“A BOTTLE OF DEW” is a lesson from the Textbook “POORVI” approved by NCERT for the Students of Class 6. Here all the Textual Questions are answered by English teachers.
Let us do these activities before we read.
1. Circle the picture that matches with each word. Check your answers by sharing them with your classmates and teacher.
Answer:
2. Answer these questions and discuss them with your classmates and teacher.
(a) Think of a time when you worked hard. What did you do then?
Answer: When I worked hard, I spent many hours studying for my exams. I reviewed all my notes and solved previous year’s question papers.
(b) How did it help you?
Answer: It helped me to perform well in my exams.
(c) How did it make you feel?
Answer: It made me feel happy, motivated and satisfied.
I
Let us discuss
1. What did Rama Natha believe?
Answer: Rama Natha believed that there was a magic potion that could turn any object into gold.
2. How did the sage help Rama Natha?
Answer: The sage helped him by telling him a trick for making a magic potion which will change any object into gold.
3. Do you think Rama Natha will be able to collect the dew? Give a reason.
Answer: Yes, because the Sage allowed Rama Natha to plant as many banana plants as possible.
II
Let us discuss
1. Why was Rama Natha angry?
Answer: Rama Natha was angry because the potion did not turn the copper vessel into gold.
2. How did Rama Natha and Madhumati create wealth?
Answer: Rama Natha and Madhumati created wealth by working hard on their banana plantation and selling the bananas in the market.
Let us think and reflect
1. Read the following lines and answer the questions that follow.
(a) He spent all his time to learn about the magic potion. People cheated him often, promising to tell him about it, but he did not give up. His wife, Madhumati, was tired of this and also worried because she saw how much money Rama Natha was spending. She was sure that soon they would be without money.
(i) Complete the sentence with a suitable reason.
Rama Natha did not ‘give up’ because ___________________________ .
Answer: Rama Natha did not ‘give up’ because he was determined to find the magic potion that could turn objects into gold.
(ii) Read the column which shows ‘what happened’ and write the correct outcome in the next column.
| What Happened | Outcome |
| a. People promised to tell Rama Natha about the magic potion. | |
| b. Rama Natha was spending a lot of money. |
Answer:
| What Happened | Outcome |
| a. People promised to tell Rama Natha about the magic potion. | Rama Natha spent a lot of money and time. |
| b. Rama Natha was spending a lot of money. | Madhumati was worried they would soon be without money. |
(iii) Write whether the following statements are True or False.
a. Madhumati was troubled about what her husband did. [ ]
Answer: Madhumati was troubled about what her husband did. [ True ]
b. Rama Natha was very happy digging his fields. [ ]
Answer: Rama Natha was very happy digging his fields. [ False ]
c. The sage wanted to show the right path to Rama Natha. [ ]
Answer: The sage wanted to show the right path to Rama Natha. [ True ]
(b) Carefully, he took the bottle to the sage. The sage smiled and muttered something over the water. Then he returned the bottle and said, “Try it out.” Rama Natha sprinkled a few drops on a copper vessel and waited for it to turn to gold. To his surprise nothing happened!
(i) Choose the option that lists the events given below in the correct order.
a. The sage smiled.
b. Rama Natha gave the bottle to the sage.
c. Rama Natha dropped a few drops of water on a copper vessel.
d. He said something in a low voice over the water.
e. Rama Natha waited to see if the magic worked.
1. a, e, d, b, c
2. b. a, d, c, e
3. c, d, a, b, e
4. a, d, b, e, c
Answer: 2. b. a, d, c, e
(ii) Fill in the blank with the correct word from the lines given above.
Seeing that the plant had dried up, the gardener ________________ some water on it.
Answer: Seeing that the plant had dried up, the gardener sprinkled some water on it.
(iii) How might Rama Natha have felt when nothing happened to the copper vessel?
Answer: Rama Natha might have felt disappointed and cheated.
2. Answer the following questions.
(a) What did the sage ask Rama Natha to do to make the magic potion?
Answer: The sage asked Rama Natha to plant banana plants, water them regularly and collect dew from their leaves until he had five litres of dew. Then he should bring the dew to the sage, who would chant some words to turn it into magic potion.
(b) Why did the sage ask Rama Natha to do everything himself?
Answer: The sage did so to slowly give Rama Natha an important lesson of life. This he did to lead him to an awakening. It was to teach him about working hard.
(c) How could Rama Natha have a big banana plantation after six years?
Answer: The Sage told him to plant as many banana plants as he wanted. He planted more and more banana plants and worked hard for six years. This is how he developed a big banana plantation.
(d) How did the sage make Rama Natha believe that there is no magic potion?
Answer: The Sage made him believe that there is no magic potion by showing him a box full of gold coins earned from selling banana crops, which he had planted with his hard work.
(e) Fill in the ‘before’ and ‘after’ table about Rama Natha.
| What he did before meeting the sage | What he did after meeting the sage |
Answer:
| What he did before meeting the sage | What he did after meeting the sage |
| 1.Searched for a magic potion. | 1. Worked hard on his land. |
| 2.Spent a lot of money and time. | 2. Created wealth through banana plantation. |
Let us learn
1. Read the following words from the story
| promised spending cheated luck remember huge difficult market |
Use the words correctly to complete the paragraph given below. There are two extra words in the box that you do not need.
There was a farmer who had a ________ coconut plantation. He worked hard and did not depend on __________ . Every day was ________ but he did not give up. One day, a man bought a bag of coconuts from him, and ________ to pay him the money the next day. Days passed and the man did not pay him anything. The farmer felt ________ . About two months later, he met the same man and asked him about his money. The man said, “Oh! l had forgotten. Now, I __________ buying coconuts from you.” And he paid the money.
Answer:
There was a farmer who had a huge coconut plantation. He worked hard and did not depend on luck . Every day was difficult but he did not give up. One day, a man bought a bag of coconuts from him, and promised to pay him the money the next day. Days passed and the man did not pay him anything. The farmer felt cheated . About two months later, he met the same man and asked him about his money. The man said, “Oh! l had forgotten. Now, I remember buying coconuts from you.” And he paid the money.
2. Read the words from the story in Column A. Read the new words in Column B. Complete the meanings of the words given in Column B. Meanings of some words are given.
| Column A | Column B | Meaning of words in Column B |
| I | Eye | |
| your | You’re | short form of you are |
| dew | Due | happening at some time in the future |
| son | Sun | |
| One | won | past tense of win |
| Ate | eight | |
| See | sea |
The words given in each row of the table above have the same sounds but different spellings and meanings. Such words are called homophones.
Answer:
| Column A | Column B | Meaning of words in Column B |
| I | Eye | The organ we use to see. |
| your | You’re | short form of you are |
| dew | Due | happening at some time in the future |
| son | Sun | The star around which the earth orbits. |
| One | won | past tense of win |
| Ate | eight | The number after seven. |
| See | sea | A large body of saltwater. |
1. Choose four pairs of homophones from the table above, and for each pair write a sentence that uses both homophones in the same sentence. Check your answers by sharing them with your teacher and classmates.
An example has been given below:
I ate eight bananas for breakfast today.
Answer:
1. I can see with my eyes.
2. You’re going to love your new book.
3. The dew on the grass looked beautiful, and the time for our meeting was almost due.
4. The sun shines brightly while my son plays outside.
5. He won the race and became the number one athlete in the school.
6. I see the vast sea from the shore.
4. Match the phrases in Column A with the phrases in Column B. Use the connecting words given in the middle column to make meaningful sentences.
| Culuma A | Connecting Words | Columa B |
| The children submined their work (When?) | because | the bell rang |
| He did not want to try rock climbing (Why?) | before | there was a traffic jam. |
| The children ran towards the gate (When?) | as soon as | the deadline. |
| Nitin was late to school today (Why?) | as | of his fear of heights. |
Now, write the new sentences in your notebook.
Answer:
1. The children submined their work before the deadline.
2. He did not want to try rock climbing because of his fear of heights.
3. The children ran towards the gate as soon as the bell rang.
4. Nitin was late to school today as there was a traffic jam.
5. Here are two sentences with letter ‘b’.
Read them slowly the first time. As you read them a few more times, read them faster each time.
| Bunty bhaiya bought a big bunch of bananas. A big bunch of bananas was bought by Bunty bhaiya. |
Now, try to create a tongue twister on your own and share it with your peers.
Answer:
Betty bought a bit of butter, but the butter Betty bought was bitter.
Charlie chased the cheetah, but the cheetah chose to chase Charlie.
Let us listen
You will listen to what Madhumati does with the bananas in her plantation. As you listen, number the events in the correct order in which they happen. Write the number in the box beside each event.
(refer to page 36 for transcript)
(a) Gives two bananas to a boy who is hungry [ ]
(b) Meets her friend Kalawati in the market [ ]
(c) Visits her mother and gives her two dozen bananas [ ]
(d) Chooses to go home as only some bananas were left [ ]
(e) Visits her neighbour and gifts them a bunch of bananas [ ]
(f) Gives twelve bananas to her friend [ ]
(g) Goes to the market to sell the bananas [ ]
Answer:
(a) Gives two bananas to a boy who is hungry [ 6 ]
(b) Meets her friend Kalawati in the market [ 3 ]
(c) Visits her mother and gives her two dozen bananas [ 1 ]
(d) Chooses to go home as only some bananas were left [ 5 ]
(e) Visits her neighbour and gifts them a bunch of bananas [ 7 ]
(f) Gives twelve bananas to her friend [ 4 ]
(g) Goes to the market to sell the bananas [ 2 ]
2. Discuss the following questions with a partner. You may use the hints given in brackets while speaking.
(a) What does hard work mean to you?
(It means… / It is something…/ Well, you see… /What I mean is…)
Answer: It means putting in efforts to achieve your goals. It is something that needs determination even when challenges arise. Well, you see hard work leads to success. What I mean is that it involves doing your best.
(b) Give three reasons why you think hard work is important.
(Firstly, I feel… because… / Secondly, I think… since… /Lastly, I believe… as…)
Answer: Firstly, I feel hard work is important because it helps us achieve our goals and dreams. Secondly, I think hard work is valuable since it builds skills. Lastly, I believe hard work is essential as it gives a sense of confidence.
(c) Share three ideas you would give to someone who needs to work hard.
(To begin with, it is important that… Next, you could …. Finally, I think you should…. )
Answer: To begin with, it is important that you set clear goals and create a plan. Next, you could stay motivated by tracking your progress. Finally, I think you should stay positive even when facing difficulties.
Let us write
1. Work in pairs to complete the description of a banana. You may take the help of the words given in brackets. Share your answers with your classmates and teacher.
Answer:
1. A banana is healthy because it is rich in vitamins and gives energy.
2. It tastes sweet.
3. Its outer covering is yellow and fruit is white.
4. I like to eat a banana at breakfast.
5. The outer covering feels on touch smooth.
6. It smells fruity.