NCERT Textbook - The Milkmans Cow | NCERT Textbooks & Solutions for Class 4 PDF Download

 Page 1


The Milkman’s Cow
The milkman’s cow was in a bad mood. It sat in the middle 
of the road and refused to move.
The milkman begged the cow to get up. “The children are 
waiting for their milk to help them grow strong.  Please get 
up,” he pleaded.  He pulled and tugged and prayed.
But the cow wasn’t going anywhere that day.
Along came a policeman, his buttons and 
buckles gleaming bright. “Humph,” he said, 
twirling his long 
moustache, “I’ll 
show you how 
to do it right.”
The Cruel Boy
The monkey is in a cage.
A boy looks at the monkey.
He gives it a sweet.
The monkey opens the paper.
There is a stone inside.
The poor monkey is sad.
Cruel boy!
Are these sentences Right ( ) or Wrong ( )?
1. The monkey is in the forest.
2. The boy gives the monkey a stone.
3. The monkey thinks it is a sweet.
4. The monkey likes sweets.
5. The monkey is sad.
– Shyamala Kumaradas
? x
5
96
4
97
Page 2


The Milkman’s Cow
The milkman’s cow was in a bad mood. It sat in the middle 
of the road and refused to move.
The milkman begged the cow to get up. “The children are 
waiting for their milk to help them grow strong.  Please get 
up,” he pleaded.  He pulled and tugged and prayed.
But the cow wasn’t going anywhere that day.
Along came a policeman, his buttons and 
buckles gleaming bright. “Humph,” he said, 
twirling his long 
moustache, “I’ll 
show you how 
to do it right.”
The Cruel Boy
The monkey is in a cage.
A boy looks at the monkey.
He gives it a sweet.
The monkey opens the paper.
There is a stone inside.
The poor monkey is sad.
Cruel boy!
Are these sentences Right ( ) or Wrong ( )?
1. The monkey is in the forest.
2. The boy gives the monkey a stone.
3. The monkey thinks it is a sweet.
4. The monkey likes sweets.
5. The monkey is sad.
– Shyamala Kumaradas
? x
5
96
4
97
But the cow wasn’t going anywhere that day.
Along came the ice-cream man, jingling his cart. 
“Cool down, cool down, it can’t be too hard.”
The policeman and the milkman pulled and 
tugged and prayed. But the cow wasn’t going 
anywhere that day.
Along came a grocer with bags of potatoes and 
peas. He said, “I’ll move this cow with the greatest 
of ease.” 
The grocer, the policeman and the milkman 
pulled and tugged and prayed.
But the cow wasn’t going anywhere that day.
Along came a wrestler, his muscles gleaming in 
the sun. He said, “I have the strength of ten 
horses, so this should be fun.”
The wrestler, the grocer, the policeman and the 
milkman pulled and tugged and prayed. 
The ice-cream man, the wrestler, 
the grocer, the policeman and the 
5
98
4
99
Page 3


The Milkman’s Cow
The milkman’s cow was in a bad mood. It sat in the middle 
of the road and refused to move.
The milkman begged the cow to get up. “The children are 
waiting for their milk to help them grow strong.  Please get 
up,” he pleaded.  He pulled and tugged and prayed.
But the cow wasn’t going anywhere that day.
Along came a policeman, his buttons and 
buckles gleaming bright. “Humph,” he said, 
twirling his long 
moustache, “I’ll 
show you how 
to do it right.”
The Cruel Boy
The monkey is in a cage.
A boy looks at the monkey.
He gives it a sweet.
The monkey opens the paper.
There is a stone inside.
The poor monkey is sad.
Cruel boy!
Are these sentences Right ( ) or Wrong ( )?
1. The monkey is in the forest.
2. The boy gives the monkey a stone.
3. The monkey thinks it is a sweet.
4. The monkey likes sweets.
5. The monkey is sad.
– Shyamala Kumaradas
? x
5
96
4
97
But the cow wasn’t going anywhere that day.
Along came the ice-cream man, jingling his cart. 
“Cool down, cool down, it can’t be too hard.”
The policeman and the milkman pulled and 
tugged and prayed. But the cow wasn’t going 
anywhere that day.
Along came a grocer with bags of potatoes and 
peas. He said, “I’ll move this cow with the greatest 
of ease.” 
The grocer, the policeman and the milkman 
pulled and tugged and prayed.
But the cow wasn’t going anywhere that day.
Along came a wrestler, his muscles gleaming in 
the sun. He said, “I have the strength of ten 
horses, so this should be fun.”
The wrestler, the grocer, the policeman and the 
milkman pulled and tugged and prayed. 
The ice-cream man, the wrestler, 
the grocer, the policeman and the 
5
98
4
99
But the cow wasn’t going anywhere that day.
Along came the ice-cream man, jingling his cart. 
“Cool down, cool down, it can’t be too hard.”
The policeman and the milkman pulled and 
tugged and prayed. But the cow wasn’t going 
anywhere that day.
Along came a grocer with bags of potatoes and 
peas. He said, “I’ll move this cow with the greatest 
of ease.” 
The grocer, the policeman and the milkman 
pulled and tugged and prayed.
But the cow wasn’t going anywhere that day.
Along came a wrestler, his muscles gleaming in 
the sun. He said, “I have the strength of ten 
horses, so this should be fun.”
The wrestler, the grocer, the policeman and the 
milkman pulled and tugged and prayed. 
The ice-cream man, the wrestler, 
the grocer, the policeman and the 
5
98
4
99
Page 4


The Milkman’s Cow
The milkman’s cow was in a bad mood. It sat in the middle 
of the road and refused to move.
The milkman begged the cow to get up. “The children are 
waiting for their milk to help them grow strong.  Please get 
up,” he pleaded.  He pulled and tugged and prayed.
But the cow wasn’t going anywhere that day.
Along came a policeman, his buttons and 
buckles gleaming bright. “Humph,” he said, 
twirling his long 
moustache, “I’ll 
show you how 
to do it right.”
The Cruel Boy
The monkey is in a cage.
A boy looks at the monkey.
He gives it a sweet.
The monkey opens the paper.
There is a stone inside.
The poor monkey is sad.
Cruel boy!
Are these sentences Right ( ) or Wrong ( )?
1. The monkey is in the forest.
2. The boy gives the monkey a stone.
3. The monkey thinks it is a sweet.
4. The monkey likes sweets.
5. The monkey is sad.
– Shyamala Kumaradas
? x
5
96
4
97
But the cow wasn’t going anywhere that day.
Along came the ice-cream man, jingling his cart. 
“Cool down, cool down, it can’t be too hard.”
The policeman and the milkman pulled and 
tugged and prayed. But the cow wasn’t going 
anywhere that day.
Along came a grocer with bags of potatoes and 
peas. He said, “I’ll move this cow with the greatest 
of ease.” 
The grocer, the policeman and the milkman 
pulled and tugged and prayed.
But the cow wasn’t going anywhere that day.
Along came a wrestler, his muscles gleaming in 
the sun. He said, “I have the strength of ten 
horses, so this should be fun.”
The wrestler, the grocer, the policeman and the 
milkman pulled and tugged and prayed. 
The ice-cream man, the wrestler, 
the grocer, the policeman and the 
5
98
4
99
But the cow wasn’t going anywhere that day.
Along came the ice-cream man, jingling his cart. 
“Cool down, cool down, it can’t be too hard.”
The policeman and the milkman pulled and 
tugged and prayed. But the cow wasn’t going 
anywhere that day.
Along came a grocer with bags of potatoes and 
peas. He said, “I’ll move this cow with the greatest 
of ease.” 
The grocer, the policeman and the milkman 
pulled and tugged and prayed.
But the cow wasn’t going anywhere that day.
Along came a wrestler, his muscles gleaming in 
the sun. He said, “I have the strength of ten 
horses, so this should be fun.”
The wrestler, the grocer, the policeman and the 
milkman pulled and tugged and prayed. 
The ice-cream man, the wrestler, 
the grocer, the policeman and the 
5
98
4
99
New words
milkman, mood, middle, refused, policeman,
grocer, wrestler, ice-cream, prayed
and wheat, and cows eat 
grass.”
He held out a 
sheaf of tasty 
green. The 
cow began 
to chew. He 
slowly led 
her to the 
side, for 
he knew 
what to do.
The grocer clapped, the policeman twirled his 
stick in joy.
The wrestler grinned. The ice-cream man 
whooped at the cleverness of the boy.
The milkman happily clattered his pail.
Being kind and loving is best, for force and 
strength can fail.
– Vidya Pradhan
Reading is fun
Let’s talk
1. Why did the cow refuse to get up?
2. Name those who tried to make the cow move.
3. Who finally made the cow get up and how?
1.
Take turns to continue the story of the cow on the 
road. Each child can say one line till the story is 
complete.
2. We can make people do more things with kindness 
than with cruelty or force. Do you agree? What do 
you think? Tell the class about a time when you were 
kind to an animal.
3. Do you do an action always in the same way?
(a) How do you talk to visitors?
(b) How do you talk to your friends in the 
playground?
(c) How do you talk to your 
teacher in the class?
As I walked to my school I saw...
5
100
4
101
Page 5


The Milkman’s Cow
The milkman’s cow was in a bad mood. It sat in the middle 
of the road and refused to move.
The milkman begged the cow to get up. “The children are 
waiting for their milk to help them grow strong.  Please get 
up,” he pleaded.  He pulled and tugged and prayed.
But the cow wasn’t going anywhere that day.
Along came a policeman, his buttons and 
buckles gleaming bright. “Humph,” he said, 
twirling his long 
moustache, “I’ll 
show you how 
to do it right.”
The Cruel Boy
The monkey is in a cage.
A boy looks at the monkey.
He gives it a sweet.
The monkey opens the paper.
There is a stone inside.
The poor monkey is sad.
Cruel boy!
Are these sentences Right ( ) or Wrong ( )?
1. The monkey is in the forest.
2. The boy gives the monkey a stone.
3. The monkey thinks it is a sweet.
4. The monkey likes sweets.
5. The monkey is sad.
– Shyamala Kumaradas
? x
5
96
4
97
But the cow wasn’t going anywhere that day.
Along came the ice-cream man, jingling his cart. 
“Cool down, cool down, it can’t be too hard.”
The policeman and the milkman pulled and 
tugged and prayed. But the cow wasn’t going 
anywhere that day.
Along came a grocer with bags of potatoes and 
peas. He said, “I’ll move this cow with the greatest 
of ease.” 
The grocer, the policeman and the milkman 
pulled and tugged and prayed.
But the cow wasn’t going anywhere that day.
Along came a wrestler, his muscles gleaming in 
the sun. He said, “I have the strength of ten 
horses, so this should be fun.”
The wrestler, the grocer, the policeman and the 
milkman pulled and tugged and prayed. 
The ice-cream man, the wrestler, 
the grocer, the policeman and the 
5
98
4
99
But the cow wasn’t going anywhere that day.
Along came the ice-cream man, jingling his cart. 
“Cool down, cool down, it can’t be too hard.”
The policeman and the milkman pulled and 
tugged and prayed. But the cow wasn’t going 
anywhere that day.
Along came a grocer with bags of potatoes and 
peas. He said, “I’ll move this cow with the greatest 
of ease.” 
The grocer, the policeman and the milkman 
pulled and tugged and prayed.
But the cow wasn’t going anywhere that day.
Along came a wrestler, his muscles gleaming in 
the sun. He said, “I have the strength of ten 
horses, so this should be fun.”
The wrestler, the grocer, the policeman and the 
milkman pulled and tugged and prayed. 
The ice-cream man, the wrestler, 
the grocer, the policeman and the 
5
98
4
99
New words
milkman, mood, middle, refused, policeman,
grocer, wrestler, ice-cream, prayed
and wheat, and cows eat 
grass.”
He held out a 
sheaf of tasty 
green. The 
cow began 
to chew. He 
slowly led 
her to the 
side, for 
he knew 
what to do.
The grocer clapped, the policeman twirled his 
stick in joy.
The wrestler grinned. The ice-cream man 
whooped at the cleverness of the boy.
The milkman happily clattered his pail.
Being kind and loving is best, for force and 
strength can fail.
– Vidya Pradhan
Reading is fun
Let’s talk
1. Why did the cow refuse to get up?
2. Name those who tried to make the cow move.
3. Who finally made the cow get up and how?
1.
Take turns to continue the story of the cow on the 
road. Each child can say one line till the story is 
complete.
2. We can make people do more things with kindness 
than with cruelty or force. Do you agree? What do 
you think? Tell the class about a time when you were 
kind to an animal.
3. Do you do an action always in the same way?
(a) How do you talk to visitors?
(b) How do you talk to your friends in the 
playground?
(c) How do you talk to your 
teacher in the class?
As I walked to my school I saw...
5
100
4
101
New words
milkman, mood, middle, refused, policeman,
grocer, wrestler, ice-cream, prayed
and wheat, and cows eat 
grass.”
He held out a 
sheaf of tasty 
green. The 
cow began 
to chew. He 
slowly led 
her to the 
side, for 
he knew 
what to do.
The grocer clapped, the policeman twirled his 
stick in joy.
The wrestler grinned. The ice-cream man 
whooped at the cleverness of the boy.
The milkman happily clattered his pail.
Being kind and loving is best, for force and 
strength can fail.
– Vidya Pradhan
Reading is fun
Let’s talk
1. Why did the cow refuse to get up?
2. Name those who tried to make the cow move.
3. Who finally made the cow get up and how?
1.
Take turns to continue the story of the cow on the 
road. Each child can say one line till the story is 
complete.
2. We can make people do more things with kindness 
than with cruelty or force. Do you agree? What do 
you think? Tell the class about a time when you were 
kind to an animal.
3. Do you do an action always in the same way?
(a) How do you talk to visitors?
(b) How do you talk to your friends in the 
playground?
(c) How do you talk to your 
teacher in the class?
As I walked to my school I saw...
5
100
4
101