The home-coming

1. The home-coming Class :10th Subject : English Name of Teacher : DeepinderKaur Students Name :- AmandeepKaur, SarabjeetKaur ,Rimpikaur, Happy Singh, Makhhan Singh, Kiran Deep Govt. High. School Shapurkalan (District Sangrur)

2. The home-coming Phatik Chakravarti, a mischievous boy lived with his mother and younger brother Makhan. He loved to play games with the boys of his native village. He was the ring-leader of the boys of the village. One day he ordered the boys of the village to roll away a log of wood which was lying on the bank of the river. The owner of the log would be angry and they would enjoy the fun. But when they were about to roll away the log, Makhan came on the scene. He sat on the log. Govt. High. School Shapurkalan (District Sangrur)

3. The home-coming Phatik threatened to beat him. But Makhan did not leave his place on the log. Phatik realized that Makhan was undermining his leadership. He ordered the boys to roll away both Makhan and the log. Makhan fell into the mud flat of the river. As soon as he got to his feet, he pounced upon Phatik. He began to beat and kick Phatik. Then he went home and complained to his mother that Phatik had beaten him. Govt. High. School Shapurkalan (District Sangrur)

4. The home-coming Phatik sat on the edge of a sunken boat. A middle-aged man came in a boat to the place where the Chakravarti’s lived. Phatik pointed to a place and asked the man to go to the village and find out the house of the Chakravarti’s. This man was Phatik’s maternal uncle. Govt. High. School Shapurkalan (District Sangrur)

5. The home-coming A servant came to ask Phatik to reach home. The boy refused to go. He was bodily lifted and taken home. As soon as his mother saw him, she shouted that he was again beating Makhan. Phatik said that Makhan had told a lie. Makhan repeated the charge and Phatik flew into a rage. He began to beat his younger brother in the presence of his mother. The mother took the side of Makhan and beat Phatik. Govt. High. School Shapurkalan (District Sangrur)

6. The home-coming While they were quarrelling, Bishamber, the maternal uncle of Phatik, entered the house. Phatik’s mother was surprised to meet him. He had gone away to Bombay after she had married. He told her that he had now shifted to Calcutta. Phatik’s mother touched Bishamber’s feet. She was overjoyed to meet her brother. Govt. High. School Shapurkalan (District Sangrur)

7. The home-coming After a few days Bishamber made inquiries about the boys. His sister told him that Makhan was a noble boy, very obedient and fond of his books. But Phatik was good for nothing. Phatik was lazy and disobedient. The uncle offered to take Phatik with him to Calcutta, and to educate him there with his own children. The boy also agreed to go to Calcutta. His mother who disliked him was glad to get rid of him. Before leaving, the boy gave his fishing-rod, his kite and his marbles to Makhan. Govt. High. School Shapurkalan (District Sangrur)

8. The home-coming Bishamber’s wife did not take kindly to Phatik’s entry in her house at Calcutta. She had bring up her own three boys. She regarded the new comer as an-unnecessary burden on family. Phatik soon discovered that he was an unwelcome guest. His aunt was harsh towards him. His school teacher thrashed him. He failed to learn his lesson. While other boys played, he sat still and was sad. One day he requested his uncle to let him go back home. Bishamber promised to take home to his mother during the October holidays. Govt. High. School Shapurkalan (District Sangrur)

9. The home-coming One day Phatik lost his lesson book. He was the most backward boy in the class. His teacher caned him day after day because he had no lesson book. His aunt scolded him when he told her that he had lost the book. She said that she had a big family to support, and so she could not replace his lost books. While returning from school Phatik had a headache and a shivering fit. He thought he was going to have an attack of malaria. He did not want to be a source of trouble to his aunt. So next morning he ran away from his uncle’s house. Govt. High. School Shapurkalan (District Sangrur)

10. The home-coming Bishamber could find no trace of the boy in the neighborhood. Police help was sought. It had been raining for hours, and the streets of Calcutta were flooded. At night fall policemen found the boy and brought him to his uncle’s house. Phatik was in a state if high fever. His clothes were wet, and he was constantly bringing new troubles to the family. She asked her husband to send the boy to his village. Phatik heard her comments, and said that he was going home when policemen dragged him back again. Govt. High. School Shapurkalan (District Sangrur)

11. The home-coming A doctor came to examine the ailing boy. The fever increased during the night. Bishamber sat throughout the night by the side of Phatik. Once Phatik asked his uncle if the holidays had come. Then he became delirious. He thought his mother was telling the truth. Govt. High. School Shapurkalan (District Sangrur)

12. The home-coming Next day the doctor reported that the boy’s condition was very critical. Bishamber had sent for Phatik’s mother. The boy was again in a state delirium. The boy thought he was near of the bank of a river. He repeated some of the words of sailors on the river steamers. They used those words to measure the depth of water. Now he was himself measuring the depth of an unknown kingdom into which he was entering. Govt. High. School Shapurkalan (District Sangrur)

13. The home-coming Phatik’s mother entered the sick room. She uttered cries and lamentations. Bishamber tried to calm her. She flung herself on the boys’s bed and called Phatik her darling child. His eyes wandered slowly, but he could see nothing. Then he uttered his last dying words. In these words he said that his holidays had come. Govt. High. School Shapurkalan (District Sangrur)

14. Exercises

15. Q.1who was Phatik? Ans. Phatik was a fourteen-year-old boy. He was the ringleader among the boys of his village. His fertile mind always thought of new mischief's. Q.2 What was the new mischief Phatik thought of ? Ans. There was a log lying on the bank of the river. He planned to roll the log away with the help of other boys .In this way he wanted to annoy the owner and enjoy the fun. Q.3 Why were Phatik and his friends annoyed with Makhan ? Ans. Phatik and the other boys wanted to roll log away. But Makhan came and sat down on the log. This annoyed Phatik and his friends. Q.4 What was Phakit’s ‘new manoeuvre’ ? Ans. Phakit asked his followers to roll the log with Makhan sitting over it. This he thought would give them added amusement . Q.5 Why did Phatik beat Makhan even in the presence of his mother? Ans. Makhan lied to his mother that Phatik had beaten him. Phatik could not bear this . Therefore , he beat Makhan.

16. Q. 6 Was Makhan speaking the truth ? Ans. No, he was not speaking the truth . phatik had not beaten him . Infact ,it was Makhan who had beaten Phatik. Q. 7 Why did Phatik’s mother want to send him away to her brother’s house ? Ans. The mother had a prejudice against Phatik . She thought he would some day drown Makhan in the river , or break his head in a fight . Therefore , she wanted to send him away . Q .8 How was Phatik received by his aunt ? Ans. The aunt was not at all pleased . She thought of Phatik as an unnecessary addition to her family . Q.9 Why couldn’t Phatik do well at school ? Ans. Phatik was ill- treated at his uncle `s house . He was always sad .He could not put his mind to his studies . Naturally he could not do well at school . Q.10 How did Phatik’s aunt behave on learning about the loss of his book? Ans. The aunt called Phatik a country lout .She said that she couldn’t buy him new books five times a month .

17. Q.11 What was the immediate reason for Phatik’s departure from his uncle’s house ? Ans. One day Phatik had a bad headache and shivering fit .He feared he would become a nuisance to his aunt. That was why he left the house. Q. 12 Why did Bishamber send for his sister? Ans. Phatik was seriously ill. The doctor said that the boy’s condition was critical. That was why Bishamber sent for his sister. Q.13 What were Phatik’s last words ? Ans. Phatik’s last words were: ‘Mother, the holidays have come’.

18. (2) Match the words in column A with their opposites in column B. A B (1)Unanimously (1)individually (2)timidly (2)boldly (3)futile (3)useful (4)furious (4)calm (5)fertile (5)barren

19. (3) Makhan was ‘as good as gold’. Complete the following expressions in the same way. 1.as white as …… snow 2.as black as …… night 3.as innocent as …… a child 4.as obstinate as ….. a mule 5.as gentle as …... a lamb

20. (4) Fill the blanks with suitable Articles: 1. ...... Ganga is …… sacred river. (The, a) 2. He reads …… Bible every day. (the) 3. The man struck …… match. (a) 4. Where is ... … money to come from? (the) 5. He began …… series of experiments. (a)

21. THANKS