A Short Monsoon Diary
This chapter is having certain pages
of famous poet Ruskin bond about
monsoon season of India.
June 24
It's the first day of monsoon as
mist covers the whole place,
surroundings become sadly
silent, all birds go silent, silence
as deadly still as midnight. A boy
named Biju was running around
there calling his sister's name.
इस अध्याय में भारत के
मानसून के मौसम के बारे
में प्रसिद्ध कवि रस्किन बंधन
के कुछ निश्चित पृष्ठ हैं
24 जून
यह मानसून का पहला दिन है
क्योंकि सभी कवर पूरी तरह
से छूटे हुए हैं, चारों ओर
उदास सन्नाटा हो गया है,
सभी पक्षी खामोश हो गए हैं,
सन्नाटा अभी भी आधी
रात की तरह है। बीजू नाम
का एक लड़का वहां अपनी
बहन का नाम लेकर इधर-उधर
भाग रहा था।
June 25
As monsoon has come earlier
plants also started growing fast,
season's first over Lily up in the
surroundings. The mist is all ove
r the area. Ruskin Bond described
the hill station as a paradise.
June27
As the monsoon arrived some
seasonal visitors also appeared,
meaning seasonal animals also
appeared in the valley. The list
goes like this
Leopard
thousands of leeches
Scarlet minivets
Drongos.
Tree creeper
leopard has eaten a dog and
it also try to attack beju's cow
but lucky biju's mother arrives
screamed and leopard ran away.
The yellow colour scarlet minivet
cannot hide or conceal itself due
to its bright colours along with
drongos which aggressively
chase them. Finally creeperly up
and down on trees and snapping
away all the insects. There is no
scarcity of food for insectivorous
birds.
25 जून
चांद नहीं है तो मानसून
पहले आ गया है, पौधे भी
तेजी से बढ़ने लगे हैं,
मौसम का पहला ओवर
लिली ने घेर लिया। पूरे
क्षेत्र में धुंध छाई हुई है।
रस्किन बॉन्ड ने हिल
स्टेशन को स्वर्ग बताया।
जून 27
जैसे ही मानसून आया
कुछ मौसमी आगंतुक
भी दिखाई दिए, अर्थात
मौसमी जानवर भी घाटी
में दिखाई दिए। सूची इस
प्रकार है
तेंदुआ
हजारों जोंक
स्कार्लेट मिनिवेट्स
ड्रोंगो।
पेड़ की लता
तेंदुए ने एक कुत्ते को
खा लिया है और यह भी
बेजू की गाय पर हमला
करने की कोशिश करता
है लेकिन भाग्यशाली
बीजू की मां चिल्लाती है
और तेंदुआ भाग जाता है।
पीले रंग का स्कार्लेट मिनीवेट
अपने चमकीले रंगों के
साथ-साथ ड्रोंगो के कारण
खुद को छिपा या छुपा नहीं
सकता है जो आक्रामक रूप
से उनका पीछा करते हैं।
अंत में पेड़ों पर रेंगते हुए
ऊपर-नीचे होते हैं और
सभी कीड़ों को दूर भगाते हैं।
कीटभक्षी पक्षियों के लिए
भोजन की कोई कमी नहीं है।
August 2
All night rain has Been pouring on the
roof which was creating sound due
to the tin made roof and it kept our
writer awake. Writer found this
atmosphere perfect for reading
and untouched by rain yet he
was feeling drenched in rain.
August 3
The rain stops and fun game up
animals and humans have come
out of their Shelters. A woman
was stopping sticks and the writer
could hear the cowbells as the
cow came out in open and the crow
was clearing the raindrops from its
feathers and whistling of birds
clearing the deep silence in the
valley.
2 अगस्त
पूरी रात बारिश छत पर
बरसती रही जो टिन की
छत के कारण आवाज पैदा
कर रही थी और इसने
हमारे लेखक को जगाए रखा।
लेखक ने इस माहौल को
पढ़ने के लिए एकदम सही
पाया और बारिश से अछूता
फिर भी वह बारिश में भीग
रहा था।
अगस्त 3
बारिश बंद हो जाती है और
जानवरों और इंसानों के लिए
मजेदार खेल उनके आश्रयों
से बाहर आ गए हैं। एक
महिला लाठी रोक रही थी
और लेखक गाय की घंटियों
को सुन सकता था क्योंकि
गाय खुले में निकली थी
और कौआ अपने पंखों से
बारिश की बूंदों को साफ कर
रहा था और घाटी में गहरे
सन्नाटे को साफ करते हुए
पक्षियों की सीटी बजा रहा था।
August 12
It has been raining for 9-10 days
continuously, so the writer was
unable to go anywhere. Everything
is giving the feeling of wetness
due to high moisture. Monsoon
flora has started appearing like
wild balsam,dahlias, begonias
and ground orchids.
August 31
Today the writer wrote about
rich flora grown during the
monsoon in the valley. Like
Ground orchids, mauve lady’s
slippers and the white butterfly
orchids put on a fashion display
on the grassy slopes of Landour.
Wild dahlias, red, yellow and
magenta, rear coming out from
cracks of rocks in the valley.
White colour lily turned red is a
signal of ending monsoon plus
after sometime all green ferns
will start turning yellow. Snakes
and rodents also came out
of their holes and burrows,took
shelter in roofs,attics and
godowns. Writer received
a pay cheque in his mail.
अगस्त 12
9-10 दिनों से लगातार बारिश
हो रही है, इसलिए लेखक
कहीं नहीं जा पा रहा था।
नमी ज्यादा होने से सब
कुछ नमी का अहसास दे
रहा है। मानसूनी वनस्पतियां
जंगली बालसम, डहलिया,
बेगोनिया और ग्राउंड ऑर्किड
की तरह दिखने लगी हैं।
31 अगस्त
आज लेखक ने घाटी में
मानसून के दौरान उगाई
जाने वाली समृद्ध वनस्पतियों
के बारे में लिखा। ग्राउंड
ऑर्किड की तरह, मौवे
लेडीज चप्पल और सफेद
तितली ऑर्किड लंढौर की
घास वाली ढलानों पर
एक फैशन डिस्प्ले पर रखे
जाते हैं। जंगली दहलिया,
लाल, पीले और मैजेंटा,
घाटी में चट्टानों की दरारों
से निकलने वाले पीछे।
सफेद रंग का लिली का
लाल हो जाना मानसून
समाप्त होने का संकेत है
और कुछ समय बाद सभी
हरे फर्न पीले होने लगेंगे।
सांप और कृंतक भी अपने
छेद और बिलों से बाहर
आ गए, छतों, अटारी और
गोदामों में शरण ली।
लेखक को उनके मेल में
एक वेतन चेक प्राप्त हुआ।
October 3
After receiving hailstorm there
was snow at higher altitudes
and the sky and holds were filled
with golden light as monsoon
rain converted into winter rain.
January 26
Winter rains in the hills
Writer wrote he was very lonely
as his friend left his place and it
was raining and his whole house
, surroundings were drenched in
wetness. Mist and clouds covered
the whole area and there was
scary silence around.
March 26
The end of winter and hail Storm
cleared the sky of Mussoorie
and at this time when Bond
was writing this page he was
seeing a rainbow forming.
अक्टूबर 3
ओलावृष्टि प्राप्त करने
के बाद अधिक ऊंचाई पर
बर्फ थी और मानसून की
बारिश सर्दियों की बारिश
में परिवर्तित हो जाने से
आकाश और होल्ड सुनहरी
रोशनी से भर गए थे।
26 जनवरी
पहाड़ों में सर्दी की बारिश
लेखक ने लिखा कि वह
बहुत अकेला था क्योंकि
उसका दोस्त उसके घर से
चला गया और बारिश हो
रही थी और उसका पूरा घर,
परिवेश भीग गया
था। धुंध और बादलों ने
पूरे इलाके को ढँक लिया
और चारों ओर डरावना
सन्नाटा छा गया।
मार्च 26
सर्दियों के अंत और
ओलावृष्टि ने मसूरी के
आसमान को साफ कर
दिया और इस समय जब
बॉन्ड इस पेज को लिख
रहे थे तो उन्हें एक
इंद्रधनुष बनता हुआ
दिखाई दे रहा था।
Comprehension Check -1
Q1- Why is the author not
able to see Bijju?
Ans-1 the author is not able
to see Bijju due to the mist
in the surroundings.
Q2-What are the two way
s in which the hills appear
to change when the mist
comes up?
Ans-2 the two ways, the
hills appear to change when
the mist comes up:
Trees moving with breeze
and birds singing have gone
silent plus mist has covered
the whole area.Secondly
the forest is deathly still as
though it were midnight.
Comprehension Check -2
Q-1When does the monsoon
season begin and when does it
end? How do you prepare to
face the monsoon?
Ans-1 According to the author’s
monsoon diaries, the monsoon
mist first appears in Mussoorie
on June 24 or 25 and continues
until August 31 or mid-September.
Q-2. Which hill-station does the
author describe in this diary entry?
Ans-2. The author described the
Mussoorie hill-station in this diary
entry.
Q-3.For how many days does it rain
without stopping? What does the
author do on these days?
Ans-3. It rains for 8-9 days without
stopping. The author was confined
in the home for days
Q-4Where do the snakes and rodents
take shelter? Why?.
Ans-4. Snakes and rodents come
out of their holes and burrows and
they take shelter in roofs, attics and
godowns to save themselves from
getting wet in the rain water.
Q-5. What did the author receive
in the mail?
Ans-5. The author received a
cheque in the mail.
Working with the text
Q-1. Look carefully at the diary
entries for June 24-25, August
t 2 and March 23. Now write
down the changes that happen
as the rains progress from
June to March.
Ans-According to Ruskin Bond’s
diary entries, June 24 is the first
day of monsoon mist. The hills
are concealed by a thick white
blanket of mist and filled with
utmost silence. From June 25,
the real monsoon starts setting
in and the entire Nature including
human beings, birds, animals
and trees welcome it. The first
cobra lily rears its head from
the ferns.
People get used to the monsoon
season by August 2. Rain starts
drumming on the corrugated tin
roofs of their houses. Although
there is no storm or thunder,
there is just the steady swish
of a tropical downpour. Snakes
and rodents start coming out
of their holes and burrows and
they take shelter in roofs, attics
and go-downs to save
themselves from getting
wet in the rain water.
March 23 signals the end of winter.
The blackest cloud slowly occupies
the sky that is followed by a hailstorm.
This clears the sky completely and
soon a rainbow starts forming. This
is one of the best and most splendid
sights that anyone could visualize
or experience about the beauty of Nature.
Q-2. Why did the grandmother ask
the children not to kill the Chuchundar?
Ans-2. he grandmother asked the
children not to kill the Chuchundar
because this animal is considered
to be lucky and bring in good
fortune and money.
Q-3. What signs do we find in Nature
which show that the monsoons are
about to end?
Ans-3. The hillsides in Mussoorie
become lush green as late-monsoon
flowers begin to appear — wild balsam,
dahlias, begonias and ground orchids.
The seeds of the cobra lily slowly start
turning red that signify the rains
are coming to an end and the
monsoon season is almost over.
Q-4.Complete the following
sentences.
Ans-4. (i) Bijju is not seen but
his voice is heard because the
dense mist conceals the hills
and the surroundings.
(ii) The writer describes the hill
station and valley as a paradise
that might have been.
(iii) The leopard was successful in
attacking one of Bijju’s cows but
had to flee when Bijju’s mother
arrived and screamed imprecations.
(iv) The minivets are easily
noticed because of their bright colours.
(v) It looks like a fashion display
on the slopes when ground orchids,
mauve lady’s slippers and the
white butterfly orchids bloom.
(vi) During the monsoon season,
snakes and rodents are found in
roofs and attics because they
have been flooded out of their
holes and burrows.
Q-5. ‘Although tin roofs are
given to springing unaccountable
leaks, there is a feeling of being
untouched by, and yet in touch
with, the rain.’
(i) Why has the writer used the
word, ‘springing’?
(ii) How is the writer untouched
by the rain?
(iii) How is the writer in touch
with the rain at the same time?
Ans-5. (i)The word ‘springing’
refers to moving suddenly at once.
The author uses this word to
indicate how the tin roofs are
prone to development of sudden
unexpected leaking.
(ii) The author is left physically
untouched by rain because he
is safe inside his room and the
tin roof stops the rain from
leaking inside.
(iii) The writer is in touch with
the rain at the same time
because he can see the
rain from inside his room
and feel it as it has been
drumming on the corrugated
tin roof of his house.
Q-6. Mention a few things that
can happen when there is
endless rain for days together.
Ans-6.When it rains continuously
for days together, everything
around becomes damp and soggy.
It becomes difficult for anyone to
go out in the rain. The hillsides
become lush green as late-monsoon
flowers begin to appear i.e. the
wild balsam, dahlias, begonias
and ground orchids. The holes
and burrows of snakes and
rodents become flooded and
they take shelter in roofs,
attics and godowns.
Q-7.What is the significance of
cobra lilies in relation to the
monsoon season, its beginning
and end?
Ans- When the monsoon season
starts setting in, the first cobra
lily appears from the ferns.
However, when the seeds
of the cobra lily slowly start
turning red, that signifies the
monsoon is coming to an end.
Working with language
Q-1.Here are some words that
are associated with the monsoon.
Add as many words as you can
to this list. Can you find words
for these in your languages?
Ans- Here are some more words
that are associated with the
monsoon:
Rain
Thunderstorm
Hailstones
Mud
Fog
Raincoat
Dampness
Soggy
Muddy water
Q-2. Look at the sentences below.
(i) Bijju wandered into the garden
in the evening.
(ii) The trees were ringing with
birdsong.
Notice the highlighted verbs.
Ans-2. (ii) The traffic stopped.
Some people were sitting on
the road and they were shouting
slogans.
(iii) I wore my raincoat. It was
raining and people were getting wet.
(iv) She saw a film. She was narrating
it to her friends who were listening
carefully.
(v) We went to the exhibition. Some
people were buying clothes while
others were playing games.
(vi) The class was quiet. Some children
were reading books and the rest
were drawing.
Q-3. Here are some words from
the lesson which describe different
kinds of sounds.
Ans-3. (i) (a) to fall in smal
l drops – drip
(b) to make a sound by hitting a
surface repeatedly – drum
(c) to move quickly through the
air, making a soft sound – swish
(d) harsh sound made by
birds – caw
(e) ringing sound (of a bell or
breaking glass, etc.) – tinkle
(ii) (a) Ramesh drummed on
his desk in impatience.
(b) Rain water dripped from the
umbrella all over the carpet.
(c) The pony swishes its tail.
(d) The tinkling of breaking glass
woke me up.
(e) The cawing of the raven
disturbed the child’s sleep.
Q-4. And sure enough, I received a
cheque in the mail.
Complete each sentence below
by using appropriate phrases
from the ones given below.
Ans-4. (i) I saw thick black clouds
in the sky. And sure enough it
soon started raining heavily.
(ii) The blue umbrella was big
enough for the brother and sister.
(iii) The butterflies are colorful
enough to get noticed.
(iv) The lady was brave enough
to chase the leopard.
(v) The boy was anxious enough
to call out to his sister.
(vi) The man was kind enough
to offer help.
(vii) The victim’s injury was serious
enough for him to get admitted
in hospital.
(viii) That person was foolish enough
to repeat the same mistake again.
(ix) He told me he was sorry and he
would compensate for the loss.
I said, ‘fair enough.’
