Neha's Alarm Clock: NCERT Class 4 English Story (Marigold Unit 1)

etmantra20 Jun 20209 min read

Many children find it hard to get out of bed in the morning, and Neha is one of them. In this funny story, every wish she makes to sleep longer comes true, but something still wakes her up. It is a gentle way to talk with children about good habits and the 'clock' inside our bodies.

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From the NCERT English book Marigold for Class 4, unit 1. NCERT’s newer Class 4 book is Santoor, but many schools still teach Marigold.

Watch: Neha's Alarm Clock

Play the video three or four times. The first time, just listen. Then point at the pictures, and from the third time, say the lines along with the video. Short, repeated listening is how CALP builds a child’s English.

What your child learns

Making wishes with "I wish"
Time words: six o'clock, morning, afternoon, night
Good habits and the 'clock' inside our body
New words for feelings and actions: mutters, snuggles, unfair

What the story is about

Neha's alarm clock rings at six every morning, and she thinks it is unfair. She wishes the clock would forget its job. One day the clock falls, and the next morning there is no alarm. But the little birds at her window sing and wake her up instead. Each time Neha wishes something away, the wish comes true, but someone else wakes her. First the birds stay away, then the bright sun fills her room. When the sun hides behind the clouds, her mother calls her a sleepyhead and tells her she will miss the bus.

One day Neha wakes up at six all by herself. Her mother explains that there is a clock inside each of us. It tells us when to eat, when to sleep and when to wake up. Neha rushes to get ready, but her mother laughs, because it is Sunday!

New words, with Hindi meanings

mutters: speaks in a low voice, often when unhappy (हिंदी: बड़बड़ाती है)
snuggles: lies close and cosy under something warm (हिंदी: दुबक जाती है)
unfair: not right or not just (हिंदी: नाइंसाफ़ी)
windowsill: the flat shelf at the bottom of a window (हिंदी: खिड़की का किनारा)
chirpy: lively and making short, happy bird sounds (हिंदी: चहचहाती)
with a start: suddenly, with a little jump of surprise (हिंदी: चौंककर)
sleepyhead: a friendly name for someone who sleeps too much (हिंदी: सोने वाली, आलसी)
escape: a way to get away from something (हिंदी: बचने का रास्ता)

Explained in Hindi

If your child finds the English hard, watch this explanation of the story and its word meanings in Hindi, then go back to the English video.

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.

Why was Neha unhappy with her alarm clock?
Who woke Neha up when there was no alarm clock? Name all of them.
What did Neha's mother mean by 'a clock inside you'?
Do you wake up easily in the morning? Who or what wakes you up?

Answers for parents

It rang at six every morning and pulled her out of bed, but she wanted to sleep a little longer.
First the chirpy birds, then the bright sun, and then her mother.
She meant that our body itself knows when to eat, when to sleep and when to wake up, like a clock.
For example: No, I find it hard. My mother wakes me up at seven.

Grammar corner: Making wishes with "I wish"

We use "I wish" to talk about something we would like to happen. After "I wish", we often use "would" or "could". Neha makes many wishes like this in the story.

I wish the birds would sing a little later.
I wish I could sleep till eight o'clock.
I wish every day was a Sunday.

Practice at home

Fill in the blank: One day Neha woke up at six all by ___. (herself / himself)
Match who woke Neha with what they did: birds, sun, mother with (a) called her a sleepyhead, (b) sang at the window, (c) filled her room with light.
Make your own "I wish" sentence about mornings.

Answers: 1. herself · 2. birds: (b); sun: (c); mother: (a) · 3. For example: I wish school started at ten o'clock.

Try this

Ask your child to make a simple 'body clock' chart for one day. They can draw a big clock face and write next to it the times they wake up, eat, play, study and sleep. Then talk about which times stay the same every day and why that helps the body.

Tip for parents

Ask in Hindi, "तुम्हें सुबह कौन जगाता है?", and then in English, "Who wakes you up in the morning?" Let your child tell Neha's story in Hindi first, then say the main lines in English with your help. Praise the effort, not only correct English.

Questions parents ask

What is the moral of Neha's Alarm Clock?

There is a clock inside each of us that tells us when to eat, sleep and wake up. When we keep regular times, the body learns them on its own.

Who wakes Neha up in the story?

First her alarm clock, then the chirpy birds, then the bright sun, and then her mother. At the end she wakes up by herself at six.

Which book and class is Neha's Alarm Clock from?

It is Unit 1 of Marigold, NCERT's older English book for Class 4. The newer NCERT English books are Mridang for Class 1–2 and Santoor for Class 3–5.

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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.

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