Chapter 4.2 - Unke Munke Timpetoo
In Between the Lesson
Q1. Find the sentences in which the author and his friend claim that they do not believe in magic?
Ans: The sentences in which the author and his friend claim that they do not believe in magic are:
(i) ‘I don’t say I believe in it….
(ii) ‘I thought it was all nonsense.”
Q2. What do their actions show?
Ans: Their actions show that whatever they may have said, they do believe a little bit in magic.
Q3. Note the description of the scene which creates an atmosphere of mystery. Read it aloud in a suitable manner.
Ans: Students must do this on their own.
Q4. If you hear about something that fulfills your wishes, would you try it?
Ans: If I hear about something that fulfils my wishes, and it is not too silly or harmful, then I would certainly try it.
Q5. Do you think the author is brave?
Ans: Yes. To be brave means to continue doing something even when you are afraid or to face someone you are afraid of. The author did both of these things.
Q6. How do we know that Muk was frightened?
Ans: We know that Muk was frightened because, when he heard that Mrs. Groover was about to send the dog at them, he climbed up a tree in fear to escape from the dog.
Q7. What opinion do you form of Mrs Groover from the way she treats the boys? Discuss.
Ans: Mrs. Groover was kind-hearted and patient. She listened to the author’s explanation without interrupting and allowed him to continue with his rounds. She had the ability to judge if someone was telling the truth or not. She was also strict about her ideas of behaviour and wanted the boys to use the front gate in a proper manner while leaving. She would not tolerate any intruders, as is obvious from her behaviour in threatening to send the dog out.
Q8. Did the author really rejoice over his shoes and pullover?
Ans: No, he did not. He probably pretended to do so. so that his mother would not be hurt.
Q9. The table tennis set was not new, but was a fabulous set, what does it imply?
Ans: It implies that the author was so desperate for a table tennis set that even an old one was welcome. It could also mean that though the set was old, it was of good quality and well maintained.
Q10. Did the surprise gift really come from Unke, Munke, Timpetoo?
Ans: No, the surprise gift didn’t come from Unke, Munke, Timpetoo.
Q11. In your opinion, who must have sent the gift?
Ans: Only Mrs. Groover, the author, and Muk knew about Unke Munke Timpetoo. Since Muk was surprised to see the gift, he could not have been the one to send it. Hence, Mrs. Groover must have sent it.
Discuss.
Q12. What is ‘Unke, Munke, Timpetoo’ – a charm or an act of friendliness?
Ans: ‘Unke, Munke, Timpetoo’ is an act of friendliness. We must remember that an act of friendliness is an act of godliness. It keeps alive the humanity in us, which is very necessary to make this world a happy one.
ENGLISH WORKSHOP
1. Make adjectives from the following.
• harm
Ans: harmful, harmless
• continu(e)
Ans: continued, continuous
• believe
Ans: believable
• fear
Ans: fearful, fearless
• thought
Ans: thoughtful, thoughtless
• wise
Ans: wiser
• question
Ans: questionable
• courage
Ans: courageous
2. Choose the correct alternative.
(a) Rohan desperately wished for ………….
(i) a pair of shoes
(ii) a warm pullover
(iii) a good friend
(iv) a table-tennis set
Ans: (iv) a table-tennis set
(b) Rohan and Muk entered the garden at midnight ………….
(i) to frighten Mrs Groover
(ii) to chant around the banyan tree
(iii) to steal some fruits
(iv) to look for a table-tennis set
Ans: (ii) to chant around the banyan tree
(c) Rohan had finished ………… rounds of the tree before Mrs Groover discovered him.
(i) seventeen
(ii) six
(iii) eleven
(iv) twelve
Ans: (iii) eleven
(d) The table-tennis set was gifted by ………….
(i) Mrs Groover
(ii) Rohan’s parents
(iii) Muk
(iv) Timpetoo
Ans: (i) Mrs Groover
(e) The Principal turned out to be a very lady.
(i) poor and simple
(ii) proud and rich
(iii) kind and understanding
(iv) sad and lonely
Ans: (iii) kind and understanding
3. The story has a very heart-warming and touching end. Now try to change the end of the story to make it sound
(i) very funny
Ans: Mrs. Groover continued to look at me with a strange look in her eyes. She took a deep breath and suddenly started laughing atrociously. I looked at her with confusion, but she continued to laugh. I heard someone else laughing behind me and turned to find none other than Muk! After a full ten minutes, they finally sobered up and revealed to me that this whole idea was a plot designed by the two of them to make fun of me and find out what I really wanted for my birthday. It was the funniest birthday I have ever had.
(ii) full of horror and mystery.
Ans: Mrs. Groover continued to look at me with a strange look in her eyes. She opened the door just a little and invited me in, all the while not saying a word. I hesitated a little before entering but decided to go with it. This was the first time I had ever stepped foot in her home. Or should I call it a house of spirits? The house was so eerie that it looked like no human had lived in it in at least a hundred years. I got so engrossed in observing the house of horrors that I completely forgot about Mrs. Groover. I turned to look for her, but she was gone. She was nowhere to be seen. I began to search for her in the house. The steps creaked when I walked on them. The fan swirled with a groan. The rooms looked haunted. From the first-floor room window, I looked down towards the backyard. What I saw sent shivers down my spine: a tombstone that said, “RIP MRS GROOVER, 1948–1998.”
4. ‘Unke, Munke, Timpetoo,
I wish, my wish is coming true.’
Try to compose two other funny magical chants that have rhyming lines.
Ans:
(i) Tan, tan, tarum, tan tant,
Please, please give me what I want.
(ii) Haroom. Scaroom. Swish, Swish,
Heaven above, grant me my wish.
5. Language study : Prefix and suffix :
A letter or group of letters added to the front of a word to change its meaning and make a new word is called a prefix.
Examples:
• un + tie = untie
• non + stop = non-stop
• dis + like = dislike
• super + man = superman
• inter + national = international
Find at least 5 words with prefixes and identify the prefix in each word.
Ans:
superfast
nonviolent
disbelief
misunderstand
extraordinary
A letter or group of letters added at the end of a word to make another word is called a suffix.
Examples:
• teach + er = teacher
• act + or = actor
• child + hood = childhood
• friend + ship = friendship
• king + dom = kingdom
• use + ful = useful
• frequent + ly = frequently
• act + ion = action
• star + ry = starry
Find 5 examples of words with the following suffixes from the lessons you have studied so far, or from other sources:
• -ship
Ans: relationship
• -less
Ans: fearless
• -ness
Ans: stillness
• -ly
Ans: finally
• -ful
Ans: useful
• -able
Ans: understandable