The Decision of the Panchayat

The farmer bought the well because he needed water for his fields. He had bought a third field and required a reliable source of water to irrigate his crops. So he purchased the well from his neighbour.

The farmer became upset because after he bought the well, his neighbour refused to let him use the water from it. The neighbour cunningly argued that he had sold only the well (the structure), not the water inside it. This prevented the farmer from using the water he needed for his fields.

The Panchayat listened carefully to both sides — the farmer and the cunning neighbour. After careful consideration, the Panchayat gave a clever judgment. They told the neighbour that since he claimed the water still belonged to him, he must immediately remove all the water from the well or use it up at once, because he had no right to keep his water stored in someone else's well. This turned the neighbour's own argument against him and solved the problem fairly.

The final judgment given by the Panchayat was that since the neighbour had sold only the well and not the water, he had no right to store his water in the farmer's well. The Panchayat ordered the neighbour to either remove all the water from the well immediately or use it up at once. This clever decision exposed the neighbour's dishonesty and ensured that the farmer could use the water in his well freely.

Yes, the decision of the Panchayat was absolutely correct. The Panchayat used the neighbour's own cunning argument against him. Since the neighbour claimed he had sold only the well and not the water, the Panchayat rightly pointed out that the neighbour could not keep his water stored in someone else's (the farmer's) well without permission. This was a wise, fair, and logical judgment that punished dishonesty without any injustice.

To be fair to both Radha and Sita, I would deal with the situation in the following way:
1. I would first ask both of them to calm down and stop fighting.
2. I would suggest that they take turns using the painting box — for example, Radha could use it for the first half of the activity and Sita for the second half.
3. Alternatively, I would suggest that all three of us sit together and share the painting box, taking turns with each colour.
This way, neither friend feels left out, and the activity can be completed fairly and peacefully.

a. 'I sold only the well, not the water.' — This was said by the cunning neighbour to the farmer (and later before the Panchayat). The neighbour used this argument to prevent the farmer from using the water in the well.

b. 'Remove the water or use it all up immediately.' — This was said by the Panchayat (the village chief/head of the Panchayat) to the cunning neighbour. This was the final judgment delivered to expose the neighbour's dishonesty.

c. 'He is not letting me take the water.' — This was said by the farmer to the Panchayat (or the village chief). The farmer complained about the neighbour's unfair behaviour when he approached the Panchayat for justice.

The correct matches are:
1. prospered → f. to grow wealthy
2. cunning → a. clever in a tricky way
3. worried → e. very upset
4. summon → c. to order someone to come to a particular place
5. adamant → b. refusing to change one's mind
6. judgment → d. a decision made by a group

The farmer went to the village chief to explain his problem.
(Preposition 'to' is used to show direction or destination.)

The neighbour was standing at the well, blocking the way.
(Preposition 'at' is used to indicate a specific location or point.)

The villagers tried to reason with the cunning man.
(Preposition 'with' is used here to mean 'in discussion or argument together'.)

The decision was made after careful consideration of both sides.
(Preposition 'after' shows that the consideration happened before the decision was made.)

There lived a farmer in the small village.
(Preposition 'in' is used to show that someone lives inside a place.)

The Panchayat members listen to both the sides before coming to a decision.
(Preposition 'before' shows that listening happened prior to making the decision.)

The villagers gathered the Panchayat under the banyan tree.
(Preposition 'under' shows the position — beneath the banyan tree.)

The neighbour was punished for his dishonesty.
(Preposition 'for' is used to show the reason or cause of the punishment.)

The chief listened carefully to both the farmer and the neighbour.
(Preposition 'to' is used with the verb 'listen' — we always 'listen to' someone.)

The villagers agreed to meet at a later time to discuss the issue.
(Preposition 'at' is used to refer to a point in time.)

The farmer decided to buy a well after buying his third field.
(Preposition 'after' shows the sequence — first he bought the field, then he bought the well.)

The correct order of events is:

Step 1 (Order 1): Sam decided to go for a walk in the forest near his house. → (3)

Step 2 (Order 2): Sam walked along the narrow path, listening to the sound of birds chirping and leaves rustling. → (4)

Step 3 (Order 3): Sam sat by a small stream to rest and enjoy the peaceful sound of the water. → (1)

Step 4 (Order 4): After resting, Sam continued his walk, feeling refreshed. → (5)

Step 5 (Order 5): Sam felt grateful for the time he spent in nature. → (2)

So the correct sequence numbers are: 3 → 4 → 1 → 5 → 2

Sample Letter:

Village Rampur,
District Sundarpur,
15th June, 20XX

My dear friend,

Something happened last week, which I want to tell you. I wanted to buy a well from my neighbour so that I could water my new third field. I paid him a fair price and we agreed on the deal. But when I went to draw water from the well the very next day, my neighbour stood there and blocked my way. He said, 'I sold only the well, not the water!' I was shocked and very upset. I tried to reason with him, but he was adamant and refused to listen.

I had no choice but to go to the village Panchayat and explain my problem. The Panchayat summoned my neighbour and listened to both of us carefully. My neighbour repeated his cunning argument before the Panchayat too.

Then the head of the Panchayat gave a very wise judgment. He told my neighbour, 'Since you say the water in the well still belongs to you, you have no right to store your water in someone else's well. You must remove all the water immediately or use it all up at once!' My neighbour had no answer. He was ashamed and punished for his dishonesty. I was so relieved!

I am very grateful to our Panchayat for their fair and clever decision. It taught me that truth and justice always win in the end.

Hoping to see you soon.

Your friend,
Ramesh

The new words formed by adding the suffix '-less' are:

| Words + suffix | New word |
|---|---|
| Use + less | Useless |
| Care + less | Careless |
| Hope + less | Hopeless |
| Fear + less | Fearless |
| Colour + less | Colourless |

Sample sentences using the new words:

1. Useless: The broken pen was completely useless for writing.
2. Careless: The careless student forgot to bring his homework.
3. Hopeless: The situation seemed hopeless until the Panchayat gave its judgment.
4. Fearless: The fearless soldier protected his country bravely.
5. Colourless: Water is a colourless and odourless liquid.

Correct answer: b. A small village in West Bengal.

The passage clearly states: 'in a small village of West Bengal, there lived a kind and wise man named Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa.'

Correct answer: b. Swami Vivekananda (Naren)

The passage states: 'One day, a curious young boy named Naren came to meet him... Naren later grew up to become the famous Swami Vivekananda.'

Correct answer: b. A simple and loving life.

The passage says: 'He lived a simple life, wearing plain clothes and eating very little, but his smile and loving words made everyone feel special.'

Correct answer: c. Rivers flowing to the ocean.

The passage states: 'he taught that all religions are like rivers — they may take different paths, but they all lead to the same ocean.'

Correct answer: d. To find peace.

The passage states: 'He taught Naren about courage, kindness, and how to find peace within.'

According to the passage, neem trees can be found near houses, near schools, or beside roads. They are very common and almost everyone can recognise a neem tree.

Neem is called a 'magic medicine tree' because almost every part of the tree is useful for medicine. Its juice, leaves, and twigs are all used in different ways to treat illness, clean teeth, repel mosquitoes, and keep away insects and pests. This wide range of uses makes it seem magical.

When dry neem leaves are burnt inside the house, the mosquitoes disappear. The smoke from burning neem leaves acts as a natural mosquito repellent.

People put dry neem leaves in winter clothing and blankets to keep away insects. They also put dry neem leaves at the bottom of rice bins to keep pests away. Neem leaves act as a natural insect repellent and help preserve stored items.

Neem twigs are used as a toothbrush to clean teeth. People use these small sticks to brush their teeth, as neem has natural antibacterial properties that help keep teeth and gums healthy.

Correct answer: b. Vanish

The word 'disappear' means to go out of sight or to vanish. In the passage, it is used to describe how mosquitoes vanish when dry neem leaves are burnt.

Correct answer: c. Twig

A 'twig' means a small, short stick or a thin branch of a tree. The passage mentions: 'People use the twigs of the neem tree as a toothbrush to clean their teeth.'