Who deserved her the best?9th Grade, English, Chapter 8

Characters in the play

Young Lady

Sculptor Holy Man

Group of Villagers Gold Smith

Wise ManTailor

CHARACTERS

CONTD..

SCENE IA temple in the ruins on the outskirts of a certain village in

Rajasthan. The sun rose for the day and the village was slowly coming to life. The peasants and the villagers heard a few people fighting in front of a temple at that early hour and started looking at them curiously. The people who fought were * A Sculptor

* A Tailor.* A Gold Smith.* An Holy man.

Play based on Rajasthani folk-tale

• One of the villagers interrupted them and asked the reason for their quarrel. The tailor introduced them to the villagers.

• The Goldsmith started to narrate their story. He said that they were on their way to the city in search of a livelihood because they lost their jobs in their village due to a severe famine.

• Another villager was interested in knowing how the holyman joined them. For which the holyman replied that he was heading for a marriage and met these people on the way. As it was approaching sunset they decided to stay together.

• The villagers were still confused as the reason for their quarrel was not yet known, a third villager asked what made them fight.

• The holy man pointed to the beautiful lady standing amongst them and said that he wished to marry her.

• As the holyman completed this statement all of them again started fighting. Each of the four individuals showed interest in marrying the same girl. The villagers decided to call the wise man of their village to settle the dispute. So they sent a village boy Ramsingh to bring the wise man.

A big quarrel!

Play Continued!SCENE II All the villagers, the young lady and the four people gathered around the place where all such disputes are heard and settled. The four men stand on one side of the platform and the girl on the other side. People around keep murmuring until wise man comes and sits on the platform.

• The Wiseman arrived at the place and questioned what the problem was about.

• One of the villagers narrated the story to him. The Wiseman then promised to solve the problem if the four people involved give him accurate details.

• He also wanted to assure that they would abide by his judgment. Only then was he willing to sit for the judgment to which they all agreed.

• The holy man then said he will narrate every detail if the Wiseman promised him the girl to which the Wiseman gave a negative reply. The sculptor then started to narrate the story.

• He started with how they met each other and continued with what happened after they met.

• As slowly night approached they all decided to sleep but one to take care of the little money and tools that they had. They also agreed to take turns every two hours while they guard their property.

• The sculptor was the first one to guard. As time passed he felt sleepy staying idle and started to chisel out a nearby stone to a figure of his imagination and completed it in hours and went to sleep after handing over to the tailor.

What actually happened?

The creation of an young lady!

• The tailor said that he found the statue of this beautiful girl near the fire and so wanted to stitch some nice dress to the girl. So he dressed her up in a bridal dress stitched by himself in two hours and handed over the job of monitoring their belongings to the goldsmith.

• The goldsmith too had his story of making earrings, nose ring , necklace, a pair of bracelets and a pair of anklets for the statue. And put these on her before waking up the Holy man to do his job.

• The Holy man said that looking at the attractive figure he chanted mantras and gave her life by sprinkling holy water. So all these four in their own right claimed the girl.

• The Wiseman found a solution by applying our land’s tradition. He insisted that tradition is the transference of values to the other generation. Accordingly the sculptor and the holy man become fathers of the girl because they have created her and given her life. Now the dispute is between the goldsmith and the tailor. Since by our tradition it is the maternal uncle who gives the bridal dress to the girl it is the goldsmith who wins the lady.

• All the people present hailed the wisdom of the Wiseman and agreed to his judgment..

Comprehension Answers

1. The Tailor, sculptor, goldsmith and the holy man.2. They fought in front of an old ruined temple.3. A severe famine made them jobless hence they left their village.4. These men were going to the neighboring village.5. The villagers and the peasants saw them fighting.6. The villagers took the dispute to the Wiseman of their village.7. He chiseled a statue of a beautiful young girl.8. The tailor stitched a bridal dress.9. The goldsmith made earrings, nose ring , necklace, a pair of bracelets and

a pair of anklets10. The holy man put the life in to the figure.

Solution B) Read the passage and answer the questions

1. “ Why do you quarrel?”a) Villager 1 b) The four people who were fightingc) Tailor, Sculptor, Gold smith & the Holy Mand) They all wanted to marry the beautiful women

2. “I shall give you every detail should you promise me the girl”a) The Holy manb) This was addressed to the Wise manc) The details about the reason for their fightd) That he would sit for judgment only if those four involved

promised to agree to the wise man’s word.

3. “We thought we should be watchful..”a) The tailorb) Tailor, Sculptor, Gold smith & the Holy Manc) They had some money and some tools that they need.d) They were afraid that some thief might steal it in the night.

4. “I found the little figure attractive..”a) The Holy manb) The bridal dress and the jewel.c) The speaker sprinkled holy water and chanted mantra.d) As a result the figure sprang to life.

A) Match the words with their meanings

Column A Column B

Ridiculous Absurd

Famine Extreme scarcity of food and water

Deserve Be entitled to

Fortune Great wealth

Livelihood Means of living

VOCABULARY

B) Fill in the blanks with suitable phrases

1. My grandfather got up to go out. He looked for his staff.2. Children must abide by the decisions of their elders.3. Don’t mock at the handicapped.4. The fireman shouted keep off the house on fire.5. Children wish to put on new and colorful dresses during festivals.6. People in the cold regions keep fire in their houses to ward off

cold.

G) Add suitable suffix or prefix to form the antonyms

Word Antonym

Competent Incompetent

Glorious Inglorious

Mortal Immortal

Noble Ignoble

Respectful Disrespectful

Fearful Fearless

Climax Anticlimax

IV) Language Exercises

A) Fill in the blanks using the correct tense form of the verb

1. We thought that we were watchfull.2. I sat by the fire but started feeling sleepy.3. I was fascinated to see the pretty figure.4. The maternal uncle brought the bridal dress.5. He deserved her the best.

D) Make as many meaningful sentences as possible

1. I have my clothes washed.2. We have our clothes washed.3. You have your food cooked.4. Raju has his food cooked.5. Naina has her house swept.6. The boys had their food cooked.

E) a)Change in to indirect speech.

Answers1. The wise man said that he would sit in judgment only if the four of

them agree to abide by his decision.2. The villager questioned the men that it appeared as if they had a

very complex problem and why don’t they get it solved.3. The goldsmith blurted angrily whether he was a fool to have

decorated her with so much gold.

B) Changes the voice of the verb4. We were rendered jobless by a severe famine in our village.5. The problem was solved by the Wiseman.6. A figure was chiseled out by me.7. The goldsmith was awakened by me.8. The bridal dress to the bride will be brought by the maternal uncle.