Summary: The Cherry Tree
Rakesh, a seven-year-old boy, who lives with his grandfather in Mussoorie,
plants a cherry seed in his grandfather’s garden. He, however, promptly
forgets all about it till one day he sees a twig with two leaves at that spot. He
remembers about the cherry seed that he had planted the previous year. He
immediately calls his grandfather who asks him to water it. He even makes a
circle of stones around it to give it some privacy. It grows very fast during the
monsoon. However, a goat comes and eats it up.
Though Rakesh is sad, his grandfather assures him that the cherry plant is a
hardy plant and will continue to grow. The plant receives a second and a
harder blow when a woman chops it in two while cutting grass. The cherry
plant, however, continues to grow. As seasons pass, the cherry tree grows in
leaps and bound.
Then, one day grandfather sees the first cherry blossom. Very soon, the cherry
tree grows taller than both Rakesh and his grandfather. It continues
blossoming and one day as Rakesh and his grandfather lie on the garden and
gaze up at the cherry tree, Rakesh wonders why they love that cherry tree
more than any other tree in the forest. Grandfather says it is probably because
they themselves had it planted it. Rakesh is filled with awe and wonder as he
feels that that is probably the how God feels when he looks at his creations.
This beautifully written story paints a picture of life in the mountains. Rakesh
and his grandfather both love nature. Grandfather teaches Rakesh to take care
of his cherry tree, which Rakesh watches over closely. Rakesh’s love for nature
is also evident when he does not kill or hurt the caterpillar that was eating the
leaves of his beloved cherry tree, but drops it on a heap of dry leaves. As the
story progresses, it almost seems as if Rakesh and the cherry tree are siblings
with the speaker constantly comparing Rakesh’s age and height with that of
the tree.
As Rakesh grows, so does the tree and Rakesh is very upset if the tree is hurt
in any way. The story also teaches us that luck comes to those who work hard.
Had Rakesh not planted the cherry seed and taken care of the sapling, he
wouldn’t have experienced the joy that came from creating something—in this
case, planting the tree. He would probably never have understood how
rewarding it is to love nature. The bond between Grandfather and Rakesh is
also brought out beautifully through the story. Although he is old, Grandfather
is as excited as Rakesh when the cherry tree blossoms. He patiently answers
all Rakesh’s queries and advises and warns him as and when required.
Comprehension
A. 1. Rakesh planted the seed of the cherry tree because Grandfather said that for anything to be lucky,
one needed to use it and the best way to use the seed was to plant it.
2. Grandfather advised Rakesh to plant the cherry seed in a shady corner, where it wouldn’t be
disturbed.
3. The cherry tree grew quickly in the rainy season.
4. When the first flower bloomed, Rakesh was nine years old.
5. By these words, Rakesh had meant that God, who is the creator of everything, must be filled with
wonder at each of his creations and love each of his creations as much.
B. 1. a. Rakesh said this to Grandfather.
b. Towards the end of the rainy season, a woman, who was cutting grass on the hillside, cut the
cherry tree in two with one sweep of her scythe.
c. No, for as Grandfather said, cherry trees are very hardy and it soon grew again.
2. a. One warm sunny afternoon, when the cherry tree had grown tall and cherries had grown on it,
Rakesh went into the garden and lay down on the grass beneath the tree. Soon, Grandfather
joined him. As they lay and the stars came out, Rakesh asked this question.
b. Grandfather said that it was so because they had planted it themselves and had watched it grow.
C. 1. Grandfather told Rakesh that nothing was lucky if it was put away; to be lucky it had to be put to
some use.
2. Rakesh was very excited to see the twig and immediately called his grandfather. He reminded
Grandfather that the cherry seed that they had planted the previous year had grown into a tiny
plant. When Grandfather asked him to water it, Rakesh sprinkled some water from a watering can
and circled it with some pebbles, making a special place for the cherry tree.
3. Rakesh knew it was spring when he saw the wild ducks, that were migratory birds, flying north to
Siberia, as it had grown warmer.
4. The cherry tree grew quickly in the monsoon season. It had grown two feet when a goat ate it up
and even then although only the stem and two thin branches remained, it again grew quickly and
had leaves by the end of the monsoon.
5. Rakesh and the cherry tree seemed to grow up together with Rakesh initially growing faster than
the tree and then the tree growing much faster than him. By the time summer came around and
the cherry tree had several new shoots with tender green leaves, Rakesh had grown taller too. He
was then a strong eight-year-old boy. When Rakesh turned nine in February, the tree was three
years old but it was almost as tall as Rakesh. Soon, it had a pink cherry blossom at the end of the
branch. The next year, there were more blossoms and suddenly the tree was taller than Rakesh.
Soon it was taller than Grandfather as well. Rakesh too had grown up—he could run and jump and
climb trees as well as most boys, and read a lot.
D. Grandfather teaches life lessons to Rakesh, depending on the situations. For example, Grandfather
does not simply tell Rakesh to plant the cherry seed. The fact that he said that it depended on
Rakesh to make the cherry tree lucky or useful, taught Rakesh that things needed to be done. He
could not wait for good things to happen to him but had to proactively work towards them. Rakesh
feels rewarded for his efforts when he finally sees the result of his handiwork. Nothing could have
brought such fulfillment if he had not worked towards it. Grandfather also tells him to water the
plant and how to do it instead of doing it for him. This teaches Rakesh to look after his things and
take responsibility and ownership. Grandfather teaches Rakesh that tough things survive in spite of
hindrances when he says that the cherry tree would grow because it was tough. When Grandfather
told Rakesh that they loved that particular cherry tree so much because they themselves had planted
it, Rakesh realised the joy of creating something and the responsibility and the feeling of ownership
that comes with it. The entire experience of planting the cherry tree and watching it grow was a great
learning experience for Rakesh.
Grammar
A. 2. which I bought last month
3. that you had given me for my birthday
4. who won the badminton match.
5. where you bought this ribbon.
6. which I wore on my birthday
7. whose sister studies in your school
8. that is about superheroes
B. 2. where Manju used to teach – D
3. who is in the Indian Army – ND
4. that she saw in Jehangir Art Gallery – D
5. whom you met yesterday – ND
6. that tells us about the weather – D
7. which we had never visited before – ND
8. who likes children – ND
60Vocabulary
A. 1. turn down 2. put off 3. broke down 4. take off 5. count on
6. keep up
Listening
Listening Text
Listen to the steps on how to grow your own vegetables and flowers. Then, re-arrange the
sentences in the correct order in your notebook.
1. Choose the seeds of the plants you want to grow in your kitchen garden.
2. Take flat plastic pots that are at least 2 or 3 inches deep and make a few holes at the bottom for
drainage.
3. Clean the containers before planting the seed to avoid plant infection.
4. Choose potting soil that's made for growing seedlings. It should be smooth and without any
stones.
5. Fill the containers with this potting soil.
6. Pack the soil firmly to eliminate gaps.
7. Water the soil before sowing the seeds.
8. Drop the seeds in the soil.
9. Space out the seeds as evenly as possible.
10. Cover the seeds as required.
11. Keep these pots indoors.
12. Use a water spray or a small watering can to keep the soil slightly moist.
13. Ensure that the seedlings get sufficient light.
14. A week before you plan to put the seedlings in the garden, place them in a shady spot outdoors.
Gradually expose them to more and more sunshine and wind.
15. Then transplant them in the garden.
Answers: 3. Take flat plastic pots that are at least 2 or 3 inches deep.
4. Make a few holes at the bottom for drainage. 1. Clean the pots.
7. Fill the containers with this potting soil. 10. Pack the soil firmly to eliminate gaps.
6. Drop the seeds in the soil. 5. Water the soil before sowing the seeds.
2. Use a water spray or a small watering can to keep the soil moist.
9. Ensure that the seedlings get sufficient light. 8. Transplant them in the garden.
Writing
Dear uncle,
Hope you are doing fine. We’re fine here.
I am writing to tell you about how we celebrated World Environmental Day in our school today. I
enjoyed and learned a great deal and wanted to share my experience with you. I learnt about the
environment and the harm that we’re doing to our own ecosystem. The World Environment Day is
celebrated on the 5th of June every year to remind ourselves that we need to be responsible and look
after our environment.
The famous conservationist, XYZ, was our chief guest. She spoke about the importance of protecting
our environment and how we can make a difference in our own small way, every day. The easiest
way is to plant trees as growing population and development has led to deforestation and pollution,
which in turn has led to global warming. Her speech was very interesting. It helped us to understand
a lot about why and how we can protect our environment. After her speech, she planted a sapling in
our school garden, as a symbol of taking the first step to protect the environment.
Apart from this, we had a lot of educational and fun activities like a debate, a quiz and a play to
drive home the benefits of looking after and protecting our environment. Inspired by this, I have
decided to talk to my friends and plant trees in our neighbourhood. I hope I will be successful in
my efforts.
With regards,
(name)
THE CHERRY TREE
A. Answer in brief.
1. How does the writer indicate the passage of time? Explain.
Ans: The writer indicates the passage of time through the seasons. The story begins when Rakesh
is seven years and carries on to the time he is ten years old. In between, the seasons change
several times. The writer talks about winter, spring, monsoon and summer.
2. What is the best thing that Rakesh liked about winter season?
Ans: Rakesh loved the winter evenings when his grandfather and he sat outside near a charcoal
fire, away from the cold winds. His grandfather told him stories about people who turned into
animals, beans that jumped and stones that wept.
3. How important does the cherry tree become? Substantiate.
Ans: The cherry tree grows into a tree with a lot of branches. Besides getting the attention of
the boy and his grandfather, it attracts various life forms. It becomes life itself, with other living
creatures hovering around it.
B. Answer in detail.
1. How does the writer communicate to us that Rakesh loved cherries, although he does not say it?
How does all this lead to the growth of a cherry tree?
Ans: We learn that Rakesh had quite a few cherries in his hands but only three remained by the
time he reached. He delightfully ate all the rest. He dutifully offered one to his grandfather and
popped in the remaining two into his mouth. The last seed he kept in his mouth for a long time.
This shows that he loved the taste and did not want to let go of even the seed. Rakesh plants the
last seed upon his grandfather’s advice and forgets all about it. One morning, he finds that the
cherry tree has sprouted leaves, He waters it and lets it grow.
D. Answer in brief. (Think and answer)
1. What does the writer mean by ‘Is this what it feels to be God?’
Ans: The writer puts the words in the mouth of Rakesh who says the lines at the end of the
story. He is in awe of the beauty of creation. He wonders how just one small seed grew up to be
a beautiful tree bearing fruits and flowers and attracting other life forms. It becomes life itself,
supporting other life forms. It is certainly a mighty feeling to think on these lines. Perhaps it is this
thought that has prompted Rakesh to whisper these lines.
2. What is the role of nature in the story?
Ans: Nature is a big force in the story. The setting of the story itself is in the midst of beautiful
nature. Nature is pictured as a creator of life – it nurtures the seed into a plant and then a tree. It
is the elements of nature that support this activity. The changing seasons revive life – the tree cut
in two is miraculously brought back to life. Nature is the healer here. Nature is thus portrayed as a
powerful force.
E. Answer in detail. (Think and answer)
1. Is the title of the story justifiable? Elaborate.
Ans: The story revolves around a cherry tree, which we see as a fruit in Rakesh’s hands and as a
seed rolling in his mouth for a long time. The seed is then planted and Rakesh forgets all about it
until he sees it after a season, to have shot up and well rooted. The tree is well tended for until its
leaves are eaten by a goat. It survives this tragedy but later is mistakenly cut in two by a woman
cutting grass, leaving no hope for survival. However, with time and change of weather it picks up
growth and becomes a center of life attracting other life forms – a praying mantis sits on a branch,
a caterpillar tries to nibble on the leaves. It finally blossoms out with pale pink flowers and bees
come to feed on the nectar. The writer traces its growth from a seed to a tree, bearing fruits. The
Cherry Tree seems to be an apt title.
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