5 Basic Types of Adverbs

5 Basic Types of Adverbs

✅ Adverbs of Time

never, lately, just, always, recently, during, yet, soon, 

sometimes, usually, so far

📕Adverbs of Place

neatly, slowly, quickly, sadly, calmly, politely, loudly, 

kindly, lazily

✅Adverbs of Manner

 neatly, slowly, quickly, sadly, calmly, politely, loudly,

 kindly, lazily

📘 Adverbs of Degree

almost, quite, nearly, too, enough, just, hardly, 

simply, so

✅ Adverbs of Frequency

never, always, rarely, sometimes, normally, seldom, 

usually, again

https://youtu.be/7dMqtSEU6ao

ALADDIN STORY-1

ALADDIN STORY-1

There once lived, in one of the large and rich cities of China, a tailor, named Mustapha. He was very poor. He could hardly, by his daily labor, maintain himself and his family, which consisted only of his wife and a son.

His son, who was called Aladdin, was a very careless and idle fellow. He was disobedient to his father and story of aladin mother, and would go out early in the morning and stay out all day, playing in the streets and public places with idle children of his own age.

When he was old enough to learn a trade, his father took him into his own shop, and taught him how to use his needle; but all his father's endeavors to keep him to his work were vain, for no sooner was his back turned than he was gone for that day. Mustapha chastised him; but Aladdin was incorrigible, and his father, to his great grief, was forced to abandon him to his idleness, and was so much troubled about him that he fell sick and died in a few months.

Aladdin, who was now no longer restrained by the fear of a father, gave himself entirely over to his idle habits, and was never out of the streets from his companions. This course he followed till he was fifteen years old, without giving his mind to any useful pursuit, or the least reflection on what would become of him. As he was one day playing, according to custom, in the street with his evil associates, a stranger passing by stood to observe him.

This stranger was a sorcerer, known as the African magician, as he had been but two days arrived from Africa, his native country.

The African magician, observing in Aladdin's countenance something which assured him that he was a fit boy for his purpose, inquired his name and history of some of his companions; and when he had learned all he desired to know, went up to him, and taking him aside from his comrades, said, "Child, was not your father called Mustapha the tailor?" "Yes, sir," answered the boy; "but he has been dead a long time."

At these words the African magician threw his arms about Aladdin's neck, and kissed him several times, with tears in his eyes, and said, "I am your uncle. Your worthy father was my own brother. I knew you at first sight; you are so like him." Then he gave Aladdin a handful of small money, saying, "Go, my son, to your mother, give my love to her, and tell her that I will visit her to-morrow, that I may see where my good brother lived so long, and ended his days."

Aladdin ran to his mother, overjoyed at the money his uncle had given him. "Mother," said he, "have I an uncle?" "No, child," replied his mother, "you have no uncle by your father's side or mine." "I am just now come," said Aladdin, "from a man who says he is my uncle and my father's brother. He cried and kissed me when I told him my father was dead, and gave me money, sending his love to you, and promising to come and pay you a visit, that he may see the house my father lived and died in." "Indeed, child," replied the mother, "your father had no brother, nor have you an uncle."

The next day the magician found Aladdin playing in another part of the town, and embracing him as before, put two pieces of gold into his hand, and said to him, "Carry this, child, to your mother. Tell her that I will come and see her to-night, and bid her get us something for supper; but first show me the house where you live."

Story Time (The Boy who cried Wolf:)

The Boy who cried Wolf:

Once there was a shepherd boy, who had to look after a flock of sheep. One day, he felt bored and decided to play a trick on the villagers. He shouted, "Help! Wolf! Wolf!"

The villagers heard his cries and rushed out of the village to help the shepherd boy. When they reached him, they asked, "Where is the wolf?"

The shepherd boy laughed loudly, "Ha, Ha, Ha! I fooled you all. I was only playing a trick on you."

A few days later, the shepherd boy played the trick again.

He cried, "Help! Help! Wolf! Wolf!" Again, the villagers rushed up the hill to help him and again they found that the boy had tricked them. They were very angry with him for being so naughty.

Then, sometime later, a wolf really went into the field. The wolf attacked one sheep, and then another and another. The shepherd boy ran towards the village shouting, "Help! Help! Wolf! Help! Somebody!"

The villagers heard his cries but they laughed because they thought it was just another trick.

The boy ran to the nearest villager and said, "A wolf is attacking the sheep. I lied before, but this time it is true!"

Finally, the villagers went to look. It was true. They could see the wolf running away and many dead sheep lying on the grass.

We may not believe someone who often tells lies, even when he tells the truth.

Motivational Story

Why Are Goals Important?🤔

On the best sunny day, the most powerful magnifying glass will not light paper if you keep moving the glass. But if you focus and hold it, the paper will light up. That is the power of concentration.

A man was traveling and stopped at an intersection. He asked an elderly man, "Where does this road take me?" The elderly person asked, "Where do you want to go?" The man replied, "I don't know." The elderly person said, "Then take any road. What difference does it make?"

How true. When we don't know where we are going, any road will take us there.

Suppose you have all the football eleven players, enthusiastically ready to play the game, all charged up, and then someone took the goal post away. What would happen to the game? There is nothing left. How do you keep score? How do you know you have arrived?

Enthusiasm without direction is like wildfire and leads to frustration. Goals give a sense of direction. Would you sit in a train or a plane without knowing where it was going? The obvious answer is no. Then why do people go through life without having any goals?

 

Give Respect to Elders

Abc learns a lesson:

Abc is a middle aged man. Although he was born in a poor family, he was raised well by his father and mother. His father owned a welding shop, and used to work for more than 12 hours a day, so that his family could lead a comfortable life.

However, abc's father could not earn sufficient money to provide a decent life to his family. abc was an average student in school, and used to score around 70 percent marks. abc's dream was to become a doctor. Since his marks weren't very high, he could not get the desired course that he wanted to study. Instead, he joined a bachelor's degree course, completed the course successfully, and got a job in a company.

While his life was going on with no dramatic change, his father continued to work in his welding shop, so that he did not have to depend on abc. After getting a permanent job, abc's parents wanted him to marry. He got married to a girl from his native town, and at the same time was also promoted in his job. After a few years, his wife gave birth to beautiful twin boys.

Later, abc began to earn a handsome salary, and started to live luxuriously. He bought a new house and a new car. Some of the luxuries were really unnecessary. Although his company provided him with a car, abc purchased a new car!

After an extravagant life that spanned almost 6 to 7 years, abc was neither able to manage all the household expenses, nor pay for the children's education and other basic necessities.

It so happened that abc's father fell sick, and as a result, could not continue his work in the welding shop. He requested abc to give some money for his treatment and other household expenses.

abc, who was already suffering from financial crisis, shouted at his parents and told them that he had no money to provide. He complained to his parents, "You never sent me to a big school. I was not provided with expensive clothes. You rarely fed me with my favorite food. I was not able to taste different varieties of food. When I got low marks you didn't have enough money to provide me with private tuition, and it took me more than 10 years to get settled. Now, while I am again struggling for money, you are not doing anything to help me, but instead are a burden to me! So, please don't come to me again."

His parents were left shattered.

After a week, while abc was on an official tour, he met a small boy aged about 10 years selling toys. The boy requested abc to buy something. abc asked the boy why he was selling toys instead of studying. The boy replied, "My father met with an accident a year ago and he lost one hand. He cannot work now. My mother works as a maid in a few houses. I'm helping my parents by selling these toys. I go to school in the morning, and sell toys in the evenings. I work for 3 hours a day and study at night!"

abc purchased a few toys from the little boy. He thought about what the boy had said. He realized that he had been wrong in the way he treated his parents. He had learnt a lesson from the small boy. At a very small age, this boy was helping his parents, but abc, in order to meet the demands of his lavish lifestyle, had neglected his parents.

So, what can we learn from abc and this poor, small boy?

Respect is the foundation of love, and it is our duty to take care of our parents, when we get older and mature.

Working with Fire

Working with Fire

If we have thoughts or emotions worrying us we can light a fire, look into the flame and propose that the fire might absorb all impurities. 

During a fire ritual there can be high vertical flames which are not possible with a candle. We visualise during the ritual and with closed eyes also afterwards how the vertical flame rises from the base centre to the Ajna centre and beyond. 

Once the Ajna centre receives the flame the whole brain and cerebro-spinal system is illumined and enlightens us. With the help of Agni we can purify profound impressions of our psyche and the karma of the past. 

Agni also makes the senses and the mind more radiant and we progress on the path more easily.

While visualising the flame we can seek to see the disc of the Solar God. In “White Magic”, Master DK gives a wonderful hymn from the Isa Vasya Upanishad: 

“Unveil to us the face of the true spiritual sun, hidden by a disc of golden light, that we may know the truth and do our whole duty as we journey to Thy sacred feet.” 

The disc of light shines between the two eyebrows like the sun rising between two mountains. The related bliss cannot be expressed in words.

A seat of Agni in our body is the month. It is regarded as a fire pot in which the food is transformed into energy. 

The energy serves as food for the Devas within the body so that all parts can cooperate well. We can also express fire through our speech, to heal or to destroy.

Other points in the body presided by Agni are the spleen and the place between the shoulder blades where the body takes in prana and the warmth of the Sun. 

These points correspond to the south-east. Kitchens are set up in the south-east of the house so that the energy of Agni vitalizes us well via the food.

In India, Agni is invoked before cooking so that no accident with fire happens and that everything might turn out well. Also when you switch on an electric stove, this should be done consciously, invoking the Deva of fire. 

Our conscious action invokes and creates the corresponding energies. Taking fire just as an impersonal thing generating heat is an understanding in ignorance. 

If we consider the fire as an active intelligence and invoke it consciously even in the kitchen, it will cooperate with us.

🌻 🌻 🌻 🌻 🌻 🌻 🌻

Sources: Master K.P. Kumar: Agni. The Symbolism and Ritual of Fire / notes from seminars. Master E. Krishnamacharya: Agni Yoga.

🌹 🌹 🌹 🌹 🌹

PHRASAL VERB OF THE DAY (FALL DOWN)

PHRASAL VERB OF THE DAY

FALL DOWN

Meaning:

Fall on the ground

Have a weak point

Examples:

I slipped on the ice and fell down.

The argument falls down when you look at how much it'll cost

Aladdin And The Magic Lamp

Aladdin And The Magic Lamp

Long time ago in China, there lived a poor boy, whose name was Aladdin. Aladdin lived with his mother. One day a rich and distinguished looking man came to their house and said to Aladdin's mother, "I am a merchant from Arabia and want your son to come with me. I will reward him handsomely." Aladdin's mother instantly agreed. Little did she know that the man pretending to be a rich merchant was in reality a magician.

Next day, Aladdin having packed his belongings left with the 'merchant'. After many hours of traveling the 'merchant' stopped. Aladdin too stopped, surprised that they should stop in such a desolate spot. He looked around; there was nothing in sight for miles.

The 'merchant' pulled out some colored powder from his pocket and threw in the ground. The next instant the whole place was filled with smoke. As the smoke cleared, Aladdin saw a huge opening in the ground; it was a cave. The 'merchant' turned to Aladdin and said, "I want you to go inside this cave; there will be more gold than you have ever seen; take as much as you want. You will also see an old lamp; please bring that back to me. Here, take this ring; it will help you." Aladdin was very suspicious but the decided to do as was told.

He lowered himself into the cave, thinking all the while that it would be difficult to climb out without help. Aladdin entered the cave and just like the 'merchant' had said saw gold, jewelry, diamonds and other valuables. He filled his pockets. When this was done, he looked for the lamp; it was lying in the corner, full of dust and dirty. He picked it up and ran to the cave's opening and shouted to the 'merchant', "I have your lamp. Can you please pull me out?" "Give me the lamp," said the 'merchant'. Aladdin was not sure that he would be pulled out if he gave back the lamp; so he said, "First, please pull me out."

Aladdin and The GenieThis angered the 'merchant'. With a loud cry, he pulled out the same colorful powder and threw it on the cave opening, sealing it with a huge boulder. Aladdin was depressed. He thought, "That was no rich merchant; he was surely a magician. I wonder why this lamp was so important to him." As he was thinking he rubbed the lamp. All of sudden a strange mist filled the room and from the mist emerged a stranger looking man. He said, "My master, I am the genie of the lamp, you have rescued me; what would your wish be?" Aladdin was scared but he said in quivering voice, "Ta.. Take me back home."

And the next moment Aladdin was home hugging his mother. He told her of the magician and the lamp. Aladdin again summoned the genie. This time when the genie appeared he was not scared. He said, "Genie, I want a palace, not an old hut." Again to Aladdin and his mother's amazement in front of them was a magnificent palace.

Time passed. Aladdin married the Sultan's daughter and was very happy. It so happened that the evil magician got to know of Aladdin's good fortune. He came by Aladdin's palace pretending to exchange old lamps for new. The princes, Aladdin's wife, not knowing the value of the lamp to Aladdin called out to the magician to wait.

As soon as the magician saw the lamp he grabbed it from the princess' hand and rubbed it. The genie appeared, "you are my master and your wish is my command," he said to the magician. "Take Aladdin's palace to the great desert faraway from here," ordered the magician.

When Aladdin came home, there was no palace and no princess. He guessed it must be the evil magician who had come to take revenge on him. All was not lost, Aladdin had a ring that the magician had given to him. Aladdin pulled out that ring, rubbed it. Another genie appeared. Aladdin said, "Take me to my princess."

Soon, Aladdin was in Arabia with his princess. He found his lamp lying on a table next to the magician. Before the magician could react, Aladdin jumped for the lamp and got hold of it. As soon as he had the lamp, Aladdin rubbed it.

The genie appeared again and said, "My master, Aladdin, it is indeed good to serve you again. What is it that you wish?" "I want you to send this magician to another world so that he never harms anybody," said Aladdin. Aladdin's wish was carried out; the evil magician disappeared forever.

The genie carried Aladdin, the princes and the palace back to China. He stayed with Aladdin for the rest of his life.

WEDDING IN RUSSIA

WEDDING IN RUSSIA 

By Sudha Murthy

( Wife of Mr Narayan Murthy of Infosys )

👇

Recently I was in Moscow, Russia. 

The Day I Went to the Park, it was aSunday. 

It was Drizzling and Cold, though it was Summer. 

I was Standing under an Umbrella and Enjoying the Beauty of the Place... when Suddenly, My Eyes Fell on a Young Couple. 

It Was Apparent that They Had Just Got Married. 

The Girl was in Her Mid-Twenties, Slim and with Blonde Hair and Sparkling Blue Eyes. She Was Very Beautiful Indeed. 

The Boy Was almost the Same Age and Very Handsome. He Was in a Military Uniform. 

The Bride was Wearing a Pretty White Satin Dress, Decorated with Pearls and Pretty Laces. 

Two Young Bridesmaids were Standing Behind Her Holding up the Hem of the Wedding Gown, so as not to let it get Dirtied. 

One Young Boy was Holding an Umbrella Over Their Heads, so that They Should Not Get Drenched. 

The Girl was Holding a Bouquet and the Two Were Standing with Their Arms Linked. 

It Was a Beautiful Sight. I  Wondered why They Had Come to the Park in This Rain Soon After Getting Married. They Could Surely Have Gone to a Merrier Place.

I Watched as They Walked Together to the Raised Platform Near the Memorial, placed the Bouquet, Bowed their Heads in Silence, and Slowly Walked Back.

By Now I was  Curious to Know as to What Was Going On...

There was an Old Man Standing With Them. He Looked at Me, My Saree, and asked, ‘Are you Indian ?’

I replied, ‘Yes, I am an Indian.’ 

And We Began Chatting Amicably. I Decided to use the Opportunity to ask some Questions.

 - ‘ How Do You Come to Know English ?’

 - ‘ Oh, I Worked Abroad.'

 - ‘ Please Tell Me Why that Young Couple Visited the War Memorial on Their Wedding Day ?’

 - ‘ Oh, that is the Custom in Russia. The Wedding takes Place Normally on a Saturday or a Sunday. 

'Irrespective of the Season, after Signing the Register at the Marriage Office, Married Couples Must visit the Important National Monuments Nearby. 

'Every Boy in this Country Has to Serve in the Military for a Couple of Years at Least. 

Regardless of His Position, He Must Wear His Service Uniform for the Wedding.’

 ‘Why is That ?’

 'This is a Mark of Gratitude. 

Our Forefathers Have Given their Lives in Various Wars That Russia Has Fought. 

Some of Them We Won, and Some We Lost, But Their Sacrifice Was Always for the Country. 

The Newly Married Couple Needs to Remember That They are Living in a Peaceful, Independent Russia Because of Their Ancestors’ Sacrifices. They Must Ask for Their Blessings. 

'Love for the Country is More Important Than Wedding Celebrations.

We Elders Insist on Continuing with this Tradition Whether it be in Moscow, St. Petersburg or any other Part of Russia.

On the Wedding Day They Have to Visit the Nearest War Memorial.’

This Set Me Wondering about What We Teach Our Children Here. 

Do We Indians Have the Courtesy to Remember Our Martyrs on the Most Important Day of our Lives ? 

We are Busy Shopping for Sarees, Buying Jewellery and Planning & Preparing Elaborate Menus and Partying in Discos etc..

My Eyes filled with Tears at the Thought.. and I Wished that We Indians Could Learn a Lesson From the Russians in This Noble Thought and Custom..

And We Too Could  Respect Our Martyrs Who Sacrificed Their Lives For Our Nation.. and For Our Today and Tomorrow Too... 

And From the Heart...! 

🙏🙏🙏 

Common English expressions:

Common English expressions: 

1. Fed up - this means, to have had enough

2. Feel like - this means, want to do something

3. No hard feelings - don't worry

4. Heavy duty - tough and powerful

5. Hook up - to connect

6. Join forces - means to unite

7. just what the doctor ordered - means what you need

8. Just about - nearly

9. Ins and outs - the small details

10. In hand - under control

11. Kick around - treat badly

12. Kick the bucket - to die

13. Knock it off - to stop it

14. Know-it-all - means, over confident

15. Keep on - continue

16. In less than no time - immediately

17. Long face - sad

18. Means business - serious

19. Make up your mind - decide

20. Make off with - to steal

21. Make believe - to pretend

22. Mixed up - confused

23. Makes sense - seems reasonable/ right

24. Make a difference - to matter

25. Nail it down - finalize it

26. Never mind - don't worry about it

27. No doubt - certainly

28. No sweat - it's easy to do/ Ok

29. Of age - old enough

30. Off the hook - out of trouble

31. Once in a blue moon - rarely

32. Out of order - does not work

33. Out of shape -  to be unfit

Positive Thinking

Positive Thinking

Jerry was the kind of guy you love to hate. He was always in a good mood and always had something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, “If I were any better, I would be twins!”

He was a unique manager because he had several waiters who had followed him around from restaurant to restaurant. The reason the waiters followed Jerry was because of his attitude. He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Jerry was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.

Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Jerry and asked him, “I don’t get it! You can’t be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?” Jerry replied, “Each morning I wake up and say to myself, Jerry, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood.’ I choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life.”

 

“Yeah, right, it’s not that easy,” I protested.

“Yes it is,” Jerry said. “Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It’s your choice how you live life.”

I reflected on what Jerry said. Soon thereafter, I left the restaurant industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it. Several years later, I heard that Jerry did something you are never supposed to do in a restaurant business: he left the back door open one morning and was held up at gunpoint by three armed robbers. While trying to open the safe, his hand, shaking from nervousness, slipped off the combination. The robbers panicked and shot him. Luckily, Jerry was found relatively quickly and rushed to the local trauma center. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Jerry was released from the hospital with fragments of the bullets still in his body. I saw Jerry about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied, “If I were any better, I’d be twins. Wanna see my scars?”

I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place. “The first thing that went through my mind was that I should have locked the back door,” Jerry replied. “Then, as I lay on the floor, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live, or I could choose to die. I chose to live.”

“Weren’t you scared? Did you lose consciousness?” I asked. Jerry continued, “The paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the emergency room and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read, ‘He’s a dead man.’ I knew I needed to take action.”

“What did you do?” I asked.

“Well, there was a big, burly nurse shouting questions at me,” said Jerry. “She asked if I was allergic to anything. ‘Yes,’ I replied. The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply… I took a deep breath and yelled, ‘Bullets!’ Over their laughter, I told them, ‘I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead.”

Jerry lived thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully. Attitude, after all, is everything.

PHRASAL VERB OF THE DAY (FALL APART)

PHRASAL VERB OF THE DAY

FALL APART

Meaning:

Fall into pieces

Become emotionally disturbed and unable to behave normally

Examples:

The box fell apart when I picked it up.

He fell apart when they sacked him.

Story Time (The Little Girl And Mushrooms)

The Little Girl And Mushrooms

It was a fine summer morning, perfect to be outdoors. Two sisters had been out mushroom picking, and were on their home with heavy baskets full of mushrooms. They sang songs on the way, and played with each other.

Soon they reached a point where they had to cross a railway track. They did not think twice about crossing it since there was no train coming, and they could not hear any whistle. They slowly climbed the embankment to cross the track, taking care not to drop the baskets. They were very near the track and the little sister was about the cross it, when they heard the distinct horn of a train.

The older sister got frightened and ran back. She thought that the young one was following her. She turned back and was shocked to see her little sister still crossing the track. "Come back here, run back fast," she screamed.

It seemed that the little girl could not hear her sister. She was still concentrating on stepping over the track with her little feet, and holding on to the basket. Then she tripped and fell on the track, scattering her mushrooms around. She sat down and began picking them up and putting in her basket.

In the meanwhile the elder sister had become hysteric. She cried and screamed, calling her little sister to leave the mushrooms and run back, but it seemed as though the little one could not hear her.

The engine driver panicked on seeing the girl and blew his whistle with all his might, but she appeared not to hear the whistle. Her sister was now crying loudly, overcome by panic, as the little sister crawled between the tracks on her hands and knees, to pick the rest of the mushrooms.

The engine driver was helpless as it was not possible for him to stop the engine suddenly. He blew the whistle as hard as he could, but the engine rolled over the little girl. The older sister clasped her face with her trembling hands and cried bitterly. The passengers too panicked at the thought of the sight they would have to witness. The guard ran down to the end of the train to see what happened to the little girl. When the train passed, everybody saw her lying very still between the tracks with her face down.

Then she raised her head, sprang to her knees and began gathering the remaining mushrooms.

The big sister ran towards her, tears streaming down her face. They hugged and kissed each other, crying out of happiness, tears of joy flowing down their little cheeks. Never were two souls so happily united as at that moment. She promised her little sister that thereafter she would hold her hand tightly while crossing the railway line.

The two sisters then picked all the remaining mushrooms, and hand in hand, solemnly walked back home. They were indeed two souls who had become wiser than their years, in the span of a few minutes.

Story Time

The Friendship of a Lion and a Mouse

There lived a tiny mouse in a big dense forest that was always in search of food. While searching in the forest, one day, it came near a lion's den. The good smell coming from the lion's den drew the little mouse inside it. The mouse found several pieces of animal meat on the floor. Those were all the leftovers of the animal the lion had eaten. Therefore, the mouse ate few pieces.

Later, it decided to eat the other pieces at night, so it stayed back in the den. Due to over eating, the mouse fell asleep inside the den. The lion returned to its den at dark but could not see the sleeping mouse as it was dark inside the den. The lion ate the entire piece of lamb it had brought and left the bones lying on the floor. After a sumptuous filling meal, the lion slept off and started snoring aloud.

The loud snoring sounds woke the mouse up with a sudden jerk. When the mouse saw the lion sleeping in the den, he got scared and puzzled, and accidentally bumped in to the lion's leg.

The mouse felt the smooth fur of the lion's body. While exploring it, the mouse reached the lion's ear and this led to waking up the lion. The disturbed lion, agitated, snorted loudly. "Who is it?"

The frightened mouse declared his identity with a feeble voice. The lion was furious as it got disturbed during his sleep. So he said, "How dare you disturb my sleep and where are you?"

When the mouse responded, the lion had to light up a lamp as it was very dark inside the den and he could not possible see a tiny creature like a mouse.

With the light, the lion looked at his clean den. It was devoid of any bones or leftover meat. Moreover, there was no usual stink in the den due to the animal leftover meat and other stuff. He was quite amazed.

In one corner, the lion looked at the petty little mouse. The mouse was shivering with fear. So the lion pondered for a while about how the mouse had managed to keep the den clean. Therefore, he decided that he would keep the mouse in his den so that it can have the leftover meat and bones. That much food will be more than sufficient for the mouse and this will also keep his den stink-free and tidy.

Then the lion in a grumpy and angry voice asked the mouse, "Why have you entered my den?" Petrified, the mouse retorted with folded hands and honestly told the lion that he had reached the den in search of food. He could not resist the good smell of the meat and was extremely sorry for his action. Hence, the mouse apologized and asked the lion to let him go.

The lion told the mouse that he could stay in the den only if he allowed the lion to sleep properly. The mouse was too scared and did not understand what the lion meant. He kept begging the lion to leave him.

Looking at the terrified mouse, the lion lowered his voice and said in soft tone, "Oh tiny mouse do not be scared and frightened. Just listen to me carefully. I go hunting every day and bring the carcass of some animal as part of my daily meal. I do not eat it completely. You are a small and tiny animal and hence you can easily eat the leftovers and make yourself happy. If you like eating the leftovers without searching for food, you can stay here and help me keep this place clean."

This revealed the soft and humble side of the lion's gigantic character.

The mouse was taken aback with unlimited joy. To this he said, "Yes Mr. Lion, I shall stay in the den."

However, the lion put forth one simple condition for the mouse. The lion said that he would have to keep the den clean. The mouse can eat the leftover meat and bones. If the mouse failed to complete the leftovers, he must throw the remaining away from the den. So the task of cleanliness of the den was given to the mouse in exchange of his stay and food. The mouse was more than happy to accept the offer.

After this short but sweet conversation, the lion asked the mouse to sleep in the corner of the den and he himself slept in the middle of the den. So as the mouse and the lion lay fast asleep in the den, the mouse suddenly started rolling freely on the floor of the den. Rolling on the floor while asleep happened to be a sleeping disorder the mouse had and he was completely unaware about this habit. So he kept rolling and by midnight, he came closer to the lion's body. As soon as the mouse came closer to the lion's body, he felt the warmth of the lion's fur and this helped him sleep deep and in a more comfortable manner. So, in his sleep the mouse wanted to feel more cozy and comfortable. So, the mouse unknowingly adjusted himself in the fold of the lion's huge leg.

Owing to his humble nature, the lion felt fine with this and he even adjusted his leg so that the mouse can sleep peacefully. When the sunrays of the early morning fell on the lion's eyes, he woke up. The lion saw that the mouse was fast asleep on his leg. After watching the mouse sleep so calm and peacefully, the lion gently woke the mouse up, as he had to get up. While the lion pushed his paw, the mouse woke up. Seeing the lion's nose so close up, the little creature was extremely terrified and tried to jump off.

However, the lion helped the mouse get down and prevented the mouse from hurting himself. After this kind gesture, the mighty lion asked the mouse to be not frightened and told him the reason why the mouse had to wake up; it was because he was sleeping on the lion's leg. After hearing this, the frightened mouse started laughing vigorously. Seeing his friend laugh, the lion broke into pangs of laughter too.

This was the onset of a beautiful bond of friendship between the tiny mouse and the mighty lion.

Idioms and Phrases ( Since When )

Idioms and Phrases Lesson Categories

Since When

Meaning/Usage: Asking from when

Explanation: This one is a little difficult to explain. It is usually used when you are surprised by someone's action or words. When you know a person does not usually do something, you can start with "since when." This would indicate to the person that you know that they usually don't do this, but want to know when they started doing it.

"Since when have you been interested in my opinion?"

"Since when have you been coming to this gym?"

"Since when did you become so good at tennis?"

A. "I will have to go home soon, I have chess club tonight."

B. "Since when did you become so interested in chess?"

A. "I tried it with my uncle and loved it."

B. "Well, we'll have to play soon, I like playing too!"

Other Common Sentences

"From then until now."

Quiz

Quiz:-

Example: I (be) am excited.

Example: Jessica and Akbar (be) are happy.

Example: The new car (be) is nice.

1) The bag (be) ____ blue.

A. am

B. are

C. is

2) The rocks (be) ____ hard.

A. am

B. are

C. is

3) The children (be) ____ young.

A. am

B. are

C. is

4) Thomas (be) ____ nice.

A. am

B. are

C. is

5) The game (be) ____ difficult.

A. am

B. are

C. is

6) They (be) ____ tired.

A. am

B. are

C. is

7) I (be) ____ thirty years old.

A. am

B. are

C. is

8) Susan and Juan (be) ____ 

married.

A. am

B. are

C. is

9) Teddy (be) ____ my friend.

A. am

B. are

C. is

10) We (be) ____ in English 

class.

A. am

B. are

C. is

🕰️⏱️🕰️⏱️🕰️⏱️🕰️

ENGLISH LEARNERS

Choose your battles wisely

An elephant took a bath in a river and was walking on the road. When it neared a bridge, it saw a pig fully soaked in mud coming from the opposite direction. The elephant quietly moved to one side, allowed the dirty pig to pass and then continued its onward journey.

The unclean pig later spoke to its friends in arrogance, “See how big I am; even the elephant was afraid of me and moved to one side to let me pass”.

On hearing this, some elephants questioned their friend, the reason for its action. Was it out of fear?

The elephant smiled and replied, “I could have easily crushed the pig under my leg, but I was clean and the pig was very dirty. By crushing it, my leg will become dirty and I wanted to avoid it. Hence, I moved aside.”

This story reveals :

Realized souls will avoid contact with negativity not out of fear, but out of desire to keep away from impurity though they are strong enough to destroy the impurity.

You need not react to every opinion, every comment, or every situation.

Kick the drama and keep going ahead

Choose your battles wisely... Not everything deserves Ur time and attention

STOP BLAMING OTHERS-BRIAN TRACY

STOP BLAMING OTHERS-BRIAN TRACY

In most part of our life, we are habituated to blame others for our disappointment, failures, negative things,etc. But BLAMING is a part of negative emotion. How to overcome this? Let's see.

HOW DO WE STOP BLAMING?

This is the breakthrough discovery. It is both simple and effective. It works 100% of the time. It transforms your mind from negative to positive, sometimes in a few seconds. Here it is: say the words, 

"I AM RESPONSIBLE!"

whenever you feel angry or upset about anyone or anything. The words "I am responsible" are great neutralizes just like when you pull the lamp cord out of the socket and the lamp goes out, when you say "I AM RESPONSIBLE", your negative emotions switch off and go out instantly. 

You cannot say "I AM RESPONSIBLE" and be angry, worried or scared at the same time. The words enable you to take complete charge of your life, turning you from a victim into a victor. They take you from feeling weak and insecure to feeling strong and self-reliant.

Enjoy reading. 

Reading practice ( Don't Cheat Others)

Reading practice 

A farmer looking for a source of water for his farm bought a well from his neighbor. The neighbor was cunning, though, and refused to let the farmer take water from the well. On asking why, he replied, “I sold the well to you, not the water”, and walked away. The distraught farmer didn’t know what to do. So he went to Birbal, a clever man and one of the nine courtiers of Emperor Akbar, for a solution.

The emperor called the farmer and his neighbor and asked why the man was not letting the farmer draw water from the well. The cunning man said the same thing again, “I sold the well, not the water. So he cannot take my water”.

To this, Birbal replied, “All that sounds fine to me. But if you have sold the water and the water is yours, then you have no business keeping your water in his well. Remove the water or use it all up immediately. If not the water will belong to the owner of the well”.

Realizing that he’s been tricked and taught his lesson, the man apologized and left.

Moral

Cheating will not get you anything. If you do cheat, you’ll pay for it soon enough.

HAVE/ TAKE/DO/GET

HAVE/ TAKE/DO/GET🔰

Have

have a drink

have a good time

have a haircut

have a holiday

have a problem

have a relationship

have a rest

have lunch

have sympathy

Take 

take a break

take a chance

take a look

take a rest

take a seat

take a taxi

take an exam

take notes

take someone's place

take someone's temperature

Do

do business

do nothing

do someone a favour

do the cooking

do the housework

do the shopping

do your best

do your hair

do your homework

do the dishes

do the laundry  

Get

get a job

get a shock

get angry

get divorced

get drunk

get frightened

get home

get lost

get married

get nowhere

get permission

get pregnant

get ready

get started

get the impression

get the message

get upset

get wet

get worried.

One word substitutions

One word substitutions   

1.   Rites- An established ceremony prescribed by a religion 

2.   Inevitable- That which cannot be averted 

3.   Orchestra- A large body of people playing various musical instrument 

4.   Compositors- One who sets type for books, newspaper 

5.   Peninsula- a piece of land almost surrounded by water or projecting out into a body of water. 

6.   Barracks-  A  place where soldiers live  

7.   Numismatist-  A man who collects old and new coins 

8.   Clientele- Regular users of places restaurant 

9.   Observatory- A place where astronomical observations are made 

10.  Sororicide-  The killing of one's sister. 

11.  Pilferage- Act of stealing something in small quantities 

12.  Occidental- Pertaining to the west 

13.  Inscribe-  Write arcane words on stone or paper 

14.  Insolvent-  Unable to pay one’s debt 

15.  Harass-  Trouble and annoy continually 

16.  Novice-  A person who is new to a profession 

17.  Erudition- That which makes one highly knowledgeable 

18.  Alienation- A state of emotional or intellectual separation 

19.  Obituary-  A notice of a person’s death 

20.  Gregarious- A person or animal that lives in groups 

21.  Sedulous- Hard working and diligent 

22.  Journey- A act of travelling from one place to another 

23.  Obsolete- The thing no longer in use 

24.  Embezzlement- Missappropriation 

25.  Colleague- A person who is working in the same institution.

secret of happiness

Be Happy Now 😊

Enjoying the gentle sea breeze, lying in a hammock Tenali's friend wore a dreamy broad smile on his face.

Tenali: Why are you smiling all by yourself?

Friend: I am thinking of the day when I will be truly happy.

Tenali: When is that?

Friend: When I can have a house of my own, a comfortable car, a healthy bank balance, get married to a pretty girl, have four son's , get them educated so that they get a good job, earn a lot of money and ...

Tenali(Interrupting): I get the picture, but what will you do after all that?

Friend: Then I can simply put up my feet and relax and enjoy the gentle breeze and the sun on my face.

Tenali: But my friend, you are doing that now, without having all this things.

“The true secret of happiness lies in the taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life.”

– William MorrisWilliam

Daily Conversations: (When you need to explain why you are late)

English Tips

 Daily Conversations:

♦️When you need to explain why you are late

🔹I couldn't get a taxi.

🔹I couldn't get a cab.

🔹My ride didn't show up.

🔹I missed my ride.

🔹I missed the train.

🔹The bus was late.

🔹I ran out of gas.

🔹I had to stop for gas.

🔹I had to get gas.

🔹I was stuck in traffic.

🔹Traffic was slow.

🔹Traffic was hell.

🔹I got lost.

🔹I missed my exit.

🔹There was construction.

🔹There was an accident.

🔹I was looking for parking.

🔹I couldn't find a parking space.

🔹I couldn't find a place to park.

🔹It took me longer to get here than I thought it would.

🔹It took me longer to get here than I expected.

🔹I didn't realize this was so far away.

🔹I lost track of time.

🔹I misjudged the time.

Phrasal_Verb_of_the_Day

buckle up

Meaning:- to fasten a seatbelt in a car or on a plane

Synonym:- belt up

For example:-

buckle up

When you're in a plane, don't forget to buckle up whenever the seatbelt sign lights up.

buckle up

My new car won't start until everyone has buckled up.

Reading Practice (The Falcon & The Branch🌳)

The Falcon & The Branch🌳

Once there was a king who received a gift of two magnificent falcons. They were peregrine falcons, the most beautiful birds he had ever seen. He gave the precious birds to his head falconer to be trained.

Months passed, and one day the head falconer informed the king that though one of the falcons was flying majestically, soaring high in the sky, the other bird had not moved from its branch since the day it had arrived.

The king summoned healers and sorcerers from all the land to tend to the falcon, but no one could make the bird fly.

 

He presented the task to the member of his court, but the next day, the king saw through the palace window that the bird had still not moved from its perch.

Having tried everything else, the king thought to himself, “May be I need someone more familiar with the countryside to understand the nature of this problem.” So he cried out to his court, “Go and get a farmer.”

In the morning, the king was thrilled to see the falcon soaring high above the palace gardens. He said to his court, “Bring me the doer of this miracle.”

The court quickly located the farmer, who came and stood before the king. The king asked him, “How did you make the falcon fly?”

With his head bowed, the farmer said to the king, “It was very easy, your highness. I simply cut the branch where the bird was sitting.”

We are all made to fly — to realize our incredible potential as human beings. But at times we sit on our branches, clinging to the things that are familiar to us. The possibilities are endless, but for most of us, they remain undiscovered. We conform to the familiar, the comfortable, and the mundane. So for the most part, our lives are mediocre instead of exciting, thrilling and fulfilling. Let us learn to destroy the branch of fear we cling to and free ourselves to the glory of flight!

Reading Practice (The Camel and The Jackal).

Reading practice 🎤🎤🎤

Let us enjoy reading this story of The Camel and The Jackal. 

A camel and a jackal were friends. One day the jackal took his friend to a big sugar-cane farm. It was on the opposite side of a river. After a sumptuous meal the jackal began to howl loudly. The frightened camel pleaded with the jackal not to do so. The jackal said, “Friend, I have this habit after every meal. I cannot help it." Soon the farmers arrived and gave a sound thrashing to the camel. When the camel crossed the river the jackal joined him on his back. In the midstream the camel took a deliberate dip in the water. When the jackal cried out in terror, the camel said casually: "I have the habit of rolling in the water after every meal." The poor jackal was drowned. 

MORAL : Every action has an opposite reaction.

Story Time

THE FLUTE PLAYER

Tom was very brave and intelligent. One day, while playing, he went far into the forest. Just then a jackal saw him. He decided to eat the boy and came in his way.

When Tom saw that he had no way to save himself, he said to the jackal, "Brother, I am not afraid of death but I want to die peacefully. So, I want to play my flute and dance to its tune. Then you can eat me."

The jackal permitted him. As soon as, Tom started playing his flute, his dog came running. The dog saw the jackal and leapt on it.

The jackal ran for his life. Tom returned home with his dog.