Oxford Reading Circle Book-4
Oxford Reading Circle is a series of literature readers for students of kindergarten to class 8.
The readers contain fables, legends, folk tales, and short stories- a representative selection from international as well as Indian literature and also extracts from the classical and contemporary prose of some of the most highly regarded authors in the English language.
Contents :
1. A Legend of Rubezahl
2. The Mountain and the Squirrel—Ralph Waldo Emerson
3. The One that Got Away—Jan Mark
4. Deeba’s Doll
5. Paper Boats—Rabindranath Tagore
6. The Complaint
7. Baba Yaga
8. Dreams—Langston Hughes
9. The Thrush Girl—Godfried Bomans
10. The Adjutant Bird—Amabel Williams-Ellis
11. The Watchmaker’s Shop—Elizabeth Fleming
12. Raggedy-Ann and the Kite—Johnny Gruelle
13. Tomkin and the Three-Legged Stool—Vivian French
14. Hooked by a Book
15. The Word Wizard—Margaret Mahy
16. Car Run
17. The Story-Spirits
18. Sheep—W. H. Davies
19. Lazy-Bones Jones
20. The Pied Piper
21. Mr. Nobody—Anonymous
22. Crafty Tom
A Legend of Rubezahl
Chapter- 1
A. 1. Why was the glazier feeling tired?
Ans: The glazier was feeling tired because it was a sunny day and he was carrying a heavy load of glass.
2. What did Rubezahl disguise himself first?
Ans: Rubezahl disguised himself as a mound covered with soft grass.
3. What was Rubezahl's third disguise?
Ans: Rubezahl's third disguise was that of a donkey.
4. Find two examples from the story that shows us that miller was an unpleasant man?
Ans: The miller had cheated many poor people over the years. He also worked his animals and servants too hard.
C. 1.
a. hey—a form of greeting; used to express interest, surprise or anger hay—grass that has been cut and dried and is used as food for animals
b. way—manner of doing something; road or path weigh—measure the weight of something
c. bare—not covered bear—the animal; deal with
d. be—to be present bee—A black and yellow flying insect that can sting.
e. fair—Ask learners to find out the various meanings of the word using a dictionary. fare—The money paid to travel or buy a ticket for a show.
2. a. The donkey ate some hay.
b. We were on our way to weigh the suitcases.
c. The bear ate honey in the woods.
d. If only I could be a bee!
e. We paid the fare and got our tickets.
B. Write True / False for the following sentences.
Give the correct answer for the false sentence.
1. The donkey was sold for eight dollars.
2. Rubezahl disguised himself as an elephant
3. The glazier bought a donkey
4. 'I don't eat hay. I eat nothing but roasted and boiled turnips.
Nothing but the best!', said the donkey.
5. The miller was a kind man.
D. 1.
• astonished—very surprised
• cruel—having a desire to cause pain and suffering
• mischievous—enjoying playing tricks and annoying people
• compassionate—feeling or showing sympathy for people who are suffering
Chapter-2
The Mountain and the Squirrel
In the poem, The Mountain and the Squirrel, Ralph Waldo Emerson talks about the difference between the two characters, i.e. the Mountain and the Squirrel.
Q/A
1. Who speaks first?
Ans: The mountain speaks first.
2. List two things the squirrel admits he can't do or be the mountain can.
Ans: The mountain can make a very pretty squirrel track carry forests on its back.
3. List two criticisms the squirrel makes about the mountain.
Ans: The squirrel says the mountain is very large and cannot be active like the squirrel. It also cannot crack a nut.
4. What nick name does the poet use for the squirrel?
Ans: The poet uses the nickname "bun" for the Squirrel.
5. How can we tell the squirrel is cross?
Ans: The Squirrel says he does not think it is a disgrace to be small.
B. Poetry
1. Find all the rhyming words in the poem.
squirrel/quarrel
prig/big
weather/together
year/sphere
disgrace/place
I/spry
track/back
2. a. track—rack, back
b. bun—fun, run
c. nut—hut, rut
d. small—tall, fall
e. pretty—pity, kitty
The One that Got Away
Chapter- 3
Q: 1. What did Mrs. Cooper ask the children to do?
Ans: Mrs. Cooper asked the children to bring something interesting to the class on Friday.
Q.2. Who was Malcolm? Who was his teacher? What was Malcolm worried about?
Ans: Malcolm was a boy who studying in class 4. His teacher was Mrs. Cooper. Malcolm was worried because until Thursday he had not come up with any bright ideas as to what to take to the class.Q.3. What do you think the children decided to bring to class? Make a list of names and what each one brought.
Ans: Isobel had brought her pocket calculator. David had brought his rare collection of bottled beans which were glossy. Mary had brought her pet gerbil. James had brought his rare collection of fossils. William had brought his lame spider. Jason brought snail shells stuck on top of another like the leaning tower of Pisa.
Q.4. Why was Isobel so keen to bring her calculator?
Ans: Isobel was very keen to bring her calculator because she could write her name on the calculator by punching in 738051 and turning it upside down. She did this every time but it still looked interesting.Q.5. What was Malcolm worried about? How can we tell?
Ans: It was already Thursday and Malcolm has no idea as to what to take to the class on Friday even though he has some interesting things in his cupboard.
Q.6 Mary had brought her pet gerbil. William had brought his lame spider.
Ans: James had brought his rare collection of fossils. Jason had brought his rare collection of snail shells stuck one top of Pisa. David brought his rare collection of bottled beans which were glossy.Q. 7. We are told that Malcolm brought the most interesting thing
Why do you think Malcolm had brought the most interesting thing to class?
Ans: I think that Malcolm had brought the most interesting thing to class. Because it made everyone scream, squeak, jump and climb. It made all the students and teacher feel terrified but everyone enjoyed it.
C. Answer the following questions :
1. What did Mrs Cooper ask the children to do?
Ans: Mrs Cooper asked the children to bring something interesting to class the following day.
2. What was Malcolm worried about? How can we tell?
Ans: Malcolm said 'Amen' very quietly and walked all by himself. This shows that he was worried about what interesting thing he could take to school on Monday. It was already Thursday.
3. Why was Isobel keen to bring her calculator?
Ans: Isobel was keen to bring her calculator on which she could write her name by punching in 738051 and showing it upside down.
4. What did Malcolm bring at last?
Ans: Malcolm brought a match box that had the same kind of label on the top and bottom.
Q.5. We are told that Malcolm brought the most interesting thing to class. In what way is this true?Ans: It was a good decision that it was the most interesting thing because one could not tell the right way up. To add to the 1 10 fun, he pretended that there was something in it that had fallen out and ran on its five legs, sharp knees, and had frilly ginger eyebrows on stalks. Everybody ran around the class to find it.
Deepa's Doll
Chapter - 4
Q/A
1. Why were so many people in Deepa's Room?Ans: There were many people in Deepa's room because Deepa had come first in her class and the family wanted to give her some presents.
2. What had Ranjon done? Explain in your own words.Ans: After breakfast, while Deepa helped her mother to wash dishes Ranjan disappeared. He must have gone to Deepa's room and taught thedoll to speak the violent language. Later, when Deepa went to her room she was scared by the noises made by the doll.
3. How do we know that Ranjan was proud of his present?Ans: Ranjon came himself for word, wished her, gave her the present, which he had wrapped himself and bought by the money which he had saved for months together.
4. What kind of language do you think Deepa wanted the doll to use? How did Ranjan react to this language?
5. What kind of toys do you think Ranjan played with?
Ans: Ranjan loved to play with toys with which he could attack on fire such as Tarzan, Battle warriors or Action men.
6. What presents did Deepa receive and from whom?Ans: Deepa received a talking doll from Ranjan, green goggles from Aunt Anu, and an easel, paper, water colours, paint brush from her parents.
7. What had done? Explain in your own words.
Ans: Ranjan taught the doll to scare Deepa by teaching her to say "Run, run, scatter! We are under attack", followed by a loud voice angry shouting, and lots of otherinstructions such as 'Duck ! Duck! KABOOO.....M, gun fire sound are it'll get you!' Deepa realised this was all Ranjan's trick only when the doll said, 'you have been a naughty boy! hahaha!
A. 1. Why were so many people in Deepa's room?Ans: They wanted to give her presents because she had stood first in class and they were proud of her.
2. How do we know that Ranjan was proud of his presents?Ans: We know Ranjan was proud because he was eager to show Deepa how the doll worked and he had saved money for months to buy the present.
3. What kind of toys do you think Ranjan played with?Ans: Ranjan loved to play with toys with which he could attack or fire such as Tarzan, Battle warriors, or Action Men.
4. What presents did Deepa receive and from whom?Ans: Deepa received a talking doll from Ranjan, green goggles from Aunt Anu, and an easel, paper, water colours, paintbrush from her parents.
5. What had Ranjan done? Explain in your own words.Ans: Ranjan taught the doll to scare Deepa by teaching her to say, 'Run, run, scatter! We are under attack', followed by a loud wail, angry shouting,and lots of other instructions such as 'Duck! Duck! KABOOO....M, gun fire sound, and I'll get you!' Deepa realised all this was Ranjan's trick only when the doll said, 'You have been a naughty boy! Hahaha!
Q/A
1. They wanted to give her presents because she had stood
first in class and they were proud of her.
2. We know Rafay was proud because he was eager to show
Deeba how the doll worked and he had saved money for
months to buy the present.
3. Deeba wanted the doll to learn a polite language. Rafay was
‘agonised’ with the sweet prattle that Deeba was trying to
teach the doll.
4. Rafay loved to play with toys with which he could attack or
fire such as Tarzan, Battle warriors, or Action Men.
5. Deeba received a talking doll from Rafay, green goggles
from Aunt Anita, and a painting kit (easel, paper, watercolours, paintbrush) from her parents.
6. Rafay taught the doll to scare Deeba by teaching her to say,
‘Run, run, scatter! We are under attack’, followed by a loud
wail, angry shouting, and lots of other instructions such as
‘Duck! Duck!’ KABOOO….M, gunfire sound, and ‘I’ll get
you!’ Deeba realised all this was Rafay’s trick only when the
doll said, ‘You have been a naughty boy! Hahaha!’
C. 1. a. Deeba got a doll for coming first in her class.b. The goggles were a present from Aunt Anita.c. Deeba’s art teacher was Mrs Khan.d. The doll used the word ‘Duck!’e. The doll could speak sentences.
2. a. green gogglesb. agonyc. smuglyd. ordinarye. interrupt
Chapter- 5
Paper Boats
Day by day I float my paper boats one by one down the running stream.
In big black letters I write my name on them and the name of the village where I live.
I hope that someone in some strange land will find them and know who I am.
I load my little boats with shiuli flowers from our garden, and hope that these blooms of the garden, and hope that these blooms of the dawn will be carried safely to land in the night.
I launch my paper boats and look up into the sky and see the little clouds setting their white bulging sails.
I know not what playmate of mine in the sky sends them down the airto race with my boats!
When night comes I bury my face in my arms and dream that, my paper boats float on and on under the midnight stars.
The fairies of sleep are sailing in them, and the landing is their baskets full of dreams.
Rabindranath Tagore
Q/A
1. What does the poet write on his paper boats?
Ans: The poet writes his name and the name of his village on the boats.
Ans: The poet wants the flowers from his garden to land in a new place before morning comes.
4. In what ways are the clouds like the boat?
Ans: The clouds also seem to have white bulging sails like ships.
2. Why does he write on his paper boats?
Ans: The poet hopes that someone in a strange land will find his boats and know who he is.
3. Why does the poet load his boat with flowers?
A. 1. The poet writes his name and the name of his village on the boats.
2. The poet hopes that someone in a strange land will find his boats and know who he is.
3. The poet wants the flowers from his garden to land in a new place before morning comes.
4. The clouds also seem to have white bulging sails like ships.
5. He dreams that his paper boats float on and on under the midnight stars.
6. Teacher will help learners identify their favorite activity. Encourage them to write a reason for their choice.
B. 1. Shiuli flowers.
2. The blooms are in the poet’s garden. He loads them in the paper boats.
3. The poet hopes the blooms will be carried safely to land at night.
C. 1. a. stream—the body of running water
river—a large body of water flowing to the sea
brook—a small stream that crosses between two other bodies of water
rivulet—a small stream
b. paper—sheets for writing made of wood-pulp
cardboard—hard paper
card—a small piece of hard paper
parchment—old manuscript
c. load—a burden
weight—the heaviness of an object
cargo—goods carried by ship or aircraft
burden—a load
Chap- 6, Q/A
The Complaint
A. 1. What problem did Ms. Reza have and when did it happen?
Ans: Ms. Reza had purchased a shower curtain which was supposed to be of the best quality. Ten days later the bathroom was flooded due to tiny holes in the curtain.
2. Why was Ms. Reza complaining to Mr. Shastri?
Ans: Ms. Reza was complaining to Mr. Sastri since he was the manager and the shop refused to take back the curtain.
3. Why does Ms. Reza say 'I am not a blade'?
Ans: Mr. Sastri addressed her as Mrs. Razor, instead of Mrs. Reza. Razor is another word for the blade.
4. Do you think Ms. Reza would have been happy in the end? Why?
Ans: Ms. Reza would have been happy in the end since Mr. Sastri was willing to let her take any curtain of her choice from the new models at the shop...
A. 1. Ms Reza had purchased a shower curtain which was supposed to be of the best quality. Ten days later the bathroom was flooded due to tiny holes in the curtain.
2. Ms Reza was complaining to Mr Salim since he was the manager and the shop refused to take back the curtain.
3. Mr Salim addressed her as Mrs Razor, instead of Mrs Reza. Razor is another word for blade.
4. Mrs Reza would have been happy in the end since Mr Salim was willing to let her take any curtain of her choice from the new models at the shop.
5. Initially Mr Salim did not care to reply to her letters. Later, when she threatened that her lawyers would get in touch with him his replies were very prompt.
6. She wrote the second letter after two weeks. The first was written on the 14 January 2017 and the second was written on the 28 January 2017.
C. 1. Ms P. Reza
4C, Able Mansions,
Holmany Road,
Big Town 7 February 2009
Dear Ms Reza,
Thank you for your letters. I am sorry for the delay in
replying. I had gone on a tour of Singapore, Hong Kong,
Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos,
Taiwan, China, Sri Lanka, and other places.
Super’s Shower Shield will soon become the leading brand
in these countries. We are proud of our product and our
service. Perhaps there are cockroaches or young children
in your house? Their presence may be destroying our fine
quality shower shields. Please check with them.
Yours faithfully,
Salim Super
Inventor Super’s Shower Shield
Established long time back
Dear Madam,
Thank you for your letter of 8 February.
I have received a letter from Messrs Markos, Markos & Markos. Please do come to our showroom at your convenience.
There is no need for you to take further action. We can sort out everything in a friendly manner. I am ready to supply the
new model of Super’s Shining Shower Shield. We have many new models: Shanghai, 1 22 Shadow, Shape-up, Sheikh,
and Shakedown. You may take any one of your choices.
Yours faithfully,
Salim Super
Inventor Super’s Shower Shield
Established long time back
2. a. PS—Postscript—an additional remark at the end of a letter.
b. ex—former, something that was before.
c. PTO—please turn over. At the end of a page to indicate that there is something written on the next page.
d. Messrs.—Plural form of Mr Abbreviation for Messieurs Used before a company’s name to show that there is more than one owner.
e. Ms—title used before the surname of a woman. It is a neutral alternative to Mrs or Miss
f. Feb—Short form of February
Baba Yaga
Chapter- 7
Q.1. What kind of person was the stepmother?
Ans: Karen’s stepmother was always arguing with her and often tried to get her (Karen) into trouble with her father. She wasn’t very nice.
Q.2. Why did Karen agree to go to the house of her stepmother's sister?
Ans: Karen agreed to go to her stepmother’s sister’s house because she did not want to get into any trouble with her father after she was screamed at and threatened by her stepmother.
Q.3. What kind of person was Baba Yaga?
Ans: Baba Yaga was a wicked witch and much feared in Russia at that time.
Q.4. In what ways was Karen kind?
4. Karen showed her kindness by giving a present to the maid and speaking gently to her, giving ham to the cat, and bread to the dogs.
Q.5. How were various people and things in the story helpful or useful to Karen? Make a list and say how they helped.
Ans: The maid forgot about heating the water after receiving the scarf; the cat stopped spitting and scratching Karen after getting the ham and gave her a towel and comb.
The towel became a river and the comb became a thick row of trees and bushes. The oil helped to smoothen the rusty hinges of the gate.
Q.6. How did Baba Yaga behave after Karen escaped?
Ans: Baba Yaga kicked the gate, screamed at the cat and the dogs, and yelled ‘Bah!’
7. Teacher will facilitate learners to write about an incident when they were kind and it helped them out of trouble.
D. Discuss and Write
1. Have you ever been asked to do something that you did not like to do or wish to do? Discuss some of the things that we have to do, but don't like doing.
2. Write about one of the examples that you discussed above.
A. 1. Karen’s stepmother was always arguing with her and often tried to get her (Karen) into trouble with her father. She wasn’t very nice.
2. Karen agreed to go to her stepmother’s sister’s house because she did not want to get into any trouble with her father after she was screamed at and threatened by her stepmother.
3. Baba Yaga was a wicked witch and much feared in Russia at that time.
4. Karen showed her kindness by giving a present to the maid and speaking gently to her, giving ham to the cat, and bread to the dogs.
5. The maid forgot about heating the water after receiving the scarf; the cat stopped spitting and scratching Karen after getting the ham and gave her a towel and comb.
The towel became a river and the comb became a thick row of trees and bushes. The oil helped to smoothen the rusty hinges of the gate.
6. Baba Yaga kicked the gate, screamed at the cat and the dogs, and yelled ‘Bah!’
7. Teacher will facilitate learners to write about an incident when they were kind and it helped them out of trouble. This is a composition task.
2. a. The cat to Karen
b. The towel was in a small drawer in the cupboard. It was given to Karen to help her.
c. Karen threw it on hearing Baba Yaga’s footsteps and it turned into a roaring brook. This helped Karen escape.
2. a. Karen’s stepmother sent her to her sister’s house in the forest to fetch a needle and thread.
b. Karen’s aunt gave her some oil, a loaf of bread, and ham to take on her trip.
c. The gate opened when she put oil on its hinges.
d. Karen’s father got very cross and spoke sternly to her stepmother when she told him where she had been (to the forest) and why (stepmother had sent her).
Chapter- 8
Dreams
Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
frozen with snow.
Langston Hughes
Word meaning:
fast = tightly, secure
barren = land that is too poor to produce much or any vegetation
Langston Hughes was an American poet who became famous for his work during the Harlem Renaissance. He was the first African American to support himself as a writer. In this poem, Langston Hughes shares the importance of having dreams. Without dreams, our lives do not feel complete. We do not have anything to work toward, so holding onto the dreams strengthens and empowers us. In this short poem, he pulls the reader’s attention to this theme by using the repetition of the phrase, “Hold fast to dreams.” Dreams is written in Quatrains (4 line stanzas) and follows the ABCB rhyme scheme.
“Dreams” is one of Langston Hughes’s many poems about the power and necessity of dreams for both individuals and communities. In eight short lines, the poem’s speaker warns the reader that abandoning dreams (which might mean hopes, aspirations, fantasies, imaginative visions, and/or illusions) robs life of its vitality and purpose. Through its metaphorical images of brokenness and barrenness, the poem depicts life without dreams as no longer worth living.
The speaker begins by advising the reader to hold on to dreams, illustrating the pain of a life without them by comparing it to an injured, earthbound bird.“[A] broken-winged bird / That cannot fly” is a suffering creature that has lost its mobility, as well as one of its defining traits (that is, the power of flight). It may also have lost its bearings, community, and means of obtaining food. The comparison thus implies that a life without dreams is painful, frustrating, deprived, and possibly unable to continue much longer. This comparison also suggests that dreams are a defining trait of humanity, something that drives and sustains people.
The speaker then repeats—in even more ominous terms—the advice to hold on to dreams, this time comparing a dreamless life to a lifeless field. Unlike an injured bird, which is alive and might recover, “a barren field / Frozen with snow” can’t sustain any life at all. This comparison indicates that giving up one’s dreams can be more than a painful crisis: it can feel like emotional or spiritual death.
The speaker never explicitly defines “dreams” in the poem, and the poem's meaning here changes slightly depending on how readers interpret the word. If readers take “dreams” to mean hopes or aspirations, then the metaphor of life as a “barren field” evokes people's inability to imagine a rewarding future (or any future, for that matter) when they lose sight of their dreams. If “dreams” means fantasies or illusions, then the metaphor suggests that life is harsh, cold, and empty when seen as it really is—that is, without the veil of “dreams” over it. By extension, the metaphor implies that the dreams people do have preserve, nourish, and enrich them, like crops from a fertile field.
In the second indicates that nothing can keep dreams alive forever; losing them is a matter of “when,” not “if.” The poem’s abrupt Despite the speaker's call for people to cling to dreams, the shift from “if dreams die” in the first stanza to “when dreams go, sobering ending—“frozen” image, mirroring the stasis that accompanies the end of dreams and the end of life—underscores the urgency of “Hold fast to dreams” as long as possible.
Dreams are a subject that Hughes returned to over and over in his poetry. He often linked them with the experiences of Black Americans and/or the adjective “deferred” (postponed, delayed). But “Dreams” is a broad, stark statement: an unqualified warning to hold on to dreams in general, whether or not they ever come true. Their loss brings pain, incapacity, and emptiness; therefore, the poem argues, they are a vital source of pleasure, strength, and sustenance.
Questions
1. What metaphor is used in the first stanza?2. Which words create a sad or unhappy feeling?3. What metaphor is used in the second stanza?4. What is your dream?B. Reference to contextRead these lines from the poem, then answer the questions.1. Hold fast to dreamsa. Find a suitable synonym for the word 'dreams'b. Wrtie a sentence that conveys the same meaning but uses different words.2. Life is a barren fieldFrozen with snow.a. What ar the fields usually used for and why can't this happen in the field that is described in these lines?b. The writer is using the idea of this type of field to describe a life. Write a few sentences to describe a life without dreams.3. Using the structure and rhythm of the poem, create a positive stanza about what a life full of dreams is like:For when dreams stayLife is a ...............................................................................
C. Words and meaning
1. Look at these synonyms for the word 'dream'. Discuss them with a partner. Which ones would you say are the most positive? Explain your answer. Are there any negative ones?Aspiration, intention, ambition, yearning, plan, object, purpose, intent, aim, mission, desire, fantasy, design, goal, target, illusion, notion, wish, hope.2. A frightening dream is called a 'nightmare'.This can also be used metaphorically to describe events or experiences.For example: the train journey was a nightmare.Write two sentences using the words 'dream' and 'nightmare' metaphorically.
D. Discuss and Write.
1. We can have dreams when we are asleep as well as dreams about our future lives. Dreams we have while sleeping can be strange and impossible. Can you remember a funny or, scary dream that you had in your sleep? Discuss this in class.2. Is it important to have hopes, dreams and ambitions for your future? Write a short passage to express your viewpoint.
The Watchmaker's Shop
A street in our town
Has a queer little shop
With tumble-down walls
And a thatch on the top;
And all the wee windows
With crookedy panes
Are shining and winking
With watches and chains.
(All sorts and all sizes
In silver and gold,
And brass ones and tin ones
And the new ones and old;
And clocks for the kitchen
And clocks for the hall,
High ones and low ones
And wag-at-the-wall.)
The watchmaker sits
On a long-legged seat
And bids you the time
Of the day when you meet;
And round and about him
There's ticketty-tock
From the tiniest watch
To the grandfather clock.
I wonder he doesn't
get tired of the chime
And all the clocks ticking
And telling the time;
but there he goes winding
Lest any should stop,
This queer little man
In the watchmaker's shop.
The Watchmaker's Shop
Summary of the poem
The poem 'The watch maker's shop' is written by Elizabeth Fleming. Here the poet writes about her childhood memory of a watchmaker's shop. There was a small strange shop with a thatched ceiling, broken walls, and tiny windows in her town. It had different types of watches gold ones, silver ones, brass ones, tin ones, and chains. they were either made for kitchens or for big walls. Maybe the watchmaker had long legs and sat on a long-legged chair. His shop was always filled with tick-tock sound of the clock. In the end, the poet praises the watchmaker by saying that he never got tired in spite of working the whole day so that his watch did not stop.
A. 1. The watchmaker works in a queer little shop with tumbledown walls and a thatch at the top.
2. There are clocks of all shapes and sizes. The clocks in the
shop are made of silver and gold, brass and tin.
3. The sounds are those of the clocks chiming, ticking, and
telling the time.
4. No, the watchmaker doesn’t get tired of the sounds in the
shop. Accept all suitable answers.
B. 1. The watchmaker bids us the time.
2. Say something to greet or bid farewell.
3. He is in his shop sitting on a long-legged seat. He goes
around winding the watches and clocks so that none of
them should stop ticking.
Chapter - 12
Raggedy-Ann and the Kite
A. 1. The children were making a kite.2. The kite the children made needed a longer tail and they were wondering where they could get more rags to tie to it. This is when Marcella offered to tie Raggedy-Ann to the kite.3. They began running in the direction where the kite and Raggedy-Ann had fallen.4. Raggedy-Ann fell from the sky in the fork of the tree near the robins’ nest. They were scared and flew away.5. Marcella was extremely unhappy and distraught when she couldn’t find Raggedy-Ann.
Chapter- 13
Tomkin and the Three-Legged Stool
A. 1. The stool was sure that the king would not remember him.2. Tomkin thought it was going to rain soon because he saw a big, black cloud.3. Tomkin was washed off his feet with the gush of water and went gasping and tumbling down to the bottom of the hill.4. The stool helped Tomkin cross the river and told Tomkin to snip the cloud to make it rain.
4. a. needles—very fine, a slender piece of polished metal with a point at one end and a hole or eye for thread at the other, used in sewing. needless—not necessary.
b. throne—a ceremonial chair for a king or similar figure. thrown—past participle of the throw.
c. waited—past tense of wait. weighted—held (something) down by placing a heavy object on top of it.
d. rain—the condensed moisture of the atmosphere falling visibly in separate drops. reign—the period of rule of a monarch.
e. hole—a hollow place in a solid body or surface. whole—a thing that is complete in itself.
f. poured—flowed rapidly in a steady stream. pawed—felt or scraped with a paw or hoof.
A Dream Comes True
Question/Answer
1. What happened when Tomkin cut open the cloud?
Ans: When Tomkin had cut open the cloud, the rain started to pour out. The rush of the rain washed Tomkin off his feet and sent him gasping and tumbling all the way to the bottom of the hill.
2. In what ways was the stool helpful to Tomkin?
Ans: The stool accompanied Tomkin throughout his journey. At first, the stool helped Tomkin cross the river. When Tomkin found his kingdom, he was about to leave the place after seeing the sad state of the people. The stool convinced Tomkin to stay there and helped him make it rain for the people of the village. By doing so, Tomkin was made the king of the village. In these ways, the stool was helpful to the Tomkin.
Tomkin to the Rescue
1. Why was the stool sad?
Ans: The stool was sad because Tomkin had not remembered to appoint him as the prime minister.
2. Why did Tomkin hand back his crown?
Ans: When Tomkin had cut open the cloud, rain poured and filled rivers, lakes and ponds, but it didnot stop raining even when Tomkin tried to stitch the clouds up. This made the villagers angry and he decided to give back the crown.
3. How did Tomkin reach the cloud?
Ans: When Tomkin could not reach the cloud, the stool went running up the hill and asked Tomkin to climb over it. Tomkin climbed over the stool and could reach the clouds.
4. How was the stool rewarded?
Ans: The stool was rewarded by Tomkin by appointing him as the prime minister and lived in the castle with Tomkin happily.
5. Did Tomkin stop the rain completely?
Ans: Tomkin tried to stop the rain completely but the people of the village did not want to. Thus rain squeezed through the needle holes from time to time. If it doesn't rain soon, they will all dry up into dust and blow away in the wind.
How the Jaguar Lost its Fire
1. What made the boy go sideways instead of up?
Ans: the boy climbed the cliff from one ledge to the other to reach the macaw's nest. When he reach the ledge just below the nest, he found that there was nothing to hold on and he realized that he had climbed a great height. His legs trembled and he wanted to take a rest. but there was no place to sit. So he decided to go sideways instead of up.
2. In what ways was the jaguar kind to the boy?
Ans: Even though the jaguar was surprised to see a human, who killed his ancestors, he noticed the bleeding hands and toes of the boy and licked his wounds. When he felt better, he sheltered him in his cave which was cozy and warm. At night, the jaguar would hunt animals and roast them on fire and would give them to the boy. In this way, the jaguar took care of the boy.
Oxford Reading Circle Book-3
English
Oxford Reading Circle book- 2
A. 1. She moaned when heard the knock and said, ‘Who can that be?’2. Because it was very close to 9 o’ clock—the time of her favourite telly (TV) programme.3. What puzzled Jemima was the fact that the man did not reply to her questions; he just took out a packet from his pocket and passed it to her.4. The man pointed at her and vanished from the door.5. She was very happy with the wondrous book in the parcel.6. Jemima loved watching TV and reading books.
B. 1. a. Jemima says these words when she hears a knock on
the door.
b. She was waiting to watch her favourite programme at
9 o’clock.
c. She moans, rises to go, and sees who is at the door.
2. a. The man with a nose like a hook
b. Not to give away a secret
c. A wondrous book bound very neatly
Chapter- 15
The Word Wizard
A. 1. Mr Delmonico did not want his children to get a pet as a birthday gift. So he tried to confuse her. Accept all suitable answers by the learner.2. According to him horses have eight legs; a dog’s bark is worse than its bite and it barks up the wrong tree (with so many trees in the garden it would bark up the wrong tree); with kittens it would get hay fever because they can play the fiddle and they would be all over the place.3. The wizard felt that Mr Delmonico was a man who uses words for the purposes of confustication, that is, he breaks words and changes the meanings.4. In the end the children got a monster with eight legs. It carried a violin under its chin, wore a collar and tie, and had a hundred teeth. It had horns and hairy ears, and was bald. It barked but smiled at the twins.1. a. Mrs Delmonico did this when her husband made excuses for all the suggestions she gave for the twins’ birthday present.b. She is disappointed because none of her ideas were liked by her husband.c. She suggests that they could give a pet to the twins the following year.2. a. The wizard’s idea buzzed like a mosquito and stung Mr Delmonico on his nose.b. It buzzed off when the twins pulled the cracker bought by Mr Delmonico from the Wizards’ Bargain Store. It burst and the room filled with smoke and the smell of gunpowder.c. The result was a monster.
A. 1. Balu thought the car was a bargain because he could make it look like new after removing the hay piled on it.2. Balu thought he would change the wheels, sun-top, and apply a fresh coat of paint.3. When the hens told him that this was their run and that he should go his way, he thought for a while and decided to let the hens remain in their house, in the car. He smiled and went his way.
B. 1. a. ‘Tin heap’ here means a huge metal piece and ‘by the
way’ means unimportant and not useful.
b. He stopped his tonga.
c. ‘had seen better days’; ‘may not look too pretty’; ‘she’s a
bargain’.
2. a. Hens to Balu.
b. They squawked and clamoured loud and told him to
seek another house.
c. No. For Balu run means he will make the car function
and work, whereas for the hens ‘run’ is used instead of
a ‘home’.
C. 1. Hai, ‘Baap re’, hollered, squawked, clamored loud, trotted.
2. a. Anger is shown by shouting, yelling, and throwing things.
b. Excitement is shown by jumping, shouting, and clapping.
c. Sorrow is shown by crying.
d. Concern is shown by hugging, and patting.
e. Timidity is shown by speaking softly and sitting quietly.
3. stopped, took a closer look, started, opened, hastened out,
run, leaped, trotted.
Chapter- 17
The Story - Spirits
A. 1. There are two different kinds of spirits in the story: good
and bad.
2. The good spirits were unhappy because they were squashed
with the bad spirits. The boy kept all the story spirits by
only listening to them and not telling them to anybody to
pass them on.
3. The spirits planned to get rid of the man who had
imprisoned them for so long.
4. The servant stopped the spirits from hurting the young
man in many ways. He did not let him drink water because
the water spirit would have choked him. He did not let
him eat strawberries because the strawberry spirit would
have choked him. He pulled one end of the rice sack so that
he was saved from the red-hot poker under it. Finally, he
killed the snake which was hiding under the carpet.
5. The young man learned to tell stories so as not to offend
the story-spirits.
B. 1. a. The spirits from the stories flew into the wonderful bag and remained there forever.b. No, not really.c. The servant planned to release the spirits to save his master.2. a. The servant said these words to himself.b. He said to remember the words of the tiger, the fox, the frog, the bat, and the snake spirits so that he could protect his master.c. He prevented his master from drinking water and eating strawberries on the way. When the horse halted beside a large sack of nice husks and his master was dismounting, he pulled the sack so that his master fell. Finally when the bridegroom (master) climbed the platform, he pushed him as soon as he put his foot in the carpet and killed the snake with his sword.
C. 1. a. fond of—be partial to something or someone
b. retire—to rest after working
c. damsels in distress—girls who are in some sort of trouble
d. faithful—to be devoted to someone
e. ripe old age—very old age
f. selfish—to look after only your own interests
A. 1. The man asked the narrator to sail from Baltimore to Glasgow with eighteen hundred sheep.
2. The man said he would pay fifty shillings to the narrator if he agreed to go.
3. The sheep were quiet on the first night.
4. The sheep cried loudly on the second night because they were out at sea and could not smell the familiar pastures
B. 1. a. The ship had left the harbour and was out at sea.
b. The repeated words are ‘we soon’.
c. They were soon far inside the sea and water was salty.
2. a. poor things. b. The sheep are feeling homesick and scared.
c. ‘They sniffed’ means to take in the smells. It also means that they were looking for familiar surroundings.
Chapter- 20
The Pied Piper
A. 1. The story was set in a Hamelin, a town in Germany.
2. The mayor doesn’t seem to be a nice person. He does not believe the piper when he says that he can rid the town of rats. Later when the piper asks him for the five thousand Marks promised to him by the mayor, he refuses to pay, saying that what he did was not worth so much money and he should settle for five Marks instead. This shows he was dishonest and didn’t keep his promises. He behaves rudely and also mocks the piper.
3. The piper is dressed in a strange fashion, but he seems to be a man of few words. He does what he says and keeps his promise. Before he leads the rats away, he appears polite. But when the mayor refuses to pay him, he becomes vengeful.
4. The children ran out of their houses and merrily followed the piper clapping and skipping.
6. The people realised that their children were being led away by the piper and wanted to stop them, but the tune had rooted them to the ground and they couldn’t move. They were sad and upset because of their children being led away. They would have regretted that they did not pay the Pied Piper and cheated him. They might have gone to look for their children.
B. 1. a. The Pied Piper says this to the mayor.
b. The mayor has been ‘false’.
c. I know another tune. I play it to those who do not honour their agreement. Accept other suitable answers.
2. a. The mayor said this when the Pied Piper asked him to make the payment for driving the rats away.
b. He had promised to pay five thousand Marks to the Pied Piper.
c. The Pied Piper played a tune and led all the children towards the mountain.
A. 1. Mr. Nobody is compared to a mouse that does mischief
quietly without being seen by anybody.
2. (Get this answer through whole-class participation.)
Mr. Nobody breaks plates, tears books, leaves the door ajar,
pulls buttons from shirts, scatters pins, puts damp wood
upon the fire, soils the carpet with muddy feet, leaves finger
marks on the door, leaves the blinds unclosed, and spills
ink.
3. The children of the family do all the mischief. He is
probably the poet himself.
4. Broken or destroyed: plates, books, shirts, curtains; Made
dirty: carpet, door
Chapter - 22
Crafty Tom
A. 1. ‘Tom is worried about the History test.
2. ‘The last will or Testament is not what you have to write but the test? Isn’t it?’ He laughs at Tom’s usage of the word Testament instead of test.
3. Doctor takes out the large syringe and needle because he knows that Tom is not really ill but is terrified of needles.
4. Sid and Aunt Polly discover Tom’s trick when Tom says the injections can wait for a day. The doctor realises Tom’s trick when he sees the smudged ink on Aunt Polly’s face.
5. horrible, scamp, crafty
6. Tom pretends that painting the wall is fun. He refuses to go with them to join the gang. Fred and Dave take turns while Tom repeatedly keeps saying, ‘I want to enjoy it myself. You go and play? He makes them feel that painting the wall is really exciting.
B. 1. a. Tom said this to Sid.
b. testitis abstentious
c. ‘You are talking rot! You probably have just a stomach ache or fever.’
2. a. Dr Martin to Aunt Polly.
b. Dr Martin has realised that Tom has used a red pen to mark his face with spots and the ink has come on to Aunt Polly’s face. He wants to scare Tom saying that his disease is infectious.
c. Aunt Polly wipes her face and Sid stifles his laughter.