BSEB • Class 6 • English • Ch 3
Estimated Time: 45 Mins
Study Progress: In Progress
Taro's Reward & The Quarrel
Chapter 3 of the Bihar Board Class 6 English curriculum brings together two celebrated literary masterworks from the textbook Honeysuckle: the classic Japanese narrative folklore 'Taro's Reward' and Eleanor Farjeon's deeply relatable domestic poem 'The Quarrel'. Together, these companion pieces guide young scholars through an enriching moral and linguistic journey exploring filial piety, the corrosive nature of greed, the mechanics of conflict resolution, and the beauty of family solidarity.
Part 1: Comprehensive Narrative Analysis of 'Taro's Reward'
The prose narrative centers on Taro, a young, affectionate woodcutter who lived with his elderly mother and father in a small, lonely wooden hut perched on a barren hillside. Although Taro worked relentlessly every single day from the first light of dawn until evening—chopping and cutting firewood with his heavy axe—he earned pitifully little money. This financial hardship weighed heavily on his tender heart, for his greatest ambition in life was to provide his aging parents with every comfort they deserved.
The Inciting Incident: One bitter winter evening, as the family huddled together inside their shelter, a ferocious wind began to howl across the hillside. The icy draft whistled through the wooden cracks of the hut, making everyone feel terribly cold. The elderly father, shivering uncontrollably, uttered a heartfelt wish: 'I wish I had a cup of sake; it would warm me and do my old heart good.' Sake, a traditional and expensive Japanese rice beverage known for its rejuvenating warmth, was entirely beyond Taro's modest financial reach. Hearing his father's gentle sigh made Taro sadder than ever, but instead of succumbing to despair, he made a resolute vow: he would wake up earlier than usual the following morning and chop even harder.
The Miracle at the Waterfall: Next morning, Taro leaped out of bed long before sunrise and trudged deep into the mountain forest. He swung his axe with rhythm and precision, cutting log after log until the morning sun climbed high. His body became soaked with sweat, his mouth turned dry, and his throat burned with thirst. Suddenly, through the quiet woods, his sharp ears caught an unfamiliar sound: the clear, bubbling rush of falling water. Knowing that no stream had ever existed in that dry section of the forest, Taro followed the acoustic trail and discovered a miniature, breathtaking waterfall hidden behind a wall of green moss and rock.
Kneeling beside the basin, Taro cupped a little of the cascading liquid to his parched lips. To his sheer astonishment, it was not cold mountain water at all—it was delicious, warm, sweet sake! Overcome with gratitude, Taro swiftly filled the wooden pitcher he had brought with him and hurried home to his shivering father. The old man drank a single bowlful of the magic brew; immediately, his shivering ceased, a warm glow returned to his frail body, and he stood up to perform a joyful little dance in the middle of the floor, rejuvenated by the liquid warmth.
The Village Stampede & Nature's Justice: Later that afternoon, a female neighbor stopped by their cottage, and the hospitable father offered her a bowl of the miraculous sake, explaining how Taro had discovered it in the forest. Unable to contain such sensational news, the woman gossiped to every household in the village before nightfall. By evening, a long procession of eager villagers visited Taro's hut, each greedily drinking a cup of sake until the wooden pitcher was left completely empty.
Early next morning, Taro set out for the waterfall, carrying the largest pitcher he possessed, only to discover that the entire village had beaten him to the spot, armed with jars, buckets, pots, and kettles. A villager waded into the pool, cupped the water, and swallowed greedily. 'Water!' he cried angrily. 'Nothing but cold water!' The villagers tasted it repeatedly, but for them, the stream yielded nothing but tasteless, icy spring water. Enraged, the villagers shouted, 'We have been tricked! Let us find Taro and drown him in this waterfall!' Fortunately, the prudent Taro had hidden quietly behind a rock, watching the angry mob disperse in bitter disappointment. Once they were gone, Taro emerged, tasted the liquid once more, and found it was still the same fine, warm sake. Nature refused to bless greed, preserving its miraculous gift exclusively for the thoughtful, dutiful son.
The Imperial Honor: When the Emperor of Japan heard the extraordinary tale of the hillside woodcutter, he summoned Taro to the royal palace. To honor his exemplary character, the Emperor rewarded Taro with twenty pieces of gold for having been so good and kind to his parents. Furthermore, the Emperor named the city's most magnificent public fountain 'Taro', issuing an official royal decree to encourage all children across the empire to honor, respect, and obey their parents.
Part 2: Poetic Appreciation of 'The Quarrel' by Eleanor Farjeon
The companion poem 'The Quarrel', crafted by celebrated British poet and Carnegie Medalist Eleanor Farjeon, explores the psychological anatomy of a typical childhood dispute between a brother and sister. In sixteen lively, trochaic lines arranged in two symmetrical stanzas, the poet charts the complete emotional trajectory of a quarrel:
The Petty Genesis: The dispute begins over something so trivial that the speaker confesses she cannot even remember what started it. Yet, through stubbornness, 'one thing led to another,' and the slight disagreement quickly escalated into a shouting match where both siblings insisted on their absolute righteousness.
The Gloomy Escalation: By afternoon, the quarrel infects the entire household atmosphere. Farjeon uses the striking psychological metaphor 'The afternoon turned black,' capturing the suffocating, unhappy silence of mutual resentment.
The Magnanimous Resolution: Just when the stalemate seems permanent, the brother demonstrates true emotional maturity. He walks up, delivers a friendly thump on his sister's back, and breaks the icy silence: 'Oh, come along! We can't go on all night—I was in the wrong.' Paradoxically, by being humble enough to take the blame upon himself to end the feud, the brother proves that he was morally 'in the right.'
Through this rich unit, Class 6 students master high-yield grammatical structures, including abstract noun formations, phrasal verbs, trochaic rhythm, and poetic irony, while absorbing timeless family values.
