English Booklet

  A hawker is a common sight on a street of a city or a town or in a compartment of a train. He carries things sometimes on his head, sometimes in his hands, sometimes in a bag and sometimes in a small hand-cart. He sells various kinds of things including sweets, drinks, books, pens, medicines and what not. He uses various tricks to attract the attention of the buyers. Sometimes he starts singing or even starts acting. Sometimes he is funny and sometimes irritating. He sells things at a cheaper rate than that of the permanent shop-keepers. It is possible as he has not to pay any rent for a shop or salary to salesman. He is, as if, a moving shop and a salesman combined. But it is a pity that he has to do such hard labour for living from hand to mouth.

 The name of our village is Radhanagar Bharat-Pathik Raja Rammohan Roy was born. It is a small quietvillage by the side of the. river Dwrakeswar in the district of Hooghly. It is about a mile long and half a mile broad. A metalled road runs by the side of it and buses and lorries ply on the road. There are large green cornfields around o village. The population of our village is about three thousand. Most them are farmers. There are doctors and teachers too. A daily marke is held in the morning where we get all the necessary things. We have also a primary school, a Postoffice, a B. T. college and a Degree collese in our village. But the special object of pride of our village is the Raia Rammohan Roy Memorial Hall which was designed by the great poet Rabindranath Tagore. I am very proud of being a son of such a village where the great Raja Rammohan Roy was born.

  Last summer I had a wonderful time in Delhi. I stayed there at my uncle's house with my parents. Delhi is a place of historical interest. saw, there the Red Fort, the Moti Masjid and the Qutub Minar. I also visited the Parliament House, the Jantar Mantar, Santiban, the Rajghat and the Bijoyghat. One day we went to Agra to visit the Tajmahal, one of the wonders of the world. It built by Shajahan in memory of his beloved wife Mumtaj on the bank of the river Jamuna. In fact, it looks like a dream in marble in a moon-lit night. The majestic beauty 'of the Taj will ever remain imprinted on my mind.

  We started our journey by boat in the morning on Sunday last. The gentle morning breeze welcomed us when we stepped into the boat. The sights on either side of the river very charming and these were, as if, a feast for our eyes. Our mind leaped in joy when we saw the vast green paddy-fields touching the horizon. The birds were flying over our head now and then. The fishermen were at work here and there. We saw some boats big and small sailing up and down the river. When a steamer passed by, it caused big waves and all the boats nearby were tossed violently. At the bathing ghats men and women were bathing and childern were swimming about. This touch of life added a beauty to the river. But the river became loveliest in the evening when the waves danced and sparkled under the crimson rays of the setting sun. We recalled the poetic line of Keats : "The day so soon has glided by  Even like the passage of an angel's tear."

  The library occupies an important role in a school. No ideal school can run without a good library. The few books which we read as texts in our classes are not sufficient for our mental food. To widen our knowledge and to broaden our outlook, we must read many other useful books. A school library helps us here. In the library we come across 'the mightly minds of old' Moreover, by reading journals and periodicals we can know how the world is moving around us. Books also provide us with joy. They comfort us in sorrow and cheer us up in distress. They are our never-failing friends. A will-stocked and properly organised library is therefore an essential part of a school. In the words of Carlyle-"A true university of these days is a library of books."

  Amongst all the fairs, the book fai rs are of recent origin. Book fairs are now frequently held in towns and cities. Last year I visited a book fair the 'maidan' opposite to Rabindrasadan. There were at least two hundred stalls and so many books were displayed. It was a great opportunity of having a varied choice of books in the book fair. The main thing about a book fair is not sale but display of books on different subjects. Book-lovers crowded there to make their choice and buy books from the stalls. I was tempted to buy a lot of books but my purse did not permit me. As a result I bought a few books and collected a lot of catalogues to buy books at the next opportunity. However, a book fair spreads the message that books are our best friends and companions, enlarge our vision and make our life more meaningful.

  A fair is held every year at Krishnanagar on account of Rasjatra. I visited the fair this year. When I reached there, I saw a sea of human heads moving to and for on the fair-ground. There were hundreds of stalls for selling various articles, such as toys, dolls, balloons, ribbons, wooden utensils, earthen pots, house-hold goods, baskets etc. There were a large number of sweet-meat stalls and they tempted the buyers, especially the children more than any other thing. The chief objects of attraction were two circus parties. They beat their drums every now and then to attract the spectators. The people who came to visit the fair came from all ranks of society and were all cald in their gala dress. The life of the villagers is usually dull and monotonous. Once a year the fair breaks the monotony and adds joy to their life. It creates a ripple of joy all around. It is also a meeting ground for the old and the young, the rich and the poor.

  There is always a buzzing sound at Howrah Station. The passengers stand in a queue to collect their tickets in front of the ticket counters. The station is always crowded with passengers, hawkers and the porters. There are stalls of pedlars, book-sellers and waiting rooms in such large stations. Vendors shout their trade cries. Who has not heard the trade-cry 'chagaram' or "Thanda Pani' in the railway station? When a train reaches the station, the passengers hurry to get off the train. At the same time passengers waiting for the train want to get into the train. As a result, a collision of two groups of passengers takes place. Sometimes it requires some gymnastic skills to get into the train. Ultimately when the time of departure of a train arrives, the signal nods and the train leaves the station. The whistling sound of the departing train creates a sense of vacuum in the minds of the passengers. 

     A village market  is held in open space in the centre of the surrounding villages. The paths of the villages lead to the market- lace. There is a daily market there. Of course, there is a difference hetween a 'Hat' and a Market'. A 'Hat' is not held like a 'market It is held only once or twice a week and it is more crowded than a market. However, there are various kinds of shops in the village market. The villagers get rice, dal, oil, vegetables, fish, meat and all other necessaries of their dily life from the market. Farmers from far and near come there with their products to sell them off. They sometimes rejoice at their profit and despond over their loss. A village market is the main centre of economic activity of the villages. The traders of the village carry on good business there. Thus the village market bears a vital importance in the life of the villagers.