LITTLE GIRLS WISER THAN MAN
Summary In English : The story teller starts with a note on season. He save ” It was an early Easter” . After winter snow still lay in the yards but melting had started and water from the melting snow has started running in the streams down the village street .
Two little girls for different houses meet in a lake where dirty water had accumulated running the form yards and the bed made it a small shallow pond . The one was a little bigger a then the order.Their mothers had dressed them in new frocks with red kerchiefs in there hand. They felt proud of their dresses and showed their finery to each other. They had just come out of the church. Soon they thought of playing in the water and just wanted to the enter into the puddle. The elder one asked the smeller not to be do that because that will spoil the shoes and stockings. She said that mother would get angry and would you .she asked Malasha to take off the shoes and stocking. Akoulya took off her shoes and stockings .Both of them picked up their skrits and started walking the water crossing each other. The water came up to Malashis ankled and she said the water is deep. ‘I am afraid ‘. Akoula advice Malasha not to splash and work carefully.
She had hardly said this when Malasha plumbed down her foot so that the water splashed night on on Akoulya’s frock. The frock of Akoulya was splashed. The water went upto her eyes and nose. Akoulya got angry on Seeing her frocks condition. She ran after Malasha to beat her and then to fly away home. In between Akoulya’s mother arrived at the scence and seeing the condition of her frock and face said: you naughty dirty girl .what have you been doing?
Akoulya blamed Malasha for this condition of her.
This energed Akoulya’s mother and she struk Malasha on the back of her neek. Malasha Started crying and her mother came out of her house.
She started scolding her nighbour for this state of affair.War of words started between the two mothers and it attracted man woman at the sence. A war of shouts followed amongst the crowd. They started quarrelling and almost came to blows. The grandmother of Akoulya steps and tries to calm them. She said: Is it right to behave so ?”
Para 15 to 20 : The men and women would not listen to the woman and nearly knocked her off. While this ugly scene was being enacted Akoulya wiped the mud off her frock, went to the puddle and started making a channel with the help of stone so that the puddies water could flow to the through that channel. Malsha also joined her in this endeavour with a wooden chip. The channel turned into a reality and water started flowing towards the place where the old woman was standing to pecify the crowd. Both Malash and Akoulya started chasing each other with the wooden clip flowing in the current of the channel.
The girls then ran straight into the crowd and with sense of authority and heigh responsibility told them .” Are you not ashamed of yourselves ? when they themselves have foregotten all about it and are playing happily together.” The writer says: These little souls are wiser than those men and women. The men locked at the little girls , get asked and laughing and themselves walked back their home.
पाठ का सारांश
सर्वप्रथम कहानीकार मौसम का वर्णन करता है । वह कहता है ‘ईस्टर’ के आने की सूचना पहाड़ों से पिघलते बर्फ से मिल गई थी पर अभी भी कहीं-कहीं मैदानों में बर्फ की परतें परी हुई थी ।पिघलती बर्फ का पानी गांव की सड़कों पर आ गया था और कहीं -कहीं चल जमाव से पानी ने एक छोटे जलाशय का रूप ग्रहण कर लिया था।
दो छोटी-छोटी बच्चियाँ अपने-अपने घरों से निकलकर वहाँ पहुँचती है जहाँ गंदला पानी इकट्ठा हो गया था ।उन बच्चियों में एक बड़ी और एक छोटी थी। इन बच्चियों की माताओं ने आज अच्छे-अच्छे चटकीले रंग के कपड़े पहनाये थे और उनकी हाथों में एक रुमाल भी था। बच्चियाँ अपने-अपने परिधान पर गर्व कर रही थीं। वे आज गिरजाघर से होकर आयीं थीं। उन्होंने खेलने की सोची और वहाँ बने जलाशय में प्रवेश करने का मन बनाया। बड़ी बच्ची ने छोटी बच्ची को ऐसा करने से मना किया क्योंकि उन्होंने पैरों में जूते मौजे डाल रखे थे । पानी में जूते-मौजे भींग जातीऔर फिर माँ की डांट पड़ती। अकुल्या ने अपने जूते मौजे निकाल लिए और मालाशय भी ऐसा ही करने को कहा। उन्होंने अपने फ्रॉक को उठा लिया और पानी में चलने लगे। पानी का स्तर मलाशय के ठेहुने तक पहुंच गया और उसने कहा—” मुझे डर लग रहा है, लगता है पानी गहरा है ।अकुल्या ने सलाह दी कि वह सावधानीपूर्वक पानी में चले और उसमें उछाल लाने की धृष्टता न करें। अकुल्या ने अपने शब्द पूरे भी नहीं किए थे कि मलाशा एक जोर की छपाक लगाई और पानी उछलकर और पुलिया के पर्व पर गंदा कर गया। उसकी आँख और नाक तक में गंदा पानी चला गया था। अपने नये फ्रॉक की दुर्दशा अकुल्या क्रोधित हो गयी और मलाशय को मारने दौड़ी। इसी बीच अकुल्या की माँ वहाँ आ धमकती है और अपनी पुत्री की हालत देखकर पूछ बैठते हैं कि वे लोग यहाँ क्या कर रहे हैं ? अकुल्या की माँ उन्हें बदमाश गंदी लड़की कहकर संबोधित करती है। अकुल्या अपनी इस हालत के लिए मलाशा पर दोष लगाती है।अकुल्या की माँ अपनी बात सुनकर क्रोध में आ जाती है और आशा की गर्दन के पीछे एक चाटा जड़ देती है। मलाशय रोने —चिल्लाने लगती है । उसकी चिख सुनकर उसकी माँ वहाँ पहुँच जाती है और दो पड़ोसियों मे वाक्ययुद्ध प्रारंभ हो जाता है ।शोर सुनकर गाँव के अन्य पुरुष और महिलाएँ वहाँ पहुँच जाते हैं और तू -तू, मैं- मैं घोष के साथ वे आपस में गूंथ जाते हैं। उनके बीच मारपीट आरंभ की स्थिति उपस्थित होती है कि इस बीच अकुल्या की बुढ़ी दादी वहाँ उपस्थित होती है। बूढ़ी दादी उन्हें शांत करने की चेष्टा करती है और कहती है —क्या आज के दिन ऐसा करना शोभनीय है ? दादी की बात सुनने को वहां कोई तैयार नहीं था।स्थिति यहाँ तक पहुँच गयी कि इस झगड़े में दादी ही धक से गिर जाएगी। जब यह दृश्य चल रहा था, उसी समय अकुल्या वहाँ से अलग हो गयी। उसने अपने फ्राॅक पर लगे धब्बों को पोंछ लिया और उस जलाशय में चली गयी। उसने एक पत्थर उठाया और जलाशय के मुहाने पर की मिट्टी हटाने लगी। अकुल्या उस जलाशय से एक धारा निकालकर आगे की ओर ले जाना चाहती है। उसे ऐसा करता देख मलाशा इस प्रयास में सहयोग देने को आतुर हो गयी। एक चैनल बनाने के लिए मलाशा ने एक लकड़ी के टुकड़े से मार्ग का निर्माण करना शुरू किया ।फिर क्या था —धारा बन गई और पानी जला से से निकलकर वहाँ पहुँच गया जहाँ बूढ़ी दादी लोग को शांत करने का प्रयास कर रही थी ।अकुल्या और मलाशय उस धारा के प्रवाह में बहते लकड़ी के टुकड़े के पीछे-पीछे दौड़ने लगे धारा के भाव को देखकर प्रफुल्लित हो रहे थे ।दोनों बच्चे सीधा दौड़कर उस भीड़ के पास पहुँचे और उत्तरदायित्वप शैली में अधिकार के साथ उन्हें संबोधित करते हुए कहा —”आपलोगों को अपने किए पर शर्म नहीं आती ?जब हम दोनों उस घटना को भूल चुके हैं और प्रसन्न होकर आपस में खेल रहे हैं तो फिर आप को क्यों कष्ट हो रहा है ?”
लोगों ने इन बच्चियों की ओर देखा, शर्मिंदा हुये और अपने आप पर हँसते हुये अपने घरों को वापस हो गये।
अंत में लेखक कहता है — ये छोटी बच्चियाँ इन बड़े लोगों से जो यहाँ एक छोटी बात पर युद्ध करने को उतारू थे ,ज्यादा बुद्धिमान हैं ।
GLOSSARY AND NOTES
Streams(noun): छोटी जलधारा। Puddle (noun): एक छिलला जल जमाव।
Splash (verb): जल – समूह में उछलने की क्रिया। Scold (verb): डाँटना। Scrambled (verb): संघर्ष करना। How ( verb): दर्द से कराहना। Plump (adj): धड़ाके साथ गिरना या गिराना । Lassies (noun): छोटी बालिका।
EXERCISE
A. Pre Reading Task :
Answer the following questions briefly :
Q.1. Do you celebrate fastivals ?
Ans. Yes, I do.
Q.2. Which fastival you enjoy most ?
Ans. I enjoy celebrating. Deepavali festival of lights.
Q.3. Are you celebrating it with your family and friends ?
Ans. Yes it is celebrated with family and friends which adds to the gaiety.
Q.4. In which season it is celebrated ?
Ans. Mostly it is celebrated in the later of October or sometime in November. In these months the winter starts knocking at the door in northern part of our country.
Q.5. What do you do when enjoying with your friends ?
Ans. We light the house with earthen lamp decorate forrace with series play bulbs with crackers and other fire works together, worship goddess Lakshmi, the Devi of wealth and prosperity and eat a lot of sweet dishes prepared by mother.
B. While reading questions :
Q.1. Which festival was referred by the writer ?
Ans. The writer has referred to the Easter festival which comes after writer in the mouth of March or April.
Q.2. Why seldging was over ?
Ans. Sledding was over the snow on the hills had started melting. Sledging is only possible when the hills are snow clapped.
Q.3. Why there was water running in streams down the village street ?
Ans. The crust of snow still lay in the yards and the water of melting snow ran in streams down the village street.
Q.4. Where do the two little girls meet ?
Ans. The two little girls from different houses happened to meet in a lane between two home steads.
Q.5. Are they was very small and the other a little bigger.
Ans. One girl was very small and the other a little bigger .
Q.6. Why did Akhulya try to check Malasha ?
Ans. Because the fancy took them to splsh water entering into the puddle. She had her shoes and stocking on while earning into water. That would spoil the shoes and dress and then mother would scold her.
Q.7. Akhulya advised did Akhulya offer ?
Ans. Akulya advised Malasha take off her off her shoes and stockings,avoid splashing water and walk carefully.
B.2. Say ‘ Ture ‘[T] or ‘ False ‘ to following statements :
1. Akulya and Malasha take off their shoes and stockings. [ T]
2. They do not walk towards each other in the puddle . [ F ]
3. Malasha assures Akulya that water is deep . [F]
4. Malasha splashes water.[T]
5. Akulya ran to strike Malasha. [T]
6. Malasha purposely splashes water. [ T]
B.3. Fill up the blanks :
They all went on quarrelling, tell one gave another a push and the affair had very nearly come to flows when Akulya old grandmother, steeping in among them, tried to calm them.
What are you thinking of friends ? Is it right to behave so ? On a day like this too! It is a time for rejoining and not for such folly as this .
B.4. Answer the question briefly :
Q.1. Why Akulya started shouting at Malasha ?
Ans. When Akoulya saw the stains on her frock she was angry and ran after Malasha to strike her. Malsha got frightened on this .
Q.2. Why Akulya’s mother seized Malasha ?
Ans. Malasha had plumped down her foot in the new frock of Akoulya . It had gone upto nose and eyes. Malasha got frightened as she saw Akulya running after her to give a strike. Akoulya flamed Malasha for this condition when her mother enquired about this.
On this Akoulya’s mother seized Malasha and struck her on the back of her neck.
Q.3. What happens when Malash’s mother came out after hearing her howl.
Ans. Malasha started holwing so that her voice reaches down the street. Her mother came out.
She asked : ” what for are you beating my girl ?” She started scolding her nighbour.
Q.4. Why no one was listening ?
Ans. The men came out a crowd collected over there in the street. Every body was shouting and no one was listening. They all want on quarrelling .
Q.5. Did the old woman succeed in her effort ?
Ans. Akoulya’s old grand mother stepped in and tried to calm everybody. She said right to behave so ? It is a time for rejoining and not for such folly as this she said.
Q.6. What did Akulya do while other woman were abusing ?
Ans. Akulya wiped out the mud off her frock. She want back to the puddle. She took a stone and began scraping away the earth in front of the puddle to make a channel so that water could run upto the street. Malasha also joined her in her effort and with a chip of wood helped her in digging the channel.
Q.7. When men also started fighting, what the two girls do ?
Ans. Water started flowing down the channel and the wooden chip started Floting in the stream. The two girls started running on two sides of the little stream. Highly delighted and watching the clip float along on their stream the little straight into the group of man.
Q.8. were they too flighting ?
Ans.No, they were highly delighted were enjoying their creations.
Q.9. Why old woman said to the crowd. ” Are you not shared of yourselves “.
Ans. The old woman wanted to clam the crowd. So she said : ” Are you not ashamed of your self ?” You people are fighting on account of these little girls.But you see, they themselves have foregotten all the wrongs they have commited.
C. Questions with long Answers :
Answer the following questions :
Q.1. Describe why two girls were dressed in new clothes and showing their finery to each other.
Ans. It was the occasion of Ester festival. So their mothers had dressed them both in new frocks. The little one were a frock of blue colour while the elder one hand her frock in yellow colour with print. As they met on the street , they started showing their fineries to each other.
Q.2. Why did they step into puddle and what makes them fight ?
Ans. When they met on the street, they started playing and soon they took facy for water which had accumulated at one place making a puddle from the melting of winter snow. Akoulya warned her not to do that otherwise her mother would scold you.
The fighting started when Malaska plumped down her foot and the water splashed right onto Akoulya’s frock. The frock of Akoulya splashed and so where her nose and eyes.
Q.3. What did the old woman by ” Is it right to behave so ? On a day like this too !”
Ans. It was the day of Easter, a day which is celebrated by the Christians throughout the world with devotion and and gaiety. The village folk were also busy in rejoining and celebrating the fastival. Duffy they started quarrelling on a very trival issuse. Akoulya’s grandmother tried to calm them by saying ” Is it right to behave so ? On a day like this too ! ” Today is the day for rejoining and not to commit such folly like this.
Q.4. Why in the crowd every one is shouting and no one is listening ?
Ans. Akoulya’s mother finding her daughter’s new clothes dirty with stains and her face eyes and nose full of mud, got angry. She seized Malasha and struck her on the back of her neck. Her inother came out. There was a melee and everybody in the crowd started shouting at each other. In fact no one through of easing the situation and pacifying everybody.
Q.5. Why writer cells two little girls.” Dear little souls “.
Ans. Ultimately the situation was controlled by the wiser steps taken by the two little girls. They had forgotten their wrong and started playing happily together without any reflection of enermity amongst them. While the people were fighting taking the side of children’s mothers seperately.