📚 8th class books available here

Contents

1.  The lazy camel*sip the Nectar*....5-12

2.  Strange Strands of Hair*In the Bazaars Of the capital city*....14-21

3.  Fight and friendship*God's Great Big Family*....22-29

4.  The language of love*Never petting*....30-37

5.   Taking loan to pay loan*The key to success*....40-47

6.  Victims of war*No men are strange*....48-55

7.  The Olympics Games*The Game Spirit*....56-67

8.  The Reflections Of a Tiger*the shirt of a happy man*....68-75

9.  A differently abled orator*life is a flow*....77-84

10. The song of the free*birds of Paradise*....85-94

11. To pack for a trip*the duck and the kangaroo*....95-105

12.  A journey with a killer*royal bride*....106-113

13.  The Spider and the fly*mercy*....114-121

14. Antarctica and its significance*celebration of life*....122-132

 

 Less i o n 1. The lazy camel

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It was the beginning of the world. when animal was just beginning to work for man, there was a camel. he lived in the middle of the desert because he did not want to work. he ate stocks and thorns and prickles and when anybody spoke to him said ''Humph!''just humph and no more.

Presently the horse came to him on Monday morning with a sadly on his back and said aad camel o camel out and trot like the rest of us

Ham per sad the camel and the horse went away and told the man

Presently e the dog came to him with a stick in his mouth and said, ''camel, o camel, come and fetch and carry like ok the rest of us.''

''Humph !''said the camel and the dog went away and told the man.

 presently the ox came to him,with the yoke on his neck and said, '' camel,o come and plough camel like the rest of us.''

''Humph!'' said the camel and the ox went away and told the man.

At the end of the day the man cancelled the horse and the dog and the ox together, and said, ''three, o three ! I' m very sorry for you what that humph-thing in the desert can't work or he would have been hair bi now, so I am going to leave him alone and you must work double time to make up for it.''

That made the three very angry, and they held a meeting on the edge of the desert and the camel came chewing cud and laughed at them. then he said Humph and went away again.

Presently there came along the djinn who was in charge of all desert, rolling In a cloud of dust.

''Djinn of all deserts,''said the horse "is it right for anyone to be idle?"

"Certainly not,"said the Djinn.

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"Well," said the horse," there's a thing in the middle of your desert with a long neck and long legs. and he has not done a stroke of work since Monday morning. he won't trot."

"Whew!" said the Djinn whistling," that's my camel. what does he say about it?"

"He says humph! and he won't plough." said the ox.

"Very good," said the Djinn. "I' ll humph him if you will kindly wait a minute."

 the Djinn rolled himself up in his dust cloak and took a wall across the desert and found the camel looking at his own reflection in a pool of water.

"My friend,"said Djinn,"what' this I hear. of your doing no work?"

The Djinn sat down with his chin in his hand while the camel looked at his own reflection in the pool of water.

"you've given the three animals extra work over since Monday morning all on account of your idleness,"said the Djinn. And he went on thinking with his chin in his hand.

"Humph!"said the camel.

"I shouldn't say that again if I where you," you said the Djinn, "you might say it once too often. I want you to work."

And the camel said "humph!" again, but no sooner had he said it then he saw his back, that he was so proud of, puffing upand puffing up into a great big hump.

"Do you see that ?"said the Djinn. "that' your very on humph that you ve brought upon your very own self by not working today is Thursday, and you ve done no work since Monday, when the work began. now you are going to work."

"How can I," said the camel, "with this humph on my back?"

"that has a purpose," sad Djinn," all because you missed those three days. you will we ever to work now for three days without eating, because you can live on your humph, and don't you ever say I never did anything for you. come out of the desert and go to the three animals and behave.

legs.

And the camel went away to join the three animals. And from that day to this the camel always wears a humph (we call it 'hump' now, not to hurt his feelings); but he has never yet caught up with the three days that he missed at the beginning of the world, and he has never yet learned how to behave.

Sip the Nectar  (page-12)

"I hope you like my powdered rings, They're just the very latest things," Said the butterfly in glee.

"And see my tongue, so long and curled The finest thing in all the world, A treat for you to see."

"Poor caterpillar you can't sip The nectar from a flower's lip, Not fly the summer through!" The caterpillar raised his head "Don't pity me!" he rudely said, "I'm better off than you!"

"I eat all day, i sit and stare, I want no flying through the air,

I like to creep and crawl A butterfly I'd hate to be.

It's best to be a grub like meStrange Strands of Hair

Once there lived a peasant's widow with her only son named Sam. They had two milking Cows. Unfortunately a year of drought came. They had no fodder to feed the cows, so they decided to sell the cows in the market of the nearby town

In the way to the town Sam met an old woman with her three goats. Both Sam and the woman rested for a while under a tree. They plucked leaves from it ro feed their animals "It is not a good time for the peasanta" said the old woman.

"I have to sell my cows," murmured Sam "You give me you cows and take my three goats."

"We don't have grain for our meals. How can wefeed your goats.

"But these goats are much better than money and they will some day bring fortune to you.

Then the old woman took a bamboo flute from her willow basket and began to play. Lot The goats began to dance to the tune!

"These goats are not the ones you see in the plains. They have long hair, long flapping ears and round noses. I brought them from the high mountains.

Sam was greatly amazed at the dance of the goats and their description by the old woman.

"I can earn a few pennies every day by showing their dance to the village folk," Sam thought

He played the flute and the goats danced to the tune. Convinced by their performance Sam returned home with the goats and the flute.Looking at the goats his mother became sad. But what could she do. She thought her son was gentle and had been cheated by the wicked market-folks

"If the goats do not bring in a few pennies for our food, I'll sell them to our landlord," said Sam.

Sam started the show of her dancing goats in his village and nearby villages. The long ears of the goats flapped in rhythm and the movement of their limbs was very graceful. It was an enchanting performance. The daughter of the landlord was a girl of great beauty. When she heard about the dancing goats,

she summoned Sam to see the fun.

The daughter of the landlord was deeply impressed by the performance of the goats. She offered to buy one of the goats. Sam asked the girl to go to his mother herself with a barrel of foodstuffs. The girl was so eager to have a goat that she agreed to go the peasant's hut herself. Sam and his mother were happy to welcome her.

A few days later another summon came from the landlord and Sam went with his flute and two goats Sam, your goat did not dance at all. I called expert musicians to play but it won't dance. They say it wants a partner. So let me have another goat."

"Sam was enchanted by the beauty of the girl. He agreed to give another goat for the gold ring of

the girl and a barrel of foodstuffs.

But the two goats did not dance. And Sam was called at the landlord's house.

"What am I to do now? The musicians say that all the three goats will dance together, but how

can I ask for your third goat, as it is the only pet left with you!"

"Sam said, "I would part with my only goat if it would make you happy. But let me play my flute and see them dance for one last time." "Now I know, my dear Sam! It is the magic of the flute that made the goats dance ! So give me

this flute tool Sam gazed at her and said, "My dear lady, I want you to tell me the meaning of the three different

gems set in the gold ring you gave me." The girl hesitated for a while. She wondered, "Can this lad of a poor peasant aspire to marry me! Why is he curious to know the meaning of the three gems? Bur-have to take the goat and the flute."

"There are three strange strands of hair hidden among my black silken tresses. One is pures white, the colour of a diamond, one is dark red, the colour of a ruby, and one is bright green, the colour of an emerald. So there are three gems of similar colours in my ring But all this is secret dear Sam."

Meanwhile, Sam worked as a labourer on his landlord's farm He was happy because he coule earn grains for himself and his mother.After a few months the landlord intended to find suitable groom for his daughter. He announced that whoever could name the colour of the three strands of hair hidden among her black silkes tresses, should have her for bride.

Young men from nearby villages came to try their luck, but none could make the right guess. Sam hesitated to go forward. He was a poor labourer. He loved the girl so much. But did she? And the landlord would not like a poor son-in-law. One day he met a handsome and very gaily dressed youngman on the main road. The youngman

could not guess the right colour of the strands.

Sam requested him to borrow his dress for one day to try his luck.

Sad but kind youngman agreed just for the sake of curiousness. The hall of the landlord was crowded with a number of suitors, all trying to guess the colours of the strands. Nobody recognized Sam in the new dress neither the landlord nor his daughter. As the last youngman, Sam said, "The colour of one strand is pure white, the colour of a diamond,

one dark red, the colour of a ruby and one bright green, the colour of an emerald."

"That is a right guess," exclaimed the landlord.

Sam took off his head-dress.

Now the landlord recognized Sam. He asked, "How you came to know the secret?" Sam narrated the story of the goats and secret of the gold ring The landlord said to his daughter, "You have given him the ring and told him the secret, ya

should accept him as your groom."

The girl nodded.In the Bazaars of the Capital City

What do you sell, O ye merchants?

Richly your wares are displayed. Turbans of crimson and silver, Tunics of purple brocade, Mirror with panels of amber, Daggers with handles of jade.

What do you weigh, O ye vendors?

Saffron and lentil and rice.

What do you grind, O ye maidens?

Sandalwood, henna and spice.

What do you call, O ye pedlars?

Chessmen and ivory dice.

we got independence on this ur policies to better our lives.

Flag in such a way

er of petals.

in.

What do you make, O ye goldsmiths?

Wristlet and anklet and ring,

Bells for the feet of blue pigeons, Frall as a dragon-fly's wing, Girdles of gold for the dancers, Scabbards of gold for the king.

s want

labour.

Lesson 3 

 chapter name- Fight and Friendship 

It was hot, very hot time of the year and Tom walked about in his vest and shorts. The ground was Ldry, the grass brown, the trees listless, loudly stirring, waiting for a cool wind or a refreshing shower of rain. It was a hilly area with forest that stretched away interminably on all sides of this semi-hill station. Tom's father was in government service. His family was happy to arrive at a semi-hill station but the month of June 1

In less than a month Tom had discovered a pool in the forest. The rocks held the water in the

pool. A small stream emerged from a cluster of rocks to feed the pool. The water had a gentle

translucency as one could see the smooth round pebbles at the bottom of the pool. The pool

was clean, cold and inviting Tom leapt into the water. He wam a short distance. His limbs were

supple, free of any excess fat and his dark brain body glistened in patches of sunlit water. He was

there for almost an hour sliding in and out of the limpid green water, or lying stretched out on

the smooth yellow rocks in the shade of broad-leaved sal trees. Suddenly he noticed another boy

standing a little distance away, staring at him in a rather hostile manner. The other boy was a little

older than Tom- taller, well-built, with a broad nose and thick red lips. He called out, "O boy,

what are you doing here 7

Tom was used to be friendly. He invited the boy, "Please sit here, I'm Tom. My father is in government service. We have come on transfer. I shall join a school here." "Whoever you are I don't care. This pool is mine. Run away from here," said the stranger.

The forest belongs to all the public," said Tom

"I do not care. I have beaten up many who have come here to spoil the pool.

"You are only boasting," said Tom.

7 will have to beat you," said the stranger, assuming a violent attitude, showing Tom the fist of his hand "I am waiting to see you do it," said Tom The other boy tried to slap Tom in the face but Tom grabbed his hand and swung his arm up and pushed a hard, bony fist into the other's face. And then they were at each other's throats, swaying on the rock, tumbling on to the sand, rolling. 

over and ever, their legs and arma locked in a desperate, violent struggle. Gasping and cursing, clawing and slapping they rolled into the shallows of the pool.

Even in the water the fight continued, as, spluttering and covered with mud, they groped for each other's head and throat. But after some minutes of frenzied struggle, neither boy had emerged victorious Their bodies were heaving with exhaustion. These were the moments only of heavy breathing i and the rapid beating of their hearts. They stood back from each other making tremendous effort to speak Now now do you realise-i am warrior 7 gasped the stranger. Do you know I am a fighter 7 said Tom with. difficulty Leave the pool or I will beat you again will not leave it." Then come tomorrow and I'll break your bones" "I'll come tomorrow.

Unable to fight and unable to speak they returned to their home It was difficult for Tom to conceal the fact that he had been in an unusually violent fight. His tom do these, bruises and scratches told everything Next day Tom felt weak and lary and not at all eager for a fight. His body was sore after the previous day's encounter. But he could not refuse the challenge. If he surrendered now, he would be beaten for all time but to fight and be beaten left him free to fight again. When Tom reached the pool, he saw his opponent sitting stripped to the waist on a rock on the other side of the pool. He saw Tom beneath the sal trees and called a challenge across the water of the pool "Come over on this side and fight be shouted. Bot Tom was not going to submit to any conditions laid down by his opponent.

"Come this side and fight," he shouted back with equal vigour "Swim across and fight me here I called the other, "Or perhaps you cannot swim the this pool ?

But Tom could have swum the length of the pool a dozen times without tiring, and here he would show the warrior his superiority. So he dived straight into the water, cutting through it like a knife and surfaced with hardly a splash.

The warrior's mouth hung open in amazement.

"You can dive !" he exclaimed. "Will you tell me how I will make a dive ?

"I can also swim under water," said Tom.

"Will you teach me. If you do not teach me, I will beat you.

 Will you come here every day and teach me ?""If you like," said Tom.

"My name is Sam," said the warrior. I am a wrestler too.

I shall teach you wrestling. But you are too bony. You must come and have food with me."

"We are friends," said Tom.

They both sat side by side on a rock in the shade of the sal trees.

"It is our pool," said Sam. "No body else can come here to swim."

"Who would dare," said Tom smiling. He had won the fight..

"You see I can play 'schools' too", she said.

God,s great big family There comes a time God's Great Big Family When we heed a certain call When the world must come together As one.

There are people Oh, and it's time dying To lend a hand to life, The greatest gift of all We can't go on Pretending day by day That someone, somewhere Will soon make a change. We are all a part of God's great big family And the truth-you know Love is all we need.

We are the world, We are the children, Who make a brighter day. So let's start giving, There's a cholce we're making. We're saving our own lives, It's true we make a better day Just you and me.

We are the ones

6.

7.

8. W

pay attention to.The Language of Love inda loved her only child Milli dearly. She was so cute to be loved dark curls framing mall pointed face, dark eyes and full sensitive lips. Whenever Linda peeped in her eyes, could see her own image and Nick's. Memories of Nick returned every time making her sadd For her husband had been killed in a car crash, shortly before Milli was born. She did not have hi now, to share her days and to comfort her.

Linda had dreamed of a different child. She had seen a golden girl, excellent voiced, moving wi confidence through the world. Nick used to say, "Lin, you're being very stupid. You know can't order one to a pattern like that." It happened whenever she told him about her wish and o to the to b the picture of the to be baby for him in the month before Milli was born. She could not think of remarriage. She loved him so much that their days passed together shining with love, w love, were still close to her. Then there was Milli. It would be much trouble for her. In the hostel she could not drop Milli And Linda would be nearly dead without her.

One sunny afternoon in school holidays Linda was writing a letter to her mother. Her mother had a an anxious love for Milli. She always asked about Milli, about every activity of hers. A that time Milli was just outside the window sat on the grass near her. She was playing School with her dolls. She was scolding them, making gestures with her hands because they were noqattending What new she could write about Milli. It was never easy to find something new to Now Milli was too much annoyed with the dolls. It was interesting to watch her. But it look

that something was wrong, Linda knew that. It was because her favourite doll, Christabel not there. The game was tasteless without it. Milli decided to bring Christabel from the attic rose. She shaked the grass off her pink flowery dress As Milli turned, she saw Linda looking at her. She grinned and looked direct into Linda'

Linda smiled. Milli put her arms round her mother. Linda pressed her lips on the shining dan hair. She went off. The garden seemed cold with her absence. "She was Linda's love, her lamb, darling after all, she thought They understood each other, words were not needed.Linda started writing, "Mill is playing schools in the garden just near to me. You know it is wonderful to watch her. I wish the school holidays were longer A shadow passed before her: She lifted her head. She expected to see Milli. But once in the attic. Milli would become interested in something else. It was the little girl from the next door. She was tossing an orange into the air and catching it again. Her family had come only two short weeks before, but already it seemed a long time to Linda. She had not paid a friendly visit to the new neighbours.

A number of times before this little girl had appeared in the garden saying:

"Please may I play with your little girl today T She was a little older than Milli. She was a alim blonde with sparkling vivid blue eyes. Her voice was clear and without hesitation. Linda felt that ever recurring envious ache. 

I saw your little girl in the garden. I can play 'schools' too."

"How often have I told you...."

 "But she plays all by herself all the time. She'll be lonely," the little girl said shrewdly Linda knew no way to avoid it Milli ahrank from children in the neighbourhood, thinking she could not play their games properly, feared their laughing at her. She did not understand their rustic jokes Linda reflected sadly.

"Milli likes to play by herself." Linda tried to explain "Still she must be lonely. I am too. I haven't got brothers or sisters. And I don't know anyone here yet," the girl said.

The little girl looked self confident. If Milli had one quarter of the self confidence which this child scattered without thought and care. In the face of her stubborn persistence Linda almost gave way. But she had tried so often before Milli would return home as soon as she could, her drooping shoulders expressing a despair that went to her mother's heart.

Mother and daughter played together for long or went for walks Milli loved to see a new bud, a wild rose or thistledown floating like magic through the air. 

Linda said gently, It's very good of you to say you'll play with Milli. But the thing is-you just don't know what it means. You get tired of her and then she think you don't like her. For a child like her you need so much patience." 

"Why ? What's wrong with her?"

Didn't you know?

"No. What is it?"

 "She is deaf and dumb."

The little girl paused for a minute. Then she said, "Does she speak on her fingers?"

"A bit... and in other ways as well... she goes away to a school." Suddenly Linda looked too sad and tired of talking, "So you see why you can't play with her, child." 

"Don't call me child, my name's Nadia," she said shamelessly. Then she posed to leave. "Give this orange to Milli, I brought it for her. She handed the orange to Linda and went walking with a grace. Linda disliked taking the orange but she couldn't refuse rather.

Her mood became upset. She thought she would complete the letter later. She stood up and turned to go inside. she stepped in the room she saw Milli there. How long had the been there ? How much had she understood? Her eyes were following Nadia, for a moment, surprised. For an instant Linda thought Mills would like to play with Nadia. But the afterthought dismissed it. Milli never wanted to play with other children. Then speaking rapidly on her fingers' Milli said.

"Mom, would you rather have her than

me ?''

She had sensed Linda's desire for a child

without her handicap... She had been bitterly hurt. Her sense of inadequacy in the world of other children had come out. It came to Linda at last how much her love meant to Milli- so much more than it would have meant to Nadia, who was so well-equipped to look after herself. Deeply shocked, Linda hagged Milli and kissed her many time When Linda released her, Milli looked at her intently for a minute. Then seemingly satisfied she ran outside with Christabel. Linda went inside the house to prepare some snacks for the afternoon tea.

When she came out with snacks and tea, half-an-hour later, Nadia was with Milli. She had brough her own dolls; the pupils had increased. Milli, the principal, sat in the chair; Nadia as a teach posed to consult her having a notebook in her hand. She looked up at Linda, carelessly.

"You see I can play 'schools' too", she said.

A caterpillar small!"