Wisdom of Little Girls
It was an early Easter. Sledging was only just over; snow still lay in the yards; and water ran in streams down the village street.
Two little girls from different houses happened to meet in a lane between two homesteads, where, the dirty water after running through the farm-yards had formed a large puddle. One girl was very small, the other a little bigger. Their mothers had dressed them both in new frocks. The little one wore a blue frock, the other a yellow print, and both had red kerchiefs on their heads. They had just come from church when they met, and first they showed each other their finery, and then they began to play. Soon the fancy took them to splash about in the water, and the smaller one was going to step into the puddle, shoes and all, when the elder checked her:
Don't go in so, Malasha,' said she, 'your mother will scold you. I will take off my shoes and stockings, and you take off yours."
They did so; and then, picking up their skirts, began walking to- wards each other through the puddle. The water came up to Ma- J-lasha's ankles, and she said:
"It is deep, Akoulya, I'm afraid!"
Come on,' replied the other. 'Don't be frightened. It won't get any
deeper.' When they got near one another, Akoulya said:
Mind, Malasha, don't splash. Walk carefully!"
She had hardly said this, when Malasha plumped down her foot so that the water splashed right on to Akoulya's frock. The frock was splashed, and so were Akoulya's eyes and nose. When she saw the stains on her frock, she was angry and ran after Malasha to strike her. Malasha was frightened, and seeing that she had got herself into trouble, she scrambled out of the puddle, and prepared to run home. Just then Akoulya's mother happened to be passing, and seeing that her daughter's skirt was splashed, and her sleeves dirty, she said:
You naughty, dirty girl, what have you been doing?" Malasha did it on purpose,' replied the girl.
At this Akoulya's mother seized Malasha, and struck her on the back of her neck. Malasha began to howl so that she could be heard all down the street. Her mother came out.
What are you beating my girl for?' said she; and began scolding her neighbour. One word led to another and they had an angry quarrel. The men came out, and crowd collected in the street, every one shouting and no one listening. They all went on quarreling, till one gave another a push, and the affair had very nearly come to blows, when Akoulya's old grandmother, stepping in among them, tried to calm them.
"What are you thinking of, friends? Is it right to behave so? On a day like this, too! It is a time for rejoicing, and not for such folly as this."
They would not listen to the old woman, and nearly knocked her off her feet. And she would not have been able to quiet the crowd, if it had not been for Akoulya and Malasha themselves. While the women were abusing each other, Akoulya had wiped the mud off her frock, and gone back to the puddle. She took a stone and began scraping away the earth in front of the puddle to make a channel through which the water could run out into the street. Presently Ma- lasha joined her, and with a chip of wood helped her dig the channel. Just as the men were beginning to fight, the water from the little girls' channel ran streaming into the street towards the very place where the old woman was trying to pacify the men. The girls followed it; one running each side of the little stream.
Catch it, Malasha! Catch it!' shouted Akoulya; while Malasha could not speak for laughing.
Highly delighted, and watching the chip float along on their stream, the little girls ran straight into the group of men; and the old woman, seeing them, said to the men:
You sent
'Are you not ashamed of yourselves? To go fighting on account of these lassies, when they themselves have forgotten all about it, and are playing happily together. Dear little souls! They are wiser than you!'
The men looked at the little girls, and were ashamed, and, laughing at themselves, went back each to his own home.
'Except you turn, and become as little children, you shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven.'
-Leo Tolstoy
A. Replace the words or phrases in red in the sentences below with the correct words from the brackets.
[abusing, lassies, scrambled, fancy, folly, rejoicing, chip]
a. The lassies were dressed in their best finery to go to the party. |
b. Do you sometimes fancy of living in a luxurious house? |
c. When Shila was chased by a dog she scrambled quickly onto the wall. |
d. The young lassies rejoiced everyone with their performance. |
e. It was his folly to leave the bike unlocked in the street. |
f. Each one accused the other of cheating. Soon, they started abusing each other. |
g. Could you please give me a chip of paper? I can't find the duster. |
h. The farmers rejoiced when it rained after a long drought. |
B. Choose the correct alternative to complete the sentences.
a. The two little girls were dressed in new frocks probably because...... |
i. they were twins. |
ii. they had to go to church. |
iii. they went to the same school. |
Answer: ii. they had to go to church. |
b. When Malasha was going to splash into the puddle........
i. Akoulya asked Malasha not to go into the puddle. |
ii. Akoulya asked her Malasha to take off her shoes and stockings before going. |
iii. Akoulya asked Malasha to go into the puddle alone. |
Answer: ii. Akoulya asked her Malasha to take off her shoes and stockings before going. |
c. While running home, the girls were caught........
i. Akoulya's mother |
ii. Malasha's mother |
iii. Akoulya's grandmother |
Answer: i. Akoulya's mother |
d. Akoulya's grandmother..........
i. was able to calm down the crowd |
ii. could not calm down the crowd |
iii. chased away the crowd with stones |
Answer: i. was able to calm down the crowd |
e. While the men were busy fighting, the two girls..........
i. joined the fight of the men |
ii. played a game together |
iii. started to fight with each other |
Answer: ii. played a game together |
f. In the end, the men.........
i. were guilty of their deed |
ii. were pleased with their deed |
iii. were proud of their deed |
Answer: i. were guilty of their deed |
C. Answer these questions.
a. How were the girls dressed? |
Answer: The girls were dressed in new frocks, one in a blue frock and the other in a yellow print, with red kerchiefs on their heads. |
b. Where did the girls begin to play? |
Answer: The girls began to play in a lane between two homesteads where a large puddle had formed. |
c. Why did Akoulya get angry with Malasha? |
Answer: Akoulya got angry with Malasha because Malasha splashed water onto Akoulya's frock, staining it. |
d. Why did the crowd gather in the street? |
Answer: The crowd gathered in the street because the adults were quarreling and shouting at each other. |
e. How did Akoulya's grandmother try to calm down the crowd? |
Answer: Akoulya's grandmother tried to calm down the crowd by stepping in among them and speaking to them. |
f. Why are the girls called wiser than men? |
Answer: The girls are called wiser than men because they were able to resolve the conflict by diverting the attention of the fighting adults and bringing joy through their playful actions. |
g. What lesson do you learn from the story? |
Answer: The lesson we learn from the story is that adults should learn from the innocence and wisdom of children, letting go of conflicts and embracing forgiveness and playfulness. |
Word Meaning
Word (from text) & Phonetic Transcription |
Sledging /ˈslɛdʒɪŋ/ |
Sledding, tobogganing |
The activity of sliding down a snowy hill or slope on a sled. |
Yards /jɑːrdz/ |
Gardens, courtyards |
Open spaces or enclosed areas around buildings or houses. |
Homesteads /ˈhoʊmstɛd/ |
Farms, properties |
Pieces of land with buildings where people live and work, often as farms. |
Puddle /ˈpʌdəl/ |
Pool, pond |
A small pool of water, often formed on the ground after rain or snow. |
Kerchiefs /ˈkɜːrtʃɪfs/ |
Scarves, headscarves |
Square pieces of cloth worn as a covering for the head or around the neck. |
Finery /ˈfaɪnəri/ |
Dressy clothes, attire |
Beautiful or elegant clothing worn on special occasions. |
Fancy /ˈfænsi/ |
Imagination, whimsy |
A sudden inclination or desire to do or experience something. |
Splash /splæʃ/ |
Spatter, splatter |
To cause liquid to scatter or fall on surfaces forcefully and noisily. |
Stockings /ˈstɑːkɪŋz/ |
Hose, socks |
Garments covering the feet and legs, reaching up to the knees or thighs. |
Plumped /plʌmpt/ |
Plopped, dropped |
To drop or fall suddenly or heavily with a sound. |
Stains /steɪnz/ |
Marks, spots |
Marks or discolorations caused by the penetration of a substance onto a surface. |
Scrambled /ˈskræmbəld/ |
Climbed, clambered |
To move or climb quickly and with difficulty using hands and feet. |
Seized /siːzd/ |
Grabbed, caught |
To take hold of someone or something suddenly and forcibly. |
Struck /strʌk/ |
Hit, smacked |
To deliver a blow or hit forcefully. |
Howl /haʊl/ |
Cry, wail |
To make a loud, prolonged, mournful sound or cry. |
Affair /əˈfɛr/ |
Incident, event |
An event or situation that is significant or noteworthy. |
Abusing /əˈbjuzɪŋ/ |
Insulting, mistreating |
Using offensive language or behaving cruelly towards someone. |
Scraping /ˈskreɪpɪŋ/ |
Shaving, removing |
Removing or collecting something by rubbing a surface with a tool. |
Chip /tʃɪp/ |
Fragment, piece |
A small, thin piece of wood, stone, or other material. |
Pacify /ˈpæsɪfaɪ/ |
Calm, soothe |
To calm or appease someone, usually by reducing anger or agitation. |
Lassies /ˈlæsiz/ |
Girls, young women |
Informal term for girls or young women. |
Extra Question to Practice
Expandable FAQ Section
How were the girls dressed?
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They were dressed in new frocks.
Where did the girls begin to play?
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The girls began to play in the water.
Why did Akoulya get angry with Malasha?
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Akoulya got angry with Malasha because Malasha splashed water on her frock.
Why did the crowd gather in the street?
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The crowd gathered in the street due to the quarrel between the mothers.
How did Akoulya's grandmother try to calm down the crowd?
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Akoulya's grandmother tried to calm down the crowd by intervening.
Why are the girls called wiser than men?
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The girls are called wiser than men because they resolved their differences and played happily together.
What color was the smaller girl's frock?
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The smaller girl's frock was blue.
What did Akoulya suggest before entering the puddle?
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Akoulya suggested taking off their shoes and stockings before entering the puddle.
What got splashed with water when Malasha plumped down her foot?
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Akoulya's frock, eyes, and nose got splashed with water.
How did Malasha react after splashing Akoulya?
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Malasha got frightened and prepared to run home.
Who happened to be passing by when the quarrel escalated?
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Akoulya's mother happened to be passing by when the quarrel escalated.
What did Akoulya's mother do to Malasha?
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Akoulya's mother struck Malasha on the back of her neck.
What did Malasha claim about splashing water on Akoulya's frock?
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Malasha claimed that she splashed water on Akoulya's frock on purpose.
Who defended Malasha and scolded Akoulya's mother?
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Malasha's mother defended her and scolded Akoulya's mother.
Who joined the quarrel and started fighting?
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The men joined the quarrel and started fighting.
How did Akoulya's grandmother try to calm the crowd?
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Akoulya's grandmother stepped in to try and calm the crowd.
What did the old woman question about their behavior?
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The old woman questioned their behavior and reminded them to rejoice instead.
What did Akoulya do after the quarrel?
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Akoulya wiped the mud off her frock and returned to the puddle.
What did the girls make to let the water flow?
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The girls made a channel to let the water flow.
Where did the water from the girls' channel run into?
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The water from the girls' channel ran into the street towards the old woman and the fighting men.
What did the little girls follow as it floated along?
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The little girls followed a chip of wood as it floated along.
How did the men feel when they looked at the little girls?
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The men felt ashamed when they looked at the little girls.
What did the old woman say about the little girls?
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The old woman said the little girls were wiser than the men.
What quality is emphasized in the passage?
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The passage suggests that forgiveness is an important quality to embrace, similar to the innocence of children.