# Thank God!

## Overview

The story "Thank God!" is a thoughtful and humorous folktale from the Jataka collection. It teaches the importance of gratitude, clever thinking, and how sometimes even a playful act can lead to a wise response. Through this story, children learn values such as thankfulness, presence of mind, and understanding consequences.

## Key Topics Covered

### 1. Let Us Read (Story Summary)

- A hardworking farmer loved fruits and decided to grow them on his land.

- He specially cared for grapes and watermelons, which grew very well.

- When the fruits were ripe, he wished to gift the best fruit to the King.

- His wife suggested giving grapes or watermelons. Since watermelons were heavy, he chose grapes.

- The farmer packed the grapes in a basket and walked to the King’s palace.

- At the palace, he saw the King playing with the princess and quietly placed the gift basket.

- The King, in a playful mood, popped some grapes into his mouth and then threw some at the farmer.

- Surprisingly, the farmer smiled and said, “Thank God!” each time he was hit by a grape.

- The King was curious and asked why he was thankful even when being hit.

- The wise farmer replied that had he brought watermelons, it would have hurt badly. So he thanked God for his wise choice.

### 2. Vocabulary Building

**New Words:**

- **Journey** – A long trip from one place to another
- **Guard** – A person who protects or watches over something
- **Royal** – Related to a king or queen
- **Popped** – To put or push quickly into something
- **Wise** – Showing good judgment and knowledge

**Sight Words:**

- **Grow** – To develop or increase in size
- **Kept** – To place or store something
- **Front** – The side that faces forward
- **Again** – One more time

### 3. Let Us Think (Comprehension Questions)

- What fruits did the farmer grow?
- What did his wife suggest?
- Why did the farmer take grapes instead of watermelon?
- What did the King do playfully?
- Why did the farmer say “Thank God!”?

### 4. Let Us Learn (Grammar and Vocabulary Practice)

#### A. Opposites:

Children learn opposites through examples such as:

- Thick ↔ Thin
- Long ↔ Short
- Soft ↔ Hard
- Slow ↔ Fast

#### B. Use of ‘is’ and ‘are’:

Practice sentences to choose the correct verb form, e.g.:

- The book \_\_ is \_\_ on the table.
- The girls \_\_ are \_\_ at the shop.

### 5. Let Us Listen (Poem – “Aachoo!”)

- A funny poem about a mighty elephant with a cold trying to buy a handkerchief.
- Learns that elephants are too big for regular items and need creative solutions.

### 6. Let Us Speak

- Students imagine they are visiting a sick elephant and say what food they would take along.

### 7. Let Us Write (Sequencing Activity)

- Rearranging steps to prepare Chandu’s fruit salad in the correct order, improving logical thinking and instruction-following.

### 8. Let Us Explore (Word Search)

- A fruit-themed puzzle where children find names like Mango, Banana, Grapes, Guava, etc.

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## New Words and Their Meanings

| Word | Simple Meaning |
| ------- | ------------------------------------------ |
| Journey | A trip from one place to another |
| Guard | A person who protects something |
| Royal | Belonging to the King or Queen |
| Popped | Quickly placed or pushed into something |
| Wise | Someone who makes good and smart decisions |

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## Practice Questions

### Easy (3)

1. **What did the farmer grow on his land?**
_Answer_: Fruits.
_Explanation_: He loved fruits, so he worked hard to grow them.

2. **Why didn’t the farmer take watermelons to the King?**
_Answer_: Because they were heavy.
_Explanation_: It was a long journey, and grapes were easier to carry.

3. **What fruit did the farmer gift the King?**
_Answer_: Grapes.
_Explanation_: He chose them as they were lighter.

### Medium (2)

4. **Why did the King throw grapes at the farmer?**
_Answer_: He was in a playful mood.
_Explanation_: The King was playing and wanted to have some fun.

5. **How did the farmer react to being hit by grapes?**
_Answer_: He said, “Thank God!”
_Explanation_: He was thankful that he didn’t bring watermelons.

### Difficult (3)

6. **What would have happened if the farmer had brought watermelons?**
_Answer_: He could have been hurt.
_Explanation_: Watermelons are heavy, and if thrown, they would cause pain.

7. **What does the story teach us?**
_Answer_: To be thankful and think wisely.
_Explanation_: The farmer showed wisdom and gratitude even in a funny situation.

8. **Why did the King ask the farmer why he was thankful?**
_Answer_: He was surprised by the farmer’s positive reaction.
_Explanation_: It’s unusual to thank someone while being hit.

### Very Difficult (2)

9. **If you were the farmer, would you take the same decision? Why or why not?**
_Answer_: Yes, because grapes are lighter and safer.
_Explanation_: Logical thinking helps in difficult situations.

10. **Can we say the farmer was clever? Give reasons.**
_Answer_: Yes.
_Explanation_: He used wisdom to avoid trouble and stayed grateful.

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