Thank God!: NCERT Class 3 English Story (Santoor Chapter 8)

etmantra3 Nov 20264 min read

A farmer brings a gift to the king, and the king throws grapes at him. Why does the farmer say 'Thank God'? Children love the funny ending of this Jataka tale, and it teaches them to look at the bright side.

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From NCERT’s new English book Santoor for Class 3, unit “Good Food”. Chapter 8.

What your child learns

Opposite words: heavy and light, long and short
Using 'is' and 'are'
Words about a palace: king, guard, royal
Seeing the funny or bright side of a problem

What the story is about

A farmer who loves fruit works hard and grows many kinds of fruit on his land. He takes special care of his grapes and watermelons. When the fruit is ripe, he wants to gift the best to the king. His wife says the watermelons and grapes are the best this year. The palace is far away and watermelons are heavy, so he takes a basket of grapes.

At the palace, the king is playing with the princess. Still feeling playful, he eats a grape and then throws another at the farmer. The grape hits the farmer's forehead, and he says 'Thank God!' The king throws more and asks why he is thanking God. The farmer smiles and explains: what if he had brought watermelons instead?

New words, with Hindi meanings

variety: many different kinds (हिंदी: कई तरह के)
ripe: ready to be eaten (हिंदी: पका हुआ)
journey: a long trip from one place to another (हिंदी: सफ़र, यात्रा)
palace: a big house where a king lives (हिंदी: महल)
guard: a person who keeps a place safe (हिंदी: पहरेदार)
royal: of a king or queen (हिंदी: शाही)
forehead: the part of the face above the eyes (हिंदी: माथा)
wise: clever and sensible (हिंदी: समझदार)

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.

Which fruits did the farmer grow with special care?
Why did the farmer take grapes and not watermelons?
Why did the farmer say 'Thank God!'?
If you met a farmer, what would you say to them?

Answers for parents

He took special care to grow grapes and watermelons.
The palace was far away and watermelons are too heavy to carry.
Being hit by grapes did not hurt. He was glad he had not brought watermelons.
For example: I would say thank you for growing the food we eat.

Grammar corner: Opposite words

Opposite words have very different meanings. Heavy and light are opposites. The farmer knew the watermelon was heavy and the grapes were light.

The palace was big but the farmer's hut was small.
The king was happy, not sad.
The journey to the palace was long, not short.

Practice at home

Write the opposite: heavy ___
Fill in 'is' or 'are': The grapes ___ sweet. The king ___ playful.
Make a sentence with 'palace'.

Answers: 1. light · 2. are, is · 3. For example: The king lives in a big palace.

Try this

Play 'Heavy or light?' Collect a few things at home, like a spoon, a pillow, a water bottle and a book. Your child picks up each one and says 'This is heavy' or 'This is light'. Then act out the story: one person is the king who gently tosses a crumpled paper 'grape', and the farmer says 'Thank God!' and explains why.

Tip for parents

Tell the story in Hindi first and stop before the end to ask: 'Kisaan ne Thank God kyon kaha?' Let your child guess in Hindi. Then teach one English pair at a time, bhaari is heavy and halka is light, and praise every English word your child uses.

Questions parents ask

What is the moral of Thank God!?

We can always find something to be thankful for. The farmer was glad he had brought light grapes and not heavy watermelons.

Who are the characters in Thank God!?

The characters are a farmer, his wife, the palace guard, the king and the princess.

Is Thank God! a Jataka tale?

Yes. The chapter says it is a Jataka tale. It is in NCERT's new Santoor book for Class 3, as Chapter 8 in Unit 3, Good Food.

Learn every Class 3 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 first writing practice. ₹1,299 for the whole year.

See the free lessons and enrol →