed by the feeling of loss: of her old school, her friends, her old teachers, her home and now, her cat. Although she does not want to leave without knowing what happened to her cat, the firemen announce that it is not safe to go into the house. Thus, with just the clothes they are wearing and the blankets given by the firemen, the writer and her mother make their way to her grandparents’ house to spend the night.

The next day, the writer’s mother forces her to go to school. The writer does not want to go because she is very embarrassed: she is still wearing the dress she wore the day before and has had to borrow tennis shoes from her aunt. She has lost her books, her homework and her backpack in the fire. She feels very self-conscious because she knows that instead of blending in, this incident will cause her to stick out like a sore thumb. At school, she feels lost and completely out of place.

She goes to her old house after school and is pained to see that only the pictures and documents rescued by her mother have survived the fire. Once again she longs for her cat. However, there is no time for grief, as they need to find a new house and buy new clothes for school. Eventually, they rent an apartment near their old house. The writer visits her old house in the hope of finding her cat. She misses her cat terribly and remembers the time they had spent together.

The writer realises that everyone in her school has come to know of the fire. She feels embarrassed by the attention people give her. The next day, people gather around the writer and ask her to hurry up and head to gym class. She finds this strange but upon reaching the gym, she sees that a table has been set up and piled with school supplies, notebooks and clothes—all of it is for her. Strangers introduce themselves to her and even invite her to their homes. This heartfelt gesture touches her heart and she finally feels hopeful about her situation. At last, she makes new friends.

A month later, the writer is at the site of her old house with two of her new friends, watching her house being rebuilt. She realises that because of the fire incident, she was able to break through her insecurities and embrace the wonderful things and people around her. She realises that just like the house, her life too is being rebuilt.

At that moment, a woman comes to the writer, holding her lost cat. The writer jumps up with joy and takes the cat into her arms. She learns that her cat had been so scared by the fire that she ran over a mile away. Although the cat’s collar had the owner’s phone number on it, the phone had been destroyed in the fire. This kind woman took the cat in and also made the effort to locate its original owners.

When the writer sits with her friends and reflects on everything that has happened, she realises that the feelings of loss and tragedy that she had been struggling with have begun to diminish. Instead, she feels an immense sense of gratitude for all the blessings she has received: her life, her new friends, a stranger’s kindness and the purr of her cat. She feels that just like her cat, she has also found her way back.

A House is not a Home Title

The title of the chapter talks about the difference between a house and a home. A house is a physical structure. A home is a shelter, a place where people live together sharing their ups and downs, supporting each other and spreading love and cheer. Therefore, a home is much more than a house made of brick and mortar.

A House is not a Home Setting

The story is set in a small town in America, where the writer lived with her mother.

A House is not a Home Theme

The story traces the problems that one faces when an older way of living comes crashing down, forcing one to rebuild life from scratch. It examines how a seemingly tough situation can be turned into an advantageous one, with the right attitude.

A House is not a Home Message

The story highlights the importance of keeping an open mind and not being depressed by the problems and challenges that are an important part of life. It reiterates that every dark cloud has a silver lining.

A House is not a Home Characters

The writer: The writer appears to be a teenager, who has just graduated from junior high. In the beginning of the story, she appears to have been a normal teenager, who was rude to her mother and sometimes even hated her. She also appears to be emotional and finds it difficult to handle the shift to high school, away from the environment and people that she was used to. All her friends had gone to different high schools, and she felt very isolated and alone. She is very close to her pet cat, whom she had rescued as a kitten.

After the fire, she is initially very lost and sad, as she and her mother had just lost all their possessions and didn’t even have any clothes or a place to stay. She is very shaken and insecure. However, she soon matures and grows closer to her mother. The shock of almost losing her mother in the fire makes her realise how much she loves her and she stops taking her for granted. The kindness of her new classmates and teachers, who donate all kinds of necessities to help her overcome her losses from the fire, touches her and makes her feel accepted and secure. She becomes less judgmental and more accommodating of the changes that take place in her life.

The mother: Her character emerges not through direct descriptions, but through her actions during the course of the story. She is very caring, responsible, and brave, bringing up her daughter as a single parent after her husband died several years ago. She faces each challenge and problem that arises without complaining. She never gives up, but always tries to find a solution to the problem. She is very concerned about her daughter, and even borrows clothes so that she can go to school the next day. She rebuilds her home from the debris.

Even though her cards and identification papers are burnt, she does not hesitate to borrow money from her parents to make sure she can create a normal living situation for her daughter as quickly as possible. She is a caring and sensitive person, who loved her husband dearly even after he died. This is clear from the way she ran into the burning house to rescue his letters and pictures. She seems to have been a very remarkable woman who did not let life’s challenges knock her down.

A House is not a Home Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Why did the writer feel awkward during her first year of high school?
Answer:
She felt awkward because it was a new school, much bigger than her previous junior high school. It was strange starting as a freshman after enjoying the benefits of being the senior-most class in junior high. She also felt isolated as all her close friends had gone to different high schools and she did not know anyone there.

Question 2.
Why did she continue to visit her old school?
Answer:
She missed her teachers so much that she continued to visit them at her old school. Moreover, it was a familiar place where she had spent many happy years. She felt isolated in her new school without her friends.

Question 3.
What advice did her junior high teachers give her?
Answer:
They encouraged her to get involved with activities in her new school so that she could meet new people. They were confident that she would adjust in time and start loving the new school as well.

Question 4.
What was the psychology behind the teachers’ advice?
Answer:
The teachers wanted her to adjust to her new environment and not keep thinking about the past. It was time for her to move on and face the reality of her situation.

Question 5.
How do we know that her cat was very playful?
Answer:
We know this from the fact that she would swat at the writer’s pen from time to time in a playful maimer while she tried to complete her homework.

Question 6.
Why was the cat so attached to the writer?
Answer:
The writer had saved the cat when it had been a kitten and somehow it knew that the writer was responsible for the good life that it was presently enjoying.

Question 7.
What happened one Sunday afternoon?
Answer:
The writer’s house caught fire one Sunday, and it burnt down completely.

Question 8.
Why did the writer’s mother run back into the burning house?
Answer:
The writer’s father had died when she had been very young. Her mother ran back into the burning house to try to save her husband’s pictures and letters, which were all she had to remember him by.

Question 9.
Why was the writer held back by the fireman?
Answer:
She was held back by the fireman to stop her from following her mother into the burning house, as she could have lost her life.

Question 10.
How was the writer’s mother rescued from the burning house?
Answer:
The fire-fighters ran into the house and rescued the writer’s mother. She was given an oxygen mask to help her breathe normally again.

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The Banyan Tree Summary in English by Ruskin Bond

The Banyan Tree Summary in English

Part I

The author was living in his grandparents’ house in Dehradun. There was a huge banyan tree in the yard. The tree was home to squirrels, snails and butterflies. The author also made a platform on it for hiding and reading.

His first friend was a small squirrel. He offered it pieces of cake and biscuit. It grew bold and began to take out food items even from his pocket. During the fig season, the tree was a very noisy place made by parrots, myna, nightingales and crows. From his banyan tree platform, the author used to look down at the world below.

Part II

One day he saw a big cobra coming out in search of prey. Just then a mongoose also came out from the bushes. The two came face to face under the tree. (They are sworn enemies.) Both were great fighters, swift and clever.

The cobra raised its body three feet off the ground. The mongoose kept its eyes fixed below the cobra’s hood. The fight between the champions began. There were three onlookers of the fight—the author, a myna and a wild crow.

The mongoose moved swifter than the snake. It bit the snake on the back. The two birds flew down to feed on the dead cobra. But they hit against each other. They made a second attempt but in vain. In the third attempt the crow was bitten by the snake and it fell dead. Myna kept sitting on the cactus plant.

The fight went on for quite some time. The cobra grew tired and weak. The mongoose caught the cobra by its mouth. The cobra coiled itself round its enemy. But it could struggle no more. The mongoose dragged it into the bushes. The myna flew down and looked into the bushes. But it had no success. It flew away.

The Banyan Tree Summary in Hindi

Part I

लेखक देहरादून में अपने दादा-दादी के घर पर रह रहा था। आंगन में एक विशाल बरगद का पेड़ था। वृक्ष पर गिलहरियों, घोंघों तथा तितलियों का बोलबाला था। लेखक ने भी उस पर एक छोटा-सा प्लेटफार्म बना लिया जहाँ वह विश्राम कर (छुप) सके अथवा पुस्तकें पढ़ सके।

उसका पहला मित्र बना एक छोटा गिलहरी। वह गिलहरी को केक तथा बिस्कुट खिलाता था। गिलहरी निर्भीक हो गया, वह उसकी जेब से भी खाने की वस्तुएं निकालने लगा। फल लगने वाली ऋतु में वृक्ष पर बहुत शोरगुल हो जाता था। शोर करने वालों में थे तोते, मैना, बुलबुल तथा जंगली कौवा। वट वृक्ष पर स्थित अपने प्लेटफार्म से लेखक नीचे की दुनिया का नजारा लेता रहता था।

Part II

एक दिन उसने एक बड़े कोबरा को अपने शिकार की तलाश में बाहर आते देखा। तभी एक नेवला भी झाड़ियों से बाहर आ गया। दोनों वृक्ष के नीचे आमने-सामने आ गये। (हमें विदित ही है कि ये दोनों कितने कट्टर शत्रु होते हैं।) दोनों ही कुशल योद्धा थे, तेज गति वाले और चतुर भी।

कोबरा ने अपना शरीर जमीन से तीन फुट ऊपर उठा लिया। नेवले ने अपनी दृष्टि उसके फन के नीचे केन्द्रित कर रखी थी। दो महान योद्धाओं के बीच लड़ाई शुरू हो गयी। इस घटना के तीन दर्शक थे – लेखक, एक मैना पक्षी और एक जंगली कौवा।

नेवला साँप से अधिक तेज गति वाला था। उसने साँप की पीठ पर काट लिया। दोनों पक्षी कोबरा को मृत मानकर उसे खाने के लिए नीचे उड़कर आये। पर वे आपस में टकरा गये। उन्होंने दूसरा प्रयास किया पर वह भी असफल रहा। तीसरे दौर में कौवे को साँप ने काट लिया और वह मर गया। मैना अपने नागफनी पौधे पर बैठी रही।

लड़ाई काफी समय तक चलती रही। कोबरा थक कर कमजोर पड़ गया। नेवले ने उसे उसके थूथन से पकड़ लिया। साँप ने अपने शत्रु के शरीर पर कुंडली मार ली। पर वह अब लड़ने की स्थिति में नहीं रहा। नेवला उसे घसीटकर झाड़ियों में खींच ले गया। मैना पौधे से नीचे उड़कर आयी तथा उसने झाड़ियों में झाँका। उसे निराश होना पड़ा। वह उड़ गयी।

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A Triumph of Surgery Summary in English by James Herriot

A Triumph of Surgery by James Herriot About the Author

Author Name	James Herriot
Born	3 October 1916, Sunderland, United Kingdom
Died	23 February 1995, Thirlby, United Kingdom
Spouse	Joan Catherine Anderson Danbury (m. 1941–1995)
Movies	All Creatures Great and Small, It Shouldn’t Happen to a Vet

A Triumph of Surgery Summary in English

Mrs Pumphrey was a rich and emotional lady who had a cute pet dog called Tricki. She loved him so much that she overfed him. Tricki had put on a lot of weight which made him lethargic. When doctor Herriot saw the fat dog like a bloated sausage, he was shocked. He made a plan and told Mrs Pumphrey that Tricki needed treatment for his ailment, which was possible only in the hospital. The doctor knew that Mrs Pumphrey would not be able to keep the dog on a proper diet. When the greedy dog went to hospital, he had to remain hungry, if he was slow to approach for food. He was given food at fixed intervals. Soon, he shed off a lot of his body weight and became quite active.

When Tricki was at home, he was pampered by Mrs Pumphrey. He led a luxurious life, where he was served with cream cake, chocolate and Horlicks. But when he came to the doctor, he became all right. When Mrs Pumphrey saw her active dog, she thanked the doctor and felt that it was a triumph of surgery.

A Triumph of Surgery Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
How was TVicki treated in the first two days of his visit to the surgery?
Answer:
He was given a cozy bed in a warm loose box. He was kept under strict observation for first two days and given a plenty of water but no food was given to him. The cut down on his diet helped him improve a lot.

Question 2.
What made THcki get well so soon?
Answer:
Tricki was not suffering from any disease indeed. His main ailment was his greed for overeating. When Mr Herriot gave him a controlled diet, he recovered from his lethargy caused by overeating and excessive fat.

Question 3.
Why did Mrs Pumphrey suffer in the absence of Tricki?
Answer:
Mrs Pumphrey loved Tricki very much. She suffered thinking that Tricki was undergoing treatment and was to be operated on. She felt that he would not surive, if he did not see her daily.

Question 4.
What was the main cause of Tricki’s problem?
Answer:
Tricki was a greedy dog. He could never refuse to eat whatever and whenever it was given him. Only this was the main cause of Tricki’s problem.

Question 5.
Why could Tricki not be cured at home?
Answer:
Mrs Pumphrey loved Tricki very much and could not be strict with him regarding his diet and exercise. Therefore, he could not be cured at home.

Question 6.
How did lunch become ‘a ceremonial occasion’ for Mr Herriot and his partners?
Answer:
Mrs Pumphrey sent fresh eggs, two dozen at a time to build up Tricki’s strength.

Mr Herriot and his partners began to take two eggs each in breakfast. They enjoyed it a lot.

Then bottles of wine began to arrive to enrich Tricki’s blood. This way it became a ceremonial occasion for them, to have two glasses of wine before and during the meal.

Question 7.
‘You must harden your heart and help him on a strict diet.’ Why does Mr Herriot suggest this to Mrs Pumphrey?
Answer:
Mrs Pumphrey is very loving and caring mistress for Tricki. Her love and care do more harm than good to Tricki. She pampered him by giving him a luxurious life.

She overfed him. The result was that Tricki became fat and lethargic. Overpampering and overfeeding were leading into disaster by spoiling his health. Cutting down his meals was much required to improve his health. Therefore, Mr Herriot suggests Mrs Pumphrey so.

Question 8.
Why was Mr Herriot shocked at Tricki’s appearance?
Answer:
Mr Herriot was shocked at Tricki’s appearance as he had become very obese. His eyes were red and watery and his tongue was lolling. All these symptoms made Mr Herriot feel that he was not feeling well.

Question 9.
(i) What was Mrs Pumphrey’s reaction when THcki showed little enthusiasm for exertion?
(ii) What did Mrs Pumphrey do to bring Tricki back to normal health? Was she wise?
Answer:
(i) Mrs Pumphrey loved Tricki very much, naturally she was anxious after noticing that he was no more an active and energetic dog. She felt that he should be given more nutrients through his food.
(ii) She gave him malt and cod liver oil and a bowl of Horlicks to make him energetic. She gave him an extra diet of cream cakes and chocolates to make him feel better as he loved to eat all this. She was not giving him exercises as he was very weak and the gardener was not feeling well to take him for a long walk. She was not being wise in spoiling her greedy dog.

Question 10.
How was THcki greeted at the surgery by other dogs in the beginning?
Answer:
When the household dogs at the surgery came closer to Tricki and sniffed round him for a few seconds, they found him an uninteresting object. They got bored and left him alone thinking that he could not move. After a few days of strict diet, he recovered and enjoyed playing with them, being bowled over, tramped on and squashed every few minutes. Thus, he became an accepted member of the game.

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The Last Leaf Summary in English by O. Henry

The Last Leaf by O. Henry About the Author

O. Henry is the pen name of William Sydney Porter. He was an American short story writer, famous for his use of surprise endings. He worked in a number of professions in his lifetime: a pharmacist, a .draftsman, and a bank teller, among others. Throughout these phases, he contributed stories and articles to many newspapers and magazines. He founded The Rolling Stone—a humorous weekly. His stint as a columnist at the Houston Post led to a rise in his popularity. He spent three years in prison on charges of embezzlement.

After his release, he began the most prolific stage of his writing career: he wrote over 300 short stories and enjoyed great popularity among readers. Porter spent a lot of time talking to people and observing them. His stories are about the lives of ordinary people and are marked by his unique narrative style. Most of his stories are based in New York City and speak of his fascination with the place.

Author Name	O. Henry
Born	11 September 1862, Greensboro, North Carolina, United States
Died	5 June 1910, New York, New York, United States
Full Name	William Sydney Porter
Short Stories	The Gift of the Magi, The Last Leaf

The Last Leaf Summary in English

Autumn forms the background of this story about Sue and Johnsy, two young artists who share a flat on the third storey of an old house. It is the month of November and Johnsy is ill with pneumonia: she lies in bed all day, gazing out of the window. Sue is worried and calls a doctor for help. Even with medical treatment, there is no improvement in Johnsy’s condition.

One day, the doctor informs Sue that medicines can not help Johsny because the latter does not seem to want to live. Sue makes many attempts to divert Johnsy’s attention, but nothing works. Sue then brings her drawing board into Johnsy’s room and begins painting there.

She suddenly hears Johnsy whisper something. She rushes to Johnsy’s side and finds that Johnsy is counting backwards while gazing out of the window. Sue realises that Johnsy is observing an old ivy creeper outside her window that is shedding its leaves. Johnsy is counting its remaining leaves. Johnsy says that in just three days, the number of leaves have reduced from almost a hundred to just five. Johnsy is sure that when the tree sheds its last leaf, she will die.

Johnsy tells Sue that she wants to watch the last leaf fall. Sue says that she cannot draw the curtain because she needs the light to paint. But she asks Johnsy to not look out of the window. JoHnsy promises not to do so, but asks Sue to hurry so she can watch the last leaf fall and then die peacefully.

Sue goes to Behrman, a 60-year old artist who lives on the ground floor. His dream of painting a masterpiece is yet to be fulfilled. Sue shares her worries with him. She tells him that Johnsy has a high temperature and refuses to eat or drink anything. Behrman is puzzled at Johnsy’s behaviour and wants to see her. They go to Johsny’s room together and find her sleeping. Sue draws the curtains and they go to the next room. There is heavy rain and cold winds are blowing; they see that there is only a single leaf remaining on the ivy tree and it can fall at any moment. Behrman silently withdraws into his room.

The next day, Johnsy asks Sue to draw the curtains. Sue is happy to find that a single leaf remains on the tree, in spite of the wind and rain. Johnsy is surprised but is sure that the leaf will fall soon. She wakes up every hour or so to look out of the window, but finds the leaf clinging to the tree. It even withstands another storm that evening.

Johnsy gazes at the leaf for a long time. She calls Sue and tells her that the last leaf has made her realise that she has been a bad person: for all the love and care that Sue has given her, she has not responded or willed herself to get better. The leaf has shown her that it is a sin to want to die. The two friends share a hug and Johnsy accepts the hot soup that Sue gives her. Johnsy combs her hair and smiles brightly. That afternoon, the doctor visits and says that since Johsny has found the will to live, she will recover soon. He also informs Sue that Behrman has pneumonia and has no hope of survival.

The next morning, Sue informs Johnsy that Behrman has died of pneumonia. He had been ill for two days. On the first day, the janitor found him on his bed, shivering and dressed in wet clothes and shoes. It seems that he had been out in the stormy night. A ladder and a lit lantern were found near his bed, along with green and yellow paints. Sue tells Johnsy to look out of the window at the last leaf: the leaf that does not flutter in the wind. She tells Johnsy that on the night the last leaf fell, Behrman painted this leaf — his masterpiece.

The Last Leaf Title

As the title suggests, the story revolves around the importance of a single leaf on a tree. The leaf is particularly important in saving the life of a girl, who had convinced herself that she would die the moment the last leaf fell off the tree. However, the leaf miraculously stays on the tree, giving the girl hope to survive. The title also refers to the fact that the leaf is the last artwork made by an out of work painter, which also becomes his masterpiece.

The Last Leaf Setting

The story is set in Greenwich Village, a neighbourhood of New York City in America, and most of the events take place against the backdrop of a storm, during autumn when trees shed their leaves.

The Last Leaf Theme

The story explores the idea of the impact of true art, and what makes a painting a true masterpiece. It also highlights the themes of selflessness and the supreme sacrifice of self to save the life of another human being. It also explores the loyalties of a true friendship, and the levels to which we can go to help a friend.

The Last Leaf Message

The story shares a message of the power of love and friendship. It reminds us that selflessness is the highest virtue one can attain.

The Last Leaf Characters

Sue: She was a very loyal and caring friend. She did everything she could to take care of Johnsy when she fell ill with pneumonia. She not only took care of Johnsy physically, but also helped by earning money by selling her paintings. She cooked and ensured that Johnsy received the best medical treatment.

Johnsy: She appears to have been a depressed and gloomy person, who is very self-absorbed. She did not have the will to fight against her illness, and did not respond to the doctor or to Sue’s care and concern. She was highly imaginative and superstitious, as she came to believe that her life was linked to the number of leaves on the creeper outside her window. She believed that she would die the day the last leaf of the creeper fell. It was because of this stubborn belief that Behrman, an older artist, lost his life when he went out in the storm to paint a leaf onto the creeper so that Johnsy would not realise that the last leaf had actually fallen.

Behrman: Behrman was a sixty year old painter whose only ambition was to paint a masterpiece. He lived in the same building as Sue and Johnsy, and sometimes acted as a model for their paintings. He was a talented artist, which is evident from his painting of the leaf on the wall. The painting was so realistic that everyone thought it was a real leaf, which saved Johnsy’s life. Johnsy had made up her mind that she would die of her illness the day the last leaf fell off the creeper. However, Behrman decided to help Sue, her friend, who was worried about the effect the falling of the last leaf would have on Johnsy. This shows how caring, selfless and concerned he was. He went out in the stormy and cold night to paint the leaf, and came back soaked to the skin, in no condition to even remove his wet clothes and shoes. He made the supreme sacrifice of his life to save the life of another human being.

The Last Leaf Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Where did Sue and Johnsy stay? What was their profession?
Answer:
They lived in a small flat on the fourth storey of an old house. They were both artists.

Question 2.
Why was Sue worried when Johnsy fell ill?
Answer:
Sue was worried because Johnsy would lie on her bed without moving, and would just gaze out of her window all day. Even though the doctor came every day, there was no change in her condition.

Question 3.
What illness did Johnsy have? Who looked after her?
Answer:
Johnsy was suffering from pneumonia. Her friend Sue looked after her.

Question 4.
What worried the doctor?
Answer:
The doctor was worried because there was no improvement in Johnsy’s condition. He felt that Johnsy was not responding to treatment because she had made up her mind not to do so. He felt she had lost her will to live and hence the medicines were not going to be useful to her.

Question 5.
How did Sue try to revive Johnsy’s interest in life?
Answer:
Sue talked to her about clothes and fashions. Then she brought her drawing board into Johnsy’s room and started painting. She also whistled while painting, hoping to distracting Johnsy’s mind from her illness.

Question 6.
Why was Johnsy counting the leaves on the creeper outside her window?
Answer:
Johnsy had made up her mind that the day the last leaf fell off the creeper, she would die. So she was counting the leaves as they fell off the creeper.

Question 7.
Why did Sue go to Behrman?
Answer:
Sue went to Behrman because she had to paint an old miner and she wanted him as the model for the painting.

Question 8.
Who was Behrman?
Answer:
Behrman was a sixty year old painter whose only ambition was to paint a masterpiece. He lived in the same building as Sue and Johnsy, and sometimes acted as a model for their paintings.

Question 9.
What did Sue confide in Behrman?
Answer:
She told him about her worries about Johnsy, who refused to recover from her illness because of her belief that she was going to die the day the last leaf fell off the creeper outside her window.

Question 10.
What did Sue feel when she saw the last leaf on the creeper? Who was at the window with her?
Answer:
Sue felt extremely worried that the lead would fall off by the next morning, and if Johnsy saw that, she would not survive. Behrman, an old painter and her neighbour, was at the window with her.

We have decided to create the most comprehensive English Summary that will help students with learning and understanding. In this page, we are Providing Weathering The Storm In Ersama Summary.

Weathering the Storm Summary in English by Harsh Mander

Weathering the Storm by Harsh Mander About the Author

Harsh Mander is a social activist, author and a former officer of the Indian Administrative Services. He has founded and led many campaigns in the interest of social causes such as legal justice for survivors of communal violence, Dalit rights, the right to information, rehabilitation of street children and homeless people, among others. He serves as director in the Centre for Equity Studies and is also Special Commissioner to the Supreme Court in the Right to Food case. He has taught at many prestigious Indian as well as international institutions.

Some of his books include Ash in the Belly: India’s Unfinished Battle against Hunger and Unheard Voices: Stories of Forgotten Lives. He regularly contributes articles to leading newspapers, including The Hindu and Hindustan Times. Through his books and articles, Mander speaks of important social issues in India, such as communalism, poverty and caste discrimination, among others.

Author Name	Harsh Mander
Born	17 April 1955 (age 64 years), Shillong
Profession	Author, Columnist, Researcher, Teacher
Education	Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, St Stephen’s College

Weathering the Storm Summary in English

The story is set in the year 1999, in cyclone-effected Orissa. Seven years after his mother’s death, the protagonist, Prashant, goes to visit his friend in the coastal town of Ersama. That very evening, a menacing storm descends upon the town. Although Prashant’s friend’s house withstands the fierce wind, it is flooded with rainwater and also gets damaged by trees that crash onto its roof and walls. The devastation continues for 36 hours and Prashant and his friend’s family have to resort to taking refuge on the roof to escape the rising floodwater.

Prashant’s first glimpse of the situation outside conveys the horror caused by the super cyclone: only a few broken cement houses are visible in a sheet of brown water; there are animal and human corpses floating everywhere. Fortunately, the trees that had crashed onto Prashant’s friend’s house were coconut trees. The tender coconuts save the family from starvation during the next couple of days. Prashant and his friend’s family spend the next two days on the roof, exposed to constant rain. Prashant is anxious about the safety of his own family. After two days, the rain finally stops and he is determined to go back home.

With only a long sturdy stick for support, Prashant begins his 18-kilometer long journey home on foot, navigating the flooded roads. The floodwaters make the journey extremely difficult; at several points it is so deep that he has to swim to find the road. Fortunately, he is joined by two friends of his uncle’s, who are also returning to their village.

During their journey, Prashant and his companions come across horrific and painful sights: they move past floating carcasses of men, women, children and animals. These sights fill Prashant with despair about the fate of his family.

Upon reaching his village, Kalikuda, Prashant sees that his house has been destroyed and scraps of its belongings have been caught in the branches of trees. Prashant goes to the Red Cross shelter in the hope of finding his family. Once there, he finds his maternal grandmother who looks weak with starvation. He also meets his extended family, which includes his uncles, aunts, brother and sister. His family is extremely happy to see Prashant, as they had also feared him to be dead.

Next morning, Prashant decides to take stock of the desperate situation. Four days after the storm, there are 2500 people at the shelter; a total of eighty-six people have died and all ninety-six houses have been destroyed. The remaining stock of tender coconuts is too little to sustain this number of survivors. Prashant, who is only nineteen years old, takes on the role of a leader. He organises a group of young people and elders to secure rice from a merchant. It is suggested such an attempt had been made earlier but was unsuccessful. However, with Prashant leading the charge, this time they return to the shelter with food for everyone. He then decides to organise youth volunteers to clean the shelter and tend to the wounds of the injured survivors.

On the fifth day, a military helicopter drops some food parcels. After that however, no help seems to be coming their way. The youth volunteers ask children to lie on the ground with empty utensils on their stomach. This visual message communicates their hunger to passing helicopters, which then return regularly with parcels of food and basic necessities.

Prashant sets up shelters made of polythene sheets for the orphaned children. Women look after these children while the men secure food and materials for the shelters. Soon, the grief that the children and women are facing becomes apparent to Prashant. He asks the women to participate in the food-for-work programme started by an NGO. For the children, Prashant organises sporting events. The government plans to set up institutions for the orphans and widows. But Prsahant’s group resists this move as they feel that the best rehabilitation of the orphans and widows can happen within their own community. They want to set up foster families consisting of childless widows and orphans where they can resettle their lives with love and care.

Six months after the devastating super cyclone, Prashant has coped with his grief by helping the people of his community. To the widows and orphaned children of his village, he has come to symbolise the light of hope.

Weathering the Storm Title

The title can be interpreted on two levels—first, literally facing a cyclonic storm, and second, facing emotional upheavals. In this story, we find both aspects as we read the remarkable story of Prashant, a survivor of the super- cyclonic storm that struck coastal Odisha in 1999. He lost several family members and friends in the storm, but showed immense courage and resourcefulness to ensure that the survivors did not have to wit and depend on government help alone for survival, but took care of their own needs themselves.

Weathering the Storm Setting

The story is set in Odisha, against the backdrop of the aftermath of the cyclonic storm that hit the coast in 1999.

Weathering the Storm Theme

The story highlights the destructive powers of nature, and its repercussions on humans. It also showcases the courage and spirit of one young boy in bringing relief and comfort to the suffering villagers. ‘

Weathering the Storm Message

The message of the story is that even a single person is capable of bringing about a great change with courage, determination, and selflessness. It also highlights the importance of community in helping to deal with a calamity.

Weathering the Storm Characters

Prashant: He was a nineteen year old boy who lost his family and friends in a cyclonic storm. He was surrounded by devastation and loss, but chose to meet the challenges head-on instead of losing hope due to the situation he was in. Along with the rest of the villagers, he became a victim of the destruction caused by a cyclonic storm, but instead of crying about his fate, he decided to do something practical to reduce the suffering of his fellow survivors.

He showed remarkable leadership qualities by organizing the rest of the youngsters and elders into a group, providing food to the other victims, and helping them to work out a solution to their situation. He was very intelligent as he made the children lie down on the sand with utensils on their stomach to catch the attention of the rescue helicopters flying around with food supplies. He persuaded the women to start working to supply food for themselves and others, and most importantly, he brought the orphans and widows together to mutually benefit each other.

Weathering the Storm Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Why had Prashant gone to Ersama? What happened there?
Answer:
He had gone to Ersama to spend a day with a friend. He was caught in a terrible cyclonic storm, the likes of which he had never been a witness to.

Question 2.
Describe the storm that hit Ersama on the 27th of October, 1999?
Answer:
It was a dark and menacing storm which had a terrific wind velocity of 350kms/hr. It was accompanied by heavy and incessant rain flooding the whole area.

Question 3.
How long did the cyclone last? How did Prashant and his friend’s family spend the stormy night?
Answer:
The cyclone continued for almost thirty six hours. They spent the night sitting on the roof of the house in the open, because water had filled into the house.

Question 4.
How was his friend’s family luckier than the rest of the villagers?
Answer:
His friend’s family had a strong house made of brick and mortar which was able to withstand the fury of the wind, even though coconut trees had fallen onto the roof, damaging it. However, these trees provided the family with food till they were rescued.

Question 5.
Describe the scene that met Prashant’s horrified eyes in the morning at Ersama?
Answer:
It was a devastating sight. A raging, deadly brown sheet of water covered everything as far as the eye could see. Only a few fractured cement houses still stood. Bloated human corpses and animal carcasses floated in every direction.

Question 6.
How long did Prashant stay at his friend’s house? What were the thoughts that kept disturbing him?
Answer:
He stayed at his friend’s house for two more days. The only thought that kept disturbing him was whether his family had survived the calamity or if he was going to lose his loved ones once again.

Question 7.
Why did the two days seem like two years to Prashant?
Answer:
As he sat on the rooftop of his friend’s damaged house, unable to venture back home through the rain and flooded roads, he felt helpless and worried about his family back in his village. He was so keen to return to them that the two days seemed like two years to him.

Question 8.
What made Prashant venture out from the safety of his friend’s house in the dangerous situation?
Answer:
Prashant was worried that his family may have been swept away in his village, and he was determined to find out what had happened to them without any further delay.

Question 9.
How did Prashant prepare himself for the long trek home?
Answer:
He took a sturdy stick and then started on his eighteen kilometre long expedition back to his village, wading through the swollen flood waters.

Question 10.
What were the dangers faced by Prashant on his way back to his village? How did he face them?
Answer:
The whole path back to his village was under water. He used his stick to determine the shallow parts that he could walk on. At places, he had to wade through waist deep water.

We have decided to create the most comprehensive English Summary that will help students with learning and understanding.

Desert Animals Summary Class 6 English Honeysuckle

Desert Animals Summary in English

Deserts are the driest and the hottest places on earth. For long periods they get no rain and bear the hot sun. Still so many kinds of creatures live there. It is a wonder how they manage to get water and food there.

The fact is that every creature finds ways to fight the heat, hunger and thirst. The gerbils (a kind of desert rat) spend the hot day in cool underground holes. Dark beetles catch drops of water on their legs.

Not all deserts are seas of sand dunes. Some are rocky and dotted with small bushes while others are sprinkled with colourful flowers during the spring.

There are more than 2300 kinds of snakes around the world. Some are long or poisonous, others are small and harmless. In the deserts of America live rattlesnakes. They are very dangerous and poisonous. They can feel the movement of a person, butc cannot hear any sound. They live on mice, and squirrels. The large pythons can do without eating for a year.

The other animal in the desert is mongoose. Mongooses travel in groups and eat small creatures. They hunt together. They too have their enemies like hawks, eagles and large snakes. Mongooses are famous for killing snakes. The female mongooses raise their kitten inside hollow logs or old termite mounts.

Another notable animal found in the desert is the camel. Some are wild, but most are domesticated by people. A thirsty camel can drink upto thirty gallons of water at a time. Normally it meets its need of water from desert plants. It can survive for upto ten months without drinking any water.

There are two kinds of camel. The Dromedary camel has a single hump. The Bactrian camel has two humps. Humps act as storage containers. They are not used for storing water. They are full of fat which keeps them alive for several days. A camel’s mouth is so tough that no thorn can pierce into it.

Desert Animals Summary in Hindi

मरुस्थल धरती पर सर्वाधिक सूखे और गर्म स्थान हैं। दीर्घकाल तक वहाँ वर्षा नहीं होती और उन्हें सूर्य का ताप सहन करना पड़ता है। फिर भी अनेक प्रकार के जीव वहाँ रहते हैं। यह हैरानी की बात है कि वे वहाँ जल और भोजन किस प्रकार से प्राप्त करते हैं।

सच यह है कि हर जीव धूप, भूख और प्यास से जूझने का जुगाड़ बना लेता है। रेगिस्तानी चूहे तो गर्म दिन के समय धरती के नीचे बने ठण्डे बिल में चले जाते हैं। काले कीट अपनी टाँगों पर जल की बूंदें संग्रह कर लेते हैं।

सभी रेगिस्तान रेत के टीलों के समुद्र नहीं होते। कुछ पथरीले होते हैं और वहाँ छोटी-छोटी झाड़ियाँ उग आती है। कुछ रेगिस्तान तो वसंत ऋतु में रंग बिरंगे फूलों से जगमगा उठते हैं।

संसार में कोई 2300 से अधिक प्रजाति के साँप हैं। कुछेक लम्बे तथा विषैले होते हैं, अन्य छोटे और सुरक्षित होते हैं। अमरीका के मरुस्थल में खड़खड करने वाले साँप पाये जाते हैं। वे बहुत खतरनाक तथा विषैले होते हैं। वे व्यक्ति के निकट आने की आहट भी महसूस कर लेते हैं पर आवाज़ नहीं सुन सकते। वे चूहे तथा गिलहरी आदि जीव खाकर जीवित रहते हैं। विशालकाय अजगर तो एक वर्ष तक बिना भोजन के रह सकता है।

मरुस्थल का एक अन्य जीव है नेवला। ये झुण्ड में निकलते हैं और छोटे-मोटे जीवों का आहार करते हैं। ये एक साथ मिलकर ही शिकार करते हैं। ये बाज, गरुड़ तथा बड़े साँप जैसे जीवों का शिकार करते हैं। नेवले साँप को मारने में माहिर होते हैं। मादा नेवला अपने बच्चों को या तो लकड़ी के गड्ढे के खोल में अथवा दीमक के पुराने टीले में पालती है।

रेगिस्तान में पाया जाने वाला एक अन्य पशु है ऊँट। कुछ ऊँट जंगली होते हैं पर अधिकांश पालतू होते हैं। एक प्यासा ऊँट एक बार में 30 गैलन तक पानी पी सकता है। आमतौर से वह अपनी पानी की ज़रूरत रेगिस्तानी पौधों से पूरी करता है। वह 10 माह तक बिना जल के काम चला सकता है।

ऊँट दो किस्म के होते हैं। द्रोमेदरी ऊँट की पीठ पर एक ही कूबड़ होता है। बेक्ट्रियन ऊँट की पीठ पर दो कूबड़ होते हैं। ये कूबड़ भण्डारण के काम आते हैं। उनमें जल नहीं भरा होता है। उनमें चर्बी भरी होती है जो उन्हें कई दिनों तक जीवित रखती है। ऊँट का मुँह इतना कठोर होता है कि उसमें कोई भी काँटा नहीं घुस सकता।

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A Game of Chance Summary in English by Arthur Wright

A Game of Chance Summary in English

Every year a fair was held in Rasheed’s village. The occasion was Eid. Traders came there from far and wide to sell their goods.

Rasheed’s uncle took him to the fair. Their domestic help, Bhaiya, also went with them. There was a big crowd there. Uncle left them at one place and went away with his friends. He, however, warned the boy not to go far, and not to buy anything in his absence.

Rasheed was led by Bhaiya to different shops at the fair. He reached a shop, called the Lucky Shop. The shopkeeper was a middle-aged man. He urged the visitors to come and try their luck. It was a game of chance.

The player paid 50 paise and got six numbered discs. He was to add up the numbers on discs and find the total. He won the article marked with that number.

An old man played the game and won a lovely clock. But he had no need of it. The shopkeeper bought it back for 15 rupees. He was richer by 15 rupees.

Then a boy tried his luck. He won a comb, a fountain pen, a wrist watch and finally a table lamp. He sold all the items back to the shopkeeper. He went away happily with a good deal of cash.

The narrator also wanted to try his luck. But he was unlucky. He won only cheap items like pencils, a bottle of ink, etc. He lost all his money. He looked sad.

Presently Uncle came back. Bhaiya told him the story. Uncle was neither sad nor angiy. He took Rasheed to a shop and bought him so many gifts.

Back home, he explained to Rasheed the trick played by the shopkeeper. The old man and the boy were, in fact, the shopkeeper’s friends. They tempted the innocent people to try their luck. Uncle assured Rasheed that he was neither unlucky nor foolish.

A Game of Chance Summary in Hindi

हर वर्ष रशीद के गाँव में एक मेला लगा करता था। यह ईद के अवसर पर लगता था। वहाँ दूर दूर से दुकानदार अपना सामान बेचने आया करते थे।

रशीद के चाचा उसे मेला दिखाने ले गये। उनका घरेलू नौकर भैया भी उनके साथ गया। वहाँ बहुत भीड़भाड़ थी। चाचा उन दोनों को एक स्थान पर खड़ा करके अपने मित्रों के साथ चले गये। पर वह रशीद को सचेत कर गये कि यहाँ से दूर मत जाना और उनकी अनुपस्थिति में कुछ खरीदारी भी मत करना।।

रशीद को भैया मेले की कई दूकानों पर ले गया। रशीद एक भाग्यशाली दुकान पर गया’। दुकानदार अधेड़ आयु का था। वह आगन्तुकों को बुला रहा था कि आकर अपना भाग्य आजमा लो। उसका खेल एक जुआ जैसा था।

खिलाड़ी 50 पैसे देता था और उसे 6 चक्र मिल जाते थे। उसे उस संख्या को जोड़कर कुल योग बनाना होता था। वह उसी संख्या वाली वस्तु इनाम में जीत लेता था।

एक वृद्ध व्यक्ति ने खेल खेला। उसने एक सुन्दर घड़ी जीत ली। पर उसे घड़ी की ज़रूरत न थी। उसने दूकानदार को वह घड़ी 15 रुपये में बेच दी। वह 15 रुपये जीत गया।

फिर एक बालक ने अपनी किस्मत आजमाई। उसने एक कंघा, एक पेन, एक हाथ घड़ी तथा एक टेबल लैंप जीता। उसने सभी चीज़ों को दूकानदार के हाथ बेच दिया। वह काफी राशि लेकर खुशी-खुशी चला गया।

रशीद की भी इच्छा हुई कि वह अपनी किस्मत आजमाये। पर भाग्य ने उसका साथ नहीं दिया। उसने केवल सस्ती चीजें ही पायीं जैसे पेन्सिल, दवात आदि। अपना सारा पैसा वह हार गया। वह उदास हो गया।

शीघ्र ही चाचा वापिस आ गये। भैया ने उन्हें सारी घटना सुनाई। चाचा न तो उदास हुए न ही नाराज। वह रशीद को एक दुकान पर ले गये और उसे काफी उपहार खरीद दिये।

घर लौट कर चाचा ने रशीद को दुकानदार की चालबाजी स्पष्ट की। बूढ़ा व्यक्ति तथा लड़का दोनों वास्तव में दुकानदार के मित्र थे। वे नादान लोगों को अपनी किस्मत आजमाने का खेल खेलने का प्रलोभन देते थे। चाचा ने रशीद को विश्वास दिलाया कि वह न तो अभागा है न ही मूर्ख।

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Two Stories about Flying Summary Class 10 English First Flight

Two Stories about Flying Part 1 Summary

His First Flight Summary

‘His First Flight’ written by Liam O’ Flaherty is a story of a young seagull who is afraid of flying. A family of seagulls lived on a ledge. A young seagull is left alone as he is afraid to fly and is one among the slow learners. All that this young seagull needed was motivation. By way of punishment, his family left him alone on the ledge and flew away. They upbraided him, taunted him for cowardice and even threatened to let him starve. He remained hungry for twenty-four hours and was unable to shed off his fright of flight. He cried begging his mother to bring him some food.

She picked up a piece of fish in her beak and flew across him and stood just in front of him. The piece of fish in her beak was almost within the reach of his beak. The young seagull was mad with hunger. He dived at the fish. The next moment he found himself falling outwards and downwards into space. Instinctively, he spread his wings and flapped them. He soared upwards and all his fear is gone. It was a joyous moment for his family. He forgot that he was ever afraid of flying.

Two Stories about Flying Part 2 Summary

The Black Aeroplane Summary

The present story offers a psychological insight into a character under stress. It is an interesting account of the narrator’s encounter with the pilot of a black aeroplane who comes to his rescue in distress. It is a mystery built around the black aeroplane and its pilot.

A pilot was flying an old Dakota aeroplane at lO’clock at night. The stars were shining and there was not a trace of clouds. The sky was clear and the plane was flying over France and going back to England. The pilot was extremely happy. He was lost in the dreams of his holiday and family. Around 1:30 a.m. he called Paris Control Room to enquire about the route and location. The Control Room instructed him to turn twelve degrees west. The pilot checked the map and the compass, switched over to his second and last fuel tank and turned the plane twelve degrees west towards England. He expected to join his family for the breakfast.

When Paris was 150 km behind, the pilot saw the black storm clouds approaching the plane. He could not fly over them. Also he didn’t have enough fuel to fly around them south or north. Initially, he thought of going back to Paris but his strong urge to meet his family members led him straight into the storm. It was absolutely dark inside the clouds. The plane was jumping and twisting in the air. All the instruments had stopped working. The pilot lost his contact with the ground staff because his compass and radio had stopped functioning.

Suddenly he saw another aeroplane quite near him. That strange black aeroplane had no lights on its wings. The pilot of the black aeroplane asked him to follow him. The pilot flew in the clouds for half an hour. He had only fuel left to fly another fifteen minutes. The pilot was frightened. Suddenly the black aeroplane descended and the pilot followed him. Finally, the black aeroplane guided him to an airport for landing. The pilot was thrilled to see the runway but when he turned his head to thank the pilot of the black aeroplane he couldn’t see him anywhere.

After landing, the pilot immediately rushed to the Control Centre and enquired about the black aeroplane which guided him all the way to the airport. The woman on duty at the Control Centre told him that no other plane was seen flying that night. She had seen only his plane on the radar. The pilot was surprised to hear all this and kept on wondering who had helped him to arrive and land safely without a compass or a radio and without any more fuel left in his tank. He kept thinking abgut that strange black aeroplane and its mysterious pilot.

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The Sermon at Benares Summary in English by Buddha

The Sermon at Benares by Buddha About the Author

Author Name	Buddha
Born	8 April 563 BC, Lumbini, Nepal
Died	Kushinagar
Full Name	Siddhartha Gautama
Nationality	Nepali

The Sermon at Benares Summary in English

The story is about a moral lesson that Gautama Buddha gave to a grief-stricken woman. Buddha was very sensitive towards the sufferings of man. At a very young age he gave up all the worldly pleasures to seek enlightenment.

Once a woman named Kisa Gotami came to him after the demise of her son. She wanted Buddha to give her some medicine for her son. Gautama Buddha advised her to go and collect a handful of mustard seeds from a house where no one had lost a child, husband, parent or friend. When Gotami could not get such a house, she understood the secret of life and death—the very meaning of Buddha’s words.

The Sermon at Benares Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Why was Gautama known as Buddha?
Answer:
‘Buddha’ means ‘The Awakened’ or ‘The Enlightened’. After seven years of wandering Gautama attained wisdom. When he started sharing his new understandings with the suffering people, he was called ‘Buddha’.

Question 2.
Where did Gautama Buddha preach his first Sermon? What was it all about?
Answer:
Gautama Buddha preached his first sermon at Benares, the holiest city. It was about the ways to overcome our sorrows. It reflects Buddha’s wisdom about one inscrutable kind of suffering.

Question 3.
Why was Kisa sad? What advice was given to her?
Answer:
Kisa Gotami had lost her only son. He was dead. She loved him very much and wanted him to be alive. But she could not find any medicine so she was sad. She was advised to go to Buddha.

Question 4.
What did Kisa request her neighbours to give for her son? Did she get it?
Answer:
Kisa Gotami asked her neighbours to give her a medicine that could bring life back to her son. No, she could not get any.

Question 5.
How did Kisa Gotami realise that life and death is a normal process?
Answer:
Buddha asked Gotami to bring mustard seeds from a house which had never lost any member of the family. She was unable to get such a house only then she came to know that life and death is a normal process so as man is mortal and is bound to die.

Question 6.
When and where was Gautama Buddha born? Why did he decide to leave the palace?
Answer:
Gautama Buddha was born in 563 B.C. in Northern India. Buddha was away from all the sorrows of life. Once he saw a sick man, a beggar, an aged man and a funeral procession. He realised that the world was full of sorrow. He wanted to attain knowledge. So he decided to leave the palace to get enlightened.

Question 7.
How did ‘Bodhi Tree’ get its name?
Answer:
After seven years of wandering Gautama sat under a peepal tree. He attained knowledge under that tree and got enlightened. He renamed the tree as ‘Bodhi tree’ which means the tree of wisdom. ‘Bodhi’ means knowledge.

Question 8.
What kind of suffering is reflected in the Sermon?
Answer:
Grief over the death of a loved one is the main theme of this sermon. People fail to understand that death is common to all. All mortals have to die. There is no use of lamentation. One does not get peace of mind unless one overcomes the sorrows.

Question 9.
What were the greatest sorrows that pained Buddha?
Answer:
Poverty, illness and death were the greatest sorrows that pained Buddha. He saw a poor man begging, an old man and a funeral procession that changed his course of life. These sights moved him so much that he went out into the world to seek enlightment and truth.

Question 10.
Why did people think that Kisa had become mad?
Answer:
Kisa Gotami’s only son had died. She was not ready to accept the fact that once a mortal dies, he/she cannot be brought back to life. She went to her neighbours with her dead son to get some medicines to bring him back to life. People thought that Kisa had gone mad.

We have decided to create the most comprehensive English Summary that will help students with learning and understanding.

The Black Aeroplane Summary in English by Frederick Forsyth

The Black Aeroplane by Frederick Forsyth About the Author

Author Name	Frederick Forsyth
Born	25 August 1938 (age 81 years), Ashford, United Kingdom
Years of service	1956–1958
Movies and TV shows	The Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File, MORE
Awards	Edgar Award for Best Novel, Cartier Diamond Dagger, MORE
Plays	Love Never Dies

The Black Aeroplane Summary in English

The present story offers a psychological insight into a character under stress. It is an interesting account of the narrator’s encounter with the pilot of a black aeroplane who comes to his rescue in distress. It is a mystery built around the black aeroplane and its pilot.

A pilot was flying an old Dakota aeroplane at lO’clock at night. The stars were shining and there was not a trace of clouds. The sky was clear and the plane was flying over France and going back to England. The pilot was extremely happy. He was lost in the dreams of his holiday and family. Around 1:30 a.m. he called Paris Control Room to enquire about the route and location. The Control Room instructed him to turn twelve degrees west. The pilot checked the map and the compass, switched over to his second and last fuel tank and turned the plane twelve degrees west towards England. He expected to join his family for the breakfast.

When Paris was 150 km behind, the pilot saw the black storm clouds approaching the plane. He could not fly over them. Also he didn’t have enough fuel to fly around them south or north. Initially, he thought of going back to Paris but his strong urge to meet his family members led him straight into the storm. It was absolutely dark inside the clouds. The plane was jumping and twisting in the air. All the instruments had stopped working. The pilot lost his contact with the ground staff because his compass and radio had stopped functioning.

Suddenly he saw another aeroplane quite near him. That strange black aeroplane had no lights on its wings. The pilot of the black aeroplane asked him to follow him. The pilot flew in the clouds for half an hour. He had only fuel left to fly another fifteen minutes. The pilot was frightened. Suddenly the black aeroplane descended and the pilot followed him. Finally, the black aeroplane guided him to an airport for landing. The pilot was thrilled to see the runway but when he turned his head to thank the pilot of the black aeroplane he couldn’t see him anywhere.

After landing, the pilot immediately rushed to the Control Centre and enquired about the black aeroplane which guided him all the way to the airport. The woman on duty at the Control Centre told him that no other plane was seen flying that night. She had seen only his plane on the radar. The pilot was surprised to hear all this and kept on wondering who had helped him to arrive and land safely without a compass or a radio and without any more fuel left in his tank. He kept thinking abgut that strange black aeroplane and its mysterious pilot.

The Black Aeroplane Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Why was the pilot happy? Give two reasons.
Answer:
The pilot was happy for the following two reasons:
(i) He was alone high up above the sleeping countryside.
(ii) He was dreaming of his holiday and looking forward to being with his family.

Question 2.
(i) Why did the pilot call the Paris Control the first time?
(ii) What was the advice of the Paris Control?
Answer:
(i) The first time, the pilot called the Paris Control Room to enquire about the location of the plane and the route to be followed.
(ii) The Paris Control advised him to turn twelve degrees west towards England.

Question 3.
How many fuel tanks were there in the plane? How much fuel was left?
Answer:
There were two fuel tanks in the plane. The pilot had already switched over to second and the last tank so there was enough fuel only to fly back to England.

Question 4.
What did the pilot encounter while 150 km away from Paris?
Answer:
The pilot encounterd black stormy clouds, 150 kilometres away from Paris.

Question 5.
Why did the pilot fly straight into the storm instead of returning to Paris?
Answer:
The pilot had a strong desire to get back home and have breakfast with his family. That is why, pilot took the risk and flew straight into the storm instead of going back to Paris.

Question 6.
Did the Paris Control hear the pilot, the second time he called? Why?
Answer:
No, because when the pilot tried to contact the Paris Control Room, he failed to do so as his radio was dead.

Question 7.
Describe the black clouds from the point of view of the pilot.
Answer:
When Paris was about 150 kilometres behind me, I saw the black clouds in front of me. They were huge clouds looked like black mountains standing in front of me across the sky. They were stormy and I could not fly up and over them.

Question 8.
How did the black aeroplane rescue the first pilot?
Answer:
The pilot of the black aeroplane guided the first pilot and helped him arrive safely at the airport.

Question 9.
Was the pilot of the Dakota able to meet the pilot of the black aeroplane?
Answer:
No, the pilot of the Dakota could not meet the pilot of the black aeroplane. TheTirst pilot even went to the Control Room to find who the other pilot was, but he could not find him. The black aeroplane disappeared without being seen by anyone even on the ‘radar’.