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Lesson: 1
The Book of Nature
Let's start:
Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru was a great freedom fighter and the
first Prime Minister of independent India. He was a very good writer as well.
The Discovery of India, Glimpses of World History and Autobiography are some of
his noted works During the late 1920s he wrote a series of letters to his young
daughter Indira to share his ideas, thoughts and knowledge with her. These
letters were later compiled into a book titled Letters from a Father to his
Daughter. The present text is an excerpt from the book.
(पंडित जवाहरलाल नेहरू एक महान स्वतंत्रता सेनानी थे और स्वतंत्र भारत के प्रथम प्रधानमंत्री बने। वे एक बहुत अच्छे लेखक भी थे। द डिस्कवरी ऑफ इंडिया, ग्लिम्प्सेस ऑफ वर्ल्ड हिस्ट्री और ऑटोबायोग्राफी उनकी प्रसिद्ध रचनाओं में से कुछ हैं। 1920 के दशक के उत्तरार्ध में उन्होंने अपनी छोटी बेटी इंदिरा को अपने विचारों, सोच और ज्ञान को साझा करने के लिए पत्रों की एक श्रृंखला लिखी। बाद में इन पत्रों को संकलित कर एक पुस्तक बनाई गई जिसका नाम रखा गया लेटर्स फ्रॉम अ फादर टू हिज डॉटर। प्रस्तुत पाठ उसी पुस्तक से लिया गया एक अंश है।)
Let's share:
· Why do we
write letters? Discuss with your partner
· Have you
ever received a letter from an elder? Ask your partner if he/she had written a
letter to anyone before.
Let's read:
Unit I
When you and l are together you often ask me questions about
many things and I try to answer them. Now that you are at Mussoorie and I am in
Allahabad we cannot have these talks. l am therefore going to write to you from
time to time short accounts of the story of our earth and the many countries,
great and small into which it is divided. You have read a little about English
history and Indian history. But England is only a little island and India,
though a big country, is only a small part of the earth's surface. If we want
to know something about the story of this world of ours we must think of all
the countries and all the peoples that have inhabited it, and not merely of one
little country where we may have been born.
I am afraid I can
only tell you very little in these letters of mine. But that little, I hope,
will interest you and make you think of the world as a whole, and of other peoples
in it as our brothers and sisters. When you grow up you will read about the
story of the earth and her peoples in fat books and you will find it more
interesting than any other story or novel that you may have read. You know of
course that our earth is very, very old-millions and millions of years old. And
for a long long time there were no men or women living in it. Before the men
came there were only animals, and before the animals there was a time when no
kind of life existed on the earth. lt is difficult to imagine this world of ours,
which is so full today of all kinds of animals and men, to be without them. But
scientists and those who have studied and thought a great deal about these
matters tell us that there was a time when the earth was too hot for any living
being to live on it. And if we read their books and study the rocks and the
fossils (the remains of old animals) we can ourselves see that this must have
been so.
Word Nest
accounts: descriptions of events; inhabited: lived in a place million:
ten hundred thousand
Hindi Translation :
- When you and I are together you often ask me questions about many things and I try to answer them.
जब तुम और मैं साथ होते हैं, तो तुम अक्सर मुझसे बहुत-सी बातें पूछते हो और मैं उनका उत्तर देने की कोशिश करता हूँ।
- Now that you are at Mussoorie and I am in Allahabad we cannot have these talks.
अब तुम मसूरी में हो और मैं इलाहाबाद में हूँ, इसलिए हम ऐसी बातें नहीं कर सकते।
- I am therefore going to write to you from time to time short accounts of the story of our earth and the many countries, great and small into which it is divided.
इसलिए मैं तुम्हें समय-समय पर हमारी पृथ्वी की कहानी और उसमें बँटे बड़े-छोटे देशों के बारे में छोटे-छोटे लेख लिखूँगा।
- You have read a little about English history and Indian history.
तुमने अंग्रेज़ी इतिहास और भारतीय इतिहास के बारे में थोड़ा पढ़ा है।
- But England is only a little island and India, though a big country, is only a small part of the earth's surface.
लेकिन इंग्लैंड तो एक छोटा-सा द्वीप है और भारत, चाहे बड़ा देश है, फिर भी पृथ्वी की सतह का केवल एक छोटा हिस्सा है।
- If we want to know something about the story of this world of ours we must think of all the countries and all the peoples that have inhabited it, and not merely of one little country where we may have been born.
अगर हमें अपने इस संसार की कहानी जाननी है तो हमें सभी देशों और उन सब लोगों के बारे में सोचना होगा जिन्होंने इसमें जीवन बिताया है, न कि केवल उस छोटे देश के बारे में जहाँ हम पैदा हुए हैं।
- I am afraid I can only tell you very little in these letters of mine.
मुझे डर है कि इन पत्रों में मैं तुम्हें बहुत थोड़ा ही बता पाऊँगा।
- But that little, I hope, will interest you and make you think of the world as a whole, and of other peoples in it as our brothers and sisters.
लेकिन मुझे आशा है कि यह थोड़ा-सा ज्ञान तुम्हें रुचिकर लगेगा और तुम्हें पूरे संसार को एक रूप में देखने तथा उसमें रहने वाले अन्य लोगों को अपना भाई-बहन समझने की प्रेरणा देगा।
- When you grow up you will read about the story of the earth and her peoples in fat books and you will find it more interesting than any other story or novel that you may have read.
जब तुम बड़े हो जाओगे तो पृथ्वी और उसके लोगों की कहानी मोटी-मोटी किताबों में पढ़ोगे और तुम्हें यह किसी भी कहानी या उपन्यास से अधिक रोचक लगेगी।
- You know of course that our earth is very, very old—millions and millions of years old.
तुम जानते ही हो कि हमारी पृथ्वी बहुत-बहुत पुरानी है—लाखों-करोड़ों साल पुरानी।
- And for a long long time there were no men or women living in it.
और बहुत लंबे समय तक इसमें कोई आदमी या औरत नहीं रहते थे।
- Before the men came there were only animals, and before the animals there was a time when no kind of life existed on the earth.
मनुष्यों के आने से पहले केवल जानवर थे, और जानवरों से भी पहले एक समय ऐसा था जब पृथ्वी पर किसी भी प्रकार का जीवन नहीं था।
- It is difficult to imagine this world of ours, which is so full today of all kinds of animals and men, to be without them.
यह कल्पना करना कठिन है कि हमारा यह संसार, जो आज तरह-तरह के जानवरों और मनुष्यों से भरा है, कभी इनके बिना रहा होगा।
- But scientists and those who have studied and thought a great deal about these matters tell us that there was a time when the earth was too hot for any living being to live on it.
लेकिन वैज्ञानिक और वे लोग जिन्होंने इन बातों का गहराई से अध्ययन किया है, बताते हैं कि एक समय ऐसा था जब पृथ्वी इतनी गरम थी कि उस पर कोई भी जीवित प्राणी नहीं रह सकता था।
- And if we read their books and study the rocks and the fossils (the remains of old animals) we can ourselves see that this must have been so.
और यदि हम उनकी किताबें पढ़ें तथा चट्टानों और जीवाश्मों (पुराने जानवरों के अवशेष) का अध्ययन करें, तो हम स्वयं देख सकते हैं कि यह सच ही था
Let's continue:
Unit II
You read history in books. But in old times when men did not
exist surely no books could have been written. How then can we find out what
happened then? We cannot merely sit down and imagine everything. This would be
very interesting for we could imagine anything we wanted to and would thus make
up the most beautiful fairy tales. But this need not be true as it would not be
based on any facts that we had seen. But although we have no books written in
those far-off days, fortunately we have some things which tell us a great deal
as well almost as a book would. We have rocks and mountains and seas and stars
and rivers and deserts and fossils of old animals. These and other like things
are our books for the earth's early story. And the real way to understand this
story is not merely to read about it in other people's books but to go to the
great Book of Nature itself. You will I hope soon begin to learn how to read
this story from the rocks and mountains Imagine how fascinating it is!
Every little stone
that you see lying in the road or on the mountain side may be a little page in
nature's book and may be able to tell you something if you only knew how to
read it. To be able to read any language, Hindi or Urdu or English, you have to
learn its alphabet. So also you must learn the alphabet of nature before you
can read her story in her books of stone and rock. Even now perhaps you know a
little how to read this. If you see a little round shiny pebble, does it not
tell you something? How did it get round and smooth and shiny without any
corners or rough edges? If you break a big rock into small bits, each bit is
rough and has corners and rough edges. It is not at all like a round smooth
pebble. How then did the pebble become so round and smooth and shiny? It will
tell you its story if you have good eyes to see and ears to hear it. lt tells
you that once upon a time, it may be long ago, it was a bit of a rock, just
like the bit you may break from a big rock or stone with plenty of edges and
corners. Probably it rested on some mountain side. Then came the rain and
washed it down to the little valley where it found a mountain stream which
pushed it on and on till it reached a little river. And the little river took
it to the big river. And all the while it rolled at the bottom of the river and
its edges were worn away and its rough surface made smooth and shiny. So it
became the pebble that you see. Somehow the river left it behind and you found
it. If the river had carried it on, it would have become smaller and smaller
till at last it became a grain of sand and joined its brothers at the seaside
to make a beautiful beach where little children can play and make castles out
of the sand. If a little pebble can tell you so much, how much more could we
learn from all the rocks and mountains and the many other things we see around
us?
Word Nest
fascinating : very interesting; pebble :small piece of stone;
castles : forts
Hindi Translations :
- You read history in books. But in old times when men did not exist surely no books could have been written.
तुम किताबों में इतिहास पढ़ते हो। लेकिन पुराने समय में जब मनुष्य नहीं थे, तब कोई किताबें लिखी ही नहीं जा सकती थीं।
- How then can we find out what happened then?
तो फिर हम कैसे जान सकते हैं कि उस समय क्या हुआ था?
- We cannot merely sit down and imagine everything.
हम केवल बैठकर सब कुछ कल्पना नहीं कर सकते।
- This would be very interesting for we could imagine anything we wanted to and would thus make up the most beautiful fairy tales.
यह बहुत रोचक होता क्योंकि हम जो चाहें कल्पना कर सकते और इस तरह सबसे सुंदर परियों की कहानियाँ बना सकते।
- But this need not be true as it would not be based on any facts that we had seen.
लेकिन यह सच नहीं होगा क्योंकि यह किसी देखे हुए तथ्य पर आधारित नहीं होगा।
- But although we have no books written in those far-off days, fortunately we have some things which tell us a great deal as well almost as a book would.
हालांकि उन पुराने दिनों की कोई किताबें नहीं हैं, सौभाग्य से हमारे पास कुछ चीजें हैं जो हमें बहुत कुछ बताती हैं, लगभग किताब की तरह।
- We have rocks and mountains and seas and stars and rivers and deserts and fossils of old animals.
हमारे पास चट्टानें, पहाड़, समुद्र, तारे, नदियाँ, रेगिस्तान और पुराने जानवरों के जीवाश्म हैं।
- These and other like things are our books for the earth's early story.
ये और ऐसी ही चीजें पृथ्वी की शुरुआती कहानी की हमारी किताबें हैं।
- And the real way to understand this story is not merely to read about it in other people's books but to go to the great Book of Nature itself.
और इस कहानी को समझने का असली तरीका केवल दूसरों की किताबें पढ़ना नहीं है, बल्कि प्रकृति की महान किताब को स्वयं पढ़ना है।
- You will I hope soon begin to learn how to read this story from the rocks and mountains. Imagine how fascinating it is!
मुझे आशा है कि तुम जल्द ही सीखना शुरू करोगे कि चट्टानों और पहाड़ों से यह कहानी कैसे पढ़ी जाती है। सोचो यह कितना अद्भुत है!
- Every little stone that you see lying in the road or on the mountain side may be a little page in nature's book and may be able to tell you something if you only knew how to read it.
सड़क पर या पहाड़ की ढलान पर पड़ा हर छोटा पत्थर प्रकृति की किताब का एक पन्ना हो सकता है और तुम्हें कुछ बता सकता है—अगर तुम उसे पढ़ना जानते हो।
- To be able to read any language, Hindi or Urdu or English, you have to learn its alphabet.
किसी भी भाषा—हिंदी, उर्दू या अंग्रेज़ी—को पढ़ने के लिए तुम्हें उसका वर्णमाला सीखना पड़ता है।
- So also you must learn the alphabet of nature before you can read her story in her books of stone and rock.
उसी तरह तुम्हें प्रकृति का वर्णमाला सीखना होगा ताकि तुम उसकी पत्थरों और चट्टानों की किताबों में लिखी कहानी पढ़ सको।
- Even now perhaps you know a little how to read this.
शायद अभी भी तुम थोड़ा-बहुत इसे पढ़ना जानते हो।
- If you see a little round shiny pebble, does it not tell you something?
अगर तुम एक छोटा गोल चमकदार कंकड़ देखते हो, तो क्या वह तुम्हें कुछ नहीं बताता?
- How did it get round and smooth and shiny without any corners or rough edges?
वह बिना कोनों और खुरदरे किनारों के गोल, चिकना और चमकदार कैसे बन गया?
- If you break a big rock into small bits, each bit is rough and has corners and rough edges. It is not at all like a round smooth pebble.
अगर तुम एक बड़ी चट्टान को छोटे टुकड़ों में तोड़ो, तो हर टुकड़ा खुरदरा होगा और उसमें कोने होंगे। वह बिल्कुल गोल चिकने कंकड़ जैसा नहीं होगा।
- How then did the pebble become so round and smooth and shiny?
तो फिर कंकड़ इतना गोल, चिकना और चमकदार कैसे बना?
- It will tell you its story if you have good eyes to see and ears to hear it.
अगर तुम्हारी आँखें देखने और कान सुनने के लिए अच्छे हैं, तो वह तुम्हें अपनी कहानी बताएगा।
- It tells you that once upon a time, it may be long ago, it was a bit of a rock, just like the bit you may break from a big rock or stone with plenty of edges and corners.
वह बताता है कि बहुत समय पहले वह भी एक चट्टान का टुकड़ा था, बिल्कुल वैसे ही जैसे तुम बड़ी चट्टान से तोड़ सकते हो—जिसमें बहुत से कोने और किनारे होते हैं।
- Probably it rested on some mountain side. Then came the rain and washed it down to the little valley where it found a mountain stream which pushed it on and on till it reached a little river.
शायद वह किसी पहाड़ की ढलान पर पड़ा था। फिर बारिश आई और उसे नीचे घाटी में बहा ले गई, जहाँ उसे एक पहाड़ी धारा मिली जिसने उसे धकेलते-धकेलते एक छोटी नदी तक पहुँचा दिया।
- And the little river took it to the big river. And all the while it rolled at the bottom of the river and its edges were worn away and its rough surface made smooth and shiny.
और वह छोटी नदी उसे बड़ी नदी तक ले गई। इस दौरान वह नदी के तल में लुढ़कता रहा और उसके कोने घिस गए, उसकी खुरदरी सतह चिकनी और चमकदार हो गई।
- So it became the pebble that you see. Somehow the river left it behind and you found it.
इस तरह वह कंकड़ बन गया जिसे तुम देखते हो। किसी तरह नदी ने उसे छोड़ दिया और तुमने उसे पा लिया।
- If the river had carried it on, it would have become smaller and smaller till at last it became a grain of sand and joined its brothers at the seaside to make a beautiful beach where little children can play and make castles out of the sand.
अगर नदी उसे आगे ले जाती, तो वह छोटा और छोटा होता जाता और अंत में रेत का एक कण बन जाता। फिर वह अपने भाइयों से समुद्र किनारे मिलकर एक सुंदर तट बनाता जहाँ छोटे बच्चे खेलते और रेत से महल बनाते।
- If a little pebble can tell you so much, how much more could we learn from all the rocks and mountains and the many other things we see around us?
अगर एक छोटा कंकड़ तुम्हें इतना कुछ बता सकता है, तो सोचो हम चट्टानों, पहाड़ों और अपने चारों ओर की अन्य चीजों से कितना अधिक सीख सकते हैं।
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Word Meanings : |
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1.
Together – साथ में (टुगेदर) |
76.
When – जब (व्हेन) |
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2. Ask – पूछना (आस्क) |
77.
Often – अक्सर (ऑफन) |
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3. Many – अनेक / बहुत (मेनी) |
78.
About – के बारे में (अबाउट) |
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4. Try – कोशिश करना (ट्राय) |
79.
Things – चीज़ें (थिंग्स) |
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5. Talks – बातें (टॉक्स) |
80.
Now – अब (नाउ) |
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6. Short accounts – संक्षिप्त विवरण (शॉर्ट अकाउंट्स) |
81.
Therefore – इसलिए (देअरफोर) |
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7. Only – केवल (ओनली) |
82.
Divided – बाँटा हुआ (डिवाइडेड) |
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8. Earth’s surface – पृथ्वी की सतह (अर्थ्स सरफेस) |
83.
Though – हालांकि (थो) |
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9. Want – चाहना (वॉण्ट) |
84.
If – यदि / अगर (इफ) |
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10.
Something – कुछ (समथिंग) |
85.
Know – जानना (नो) |
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11.
Ours – हमारा (आर्स) |
86.
World – संसार / दुनिया (वर्ल्ड) |
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12.
Think – सोचना (थिंक) |
87.
Must – अवश्य / ज़रूर (मस्ट) |
|
13.
Inhabited – आबाद / बसा हुआ (इनहैबिटेड) |
88.
Peoples – लोग (पीपल्स) |
|
14.
Born – जन्मा / पैदा हुआ (बॉर्न) |
89.
Merely – मात्र (मीरली) |
|
15.
Mine – मेरा (माइन) |
90.
Afraid – डरना (अफ्रेड) |
|
16.
Interest – रुचि (इंटरेस्ट) |
91.
Hope – आशा (होप) |
|
17.
World – दुनिया (वर्ल्ड) |
92.
Make – बनाना (मेक) |
|
18.
Whole – सम्पूर्ण / पूरा (होल) |
93.
As – जैसे (ऐज़) |
|
19.
Earth – पृथ्वी (अर्थ) |
94.
Grow up – बड़ा होना (ग्रो अप) |
|
20.
Of course – निश्चय ही (ऑफ कोर्स) |
95.
Novel – उपन्यास (नॉवेल) |
|
21.
Living – जीवित (लिविंग) |
96.
Millions – लाखों / करोड़ों (मिलियन्स) |
|
22.
Kind – प्रकार / दयालु (काइंड) |
97.
Before – पहले (बिफोर) |
|
23.
Difficult – कठिन (डिफिकल्ट) |
98.
Existed – अस्तित्व में था (एग्जिस्टेड) |
|
24.
To be – होना (टु बी) |
99.
Imagine – कल्पना करना (इमैजिन) |
|
25.
Scientists – वैज्ञानिक (साइंटिस्ट्स) |
100.
Without – बिना (विदाउट) |
|
26.
Matters – विषय / मामले (मैटर्स) |
101.
Deal – निपटना / समझौता करना (डील) |
|
27.
Living being – जीवित प्राणी (लिविंग बीइंग) |
102.
Too – भी (टू) |
|
28.
If – यदि / अगर (इफ) |
103.
Live – जीना / रहना (लिव) |
|
29.
Remains – अवशेष (रिमेन्स) |
104.
Fossils – जीवाश्म (फॉसिल्स) |
|
30.
Old times – पुराने समय (ओल्ड टाइम्स) |
105.
So – इसलिए / इतना (सो) |
|
31.
Surely – निश्चित रूप से (श्योरली) |
106.
Exist – अस्तित्व में होना (एग्जिस्ट) |
|
32.
Happened – हुआ (हैपन्ड) |
107.
Find out – पता लगाना (फाइंड आउट) |
|
33.
Sit down – बैठना (सिट डाउन) |
108.
Merely – मात्र (मीरली) |
|
34.
Everything – सब कुछ (एवरीथिंग) |
109.
Imagine – कल्पना करना (इमैजिन) |
|
35.
Interesting – रोचक (इंटरेस्टिंग) |
110.
Would be – होगा (वुड बी) |
|
36.
Anything – कुछ भी (एनीथिंग) |
111.
Imagine – कल्पना करना (इमैजिन) |
|
37.
Fairy tales – परीकथाएँ (फैरी टेल्स) |
112.
Make up – बनाना / गढ़ना (मेक अप) |
|
38.
True – सत्य (ट्रू) |
113.
Need – आवश्यकता (नीड) |
|
39.
Based – आधारित (बेस्ट) |
114.
As – जैसे (ऐज़) |
|
40.
Seen – देखा हुआ (सीन) |
115.
Facts – तथ्य (फैक्ट्स) |
|
41.
Far-off – दूरस्थ (फार-ऑफ) |
116.
Although – यद्यपि / हालांकि (ऑल्दो) |
|
42.
Almost – लगभग (ऑलमोस्ट) |
117.
Fortunately – सौभाग्य से (फॉर्च्युनेटली) |
|
43.
Early – प्रारंभिक / जल्दी (अर्ली) |
118.
Deserts – रेगिस्तान (डेज़र्ट्स) |
|
44.
To understand – समझना (टु अंडरस्टैंड) |
119.
Real way – वास्तविक तरीका (रियल वे) |
|
45.
Learn – सीखना (लर्न) |
120.
Itself – स्वयं (इट्सेल्फ) |
|
46.
Every – प्रत्येक (एवरी) |
121.
Fascinating – आकर्षक (फैसिनेटिंग) |
|
47.
Lying – पड़ा हुआ (लाइंग) |
122.
Stone – पत्थर (स्टोन) |
|
48.
Able – सक्षम (एबल) |
123.
May be – शायद (मे बी) |
|
49.
Language – भाषा (लैंग्वेज) |
124.
To be – होना (टु बी) |
|
50.
Nature – प्रकृति (नेचर) |
125.
Also – भी (ऑल्सो) |
|
51.
Round – गोल (राउंड) |
126.
Perhaps – शायद (परहैप्स) |
|
52.
Pebble – कंकड़ (पेब्ल) |
127.
Shiny – चमकदार (शाइनी) |
|
53.
Shiny – चमकदार (शाइनी) |
128.
Smooth – चिकना (स्मूथ) |
|
54.
Corners – कोने (कॉर्नर्स) |
129.
Without – बिना (विदाउट) |
|
55.
Edges – किनारे (एजेज़) |
130.
Rough – खुरदरा (रफ) |
|
56.
Small bits – छोटे टुकड़े (स्मॉल बिट्स) |
131.
Break – तोड़ना (ब्रेक) |
|
57.
Pebble – कंकड़ (पेब्ल) |
132.
Each bit – प्रत्येक टुकड़ा (ईच बिट) |
|
58.
Once – एक बार (वन्स) |
133.
Become – बन जाना (बिकम) |
|
59.
Just – केवल / बस (जस्ट) |
134.
Ago – पहले (अगो) |
|
60.
Plenty of edges – बहुत सारे किनारे (प्लेंटी ऑफ एजेज़) |
135.
Like – जैसा (लाइक) |
|
61.
Rested – विश्राम किया (रेस्टेड) |
136.
Probably – सम्भवतः (प्रॉबब्ली) |
|
62.
Washed down – बहा दिया गया (वॉश्ड डाउन) |
137.
Rain – बारिश (रेन) |
|
63.
Found – पाया गया (फाउंड) |
138.
Valley – घाटी (वैली) |
|
64.
Pushed – धकेला गया (पुश्ड) |
139.
Stream – धारा / नाला (स्ट्रीम) |
|
65.
Till – तक (टिल) |
140.
On and on – लगातार (ऑन एंड ऑन) |
|
66.
River – नदी (रिवर) |
141.
Reached – पहुँचा (रीच्ड) |
|
67.
While – जबकि / समय (वाइल) |
142.
Took it to – ले गया (टुक इट टू) |
|
68.
Bottom – तल / नीचे (बॉटम) |
143.
Rolled – लुढ़का (रोल्ड) |
|
69.
Somehow – किसी तरह (समहाउ) |
144.
Worn away – घिस गया (वॉर्न अवे) |
|
70.
Found – पाया (फाउंड) |
145.
Left – छोड़ा (लेफ्ट) |
|
71.
At last – अंततः (ऐट लास्ट) |
146.
Carried on – जारी रखा (कैरीड ऑन) |
|
72.
Sand – रेत (सैंड) |
147.
Grain – दाना (ग्रेन) |
|
73.
Seaside – समुद्र तट (सीसाइड) |
148.
Joined – जुड़ा (जॉइन्ड) |
|
74.
Castles – महल / किले (कैसल्स) |
149.
Beach – बीच / तट (बीच) |
|
75.
Around – चारों ओर (अराउंड) |
150.
Out of the sand – रेत से बाहर (आउट ऑफ द सैंड) |
|
|
|
Extra Questions and Answers :
1. When the writer and the child are together, what usually happens?
Ans: The child often asks many questions, and the writer tries to answer them.
2. Why can’t the writer and the child have such talks now?
Ans: Because the child is in Mussoorie and the writer is in Allahabad.
3. What does the writer plan to do instead of talking?
Ans: The writer plans to write short accounts about the story of the earth and its countries.
4. What has the child already read about?
Ans: The child has read a little about English history and Indian history.
5. Why does the writer say that England and India are only small parts of the earth?
Ans: Because England is just a small island and India, though big, is only a small part of the earth’s surface.
6. What must we do if we want to know the story of the world?
Ans: We must think about all the countries and all the peoples who have lived on the earth, not just one country.
7. What does the writer hope the letters will make the child think?
Ans: The writer hopes the letters will make the child think of the world as a whole and of other peoples as brothers and sisters.
8. What will the child read when he grows up?
Ans: He will read big books about the story of the earth and her peoples.
9. How old is the earth according to the passage?
Ans: The earth is millions and millions of years old.
10. What existed on earth before men and women?
Ans: First there were animals, and before animals there was no life at all.
11. Why is it difficult to imagine the earth without men and animals?
Ans: Because today the world is full of all kinds of animals and humans.
12. What do scientists tell us about the early earth?
Ans: Scientists say that there was a time when the earth was too hot for any living being to survive.
13. How can we know that the earth was once too hot for life?
Ans: By reading scientists’ books and studying rocks and fossils, we can see that it must have been true.
14. Why can’t we know about old times by reading books?
Ans: Because in those times men did not exist, so no books could be written.
15. What are the “books of nature” mentioned in the passage?
Ans: Rocks, mountains, seas, stars, rivers, deserts, and fossils of old animals.
16. Why does the writer say we must learn the alphabet of nature?
Ans: Because only then can we read nature’s story written in stones and rocks.
17. How is a pebble different from a broken piece of rock?
Ans: A pebble is round, smooth, and shiny, while a broken rock piece is rough and has corners.
18. What makes a pebble round, smooth, and shiny?
Ans: Rolling for a long time in rivers wears away its edges and smoothens its surface.
19. Where did the pebble probably rest before rain washed it down?
Ans: It probably rested on a mountain side.
20. How did the mountain stream and river change the pebble?
Ans: They pushed it along, rolling it at the bottom, which wore away its rough edges and made it smooth.
21. What would happen if the river carried the pebble further?
Ans: It would become smaller and smaller until it turned into a grain of sand.
22. Where would the grain of sand finally reach?
Ans: It would join other grains at the seaside to form a beach.
23. What can children do on the sandy beach?
Ans: They can play and make castles out of the sand.
24. What lesson does the writer want us to learn from the pebble’s story?
Ans: That even small stones can tell us stories, and we can learn much more from rocks, mountains, and nature around us.
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