Summary: A Gift of Crayons
Betty has had an operation to remove her inflamed tonsils. Post the operation, she cannot
speak for a few days because her throat hurts. So her parents gift her some paper and a box
of crayons so that she can communicate with them. Soon, Betty starts drawing pictures not
only to ask for things but also for fun. She colours the pictures with her crayons and sticks
them on the wall behind her hospital bed. These pictures brighten up the room
considerably. When Betty is discharged, she decides to leave the pictures and the crayons in
the hospital so that they can cheer other children. Even after she gets home, she cannot let
go of her passion for drawing. She draws on any surface she can find and with any object
available. Betty’s parents gift her with a new box of crayons on her birthday and she
treasures it with love. When Betty grows up, she becomes an artist and an art teacher. She
also visits the hospital regularly and teaches the children there the basics of drawing.
The story is an example of the saying, ‘sharing is caring’. Betty comes across an epitome of
selflessness who does not hesitate to leave behind her precious box of crayons in the
hospital so that others can benefit from it.
Comprehension
A. 1. crayons 2. sticks 3. chalk 4. fingers 5. shells
B. 1. Betty could not talk for some days after her tonsil operation because her throat hurt. Her parents
brought crayons and paper for her so that she could draw pictures and tell them what she wanted.
She could also ask for help by drawing pictures.
2. She stuck the pictures on the wall of her hospital ward and left them there. The other children in
the ward felt cheerful looking at the wall.
3. a. Betty left her crayons in the hospital ward.
b. She left them there so that other people could use them too.
4. Betty became an artist and an art teacher when she grew up.
5. She brings crayons and paper to boys and girls who are in the hospital. She also teaches them how
to draw.
C. 1. Betty’s pictures were full of colours. Looking at them helped the children forget about their illness
and feel happy.
2. Betty loved her birthday gift, the crayons and paper, so much that she practised drawing every day
whenever she got free time.
D. No, he did not do the right thing. He should have shared his football with Raj.
Grammar
A. 2. behind 3. under 4. between 5. in
B. in the morning, in January, in 2017; on Sunday, on 2nd October, on Monday; at 1 o’clock, at 11 o’clock,
at 4 p.m.;
C. 2. and 3. but 4. and 5. and 6. but
Vocabulary
2. bat 3. light 4. old 5. can
Listening
[Listen and draw.
1. Draw a fish in the pond.
2. Draw a duck in the pond.
3. Draw a tree near the pond.
4. Draw two clouds in the sky.
5. Draw the sun in the sky.]
Writing
2. e 3. d 4. a 5. c
(Suggested Answer)
Once, Betty had an operation to remove her tonsils. After the operation, Betty could not talk because
her throat hurt. The next morning, Betty's mother and father brought crayons and paper for her.
Before going home, Betty left the crayons at the hospital for other people to use. Now, Betty is an
artist and an art teacher.
Life Skills
1
UNIT 9 A GIFT OF CRAYONS
EMBEDDED QUESTIONS
I) to ask for help; II) to tell things; II) for fun (any two)
A GIFT OF CRAYONS
A. Answer in brief.
1. Why was Betty admitted in the hospital? How did she feel after the operation?
Ans: Betty was admitted in the hospital for an operation. The doctors had to take out her tonsils.
After the operation, Betty could not talk because her throat hurt.
2. Why did Betty draw pictures?
Ans: Betty drew pictures to ask for help. She drew pictures to tell things. She also drew pictures
for fun.
3. What else did Betty leave along with the crayons and why?
Ans: Along with the crayons, Betty left her drawings on the wall because she wanted the other
children to feel cheerful.
B. Answer in detail.
1. How do we know that Betty liked to draw more than anything else?
Ans: We know that Betty liked to draw more than anything else as she drew pictures in the dirt
with sticks, pictures on the sidewalk with chalk and in the air with her finger. She drew pictures in
the sand with shells.
2. What did Betty’s parents give her for her birthday and what did she do with her gift?
Ans: Betty’s parents gave her a new box of crayons and lots of paper for her birthday. Betty drew
every day. She practised drawing before school and after doing her homework. She practised
drawing before going to bed.
3. What do we learn from Betty in this story?
Ans: We learn the joy of sharing from Betty. She shared her crayons and her pictures with the
other children and made them cheerful. We feel happy and make others happy when we share.
Sharing also helps us make more friends.
C. Read the lines and answer the questions.
1. “Don’t try to talk. You can draw pictures.”
a. Who said this and to whom?
b. Why could Betty not talk?
c. What did her parents do since she could not talk?
Ans: a. Betty’s parents said this to Betty.
b. Betty had an operation to take out her tonsils, so she could not talk.
c. Her parents brought crayons and paper for her so that she could draw pictures.
2. Maybe one of them will grow up to be an artist just like Betty.
a. Who does Betty teach to draw in the hospital?
b. What does she bring for them?
c. What does the writer hope one of them will grow up to be?
Ans: a. Betty teaches the boys and girls being treated at the hospital, to draw.
b. She brings crayons and paper for them.
c. The writer hopes one of them will grow up to be an artist like Betty.
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