A Pact with the Sun Summary, Explanation, and Question Answer

A Pact with the Sun

By Jyoti Verma

NCERT Class 6 English Chapter 8 A Pact with the Sun Summary, Explanation and Question Answers

A Pact With The Sun – NCERT Class 6 English A Pact With The Sun book Lesson 8 detailed explanation of the lesson along with the meanings of difficult words. All the exercises and Question Answers are given at the back of the lesson have been covered.

 

Class 6 English (A Pact With The Sun book)

Chapter 8 – A Pact With The Sun

By Zakir Husain [translated from the Urdu and slightly modified]

 

Introduction to A Pact with the Sun

This story shows the healing power of nature and its importance. It revolves around a girl whose mother was sick and her prayers to the Sun help her mother recover from her illness.

Also See: An Indian, American Woman in Space: Kalpana Chawla Class 6 English Lesson

A Pact with the Sun Summary

This story revolves around a girl Saeeda whose mother was suffering from fever, body pain, cough, and joint pain etc. for a long time. She was not getting the right treatment. She was denied normal food, sunlight and fresh air. Despite trying varied treatments her illness was relapsing.
Then she consulted a specialist for her treatment, who examined her and suggested some effective medicines. The specialist also told her to sit in the sunlight daily. She then moved her bed to a bigger room to get more sunlight.
But somehow, for a few days the Sun did not appear and it remained cloudy. Saeeda prayed to the rays of the sun to come the next morning as her mother needed the warmth of the sun to get well. The sun rays agreed and promised to help her.
Next morning, the sun rays made way through the clouds to give sunlight to Saeeda’s mother. In the end, Saeeda’s mother recovered by taking a good amount of sunlight and fresh air.

A Pact with the Sun Summary in Hindi

किसी को तरोताजा महसूस कराने के लिए नींद की अपनी भूमिका होती है। नींद को आराम की अचेतन अवस्था कहा जाता है। एक अच्छी नींद हमें आराम देती है और एक दिन की कड़ी गतिविधियों के बाद हमारे मन और शरीर को शांत करती है। नींद के जरिए हमारा शरीर सारी थकान से उबर जाता है।
नींद के दौरान हमारे साथ कई तरह की चीजें होती हैं। नींद के दौरान हम सपने देखते हैं, मांसपेशियों को आराम मिलता है, मस्तिष्क तरोताजा महसूस करता है, दिल की धड़कन धीमी हो जाती है, रक्तचाप और हमारे शरीर का तापमान गिर जाता है।
नींद के दौरान सपने दिमाग की एक महत्वपूर्ण गतिविधि हैं। वे हमारे दिमाग को फिर से जीवंत करते हैं। वे महत्वपूर्ण हैं क्योंकि वे हमें सोने में मदद करते हैं, डॉक्टरों का कहना है कि वे हमारे सामने आने वाली समस्याओं के बारे में बहुत कुछ बताते हैं, और संबंधित मुद्दों का समाधान भी प्रदान करते हैं।
लेकिन ध्यान रखने वाली बात यह है कि सपने हमारे भविष्य को नहीं बता सकते, हालांकि वे हमारे शरीर और दिमाग को थकान से ठीक कर देते हैं, वे हमें सभी अशांति से दूर ले जाते हैं फिर भी वे हमें हमारा भविष्य नहीं बता सकते हैं। नींद में जादुई शक्ति होती है क्योंकि यह हमें एक अजीब दुनिया में ले जाती है। यह सभी के लिए एक सुखद और सबसे आम अनुभव है।

Also See: A House, A Home Class 6 CBSE English Poem Summary, Explanation

A Pact with the Sun Explanation

Passage – SAEEDA’S mother had been ailing for a long time — fever, cough, body-ache, painful joints and what not. Treated by a variety of physicians for weeks, she often showed signs of improvement but soon relapsed into her old, sick self, one complaint substituted by another. Though weak and colourless, she was forbidden normal food and was under strict orders to remain perpetually confined to her small, dingy room with doors and windows fastened, deprived of sunshine and fresh air.

Word meaning
dingy: dark and dirty

Explanation of the above passage – Saeeda’s mother was not well for a long period of time and had not received proper medical treatment for her complaints. She had been treated by various doctors but her improvement was temporary and sickness was relapsing. She was denied healthy food, sunshine and fresh air. Gradually, she was closed into a small dark and dirty room where windows were closed and no sunshine reached there.

Passage – When she became critical, her relatives and neighbours persuaded her to consult a specialist even though his fee was likely to be high. Life is more precious than money, they said. Saeeda’s mother was poor but she heeded their advice and sold a few trinkets to pay the doctor’s fee and the cost of medicine.The doctor came in a few days and examined her and prescribed effective but costly medicine. To the question as to what she should eat he said, “Anything you wish to eat — chapati, vegetables, milk, fruits, etc. In addition to all this,” he added emphatically, “leave this dark hovel and occupy a bigger room with doors and windows open. Sit in the sun every morning from eight to nine. Sunshine and fresh air,” he concluded, “are more important than medicine.”

Word meaning
persuaded: to move someone to believe something by arguing
Trinkets : piece of jewellery
Hovel: a small dirty place

Explanation of the above passage – When her condition worsened her near and dear ones asked her to consult a specialist without caring for his high fees. Life is more precious than anything else. Though Saeeda’s mother was poor she paid attention to their words. She sold her jewellery to pay the doctor’s fees and cost of medicine. The doctor checked her and gave her good medicine. He also advised her to take a good diet and leave that dark room and live in a bigger room with windows and doors, take sunlight and fresh air.

 

 

Passage – The doctor and his advice became a subject of noisy commentary among all present. Some favoured while others opposed it. Exposure to sun and air for someone afflicted with chronic cough was dangerous, an experienced lady declared. A younger neighbour nearly quarrelled with her over this. Too exhausted to participate in the debate, Saeeda’s mother remained quiet but determined to follow the doctor’s advice.“Forget the consequences,” she said at last. “I’ll carry out his instructions to the letter. Move my bed into the next room and let me sit in the sun on my charpoy for an hour daily.”

Explanation of the above passage – Everyone in the room started commenting on the doctor’s advice. Some were speaking in support of it and others were opposing it. An experienced lady objected to exposure of the sun for her being suffering from severe cough. One neighbour started fighting. Saeeda’s mother was not in a position to be a part of all that so she kept quiet. Finally she said that whatever the result might be she was determined to follow the doctor’s words. So her bed should be moved into the next room and she should be permitted to sit  in the sun for an hour daily.

Passage – It so happened that the sky remained overcast the next morning. The same was the case the following day. Saeeda’s mother was dejected. She muttered, “O Lord of mine, why have you ordered the sun to remain hidden? How will I ever be cured?”

Explanation of the above passage – But now the sky was overcast by clouds for a few days. She whispered in her mouth and asked God where had he hidden the sun?

Passage – Saeeda was playing with her doll nearby and she heard her mother’s lament but kept calm. Later in the afternoon, when she stumbled on a spot of pale sunshine in the courtyard, she ran to her mother to say the sun was there. “No, no”, said everybody present. “It’s too late and chilly. Your mother can’t sit out there.” Disheartened, Saeeda returned to her doll. There was no sun really except for its last remnant entangled in the top branches of the family mango tree.

Explanation of the above passage – Saeeda was playing near her mother and she heard her words. Afterwards, when she was about to fall in the courtyard she noticed dim sunlight and ran to her mother to ask her to be there. But everyone stopped her as it was late evening and it was cold. Disheartened, Saeeda went back to her doll.

Passage – When we wake up, our temperature and blood pressure rise to normal. Our heartbeat and breathing also become normal and we are fully awake, and have forgotten most, if not all, the dreams that we had while sleeping.

Explanation of the above passage – The moment we wake up, the temperature of our body and blood pressure get normal. Other phenomena like heartbeat and breathing also get normal and we forget most of the dreams, if not all.

Passage – What is a dream? It is an activity of the mind that takes place when we are asleep. Some dreams are probable while others are not. That only means that many of the things that happen in dreams could happen when we are awake. Others could not. Dreams seem to be important for several reasons. One is that a dream can help us to sleep through noise or other disturbances. For example, the alarm clock rings, but our mind causes us to dream that the telephone or doorbell is ringing, and that we are awake and answering it.
Now, children have at their command a secret language, foreign to grown-ups altogether, in which they fluently communicate with trees, flowers, animals, the sun and the moon, perhaps even with the Almighty. Using that special language, Saeeda addressed her remark to the last departing ray of the sun. “Dearest sister, do come tomorrow with lots of warmth and brightness. You see, my mother is ill and needs your help.”

Explanation of the above passage – The children have a special communication language in which they talk to trees, flowers, animals, the sun and the moon and even God. Using that special language, Saeeda prayed to the rays of the Sun to come tomorrow with greater warmth and brightness as her mother was ill and she needed their help.

Passage – “Surely,” answered the light, “don’t look unhappy. We’ll be here at the fixed hour.”

Explanation of the above passage – The light rays of the Sun replied to her prayer and assured her that they would come at the fixed time and asked her not to be unhappy.

Passage – Next day, early in the morning, when the sprightly sunrays embellished themselves for their journey down to earth, the sun said, “It’s our day off again. We’re staying up here. The road to earth is blocked by an army of thick, mucky clouds.” The little rays so much wanted to go down for a lark but they remained quiet. One of them, though, who had made a pact with little Saeeda said, “Sir, I can’t stay back. I’ve given my word to Saeeda whose mother is ill and needs our help. I’ll pierce through the clouds to reach Saeeda’s courtyard. How else will her mother be cured?” Hearing this, all the rays nearly staged a revolt against their father, the sun. “Fancy staying back again,” they said in a single voice. “What will the people of the earth say about us? That we of the heavens have turned liars?”

Explanation of the above passage – Next day when bright energetic sunrays got ready to come to the earth, The Sun said that they would not go to the earth as the way to the earth had been blocked by the clouds. Hearing this the rays kept quiet for sometime but one of them spoke to their father, the Sun that they had made a pact with Saeeda as she had promised to her. Her mother was not well and she needed their help so she would pierce through the clouds to reach Saeeda’s courtyard. Otherwise, how would her mother be cured. To this all the rays stood against the sun unanimously. They argued that if they stayed back the people of the earth would consider them as liars.

Passage – The sun relented. “Please yourselves,” he said. “Mind your clothes, though. The clouds are mucky.”

Word meaning
Relented : to get soften in feelings

Explanation of the above passage – The sun was a little softened and told them that the clouds were very heavy so they must control themselves. He even asked them to take care of their clothes.

Passage – “Never mind our clothes. We can always change. But go we must.” And the rays rushed towards the earth. The clouds stood guard between them and Saeeda’s courtyard. The little rays focussed their heat — and they had enough of it — on a battalion of clouds, which had to flee from its post. The rays got through, shooting past the bewildered clouds. They were already late.

Explanation of the above passage – The rays rushed towards the earth saying that they didn’t mind their clothes as they could always change them. The clouds stopped their way. The little rays focused their heat which was enough to make the clouds flee from there. The rays reached the earth leaving behind the puzzled clouds.

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Passage – Saeeda saw the whole host of them approaching and her heart leapt with joy. She shouted, “Amma, Amma! The sun is here. Come out.” The old lady’s eyes welled up with tears of gratitude. Her charpoy was placed in the courtyard and she sat on it for an hour reclining against bolsters. It had been months since she had felt the sun on her hands and face and breathed in fresh air. She thought she was in a new world. Though pale, her face glowed and her eyes shone bright. She saw her child too bathed in sunlight and kissed her. The morning air brought in a new fragrance from nearby flowers. The birds chanted a new tune. Saeeda’s mother felt better already.
She is fully recovered now, but she still follows the doctor’s advice — an hour of sunlight and lungfuls of fresh air every day.

Word meaning
Bolsters:
pillows

Explanation of the above passage – Saeeda noticed them reaching and jumped with joy. She called her mother informing her that the Sun was there. The old lady was in tears of gratitude. Her bed was placed in the sun where she sat for an hour leaning against pillows. It was after months that she was able to feel the sun and breathe fresh air. She felt as if she had entered a new world. Though she appeared weak her face and eyes showed the shine of hope. She looked at her child also basking in the sun and kissed her. With this new morning came a new hope, a new fragrance, chanting of birds and with all this, Saeeda’s mother felt better and she recovered completely from her illness.

 

A Pact with the Sun Question Answers

Q1. What did the physicians ask Saeeda’s mother to do to get well? Did their advice help her? If not, why?
A.
The Physicians asked Saeeda’s mother to move to a place without sunlight and air.No, their advice did not work. It worsened her health.

Q2. What did the specialist prescribe in addition to medicine?
A.
The specialist prescribed sunlight and fresh air in addition to medicine.

Q3. What did Saeeda tell the sunrays to do?
A.
Saeeda asked the sunrays to come the next day with brighter and warmer sunlight.

Q4. Why were the sunrays keen to go down to the earth the next day?
A.
The sunrays were keen to go down to the earth the next day to keep their promise and to help Saeeda’s mother recover from her illness.

Q5. What is your own formula for keeping good health?
A.
The formula for keeping good health is to stay closer to nature.

Q6. Who would you recommend to a patient in your neighbourhood — the physicians contacted first or the specialist contacted next?
Give reasons for your choice.
A.
I would recommend the specialist because he advises the right treatment and suggests the right things.

See: Class 6 CBSE English Lessons