Summary: Living Dreams
This text is about a very imaginative boy and how he sees and is seen by the
world. Damu is a young boy who loves to daydream. The story opens with
Damu daydreaming about being a singer and enthralling his audience. His
father and uncle, who are in the audience are moved to tears seeing his talent
and regret being strict with him. His sister, Smita, comes in and forces him to
snap out of his reverie. Damu walks off in a huff. He walks towards the
seashore and then turns away on seeing his uncle and father there. His uncle
and father are concerned about Damu and discuss how to make him a
responsible person.
Both are very strict about this. Naushad, an eighty-year-old fisherman,
however, thinks that instead of being strict with him, they should try talking
to him. The family elders decide that it is time to introduce Damu into the
family vocation of fishing. He is thus woken up at the wee hours of the
morning and compelled to go fishing with his father and uncle. Here, Damu
talks at length with Naushad who draws the boy out of his shell. He talks to
Damu about things and topics that interest him and Damu opens up.
Sudhakaran and Arvindan, who had earlier taken Damu to be irresponsible
and disobedient, are impressed by his prowess at rowing and fishing.
The story ends with every one being proud of Damu’s haul. Sudhakaran has a
better understanding of Damu as he remembers his own childhood and
realises how similar Damu is to him. He also feels reassured that Damu will
grow up to be a good and responsible fisherman.
This text charts the development of the relationship between Damu and his
family—how they gain a better understanding of him. It also shows that
grown-ups often need to reach out and come down to the level of children to
understand them and help them open up.
Comprehension
A. 1. Damu’s uncle and father were crying because they were so overwhelmed by Damu’s talent. They
also regretted scolding him earlier.
2. Damu’s father and uncle cared a great deal about Damu but they were very strict and felt that they
needed to scold and beat Damu to make him more responsible. Damu’s father was worried about
Damu’s future.
3. Damu was woken up at 3.30 a.m. because the family council had decided that they would have to
be firm with him to make him ‘responsible’. So, they were trying to teach him his trade by taking
him fishing at the unearthly hours that fishermen were used to.
4. Damu threw away his lantern because he did not need it. He was daydreaming, wherein he saw
that he was in a cave that was lit by a light that seemed to come from huge piles of coins. Also, in
the daydream, he needed both hands to gather as much gold as he could.
5. Damu rowed very well. Sudhakaran and Arvindan were very surprised by it.
6. Damu did not want to go fishing as he did not want to drag out the boat and go fishing every
morning.
B. 1. a. Smriti chechi said these words to Damu.
b. Damu was daydreaming that he was standing on a stage and singing with hundreds of
students from school looking up at him in adoration. So, he was standing on the bed and
singing with a knotted rope in his hands, which was the mike, and the dotted floor tiles were
the audience.
c. Damu walked out of the house in a huff. He walked towards the shore but seeing his father and
uncle repairing the nets on the shore, he quickly turned back.
2. a. Naushad said these words. He was at the seashore.
b. Naushad meant that instead of scolding and beating Damu, Sudhakaran and Arvindan should
talk and discuss things with him.
c. Sudhakaran felt that Naushad was suggesting that he was not an understanding parent. He
told Naushad that he did not like beating the boy. He had tried talking to Damu but the boy
was always talking to himself. And seeing him like that, Sudhakaran did not know whether to
be worried or amused. He was also worried that Damu had said that he did not want to be a
fisherman but wanted to study and become a rocket scientist. Sudhakaran felt that Damu lived
in his own fantasy land.
C. 1. Damu was daydreaming that he was singing at a concert while students from his school were
looking up at him in adoration and tears of joy and remorse were flowing down his father’s and
uncle’s cheeks. He was caught up in his own world when the words “Oh my gosh!”, uttered by his
sister, Smriti, startled him and he leapt up in surprise.
2. According to Damu, Smriti had changed after getting married and staying with her in-laws for
just a year. Unlike earlier times, when, according to Damu, Smriti had been untidier than him,
she now wanted everything to be neat and tidy. Even her laughter seemed to have changed
and Damu’s excitement at meeting his sister, whom he had been eagerly waiting to meet, had
‘quickly soured’.
3. Naushad said that he saw many different things when he looked at water, depending on the
position of the sun. When it was noon and the water glittered in the sunlight, the water seemed
like gold. And when the sun was about to set, the water seemed warm and heavy like honey as
it had absorbed the sun’s heat. Hearing this, Damu said that when he looked at water, he felt that
water was a living thing because when the water was clear at dawn, he could see fish, and dirt
and leaves, and movement. Naushad told Damu that there was a whole universe down there
and that waterbodies occupied more space on Earth than land. He kindled Damu’s imagination
when he said that there were probably continents of fish, fish rulers, and perhaps even different
communities of fish. Damu even cracked a joke by saying that a fish in a different waterbody
would be called a ‘foreigner’.
4. Arvindan was proud that Damu had become responsible and the decision of the family council
had yielded results. Devaki was proud that Damu had been able to show Sudhakaran that he
would be a good fisherman and Sudhakaran would not scold Damu as much as he used to.
Sudhakaran felt proud that his son had a vivid imagination and was like him. He was also happy
that Damu would be a good fisherman.
5. Yes, Sudhakaran understood Damu better at the end of the story. He realised that Damu was
actually just like him. Just like him, Damu had a vivid imagination and enjoyed doing things which
he did not perceive as ‘work’.
2D. Naushad’s wisdom, gathered from his experience and age, helped him to understand and
connect with Damu. He knew that he needed to be at the same level as Damu to be able to
make Damu talk to him and draw him out. This is why he did not try to advise Damu but talked
to him about something that would be of interest to him. As they discussed about the water,
Naushad fanned Damu’s imagination and Damu easily opened up and started talking freely
with him.
Grammar
A. 2. C 3. P 4. P 5. P 6. C
B. 2. Ali can swim across this river.
3. Jenny did not want to go to Kochi last summer.
4. Did they come back early because they had to pack their bags?
5. My library books will be returned tomorrow.
6. The little boy sang beautifully!
Vocabulary
1. spic and span. 2. up and down. 3. safe and sound. 4. pros and cons.
5. loud and clear 6. rise and shine.
Listening
Listening Text
Ms Sen: Good morning! Today, we are going to talk about our interests and hobbies and their
importance in our lives. Shall we begin with you, Leela?
Leela: Yes, ma’am. Though many people think that hobbies are a waste of time, they are actually
fun activities that help us learn a lot of things. I think everyone should have at least one
hobby. It makes us happy as it takes us away from our routine jobs. However, I feel that all
free-time activities are not hobbies. For example, watching television is not a hobby.
Ms Sen: That’s right! Mohit, would you like to say something?
Mohit: Yes, I would. There are two kinds of hobbies—outdoor and indoor. Broadly, we can say
that indoor hobbies keep us mentally fit and outdoor activities keep us physically fit. The
interesting thing about hobbies is that they can improve our personalities and even our
performance in other spheres.
Ms Sen: Let us remember that some hobby activities can be done both indoors and outdoors, like
photography and painting.
Leela: They also help us to discover as well as sharpen our talents. For instance, hobbies like
stamp collecting, birdwatching and photography help us gain information about different
things.
Mohit: I would like to add that hobbies like painting and gardening also give us the joy of creating
something.
Ms Sen: Very true, children. So, as we see, each of us should have a hobby for more than one reason.
Answer: 1. importance 2. waste 3. routine 4. indoor, outdoor
5. personalities, performance 6. information 7. creating
Spellings
1. farther 2. further 3. desert 4. dessert 5. altar 6. alter 7. accept
8. except 9. its 10. It’s.
Writing
To: (email id)
Subject: My dream job
Dear (name),
I hope things are fine with you and your family. We are doing very well. Since we were discussing,
the last time we met, what we would like to be when we grow up, I thought I will share with you
what I would like to become. I’ve kept it to myself for many years. Since my childhood, the teaching
profession has always fascinated me. The joy and satisfaction that I experience from teaching
something to little kids is inexplicable. When I started off, I didn’t know that I would like teaching
so much or that I would consider taking it up as a profession. I just thought it was fun. Lately, I have
realised that this is what I would like to do, so I’ve decided to become a professor.
After finishing school, I’ll do my graduation in English Literature and then pursue my area of interest
in literature. After that I would like to get a PhD, before applying for a job in colleges.
So, this is my ambition. What’s yours? Do let me know what you think about my dream.
With love,
(Name)
LIVING DREAMS
A. Answer in brief.
1. What was Damu doing when Smriti chechi shouted at him?
Ans: Damu was a dreamer who would dream at any time of the day anywhere. That day, he was
dreaming of singing on the stage with hundreds of students from school, his father and uncle as
audience, all looking up at him with adoration. It was then that Damu was jolted by Smriti’s shout.
2. Why did Damu turn back before reaching the shore?
Ans: Damu left home bitterly as Smriti had shouted at him. As he kept walking towards the shore,
he spotted his uncle and father repairing the nets. He turned back immediately because he did
not want to face them as he knew they would also be critical of him for being lazy and a dreamer.
B. Answer in detail.
1. What complaints did Sudhakaran have about his son?
Ans: Aravindan, Damu’s uncle warned Sudhakaran, Damu’s father, saying that he should do
something soon about the boy for it would be too late and he would regret not correcting him
at the right time. Sudhakaran was very upset that no amount of his talking pleasantly to Damu
helped him. Damu was forever found talking to himself. He also did not want to be a fisherman
and wanted to study instead. Sudhakaran was very annoyed with his son because he was forever
fantasising and wanted to be a rocket scientist.
2. What was the decision the family took about Damu? What did Damu have to do to comply with
the decision?
Ans: The family, upset with Damu’s irresponsible attitude, decided that they would have to be firm
with him to make him responsible. The first thing was their attempt to teach him his vocation by
taking him fishing at unearthly hours when the fishermen had to venture into the sea. Damu had
to wake up at 3.30 am and had to follow his father. He knew he had no chance of escaping his
father’s strict order. It was pitch dark outside but yet with his eyes gummed with sleep, he went to
the seashore where there was a lot of hustle and bustle.
C. Read the lines and answer the questions.
1. There was no need for light here. Moreover, he needed both hands to shovel in as much gold as he
could into…..A sharp poke on his head and he was back on the shore.
a. Who does ‘he’ refer to and what was he doing?
b. Where was he? What was he collecting?
c. Who poked him? Why?
Ans: a. ‘He’ refers to Damu and he was dreaming.
b. He was imagining himself to be in a cave where he saw mountain of coins piled up. He
was collecting these gold coins with a shovel.
c. He was poked probably by his father, to bring him back to reality.
2. “I don’t want to drag the boat every morning and go fishing. I hate it.”
a. Why did Damu not like to go fishing?
b. Who forced him to do it?
c. How did he get interested in fishing later?
Ans: a. Damu dreamt of studying and becoming a rocket scientist.
b. His father and uncle forced him as they thought he had to become responsible.
c. Naushadappan made him fish by talking to him about it in Damu’s own imaginative way.
D. Answer in brief. (Think and answer)
1. What made Damu feel comfortable with Naushadappan?
Ans: Naushad was an octogenarian, who might have come across people like Damu. So he
understood Damu well. He never criticised Damu or questioned him on his dreamy approach to
everything in life. Damu felt at ease in his presence, as he was vexed by the constant criticism from
his own people.
2. What was the snake race that Damu participated in? How did it help him?
Ans: Damu rowed so well in the sea that his father and uncle were taken by surprise. Damu was
driven by his imagination where he was participating in a snake boat race, neck to neck with
a boat from another district. Winning was very important for him. It was his daydreaming that
helped him row fast.
E. Answer in detail. (Think and answer)
What role did Naushadappan play in making Damu interested in fishing?
Ans: Damu was accompanied by Naushad into the sea. Naushad knew Damu’s habit of day dreaming
and so he decided to get him into liking fishing in his own way. Probably he too was a dreamer when
he was a boy and understood Damu very well. He discussed with him the glittering water in the sun
which made it warm and heavy like sweet honey. Everything he talked was dreamy and ethereal.
Damu was drawn happily into such an interesting conversation and that made him share his own
thoughts. Then their conversation drifted into the different kinds of fish and their appearance and so
on where Naushad took Damu into his dream world allowing him to catch fish. They caught a lot—
plenty of it!! Damu had become a fisherman after all.
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