NCERT Textbook: Madhu's Wish | NCERT Textbooks & Solutions for Class 3 PDF Download

 Page 1


Chapter
9. Madhu’s Wish
Let us read Let us read
Madhu  loved  food. 
He  always  wanted 
to  eat  different 
kinds  of  food  and 
snacks.  He  was 
never  tired  of  eating. 
Every  day,  at  noon,  he 
would   sit  under  a  banyan 
tree  and  eat   his  lunch.    One 
day,   as  he  was  eating,   an  old 
Page 2


Chapter
9. Madhu’s Wish
Let us read Let us read
Madhu  loved  food. 
He  always  wanted 
to  eat  different 
kinds  of  food  and 
snacks.  He  was 
never  tired  of  eating. 
Every  day,  at  noon,  he 
would   sit  under  a  banyan 
tree  and  eat   his  lunch.    One 
day,   as  he  was  eating,   an  old 
89
Santoor ¦  Class  3
man  came.  Madhu  felt  sorry  for  him  and 
shared   his   food   with  him.  The   old  man 
was  so  happy  that  as  he  was   leaving,  he 
said,  “My   child,   you   have   been  so  kind.   
In  return,  you   can  wish  for  anything 
from  this   tree   and   it  will  be  granted.” 
Madhu felt very happy.
He  thought,   I can ask  for different types of  food, 
and  enjoy  them  forever.  He  
sat  there  and  closing   his  
eyes   said,  “Oh  tree,   let 
me  have   different  types 
of food. Nothing  else.”
What do  you think Madhu  will do now?
Page 3


Chapter
9. Madhu’s Wish
Let us read Let us read
Madhu  loved  food. 
He  always  wanted 
to  eat  different 
kinds  of  food  and 
snacks.  He  was 
never  tired  of  eating. 
Every  day,  at  noon,  he 
would   sit  under  a  banyan 
tree  and  eat   his  lunch.    One 
day,   as  he  was  eating,   an  old 
89
Santoor ¦  Class  3
man  came.  Madhu  felt  sorry  for  him  and 
shared   his   food   with  him.  The   old  man 
was  so  happy  that  as  he  was   leaving,  he 
said,  “My   child,   you   have   been  so  kind.   
In  return,  you   can  wish  for  anything 
from  this   tree   and   it  will  be  granted.” 
Madhu felt very happy.
He  thought,   I can ask  for different types of  food, 
and  enjoy  them  forever.  He  
sat  there  and  closing   his  
eyes   said,  “Oh  tree,   let 
me  have   different  types 
of food. Nothing  else.”
What do  you think Madhu  will do now?
90
Santoor   ¦  Class   3
What  do   you   think will happen now?
He  heard   a  voice  from 
the  tree.  “You   don’t  want 
anything  else?   Think  it   over.” 
Without  thinking,   Madhu 
said,   “Nothing  else”.  First,  he 
asked   for  laddoos.  At  once,  a 
basket full of laddoos appeared. 
He   happily  started  eating  it.  After  some  time,   he  got 
bored.   Then   he   thought   of   colourful  fruits.  Immediately,   fruit 
in  baskets  appeared.  He  started 
eating   them.  There  were 
grapes,  mangoes,   apples, 
bananas,  jackfruit,  melons, 
guavas,   oranges   and   many 
more.  Then   he  got  bored 
eating   only  fruits.  He   asked  for 
savouries.  Immediately 
savouries   like   matri , 
samosas,   kachori , 
potato   chips   and  vada  
appeared   i n   h u g e 
baskets.   He   happily 
started   eating   them.
Page 4


Chapter
9. Madhu’s Wish
Let us read Let us read
Madhu  loved  food. 
He  always  wanted 
to  eat  different 
kinds  of  food  and 
snacks.  He  was 
never  tired  of  eating. 
Every  day,  at  noon,  he 
would   sit  under  a  banyan 
tree  and  eat   his  lunch.    One 
day,   as  he  was  eating,   an  old 
89
Santoor ¦  Class  3
man  came.  Madhu  felt  sorry  for  him  and 
shared   his   food   with  him.  The   old  man 
was  so  happy  that  as  he  was   leaving,  he 
said,  “My   child,   you   have   been  so  kind.   
In  return,  you   can  wish  for  anything 
from  this   tree   and   it  will  be  granted.” 
Madhu felt very happy.
He  thought,   I can ask  for different types of  food, 
and  enjoy  them  forever.  He  
sat  there  and  closing   his  
eyes   said,  “Oh  tree,   let 
me  have   different  types 
of food. Nothing  else.”
What do  you think Madhu  will do now?
90
Santoor   ¦  Class   3
What  do   you   think will happen now?
He  heard   a  voice  from 
the  tree.  “You   don’t  want 
anything  else?   Think  it   over.” 
Without  thinking,   Madhu 
said,   “Nothing  else”.  First,  he 
asked   for  laddoos.  At  once,  a 
basket full of laddoos appeared. 
He   happily  started  eating  it.  After  some  time,   he  got 
bored.   Then   he   thought   of   colourful  fruits.  Immediately,   fruit 
in  baskets  appeared.  He  started 
eating   them.  There  were 
grapes,  mangoes,   apples, 
bananas,  jackfruit,  melons, 
guavas,   oranges   and   many 
more.  Then   he  got  bored 
eating   only  fruits.  He   asked  for 
savouries.  Immediately 
savouries   like   matri , 
samosas,   kachori , 
potato   chips   and  vada  
appeared   i n   h u g e 
baskets.   He   happily 
started   eating   them.
91
Santoor ¦  Class  3
As   he  was  eating,  he 
suddenly  got  hiccups.  He 
wanted  water.   He  looked  
around.  There  was  food  
everywhere but no water!
He   asked  for  water  but 
the   tree   said,  “You   wanted 
only  food  not   water.”
“So   what  if  I  don’t  get 
water   I  will   have   sharbat , 
kheer   and badam   milk  for 
my   thirst,”  thought   Madhu. 
Soon,  all   these  appeared  in 
jugs.
Madhu   drank  them  all   but   the   hiccups 
did  not   stop.  They  became   louder.   He   was  
now desperate  for  water.
He  prayed   to   the   tree,   “May  all   this   food  
disappear,   and   let  me  
have  water   instead.”
“Are   you  sure?” 
the   voice   from   the  tree  
asked.
“Yes,   I   am   sure.   Now 
I   know   the   importance   of   water.   No   other 
Page 5


Chapter
9. Madhu’s Wish
Let us read Let us read
Madhu  loved  food. 
He  always  wanted 
to  eat  different 
kinds  of  food  and 
snacks.  He  was 
never  tired  of  eating. 
Every  day,  at  noon,  he 
would   sit  under  a  banyan 
tree  and  eat   his  lunch.    One 
day,   as  he  was  eating,   an  old 
89
Santoor ¦  Class  3
man  came.  Madhu  felt  sorry  for  him  and 
shared   his   food   with  him.  The   old  man 
was  so  happy  that  as  he  was   leaving,  he 
said,  “My   child,   you   have   been  so  kind.   
In  return,  you   can  wish  for  anything 
from  this   tree   and   it  will  be  granted.” 
Madhu felt very happy.
He  thought,   I can ask  for different types of  food, 
and  enjoy  them  forever.  He  
sat  there  and  closing   his  
eyes   said,  “Oh  tree,   let 
me  have   different  types 
of food. Nothing  else.”
What do  you think Madhu  will do now?
90
Santoor   ¦  Class   3
What  do   you   think will happen now?
He  heard   a  voice  from 
the  tree.  “You   don’t  want 
anything  else?   Think  it   over.” 
Without  thinking,   Madhu 
said,   “Nothing  else”.  First,  he 
asked   for  laddoos.  At  once,  a 
basket full of laddoos appeared. 
He   happily  started  eating  it.  After  some  time,   he  got 
bored.   Then   he   thought   of   colourful  fruits.  Immediately,   fruit 
in  baskets  appeared.  He  started 
eating   them.  There  were 
grapes,  mangoes,   apples, 
bananas,  jackfruit,  melons, 
guavas,   oranges   and   many 
more.  Then   he  got  bored 
eating   only  fruits.  He   asked  for 
savouries.  Immediately 
savouries   like   matri , 
samosas,   kachori , 
potato   chips   and  vada  
appeared   i n   h u g e 
baskets.   He   happily 
started   eating   them.
91
Santoor ¦  Class  3
As   he  was  eating,  he 
suddenly  got  hiccups.  He 
wanted  water.   He  looked  
around.  There  was  food  
everywhere but no water!
He   asked  for  water  but 
the   tree   said,  “You   wanted 
only  food  not   water.”
“So   what  if  I  don’t  get 
water   I  will   have   sharbat , 
kheer   and badam   milk  for 
my   thirst,”  thought   Madhu. 
Soon,  all   these  appeared  in 
jugs.
Madhu   drank  them  all   but   the   hiccups 
did  not   stop.  They  became   louder.   He   was  
now desperate  for  water.
He  prayed   to   the   tree,   “May  all   this   food  
disappear,   and   let  me  
have  water   instead.”
“Are   you  sure?” 
the   voice   from   the  tree  
asked.
“Yes,   I   am   sure.   Now 
I   know   the   importance   of   water.   No   other 
92
Santoor   ¦  Class   3
drink   can   replace   water. 
Please   give   me   just   water.”
A   jug  of   water  appeared.  Thirsty, 
Madhu  drank  as  though  he  had 
never  seen  water.   His  hiccups  stopped.   
He was  no longer thirsty.
— Sudha Murty
New words 
forever   immediately  appeared  savouries   hiccups  
disappear  instead  replace  thirsty
Note to the teacher
Ask  children   that when they get   hiccups,  what  do   their  
parents  and  elders suggest to  them.