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Extract from the Story
One day, when Rakesh was six, he walked home from the Mussoorie bazaar eating cherries. They were a little sweet, a little sour; small, bright red cherries, which had come all the way from the Kashmir Valley.
Here in the Himalayan foothills where Rakesh lived, there were not many fruit trees. The soil was stony, and the dry cold winds stunted the growth of most plants. But on the more sheltered slopes there were forests of oak and deodar.
Rakesh lived with his grandfather on the outskirts of Mussoorie, just where the forest began. His father and mother lived in a small village fifty miles away, where they grew maize and rice and barley in narrow terraced fields on the lower slopes of the mountain.
But there were no schools in the village, and Rakesh’s parents were keen that he should go to school. As soon as he was of school-going age, they sent him to stay with his grandfather in Mussoorie. He had a little cottage outside the town.
Rakesh was on his way home from school when he bought the cherries. He paid fifty paise for the bunch. It took him about half-an-hour to walk home, and by the time he reached the cottage there were only three cherries left.
Here in the Himalayan foothills where Rakesh lived, there were not many fruit trees. The soil was stony, and the dry cold winds stunted the growth of most plants. But on the more sheltered slopes there were forests of oak and deodar.
Rakesh lived with his grandfather on the outskirts of Mussoorie, just where the forest began. His father and mother lived in a small village fifty miles away, where they grew maize and rice and barley in narrow terraced fields on the lower slopes of the mountain.
But there were no schools in the village, and Rakesh’s parents were keen that he should go to school. As soon as he was of school-going age, they sent him to stay with his grandfather in Mussoorie. He had a little cottage outside the town.
Rakesh was on his way home from school when he bought the cherries. He paid fifty paise for the bunch. It took him about half-an-hour to walk home, and by the time he reached the cottage there were only three cherries left.
Summary in Bullet Points
- Rakesh lives in the Himalayan foothills. The soil is stony and the dry, cold winds make it difficult for many fruit trees to grow.
- He stays with his grandfather so that he can attend school. His parents live in a village about fifty miles away and work on terraced fields.
- The ordinary cherry becomes important only because of one leftover seed. The story begins with something very small and everyday.
NCERT Questions (from the Textbook)
Let us Think and Reflect
Let us Think and Reflect
Why did Rakesh’s parents send him to Mussoorie?
How to answer:
Answer in complete sentences and use specific incidents from the story.
View Answer
Rakesh’s village had no school. His parents wanted him to be educated, so when he reached school-going age they sent him to live with his grandfather in Mussoorie.
Board Pattern
Questions Mapped to Exam Format
Short Answer
2 marks
Why does the writer describe the difficult growing conditions around Mussoorie at the beginning?
2 Marks
How to answer:
Give the key point and one relevant detail from this section.
View Answer
Answer: The description shows that fruit trees do not grow easily there. This makes the later survival and growth of Rakesh’s cherry tree more remarkable.
Longer Short Answer
3 marks
How does the opening connect Rakesh’s family situation with the setting?
3 Marks
How to answer:
Explain the idea and connect it with the story’s development.
View Answer
Answer: Rakesh’s parents farm on the lower mountain slopes, but their village has no school. He therefore lives with his grandfather in Mussoorie. The setting connects his education, family life and the natural world in which the cherry tree will grow.
