Gone with the Scooter: NCERT Class 5 English Story (Santoor Chapter 2)

etmantra3 Nov 20265 min read

Gopi finds a ball that is not his, and he wants to give it back to its owner. The search turns into a game of hockey with his friends, and the ending makes everyone laugh. It is a cheerful story about honesty, friends and outdoor play.

Open now: the CALP Class 5 English course (Santoor)
Every chapter of Santoor, NCERT’s new book, with notes in English and Hindi, say-it-aloud practice with a score, grammar, speaking and writing practice. ₹1,299 for the whole year, and “Start here” and the first chapter’s notes are free to try.
See the free lessons and enrol →

From NCERT’s new English book Santoor for Class 5, unit “Let's Have Fun”. Chapter 2.

What your child learns

Sound words: rustle, thud
Words that tell how often or when: usually, often, always, today
Being honest about things that are not ours
Joining two words to make a new one: foot + ball = football

What the story is about

One hot summer afternoon, Gopi is reading in the veranda when he hears something rustle and land with a thud in the garden. He searches the grass and the bushes and at last finds a white hockey ball on a heap of dry leaves. No one is outside the gate. Gopi decides he cannot keep the ball and will ask around.

In the evening he asks his friends at the playground. Manoj lost a ball four months ago, Ramani wants to see the ball before saying anything, and Deepak talks about his new football. Everyone laughs, and they start a game instead. The ball passes from Gopi to Deepak, Ramani and Jay. Jay hits it so hard that it flies over the gate into the basket of a passing scooter. The rider drives away without knowing, and the children burst out laughing.

New words, with Hindi meanings

veranda: an open space with a roof outside a house (हिंदी: बरामदा)
rustling: a soft sound, like dry leaves moving (हिंदी: सरसराहट)
thud: a dull sound when something heavy falls (हिंदी: धम्म की आवाज़)
heap: a lot of things lying on top of each other (हिंदी: ढेर)
boast: to talk too proudly about what you have (हिंदी: डींग मारना)
grab: to take something quickly (हिंदी: झपटना)
dribble: to move a ball along with small taps (हिंदी: गेंद आगे बढ़ाना)
unaware: not knowing about something (हिंदी: अनजान)

Talk about it

Ask these aloud after reading or watching. Let your child answer in English if they can, or mix in their home language. Both help.

Where did Gopi find the ball?
Why did Gopi take the ball to the playground?
What happened to the ball at the end of the game?
If you found something that was not yours, what would you do?

Answers for parents

He found a white hockey ball on a heap of dry leaves in the garden.
He did not want to keep it. He wanted to find its owner among his friends.
Jay hit it over the gate and it fell into the basket of a passing scooter. The scooter drove away with it.
For example: I would ask my friends and my teacher whose it is, and give it back.

Grammar corner: Words that tell how often: always, often, never

Some words tell us how many times something happens. 'Always' means every time, 'often' means many times, and 'never' means not even once. They usually come before the action word.

Gopi often reads in the veranda after lunch.
Manoj always wants to be the goalkeeper.
A good friend never keeps a ball that is not his.

Practice at home

Fill in the blank with 'always' or 'never': I ___ return things that belong to others.
Match the sound to the thing: (a) thud (b) rustle — 1. dry leaves moving 2. a mango falling on the ground
Join the words to make one new word: basket + ball, sun + rise, foot + path

Answers: 1. always · 2. a-2, b-1 · 3. basketball, sunrise, footpath

Try this

Play 'Pass the story ball'. Sit in a circle with a rolled-up sock as the ball. Whoever holds it says one line of the story, then passes it on: 'Gopi heard a thud', 'He ran to the garden', and so on. When the story ends, imagine together where the scooter took the ball and who found it.

Tip for parents

Tell the story to your child in Hindi first, in a few lines: 'गोपी को बग़ीचे में गेंद मिली...'. Then say the key English words together, like 'ball', 'thud', 'scooter'. Ask in Hindi, 'तुम क्या करते?', and let your child answer in any mix of languages. Praise the honest answer.

Questions parents ask

What is the moral of Gone with the Scooter?

Gopi does not keep a ball that is not his and tries to find its owner. The story shows honesty, and also how friends can laugh together when things go wrong.

Who are the characters in Gone with the Scooter?

Gopi, his mother, and his friends Manoj, Ramani, Deepak and Jay. A scooter rider passes by at the end.

Is Gone with the Scooter in the new NCERT book?

Yes. It is Chapter 2 of NCERT's new Santoor book for Class 5, in Unit 1, 'Let's Have Fun'.

Learn every Class 5 chapter with CALP

Every chapter of Santoor, NCERT’s new book, with notes in English and Hindi, say-it-aloud practice with a score, grammar, speaking and writing practice. ₹1,299 for the whole year.

See the free lessons and enrol →