SUPPLEMENTARY READER
Gandhiji and a Coffee Drinker
Gandhiji as a Nurse : Mahatma Gandhi was a very good nurse to the sick. He himself took care of all the sick persons in the Ashram at Sabarmati. The people spoke in joke that if anybody wished to see Gandhiji everyday and talk to him and hear him crack jokes, he should fall ill. Gandhiji himself visited the sick daily and cracked jokes with the patients.
ASouth Indian young lad :Once a young boy in the Ashram suffered from dysentery. He could not accustom himself to Ashram food. He liked coffee most but it was not allowed in the Ashram. By and by he got rid of dysentery and was now recovering. Gandhiji visited him for a few minutes and these minutes were like a tonic to him.
Desire of the young man :One day when he was lying on his back, he heard the sound of Gandhiji's wooden sandals. Gandhiji entered and asked him if he would like to eat Uppuma or Thosai. Gandhiji knew that he was a south Indian, and South Indians liked these things very much. The young man expressed his desire to have a cup of coffee. Gandhiji promised him that he would have light coffee and warm tost. He would send a tray to him.
Coffee arranged :Gandhiji's cottage was at the other end of the Ashram. The lad could imagine that it was an untimely hour. The kitchen would be closed and ‘Ba’ would be taking rest. But only twenty minutes later, the lad saw that Gandhiji was himself standing there with a tray, containing coffee and warm toast. Gandhiji himself prepared the coffee because he did not like to trouble ‘Ba’. The coffee was light , but excellent. The lad sipped it if it were nectar. He was overwhelmed.
SUBJECTIVE
[A] Short AnswerType Questions on the Text.
Ans: Gandhiji learned nursing through experience. He had a keen interest in serving the sick. So he became an excellent nurse.
Ans: The joke about Gandhiji prevalent in the Ashram was that if you wanted to see Gandhiji everyday and talk to him and hear his joke, you had only to be sick and get into bed.
Ans: Gandhiji knew that a patient needed something more than medicines. And that thing was laughter. So he visited the sick everyday and never failed to crack a joke or two with the patients.
Ans: The young South Indian lad went down with dysentery.
Ans: The young lad could not accustom himself to Ashram food because he was a South Indian. He had a great liking for coffee which was not allowed in the Ashram.
Ans: Gandhiji called the lad an old sinner as he had requested him a cup of coffee which was not allowed in the Ashram.
Ans: Gandhiji himself prepared coffee for the lad.
Ans: Gandhiji prepared the coffee himself because his wife ‘Ba’was resting at that time and he did not want to trouble her.
Ans: Gandhiji meant to say that he did not want to trouble her because he loved and respected ‘Ba’ very much.
Ans: The boy was overwhelmed when he realized that Gandhiji had to work for him at such an odd hour.
Q1: Why do you think coffee was banned in Sabarmati Ashram?
Ans: The young lad pined for a cup of good coffee. One day he was lying on his back dreaming of it. It makes us conclude that coffee was banned in Sabarmati Ashram.
Ans: Since Gandhiji had promised the lad a cup of light coffee with warm toast which would soothe his
stomach, so he served coffee to the lad.
Ans: Gandhiji was a first class nurse to the sick. He learnt nursing through observation of facts. All sick persons at the Sabarmati Ashram were looked after personally by Gandhiji . He visited the sick everyday. He stayed a few minutes at every bed. No day was too busy for Gandhiji to attend a sick person.
Gandhiji visited the sick with his never failing smile and cheering words. Those few minutes were like a tonic to the sick. He saw things carefully. He never failed to crack one or two jokes with the patient. Gandhiji had complete understanding of the patient's nature. He behaved accordingly. So he was a kind-hearted and caring personality,
Ans: The Ashram of Sabarmati was looked after by Gandhiji. Gandhiji was a first class nurse to the sick. All sick persons came directly under his eye and care. He visited the sick everyday.
There was no day too busy for him to attend a sick person. He spent a few minutes at every bed-side. He always cracked a joke or two with the patient.
Gandhiji had travelled throughout India. He knew the food habits of different people living in different states. He asked the south Indian lad what he would like to eat. He himself proposed him some good Uppuma or Thosai.
He promised the lad to send him coffee and warm toast. But it was an untimely hour. He did not disturb ‘Ba’. He prepared coffee himself and carried it to the led himself . It shows Gandhiji was an easy person to go with.
Ans: The young lad suffering from dysentery was South Indian. When he recovered , he pined for a cup of good coffee.
One day he was laying on his back. He was dreaming of coffee, when Gandhiji entered his room, Gandhiji asked,"What would you like to eat."
The lad spoke suddenly without thinking, "Could I have a cup of coffee, please?" Gandhiji said, "You certainly shall have your cup of coffee," and promised him to send a tray.
The lad imagined that Gandhiji would go to ‘Ba’and ask for coffee and toast. But it was an untimely hour. He had caused Gandhiji too much botheration.Suddenly the lad heard the sound of Gandhiji's sandals. His heart sank if the coffee was called off. When Gandhiji gave him coffee, he told him that he made coffee himself. Gandhiji left the room. The lad enjoyed coffee. But he was overwhelmed to think about the botheration Gandhiji had gone through.
OBJECTIVE
[A] Write ‘T’fortrue and ‘F’forfalse forthe following statements :
1. Gandhiji was a well trained nurse. [F]
2. Gandhiji personallyvisited all sick people in the Ashram. [T]
3. Coffee was allowed only once a day in Ashram. [F]
4. Gandhiji asked Ba to prepare coffee. [T]
5. Gandhiji was kind and considerate. [T]
6. The young boy was down with dysentery. [T]
7. The young boy was longing for uppuma and thosai. [F]
8. The young boy got the coffee finally. [T]
9. Coffee was as if nectar for Gandhiji. [F]
10. The boy was deeply touched by Gandhiji's service. [T]