The Day the River Spoke Summary and Explanation
CBSE Class 7 English Unit 1 – Learning Together Chapter 1 The Day the River Spoke Summary, Explanation along with Difficult Word Meanings from Poorvi Book
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CBSE Class 7 English Unit 1 Learning Together Chapter 1 – The Day the River Spoke
By Kamala Nair
(An extract adapted from The Day the River Spoke)
The Day the River Spoke is a story by Kamala Nair about a young girl named Jahnavi who lives in a village in India. Jahnavi wants to attend school, but her family doesn’t allow her. In the story, Jahnavi secretly talks to a river that inspires her to chase her dream of getting an education.
- The Day the River Spoke Summary
- The Day the River Spoke Summary in Hindi
- The Day the River Spoke Theme
- The Day the River Spoke Explanation
Related:
- The Day the River Spoke Question Answers
- The Day the River Spoke Character Sketch
- Class 7 English Summary and Lesson Notes
The Day the River Spoke Summary
One day, Jahnavi is feeling lonely and maybe a little sad. She goes to the riverbank, and in her mind, she hears the river speaking to her in a soft, murmuring voice. The river asks her what’s wrong, showing a gentle and caring nature.
Jahnavi is surprised because she thought she was completely alone. She wonders who could have spoken. It couldn’t have been the little green lizard she saw, or the bright blue kingfisher bird that flew by. It definitely wasn’t the noisy parrots. She looks all around, but there’s no one there. This makes her a bit scared, and she wants to run away.
But Jahnavi is also a curious girl. The next day, even though she’s still a little nervous, she goes to school. She arrives late, out of breath, and stands by the door, listening to the teacher reading a story. The story is about a prince named Ashoka who became a great king.
While she’s listening, her little brother, Appu, falls asleep on her shoulder. Jahnavi slowly and quietly moves closer to the class until she’s sitting in the back row with the other children on the floor. Little Appu doesn’t wake up or make any noise, and Jahnavi continues to listen to the lesson.
The story then shifts back to the river. Someone, perhaps Jahnavi herself in her thoughts, asks the river many questions, making the river feel “breathless.” The river playfully tells this person to stop asking so many “whys.” Then, in a secretive tone, the river shares a piece of its wisdom: it knows where the moon goes. The river explains that the moon travels down towards the sea, just like the river itself flows. It says it has seen this happen many times, with the moon always taking the same route over the mountains and down to the sea.
The story ends with Jahnavi finding courage. The next day, she goes to school again, still panting from the journey. She stands by the door, listening to the teacher read more of the story about King Ashoka. Little Appu is asleep on her shoulder once more. Jahnavi quietly moves closer and sits with the other children, continuing to listen to the lesson while her little brother sleeps peacefully. The teacher noticed her and talked to her parents about the same, eventually, allowing her to go school.
So, the story is about Jahnavi’s imaginative connection with the river, which seems to offer her comfort and perhaps a sense of wonder. It also shows her going to school and listening to a story about a great king, all while caring for her sleeping little brother. The river, in its imagined conversation, shares a simple observation about the moon, linking its own journey to the moon’s. It’s a gentle story about a child’s inner world, curiosity, and the small moments in her life.
Summary of the Lesson The Day the River Spoke in Hindi
एक दिन, जान्हवी अकेला महसूस कर रही है और शायद थोड़ा दुखी है। वह नदी के किनारे जाती है, और उसके दिमाग में, वह नदी को एक नरम, बुड़बुड़ाती आवाज़ में उससे बात करते हुए सुनती है। नदी उससे पूछती है कि क्या गलत है, एक सौम्य और देखभाल करने वाले स्वभाव को दर्शाती है।
जाहनवी आश्चर्यचकित हो जाती है क्योंकि उसे लगता था कि वह पूरी तरह से अकेली थी। वह सोचती है कि कौन बोल सकता था। यह छोटी हरी छिपकली नहीं हो सकती थी जो उसने देखी थी, या चमकीला नीला किंगफिशर पक्षी जो पास से उड़ रहा था। निश्चित रूप से ये शोर मचाने वाले तोते नहीं थे। वह चारों ओर देखती है, लेकिन वहाँ कोई नहीं है। इससे वह थोड़ी डरी हुई है और वह भागना चाहती है।
लेकिन जान्हवी भी एक जिज्ञासु लड़की है। अगले दिन, भले ही वह अभी भी थोड़ी घबराई हुई है, वह स्कूल जाती है। वह देर से आती है, सांस छोड़ती है, और दरवाजे के पास खड़ी होती है, शिक्षक को कहानी पढ़ते हुए सुनती है। कहानी अशोक नामक एक राजकुमार के बारे में है जो एक महान राजा बना।
जब वह सुन रही होती है, उसका छोटा भाई अप्पू उसके कंधे पर सो जाता है। जाहनवी धीरे-धीरे और चुपचाप कक्षा के करीब आती है जब तक कि वह फर्श पर अन्य बच्चों के साथ पिछली पंक्ति में नहीं बैठ जाती। छोटा अप्पू न तो जागता है और न ही कोई शोर मचाता है, और जाहनवी सबक सुनती रहती है।
इसके बाद कहानी वापस नदी में चली जाती है। कोई, शायद खुद जाहनवी अपने विचारों में, नदी से कई सवाल पूछती है, जिससे नदी को “सांस फूलना” महसूस होता है। नदी इस व्यक्ति को इतने सारे “क्यों” पूछना बंद करने के लिए कहती है। फिर, एक गुप्त स्वर में, नदी अपने ज्ञान का एक टुकड़ा साझा करती हैः यह जानती है कि चंद्रमा कहाँ जाता है। नदी बताती है कि चंद्रमा समुद्र की ओर नीचे की ओर यात्रा करता है, जैसे नदी बहती है। यह कहता है कि उसने ऐसा कई बार होते देखा है, चंद्रमा हमेशा पहाड़ों के ऊपर और नीचे समुद्र तक एक ही रास्ता अपनाता है।
कहानी का अंत जान्हवी के साहस के साथ होता है। अगले दिन, वह फिर से स्कूल जाती है, फिर भी यात्रा से घबराती है। वह दरवाजे के पास खड़ी है, शिक्षक को राजा अशोक के बारे में अधिक कहानी पढ़ती हुई सुन रही है। छोटी अप्पू एक बार फिर अपने कंधे पर सो रही है। जाहनवी चुपचाप पास आती है और अन्य बच्चों के साथ बैठ जाती है, सबक सुनती रहती है जबकि उसका छोटा भाई शांति से सोता है। शिक्षक ने उसे देखा और उसके माता-पिता से इस बारे में बात की, अंततः उसे स्कूल जाने की अनुमति दी।
तो, कहानी नदी के साथ जान्हवी के कल्पनाशील संबंध के बारे में है, जो उसे आराम और शायद आश्चर्य की भावना प्रदान करती है। इसमें उसे स्कूल जाते हुए और अपने सोते हुए छोटे भाई की देखभाल करते हुए एक महान राजा के बारे में एक कहानी सुनते हुए भी दिखाया गया है। नदी, अपनी काल्पनिक बातचीत में, चंद्रमा के बारे में एक सरल अवलोकन साझा करती है, जो चंद्रमा की अपनी यात्रा को जोड़ती है। यह एक बच्चे की आंतरिक दुनिया, जिज्ञासा और उसके जीवन के छोटे-छोटे क्षणों के बारे में एक सौम्य कहानी है।
Theme of the Lesson The Day the River Spoke
Childhood Imagination
The main idea of the story is the strong imagination of a child. Jahnavi sees the river as a talking friend, showing how children bring life and personality to the world around them. This imaginative view helps her deal with her feelings and experiences in a fun way. The river becomes a friend, reflecting her loneliness and giving her a sense of connection that she might not find in her real-life relationships.
Nature and Connection
The river symbolizes nature and how it connects to human feelings. Kamala Nair shows nature as an active part of Jahnavi’s life, not just a background. The river’s voice, whether real or imagined, emphasizes that nature can provide comfort, wisdom, and companionship, especially for those who feel alone. The story suggests a close relationship between people and nature, where nature can offer support and understanding.
Loneliness and Comfort
Jahnavi first meets the river because she feels lonely. The river’s gentle voice and concern for her well-being indicate that she finds comfort in this imagined connection. The story explores how children handle feelings of isolation by turning to their imagination and the natural world for support.
Courage and Curiosity
Even though she feels scared, Jahnavi shows courage and curiosity. After her first encounter with the river’s voice, she returns to school the next day. Her actions highlight how children have a natural desire to learn and explore, even when they feel afraid. This theme connects to her journey of discovering herself and her growing ability to navigate her world.
The Mundane and the Magical
The story contrasts the regular parts of Jahnavi’s life like going to school and her little brother sleeping, with the magical idea of the talking river. This difference shows how children can find wonder and magic in everyday life, mixing reality and fantasy.
The Day the River Spoke Lesson Explanation
I
Passage: A big bright tear splashed down her nose. And another. A kingfisher swept down, its wings an arrow of blue in the sunlight. And a green lizard slithered down to the river’s edge to bask in the sun.
Word meanings
splashed: fell in drops, making a sound
kingfisher: an often brightly coloured bird with a large head and long sharp beak, typically diving for fish from a perch. Many of the tropical kinds live in forests and feed on terrestrial prey such as insects and lizards
swept down: something that moves swiftly and smoothly downward, often in a continuous, forceful manner
slithered: moved by sliding from side to side
river’s edge: the point where the land meets the water of a river.
bask in the sun: to lie or sit in the pleasant warmth of the sun, enjoying its heat and light
Explanation of the above passage—A large shiny drop of tear fell from her nose. And one more. A bright blue bird flew quickly down, its wings like a blue pointy thing in the bright light from the sun. And a small green reptile moved slowly down to the edge of the water to sit in the warm light from the sun.
Passage: “Dear, dear!” said a sleepy, murmuring voice, “What’s the matter?”
Jahnavi was startled, because she was sure she had been quite alone. It couldn’t have been the lizard. And the kingfisher was up in the thicket of bamboo eating the fish it had caught. It couldn’t be the parrots, because parrots shrieked and this was such a sleepy voice. She looked around her. There wasn’t a soul in sight. She was rather scared and wanted to run away.
Word meanings
murmuring: speaking in a low voice
startled: surprised
thicket: a dense group of bushes and trees
shrieked: made a high-pitched sound
there wasn’t a soul in sight: no one was visible; the area was completely empty of people
Explanation of the above passage—A soft tired voice exclaimed her as sweet and asked her what was her problem. Jahnavi was surprised, because she felt very sure that she had been completely by herself. It could not have been the small green reptile. And the bright blue bird was up in the dense group of bamboo plants eating the fish that it had caught. It could not be the parrots with because those birds made loud, sharp cries and this voice was so tired. She looked all around her. There was not a single person to be seen. She felt quite afraid and wanted to move away quickly by running.
Passage: “You shouldn’t cry, you know,” the voice went on. “And you really shouldn’t be scared, when you have been coming here to see me every day, well, almost every day.” She was puzzled. It was such a voice, like the river. It couldn’t be the river!
“Well, tell me all about it,” said the River, for it was the River. “I’ve got to hurry to reach the sea, you know.”
Word meanings
went on: to continue, to happen, or to talk excessively.
Puzzled: unable to understand; perplexed.
Explanation of the above passage—The voice continued saying that she should not cry, she should know and she really should not be afraid, when she had been coming there to see the source of the voice every day, well, nearly every day. The girl felt confused. It was a voice like the water flowing in a wide natural stream. Yet, she wondered, it could not be the water flowing in a wide natural stream. Then, the River said to tell all about it, because the River had to move quickly to get to the ocean, the girl knew.
Passage: “They won’t let me go to school,” said Jahnavi. “I asked my mother, ‘Why can’t I go to school like Ettan and Meena?’ And Mother had replied, ‘You are too small, baby. Maybe later.’ ” But when she was five, little Ramu was born and Mother still said, “Maybe next year. Jahnavi, mind your little brother while I go to the fields.” Now, she was nearly ten and minding Little Appu, who was the smallest. “They don’t want me. They only…”—she stopped with a sob…
Word meanings
fields: an area of open land, especially one planted with crops or pasture, typically bounded by hedges or fences.
minding: take care or be careful of or about something
sob: cry noisily
Explanation of the above passage—Jahnavi said that they would not allow her to go to school. She said that she had asked her mother the reason she cannot go to school like her older brother and older sister. She said that her mother had answered that she was too young, and maybe at a later time. But when she was five years old, young Ramu was born and her mother still said maybe the following year and told Jahnavi to watch her young brother while her mother went to the open fields. Now, she was almost ten years old and watching young Appu, who was the youngest. She said that they did not want her and that they only—she stopped speaking with a crying sound.
Passage: “I am scared to go to school. And I’m so old now, they’ll never let me go. But I want to go. I want to learn to read like Ettan and Meena.” Jahnavi called her brother ‘Ettan’. Ettan means ‘Elder brother’, but his real name was Gopi. “I want to know why spiders are yellow in yellow flowers, why bamboo trees rustle, why the moon always comes from behind the hills, never the other way, why the baby fish in the field water become frogs, why…”
Word meanings
rustle: light sound made by leaves rubbing against each other
Explanation of the above passage—She said that she felt afraid to go to school. She was very old now, and they would never allow her to go, but she wanted to go. She wanted to learn how to read like her brother and Meena. Jahnavi called her brother ‘Ettan’ which means elder brother but his true name was Gopi. She said that she wanted to know the reason that spiders had a yellow color in yellow plants, the reason that bamboo trees made a soft, dry sound, the reason that the moon always appeared from the back of the small hills and not the front, the reason that the young fish in the water of the open field became frog, the reason why—the river stopped her.
Passage : “Stop!” said the River. “You make me breathless. So many whys! I can tell you where the moon goes,” the River said conspiratorially. “It goes down towards the sea. I’ve seen; it always takes the same way—over the mountains and down to the sea, like me!”
Word meanings
breathless: gasping for breath, typically due to exertion
conspiratorially: secretly
Explanation of the above passage—The River told Jahnavi to stop, saying that she made it breathless with so many questions. The River then said in a secretive way that it could tell her where the moon went. It explained that the moon went down towards the sea, adding that the river had seen it and that the moon always took the same path—over the mountains and down to the sea, just like the river.
II
Passage: “Even little Ramu goes to school,” said Jahnavi, “pity, the school isn’t by the sea,” said the River. “Then I could take you along, you know. But, I suppose I couldn’t really. You’d get your feet wet. And that would never do! I’m afraid there’s only one thing you can do.”
“Can I do something?” asked Jahnavi. “Well, it’s up to you,” said the River. “Seems to me little girls can do as much as little boys—they swim as fast as little boys. You just slip along one morning and sit there in the school and listen to what’s going on, and maybe the teacher will let you stay.”
Word meanings
Pity: the feeling of sorrow and compassion caused by the suffering and misfortunes of others.
Explanation of the above passage—Jahnavi mentioned that even young Ramu went to school. The River then said it regretted that the school wasn’t by the sea. It added that if it were, it could take Jahnavi along. However, the River then considered that it probably couldn’t take Jahnavi along because she would get her feet wet in it, and that would be unacceptable in school. The river concluded that there was only one thing Jahnavi could do.
Jahnavi asked if she could do something. The river replied that it was up to her. It remarked that it seemed to it that little girls could do as much as little boys and that they swam just as fast as little boys. The river suggested that Jahnavi could simply go along one morning, sit in the school, listen to what was happening, and perhaps the teacher would allow her to stay.
Passage
“I couldn’t,” gasped Jahnavi. “I couldn’t! They’d scare me! They’d chase me out.”
The River laughed. “You? Scared?” the River said, “when you’re not afraid of the green lizard, or of the snake in the bamboo clump, (Jahnavi startled) or the big trains rattling past that bridge.” “Trains are noisy; I prefer ships,” said the River.
Word Meanings
clump: a small group of trees growing together
rattling: noise made by shaking things
Explanation of the above passage—Jahnavi gasped and said that she couldn’t because they would frighten her and chase her away. The river laughed and asked if she was scared, especially since she wasn’t afraid of the green lizard or the snake in the bamboo trees (at which Jahnavi was startled) or the big trains making loud noises as they went past the bridge. The river then stated that trains were noisy and the river preferred ships over trains.
Passage: Jahnavi never knew the snake lived in the bamboo clump.
“What are ships?” she asked.
“Big boats,” said the River, “so big that they can take hundreds of people, and they sail along the sea with lights that shine all night.”
Jahnavi held her breath. “Will they come here?” she asked. “I’m afraid not,” said the River. “Too large, you know. Chandu’s catamaran is good enough for me. Chandu can take you to see a ship, someday.”
“They’d never let me!” wailed Jahnavi.
“Try going to school first,” said the River. “Remember—it’s up to you!”
Word meanings
catamaran: a kind of boat
wailed: (here) complained in a loud voice
Explanation of the above passage—Jahnavi didn’t know that a snake lived in the bunch of bamboo. She asked what ships were. The river replied that they were big boats, so large that they could carry many hundreds of people, and that they traveled on the sea with lights that shone during the entire night. Jahnavi became very still, holding her breath. She then asked if those ships would come to the place she stood. The river responded that it was afraid they would not come to their place, explaining that the ships were too big. The river added that Chandu’s small boat with two hulls was the biggest that could fit in it and that Chandu could take Jahnavi to see a ship at some point in the future. Jahnavi cried out sadly that they would never allow her to go to see a ship. The river suggested that she should try going to school first, reminding her that it was her decision to make.
Passage: Jahnavi gathered courage. The next day she reached the school, panting and out of breath and stood by the door listening while the teacher read out the lesson. It was a story about a prince called Asˊhoka, who became a great king. Little Appu had fallen asleep on her shoulder. She crept nearer and nearer till she was in the back row, squatting with the others on the earthen floor. Little Appu made no noise and she listened.
Word meanings
panting: breathing with short, quick breaths; out of breath.
crept: move slowly and carefully in order to avoid being heard or noticed.
squatting: crouch or sit with one’s knees bent and one’s heels close to or touching one’s buttocks or the back of one’s thighs.
earthen floor: floor that is made from compacted soil or clay, not concrete, tile, or wood.
Explanation of the above passage—Jahnavi made herself brave. The day after, she got to the school, breathing heavily and tired, and stood near the entrance, listening as the teacher spoke the lesson aloud. The lesson was a story about a royal person named Asˊhoka, who became a very important ruler. Little Appu had gone to sleep on her upper arm. She moved closer and closer until she was in the last line, sitting down with the other children on the dirt ground. Small Appu did not make any sound, and she paid attention.
Passage
“Where did you spring from, little girl?” asked the teacher. “And what is your name? You’re new in my class.”
“She’s Gopi’s sister, Gopi is in the next class,” said one of the boys. “It’s Jahnavi,” said another. “So, you’re Gopi’s little sister? Nice lad, Gopi.”
“If you really, really want to come to my school, Jahnavi,” the teacher had said, “we’ll talk to your father about it. Don’t you worry. We’ll find a way.”
Word meanings
spring from: to originate from, be caused by, or result from something
Explanation of the above passage—The teacher asked a little girl where she had suddenly appeared from. The teacher also inquired about her name, noting that she was new to the class. One of the boys mentioned that she was Gopi’s sister and that Gopi was in the class above. Another boy added that her name was Jahnavi. The teacher then addressed Jahnavi, confirming that she was Gopi’s younger sister and commented that Gopi was a nice boy. The teacher had told Jahnavi that if she truly wanted to attend their school, they would speak to her father about it. The teacher reassured her not to worry, saying that they would find a solution.
Passage: Jahnavi saw the teacher walking up the steps to their gate the next evening when she was lighting the lamp. She could see her father scratching his cheek the way he did when he was worried and the teacher was nodding and saying something she couldn’t make out. And Mother said, “Little Jahnavi, I shall miss you when you go to school. Girls should learn as much as they want. When I was your age, I wanted to go to school, but your grandmother said ‘No’, but now, I am glad the teacher came to talk to your father.”
Word meanings
scratching: the act of rubbing your skin with your nails
nodding: lower and raise one’s head slightly and briefly, especially in greeting, assent, or understanding, or to give someone a signal
Explanation of the above passage—Jahnavi saw the teacher who taught them walking up the stairs to the gate of their house the next evening while she was turning on the light. She was able to see her father rubbing his face in the way that he did at times when he was feeling concerned and the teacher was moving her head up and down and saying something that she was not able to understand. And her mother said that small Jahnavi, she would feel her absence when she went to the school. She said that girls should learn as much as they have a desire for. She mentioned that when she was the same age as Jahnavi, she had wanted to go to the school, but Jahnavi’s grandmother had said ‘No’, but now, she felt happy that the teacher had come to speak to Jahnavi’s father.
Passage: And Jahnavi said, “Mother, when I grow up, I’ll be a teacher and I’ll go from house to house in our village and ask all the little girls to come to my school. And I’ll teach them all that I’m going to learn.”
And she went down the path between the fields the next morning before school began, to meet the River. “I did it!” she told the River. “I was scared, but I did it! And they’re letting me go. I’m going to learn to write my name and do sums and find out why our little fishes in the rice fields turn into frogs.” She heard the river’s sleepy chuckle, “Come again, little girl, and I’ll tell you all about the ships that sail the sea.”
Word meanings
chuckle: laugh quietly or inwardly.
sail: voyage
Explanation of the above passage—Jahnavi told her mother that when she grew older, she would be a teacher and she would go from house to house in their village and ask all the small girls to come to her school. And she would teach them everything that she was going to learn in the school. And she walked down the narrow way between the fields the next morning before school started, to meet the river. She told the river that she had done it. She had been afraid, but she had done it. And they were allowing her to go. She was going to learn to write her name and do math problems and find out the reason why their little fishes in the fields where rice grows change into frogs. She heard the water’s tired, soft laugh, and it said her to come again, and it would tell her everything about the big boats that travel on the ocean.
Conclusion
The story The Day the River Spoke by Kamala Nair is a story by Kamala Nair about a young girl named Jahnavi who lives in a coastal village in India. Jahnavi wants to attend school, but her family doesn’t allow her. In the story, Jahnavi secretly talks to a river that inspires her to chase her dream of getting an education. Students can take help from this post to understand the lesson and also learn the difficult word meanings to get a better grasp over The Day the River Spoke. This lesson includes the summary of The Day the River Spoke which will help students of class 7 to get a quick recap of the story.