Once upon a time at the foothills of New York's Catskill Mountains there was a beautiful village.

এসময়ত নিউয়ৰ্কৰ কেটস্কিল পৰ্বতৰ পাদদেশত এখন ধুনীয়া গাঁও আছিল।

There lived a kind Dutch villager named Rip Van Winkle.

তাত ৰিপ ভেন উইংকল নামৰ এজন দয়ালু ডাচ গাঁৱলীয়া মানুহ বাস কৰিছিল।

He was loved by all in his village specially the children whom he told stories and gave toys.

তেওঁক গাঁৱৰ সকলোৱে, বিশেষকৈ ল'ৰা-ছোৱালীবোৰে বহুত ভাল পাইছিল যাক তেওঁ সাধু কৈছিল আৰু পুতলা দিছিল।

He was very kind and gentle. But he was a lazy man.

তেওঁ বৰ দয়ালু আৰু ভদ্ৰ আছিল। কিন্তু তেওঁ এজন এলেহুৱা মানুহ আছিল।

He was so lazy that he liked to sleep the whole day.

তেওঁ ইমানেই এলেহুৱা আছিল যে তেওঁ গোটেই দিনটো শুই ভাল পাইছিল।

Rip Van Winkle was a henpecked husband. His problem was that he did not like to work either in his house or on his farm.

ৰিপ ভেন উইংকল এজন ঘৈণীয়েকৰ কথাত উঠা-বহা কৰা মানুহ আছিল। তেওঁৰ সমস্যাটো আছিল যে তেওঁ ঘৰত বা খেতিপথাৰত ক'তো কাম কৰিবলৈ ভাল পোৱা নাছিল।

He did not really take care of his family. So his wife Dame Van Winkle constantly nagged him about his laziness.

তেওঁ সঁচাকৈয়ে নিজৰ পৰিয়ালৰ যত্ন লোৱা নাছিল। সেয়েহে তেওঁৰ পত্নী ডেম ভেন উইংকলে তেওঁৰ এলেহুৱা স্বভাৱৰ বাবে তেওঁক অনবৰতে ককৰ্থনা কৰিছিল।

In order to escape his wife's constant harrassment, one autumn day Rip decided to leave his home.

পত্নীৰ অহৰহ ককৰ্থনাৰ পৰা হাত সাৰিবলৈ এদিন শৰৎ কালত ৰিপে ঘৰ এৰাৰ সিদ্ধান্ত ল'লে।

Rip Van Winkle ran up a mountain with his favourite companion, his dog named Wolf and his gun.

ৰিপ ভেন উইংকলে তেওঁৰ প্ৰিয় সংগী, উল্ফ নামৰ কুকুৰটো আৰু তেওঁৰ বন্দুকটো লৈ পাহাৰৰ ওপৰলৈ লৰ মাৰিলে।

He reached the top, crossed a stream and went to a spot where nobody had ever been.

তেওঁ একেবাৰে ওপৰ পালেগৈ, এখন জান পাৰ হ'ল আৰু এনে এখন ঠাইলৈ গ'ল য'লৈ আগতে কোনো যোৱা নাছিল।

He sat down there panting. Suddenly he heard someone calling his name.

তেওঁ তাতে হোপাঁই হোপাঁই বহি পৰিল। হঠাতে তেওঁ কোনোবাই তেওঁৰ নাম ধৰি মাতি থকা শুনিলে।

He thought, "Strange! Nobody ever comes here and surely no one is here whom I know."

তেওঁ ভাবিলে, "আচৰিত! ইয়ালৈ কেতিয়াও কোনো নাহে আৰু ইয়াত নিশ্চয় মই জনা কোনো নাই।"

When he turned to see who was calling, he saw a funny looking man carrying a big barrel.

যেতিয়া তেওঁ কোনে মাতিছে চাবলৈ ঘূৰি চালে, তেওঁ এজন অদ্ভুত চেহেৰাৰ মানুহক এটা ডাঙৰ বেৰেল কঢ়িয়াই লৈ যোৱা দেখিলে।

The man said to him, "Please help me carry this barrel to my friends a little down the stream."

মানুহজনে তেওঁক ক'লে, "অনুগ্ৰহ কৰি এই বেৰেলটো জানটোৰ অলপ তলত থকা মোৰ বন্ধুবৰ্গৰ ওচৰলৈ কঢ়িয়াই নিবলৈ মোক সহায় কৰক।"

Rip Van Winkle decided to help the man. So he and the funny looking man walked down the stream to a cave in the mountain.

ৰিপ ভেন উইংকলে মানুহজনক সহায় কৰাৰ সিদ্ধান্ত ল'লে। গতিকে তেওঁ আৰু অদ্ভুত চেহেৰাৰ মানুহজন জানটোৰ দাঁতিয়েদি পাহাৰৰ এটা গুহালৈ খোজ ল'লে।

There Rip Van Winkle saw many other funny looking men and all of them were playing the game of ninepins.

তাত ৰিপ ভেন উইংকলে আন বহুতো অদ্ভুত চেহেৰাৰ মানুহ দেখিলে আৰু তেওঁলোক সকলোৱে নাইনপিনছ খেল খেলি আছিল।

As soon as the barrel was placed on the ground, the men took some mugs, dipped them into the barrel and drank some liquid from the barrel.

যিমান সোনকালে বেৰেলটো মাটিত থোৱা হ'ল, মানুহবোৰে কেইটামান মগ ল'লে, বেৰেলটোত ডুবাই দিলে আৰু বেৰেলটোৰ পৰা কিছুমান তৰল পদাৰ্থ খালে।

Rip Van Winkle also dipped a mug in the barrel and drank like the funny looking men. It tasted good.

ৰিপ ভেন উইংকলেও বেৰেলটোত এটা মগ ডুবাই দিলে আৰু অদ্ভুত চেহেৰাৰ মানুহবোৰৰ দৰে খালে। ইয়াৰ সোৱাদ ভাল আছিল।

So he drank many mugs. After drinking he went to sleep.

গতিকে তেওঁ বহুত মগ খালে। খোৱাৰ পিছত তেওঁ শুই পৰিল।

When he woke up, he saw that all the funny looking men were gone.

যেতিয়া তেওঁ সাৰ পালে, তেওঁ দেখিলে যে সকলো অদ্ভুত চেহেৰাৰ মানুহ গুচি গৈছে।

He searched for his dog Wolf but did not find it.

তেওঁ নিজৰ কুকুৰ উল্ফক বিচাৰিলে কিন্তু বিচাৰি নাপালে।

He could not believe that he had slept the whole day and the whole night. He then picked up his gun and went back to his village.

তেওঁ বিশ্বাস কৰিব পৰা নাছিল যে তেওঁ গোটেই দিনটো আৰু গোটেই ৰাতিটো শুই আছিল। তাৰ পিছত তেওঁ বন্দুকটো তুলি লৈ নিজৰ গাঁৱলৈ উভতি গ'ল।

When he entered the village he saw new faces. He knew all the villagers so well but lo!

যেতিয়া তেওঁ গাঁৱত সোমাল তেওঁ নতুন মুখবোৰ দেখিলে। তেওঁ গাঁৱৰ সকলো মানুহকে ইমান ভালদৰে চিনি পাইছিল কিন্তু চোৱা!

They were all unfamiliar faces to him. All of them looked at him and rubbed their chins.

তেওঁলোক সকলোৱেই তেওঁৰ বাবে অচিনাকি মুখ আছিল। তেওঁলোক সকলোৱে তেওঁৰ ফালে চালে আৰু নিজৰ থুঁতৰিত হাত ফুৰালে।

Seeing them doing that, Rip also did the same. Then he found that his beard had grown a foot long overnight and it was all white.

তেওঁলোকক তেনে কৰা দেখি, ৰিপেও একেই কৰিলে। তাৰ পিছত তেওঁ দেখিলে যে তেওঁৰ ডাঢ়ি নিশাটোৰ ভিতৰতে এঠাইমান (এবিতমান / এ ফুট) দীঘল হৈছে আৰু সেয়া সম্পূৰ্ণ বগা আছিল।

An old woman came near him and recognised him. She shouted with joy, "Oh! It's Rip Van Winkle. Where were you? We haven't seen you for twenty years."

এগৰাকী বৃদ্ধা তেওঁৰ ওচৰলৈ আহিল আৰু তেওঁক চিনি পালে। তাই আনন্দেৰে চিঞৰি উঠিল, "অহ! এয়া ৰিপ ভেন উইংকল। তুমি ক'ত আছিলা? আমি তোমাক কুৰি বছৰ ধৰি দেখা নাই।"

Then Rip Van Winkle realised that he had been sleeping for twenty long years.

তেতিয়া ৰিপ ভেন উইংকলে উপলব্ধি কৰিলে যে তেওঁ দীঘলীয়া কুৰি বছৰ ধৰি শুই আছিল।

Dutch: হলেণ্ডৰ অধিবাসী / ডাচ

foothills: পাহাৰৰ নামনিৰ সৰু পাহাৰ / পাদদেশ

henpecked: ঘৈণীয়েকৰ কথাত উঠা-বহা কৰা

nagged: ঘনে ঘনে ককৰ্থনা কৰা

stream: জান / সৰু নৈ

barrel: নলীয়া আকৃতিৰ ডাঙৰ পাত্ৰ

cave: গুহা

mountain: পৰ্বত / পাহাৰ

dipped: ডুবাই দিয়া

rubbed: মোহাৰিছিল

chin: থুঁতৰি

beard: ডাঢ়ি

realised: উপলব্ধি কৰিলে

gentle: ভদ্ৰ / শান্ত

escape: পলাই সাৰা

harrassment: হাৰাশাস্তি / অত্যাচাৰ

panting: হোপাঁই থকা

overnight: নিশাটোৰ ভিতৰতে

recognised: চিনি পালে

unfamiliar: অচিনাকি

funny: অদ্ভুত / ধেমেলীয়া

1. Answer the following questions in complete sentences.

a) Why did the children love Rip Van Winkle?
Ans: The children loved Rip Van Winkle because he told them stories and gave them toys.

b) What was the name of his wife?
Ans: The name of his wife was Dame Van Winkle.

c) What was the funny looking man carrying?
Ans: The funny looking man was carrying a big barrel.

d) What was the name of Rip's dog?
Ans: The name of Rip's dog was Wolf.

e) What was the name of the game that the funny looking men were playing?
Ans: The funny looking men were playing the game of ninepins.

f) Who recognised Rip?
Ans: An old woman recognised Rip.

g) For how many years had Rip Van Winkle been sleeping?
Ans: Rip Van Winkle had been sleeping for twenty years.

2. Write whether the following statements are true or false.

• a) Rip Van Winkle was a very hard working man. → False
• b) The funny looking men drank milk from the barrel. → False
• c) Rip decided to help the funny looking man. → True
• d) When Rip woke up, he found Wolf nearby him. → False
• e) Rip's beard had grown a foot long overnight. → True
• f) Rip recognised everybody in the village. → False

3. Find out four words from the lesson related to nature.

Ans: mountain, stream, cave, foothills.

Activity 1: Match the three parts and rewrite the sentences.

• Arjun is a hockey player.
• They are journalists.
• Rizwan is an engineer.
• You are a good wrestler.
• We are very good girls.
• I am a good swimmer.
• Christina was a famous athlete.

Activity 2: Fill in the blanks with the correct present continuous tense form

a) The child is crying because it is hungry.

b) Look! She is drawing a beautiful picture.

c) The boys are running in the field now.

d) My mother is busy now because she is knitting a sweater for me.

e) At this moment I am writing a letter to my friend.

f) The boy is sleeping; don't disturb him.

g) You can't meet him now because he is studying.

h) The workers are busy because they are digging the well.

Activity 3: Fill in the blanks with has or have.

a) My mother has the novel...

b) Jutika has a costly watch.

c) His brothers have several...

d) The babies have colourful sweaters.

e) They have a nice collection...

f) Mr. Naren Kalita has a motorcycle.

g) The child has a lovely doll.

h) Her parents have an old car.

i) These children have five balls.

j) The boy has a bicycle.

Writing Activity: Biographical sketch of Kailash Satyarthi

Ans: Kailash Satyarthi is an Indian Children's Rights activist. He was born on 11 January 1954 in Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh. He founded the Bachpan Bachao Andolan. Through his efforts, he acted to protect the rights of more than 83000 children from 144 countries. He was awarded the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize along with Malala Yousafzai.

a) as white as wool (উলৰ দৰে বগা)

b) as slow as a snail (শামুকৰ দৰে লেহেমীয়া)

c) as sweet as honey (মৌৰ দৰে মিঠা)

d) as busy as a bee (মৌমাখিৰ দৰে ব্যস্ত)

e) as green as grass (ঘাঁহৰ দৰে সেউজীয়া)

f) as light as a feather (পাখিৰ দৰে পাতল)

g) as cool as a cucumber (তিয়ঁহৰ দৰে শান্ত / শীতল)

h) as black as coal (কয়লাৰ দৰে ক'লা)

i) as brave as a lion (সিংহৰ দৰে সাহসী)

j) as cunning as a fox (শিয়ালৰ দৰে চতুৰ)

k) as innocent as a lamb (ভেড়া পোৱালিৰ দৰে নিৰীহ)

l) as black as a crow (কাউৰীৰ দৰে ক'লা)

m) as cold as ice (বৰফৰ দৰে ঠাণ্ডা)

n) as dumb as a statue (মূৰ্তিৰ দৰে বোবা)

o) as faithful as a dog (কুকুৰৰ দৰে বিশ্বাসী)

p) as gentle as a dove (কপৌৰ দৰে ভদ্ৰ/শান্ত)

q) as hard as a stone (শিলৰ দৰে টান)

r) as hot as fire (জুইৰ দৰে গৰম)

s) as loud as thunder (বজ্ৰপাতৰ দৰে ডাঙৰ শব্দ)

t) as proud as a peacock (ম'ৰাৰ দৰে গৰ্বী)

u) as red as blood (তেজৰ দৰে ৰঙা)

v) as silent as a grave (মৈদামৰ দৰে নিস্তব্ধ)

w) as white as snow (বৰফৰ দৰে বগা)