A Bottle of Dew Summary and Explanation
CBSE Class 6 English Unit 1 – Fables and Folk Tales Chapter 1 A Bottle of Dew Summary, Explanation along with Difficult Word Meanings from Poorvi Book
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- A Bottle of Dew Introduction
- A Bottle of Dew Summary
- A Bottle of Dew Summary in Hindi
- A Bottle of Dew Theme
- A Bottle of Dew Explanation
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CBSE Class 6 English Unit 1 – Fables and Folk Tales Chapter 1 A Bottle of Dew
By Sudha Murty
A Bottle of Dew Introduction
A Bottle of Dew is a short motivational story by Indian writer Sudha Murty. Her works revolve around Indian culture and traditions. Murty’s writing style is simple with profound moral lessons. Like most of her works, the backdrop of A Bottle of Dew has also been set in rural India. Rama, a landlord’s son, is ignorant of his inheritance and family in his obsession with the quest for shortcuts like a magic potion.
The characters in Murty’s story are positive role models like Madhumati and Mahipati. They taught Rama a valuable lesson by using his obsession with a magic potion that turns things into gold. They pivoted him to work on his inherited land for six years. After the sprinkled dew failed to turn the copper bottle into gold. Madhumati brought the box of gold coins to prove to him there are no shortcuts like a magic potion. It’s only through hard work that he can make wealth.
A Bottle of Dew Summary
Rama Natha was a landlord’s son. After his father’s death, he inherited tracts of land. Instead of dedicating his time to this land, he was wasting his time searching for a magic potion. After being cheated by many people, he was still determined to find a magic potion. His wife, Madhumati, was anxious about going penniless in future.
Rama asked the sage Mahipati, who visited his town about the magic potion. The sage told him that he had to collect five litres of morning dew from the leaves of a banana plant. The sage then chants some magic chant over the bottle of dew. Since winters were only for a few months, it would take years to collect the dew. The sage then suggested that he could plant as many banana plants as he wanted but the plants should be under his care.
Rama sowed rows of banana plants on the inherited land to collect the dew, which eventually helped him to turn it into a huge banana plantation. His wife, Madhumati also helped him collect the dew and sell the banana crop in the market.
After six years, he collected five litres of dew in a copper bottle, which he brought to the sage. The sage then chanted some magic words over the collected dew and gave it to Rama. He sprinkled some dew on the copper bottle but it didn’t turn gold. Rama felt he had wasted his six years.
His wife, Madhumati then came with the box of gold coins. The sage told Rama that he could have told him the truth about the magic potion, but he thought he wouldn’t listen to his advice. So, Mahipati had to use Rama’s belief to make him tread on the path of hard work.
He wanted Rama to lead a successful hard-working life rather than believe in shortcuts like a magic potion. Rama understood his words of wisdom and started to work on his banana plantation.
Summary of Lesson A Bottle of Dew in Hindi
राम नाथ एक जमींदार का बेटा था। अपने पिता की मृत्यु के बाद, उन्हें ज़मीन का एक हिस्सा विरासत में मिला। इस भूमि पर अपना समय समर्पित करने के बजाय, वह एक जादुई औषधि की खोज में अपना समय बर्बाद कर रहा था। कई लोगों से धोखा खाने के बाद भी वह एक जादुई औषधि खोजने के लिए कृतसंकल्प था। उनकी पत्नी मधुमती भविष्य में दरिद्र होने को लेकर चिंतित थीं।
राम ने महीपति नाम के ऋषि से, जो उनके नगर में आए थे, जादुई औषधि के बारे में पूछा। ऋषि ने उससे कहा कि उसे केले के पौधे की पत्तियों से पांच लीटर सुबह की ओस इकट्ठा करनी है। फिर ऋषि ओस की बोतल के ऊपर कुछ जादुई मंत्र का जाप करेंगे। चूँकि सर्दियाँ केवल कुछ महीनों के लिए होती हैं, इसलिए ओस एकत्र करने में वर्षों लग जायेंगे। तब ऋषि ने सुझाव दिया कि वह जितने चाहें उतने केले के पौधे लगा सकते हैं लेकिन पौधे उनकी देखरेख में होने चाहिए।
राम ने ओस एकत्र करने के लिए विरासत में मिली भूमि पर केले के पौधों की कतारें बोईं, जिससे अंततः उन्हें इसे एक विशाल केले के बागान में बदलने में मदद मिली। उनकी पत्नी मधुमती ने भी ओस इकट्ठा करने और केले की फसल को बाजार में बेचने में उनकी मदद की।
छह साल बाद उसने तांबे की एक बोतल में पांच लीटर ओस एकत्र की, जिसे वह ऋषि के पास ले आया। तब ऋषि ने एकत्रित ओस पर कुछ जादुई शब्दों का जाप किया और उसे राम को दे दिया। उसने तांबे की बोतल पर कुछ ओस छिड़की लेकिन वह सोने की नहीं बनी। राम को लगा कि उसने अपने छह साल बर्बाद कर दिये हैं।
तभी उनकी पत्नी मधुमती सोने के सिक्कों की डिब्बी लेकर आईं। ऋषि ने राम से कहा कि वह उन्हें जादुई औषधि के बारे में सच्चाई बता सकते थे, लेकिन उन्होंने सोचा कि उनकी सलाह अनसुनी कर दी जाएगी। इसलिए, महीपति को राम के विश्वास का उपयोग उसे कड़ी मेहनत के रास्ते पर चलने के लिए करना होगा।
वह चाहते थे कि राम अपनी सफलता अर्जित करने के लिए जादुई औषधि जैसे शॉर्टकट पर विश्वास करने के बजाय कड़ी मेहनत और दृढ़ता के रास्ते पर चलें। राम को उनकी ज्ञान की बातें समझ में आईं और उन्होंने अपने केले के बागान में कड़ी मेहनत करना शुरू कर दिया।
Themes of the Lesson A Bottle of Dew
Realistic Outlook Towards Success
Rama was blinded by the idealism about the magic potion. After being cheated by the fraud sages, he was still determined to search for it. Mahipati observed his obsession but chose not to tell him the truth. Instead, he tricked him using his obsession with magic potion and turned his mind to work on his land. Madhumati, his wife, has a practical outlook towards success. Still, she stood by his side and worked hard on the plantation, even selling the crops in the market. Only when she brought the box of gold coins, Rama learned that the shortcuts like magic potions he has been obsessed with don’t exist. It’s his hard work and dedication that earned him wealth.
Hard Work is the key to Success
Rama believed that success could be earned through shortcuts. He was searching for a magic potion that could turn things into gold. He never realised that he could work hard to earn wealth. It was only when the sage tricked him using his obsession with magic potion, that he started to work hard on his land. He transformed him from an irresponsible spendthrift to a diligent plantation owner. Rama learned a valuable lesson from the sage: there are no shortcuts like a magic potion to success. The only key to success is hard work and persistence.
Wisdom Through Experience
Rama learned his lesson only through experience. He had been cheated by many fraud sages but he didn’t give up his search for magic potion. The sage used his obsession with magic potion to encourage him to work hard on his land persistently. Only when he saw the box of gold coins, bought through his earned wealth, did he learn that there is no shortcut to success like a magic potion. He got this wisdom only after he worked hard on his plantation. The gold coins were the result of his hard work. The sage was right when he told Rama that he wouldn’t have listened to his advice if he had told him the truth. He learned his lesson only through experience.
A Bottle of Dew: Lesson Explanation
Passage – Rama Natha was the son of a rich landlord. His father left him large tracts of land when he died. But Rama Natha did not spend even one day looking after his land. This was because he had a funny idea—he believed there was a magic potion that could turn any object into gold. He spent all his time learning more about this potion. People cheated him often, promising to tell him about it, but he did not give up. His wife, Madhumati, was tired of this and also worried because she saw how much money Rama Natha was spending. She was sure that soon they would be without money.
Word meanings
large tracts of land: large areas of land
potion: a liquid with magical properties
give up: stop trying
Explanation of the above passage – Sudha Murty has beautifully portrayed the gullible nature of Rama Natha through his obsession with the magic potion even after being constantly deceived by many fraud sages. He is determined to find a magic potion that turns things into gold. Murthy has used a magic potion as a symbol of a shortcut to success, which doesn’t exist in reality. Unlike Rama, his wife, Madumati had a practical aspect towards life. She believes that success can be earned through hard work and perseverance. She was worried that they would be penniless in the future if Rama continued to spend his money on the fraud sages.
Passage – One day, a famous sage called Mahipati came to their town. Rama Natha became his follower and asked him about the potion. To his surprise, the sage answered, “Yes, in my travels in the Himalayas, I heard how you could make such a potion. But it is difficult.”
“Tell me!” requested Rama Natha, not believing his luck.
“You have to plant a banana plant and water it regularly with your hands. In winter, the morning dew is on the leaves. You have to collect the dew and store it in a bottle. When you have five litres of dew, bring it to me. I will chant some magic words, which will turn it into the magic potion. A drop of the potion will change any object into gold.”
Word meanings
dew: small drops of water on leaves that form during the night
chant: to repeat or sing a word or phrase
Explanation of the above passage – The sage who visited their town recognises Rama’s obsession with magic potion. Instead of denying it, he used his obsession to change his outlook towards success and hard work. The sage had completely transformed him; he was living the life of a hard-working man. He planted the seeds of perseverance and hard work in his mind, by giving him the idea to plant banana trees.
Passage – Rama Natha was worried. “But winter is only for a few months. It will take me years to collect five litres of dew.”
“You can plant as many banana plants as you want. But remember, you must look after them yourself and collect the dew with your own hands.”
Rama Natha went home and, after talking to his wife, started cleaning his large fields, which had been lying empty all these years. There he planted rows and rows of banana plants. He tended them carefully and, during the winter months, collected the dew that formed on them with great care. His wife helped him too. Madhumati gathered the banana crop, took it to the market and got a good price for it. Over the years, Rama Natha planted more and more plants and they had a huge banana plantation. At the end of six years, he finally had his five litres of dew.
Word meanings
tended: looked after
Explanation of the above passage – The land owned by Rama represents his barren mindset only devoted to a magic potion that could turn things into gold. It was only with the sage’s guidance that he was able to plant the seeds of success, which otherwise was left barren. He was determined to collect five litres of winter dew for which he persistently worked on the field, eventually helping him to own a huge banana plantation. Madhumati plays an important role as a supportive spouse. She stood by Rama, despite his obsession with magic potion. She helped him collect and sell the banana crops in the market. The banana tree, as widely known as the tree of wisdom, symbolises the growth and prosperity in Rama’s life.
Passage – Carefully, he took the bottle to the sage. The sage smiled and muttered something over the water. Then he returned the bottle and said, “Try it out.” Rama Natha sprinkled a few drops on a copper vessel and waited for it to turn to gold. To his surprise, nothing happened!
“This is cheating,” he told the sage. “I have wasted six precious years of my life.”
Word meanings
muttered: spoke in a low voice
precious: valuable
Explanation of the above passage – Rama’s obsession with magic potion has made him think that he has wasted his six years. Ironically, these six years of his life have been the most productive, otherwise, he would have wasted his time on magic potions, as he previously did. He was angry with the sage as he thought he was tricked.
Passage – But sage Mahipati only smiled and called Madhumati to come forward. She came with a big box when she opened it, inside shined stacks of gold coins!
Now the sage turned to the very surprised Rama Natha and said, “There is no magic potion that can turn things into gold. You worked hard on your land and created this plantation. While you looked after the trees, your wife sold the fruits in the market. That’s how you got this money. It was your hard work that created this wealth, not magic. If I had told you about this earlier, you would have not listened to me, so I have played a trick on you.”
Rama Natha understood the wisdom behind these words and worked even harder on his plantation from that day on.
Word meanings
wisdom: a deep understanding.
Explanation of the above passage – The sage told him that his obsession with a magic potion had blinded him completely, otherwise, he would have told him there are no shortcuts or magic potions for success. The only way to success is through hard work and diligence. The sage has to trick him to teach him a lesson. He plays an important role in Rama’s growth, as he transformed him from a believer in shortcuts to a hard-working man.
Conclusion
The story A Bottle of Dew by Sudha Murty gives a profound moral lesson. Students can take help of the post to understand the lesson and also learn the difficult word meanings to get a better grasp over the story. This lesson includes the summary of A Bottle of Dew which will help students of class 6 to get a quick recap of the story.