(A simpler version of Ruskin Bond's autobiographical piece 'When the Trees Walked')

(ৰাস্কিন বণ্ডৰ আত্মজীৱনীমূলক ৰচনা 'হোৱেন দ্য ট্ৰীজ ৱাকড'ৰ এক সৰল সংস্কৰণ)

This story is about my grandfather and his love for trees.

এই সাধুটো মোৰ ককাদেউতা আৰু গছৰ প্ৰতি থকা তেওঁৰ মৰমৰ বিষয়ে।

Grandfather loved trees and it seemed to me that trees also loved him.

ককাদেউতাই গছ ভাল পাইছিল আৰু মোৰ এনেকুৱা লাগিছিল যেন গছবোৰেও তেওঁক ভাল পাইছিল।

Grandfather had served many years in the Indian Forest Service and it was natural that he should know trees and love them.

ককাদেউতাই ভাৰতীয় বন সেৱাত বহু বছৰ ধৰি কাম কৰিছিল আৰু সেয়েহে তেওঁ গছবোৰক জনাটো আৰু ভাল পোৱাটো স্বাভাৱিক আছিল।

On his retirement, he built a house on the outskirts of Dehradun.

অৱসৰ গ্ৰহণ কৰাৰ পিছত, তেওঁ ডেৰাডুনৰ উপকণ্ঠ অঞ্চলত এটা ঘৰ সাজিছিল।

He planted trees all around the bungalow which included lime, mango, orange, and guava and also eucalyptus, jacaranda, and Persian lilacs.

তেওঁ বঙলাটোৰ চাৰিওফালে গছ ৰুইছিল যাৰ ভিতৰত আছিল নেমু, আম, সুমথিৰা, আৰু মধুৰীআমৰ লগতে ইউকেলিপটাছ, জেকাৰাণ্ডা আৰু পাৰ্চিয়ান লাইলাক।

Plants and trees grew tall and strong as the valley was very fertile.

উপত্যকাটো বৰ সাৰুৱা হোৱাৰ বাবে গছ-গছনিবোৰ ওখ আৰু শক্তিশালী হৈ বাঢ়িছিল।

Grandfather was a great companion.

ককাদেউতা এজন বৰ ভাল সংগী আছিল।

Sometimes when I sat by myself beneath a tree, I would feel rather lonely but as soon as my grandfather joined me, the garden became a happy place.

কেতিয়াবা যেতিয়া মই অকলে গছৰ তলত বহি থাকোঁ, মোৰ বৰ অকলশৰীয়া অনুভৱ হৈছিল কিন্তু ককাদেউতা মোৰ লগত যোগ দিয়াৰ লগে লগে, বাগিচাখন এখন সুখৰ ঠাই হৈ পৰিছিল।

One morning I was sitting beside my grandfather on the steps of the bungalow's verandah.

এদিন ৰাতিপুৱা মই ককাদেউতাৰ কাষত বঙলাৰ বাৰাণ্ডাৰ চিৰিত বহি আছিলোঁ।

As we sat there in the soft sunshine of a North Indian winter, I noticed the tendril of a creeping vine moving slowly towards grandfather.

উত্তৰ ভাৰতৰ শীতকালৰ কোমল ৰ'দত আমি তাত বহি থাকোঁতে, মই লক্ষ্য কৰিলোঁ যে এডাল লতাৰ আকৰ্ষ লাহে লাহে ককাদেউতাৰ ফালে আগবাঢ়ি গৈছে।

There is probably a scientific explanation for the vine's behaviour- something to do with light and warmth.

লতাডালৰ এই আচৰণৰ বাবে হয়তো কিবা বৈজ্ঞানিক কাৰণ আছে- পোহৰ আৰু উত্তাপৰ সৈতে জড়িত কিবা।

But I liked to think that it moved towards grandfather simply because it wanted to be near him.

কিন্তু মই এইটো ভাবিহে ভাল পাইছিলোঁ যে ই ককাদেউতাৰ ফালে আগবাঢ়িছিল কাৰণ ই কেৱল তেওঁৰ ওচৰত থাকিব বিচাৰিছিল।

Grandfather attracted everyone and everything!

ককাদেউতাই সকলোকে আৰু সকলো বস্তুকে আকৰ্ষণ কৰিছিল!

There was a very old peepal tree in the compound. It had forced its way through the walls of an abandoned outhouse.

চৌহদটোত এজোপা বৰ পুৰণি আঁহত গছ আছিল। ই এটা পৰিত্যক্ত বাহিৰৰ ঘৰৰ দেৱাল ফালি ওলাই আহিছিল。

Peepal trees are great show-offs.

আঁহত গছবোৰে বৰকৈ নিজকে প্ৰদৰ্শন কৰে।

Even when there is no breeze, their leaves will spin like tops determined to attract your attention and invite you into the shade.

আনকি বতাহ নথকা অৱস্থাতো, সিহঁতৰ পাতবোৰে লাটিমৰ দৰে ঘূৰি আপোনাৰ দৃষ্টি আকৰ্ষণ কৰিবলৈ আৰু ছাঁলৈ নিমন্ত্ৰণ কৰিবলৈ দৃঢ়প্ৰতিজ্ঞ হয়।

Grandmother had told grandfather to cut the tree as it was ruining the outhouse but grandfather refused.

আইতাই ককাদেউতাক গছজোপা কাটিবলৈ কৈছিল কাৰণ ই বাহিৰৰ ঘৰটো নষ্ট কৰি আছিল কিন্তু ককাদেউতাই অস্বীকাৰ কৰিলে।

Grandmother was not that interested in trees. She preferred growing flowers.

আইতাৰ গছৰ প্ৰতি সিমান আগ্ৰহ নাছিল। তেওঁ ফুলৰ খেতি কৰিহে ভাল পাইছিল।

She was constantly ordering catalogues and seeds.

তেওঁ অনবৰতে কেটালগ আৰু গুটিৰ অৰ্ডাৰ দি আছিল।

Grandfather helped her out with gardening not because he was crazy about flower gardens but because he liked watching butterflies.

ককাদেউতাই তেওঁক বাগিচাৰ কামত সহায় কৰিছিল, ফুলনিৰ প্ৰতি থকা অত্যাধিক নিচাৰ বাবে নহয়, বৰঞ্চ তেওঁ পখিলা চাই ভাল পোৱাৰ বাবেহে।

"There is only one way to attract butterflies and that is to grow flowers", he said.

"পখিলাক আকৰ্ষণ কৰাৰ মাত্ৰ এটাই উপায় আছে আৰু সেয়া হ'ল ফুল ৰোৱা", তেওঁ কৈছিল।

Grandfather was not content with growing trees in our compound.

ককাদেউতা কেৱল আমাৰ চৌহদত গছ ৰোৱাতেই সন্তুষ্ট নাছিল।

During the rainy season, he would walk into the jungle armed with cuttings and saplings which he would plant in the forest.

বাৰিষাকালত, তেওঁ ডাল আৰু পুলি লৈ হাবিলৈ গৈছিল আৰু সেইবোৰ অৰণ্যত ৰুইছিল।

The first time we did this, I had protested, "What's the use? Who's going to see them?"

প্ৰথমবাৰ যেতিয়া আমি এই কামটো কৰিছিলো, মই প্ৰতিবাদ কৰি কৈছিলো, "ইয়াৰ কি লাভ? কোনে দেখিবলৈ যাব এইবোৰ?"

"We are not planting them simply to improve the view", -replied grandfather, "We are planting them for the forest, and for the animals and birds who live here and need more food and shelter."

"আমি কেৱল দৃশ্যপট ধুনীয়া কৰিবলৈ এইবোৰ ৰোৱা নাই", ককাদেউতাই উত্তৰ দিলে, "আমি এইবোৰ অৰণ্যৰ বাবে ৰুইছোঁ, আৰু ইয়াত বাস কৰা জীৱ-জন্তু আৰু চৰাই-চিৰিকটিৰ বাবে যিসকলক অধিক খাদ্য আৰু আশ্ৰয়ৰ প্ৰয়োজন।"

He added, "Yes, men need trees too. To keep the desert away, to attract rain, for fruits and flowers, leaf and seed. Yes, for timber too. But men are cutting trees without replacing them. If we don't plant a few trees ourselves a time will come when the world will become one great desert."

তেওঁ লগতে ক'লে, "অঁ, মানুহকো গছৰ প্ৰয়োজন। মৰুভূমিক আঁতৰাই ৰাখিবলৈ, বৰষুণক আকৰ্ষণ কৰিবলৈ, ফল আৰু ফুলৰ বাবে, পাত আৰু গুটিৰ বাবে। অঁ, কাঠৰ বাবেও। কিন্তু মানুহে গছ কাটিছে আৰু তাৰ ঠাইত নতুন গছ ৰোৱা নাই। যদি আমি নিজেই কেইজোপামান গছ নৰুওঁ, তেন্তে এনে এটা সময় আহিব যেতিয়া পৃথিৱীখন এখন বিশাল মৰুভূমিত পৰিণত হ'ব।"

The thought of a world without trees became a sort of nightmare for me and I helped grandfather in his tree-planting without any complaint.

গছ নোহোৱা পৃথিৱী এখনৰ চিন্তাটো মোৰ বাবে এক দুঃস্বপ্নৰ দৰে হৈ পৰিছিল আৰু মই কোনো অভিযোগ নকৰাকৈ ককাদেউতাক গছ ৰোৱাত সহায় কৰিছিলোঁ।

"The trees have been standing still for thousands of years but one day the trees will walk again", Grandfather often said.

"গছবোৰ হাজাৰ হাজাৰ বছৰ ধৰি একেঠাইতে থিয় হৈ আছে কিন্তু এদিন গছবোৰে আকৌ খোজ কাঢ়িব", ককাদেউতাই প্ৰায়ে কৈছিল।

One day we found an island, a small rocky island in a dry riverbed.

এদিন আমি এটা দ্বীপ পালোঁ, এখন শুকান নদীৰ বুকুৰ এটা সৰু শিলৰ দ্বীপ।

A riverbed like this one was common in the foothills.

পাহাৰৰ নামনিত এনেকুৱা নদীৰ বুকু সাধাৰণ কথা আছিল।

They are completely dry in summer but flooded during the monsoon rains.

গ্ৰীষ্মকালত এইবোৰ সম্পূৰ্ণ শুকাই যায় কিন্তু বাৰিষাৰ বৰষুণৰ সময়ত বানপানী হয়।

A small mango tree was growing on the island.

দ্বীপটোত এজোপা সৰু আম গছ গজি আছিল।

"If one small tree can grow here, so can others," said grandfather.

"যদি এজোপা সৰু গছ ইয়াত গজিব পাৰে, তেন্তে আন গছো গজিব পাৰে," ককাদেউতাই ক'লে।

As soon as the rains set in, and while rivers could still be crossed, we set out with a number of tamarind, laburnum, and coral tree saplings and cuttings.

বাৰিষা আৰম্ভ হোৱাৰ লগে লগে, আৰু যেতিয়ালৈকে নদীখন পাৰ হ'ব পৰা অৱস্থাত আছিল, আমি কেইবাটাও তেঁতেলী, সোণাৰু, আৰু মদাৰ গছৰ পুলি আৰু ডাল লৈ ওলাই গ'লোঁ।

We spent a whole day planting them on the island.

আমি গোটেই দিনটো সেইবোৰ দ্বীপটোত ৰোৱাত কটালোঁ।

The monsoon season was full of surprises from trees and plants.

বাৰিষাকালটো গছ-গছনিৰ পৰা পোৱা আশ্চৰ্যৰে ভৰি আছিল।

At every turn, there was something new to see.

প্ৰতিটো খোজতে চাবলৈ কিবা নতুন আছিল।

Out of the earth and rock and leafless boughs, the magic touch of the rains had brought life and greenness.

মাটি, শিল আৰু পাত নোহোৱা ডালৰ পৰা, বৰষুণৰ যাদুকৰী স্পৰ্শই জীৱন আৰু সেউজীয়া কঢ়িয়াই আনিছিল।

One could see the vines growing.

মানুহে লতাবোৰ বাঢ়ি যোৱা দেখিব পাৰিছিল।

Plants sprang up in the most unlikely of places.

একেবাৰে অসম্ভৱ ঠাইতো গছ-গছনি গজি উঠিছিল।

A peepal tree would take root in the ceiling, a mango tree would sprout on the window-sill.

চিলিঙত এজোপা আঁহত গছে শিপা মেলিছিল, খিৰিকীৰ মুখত এজোপা আম গছ গজি উঠিছিল।

Grandfather didn't like to remove them but to save the house he did it half-heartedly.

ককাদেউতাই সেইবোৰ উভালি পেলাবলৈ ভাল পোৱা নাছিল কিন্তু ঘৰটো বচাবলৈ তেওঁ আধা-ইচ্ছাৰে সেই কাম কৰিছিল।

The Second World War began and I was sent away to a boarding school.

দ্বিতীয় বিশ্বযুদ্ধ আৰম্ভ হ'ল আৰু মোক আৱাসিক বিদ্যালয়লৈ পঠিয়াই দিয়া হ'ল।

During those days I spent my holidays not with my grandparents but with my father in Delhi.

সেই দিনবোৰত মই মোৰ বন্ধৰ দিনবোৰ ককা-আইতাৰ লগত নহয়, বৰঞ্চ দিল্লীত মোৰ দেউতাৰ লগতহে কটাইছিলোঁ।

Meanwhile, my grandparents sold the house and went to England.

ইফালে, মোৰ ককা-আইতাই ঘৰটো বিক্ৰী কৰি ইংলেণ্ডলৈ গুচি গৈছিল।

Several years later, I returned to Dehradun.

কেইবা বছৰৰ পিছত, মই ডেৰাডুনলৈ উভতি আহিলোঁ।

I first visited the old house.

মই প্ৰথমে পুৰণি ঘৰটোলৈ গ'লোঁ।

Then I walked out of town towards the riverbed.

তাৰপিছত মই চহৰৰ বাহিৰলৈ নদীৰ বুকুখনৰ ফালে খোজ কাঢ়িলোঁ।

It was February.

সেইটো ফেব্ৰুৱাৰী মাহ আছিল।

I looked across the dry water course and my eyes were immediately caught by the breathtaking red blooms of the coral blossom.

মই শুকান পানীৰ সুঁতিটোৰ সিপাৰলৈ চালোঁ আৰু লগে লগে মদাৰ ফুলৰ আকৰ্ষণীয় ৰঙা ফুলবোৰত মোৰ চকু পৰিল।

The island was looking like a small green paradise in contrast with the dry river bed.

শুকান নদীৰ বুকুখনৰ বিপৰীতে দ্বীপটোক এখন সৰু সেউজীয়া স্বৰ্গৰ দৰে লাগিছিল।

I went up to the trees and the trees seemed to know me.

মই গছবোৰৰ ওচৰলৈ গ'লোঁ আৰু এনেকুৱা লাগিছিল যেন গছবোৰে মোক চিনি পায়।

They whispered among themselves and beckoned me nearer.

সিহঁতে নিজৰ মাজতে ফুচফুচাইছিল আৰু মোক ওচৰলৈ মাতিছিল।

Looking around, I noticed that other smaller trees, plants, and grasses had sprung up under their protection.

চাৰিওফালে চাই মই লক্ষ্য কৰিলোঁ যে সিহঁতৰ আশ্ৰয়ত আন সৰু গছ, উদ্ভিদ আৰু ঘাঁহ গজি উঠিছে।

Yes, the trees my grandfather had planted long ago had multiplied.

অঁ, মোৰ ককাদেউতাই বহুকাল আগতে ৰোৱা গছবোৰৰ সংখ্যা বৃদ্ধি পাইছিল।

They were walking again.

সিহঁতে আকৌ খোজ কাঢ়িছিল।

In one small corner of the world, grandfather's wish had come true.

পৃথিৱীৰ এটা সৰু চুকত, ককাদেউতাৰ ইচ্ছা পূৰণ হৈছিল।

Q1. Answer the following questions in complete sentences.

Q2. Give brief answers to the following questions.

Q3. Write whether the following statements are true or false.

a) Grandfather loved only flowering trees. — False

b) The author feels that mango trees are great show-offs. — False

c) Grandmother loved growing flowers. — True

d) Grandfather never helped grandmother out with gardening. — False

e) During the Second World War the author spent his holidays with his father. — True

f) Grandfather's wish didn't come true. — False

Activity 1: Complete the following sentences using to-infinitive or bare infinitive.

Activity 2: Fill in the blanks using the non-finite forms of the verbs.

Activity 3: Combine the following pairs of sentences.

1. Write a letter to your parents giving information about your preparation for the Annual Examination.

Room No. 12, Boys' Hostel
[School Name]
[City, State, Pincode]
March 10, 2026

Dear Ma and Pa,

I hope this letter finds you both in good health. I am doing well here, and my studies are going very smoothly.

I am writing to give you an update on my preparations for the upcoming Annual Examinations, which start next month. I have completed the syllabus for all subjects and am currently focusing on revising the important chapters. I have made a daily timetable that gives extra time to Mathematics and Science, as I want to improve my scores in those subjects. My teachers have been very supportive in clearing up any doubts I have.

I am taking proper care of my health as well and sleeping on time. Please don't worry about me. Need your blessings to do my best.

Yours lovingly,
[Your Name]

2. Write a letter to your friend telling him / her about a place of historical importance that you visited recently.

[Your Address]
[City, State, Pincode]
March 10, 2026

Dear [Friend's Name],

I hope you are doing well. It has been a while since we last talked. I am writing to share my excitement about a recent trip I took with my family.

Last week, we visited the historical Rang Ghar in Sivasagar, Assam. As you might know, it is one of the oldest surviving amphitheaters in Asia. The grand, oval-shaped structure is built entirely of baked bricks and looks beautiful. It was fascinating to learn that the Ahom kings used to sit there and enjoy traditional games like buffalo fights and other sports during the Bihu festival. Walking through the corridors made me feel like I had traveled back in time to the era of the Ahom dynasty.

It was an incredible experience. You must visit this place whenever you get a chance. Hope to see you soon!

Yours lovingly,
[Your Name]

1. Fill in the blanks with the correct determiners.

2. Fill in the blanks with appropriate prepositions.

3. Identify the finite and non-finite verbs.

i) Working hard, she passed the test.
Ans: Finite: passed | Non-finite: Working

ii) Singing is his hobby.
Ans: Finite: is | Non-finite: Singing

iii) I went there to meet him.
Ans: Finite: went | Non-finite: to meet

iv) Forgotten by all, he lived alone in his native village.
Ans: Finite: lived | Non-finite: Forgotten

v) I want to know the truth.
Ans: Finite: want | Non-finite: to know

vi) I requested them to help me.
Ans: Finite: requested | Non-finite: to help

vii) I saw the child play in the garden.
Ans: Finite: saw | Non-finite: play

viii) I heard them talking in the other room.
Ans: Finite: heard | Non-finite: talking

ix) She wants to be a writer.
Ans: Finite: wants | Non-finite: to be

x) Not knowing what to do, I went to bed.
Ans: Finite: went | Non-finite: knowing, to do

xi) Do you know where he lives?
Ans: Finite: Do know, lives | Non-finite: (None)

xii) I was surprised to hear that she had failed her test.
Ans: Finite: was surprised, had failed | Non-finite: to hear

xiii) I have known him for a long time.
Ans: Finite: have known | Non-finite: (None)

xiv) Despite working hard, we could not solve the problem.
Ans: Finite: could solve | Non-finite: working