Leela’s Friend : A Detailed Discussion
The Text:
“Ah yes”, said Leela. “I see the moon, but is the moon very wet?
“Certainly it is,” Sidda said.
“What is in the sky, Sidda?”
“God,” he said.
“If we stand on the roof and stretch our arms, can we touch the sky?
“Not if we stand on the roof here,” he said. “But if you stand on a coconut tree you can touch the sky.
“Have you done it?” asked Leela.
“Yes, many times,” said Sidda. “Whenever there is a big moon, I climb a coconut tree and touch it.”
“Does the moon know you?”
Yes, very well. Now come with me. I will show you something nice.”
They were standing near the rose plant. He said, pointing, “You see the moon there, don’t you?
errand: a short trip for undertaking a task.
Word Meaning (in Bengali):
“Ah yes (হ্যাঁ)”, said (বলল) Leela (লীলা). “I (আমি) see (দেখি) the moon (চাঁদকে), but (কিন্তু) is the moon (চাঁদ) very (খুব) wet (ভিজে)?
“Certainly (নিশ্চয়ই) it is (এটা হয় ভিজে),” Sidda said (বলল).
“What is (কি আছে) in the sky (আকাশে), Sidda?”
“God (ভগবান),” he (সে অর্থাৎ সিদ্দা) said (বলল).
“If (যদি) we (আমরা) stand (দাঁড়ায়) on the roof (ছাদে) and stretch (প্রসারিত করি বা বাড়াই) our arms (আমাদের বাহূ), can we touch (আমরা কি স্পর্শ করতে পারব) the sky (আকাশকে)?
“Not (না, অর্থাৎ পারব না), if (যদি) we (আমরা) stand (দাঁড়াই) on the roof (ছাদেে) here (এখানে),”he (সে) said (বলল). “But (কিন্তু) if (যদি) you (তুমি) stand (দাঁড়াও) on a coconut tree (একটি নারকেল গাছে) you (তুমি) can touch (স্পর্শ করতে পারবে) the sky (আকাশকে).
“Have you done it?” (তুমি কি এটা করেছ? অর্থাৎ তুমি কি আকাশকে স্পর্শ করেছ?) asked (জিজ্ঞাসা করল) Leela (লীলা).
“Yes (হ্যাঁ), many (অনেক) times (বার),” said (বলল) Sidda. “Whenever (যখনই) there is a big moon (আকাশে পূূূূর্ণ চাঁদ দেখা যায়), I (আমি) climb (উঠে পড়ি) a (একটি) coconut tree (নারকেল গাছে) and (এবং) touch (স্পর্শ করি) it (এটিকে অর্থাৎ চাঁদকে).”
“Does the moon know you?” (চাঁদ কি তোমাকে চেনে?)
Yes (হ্যাঁ), very well (খুব ভালো ভাবে). Now (এখন) come (এসো) with me (আমার সঙ্গে). I (আমি) will show (দেখাবো) you (তোমাকে) something (কিছু) nice (সুন্দর).”
They (তারা) were standing (দাঁড়িয়ে ছিল) near (কাছে) the rose plant (গোলাপ গাছের). He (সে) said (বলল), pointing (আঙুল দিয়ে দেখিয়ে), “You (তুমি) see (দেখো) the moon (চাঁদকে) there (ওখানে), don’t you? (তাই নয় কি?)
Word meaning: errand: a short trip tor undertaking a task (টুকি টাকি কাজে যাওয়া).
The Text:
“Yes.”
“Now come with me, “he said, and took her to the backyard. He stopped near the well and pointed up. The moon was there, too. Leela clapped her hands and screamed in wonder, “The moon here! It was there! How is it?”
“I have asked it to follow us about.”
Leela ran in and told her mother, “Sidda knows the moon.
Word Meaning (in Bengali):
“Yes.” (হ্যাঁ)
“Now (এখন) come (এসো) with me (আমার সঙ্গে), “he (সে) said (বলল), and (এবং) took (নিয়ে গেল) her (তাকে অর্থাৎ লীলাকে) to the backyard (বাড়ির পিছনে). He (সে) stopped (থামল) near (কাছে) the well (কুয়োর) and (এবং) pointed up (উপরের দিকে আঙুল দিয়ে দেখালো). The moon (চাঁদ) was (ছিল) there, too (ওখানেও). Leela clapped her hands (হাততালি দিল) and screamed (চিৎকার করল) in wonder (বিস্ময়ে), “The moon (চাঁদ) here (এখানে)! It (এটা) was (ছিল) there (ওখানে)! How is it?” (এটা কিভাবে হয়)
“I (আমি) have asked (বলেছি) it (এখানে চাঁদকে) to follow (অনুসরণ করতে) us (আমাদেরকে) about.”
Leela ran in (ছুটে এলো) and told (বলল) her (তার) mother (মাকে), “Sidda knows (জানে) the moon (চাঁদকে).
The Text:
At dusk he carried her in and she held a class for him. She had a box filled with catalogues, illustrated books and stumps of pencils. It gave her great joy to play the teacher to Sidda. she made him squat on the floor with a pencil between his fingers and a catalogue in front of him. She had another pencil and
a catalogue and commanded, “Now write” And he had to try and copy whatever she wrote in the pages of her catalogue. she knew two or three letters of the alphabet and could draw a kind of cat and crow. But none of these could Sidda even remotely copy. She said, examining his effort “Is this how I have drawn the crow? Is this how I have drawn the B?” She pitied him, and redoubled her efforts to teach him. But that good fellow, though an adept at controlling the moon, was utterly incapable of plying the pencil. Consequently, it looked as though Leela would keep him there, pinned to his seat till his stiff, inflexible wrist cracked. He sought relief by saying “I think your mother is calling you in to dinner.” Leela
would drop the pencil and run out of the room, and the school hour would end.
Word Meaning (in Bengali):
At dusk (গোধূলি বেলায়) he (সে অর্থাৎ সিদ্দা) carried (নিয়ে এলো) her (তাকে) in (ঘরের ভিতর) and (এবং) she (সে অর্থাৎ লীলা) held (এখানে নিত বা বসাত) a class (ক্লাস) for him (সিদ্দার). She had (তার ছিল) a box (একটি বাক্স) filled (পূর্ণ ছিল) with catalogues (বর্ণানুক্রমিক সাজানো বই দিয়ে), illustrated (উদাহরণ সহ) books (বই) and (এবং) stumps (ভেঙে যাওয়া অংশ) of pencils (পেন্সিলের). It (এটা) gave (দিত) her (তাকে) great (ভীষণ) joy (আনন্দ) to play (পালন করা) the teacher (শিক্ষিকার ভূমিকা) to Sidda (সিদ্দার). She (সে অর্থাৎ লীলা) made him squat (তাকে উবু হয়ে বসাত) on the floor (মেঝের উপর) with a pencil (একটি পেন্সিল দিয়ে) between (মধ্যে) his fingers (তার আঙুলের) and (এবং) a catalogue (একটি তালিকার বই) in front (সামনে) of him (তার অর্থাৎ সিদ্দার). She had (তার ছিল) another (অন্য একটি) pencil (পেন্সিল) and (এবং) a catalogue (একটি তালিকার বই) and (এবং) commanded (আদেশ করত), “Now write” (এখন লেখো) And he had to try (তাকে চেষ্টা করতেই হতো) and (এবং) copy (নকল করা) whatever (যা কিছু) she (সে) wrote (লিখত) in the pages (পাতায়) of her catalogue (তার বইয়ে). She (সে) knew (জানত) two (দুুটি) or (অথবা) three (তিনটি) letters (অক্ষর) of the alphabet (বর্ণমালার) and (এবং) could draw (আঁকতে পারত) a kind of (এক ধরনের) cat (বিড়াল) and crow (কাক). But (কিন্তু) none (কোনোটাই নয়) of these (এগুলির) could Sidda even (এমনকি) remotely (সামান্যতম) copy (নকল করা). She (সে) said (বলল), examining (ভালো করে পরীক্ষা করে) his (তার) effort (প্রচেষ্টা) “Is this how (এই ভাবে কি) I (আমি) have drawn (এঁকেছি) the crow (কাকটি)? Is this how (এই ভাবে কি) I (আমি) have drawn (এঁকেছি) the B (‘B’ টি)?” She (সে) pitied (করুণা করত) him (তাকে), and (এবং) redoubled (চতুুর্গুণ বাড়িয়ে দিয়েছিল) her (তার) efforts (প্রচেষ্টা) to teach (শিখাতে) him (তাকে). But (কিিন্তু) that (ঐ) good (ভালো) fellow (লোকটি), though (যদিও) an (একজন) adept (দক্ষব্যক্তি) at controlling (নিয়ন্ত্রণ করতে) the moon (চাঁদকে), was (ছিল) utterly (চরমভাবে) incapable (অক্ষম) of plying (চালানোতে) the pencil (পেন্সিল). Consequently (ফলস্বরূপ), it looked (এটা মনে হতো) as though (যেন) Leela would keep (রেখে দেবে) him (তাকে) there (সেখানে), pinned to his seat (তার বসার জায়গায় আটকে) till (যতক্ষণ না পর্যন্ত) his (তার) stiff (শক্ত), inflexible (অনমনীয়) wrist (কব্জি) cracked (ব্যথা) পায়). He (সে) sought (খুঁজতো) relief (নিস্তার) by saying (এই বলে) “I (আমি) think (মনে করি) your (তোমার) mother (মা) is calling (ডাকছে) you (তোমাকে) in to dinner (রাতের খাবার খেতে).” Leela would drop (ফেলে রেখে দিত) the pencil (পেন্সিল টি) and run (ছুটে যেত) out of the room (ঘর থেকে), and the school hour (স্কুলের সময়) would end (শেষ হতো).