Madhu loved food. He always wanted to eat different kinds of food and snacks. He was never tired of eating. Every day, at noon, he would sit under a banyan tree and eat his lunch. One day, as he was eating, an old man came. Madhu felt sorry for him and shared his food with him.
The old man was so happy that as he was leaving, he said, “My child, you have been so kind. In return, you can wish for anything from this tree and it will be granted ” Madhu felt very happy.
He thought, I can ask for different types of food, and enjoy them forever. He sat there and closing his eyes said, “Oh tree, let me have different types of food. Nothing else.”
He heard a voice from the tree. “You don’t want anything else? Think it over.” Without thinking, Madhu said, “Nothing else”. First, he asked for laddoos. At once, a basket full of laddoos appeared.
He happily started eating it. After some time, he got bored. Then he thought of colourful fruits. Immediately, fruit in baskets appeared. He started eating them. There were grapes, mangoes, apples, bananas, jackfruit, melons, guavas, oranges and many more. Then he got bored eating only fruits.
He asked for savouries. Immediately savouries like matri, samosas, kachori, potato chips and vada appeared in huge baskets. He happily started eating them.
As he was eating, he suddenly got hiccups. He wanted water. He looked around. There was food everywhere but no water!
He asked for water but the tree said, “You wanted only food not water.”
“So what if I don’t get water I will have sharbat, kheer and badam milk for my thirst,” thought Madhu. Soon, all these appeared in jugs.
Madhu drank them all but the hiccups did not stop. They became louder. He was now desperate for water.
He prayed to the tree, “May all this food disappear, and let me have water instead.”
“Are you sure?” the voice from the tree asked.
“Yes, I am sure. Now I know the importance of water. No other drink can replace water. Please give me just water.”
A jug of water appeared. Thirsty, Madhu drank as though he had never seen water. His hiccups stopped. He was no longer thirsty.
Also read this: Thank God! : Chapter -8
Let us think
A. Answer the following.
1. What did Madhu enjoy?
Ans. Madhu enjoyed eating different kinds of food and snacks.
2. Do you think the old man had magical powers? How do you know?
Ans. Yes, the old man had magical powers because he blessed Madhu to wish for anything from the tree, and the wish came true.
3. Why did the tree ask Madhu to think over’ his wish?
Ans. The tree asked Madhu to think over his wish because he was asking only for food and forgetting other important things like water.
4. Name some of the things that Madhu ate.
Ans. Madhu ate laddoos, grapes, mangoes, apples, bananas, jackfruit, melons, guavas, oranges, matri, samosas, kachori, potato chips, and vada.
B. Think and say.
1. Have you experienced hiccups?
Ans. Yes, I have experienced hiccups many times.
2. What do you do when you get hiccups?
Ans. When I get hiccups, I usually drink water slowly, hold my breath, or take deep breaths.
3. Do you think water is important? Why do you think so?
Ans. Yes, water is very important because it quenches thirst, helps us stay healthy, and no other drink can replace it.
4. If you were in Madhu’s place, what would you wish for and why?
Ans. If I were in Madhu’s place, I would wish for good health and enough food and water for everyone, because health is the greatest wealth.
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