Maharashtra Board Class 9 English Unit Three Chapter 3.4 How the First Letter was Written PDF Download

How The First Letter Was Written

Warming Up

1. List the materials that man has used for the following purposes in the different ages.

2. Write your name in Bold Capitals.

(a) Now, within 3 minutes try to make as many words as you can using the letters in your name. You cannot use the same letter twice in a word, unless it is so in your name.

(b) You may use the above idea to devise a game with your friends.

3. List words from your mother tongue or from Hindi which do not have an exact English equivalent. Try to write their meaning in English.

4. Now, list at least twenty English words which do not have an exact equivalent in your mother tongue.

5. Browse the internet to find names of people / places, etc. in any language that is not familiar to you. Can you pronounce the names correctly? How will you find the correct pronunciation?

Teacher's Note

This activity helps children learn how different languages describe the same ideas in different ways. For example, the Hindi word "jugaad" means finding a clever fix, but English does not have one exact word for this.

Exam Trick

Remember: Some words cannot be translated exactly because they come from a specific culture or time. Look for unique words from your mother tongue that show your culture best.

Points to Remember

Language differences show different cultures and ways of thinking.
Some words have no exact translation in other languages.
Every language has special words that are important to that culture.
Understanding these differences helps us respect other languages.
Good writers use words that cannot be easily translated.

How The First Letter Was Written

Once upon a most early time was a Neolithic man and he lived cavily in a Cave, and he wore very few clothes, and he couldn't read and he couldn't write and he didn't want to, and except when he was hungry he was quite happy. His name was Tegumai Bopsulai, and that means, "Man-who-does-not-put-his-foot-forward-in-a-hurry"; but we, O Best Beloved, will call him Tegumai, for short. And his wife's name was Teshumai Tewindrow, and that means, "Lady-who-asks-a-very-many-questions"; but we, O Best Beloved, will call her Teshumai, for short. And his little girl-daughter's name was Taffimai Metallumai, and that means, "Small-person-without-any-manners-who-ought-to-be-spanked"; but I'm going to call her Taffy. And she was Tegumai Bopsulai's Best Beloved and her own Mummy's Best Beloved, and she was not spanked half as much as was good for her; and they were all three very happy.

Now attend and listen!

One day Tegumai Bopsulai went down through the beaver-swamp to the Wagai river to spear carp-fish for dinner, and Taffy went too. Tegumai's spear was made of wood with shark's teeth at the end, and before he had caught any fish at all he accidentally broke it clean across by jabbing it down too hard on the bottom of the river. They were miles and miles from home and Tegumai had forgotten to bring any extra spears.

"Here's a pretty kettle of fish!" said Tegumai. "It will take me half the day to mend this."

"There's your big black spear at home," said Taffy. "Let me run back to the Cave and ask Mummy to give it me."

"It's too far for your little fat legs," said Tegumai. "Besides, you might fall into the beaver-swamp and be drowned. We must make the best of a bad job." He sat down and took out a little leather mendy-bag, full of reindeer-sinews and strips of leather, and lumps of bee's-wax and resin, and began to mend the spear.

Teacher's Note

This story shows how children can help solve problems in simple ways. Like how a child in India might help their parent by drawing directions to find something at home.

Exam Trick

Remember the character names by their meanings. Tegumai = "Man who does not hurry", Taffy = "child without manners". These meanings help you remember what they do in the story.

Points to Remember

The story is set in Neolithic times when people did not know how to write.
Tegumai and Taffy face a problem when his spear breaks far from home.
Taffy is a brave and clever little girl.
The stranger cannot understand their language.
Pictures and drawings can help when words fail.

Taffy sat down too, with her toes in the water and her chin in her hand, and thought very hard. Then she said - "I say, Daddy, it's an awful nuisance that you and I don't know how to write, isn't it? If we did we could send a message for the new spear."

Just then a Stranger-man came along the river, but he belonged to a far tribe, the Tewaras, and he did not understand one word of Tegumai's language. He stood on the bank and smiled at Taffy, because he had a little girl-daughter of his own at home. Tegumai drew a hank of deer-sinews from his mendy-bag and began to mend his spear.

"Come here", said Taffy. "Do you know where my Mummy lives?" And the Stranger-man said "Um!"

"Silly!" said Taffy, and she stamped her foot, because she saw a shoal of very big carp going up the river just when her Daddy couldn't use his spear.

"Don't bother grown-ups," said Tegumai, so busy with his spear-mending that he did not turn round.

"I aren't", said Taffy. "I only want him to do what I want him to do, and he won't understand."

"Then don't bother me", said Tegumai, and he went on pulling and straining at the deer-sinews with his mouth full of loose ends. The Stranger-man - a genuine Tewara he was - sat down on the grass, and Taffy showed him what her Daddy was doing. The Stranger-man thought, "This is a very wonderful child. She stamps her foot at me and she makes faces. She must be the daughter of that noble Chief who is so great that he won't take any notice of me." So he smiled more politely than ever.

"Now," said Taffy, "I want you to go to my Mummy, because your legs are longer than mine, and you won't fall into the beaver-swamp, and ask for Daddy's other spear - the one with the black handle that hangs over our fireplace."

The Stranger-man thought, "This is a very, very wonderful child. She waves her arms and she shouts at me, but I don't understand a word of what she says."

Teacher's Note

Taffy is clever and brave. She does not give up when someone does not understand. In India, many children show this same courage when they help their families.

Exam Trick

Pay attention to how Taffy solves the problem. She tries talking first, then realizes she needs to draw pictures. Remember: when words fail, pictures can help.

Points to Remember

Taffy stamps her foot to show she is angry.
The stranger thinks she is the daughter of a great chief.
The stranger is polite even though he does not understand.
Taffy realizes they need a new way to communicate.
Pictures might work better than words.

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