The Magic Brush of Dreams: NCERT Class 8 English Poem (Poorvi)

etmantra3 Nov 20267 min read

What would you paint if whatever you painted came to life? In this story poem, a village girl gets a magic brush and a promise to keep: paint only for the poor. Students follow her through kindness, danger and a clever escape, and learn how a poem can tell a full story.

Open now: the CALP Class 8 English course (Poorvi)
Every chapter of Poorvi, NCERT’s new Class 8 book, with notes in English and Hindi, say-it-aloud practice with a score, listening, grammar, speaking and writing with feedback. ₹1,599 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 Poorvi for Class 8, unit “Mystery and Magic”. Unit 3.

What your child learns

Story words from the poem: gather, pluck, wealthy, comply, fortress, seize, flees, victory
Interjections that show sudden feelings: Hush!, Phew!, Oops!, Ouch!, Yippee!
How a narrative poem (ballad) tells a story, with a rhyme scheme, imagery and a changing tone
Making polite formal and informal requests, and writing an imaginative essay

What the poem is about

Gopi is sent to gather beans, rice and mangoes, but she sits under a banyan tree drawing pictures in the sand with a twig. A man sitting on a stone secretly gives her a magic brush and tells her to paint only for the poor, never for the rich. Back home, she paints a bowl of khichdi and it becomes real. Villagers crowd in to see the brush, and she paints useful things for them: a muffler for a farmer, a plough, a shawl for a grandmother and a fan for a girl. The news spreads until the Zamindar hears of it and orders her to paint him a grand fortress and treasures. Gopi bows and refuses, because she promised to help only the needy. The angry Zamindar has her locked in a cell.

That night, while the Zamindar dreams of gold, Gopi paints a road and a strong horse and gallops out of the prison and through the villages. When his men chase her, she paints a wide, deep river they cannot cross, and warns that she could paint a beast to chase them. The Zamindar runs away with his men, and Gopi paints a feast, a bright courtyard and a band for the villagers to celebrate. The poem, adapted from a folk tale, shows that a gift is best used to help others, and that courage and imagination can stand up to greed.

New words, with Hindi meanings

gather: to collect things from different places (हिंदी: इकट्ठा करना)
pluck: to pick a fruit or flower by pulling it off (हिंदी: तोड़ना)
twig: a small thin stick from a tree (हिंदी: टहनी)
wealthy: having a lot of money; rich (हिंदी: धनी, अमीर)
fortress: a large, strong building made to protect people inside (हिंदी: किला)
comply: to do what you are told or asked to do (हिंदी: आज्ञा मानना)
needy: poor people who do not have enough to live on (हिंदी: ज़रूरतमंद)
seize: to take hold of something suddenly and with force (हिंदी: छीन लेना, पकड़ लेना)
gallop: the fastest way a horse runs (हिंदी: सरपट दौड़ना)
flees: runs away from danger (हिंदी: भाग जाता है)

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.

What does Gopi do instead of gathering food at the start of the poem?
What rule does the man give Gopi when he hands her the brush?
Why does Gopi refuse to paint a fortress and treasures for the Zamindar?
How does Gopi escape from prison and stop the Zamindar's men?
If you had a magic brush, what would you paint, and for whom?

Answers for parents

She sits under a banyan tree and draws pictures in the sand with a twig, until the wind blows them away.
He tells her to keep the brush a secret and to paint only for the poor, not for the rich.
She had promised to use the brush only to help needy people. The Zamindar wanted riches for himself, so painting for him would break her promise.
She paints a winding road and a strong horse, and rides out through the prison gates. When the men chase her, she paints a wide, deep river that they cannot cross.
For example: I would paint a water tap and a small library for the children in the village near my school, because they walk far for water and have very few books.

Grammar corner: Interjections (words for sudden feelings)

An interjection is a short word or sound that shows a sudden feeling or reaction, such as relief, pain, surprise or joy. It usually comes at the start of a sentence and is followed by an exclamation mark. Different interjections show different feelings: Phew! shows relief, Ouch! shows pain, Oops! shows a small mistake and Yippee! shows delight.

Phew! The river stopped the Zamindar's men just in time.
Oops! I dropped the brush in the khichdi.
Yippee! Gopi is back in the village!

Practice at home

Choose the right interjection: ___! I cut my finger on the plough. (Yippee / Ouch)
Match the word to its meaning: wealthy, flees, fortress (a) runs away (b) rich (c) a strong, grand building
Make a sentence with 'comply', about a rule at your school.

Answers: 1. Ouch · 2. wealthy = rich; flees = runs away; fortress = a strong, grand building · 3. For example: All students must comply with the rule of wearing the school ID card.

Try this

Play 'Magic brush' at home. One person says, 'I paint a ...' and names something useful, and says who it is for and why (for example, 'I paint an umbrella for the vegetable seller, because she sits in the rain'). The next person adds a new thing. Anyone who paints something only for themselves loses a turn. Then act out the scene where the Zamindar orders Gopi to paint a fortress and she says no politely.

Tip for parents

Tell the story of Gopi in Hindi first: एक लड़की को जादुई ब्रश मिलता है, जिससे वह जो बनाती है वह सच हो जाता है, पर वह सिर्फ़ गरीबों के लिए बनाती है. Then ask your child to tell it back in English, even if some Hindi words slip in. Ask in Hindi, 'तुम ज़मींदार की जगह होते तो क्या माँगते? और गोपी की जगह होते तो?' and let your child answer in English, praising every try.

Questions parents ask

What is the moral of The Magic Brush of Dreams?

A special gift should be used to help people in need, not to make the greedy richer. Gopi keeps her promise, refuses the Zamindar, and uses her imagination and courage to protect herself and her village.

Who are the characters in The Magic Brush of Dreams?

Gopi, a village girl; the man who gives her the magic brush; the villagers she paints for; and the greedy Zamindar and his men. The poem is adapted from a folk tale.

Is The Magic Brush of Dreams in the new NCERT book?

Yes. It is Chapter 8 of Poorvi, NCERT's new English book for Class 8, in Unit 3 (Mystery and Magic).

Learn every Class 8 chapter with CALP

Every chapter of Poorvi, NCERT’s new Class 8 book, with notes in English and Hindi, say-it-aloud practice with a score, listening, grammar, speaking and writing with feedback. ₹1,599 for the whole year.

See the free lessons and enrol →