Class:- 6 English (A Pact With The Sun) Chapter - 1 A Tale of Two Birds Summary, Word Meanings, NCERT Solutions & Frequently Asked Questions

Class:- 6 English 

(A Pact With The Sun)

Chapter - 1

A Tale of Two Birds 

Summary, Word Meanings, NCERT Solutions & Frequently Asked Questions  

-- Summary --

⭐ Summary In English:- 

Once there lived a mother bird in a forest. Her two new-born babies also lived with her. Their nest was in a tall tree.

One day, there was thunder, lightning and rain. The stormy wind blew down the tall tree. Unluckily, the mother bird was killed. The strong wind blew away the little birds. One of them came down near a cave. A gang of robbers lived there. The other bird came down a little distance away. A rishi’s ashram was near that place. Thus the two birds were separated.

The first bird made his home on a tree near the cave of the robber. The second bird made his nest on a tree near the rishi’s ashram. After some time, the baby birds became big. One day, the king came there. He was following a deer. He was very tired. He got off his horse. There was a tree near a cave. The king sat under it to take rest. Just then, the king heard a big brown bird’s voice. It was inviting some robbers to come and snatch the king’s jewels and horse. The king got afraid. He got on his horse and rode away.

Soon, the king reached the rishi’s ashram. He sat down in the shade of a tree there. He heard a big brown bird asking the king to take rest inside the ashram. The king was amazed. He said, “This one looks like the other bird outside the cave.” The bird told the king that his brother had made friends with robbers. He talked like robbers.

The rishi returned soon after. He invited the king to share his food. The king told the rishi about the different behaviour of the two birds. The rishi told him that it was the result of their company.

⭐ Summary In Hindi:- 

एक समय किसी वनप्रदेश में एक मादा पक्षी रहती थी। उसके दो नवजात शिशु भी उसके साथ रहते थे। उनका घोंसला एक ऊँचे वृक्ष में था।

एक दिन बादल कडकने लगे, बिजली कौंधने लगी और वर्षा होने लगी। तूफानी हवा ने ऊँचे (विशाल) पेड़ को गिरा दिया। दुर्भाग्यवश, मादा पक्षी मारी गई। तेज आँधी छोटे पक्षियों को उड़ा कर ले गई। उनमें से एक, किसी | गुफा के नजदीक जा कर गिरा। वहाँ, लुटेरों का एक गिरोह रहता था। दूसरा पक्षी उससे थोड़ी दूरी पर जा गिरा। उस स्थान के पास, किसी ऋषि का आश्रम था। इस प्रकार दोनों पक्षी अलग हो गए।

पहले पक्षी ने चोरों की गुफा के पास एक पेड़ पर अपना घर बनाया। दूसरे पक्षी ने ऋषि के आश्रम के पास एक पेड़ पर अपना घर बनाया। कुछ समय बाद, छोटे पक्षी बड़े बन गए। एक दिन राजा वहाँ आ पहुँचा। वह किसी हिरण का पीछा कर रहा था। वह अत्यधिक थका हुआ था। वह अपने घोड़े से उतरा। वहाँ एक गुफा के पास एक वृक्ष था। राजा, आराम करने के लिए उसके नीचे बैठ गया। तभी राजा को एक बड़े और भूरे पक्षी की आवाज़ सुनाई दी। वह कुछ डाकुओं को बुला रहा था कि राजा के रत्नों और घोड़े को छीन लो। राजा भयभीत हो गया। वह अपने घोड़े पर सवार होकर वहाँ से चलता बना।

तुरत ही राजा ऋषि के आश्रम पर पहुँच गया। वहाँ वह एक वृक्ष के नीचे छाया में बैठ गया। उसे एक बड़े तथा भूरे पक्षी की आवाज यह कहती हुई सुनाई पड़ी कि राजा आश्रम के भीतर विश्राम कर ले। राजा हैरान हो गया। उसने कहा, “यह उस दूसरे पक्षी की तरह दिखता है जो गुफा के बाहर है।” उस पक्षी ने राजा को बताया कि उसके भाई ने लुटेरों के साथ मैत्री कर ली है। वह लुटेरों जैसी भाषा बोलता था।

थोड़ी देर बाद ही ऋषि लौट आए। उन्होंने अपने साथ भोजन करने के लिए राजा को निमंत्रित किया। राजा ने ऋषि को दोनों पक्षियों के अलग-अलग आचरण के विषय में बताया। ऋषि ने उनसे कहा कि यह उनकी संगति का परिणाम है।

-- Moral -- 

One is known by the company one keeps.

-- Words Meanings --

• Young ones – बच्चे

• Storm - तूफान

• Separated - अलग होना

• Shady - छायादार

• Take care - देखभाल करना 

• Thunder - गड़गड़ाहट

• Hit - टकराना

• Cave - गुफा

• Robbers - डाकू, लूटेरे 

• Hunt - शिकार करना 

• Follow - पीछा करना

• Tired - थका हुआ

• Suddenly - अचानक

• Announce - घोषणा करना

• Alike - एक जैसे 

• Holy - पवित्र 

• Imitate - नक़ल करना

-- NCERT Solutions --

Question 1:- How did the two baby birds get separated?

Answer:- The two baby birds lived with their mother in a nest in a tall and shady tree. One day, there was a big storm with thunder, lightning and rain. A big, heavy branch hit the nest and killed the mother bird. The strong wind blew the two baby birds away to the other side of the forest and separated them from each other.

Question 2:- Where did each of them find a home?

Answer:- One of the baby birds came down near a cave where a gang of robbers lived. The other baby bird landed outside a rishi’s ashram a little distance away. Thus, they found two different homes.

Question 3:- What did the first bird say to the stranger?

Answer:- The first bird saw the stranger, i.e., the King. He called the robbers to come quickly and rob the King of his jewels and his horse. The bird had indirectly warned the stranger of the consequences of sitting near the cave.

Question 4:- What did the second bird say to him?

Answer:- The second bird welcomed the King to the ashram. He requested the stranger to go inside the ashram, take some rest and make himself comfortable. He further added that the first bird was his brother, who had made friends with robbers, so he talked like them.

Question 5:- How did the rishi explain the different ways in which the birds behaved?

Answer:- The king was surprised about the difference in behaviour between the two birds. The rishi explained that the first bird imitated the same words that he heard from the robbers, whereas the second bird repeated the words that he had always heard at the ashram. This implies that the difference in ways of behaviour between the two birds was the result of the company in which they lived.

Question 6:- Which one of the following sums up the story best?

i) A bird in hand is worth two in the bush.

ii) One is known by the company one keeps.

iii) A friend in need is a friend indeed.

Answer:- ii) One is known by the company one keeps.

-- Extra Questions -- 

Question 1.- How did different company affect the character and behaviour of the two birds?

Answer:- The two birds were brothers. But they got separated when a storm blew. One came down near a cave where robbers lived. The other landed outside a rishis ashram. The former learnt the language of the robbers. The latter learnt to welcome the strangers sweetly. Thus, their company shaped their behaviour.

Question 2.- What amazed the king as he stood near the cave?

Answer:- The king heard a big brown bird on the tree, calling out to the robbers to come and loot the stranger.

Question 3.- How did the other bird greet the king?

Answer:- The other bird welcomed the king to the ashram. Gently he requested the king to make himself comfortable in the ashram.

Question 4.- Narrate the tale of two birds in your own words.

Answer:- Once there lived a mother bird in a forest. She had two new-born chicks. One day a storm came with thunder and lightning. The mother bird was killed. But the baby birds were blown away to the other end of the forest. One lived in the company of robbers. The other stayed with a rishi. One day a king heard them speak. The one asked the robbers to loot and kill the king. The other noble bird welcomed him sweetly in the ashram. They behaved differently because of the company they kept.

Question 5.- How did the king reach the rishi’s ashram? Why did the two birds behave with the king differently?

Answer:- The king came to the forest to hunt a deer. He rode after the game and lost his way. Tired, he stood near a cave. One bird informed the robbers to rob the traveller of his jewels and his horse. The king sensed danger and rode away. Soon he came to a rishi’s ashram. He sat down in a tree’s shade. He was amazed to hear another bird’s voice. It requested him to enter the ashram and rest. The two birds were real brothers, but one became crook in the company of robbers. The other became gentle in the company of the rishi. The holy man told the king that one’s good or bad company makes one noble or wicked.

- By Durgesh Pandey

(Eklavya Coaching Institute)