The home-coming
Class :10th
Subject : English
Name of Teacher : Deepinder Kaur
Students Name :- Amandeep Kaur,
Sarabjeet Kaur ,Rimpi kaur, Happy Singh,
Makhhan Singh, Kiran Deep
Govt. High. School Shapurkalan (District Sangrur)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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 anunnecessary 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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
Exercises
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.
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 .
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’.
(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
(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
(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)
THANKS