| মাধ্যম | অসমীয়া (Assamese) |
|---|---|
| বিষয় | English |
| পাঠৰ নাম | A Legend of the Northland |
| শ্ৰেণী | IX |
| পাঠ্যক্ৰম | ছেবা (SEBA) |
A Legend of the Northland
I. Answer these questions.
1. Which country or countries do you think “the Northland” refers to?
(‘The Northland’ মানে কোনবোৰ দেশক বুজাইছে বুলি ভাবা?)
“The Northland” likely refers to the northern regions of Europe, such as Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden, Denmark) or parts of England and nearby countries, known for their cold climates and folklore traditions.
(‘The Northland’ সম্ভৱতঃ উত্তৰ ইউৰোপৰ অঞ্চল যেনে স্কেণ্ডিনেভিয়া (নৰৱে, সুইডেন, ডেনমাৰ্ক) বা ইংলেণ্ড আৰু তাৰ ওচৰৰ দেশবোৰক বুজায়, যিবোৰ ঠাণ্ডা জলবায়ু আৰু লোককথাৰ পৰম্পৰাৰ বাবে জনাজাত।)
2. What did Saint Peter ask the old lady for? What was the lady’s reaction?
(চেইন্ট পীটাৰে বুঢ়ী মানুহগৰাকীক কি খুজিছিল? বুঢ়ী মানুহগৰাকীয়ে কেনে ব্যৱহাৰ কৰিছিল?)
Saint Peter asked the old lady for one cake from her large store of cakes. The lady baked a small cake but found it too large to give away, revealing her greed and reluctance.
(চেইন্ট পীটাৰে বুঢ়ী মানুহগৰাকীক তেওঁৰ বহুত কেকৰ ভঁৰালৰ পৰা এটা কেক খুজিছিল। বুঢ়ীগৰাকীয়ে এটা সৰু কেক বনাইছিল কিন্তু সেয়া দিবলৈ ডাঙৰ বুলি ভাবি, তেওঁৰ লোভ আৰু অনিচ্ছা প্ৰকাশ কৰিছিল।)
3. How did he punish her?
(তেওঁ মহিলাগৰাকীক কেনেদৰে শাস্তি দিলে?)
Saint Peter punished her by transforming her into a woodpecker, condemning her to a life of hard labor for her selfishness.
(চেইন্ট পীটাৰে তেওঁক কাঠঠোকৰা চৰাইলৈ ৰূপান্তৰিত কৰি শাস্তি দিছিল, তেওঁৰ স্বাৰ্থপৰতাৰ বাবে কঠিন জীৱনৰ নিন্দা কৰি।)
4. How does the woodpecker get her food?
(কাঠঠোকৰাই নিজৰ খাদ্য কেনেদৰে যোগাৰ কৰে?)
The woodpecker gets her food by boring into hard, dry wood all day to find insects or sap.
(কাঠঠোকৰাই শুকান, কঠিন কাঠত সাৰাদিন ৰোকি পোক বা ৰস বিচাৰি খাদ্য যোগাৰ কৰে।)
5. Do you think that the old lady would have been so ungenerous if she had known who Saint Peter really was? What would she have done then?
(তুমি ভাবা নে যদি মহিলাগৰাকীয়ে জানিলহেঁতেন যে চেইন্ট পীটাৰ প্ৰকৃততে কোন, তেতিয়া তেওঁ এনে অদানশীল নহ’লহেঁতেন? তেওঁ তেতিয়া কি কৰিলেহেঁতেন?)
If the old lady had known Saint Peter’s true identity, she might not have been so ungenerous; instead, she could have offered him cakes willingly, possibly seeking blessings or favors due to her greed.
(যদি বুঢ়ীগৰাকীয়ে চেইন্ট পীটাৰৰ প্ৰকৃত পৰিচয় জানিলহেঁতেন, তেওঁ হয়তো তেনে অদানশীল নহ’লহেঁতেন; তাৰ পৰিৱৰ্তে তেওঁ স্বেচ্ছাই কেক দিলেহেঁতেন আৰু লোভৰ বশত আশীৰ্বাদ বা প্ৰতিদান বিচাৰিলেহেঁতেন।)
6. Is this a true story? Which part of this poem do you feel is the most important?
(এয়া এটা সচাঁ কাহিনী নেকি? ইয়াৰ কোন অংশ তুমি বেছি প্ৰয়োজনীয় বুলি ভাবা?)
This is not a true story; it’s a folk legend. The most important part is its moral, teaching the value of generosity and gratitude over greed.
(এয়া সচাঁ কাহিনী নহয়; এটা লোককথাৰ কিংবদন্তি। ইয়াৰ সবাতোকৈ গুৰুত্বপূৰ্ণ অংশ হ’ল নীতিশিক্ষা, যিয়ে লোভৰ ওপৰত উদাৰতা আৰু কৃতজ্ঞতাৰ মূল্য শিকায়।)
7. What is a legend? Why is this poem called a legend?
(কিংবদন্তি মানে কি? এই কবিতাটো কিয় এটা কিংবদন্তী?)
A legend is a traditional, often historical story passed down orally, featuring extraordinary characters but lacking full historical proof. This poem is called a legend because it’s a narrative told orally about Saint Peter, glorifies his power, and has a long, moral-driven structure.
(কিংবদন্তি হ’ল মুখে মুখে প্ৰচলিত এটা পৰম্পৰাগত, প্ৰায়ে ঐতিহাসিক কাহিনী, য’ত অসাধাৰণ চৰিত্ৰ থাকে কিন্তু সম্পূৰ্ণ ঐতিহাসিক প্ৰমাণ নাথাকে। এই কবিতাটো কিংবদন্তী কাৰণ ই চেইন্ট পীটাৰৰ বিষয়ে মৌখিকভাৱে কোৱা কাহিনী, তেওঁৰ শক্তিৰ মহিমা কীৰ্তন কৰে আৰু দীঘল, নৈতিকতা-চালিত গঠনৰ।)
8. Write the story of ‘A Legend of the Northland’ in about ten sentences.
(‘A Legend of the Northland’ৰ কাহিনীটো দহশাৰী মান বাক্যত লিখা।)
In a cold Northland, Saint Peter, a holy man, traveled preaching and one day arrived at a cottage where an old woman baked cakes. Exhausted and hungry from fasting, he asked her for just one cake from her plentiful store. The greedy woman baked a tiny cake but deemed it too large to give away, repeating this with even smaller ones. She claimed the cakes were too small for herself but too big for others, showing her selfishness. Angered by her lack of generosity, Saint Peter cursed her, saying she didn’t deserve human comforts. He transformed her into a woodpecker, forced to bore hard, dry wood for food. Her clothes burned away, leaving only a scarlet cap as she became a bird. The poem teaches that greed leads to loss, while generosity brings blessings. People in the Northland still tell this tale to their children. It’s a legend warning against selfishness and praising kindness.
(উত্তৰৰ ঠাণ্ডা দেশত, চেইন্ট পীটাৰ নামৰ এজন পবিত্ৰ মানুহে প্ৰচাৰ কৰি ফুৰিছিল আৰু এদিন এটা জুপুৰিত উপস্থিত হ’ল য’ত এগৰাকী বুঢ়ী কেক বনাই আছিল। উপবাসৰ পৰা ক্ষুধাত আৰু ক্লান্ত হৈ তেওঁ তাইৰ পৰা এটা কেক খুজিলে। লোভী বুঢ়ীয়ে এটা সৰু কেক বনালে কিন্তু দিবলৈ ডাঙৰ বুলি ভাবি, আৰু সৰু সৰু বনাইও তেনে কৰিলে। তাই ক’লে কেকবোৰ নিজৰ বাবে সৰু কিন্তু আনৰ বাবে ডাঙৰ, তেওঁৰ স্বাৰ্থপৰতা দেখুৱাই। তাইৰ উদাৰতাৰ অভাৱত খঙত উঠি চেইন্ট পীটাৰে তাইক অভিশাপ দিলে, মানৱ সুখৰ যোগ্য নহয় বুলি কৈ। তেওঁ তাইক কাঠঠোকৰা চৰাইলৈ ৰূপান্তৰিত কৰিলে, কঠিন কাঠ ৰোকি খাদ্য যোগাৰ কৰিবলৈ বাধ্য কৰিলে। তাইৰ কাপোৰ জ্বলি গ’ল, কেৱল ৰঙচুৱা টুপি এটা থাকিল। কবিতাটোৱে শিকায় যে লোভে ক্ষতি কৰে, উদাৰতাই আশীৰ্বাদ আনে। উত্তৰৰ লোকে এই কাহিনী ল’ৰা-ছোৱালীক কয়। ই এক কিংবদন্তি যিয়ে স্বাৰ্থপৰতাৰ বিৰুদ্ধে সতৰ্ক কৰে আৰু দয়াৰ প্ৰশংসা কৰে।)
II. Answer these questions.
1. Let’s look at the words at the end of the second and fourth lines, viz., ‘snows’ and ‘clothes’, ‘true’ and ‘you’, ‘below’ and ‘know.’ We find that ‘snows’ rhymes with ‘clothes’, ‘true’ rhymes with ‘you’ and ‘below’ rhymes with ‘know.’ Find more such rhyming words.
(কবিতাটোৰ পৰা একেই ছন্দযুক্ত শব্দবোৰ বিচাৰি উলিওৱা।)
Additional rhyming words from the poem include:
- earth : hearth
- done : one
- lay : away
- flat : that
- myself : shelf
- faint : saint
- form : warm
- food : wood
- bird : word
- same : flame
Multiple-Choice Questions
1. What region do you think “the Northland” refers to?
A) Southern Europe
B) Northern Europe (e.g., Scandinavia)
C) South America
D) Central Asia
Answer: B) Northern Europe (e.g., Scandinavia)
Explanation: The cold climate and folklore suggest northern European countries.
2. What did Saint Peter ask the old lady for?
A) A loaf of bread
B) One cake from her store
C) A cup of water
D) A warm blanket
Answer: B) One cake from her store
Explanation: He requested a single cake from her plentiful supply.
3. How did the old lady react to Saint Peter’s request?
A) She gave him many cakes
B) She baked a small cake but kept it
C) She laughed and refused
D) She offered him tea instead
Answer: B) She baked a small cake but kept it
Explanation: She found even the smallest cake too large to give away.
4. What quality did the old lady display in her reaction?
A) Generosity
B) Greed
C) Kindness
D) Humility
Answer: B) Greed
Explanation: Her reluctance to share showed her selfish nature.
5. How did Saint Peter punish the old lady?
A) He took all her cakes
B) He turned her into a woodpecker
C) He cursed her to starve
D) He made her blind
Answer: B) He turned her into a woodpecker
Explanation: He transformed her as punishment for her selfishness.
6. What must the woodpecker do to get food?
A) Fly to gardens
B) Bore into hard, dry wood
C) Beg from people
D) Eat fruits
Answer: B) Bore into hard, dry wood
Explanation: She now labors to find insects or sap in wood.
7. Why did Saint Peter curse the old lady?
A) She insulted him
B) She was too generous
C) She lacked generosity
D) She stole his food
Answer: C) She lacked generosity
Explanation: Her selfishness angered him, leading to the curse.
8. What happened to the old lady’s clothes after her transformation?
A) They turned black
B) They burned away
C) They became feathers
D) They stayed the same
Answer: B) They burned away
Explanation: Only her scarlet cap remained as she became a bird.
9. What did the old lady keep after becoming a woodpecker?
A) Her apron
B) A scarlet cap
C) Her shoes
D) A necklace
Answer: B) A scarlet cap
Explanation: This is the only remnant of her human form.
10. If the old lady knew Saint Peter’s identity, what might she have done?
A) Refused him still
B) Offered him cakes willingly
C) Run away
D) Asked for money
Answer: B) Offered him cakes willingly
Explanation: Knowing his holiness, she might have sought favor.
11. Is “A Legend of the Northland” a true story?
A) Yes
B) No
C) Partially
D) Uncertain
Answer: B) No
Explanation: It’s a folk legend, not a historical fact.
12. What is the most important part of the poem?
A) The description of the Northland
B) The moral about generosity
C) The woodpecker’s life
D) Saint Peter’s travels
Answer: B) The moral about generosity
Explanation: The poem teaches the value of kindness over greed.
13. What defines a legend?
A) A factual history
B) A traditional story with extraordinary characters
C) A modern tale
D) A scientific report
Answer: B) A traditional story with extraordinary characters
Explanation: Legends are oral tales with notable figures like Saint Peter.
14. Why is this poem called a legend?
A) It’s short
B) It’s a moral-driven oral tale about Saint Peter
C) It’s set in a real city
D) It’s written by a famous poet
Answer: B) It’s a moral-driven oral tale about Saint Peter
Explanation: It fits the legend’s structure and purpose.
15. Which word rhymes with “snows” in the poem?
A) True
B) Clothes
C) Below
D) Earth
Answer: B) Clothes
Explanation: “Snows” and “clothes” rhyme at the end of lines.
16. Which word rhymes with “true” in the poem?
A) You
B) Know
C) Flat
D) Food
Answer: A) You
Explanation: “True” and “you” are rhyming pairs in the poem.
17. Which word rhymes with “below” in the poem?
A) Snows
B) Know
C) Form
D) Same
Answer: B) Know
Explanation: “Below” and “know” rhyme as per the poem’s structure.
18. What lesson does the poem teach?
A) Hard work pays off
B) Greed leads to loss, generosity to blessings
C) Birds are important
D) Baking is difficult
Answer: B) Greed leads to loss, generosity to blessings
Explanation: This is the core moral of the story.
19. Who tells this story in the Northland?
A) Saint Peter
B) The woodpecker
C) The people to their children
D) The poet only
Answer: C) The people to their children
Explanation: It’s a tale passed down through generations.
20. What does the woodpecker’s transformation symbolize?
A) Reward for kindness
B) Punishment for selfishness
C) Love for nature
D) Saint Peter’s power alone
Answer: B) Punishment for selfishness
Explanation: It reflects the consequence of her greed.
