CBSE Textbook: Laughter-The Best Medicine | Communicative English for Class 10 PDF Download

 Page 1


UNIT-1
MAIN COURSE BOOK
HEALTH AND MEDICINE
Laughter-the Best Medicine
B1.  Read the following poem. Take turns in reading them aloud with your 
partner and ensure that you put in the right sort of feelings, emotions, voice 
modulations and intonation to make your partner laugh heartily.
 Ogden Nash
 The Muddlehead
 I knew a man from Petushkee
 As muddleheaded as could be.
He always got mixed up with clothes;
He wore his mittens on his toes,
Forgot his collar in his haste,
And tied his tie around his waist.
What a muddle head was he,
That man who lived in Petushkee!
They told him as he went about:
“You've got u'r coat on inside out!"
And when they saw his hat, they said:
"You've put a saucepan on your head!"
What a muddle head was he,
That man who lived in Petushkee!
At lunch he scratched a piece of bread,
And spread some butter on his head.
He put his walking stick to bed,
And he stood in the rack instead.
What a muddle head was he,
That man who lived in Petushkee!
He walked upto a tram one day
And climbed in very sprightly;
Conductor thought that he would pay,
14
Page 2


UNIT-1
MAIN COURSE BOOK
HEALTH AND MEDICINE
Laughter-the Best Medicine
B1.  Read the following poem. Take turns in reading them aloud with your 
partner and ensure that you put in the right sort of feelings, emotions, voice 
modulations and intonation to make your partner laugh heartily.
 Ogden Nash
 The Muddlehead
 I knew a man from Petushkee
 As muddleheaded as could be.
He always got mixed up with clothes;
He wore his mittens on his toes,
Forgot his collar in his haste,
And tied his tie around his waist.
What a muddle head was he,
That man who lived in Petushkee!
They told him as he went about:
“You've got u'r coat on inside out!"
And when they saw his hat, they said:
"You've put a saucepan on your head!"
What a muddle head was he,
That man who lived in Petushkee!
At lunch he scratched a piece of bread,
And spread some butter on his head.
He put his walking stick to bed,
And he stood in the rack instead.
What a muddle head was he,
That man who lived in Petushkee!
He walked upto a tram one day
And climbed in very sprightly;
Conductor thought that he would pay,
14
UNIT-1
MAIN COURSE BOOK
HEALTH AND MEDICINE
15
Instead he said politely:
"Parding your beggon,
Kister Monductor,
I'm off for a week's vacation;
I stop you to beg your cramway tar
As soon as we reach the station."
Conductor got a fright
And didn't sleep that nite.
What a muddle head was he,
That man who lived in Petushkee!
He rushed into the first café:
"A railway ticket please, One way."
And at the ticket office said:
"A slice of tea and a cup of bread."
What a muddle head was he,
That man who lived in Petushkee!
He passed the man collecting the fares,
And entered a carriage awaiting repairs,
That stood on a siding, all by itself.
Half of his luggage, he put on a shelf,
The rest on the floor, his coat on his lap
And settled himself for a bit of a nap.
All at once he raised his head,
"I must have been asleep"- he said.
"Hey, what stop is this?" he cried
"Petushkee," a voice replied.
Once again he closed his eyes
And dreamt he was in Paradise.
When he woke, he looked about,
Page 3


UNIT-1
MAIN COURSE BOOK
HEALTH AND MEDICINE
Laughter-the Best Medicine
B1.  Read the following poem. Take turns in reading them aloud with your 
partner and ensure that you put in the right sort of feelings, emotions, voice 
modulations and intonation to make your partner laugh heartily.
 Ogden Nash
 The Muddlehead
 I knew a man from Petushkee
 As muddleheaded as could be.
He always got mixed up with clothes;
He wore his mittens on his toes,
Forgot his collar in his haste,
And tied his tie around his waist.
What a muddle head was he,
That man who lived in Petushkee!
They told him as he went about:
“You've got u'r coat on inside out!"
And when they saw his hat, they said:
"You've put a saucepan on your head!"
What a muddle head was he,
That man who lived in Petushkee!
At lunch he scratched a piece of bread,
And spread some butter on his head.
He put his walking stick to bed,
And he stood in the rack instead.
What a muddle head was he,
That man who lived in Petushkee!
He walked upto a tram one day
And climbed in very sprightly;
Conductor thought that he would pay,
14
UNIT-1
MAIN COURSE BOOK
HEALTH AND MEDICINE
15
Instead he said politely:
"Parding your beggon,
Kister Monductor,
I'm off for a week's vacation;
I stop you to beg your cramway tar
As soon as we reach the station."
Conductor got a fright
And didn't sleep that nite.
What a muddle head was he,
That man who lived in Petushkee!
He rushed into the first café:
"A railway ticket please, One way."
And at the ticket office said:
"A slice of tea and a cup of bread."
What a muddle head was he,
That man who lived in Petushkee!
He passed the man collecting the fares,
And entered a carriage awaiting repairs,
That stood on a siding, all by itself.
Half of his luggage, he put on a shelf,
The rest on the floor, his coat on his lap
And settled himself for a bit of a nap.
All at once he raised his head,
"I must have been asleep"- he said.
"Hey, what stop is this?" he cried
"Petushkee," a voice replied.
Once again he closed his eyes
And dreamt he was in Paradise.
When he woke, he looked about,
UNIT-1
MAIN COURSE BOOK
HEALTH AND MEDICINE
Raised the window and leaned out.
"I've seen this place before, I believe,
Is it Kharkov or is it Kiev?
Tell me where I am," he cried.
"In Petushkee", a voice replied.
And so again he settled down
And dreamt the world was upside down
When he woke, he looked about,
Raised the window and looked out.
"I seem to know this station too,
Is it Nalchik or Baku?
Tell me what its called," he cried.
"Petushkee' a voice replied.
Up he jumped: “It's a crime!
I've been riding all this time,
And here I am where I began!
That's no way to treat a man!'
What a muddle head was he,
That man who lived in Petushkee
B2.  Discuss with your partner which part of the poem you liked the most and 
give reasons for your preference.
B3.  Humor is infectious. The sound of roaring laughter is far more contagious 
than any cough, sniffle, or sneeze. When laughter is shared, it binds people 
together and increases happiness and intimacy. In addition to the domino 
effect of joy and amusement, laughter also strengthens your immune 
system, boosts energy and protects you from the damaging effects of stress. 
Best of all, this priceless medicine is fun, free and easy to use. Given below 
the table are the benefits of laughter in a jumbled form. Complete the table 
by putting them in the relevant column.
16
Page 4


UNIT-1
MAIN COURSE BOOK
HEALTH AND MEDICINE
Laughter-the Best Medicine
B1.  Read the following poem. Take turns in reading them aloud with your 
partner and ensure that you put in the right sort of feelings, emotions, voice 
modulations and intonation to make your partner laugh heartily.
 Ogden Nash
 The Muddlehead
 I knew a man from Petushkee
 As muddleheaded as could be.
He always got mixed up with clothes;
He wore his mittens on his toes,
Forgot his collar in his haste,
And tied his tie around his waist.
What a muddle head was he,
That man who lived in Petushkee!
They told him as he went about:
“You've got u'r coat on inside out!"
And when they saw his hat, they said:
"You've put a saucepan on your head!"
What a muddle head was he,
That man who lived in Petushkee!
At lunch he scratched a piece of bread,
And spread some butter on his head.
He put his walking stick to bed,
And he stood in the rack instead.
What a muddle head was he,
That man who lived in Petushkee!
He walked upto a tram one day
And climbed in very sprightly;
Conductor thought that he would pay,
14
UNIT-1
MAIN COURSE BOOK
HEALTH AND MEDICINE
15
Instead he said politely:
"Parding your beggon,
Kister Monductor,
I'm off for a week's vacation;
I stop you to beg your cramway tar
As soon as we reach the station."
Conductor got a fright
And didn't sleep that nite.
What a muddle head was he,
That man who lived in Petushkee!
He rushed into the first café:
"A railway ticket please, One way."
And at the ticket office said:
"A slice of tea and a cup of bread."
What a muddle head was he,
That man who lived in Petushkee!
He passed the man collecting the fares,
And entered a carriage awaiting repairs,
That stood on a siding, all by itself.
Half of his luggage, he put on a shelf,
The rest on the floor, his coat on his lap
And settled himself for a bit of a nap.
All at once he raised his head,
"I must have been asleep"- he said.
"Hey, what stop is this?" he cried
"Petushkee," a voice replied.
Once again he closed his eyes
And dreamt he was in Paradise.
When he woke, he looked about,
UNIT-1
MAIN COURSE BOOK
HEALTH AND MEDICINE
Raised the window and leaned out.
"I've seen this place before, I believe,
Is it Kharkov or is it Kiev?
Tell me where I am," he cried.
"In Petushkee", a voice replied.
And so again he settled down
And dreamt the world was upside down
When he woke, he looked about,
Raised the window and looked out.
"I seem to know this station too,
Is it Nalchik or Baku?
Tell me what its called," he cried.
"Petushkee' a voice replied.
Up he jumped: “It's a crime!
I've been riding all this time,
And here I am where I began!
That's no way to treat a man!'
What a muddle head was he,
That man who lived in Petushkee
B2.  Discuss with your partner which part of the poem you liked the most and 
give reasons for your preference.
B3.  Humor is infectious. The sound of roaring laughter is far more contagious 
than any cough, sniffle, or sneeze. When laughter is shared, it binds people 
together and increases happiness and intimacy. In addition to the domino 
effect of joy and amusement, laughter also strengthens your immune 
system, boosts energy and protects you from the damaging effects of stress. 
Best of all, this priceless medicine is fun, free and easy to use. Given below 
the table are the benefits of laughter in a jumbled form. Complete the table 
by putting them in the relevant column.
16
UNIT-1
MAIN COURSE BOOK
HEALTH AND MEDICINE
17
The Benefits of Laughter
 Physical Health Benefits: Mental Health Benefits: Social Benefits:
 •     • •
 Boosts immunity \
 Strengthens relationships \
 Enhances teamwork \
 Relieves stress \
 Helps defuse conflict \
 Eases anxiety and fear \
 Promotes group bonding \
 Lowers stress hormones \
 Decreases pain \
 Improves mood \
 Adds joy and zest to life \
 Attracts others to us \
 Enhances resilience \
 Relaxes your muscles \
 Prevents heart disease \
Page 5


UNIT-1
MAIN COURSE BOOK
HEALTH AND MEDICINE
Laughter-the Best Medicine
B1.  Read the following poem. Take turns in reading them aloud with your 
partner and ensure that you put in the right sort of feelings, emotions, voice 
modulations and intonation to make your partner laugh heartily.
 Ogden Nash
 The Muddlehead
 I knew a man from Petushkee
 As muddleheaded as could be.
He always got mixed up with clothes;
He wore his mittens on his toes,
Forgot his collar in his haste,
And tied his tie around his waist.
What a muddle head was he,
That man who lived in Petushkee!
They told him as he went about:
“You've got u'r coat on inside out!"
And when they saw his hat, they said:
"You've put a saucepan on your head!"
What a muddle head was he,
That man who lived in Petushkee!
At lunch he scratched a piece of bread,
And spread some butter on his head.
He put his walking stick to bed,
And he stood in the rack instead.
What a muddle head was he,
That man who lived in Petushkee!
He walked upto a tram one day
And climbed in very sprightly;
Conductor thought that he would pay,
14
UNIT-1
MAIN COURSE BOOK
HEALTH AND MEDICINE
15
Instead he said politely:
"Parding your beggon,
Kister Monductor,
I'm off for a week's vacation;
I stop you to beg your cramway tar
As soon as we reach the station."
Conductor got a fright
And didn't sleep that nite.
What a muddle head was he,
That man who lived in Petushkee!
He rushed into the first café:
"A railway ticket please, One way."
And at the ticket office said:
"A slice of tea and a cup of bread."
What a muddle head was he,
That man who lived in Petushkee!
He passed the man collecting the fares,
And entered a carriage awaiting repairs,
That stood on a siding, all by itself.
Half of his luggage, he put on a shelf,
The rest on the floor, his coat on his lap
And settled himself for a bit of a nap.
All at once he raised his head,
"I must have been asleep"- he said.
"Hey, what stop is this?" he cried
"Petushkee," a voice replied.
Once again he closed his eyes
And dreamt he was in Paradise.
When he woke, he looked about,
UNIT-1
MAIN COURSE BOOK
HEALTH AND MEDICINE
Raised the window and leaned out.
"I've seen this place before, I believe,
Is it Kharkov or is it Kiev?
Tell me where I am," he cried.
"In Petushkee", a voice replied.
And so again he settled down
And dreamt the world was upside down
When he woke, he looked about,
Raised the window and looked out.
"I seem to know this station too,
Is it Nalchik or Baku?
Tell me what its called," he cried.
"Petushkee' a voice replied.
Up he jumped: “It's a crime!
I've been riding all this time,
And here I am where I began!
That's no way to treat a man!'
What a muddle head was he,
That man who lived in Petushkee
B2.  Discuss with your partner which part of the poem you liked the most and 
give reasons for your preference.
B3.  Humor is infectious. The sound of roaring laughter is far more contagious 
than any cough, sniffle, or sneeze. When laughter is shared, it binds people 
together and increases happiness and intimacy. In addition to the domino 
effect of joy and amusement, laughter also strengthens your immune 
system, boosts energy and protects you from the damaging effects of stress. 
Best of all, this priceless medicine is fun, free and easy to use. Given below 
the table are the benefits of laughter in a jumbled form. Complete the table 
by putting them in the relevant column.
16
UNIT-1
MAIN COURSE BOOK
HEALTH AND MEDICINE
17
The Benefits of Laughter
 Physical Health Benefits: Mental Health Benefits: Social Benefits:
 •     • •
 Boosts immunity \
 Strengthens relationships \
 Enhances teamwork \
 Relieves stress \
 Helps defuse conflict \
 Eases anxiety and fear \
 Promotes group bonding \
 Lowers stress hormones \
 Decreases pain \
 Improves mood \
 Adds joy and zest to life \
 Attracts others to us \
 Enhances resilience \
 Relaxes your muscles \
 Prevents heart disease \
UNIT-1
MAIN COURSE BOOK
HEALTH AND MEDICINE
B4.  Read the following article. 
Fundamentals of Laughter Yoga
1. The most important principle behind Laughter Yoga or the most significant 
driving force behind the several Laughter Clubs is the theory that Motion Creates 
Emotion. Quite a few people wonder how a person can laugh when he is in no 
mood to laugh or when one doesn't have any reason to laugh. However, the answer 
is very simple. For, there is a well established link between the body and the mind. 
Whatever happens to the mind happens to the body as well. This is easily 
understood and observed too. If a person is sad or depressed, his body also 
appears quite lifeless and sluggish. Such a person doesn't walk or talk 
enthusiastically. But, what most people fail to understand is that the opposite is 
also true. Whatever happens to the body also happens to the mind. I remember my 
father once telling me, "Son, if you are sad or feeling a bit low, don't sit idle. Keep 
doing some physical work or go for a walk or do some jogging or go out to play some 
cricket or football. You'll feel better." And most of the times dad was proved 
correct. I would start feeling better quite soon. In an unhappy state of mind, if we 
bring ourselves to behaving or acting happy, soon enough we will start feeling 
light-hearted and chirpy indeed!
2. So, Laughter Yoga aims to use the two-way body-mind link to change the state of 
mind through voluntary physical gestures which include repetitive clapping, 
chanting, specific body movements along with laughter and breathing exercises. 
The result is so positive and its effects are so powerful that the modern world today 
has witnessed Laughter Yoga overcome severe and chronic depression in 
thousands of people right across the globe. In fact, several Laughter Clubs have 
adopted the motto, "If your Mind can't laugh, bring your Body to our club."
3. Laughter is all about playfulness. Have you ever wondered why children laugh 
300 to 400 times a day whereas adults would consider themselves very fortunate if 
they manage laughter 10 to 15 times in a day? This is because of that seriously 
wicked and interfering tool called the brain! Adult use their brains or minds first to 
comprehend  humour and then decide if they have to laugh. Very often, they suffer 
18