A Gift of Chappals: - Vasantha Surya (From Mridu in Madras: Goruchaka Turns Up)

A GIFT OF CHAPPALS
- VASANTHA SURYA
[from Mridu in Madras:
Goruchaka Turns Up]
1. Scrawny : thin (suggesting skinny toes)
• Example: A long scrawny neck.
2. Protested : express an objection to what someone has said or done
• Example: The suspect protested his innocence.
3. Dragged : pull (someone or something) along forcefully, roughly, or
with difficulty.
• Example: He dragged the big suitcase behind him.
4. Lapping :take up (liquid) with quick movements of the tongue.
• Example: The cat lapped up the milk.
5. Tumbler : a drinking glass with straight sides and no handle or stem.
• Example: A glass with a flat bottom but no handle or stem; originally had a
round bottom.
1. Throw/put someone off the scent: to do something to try to
prevent someone from discovering the truth
• Example: The Police were thrown off the scent after the
evidence was destroyed.
2. Descended from: a descendent of, or comes from the same family
3. Whizzing: move quickly through the air with a whistling or buzzing
sound.
• A police car whizzed by, on its way to the accident.
• Time just whizzes past when you're enjoying yourself.
4. Awkward: causing or feeling uneasy embarrassment or
inconvenience, uncomfortable, unpleasant.
• When two of your best friends argue it puts you in a very
awkward position.
HOMEWORK
• Write a CHARACTER SKETCH of:
1. Paati
2. Mridu
3. Meena
4. Music Master
5. The Beggar
6. Rukku Manni
Character Sketch of Ravi
• Ravi is a kind-hearted, compassionate, imaginative and generous boy.
• EXPLANATION:
• In the short heart touching story ‘A gift of Chappals’ Ravi is an important character. It
is through him that the author weaves his story.
• Ravi is extremely kind and generous. He is a great animal lover and is greatly
concerned with their well-being. Finding a lost kitten he gives it shelter knowing fully
well that the kitten would be thrown away, if discovered, by his family. His compassion
for the poor animal is seen when he cleverly takes his share of milk to feed it.
His generosity is also observed when he gifts a pair of chappals to a beggar.
• Ravi had an immense imagination. He could create life-like stories. The way he creates
the story of the kitten’s ancestry and succeeds in saving it is mind blowing. Through
his character we are reminded of the love and humanity that still exists in a human
heart.
• Mridu goes to Rukku Manni’s House
Mridu is a young girl living with her grandmother Tapi and

grandfather Thatha in Chennai. Mridu goes alongwith Tapi to
her aunt Rukku Manni’s place one afternoon. There she meets
her cousins Lalli, Ravi and Meena. Everyone at Rukku Manni’s
house was glad to see Mridu. There was a thick bitter-berry
bush in their backyard, Ravi took her beside that. There was
small little kitten inside a torn football. The small creature was
busy drinking milk that was kept inside a half-shell of a coconut.
• The Kitten
Meena informed Mridu that they have found the kitten outside their house in the morning of
that day. But, they must keep it as a secret otherwise the grandmother will leave their
house immediately. Ravi was upset that they were being taught to be kind towards animals,
but when he was trying to do so elders were screaming at them calling the kitten a dirty
creature. His grandmother was suspicious while he was taking out milk for the kitten from
kitchen. He had to drink more than half of the milk to make her believe that it was for him.
• He also told Mridu that they have named the kitten as Mahendran. Mridu loved the name
because it sounded real unlike those cute ones you keep for the kittens. Ravi further added
that its complete name was Mahendravarma Pallava Poonai and M P Poonai in short.
• He informed her he could make it from its fur that it was a fine breed cat, a close relative of
lion family like the one that Pallava kings used in their emblem. To this Mridu giggled which
instigated Ravi to prove his knowledge about the history further. On his school trip to
Mahabalipuram he had seen statue of a lion and he firmly believes that it was the ancestor
of that kitten. He proudly announced that his small kitten is the descendant of
Mahabalipuram Rishi-Cat. He reminded Mridu of cats being worshipped in ancient Egypt.
He believed it to be a descendant of cat godess, Bastet.
• The ‘Kreech’ Noise
Ravi was busy in making all proud announcements about his kitten when a
weird sound ‘Kreech…! came from the window. Mridu was shocked while
Mahendran was frightened. Mahendran jumped with fear on a try or red
chillies kept under the Sun for drying. With the “kreeching noise continuing on
the background, Mridu enquired what it was? Ravi informed her that it was
Lalli learning to play the violin. Mridu peeped from the window and she found
Lalli was holding the violin in an awkward position sitting a bit away from her
music teacher who had his back towards the window.
The teacher was bald with a fringe of oiled black hair falling around his ears.
There was gold chain in the neck and a ring on this hand. He had a big toe with
which he was thumping the ground. He was playing the notes perfectly on the
violin while Lalli was struggling hard. His tracks were filled with melody while
Lalli continued missing the not CS.
• The Beggar
The Children were having fun peeping from the window when Rukku Manni
called Ravi to send the beggar away. She was fed up with the beggar coming
to their place for a week now and wanted him to find another house. The
beggar had made himself comfortable at the garden. He was leaning against
the neem tree with his upper cloth spread under it. He was about to snooze
when he heard Ravi asking him to leave. He was shocked hearing this and
called for lady of the house. An irritated Rukku Manni told Ravi that there
wasn’t anything left in the kitchen and asked the beggar not to come again.
Her voice was so loud that Ravi didn’t have to repeat her words to the
beggar. The beggar told them that he would leave after taking rest for a
while. It was too hot outside and there were blisters in his feet. The children
were in pain seeing this and started making plans to give him chappals.
• The Gift
Mridu remembered seeing a pair of old grey chappals while she had entered
Ravi’s house. She asked Ravi whom they belonged to. Ravi took the chappals
and gave it to the beggar and asked him not to come again. The beggar went
away wearing the chappals and blessing the children. It was the time for the
music teacher to leave. He was looking for his chappals. He called Lalli and they
looked everywhere, but didn’t find them. Lalli informed Rukku Manni about it.
Rukku Manni questioned the children if they had seen anyone picking up the
chappals.
Rukku Manni was really angry and Mridu couldn’t control anymore. She told her
that they have given the music teacher’s chappals to the beggar. Rukku Manni
went inside and brought Gopu mama’s new chappals and gave them to the
music teacher. The teacher was happy getting the new chappals, but still
pretended as though it was tough for him to accept them.
• Rukku Manni-the Loving Mother
The teacher called Ravi a monkey, an incarnation of lord

Hanuman, which seemed clear that Rukku Manni didn’t like. She
wanted the teacher to leave immediately.
After he left, she called the children home and offered them
some snacks. She thanked God that go to office in chappals,
but needed them after coming home immediately. She
wondered what she will tell him giving a hint that she will take
the blame on herself.

A Gift of Chappals: - Vasantha Surya (From Mridu in Madras: Goruchaka Turns Up)

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A GIFT OF CHAPPALS

Mridu is a young girl living with her grandmother Tapi and

The teacher called Ravi a monkey, an incarnation of lord

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