English: Class 5 — Chapter 8: The Decision of the Panchayat

A farmer buys a field and a well next to it from his neighbour to water his crops. However, the next day, the cunning neighbour refuses to let him draw water, claiming: "I sold only the well to you, not the water."

The worried farmer approaches the village chief. A meeting of the Panchayat is called under the banyan tree. After hearing both sides, the village chief delivers a clever judgment:

• If the water belongs to the neighbour, he has no right to keep it in the farmer's well.
• He must remove his water immediately or use it all up.
• Otherwise, the water will belong to the owner of the well (the farmer).

Realising he has been outwitted, the neighbour apologises and pays a fine.

• prospered: To grow wealthy or successful.
• cunning: Clever in a tricky or deceitful way.
• worried: Very upset or anxious.
• summon: To order someone to come to a particular place.
• adamant: Refusing to change one's mind; stubborn.
• judgment: A decision made by a group or authority.
• apologise: To express regret for doing something wrong.
• wisdom: The quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment.

Practice using prepositions such as in, at, by, after, before, under, with, to, and for:

• The farmer went to the village chief.
• The neighbour was standing by the well.
• The villagers tried to reason with the cunning man.
• The decision was made after careful consideration.
• There lived a farmer in the small village.
• The Panchayat members listened to both sides before coming to a decision.
• The villagers gathered under the banyan tree.
• The neighbour was punished for his dishonesty.

A suffix is a letter or group of letters added to the end of a word to change its meaning. The suffix -less means "without" or "unable to be valued/priced" (e.g., priceless).

• Use + less = useless
• Care + less = careless
• Hope + less = hopeless
• Fear + less = fearless
• Colour + less = colourless

1. Why did the farmer buy the well? (To have a source of water for his fields)
2. Why did the farmer become upset? (Because his neighbour refused to let him take water from the well)
3. How did the Panchayat solve the problem? (By telling the neighbour to remove his water from the farmer's well immediately)
4. What was the final judgment? (The neighbour had to pay a fine and apologise to the farmer)

• Do you think the decision of the Panchayat was correct?
• How would you deal with a situation where two friends are fighting over a shared item (like a painting box) to be fair to both?

A kind and wise man from West Bengal who taught that all religions are like rivers leading to the same ocean. He lived a simple life and became the teacher of Naren, who later became the famous Swami Vivekananda.

Did You Know? The Banyan tree is the national tree of India. It can live for over 200 years and its roots grow down from branches to form new trunks.

The Neem tree is known as a magic medicine tree because almost every part of it is useful:

• Neem juice: Given to sick people to drink.
• Twigs: Used as a toothbrush to clean teeth.
• Dry leaves: Burnt to make mosquitoes disappear, or kept in winter clothes and rice bins to keep insects and pests away.