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Unit 5, Lesson 1: The Little Bird
It was Seryozha's birthday, and he received many presents: tops, hobby-horses, and picture books. But the best gift of all was from his uncle. It was a net for catching birds.
A little board was attached to a frame on which a net was stretched. Grain was sprinkled on the board, and then the net was set out in the yard. When a bird flew up and perched on the board, the board would turn over and the net would fall.
Seryozha was so happy he came running to his mother to show her his net.
His mother said, "It's not a nice toy at all. What do you want with little birds? Why do you want to torment them?"
"I'll put them in cages. They'll sing, and I'll feed them." Seryozha got some grain, sprinkled it on the little board, and set the net out in the garden. He stood next to it, waiting for birds to come flying down. But the birds were afraid of him and did not come near the net.
Seryozha went in to dinner and left the net in the garden.
When he came to look at it after dinner, he saw that the net had fallen and a little bird was thrashing about under it. Seryozha was very excited. He caught the bird and took it into the house.
"Look, Mamma! I've caught a bird. It must be a nightingale. Oh, how fast its heart is beating."
His mother said, "It's a siskin. Don't torment it. Let it go."
"No, I'll feed it and care for it."
Seryozha put the siskin in a cage, and for two days he fed it grain, changed its water, and cleaned the cage. On the third day, he forgot about the siskin and did not change its water.
Then his mother said to him, "See? You forgot all about your little bird. I think you had better let it go."
"No, I won't forget. I'll give it some fresh water now and clean the cage."
Seryozha stuck his hand into the cage and began cleaning it, but the siskin became frightened and beat its wings against the cage. Seryozha cleaned the cage out and went for water.
His mother saw that he had forgotten to close the little door and called after him, "Close the cage door, Seryozha, or your bird might fly out and hurt itself."
No sooner had she said this than the siskin found the door, spread its wings happily, and flew across the room to the window. But it did not see the glass pane. It hit the pane and fell to the windowsill.
Seryozha came running, picked up the little bird, and took it back to the cage. The siskin was alive, but it lay on its breast with its little wings spread out and was breathing jerkily.
Seryozha began to cry.
"Mamma! What'll I do?"
"There's nothing you can do now."
Seryozha did not leave the room that day. He kept gazing at the siskin. The siskin lay on its breast as before, breathing jerkily.
When Seryozha went to bed that night, the siskin was still alive.
Seryozha could not fall asleep for a long while. No sooner would he close his eyes than he would imagine the siskin lying there, gasping for breath.
When Seryozha went up to the cage the next morning, he saw the siskin lying on its back with its legs curled up. It was dead. Never again did Seryozha catch another bird.
Vocabulary List
| Word | Word | Word |
|---|---|---|
| Torment | Perched | Siskin |
| Thrashing | Nightingale | Jerkily |
| Gaz | Pane | Cage |
| Gasping | Curl | Gasp |
Multiple Choice Questions
- What was Seryozha’s favorite birthday gift?
- A picture book
- A hobby-horse
- A net for catching birds
- A toy soldier
- Why did the birds not come near the net when Seryozha was waiting?
- They were not hungry
- They were afraid of him
- The grain was not fresh
- It was too windy
- What type of bird did Seryozha catch?
- A nightingale
- A sparrow
- A siskin
- A pigeon
- What did Seryozha’s mother advise him to do with the bird?
- Keep it in a cage
- Let it go
- Teach it to sing
- Give it to a friend
- What mistake did Seryozha make while cleaning the cage?
- He forgot to give the bird water
- He scared the bird
- He left the cage door open
- He dropped the bird
- What happened when the bird escaped?
- It flew away safely
- It hit the glass pane
- It was caught by another bird
- It landed on Seryozha’s shoulder
- How did Seryozha feel when the bird died?
- Happy
- Indifferent
- Sad
- Angry
Short Questions
- What was Seryozha’s favorite birthday present?
- How did the bird get caught in the net?
- Why did Seryozha’s mother tell him to let the bird go?
- What mistake did Seryozha make while cleaning the cage?
- What happened to the siskin at the end of the story?
Fill in the Blanks
A dictionary provides the __________ of a word and example sentences to show its usage. Some words have multiple __________ depending on the context. For example, the word "dry" can mean "not wet" or "__________." A dictionary also includes __________, which are words with similar meanings, and __________, which are words with opposite meanings.
Short Questions
- What did Seryozha receive as the best gift on his birthday?
- How did Seryozha’s mother feel about his new toy?
- Why did the birds not come near the net at first?
- What happened when the siskin tried to fly out of the window?
- What lesson did Seryozha learn at the end of the story?
Fill in the Blanks
On his birthday, Seryozha received a __________ for catching birds. He set it up in the __________, hoping to catch one. After dinner, he found a little __________ trapped under the net. He placed it in a __________ and took care of it for a few days. However, one day, he forgot to close the door, and the bird flew into the __________, getting injured.
Answers
Word Details
| Word | Definition | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Torment (Noun/Verb) | Severe mental or physical suffering | Bengali: যন্ত্রণা | IPA: /ˈtɔːrment/ | The little bird was in great torment after hitting the glass. |
| Perched (Verb) | Sitting or resting on something high | Bengali: উঁচু জায়গায় বসা | IPA: /pɜːrtʃt/ | The bird perched on the branch, looking for food. |
| Siskin (Noun) | A small songbird of the finch family | Bengali: এক ধরনের ছোট পাখি | IPA: /ˈsɪskɪn/ | Seryozha caught a siskin in his bird net. |
| Thrashing (Verb) | Moving wildly or violently | Bengali: আছাড় খাওয়া | IPA: /ˈθræʃɪŋ/ | The bird was thrashing under the net, trying to escape. |
| Nightingale (Noun) | A small songbird known for its beautiful singing | Bengali: বুলবুল পাখি | IPA: /ˈnaɪtɪŋɡeɪl/ | Seryozha thought he had caught a nightingale. |
| Jerkily (Adverb) | In sudden, irregular movements | Bengali: টান টানভাবে | IPA: /ˈdʒɜːrkɪli/ | The injured bird was breathing jerkily. |
| Gaz (Noun) | (Possibly a typo or unclear word) No standard definition available. | N/A |
| Pane (Noun) | A single sheet of glass in a window | Bengali: কাঁচের টুকরা | IPA: /peɪn/ | The bird hit the glass pane and fell to the windowsill. |
| Cage (Noun) | A structure made of bars or wires to keep animals or birds in | Bengali: খাঁচা | IPA: /keɪdʒ/ | Seryozha placed the siskin inside the cage. |
| Gasping (Verb) | Struggling to breathe | Bengali: হাঁপাতে থাকা | IPA: /ɡæspɪŋ/ | The little bird lay on its breast, gasping for breath. |
| Curl (Verb) | To bend or twist into a curved shape | Bengali: বাঁকানো | IPA: /kɜːrl/ | The bird lay on its back with its legs curled up. |
| Gasp (Verb) | To take a quick, deep breath due to shock or pain | Bengali: হাঁপিয়ে ওঠা | IPA: /ɡæsp/ | Seryozha gasped when he saw the bird lying motionless. |
Multiple Choice Questions
- What was Seryozha’s favorite birthday gift?
- a) A picture book
- b) A hobby-horse
- c) A net for catching birds ✅
- d) A toy soldier
- Why did the birds not come near the net when Seryozha was waiting?
- a) They were not hungry
- b) They were afraid of him ✅
- c) The grain was not fresh
- d) It was too windy
- What type of bird did Seryozha catch?
- a) A nightingale
- b) A sparrow
- c) A siskin ✅
- d) A pigeon
- What did Seryozha’s mother advise him to do with the bird?
- a) Keep it in a cage
- b) Let it go ✅
- c) Teach it to sing
- d) Give it to a friend
- What mistake did Seryozha make while cleaning the cage?
- a) He forgot to give the bird water
- b) He scared the bird
- c) He left the cage door open ✅
- d) He dropped the bird
- What happened when the bird escaped?
- a) It flew away safely
- b) It hit the glass pane ✅
- c) It was caught by another bird
- d) It landed on Seryozha’s shoulder
- How did Seryozha feel when the bird died?
- a) Happy
- b) Indifferent
- c) Sad ✅
- d) Angry
Answers to Short Questions
- What was Seryozha’s favorite birthday present?
His favorite present was a net for catching birds, which he received from his uncle.
- How did the bird get caught in the net?
The bird was attracted by the grain on the board, and when it perched on the board, the net fell and trapped it.
- Why did Seryozha’s mother tell him to let the bird go?
She believed it was wrong to torment the bird and that it should be free instead of being kept in a cage.
- What mistake did Seryozha make while cleaning the cage?
He forgot to close the little door of the cage, allowing the bird to escape and injure itself by flying into a windowpane.
- What happened to the siskin at the end of the story?
The siskin was injured and eventually died the next morning, which made Seryozha regret catching birds.
Fill in the Blanks
On his birthday, Seryozha received a net for catching birds. He set it up in the yard, hoping to catch one. After dinner, he found a little bird trapped under the net. He placed it in a cage and took care of it for a few days. However, one day, he forgot to close the door, and the bird flew into the window, getting injured.
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- 📌 Format: Reading Text
- 📌Content: Class VIII – Unit Five, Lesson 1: The little Bird (Page 44)
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- 📌 Content: Class VIII – Unit Five, Lesson 1: The Little Bird (Page 44)
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