ESSAYS LETTERS & STORIES FOR BEGINNERS BY PRITISH RANJAN KONAR B. A. ( Honours ), M. A., B, Ed. (1st Class) Assistant Teacher Ramakrishna Mission Boys’ Home School, Rahara Housemaster, R. K. Mission Vidyalaya Narendrapur, The author of “Zssays and Composition for Juniors” “Madhyamik English Composition” Niharika Book Stall College Street Calcutta-700 073Published by = Babul Roy Chowdhury First Edition—1995 Santinagar, Rahara Thoroughly Revised + North 24-Parganas. Third Edition—1995 © Reserved By The Publishers Cover Design By ¢ Radha Krishna Chakraborty Printed By 3 Mintu Ghosh GHOSH PRINTERS Price ; Rupees Twenty only. 32, Badur Bagan Street Calcutta-700-009 To be had of BOOKS & BOOKS BISWAS BOOK STALL 37/A, College Row 88, M. G. Road, Cal-9 Cal-73 NARAYAN BOOK DEPOT HINDUSTHAN LIBRARY 18 A, Shyama Charan Dey St. 54/9, College St., Cal-73 Cal-73 INTERNATIONAL BOOK TRUST KALIMATA BOOK STALL. 54, College Street, 15, Bankim Chatterjee St., Cal-7 > ” Cal-73 DUTTA BOOK STALL PRANAB BOOK AGENCY P. D.S Corner (Stall No.5) 15, Bankim Chatterjee St., 7, Bankim Chatterjee St., Ca-73 Cal-73FOREWORD During my service as a teacher for about twenty seven years, I have seen that inspite of a great number of books available in the market, good books for young learners are very few. The constant pressure on mechanically memo- rizing heavy lessons is now considered not only needless but injurious, too. It annihilates the spontaneity and inquisitiveness of students. The old type of writing drills is now non-productive. It cannot grow the learners’ interest in writing and their individual skill, “The Essays Letters and Stories for Beginners” is scientifically schemed to develop the writing skill of young students. I have read the book thoroughly. Lucidity and simplicity of the language has delighted me much. The book covers the requirements of the young learnersand I do hope this will enable them to learn the English language well. I wish its wide circulation. Rabera Netai Pada Bhowmik — March 11,.1993 Senior Teacher R. K. Mission Boys’ Home School, Rabara Formerly Teacher, R. K. Mission Vidyapith Deoghar, Bihar . Ex-Headmaster, Hijiguri Railway High School. Tinsukia, Assam,PREFACE Books on composition for young students are really very few in number. The “Essays Letters and Stories for Beginners” has been brought out for ‘satisfying the needs of the pupils who have just started doing a little bit of com- position in schools. Efforts have been made to make the composition of the book as sweet and simple as possible. The book contains a large variety of topics on essays, letters and stories. I would like to convey my deep sense of gratitude to my publishers for undertaking the publication of the book. I am also immensely grateful to my very respected colleague, Sri N. P, Bhaumik for writing a Foreward to my book. The author of this book will always welcome any sugges- tion from any of his well-wishers for betterment of quality of the book. R. K, Mission Boys’ Home Rahara Pritish Ranjan Konar July 4, 1995me BRE 14 15. 16. 17. 19, 20. 21. 22. 23. 24, 25. 26. = Pyeravaeny CONTENTS ESSAYS Subject Page Subject Page Myself 1427. Science in Every My Parents 1 Day Life 16 My School 2] 28. School Sports 16 My first day at School 2 | 29. The Earth v7 My Aim in Life 3] 30. The Moon 7 My Best Friend 4] 31. Milk 18 Calcutta, My City 4] 32. Muharram 18 My Hobby 5 | 33. The Television 19 My Country 5 | 34. The Cinema 20 My Favourite Game 6] 35. Vidyasagar 20 My Favourite Subject 6 | 36 Rabindranath 21 . Our School Library 7 | 37, Mahatma Gandhi 22 Our National Flag 7 | 38. Subbaschandra 22 Independence Day at 39. Jawaharlal Nehru 23 Your School 40. Swami Vivekananda 23 A Cultural Function 41, Satyajit Ray 61 at Your School 8] 42 Mother Teresa 69 The Postman 9} 43, Dr. Bidhan Chandra Flood. 9 Roy 88 Newspaper Reading 10 | 44, Sri Aurobinda 89 A Visittoa Zoo 10 j 45, Kshudiram Bose 90 A Picnic 11] 46. Bhagat Singb 90 Visit to a Fair 12) 47, A Football Match 24 An Excursion 12 | 48. Cricket Match 25 A Street Accident 13] 49. My Favourite Your Daily Life 14 Cricketer 25 Your Locality 14 | 50. My Favourite Author 26 A Rainy Day 15| 51. Radio 2752, 53. 54. 55. 57. 58. 59. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 67. 68, 69. 70. 71, 72, 73, 7A. CviJ Subject Page Subject Page The Sun 27175. The Owl 39 The Autobiography 76. The Snake 39 of a Tree 28/77. The Rat 40 The Autobiography | 78. The Summer 40. of a Street Dog 28 179. The Rainy Season 41. The Autobiography 80. Winter 41 ofa R 29) 81. A Winter Morning 42 ae Aetthioganhy - 82, Spring 43 : 83, Christmas 43, ole go | 84 How I Spend Sundays 44 ofa in 85. Ri 44 The Autobiography 86. wi 45 of a Station 701 37, Tea 45 The Autobiography 88. Jute 72 of a Thief 70 60: Can 72 Te ae Puja os 90. Sugar-Cane 3 ce Tr 46 Elephant at} op ea = The Lion 32 | The Camel 32 | 93. Home—Sweet Home 47 The Dog 33 | 94 My ae 48 The Cow 34 95. My Family 48 The Cat 34 | 96 An Ideal Teacher 49 The Horse 35 | 97. The Street Beggar 49 The Parrot 35 | 98. A Street Hawker 50 The Peacock 36 | 99. A Visit to an ‘ The Mosquito «36, _——Exhibiticn 5 The Crow 37 | 100. A Morning Walk 51 The Butterfly 37 | 101. A Visit to a Village 52 The Cuckoo 38 | 102, A Visit to a Hospital53C vit] Subject Page 103. An Indian Farmer 53 104. The Policeman 54 105. A Hot Summer Day 54 106. If I were the Prime Minister of India 55 107. A Railway Accident 55 108. A Flood 56 109. An Exciting Cricket Match 57 110. The World Cup Cricket 58 111 IfI were the Captain of the Indian Cricket Team 59 112. My Favourite Book 59 113. An Ideal Student 60 114. A Walk by the Countryside 61 115. A Village Post Office 62 116. Yours'Likes and Dislikes 63 117. The School Magazine 63 118. The Book Fair 64 119. Sister Nivedita 64 120. Mango 65 121, The Bee 66 122. The Lotus 66 123. Hero Cup Tournament 67 Sabject Page 124. Travelling 67 125. The Saraswati Puja 68 126. My BirthJay 7 127. Famine 73 128. North-Wester 74 129. A Village Pathsala 74 1:0. Drough: 75 131. Children’s Day 75 132. The Indian Farmer 76 133. A Summer Afternoon 77 134, Village Life 77 135. My Village 78 136. My Town 78 137. A Rainy Day 79 138. The Puja Vacation 80 139. Student Life 81 140. Perseverance 81 141. Tolerence 82 142. Honesty 83 143. Truchfulness 83 144. Discipline 84 145. Clearliness 84 146. Travelling 85 147, The Value of Time 86 148, Students Duties To Their Teachers t6 149. The Scene in an Examination Hall 87 150. Social Service 8710. 11. 12. 13. M4, 15. 16. 17. 18. LETTER-WRITING ‘Write a letter'to your friend telling him how you enjoyed your birthday. A letter to your friend telling him why you could not join his birthday. A letter to your friend telling him how you enjoyed a picnic. To a friend about the annual sports in your school. To a friend about an excursion. To your friend about how you spent the last Puja Vacation. To your father about your progress in studies. A letter to your mother asking her permission to spend a few days with your friend. To your friend inviting him to your birthday. To a friend who is ill. To your friend about your visit to the z00 in Calcutta, To a friend about your school. To a friend on his success in the examination. Toa friend telling him how you will spend the coming summer vacation. A letter to your friend about a street accident. A letter to your friend who has just lost his father. To your younger brother who is not serious in his studies. Write a letter to your friend inviting him to Your sister’s marriage. 92 93. 95° 96 98 98 99 100 101 102 103 103 104 105 10519. 20, al. 22. 23, 24, 25. 26. 22, 28. 29. 30. a 32. 33, 34, 35. (ix) A reply accepting an invitation. Write a letter to your friend congratulating him on his success in the examination. V/rite a letter to your friend accepting a marriage invitation. Write a letter to your younger sister who is ill. Write a letter to your friend who has met with an accident. A letter to a friend inviting bim to visit a bill- station. Write a letter to your father asking for money. Write a letter to your friend inviting him to a Picnic. A reply declining an invitation. A letter toa friend showing sympathy on his failure in the exam. To the Principal for leave of absence. To the Principal of your-school for full free concession. To the Headmaster of your school requesting. him for remission of fine. To the Principal of your school requesting him to issue you a Character Certificate, To the Headmaster of your school requesting him to grant you sick leave for a week, To the Principal of your school for a school leaving certificate. To the librarian requesting him to buy some new story books for the library. 106 107 108 108 169 110 1 ML 112 113 13 4 us 6 u7 us 119ye P An nn ee MESREBSSSRRSESES cpmongaupone STORIES Grapes are Sour . The Dog and his Shadow The Crow and the Pitcher The Wolf and the Crane The Lion and the Hare A Man and his Goose The Hare and the Tortoise The Cat and the Mice The Old man and his Sons The Lion and the Mouse The Golden Axe The Fox and the Goat The Two Foolish Goats The Boy and the Wolf The Boys and the Frogs The Fox without a Tail The Ant and the Dove The wind and the Sun The Ox and the Frog King Salomon’s Wisdom The Selfish Giant Lord Buddha and a Mother Sir Philip Sidney and a wounded Soldier . Two Friends and a Bear The King and the Spider 120 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 127 128 129 130 131 132 132 133 134 135 136 137 137 138 139 140MYSELF Tama boy. My name is Samrat Sanyal. Samrat means ‘emperor’. It is a nice name. I live at Dun Dum with my parents and sister. My father is an engineer. My mother is a house-wife. I am a nine- year-old boy. I read in Class IV. My sister is younger than me by two years. She reads in Class IL llove and like her very much. Iam fond of comics and games. Ilove and respect my parents greatly. Iam also very dear to them. MY PARENTS Saikat Sen and Supriya Devi are my parants. My father isa professor. He teaches English at a university. He is thirty-nine years old now. My father is healthy and handsome. He is very fond of teading books. He is very careful about his work. My mother is an ideal house-wife. She is also healthy and beautiful. She is always busy and hard-working. My mother does a lot of work. She cooks and cleans the house herself. She can also tell interesting stories. I enjoy them very much, My parents love me very dearly. I also love and respect both of them greatly.MY SCHOOL - Thename of my school is Ghoshdiha Primary School. It is situated at a village. It is in Midnapore district. This school is not far from my house. There are ten rooms in my school, We have a big playground. ‘There is a beautiful garden justin front of the school building. There are twelve teachers’ in my school. They all are very kind and qualified. They teach us car-fully. The students obey and respect them much. _ There are three hundred pupils in this school. My school has a gocd library. Different cultural programmes are held here regularly. Iam very fond and proud of my school. MY FIRST DAY AT SCHOOL Ican still remember my first day at school, I was then only six years of age. It was a very inter- esting day for me. I woke up very early in the morning. I finished my wash and breakfast in time, Then I put on my newand nice school uniform, T felt a little excited. My parents took me to school in our car. We parked the car near the main gate. Then we entered the school compound. I saw manyEssays Letters & Stories For Beginners 3 students there. We went to the Principal for admission. He admitted me to the first standard, Then, my parents left me and I was taken to the classroom, There I saw many boys and girls of my age, Then the class teacher camz. I felt very ner- vous. But he was very kind. The students were very friendly. The school was over at twelve. Then I went to the main gate. My parents were waiting there.. Then we came back home by the car, Ican never forget the memory of the day. MY AIM IN LIFE Everybody must-have an aim in life. I have also anaim. I want to become a good doctor. Itisa noble profession..Most of the people of our country are very poor. When they become ill, they do not get good treatment for want of money. So they die like flies. As a doctor; I shall serve these poor and sick people I shall go to villages for their free treat- ment. But I shall take fees from rich patients. Iam now very young. I must read very well ; otherwise my ambition will not be fulfilled.MY BEST FRIEND Ihave many good friends. Of them Sanjay is my best friend. I like him most. We are of the same age. Weread inthe same school. Sanjay is imy class-mate. I love and like him so much for his. sweet and simple behaviour. He is very intelligent but not selfish.- He always helps me in my studies. I also try to help him. Sanjay is also a good’ cricketer. He plays for our school-cricket team. He loves me dearly, too. I always-like his sweet company. May God grant him a good and long. life. CALCUITA, MY CITY Calcutta is my city. It was once the capital of India. Now it is the capital of West Bengal. It is. a big and beautiful city. It is called ‘The City of Joy’. Calcutta is situated on the bank of the river Hooghly. It is famous for so many famous things. There are many worth-seeing things here. The Victoria Memorial Hall, the Indian Museum, the Metro Rail, the Zoo,the National Library and the Eden Gardens are a few of them. There are many banks,and offices, schools and colleges, hotels and hospitals, parks ard markets here, Calcutta is also aEssays Letters & Stories For Blginners 5 big business centre. Many people -come to this igteat city everyday. But Calcutta has its problems, too. It is over-populated. Roads are not broad enough here. Traffic jam is a daily occurrence. MY HOBBY A hobby is an interesting thing in our spare time. Gardening is my favourite hobby. I like it most because it is less expensive but more interesting. My little flower garden is just in front of my hous:>.I spend my leisure hours in the garden. I sow seeds, plant saplings and water them there. I -do everything for. proper growth of the plants. I become extremely happy when the plants grow fine flowers, Thus, gardening gives me great pleasure. ‘MY COUNTRY India is my dear mother land. It isa big and beautiful country. There are twenty-six states and six union territories in India. Madhya Pradesh is the biggest and Goa is the smallest state of the country. The population of India is about ninety crores. Most of the people are ignorant and farmers. New Delhiis our capital. India isan6 Essays Letters & Stories For Beginners ancient land. The British ruled over this country foralong time. It became free on 15th August 1947, Llove my mother land very much, Iam very proud of it. : : MY FAVOURITE GAME Oftall the outdoor games, I like cricket most. It isan interesting game. Cricket is played on a big ground, The ground is oval in shape. It is played between two teams. Each team has eleven players, After the toss, one side bats and the other team fields in turn. Two umpires conduct the game. The batsman may be out in different ways. Captains have a great role in cricket. For good cricket skill and reflex, dedication and determination are needed. It makes a cricketer fit and fine. Cricket is correctly called ‘the king of games.’ MY FAVOURITE SUBJECT Iread many subjects at school, But I like English most. It is my favourite subject for Many reasons. English is an international language, It is a linking Janguage in the world today. English isa very important language in India also. It is still usedEssays Letters & Stories For Beginners 2. in different offices here. It has influenced many Indian languages. English is very rich and fine as a language. So, I always read stories and poems in English. In future,I want to study the subject well. : OUR SCHOOL LIBRARY - Our school has a library. It is big and beautiful: The library is on the first floor of the school building, There ate many books in it. The books are-on different subjects. They are kept on the shelves of big book-cases. There is a catalogue near thedoor. A librarian is in charge of it. We can borrow books. for -a few days. We can also read books in the library. Thus, the school library helps us increase our knowledge. OUR NATIONAL FLAG ‘India has her own national flag. It is rectan- gular in size and beautiful to look at, There are three colours in it. There is saffron on the top, white in the middle and deep green at the bottom. The saffron is the symbol of sacrifice. The white colour means truth. and purity. Dark green is the symbol of youth and energy. The- Ashok Chakra8 Essays Letters & Stories For Beginners in centre means peace. The national flag is a sacred thing. We all should love and respect it. " INDEPENDENCE DAY AT YOUR SCHOOL India became free from British rule on the 15th August, 1947, So it is observed as Independence Day every year. This is celebrated with great plea~ Sure in our school. On this occasion, we go to school well dressed. We stand in rows on the ground. The school campus is beautifully decora- ted. The Headmaster generally hoists the National Flag. Then we salute the Flag and sing the national song ‘Janagana-mana’. After this, a fun- ction is held. There patriotic songs are: sung. Different speakers deliver speeches. The function ends with the singing of a patriotic song. Then sweets are distributed among all. A CULTURAL FUNCTION AT YOUR SCHOOL A cultural programme was held in our school on the occasion of Rabindranath’s birth day. The Dis- trict Magistrate presided over the function. The function was held on the 25th of Baisakh in our school campus. A well-decorated platform wasEssays Letters & Stories For Beginners 9 made for the occasion. The function started with the singing of a Tagore’s song. Then the students tecited poems and sang songs. Some speakers also spoke on Tagore’s life and works. Then Rabindra- math’s ‘Bisarjan’ was staged. At last, the president made a beautiful speech. Everybody was inspired by it. The function ended witha vote of thanks by the Headmaster. THE POSTMAN We cannot think of our life without a postman. He is a very important worker of our society. We ‘see him everyday with his letter bag. He goes from one house to another to do his duty. He delivers letters, money orders and other things. These are from-our dear and near ones. Thus, he connects us with them. He works in all weathers. He covers his area on foot or by riding a by-cycle. Heis a very hard worker. But it is a great pity, he draws a poor salary. FLOOD Continuous heavy rainfall causes flood. Because of excessive rain, canals and rivers become full and then water overflows their banks. As a result,10 Essays Letters & Stories For Beginners floods occur. Paddy fields, roads and other things go under flozd waters. Floods cause a great damage, People and cattle lose. their lives. Mud houses and crops are greatly affected. People go'to higher pla- ces for safety. The government and other welfare organizations come forward to the help of the affected people. They give them food and clothes. Sometimes, diseases like cholera and sentery break. out. NEWSPAPER READING The newspaper is a very essential thing now-a- days. By reading it we can get the news of home and abroad. The newspaper brings the whole world to ourdoor. In it there are news about politics, trade, games, films, and many other things. There are also in it articles on different topics. The editorials highlight different current issues, They form public opinion. Thus, the newspaper is very important for modern life. But there are some party papers. We should be very careful about them. They often misguide and mislead us, A VISIT TO A ZOO . On Ist January last, my parents took me to theEssays Letters & Stories For Beginners 1L ‘zoo at Alipore. There wasa long queue outside. So we waited a long time to enter the zoo. There were different kinds of animals inside. At ‘first, we visited the zebras, and different kinds of birds and deer. Then inthe Reptile House, we saw crocodiles and snakes. The elephants gave us much pleasure. Next we visited the lions and the tigers. They were sometimes roaring. We also saw on the way camels, rhinoceroses and pea- cocks: After that we went to the big pool and saw different kinds of birds there. The monkeys delighted us with their tricks. At last, we visited the parrots and talked cothem. Thus, we enjoyed our visit tothe zoo very much. A PICNIC On 25th December last, my family went ona picnic to Bandel Church. It is a nice picnic spot by the river Hooghly. We went there by our private car. On the day, we started early in the morning. We reached the picnic spot at about 7 o’clock.- Then we had our tiffin. My mother soon began cooking food. We hed our lunch at: about 1 o'clock. The meal was served on banana leaves... The menu consisted of different delicious.2 Essays Letters & Stories For Beginners and tasty food items. We all ate to our hearts’ “content. After the meal, we spent our time by -listening to songs and music. Then we enjoyed boating in the river. There were also many picnic parties thereon, the occasion. We enjoyed the day ~very much. We left the place after sun-set. VISIT TO A FAIR On the occasion of the Car Festival, I visited the famous fair at Mahishadal last year. I went there with my uncle. There were many shops with different things. They all were crowded. There was always a great noise in the fair. People were busy buying different articles. Children ‘gathered mainly in front of toy shops) The merry- go-round was their greatest attraction. I also had aride on it. I enjoyed it greatly. Plants and saplings were selling like hot cakes. There were thousands of people in the fair on the occasion. At fast, we entered a food-stall and ate sweets and oil- «cakes. We returned home in the evening. ‘Thus, Tenjoyed the visit very much, AN EXCURSION Last year I went to Puri on an excutsion. IEssays Letters & Stories For Beginners 13: went there with my parents. Our journey began on- 30th September from Howrah station. The Sri Jaganath express left Howrah around 8 o'clock. Then we took our dinner and went tosleep. I woke up quite early next morning. I looked out from the windows. I was seeing the beautiful scenery outside. Finally we reached Puri at about 7 o'clock. Then we went to Puri Hotel by taxi. I was quite charmed at the sight of the sea. It was big, blue and beautiful. During our stay at Puri we often went to the sea beach. We spent our time there looking at the sea. We had our- tegular bath in the sea, We enjoyed it much. We- also visited the famous Jagannath Dev’s Temple- there. We stayed there for four days. A STREET ACCIDENT Yesterday I saw a ghastly accident. It happened when I- was on my way to school. The accident occurred at about 10-15a,m, Iwas walking along the B.T. Road. Then an old man was crossing the road. At that momenta lorry was rushing up-- at top speed from the opposite side. The driver tried to check the speed. But he failed, The lorry wentEssays Letters & Stories For Beginners 15 South 24-Parganas district. It is not very far from ‘Calcutta. It. is a very densely populated area. More than thirty thousand people live here. Most of them are government employees. Others are businessmen, labourers and farmers. Our locality is famous for its culture and education. The famous Narendrapur Ramakrishna Mission is situated here. Different fairs, functions and festivals take place here every year. People of different religions live together peacefully. Iam very proud of my locality. A RAINY DAY The rainy day is very interesting. Such a funny day came on Wednesday last. The sky was covered with dark clouds since the morning. Then it started raining around 9-30 am.. The rain continued for. a long time, It was taining with thunder and lightning. So, I could not g0 to school on the day. Asa result of the heavy rain, the roads and streets went under water. The local parks looked like pools of water. Buses and other vehicles stopped plying. The weather improved in the afternoon. Then the children were floating paper boats. I enjoyed the day listening to songs and eating delicious food.14 Essays Letters and Stories For Beginners over the old man | He died on the spot. His body- was b:dly.wounded. There was a pool of blood around the dead body. Soon people gathered there. They beat the driver seriously. But soon the police came and dispersed the crowd. I was greatly shock- ed at the accident. I could neither.eat nor sleep for afew days. It is still very vivid and fresh in my mind. YOUR DAILY LIFE I try to follow a fixed routine in'my life every- day. I get up quite early in the morning. Then I wash my hands and face. Itake some exercises in the open air. Afterwards, I take my breakfast and start reading. I continue my studies upto 9a.m. After this, I take my bath, have my mid- day meal and start for school. After the school is over, I come back home. Then I take tiffin and go to the playground. I come back -home around ‘6p.m. Then I sit to read, I take my supper around 10 p.m, I goto bed at about 10-30 Pm. ‘On holidays, I follow a different routine, | YOUR LOCALITY I live in Rajpur Municipality. It is situated inSCIENCE IN EVERYDAY LIFE The present agz is an age of science. This age has seen many wonderful inventions. Science controls our life at every step. The alarm-clock wakes us early in the morning. Then we wash our teeth with brushes and paste. The morning news- paper brings the whole world to our door. Elec- tric or gas oven prepares our mid-day meal. We go to schools, colleges, and offices by buses, trams and trains. The electric fans keep us cool on hot days. T.V. and cinema relieve and relax us in the evening. Medicines have controlled death and diseases. Thus, science greatly controls our daily life. SCHCOL SPORTS School sports are an inseparable part of a school. These are held once a year generally in winter. Students wait most eagerly for the annual. sports Te school sports are held on the school. playground. There are different sports items in this sports meet like jumps, races, throws etc. The participants are divided into different age groups. Before the final round, heats are held to reduce the number of the participants. The playground is nicely decorated and marked out onEssays Letters & Stories For Beginners 17 the occasion. The successful candidates are cheered up when they go up the victory-stand. Teachers conduct the sports. THE EARTH We live on earth, It is oval in shape. It moves round the sun. It takes one year to go round the sun. It is about 25,009 miles round. It looks like a big and beautiful ball from the moon. The three-fourths of the earth are water and one-fourths is land. There are five oceans, seven continents and many countries on earth. There are beautiful things here. There are high hills and mountains, ‘rivers and lakes, green fields and trees, men and animals: The earth is probably the only planet where there are living beings. THE MOON The moon is a very-beautiful object. It is the brightest thing in the sky at night. It looks likea big round silver disc. The moon moves round the earth, It is the only satellite of the earth, It takes twenty-eight days to go round the earth. The moon gets its light from the sun. There are only sands 218 Essays Letters & Stories For Beginners and rocks on the moon, There are no living beings there. The full moon looks very beautiful. Moonlight is very soft. Weall enjoy the beauty of a brightly moonlit night. Yuri Gagarin was the first man who landed on the moon in 1967. After him many men landed on it. We have already learnt many things about it. Thus, the moon is no more mysterious and unknown to us. MILK Milk is an ideal food. We all like it. Itisa white liquid. It isa good food for all people. It _ is very necessary for the old, the sick and children. It is easily digested. We generally get milk from: cows and buffaloes. Cowmilk is the best of all. For babies breastmilk is ideal. Powder milk is bad for health. Milk is a very useful food, too. Differ- ent kinds of food are made of milk. Curd and cheese, ghee and butter are prepared fromit. We all should take milk everyday. It is very necessary for our health. MUHARRAM The Muharram is the greatest festival of the Muslims. Hassan and'Hussain were the two grand-Essays Letters and Stories For Beginners 19 sons of Hazarat Muhammad. This festival is obser- ved to remember them. The Muslims express their sorrow for the death of Hussain. They observe fast for ten days together. During Muharram colourful processions are taken out with beautiful tazias. The tazias are regarded as tombs over Hussain’s grave. When the processions pass the Muslims cry “Hassan ! Hussain )” in sorrow. On the eleventh day, the tazias are immersed in rivers or ponds. At last, they join a feast. THE TELEVISION The television is a great contribution of modern science. It was invented by the American scientist J. L. Baird in 1926. It is popularly known as T. V.” On television we can see things happening at distant places.. We can enjoy the programmes with our eyes and ears. It is very interesting. It is gradually replacing the cinema and the radio It isa good medium of education. Many students who cannot attend classes are taught through it. T. V. is also a source of enjoyment and entertainment. There are different programmes ‘on it such as films, games music etc. But the tele- vision has its abuses. Too much watching T. V.20 Essays Letters & Stories For Beginners programmes affects our eye-sight. Children often neglect their studies for viewing programmes on television. THE CINEMA The cinema is a great gift of modern science. It was invented by the American scientist Thomas Alva Edison. It is also called a movie: The .cinema isa great source of entertainment, In a cinema show we find almost living characters and images in front of our eyes. The cinema has an educative value, too, We can learn customs and manners of men. We can also see different places and things through it. The documentary films teach us much. But the cinema has its bad effects. Some pictures have a bad impact particularly upon young people. They neglect their duties and become mad for such films, The television is gradually replacing the cinema now-a-days. VIDYASAGAR Vidyasagar was a great son of India. He was born at Birsingha in 1820. Thakurdas Bandyopa- dhyay was his father and Bhagabati Devi hisEssays Letters & Stories For Beginners aL mother. His family was very poor. Ishwarchandra came to Calcutta for studies. He was known as ‘Vidyasagar’ for his vast knowledge. He became the principal of Sanskrit College. He was also a kind-hearted man. Hedid much for the spread of education in our country. Vidyasagar also did a lot for widows. He wrote many books like ‘Barna Parichaya’, ‘Shakuntala’, ‘Sitar Banabis’ etc. Vidyasagar died in 1891. RABINDRANATH Rabindranath is onz of the greatest poets of the world, He was born in Calcutta in 1861. Mahar- shi Debendranath and Sarada Devi were his parents. Rabindranath started writing poems when he was only a child. He got the Nobel Prize in 1913 in literature. He was not only a poet. He was also a painter, a novelist and an educationist. Tagore set up Viswabharati University at Shantiniketan. He wrote many patriotic songs. He rejected ‘Knighthood’ because of the Jalian- wallabag massacre in 1919. Rabindranath died in 1941. But his works will never die,MAHATMA GANDHI Mahatma Gandhi is called the ‘Father of the Nation’ in India. He was a great political leader. He was born on 2nd October in 1869 at Porbandar. Kaba Gandhi and Putli Bai were his parents. He was very truti.ful from his childhood. He became a barrister from England. Then Gandhiji went to- South Africa, There he fought against the British rulers. He then returned to India. He became a. great leader in India’s freedom movement. Gandhiji was also a great man. He always felt for poor and untouchable people. Gandhiji was murdered on 30th January, 1948. He did a lot for peace, Progress and. prosperity of our country. : SUBHASCHANDRA Or (A GREAT NATIONAL PATRIOT ) Subhaschandra was a.great patriot of India. He was born at Cuttack in 1897. Janakinath Bose was his father and Prabhabati Devi his mother. He was a very intelligent student. He stood second: in the Matriculation Examination. He also passed' the I. C. S. Examination with great credit, But he did not take any job under the British Government..Essays Letters & Stories For Beginners 23 He joined India’s freedom movement and becamea great leader. Subhaschandra become the President of the Indian National Congress twice. Later he formed the Forward Bloc. He left India and formed the I. N. A. at Singapore. The army dearly called him ‘Netaji’. Nothing clear is known about his death. JAWAHARLAL NEHRU Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was the first Prime Minister of our country. He was born in 1889. Motilal Nehru was his father. He became a barris- ter from England. Then he joined India’s freedom movement. He became a great leader soon. Jawaharlal became the President of the Indian National Congress. He was sent to prison for many times. Nehru was the maker of modern India. He was also a great writer. He loved child- ten very much. Pandit Nehru was the Prime Minister of India from 1947 until his death in 1964, SWAMI VIVEKANANDA or ( YOUR FAVOURITE HERO ) Swami Vivekananda is my favourite hero. He24 Essays Letters & Stories For Beginners wes born in Calcutta in 1863. Before he became a monk, his namz was Narendranath Dutta. At first, he did not believe God, Then he met Sri Rama- krishna. He changed Narendranath’s life completely. Swamiji travelled the whole of India on foot. In 1893 he attended the Parliament of. Religions at Chicago. Then he became very famous in the world. He founded the Ramakrishna Math--and Mission for the service of people. Swamiji died in 1902, But his ideas and thoughts can never die. A FOOTBALL MATCH I saw a very exciting football match in Septem~- ber last. It was the final match ‘of the Punnyananda Memorial Shield Tournament at Rahara. The match was played between Junior High School and the Hostel, The match started at3p.m. In the first half, it was an up and down match. Neither side could score a goal. In the second half also it was a very contesting and exciting game. But neither team was able to score a goal. In the extra time too, there was no goal. So, the tie breaker tule was applied for the result. Our Junior High School Team did well in it and they defeated theEssays Letters & Stories For Beginnergs 25 Hostel Team by 3—1 margin. Our goal keeper Tridib made some nice‘saves, It was really a memorable match. A CRICKET MATCH Limited over cricket matches are always very interesting. «Such an exciting match was played between our School Team and Ananda Niketan School. Our team won the toss and invited the opponent team to bat first. They made 135 from 30 overs. After lunch our School Team went in to bat. It was not avery difficult task. However, our opening batsmen played well and put on 30 runs. After this, we lost a few quick wickets At one stage, we were 60 for the loss of six wickets. Then our captain Soumitra played a nice innings. He made a brilliant 54 and remained not out. Other players also gave him a good support. We won this exciting match and became very happy and proud. MY FAVOURITE CRICKETER Of all the cricketers, I like Kapil Dev most. He was born in 1959 in Hariyana. Deshpran Azad was Kapil’s coach. He played his first Test match26 Essays Letters & Stories For Beginners against Pakistan at Faisalabad in 1978. He is an allrounder. He is mainly famous for, his bowling. He is a medium fast bowler. Kapilhas played more than one hundred and twenty five Test matches, He has now become the highest wicket taker in Tests. He has so fat captured 434 wickets. He is also a good batsman. Kapil has already scoreds more than 5,000 runs. In limited overs. cricket, too, he is very successful. Kapil was also a good captain. India won the Prudential World Cup under his superb captaincy in 1983. Recently Kapil has retired from first class cricket. MY FAVOURITE AUTHOR Of all the authors, I like Sarat Chandra most. He was born at Debanandapur in Hooghly district in 1876. I like him for many reasons, Sarat Chandra wrote about common men and women, He was against all kinds of social injustices. He wrote many novels. His important works are ‘Dutta’, ‘Debdas’, ‘Patherdabi’, ‘Bipradas’, ‘Ramer Sumati’, ‘Bindur Chhele’ and many others. Sarat Chandra wrote in avery simple and sweet style. He is mainly famous in the world for his short stories. This great writer died in 1937.THE RADIO The radio is a great invention of modern science. The Italian scientist Marconi invented it in 1901. It is a kind of wireless system. Sound is sent from distance through it. The radio is a good medium of entertainment. We listen to songs, music, news. plays etc. on it. The radio has also a great educative value. It can be used for the spread of education, The ignorant people in villages can learn about the rules of health and hygiene. In recent years, the radio is no longer popular in cities and towns. The television has captured its place. But in villages it is still very popular. THE SUN The sun is the brightest star in the sky. It is thousands of miles away from us. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. We get light and heat on earth from it. Without the sun, there would have been no existence of life on earth, The earth moves round the sun. It takes about 365 days todo so. The sun rays are unbearable in summer. But they are pleasant in winter. The sun controls thé weather and climate of the earth, For many reasons, it is worshipped as a god in India.THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A TREE Iam a banyan tree beside a road. ‘There are big ‘fields around me. Ido not know how and when I was born. In my childhood, cows and goats. would -often hurt me, But now Iam a huge tree. I am the shelter for birds and men. Many birds live in my branches and eat my fruits, They sing sweetly and T enjoy their songs. On hot days, tired travellers :take rest under my shade, Village - people worship meas their diety. I have seen many happy and cunhappy incidents in my life. Marriage and funeral processions pass under me. Sometimes on dark nights murders are committed here. Dacoits also often gather under me. I just see and don’t say -anything. THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A STREET DOG Tam a street dog. My mother left me long ago. ‘So, Iamallalone. I always go here ard »there in search of food. There is great uncertainty about ‘food. Sometimes, I go without food. For food I always depend on the marcy of people. Some- ‘times they throw bits of food at me. [ eat them most happily. I have no fixed shelter, I take rest ‘on footpaths. I find great difficulty on winter andEssays Letters & Stories For Beginners 2 rainy nights. Then I spend sleepless nights. When I walk on the way, I am attacked by other dogs. Talso fight with them. Sometimes I am badly. injured. Thus, I have a hard life. THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A ROAD My name is Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Road: Iam one of the biggest roads in Calcutta. I was born many years ago. Iam very large and Igo through many areas of the city. There are many shops and buildings on my both sides. I am a very busy road. Buses,-trams and others vehicles run on me throughout the day. Pedestrians walk on pavements. In my life, Ihave seen many happy and unhappy incidents. -Many processions pass along me. Accidents occur on me and many people die, I feel very sad then. THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A RIVER My name is Ganges. I am the biggest and holi- est river in India. I was born thousands of years ago from the Himalayas, Ihave gone through many villages and fields. Finally I have been united with the Bay of Bengal. There are many towns30 Essays Letters di Stories For Beginners and cities on my banks, Many famous temples are situated on my banks, Iam myself a diety in India. Iam worshipped by many Hindus in India. My water is very holy. Many pilgrims bathe in my sacred water. Boats, steamers and ships ply on me. In the rainy season, I become very violent. Floods occur and many people die. I become very sorry then. Iam now very old. Idon’t know whenI would die. THE DURGA PUJA The Durga Puja is our greatest festival. It is observed in autumn. In this festival, goddess Durga and her children Karticka, Ganesha, Lakshmi and Saraswati are worshipped. The Durga Puja festival is the symbol of the victory of good ‘over evil. The deities are worshipped with great purity and pleasure. Puja pandals are nicely decorated. Men and women, boys and girls wear new clothes on this occasion. On the fourth day of the festival, the images are immersed in ponds and rivers, Then we feel very sad, and wait for the next puja, THE TIGER The tiger is a very beautiful animal. It looksEssays Letters & Stories For Beginners 31 like a big cat. It has a round head. There is yellowish hair on its body. The hair is marked with black stripes. It has sharp teeth and power- ful paws. The claws in the paws are very sharp. It has a long tail. The tiger has very powerful eye-sight. There are different kinds of tigers. They are also of different colours. The Royal Bengal Tiger is the most beautiful and biggest of all. The tiger is a very ferocious animal. It eats the flesh of different animals, It kills animals like cows, goats, deer and sheep. There are also some tigers which eat man’s flesh. They are known as ‘man-eaters.’ THE ELEPHANT The elephant is the strongest and largest of all animals. It is very good-looking animal. It has four long legs. They look like pillars. It has two big ears and a long trunk, The elephant has two white tusks. But its eyes and tail are very small. It eats leaves. plants, grains and fruits. Elephants are found in India, Burma and Africa. The elephant is a very gentle animal. It is also very useful to us. Many valuable things are made of its bones and32 Essays Letters & Stories For Beginners tusks. Elephants are used to draw heavy loads. In hunting and circus they are also used. THE LION The lion isa very strong and ferocious animal. It is almost as big asthe tiger. The-lion has four legs, two eyes, two ears anda long tail. It has sharp teeth and powerful paws. Only the male lion has mane on its neck. Lions are found in large numbers in Africa. In India they are found in the Gir forest of Gujrat. The lion is expert in hunting. It lives on animals like goats, deer and cows. It hunts only when it is hungry. The lion hasa royal appearance. It walks in the forest very proudly. For these reasons, the lion is called the ‘king of beasts.’ THE CAMEL The camel isa very big and tall animal. It is very cool and modest in nature. Some camels have two humpsand others only one on their backs. The legs of the camel are very tall and slender. Its. neck is very large, All these make the camel very odd and bad-looking. Camels are generally found in the deserts of Asia and Africas The camel is an.Essays Letters & Stories For Beginners 33 important animal in the desert. It can cover a long distance on sands. People use it for going from one place to another. Goods are carried on its back. For all these reasons, the camel is called ‘the ship of the desert’ The people of the desert take its milk and meat. Its bone and skin are used to make different things. Thus, the camel is the most important animal‘in the desert. - THE DOG The dog is the most popular pet animal. It is found almost in all houses. It is a small animal. It has four legs, two eyes and twoears. It has a short tail. There is thick hair on its body. There are different kinds of dogs. Dogs eat meat, fish, tice and bread. They-have a sharp eye-sight. They can clearly see on dark nights. They can also hear ‘well. The dog is a very useful animal. It is very bold. It guards our houses at night. It barks when an unknown man comes to its master’s house. Dogs are now-a-days used to detect criminals. Thus, the dog is the most useful and faithful pet animal. | roTHE COW The cow is the most usefulof all domestic animals. There are cows everywhere. The cow has four legs, two horns, two eyes and two ears, It has a long tail. It has one set of teeth. There are different kinds of cows. They have also differ- ent colours. The cow liveson grass, leaves and bran, It is very gentle. The cow is a very useful animal. It gives milk which is a very good food. Different things are made from milk. Bullocks draw carts and plough the field. Cow-dung is used ‘as fuel and fertilizer. Its skin, horns and bones are also used in different things. For all these, the cow is worshipped in India. . THE CAT The cat is my most favourite pet animal, Cats are very dear to us. We keep them in our houges as pets. Thecat is a beautiful animal. It looks like a small tiger. There is soft fur on its body. It has a small round head. The cat has four legs. It has sharp paws. Its teeth are also very sharp. It has a long tail, The cat has a good eye-sight. It can clearly see in the dark. It eats milk, meat and fish. xtEssays Letters & Stories For Beginners 35 ‘The cat isa useful animal. It kills rats and mice. But it is a bit selfish and dishonest. It steals our food. It also spreads many diseases. So, the cat is not as good as the dog. THE HORSE The horse is a very faithful animal. It is found all over the world. It is of different kinds and colours. The horse has four strong legs. Its hoofs are not patted in the middle. There is a tuft of thick black hair in its tail. There is mane on its neck. They eats grass, leaves and food- grains. It isa very useful animal. It is very bold, strong and clever. So, it was used in the battle- field in the past. The horse saved its master’s life even at thz costof its own. Then it was used as the means of travel and transport. Horse racing and horse riding are very popular sports even today. THE PARROT The parrot is a very popular pet bird. There are both green and grey parrots. The parrot isa small bird. It has a curved bill. There are strong At36 Essays Letters and Stories For Beginners :° claws in its small legs. “Parrots live in the holes of! old trees. They fly together in flocks. Fruits and: seeds are their favourite food. Parrots are so dear to us because they can talk. .They are tamed and. kept in cages. They are trained to talk. They can call the names of gods and goddesses. They can also- call the names of different persons. THE PEACOCK The peacock is the national bird of India. It isi” very beautiful. The male peacock is not nice. The _ male peacock isa big bird. It has a long tail. Its. legs are rough and ugly. Peacocks are found mainly: in India and other Asian countries. They eat food: grains, frogs, snakes and insects, There are beauti- ful feathers in the body of the peacock. It has- beautiful blue feathers in its neck: But its tail is. the most beautiful part of its body. There are different colours in it, When it rains the peacock: becomes very happy. Then it spreads its tail. It. looks like a big fan. It is a lovely sight, THE MOSQUITO The mosquito is a very common insect, It isEssays Letters & Stories For Beginners 37 very small but disturbing. It is mainly found in -dark, damp and dirty places. The female mosquito -alys eggs in dirty drains and still water. We are -alwazs afraid of mosquitoes. Only female mosqui- ctoes-can bite. They enter their strings into the . skin and suck blood. Male mosquitoes have - blunt :stings. Mosquitoes are very dangerous. They spread : -different diseases like malaria and plague. To pre- went these diseases, we should use mosquito-nets. ‘We also should clear. dirty drains and ponds. ~THE CROW The crow isa very common bird. It is always ‘found in towns and villages. It is black in colour. Crows call noisily. Their call is called ‘cawing’. “There are two kinds of crows. They are ravens -and jack-daws. The raven is deep black in colour. dt is larger in size. Its feathers are very glossy. Crows eat fish, flesh, fruits and food-grains. It also -likes to eat dirty and rotten things. Crows are very clever and greedy. They always try to steal our things. They also help us. They clear dirty things. THE BUTTERFLY The ‘butterfly isa very beautiful insect. It is38 Essays Letters & Stories For Beginners very small. There are three parts in its body. They are the head, thorax and abdomen. It has six legs, They come out from the thorax. The wings of the butterfly are very beautiful. There are different colours in its body. The butterfly has a strange life-cycle. The little worms called caterpillars. come out of eggs. They live on green leaves: Then: they sleep for sometime in winter inside their coverings. When warm weather comes, they come: out from the coverings. Now they-fly from flower to flower as beautiful butterflies. THE CUCKOO All. of us are familiar with the call of the cuckoo. It is very black in colour. It has a Jong. tail. It is found in bushes and trees. It eats worms, insects, and fruits. The cuckoo has a sweet voice. We all like it much. We cannot think of springtime without the cuckoo. It announces the coming of spring. But the cuckoo. has a very unnatural behaviour. It does not lay eggs in its own nest. The female crow hatches. its eggs in its own nest. So, the cuckoo is very’ selfish,THE OWL The owl is normally found at night. So, it is called a nocturnal bird. It is small and very bad- looking. Its head is very large and round. It has big eyes. Its bill is curved and sharp. Owls live in the holes of old trees and in old houses. They eat rats, mice and small insects. In the darkness of night, the owl comes out. Its eyesight is very powerful and it can clearly see in darkness. The owl produces 4 hooting sound. It dislikes daylight. Other birds dislike and disturb the owl by day. So, it is not seen during the day. THE SNAKE Snakes are very common creatures. They are called reptiles. They crawl on their bellies and breasts. Snakes live both on land and water. There are scales on their body. There are different kinds of snakes. The python is the biggest snake. Snakes live in the holes of trees and ground. They eat rats, frogs, and young birds. There are poiso~ nous and non-poisonous snakes. The cobra is a very poisonous snake. The bite of this snake means death. Poisonous snakes generally have hoods.40 Essays Letters at Stories For Beginners The poison of the snake is used to make medicines. Its skin is used to make many things. Thus, the snake is not only harmful but also useful, THE RaT The rat is a small creature. It is found every- where in the world. The rat has four small legs, two eyes, two ears, and a tail, There are small claws in the legs. The small teeth are very sharp. Rats are generally grey in colour. There are also white rats. They live in the holes of houses and ‘field. Rats are very mischievous creatures. They eat and destroy stored grains and cut our clothes. They also destory crops in the field. Rats are also very harmful. They spread the germs of many diseases. Rats are very afraid of cats, They run away in great fear when they find cats, THE SUMMER Summer is the hottest season of the year. In our country, it generally begins in April and ends in June. Now the sun shines very brightly. The weather remains hot. Ponds and ditches dry up. Sometimes storm and rain occur towards evening, -It brings temporary relief from the warm condition.