Day 1: The Cloud CHAPTER প্যারা অনুবাদ
The Cloud
Full Side-by-Side Paragraph Translation
He wandered far in search of the clouds, down winding paths and alleys, till he reached the old mud hut. There, he turned on to the dirt track. He saw a grass-cutter coming from the other direction, a bundle of freshly cut grass balanced on his head. He stopped the man and asked, “Have you seen the clouds there?”
সে মেঘের সন্ধানে অনেক দূর ঘুরে বেড়াল, আঁকাবাঁকা পথ ও গলি পেরিয়ে, যতক্ষণ না সে পুরোনো মাটির কুঁড়েঘরের কাছে পৌঁছাল। সেখানে, সে কাঁচা রাস্তায় মোড় নিল। সে দেখল উল্টো দিক থেকে একজন ঘাসকাটা আসছে, তার মাথায় তাজা কাটা ঘাসের বোঝা। সে লোকটিকে থামিয়ে জিজ্ঞেস করল, “আপনি কি ওখানে মেঘ দেখেছেন?”
“Clouds?” The grass-cutter was amazed, as though he had been asked the most peculiar question. “Yes, clouds.” He was disappointed to see that the grass-cutter was still mystified.
“মেঘ?” ঘাসকাটাওয়ালা অবাক হয়ে গেল, যেন তাকে সবচেয়ে অদ্ভুত প্রশ্ন করা হয়েছে। “হ্যাঁ, মেঘ।” সে হতাশ হলো দেখে যে ঘাসকাটাওয়ালা তখনও হতবাক।
He walked on until he came upon a farmer ploughing his field. He asked him the same question, “Did the clouds come here?” The farmer, too, couldn’t make sense of the question. “Clouds?” he asked. “Yes, clouds.”
সে হাঁটতে থাকল যতক্ষণ না একজন কৃষককে তার জমিতে লাঙল দিতে দেখল। সে তাকেও একই প্রশ্ন করল, “মেঘ কি এখানে এসেছিল?” কৃষকটিও প্রশ্নটির কোনো অর্থ বুঝতে পারল না। “মেঘ?” সে জিজ্ঞেস করল। “হ্যাঁ, মেঘ।”
He was asking after the clouds like a man who has lost a child and asks wayfarers if they have seen a child wandering. Perhaps the clouds, too, were lost children and he was going around asking people about them. But no one could give him a satisfactory answer.
সে মেঘের খোঁজ করছিল এমনভাবে, যেন কোনো মানুষ তার সন্তানকে হারিয়ে ফেলেছে এবং পথিকদের জিজ্ঞেস করছে তারা কোনো শিশুকে ঘুরে বেড়াতে দেখেছে কিনা। হয়তো মেঘগুলোও হারিয়ে যাওয়া শিশু ছিল এবং সে তাদের সম্পর্কে লোকদের জিজ্ঞেস করে বেড়াচ্ছিল। কিন্তু কেউই তাকে সন্তোষজনক উত্তর দিতে পারল না।
His mother was the first he had asked in the morning, “Ammaji, where have the clouds gone?” “Who’s gone where?” Ammaji said, as if he had asked an exceptionally stupid question. “Clouds.” “Clouds! Have you lost your mind, boy? Hurry up, now. Wash quickly, eat your breakfast and go to school.”
সকালে সে প্রথম তার মা’কে জিজ্ঞেস করেছিল, “আম্মাজি, মেঘেরা কোথায় গেল?” “কে কোথায় গেছে?” আম্মাজি এমনভাবে বললেন, যেন সে একটি অত্যন্ত বোকার মতো প্রশ্ন করেছে। “মেঘ।” “মেঘ! তোর কি মাথা খারাপ হয়েছে, ছেলে? তাড়াতাড়ি কর এখন। তাড়াতাড়ি ধুয়ে, সকালের নাস্তা খেয়ে স্কুলে যা।”
Dejectedly, he washed his hands and face, ate his breakfast and left home. But the question still haunted him: Where did the clouds go?
হতাশ হয়ে সে হাত-মুখ ধুয়ে, সকালের নাস্তা খেয়ে বাড়ি থেকে বের হলো। কিন্তু প্রশ্নটি তখনও তাকে তাড়া করে ফিরছিল: মেঘেরা কোথায় গেল?
He remembered what he had seen the night before—clouds gathering in the dark sky. But when he went to sleep, the sky was clear and full of stars. When he awoke again, he had no idea of the time. All he knew was that it was the middle of the night. Up there in the sky, the clouds were rumbling. In the occasional flashes of lightning, they were dense and black. It looked as if it will be raining. Rain will have ruined his sleep, he knew.
তার মনে পড়ল আগের রাতে সে কী দেখেছিল—অন্ধকার আকাশে মেঘ জমছিল। কিন্তু যখন সে ঘুমাতে গেল, আকাশ পরিষ্কার এবং তারায় ভরা ছিল। যখন সে আবার জেগে উঠল, তখন সময়ের কোনো ধারণা ছিল না। সে শুধু জানত যে এটা মধ্যরাত। উপরে আকাশে, মেঘ গর্জন করছিল। মাঝে মাঝে বিদ্যুতের ঝলকানিতে, সেগুলো ঘন এবং কালো দেখাচ্ছিল। মনে হচ্ছিল যেন বৃষ্টি হবে। বৃষ্টি তার ঘুম নষ্ট করে দিত, সে জানত।
When he got up in the morning, he was amazed. The sky was clear and empty! Not a trace of rain in the courtyard. He was surprised and saddened—the clouds had moved across the skies without shedding a drop of rain.
সকালে উঠে সে অবাক হয়ে গেল। আকাশ পরিষ্কার এবং খালি! উঠোনে বৃষ্টির কোনো চিহ্ন নেই। সে বিস্মিত এবং দুঃখিত হলো—মেঘেরা এক ফোঁটা বৃষ্টি না ঝরিয়েই আকাশ জুড়ে চলে গেছে।
And it saddened him to think that he had fallen asleep. Had he stayed awake, perhaps, the clouds would not have disappeared like that. It would have been the season’s first rainfall.
এবং এটা তাকে দুঃখ দিয়েছিল যে সে ঘুমিয়ে পড়েছিল। যদি সে জেগে থাকত, হয়তো মেঘগুলো ওভাবে অদৃশ্য হয়ে যেত না। এটা হতো মৌসুমের প্রথম বৃষ্টিপাত।
The month of the rains was slipping away. He looked up once again at the skies. Not a single patch of cloud. The sun beat down on his head from a clear sky. In the fierce heat, he walked between the fields. His body was on fire, his throat dry. After crossing several fields, he saw a large tree in whose shade a Persian wheel turned gently. It was like he had reached an oasis in the middle of a desert.
বর্ষার মাস কেটে যাচ্ছিল। সে আরেকবার আকাশের দিকে তাকাল। মেঘের একটিও টুকরো নেই। পরিষ্কার আকাশ থেকে সূর্য তার মাথায় তীব্রভাবে কিরণ দিচ্ছিল। প্রচণ্ড গরমে সে মাঠের মধ্যে দিয়ে হাঁটছিল। তার শরীর পুড়ে যাচ্ছিল, গলা শুকিয়ে গিয়েছিল। কয়েকটি মাঠ পার হওয়ার পর, সে একটি বড় গাছ দেখল যার ছায়ায় একটি পারস্যের চাকা ধীরে ধীরে ঘুরছিল। যেন সে মরুভূমির মাঝে এক মরূদ্যানে পৌঁছেছে।
He reached the shelter of the tree and splashed the cool water from the Persian wheel on his dusty feet. Then he washed his hands and face and drank his fill.
সে গাছের আশ্রয়ে পৌঁছে পারস্যের চাকা থেকে ঠান্ডা জল তার ধুলোমাখা পায়ে ছিটিয়ে দিল। তারপর সে হাত-মুখ ধুয়ে পেট ভরে জল পান করল।
Refreshed, he looked around. An old man sat on a wall by the Persian wheel. He looked at the old man, wanting to say something but hesitated. Finally he asked, “Did the clouds come here?” The old man looked closely at him and said, “Son, when the clouds come, the earth and the sky know of their coming.” “But the clouds were here last night and no one got to know.” The old man said, “It is not enough for the clouds to come. I once lived in a place where it hadn’t rained for ten years.” “Ten years?” He was open-mouthed.
সতেজ হয়ে সে চারপাশে তাকাল। একজন বৃদ্ধ পারস্যের চাকার পাশে একটি দেয়ালে বসেছিলেন। সে বৃদ্ধের দিকে তাকাল, কিছু বলতে চেয়েও ইতস্তত করল। অবশেষে সে জিজ্ঞেস করল, “মেঘ কি এখানে এসেছিল?” বৃদ্ধ তাকে ভালোভাবে দেখে বললেন, “বাবা, যখন মেঘ আসে, পৃথিবী ও আকাশ তাদের আসার খবর জানতে পারে।” “কিন্তু মেঘ তো কাল রাতে এখানে ছিল এবং কেউ জানতেও পারল না।” বৃদ্ধ বললেন, “শুধু মেঘ এলেই হবে না। আমি একসময় এমন এক জায়গায় থাকতাম যেখানে দশ বছর বৃষ্টি হয়নি।” “দশ বছর?” সে হাঁ করে রইল।
He sat there listening to his tales. Suddenly, he realized how late it was. He walked for miles in the sun and dust. He went back by the same dirt track he had taken to come there. The sun was still fiercely hot but when he reached the mud hut, he felt a nip in the air and the earth was damp underfoot.
সে সেখানে বসে তার গল্প শুনছিল। হঠাৎ সে বুঝতে পারল কতটা দেরি হয়ে গেছে। সে রোদ ও ধুলোর মধ্যে মাইল মাইল হাঁটলো। সে সেই একই কাঁচা রাস্তা ধরে ফিরে গেল যা দিয়ে সে এসেছিল। সূর্য তখনও প্রচণ্ড গরম ছিল কিন্তু যখন সে মাটির কুঁড়েঘরের কাছে পৌঁছাল, তখন বাতাসে এক চিমটি ঠান্ডা অনুভব করল এবং পায়ের নিচের মাটি স্যাঁতসেঁতে ছিল।
As he neared his village, he saw the roads were wet. Trees that had been standing draped in layers of dust when he had left in the morning now looked freshly bathed. He felt a wave of happiness. He hurried home. He wanted to see how fresh and clean the jamun tree in his courtyard looked.
গ্রামের কাছাকাছি আসতেই সে দেখল রাস্তাগুলো ভেজা। সকালে যখন সে বেরিয়েছিল তখন যে গাছগুলো ধুলোর আস্তরণে ঢাকা ছিল, এখন সেগুলো যেন সদ্য স্নান সেরেছে। সে এক ঝলক আনন্দ অনুভব করল। সে তাড়াতাড়ি বাড়ি ফিরল। সে দেখতে চাইল তার উঠোনের জামুন গাছটি কতটা তাজা ও পরিষ্কার দেখাচ্ছে।
When he got home, he saw that the rain had changed everything. The jamun tree stood clean and scrubbed, freshly showered, and Ammaji was saying,” That was a good shower, thank God!” Raindrops were still rolling off the leaves of the jamun. He stood beneath the tree and let them fall on his head and face. He raised his eyes to the sky and saw it clear, without even a wisp of cloud. He had walked so far in the dust and sun in search of the clouds, and in his absence they had come, shed their rain and gone away!
বাড়ি ফিরে সে দেখল বৃষ্টি সবকিছু বদলে দিয়েছে। জামুন গাছটি পরিষ্কার-পরিচ্ছন্ন, সদ্য স্নান করা অবস্থায় দাঁড়িয়ে ছিল, এবং আম্মাজি বলছিলেন, “বেশ ভালো এক পশলা বৃষ্টি হলো, ঈশ্বরকে ধন্যবাদ!” জামুনের পাতা থেকে তখনও বৃষ্টির ফোঁটা গড়িয়ে পড়ছিল। সে গাছের নিচে দাঁড়িয়ে সেগুলো তার মাথায় ও মুখে পড়তে দিল। সে আকাশের দিকে চোখ তুলে দেখল তা পরিষ্কার, মেঘের এক টুকরোও নেই। সে মেঘের সন্ধানে এতদূর ধুলো ও রোদে হেঁটেছিল, আর তার অনুপস্থিতিতে তারা এসে, বৃষ্টি ঝরিয়ে চলে গেছে!
Day 2: The Cloud CHAPTER ACTIVITIES
The Cloud
Class VIII | Comprehensive Activity Solutions
1 Rearrange the following sentences in the correct order:
1. He saw a grass-cutter coming from the other direction.
2. The boy reached the old mud hut.
3. He asked the farmer the same question.
4. He was asking after the clouds like a man who has lost a child.
5. He walked on until he came upon a farmer ploughing his field.
Answer:
- He reached the old mud hut. (2)
- He saw a grass-cutter coming from the other direction. (1)
- He walked on until he came upon a farmer ploughing his field. (5)
- He asked the farmer the same question. (3)
- He was asking after the clouds like a man who has lost a child. (4)
2 Complete the following sentences with information from the text:
(a) The grass-cutter was amazed as though ________.
Answer: he had been asked the most peculiar question.
(b) The boy’s mother thought he had asked ________.
Answer: an exceptionally stupid question.
(c) The boy was saddened to think that ________.
Answer: he had fallen asleep and perhaps because of that the clouds disappeared.
(d) When he reached the mud hut, he felt ________.
Answer: a nip in the air and the earth was damp underfoot.
3 Answer the following questions:
Q1: What did the boy see when he awoke in the middle of the night?
Answer: When he awoke in the middle of the night, he saw clouds rumbling in the sky. In the occasional flashes of lightning, the clouds appeared dense and black, making it look as if it would rain.
Q2: How did the boy refresh himself at the Persian wheel?
Answer: The boy reached the shelter of the tree and splashed cool water from the Persian wheel on his dusty feet. Then he washed his hands and face and drank his fill to refresh himself.
Q3: What did the old man say about the coming of the clouds?
Answer: The old man told the boy that when the clouds come, both the earth and the sky know of their coming. He also shared that he once lived in a place where it hadn't rained for ten years.
Q4: What did the boy see when he returned home?
Answer: Upon returning home, he saw that the rain had changed everything. The jamun tree in his courtyard was clean, scrubbed, and freshly showered, with raindrops still rolling off its leaves.
4 Identify the meanings of the following words from the text:
Day 3: The Cloud CHAPTER NOTES
The Cloud (মেঘ)
A poignant journey of a young boy's search for rain in a parched land, exploring the innocence of childhood and the mysteries of nature.
The Plot Summary
The boy wanders through winding paths, asking everyone—from a grass-cutter to a farmer—the same question: "Have you seen the clouds?" To him, clouds are like lost children. While he searches miles away in the heat, the rain finally visits his own village in his absence.
সে মেঘের খোঁজ করছিল এমনভাবে, যেন কোনো মানুষ তার সন্তানকে হারিয়ে ফেলেছে।
Key Encounters
The Grass-cutter
Amazed by the "peculiar" question.
Ammaji (Mother)
Thought the question was "exceptionally stupid".
The Old Man
Taught him that the earth knows when clouds arrive.
Vocabulary Explorer (শব্দকোষ)
Wandered
ঘুরে বেড়ানো (Roamed aimlessly)
Peculiar
অদ্ভুত (Strange/Unusual)
Dejectedly
হতাশ হয়ে (Sadly/Depressed)
Persian Wheel
পারস্যের চাকা (Water lifting device)
Mystified
হতবাক (Confused/Puzzled)
Oasis
মরূদ্যান (Fertile spot in desert)
⚡ Quick Knowledge Check
1. What did the boy see in the sky when he woke up in the middle of the night?
The Cloud
Comprehensive Question & Answer Bank (Notes Tab)
📝 Part I: Short Answer Questions (20)
1. Where did the boy wander in search of the clouds?
Solution: The boy wandered down winding paths and alleys until he reached an old mud hut and a dirt track.
2. Who did the boy meet coming from the other direction?
Solution: He met a grass-cutter who was carrying a bundle of freshly cut grass on his head.
3. How did the grass-cutter react to the boy's question?
Solution: The grass-cutter was amazed and mystified, as if he had been asked a very peculiar question.
4. What was the farmer doing when the boy approached him?
Solution: The farmer was ploughing his field.
5. To whom did the boy first ask about the clouds in the morning?
Solution: He first asked his mother (Ammaji).
6. What was Ammaji’s reaction to the boy's question?
Solution: She thought it was an exceptionally stupid question and asked if he had lost his mind.
7. What did the boy see in the sky the night before?
Solution: He saw clouds gathering in the dark sky, rumbling and appearing dense and black during lightning flashes.
8. How was the sky when the boy went to sleep?
Solution: The sky was clear and full of stars.
9. Why was the boy surprised when he woke up in the morning?
Solution: He was surprised because the sky was clear and empty, with no trace of rain in the courtyard.
10. What did the boy do at the Persian wheel?
Solution: He splashed cool water on his dusty feet, washed his hands and face, and drank his fill.
11. What comparison is used for the tree and Persian wheel in the desert-like heat?
Solution: It was compared to an oasis in the middle of a desert.
12. What did the old man say about the arrival of clouds?
Solution: He said that when the clouds come, both the earth and the sky know of their coming.
13. How long had it not rained in the place where the old man once lived?
Solution: It had not rained there for ten years.
14. What change did the boy feel when he reached the mud hut on his way back?
Solution: He felt a nip in the air and noticed the earth was damp underfoot.
15. How did the trees look when the boy returned to his village?
Solution: The trees, which were previously covered in dust, now looked freshly bathed and clean.
16. What was the state of the jamun tree when the boy reached home?
Solution: The jamun tree stood clean, scrubbed, and freshly showered with raindrops still rolling off its leaves.
17. What did Ammaji say about the rain?
Solution: She said, "That was a good shower, thank God!"
18. What did the boy do under the jamun tree?
Solution: He stood beneath the tree and let the raindrops from the leaves fall on his head and face.
19. How was the sky when the boy looked up at the end of the story?
Solution: The sky was clear, without even a wisp of cloud.
20. Why was the boy saddened at the end?
Solution: He was saddened because while he was searching for the clouds far away, they had come to his home, rained, and left in his absence.
📖 Part II: Long Answer Questions (20)
1. Describe the boy's interaction with the grass-cutter. Why was the grass-cutter amazed?
2. How does the author compare the boy's search for clouds to a man who has lost a child?
3. Detail the morning conversation between the boy and his mother.
4. What did the boy experience during the middle of the night regarding the weather?
5. Why did the boy feel that his falling asleep was a mistake?
6. Describe the physical hardships the boy faced while walking between the fields.
7. What was the significance of the Persian wheel in the boy's journey?
8. Explain the old man's statement: "When the clouds come, the earth and the sky know of their coming."
9. Why was the boy "open-mouthed" at the old man's story?
10. How did the environment change as the boy approached his village on his way back?
11. Analyze the boy's feelings when he saw the jamun tree at home.
12. What is the central irony at the end of the story "The Cloud"?
13. How does the boy's perception of clouds differ from the adults in the story?
14. Describe the boy's journey back home from the Persian wheel.
15. What role does the "old man" play in the boy's understanding of nature?
16. How does the author describe the intensity of the heat before the rain?
17. Why did the boy stand under the jamun tree and let the drops fall on him?
18. Discuss the theme of "search" in the story.
19. What does the boy's dejection in the morning tell us about his character?
20. Summarize the ending of the story and its impact on the reader.
Day 4: The Cloud এই অধ্যায়ের অনলাইন টেস্ট
WBBSE Interactive Exam
Class IX | English Blossoms: The Cloud
Exam Result
MCQ score calculated. Descriptive questions are pending teacher review.
Day 5: The Cloud Chapter Activities Revision + Mistake Analysis Active Recall / Teaching
The Cloud
Identifying conceptual pitfalls and high-yield summary for exam preparation.
Common Conceptual Mistakes & Pitfalls
| Common Mistake | Correct Understanding |
|---|---|
| Thinking the boy literally lost a human child. | The comparison to a lost child is a simile used to show the boy's deep emotional desperation and the clouds' elusive nature. |
| Assuming the grass-cutter and farmer were being rude. | They were simply mystified/confused because they viewed clouds practically, while the boy viewed them personally. |
| Believing the boy witnessed the rainfall during his journey. | The boy missed the rain entirely. He was searching for them far away while they rained on his own village in his absence. |
| Misinterpreting the "Persian Wheel" as a modern engine. | It is a traditional water-lifting device used for irrigation, often found in rural settings, symbolizing an oasis in the boy's hot journey. |
| Thinking the old man didn't believe the boy saw clouds. | The old man was philosophical; he meant that true rain is a powerful event that the "earth and sky know," not just a passing cloud. |
Power Revision Summary
The Quest & Conflict
- The Trigger: The boy saw dark clouds at night but woke up to a clear, dry sky.
- The Search: He wanders through winding paths, mud huts, and dirt tracks asking everyone about the clouds.
- The Contrast: The fierce heat and dry throat of the boy vs. the cool, refreshing water of the Persian wheel.
Key Interactions
- Ammaji: Represents the practical world; views his question as "stupid" and prioritizes school and breakfast.
- The Old Man: Provides wisdom; shares a story of a 10-year drought to show the unpredictability of nature.
- The Grass-cutter/Farmer: Highlight the boy's unique, almost obsessive perspective on nature.
Symbolism & Imagery
- The Jamun Tree: Serves as a "rain-gauge"; its clean, dripping leaves prove the rain occurred.
- The Oasis: The Persian wheel represents relief and life in the middle of a "desert" of heat.
- Lost Children: A metaphor for the clouds, showing the boy's innocent and protective feeling toward nature.
The Irony of the Ending
- The Arrival: While the boy searched miles away in the sun, the clouds rained on his home.
- The Result: He returns to find wet roads, "freshly bathed" trees, and a damp earth.
- Final State: The sky is clear again ("without even a wisp of cloud"), leaving the boy with the bittersweet realization of what he missed.
Active Recall Toolkit
Class VIII English Blossoms | Chapter: The Cloud
Blind Questions (Memory Test)
Try to answer these without looking back at the text!
- Where did the boy reach after wandering down winding paths and alleys?
- What was the grass-cutter carrying on his head?
- How did the grass-cutter react when asked about the clouds?
- What was the farmer doing when the boy met him?
- To what person does the author compare the boy's search for clouds?
- Who was the first person the boy asked about the clouds in the morning?
- What was Ammaji's reaction to the boy's question?
- What did the boy see in the sky the night before he went to sleep?
- What was the sky like when the boy woke up in the middle of the night?
- Why was the boy's body "on fire" and his throat dry during his walk?
- What was turning gently under the shade of a large tree?
- How long had it not rained in the place where the old man once lived?
- What change did the boy feel in the air when he reached the mud hut on his return?
- Which specific tree stood in the boy's courtyard?
- What irony did the boy realize when he reached home?
The Feynman Method
Explaining "The Cloud" to a 5-Year-Old:
"Imagine you have a very special friend named 'Cloud' who plays hide-and-seek. One night, you hear your friend whispering and growling in the sky, but you fall asleep. When you wake up, your friend is gone! You go outside and ask the gardener, the farmer, and even your Mommy, 'Where is my friend?' They think you are being silly because they can't see him. You walk a long, long way in the hot sun looking for him. But guess what? While you were far away looking, your friend 'Cloud' came back to your house, gave your favorite Jamun tree a cool bath, and left again before you got home! You missed the party, but everything is now fresh and clean."
Spaced Repetition Schedule
Review the boy's encounters with the grass-cutter, the farmer, and his mother. Focus on their reactions (amazed, mystified, annoyed).
Review the boy's memory of the "rumbling clouds" at night versus the "clear and empty" sky in the morning. Study the Persian wheel scene.
Review the old man's story of the 10-year drought and the ending where the rain arrives only when the boy is absent.