How I Taught My Grandmother to Read” (Sudha Murty)

 English

The story is about a young girl and her grandmother, Krishnakka. The grandmother could not read or write because she never went to school. She loved listening to a novel Kashi Yatre which her granddaughter used to read aloud.

One day, the girl went to a wedding for a week. During that time, the grandmother could not read the magazine and felt helpless and sad. She realized the importance of education and decided to learn reading.

Even at the age of 62, she worked very hard and learned the Kannada alphabet. The granddaughter became her teacher. On Dasara day, the grandmother read a novel on her own and touched her granddaughter’s feet as a mark of respect.

The story teaches that there is no age limit for learning and education makes a person independent.

🔹 हिंदी सारांश

यह कहानी एक लड़की और उसकी दादी (कृष्णक्का) के बारे में है। दादी पढ़-लिख नहीं सकती थीं क्योंकि वे कभी स्कूल नहीं गईं। उन्हें काशी यात्रा नाम का उपन्यास सुनना बहुत पसंद था, जिसे उनकी पोती उन्हें पढ़कर सुनाती थी।

एक बार लड़की शादी में एक हफ्ते के लिए चली गई। उस दौरान दादी खुद पढ़ नहीं सकीं और बहुत दुखी हो गईं। तब उन्हें शिक्षा का महत्व समझ में आया और उन्होंने पढ़ना सीखने का निश्चय किया।

62 वर्ष की उम्र में भी उन्होंने मेहनत करके कन्नड़ पढ़ना सीख लिया। पोती उनकी टीचर बनी। दशहरा के दिन दादी ने खुद उपन्यास पढ़ा और अपनी पोती के पैर छुए।

👉 यह कहानी सिखाती है कि सीखने की कोई उम्र नहीं होती और शिक्षा हमें आत्मनिर्भर बनाती है।

Lesson-1 How I Taught My Grandmother to Read

📘 2. Word Meaning (Chapter Vocabulary)

 Check Your Understanding (Part 1)

🔹 Cause – Effect

1.

Cause: Transport system was not good
Effect: Morning papers came late and weekly magazines came one day late

हिंदी:
परिवहन व्यवस्था खराब थी → अखबार और पत्रिका देर से आते थे

2.

Cause: The grandmother never went to school
Effect: She could not read

हिंदी:
दादी स्कूल नहीं गई → वह पढ़ नहीं सकती थीं

3.

Cause: She was interested in the story
Effect: She discussed it with her friends

हिंदी:
उन्हें कहानी में रुचि थी → वह दोस्तों से चर्चा करती थीं

4.

Cause: The narrator went to a wedding for a week
Effect: Grandmother could not read the story and felt helpless

हिंदी:
लड़की शादी में गई → दादी पढ़ नहीं सकीं और दुखी हो गईं

5.

Cause: Grandmother regretted not going to school
Effect: She decided to learn reading

हिंदी:
दादी को पढ़ाई का पछतावा हुआ → उन्होंने पढ़ना सीखने का निर्णय लिया

6.

Cause: Grandmother worked hard
Effect: She learned to read Kannada

हिंदी:
दादी ने मेहनत की → उन्होंने पढ़ना सीख लिया

📘 II. Answer the following

Q1. Do you think the narrator expected to see her grandmother in tears? Why?

Ans:
No, the narrator did not expect this because her grandmother was usually strong and never cried even in difficult situations.

हिंदी:
नहीं, क्योंकि दादी मजबूत थीं और कभी नहीं रोती थीं।

Q2. How might the narrator help her grandmother?

Ans:
The narrator helped her grandmother by teaching her how to read and write Kannada.

हिंदी:
पोती ने दादी को पढ़ना-लिखना सिखाया।

📘 III. True / False

1. The grandmother wanted to learn Kannada → True
2. The grandmother asked someone else to read → False
3. Narrator was grandmother’s first teacher → True
4. There is no age limit for learning → True
5. Touching teacher’s feet is respect → True
6. Narrator was disappointed → False

📘 IV. Critical Reflection (MCQ)

(i) Grandmother was ______

✔️ Answer: Strong-willed

(ii) She did not reply because she was ______

✔️ Answer: emotional/tired

(iii) Tradition clue:

✔️ Touching feet of elders

(iv) Main idea:

✔️ Affection between narrator and grandmother

(v) NOT emphasized:

✔️ Narrator’s concern

📘 V. Long Answer (From PDF)

Q1. Why did grandmother feel embarrassed?

Ans:
She felt embarrassed because she could not read the magazine and had to depend on others.

👉 हिंदी:
उन्हें शर्म आई क्योंकि वह पढ़ नहीं सकती थीं।

Q2. Why did narrator laugh at grandmother initially?

Ans:
She laughed because she thought it was unusual for a 62-year-old to learn the alphabet.

👉 हिंदी:
उसे लगा इस उम्र में सीखना अजीब है।

Q3. Significance of “Kashi Yatre”

Ans:
It was the novel that motivated the grandmother to learn reading.

👉 हिंदी:
इसी कहानी ने दादी को पढ़ने के लिए प्रेरित किया।

Q4. What does grandmother’s determination show?

Ans:
It shows that learning has no age limit and strong determination leads to success.

👉 हिंदी:
यह दिखाता है कि सीखने की कोई उम्र नहीं होती।

Q5. Lesson from touching feet

Ans:
It shows respect towards the teacher and value of knowledge.

👉 हिंदी:
यह गुरु के प्रति सम्मान दर्शाता है।

3. Chapter Questions & Answers

 Short Answer (2–3 lines)

Q1. Why was the grandmother unhappy?

Ans: She was unhappy because she could not read the magazine when her granddaughter was away.

हिंदी: दादी दुखी थीं क्योंकि पोती के बिना वे पत्रिका नहीं पढ़ पाती थीं।

Q2. Why did the grandmother decide to learn reading?

Ans: She felt helpless and wanted to become independent. हिंदी: उन्होंने आत्मनिर्भर बनने के लिए पढ़ना सीखने का निर्णय लिया।

Q3. Who became the teacher of the grandmother?

Ans: Her granddaughter became her teacher.

हिंदी: उनकी पोती उनकी अध्यापिका बनी।

Q4. What did the grandmother do on Dasara?

Ans: She read a novel herself and touched her granddaughter’s feet.

हिंदी: उन्होंने खुद उपन्यास पढ़ा और पोती के पैर छुए।

 Long Answer

Q1. Describe the relationship between the narrator and her grandmother.

Ans:
They shared a loving and respectful bond. The grandmother depended on the girl for reading stories, and the girl happily helped her. Later, the roles reversed when the granddaughter became the teacher. Their relationship shows love, respect, and learning.

हिंदी:
दोनों के बीच प्यार और सम्मान का संबंध था। दादी पोती पर निर्भर थीं, और बाद में पोती उनकी शिक्षक बन गई। यह रिश्ता स्नेह और सीखने को दर्शाता है।

Q2. What message does the story give?

Ans:
The story teaches that there is no age limit for learning. Education gives independence and confidence.

हिंदी:
यह कहानी सिखाती है कि सीखने की कोई उम्र नहीं होती और शिक्षा हमें आत्मनिर्भर बनाती है।

 True/False (from book)

1. Grandmother wanted to learn Kannada → True
2. She was already educated → False
3. Narrator taught her → True
4. Learning has no age limit → True

Click here for More Notes for CBSE IXth Class- Click