Textbook: The Night I Met Einstein | English Kumarbharati Class 10 (Maharashtra SSC Board) PDF Download

 Page 1


The Night I Met Einstein
When I was a very young man, I was invited to 
dine at the house of a philanthropist. After a wonderful 
dinner, our hostess took us to a large drawing room. 
Chairs were being arranged. “I’m arranging the chairs 
for a concert”, my hostess said, “We’re going to listen 
to a very good pianist.”
Though everyone else was very happy, I was not. 
I did not understand classical music. I thought I was 
tone-deaf. I sat down so that I would not be impolite 
and waited for the concert to begin. I did not pay 
attention to the music after it began.
After a while, I heard everyone clapping, so I 
realised that the piece was over. Just then I heard a 
gentle, but firm voice saying, “You’re fond of Bach ?”
I knew as much about Bach as I did about nuclear 
physics. I was going to say something ordinary so that 
I could get out of the situation. I turned in order to 
look at my neighbour and I saw a very famous face. 
It was someone with a shock of white hair and a pipe.
I knew that I must tell this man the truth. He 
looked at me as if my answer was very important.
“I do not know anything about Bach”, I said, “I 
have never heard any of his music.” He looked 
surprised.
“You have never heard of Bach ?” he asked.
He made it sound as if I had said that I had never 
taken a bath ! 
“I’d like to understand music so that I could 
understand Bach,” I said, “but I’m not able to. I’m 
tone-deaf.”
l dine : have dinner
l hostess : a woman
who invites guest to
a social event
l concert :
performance of
music by players or
singers
l pianist : someone
who plays the piano
l tone-deaf :
unable to hear the
difference between
high and low notes
of music
l Bach : Johann
Sebastian Bach, a
German organist and
composer of the 17
th
century.
u What was the
entertainment
arranged for by the
hostess ?
u What was the writer’s
reaction to classical
music ?
Jerome Weidman (1913-1998) was an American playwright and 
novelist. 
 In 1960 he won the Pulitzer Prize for his work - a musical 
(drama) titled ‘Fiorello’. He collaborated with George Abbot, Jerry 
Bocjk and Sheldon Harnick for its music and lyrics. 
 His book ‘I Can Get It For You Wholesale’ has also been 
used for a movie of the same name.
108
Page 2


The Night I Met Einstein
When I was a very young man, I was invited to 
dine at the house of a philanthropist. After a wonderful 
dinner, our hostess took us to a large drawing room. 
Chairs were being arranged. “I’m arranging the chairs 
for a concert”, my hostess said, “We’re going to listen 
to a very good pianist.”
Though everyone else was very happy, I was not. 
I did not understand classical music. I thought I was 
tone-deaf. I sat down so that I would not be impolite 
and waited for the concert to begin. I did not pay 
attention to the music after it began.
After a while, I heard everyone clapping, so I 
realised that the piece was over. Just then I heard a 
gentle, but firm voice saying, “You’re fond of Bach ?”
I knew as much about Bach as I did about nuclear 
physics. I was going to say something ordinary so that 
I could get out of the situation. I turned in order to 
look at my neighbour and I saw a very famous face. 
It was someone with a shock of white hair and a pipe.
I knew that I must tell this man the truth. He 
looked at me as if my answer was very important.
“I do not know anything about Bach”, I said, “I 
have never heard any of his music.” He looked 
surprised.
“You have never heard of Bach ?” he asked.
He made it sound as if I had said that I had never 
taken a bath ! 
“I’d like to understand music so that I could 
understand Bach,” I said, “but I’m not able to. I’m 
tone-deaf.”
l dine : have dinner
l hostess : a woman
who invites guest to
a social event
l concert :
performance of
music by players or
singers
l pianist : someone
who plays the piano
l tone-deaf :
unable to hear the
difference between
high and low notes
of music
l Bach : Johann
Sebastian Bach, a
German organist and
composer of the 17
th
century.
u What was the
entertainment
arranged for by the
hostess ?
u What was the writer’s
reaction to classical
music ?
Jerome Weidman (1913-1998) was an American playwright and 
novelist. 
 In 1960 he won the Pulitzer Prize for his work - a musical 
(drama) titled ‘Fiorello’. He collaborated with George Abbot, Jerry 
Bocjk and Sheldon Harnick for its music and lyrics. 
 His book ‘I Can Get It For You Wholesale’ has also been 
used for a movie of the same name.
108
u As far as listening
is concerned, what
difference do you
notice between the
writer and Einstein?
The old man got up.
“You will come up with me ?” he asked. I just 
remained seated. “I’m requesting you to come with 
me”, he said again.
So I went up with him. He took me to a room 
which had a gramophone in it and asked, “What kind 
of music do you like ?”
“Well,” I answered, “I like songs that have words, 
and the kind of music where I can follow the tune.”
l gramophone :
machine for playing
recorded music.
u What do you learn
from Einstein’s
treatment to the
young man ?
u Do you think the
comparison between
music and arithmetic
was a good one ? In
what ways ?
He smiled and nodded, obviously pleased. “You 
can give me an example, perhaps ?”
I told him I like anything by Bing Crosby. At 
once, I could hear Bing Crosby’s voice filling the room.
“Now, can you please tell me what you just 
heard?”, he said.
The simplest answer seemed to be to sing the lines. 
So I sang it back to him.
He smiled. “You’re not tone-deaf,” he said.
I told him this was one of my favourite songs, 
something I had heard hundreds of times, so it didn’t 
really prove anything.
“Nonsense !” said Einstein. “It proves everything ! 
Do you remember your first arithmetic lesson in school ? 
Suppose, at your very first contact with numbers, your 
teacher had ordered you to work out a problem in, say, 
long division or fractions. Could you have done it ?”
l nodded : moved
head up and down to
indicate agreement
l Bing Crosby :
American singer and
actor
109
Page 3


The Night I Met Einstein
When I was a very young man, I was invited to 
dine at the house of a philanthropist. After a wonderful 
dinner, our hostess took us to a large drawing room. 
Chairs were being arranged. “I’m arranging the chairs 
for a concert”, my hostess said, “We’re going to listen 
to a very good pianist.”
Though everyone else was very happy, I was not. 
I did not understand classical music. I thought I was 
tone-deaf. I sat down so that I would not be impolite 
and waited for the concert to begin. I did not pay 
attention to the music after it began.
After a while, I heard everyone clapping, so I 
realised that the piece was over. Just then I heard a 
gentle, but firm voice saying, “You’re fond of Bach ?”
I knew as much about Bach as I did about nuclear 
physics. I was going to say something ordinary so that 
I could get out of the situation. I turned in order to 
look at my neighbour and I saw a very famous face. 
It was someone with a shock of white hair and a pipe.
I knew that I must tell this man the truth. He 
looked at me as if my answer was very important.
“I do not know anything about Bach”, I said, “I 
have never heard any of his music.” He looked 
surprised.
“You have never heard of Bach ?” he asked.
He made it sound as if I had said that I had never 
taken a bath ! 
“I’d like to understand music so that I could 
understand Bach,” I said, “but I’m not able to. I’m 
tone-deaf.”
l dine : have dinner
l hostess : a woman
who invites guest to
a social event
l concert :
performance of
music by players or
singers
l pianist : someone
who plays the piano
l tone-deaf :
unable to hear the
difference between
high and low notes
of music
l Bach : Johann
Sebastian Bach, a
German organist and
composer of the 17
th
century.
u What was the
entertainment
arranged for by the
hostess ?
u What was the writer’s
reaction to classical
music ?
Jerome Weidman (1913-1998) was an American playwright and 
novelist. 
 In 1960 he won the Pulitzer Prize for his work - a musical 
(drama) titled ‘Fiorello’. He collaborated with George Abbot, Jerry 
Bocjk and Sheldon Harnick for its music and lyrics. 
 His book ‘I Can Get It For You Wholesale’ has also been 
used for a movie of the same name.
108
u As far as listening
is concerned, what
difference do you
notice between the
writer and Einstein?
The old man got up.
“You will come up with me ?” he asked. I just 
remained seated. “I’m requesting you to come with 
me”, he said again.
So I went up with him. He took me to a room 
which had a gramophone in it and asked, “What kind 
of music do you like ?”
“Well,” I answered, “I like songs that have words, 
and the kind of music where I can follow the tune.”
l gramophone :
machine for playing
recorded music.
u What do you learn
from Einstein’s
treatment to the
young man ?
u Do you think the
comparison between
music and arithmetic
was a good one ? In
what ways ?
He smiled and nodded, obviously pleased. “You 
can give me an example, perhaps ?”
I told him I like anything by Bing Crosby. At 
once, I could hear Bing Crosby’s voice filling the room.
“Now, can you please tell me what you just 
heard?”, he said.
The simplest answer seemed to be to sing the lines. 
So I sang it back to him.
He smiled. “You’re not tone-deaf,” he said.
I told him this was one of my favourite songs, 
something I had heard hundreds of times, so it didn’t 
really prove anything.
“Nonsense !” said Einstein. “It proves everything ! 
Do you remember your first arithmetic lesson in school ? 
Suppose, at your very first contact with numbers, your 
teacher had ordered you to work out a problem in, say, 
long division or fractions. Could you have done it ?”
l nodded : moved
head up and down to
indicate agreement
l Bing Crosby :
American singer and
actor
109
“No, of course not.”
“Exactly ! It’s like learning maths. You have to 
learn addition and subtraction in order to do 
multiplication and division. Now I’m playing something 
a little more advanced.”
It was John McCormack singing The Trumpeter. 
“Sing that back”, he ordered.
And we went on from level to higher level until 
he was playing just music without words. I was amazed 
that this great man was paying complete attention to 
me so that I could learn something new.  It was as if 
I was the most important person in his world. Suddenly, 
he got up and turned off the gramophone.
“Now young man”, he said, “We’re ready to listen 
to Bach.”
We went down and sat in the hall. “Just allow 
yourself to listen”, he said, “that’s all there is to it.”
I have heard that piece many times since that day. 
But I am never alone. I am sitting beside a small man 
with a shock of untidy hair and a pipe in his mouth. 
He has eyes that are unusually warm. When the concert 
ended, I too was able to clap-sincerely. Our hostess 
came towards us. We both stood up.
“I’m so sorry, Dr Einstein”, she said, giving me a 
cold look, “that you missed so much.”
“I’m sorry too”, he said, “My young friend here 
and I, however, were engaged in the greatest activity 
of which a human being is capable.”
She looked puzzled. “Really?” she said. “And what 
is that ?”
Einstein smiled and put his arm across my shoulders. 
“Opening up the frontiers of beauty.”
u How did Einstein
help the narrator 
appreciate music ?
u What does the last
line tell you about
Einstein?
1. Complete the following sentences.
(a) The narrator was not happy about the concert because .
(b) When the narrator turned to look at his neighbour, he . 
(c) Einstein was surprised to hear that . 
(d) The narrator’s memory has an image of Einstein as . 
(e) The greatest act towards human beings is . 
ENGLISH WORKSHOP 
110
Page 4


The Night I Met Einstein
When I was a very young man, I was invited to 
dine at the house of a philanthropist. After a wonderful 
dinner, our hostess took us to a large drawing room. 
Chairs were being arranged. “I’m arranging the chairs 
for a concert”, my hostess said, “We’re going to listen 
to a very good pianist.”
Though everyone else was very happy, I was not. 
I did not understand classical music. I thought I was 
tone-deaf. I sat down so that I would not be impolite 
and waited for the concert to begin. I did not pay 
attention to the music after it began.
After a while, I heard everyone clapping, so I 
realised that the piece was over. Just then I heard a 
gentle, but firm voice saying, “You’re fond of Bach ?”
I knew as much about Bach as I did about nuclear 
physics. I was going to say something ordinary so that 
I could get out of the situation. I turned in order to 
look at my neighbour and I saw a very famous face. 
It was someone with a shock of white hair and a pipe.
I knew that I must tell this man the truth. He 
looked at me as if my answer was very important.
“I do not know anything about Bach”, I said, “I 
have never heard any of his music.” He looked 
surprised.
“You have never heard of Bach ?” he asked.
He made it sound as if I had said that I had never 
taken a bath ! 
“I’d like to understand music so that I could 
understand Bach,” I said, “but I’m not able to. I’m 
tone-deaf.”
l dine : have dinner
l hostess : a woman
who invites guest to
a social event
l concert :
performance of
music by players or
singers
l pianist : someone
who plays the piano
l tone-deaf :
unable to hear the
difference between
high and low notes
of music
l Bach : Johann
Sebastian Bach, a
German organist and
composer of the 17
th
century.
u What was the
entertainment
arranged for by the
hostess ?
u What was the writer’s
reaction to classical
music ?
Jerome Weidman (1913-1998) was an American playwright and 
novelist. 
 In 1960 he won the Pulitzer Prize for his work - a musical 
(drama) titled ‘Fiorello’. He collaborated with George Abbot, Jerry 
Bocjk and Sheldon Harnick for its music and lyrics. 
 His book ‘I Can Get It For You Wholesale’ has also been 
used for a movie of the same name.
108
u As far as listening
is concerned, what
difference do you
notice between the
writer and Einstein?
The old man got up.
“You will come up with me ?” he asked. I just 
remained seated. “I’m requesting you to come with 
me”, he said again.
So I went up with him. He took me to a room 
which had a gramophone in it and asked, “What kind 
of music do you like ?”
“Well,” I answered, “I like songs that have words, 
and the kind of music where I can follow the tune.”
l gramophone :
machine for playing
recorded music.
u What do you learn
from Einstein’s
treatment to the
young man ?
u Do you think the
comparison between
music and arithmetic
was a good one ? In
what ways ?
He smiled and nodded, obviously pleased. “You 
can give me an example, perhaps ?”
I told him I like anything by Bing Crosby. At 
once, I could hear Bing Crosby’s voice filling the room.
“Now, can you please tell me what you just 
heard?”, he said.
The simplest answer seemed to be to sing the lines. 
So I sang it back to him.
He smiled. “You’re not tone-deaf,” he said.
I told him this was one of my favourite songs, 
something I had heard hundreds of times, so it didn’t 
really prove anything.
“Nonsense !” said Einstein. “It proves everything ! 
Do you remember your first arithmetic lesson in school ? 
Suppose, at your very first contact with numbers, your 
teacher had ordered you to work out a problem in, say, 
long division or fractions. Could you have done it ?”
l nodded : moved
head up and down to
indicate agreement
l Bing Crosby :
American singer and
actor
109
“No, of course not.”
“Exactly ! It’s like learning maths. You have to 
learn addition and subtraction in order to do 
multiplication and division. Now I’m playing something 
a little more advanced.”
It was John McCormack singing The Trumpeter. 
“Sing that back”, he ordered.
And we went on from level to higher level until 
he was playing just music without words. I was amazed 
that this great man was paying complete attention to 
me so that I could learn something new.  It was as if 
I was the most important person in his world. Suddenly, 
he got up and turned off the gramophone.
“Now young man”, he said, “We’re ready to listen 
to Bach.”
We went down and sat in the hall. “Just allow 
yourself to listen”, he said, “that’s all there is to it.”
I have heard that piece many times since that day. 
But I am never alone. I am sitting beside a small man 
with a shock of untidy hair and a pipe in his mouth. 
He has eyes that are unusually warm. When the concert 
ended, I too was able to clap-sincerely. Our hostess 
came towards us. We both stood up.
“I’m so sorry, Dr Einstein”, she said, giving me a 
cold look, “that you missed so much.”
“I’m sorry too”, he said, “My young friend here 
and I, however, were engaged in the greatest activity 
of which a human being is capable.”
She looked puzzled. “Really?” she said. “And what 
is that ?”
Einstein smiled and put his arm across my shoulders. 
“Opening up the frontiers of beauty.”
u How did Einstein
help the narrator 
appreciate music ?
u What does the last
line tell you about
Einstein?
1. Complete the following sentences.
(a) The narrator was not happy about the concert because .
(b) When the narrator turned to look at his neighbour, he . 
(c) Einstein was surprised to hear that . 
(d) The narrator’s memory has an image of Einstein as . 
(e) The greatest act towards human beings is . 
ENGLISH WORKSHOP 
110
2. Who said to whom?
Statement Who To whom Effect on the listener
“We are going to listen 
to a very good pianist.”
“I do not know anything 
about Bach.”
“You are not tone-deaf.”
“Just allow yourself to 
listen that's all there is 
to it”
3. List all the words from the story related to ‘Music’.
4. Rewrite the following sentences inserting the appropriate phrases in their
proper form.
(to get out of, to come up, to turn on, to give in, to get into, to come down, to
work out, to turn off, to give off, to give out, to work in)
(a) He bed and  the living room, to see if the door was closed.
(b) To enjoy the music and relax, he the music and  the lights.
(c) Smita to her desire and  her favourite toys to the poor.
(d) You should Mathematics so that you can  problem.
5. (A) Give two points of difference between :
Instrumental Music Vocal Music
(1)
(2)
 (B)
Light music Classical music Folk music
6. Prepare a word list of occupations in alphabetical order from the letters A upto
T. (You may skip ‘K’ and ‘Q’)
  Actor, Banker, Carpenter, D E 
 F   G H I  J 
L M       N O P 
 R S T 
111
Page 5


The Night I Met Einstein
When I was a very young man, I was invited to 
dine at the house of a philanthropist. After a wonderful 
dinner, our hostess took us to a large drawing room. 
Chairs were being arranged. “I’m arranging the chairs 
for a concert”, my hostess said, “We’re going to listen 
to a very good pianist.”
Though everyone else was very happy, I was not. 
I did not understand classical music. I thought I was 
tone-deaf. I sat down so that I would not be impolite 
and waited for the concert to begin. I did not pay 
attention to the music after it began.
After a while, I heard everyone clapping, so I 
realised that the piece was over. Just then I heard a 
gentle, but firm voice saying, “You’re fond of Bach ?”
I knew as much about Bach as I did about nuclear 
physics. I was going to say something ordinary so that 
I could get out of the situation. I turned in order to 
look at my neighbour and I saw a very famous face. 
It was someone with a shock of white hair and a pipe.
I knew that I must tell this man the truth. He 
looked at me as if my answer was very important.
“I do not know anything about Bach”, I said, “I 
have never heard any of his music.” He looked 
surprised.
“You have never heard of Bach ?” he asked.
He made it sound as if I had said that I had never 
taken a bath ! 
“I’d like to understand music so that I could 
understand Bach,” I said, “but I’m not able to. I’m 
tone-deaf.”
l dine : have dinner
l hostess : a woman
who invites guest to
a social event
l concert :
performance of
music by players or
singers
l pianist : someone
who plays the piano
l tone-deaf :
unable to hear the
difference between
high and low notes
of music
l Bach : Johann
Sebastian Bach, a
German organist and
composer of the 17
th
century.
u What was the
entertainment
arranged for by the
hostess ?
u What was the writer’s
reaction to classical
music ?
Jerome Weidman (1913-1998) was an American playwright and 
novelist. 
 In 1960 he won the Pulitzer Prize for his work - a musical 
(drama) titled ‘Fiorello’. He collaborated with George Abbot, Jerry 
Bocjk and Sheldon Harnick for its music and lyrics. 
 His book ‘I Can Get It For You Wholesale’ has also been 
used for a movie of the same name.
108
u As far as listening
is concerned, what
difference do you
notice between the
writer and Einstein?
The old man got up.
“You will come up with me ?” he asked. I just 
remained seated. “I’m requesting you to come with 
me”, he said again.
So I went up with him. He took me to a room 
which had a gramophone in it and asked, “What kind 
of music do you like ?”
“Well,” I answered, “I like songs that have words, 
and the kind of music where I can follow the tune.”
l gramophone :
machine for playing
recorded music.
u What do you learn
from Einstein’s
treatment to the
young man ?
u Do you think the
comparison between
music and arithmetic
was a good one ? In
what ways ?
He smiled and nodded, obviously pleased. “You 
can give me an example, perhaps ?”
I told him I like anything by Bing Crosby. At 
once, I could hear Bing Crosby’s voice filling the room.
“Now, can you please tell me what you just 
heard?”, he said.
The simplest answer seemed to be to sing the lines. 
So I sang it back to him.
He smiled. “You’re not tone-deaf,” he said.
I told him this was one of my favourite songs, 
something I had heard hundreds of times, so it didn’t 
really prove anything.
“Nonsense !” said Einstein. “It proves everything ! 
Do you remember your first arithmetic lesson in school ? 
Suppose, at your very first contact with numbers, your 
teacher had ordered you to work out a problem in, say, 
long division or fractions. Could you have done it ?”
l nodded : moved
head up and down to
indicate agreement
l Bing Crosby :
American singer and
actor
109
“No, of course not.”
“Exactly ! It’s like learning maths. You have to 
learn addition and subtraction in order to do 
multiplication and division. Now I’m playing something 
a little more advanced.”
It was John McCormack singing The Trumpeter. 
“Sing that back”, he ordered.
And we went on from level to higher level until 
he was playing just music without words. I was amazed 
that this great man was paying complete attention to 
me so that I could learn something new.  It was as if 
I was the most important person in his world. Suddenly, 
he got up and turned off the gramophone.
“Now young man”, he said, “We’re ready to listen 
to Bach.”
We went down and sat in the hall. “Just allow 
yourself to listen”, he said, “that’s all there is to it.”
I have heard that piece many times since that day. 
But I am never alone. I am sitting beside a small man 
with a shock of untidy hair and a pipe in his mouth. 
He has eyes that are unusually warm. When the concert 
ended, I too was able to clap-sincerely. Our hostess 
came towards us. We both stood up.
“I’m so sorry, Dr Einstein”, she said, giving me a 
cold look, “that you missed so much.”
“I’m sorry too”, he said, “My young friend here 
and I, however, were engaged in the greatest activity 
of which a human being is capable.”
She looked puzzled. “Really?” she said. “And what 
is that ?”
Einstein smiled and put his arm across my shoulders. 
“Opening up the frontiers of beauty.”
u How did Einstein
help the narrator 
appreciate music ?
u What does the last
line tell you about
Einstein?
1. Complete the following sentences.
(a) The narrator was not happy about the concert because .
(b) When the narrator turned to look at his neighbour, he . 
(c) Einstein was surprised to hear that . 
(d) The narrator’s memory has an image of Einstein as . 
(e) The greatest act towards human beings is . 
ENGLISH WORKSHOP 
110
2. Who said to whom?
Statement Who To whom Effect on the listener
“We are going to listen 
to a very good pianist.”
“I do not know anything 
about Bach.”
“You are not tone-deaf.”
“Just allow yourself to 
listen that's all there is 
to it”
3. List all the words from the story related to ‘Music’.
4. Rewrite the following sentences inserting the appropriate phrases in their
proper form.
(to get out of, to come up, to turn on, to give in, to get into, to come down, to
work out, to turn off, to give off, to give out, to work in)
(a) He bed and  the living room, to see if the door was closed.
(b) To enjoy the music and relax, he the music and  the lights.
(c) Smita to her desire and  her favourite toys to the poor.
(d) You should Mathematics so that you can  problem.
5. (A) Give two points of difference between :
Instrumental Music Vocal Music
(1)
(2)
 (B)
Light music Classical music Folk music
6. Prepare a word list of occupations in alphabetical order from the letters A upto
T. (You may skip ‘K’ and ‘Q’)
  Actor, Banker, Carpenter, D E 
 F   G H I  J 
L M       N O P 
 R S T 
111
112
7. Rewrite the following in indirect narration.
(a) ‘‘You are not tone-deaf’’, he said to me.
(b) ‘‘Could you have done it?’’, said Einstein.
(c) ‘‘Sing that back’’, he ordered me.
(d) He said, ‘‘What kind of music do you like?’’
(e) ‘‘I’m so sorry, Dr. Einstein’’, she said.
8. (A) Degrees of Comparison (Positive / Comparative / Superlative)
    Insert the appropriate expressions, choosing from those given after each 
    sentences, for the positive degree. 
    (1) I am not  my friend.
 (taller than/ more taller/just as tall as)
(2) They are  their neighbours.
(as helpful as/most helpful/more helpful)
(3) No other desert in Africa is the Sahara Desert.
 (biggest of all/nearly so big as/bigger as) 
(4) Very few animals in the wild are an elephant.
 (exactly huger than/exactly as huge as/hugest than)
(5) Some snacks are  a pizza.
(at least as tasty as/tastier as/most tasty as)
(B) Change the Degree of Comparision, as directed and rewrite without
changing the meaning.
(1) No one in the class is as brilliant as Tanvi. (Superlative)
(2) A diamond is one of the most precious of all stones. (Comparative)
(3) Her handwriting is better than that of her sister. (Positive)
(4) Jupiter is the largest of all planets. (Comparative)
(5) He is not the greatest of all leaders. (Positive)
(6) This painting is better than any other painting in the palace. (Superlative)
9. Prepare a word chain.
Pianist t............... end danger
............... rich ..............
yellow ............... ...............