4th Standard English Term-III
Let Us Sing
I. The Painter
II. The Wooden Toy
Once there was a village circled by mountains and many big trees. It was the home to many wild animals, especially wild dogs. They used to hunt not only the animals in the forest but, also the domestic animals in the village. This affected the farmer who lived near the edge of the forest with his son the most.
Mugund was the son of the farmer. He was good at creating many things. Every day he went into the forest to collect dry wood. He used to make dolls using the dry wood. Mugund's art was very famous in the town. Children used to play with his dolls, mostly known as marapachi bommai.
Long age, the wild animals hunted Mugund's mother. That incident made Mugund hate wild animals. In memory of his mother, he carved a wooden statue of his mother and prayed every day. One night, he woke to hear his mother's words. "Do your part in eradicating the use of plastics through your art because plastic is a great risk to the environment."
So, he started selling wooden toys at a cheap rate. He was also clever at making handicrafts. He learnt the art from his grandfather. In the beginning, he made dolls for children, using dry wood. Then, he was making statues of any photo that was shown to him.
His father owned nothing but a flock of sheep and a piece of land. Also, he worked hard to keep the farm running. He was rearing some animals like goat, cow and hen. His father took all the cattle to pasture every day. When he returned home, he would always count all the animals. One day, when his father returned, he saw that some animals were missing. His father was unable to sleep because the losses of the animals kept increasing. Mugund was worried about his father. He had to do something.
He had an idea. He made a wooden drum because the massive noise from the drum would help his father to drive out the wild animals. Mugund's father was happy because the drum threatened the animals. But, the animals came back as soon as the drumming is stopped. His father could not be awake all night. So, the wild animals started attacking only at night. The restlessness and worry made his father ill.
The next day, Mugund went into the forest to find a hollow log of cedar. But, he could not find it. Hit friend told him to cut the raw wood. But, he refused.
- Think why it is a good decision not to cut and use the living tree.
Mugund felt that his mother was still living in each tree. At last, they found some wood and brought it home. Mugund went to bed a little early. His father was beating the drums to drive all the animals away.
Suddenly the sounds of the drum stopped. Mugund's father was tired and he sleep. Nearly twenty-five animals got attacked that night. Then, Mugund thought of designing some wooden tigers and some wooden people to place on the farm. So, the animals would be afraid as the people were still awake.
From that day onwards, the farmer and his son had a good sleep. Most of the landowners ordered wooden animals from Mugund. They wanted to save their crops and farms.
Soon, Mugund started selling toys to all corners of the land. This led to a demand for wooden dolls over plastic ones. He was happy that he was able to take part in saving the world through his art.
Secret of Success
III. The Struggling Star
Farhan and his father are reading the newspaper, the favourite part of his morning. He gets up, brushes his teeth, drinks his milk and sits with his father to read the news every day.
Farhan : Abbu, what is this y-o-u-n-g leaders award?
Father : It is young leaders award. It is given to only 17 people from around the world every year. It recognizes the effort they have taken to make the world a better place.
Farhan : Wow! Only 17? I am so proud that an Indian has got this award.
Father : Do you know why he got it?
Farhan : No, can you please tell me?
Father : I am happy that you asked. It is very important to not only be proud when we see or hear such news. We should also...
Farhan : Learn from it! Yes, Abbu I remember this.
Father : Very good! Kartik is a technologist who has not let his disability stop him from learning. Not only that, he has empowered other people with disabilities to be successful IT engineers.
Farhan : What disability?
Father : Kartik is a blind. Let me tell you the story of his childhood. Kartik studied in Delhi Public School in New Delhi. He was a smart and bright student. Kartik did well in all subjects but he liked science the most. Everything was good for Kartik till his 10th standard. After scoring full marks in 10th standard public exam, Kartik wanted to study Science in 11th and 12th standard.
Farhan : I am sure he got it. He got full marks in 10th exam!
Father : No. Actually, the government rule in Delhi did not allow blind children to study Science after 10th standard.
Farhan : I do not think that's fair. Everyone should be able to study what they like!
Father : This is what Kartik also felt. He loved Science and he wanted to study that. He refused to let his disability come in the way. He challenged the government and held campaigns to get permission. Finally, after nine months, he got permission to study Science. Not only that, he made sure that all blind students have permission to study Science if they want!
Farhan : Wow! 9 months! It is so long! I am sure I would have given up.
Father : Change takes time Farhan. We should work hard and be patient if we want to see change happen around us. Like Kartik who was the first blind student in India to study Science.
Farhan : What did Kartik do after that?
Father : Kartik's dream and passion were never limited. His love for Science helped him get more than 95% in his 12th board exam. His dream was to study in an IIT. Indian Institute of Technology is one of the best colleges in our country!
Farhan : I want to study in IIT too!
Father : Good! But only if you want to study Science. Every subject has different best colleges. We will talk about that some other day. So, as I was saying, he wanted to study in the IIT But none of the sixteen IITs in India enrolled him.
Farhan : What? Again?
Father : Yes, Kartik was sincere and learnt well. He was also very good at Science. But our colleges did not recognize his talent and treated him unfairly.
Farhan : Then? Did he change their mind too?
Father : Yes, he did! After many months he made the colleges open their doors to blind students. This helped nearly 15 blind students to study engineering in these colleges.
Farhan : He must be a strong person.
Father : Yes, he is strong. He is strong in is beliefs and learnings. He is strong in the effort he puts. What do you think he did after that?
Farhan : He must hae studied in the IIT.
Father : No, he did not. He got an admission to study at Standford University in the USA. It is one of the best universities in the world. He went there and studied computers.
Farhan : Amazing!
Father : He also started two more companies that aim at helping children with disabilities reach their full potential. He believes that education and technology are important to ensure children learn and sustain themselves. He says that he will try for many more months and years to come to make sure that all the 130 crore people reach their full potential.
Farhan : He is inspiring. I will also work hard and achieve my dreams, even if I don't always have the support I need.
Father : Very good! If we work hard, there will always be support for us. Sometimes the support comes from outside, but many times it comes from within us. Now, go and get ready. It is time to go to school.
Farhan : Yes Abbu.
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