Chapter 3: Taro’s Reward

WORKING WITH THE TEXT

Question A. Answer the following questions.

1. Why did Taro run in the direction of the stream? (5)
2. How did Taro’s father show his happiness after drinking saké? (7)
3. Why did the waterfall give Taro saké and others water? (12)
4. Why did the villagers want to drown Taro? (10, 11)
5. Why did the Emperor reward Taro? (13)

Answer:

1. Taro ran in the direction of the stream because he could not remember ever seeing or hearing a rushing stream in that part of the forest, and he was thirsty.
2. After drinking sake, Taro’s father stopped shivering and showed his happiness by doing a little dance in the middle of the floor.
3. Taro was a thoughtful son who honoured and obeyed his parents, while the others were greedy. This is why the waterfall gave Taro sake and others water.
4. The villagers wanted to drown Taro because they thought he had tricked them.
5. Taro honoured and obeyed his parents, so the emperor rewarded him.

Question B. Mark the right item.

1. Taro earned very little money because
   1. he didn’t work hard enough.
   2. the villagers didn’t need wood.
   3. the price of wood was very low.
2. Taro decided to earn extra money
   1. to live a more comfortable life.
   2. to buy his old father some saké.
   3. to repair the cracks in the hut.
3. The neighbour left Taro’s hut in a hurry because
   1. she was delighted with the drink.
   2. she was astonished to hear Taro’s story.
   3. she wanted to tell the whole village about the waterfall.

Answer:

1. Taro earned very little money because − (iii) the price of wood was very low.
2. Taro decided to earn extra money − (ii) to buy his old father some saké.
3. The neighbour left Taro’s hut in a hurry because − (iii) she wanted to tell the whole village about the waterfall.

WORKING WITH LANGUAGE

Question A.Strike off the words in the box below that are not suitable.

Taro wanted to give his old parents everything they needed.
This shows that he was …

Answer:Taro wanted to give his old parents everything they needed. This shows that he was…
thoughtful, loving, considerate, kind.

Question B.

1. “This made Taro sadder than ever.”
   ‘This’ refers to
   1. a strong wind that began to blow.
   2. Taro’s father’s old age.
   3. Taro’s inability to buy expensive saké for his father.
   (Mark the right item.)
2. “This, said the emperor, was to encourage all children to honour and obey their parents.”
   ‘This’ refers to
   1. the most beautiful fountain in the city.
   2. rewarding Taro with gold and giving the fountain his name.
   3. sending for Taro to hear his story.
   (Mark the right item.)

Answer:

1. ‘This’ refers to (iii) Taro’s inability to buy expensive sake for his father.
2. ‘This’ refers to (ii) rewarding Taro with gold and giving the fountain his name.

Question C.Arrange the words below in pairs that rhyme.
Example:
young − lung
money − sunny

Answer:
Young − Lung
Sad − Bad
Money − Sunny
Chop − Stop
Last − Fast
Wax − Axe
Could − Wood
Sound − Round
Way − Day

Question D.

1. Fill in the blanks with words from the box.

   lonely	little	hard	young
   thoughtful	delicious	beautiful

   A __________ woodcutter lived on a _______________ hillside. He was a ___________ son who worked ___________________ but earned ________________ money. One day he saw a __________________ waterfall hidden behind a rock. He tasted the water and found it _________________.

2. Find these sentences in the story and fill in the blanks.
   1. This made Taro ___________________ than ever. (3)
   2. He decided to work ___________________ than before. (3)
   3. Next morning, Taro jumped out of bed ___________________ than usual. (4)
   4. He began to chop even ____________________. (4)
   5. Next morning, Taro started for work even _______________ than the morning before. (10)

Answer:

1. A young woodcutter lived on a lonely hillside. He was a thoughtful son who worked hard but earned little money. One day he saw a beautiful waterfall hidden behind a rock. He tasted the water and found it delicious.
2. 1. This made Taro sadder than ever.
   2. He decided to work harder than before.
   3. Next morning, Taro jumped out of bed earlier than usual.
   4. He began to chop even faster.
   5. Next morning, Taro started for work even earlier than the morning before.

SPEAKING AND WRITING

A:Speak the following sentences clearly but as quickly as you can learn them by heart.

1. How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck would chuck wood.
2. Betty bought a bit of butter, but the bit of butter was a little bitter so she bought some better butter to make the bitter butter better.

Answer:Do it yourself in the classroom.

B.

1. The story ‘Taro’s Reward’ shows that Taro is thoughtful, hardworking and also wise. Read aloud the parts of story that show these qualities in Taro.

   Answer:

   1. …. for he was a thoughtful son and wanted to give his old parents everything they needed. (Para 1)
   2. Though he worked very hard, he earned very little money. (Para 1)
   3. But Taro had been wise enough to slip behind a rock…………….. (Para 11)

2. 1. Like Patrick in the story ‘Who did Patrick’s Homework’, Taro is helped bymagic. Do you believe in magic? What are the magical things that happen in these stories?

      Answer: My parents say there is no such thing as magic. It is all a matter of playing tricks. But I agree with the elders only partly. Magic is not all sleight of hand or mesmerism. There is some supernatural agency that carries out the tricks.
      In the case of Patrick, there was an elf or small man. He was not one like us. In the case of Taro, there appears a waterfall behind the rocks. Secondly, its water tasted like sake. These were magical things.

   2. Which story do you like better, and why? Do you know such stories in other languages? Discuss these questions in class.

      Answer:Truly speaking, I like both the stories because both are interesting and educative. Secondly, both have a touch of magic. Still, Patrick’s story is better than Taro’s. Patrick learns to do homework unknowingly.

3. Now write a paragraph or two about these two stories, comparing them.

   Answer:Who did Patrick’s Homework is, in my opinion, better than ‘Taro’s Reward.’. Patrick hated homework. He played hockey and basketball instead. This was something quite natural. All children find doing homework boring and dull. Taro, on the other hand, was a thoughtful, wise and hardworking boy. He was just the opposite of Patrick. Even God favours and rewards such a boy. A magical waterfall gave him an intoxicating drink for his old father. Both the stories teach us lessons.

C.

1. Listen to these children. What are they talking about?
   

   Answer:The three boys are talking about their problems. One finds swimming more difficult than driving. The second disagrees with his view. He thinks that swimming much less difficult than driving. But the third boy says that learning English is much more difficult than swimming and driving.

2. Work in groups. Come to some agreement on each of the activities given below. Decide which is the most interesting, dullest, most dangerous, safest, most rewarding, most exciting.
   

   Answer:
   The most interesting- watching TV, dancing, listening to music
   Dullest- knitting, sewing, learning languages
   Most dangerous- mountain climbing
   Safest- walking, stamp collecting
   Most rewarding- reading, painting, cooking, fishing
   Most exciting- swimming, playing football

Note: This is just an example, your answer can vary.

DICTATION

Question 1.Write against each two new words that rhyme with it.

Answer:

1. bed - shed, led
2. wax - axe, fax
3. fast - last, cast
4. chop - cop, flop
5. young - among, tongue