Read the passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words/ phrases have been given in bold to help you locate them while answering some of the questions. Once upon a time, there lived a washerman in a village. H
Read the passage carefully and answer the questions given
below it. Certain words/ phrases have been given in bold to help you locate them
while answering some of the questions.
Once upon a time, there lived a washerman in a village. He had a donkey by the name of
Udhata. He used to carry loads of clothes to the river bank and back home everyday.
The donkey was not satisfied with the food, that was given to him by his master to eat.
So he wandered into the nearby fields stealthily and ate the crops growing there. Once,
the donkey, while wandering around, happened to meet a fox. Soon, both of them
became friends and began to wander together in search of delicious food. One night, the
donkey and the fox were eating water-melons in a field. The water- melons were so
tasty, that the donkey ate in a large quantity. Having eaten to his appetite, the donkey
became so happy that he was compelled by an intense desire to sing. He told the fox
that he was in such a good mood that he had to express his happiness in a melodious
tone. ?Don?t be a fool. If you sing, the people sleeping in and around this field will wake up
and beat us black and blue with sticks,? said the fox worriedly.
`You are a dull fellow?, the donkey said hearing the words of fox. ?Singing makes one
happy and healthy. No matter what comes. I?ll definitely sing a song.? The fox became
worried to see the donkey adamant to sing a song in the midst of the field, while the
owner was still sleeping only a little distance away. Seeing his adamance, he said to the
donkey, ?Friend, wait a minute before you start first, let me jump over to the other side
of the fence for my safety.? Saying so the fox jumped over to the other side of the fence
without losing a moment. The donkey began in his so-called melodious tone. Hearing,
suddenly, a donkey braying in the field, the owner woke up from his sleep. He picked up
his stick lying by his side and ran towards the donkey who was still braying happily. The
owner of the field looked around and saw the loss caused by the donkey. He became
very angry and beat him so ruthlessly that the donkey was physically incapacitated
temporarily. He, somehow, managed to drag himself out of the field with great difficulty.
The fox looked at the donkey and said in a sympathetic tone, T m sorry to see you in this
pitiable condition. I had already warned you, but you didn?t listen to my advice.? The
donkey too realised his folly and hung his head in shame.
Why did donkey want to sing ?
1). Donkey was so happy that he was compelled by an intense desire to sing.
2). He wanted to wake up the people sleeping around.
3). Fox told the donkey to sing a song.
4). He wanted to prove that he was a good singer.
