1.4 Love for One’s Motherland
Complete textbook exercise solutions — Maharashtra State Board (Balbharati), Grade Six English.
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About the chapter
This story is about some European tourists who visited Ethiopia, a small country in Africa. The king welcomed them as royal guests. When they were leaving, the soldiers took off their shoes and dusted them clean. The tourists learnt that the people of Ethiopia loved their soil more than their own lives.
Key points
- Ethiopia is a small country in Africa with great natural beauty.
- The king gave the tourists a guide and costly presents.
- At the harbour, the soldiers took the tourists’ shoes and dusted them.
- The Ethiopians did not want even the soil of their land to be carried away.
- Message: we should love and respect our motherland.
Words to remember
- tourist – a person who travels to see places
- inn – a small hotel
- legend – an old traditional story
- harbour – a place where ships stop
- hospitable – friendly and welcoming to guests
The main points of the story are:
- About a hundred years ago, some European tourists went to Ethiopia to see the country.
- They liked its natural beauty and its people, and stayed in an inn.
- They asked the king for a guide so that they could learn the history and legends of the land.
- The king was pleased, treated them as royal guests and gave them a guide.
- At the time of leaving, the king gave them costly presents.
- At the harbour the soldiers took away their shoes, which confused and irritated the tourists.
- The shoes were returned after being dusted clean, because the Ethiopians did not want their soil to be carried away.
- The tourists were amazed at the Ethiopians’ love for their soil.
- (i) In the early morning, tourists used to go to see the natural wonders of that land.
- (ii) The king treated the tourists as royal guests.
- (iii) At the time of leaving, the king gave the tourist lots of costly presents.
- It is a small country in Africa.
- It is a proud country with great natural beauty.
- Its land, rivers and natural scenery are fantastic.
- It has a rich history and many legends attached to it.
- Its people are simple, shy and hospitable.
- Its people love their soil more than their own lives.
(i) Where were the tourists staying?
The tourists were staying in an inn.
(ii) What did the tourists like in Ethiopia?
They liked the natural beauty of the country and its people. They found its land and rivers fantastic.
(iii) Why did the tourists approach the king?
They wanted a guide who knew both their language and the local language. With his help, they could learn the history and legends of the country.
(iv) Why did the soldiers ask the tourists to take off their shoes?
The soldiers wanted to dust the shoes clean. The Ethiopians did not want the tourists to carry away even the soil of their land. They loved their soil more than their own lives.
(v) Why did the Ethiopians feel shy to speak with the Europeans?
The Ethiopians were simple people. They did not know the language of the Europeans. So they felt shy and only looked at them.
(vi) How do you show love for your country?
This is a personal-response question. Students should write their own answer.
| /s/ sound | /z/ sound |
|---|---|
| outside, instead, permission | these, surprise, memories |
Remember: Words ending in ts, ps, ks, fs, ce, us, ous or ss keep the /s/ sound. Otherwise a final -s is very often pronounced /z/.
- (i) You should study now. — Personal Pronoun
- (ii) This is my car. — Demonstrative Pronoun
- (iii) He is reading a book. — Personal Pronoun
- (iv) You know the boy whom I met yesterday. — Relative Pronoun
- (v) Watch the video which she made. — Relative Pronoun
- (vi) Those are stars. — Demonstrative Pronoun
Suitable title: “Shirish Kumar — The Brave Boy of Nandurbar”
Long ago, when India was under British rule, there lived a brave boy named Shirish Kumar, in Nandurbar district of Maharashtra. He loved his country. When a difficult time came for the nation, he did not remain silent.
One day, people gathered to protest peacefully for freedom. Shirish Kumar joined them with great courage. He was not afraid of danger because his love for the nation was stronger than fear.
During the protest, Shirish Kumar was injured but he did not step back. His sacrifice showed the power of courage and honesty. The people of Nandurbar remember him with pride and respect.
Shirish Kumar’s life teaches us to be brave, truthful and responsible citizens. We should always stand for justice and love our country.
This is a reading and presentation activity. Students should read from the library or online resources and present in class.
Awardees students may read about: Major Somnath Sharma, Captain Vikram Batra, Subedar Yogendra Singh Yadav, Lance Naik Albert Ekka, CQMH Abdul Hamid and Major Shaitan Singh.
This is a library and speaking activity. Students should choose their own folktale and present it using the four points given — title, characters they liked most, favourite character and moral of the story.