SSC (Hindi Medium) १० वीं कक्षा - Maharashtra State Board Important Questions

            Mrs. Srivastava had to do some shopping. She gave instructions to the ayah about looking after the baby and told the cook not to be late with the mid-day meal. Then she set out for the Pipalnagar market place, to make her customary tour of the cloth shops.

           A large shady tamarind tree grew at one end of the bazaar, and it was here that Mrs. Srivastava found her friend Mrs. Bhushan sheltering from the heat. Mrs. Bhushan was fanning herself with a large handkerchief. She complained of the summer, which she affirmed, was definitely the hottest in the history of Pipalnagar. She then showed Mrs. Srivastava a sample of the cloth she was going to buy, and for five minutes they discussed its shade, texture and design. Having exhausted this topic, Mrs. Srivastava said, ‘Do you know, my dear, that Seth Govind Ram’s bank can’t even pay its employees? Only this morning I heard a complaint from their sweeper, who hasn’t received his wages for over a month!’

           ‘Shocking!’ remarked Mrs. Bhushan. ‘If they can’t pay the sweeper, they must be in a bad way. None of the others could be getting paid either’.

           She left Mrs. Srivastava at the tamarind tree and went in search of her husband, who was sitting in front of Kamal Kishore’s photography shop, talking with the owner.

That was Meena. She stayed alone in an apartment as her parents lived in Delhi. She was an only child and had the habit of complaining about anything and everything. Naturally, she wasn't very pleasant company and nobody wanted to visit her. Then one day, Meena was transferred to Bombay and soon we all forgot about her.

Many years later, I found myself caught in the rain at Bombay's Flora Fountain. It was pouring and I didn't have an umberella. I was standing near Akbarallys, a popular department store, waiting for the rain to subside. Suddenly, I spotted Meena. My first reaction was to run, even in that pouring rain. I was anxious to avoid being seen by her, having to listen to her never-ending complaints. However, I couldn't escape. She had already seen me and caught hold of my band warmly, What's more, she was very cheerful.

            Meena is a good friend of mine. She is an LIC officer earning a good salary. But there was always something strange about her. She was forever unhappy. Whenever I met her, I would start to feel depressed. It was as though her gloom and cynicism had a way of spreading to others. She never had anything positive to say on any subject or about any person.

           For instance, I might say to her, ‘Meena, did you know Rakesh has come first in his school?’

           Meena’s immediate response would be to belittle the achievement. ‘Naturally, his father is a school teacher’, she would say.

           If I said, ‘Meena, Shwetha is a very beautiful girl, isn’t she?’ Meena would be pessimistic. ‘When a pony is young, he looks handsome. It is age that matters. Wait for some time. Shwetha will be uglier than anyone you know.’

           ‘Meena, it’s a beautiful day. Let’s go for a walk.’

           ‘No, the sun is too hot and I get tired if I walk too much. Besides, who says walking is good for health? There’s no proof.’

           That was Meena. She stayed alone in an apartment as her parents lived in Delhi. She was an only child and had the habit of complaining about anything and everything.

Twenty years ago, in the foothills of the Himalayas, I met a small, skinny child labourer. He asked me : “Is the world so poor that it cannot give me a toy and a book instead of forcing me to take a gun or a tool?”

I met with a Sudanese child soldier. He was kidnapped by an extremist militia. As his first training lesson, he was forced to kill his friends and family. He asked me: “What is my fault?”

Friends, all the great religions teach us to care for our children. Jesus said: “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to them.” The Holy Quran says: “Kill not your children because of poverty.”

Friends! There is no greater violence than to deny the dreams of our children. Therefore ... I refuse to accept that all the temples and mosques and churches and prayer houses have no place for the dreams of our children.

I refuse to accept that the world is so poor, when just one week of global military expenditure can bring all the children to classrooms.

The World is Mine

Today on a bus, I saw a lovely girl with silken hair
I envied her, she seemed so gay, and I wished I was so fair
When suddenly she rose to leave, I saw her hobble down the aisle
She had one leg and wore a crutch, but as she passed - a smile
O God, forgive me when I whine
I have two legs, the world is mine.

And then I stopped to buy some sweets, The lad who sold them had such charm
I talked with him, he seemed so calm, and if I were late, it would do no harm,
And as I left he said to me" I thank you, you have been so kind"
It's nice to talk with folks like you. You see, I'm blind
O God forgive me when I whine
I have two eyes, the world is mine

Later walking down the street, T saw a child with eyes of blue
He stood and watched the others play, it seemed he knew not what to do
I stopped a moment, then I said, why don't you join the others dear
He looked ahead without a word, and then I knew he could not hear
O God forgive me when I whine
I have two ears, the world is mine.

With legs to take me where I'll go
With eyes to see the sunset's glow
With ears to bear what I would know
O God forgive me when I whine
I'm blessed, indeed, the world is mine.

- Joy Lovelet Crawford

Today on a bus, I saw a lovely girl with silken hair
I envied her, she seemed so gay, and I wished I was so fair
When suddenly she rose to leave, I saw her hobble down the aisle.
She had one leg and wore a crutch, but as she passed – a smile
O God, forgive me when I whine
I have two legs, the world is mine

And then I stopped to buy some sweets, The lad who sold them had such charm
I talked with him, he seemed so calm, and if I were late, it would do no harm,
And as I left he said to me “I thank you, you have been so kind”
It’s nice to talk with folks like you. You see, I’m blind
O God forgive me when I whine
I have two eyes, the world is mine.

Today on a bus, I saw a lovely girl with silken hair
I envied her, she seemed so gay, and I wished I was so fair
When suddenly she rose to leave, I saw her hobble down the aisle
She had one leg and wore a crutch, but as she passed - a smile
O God, forgive me when I whine
I have two legs, the world is mine.
And then I stopped to buy some sweets, The lad who sold them had such charm
I talked with him, he seemed so calm, and if I were late, it would do no harm,
And as I left he said to me “I thank you, you have been so kind”
It’s nice to talk with folks like you. You see, I’m blind
O God forgive me when I whine
I have two eyes, the world is mine