“A Gift of Chappals”

Part I: Discovering the Kitten

1. Mridu Visits Ravi and Meena:

   • Mridu arrives at Ravi and Meena’s house.
   • She takes off her slippers and notices a dusty pair of large black slippers with clear toe marks.

2. Secret Kitten:

   • Ravi drags Mridu to the backyard where they hide a small kitten named Mahendran.
   • They found the kitten mewing outside the gate earlier that morning.

3. Feeding the Kitten:

   • The children struggle to feed the kitten milk from the kitchen.
   • Ravi describes how he tricked Paati into giving him milk.

4. Kitten’s Name and Story:

   • Ravi gives the kitten a grand name: Mahendravarma Pallava Poonai.
   • He claims the kitten is a descendant of the Pallava dynasty’s emblem and related to the ancient Egyptian cat-goddess Bastet.

5. Interruption by Lalli’s Violin Practice:

   • Lalli’s loud and unpleasant violin practice startles the children and the kitten.
   • The kitten, frightened by Lalli’s screeching, hides under a tray of red chillies.

Comprehension Check Questions for Part I:

1. Meena shares the secret of the kitten with Mridu.
2. Ravi gets milk for the kitten by tricking Paati.
3. Ravi claims the kitten’s ancestors are the Mahabalipuram Rishi-Cat and the Egyptian cat-goddess Bastet. This shows his rich imagination.
4. Statements about Ravi:
   • (i) He is merely trying to impress Mridu: Agree.
   • (iii) He has a rich imagination: Agree.
5. The noise that startled Mridu and frightened Mahendran was Lalli’s violin practice.

Part II: The Beggar and the Chappals

1. Beggar’s Visit:

   • A beggar visits the house, sitting under a neem tree.
   • Ravi’s mother instructs him to send the beggar away, as he has been coming daily for a week.

2. Beggar’s Plight:

   • The beggar shows his blistered feet, indicating he needs footwear.
   • The children feel sympathy and decide to find a pair of slippers for him.

3. Finding the Chappals:

   • Ravi finds the large black slippers Mridu noticed earlier.
   • The children give these slippers to the beggar, who gratefully wears them and leaves.

4. Music-Master’s Missing Chappals:

   • The music-master discovers his slippers are missing after his lesson with Lalli.
   • He searches the verandah frantically, but the slippers are gone.

5. Rukku Manni’s Anger:

   • Rukku Manni realizes the children gave the music-master’s slippers to the beggar.
   • She scolds the children, especially Ravi, for their mischief.

6. Resolution:

   • Rukku Manni gives the music-master Gopu Mama’s new slippers as a replacement.
   • The music-master reluctantly accepts them and leaves.
   • Rukku Manni, relieved and amused, reflects on how to explain the situation to Gopu Mama.

Comprehension Check Questions for Part II:

1. The beggar shares his story and need for footwear.
2. Ravi and the children find the music-master’s slippers and give them to the beggar.
3. Rukku Manni discovers what happened and resolves the situation by giving Gopu Mama’s slippers to the music-master.
4. The music-master leaves, and Rukku Manni prepares to explain the incident to Gopu Mama later.

Key Themes and Messages:

• Kindness and Generosity: The children’s actions, though mischievous, stem from a place of kindness and a desire to help the needy.
• Childhood Innocence: Ravi’s imaginative stories and the children’s solution to the beggar’s problem highlight their innocence and creativity.
• Responsibility and Consequences: The children learn about responsibility and the consequences of their actions when the music-master loses his slippers.