Page 15 - English Reader - 7

“Thank you very much, sahib,” the boy said taking the money. ‘‘You’ve done me a great favour.’’ The

man did not remember to have seen a warmer smile than the one the boy gave him now. He could
not help the smile that came to his lips.
“Tell me your name, sahib.” The man told him, then asked him his. The boy obliged him.

“And is this where you live?” He pointed towards the door.

The man nodded and began to walk away.
“Sahib,” the boy called after him. “You’ve forgotton to pay me for the shoeshine.”

“Oh,” the man said, a broad smile across his face, and stopped. Then after paying the boy, with the
pleased-as-punch smile still across his face, he disappeared down the stairs.

As the boy stood holding the notes, his eyes filled up with gratitude. This was the biggest amount
he had ever earned in such a short time. Sometimes he couldn’t earn that much in the entire day.
It occurred to him that the gentleman was not expecting to get the money back. “You don’t know
me sahib. I will work doubly hard,” he murmured and added, “You will get your money back—sooner
than you expect.”

The thought made the boy smile. And he walked towards the carpenter’s shop whistling a happy
tune.

Word Meanings

1. mansion : a big house 2. survey : to check
3. tattered : torn 4. bulged : swelled or lumped
5. intercepting : interrupting 6. countenance : expression

7. persisted : insisted 8. agilely : swiftly
9. stabs : pats 10. energetic : vigorous
11. elongated : longish 12. strikingly : remarkably

13. fluttering : moving 14. glistening : shining
15. crinkled : creased 16. evidently : obviously
17. choked : feeling of something 18. pleased-as-punch : extremely
stuck in the throat pleased

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E E

A. Tick (3) the correct option.

1. When the boy offered to polish the man’s shoes, the man was initially __________ to get his
shoes polished.

(a) unwilling (b) willing (c) eager (d) hesitant

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