Unit 1_The Adventures in a Banyan Tree

 

Lesson 1

Adventures in a Banyan Tree

- Ruskin Bond

The Adventures in a Banyan Tree’ is a beautiful short story. It is written by Ruskin Bond, an Indian author of British origin. In this story we see a single banyan tree creating much beauty and harmony. The author tells that we should preserve nature to make this world a beautiful place.

About the Author

Ruskin Bond

The famous Indian author Ruskin Bond was born on 19 may 1934 at Kasauli,

Himachal Pradesh, in India. He is famous as a novelist and short story writer. His

notable works are ‘The Room on the Roof’, ‘The Angry River’ and our Trees Still Grow in Dehra. Ruskin Bond won the Sahithya Akadami Award in 1992, Padma Shri in 1999 and Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017. Ruskin Bond now lives in Mussoorie.

Summary of Part 1 ( Paragraphs 1 to 5)

When the author was a boy, he used to enjoy his vacations in his grandfather’s house in Dehradun. It was at the foot of the Himalayas. There was an old, magnificent banyan tree in the garden. He used to spend most of his leisure time in that tree. His Grandfather was very old. So he could not climb the tree. Thus the tree became the boy’s domain. 

       In the tree the boy be-friended a young grey squirrel. He didn’t harm it. So it became friendly with him.When the boy started giving him pieces of cake and biscuits, it became  more courageous to take food from his hand. Its friends and relatives thought that the squirrel was foolish for trusting a human.

       In the spring, when the banyan tree was full of red fruits, all kinds of birds would flock into the branches. During that season the banyan tree was the noisiest place on the road. The boy had built a platform halfway up the tree to spend the afternoons when it was not too hot . There he used to read books and watch the surroundings.He could see grandmother hanging up or taking down the washing, the cook quarreling with the fruit seller or grandfather complaining that the  Indian marigold growing up all over his English garden.

Glossary

Part I

Though the house....................... last me through the summer.

domain - lands owned by a particular person.(സാമ്രാജ്യം)

magnificent – splendid, beautiful

tease - to make angry with funny remarks

maze -complex system of paths (അനേകം ചുറ്റുകളുള്ള വഴി)

nestle- to be located in a safe position

sniffing- sensing a smell by inhaling through the nose( മണം പിടിക്കുക)

resent - to feel bitter about (ഇഷ്ടക്കേടുതോന്നുക)

invasion - encroachment /entry without consent ( കടന്നുകയറ്റം)

catapult - a Y-shaped stick with elastic between the arms (കവണ)

delve - to search thoroughly

headstrong - self-willed

fig – the soft sweet fruit

flock - a group of birds

gossip - an idle talk

rosy pastors -a bird

squabbling - quarrelling

prop -to support

bole - the main stem of a tree

fruit vendor – fruit seller

grumbling – complaining/murmuring

hardy - strong

Possible Questions from Part 1.

Activity 1

1. What gave the boy endless pleasure?

2. Who was the boy’s first friend?

3. Why was the squirrel not happy with the boy at first ?

4. How did the author try to make friend with the squirrel?

5. Identify the word from the passage which means ‘dislike’.

6. Why does the boy say that the banyan tree was the noisiest place ?

7. Name the birds that would flock into the banyan tree during the fig season.

8. Where would the boy like to spend his afternoons?

9. Name the books that made up the boy’s bag for mixed reading.

Activity 2

The boy was very much thrilled by his acquaintance with the squirrel. He writes a letter to his friend telling him about his new friend. Help him to complete the letter. (Refer Course book ,page 16).

Possible answer.

Ivy Cottage,

Dehradun.

28 April 1997.

Dear Sravan, 

     Hope you are fine and enjoying your vacation there. I am doing the same here, at grandpa’s house.By the way, I have got a new friend here, a grey squirrel. At first it was resent my presence. When he confirmed that I was not harmful, it became my friend. I gave him pieces of cakes and biscuits. He is a very young squirrel. He is very playful. I am very happy in his company. I wish, you also could enjoy it. 

      Hope all of you are keeping fine there. Convey my regards to uncle and aunty.

Yours lovingly,

sd/-

Ruskin

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Thank you.