Professional Documents
Culture Documents
How will you react when someone tells you that she/he invented the time machine? When and
where would you like to go? Well, when I was given a chance I.....?
Read and find out when and where I went and what I did!
Uncle Rustom claimed that he had invented the time machine. This secret (confidential) was
shared only with me. Hence, when he invited me to my grandfather's house for the summer
So, next Sunday, I was in Phoolpur, a small town in Uttar Pradesh. Uncle Rustom was delighted to
see me! Soon I was with him in his laboratory. I looked in awe at all the gadgets kept there,
year ....maybe.......between
be.......between 1980 to 1985? Address
grandfather's
er's house." "Of course," said Uncle
U Rustom
In a minute
Uncle Rustom
ustom looked at me and winked. He
H said, "That's
"Russi, do you know something?" asked the boy, who was my father, in an excited tone. "The
storeroom in the old yard is open and there is a big drum inside!" Uncle and father walked into
Uncle leaned over the drum and then looked up. His eyes gleamed. "The drum is half-full of
whitewash the workers left behind." Father and uncle picked up the brushes lying near the drum
"Aren't you two messing up the walls?" I asked uncle Rustom. Uncle Rustom laughed, "Just watch
your father up to mischief as a child!" "I'll paint a ship on the floor, "said my father in excitement.
The boys were so excited that they did not notice a tall stern (strict) man enter the storeroom. He
"Who did that?" he asked loudly. Even I was scared. The boys froze. They could not get out a
single word of explanation. The brushes fell from their hands with a thud! Suddenly, my
grandfather picked up the brushes and handed them to the two boys saying, "Since you are so
fond of painting I suggest you whitewash the entire storeroom and once you finish, I will show
My uncle started crying. My father, however, stood silent. He tried to look as if nothing had
happened. Suddenly somewhere in the background we, both uncle and me, heard a siren and the
car started rotating! "Oooh, "said uncle as he tumbled out of the car.
'Time over!" said uncle and looked at the car. We walked out of the laboratory. As we entered the
hall we heard the sound of a car noisily turning into the gate.
Uncle ran to greet father. Soon we were having tea and talking and laughing. Suddenly, without
thinking I said, "Father I liked the ship you painted on the floor," "Ship! Painted! What are you
talking about?" asked my father in surprise. "Oh! It's nothing," said my uncle winking at me.
I began to get a feeling that this vacation was going to be a lot of fun.
1. Tick (√) the correct answer.
(a) What does the author of the story mean by saying, "This secret was shared only with me."?
(i) No one knew about the time machine except the author and uncle Rustom. [ ]
(ii) No one knew about the time machine, not even the author. [ ]
(iii) shells [ ]
(iv) rocks [ ]
(i) Whitewash the entire room and once it is over some more painting to be done. [ ]
(ii) Whitewash the entire storeroom and then some more walls. [ ]
(a) What tells you that the boys were scared when they saw their father?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
(b) If you were one of the boys in the storeroom, what would you have done with the whitewash?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
(c) Why do you think the car started rotating with a siren?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
(d) Why did the author ask Uncle Rustom to go in the year between 1980 to 1985?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________