PDF chapter test TRY NOW
I sat up with a groan and saw that the cavalry horses were still out of control. Some of them were running like mad in circles, while their riders tried to bring them under control. Two horses were nowhere to be seen, and one horse threw its rider right in front of my eyes. The poor man landed in the ditch just next to the cow. The cow thinking this was another attack, bellowed loudly and, lowering its head at the unfortunate man. The poor fellow scrambled out of the ditch, tearing his pants at rather an awkward place. Realising this, he sat down on the road with a thump and would not get up. I saw my brother approaching with my bike in tow, coming up to me with a grin on his face. I felt like hitting him.
Explanation:
The cow in a fit of fright, throws the author into the ditch, thus escaping from the hustle. It had happened because of the horses that were racing towards them. When the author sits up shaking herself of the shock of falling on the fresh earth near the ditch, she is faced with yet another situation. She sits up making a slight cry, as she sees that the horses are still out of control due to the commotion she had caused. Animals generally run in circles when they are confused or chased around. Similarly the horses who had just experienced a rush saw this as a puzzle which they could not solve. They act like mad horses as their riders try to control them. The warriors who had controlled battles and armies find it difficult to control the scared horses, as they have little power over animals.
The Horses were uncontrollable
The author then explains what she witnessed. She sees a horse who has panicked so much that it throws down its riders. Two horses had escaped from the fear of danger approaching them. The man who was thrown down from the horse landed straight in the ditch, in which the cow had fallen. The author describes the series of events that followed humorously. The cow who was already in a state of shock, was not given a minute to rest. The man landing next to it, made it startle even more as it thought it was another attack. It started mooing loudly and stared at the man by lowering his eyes towards him. It wanted to protect itself from another commotion and gets prepared to eliminate all obstacles. The author calls him unfortunate, as he had done nothing wrong to experience all these. But, in an attempt to escape from the cow, the man gets himself into an awkward situation.
The horse throws the man down
The man was in such a hurry to escape from the cow's attack that while doing so, he gets his pants torn in a very awkward place. He had to sit down and refuse to get up, as the back of his pants were torn from the attempt to escape. Although the author is narrating the incident as a serious situation, a humorous touch is given to the whole narration.
Just like any other sibling, who is ready to make fun of each other, the author's brother walks towards her with a winning smile on his face. He also makes sure to take her bicycle along with him. His face shows that he wants to laugh at her and tease her. The author who is at the receiving end, is irritated and angry, not only for losing the race, but because of all the embarrassments that she had to put up with. She feels like hitting him.
Words with difficult meaning:
| S.No | Words | Meaning |
1 | Bellow | A deep sound or cry |
2 | Unfortunate | Unlucky |
3 | Scramble | To move quickly |
4 | Thump | Refers to the sound caused by any sudden action |
5 | Awkward | Shameful, difficult |
6 | Tow | To pull any vehicle |
7 | Grin | Smiling widely, showing teeth |
8 | Commotion | Great noise, something exciting or nasty that happens in a hurry |
9 | Hustle | Hurrying |
10 | Embarrassment | Being foolish in front of others |
Reference:
State Council of Educational Research and Training (2019). Term-3 English Standard-6. That Sunday Morning (pp 91-105). Published by the Tamil Nadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation.
Register for free to see more content