The Postmaster Rabindranath Tagore

1. The PostmasterRabindranath Tagore

2. SUBMMITEDBY • Mr. Sukhwinder Singh ( S.ST Master ) CHAPTER: 3rd Class:9th Subject:English GSSS GajjuMajra (Patiala)

3. The postmaster first took up his duties in the village of Ulapur. Though the village was a small one, there was an indigo factory near by, and the proprietor, an Englishman, had managed to get a post office established.

4. Our postmaster belonged to Calcutta. He felt like a fish out of water in this remote village. His office and living-room were in a dark thatched shed, not far from a green, slimy pond, surrounded on all sides by a dense growth.

5. He postmaster's salary was small. He had to cook his own meals, which he used to share with Ratan.

6. It was some time before the postmaster, with weakened body, was able to leave his sick-bed. ' No more of this,' said he with decision. ' I must get a transfer.' He at once wrote off to Calcutta an application for a transfer, on the ground of the unhealthiness of the place.

7. Ratan asked no other question. The postmaster, of his own accord, went on to tell her that his application for a transfer had been rejected, so he had resigned his post, and was going home.

8. After a while Ratan rose, and went off to the kitchen to prepare the meal ; but she was not so quick about it as on other days. Many new things to think of had entered her little brain. When the postmaster had finished his supper, the girl suddenly asked him : ' Dada, will you take me to your home ? '

9. On getting up in the morning, the postmaster found his bath ready. He had stuck to his Calcutta habit of bathing in water drawn and kept in pitchers, instead of taking a plunge in the river as was the custom of the village.

10. When he got in and the boat was under way, and the rain-swollen river, like a stream of tears welling up from the earth, swirled and sobbed at her bows, then he felt a sort of pain at heart ; the grief-stricken face of a village girl seemed to represent for him the great unspoken pervading grief of Mother Earth herself.

11. Answer the following questions in 30-40 words: • Describe some of ratan’s childhood memories. • Write a short note on how Ratan served her master when he was ill. • While crossing the river in the end, how did the postmaster console himself ?

12. Answer the following questions in your own words: • How did the postmaster feel at Ulapur ? Why ? • Why could he not find any companions? • What was the reason that he could not compose verse although he tried hard ? • Who was Ratan ? • What memories haunted the postmaster ? • Why did Ratan learn form the postmaster ? • Why did he apply for transfer ? • Why were the words that Ratan could not bear ? • What did he try to give her while going away ? • What did Ratan actually want ?

13. Fill in the blanks with suitable prepositions: (A) We are all concerned_________ the mishap. (B) Sheela feels concerned_________ your safety. (C) All those concerned_________ the incident had to resign. (A) The client complained__________ neglect shown towards him. (B) The all complained _________ the canteen owner. (C) We complained_________ the canteen owner. (A) Do not fall______ with your friend over a small thing. (B) Deepa fell_______ love with him at first at sight. (C) He fell __________ evil days.

14. Bibliography • http://googleimages.com • http:// postmastergifanimation.com • Text book of English of 9th class. • Oxford Dictionary

15. THANKS