On a Winter's Night
Halku a poor farmer, lived with his wife in a village. It was a cold winter and Halku had no blanket nor any quilt to keep away cold at night. He could not buy any blanket because he had to give all the three rupees he had to Sohna, the money-lender who often abused him. His wife advised him to give up farming since it did not give them even enough food to eat. Halku had to sleep in the open to look after his crop at night.
It was a cold dark night. Halku wrapped himself in an old cotton sheet. He lay on his cot in a corner of his field. He could not sleep. The cold went deep into his bones. While smoking his clay-pipe again and again, he thought about the rich land owners who were sleeping in their warm beds and woolen blankets. In order to keep himself warm, Halku made his dog Jhabra lie next to him. But soon after Jhabra started barking and ran into the field. It seemed to Halku that a herd of cattle had entered his field.
Halku then, went to the mango orchard. He made a heap of dry leaves and lit a fire. When the fire died out, he felt lazy. As Jhabra was still barking there, he thought that no one could enter his fields. He decided not to worry and lay down to sleep. The cattle ate up all the crop.
Next morning, when his wife came and scolded him for not keeping watch, he pretended that he had a stomach- ache. The wife asked him to give up farming. Halku said he would work as a labourer and he won't have to sleep in the open on a bitterly cold night like that.
SUBJECTIVE
Q1: To whom did Halku and his wife owe money?
Ans: Halku and his wife owed money to Sohna, the money-lender.
Ans: Halku had only three rupees.
Ans: Halku's wife wanted to spend it in buying a blanket for Halku.
Ans: Halku did not buy a blanket because he had to repay the debt of the money-lender. He did not have enough money with him for both the purposes.
Ans: Halku's wife wanted Halku to give up farming because it did not give them even enough food to eat.
Ans: The rich landowners enjoyed the fruits of labour of the farmers.
Ans: Halku smoked his claypipe ten times in order to keep away the cold.
Ans: Halku thought that the rich landowners got money to buy blankets from poor people like him who worked hard and suffered. The landowners kept on getting rich.
Ans: Halku smoked his clay-pipe again and again to keep himself warm. He made his dog sleep near him. He collected dry mango leaves from the orchard and burnt them.
Ans: When Halku woke up, his wife said to him, " Look, the cattle have eaten up all the crop, you should have kept watch.
[B] Short AnswerType Questions on yourunderstanding
Ans: Jhabra was a pet dog of Halku. He remained with Halku on his field.
One cold winter night, Jhabra was lying under the cot of Halku. Halku tried to sleep. As he stretched himself he shivered. Since he could think of nothing else, he took Jhabra and made him sleep next to him. This kept both of them warm. Jhabra barked and ran from one corner of the field to another to drive away the animals . Halku thought when Jhabra was there no one could enter his field. Jhabra was faithful to Halku.
Ans: Halku said these words to calm down the anger of his wife because he could not guard his field from the cattle at night due to laziness and bitter cold.
Ans: Halku was a poor farmer. He had to work in his fields in the cold winter night. He had no woolen clothes, no quilts or blankets. He wrapped himself in an old cotton sheet to keep him self warm. In that cold winter night, as he stretched himself he shivered. He was busy in keeping himself warm.
Jhabra tried its best to drive away the cattle from the field, but it failed. When cattle had eaten up all his crops Halku did not seem to be unhappy because he thought that he was soon going to be a labourer and he would no longer have to sleep in the open on a cold night.
Ans: When Halku woke up he saw the cattle had eaten up the standing crop. Now he would have to work as a labourer. Halku didn't look unhappy. He took a sigh of relief because he thought he would not have to sleep in the open on a cold night.
Ans: Halku was a small farmer. He was a tenant of a landowner. The landowner exploited the farmer beyond limit. Halku did not get a fair share of his field product. The landowner had a lion's share in his production. Halku needed money for the farming. He had to borrow money from the money-lender. But he could not return money, he was in debt. So working as a labourer was better than farming for Halku. (nuketâ Skeâ
Ans: Jhabra was a pet dog of Halku. He remained with Halku on his field. Jhabra plays the role of a close friend and help to Halku. He guards his fields, makes him keep warm in the cold night. Moreover Halku becomes dependent on Jhabra who is quite faithful to him.
Ans: Halku was a farmer of the age of zamidari system. India was not a free country. The landowners were the agents of the British government. They had power. A Tenant could not stand before them.
Halku borrowed money for the farming from a money-lender like Sohna at a high rate of interest. Now a modern farmer gets seed and fertilizers from an agriculture or co-operative store. He returns the money after harvest. Banks give him credit loans at a lower rate of interest.
[A] Fill in the blanks with suitable words :
2. Halku and his wife had only threerupees.
3. Halku's wife wanted Halku to buy a blanket.
4. Halku and his dog Jhabraboth lay on the cot.
5. Halku smoked his clay-pipeto keep himself warm.
[B] Write ‘T’fortrue and ‘F’forfalse forthe following statements:
2. Halku liked Sohna to curse him.[F]
3. Halku could not sleep because Jhabra was disturbing him.[F]
4. Halku was sad to see that cattle had eaten up all his crops.[F]
5. Halku wanted to work as a labourer.[T]
LANGUAGE
[A] Give opposites of :
1. poor - rich
2. comfort - uncomfort
3. slave - master
4. cheap - costly
5. dry - wet
6. lazy - energetic
[B] Make meaningful sentences using the given words :
1. harvest :
This year, he had a good harvest.
2. curse :
Dowery is a curse for the society.
3. angry :
Finish your food otherwise mother will be angry with you.
4. enough :
I have enough money to pay my examination fee.
5. savings :
My savings are greater than yours.
6. shivered :
The old beggar shivered with cold in the winter night.