15. Making Pots

Once there was a sparrow called Phudgudi and a crow called Bhanate. They were fast friends. One day Bhanate said - O Phudgudi! If you lay eggs first then I will eat them and if I lay eggs first then you can eat them. Agreed!

Phudgudi agreed.

A few days later Phudgudi laid an egg.

Bhanate said – Give me your egg. I will eat it. Do give it. Give it! Give it.

Phudgudi was scared. She said - Yes, but I want you to first go and wash your beak in the river.

Bhanate went to the river bank and said to it - O river!

Yes, brother – said the river.

Bhanate - O river, please give me some water.

With cold water,

I’ll wash my beak.

Eating the egg,

is what I seek.

The river said – But how will you fill water? Get a pot.

Bhanate went to the potter and said - O potter! please give me a pot.

In the pot,

I will get water from

the river.

With cold water,

I will wash my beak.

Eating the egg,

is what I seek.

The potter said – But how do I make a pot ? Go and get some clay from the clay-pit.

Bhanate went to the clay-pit and said to it – O clay-pit! please give me some clay.

The potter will make a pot

for me.

I will fill water in the pot.

With cold water,

I will wash my beak.

Eating the egg,

is what I seek.

The clay-pit said – But how do I dig the soil? Get me a trowel from the blacksmith. Bhanate went to the blacksmith and said to him – O blacksmith !

The blacksmith said – Yes, brother Bhanate. What do you want?

Bhanate said – Please give me a trowel.

The clay-pit will dig out clay for me

with the trowel. I will get a pot made

and get water in it.

With cold water, I will

wash my beak.

Eating the egg,

is what I seek.

The blacksmith said – Sure, you can take the trowel but do remember to return it.

Bhanate took the trowel and went to the clay-pit. It dug the soil and got some clay. The potter made a pot for him. Bhanate filled water in the pot and washed its beak. He then ran to eat Phudgudi’s egg.

By that time, the sparrow’s egg hatched. A little bird came out of it and flew away. Far away from Bhanate.

(Based on the Bhojpuri story written by ANNAPURNA SINHA)

• By enhancing the story, children will enjoy and also understand the sequence of events. Provide opportunities for their creative expressions and encourage them to do hands-on-activities on their on.

• Why did the crow need a pot?

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• Who all helped the crow to make the pot?

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• What things did the potter need?

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• Are there utensils made of clay in your house? Which are these?

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If someone gives you clay, will you be able make some utensils from it?

• A bowl from a ball of clay

Knead clay and make a big ball. Using your thumb make a small pit in the centre by pressing so that it looks like a bowl. Leave it to dry and then decorate it. You can put things you like in this bowl.

• A bowl from a roll of clay

Knead some clay with water. Keep aside some clay mixed with water. This will serve as glue to bind two different pieces of kneaded clay.

Take a part of the kneaded clay and roll it like a thick chappati. This will be the base of the bowl. Roll the rest of the kneaded clay like a snake. Fix the clay snake on the base to make a pot as shown in the picture.

• A pot from a chapati of clay

Look at the picture and make a pot.

• What will happen if you store water in these pots overnight?

• We often keep water in a clay pot at home or in the school. Why do these pots not get spoilt by the water?

Have you ever seen bricks or pots being baked in a kiln?

• The clothes of the children will become a little dirty while making pots with clay, but they will enjoy ‘learning by doing’.

• Long, long ago, when people did not have any pots, what did those people do?

• Why would people have made pots?

Imagine - one day all the pots disappear from the world. What will happen in your house?

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Do You Know?

Many, many years ago, there was a time when people had no pots. They started feeling the need to store and cook food. After a lot of effort and thinking, people learnt to make pots. In the beginning, pots were made of stone and clay. People made pots of stones by digging and scraping stones with their hands. They made pots of clay by kneading the clay and shaping them with their hands. People also discovered that clay pots could be made stronger by baking them in fire.

Table of Contents

15. Making Pots

• A bowl from a ball of clay

• A bowl from a roll of clay

• A pot from a chapati of clay

Do You Know?