UNIT 1

A LETTER TO GOD

2. The summary of the story of Lencho is given below. The sequence of the story is jumbled up.

Read the story again and rearrange the jumbled sentences to make a coherent story.

Create a graphic description based on the given summary of ‘A Letter to God’.

A. Lencho in his corn field.

B.

C.

D.

READING COMPREHENSION

TEXT I

Given below is a story of the tailor who has been known for his skills in cheating and stealing. Read in groups of four or in pairs. You may discuss the events and incidences of the story with your friends and write them in a sequential manner.

There was a tailor who was known for beating others in the art of being light-fingered and thievery. A trader swore that even with a hundred attempts, the tailor would not be able to take a coil of thread from him without his knowledge.

The trader was told that many others, more intelligent than him, had been beaten by the tailor. They said he should not imagine himself so great, for his ego would only give him worse troubles in competition with the tailor. Still, the trader became more competitive and made a wager that the tailor would not be able to rob him of anything.

He wagered an Arab horse with those who taunted him. If the tailor failed to steal, then they would have to give him a horse instead. That night, the trader lay awake troubled by the situation and could not sleep a wink.

In the morning, he put a piece of satin cloth under his arm and went to the bazaar and entered the shop and saluted the cunning rogue warmly. The tailor sprang up from his seat and welcomed the trader, inquiring about his health with cordiality exceeding even that of the trader, planting in his heart great feelings of affection for him. When the trader heard these songs of sweetness from the tailor, he flung down the piece of silk saying, “Cut this into a coat for me and make it wide below my navel so as not to hamper my legs and tight about it to show off my figure.”

The trader was laughing, the tailor was cutting, the trader closed his eyes in joy, the tailor cut extra pieces, tucking them under his thighs, hidden away from all but God. From his delight at the tailor’s tales, the trader’s former boast went out of his mind. What satin? What boast? What wager? The trader was drunk on the jokes told by the tailor.

Then the tailor told such an incredible story that the trader fell over on his back with laughter. The tailor swiftly stitched a swatch of the satin to the hem of his underpants while the trader was paying no attention at all, greedily sucking with every guffaw at the jests the tailor told. The tailor continued to tell funnier and funnier tales and jokes until the trader was completely within his power.

With his eyes shut and his reason vanished, the bewildered and boastful trader was drunk with joy. And the tailor continued to cut, filching yet more of the beautiful cloth, with nothing to stop him now. And yet the trader begged for more.

You who becomes the slave of the jest, no story is more laughable than you yourself, think on this at the edge of your grave. How long will you listen to the lies of this world that leave your mind and spirit unhinged? The Universal Tailor will cut and stitch the hems of a hundred travellers, silly as children.

Eventually the tailor became bored with the whole story and told the trader that he better leave before another tale was told, “For if I tell another one, the coat will be too tight for you, and you will stop laughing and weep tears of blood.”

VOCABULARY

1. In this story you have come across a word “light-fingered” which means inclined to steal things. Some such words are given below. Use appropriate words and fill in the blanks.

1. The ______________________ is a unit of distance used to measure distance in space.
2. The farmer bought a ______________________ truck to transport their produce, as it uses less diesel.
3. We had a fairly ______________________ discussion with our colleagues.
4. Rita felt dizzy and ______________________ after skydiving.
5. He is a ____________________, a slightest noise wakes him.

GRAMMER

1. You have come across Relative Clauses in the lesson ‘A Letter to God’. Read about the relative clauses again. Complete the sentences given below in the table by adding the most suitable clause from the box and make it a relative clause. The first one has been done for you.

1. A tailor is a person who stitches clothes.
2. A dictionary is a book ________________________________
3. The book is about a scientist ___________________________
4. What is the name of the player _________________________
5. I don’t like people _____________________________________
6. What is the name of the actor __________________________
7. Students ________________________should meet the principal in her office.
8. Friends of the trader thought the tailor ________________ and can cheat anyone.
9. Lencho _______________________ thought God would help him.
10. Those ____________________________ will succeed.
11. God helps those ______________________________.

EDITING

                    

Dear God!

                 Thank for                               Thank you for

1. sending a hundred pesos help.              _______________
2. I am very for this kind gesture.                _______________
3. You were my only and your                      _______________
4. help has my faith in you.                          _______________
5. This money will help me until the crop    _______________
6. and I promise to hard in the future.         _______________

Sincerely yours,
Lencho

LISTENING

SPEAKING

        So, one type of conflict dominating in the story is man versus nature. Discuss with your partner the natural calamities that play havoc in the lives of people. Collect photographs and make a visual presentation to share in the class.

2. Try writing a small poem on the topic man versus nature. Read aloud the poem with the required stress and intonation. Given below is a poem written by Norman Littleford, which may help you think and compose.

The heavens roared with thunder

as lightning filled the skies

was this God getting angry

or Nature’s big surprise.

Is Mother Nature telling us

the best way that she can

to stop the interference

and abuse she gets from man.

We marvel at her beauty

each time we look around

then dig up all her treasures

from their natural burial ground.

We forget that Nature gives us

all that keeps us living

we take it all and still want more

but never think of giving.

We build across the countryside

progressing every day

but Mother Nature can’t progress

for man is in the way.

Norman Littleford

WRITING

Now, write the character sketch of Lencho and the tailor.

2. Writing a portrait or description of a person

Read the following description about two persons, Raavi and Mohini.

          

Now, write a description of any one of the above based on the details given. You may follow the process approach to writing. First, you read the given information in the box and make a list of describable (adjectives) points used for each person, in your own words. Secondly, take the help of these points to develop an outline in sentence form. Thirdly, use the outline and prepare the first draft of the description of the person and then edit the draft. Prepare the final copy after making all changes. The table below gives you ideas on how the Process Approach is helpful for improving your writing.

PROJECT

• their childhood, their education, job, their likes and dislikes
• their contribution to the enrichment of their village or town, job, country, etc.
• their interesting features and characteristics

Request for their pictures. Based on the collected information, write their portraits and present it to the class. You may read on ‘How to do project work?’ given below.