Class 7 English - Lesson 5: The Drum

Did You Know? (কিবা জানানে?)

"The Drum" is a popular Rajasthani folk tale. Folk tales (সাধুকথা) are traditional stories that have been passed down from generation to generation by word of mouth. They almost always carry a beautiful moral lesson!

Before you read:

Have you read any Assamese folk tales?
আপুনি কোনো অসমীয়া সাধুকথা পঢ়িছেনে?

Which story of 'Burhi Aair Sadhu' by Lakshminath Bezbaruah do you like the most?
লক্ষ্মীনাথ বেজবৰুৱাৰ 'বুঢ়ী আইৰ সাধু'ৰ কোনটো সাধু আপোনাৰ আটাইতকৈ প্ৰিয়?

(The Drum is a Rajasthani folk tale. A folk tale is a very old traditional story from a particular place that was originally passed on to people in a spoken form.)
(ঢোলটো এটা ৰাজস্থানী সাধুকথা। সাধুকথা হ'ল কোনো নিৰ্দিষ্ট ঠাইৰ এটা অতি পুৰণি পৰম্পৰাগত কাহিনী যিটো মূলতঃ মানুহৰ মুখে মুখে চলি আহিছে।)

Lakshmi lived with her only son in a small village in Rajasthan.

লক্ষ্মীয়ে তাইৰ একমাত্ৰ পুত্ৰৰ সৈতে ৰাজস্থানৰ এখন সৰু গাঁৱত বাস কৰিছিল।

She worked very hard from morning to night to earn her livelihood.

জীৱিকা নিৰ্বাহৰ বাবে তাই ৰাতিপুৱাৰ পৰা ৰাতিলৈকে বৰ কঠোৰ পৰিশ্ৰম কৰিছিল।

She ground grains for people in the village and got money in return.

তাই গাঁৱৰ মানুহৰ বাবে শস্য খুন্দি দিছিল আৰু বিনিময়ত ধন পাইছিল।

With that money she ran the household expenditure.

সেই ধনেৰে তাই ঘৰুৱা খৰচ চলাইছিল।

But she could not afford to buy nice clothes and toys for her only son.

কিন্তু তাই নিজৰ একমাত্ৰ পুত্ৰৰ বাবে ভাল কাপোৰ আৰু পুতলা কিনিবলৈ সক্ষম নাছিল।

It pained her very much.

এই কথাই তাইক বৰ কষ্ট দিছিল।

Lakshmi was loved by everybody in the village for her amiable nature.

লক্ষ্মীক তাইৰ অমায়িক স্বভাৱৰ বাবে গাঁৱৰ সকলোৱে ভাল পাইছিল।

One day she was going to market.

এদিন তাই বজাৰলৈ গৈ আছিল।

She asked her son, "Do you want anything, dear?"

তাই পুতেকক সুধিলে, "তোমাক কিবা লাগিব নেকি, বোপা?"

The son replied, "A drum, mother."

পুতেকে উত্তৰ দিলে, "এটা ঢোল, মা।"

Lakshmi patted her son and smiled lovingly and went to the market.

লক্ষ্মীয়ে পুতেকক মৰমেৰে থপৰিয়ালে আৰু হাঁহি মাৰি বজাৰলৈ গ'ল।

Lakshmi bought some necessary things like flour and salt from the market.

লক্ষ্মীয়ে বজাৰৰ পৰা আটা আৰু নিমখৰ দৰে কিছুমান প্ৰয়োজনীয় বস্তু কিনিলে।

She wished she could buy a drum for her son.

তাই পুতেকৰ বাবে এটা ঢোল কিনিব বিচৰা আছিল।

But alas! She had no money left.

কিন্তু হায়! তাইৰ হাতত কোনো ধন বাকী নাছিল।

She was very sad.

তাই বৰ দুখী আছিল।

On her way back home, she saw two nice pieces of wood on the road and picked them up.

ঘৰলৈ উভতি অহাৰ পথত তাই ৰাস্তাত দুটুকুৰা ধুনীয়া কাঠ দেখিলে আৰু সেইবোৰ তুলি ল'লে।

After reaching home she said grimly to her son, "I am very sorry son. I could not afford a drum for you."

ঘৰ পোৱাৰ পিছত তাই পুতেকক দুখেৰে ক'লে, "মোক ক্ষমা কৰিবা বোপা। মই তোমাৰ বাবে এটা ঢোল কিনিব নোৱাৰিলো।"

But the son said, "Never mind, mother. You can give it later. Now can I take these two pieces of wood to play?"

কিন্তু পুতেকে ক'লে, "একো নাই, মা। তুমি পিছত দিবা। এতিয়া মই এই কাঠৰ টুকুৰা দুটা খেলিবলৈ নিব পাৰোনে?"

Lakshmi nodded and said, "Yes, go and play but return before dusk."

লক্ষ্মীয়ে মূৰ দুপিয়াই ক'লে, "ওঁ, যোৱা আৰু খেলা কিন্তু আন্ধাৰ হোৱাৰ আগতেই উভতি আহিবা।"

The boy went out to play with his friends.

ল'ৰাটোৱে বন্ধুসকলৰ লগত খেলিবলৈ ওলাই গ'ল।

Suddenly he noticed an old woman at a distance.

হঠাতে সি দূৰত এগৰাকী বৃদ্ধাক দেখা পালে।

The old woman was trying to light her stove with dry cow dung cake to cook for her children but there was smoke all around.

বৃদ্ধাগৰাকীয়ে ল'ৰা-ছোৱালীৰ বাবে ৰান্ধিবলৈ শুকান গোবৰৰ খৰিৰে জুহাল জ্বলাবলৈ চেষ্টা কৰি আছিল কিন্তু চাৰিওফালে কেৱল ধোঁৱা আছিল।

The boy came forward and offered her his pieces of wood so that she could light fire and cook.

ল'ৰাটো আগবাঢ়ি আহিল আৰু তাইক কাঠৰ টুকুৰা দুটা দিলে যাতে তাই জুই জ্বলাই ৰান্ধিব পাৰে।

The old woman was very pleased.

বৃদ্ধাগৰাকী বৰ সুখী হ'ল।

She lit the fire and made some bread and gave one piece of it to the boy.

তাই জুই জ্বলালে আৰু কিছু ৰুটী বনালে আৰু তাৰে এখন ল'ৰাটোক দিলে।

The boy took the piece of bread and went away.

ল'ৰাটোৱে ৰুটীখন লৈ গুচি গ'ল।

On the way he met a potter's wife.

বাটত সি এজন কুমাৰৰ পত্নীক লগ পালে।

Her child was crying.

তাইৰ শিশুটোৱে কান্দি আছিল।

The boy asked why the child was crying.

ল'ৰাটোৱে সুধিলে শিশুটোৱে কিয় কান্দিছে।

The potter's wife told him that the child was hungry and she did not have anything to feed her child.

কুমাৰৰ পত্নীয়ে তাক ক'লে যে শিশুটোৰ ভোক লাগিছে আৰু তাইৰ হাতত খুৱাবলৈ একো নাই।

The boy felt sorry for the child.

ল'ৰাটোৱে শিশুটোৰ বাবে দুখ অনুভৱ কৰিলে।

He gave the piece of bread to the potter's wife.

সি ৰুটীখন কুমাৰৰ পত্নীক দিলে।

She was very grateful to the boy and gave him a pot as a token of gratitude.

তাই ল'ৰাটোৰ প্ৰতি বৰ কৃতজ্ঞ আছিল আৰু কৃতজ্ঞতাৰ চিন স্বৰূপে তাক এটা মাটিৰ পাত্ৰ দিলে।

The boy accepted the pot happily and moved on.

ল'ৰাটোৱে পাত্ৰটো আনন্দৰে গ্ৰহণ কৰিলে আৰু আগুৱাই গ'ল।

After some time he saw a river.

কিছু সময় পিছত সি এখন নদী দেখা পালে।

He noticed that a washerman and his wife were quarrelling near the river.

সি দেখিলে যে নদীৰ পাৰত এজন ধোবা আৰু তেওঁৰ পত্নীয়ে কাজিয়া কৰি আছিল।

The boy ran to the washerman and asked, "Why are you quarrelling?"

ল'ৰাটো ধোবাজনৰ ওচৰলৈ লৰ মাৰি গ'ল আৰু সুধিলে, "আপোনালোকে কিয় কাজিয়া কৰিছে?"

The washerman replied angrily, "She has broken my only pot. Now I have no pot to boil my clothes in."

ধোবাজনে খঙেৰে উত্তৰ দিলে, "তাই মোৰ একমাত্ৰ পাত্ৰটো ভাঙি পেলালে। এতিয়া মোৰ কাপোৰ সিজাবলৈ কোনো পাত্ৰ নাই।"

The boy gave him the pot and said, "Take this pot and don't quarrel anymore."

ল'ৰাটোৱে তেওঁক পাত্ৰটো দিলে আৰু ক'লে, "এই পাত্ৰটো লওক আৰু আৰু কাজিয়া নকৰিব।"

The washerman was very happy. He gifted a shawl to the boy.

ধোবাজন বৰ সুখী হ'ল। তেওঁ ল'ৰাটোক এখন চাদৰ উপহাৰ দিলে।

Soon the boy came to a bridge, where he saw a man shivering with cold.

সোনকালেই ল'ৰাটো এখন দলঙৰ ওচৰ পালে, য'ত সি এজন মানুহক জাৰত কঁপি থকা দেখিলে।

The man described how some robbers had snatched away all his possessions and even his clothes.

মানুহজনে বৰ্ণনা কৰিলে কেনেকৈ কিছুমান ডকাইতে তেওঁৰ সকলো সম্পত্তি আৰু আনকি কাপোৰো কাঢ়ি লৈ গৈছিল।

The boy felt pity for the man and gave him the shawl.

ল'ৰাটোৱে মানুহজনলৈ পুতৌ অনুভৱ কৰিলে আৰু তেওঁক চাদৰখন দিলে।

The man was so happy that he gave the boy his horse.

মানুহজন ইমানেই সুখী হ'ল যে তেওঁ ল'ৰাটোক নিজৰ ঘোঁৰাটো দিলে।

The boy had never expected that he would have a horse of his own.

ল'ৰাটোৱে কেতিয়াও ভবা নাছিল যে তাৰ নিজৰ এটা ঘোঁৰা হ'ব।

He mounted the horse and moved on.

সি ঘোঁৰাত উঠিল আৰু আগুৱাই গ'ল।

After some time the boy met a wedding party.

কিছু সময় পিছত ল'ৰাটোৱে এটা বিয়াৰ দলক লগ পালে।

But he was surprised to see the people sitting under a tree sadly.

কিন্তু মানুহবোৰক এজোপা গছৰ তলত দুখেৰে বহি থকা দেখি সি আচৰিত হ'ল।

He halted and asked the bridegroom's father, "Why are you so sad on such a special day?"

সি ৰৈ দৰাৰ দেউতাকক সুধিলে, "এনে এটা বিশেষ দিনত আপোনালোক কিয় ইমান দুখী হৈ আছে?"

The father replied, "We are ready to go to my son's wedding. But the man who was supposed to arrange the horse hasn't arrived yet. We are getting late and we fear we will miss the auspicious hour of the wedding."

দেউতাকে উত্তৰ দিলে, "আমি মোৰ ল'ৰাৰ বিয়াত যাবলৈ সাজু। কিন্তু যিজন মানুহে ঘোঁৰাৰ যোগাৰ কৰাৰ কথা আছিল তেওঁ এতিয়াও আহি পোৱা নাই। আমাৰ পলম হৈছে আৰু বিয়াৰ শুভ লগ্ন পাৰ হৈ যাব বুলি আমি ভয় কৰিছো।"

The boy immediately offered his horse and said, "Hurry up, you must move fast otherwise you will be in trouble."

ল'ৰাটোৱে লগে লগে নিজৰ ঘোঁৰাটো আগবঢ়াই ক'লে, "খৰধৰ কৰক, আপোনালোক সোনকালে যাব লাগিব নহ'লে বিপদত পৰিব।"

The bridegroom was so pleased that he asked the boy what he could do for him in return.

দৰাজন ইমানেই আনন্দিত হ'ল যে তেওঁ ল'ৰাটোক সুধিলে ইয়াৰ বিনিময়ত তেওঁ ল'ৰাটোৰ বাবে কি কৰিব পাৰে।

The boy replied, "Okay, if you really want to give me something, give me the drum that your musician is carrying."

ল'ৰাটোৱে উত্তৰ দিলে, "ঠিক আছে, যদি আপুনি সঁচাকৈয়ে মোক কিবা দিব বিচাৰে, তেন্তে আপোনাৰ বাদকে কঢ়িয়াই থকা ঢোলটো মোক দিয়ক।"

The bridegroom was happy to repay at least something to the boy.

ল'ৰাটোক অন্ততঃ কিবা এটা ঘূৰাই দিবলৈ পাই দৰাজন সুখী হ'ল。

He gave the drum to the boy happily and went away hurriedly.

তেওঁ ঢোলটো ল'ৰাটোক আনন্দৰে দিলে আৰু খৰধৰকৈ গুচি গ'ল।

The boy returned home and showed his drum to his mother.

ল'ৰাটোৱে ঘৰলৈ উভতি গৈ মাকক ঢোলটো দেখুৱালে।

He told her proudly how he earned the drum with the help of two mere pieces of wood.

সি গৌৰৱেৰে তাইক ক'লে কেনেকৈ সি মাত্ৰ দুটুকুৰা কাঠৰ সহায়ত ঢোলটো অৰ্জন কৰিলে।

Lakshmi was very happy and satisfied.

লক্ষ্মী বৰ সুখী আৰু সন্তুষ্ট হ'ল।

She smiled at him and said, "Remember, God helps those who help others."

তাই তাৰ ফালে চাই হাঁহিলে আৰু ক'লে, "মনত ৰাখিবা, যিয়ে আনক সহায় কৰে ভগৱানে তেওঁক সহায় কৰে।"

a) Q: Where did Lakshmi live?
Ans: Lakshmi lived with her only son in a small village in Rajasthan.

b) Q: What did Lakshmi do to earn her living?
Ans: Lakshmi ground grains for people in the village and got money in return to earn her living.

c) Q: What did her son ask her to bring from the market?
Ans: Her son asked her to bring a drum from the market.

d) Q: What did Lakshmi buy in the market?
Ans: Lakshmi bought some necessary things like flour and salt from the market.

e) Q: What did she bring for her son instead of a drum?
Ans: She brought two nice pieces of wood for her son instead of a drum.

f) Q: Why was the potter's child crying?
Ans: The potter's child was crying because the child was hungry.

g) Q: To whom did the boy give the shawl?
Ans: The boy gave the shawl to a man who was shivering with cold on a bridge.

Ans: A washerman and his wife were quarrelling near the river because the wife had broken his only pot, and he had no pot left to boil his clothes in.

Ans: The people of the wedding party looked sad because the man who was supposed to arrange the horse hadn't arrived yet, and they feared they would miss the auspicious hour of the wedding.

• a) Q: Her parents seemed very amiable. (pleasant / rude / serious)
  Ans: Her parents seemed very pleasant.
• b) Q: This book is necessary for science students. (unimportant / essential / meaningless)
  Ans: This book is essential for science students.
• c) Q: Several people came forward with information. (to offer one's help / refuse to help)
  Ans: Several people came forward to offer one's help with information.
• d) Q: He smiled at them with gratitude. (showing disrespect / feeling of being grateful)
  Ans: He smiled at them with feeling of being grateful.
• e) Q: Don't sit outside shivering in such a weather. (to shake slightly because of cold / remain still)
  Ans: Don't sit outside to shake slightly because of cold in such a weather.

• i) Each of the boys has done his work.
• ii) Each of the women was rewarded.
• iii) Each of the competitors will get a certificate.
• iv) Leap year falls in every fourth year.
• v) Each of the students will be given a copy of the book.
• vi) Every boy of the area is literate.
• vii) Every building of the city is nicely painted.

• i) Q: A doctor is examining the patient.
  Ans: The patient is being examined by a doctor.
• ii) Q: I am reading the Mahabharata.
  Ans: The Mahabharata is being read by me.
• iii) Q: My grandmother has read the Ramayana.
  Ans: The Ramayana has been read by my grandmother.
• iv) Q: The cat has drunk the glass of milk.
  Ans: The glass of milk has been drunk by the cat.
• v) Q: His conduct surprised us.
  Ans: We were surprised at his conduct.

• i) Q: We (wait) for him for two hours and then we left.
  Ans: We had been waiting for him for two hours and then we left.
• ii) Q: Anand (try) to get a job for almost two years before he got one in a company.
  Ans: Anand had been trying to get a job for almost two years before he got one in a company.
• iii) Q: The boys (play) football before it rained heavily.
  Ans: The boys had been playing football before it rained heavily.
• iv) Q: Rini (teach) in a private college before she settled in Delhi with her husband.
  Ans: Rini had been teaching in a private college before she settled in Delhi with her husband.
• v) Q: Before Sunita left for home, she (work) here for almost 5 hours.
  Ans: Before Sunita left for home, she had been working here for almost 5 hours.
• vi) Q: Science interests us. (Note: This is a misplaced Voice Change question from the textbook).
  Ans: We are interested in science.

Come across [হঠাতে লগ পোৱা]: I came across Rupak on the way to school.
(স্কুললৈ যোৱাৰ পথত মই ৰূপকক লগ পাইছিলো।)

Come of [জন্মগ্ৰহণ কৰা / অহা]: He came of a respectable family.
(তেওঁ এটা সন্মানীয় পৰিয়ালৰ পৰা আহিছে।)

Come off [অনুষ্ঠিত হোৱা / হৈ যোৱা]: Their wedding came off last month.
(যোৱা মাহত তেওঁলোকৰ বিয়া হৈ গ'ল।)

Come round [সুস্থ হৈ উঠা]: The patient will come round soon.
(ৰোগীজন সোনকালেই সুস্থ হৈ উঠিব।)

An ivory tower [বাস্তৱৰ পৰা আঁতৰত থকা পৃথিৱী / দিৱাস্বপ্ন]: He is a day dreamer and always lives in an ivory tower.
(তেওঁ দিৱাস্বপ্ন দেখে আৰু সদায় বাস্তৱৰ পৰা আঁতৰত নিজৰ পৃথিৱীত বাস কৰে।)

Apple of discord [কাজিয়াৰ মূল কাৰণ]: The property became an apple of discord between the two brothers.
(সম্পত্তিটো দুই ভাতৃৰ মাজত কাজিয়াৰ মূল কাৰণ হৈ পৰিছিল।)

Apple of one's eye [চকুৰ মণি / অতি মৰমৰ]: Children are the apples of their mother's eye.
(ল'ৰা-ছোৱালী মাকৰ চকুৰ মণি।)

Complete the following paragraph using the passive form of the verbs given in the brackets.