Detailed Summary: A Bottle of Dew | English Class 6 (Honeysuckle) PDF Download

Key Points of the Story

• Rama Natha, the son of a wealthy landlord, inherited extensive lands from his father.
• He became obsessed with discovering a magic potion that could transform anything into gold.
• Rather than working on his fields, he devoted his time to learning about the potion.
• Many people cheated him, claiming they could tell him about the potion, but he remained determined.
• His wife, Madhumati, grew concerned about their future due to his obsession and irresponsible spending.
• He learned a potion-making method from a sage named Mahipati, who had journeyed in the Himalayas and heard of the potion's existence. This involved collecting dew from banana plants.
• After six years, he finally collected five litres of dew.
• The sage revealed that there was no actual magic potion; their wealth was earned through hard work.

Detailed Summary

Rama Natha, the son of a rich landlord, inherited large areas of land from his father but ignored it due to his obsession with finding a magic potion that could turn anything into gold. He spent all his resources and time searching for this potion, often falling victim to people who promised to help him but never did. His wife, Madhumati, was anxious about their future because of his careless expenses. One day, a well-respected and wise sage named Mahipati visited the town. Rama Natha became his student and asked him about the magic potion. To his surprise, the sage claimed to know the secret. He instructed Rama Natha to plant banana trees and care for them personally. During winter, he was to collect the dew from the leaves and store it. When he had five litres, the sage would recite magical words to create a potion that could turn objects into gold.

Though the task seemed lengthy and full of endless hard-work, Rama Natha was eager to attempt it. Rama Natha returned home and cleared his fields, which had been neglected for years. He planted many banana trees and treated them with utmost care, collecting dew throughout the winter. Madhumati helped him by selling the bananas at the market. Over six years, they grew their banana farm and finally gathered five litres of dew. Rama Natha brought the dew to the sage. The sage smiled, spoke something over the liquid, and handed back the bottle, telling him to test it out. Rama Natha sprinkled some drops on a copper vessel and waited for it to turn to gold. To his dismay, nothing occurred! Feeling betrayed, he asked the sage about the same. The sage smiled and called for Madhumati, who brought a box full of gold coins. The sage told him that there was no magic potion. Their wealth was a result of their hard work. By taking care of the plantation and selling the fruit, they had earned that money. The sage confessed to tricking Rama Natha to teach him the value of hard work. Realising the wisdom in the sage's lesson, Rama Natha committed himself even more to his plantation, understanding that true wealth comes from effort, not magic.

Theme/Message

This story by Sudha Murty conveys the significance of hard work and dedication in achieving genuine wealth.

Theme:

Message:

Difficult Words

1. Tracts - defined area of land
2. Potion - a liquid with healing, magical, or poisonous properties
3. Cheated - deceived or tricked
4. Sage - a really wise man
5. Chant - to utter or repeat a word or phrase rhythmically
6. Perseverance - determination in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success
7. Plantation - a large farm where crops are grown
8. Precious - of great value or high price
9. Disappointment - feeling of sadness or displeasure caused by the unfulfillment of one's hopes or expectations
10. Diligently - showing care in one's work or duties
11. Tending - To take care of something
12. Acquired - obtained or gained through effort or skill
13. Obsessed - constantly thinking or worried about something to a greatly problematic extent
14. Illusion - a false appearance or impression
15. Persevere - to continue in a course of action even in the face of difficulty or with little or no prospect of success
16. Dedication - the quality of being committed to a task or purpose
17. Consistent - unchanging in achievement or effect over a period of time