The Man in an Onion Bed: NCERT Class 4 English Poem (Marigold Unit 4)

etmantra3 Jul 20207 min read

Why do our eyes water when we cut onions? This short, funny poem is about a man who loves onions so much that he keeps eating them while he cries. It is a quick, fun poem that children can learn by heart.

Open now: the CALP Class 4 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 the NCERT English book Marigold for Class 4, unit 4. NCERT’s newer Class 4 book is Santoor, but many schools still teach Marigold.

Watch: The Man in an Onion Bed

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

Comparing with 'as … as'
Rhyming words: bed and red, tears and dears
Reading a poem with feeling: sad and loving
Talking about mixed feelings

What the poem is about

The speaker meets a man sitting in an onion bed, the patch of ground where onions grow. He is crying so hard that his eyes are red and tears roll down his nose. But he keeps eating his way along the row of onions.

Even while he cries, he sings to the onions. He tells them he loves them and that they love him too, but they make him very sad. The poem is funny because the man is crying and happy at the same time. It shows how we can love something even when it brings a little trouble.

New words, with Hindi meanings

onion bed: a patch of ground where onions are grown (हिंदी: प्याज़ की क्यारी)
crying: having tears come out of your eyes (हिंदी: रोना)
tears: drops of water that come from your eyes when you cry (हिंदी: आँसू)
rolled: moved down by turning over and over (हिंदी: लुढ़के)
row: a line of things side by side (हिंदी: कतार)
for all his tears: even though he was crying (हिंदी: रोते हुए भी)
dears: a loving way to speak to someone you like (हिंदी: मेरे प्यारे)

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 the speaker meet the man?
Why were the man's eyes red?
What did the man sing to the onions?
Is there a food you love even though it makes your eyes water or your mouth burn?

Answers for parents

The speaker met him in an onion bed.
His eyes were red because he was crying so hard while eating onions.
He sang that he loved the onions and they loved him, but they made him very sad.
For example: I love green chilli pakoras, even though they make my mouth burn.

Grammar corner: Comparing with 'as … as'

We use 'as … as' to say two things are the same in some way. The man says the onions make him as sad as a man can be. Put a describing word between the two 'as'.

The chilli was as hot as fire.
My little sister is as quick as a squirrel.
The onion skin was as thin as paper.

Practice at home

Fill in the blank: His eyes were ___ from crying.
Spot the rhyme: which word in the poem rhymes with 'bed'? And which rhymes with 'tears'?
Complete with your own idea: The ice cream was as cold as ___.

Answers: 1. red · 2. 'Red' rhymes with 'bed'; 'dears' rhymes with 'tears'. · 3. For example: The ice cream was as cold as snow.

Try this

Read the poem aloud with expression: sound sad and teary in some lines and loving in others. If you are cutting onions at home, let your child watch from a safe distance and talk about why our eyes water. Then ask them to draw the man in the onion bed.

Tip for parents

While cutting onions, ask in Hindi, “प्याज़ काटते समय आँखों में आँसू क्यों आते हैं?” Then give the English words: onion, tears, crying. Let your child describe the man in Hindi first and then try one English sentence, like “He is crying.” Praise the try, not just the perfect answer.

Questions parents ask

What is the poem The Man in an Onion Bed about?

It is about a man in an onion patch who cries as he eats onions, yet sings to them that he loves them, even though they make him sad.

Which words rhyme in The Man in an Onion Bed?

'Bed' rhymes with 'red', 'tears' rhymes with 'dears', and 'me' rhymes with 'be'.

Which NCERT book is The Man in an Onion Bed from?

The Man in an Onion Bed is Unit 4 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.

Learn every Class 4 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 →