15. Blow Hot, Blow Cold

 

There was a woodcutter. Everyday in the morning he used to go to the forest to cut wood. In the evening he would sell the wood in the city. One day he went deep into the forest. It was a very cold winter. His fingers were becoming numb. Every now and then, the woodcutter would put down his axe and bring his hands close to his mouth. Then he would blow hard on them to warm them.

 

 

While he was cutting wood Mian Balishtiye was watching him from a corner. Mian Balishtiye saw that the woodcutter kept blowing on his hands. He began to wonder what all that was about! But he could not understand it. He got up thinking that he would go and ask the woodcutter. After walking a little, he came back thinking that the woodcutter may not like being asked. Finally, Mian Balishtiye could not help himself. He went hopping to the woodcutter and said, "Hello brother, if you don't mind can I ask you something?"

Seeing this tiny person the woodcutter was amazed and amused. But, he hid his smile and said, "Of course, of course, ask what you want to." "All I want to ask is why do you blow from your mouth on to your hands?" said Mian Balishtiye.

 

Teacher's Note: It would be good for the children to know that this story has been written by Dr. Zakir Hussain, former President of India. He has written many stories for children. It could be discussed why an imaginary character like Mian Balishtiye could have been used.

The woodcutter replied, "It is too cold. My hands are frozen, so I blow on them to warm them up a little. Then, when they get cold again I warm them again by blowing."

Mian Balishtiye nodded, "Oh, ho, so that's it!"

And with that he moved off. But he stayed nearby and kept a close watch on him.

Soon it was afternoon. The woodcutter began to think of lunch. He picked up two stones and made a chulhcu He lit a fire and put a small hcndi (pot) filled with potatoes to boil. The wood was damp, so the woodcutter bent down and blew on the fire to help it burn. Balishtiye was watching him from a distance. "Arre", he said to himself, "There he goes again - blowing from his mouth! Does fire come out of his mouth?"

The woodcutter was feeling very hungry. He took out a potato from the hcndi. He tried to eat it but the potato was too hot. He again began to blow on it - 'foo, foo'.

"Arre," said Balishtiye to himself, "He's blowing again! Now what? Is he going to burn the potato?" After blowing a few more 'foo, foos' on it, the woodcutter put it in his mouth and began to eat it.

 

Now Mian was very surprised! He just could not stop himself and off he went hopping to the woodcutter. "Hello brother", he said, "If you don't mind, can I ask you a question again?"

The woodcutter replied, "Not at all. Ask whatever you want."

Mian Balishtiye said, "This morning you told me that you blew on your hands to warm them up. Now you are blowing on this potato, which is already so hot. Why do you want to make it hotter?"

 

"No, no, my little friend. This potato is too hot. I am blowing on it to cool it down."

When he heard this, Mian Balishtiye's face became white. He began to tremble with fear, and started to back away.

The woodcutter was a good man. He said, "What's wrong Mian? Are you trembling because of the cold?"

But Mian Balishtiye kept going backwards. When he was a safe distance away, he said to himself, "What kind of a creature is this? Surely he must be a ghost or a djinn. Blow hot, blow cold with the same breath! It is just not possible!"

That's right there are some things which just cannot be - but they are!

 

Do this

Miya Balishtiye was confused when he saw the woodcutter blowing on his cold hands to make them warm and on the hot potatoes to cool them.

• Have you warmed your hands in winter by blowing on them when they are cold? How does it feel?
• Blow hard from your mouth onto your hands. How did you find the air from your mouth as compared to the air around? Was it hotter, or cooler?

• Now put your hands at some distance from your mouth, and blow again. Does the air from your mouth feel warm? Why?

 

Think and tell

 

Can you think of any other way in which you use the warmth from your breath?

 

• Fold a piece of cloth 3-4 times. Now bring it close to your mouth and blow hard on it. Did the cloth become warm?
• Balishtiye saw that the woodcutter was trying to cool the hot potatoes by blowing on them. What would have happened if he had eaten the potatoes without cooling them?
• Have you ever burnt your tongue when you ate or drank something that was too hot? How do you cool some food when it is too hot?
• If you were to cool these three hot things - dal, roti, rice - in which ways would you do so?

 

 

• For what other things do you blow air from your mouth? 

 

Blow in different ways 

• Make whistles of the things given below. Write in a sequence-from the loudest to the softest whistle.

- Wrapper of a toffee ……….

- A leaf ……….

- A balloon ……….

- The cap of a pen ……….

- Any other thing ……….

 

• Have you seen people playing different musical instruments like flute, dholak, been guitar, mridang, etc. Can you recognise their sounds with your eyes closed? Find out more about these musical instruments. Collect their pictures too.

Write

• Can you name some things which produce melodious or pleasing sounds when we blow into them.

Do this and discuss

• Have you seen someone blowing on their spectacles to wipe them clean? How does the air from the mouth help in cleaning the spectacles?

 

• Take a glass. Bring it near your mouth and blow hard on it. Do this two or three times. Does the glass look hazy?
• Can you make a mirror hazy in the same way? Can you tell by touching the mirror what made it hazy? Is the air you blew from your mouth dry or wet?
• Put your hand on your chest. When you breathe in, does your chest come out or go in.

Measure your chest

- Take a deep breath in

- Ask your friend to measure your chest with a thread.

Measurement……….

 

 

- Now breathe out. Again ask your friend to measure your chest. Measurement ……….

- Was there any difference in the two measurements of your chest?

 

How many breaths in one minute

- Put your finger under your nose. Can you feel any air when you breathe out from your nose?

- Count how many times in one minute do you breathe in and breathe out.

 

- Jump 30 times. Did you feel breathless?

- Now again count how many times in one minute you breathed in and out.

- What was the difference in your count before and after jumping.