UNITTEN

DEADRAT
(afolktalefromAndhraPradeshretoldbyB.RamaRaju)

MODULEONE
III.TEXT
Readthepassage: Hearing Ratnanka, Yakshadatta laughed, looked around and pointing towards a deadratlyingonthestreetsaid,"Lomyboy!ThatdeadratisthecapitalwhichI canlendyou.Youtakeitawayanddosometradewithit.Toanintelligentmanit willfetchmillionsandevenifIgivemillionstoanunintelligentmanitwillbeofno use." Ratnanka thought for a minute and then took the dead rat as a favour from Yakshadatta.Hemadeacupoutofaleafandplacedthedeadratinthatcup.He carrieditthroughstreetscrying,"Aratforsale!" Onemerchant,whowastamingacatinordertogetridoftheratsthatwerea menace in his shop, purchased that dead rat as prey for his cat and gave him a handful of bengal gram. Ratnanka took the bengal gram home and soaked it in water. Nextmorningheaddedsomesaltandpeppertothesoakedandswollenbengal gram, took drinking water in an earthen pitcher, went outside the city and sat undertheshadeofatree.Thatwastheplacewherethewoodcutterswithheavy faggots of fuel wood on their heads would take rest everyday while returning fromtheforest. Ratnanka waited there till late and offered each woodcutter some bengal gram and cold water. The hungry and thirsty woodcutters, pleased with Ratnanka's service,gavehimtwopiecesoffirewoodeach.Byeveningthepiecespiledupinto abigheapwhichRatnankasoldawayfortworupeesinthecity.Outofthetwo rupeesRatnankagaveonetohisgrandmothertowardssavingsandwiththeother rupee purchased a Kuncarn of bengal gram. Out of this he soaked one kilo everydayandsatunderthesametreewithcoldwater.

 Inthiswayhecollectedmanycartloadsoffuelwithinamonth.Fortunately,there wereincessantrainsfortendaysandasaresulttherewasascarcityoffirewood in the city. The firewood which Ratnanka had collected fetched him a hundred goldcoins.WiththatmoneyRatnankaopenedafirewoodstallandbegandealing intimber.Fromtimbertocloth,fromclothtograinandfromgraintodiamonds, hisbusinessprogressedrapidly. WithinacoupleofyearsRatnankabecameoneoftheleadingmerchantsinthat city.OnedayRatnankagotaratmadewithgold,weighingonekilo.Itseyeswere made of rubies, ears of sapphires and it had a diamond chain round its neck. It was kept in a silver trap and carried in a procession with pomp. Ratnanka was leadingtheprocession. WhenhereachedtheresidenceofYakshadattaheaskedtheprocessiontohalt. Hearing the band and the noise of the procession, Yakshadatta came out of his houseandenquiredwhatallthatpompandhubbubwasabout. RatnankaaddressedYakshadattathus:"Sir,Ibecameamillionairebyyourgrace. TwoyearsbackwhenIcametoyouforaloanyougavemeadeadrat.Yourwise sayings and the capital which I borrowed from you made me a rich man. Now I havecometorepayyourdebtintheshapeofagoldenrat.Kindlyacceptthisasa symbolofmygratitude." Yakshadatta was amazed to hear his story. He was very pleased with the intelligenceandgratitudeofRatnanka.HethoughtthatacleverboylikeRatnanka alonewassuitabletomarryhislovelydaughter.(588words)

V.VOCABULARY
FurtherlistofROOTSforincreasingwordpower: Mini(small);minimum,miniscule Neuro(nerve):neurosis,neurosurgeon Nym(name):pseudonym,antonym Pater(father):patriarchy,patricide Port(carry):transport,portable Script(write):manuscript,scripture

Simil(same):similar,facsimile Therm(heat):thermal,thermometer Vit(life):vital,revitalize Zoo(animal):zoology,zoophyte

VII.SPELLING
Spellingrules: Makingofpluralsbyaddings,es,enwithoutchanging/changingbaseword orchangingvowelorder: a. Forwordsendinginallvoicedandvoicelessconsonantssisadded: i. Taptaps ii. Clubclubs iii. Pitpits iv. Bedbeds v. Tanktanks vi. Pigpigs vii. Judgejudges viii. Hillhills ix. Rimrims x. Henhens b. Except/tS/,,/s/,/S/whichneedesaswellasallwordsendinginx i. Churchchurches ii. Massmasses iii. Bushbushes iv. Boxboxes (exception:oxoxen) c. Wordsendinginfchangetovafterwhichesisadded: i. Wifewives ii. Knifeknives iii. Lifelives iv. Calfcalves (exception: belief beliefs, chief chiefs, dwarf dwarfs, gulf gulfs,proofproofs,roofroofs)

d. Wordsendinginyusuallychangetoiafterwhichesisadded: i. Citycities ii. Countrycountries iii. Babybabies e. wordsendinginohavebothsandes i. halohaloes ii. heroheroes iii. tomatotomatoes iv. tornadotornadoes v. mottomottoes

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