LITERATURE READER

A Textbook for English Course

(Communicative)

Class-IX

CENTRAL BOARD OF SECONDARY EDUCATION

PREET VIHAR, DELHI - 110092
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 THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA
PREAMBLE
WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a 1SOVEREIGN
SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens :
JUSTICE, social, economic and political;
LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship;
EQUALITY of status and of opportunity; and to promote among them all
FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the2 unity and integrity of the Nation;
IN OUR CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY this twenty-sixth day of November, 1949, do HEREBY ADOPT,
ENACT AND GIVE TO OURSELVES THIS CONSTITUTION.

1. Subs, by the Constitution (Forty-Second Amendment) Act. 1976, sec. 2, for "Sovereign Democratic Republic” (w.e.f. 3.1.1977)
2. Subs, by the Constitution (Forty-Second Amendment) Act. 1976, sec. 2, for "unity of the Nation” (w.e.f. 3.1.1977)

THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA

Chapter IV A
FUNDAMENTAL DUTIES
ARTICLE 51A
Fundamental Duties - It shall be the duty of every citizen of India-
(a) to abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the National Flag and the National
Anthem;
(b) to cherish and follow the noble ideals which inspired our national struggle for freedom;
(c) to uphold and protect the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India;
(d) to defend the country and render national service when called upon to do so;
(e) to promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood amongst all the people of India transcending
religious, linguistic and regional or sectional diversities; to renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of
women;
(f) to value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite culture;
(g) to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers, wild life and to have
compassion for living creatures;
(h) to develop the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform;
(i) to safeguard public property and to abjure violence;
(j) to strive towards excellence in all spheres of individual and collective activity so that the nation constantly
rises to higher levels of endeavour and achievement;
1
(k) who is a parent or guardian to provide opportunities for education to his/her child or, as the case may be,
ward between age of 6 and 14 years.

1. Subs. by the Constitution (Eighty - Sixth Amendment) Act, 2002

 Foreword
The English Communicative Curriculum was implemented in Class - IX in the academic session
1993- 94. The books were revised in 1995, 1997 and 2003 as a result of the feedback received from
students, teachers and ELT professionals.

The Board received feedback from teachers teaching in various school systems i.e., independent
schools, Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan and Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti in large numbers which
suggested that a change was already overdue. Accordingly, the book was revised in 2009. The
present book is a reprint of the revised edition.

The book has been designed to develop the student’s communicative competence in English. The
extracts selected have been taken with the purpose of making students think on their own and
inculcating in them the life skills necessary for facing the challenges of the present as well as the
future.

Teachers may adopt appropriate pedagogical practices to enhance the creativity of students. It
must also be noted that language is not just a functional tool; it is rather a medium through which
students interact with the world around them. Therefore, students should be encouraged to think
on their own and express their ideas using their experiences, knowledge and imagination, rather
than being text or teacher- dependent.

The effort of the material developers and editorial board is acknowledged. Feedback/suggestions
for further improvement are welcome.

R.K. Chaturvedi, IAS

Chairman, CBSE
 Acknowledgements
We express our gratitude to the writers and publishers whose contributions have been
included in this book. Copyright permission for use of this material has been applied for,
however, information on copyright permission for some of the material could not be found.
We would be grateful for information for the same.

FICTION
"How I Taught My Grandmother To Read", by Sudha Murty
"A Dog Named Duke", by William D. Ellis
"The Man Who Knew Too Much", by Alexander Baron.
"Keeping It From Harold", by P.G. Wodehouse from 'The Funny Bone'
New Humorous Stories compiled by Lady Cynthia Asquith, Jurdus Publishers, London
"Best Seller", by O. Henry

Poetry
"The Brook", by Lord Alfred Tennyson
"The Road Not Taken", by Robert Frost
"The Solitary Reaper", by William Wordsworth.
"Oh, I Wish I'd Looked After Me Teeth", by Pam Ayres from Poetry Magic Book 6,
Edited by Keki N Daruwalla, Ratna Sagar, 2005
"Song of the Rain", by Kahlil Gibran

Drama
"Villa for Sale", by Sacha Guitry from Six One Act Plays, Edited by Maurice
Stanford, Orient Longman, 1997
"The Bishop's Candlesticks", by Norman Mckinnel
 PATRON
Sh. R.K. Chaturvedi, IAS
Chairman, CBSE
Sh. Manoj Kr. Srivastava
Joint Secretary (ART & I) & In-charge, CBSE

EDITORIAL BOARD
Dr. Praggya M. Singh. Joint Director, CBSE
Dr. Sweta Singh, Joint Director, CBSE
Ms. Neha Sharma, Deputy Director, CBSE
Dr. Monali Bhattacharya, Former Associate Professor, Banasthali Vidyapith
Dr. Shweta Singh, Motilal Nehru College (Evening), University of Delhi
Mr. Sandeep Tokas, Motilal Nehru Collage (Evening), University of Delhi
Mr. Azaharuddin, Motilal Nehru Collage (Evening), University of Delhi
Ms. Kirti Tandon, Step by Step School, Noida

MATERIAL DEVELOPERS
v
Dr. Amber Banerjee v
Ms. Anudita Bhatia
v
Ms. Deepti S. v
Ms. Kavita Rakhra
vMs. Lakshmi Srinivasan v
Ms. Manvinder Kaur
vMs. Mridula Aggarwal v
Ms. Neena Kaul
vMs. Nirmala Jairaj v
Ms. P. Rajeswary
vMs. Rajni Sharma v
Ms. Sandhya Awasthi
vMs. Sudha Ravi v
Ms. Syriac Mary
vMs. Vijay Lakshmi Raman v
Ms. Vimmy Singh
vMs. Renu Anand v
Ms. Gayatri Khanna
vMs. Meenaxi Jain vMs. Neelima Sharma
 Note to Students
Why do you think we read Literature?
Have you ever wondered why we read literature? We do so in order to understand,
appreciate and enjoy what immensely talented men and women over the centuries have
put in writing for our benefit - emotions, moving experiences, suspense, creative use of
language, great issues etc. As we read, we make a personal response to the piece of
Literature concerned - relating its substance to our own personal experience, or to laugh, to
cry, or simply to enjoy. With this in mind, the selections of poetry, fiction and drama in this
Literature Reader by a variety of authors writing in English, are on a variety of themes and in
a variety of literary styles. Through this Reader, we hope that you will develop your interest
in such pieces, and will develop your skills in reading and appreciating poetry, fiction and
drama. In particular, you will learn the essential features of these different types of
Literature - for example, you will learn to study character, how a plot develops, and "what
makes poetry poetry".
Like the Main Coursebook, this Literature Reader also carries pieces which have been
identified and selected with a bearing on social issues and universal values. In other words,
the literary pieces remind us all of the importance of values such as telling the truth, good
health, respect for older people, and the role of law and order.
It is our hope that your reading of Literature will not be restricted to the Literature Reader
alone, but that you will be stimulated to read poetry, fiction and drama outside the
classroom, and also later in adult life.
What does this Literature Reader contain?
* Poetry - Seven poems
* Fiction - Five short stories
* Drama - Two plays
These are merely a sample. The basic purpose of the Reader is to facilitate young readers
to develop a love for reading and literature which is sustained for life long learning.
How much time should be spent on this Literature Reader?
Your teacher may ask you to read some of the longer pieces for home work, a day or so
before they are introduced in class.
What type of questions and activities are there in the Literature Reader and in the
examination?
The question-types and activities for each piece in the Literature Reader are largely:
1. Simple comprehension questions and other activities, to activate and develop your
understanding.
2. Activities that lead you to infer, analyse and evaluate what you are reading.
3. Activities that ask you to make a personal and/or a creative response to what you
have just been reading.
The Literature Reader thus helps to develop your enjoyment and appreciation of Literature
in English.
What is the teacher's role?
We have said earlier that this Reader will help you "to understand, appreciate and enjoy"
Literature. But your teacher alone cannot make you understand, appreciate and enjoy, you
have to develop these skills yourself, in the manner you approach the pieces selected. Your
teacher will certainly encourage, stimulate and support you and will manage class activities
to assist in every way possible. But your understanding, appreciation and enjoyment will
not grow if your teacher simply explains to you everything about the literary piece
concerned. You must personally explore and interpret the piece, express a point of view,
and justify it. Your teacher will frequently set up activities, monitor them and hold a class
review. This does not mean that he or she will never give explanations: they will be given
whenever there is a need to do so.
But you should be prepared to take as much personal responsibility as you can for your own
learning.
This will be more effective and more enjoyable for you!
What do we mean by "personal response"?
A Personal response means how we, as individuals, interpret and react to something in a
piece of Literature. This is particularly true of poetry, where the poet's choice of language
and treatment of theme can give rise to a variety of interpretation, depending on who we
are, our previous experiences, what we feel about the subject-matter etc. With this in mind,
do not look for a fixed "right or wrong" response to certain questions and activities.
Remember that it is your personal response to the poem, short story or play that makes
reading Literature so enjoyable.
If you turn to your workbook and look at Question 16 in the Literature Section of the two
sample papers, you will understand more clearly what is meant by "personal response".
The book also contains texts for listening tasks as part of Annexures; teachers may use
them for activities suggested in the book.
The Fiction Pieces
The five short stories are by Indian and non-Indian writers and have been chosen for their
interest-level and for the values and social issues that they portray.
The Importance of Dramatising the Plays
Plays, of course, are intended to be dramatised, not simply read. Therefore, the final
activity for each is a dramatisation. If you can memorise your lines, so much the better; if
not, then a dramatised reading will do. Often the audience will be the rest of the class. There
are three principal features in drama:
* How you speak your part
In drama, voice is very important. For example, emotions are expressed by raising or
lowering the voice, by speaking with more force or less force, by varying the pace at which
you speak. To use your voice appropriately, you will need to "know" your character
thoroughly, through careful study of the character's line and study of stage directions.
* How you move
Drama is mobile - involving physical movement, gestures, facial expressions, etc. All these
should be done in as natural a manner as possible. Stage directions will give you
appropriate advice.
* Costumes, Props, Lights and Music
These are also important features of a dramatisation. Even simple clothes and props can
make a significant contribution in making the play “come alive" for the audience.
We very much hope that you enjoy this Literature Reader!

Editors
 Contents

Introduction

Contents
Fiction 1-51

F.1 How I Taught My Grandmother to Read, by Sudha Murty 3

F.2 A Dog Named Duke, by William D. Ellis 13
F.3 The Man Who Knew Too Much, by Alexander Baron 22
F.4 Keeping It from Harold, by P.G. Wodehouse 28
F.5 Best Seller, by O.Henry 43

Poetry 54-86

P. 1 The Brook, by Lord Alfred Tennyson 57

P. 2 The Road Not Taken, by Robert Frost 64
P. 3 The Solitary Reaper, by William Wordsworth 69
P. 4 The Seven Ages, by William Shakespeare 74
P. 5 Oh, I Wish I'd Looked After Me Teeth, by Pam Ayres 78
P. 6 Song of The Rain, by Kahlil Gibran 82

Drama 87-128

D. 1 Villa for Sale, by Sacha Guitry 89

D. 2 The Bishop's Candlesticks, by Norman Mckinnel 106

ANNEXURE 129-140

Text for Listening Tasks 131