Taro’s Reward Summary, Explanation, Word meanings Class 6

by Meenu Saini | Sep 24, 2022 | General | 0 comments

Cl 6 Honeysuckle Book Chp-3

By Jyoti Verma

CBSE Class 6 English Lesson 3 Taro’s Reward Summary, Line by Line Explanation along with Difficult Word Meanings from Honeysuckle Book

Taro’s Reward – Here is the Class 6 English Honeysuckle Book Lesson 3 – Taro’s Reward Summary and Detailed explanation of the Lesson along with meanings of difficult words.

Class 6 English (Honeysuckle Book) Chapter 3 – Taro’s Reward

a Japanese story retold

Introduction

This story is based on morality which talks about a caring and loving son who worked hard to take care of his parents and in return, receives unexpected help from nature. Its objective is to inculcate habits like love for parents and hard work in the children.

Summary

A young boy lived with his parents on a hillside. He was a woodcutter. He used to work very hard to take good care of his parents and to fulfill their wishes. One day, they were sitting in their cottage and his father felt very cold. He expressed a wish to get a cup of saké which would help him beat the chilly cold wave.

Taro got up earlier than his routine time and worked harder even after sunrise. Hard work made him thirsty and he started sweating. Suddenly, he heard a sound. This was the sound of the rushing water. He rushed to the direction of the sound. When he reached the waterfall, he bent to have water and was surprised on drinking it. The water was very tasty just like saké.

He thought of giving this to his father as well. So he filled a pot and took it home.

His father felt very delighted and happy to have it. His shivering stopped with the very first sip. On the same day a lady from the neighbourhood visited him. He gave the saké to her also and shared the story of magic waterfall. She spread the story in the whole village. In the evening, all the villagers visited the old man to hear the story and to taste the saké. As a result, the pitcher was empty.

Next day, Taro got up even earlier to get the saké, carrying the largest bucket he had with him. But surprisingly, all the villagers were already there. One of the villagers bent to have it and he started having it again and again. After sometime, he told that it is not saké, rather water only. Everyone felt angry and wanted to drown Taro in that waterfall. But Taro was a wise boy. He hid himself and waited till everyone left the place. At last, when everyone was gone, he came out and checked the water. It was the same fine saké. He felt happy and noticed that waterfall was giving water to the villagers and saké to him alone.

This story also reached the Emperor. He rewarded the boy to encourage other children to take care of their parents.

Taro’s Reward Summary in Hindi

एक छोटा लड़का अपने माता-पिता के साथ एक पहाड़ी पर रहता था। वह एक लकड़हारा था। वह अपने माता-पिता की अच्छी देखभाल करने और उनकी इच्छाओं को पूरा करने के लिए बहुत मेहनत करता था। एक दिन वे अपनी कुटिया में बैठे थे और उनके पिता को बहुत ठंड लगी। उन्होंने एक प्याला साके (राइस वाइन) पीने की इच्छा व्यक्त की जो उन्हें ठंडी शीत लहर से बचने में मदद करती।

तारो अपने नियमित समय से पहले उठ जाता था और सूर्योदय के बाद भी अधिक मेहनत करता था। कड़ी मेहनत ने उसे प्यासा बना दिया और उसे पसीना आने लगा। अचानक उसे एक आवाज सुनाई दी। यह बहते पानी की आवाज थी। वह आवाज की दिशा में दौड़ा। जब वह झरने के पास पहुंचा तो पानी पीने के लिए झुक गया और उसे पीकर हैरान रह गया। साके की तरह ही पानी बहुत स्वादिष्ट था। उसने इसे अपने पिता को भी देने की सोची। इसलिए उसने एक घड़ा भर लिया और उसे घर ले आया।

उसके पिता इसे पीकर बहुत प्रसन्न हुए। पहले घूंट के साथ ही उनका कांपना बंद हो गया। उसी दिन पड़ोस की एक महिला उन से मिलने आई। उसने उसे भी साके दिया और जादुई झरने की कहानी सांझा की। उसने पूरे गांव में कहानी फैला दी। शाम को, सभी ग्रामीण कहानी सुनने और स्वाद चखने के लिए बूढ़े व्यक्ति के पास गए। नतीजतन, घड़ा खाली था।अगले दिन, तारो अपने साथ सबसे बड़ी बाल्टी लेकर साके लेने के लिए और भी पहले उठ गया। लेकिन हैरानी की बात यह है कि वहां सभी ग्रामीण पहले से मौजूद थे। ग्रामीणों में से एक इसे लेने के लिए झुक गया और उसने इसे बार-बार लेना शुरू कर दिया। कुछ देर बाद उन्होंने बताया कि यह साके नहीं, बल्कि पानी ही है। सभी को गुस्सा आया और उन्होंने तारो को उस झरने में डुबाना चाहा।

लेकिन तारो एक बुद्धिमान लड़का था। वह छिप गया और सभी के जाने का इंतजार करने लगा। आखिर में जब सब चले गए तो उन्होंने बाहर आकर झरने का पानी चेक किया। यह वही बढ़िया साके था। वह खुश हुआ और उसने देखा कि झरना ग्रामीणों को पानी दे रहा है और अकेले उसे ही साके दे रहा है। यह कहानी बादशाह तक भी पहुँची। उन्होंने अन्य बच्चों को अपने माता-पिता की देखभाल करने के लिए प्रोत्साहित करने के लिए तारो को पुरस्कृत किया।

Lesson Explanation

Passage: A YOUNG woodcutter named Taro lived with his mother and father on a lonely hillside. All day long he chopped wood in the forest. Though he worked very hard, he earned very little money. This made him sad, for he was a thoughtful son and wanted to give his old parents everything they needed.

Word Meaning
chopped: cut into pieces
thoughtful: caring
lonely: isolated, remote

Explanation of the Passage – There was a young boy named Taro. He was a woodcutter. He lived with his parents on a remote hillside.Throughout the day, he used to cut wood into pieces. Inspite, of his hard work, his income was very low. He felt upset because of his low income. As a caring son, his wish was to give everything to his parents that they needed.

Passage: One evening, when Taro and his parents were sitting in a corner of their hut, a strong wind began to blow. It whistled through the cracks of the hut and everyone felt very cold. Suddenly, Taro’s father said, “I wish I had a cup of saké; it would warm me and do my old heart good.”

Word Meaning
whistled through: passed through with a whistling sound
cracks: narrow gaps/openings
saké : a popular Japanese drink (‘sa’ is pronounced like ‘fa’ in ‘father’ and ‘ke’ rhymes with ‘way’)

Explanation of the Passage – A strong wind began to blow, when Taro was sitting with his parents in their hut. It passed through the small openings of the hut making a whistling sound. Everyone felt cold. Taro’s father expressed a wish to have saké to feel warm and to keep his heart healthy.

Passage – This made Taro sadder than ever, for the heart-warming drink called saké was very expensive. ‘How do I earn more money?’ he asked himself. ‘How do I get a little saké for my poor old father?’ He decided to work harder than before.

Word Meaning
expensive: costly

Explanation of the Passage – The drink was very costly and his inability to buy the drink made him sadder. It bothered Taro all the more. He decided to work harder so that he can get a little saké for his father.

Passage – Next morning, Taro jumped out of bed earlier than usual and made his way to the forest. He chopped and cut, chopped and cut as the sun climbed, and soon he was so warm that he had to take off his jacket. His mouth was dry, and his face was wet with sweat. ‘My poor old father!’
He thought. ‘If only he was as warm as I!’ And with that he began to chop even faster, thinking of the extra money he must earn to buy the saké to warm the old man’s bones.

Word Meaning
made his way to: went to
usual : routine
take off : put off suddenly
climbed : to come up

Explanation of the Passage – Next day, Taro got up earlier than his usual routine and went to the forest to work. There he kept cutting the wood even after sunrise. Suddenly, he felt so warm that he had to take off his jacket. His face was wet with sweat and mouth was dry. He thought of his father and wished if he could be as warm as he was. And with that thought, he began to chop at a faster speed. His intention was to earn more money so that he could arrange a saké to warm his father’s bones.

Passage – Then suddenly, Taro stopped chopping. What was that sound he heard? Could it be, could it possibly be rushing water? Taro could not remember ever seeing or hearing a rushing stream in that part of the forest. He was thirsty. The axe dropped out of his hands and he ran in the direction of the sound.

Word Meaning
remember: have in or be able to bring to one’s mind an awareness of something
rushing: moving with urgent haste
thirsty: feeling a need to drink
dropped out: left
direction: the position towards which someone or something moves or faces

Explanation of the Passage – On hearing a sound, suddenly Taro stopped chopping and guessed the sound to be of a moving stream. Taro never heard this kind of sound in that area of the forest. He was feeling an urge to drink water. He dropped the axe from his hands and ran towards the sound of the stream.

Passage – Taro saw a beautiful little waterfall hidden behind a rock. Kneeling at a place where the water flowed quietly, he cupped a little in his hands and put it to his lips. Was it water? Or was it saké? He tasted it again and again, and always it was the delicious saké instead of cold water.

Word Meaning
Waterfall: an area where water flows over a vertical drop
Hidden: concealed, being out of sight
Kneeling: to bent
cupped a little in his hands: took some water in his hands (as if in a cup)
delicious: very tasty

Explanation of the Passage – Taro saw a waterfall at the back of a rock. He bent a little to have water in his hands. The water was delicious to taste. So he drank it again and again to check whether it is water or saké. Every time he drank water he felt as if it was not cold water, rather delicious saké.

Passage –Taro quickly filled the pitcher he had with him and hurried home. The old man was delighted with the saké. After only one swallow of the liquid he stopped shivering and did a little dance in the middle of the floor.

Word Meaning
pitcher: a pot usually made of mud
swallow: to gulp down
delighted: to feel happy
shivering: shaking slightly

Explanation of the Passage – Taro filled a pot with it and rushed home quickly. The old man felt very happy with the saké. He stopped shivering with a single gulp of the saké and even danced.

Passage –That afternoon, a neighbour stopped by for a visit. Taro’s father politely offered her a cup of the saké. The lady drank it greedily, and thanked the old man. Then Taro told her the story of the magic waterfall. Thanking them for the delicious drink, she left in a hurry. By nightfall she had spread the story.

Word Meaning
greedily: as if desiring more
politely : softly

Explanation of the Passage – That very afternoon, a lady from the neighbourhood visited them. Taro’s father gave her a cup of the saké in a courteous manner. She drank it greedily. Taro’s father also shared the story of magic waterfall with her. Thanking them for the delicious drink, she left hurriedly and by night she had spread the story to the whole village.

Passage –That evening there was a long procession of visitors to the woodcutter’s house. Each man heard the story of the waterfall, and took a sip of the saké. In less than an hour the pitcher was empty.

Word Meaning
procession :a march as a part of the ceremony a number of people or moving forward in an orderly fashion

Explanation of the Passage – And by evening many people visited the woodcutter’s house. Each person heard the story of the waterfall and took a sip of the saké. Within an hour the pitcher (pot of water) was empty.

Passage – Next morning, Taro started for work even earlier than the morning before. He carried with him the largest pitcher he owned, for he intended first of all to go to the waterfall. When he reached it, he found to his great surprise all his neighbours there. They were carrying pitchers, jars, buckets — anything they could find to hold the magic saké. Then one villager knelt and held his mouth under the waterfall to drink. He drank again and again, and then shouted angrily, “Water! Nothing but water!” Others also tried, but there was no saké, only cold water.

Word Meaning
intended: planned

Explanation of the Passage – Next day, Taro started for work even earlier and carried the largest pitcher he had. He wanted to reach the waterfall first of all. But he was surprised to see that all his neighbours were already there with their pots and jars to have the magic saké. But when one villager bent to have water from the waterfall, he drank it repeatedly and informed everyone angrily that it was just water and nothing else. Hearing this, other villagers also tasted it and they also found it to be only cold water and not Saké.

Passage –“We have been tricked!” shouted the villagers. “Where is Taro? Let us drown him in this waterfall.” But Taro had been wise enough to slip behind a rock when he saw how things were going. He was nowhere to be found.

Word Meaning
tricked: deceived
muttering: speaking unclearly

Explanation of the Passage – The villagers felt deceived and wanted to drown Taro in the waterfall. But Taro was a wise boy. He hid himself at the back of a rock. People couldn’t find him.

Passage –Muttering their anger and disappointment, the villagers left the place one by one. Taro came out from his hiding place. Was it true, he wondered? Was the saké a dream? Once more he caught a little liquid in his hand and put it to his lips. It was the same fine saké. To the thoughtful son, the magic waterfall gave the delicious saké. To everyone else, it gave only cold water.

Word Meaning
Muttering: whisper, murmur

Explanation of the Passage – Disappointed, the villagers left the place one by one. When all were gone,Taro came out and wondered, he checked the water and to his surprise, it was that same fine saké only. It meant that magic waterfall gave saké to Taro only and to other people, plain water.

Passage – The story of Taro and his magic waterfall reached the Emperor of Japan. He sent for the young woodcutter, and rewarded him with twenty pieces of gold for having been so good and kind. Then he named the most beautiful fountain in the city after Taro. This, said the Emperor, was to encourage all children to honour and obey their parents.

Word Meaning
sent for: called
Encourage: to motivate

Explanation of the Passage – This story reached the emperor of Japan. He called the young woodcutter and rewarded him with 20 pieces of gold for being good and kind to his parents. Not only this, he also named the most beautiful fountain in the city after Taro’s name. It is said that the Emperor wanted to motivate all the children to obey their parents through Taro’s story.

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Also See :

Honeysuckle Book Summary

A Pact With The Sun Book Summary

Honeysuckle Book Poems