Self Help is the Only Way – Std. 6 English

🐦 🌾 🐦 🌾 🐦 🌾 🐦

Maharashtra State Board | Standard VI | English | Unit One

🐦 Self Help is the Only Way

Lesson 1.2 · Questions & Answers

📖 Story 🐦 The Lark Family 🌾 The Farmer 📝 Grammar: Articles

📖 Summary of the Story

A family of larks lived in a cosy nest in a field of ripe corn. Every day, the mother lark would go out to find food and ask her children to keep their eyes and ears open and report everything they saw and heard.

The farmer came and said he would call his neighbours to reap the corn. The mother lark said there was no danger yet. The next day, the farmer said he would ask his relatives to help. Again, the mother lark said not to worry.

Finally, the farmer decided to reap the corn himself, without depending on anyone. The wise mother lark immediately said it was time to leave — because when a person decides to do the work himself, nothing can stop him.

The moral of the story is: Self-Help is always preferable to others’ help.

📦 Word Basket

📚 Important Words and their Meanings

cozy — warm, comfortable, and pleasant

reap — to cut or gather crops, especially grain

survey — to examine or inspect a place or area

priority — something that is most important and should be dealt with first

determined — having made a firm decision to do something

preferable — more desirable or suitable

🌾 Q2. Read the Story Carefully and Describe the Changes in the Farmer’s Decision.

1 To call all his neighbours to reap the corn.

2 To call his relatives (uncles and cousins) to reap the corn.

3 To reap the corn himself, without depending on anyone else.

💡 The mother lark was not worried until the farmer decided to do the work himself. She knew that a person who depends on others will never get the work done, but a person who is determined to do it himself cannot be stopped.

💬 Q3. Discuss in Pairs and Find the Answers.

(i) Where did the family of larks live?

Ans:

The family of larks lived in a cosy nest in a field of ripe corn.

(ii) Why did the mother lark go outside?

Ans:

The mother lark went outside every day to find food for her children.

(iii) What made the mother lark decide that it was time for them to leave the nest?

Ans:

When the farmer decided to reap the corn himself, without depending on his neighbours or relatives, the mother lark knew that the time had come to leave. She knew that a person who is determined to do his own work will surely get it done, and no one can stop him.

(iv) How can you apply the lesson of ‘Self-Help’ to your studies or personal goals?

Ans:

We can apply the lesson of ‘Self-Help’ to our studies by not waiting for others to help us all the time. We should try to solve our own problems first — read the lesson ourselves, try the sums on our own, and not give up easily. Just as the farmer finally decided to do the work himself and succeeded, we too can achieve our goals when we are determined and rely on ourselves.

(v) Do you think the farmer would have reaped the corn if he had relied on his neighbours and relatives? Why or why not?

Ans:

No, the farmer would not have reaped the corn if he had relied on his neighbours and relatives. This is because both his neighbours and relatives were busy with their own crops and their own work. They gave priority to their own fields. It was only when the farmer decided to do the work himself that things actually moved forward. This shows that depending on others for your own work leads to delay and failure.

🎭 Q4. Find the Main Characters from the Story and Write their Qualities.

Find the main characters from the story and write their qualities.

Ans:

Character	Qualities
🐦 The Mother Lark	Wise, calm, patient, caring, alert, and a good decision-maker. She does not panic but waits to act at the right moment. She is a good teacher to her young ones.
🌾 The Farmer	Hard-working, determined, and practical. He realises that depending on others is useless and ultimately decides to do the work himself.
🐣 The Baby Larks	Obedient, observant, and alert. They do as their mother says — they keep their eyes and ears open and report everything faithfully.

✏️ Q5. Make Sentences with the Following Phrases.

🔎 (i) keep your eyes and ears open

Meaning: To be alert and notice everything that is happening around you.
Sentence: When you go on a nature walk, always keep your eyes and ears open so you can spot birds and interesting plants.

💪 (ii) at any cost

Meaning: Whatever it takes; no matter what happens.
Sentence: Rohan was determined to win the race at any cost, so he practised every single day.

✨ Q6. Imagine the Farmer Had Decided to Reap the Corn Himself from the Beginning. How Would the Story Have Been Different? Write a Short Alternative Ending.

Ans:

If the farmer had decided to reap the corn himself right from the beginning, the story would have been very different. On the very first day, when the baby larks heard the farmer say, “I will reap the corn myself tomorrow,” the mother lark would have said, “My little ones, it is time for us to leave right now!” The family of larks would have quickly packed up and moved to a new, safer home that very evening. The farmer would have come the next morning, reaped the corn with great speed, and all the grain would have been harvested successfully. The mother lark, in her new home, would have told her children: “You see, when someone is truly determined to do something himself, he always succeeds. That is why Self-Help is the greatest help of all!”

🦁 Q7. Wild Animals Entering Residential Areas

Recent news reports have highlighted the increasing instances of wild animals entering residential areas, causing fear and disruption among locals. Discuss why these wild animals frequently stray into villages/cities. Collect newspaper cuttings and other information from reliable resources.

Ans:

Wild animals frequently stray into villages and cities because of the following reasons:

Forests are being cut down for roads, buildings, and farms. This destroys the natural habitat of wild animals and they lose their homes.
As forests shrink, food and water sources for animals become scarce. They enter human areas in search of food and water.
The population of humans is growing rapidly and settlements are expanding closer to forests, leaving animals with less space.
Climate change is also affecting the natural environment and food availability for animals.

📰 Activity: Students should collect newspaper cuttings about incidents of wild animals entering cities or villages. Discuss with your teacher and classmates how we can protect both humans and wild animals.

📝 Articles: A / An / The

Type of Article	Article	Definition	Examples
Indefinite Article	a	“a” is used before a word that begins with a consonant sound, and when we talk about any one thing — not specific.	A cat is sleeping. A pen is on the table.
Indefinite Article	an	“an” is used before a word that begins with a vowel sound (a, e, i, o, u).	An apple is red. An umbrella is useful.
Definite Article	the	“the” is used when we talk about a specific person, place, or thing that is already known.	The sun is bright. The boy is my friend.

🖊️ Q8. Use the Correct Article (a / an / the) to Fill in the Blanks.

Ans:

iI saw an elephant walking through the forest.
iiThe sun rises in the east.
iiiShe is reading an interesting book about wildlife.
ivThe largest mammal on Earth is the blue whale.
vI’m reading a book about the Amazon rainforest.
viAn apple a day keeps the doctor away.

🎨 Q9. Prepare a Poster on ‘Save Birds, Save Nature’.

🐦 Activity: Make a Poster!

Students must prepare a poster on the theme ‘Save Birds, Save Nature’. Your poster should include:

A bright, colourful title — “Save Birds, Save Nature!”
Drawings or cut-out pictures of birds
A short slogan — for example: “Birds are our friends — protect them!”
A few lines on why birds are important for nature (they spread seeds, eat insects, keep nature balanced)
A message on how we can help — do not cut trees, do not use harmful pesticides, keep water bowls for birds