Class 8 English Unseen Passages Type I: Passage 3 — Flashcards

On Killing a Tree

It takes much time to kill a tree,
Not a simple jab of the knife
Will do it. It has grown
Slowly consuming the earth,
Rising out of it, feeding
Upon its crust, absorbing
Years of sunlight, air, water,
And out of its leprous hide
Sprouting leaves.
So hack and chop
But this alone won’t do it.
Not so much pain will do it.
The bleeding bark will heal
And from close to the ground
Will rise curled green twigs,
Miniature boughs
Which if unchecked will expand again
To former size.
No,
The root is to be pulled out
Out of the anchoring earth;
It is to be roped, tied,
And pulled out-snapped out
Or pulled out entirely,
Out from the earth-cave,
And the strength of the tree exposed,
The source, white and wet,
The most sensitive, hidden
For years inside the earth.
Then the matter
Of scorching and choking
In sun and air,
Browning, hardening,
Twisting, withering,
And then it is done.
Gieve Patel (165 words)

Word-Notes : Jab-prick, चुभाना Consuming—eating up, समाप्त करना Crust-surface, पपड़ी Absorbing-taking in, सोखते Leprous—covered with scales, पपड़ी से ढकी Hide(here) skin, bark, छाल Sprouting—bringing out, निकालत हुए| Hack and chop-cut with a hack, फावड़े से काट दो। Bark-skin of the tree, पेड़ की छाल। Twigs a small thin branch, टहनी। Miniature-small, छोटा Boughs-main branch, शाखा/डाल Anchoring-preventing, रोकने वाली Snapped-broke, टूटा हुआ Scorching-heating, तपाना Choking-gagging, दम घोटन Withering—to dry up, सुखाना

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