Trip to Ooty: Section I

UNIT 2

Prose

Trip to Ooty

Section I

READING

Listen to your teacher reading the first part of the letter.

Dear Malli,                                                                                Coimbatore

                                                                                                    20.11.2017

Thanks for your letter and it was great to hear from you. You asked me to tell you about my trip to Ooty with my friends. I had the most wonderful time. Twenty girls and boys from class six went on the trip. Our class teacher Geetha madam and two others took us.

My grandmother has told me about the beautiful journey to Ooty by the toy train many times. She said that it was a spectacular trip up and down the slopes with birds and trees dancing along. Ooty is so close to Coimbatore but I have never been there nor seen that train. So I was really thrilled when the school arranged this trip. You can imagine how excited I was when I stepped into the toy train with my friends.

I looked around at the wooden chairs with cushioned seats and oil painted walls as I put my bag on the mesh of the luggage rack. I was bubbling over with excitement.

“Hi Fatima, isn’t this fun?” I called out as my friend came into the compartment. “Come, sit here. I have kept a seat for you. You can keep your bag next to mine. What have you brought to eat?” “Parotta and delicious chutney. Did you see the train? It’s so beautiful!” Fatima replied.

Our teacher, Geetha madam, came around to see if everyone was seated properly. “The train is about to leave so take your seats everyone,” she said. Just then the train started with a jerk. It moved very slowly, leaving the station with a long hoot. Everyone clapped. The train went snaking up the steep hillside, weaving its way through forests of tall trees swaying in the breeze.

One of the boys, Muthu, said, “It is going so slowly, I can walk along its side.” And he got up to go to the door.

From the other end the teacher saw him and said in a firm voice, “Muthu, go back to your seat at once.” The girls sniggered and Muthu sat down with a long face.

Read the following questions and answer them.

1. Where did the boys and girls go?

The boys and girls went to Ooty. 

2. Why did Muthu say that he could walk along its side?

The train was moving slowly. So Muthu said that he could along its side.

3. Why did the girls snigger?

The teacher ordered Muthu to go back to his seat. At once Muthu sat down with a long face. So the girls sniggered.

GLOSSARY

Mesh /meʃ/      - Material made of a network of wire or thread

Swaying /ˈsweɪɪŋ/- Moving slowly or rhythmically

Snaking /ˈsneɪkɪŋ/- Moving like a snake

Sniggered /ˈsnɪgəd/- Laughed in a half suppressed way