Class V English

 

UNIT 1: THE FARMER WHO BECAME A DOCTOR

SUMMARY:

The story revolves around a farmer who wished to become a doctor. One day, he sold all the grass of his farm to a doctor in exchange for his cane, cloak, hat and a thick book on medicine. He put on the clothes the next day and felt that he could be a doctor. He put up a signboard informing people of that. However, being not very well-read, he made a big mistake that led to an unexpected turn of events. He got tired of it all and eventually threw the signboard into the bin.

 

Reading comprehension:

1.     What did the farmer receive from the doctor for selling all the grass?

Ans. The farmer received the doctor’s cane, hat, cloak and a thick book on medicine.

2.     Why did the farmer’s wife refer to the doctor’s items as ‘useless stuff’?

Ans. She was a farmer’s wife and did not see any use in the items that her husband had received from the doctor. They could not be put to good use in the business of the farm.

3.     What ‘big mistake’ did the farmer make?

Ans. Instead of writing ‘doctor’, the farmer wrote ‘detective’ on the signboard he put up outside his house.

4.     Why was the king’s messenger surprised to read the farmer’s prescription?

Ans. The king’s messenger was surprised to read the farmer’s prescription as it did not seem to have any connection to the king’s missing horses for which the messenger had come to ask for the farmer’s help.

5.     Why do you think the king’s messenger rushed back to inform the king about the farmer?

Ans. The farmer gave the king’s messenger a prescription that he had found inside the doctor’s book on medicine and asked the messenger to follow the instructions. The messenger bought the medicine, and he had a severe headache on having it. He felt that he must take rest somewhere. He stopped at the nearest house and asked for permission to rest a while on the porch. A few minutes later, he heard the neighing of the king’s horses. The messenger did not know if it was merely by fluke that he had found the two missing horses. He thought that this had happened because the ‘detective’ knew exactly how to help him. So, he rushed back in great excitement to inform the king about what a great detective the farmer was.

6.     Why did the thieves think the farmer knew they had stolen the ring?

Ans. The three servants of the king had stolen the ring and were already feeling nervous and guilty. On the other hand, the farmer and his wife, when invited by the king to have lunch at the palace with him, had decided to count the number of dishes served during the meal. So, every time a servant brought a dish to serve, they counted them aloud. The three servants knew that a detective had come to the palace to find the missing diamond ring and felt sure that the farmer was referring to the thieves who had stolen the ring when counting the dishes aloud.

Read the sentence from the story and answer the questions that follow.

‘Perhaps a doctor is supposed to give a prescription even for something like this.’

1.     What do the words ‘even for something like this’ mean?

Ans. The words ‘even for something like this’ refer to the case of the stolen horses of the king. Not knowing what a doctor is supposed to do, the farmer thought that perhaps a doctor is supposed to give prescriptions for such cases, too.

2.     What ‘prescription’ does the farmer make, and for whom?

Ans. The farmer finds a prescription inside the doctor’s book on medicine and decides to give that to the king’s messenger.

 

3.     What happens after the person follows the farmer’s prescription?

Ans. After the king’s messenger takes the medicine as was written in the prescription, he begins to feel unwell and has a severe headache. He feels that he must rest somewhere and stops at the nearest house. He asks for permission to rest a while on the porch of the house. A few minutes later, he hears the neighing of the king’s horses. The messenger does not realise that it is merely by fluke that he ends up finding the horses. He thinks all of this happened because the ‘detective’ exactly knew how to help him, so he rushes back in great excitement to inform the king about what a great detective the farmer is.

 

Think and answer.

1.     Why do you think the farmer wanted to become a doctor?

Ans. The farmer must have admired doctors from afar and thought that doctors were of a higher social status than farmers. This could be the reason why he aspired to become a doctor.

2.     Why do you think the farmer finally gave up his dream of becoming a doctor?-

Ans. The farmer’s life went for a toss soon after he had made the mistake on the signboard. He didn’t expect things to turn out the way they did even when he saved his skin on two counts and got rewarded both times. He finally gave up his dream of becoming a doctor because he must have realised that it is very risky to pose as someone without having the knowledge or skills essential to that profession.