The Little Girl

Good morning, students. I hope you are all doing well today. Today we are going to study a very beautiful and emotional chapter from your English textbook. This is Chapter 3, titled "The Little Girl", written by a famous New Zealand writer named Katherine Mansfield. Before we begin reading the story, let me tell you a little bit about what we will be covering in today's lesson.

We will read and understand this touching story about a little girl named Kezia and her relationship with her father. We will go through all the exercises given at the end of the story, including the comprehension questions, language exercises about synonyms and verbs of reporting, and we will also discuss the speaking and writing activities. After we finish the story, we will also read and understand a lovely poem called "Rain on the Roof" by Coates Kinney, and we will answer all the questions related to that poem as well.

So students, get ready your textbooks and your notebooks, and let us begin our journey with little Kezia.

Now, let us understand the story step by step. The story begins with a description of how Kezia, the little girl, feels about her father. Students, can you imagine a situation where you feel scared of someone who is supposed to love you and care for you? That is exactly what happens with Kezia. She is afraid of her father. Let me explain why.

The story says that every morning before going to work, her father comes into her room and gives her a casual kiss, and she responds by saying "Goodbye, Father". But here is the important part, students - notice how the writer describes Kezia's feelings. She says there was a "glad sense of relief" when she heard the noise of the carriage growing fainter and fainter down the long road. This means that Kezia feels happy and relieved only after her father leaves for work. This tells us that she is very afraid of her father and feels tense in his presence.

Now, let us think about why this fear exists. The story tells us that in the evening when her father comes home, she can hear his loud voice in the hall. He asks for his tea, his newspaper, his slippers. He seems like a very commanding and loud person, and this intimidates the little girl. Can you imagine a father who speaks so loudly that his children are afraid of him? This is quite common in many Indian households too, where fathers are seen as strict and authoritative figures.

Now, students, let us look at what happens when Kezia is asked to do something for her father. Her mother calls her and says, "Kezia, if you're a good girl you can come down and take off father's boots." This task seems simple to us, but for little Kezia, it is a terrifying experience. She slowly slips down the stairs, even more slowly across the hall, and pushes open the drawing-room door. Notice how slowly she moves - this shows her fear and reluctance.

When she enters the room, her father has his spectacles on and he looks at her over them in a way that was terrifying to the little girl. Students, can you imagine someone looking at you over their spectacles? It can be quite intimidating, especially for a young child. Her father then asks her to pull off his boots and take them outside. He also asks if she has been a good girl today. Now here is something very interesting - Kezia starts stuttering. She says, "I d-d-don't know, Father." The story tells us that she never stuttered with other people - she had quite given it up - but only with her father, because she was trying so hard to say the words properly and was so nervous in his presence.

Her father then says, "You d-d-don't know? If you stutter like that Mother will have to take you to the doctor." This shows that her father does not understand why she is stuttering. He thinks she has a speech problem, but actually it is just fear. He then asks her what she is looking so wretched about, and says he wishes her mother would teach her not to appear on the brink of suicide. Students, "on the brink of suicide" is an idiom that means looking extremely unhappy or depressed, as if one is about to give up on life. Her father uses this expression somewhat dramatically, showing that he does not really understand children's emotions.

Then her father asks her to carry his teacup back to the table carefully. The story describes him as so big - his hands and his neck, especially his mouth when he yawned. Thinking about him alone was like thinking about a giant. This comparison to a giant shows us how enormous and frightening he appears to little Kezia.

Now, let us move to Sunday afternoons. On Sundays, the grandmother sends Kezia down to the drawing-room to have a nice talk with Father and Mother. But what does Kezia find? She finds Mother reading and Father stretched out on the sofa, his handkerchief on his face, his feet on one of the best cushions, sleeping soundly and snoring. So the "nice talk" that was supposed to happen never actually happens because father is fast asleep. Kezia sits on a stool and gravely watches him until he wakes up. When he wakes up and stretches, he asks the time and then looks at her. He says, "Don't stare so, Kezia. You look like a little brown owl." This is an interesting comparison - an owl is a bird that is often associated with being wise but also a bit strange or creepy, especially when it stares. So father is teasing her, but Kezia probably does not take it as a joke because she is so afraid of him.

Now, students, here comes a very important part of the story. One day, Kezia's grandmother tells her that father's birthday is next week, and suggests that she should make him a pin-cushion for a gift out of a beautiful piece of yellow silk. A pin-cushion is a small cushion used to store pins and needles. This is a sweet gesture, isn't it? The grandmother is trying to help Kezia build a better relationship with her father by encouraging her to give him a gift.

Kezia works laboriously, which means with a lot of effort and difficulty, to stitch three sides of the pin-cushion using a double cotton. But then she faces a problem - what to fill it with? The grandmother is out in the garden, so Kezia wanders into Mother's bedroom to look for scraps, which means small pieces of cloth or paper. On the bed-table, she discovers a great many sheets of fine paper. She gathers them up, tears them into tiny pieces, and stuffs her case, then sews up the fourth side.

Now, students, here is the problem. These papers were not just any papers - they were father's great speech for the Port Authority. This means her father had written an important speech for a meeting or event, and Kezia has torn it up to fill her pin-cushion. Can you imagine how her father would feel about this? This is a classic example of a child trying to do something good but accidentally causing a big problem.

That night there is a hue and cry in the house. "Hue and cry" means angry protest or loud complaint. Rooms are searched, servants are questioned. Finally, Mother comes into Kezia's room and asks if she saw some papers on a table. Kezia, in her innocence, says, "Oh yes, I tore them up for my surprise." She thought she was doing something wonderful for her father's birthday, but instead she has destroyed his important speech. Mother screams, "Come straight down to the dining-room this instant." And Kezia is dragged down to where Father is pacing to and fro, hands behind his back. He is very angry.

When Father asks if she did it, Kezia tries to deny it by stuttering "N-n-no", but she is not able to lie properly because she is so scared. Father asks Mother to go up to her room and fetch the "damned thing" - meaning the pin-cushion - and says the child should be put to bed immediately. He is too angry to even listen to an explanation.

Now, students, this is a very emotional part of the story. Kezia is crying too much to explain. She lies in the shadowed room watching the evening light make a sad little pattern on the floor. She is completely devastated. Then Father comes into the room with a ruler in his hands. He says, "I am going to beat you for this." Kezia screams and hides under the bedclothes, saying "Oh, no, no." But Father pulls them aside and orders her to sit up and hold out her hands. He says, "You must be taught once and for all not to touch what does not belong to you."

Kezia tries to explain, "But it was for your b-b-birthday." But down comes the ruler on her little, pink palms. The father punishes her without even listening to her explanation. This is very sad, isn't it? Students, this shows us that sometimes adults make mistakes too. They act in anger without understanding the full situation.

Hours later, when Grandmother has wrapped her in a shawl and rocked her in the rocking-chair, the child clings to her soft body and asks, "What did God make fathers for?" This is a heartbreaking question. Kezia cannot understand why fathers exist if they are so scary and punishing. Grandmother tries to comfort her, saying, "Here's a clean hanky, darling. Blow your nose. Go to sleep, pet; you'll forget all about it in the morning. I tried to explain to Father but he was too upset to listen tonight."

But the child never forgets. Next time she sees her father, she quickly puts both hands behind her back and a red colour flies into her cheeks. She is so traumatized that she cannot even face him properly.

Now, students, let us look at an important part of the story where Kezia sees a different kind of father. The Macdonalds live next door. They have five children. One day, Kezia looks through a gap in the fence and sees them playing 'tag' in the evening. The father has the baby on his shoulders, two little girls are hanging on to his coat pockets, and they run round and round the flower-beds, shaking with laughter. Once she sees the boys turn the hose on him - and he tries to catch them laughing all the time. This is a completely different picture of fatherhood, isn't it? This father plays with his children, laughs with them, and enjoys spending time with them. This is when Kezia decides there are different sorts of fathers. She realizes that not all fathers are like her own father - some are loving and playful.

Now, something unexpected happens. One day, Mother becomes ill, and she and Grandmother go to the hospital. The little girl is left alone in the house with Alice, the cook. That is okay in the daytime, but at night when Alice is putting her to bed, Kezia grows suddenly afraid. She asks, "What'll I do if I have a nightmare? I often have nightmares and then Grannie takes me into her bed - I can't stay in the dark - it all gets 'whispery'..."

Students, "whispery" is not a proper English word - it is how a child might describe something that seems to whisper or whisper about her, meaning she is scared of dark shadows and sounds. Alice tells her to go to sleep and not to scream and wake her poor Pa. But the same old nightmare comes - the butcher with a knife and a rope, who comes nearer and nearer, smiling that dreadful smile, while she cannot move, can only stand still, crying out, "Grandma! Grandma!"

She wakes shivering to see Father beside her bed, a candle in his hand. This is a turning point in the story, students. When Kezia is scared and needs help, who comes to her rescue? It is her father! He asks, "What's the matter?" She says, "Oh, a butcher - a knife - I want Grannie." What does her father do? He blows out the candle, bends down and catches up the child in his arms, carrying her along the passage to the big bedroom. He puts away a newspaper that was on the bed, then carefully tucks up the child. He lies down beside her.

Now, students, this is a beautiful moment. Half asleep still, still with the butcher's smile all about her, she creeps close to him, snuzzles her head under his arm, holds tightly to his shirt. Then the dark does not matter; she lies still. Her father says, "Here, rub your feet against my legs and get them warm." He is taking care of her, keeping her warm, protecting her from her fears.

Tired out, he falls asleep before the little girl. A funny feeling comes over her. Students, this is a very important moment of realization for Kezia. She thinks, "Poor Father, not so big, after all - and with no one to look after him. He was harder than Grandmother, but it was a nice hardness. And every day he had to work and was too tired to be a Mr Macdonald..."

Can you understand what is happening in Kezia's mind? She is realizing that her father is not really a giant or a scary monster. He is just a human being who works hard every day and comes home tired. He does not have time to play like Mr Macdonald because he is busy providing for the family. She also thinks about how she tore up all his beautiful writing - his speech - and feels guilty about it. She stirs suddenly and sighs.

Her father wakes up and asks, "What's the matter? Another dream?" And Kezia says something very sweet and touching. She says, "Oh, my head's on your heart. I can hear it going. What a big heart you've got, Father dear." Students, this is the moment when Kezia's fear transforms into understanding and love. She realizes that her father does have a big heart - he cares for her, he protects her, he loves her even though he does not always show it in a gentle way.

This is the end of the story, and it is a beautiful story about how a child's perception of her father changes from fear to understanding. The story teaches us that sometimes we need to look beyond the strict exterior to see the love and care underneath. It also teaches us that parents are not perfect - they make mistakes, they get angry, they lose patience - but that does not mean they do not love their children.

Now, students, let us go through the exercises given at the end of the story. We will start with "Thinking about the Text".

Exercise I asks us to match the emotions in Column A with the items in Column B. Let me explain each one.

The first emotion is "fear or terror". When does Kezia feel fear or terror? Looking at the options, we can see that this matches with option (iv) - speaking to father. When Kezia speaks to her father, she is terrified. She stutters and is very scared. This makes sense because her father seems like a giant to her and she is always nervous in his presence.

The second emotion is "glad sense of relief". When does Kezia feel relieved? This matches with option (ii) - noise of the carriage grows fainter. As we discussed earlier, every morning after her father gives her a kiss and leaves for work, she feels a glad sense of relief when she hears the carriage going away. This shows how afraid she is of him.

The third emotion is "a 'funny' feeling, perhaps of understanding". This matches with option (vi) - father comforts her and falls asleep. This happens at the end of the story when Kezia's father comes to comfort her during a nightmare and falls asleep beside her. At that moment, Kezia has a funny feeling - she begins to understand her father as a human being who needs love and care, just as she does.

Now, let us look at Exercise II. We need to answer these questions in one or two sentences.

Question 1 asks: Why was Kezia afraid of her father?

Students, we need to understand that Kezia was afraid of her father because he was a very big and loud person. He had a booming voice, big hands, a big neck, and especially a big mouth when he yawned. To little Kezia, he seemed like a giant. He was also very strict and commanding. He would order people around the house, ask for his tea, newspaper, and slippers in a loud voice. He never spoke gently to Kezia, and whenever she was near him, she felt very nervous. She even started stuttering when she spoke to him, though she did not stutter with anyone else. Her father's strict and intimidating manner made her fear him.

Question 2 asks: Who were the people in Kezia's family?

The people in Kezia's family were her mother, her father, her grandmother, and there was also a cook named Alice. So we have Kezia, her mother, her father, her grandmother, and Alice the cook. That makes five people in the household, though Alice is a servant, not a family member.

Question 3 asks: What was Kezia's father's routine (i) before going to his office? (ii) after coming back from his office? (iii) on Sundays?

Let me explain each part.

(i) Before going to his office: Every morning before going to work, he came into Kezia's room and gave her a casual kiss. She would say "Goodbye, Father" and feel relieved when he left.

(ii) After coming from his office: In the evening when he came home, he would call out loudly for his tea, his newspaper, and his slippers. He would ask Mother to check if the paper had come. He would then sit in the drawing-room with his spectacles on.

(iii) On Sundays: On Sunday afternoons, father would stretch out on the sofa in the drawing-room, put his handkerchief on his face, and sleep soundly and snore. He would not really interact much with Kezia on Sundays because he was asleep.

Question 4 asks: In what ways did Kezia's grandmother encourage her to get to know her father better?

The grandmother tried to help Kezia get to know her father better in a couple of ways. First, she sent Kezia down to the drawing-room on Sunday afternoons for a "nice talk with Father and Mother", though this did not work out because father was usually asleep. Second, and more importantly, when father's birthday was approaching, the grandmother suggested that Kezia should make him a pin-cushion as a gift. She gave Kezia a beautiful piece of yellow silk and encouraged her to stitch it. This was the grandmother's way of helping Kezia express love and affection for her father, hoping that this gesture would bring them closer. However, as we know, this plan did not work out as expected because Kezia accidentally used her father's speech papers to fill the cushion.

Now, let us move to Exercise III. These are discussion questions that we need to answer in two or three paragraphs each.

Question 1: Kezia's efforts to please her father resulted in displeasing him very much. How did this happen?

Students, this is a very important question that teaches us about good intentions sometimes leading to bad results. Kezia wanted to please her father for his birthday. Her grandmother suggested making a pin-cushion, and Kezia worked very hard on it. She stitched three sides laboriously. But then she faced a problem - she needed something to fill the cushion with. She went to her parents' bedroom looking for scraps and found fine paper on the bed-table. Not knowing that these were her father's important speech papers for the Port Authority, she tore them into tiny pieces and stuffed the cushion with them. She thought she was doing something wonderful - making a birthday gift for her father. But when the papers were discovered missing, there was a huge search in the house. When Kezia admitted what she had done, her father was extremely angry. He punished her with a ruler, not even listening to her explanation that it was meant to be a birthday gift. So, Kezia's sincere effort to please her father actually ended up destroying his important speech and making him very angry with her. This shows that sometimes children can make mistakes even when they have the best intentions, and it is important for adults to understand the child's perspective.

Question 2: Kezia decides that there are "different kinds of fathers". What kind of father was Mr Macdonald, and how was he different from Kezia's father?

Students, this question is about comparing two fathers. Mr Macdonald is the father who lives next door to Kezia. He is shown to be a very loving and playful father. The story describes how Kezia watched him playing with his five children through a gap in the fence. He would carry the baby, Mao, on his shoulders. Two little girls would hang on to his coat pockets, and they would all run round and round the flower-beds, shaking with laughter. Once she saw the boys turn the hose on him - and he tried to catch them laughing all the time. This shows that Mr Macdonald is affectionate, playful, and enjoys spending time with his children. He is not strict or intimidating at all.

On the other hand, Kezia's father is strict, commanding, and often angry. He speaks in a loud voice, demands things from everyone in the house, and does not have time to play with Kezia. He works hard and comes home tired. He punishes Kezia without listening to her explanation. So the main difference is that Mr Macdonald is warm, loving, and playful, while Kezia's father is strict, distant, and sometimes harsh. However, as we learn from the story, Kezia's father is not a bad person - he just has a different way of showing love, and he is busy with his work.

Question 3: How does Kezia begin to see her father as a human being who needs her sympathy?

Students, this is a beautiful question about how understanding and empathy develop. The turning point comes when Kezia's mother and grandmother go to the hospital, and she is left alone with Alice the cook. One night, she has a nightmare about a butcher with a knife and a rope. She wakes up shivering and terrified. Her father comes to her rescue with a candle in his hand. He picks her up in his arms and carries her to the big bedroom. He carefully tucks her into bed and lies down beside her. He keeps her warm by asking her to rub her feet against his legs.

While lying there, Kezia's father falls asleep before her. As she lies beside him, she has a realization. She thinks about how her father is "not so big, after all" and how he has "no one to look after him". She realizes that he works hard every day and is too tired to be like Mr Macdonald. She feels sorry for him. She thinks about how she tore up all his beautiful writing - his speech - and feels guilty. At that moment, she puts her head on his heart and hears it beating. She says, "What a big heart you've got, Father dear." This shows that she now sees him not as a scary giant, but as a human being who works hard, gets tired, has feelings, and needs love and care - just like everyone else. She develops sympathy for him because she understands his struggles now.

Now, students, let us move to "Thinking about the Language" section.

First, we have an exercise about synonyms. The story uses the word "glad" to describe Kezia's sense of relief. We are told that glad, happy, pleased, delighted, thrilled, and overjoyed are synonyms, but they express happiness in certain ways.

Let me explain the differences:

- "Glad" is a simple word that means happy about something. It is often used in everyday situations. - "Happy" is a general term for feeling pleasure or contentment. - "Pleased" means feeling satisfaction or gratification about something. - "Delighted" means feeling great pleasure or satisfaction - it is stronger than pleased. - "Thrilled" means extremely excited and happy about something. - "Overjoyed" means extremely happy, almost unable to contain one's joy.

Now, let us do the exercise. We need to use an appropriate word from these synonyms in the given sentences. The clues are in brackets.

(i) She was ____________ by the news of her brother's wedding. (very pleased)

Here, the clue says "very pleased". The best word would be "delighted" because it means very pleased. So the sentence becomes: She was delighted by the news of her brother's wedding.

(ii) I was ____________ to be invited to the party. (extremely pleased and excited about)

The clue says "extremely pleased and excited about". The best word here is "thrilled" because it implies both pleasure and excitement. So: I was thrilled to be invited to the party.

(iii) She was ____________ at the birth of her granddaughter. (extremely happy)

The clue says "extremely happy". We can use "overjoyed" or "delighted". "Overjoyed" is stronger and fits very well. So: She was overjoyed at the birth of her granddaughter.

(iv) The coach was ____________ with his performance. (satisfied about)

Here, the clue says "satisfied about". The best word is "pleased" because it indicates satisfaction. So: The coach was pleased with his performance.

(v) She was very ____________ with her results. (happy about something that has happened)

The clue says "happy about something that has happened". We can use "happy" or "pleased". Both work, but "pleased" is a bit more formal and fits well. So: She was very pleased with her results.

Now, the next part of the exercise is about the word "big". We need to find out the meaning of "big" in different sentences. The first one has been done for us: "You are a big girl now" means older. Let me explain the others.

(ii) Today you are going to take the biggest decision of your career.

Here, "biggest" does not mean largest in size. It means most important or significant. So the answer is "most important".

(iii) Their project is full of big ideas.

Here, "big" does not mean large in physical size. It means important, great, or ambitious. So "big ideas" means important or great ideas. The answer is "important" or "great".

(iv) Cricket is a big game in our country.

Here, "big" means popular, important, or significant. Cricket is a very popular and important game in India. So the answer is "important" or "popular".

(v) I am a big fan of Lata Mangeshkar.

Here, "big" means great or huge. Being a "big fan" means being a great admirer or loving someone's work very much. So the answer is "great" or "devoted".

(vi) You have to cook a bit more as my friend is a big eater.

Here, "big" refers to someone who eats a lot. A "big eater" is someone who has a large appetite. So the answer is "large" or "who eats a lot".

(vii) What a big heart you've got, Father dear.

Here, "big" does not mean physically large. It means generous, kind, or loving. Having a "big heart" is an idiom that means being kind, generous, and caring. So the answer is "generous" or "kind".

Now, students, we move to the section on Verbs of Reporting. Let me explain what verbs of reporting are.

When we want to tell someone what another person said, thought, or did, we use reporting verbs. These verbs help us report statements, questions, requests, orders, thoughts, intentions, apologies, and manner of speaking. Some common reporting verbs are said, told, asked, replied, answered, shouted, whispered, ordered, suggested, promised, wondered, apologized, and so on.

Let me give you some examples from the story:

- "What!" screamed Mother. Here, "screamed" is a reporting verb that tells us how Mother spoke - she shouted in anger. - "N-n-no," she whispered. Here, "whispered" tells us that Kezia spoke very softly because she was scared. - "Sit up," he ordered. Here, "ordered" tells us that Father gave a command to Kezia.

Now, let us do the first exercise. We need to underline the verbs of reporting in the given sentences.

(i) He says he will enjoy the ride.

The verb of reporting here is "says". It reports what he said.

(ii) Father mentioned that he was going on a holiday.

The verb of reporting here is "mentioned". It reports that Father spoke about going on a holiday.

(iii) No one told us that the shop was closed.

The verb of reporting here is "told". It reports that someone informed us about something.

(iv) He answered that the price would go up.

The verb of reporting here is "answered". It reports his response to a question.

(v) I wondered why he was screaming.

The verb of reporting here is "wondered". It reports the speaker's thought or curiosity.

(vi) Ben told her to wake him up.

The verb of reporting here is "told". It reports that Ben gave her an instruction.

(vii) Ratan apologised for coming late to the party.

The verb of reporting here is "apologised". It reports that Ratan said sorry.

Now, the second exercise in this section asks us to choose appropriate verbs from the given box and fill in the blanks. The verbs given are: were complaining, shouted, replied, remarked, ordered, suggested.

Let me go through each sentence:

(i) "I am not afraid," ____________ the woman.

The appropriate verb here is "replied" or "said". But looking at our options, we have "replied" in the box. So the sentence becomes: "I am not afraid," replied the woman.

(ii) "Leave me alone," my mother ____________.

This is a command, so the appropriate verb could be "ordered" or "shouted". Looking at our options, "shouted" fits well because it shows the manner of speaking. So: "Leave me alone," my mother shouted.

(iii) The children ____________ that the roads were crowded and noisy.

The children are expressing dissatisfaction or unhappiness about something. The appropriate verb is "were complaining". So: The children were complaining that the roads were crowded and noisy.

(iv) "Perhaps he isn't a bad sort of a chap after all," ____________ the master.

This is a thoughtful comment or observation. The appropriate verb is "remarked". So: "Perhaps he isn't a bad sort of a chap after all," remarked the master.

(v) "Let's go and look at the school ground," ____________ the sports teacher.

This is a suggestion or proposal. The appropriate verb is "suggested". So: "Let's go and look at the school ground," suggested the sports teacher.

(vi) The traffic police ____________ all the passers-by to keep off the road.

This is an instruction or command. The appropriate verb is "ordered". So: The traffic police ordered all the passers-by to keep off the road.

Now, students, we come to the "Speaking" section. We need to form pairs or groups and discuss these questions.

Question 1: This story is not an Indian story. But do you think there are fathers, mothers and grandmothers like the ones portrayed in the story in our own country?

Students, this is a great question for discussion. The story is set in New Zealand, but the themes are universal. In India, we do have many fathers who are strict and commanding, similar to Kezia's father. In many Indian families, fathers are seen as the head of the family and are expected to be serious and disciplined. They may not always show their emotions openly, and children might initially feel afraid of them. However, as we see in the story, this does not mean they do not love their children. Similarly, we have mothers who are caring but sometimes busy with household responsibilities, and grandmothers who try to bridge the gap between children and their parents. So yes, we can definitely find similar characters in Indian households. The story resonates with the Indian experience of family relationships, especially the dynamic between strict fathers and their children.

Question 2: Was Kezia's father right to punish her? What kind of a person was he?

This is another good question for discussion. Students, we need to think about this from different perspectives.

Was he right to punish her? In my opinion, no, he was not right to punish her in that way. He should have listened to her explanation first. She was only trying to do something nice for him - make a birthday gift. She did not know that the papers were important. Punishing a child without understanding the full situation is not fair. However, we can also understand his anger - he had worked hard on that speech and it was lost. But as an adult, he should have controlled his anger and listened to his daughter.

What kind of a person was he? Looking at the options given, we can describe him as strict, hard-working, responsible, disciplinarian, short-tempered, and undemonstrative. He is hard-working because he goes to work every day and comes home tired. He is strict and a disciplinarian because he expects things to be done properly. He is short-tempered because he gets angry easily. He is undemonstrative because he does not show his love and affection openly. However, we also see that he is caring in his own way - he comes to comfort Kezia when she has a nightmare. So he is not unkind or indifferent - he just has a different way of showing love.

Now, students, we come to the "Writing" section. The question asks us to write about our own experiences with parents and how our perception has changed over time. We need to write three or four paragraphs discussing whether our life has been similar to or different from Kezia's, whether our perception about parents has changed, and what steps we would like to take to build a relationship based on understanding. This should be about 150 to 200 words.

I will not write this for you, but I will give you some guidance on how to approach this. You can write about how you might have initially been afraid of or intimidated by one of your parents, but as you grew older, you understood their love and sacrifices. You can talk about how they work hard for your family and sometimes show their love in ways that are not always obvious. You can also write about the steps you would take to improve understanding - such as communicating more openly, spending quality time together, and trying to see things from their perspective.

Now, students, we move to the second part of this chapter - the poem "Rain on the Roof" by Coates Kinney.

This is a beautiful poem about the experience of listening to rain on a roof. The poet describes how the sound of rain brings back memories of his mother. Let me explain the poem line by line.

The poem begins with a description of the weather: "When the humid shadows hover / Over all the starry spheres / And the melancholy darkness / Gently weeps in rainy tears..."

Students, "humid shadows" refers to the dark, moist clouds that gather in the sky before rain. "Starry spheres" means the stars in the sky. So the poet is describing a night when the sky is covered with dark clouds and it is about to rain. The darkness seems sad or melancholy, and it "weeps in rainy tears" - this is a beautiful way of saying that it is raining.

Then the poet says, "What a bliss to press the pillow / Of a cottage-chamber bed / And lie listening to the patter / Of the soft rain overhead!"

The poet finds it a pure joy or bliss to lie in bed in a small cottage room and listen to the soft rain falling on the roof. "Patter" means the light, gentle sound that rain makes when it hits the roof. This shows that the poet finds comfort and pleasure in this simple experience.

The next stanza says: "Every tinkle on the shingles / Has an echo in the heart; / And a thousand dreamy fancies / Into busy being start, / And a thousand recollections / Weave their air-threads into woof, / As I listen to the patter / Of the rain upon the roof."

Students, "tinkle" means short, light ringing sounds. "Shingles" are rectangular wooden tiles used on roofs. So every little sound of rain on the roof creates an echo in the poet's heart. This leads to a flood of memories and imaginings. "A thousand dreamy fancies into busy being start" means many dreamy thoughts and ideas start filling the poet's mind. "A thousand recollections weave their air-threads into woof" is a beautiful poetic way of saying that many memories weave together like threads in a piece of cloth. The word "woof" refers to the threads woven across a loom. So as the poet listens to the rain, his mind is filled with memories and imaginings.

The final stanza is the most touching part of the poem: "Now in memory comes my mother, / As she used in years agone, / To regard the darling dreamers / Ere she left them till the dawn: / O! I feel her fond look on me / As I list to this refrain / Which is played upon the shingles / By the patter of the rain."

The poet's memory goes back to his mother as she used to be in the past - "years agone" means long ago. She would come to look at her sleeping children - "the darling dreamers" - before leaving them until morning. The word "ere" is an old poetic word for "before". So the poet remembers how his mother would check on him and his siblings before they woke up in the morning. He says that he can still feel her fond look upon him as he listens to the sound of the rain, which is like a refrain - a repeated part of a song - played on the roof.

This poem beautifully captures how certain sounds, like the rain on the roof, can bring back powerful memories of loved ones, especially our mothers. It shows that the poet cherishes these memories and finds comfort in them.

Now, let us go through the exercises at the end of the poem.

Exercise I, Question 1 asks us to discuss what certain phrases mean.

(i) humid shadows: This refers to the dark, moist clouds that hang in the sky before it rains. It creates a humid, heavy atmosphere.

(ii) starry spheres: This means the stars in the sky. "Spheres" gives a poetic image of the stars as round objects in the sky.

(iii) what a bliss: This means "what a joy" or "what a wonderful feeling". "Bliss" means extreme happiness or joy.

(iv) a thousand dreamy fancies into busy being start: This means many dreamy thoughts and imaginings begin to fill the mind. The poet's mind becomes active with these thoughts.

(v) a thousand recollections weave their air-threads into woof: This means many memories weave together like threads in a fabric. The word "woof" refers to the horizontal threads in weaving. It is a beautiful image of memories coming together.

Question 2: What does the poet like to do when it rains?

The poet likes to lie in bed in a cottage room and listen to the patter or sound of the soft rain overhead. He finds it a blissful or joyful experience.

Question 3: What is the single major memory that comes to the poet? Who are the "darling dreamers" he refers to?

The single major memory that comes to the poet is of his mother. He remembers how she used to come and look at her sleeping children before dawn. The "darling dreamers" are the poet and his siblings - the children who were sleeping peacefully and dreaming.

Question 4: Is the poet now a child? Is his mother still alive?

No, the poet is not a child now. He is an adult who is looking back on his childhood memories. The poem uses the past tense - "As she used in years agone" - which means she used to do this long ago. This suggests that the poet is now grown up and perhaps his mother is no longer alive, or at least not able to come and check on him as she used to. The memory is from the past.

Now, Exercise II has three questions for discussion.

Question 1: When you were a young child, did your mother tuck you in, as the poet's did?

This is a personal question for you to think about. Many mothers tuck their children into bed and make sure they are comfortable before sleeping. You can share your own experiences.

Question 2: Do you like rain? What do you do when it rains steadily or heavily as described in the poem?

Again, this is a personal question. Some people love the sound of rain and find it soothing. Others might find it uncomfortable. You can describe what you do during rain - do you listen to music, read a book, watch movies, or simply sit and watch the rain?

Question 3: Does everybody have a cosy bed to lie in when it rains? Look around you and describe how different kinds of people or animals spend time, seek shelter etc. during rain.

This is an important question that makes us think about those who are less fortunate. Not everyone has a cosy bed to lie in when it rains. Some people have to work in the rain - like farmers, street vendors, traffic police. Some people live in poor conditions and do not have proper shelter. Animals also seek shelter - dogs might hide under a shed, birds sit under trees or on building ledges, cows and buffaloes stand under trees. This question helps us develop empathy for others who are not as lucky as us.

Now, students, we have covered the entire chapter. Let me give you a complete summary of everything we have learned today.

In today's lesson, we studied Chapter 3 "The Little Girl" by Katherine Mansfield. This is a touching story about a young girl named Kezia who is afraid of her father. Every morning, she feels relieved when her father leaves for work. She is scared to even speak to him and stammers in his presence. Her father is a big, loud, and strict man who works hard but does not know how to express his love gently.

Kezia's grandmother tries to help her build a better relationship with her father by suggesting she make him a birthday gift - a pin-cushion. Kezia works hard on it but makes a mistake - she uses her father's important speech papers to fill the cushion. When this is discovered, her father punishes her without listening to her explanation. This leaves Kezia even more traumatized.

However, everything changes when Kezia's mother and grandmother go to the hospital, and she is left alone at home. One night, she has a nightmare and her father comes to comfort her. He holds her in his arms and lets her sleep beside him. In this moment, Kezia realizes that her father is not a scary giant but a human being who works hard, gets tired, and needs love just like everyone else. She puts her head on his chest and hears his heart beating. She says, "What a big heart you've got, Father dear." This is the moment when fear transforms into understanding and love.

We also learned about synonyms - words that have similar meanings but different intensities. We practiced using words like glad, happy, pleased, delighted, thrilled, and overjoyed in different sentences. We also learned about the different meanings of the word "big" in different contexts.

We studied verbs of reporting - words like said, told, asked, shouted, whispered, ordered, suggested, and so on. We practiced identifying these verbs in sentences and using them appropriately.

We discussed the speaking questions about whether similar families exist in India and whether Kezia's father was right to punish her. We also thought about the kind of person he was - hard-working, strict, short-tempered, but also caring in his own way.

Then we moved to the poem "Rain on the Roof" by Coates Kinney. This beautiful poem describes the experience of listening to rain on a roof and how it brings back memories of the poet's mother. The poet remembers how his mother would come and check on her sleeping children before dawn. The poem shows how sounds and experiences can trigger powerful memories of loved ones, especially our mothers.

We answered questions about the poem's imagery, the poet's feelings about rain, and the memory of his mother. We also thought about how different people and animals experience rain differently, and how not everyone has the comfort of a cosy bed during rainfall.

Students, this chapter teaches us important lessons about family relationships, understanding, and empathy. It shows us that sometimes people we fear may actually love us deeply, even if they do not show it in obvious ways. It also reminds us to look beyond the surface and try to understand others' perspectives. The poem reminds us to cherish our memories and the people who love us.

That concludes our lesson for today. Thank you for listening attentively. Remember to revise what we have learned and complete all the exercises in your notebooks. Have a great day, students!