Chapter 4.1 - Sleep, My Treasure
Paraphrase of the Poem:
The “treasure” in the poem is the baby, who is being addressed by the mother. The mother is describing the night and telling the child to go to sleep. The mother is also telling the child to wake up in the morning while describing how beautiful the morning scenario would be.
The mother in the poem is putting her baby to sleep. The mother is addressing the baby as her “treasure.” She says that the birds are very tired due to the long day of doing a lot of work. Hence, they move slowly and quietly to their nests. Since all the birds have gone to their nests, the garden is still and no movement is seen anywhere, yet it is brightly lit up and appears lively due to the showy lily flowers. In contrast, all the daisies that had earlier bloomed in the garden are fast asleep.
As the mother is telling the baby to go to sleep, she also mentions that dawn wakes up the black birds. The sparrow starts moving and stirring itself when he sees dawn, but the whole meadow is covered in the shadow of the night. The baby too must sleep until daybreak and until the time the daisies wake up.
Meanings:
- pleasure – enjoyment, happiness or satisfaction
- treasure – (here) the baby/child
- creep – move slowly without any noise
- still – staying in the same position without moving
- alight – brightly lit up
- stirs – wakes up, moves slightly
- wrapped – covered
Pointers
1. Answer the following questions :
(a) Who is the speaker in the poem ?
Ans: The mother is the speaker in the poem.
(b) To whom is the poem addressed ?
Ans: The poem is addressed to the child/baby.
(c) What time is being described in the poem ?
Ans: Night time is being described in the poem.
(d) Name the white and bright things mentioned in the poem.
Ans: Lilies and daisies are the white and bright things mentioned in the poem.
2. Guess the meaning of the following from the context.
(a) The garden still is alight with lilies.
Ans: The garden which has now become still (motionless) because the birds have gone into their nests is brightly lit up due to the presence of the showy lilies.
(b) Dawn wakes the starling.
Ans: As soon as it is dawn, the starling, a commonly found black bird wakes up. This is due to the darkness that has disappeared because of dawn or daybreak.
(c) The meadow is wrapped in shadow.
Ans: The meadow, where there is plenty of grass appears dark because the sun has set and there is only the shadow of the night falling on it.
3. What is your favourite time of the day ? Describe it in detail.
Ans: I like the morning time of the day, as I feel fresh at daybreak. This feeling of freshness is due to the morning rays of the sun, which bring hope into my life. I also look forward to the whole day’s activities, playtime, and fun.
4. Visit a library : Find and read stories and poems written by Edith Nesbit.
Ans: Students must do this on their own.
5. Draw word webs for the following. Begin with the given word and go on writing as many other words associated with it, as you can. Use these words to write other related words to form a word web.
Ans:
6. An activity : Speak fast, think faster !
Form groups of 4 – 6. Discuss each of the following topics. Then each person in the group should choose a topic and speak about it for one minute. Try to say as many sentences as you can in that time.
(a) What may happen …
(i) I may study….
Ans: I have to go out during the weekend, and then I may not have enough time to complete my studies. I have decided to be hardworking and sincere so that I may excel in my studies and achieve satisfaction.
(ii) A bird may fly into the classroom…
Ans: It may possibly get hurt due to the presence of the fan. It may have to be taken care of. It is better that I try to see to it that it does not enter the classroom so that it does not get wounded.
(iii) The Principal may call me…
Ans: The principal may call me, as I had expressed my wish to stand for the post of commander in the school elections. I may be given an opportunity to compete with my friends.
I may select the lion as my logo. I feel I may be an elected commander or vice commander.
(iv) It may rain…
Ans: It may rain, as the sky appears very cloudy right now. It may pour heavily, and we are eagerly looking forward to it because only then will we have enough water supply to last for the whole year. The water supply may help the farmer tremendously in cultivating the crops that will be supplied to the country’s population.
(v) Dog may chase a cat.
Ans: A dog may chase a cat, as is the way of nature. The cat has been hiding behind the car, running around looking for rats. The dog has been on the lookout for the cat, which was the cutest and tiniest of the lot.
(vi) A king…..kingdom
Ans: A king may lose his kingdom. If he does not do justice, his subjects may lose faith in him. They may not love or respect him, and they may not even want him as their ruler any more. The king must try to regain the trust of his subjects by being just and noble.
(vii) My friend … read
Ans: My friend may give me a storybook to read. He mentioned that the book was very interesting and had a captivating story. The characters in the book were unforgettable and described beautifully. The story is set in a mountainside village with a description of natural scenery. Hence, I feel that I may get that book to read this weekend.
(viii) Mother may make idlis today.
Ans: Mother may make idlis today as we are going to have all my cousins at home for dinner. My mom is a very good cook. She prepares very tasty chutney and sambhar too. She has bought the ingredients, like coconut and coriander, etc. So, I have a strong feeling that she may make idlis tonight.
(b) What is not likely to happen or will never happen …
(i) It won’t rain in the classroom …
Ans: It won’t rain in the classroom even though it is on the top floor because we have a concrete ceiling over our heads. It is pouring cats and dogs outside. I have a strong temptation to go out of my classroom and get wet in the rain and dance and enjoy because it is absolutely very clear that however hard we try, it will never rain in the classroom.
(ii) I won’t ever see a live dinosaur …
Ans: I won’t ever see a live dinosaur even if I dream of seeing it. This is a sad fact and a reality too because the dinosaurs have been clearly wiped away from the surface of the earth and not a single one is alive today as they could not adapt themselves to the changing environment. So, it is very sad to accept that I won’t ever see a live dinosaur.
(iii) The sun will never set in the east …
Ans: The sun will never set in the east. Every phenomenon follows the law of nature and as per the law of nature that the sun always rises in the east and sets in the west. This is due to rotation of the earth- and not the revolution of the sun. If these natural phenomena followed other schedules, things on earth would be very difficult and may go haywire.
(c) Imagine you are watching a scene. For example, someone learning to ride a bicycle; or a cricket match. Give a running commentary on what you see.
‘Monu is sitting on the bicycle. It has side wheels. Monu tries to push the pedal down – No – he stops. His uncle holds the seat in one hand and the handle in the other hand. He says, ‘Come on, Monu’ … etc.
Ans: He says, “Come on, Monu” … Monu tries to strike a balance but is tilting the cycle to one side and falls down. He is only slightly hurt because of his uncle’s presence. His uncle holds him while falling. So, he has only a few bruises. Once again, he is trying hard to balance with a strong determination. Monu does manage to ride the bicycle without falling, but…..oh…..only a short distance is covered and Monu is back to square one…i.e., the same position as earlier.