6.4 The Clever Boy
Complete textbook exercise solutions — Maharashtra State Board (Balbharati), Grade Six English.
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About the chapter
This is a story about Cheemo, a clever shepherd boy. His cap fell on a horse and the rider, a rich merchant’s son, fell down. The angry young man tested Cheemo with riddles. Cheemo’s clever answers pleased him so much that he gave Cheemo five gold coins.
Key points
- Cheemo was the son of a shepherd.
- His cap frightened a horse and the rider fell.
- Cheemo solved the riddle: a cap is higher than a man and shorter than a hen.
- He answered an impossible demand with an impossible condition.
- He got five gold coins and an offer of a job.
- Message: quick thinking and presence of mind help us in difficult moments.
Words to remember
- shepherd – a person who looks after sheep
- rear up – to rise on the back legs
- riddle – a puzzling question
- merchant – a trader
- clever – quick to understand and think
Nouns: a clever boy, a clever girl, a clever student, a clever answer, a clever idea, a clever plan, a clever fox.
Qualities of a clever person:
- Quick thinking
- Presence of mind
- Good observation
- Confidence
- Calmness
- A sense of humour
- (i) Cheemo was the son of a — (c) shepherd
- (ii) Why did the horse rear up? — (b) The cap fell on its head
- (iii) The riddle Cheemo’s father gave him — (b) What is higher than a man but shorter than a hen?
- (iv) How did the rich man’s son test Cheemo’s cleverness? — (a) By asking him another riddle
- (v) What did the rich man’s son give Cheemo at the end? — (b) Gold coins
(i) Why was the young man angry?
Cheemo tossed his cap in the air. It fell on the head of a horse. The horse was frightened and reared up. The rider fell down. So the young man was angry.
(ii) Why do you think the young man liked Cheemo’s clever answers?
The young man thought a shepherd boy would be dull. But Cheemo answered his riddle correctly. Then the young man asked for an impossible sheep. Cheemo gave an equally impossible reply about the day and time to collect it. The young man was amused by his quick and clever answers.
(iii) What reward did Cheemo receive?
Cheemo received five gold coins. The young man also gave him his address and offered him a job.
- op (example) — open / stop
- um — umbrella, umpire / drum, gum, album
- or — orange, order / door, floor, doctor
- ar — arm, arrow / car, star, sugar
- re — red, ready / more, care, store
“Then why did you buy the fifth pot?” demanded the husband.
The wife hesitantly said that she wanted to send the extra milk to her sister.
The husband was furious and yelled at her, “Why do you want to give milk to your sister? Do you think we run a dairy farm here?” Saying this, he smashed all the pots in a rage.
“But that’s not fair!” she shouted back at him. “I am the one who tends the cow and takes care of it, and I think I have every right to give some extra milk to my sister.”
Remember: Spoken words go inside inverted commas “ ” · a question ends with ? · a strong feeling ends with ! · use a comma before opening a quotation (yelled at her, “Why…”) · begin every sentence and the pronoun I with a capital letter · use an apostrophe in short forms like that’s.
- (i) As deep as a house, as round as a cup… — A well
- (ii) We are black and dusty, but much admired… — Coal
- (iii) Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall… — An egg
- (iv) Little Nancy Petticoat, in a white petticoat and a red nose… — A candle
My own riddles:
- I have a face and two hands, but no arms or legs. — a clock
- I have many leaves but I am not a tree. — a book
- (i) I used to be a banker but I lost interest.
Interest means both the money a bank pays and the wish to keep doing something. - (ii) The electrician got shocked by the news.
Shocked means both an electric shock and being greatly surprised.
- (i) I enjoy reading storybooks. — Assertive
- (ii) Does the sun rise in the East? — Interrogative
- (iii) Who is your best friend? — Interrogative
- (iv) We are learning English Grammar. — Assertive
Remember: An assertive sentence ends with a full stop. An interrogative sentence ends with a question mark.