Golden Flax Tales The Brave Little Parrot - Four Levels of Interactions (Nepal, adapted by Martin) For: BA / BBS First Year (Business English)

Literal Comprehension: The tale “The Brave Little Parrot” has been adopted by Rafe Martin from the Buddhist Legend. Once, Lord Buddha was born as a little parrot. He lived in a beautiful forest. One day, a storm came in that forest. The thunder crashed and flashed so a dead tree struck (caught) a fire and suddenly broke out the fire in the entire forest. All the creatures were trapped. They cried and tried to escape from the trap. The Parrot saw the condition and planned to save them. He flew to a nearby river and dived into the water and flew back to the forest. Then he dropped tiny drops of water to control the fire. He did it several times. His wings were burnt and feet became black due to scorching fire. His eyes were red and lungs ached so he felt dizzy.

He was still doing the job. Meanwhile, some of the Gods were traveling around the forest that saw his work and laughed at him saying that the little parrot was foolish. At the same time, one of the gods disguised himself into a great shinning eagle and went with a parrot. The eagle asked him not to do foolish work. The parrot replied that he didn’t need advice rather he needed his help. After that, the eagle felt ashamed and started to weep. The tears fell down ashes that changed it into new plants. The fire suddenly vanished and some drops of tear fell upon the parrot and his feather and body recovered making him more beautiful than the previous one. All the creatures cheered up seeing the green forest.

Interpretation: The legendary story may be trying to convince us that courage is the most powerful weapon, therefore, on should fight forever or ever try to do something continuously. If we do some work selflessly looking at the target, sooner or later, we will get success whether the target seems impossible. It is our duty to carry out the task. For instance, little parrot got success in his attempt to put out the raging fire and to save the life of many animals so the god also helped him. The story might give us a lesson that work or help is necessary during the problems instead of mere advice or talk.

Critical thinking: This is a Buddhist legendary story to carry moral lesson to the readers. The moral theme is about the idea of service to the needy and helpers ones unquestionably. But I disagree in some points, therefore, I may put forward my questions: Can a man reborn as a parrot? Do the gods exist on the earth? Can the drops of tear flow the stream? These points are unbelievable so the writer’s plot of the story made me disagree. Still, other aspects of this story are truly acceptable. Finally, the ethics of help to helpless and needy ones is very convincing one.

Assimilation: After reading this story, I recalled an incident which took place in my village. There was a young boy who saved an old and helpless woman’s life. Two years ago when I was going to my maternal uncle’s house, I saw a crowd at the bank of the river. I went closer and saw a woman who was diving into the river by struggling for her life and death. Suddenly, a young boy (who was very good at swimming) jumped into the river and took her out from the water. She was in an unconscious state. Later on, she opened her eyes and we thanked him heartily for his courageous work. This event also made me feel to help needy people.

Flax-Golden Tales Where The Mind is Without Fear Four Levels of Interactions Rabindranath Tagore, India(1961-1941) For: BA / BBS First Year

Literal Comprehension: The poet imagines the perfect heaven. There people feel no fear and they are equally respected and they can walk raising their heads. There people can get knowledge freely without any disturbances. The world there is no divided in to smaller countries by any kind on narrow border line. People there will speak the truth and work untiringly until they get perfection. There superstition and tradition do not block the region and people always come to the logical conclusion. In such a world of freedom the poet wants god to wake up all his countrymen.

Interpretation: This poem might be trying to tell us the value of reason, knowledge, freedom, universality and honesty. The poet may be trying to create some kind of utopia, that is , an ideal and perfect place where everyone lives in harmony and everything is for the best.

Critical Thinking: This is a prose poem. It is read like a conversation. The poet is talking to the almighty father. It may sound idealistic but it is the poet who can imagine a batter world. This king of should our target. We should try to reach it as closely as possible.

Assimilation: This poem has thought be to live a fearless life. It has also inspired me to live a batter life. It has made me forget my present unhappy condition and imagine a utopian world.

Flax-Golden Tales Ethics – Four Levels of Interactions Linda Pastan, USA (1932) For: BA / BBS First Year (Business English)

Literal Comprehension: This poem is composed by Linda Pastan in which she express her visiting a museum and looking at the Rembrandt painting. This makes her remember an ethics calss she had taken many years ago. Each fall the teacher presented the same question to the students; which would they choose if they were force by a fire in a museum to save either an old woman or a Rembrandt painting? The question had little meaning for the students, who were restless on hard chairs and who were little for pictures or old are, but each year they would half-hearted. Alternate their answer was one year for life, the next for art. To try or make the question more relevant to her life, the poet admits she would try to picture the old women as her grandmother. One year feeling clever, the poet decides herself. Saying this, the poet was placing the burden of the responsibility of choosing on someone else. This fall the poet finds herself as an old woman in a museum, before a real Rembrandt. As she studies the painting, she notices the colors are darker than autumn, darker even the winter. The painter’s colors on the canvas are those deep colors seen at the end of a season. In the text line, however, she sees that through these dark colors earth’s most radiant elements burn. The final lines suggest wisdom and a comprehension that only comes with age. Now she understands the value of the painting, as she could not as a young girl. She remembers how little meaning either pictures or old age than had for her. The restless studies, now a mature woman, place equal value on life, art and nature. The restless students in the ethics class at the start of the poem can know nothing about old age, or about art, or even about natural life cycles – and they certainly cannot save one or the other form the death or destruction that awaits them all.

Interpretation: The speaker in this poem has described very much impressive incident in her life. As this poem also deals with death and life, she seems to accepting her own approaching death rather than being depressed by it. She compares her youth and elderly life with a painting. In fact, the similarity with the Rembrandt panting carries an affirmation of life. Only as an old woman has been able to appreciate the power of the painting and the mystical ways in which human life, art and nature are linked. By the end of the poem, readers have been led to see that between spring and fall, between the shallowness of youth and the depth of old age, when one can finally experience life’s more powerful truths. We can say that woman, painting and season all are changeable. No one can remain constant. As the season change so, the life of a woman changes. On the other hand as a painting after some time changes its color, so the life of human also changes. No one can stop change or time that ultimately leads death, decay or ruin.

Critical Thinking: This poem is comparison and remembrance of past and present with a painting and season or woman. The poem has conversational tone; the poet relates a personal experience from the past that takes on new significance in the present. Written in a simple language, use of figurate language, the poem tells a story in two parts, the second part drawing meaning from the first of its two parts defined as clear rhetorical units. Parallelism, prepetition, and irony are used in this poem suggest that it is beyond the ability of children to determine complex moral issue. This is an analogy of life with a painting. Though the poem focuses on the narrator’s personal feelings, it has a good message of life for every human being. Like her, our life is a very changeable life, as the darkness and color of painting changes, so our life also fades and leads ultimately to death. There is value of every age to people.

Assimilation: After reading this poem, I came to realize some knowledge of life, beauty, change as well as value of the people of every age. This poem influenced my way of thinking very much. I would never think about any problem seriously before this. I had no so deep knowledge of the value of an old person and time, now I came to know that ethically we should value old and senior people because they are the sources of knowledge and inspiration. I started to think everything carefully and seriously. It changed my thought.

Flax-Golden Tales A Tale – Four Levels of Interactions Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala, Nepal (1914 – 1982) Translated and edited by Shreedhar Lohani For: BA / BBS First Year (Business English)

Literal Comprehension: Once upon time, a man went in to the jungle and started penance to win supreme knowledge and godhood. He conquered his flesh and mind and achieve a state of unending meditative delight. Indra, the king of gods was afraid that the sage might seized his throne through penance. Then he sent a beautiful nymph to destroyed the sage’s penance. The attractor posture of he nymph in the river made the sage open his eyes involuntarily. Then both of them married and led a domestic life. They help the needy people in the village. But the villagers were suspicious of him and they always blamed the woman for his downfall, but the sage had the same inner peace even when he was leading the domestic life.

Interpretation: This story might be trying to tell us that after you get supreme knowledge, it is not necessary for you to live in the jungle, and that you will enjoy the same happiness everywhere. It may also be interpreted to mean that to an enlightened person the joy derive from any source is similar.

Critical Thinking: For modern people this story is unacceptable from many point of view. Are god there in the heaven? Are god so envious (jealous) of human beings? Are god so helpless that they really need the help of ordinary human beings?

Assimilation: This story reminded me the story of Vishwamitra and Menaka a nymph, had destroyed the penance of the sage Vishwamitra and they had become the parents of Sakuntala. It also convince me how powerful sexual passion is. It never dies. I have understood my own passion batter and tried to use it correctly.

Flax-Golden Tales Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening Four Levels of Interactions Robert Frost, USA (1874 – 1963) For: BA / BBS First Year (Business English)

Literal Comprehension: This poem composed by Robert Frost, presents the scene of the speaker’s returning home at dusk in his own house sleigh. He stops to enjoy the peace and solitude of the occasion. The snow is falling softly. The woods are attractive. There is no other human to break the silence. But the horse finds no reason for stopping. It is growing dark. There is no house in sight and miles stretch before them. Reflecting on his horse’s impatience, the speaker agrees that he should move on to keep the commitments he has made and only then, he can sleep.

Interpretation: In this poem, the poet feels the sense of death and life. Dark, evening, solitary place, far from village or society give the sense of death. The poem tells us that we should do our work and journey to go death. The poem tells us that we should do our work and journey to go miles. Similarly, the poem also imparts us that although beauty and peace of the world and our personal burdens may interrupt us from fulfilling our duty, we should move on to fulfill our promises and responsibilities to humanity before we die. In other words, it can be thought of as a statement of man’s everlasting responsibility. A man should walk through the dark and nothingness, but he/she should not be attracted towards temptation.

Critical Thinking: This poem is a symbolic poem. Here the forest, snow etc symbolize the hardship of life. And, the horse sleep means he has many responsibilities and duties in life to do before he dies. This poem is very beautiful one. We can notice the rhyming pattern to mark its beauty. Every third line of each stanza rhymes with other three lines of the following stanzas. In the last stanza, the third line has the same rhyming pattern, which suggests that there will be no new stanza, It shows that simple words make a beautiful poem. It as a symbolic poem compares our life with the events of that evening. Like in our life there are problems, hardship but we are compelled to go ahead without stopping. Here the owner is the god because all things on the earth are created by god and he is the owner of these things but he is unseen and far from here. We have many things to complete before our death.

Assimilation: Generally, life and death poems by romantic poets are definitely interesting and beautifully composed. The analogy between life and the worldly things is very much lifelike. The poem reminds us that our life is very short but we have to do many things before our death. This world of god is very beautiful and we can enjoy a lot because he does nothing us; he has left for us. Like him, I also get a lot of inspiration from this poem. When I feel sad and unable to do anything I read this poem. This poem gives me a lesson of human life and responsibility. It makes us aware about our life and its length as well as our duties to be done before death. Like the poet, I am very much conscious about our life, duties and death.

Flax-Golden Tales The Great Answer – Four Levels of Interactions Fulton Oursler, USA (1893 – 1952) For: BA / BBS First Year

Literal Comprehension: In a French village near the Spanish border, a lot of refugees had gathered. They all wanted to cross the border and sail safely to the USA. If they were cut by the Gestapo, the secret Germen police, they would be either impression or murdered. Among the refugees were a young mother and her 4 years old daughter. They all met at the foot of the mountain. A guide was leading them all. On the way the weakest old man said that he was tired and unable to climb further, but he asked them to leave him there to die. However the guide insists that the old man should keep on climbing with the child on his shoulder until he died. After this two more old man said the same thing, and they also had to carry the child. After they all had crossed the border safely the three old man felt stronger a, freer and livelier than others

Interpretation: This story might be trying to tell us that life is full of struggle and that those who worked harder even at the critical moment are sure to get success. It may also be interpreted to mean that success welcomes those who are never tired of hard labor.

Critical Thinking: This short story has beautifully presented the great answer for the riddle of life. Norman people worded hard but that work harder untiringly enjoy the fruit of hard work batter. If we read this story literally we may disagree with the writer. We wonder how the weakest and oldest man can carry the child, when he himself is unable to word. But there are many moment in our life when even young people like as feel like the three old men. The only solution to our problem at such a moment is to do like the old man .

Assimilation: This story brought a great change in my life. Now my philosophy of life has become to work untiringly. There is no limitation of age for a hard worker. If hard work tries to discourage as , we should do even harder work.

Flax-Golden Tales Piano – Four Levels of Interactions David Herbert Lawrence, England (1885 – 1930) For: BA / BBS First Year (Business English)

Literal Comprehension: It was evening. A woman was playing on the piano and singing to the speaker. Her song made him think of his childhood days. When he was a little boy and would sit under the piano. The piano would make a loud unpleasant sound. He would press his mother’s feet. But she would continue playing on the piano without being disturbed and smile at her son. The speaker tried to control himself and remain with the singer in the present time. But the lady’s song was so skilful that it took him again his boyhood days. When the family would sing religious song in their warm sitting room on Sunday evening, the piano played by his mother would guide him and other family members. Now the speaker did not like the song of the woman at all, because it had completed its task by taking him to his passed days with his mother. Therefore it sounded to him like a loud noise. He wanted to forget his present manhood and wish to become a child. After this he wept openly like a child.

Interpretation: This poem may be tying to telling us that music take us back to our happy past. It may also be interpreted to mean that motherly love is superior to sensual love. The attraction of childhood makes us forget our manhood. More over “piano” is the poem about the power of memory.

Critical Thinking: I don’t agree with the speaker because being a man he wipes openly in the presents of a woman. His pride of being man does not allow him to do so. The poet has rightly observed that one can not be satisfy with the presents if he is reminded of happy past days.

Assimilation: This poem has help me to understand myself batter. A nostalgic feeling is equally found in human being. I have also desire to belong to my past. Sometime I think if I were a child’ I would not have to be worried about my present difficult time.

Flax-Golden Tales The Telegram on The Table – Four Levels Parshu Pradhan, Nepal (1943) Translated by Michael Hutt For: BA / BBS First Year (Business English)

Literal Comprehension: In this story Pranshu Pradhan has presented the bitter reality of Nepalese youths who come to he town from their villages and the never like to go back to their village. They dream to go to the foreign country where they think that there is heavenly pleasure and hey could earn enough money. In reality there is full of struggle.

Krishna a boy come to Kathmandu from hos remote village and learned English language. Then he started to work as a tourist guide to describe the historical places to the tourists. In the beginning he used to go to his village at the time of Dashain. But now, he completely forgot his village, Parents and even his wife. He demanded to go to the foreign country as a foreign girl would marry with him and she would take him to her country. He though that his wife was the obstacle for his next marriage. He hoped for the death of his wife because it would be the freedom for his plan. Unfortunately his wife died and he got a telegram about the news of his wife’s death. He becomes happy and though it was his wish fulfillment. Those, a friend come to express his condolence and he just said “Thank You” for but he couldn’t because of the poor condition of his room. One evening he suddenly remembered his past and the poor background. He also felt that an Image of women came into his mind. The image was of his wife dead. He realized his mistake that he become happy t the death of wife. He read the telegram again and he tore it into places he started to weep.

Interpretation: This presents the bitter reality of Nepalese youths who come to town from their villages and they never like to go back. They dream for the foreign country and though there is heavenly pleasure there. But in reality there is also struggle. Krishna, the young boy also dreams to get married with a foreigners and to go to the her country. But at last he realized his reality and his dream was not fulfillment. It also shows that we should learn to live with reality about not in dream.

Critical Thinking: Many people think that their life, would be happy if they get go to in the foreign country. But Pradhan has exaggerated. Some issues here in his chapter. How could a person forget his wife completely? How could he be happy at the death of this wife? There is no any evidence about that bad relationship between Krishna and his wife. Man can dream for better future but he can’t forget the present completely.

Assimilation: This story taught me the lesson that way the town is over crowded people like to come to the town but they never like go to back to their villages. It also taught me the lesson that dream may not be true for all the time. We should learn to live reality. We all have ambition but over ambition are bad. We should not forget our pas, background and reality which are with us.

Flax-Golden Tales To His Coy Mistress – Four Levels of Interactions Andrew Marvell, England (1621 – 1678) For: BA / BBS First Year (Business English)

Literal Comprehension:  “To His Coy Mistress” is a beautiful love poem composed by Andrew Marvell, an English poet, tries to woo his coy mistress to participate in the lust game in the prime of youth and beauty. The poet has a shy beloved and she doesn’t become ready to fulfill the poet’s desire. So, the poet says that if they had enough time, he would spend hundreds of years to admire her youth and beauty. He would admire her eyes and forehead for one hundred years. He would gaze and praise her each breasts for two hundred years each. He would spend 30,000 years to see and admire the rest parts of her body and finally, he would touch her heart. He says that she is so much praise-worthy.

But the poet finds the winged chagrins not always hurrying near. Her youth and beauty doesn’t always remain the same. One day she will reach her beauty marble grave. There she’ll not hear the poet’s love song. Worms will try to destroy her long preserved virginity. No one will embraces her shyness and participate to enjoy like two birds of love. He also suggests her to swallow all the sweetness of youth being both of them a ball. He also tells her the bitter reality that the sun also sets after rising.

Interpretation: The poet may be trying to show the importance of romantic love at the prime of youth and beauty. He says that life is brief and death is inevitable. Do, he suggests us to fulfill our desire and enjoy life fully when we are young. He says that if we miss the enjoyment of youth, our life will be absurd after death. That is why, he also tells her beloved to enjoy life fully to surpass time and death.

Critical thinking: This poem is beautiful, romantic and appealing. The poet persuades his beloved to involve into romantic and productive love game. However, some ideas of the poet are questionable. Should we be so lusty? Why doesn’t the beloved refuse the sex appeal? Is love limited only in youth? So, I am fully convinced.

Assimilation: This poem impressed me a lot. After reading this poem, I came to realize that time is limited and we are headings towards the grave. Also I understood that I have also determined to enjoy much in the prime of youth.

Flax-Golden Tales What is Intelligence, Anyway? – Four Levels of Interactions: Isaac Asimov, USA (1920-1992) For: BA / BBS First Year (Business English)

Literal Comprehension: In this essay by Isaac Asimov, an American science-fiction writer, he consists that those who score higher marks in intelligent test are considered to be intelligent people. The writer also used to always score high marks and therefore he thought himself to be intelligent, but his intelligence did not help him anymore. He had to be an assistant of the cook in the mess of army. He had to go to the car-mechanic to make his car repaired although the mechanic may score low marks in the intelligent test. If the questions were made by non –academicians, the writer would be an unsuccessful. He really became fool when the mechanic asked him a puzzle question. Therefore, any person who scores high marks in any test may not be expert in every field. It is very limited knowledge in this vast world. So, we should not think ourselves very proud of scoring high score in any test; there are so many fields to score high score in life, then only we can be expert in many fields.

Interpretation: Knowledge has no limit. Only academic score is not enough to be an all round expert. It is impossible to have knowledge of every field equally. This essay tries to analyze the intelligence. Intelligence is an ability to solve the intelligent problem easily. Although the writer used to score very high marks in the intelligent test, he was fit for only assistant cook. The car-repair mechanic was intelligent enough to make the car although he could not score high marks in the intelligent test. One-sided knowledge is not complete. We should be multi-dimensional to score high always everywhere but it is impossible for a single person to be all round. One can be intelligent in only one field. If the car-repair man makes questions of the test, the highly intelligent writer can fail because it is not his field. Therefore, in different fields, different people with different types of knowledge are useful. Only a single knowledge is not sufficient everywhere.

Critical Thinking: After reading this essay, I came to remember one thing very fresh in my mind. In our society we think that a person who got high score in academic exams and positioned high is always assumed fit for other all positions. A literate doctor, an academic engineer with high score can never be good politician or ruler or administrator. It is foolish to think a doctor expert and success in administration and good governance. It needs good knowledge in administration and governing than academic scores. I have some questions. It is not rational to think an intelligent person in school or college is always intelligent in every field? Can a doctor run government smoothly and wisely? Can a warrior be success in administration? Likewise can the leaders only be success in formulating/drafting a good constitution? Can a hero in film be always everywhere be hero in politics and real life? Even very limited knowledge can make people wise. Everybody can be intelligent in different field. Is it right to think that learned people are intelligent? Why shouldn’t we realize that any person should be fit from any angles? Is only mental capacity enough for good practical life? It is not true that one person expert in one test or field cannot be expert in other field; to think so is just silliness.

Assimilation: Different persons have different capacity or level or field of knowledge. A single person never can fit for every field. It focuses on individual talent in individual field. This essay memorized me that one person who is talent in school or campus may score fewer score in other field. It is needless to be sad when a friend gets more marks in an exam; surely I will get more marks than his in other exam or other field. In school I never stood first in mathematics but the friends who scored more marks in mathematics never scored such score in English. It has taught me to value even an ordinary man to be able doing anything. Everyone is capable in his or her place. There should not be feeling of any discrimination of intellectual and non-intellectual person. Everybody is a capable person in his field. Now I am a little back in earning money but I have good idea in my field than those rich people and I am able to use their money but they are just thinking how to collect money.

Flax-Golden Tales Keeping Errors At Bay – Four Levels of Interactions Bertrand Russell, England (1872 – 1970) For: BA / BBS First Year (Business English)

Literal Comprehension: This essay by Betrand Russell providing multiple examples of mistake that people generally commit in their day to day life. His main idea is to provide suggestions to avoid the mistakes. We need careful, serious, critical and analytical mind to get rid of these errors. This essay deals with the ideas of avoiding errors that happen in our daily life situations. We can remove many foolish opinions by observing the related facts. When observations are impossible, we have to compare our ideas with those of the others. If there are evidence and knowledge, there will be no wrong understanding. Visiting different places and observing societies of the world also helps us to purify your own opinions. Knowing others idea makes us less dogmatic. If we have one-sided idea about anything, we will not find out the truth, such situation, we will make our good points more important. Fear and prejudice of different types create obstacles from learning the truth or reality. So we should be very careful while doing any work. We should not take as granted anything without proper observation.

Interpretation: To error is human but to do mistake is not excusable. Human make errors knowingly or having known about that error is not human. This is somewhat punishable also. We cannot find truth without proper understanding. The essay tries to tell us why human beings are unable to see the truth. They do not see the matter. They have illusion that they know everything without knowing it properly. It says that we have some mistakes generally we do not compare our idea with that of others. We unnecessarily feel pride and ignore things. Therefore, we commit crimes or errors. This is human but to do mistake knowingly cannot be human. There are solutions for errors but not the knowingly committing mistakes.

Critical Thinking: Russell gives very concrete idea about errors and their solutions. He says how and why we do errors and how can we correct them. After reading this story I came to know and have some questions. The essayist has presented a scientific way of thinking. By comparing and contrasting, we can judge our own ideas. I agree with many things which the essayist says but there are some questions in my mind. Who can remain without doing any error? How can one know that it is error and this not? Can we change our mind not to doing errors? Why people cannot find out the fact easily? How we can compare such things to those of the others? What are the forms of the truth? How to know that whose idea is right or wrong? Because of these reasons generally people commit errors in life.

Assimilation: Generally, we think right whatever we do. This essay gave me lots of ideas about errors and their types as well as their remedies (solution). I started to realize my mistakes in my life as I sometimes used to stubborn and think everything right. I started to honour other’s ideas. I also came to know why people mistake while making ideas. A wise man should look at the things from different sides. We should be comparative and multidimensional perspectives should be used. I came to know that we can do errors in every work every time but that is only found out after its proper judgment.

Flax-Golden Tales The Stub-Book | Four Levels of Interactions Pedro Antonio de Alarcon, Spain(1833 – 1891) For: BA / BBS First Year (Business Studies)

Literal Comprehension: This is a Spanish story written by Pedro Antonio de Alarcon. This story deals with a laborious farmer’s love to his products; fruits and vegetables. The main character or farmer of the story Uncle Buscabeatas plans to take his forty of best pumpkins to market in the morning that cuts them from their stalks the night before. But he finds in the morning that they all stolen. He goes to the market in Cadiz and is able to identify his own products. He shows the stalks as the proofs as he had put safely them cut from the top of each pumpkin plant. He showed those stems fitted exactly on the top of each of them. Just as the authenticity of a receipt from the tax collector’s book from which it was torn he proved that those pumpkins were him. So the main character Uncle Buscabeatas has ingeniously compared “sub-book” with his own authentic product. With the help of the police he arrests the thief; he got back the money from the thief.

Interpretation: Though the subject matter of the story is simple, its theme and presentation is very important. Simply this seems a story of a pumpkin farmer and a thief but the moral it gives is very useful and memorable. It depicts the value of one’s own creation or products. How dear and valuable in one’s output of hard labour and no can grab it from his hand is the theme of the story. This story tries to tell us that the true gain of hard work is sweet and stealing and cheating is punishable at any cost. For example, Uncle Buscabeatas, who had produced good pumpkins in his garden, they were very much dear for him. Uncle Fulano stole pumpkins from his neighbour’s garden and he was punished. It also teaches us to enjoy own labour, work, and product and that we will get return but who tries to cheat and stealing without labour will be punished. The title of the story and theme of the story meet when the farmer shows the stalks as the green book of tax-collector. For a farmer such stalks can be like the green books of tax-collectors.

Critical Thinking: This story falls under critical thinking but it has simple plot and theme. The author chooses an interesting subject and characters. The farmer Buscabeatas represents successful person in his vegetable production. He loves his pumpkins and tomatoes as his own children and gives them name also. Like him, everyone can enjoy the gracefulness and good returning from their hard work. One loves and feels pride in one’s own work. The writer cleverly presents the story. He compares the stalks of pumpkin with the stub books. Normally the stalks are nothing just wastage but when time comes they are very powerful proofs. It is very interesting fact that they work as stub books. The tactful presentation the writer in solving problems like uncle Buscabeatas is admirable. This story makes aware that even very simple and useless things also can have great value in time. Otherwise, labour is very important and no one can snatch it.

Assimilation: For a creator, everything that he/she creates is equally dear and valuable either a pumpkin for a farmer or a child for a father or mother. For a writer his/her books are dear and a poet loves his poems so on. At all they are their creation or products. One’s product is the result or output of his/her hard labour. The output of labour is sweet and cheating is punishable. After reading this story I came to know that a pumpkin or a child; both are equally dear for its creator or producer. Like Buscabeatas, I also love my creations. Now I have understood the value of labour like Uncle Buscabeatas. Only a laborious person can get success and no cheater can grasp his labour.

Flax-Golden Tales The Clock Tower – Four Levels of Interactions For: BA / BBS First Year (Business English) Bhupi Sherchan (1936 – 1989) (Translated by Padma Devkota)

Literal Comprehension: The speaker in this poem describes the conduction of an old pensioner. The poem has compared the old pensioned senior vet with clock tower, Ghantaghar. He is  old, rejected and has distributed all his things to his relatives. All his military equipments are gone. The old pensioner has jealously too; so, he has kept two souvenirs of his army life. They are an old-modeled, large, round pocket watch and the ancient hat. The clock tower is like a pensioned senior vet who is passing t=long and sand days of the old age. It has a clock on its neck and a cap like the old vet on its head. It is standing forever on the bank of Ghantaghar and it is brooding.

Interpretation: The loneliness of the old man is powerfully presented through the image of the clock tower symbolically. Like the clock tower which is old, neglected and waiting its end day, the old man has also the same fate- old, rejected and dejected. The poem has revealed the bitter reality of the old age. Ranipokhari was built by the king Pratap Malla in 1727 BS in the memory of his son. It was a token of consolation to his wife. Thus, by looking at the lake the old man remembers his past and is mollifying (lessening) his suffering.

Critical Thinking:  Time is most power full thing. It turns a handsome man to an old and ugly person who has nothing except memories. We all are victims of the time. The poem aptly points out the power of time. The vet is sitting under the tower, time, which itself is the curse of for human being. The poem has used the power of imagery in a powerful way. Without stating the history of Ranipokhari it invites readers to know why the old man is looking at the Ranipokhari, queen’s lake.

Assimilation: In our life as well, when we grow older, nobody talks to us. We want to share our experiences, but nobody would have time to listen us. Thus we lament and curse time because it is time that changes us to an old and ugly things. We have to wait silently to death. We cannot stop the passage of time, time is powerful than us. We have nothing except lamenting on the bygone days. I met an old man in Pasupati area. He reported all his grief within five minutes to an unknown like me.

Flax-Golden Tales Third Thoughts – Four Levels of Interactions For: BA / BBS First Year (Business English) E.V. Lucas, England (1868 – 1938)

Literal Comprehension: Once the writer’s friend while visiting New York bought a painting thinking that it was by Turner. He got it at cheap price since the seller was also confused about its originality. With the painting he went to London and sold it at fifty pounds. He was so much happy that he decided to share the profit with seller of New York. At first, he decided to share fifty percent of his profit and wrote a letter but having no stamp, he went to his room. Again at about 3 AM, he thought it quite inappropriate to share the profit but still thought of sending ten pounds only. His thinking kept on changing and couldn’t sleep well. Again. he thought of sending five pounds thinking that if he shared, the Goddess would be angry and he thought it was he who knew the value of the painting. If he had known it, he wouldn’t have given him at such cheap rate, so it is wrong to send him the profit. Finally, he decided to send only a pound.Early in the morning, he went out side and spent all his money in gambling. Finally, he concluded that buying and selling are straight forward matter. Everyone in this matter tries to get benefit. The buyer once paying to the goods has no obligation to the dealer.

Interpretation: The story presenting the constant changing nature of human mind seems to be full of humor and satire. Basically thinking with the nature of businessman’s mind it proves that human mind can never be rigid and fixed. Especially in business their mind keeps on changing. At another level, it sheds light on human earning since the earning as that of writer’s friend has no meaning at all in life. The most important thing in the story is that in business buying and selling are straight forward dealings. It has nothing to do with human consideration, sympathy and faith. Once goods are sold or bought they have nothing to do with them since then.

Critical Thinking: The story offers a great deal of humor and satire. But in many respects, it doesn’t seem appropriate and convincing. The first is: Does anyone want to share his profit? It is so much unbelievable. Similarly, the seller of any good knows its quality and the cost. Does any seller sell his good without knowing it?

Assimilation: As I went through the story, it reminded me of my own events that I experienced earlier. Once I had been to my village after a long time from the city. I had taken a beautiful watch there. Everyone liked it, one of my friends promised to pay Rs 500 for it ,so I gave it to him. I got Rs 300 as profit, and so I got extremely happy.

Flax-Golden Tales King John and The Abbot of Canterbury Four Levels of Interactions For: BA / BBS First Year (Business English) Anonymous, England (before 1695)

Literal Comprehension: Once the king of England was quite jealous and suspicious of the prosperity of the Abbot of Canterbury. So he thought that the abbot might make a conspiracy against his throne. The king decided to get rid of him. So he called the abbot and asked three nonsense questions on the condition that he would behead him if he failed to answer the questions within fifteen days. The questions were: What is the exact price/value of the king with his crown of gold on his head among the noblemen? How quickly he may ride the whole world about? What does the king think at the moment? It made him too sad. He tried his best to find the answer by consulting the professors visiting the university but couldn’t. Finally, his own shepherd promised him to help him. So one day, in order to answer the questions raised by the king, the shepherd changed himself as the abbot and went to the palace. One by one he answered that the value of the king was twenty nine pence less than the savior, for the second he responded that it takes a whole day if he rose and ran in the speed of sun that rotates round the earth and for the last, he responded that the king might be thinking that he was the abbot of Canterbury but he was wrong because he was a simple shepherd to abbot.. Finally, the disguised shepherd i.e. the abbot exposed all the truths. The king pardoned them and withdrew all his charges.

Interpretation: From the moral point of view, the poem is much impressive. Through the poem, the poet proves that the bookish and formal education is not so much effective and useful to solve the practical problems. On the one hand, it has a great lesson that people and their knowledge shouldn’t be judged on the ground of their profession and appearance. Thus the text has taught a great lesson that makes it clear that much is learnt through their daily life activities than from the universities. So the so called ignorant ones in terms of getting formal education aren’t to be ignored and devaluated.

Critical Thinking: The poem seems to be much humorous and satirical. So far it imparts the idea of human knowledge and wisdom, it is appropriate but in whatever way the King Abbot and the Shepherd are presented, they don’t seem believable and convincing. Since the king fails to recognize the shepherd changed as abbot. Similarly, the shepherd is presented in such a way that doesn’t fit him to be more than that it mocks the formal education. It is too difficult to accept it.

Assimilation: Reading this poem, I am too much impressed with the fact that only the formal education doesn’t make people capable, rather they may learn many things from the practical experiences too. Having seen in my village, I come to know that many old people are capable of doing various things which other educated men don’t know. So people can learn many things from their practical knowledge and experience.

Flax-Golden Tales Scientific Inquiry: Invention and Test Four Levels of Interactions For: BA / BBS First Year (Business English) Carl G. Hampel, Germany (1905 – 1997)

Literal Comprehension: A Hungarian physician and a German writer Carl G. Hempel Semmelweis is the writer of this essay. When his friend had a problem that more women in the First Maternity Division of the Vienna General Hospital died from childbed fever that in the Second Maternity Division of the hospital. Though he took many new ideas and tested them to solve the problem but there was no control in death. First it was supposed that the childbed fever was caused by epidemic influences. When  an epidemic, cholera widespread, it was not limited to the First Division without affecting the Second division, the city of Vienna and the mothers who were admitted to the First Division after delivering the babies on the way. The second idea was that overcrowding in the First Division was the cause of higher death rate. Patients avoided the First Division and the Second Division was more crowded because of the high death rate in the First Division.

As diet and the care of the patients in both divisions were the same, another idea was that in the First Division. It was rough examination of patients by medical students was injurious enough to cause childbed fever. But Semmelweis showed that natural birth process was more injurious, that in the Second Division midwives examined the patients equally roughly, and that after reducing the number of medical students and their examination the death rate was not still reduced. After an accident, Semmelweis concluded that foul material from the dead body was responsible for childbed fever, and after washing hands with the chemicals before examining the patients decreased the death rate. Later Semmelweis also concluded that the dirty matter from the living beings caused childbed fever in the hospital. Therefore, proper hand washing was necessary there in the hospital.

Interpretation: As this essay is a scientific inquiry, it is based on finding a solution or the cause of death in a maternity hospital. It describes many experiments and examinations to find out the casue but at last, it is found that the dirty hands of the doctors and nurses were the main mediums for transmitting the diseases. As a scientific essay, it tells is a success story to find a problem and its results or conclusion as proved. This essay shows that the process of scientific discovery involves formulating, hypotheses, testing predictions, and an interdisciplinary search. It may also be interpreted that sometimes accidently a chance plays an important role in scientific invention. If Kolletschka’s hand had not been injured by the medical student’s knife, Semmelweis would not have found the solution to the problem. As the nature of science, this essay also conveys a message of the steps or process of scientific discovery; just hypothesis, imagination, blame or blind faith cannot give a solution to any problem as a scientific inquiry gives.

Critical Thinking: There are many problems and their solutions in the world. Only scientific inquiries have given practical and reliable or useful solution. But in scientific inquiry there should be followed some steps or procedures. This essay also has given a way of thinking to find out a solution to a problem. As Semmelweis examined various ideas and at last found out the main cause of the problem, we also should try our best as many times as we can to find out the solution of any problem. Through this we can raise some questions about this essay that is it possible to experiment human’s body everywhere every time or not?

Assimilation: This essay has focused on the procedure of finding out the solution or the main cause of the death in a hospital; with continuous effort and examination of the doctors, it is found out that the dirty hands were the main causes. This gives all of us an important message of cleanliness and good hand washing before doing nay work; otherwise we ourselves will be the cause of different diseased. This also has shown me a way how to think and find out the solution to a problem. To solve a problem trial and error method is necessary; I also got inspired to find out the solution with experiment but not with superficial study of my problems. It gave me a message of continuous practice and effort and scientific research of any problem are needed than blame, superstitious faith etc.

Flax-Golden Tales The Making of A Scientist – Four Levels of Interactions For: BA / BBS First Year V.S. Ramachandran, India (1951)

Literal Comprehension: V.S. Ramchandra’s essay of “The making of a Scientist” deals with his personal expression about science, how and why did he study science and its consequences. He also thins study and companionship with a nature is must because nature is the sole source of all things and science deals with those things. He also says thinks that contradictory ideas are necessary to make a child a successful person; his mind should be filled with many such ideas; only simple and straight ideas cannot make a person curious. Therefore, the writer was interested in many subjects like history, botany and so many other subjects. The modern technology and methodology and equipment also cannot give good results because they are not used properly in this scientific field it is possible to ask very simple questions and to get amazing answers. He thinks neurology very much interesting and challenging subject and selects to study human beings. He wants to enjoy his work and inspire other people. Ones who works in any field with a fun and interest or curiosity can be famous and success person.

Interpretation: This essay is slightly difficult to understand through simple reading. It is an expressive essay and here the writer has put his ideas and feelings or his story of success as a scientist. It is trying to tell us the importance of science and scientific research. It also focuses on multi disciplinary study to be a successful scientist. It also highlights on the necessity of regular effort, curiosity and interest of many things to find out a new theory or to complete a new research. Any job we should do with the point of view of fun and fame as well as happiness that profit minded job.

Critical Thinking: This essay is a complex one with an expressive idea. I think for the students of Business Studies in bachelor level, it keeps so great value. It most suits for the students of science faculty because they can have good message to study science. Though any faculty needs multi-dimensional knowledge to be talent, wise and expert, this essay more suits for those students who are going to study science. They can be motivated towards science than these students of BBS. It creates some questions to me. How can it encourage and raise curiosity in them to be a scientist? Can the student of BBS be scientists or does it help them to be a successful business person?

Assimilation: This essay encourage me to be regular, curious of different things and labour hard to be success in life. It also taught some important things. We can be successful if we have too much interest and fun rather think as a burden in the things that we do. I also got how inspiration to be a scientist and to create a world of my own. It inspired me to be a multi-talent to have a complete idea about anything. Like the writer, I also like to study different subjects and keep interest on different fields but it is not possible to me become a scientist because I have only curiosity and interest but no opportunity, equipment and time to do a research. Therefore, all persons though have curiosity and interest cannot be scientist.

Flax-Golden Tales Gaia – Four Levels of Interactions Shreedhar Lohani, Nepal (1944) For: BA / BBS First Year Business English

Literal Comprehension: “Gaia” is a beautiful poem composed by Shreedhar Lohani, a great poet of Nepalese literature. In this poem ‘Gaia’ means the earth. The poet shows that the earth or Gaia is in pain. But she is capable of taking care of herself and enduring everything. The poet says that the stormy wind blows among the withered palms, heavy and devouring rain hits the earth. The seas become furious. The mountain peaks become crooked. Time plucks at the world on its gray thing. Wings smell of mildew covers the earth. Everywhere around the world there is hunger and turbulence. Even though, the earth tolerances. Gaia is tolerant and capable of taking care of herself.

Interpretation: The poet may be trying to compare Gaia with the earth. The earth is gentle: feminine nurturing but also cruel to those who exploit her. The poet also says that the earth is in pain but she has capacity to endure everything. He also tries to alert us that if we continue exploiting the earth, she may strike us back. Finally, the poet also hopefully says that the earth is capable to look after herself.

Critical thinking: Although, this poem is interesting and metaphorical. Some ideas of the poet are not convincing. How can non-living things feel pain or sadness? If Gaia is capable of taking care of herself, why should we care the earth?

Assimilation: The poem has affected me very much. The poet has appealed us to think about the earth seriously. After reading this poem I understood that Gaia is in real pain and if we exploit her, she may not endure and strike us back. This poem also instructed me to respect and love the mother nature or the earth.

Flax-Golden Tales How Sane Are We – Four Levels of Interaction Anuradha Chaudhary, Bangladesh(1947) For: BA / BBS First year Business English

Literal Comprehension: This essay by Bangladeshi writer, Anuradha Chaudhary, focuses on the consciousness of environment and need of its conservation. As we are responsible for destroying nature its conservation is also our responsibility. We should not destroy anything in nature, they are not only for us; they are the gifts handed over to give or hand over our many generations. But there is vast destruction of nature in the world but less effort for saving and conserving nature. We think ecology and politics are closely linked although many people do not see any link between them. As elections are held to select our representatives, the representatives, whom we trust best, become ministers. So we easily think that they make only good decisions always for all but our representatives or ministers are wrong; they do just opposite; they think only their benefit, chair, party and vote. Many people think that political leaders are trustworthy so, who trust them cannot believe that they are irresponsible towards nature.

Chloroflurocarbons(CFC) are man-made chemicals. They cause 20% of the greenhouse effect. They cause to deplete the ozone layer which is like a shield around earth. This absorbs 99% of the sun’s ultraviolet rays. If the rays reach the earth, they will affect ecosystem, decrease agricultural productivity, weaken human immune system, cause skin cancer and eye cataracts. In 1920 CFCs were first made to use in refrigerators, spray cans, computer chips, air-conditioners etc. In 1974, the world’s scientists disclosed the fact that there is link between CFCs and the ozone layer, but nations and CFCs producers turned deaf ears towards the warning. Only in 1985, it was believed that there is a link between CFCs and the ozone layer. Then the world’s nations signed a document to stop CFCs productivity by 2006.

The decision of phasing out CFCs globally is a rational decision but the writer does not think they are honest to the decision. They could stop the use of CFCs immediately and use cheaper and harmless chemicals to substitute CFCs. But their decisions lack implementation. By allowing people to use CFCs for some more times, we are causing destruction to ourselves. Here the writer relates the science fiction “War with the Newts” by Karel Capek. Where the newts are exceptionally clever water animals which could give men pearls. Men gave them knives to keep themselves safe from sharks. Their number increased so largely that they even went to the country to live and endangered the existence of human beings. Like the newts we are destroying our own dwelling and worsening our environment and air.

Interpretation: We human being is considered the supreme creature of all the other many creatures in the world; we think ourselves wise, witty, clever, intelligent, enthusiastic and responsible creature. But, we are so sane that we destroy our own home and ourselves not only other creatures. We think only inheritance of the natural things here and do whatever thing we like. The essay also implies that human cannot make rational decisions. Neither general people choose rational political leaders as their representatives nor do the elected representatives make right decisions in time. Moreover, they are not honest too. They are only worrying about the next election but not about the future of people and other creatures. They know that CFCs are depleting ozone layer but are not doing anything to stop the use of this harmful chemical. They make decisions but have no courage and take no initiation of implementation. Thus, we are spoiling environment by electing such leaders and they are spoiling the future of mankind.

Critical thinking: This essay is mainly focused on environmental degradation and importance of its conservation. In this essay the writer criticizes the governments, politicians and factory owners who use harmful chemicals like chloroflurocarbons. She gives emphasis on its conservation because we are responsible for its destruction. She criticizes sharply to the leaders and the people who elect such leaders but she does not think the scientists should also be equally careful about the harmful effects of the chemical. Not only leaders and scientists all we are equally responsible for this problem and should be careful for its solution.

Assimilation: Reading literary tests is very beneficial. Literature gives not only pleasure or entertainment but a vast knowledge about different fields. As I read this essay, I got a lot of information from this essay. I knew about the ozone layer and its usefulness. I also knew the bad sides of air conditioners and refrigerators. Before this I was careless of these things; I would not feel anything while using AC and fridge, but now I feel I am guilty of polluted nature when I use these appliances. I have seen many people suffering from skin cancer, respiratory problems and other many diseases. This might have been caused by the ultra violet rays of the sun and the depleted ozone layer. Now I will try to convince all my relatives and families about these problems.

Flax-Golden Tales Life Is Sweet At Kumansenu Four Levels of Interactions Abioseh Nicol, Sierra Leone (1924 – 1994) For: BA/BBS First Year (Business English)

Literal Comprehension: This story is set in a small African village, Kumansenu. In a small mud house a widow Bola used to live with her seven years granddaughter Asi. Her son Megi was in government job as a clerk. Bola gave birth of six children but all of them were died. Musa, a village magician suggested bola to break bone of dead child in the grave so upcoming born child wouldn’t mock her. There was belief that the dead child’s spirit creeps from grave and scares mother sitting in her womb. When Bola was preparing food Asi was skipping outside. Suddenly Bola saw her son inside the house and became so much excited. She wanted to give party in happiness of son’s arrival. But Meji made promise to Bola not to tell about his arrival to anyone. His neck was tied with red handkerchief and Meji had hoarse voice. He said he was tired much so wanted to take rest. He slept whole day to next Saturday morning. Bola doubted in Meji’s condition still he pretended to satisfy her. When Bola went to market Meji took his daughter for a long walk up to hill secretly. Asi asked many questions to father he cunningly answered them. At Bola’s request all of them went to Meji’s father grave and offered water and wine as culturally did. After the offer to graveyard they came back home secretly. Meji didn’t eat any food rather threw outside. Bola asked Meji about bad smell of dead body in the room that Meji convinced her telling that it might be dead rat. At night there was heavy rain. In locked door Bola saw Meji out but not wet in the rain. Thanking his mother Bola a lot for giving birth and support, Meji departed telling “Life is sweet.” Mr. Addai told Bola brought Lord gave birth him and he took back. Meji’s wife brought news that Meji was killed on Friday noon and buried on Saturday at sundown. Bola couldn’t believe her eyes. As Meji taught Asi how to open gold locket. Asi could unlock it. They all became surprised about his arrival there. Magician, Musa said Bola that she should have broken his bones 30 years ago so that he wouldn’t have come and scared her. Despite of him Bola felt very happy getting chance of giving birth of such son and gave him chance to born again.

Interpretation: This story “Life is sweet at Kumansenu” might be trying to give the power of love in African culture. In that culture there was belief that the dead child would creep to come back to mother’s womb to trouble the parents. As Meji died at the age of 30 and his spirit visited her. The spirit had come to thank for giving birth and a chance to live a short and sweet life. It might be trying to give the superstitious cultural tradition of African country. Bola loved her child so much that eventually she didn’t feel sad rather a pride of giving birth of Meji like son.

Critical Thinking: Form the cultural and spiritual aspects the story is heart melting. It figures out about life-affirming character of African people. Beside cultural exercise there are many more disagreeable points. How can a person present as a spirit after death? Can’t we identify the person who is already dead? Do present world people have such faith about spirit? If Meji’s spirit was present how could he visit and take child up to hill? The spiritual aspect given in the story is unacceptable in this scientific age.

Assimilation: I have a lot from the people about their contact with ghosts, spirit etc. We have read such supernatural concept in many texts. This story reminded me my villagers who believe that after death spirit, comes to house and scares the people much like Nepali superstitious people the people of Africa believe on spirit, rebirth and such thing. The story “Life is Sweet at Kumansenu” can be interpreted about the power of love and the gratitude of children toward their parents. Explain. The story “Life is Sweet at Kumansenu” shows the power of love and love of children to their parents. Mother Bola loved her son, Meji very much who was ready to give party on Meji’s arrival to the village. For the love and care of old mother Meji had also left his seven years lovely daughter, Asi with Bola. He had sacrificed his love to Asi and hopen to give children love to Bola. There is strong bond of love from son to mother and vice-versa. Meji, as a spirit had come not to scare Bola as their culture interpretation. He had come to thank her for giving short still sweet life for him. He was presented there not physically rather spiritually. if spiritual love is there, even the spirit can love and care of loved one. Form another angle we can easily say that this story has captured the gratitude of children to their parents. When Bola and Meji met they showed a strong spiritual bond of love between them. Even though Bola lost her single son still she was proud of her such ideal son. After the married life and having seven years daughter Meji hadn’t left any percent to love and respect for his ideal mother. He didn’t like to trouble his mother saying he was dead rather thanked a lot for giving birth of his noble life. Thus, in conclusion we can say that this African-Culture base story is really about the power of love and the gratitude of children to their parents.