Reading Practice For Mamta

What did you expect? Of course it’s a bit bitter, but it’s very sweet too, don’t you think? And she stuffed some more ripe berries into her mouth and ate them with obvious relish Durga went down a little way into the water. There are a lot of water chestnuts here. Opu she shouted. You stand there and I’ll get so There are a lot of a little further and plucked out several plants by the stems and threw them on the bank. ‘Catch, Opu.

The water chestnuts are right out over the water, Didi. How are you going to get at them? The water chestnuts were indeed far out over the water. Durga did her best to reach them with a bamboo cane, but in vain. The bank’s very steep here,” she said. ‘I shall slip down li into deep water if I go further out. What can I do to reach it? Oh, yes, I know, you can help. Hold on to the end of my sari and I may be able to reach them with the pole.

Inside the jungle a yellow bird was sitting on a twig in a moynakanta tree. It was singing very sweetly and making the leaves dance. Opu was fascinated. ‘What bird is that, Didi?” Don’t worry about birds! Hold on to my sari for all you’re worth or I shall slip in. Hold on tight now.

Step by step Durga went down into the water, stretching out with the cane as far as it would go. Her clothes were wet through but still she could not reach. She went a little bit further and tried again, this time holding the cane with the tips of her fingers. Opu stood behind her pulling as hard as he could, but suddenly he realized that he was not strong enough to hold her and burst out laughing. He laughe Durga began to slide in, but she managed to save he uch that he let go of her and me. Then she laughed too.

What a wash-out you are!’ she exclaimed. ‘You’re utterly useless! But come on, let’s lia another go. Hold on again.

With an enormous effort she succeeded in hooking a cluster of chestnuts and pulling it near. She examined it eagerly to see how many chestnuts there were on it, but in a minute or so she flung it on the bank. They’re quite raw. They haven’t got any milk in them yet.

Let’s try once more. Hold on now. Opu held on again, but he could not counter his sister’s pull as she leaned forward, and little by little he found himself slipping into the water. His clothes began to get wet, so he gave up and stood there shaking with laughter. Durga laughed too. ‘Silly!’ she said, and for some time the lonely bamboo grove by the side of the pond echoed with the happy laughter of the brother and sister.

‘If only you had a little strength in your body!’ Durga said with a laugh, but you haven’t. You’re no stronger than a dry stick. Thereupon she went down into the water to have another try, but Opu who was still standing on the bank suddenly screamed out and pointed with his finger in the direction of a bush nearby, ‘Look Didi! What’s that there?” And he rushed to the place and started to dig something out of the ground. Durga climbed out of the water but before she got to him, he had unearthed something and was rubbing