THE MOUNTAIN AND THE SQUIRREL

8th class english notes

class – 8

subject – english

lesson 7 –  THE MOUNTAIN AND THE SQUIRREL

THE MOUNTAIN AND THE
SQUIRREL
( एक पहाड़ और एक गिलहरी )
HINDI TRANSLATION OF THE POEM

The mountain and …….. And a sphere .

Word meaning : Mountain ( n ) [ माउन्टेन ] = पहाड़ | Squirrel ( n ) [ स्किवरेल ] = गिलहरी । Former ( adj ) [ फॉर्मर ) = पूर्व का , पहले का । Latter ( adj ) [ लैटर ] = बाद का , पश्चात् का । Little prig ( n ) [ लिटिल प्रिंग ] = तुच्छ जीव । Bun ( m ) [ बन ] = घने बालों वाली गिलहरी । Doubtless ( ad ) [ डाउटलेस ) = निःसंदेह , बिना किसी शक या शंका के । Sphere ( n ) [ स्फेअर ] = गोला ।

अर्थ-
एक बार एक पहाड़ और एक गिलहरी
झगड़ा करने लगे
पहले वाले ने कहा बाद वाले को
” तुच्छ जीव ”
गिलहरी बोली ,
” कोई शक नहीं इसमें कि बड़े हो तुम ,
लेकिन कई चीजों की जरूरत होती है
और मौसम की भी होती है जरूरत
ये सब मिलकर ही बनाते हैं
किसी एक वर्ष को
और एक गोले को
यानी की हमारी धरती को ।

    And I think………….. half so spry .

Word meaning : Disgrace ( n ) [ डिसोस ] = अपमान । Occupy ( v ) [ ऑक्यूपाई ) = भरना । Spry ( adj ) [ स्पाई ) = फुर्तीला , चंचल ।

अर्थ –
और मुझे तो कोई अपमानजनक नहीं लगता
जैसी हूँ मैं , वैसा होने में
अगर मैं तुम्हारे जितनी बड़ी नहीं हूँ तो ,
तुम भी तो मुझ – सा फुर्तीला नहीं हो ,
मेरे आधे भी तो तुम
फुर्तीले नहीं ही हो ;

I’ll not deny ……… crack a nut .

Word meaning : Deny ( v ) [ डिनाई ] = इन्कार कर देना । Pretty ( adj ) ( प्रेटी ] – सुंदर । Track ( n ) [ ट्रैक ] = निशान , रास्ता या रास्ते का निशान | Talent ( n ) [ टैलेंट ] = प्रतिभा Differ ( v ) [ डिफर ] = भिन्न या अलग होना । All is well ( phr ) [ ऑल इज वेल ] = सब कुछ अच्छा है । Crack ( v ) [ क ] = तोड़ना । Nut ( n ) [ नट ] = अखरोट , कड़ा फल ।

अर्थ–
इन्कार नहीं मुझे इस बात से
कि तुम हमारे लिए बहुत सुन्दर ,
रास्ता बना दिया करते हो ,
पर मैं अगर दो नहीं सकती
अपनी पीठ पर जंगलों को
तो तुम भी तो नहीं तोड़ सकते
अखरोट या वैसे ही किसी कड़े फल को । ”

Summary :
‘ The Mountain and the Squirrel poem is written by the fa mous English poet Ralph Waldo Emersson . The poem carries a message in the poem . The message is that each and every creature has some way importance in this world . No one should let down the other .
In the poem , a mountain fighted with a squirrel saying her ” little prig ‘ or a creature of unimportance . The squirrel politely said him that each and every thing altogether make a world . If I can’t carry forests on my back , you also can’t crack a nut .

सारांश —
‘ द माउन्टेन एण्ड द सिक्वरेल ‘ ( एक पहाड़ और एक गिलहरी ) प्रसिद्ध अंग्रेज कवि राल्फ वाल्डो इमरसन द्वारा लिखित है । प्रस्तुत कविता एक संदेश देती है और संदेश है कि इस दुनिया में प्रत्येक चीज और जीव का अपनी – अपनी जगह पर महत्व है । हर कोई महत्वपूर्ण है । अतः किसी को भी किसी को नीचा नहीं दिखाना चाहिए ।
प्रस्तुत कविता में , एक पहाड़ एक गिलहरी से झगड़ा करते हुए उसे ‘ तुच्छ जीव ‘ कहकर उसे चिढ़ाता है । उसे वह गैर महत्वपूर्ण चीज कहता है । वह गिलहरी नम्रता के साथ पहाड़ को कहानी है । हर प्रकार की चीज मिलकर यह दुनिया बनातमी है । सबका अपनी जगह पर महत्व है । अगर मैं अपनी पीठ पर जंगलों को नहीं हो सकती तो तुम भी तो कोई कड़ा फल नहीं तोड़ सकते ।

            EXERCISE

Q. 1. What is the squirrel called in your local language ? What do you notice about its movement ? Where does the squirrel generally live and what does it eat ?
Ans . In our local language , it i called gilahri ( Fra ) . It is found on trees and around our houses . It loves to eat nut and other fru its and seeds .
B. LET’S COMPREHEND
B.1.1 . THINK AND TELL
Q. 1. What is the poem about ?
Ans . The mountain and the squirrel .
Q.2 . Who started the quarrel.  Ans . The mountain .
Q. 3. Do the mountain and squirrel have the same talent ? Give rea sons for your answer .
Ans . No. Talents differ from person to person ,
Q. 4. How did the squirrel defend herself ?
Ans . The mountain couldn’t crack a nut like her .
B.1.2 . Say whether the following statements are ‘ True ‘ or ‘ False ‘ .
1. The squirrel was very wise ,
2. The mountain was proud of its size .3. The squirrel argued that every one has his / her own qualities .
4. The squirrel cannot break a nut .
5 . Bigger creatures have no right to be proud of their size .
Ans . 1. ( T ) , 2. ( T ) . 3. ( T ) . 4. ( F ) , 5. ( T ) .
B.2 THINK AND WRITE
B.2.1 . Tick the most appropriate answer to each of the questions give below .
1. Who is referred to as ” Bun ”
( a ) forest ( b ) mountain
( c ) squirrel ( d ) weather
2. ” All is well and wisely put ” means : ( a ) the squirrel is the most wise creature
( b ) all animals are wise
( c ) nature has given particular talent to particular things
( d ) wise persons keep silent .
Ans . 1. ( c ) , 2. ( c ) .

B.2.2 . Answer each of the following questions in not more than 50 words.

Q. 1. Why do you think the mountain calls the squirrel ” little prig ” :
Ans . The mountain was very big and the squirrel was too small . So , the mountain calls the squirrel ” little prig ” . Q. 2. What qualities of the mountain does the squirrel appreciate ? Lis them .
Ans . The mountain is so large and it makes pretty squirrel truck .
Q. 3. What task is the mountain unable to perform ?
Ans . It can’t crack a nut .
Q.4 . Do you appreciate the logic of squirrel ? Give reasons .
Ans . Yes . Everyone has got talent which differs person to person .
Q. 5. Was the reaction of the squirrel justified ? Give reasons .
Ans . Yes , the squirrel’s reaction was justified . If she cold not carry forests on its back , the mountain too could not crack a nut .

C. WORD STUDY

C.1 . Find out from the text the words that refer to the mountain and the squirrel and put them in the appropriate box below . One has been done as an example .
Mountain                                Squirrel large                                            spry

Ans .
Mountain.                         Squirrel
Big                                Little prig
Large                            Spry

C.2 . Phrasal verbs
The expression ‘ taken in ‘ in line 8 of the poem is a phrasal verb . When a verb is followed by a preposition or an adverbial particle , it is called a phrasal verb . The meaning of a phrasal verb is different from the meaning of its parts . For example in ‘ taken in ” take ” and ” in ” have independent meanings but when ‘ in ‘ is added to take it becomes a phrasal verb and it means ‘ consider ‘ or ‘ in cluded ‘ which is different from the meaning of its parts .
Here are a few more phrasal verbs that have the verb ‘ take in them :.
Take after , take away , take back , take down , take off , take on , take out , take over , take up .
Look up a dictionary and find out what each one of these means and try to use them in sentences .
Ans .
Take after ( to look like someone ) – John takes after his brother .
Take away ( to deprive of ) -The Government took away all of his property .
Take back ( to accept one’s wrong ) -Feeling sorry , he took back his words for me .
Take down ( to pull down ) —He took down his formal dress and weared a night suit in order to sleep .
Take off ( to remove ) —You must take off your shoes before entering a temple .
Take on ( to employ ) —The proprietor took on some new staff .
Take out ( to remove ) —Take out your books and read the chapter five with attention .
Take over to succeed ) — The prince succeeded the throne of his father . Take up ( to start something ) – I will take up my duties from tomorrow .

Q. Pick out other phrasal verbs from the poem .
Ans . Other phrasal verbs from the poem are – taken in , make up .
Q. Fill in the passage given below with the phrasal verbs given in the box :
put on :               to wear
look after :         take care of
carry on :            continue
pass away :        waste
look out :             to watch
bring up :            rear a child

Parents …… look after ….. their children with proper case . They make them learn how to ….. dresses . They …. their kids with affection . They ….. their edu cation in best possible school . The time …. fast . The parents become older . Then the children …. their old parents .

Ans . Patrents look after their children with proper care . They make them learn how to put on dresses . They bring up their kids with affection . They continue their education in best possible school . The time passes away fast . The parents become older . Then the children take care of their old parents .

D. LET’S TALK

Work in groups and discuss ‘ for ‘ and ‘ against any one of the following statements in your group :
( a ) No finger in a hand is better than the other .
( b ) Small things are less costly than big ones .
( c ) A needl is not as useful as a sword .
Ans . ( a ) No finger in a hand is better than the other . ‘ For ‘ – All the fingers in a hand has the same importance . No finger in a hand is better than the other . Even if one finger , be it small one or big one is not in its place , then the hand without a finger will not look good . So , all finger of the hand are good . They altogether make a hand good .
‘ Against ‘ – All the fingers of a hand are not of the same importance . We can’t wear a ring in every finger of our hand . All the fingers look different . The ring finger of a hand for me is better than the other fingers of a hand .

E. COMPOSITION

Write a paragraph in about 50 words on :
” Everyone has his / her strengths and weakness ” .
Ans . It is rightly said that everyone has his / her own strengths and weak nesses . We see in the following poem that the mountain has its own strength . It can carry forests on its back . But its weakness is that it can’t crack a nut Whereas , the squirrel can easily crack a nut with its sharp teeth . But its weak . ness is that it can’t carry heavy things , at its back as it is a pretty little small creature . Same is the case with be humans . We all have our own strength . Some people are strong in writing , some in thinking some in business etc. Likewise , we all have our own weaknesses . Some people are weak in educa tion , some in riches , some in strength etc. Thus , everyone has his / her own strengths and weaknesses .

F. TRANSLATION
मैं अपने माता – पिता के साथ कल चिड़ियाघर ( Zoo ) गया । वहाँ हमने अनेक जानवर देखें जैसे : शेर , सफेद बाघ , हाथी इत्यादि । वहाँ मैंने खिलौना रेलगाड़ी ( Toy Train ) की सवारी की । वहाँ अनेक प्रकार के झूले तथा मनोरंजन के अन्य साधन भी उपलब्ध थे । हमने वहाँ भरपूर आनंद उठाया । Ans . Yesterday . I went to visit a zoo with my parents …. There we saw many animals such as : lion , white tigetr , elephant etc. There I took a ride of a toy train . There werr many swings and other means of entertainment . We enjoyed there a lot .

G. ACTIVITY
Q.1 . Find how mountains are different from hill stations .
Ans . We go to stay in hill stations but we climb on a mountain .
Q. 2. Draw a picture of a squirrel and write in about 110 words on the squirrel .
Ans . – A Squirrel A squirrel is a pretty little small creature . It lives in trees , in holes and in our houses . It can easily crack a nut . It has sharp teety . It has a bushy tail . It has stripes on its back . It is good to look at . Its tail could be seen raising up in the air . Its raised tail look like a question mark . Some poems are written on this beautiful creature . It does no harm to any one . I like to watch a squirrel . I give bread’s pieces and rice and the squirrel eats it hungrily . When I want to come near if , it knows my coming from far distance and it quickly runs away .