The Day the River Spoke
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| Complete notes of The Day the River Spoke with word meanings, Hindi translation and Q&A. |
A big bright tear splashed down her nose. And another. A kingfisher swept down, its wings an arrow of blue in the sunlight. And a green lizard slithered down to the river’s edge to bask in the sun. “Dear, dear!” said a sleepy, murmuring voice, “What’s the matter?” Jahnavi was startled, because she was sure she had been quite alone. It couldn’t have been the lizard. And the kingfisher was up in the thicket of bamboo eating the fish it had caught. It couldn’t be the parrots, because parrots shrieked and this was such a sleepy voice. She looked around her. There wasn’t a soul in sight. She was rather scared and wanted to run away. “You shouldn’t cry, you know,” the voice went on. “And you really shouldn’t be scared, when you have been coming here to see me every day, well, almost every day.”
She was puzzled. It was such a voice, like the river. It couldn’t be the river! “Well, tell me all about it,” said the River, for it was the River. “I’ve got to hurry to reach the sea, you know.” “They won’t let me go to school,” said Jahnavi. “I asked my mother, ‘Why can’t I go to school like Ettan and Meena?’ And Mother had replied, ‘You are too small, baby. Maybe later.’ ” But when she was five, little Ramu was born and Mother still said, “Maybe next year. Jahnavi, mind your little brother while I go to the fields.” Now, she was nearly ten and minding Little Appu, who was the smallest. “They don’t want me. They only...” — she stopped with a sob... “I am scared to go to school. And I’m so old now, they’ll never let me go. But I want to go. I want to learn to read like Ettan and Meena.” Jahnavi called her brother ‘Ettan’. Ettan means ‘Elder brother’, but his real name was Gopi. “I want to know why spiders are yellow in yellow flowers, why bamboo trees rustle, why the moon always comes from behind the hills, never the other way, why the baby fish in the field water become frogs, why...” “Stop!” said the River. “You make me breathless. So many whys! I can tell you where the moon goes,” the River said conspiratorially. “It goes down towards the sea. I’ve seen; it always takes the same way—over the mountains and down to the sea, like me!”
“Even little Ramu goes to school,” said Jahnavi, “pity, the school isn’t by the sea,” said the River. “Then I could take you along, you know. But, I suppose I couldn’t really. You’d get your feet wet. And that would never do! I’m afraid there’s only one thing you can do.” “Can I do something?” asked Jahnavi. “Well, it’s up to you,” said the River. “Seems to me little girls can do as much as little boys—they swim as fast as little boys. You just slip along one morning and sit there in the school and listen to what’s going on, and maybe the teacher will let you stay.” “I couldn’t,” gasped Jahnavi. “I couldn’t! They’d scare me! They’d chase me out.” The River laughed. “You? Scared?” the River said, “when you’re not afraid of the green lizard, or of the snake in the bamboo clump, or the big trains rattling past that bridge.” “Trains are noisy; I prefer ships,” said the River. Jahnavi never knew the snake lived in the bamboo clump. “What are ships?” she asked. “Big boats,” said the River, “so big that they can take hundreds of people, and they sail along the sea with lights that shine all night.” Jahnavi held her breath. “Will they come here?” she asked. “I’m afraid not,” said the River. “Too large, you know. Chandu’s catamaran is good enough for me.” “They’d never let me!” wailed Jahnavi. “Try going to school first,” said the River. “Remember—it’s up to you!”
Jahnavi gathered courage. The next day she reached the school, panting and out of breath and stood by the door listening while the teacher read out the lesson. It was a story about a prince called Ashoka, who became a great king. Little Appu had fallen asleep on her shoulder. She crept nearer and nearer till she was in the back row, squatting with the others on the earthen floor. Little Appu made no noise and she listened. “If you really want to come to my school, Jahnavi,” the teacher said, “we’ll talk to your father about it.” Finally, her parents agreed. And Jahnavi said she would become a teacher and teach other girls. She went to the river again and said, “I did it!”
पूरा हिंदी अनुवाद
एक बड़ा चमकीला आँसू उसकी नाक पर टपक पड़ा। फिर एक और। एक किंगफिशर पक्षी नीचे आया, उसकी पंख धूप में नीले तीर की तरह चमक रहे थे। एक हरी छिपकली नदी के किनारे सरकती हुई आई और धूप सेंकने लगी।
“अरे, अरे!” एक उनींदी और धीमी आवाज़ ने कहा, “क्या बात है?” जाह्नवी चौंक गई, क्योंकि उसे लगा कि वह बिल्कुल अकेली थी।
तोते जोर-जोर से चीख रहे थे, लेकिन यह आवाज़ बहुत शांत थी। उसने चारों ओर देखा। वहाँ कोई भी नहीं था। वह डर गई और भागना चाहती थी।
“तुम्हें रोना नहीं चाहिए,” आवाज़ ने कहा। “और तुम्हें डरना भी नहीं चाहिए, जब तुम रोज़ यहाँ मुझसे मिलने आती हो।”
वह उलझन में थी। यह आवाज़ नदी जैसी लग रही थी। क्या यह सच में नदी थी?
नदी ने कहा, “मुझे समुद्र तक जल्दी पहुँचना है। तुम बताओ क्या बात है।” जाह्नवी बोली, “वे मुझे स्कूल नहीं जाने देते।”
वह पढ़ना चाहती थी, अपने भाई-बहनों की तरह। वह जानना चाहती थी कि पेड़ क्यों सरसराते हैं, चाँद क्यों पहाड़ों के पीछे से आता है, और मछलियाँ मेंढक क्यों बन जाती हैं।
नदी ने कहा, “इतने सारे सवाल! मैं तुम्हें चाँद के बारे में बता सकती हूँ। वह समुद्र की ओर जाता है, ठीक मेरी तरह।”
जाह्नवी ने कहा, “छोटा रामू भी स्कूल जाता है।” नदी ने कहा, “लड़कियाँ भी लड़कों जितना कर सकती हैं। तुम भी कोशिश करो।”
अगले दिन, जाह्नवी हिम्मत करके स्कूल गई। वह चुपचाप बैठकर सुनती रही। शिक्षक ने उसे देखा और उससे बात की।
शिक्षक ने उसके पिता से बात की और अंत में उसे स्कूल जाने की अनुमति मिल गई।
जाह्नवी ने कहा कि वह बड़ी होकर शिक्षिका बनेगी और सभी लड़कियों को पढ़ाएगी।
वह फिर नदी के पास गई और बोली, “मैंने कर दिखाया! मैं अब स्कूल जाऊँगी।” नदी हँस पड़ी और बोली, “फिर आना, मैं तुम्हें समुद्र के जहाजों के बारे में बताऊँगी।”
📘 Questions & Answers
1. What was Jahnavi’s dream?
Show Answer2. Why was Jahnavi not allowed to go to school?
Show Answer3. How did the River help Jahnavi?
Show Answer4. What message does the story give?
Show AnswerJahnavi’s dream was to go to school and learn reading and writing like her brothers and sisters.
She was not allowed because her parents thought she was too small and needed to take care of her younger siblings.
The River encouraged Jahnavi to be brave and go to school on her own. It motivated her to take the first step.
The story teaches that courage and determination can help us achieve our dreams, and education is important for everyone, especially girls.