ARTILES AND PREPOSITIONS:CLASS XI / W B B H S E /PRACTICE SHEET

LEELA'S FRIEND by R K Narayan

1. Sidda was hanging _____ ____ gate ___ ____moment when Mr Sivasanker was standing _____ _____front veranda ____his house, brooding _____ _______servant problem.

2. ‘Sir, do you want ____ servant?’ Sidda asked.

3. ‘Come _____,’ said Mr Sivasanker.

4. As Sidda opened ______ gate and came ____, Mr Sivasanker subjected him _____ ___ scrutiny and said _____ himself, ‘Doesn’t seem ____ be ___ bad sort . . . At any rate, ____ fellow looks tidy.’

5.  ‘Where were you ________?’ he asked.

6.  Sidda said, ‘____ _____ bungalow there,’ and indicated a vague somewhere, ‘____ _____doctor’s house.’

7. ‘I don’t know, master,’ Sidda said. ‘He lives near ______ market.’

8.  ‘They left ____ town, master,’ Sidda said, giving ______ stock reply.

9.  Mr Sivasanker was unable to make _____ his mind. He called his wife.

10. She looked ____  Sidda and said, ‘He doesn’t seem ____ me worse than ____ others we have had.’

11.  Leela, their five-year-old daughter, came ______, looked _____ Sidda and gave ___ cry of joy.

12. Sidda was given two meals ____ day and four rupees a month, _____ return for which he washed clothes, tended _______ garden, ran errands, chopped wood and looked ___________ Leela.

13. ‘Sidda, come and play!’ Leela would cry, and Sidda had ________ drop any work he might be doing and run _____ her, as she stood _____ _______ front garden with _____ red ball _____ her hand.

14. She flung the ball at him and he flung it back.

15. And then she said, ‘Now throw the ball into the sky.’

16. Sidda clutched the ball, closed his eyes for a second and threw the ball up.

17. When the ball came down again, he said, ‘Now this has touched the moon and come.

18. You see here a little bit of the moon sticking.’ Leela keenly examined the ball for traces of the moon and said, ‘I don’t see it.’

19. ‘You must be very quick about it,’ said Sidda, ‘because it will all evaporate and go back ____ ____ moon.

20. Now hurry up . . .’ He covered ______ ball tightly with his fingers and allowed her to peep through a little gap.

 21. ‘Ah, yes,’ said Leela. ‘I see the moon, but is _______ moon very wet?’

 22. ‘What is _______ _________ sky, Sidda?’

 23.  ‘If we stand on ______ roof and stretch our arms, can we touch _______ sky?’

 24. ‘Not if we stand ______ _______ roof here,’ he said. ‘But if you stand on a coconut tree you can touch the sky.’

25.  ‘Yes, many times’ said Sidda. ‘Whenever there is _____ big moon, I climb a coconut tree and touch it.’

26. ‘Does_______  moon know you?’

27. ‘Yes, very well. Now come with me. I will show you something nice.’

28.  They were standing near the rose plant. He said, pointing, ‘You see the moon there, don’t you?’ 29.  ‘Now come with me,’ he said, and took her ________ ________ back yard.

30. He stopped near ________ well and pointed ________ .

31. Leela clapped her hands and screame______ wonder, ‘The moon here! It was there! How is it?’

32.  ‘I have asked it _____  follow us about.’

33. Leela ran ______ and told her mother, ‘Sidda knows _______ moon.’

34.  At dusk he carried her ______ and she held ______ class for him.

35. She had _____ box filled ______ catalogues, illustrated books and stumps ____ pencils.

36. It gave her great joy ____ play _____ teacher ______ Sidda. She made him squat _____ ______ floor with_____ pencil between  his fingers and _____ catalogue _____ front _______ him.

37. She had another pencil and _____ catalogue and commanded, ‘Now write.’

38. And he had ______ try and copy whatever she wrote ______  ________ pages of her catalogue.

39. She knew two or three letters ______  ­­­­­_______ alphabet and could draw a kind of cat and crow.

40. But none _______ these could Sidda copy even remotely. She said, examining his effort, ‘Is this how I have drawn the crow? Is this how I have drawn _______ B?’

41.She pitied him and redoubled her efforts _______ teach him. But that good fellow, though ____ adept at controlling the moon, was utterly incapable of plying the pencil.

42.Consequently, it looked as though Leela would keep him there pinned to his seat till his stiff, inflexible wrist cracked. He sought relief _____ saying, ‘I think your mother is calling you in ___ dinner.’

Leela would drop the pencil and run out of the room, and the school hour would end.

42.  After dinner Leela ran ______ her bed.

43. Sidda had ______ be ready with _______ story.

44. He sat down ____ ______ floor near the bed and told incomparable stories: _____ animals ____ _____ jungle, _____ gods _____ heaven, ______ magicians who could conjure ______ golden castles and fill them ________ little princesses and their pets .

 45. Day by day she clung closer ______ him.

46. She insisted  ________  having his company all her waking hours.

47. She was _______ his side when he was working ______ ______ garden or chopping wood, and accompanied him when he was sent _______ errands.

48. One evening he went out _______ buy sugar and Leela went ______ him.

49. When they came home, Leela’s mother noticed that _____ gold chain Leela had been wearing was missing.

50. Leela looked _______ her shirt, searched and said, ‘I don’t know.’ Her mother gave her ___ slap and said,

51. ‘How many times have I told you to take it _____ and put it ______  _______ box?’

52. ‘Sidda, Sidda!’ she shouted a moment later.

53.  As Sidda came _______, Leela’s mother threw ______ glance at him and thought the fellow already looked queer.

54. She asked him about _______ chain.

55. His throat went dry. He blinked and answered that he did not know.

56. She mentioned _________ police and shouted at him.

57. She had _______ go back into the kitchen for a moment because she had left something _____  _______oven.

58. When they came out again and called, ‘Sidda, Sidda!’ there was no answer. Sidda had vanished ________  ________ night.

59. Mr Sivasanker came home _______ hour later, grew very excited over all this, went _____  _____ police station and lodged a complaint.

60. After her meal Leela refused  ________ _______ _______ bed. ‘I won’t sleep unless Sidda comes and tells me stories . . . I don’t like you, Mother.

61. ‘But he has taken ___________ your chain . . .’

62. Tell me ________ story.’

63. ‘Sleep, sleep,’ said Mother, attempting ______  make her lie down  _____  her lap.

64. ‘Tell me _______ story, Mother,’ Leela said.

65. It was utterly impossible  ______ her mother  _______ think of  _______ story now.

66. Her mind was disturbed. The thought  _______  Sidda made her panicky.

67. _______ Fellow, ______  his knowledge  _____ ______ household, might come _____ ____ night and loot.

68. She shuddered ____ think what a villain she had been harbouring all these days.

69. It was God’s mercy that he hadn’t killed  ______  child for the chain . . . ‘Sleep, Leela, sleep,’she cajoled.

70. ‘Can’t you tell ______ story of _______ elephant?’ Leela asked.

71. Leela made ____ noise _____ deprecation and asked, ‘Why should not Sidda sit ____  our chair, Mother?’

72. Mother didn’t answer ______ question. Leela said ____ moment later, ‘Sidda is gone because he wouldn’t be allowed ___ sleep inside ________ house just as we do.

73. Why should he always be made _____ sleep outside the house, Mother? I think he is angry ____ us, Mother.’

74. ________ ________ time Sivasanker returned, Leela had fallen asleep.

75. He said, ‘What ____ risk we took _______ engaging that fellow. It seems he is ____ old criminal. He has been ___ jail half ____ dozen times for stealing jewellery from children. From the description I gave, ______ inspector was able ____ identify him _____ ______ moment.’

76. ‘Where is he now?’ asked ______ wife.

77. ‘The police know his haunts. They will pick him _____ very soon, don’t worry.

78. The inspector was furious that I didn’t consult him ________ employing him . . .’

79. Four days later, just as Father was coming home  ____ ____ office, ___ police inspector and  ___ constable brought  ____  Sidda.

80. Sidda stood ______ bowed head. Leela was overjoyed. ‘Sidda! Sidda!’ she cried, and ran down _____ steps _____ meet him.

81. ‘Don’t go near him,’ _____ inspector said, stopping her.

82. ‘He is ______ thief. He has taken away your gold chain.’

83. ‘Let him. I will have _____ new chain,’ Leela said, and all _____ them laughed.

84. And then Mr Sivasanker spoke ____ Sidda; and then his wife addressed him _____ ____ few words _____ his treachery. They then asked him where he had put  _____ chain.

85. ‘I have not taken it,’ Sidda said feebly, looking  _______  _______ ground.

86. ‘Why did you run_______  _________ telling us?’ asked Leela’s mother. There was no answer.

87. Leela’s face became red. ‘Oh, policemen, leave him alone. I want ____ play _______ him.’

88. ‘My dear child,’ said _______ police inspector, ‘he is a thief.’

89. ‘Let him be,’ Leela replied haughtily.

90. ‘What _____ devil you must be to steal ____ thing from such an innocent child!’ remarked ____ inspector.

91. ‘Return ________.

92. I will let you ______, provided you promise not _____ do such a thing again.’ Leela’s father and mother, too, joined _______ this appeal.

93. Leela felt disgusted _______ _______ whole business and said, ‘Leave him alone, he hasn’t taken _______  chain.’

94. ‘You are not ______ all _____ reliable prosecution witness, my child,’ observed _____ inspector humorously.

95. ‘No, he hasn’t taken it!’ Leela screamed.

96. Her father said, ‘Baby, if you don’t behave, I will be very angry _______  you.’

97. Half ______ hour later  _______ inspector said  ______ ______ constable, ‘Take him _____  ______ station.

98. I think I shall have _____ sit with him tonight.’ The constable took Sidda  _____  ____ hand and turned _______ go.

99. He looked ______ her mutely, like ________ animal.

100.              Mr Sivasanker carried Leela back  _______  _______ house. Leela was  _____ tears.

101.              Every day when Mr Sivasanker came home he was asked _____ his wife, ‘Any news ______  _________  jewel?’ and  _______  his daughter, ‘Where is Sidda?’

102.              ‘They still have him  ______  ______ lockup, though he is very stubborn and won’t say anything about  _____  jewel,’ said Mr Sivasanker.

103.              ‘Bah! What  _____  rough fellow he must be!’ said his wife with  ______ shiver.

104.              ‘Oh, these fellows who have been ______  jail once or twice lose all fear. Nothing can make them confess.’

105.              A few days later, putting her hand into  ______  tamarind pot  _____ ______ kitchen, Leela’s mother picked  ______  ______ chain. She took  _______ ______ ____ tap and washed  ______  _______ coating  ____ tamarind  ______ it. It was unmistakably Leela’s chain. When it was shown  ______ her, Leela said, ‘Give it here. I want _____  wear  ______ chain.’

106.              ‘How did it get  _______  _______  tamarind pot?’ Mother asked.

107.              ‘Somehow,’ replied Leela. ‘Did you put it  ______?’ asked Mother.

108.              ‘Why didn’t you say so before?’

109.              ‘ When Father came home and was told, he said, ‘ _______ child must not have any chain hereafter.

110.              Didn’t I tell you that I saw her carrying it  _____  her hand once or twice?

111.              She must have dropped it ______  ________ pot sometime . . . And all this bother ____ account of her.’ ‘What about Sidda?’ asked Mother.

112.              ‘I will tell _______ inspector tomorrow . . . ____ any case, we couldn’t have kept____ criminal like him _____ _______ house.’

THE SICK ROSE   

O  Rose thou art sick.                           Has   found  out  thy   bed


The  invisible  worm,                             ______ crimson  joy :


That  flies ___  the  night                       And  his  dark  secret  love


____ the  howling  storm:                      Does  thy  life  destroy.

Composed Upon Westminster Bridge, September 3, 1802:

Earth has not anything ___ show more fair:

Dull would he be___ soul who could pass ____

A sight so touching ___ its majesty:

This City now doth, like a garment, wear

The beauty___  _____  morning; silent, bare,

Ships, towers, domes, theatres, and temples lie

Open ______ the fields, and to the sky;

All bright and glittering ____ the smokeless air.

Never did sun more beautifully steep

_____ his first splendour, valley, rock, or hill;

Ne'er saw I, never felt, a calm so deep!

The river glideth _____ his own sweet will:

Dear God!  ______  very houses seem asleep;

And all that mighty heart is lying still!

Daybreak

A wind came _____ out ____ the sea,
And said, "O mists, make room   _____ me."

It hailed the ships, and cried, "Sail ______,
Ye mariners, the night is gone."

And hurried landward far away,
Crying, "Awake! it is the day."

It said unto the forest, "Shout!
Hang all your leafy banners out!"

It touched the wood-bird's folded wing,
And said, "O bird, awake and sing."

And  _______  the farms, "O chanticleer,
Your clarion blow; the day is near."

It whispered  ______ the fields of corn,
"Bow down, and hail the coming morn."

It shouted through the belfry-tower,
"Awake, O bell! proclaim the hour."

It crossed the churchyard  _____ a sigh,
And said, "Not yet!  _____  quiet lie."

Meeting at Night   BY   ROBERT BROWNING

I

The grey sea and____ long black land;

And ____ yellow half-moon large and low;

And _____ startled little waves that leap

___ fiery ringlets from their sleep,

As I gain ____ cove ____ pushing prow,

And quench its speed i' ____ slushy sand.

II

Then ___ mile of warm sea-scented beach;

Three fields ___ cross till ____ farm appears;

A tap ___  _____  pane, _____ quick sharp scratch

And blue spurt ___  ___  lighted match,

And _____ voice less loud, thro' its joys and fears,

Than _____ two hearts beating each ___ each!

BROTHERHOOD by Octavio Paz

Homage _______ Claudius Ptolemy
I am _______ man: little do I last
and _______ night is enormous.
But I look up:
______ stars write.
Unknowing I understand:
I too am written,
and at this very moment
someone spells me out.

SUMIT CHATTERJEE