UNITS 8–10 8. A Game of Chance
l Indian festival – rational thinking/ scientific temper. Let children read the story individually or in pairs. Then ask them to fill in the blanks individually without referring to the text. l While doing the comprehension questions, let them read and re-read the text. l ‘Working with Language’ has an exercise using the same word as noun and verb. Draw children’s attention to changes, if any, in the sentence when a noun functions as a verb or viceversa. l The use of ‘there’ and ‘it’ as empty subject to be clarified through examples. l In ‘Speaking and Reading Aloud’, organise the first activity in such a manner that every child gets a chance to speak, describing his/her visit to the fair. In the next activity help them with words, phrases and reformulated sentences. Vocation l This poem, when recited with feeling, will have an impact on children by drawing their attention to the importance of every job or piece of work. l The child’s curiosity and desire to be left alone sometimes may also be expressed in discussions. It would be fun to answer their questions in this regard with understanding and sympathy.
In the “I wish I were…….” activity, suggest vocations/callings if children have difficulty doing it. “I wish I had two eyes at the back of my head also…” “I wish I wasn’t a kid…….” can lead to interesting explanations and accounts. l The last activity will make children use their hand, heart and head together. To understand the dignity of labour, children should be taken out to visit places of work and talk to workers. Making cards with pictures will follow naturally. This may be clubbed with a craft activity. 9. Desert Animals l Wildlife — this lesson presents the lifestyle of animals in the desert, and how they survive under very harsh conditions. If possible, connect it with biology portions which deal with animals and their habits. Enlist the help of the science teacher. l Speaking activity in this lesson focuses on the superlative form of adjectives. Extend the activity including other forms also. ‘Thinking about Language’ is not a writing task, though it involves writing five sentences. The aim is to enable children to see the use of the given phrases in different contexts. Create other exercises to enable children to use phrases like ‘some...any’ ‘so much so’ ‘more than’, etc. l Talk about desert areas in India. l Deserts are hot, but they can be very cold. Familiarise children with Ladakh and people who live there. Whatif l Let children compare the word ‘whatifs’ with the phrases ‘No I thinks’ ‘No buts’ in ‘What Happened to the Reptiles’ in the Supplementary Reader. Discuss what they mean. Whatif is a word invented out of the phrase ‘what if’, which means ‘suppose’; the other phrases echo other speakers’ words, and are used to cut them short.
Let children arrange ‘whatifs’ in the poem as probable, less probable and improbable. l Encourage every child to make a short poem of the ‘whatifs’ she/he has listed, as suggested. Edit their compositions and put up some on the wall. 10. The Banyan Tree l Adventure, wildlife — the photographs at the beginning are crucial to understanding the text. Help children deal with the text that goes with the photographs. l Any reason children can think of why the mongoose should always be so keen on fighting the cobra! l Read aloud short excerpts from Treasure Island, Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn in story reading sessions
Before you read Have you ever won anything in a ‘lucky dip’ or other such game of chance? Do you like such games?
1. EVERY year on the occasion of Eid, there was a fair in our village. Eid was celebrated only one day but the fair lasted many days. Tradesmen from far and wide came there with all kinds of goodsto sell. You could buy anything from a small pin to a big buffalo.
2. Uncle took me to the fair. Bhaiya, who worked for us at home, came with us. There was a big crowd at the fair. Uncle was leading us through the crowd when he met a few of his friends. They wanted him to spend some time with them.
3. Uncle asked me whether I would like to look around the fair with Bhaiya till he came back. I was happy to do that. Uncle warned me neither to buy anything nor to go too far out while he was away. I promised that I would wait for him.
4. Bhaiya and I went from shop to shop. There were many things I would have liked to buy, but I waited for Uncle to return. Then we came to what was called the Lucky Shop. The shopkeeper was neither young nor old. He was a middleaged man. He seemed neither too smart nor too lazy. He wanted everybody to try their luck. There were discs on the table with numbers from one to ten facing down. All you had to do was to pay 50 paise, pick up any six discs, add up the numbers on the discs and find the total. The article marked with that number was yours.
5. An old man paid 50 paise and selected six discs. He added up the numbers on them and found the total was 15. He was given the article marked15, which was a beautiful clock. But the old man did not want a clock. The shopkeeper obliged him by buying it back for 15 rupees. The old man went away very pleased.
6. Then a boy, a little older than I, tried his luck. He got a comb worth 25 paise. The shopkeeper looked neither happy nor sad. He bought the comb from the boy for 25 paise. The boy tried his luck again. He now got a fountain-pen worth three rupees. Then he tried a third time and got a wrist watch worth 25 rupees. When he tried again he got a table lamp worth more than 10 rupees. The boy was happy and went away with a smile and a good deal of cash.
7. I wanted to try my luck too. I looked at Bhaiya. He encouraged me. I paid 50 paise and took six discs. My luck was not too good. I got two pencils. The shopkeeper bought them from me for 25 paise. I tried again. This time I got a bottle of ink, also of little value. The shopkeeper bought that too for 25 paise. I took a chance for the third time. Still luck was not with me.
8. I had hopes of winning a big prize and continued to try my luck again and again, paying 50 paise each time. But every time I got a trifle. At last I was left with only 25 paise. Again the shopkeeper showed his kindness. He said I could either playonce more with 25 paise or settle the account then and there. I played again and the last 25 paise also disappeared.
9. People were looking at me. Some were laughing at my bad luck, but none showed any sympathy. Bhaiya and I went to the place where Uncle had left us and waited for him to return. Presently he came. He looked at me and said, “Rasheed, you look upset. What is the matter?”
10. I did not say anything. Bhaiya told him what had happened. Uncle was neither angry nor sad. He smiled and patted me. He took me to a shop and bought me a beautiful umbrella, biscuits and sweets and some other little gifts. Then we returned home.
11. Back home, Uncle told me that the Lucky Shop man had made a fool of me. “No, Uncle,” I said, “it was just my bad luck.” “No, my boy,” said Uncle, “it was neither good luck nor bad luck.” “But, Uncle,” I said, “I saw an old man getting a clock and a boy getting two or three costly things.” “You don’t know, child,” Uncle said, “they were all friends of the shopkeeper. They were playing tricks to tempt you to try your luck. They wanted your money and they got it. Now forget about it, and don’t tell anybody of your bad luck or your foolishness.”
meaninga
tradesmen: shopkeepers or people who have goods to sell.
a trifle: an object of little value.
WORKING WITH THE TEXT
A. Complete the following sentences from memory choosing a phrase from those given in brackets.
1. A big fair was held at the time of the Eid festival. (A big show, A big fair, A big competition)
2. Tradesmen came to the village with all kinds of goods to sell (to display, to buy, to sell)
3. Uncle told me not to buy. while he was away. (not to buy anything, not to go anywhere, not to talk to anyone)
4. The owner of the Lucky Shop wanted everybody present to try their luck . (to play the game, to win a prize, to try their luck)
5. The first time I took a chance I got two pencils. (a bottle of ink, two pencils, a trifle)
6. Uncle told me that the shopkeeper had made a fool of me . (a fool of me, a good profit, friends with many people)
B. Answer the following questions.
1. Why do you think Rasheed’s uncle asked him not to buy anything in his absence?
Ans: Uncle warned Rasheed not to buy anything in his absence because the shopkeepers could cheat him and take away his money.
2. Why was the shop called ‘Lucky Shop’? (4)
Ans: The shop was named Lucky Shop so as to tempt the people to try their luck and win prizes.
3. An old man won a clock and sold it back to the shopkeeper. How much money did he make? (5)
Ans: The old man made 15 rupees by selling the clock back to the shopkeeper.
4. How many prizes did the boy win? What were they? (6)
Ans: The boy won four prizes-a combs, a fountain pen, a wristwatch and a table lamp.
5. Why was Rasheed upset? (7, 8, 9)
Ans: Rasheed was upset because he thought he was unlucky at the game of chance.
6. In what way did the shopkeeper make a fool of Rasheed? (11)
Ans: The shopkeeper gave Rasheed things of small value. He encouraged the boy to try his luck again and again. Innocent Rasheed lost all his money.
Working with Language (Page 104)
A. The words given against the sentences below can be used both as nouns and verbs. Use them appropriately to fill in the blanks.
1. (i) The two teams have — three matches already. (play)
played
(ii) The last day’s play was excellent.
2. (i) She has a lovely face . (face)
(ii) India faced a number of problems these days.
3. (i) He made his mark in essay-writing. (mark) ]
(ii) Articles marked ‘sold’ are reserved.
4. (i) The police are combing the area to catch the burglars. (comb)
(ii) An ordinary plastic comb costs five rupees.
5. (i) He gave a smile in answer to my question. (smile)
(ii) We also smiled to see him smile.
6. (i) He said he hoped to be invited to the party. (hope)
(ii) We gave up hope of his joining the party.
7. (i) The boys put up a good athletic show . (show)
(ii) The soldiers showed great courage in saving people from floods.
8. (i) You deserve a pat on the back for your good performance. (pat)
(ii) The teacher patted the child on the cheek to encourage her.
B. Notice the use of ‘there’ in the following sentences.
ans
1. There are beautiful roses in this park.
2. There is no fun in your story.
3. There are no secrets between us.
4. There are two primary schools in my village.
5. There are two ways to solve this problem.
C. Fill in the blanks in the paragraph below with words from the box.
ans
Ans. There was a huge Eid fair in our village. We could buy anything from a tiny toy to a big camel. I went to the fair on its last day with Uncle and Bhaiya. We went to the Lucky Shop. It was very interesting. I tried my luck but did not win any prize. Later, the uncle told me that I was more foolish than unlucky.
Speaking and Reading Aloud (Page 106)
A.1. Suppose you are Rasheed. Describe in your own words your visit to the fair. Do not refer to the Lucky Shop.
Ans: 1. One-day my uncle took me to the Eid fair. He left me in the company of my domestic help, called Bhaiya. He warned me not to go far from that place. Secondly, I must not buy anything in his absence. He went away to spend sometime with his friends. I along with Bhaiya went from one shop to another. When uncle returned, he bought for me some gifts.
2. Read aloud the two paragraphs that describe the boy and the old man at the Lucky Shop.
Ans: For self-attempt.
B. Work in pairs. One of you is an agent and the other is a client looking for accommodation in a hotel. Talk to each other. Use the clues given below.
| Agent | Client |
| l. What sort of accommodation | I’d prefer a ‘ |
| would you prefer? | |
| 2. Would you like your own room | I’d like ‘ |
| or would you like to share a room? | |
| 3. Would you like a room with | I don’t think I’d like |
| a television? | Yes, I do want |
| 4. Do you need to hire a car? | No. thanks. I don’t need |
| No. I’d prefer | |
| 5. What sort of location are you | I’d like to stav in |
| interested in? | |
| 6. Have you any other | Yes. I must have |
| requirements? | Yes. give me |
| No, no other requirements. |
Ans:
L I'd prefer a small but nice accommodation.
2. I would like to have a room of my own, for study as well as sleep.
3. Yes, I do want a room with a television.
4. No, thanks. I don't need a hired car. No, I'd prefer a car of my own to going by public bus.
5. I'd like to stay in a posh locality.
6. Yes, I must have a big terrace. Yes, give me your contact number. No. no other requirement.
MORE QUESTIONS SOLVED
I.SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
1. What was Rasheed’s fault at the fair?
Ans: He did not heed the advice of his uncle either to buy anything nor to go too far out in his absence.
2. How did Rasheed lose all his money at the Lucky shop?
Ans: Rasheed was tempted to try his luck and win some big prize. He took several chances but won no expensive item. Thus he lost gill his money.
3. How would you describe Rasheed’s ‘bad luck’?
Ans: Rasheed was neither unlucky nor foolish. He was an innocent boy while the shopkeeper was a cheat.
4. How did uncle explain the ‘game of chance’?
Ans: Uncle told Rasheed that the lucky shop man had made fool of him. The old man and the boy who won costly things were, in fact, the shopkeeper’s friends. It was all a trick to tempt the customers,
II. LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
1. What is meant by a ‘game of chance’? What lesson did the narrator learn from his experience at the fair?
Ans: ‘A Game of Chance’ refers to gambling. A person stakes his money in the hope of doubling it. But he can never be sure of winning the lottery. The narrator Rasheed goes to the fair on the occasion of Eid. He is tempted to try his luck at a shop. He is too innocent to see through the shopkeeper’s trick. He loses all his little money in that game of chance. He learnt the lesson that he can be easily be fooled and robbed of his money by witty shopkeepers.
2. What trick did the shopkeeper play to tempt his customers to play the losing game?
Ans: The Eid fair was held every year. It attracted tradesmen from far and wide. Rasheed too went to the fair with his servant and his uncle. There he watched a shopkeeper rewarding the persons who staked their money with costly prizes. The game was played with six numbered discs. The winner claimed the article with the winning number. The tricky shopkeeper gave handsome prizes to his own friends. Rasheed too was tempted to try his luck. But he lost the last penny in that game of chance.
Vocation
On your way to school or market you see many people at work. In pairs, discuss what you have noticed. Then read this poem. You may read it aloud with a partner, if you like.
When the gong sounds ten in the morning and I walk to school by our lane,
Every day I meet the hawker crying, “Bangles, crystal bangles!”
There is nothing to hurry him on, there is no road he must take, no place he must go to, no time when he must come home.
I wish I were a hawker, spending my day in the road, crying, “Bangles, crystal bangles!”
When at four in the afternoon I come back from the school,
I can see through the gate of that house the gardener digging the ground.
He does what he likes with his spade, he soils his clothes with dust, nobody takes him to task, if he gets baked in the sun or gets wet.
I wish I were a gardener digging away at the garden with nobody to stop me from digging.
Just as it gets dark in the evening and my mother sends me to bed,
I can see through my open window the watchman walking up and down.
The lane is dark and lonely, and the streetlamp stands like a giant with one red eye in its head.
The watchman swings his lantern and walks with his shadow at his side, and never once goes to bed in his life.
I wish I were a watchman walking the street all night, chasing the shadows with my lantern. RABINDRANATH TAGORE
Working with the poem (Page 110-111)
Question 1:
Your partner and you may now be able to answer these questions.
(i) Who is the speaker in the poem? Who are the people the speaker meets? What are they doing?
(ii) What wishes does the child in the poem make? Why does the child want to be a hawker, a gardener, or a watchman?
Pick out the lines in each stanza, which tell us this.
(iii) From the way the child envies the hawker, the gardener and the watchman, we can guess that there are many things the child has to do, or must not do.
Make a list of the dos and don’ts that the child doesn’t like.
The first line is done for you.
The child must The child must not
come home at a fixed time. get his clothes dirty in the dust.
Now add to the list your own complaints about the things you have to do, or must not do.
(iv) Like the child in the poem, you perhaps have your own wishes for yourself. Talk to your friend, using “I wish I were…”
Answer:
- The speaker of the poem is a school-going child. Every day he happens to meet the hawker who sells bangles, the gardener who digs the garden and a watchman who keeps a close watch on the streets the whole night.
- The child in the poem has an innocent mind. He watches all the people around him keenly. He strongly wishes he could lead his life his own way and enjoy the freedom just as a hawker, a gardener or a watchman.
Firstly, on his way to school every day, he notices a hawker selling bangles and he wishes he could spend all his day on the road shouting, “Bangles, crystal bangles!”. He observes that the hawker has nothing to hurry him, there is no fixed road he must take, no definite route he must go to and no allocated time when he must return home. Seeing this liberty, the young boy wishes he could become a hawker and enjoy all these things too.
Secondly, the boy meets a gardener who is busy digging away the garden with his spade. He soils his clothes with dust and dirt and nobody scolds him for performing this task even if he gets baked in the sun or gets wet in rain or sweat. Seeing this, the young boy wishes that he could become a gardener so that nobody could scold him for digging the garden or for soiling his clothes in dust or even get sweaty due to sunshine.
Thirdly, the boy sees a watchman through his open window who walks up and down in the lonely dark lane and the street-lamp would stand like a giant with one red eye in it’s head. He observes how the watchman swings his lantern and walks with his shadow at his side and he never goes to bed in his life. The young child wishes he could work like a watchman so that even he could walk the streets all night and chase the shadows with his lantern.
| the child must | The child must not |
| Go to school on time | Waste his time unnecessarily |
| Obey his parents and teachers | Be ill-mannered or rude in behaviour |
| Go to school every day | Get baked in the sun or wet in the rain |
| Wake up early in the morning | Walk on the dark and lonely streets at nigh |
- Attempt by yourself.
Question 2:
Find out the different kinds of work done by the people in your neighbourhood. Make different cards for different kinds of work. You can make the card colourful with pictures of the persons doing the work.
Answer:
Activity to be done by yourself
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