NCERT Class 6 English Poorvi Chapter 1 – A Bottle of Dew is a story by Sudha Murty. The story teaches an important lesson about hard work, patience and the value of honest effort.
In this chapter, Rama Natha believes that a magical potion can turn ordinary objects into gold. However, Sage Mahipati helps him understand that real wealth comes from hard work rather than magic.
Below are the complete NCERT solutions for the exercises from Page 6 to Page 12, along with the two discussion questions from Page 5.
Let Us Discuss
Page 5 – Question 1: Why was Rama Natha angry?
Answer:
Rama Natha was angry because the water did not turn the copper vessel into gold. He thought that the sage had cheated him and felt that he had wasted six precious years collecting the dew.
Page 5 – Question 2: How did Rama Natha and Madhumati create wealth?
Answer:
Rama Natha created wealth by working hard on his land and developing a large banana plantation. He planted and looked after the banana plants and collected dew during winter. Madhumati helped him by harvesting the bananas and selling them in the market. The money earned from selling the bananas became their wealth.
Let Us Think and Reflect
Page 6 – Question 1
(i) Complete the sentence
Rama Natha did not ‘give up’ because ____________________.
Answer:
Rama Natha did not give up because he strongly believed that the magic potion could turn objects into gold and he was determined to find it.
(ii) What happened and its outcome
| What happened | Outcome |
|---|---|
| People promised to tell Rama Natha about the magic potion. | They cheated Rama Natha and took his money. |
| Rama Natha was spending a lot of money. | Madhumati became worried that they would soon have no money. |
The story states that people repeatedly cheated Rama Natha by promising to tell him about the potion, while Madhumati was worried about the money he was spending.
(iii) True or False
A. Madhumati was troubled about what her husband did.
Answer: True
B. Rama Natha was very happy digging his fields.
Answer: False
C. The sage wanted to show the right path to Rama Natha.
Answer: True
Page 6 – Question 2
The events are:
A. The sage smiled.
B. Rama Natha gave the bottle to the sage.
C. Rama Natha dropped a few drops of water on a copper vessel.
D. The sage said something in a low voice over the water.
E. Rama Natha waited to see if the magic worked.
(i) Correct order
Answer: (b) B, A, D, C, E
The sequence is:
- Rama Natha gave the bottle to the sage.
- The sage smiled.
- The sage muttered something over the water.
- Rama Natha sprinkled the water on the copper vessel.
- Rama Natha waited to see whether it turned into gold.
(ii) Fill in the blank
Seeing that the plant had dried up, the gardener __________ some water on it.
Answer: sprinkled
(iii) How might Rama Natha have felt when nothing happened to the copper vessel?
Answer:
Rama Natha probably felt angry, disappointed and cheated because he expected the copper vessel to turn into gold after using the supposed magic potion. He believed that his six years of hard work had been wasted.
Page 7 – Answer the Following Questions
1. What did the sage ask Rama Natha to do to make the magic potion?
Answer:
The sage asked Rama Natha to plant banana plants and water them regularly with his own hands. During winter, he had to collect the morning dew from the leaves and store it in a bottle. After collecting five litres of dew, he had to bring it to the sage.
2. Why did the sage ask Rama Natha to do everything himself?
Answer:
The sage asked Rama Natha to do everything himself so that he would spend time working on his land and understand the value of hard work. If someone else had done the work for him, Rama Natha might not have learned the lesson.
3. How could Rama Natha have a big banana plantation after six years?
Answer:
Rama Natha cleaned his unused fields and planted rows of banana plants. He carefully looked after them and collected dew during winter. He continued planting more banana plants over the years. As a result, he eventually had a huge banana plantation.
4. How did the sage make Rama Natha believe that there is no magic potion?
Answer:
The sage secretly pretended to turn the collected dew into a magic potion. When Rama Natha sprinkled the water on a copper vessel, nothing happened. The sage then explained that there was actually no magic potion. He showed Rama Natha the gold coins earned from selling the bananas and explained that his hard work had created the wealth.
5. Fill in the ‘before’ and ‘after’ table about Rama Natha
| Before meeting the sage | After meeting the sage |
| He spent most of his time searching for the magic potion. | He started working on his fields and planted banana plants. |
| He spent money trying to find the magic potion. | He worked hard on his plantation and continued developing it. |
Let Us Learn
Page 8 – Question 1: Fill in the blanks
Words given:
promised, spending, cheated, luck, remember, huge, difficult, market
Completed paragraph
There was a farmer who had a huge coconut plantation. He worked hard and did not depend on luck. Every day was difficult but he did not give up. One day, a man bought a bag of coconuts from him, and promised to pay him the money the next day. Days passed and the man did not pay him anything. The farmer felt cheated. About two months later, he met the same man and asked him about his money. The man said, “Oh! I had forgotten. Now, I remember buying coconuts from you.” And he paid the money.
Extra words: spending, market
Question 2: Homophones
Homophones are words that have the same or similar pronunciation but different spellings and meanings.
| Word | Homophone | Meaning |
| I | eye | the organ used for seeing |
| your | you're | short form of “you are” |
| dew | due | expected or happening at a particular time |
| son | sun | the star at the centre of our solar system |
| one | won | past tense of “win” |
| ate | eight | the number 8 |
| see | sea | a large body of salt water |
Page 9 – Question 3: Use Homophones in Sentences
1. I / Eye
I closed my eye because the sunlight was bright.
2. Your / You're
Your book is on the table, and you're ready for class.
3. Son / Sun
The farmer's son worked in the field under the bright sun.
4. See / Sea
I want to see the beautiful sea one day.
Other acceptable pairs can also be used.
Question 4: Match the Phrases
The correct sentences are:
- The children submitted their work before the deadline.
- He did not want to try rock climbing because of his fear of heights.
- The children ran towards the gate as soon as the bell rang.
- Nitin was late to school today as there was a traffic jam.
These sentences use the connecting words given in the textbook.
Question 5: Create a Tongue Twister
Model Answer:
Bobby bought a big bunch of bright bananas before breakfast.
Another possible answer:
Big brown bears bought bunches of bananas.
Let Us Listen – Page 10
The textbook asks students to arrange the events according to Madhumati's actions. The transcript on page 36 gives the sequence clearly: she first visits her mother, then goes to the market, meets Kalawati, gives her bananas, decides to go home, gives bananas to a hungry boy and finally visits her neighbour.
Correct order
| Event | Correct Number |
| Gives two bananas to a boy who is hungry | 6 |
| Meets her friend Kalawati in the market | 3 |
| Visits her mother and gives her two dozen bananas | 1 |
| Chooses to go home as only some bananas were left | 5 |
| Visits her neighbour and gifts them a bunch of bananas | 7 |
| Gives twelve bananas to her friend | 4 |
| Goes to the market to sell the bananas | 2 |
So, if writing the numbers beside the seven statements as printed on the page, the answers are:
6, 3, 1, 5, 7, 4, 2
Let Us Speak – Sound of ‘s’
The chapter explains that the letter s can have different sounds. For example, it has a /s/ sound in sage and promising, while it has a /z/ sound in wisdom and trees.
Answers for the given words
| Word | Sound of ‘s’ |
| beds | /z/ |
| sand | /s/ |
| clothes | /z/ |
| sea | /s/ |
| was | /z/ |
| keys | /z/ |
| bags | /z/ |
| nose | /z/ |
Let Us Speak – Discussion
1. What does hard work mean to you?
Answer:
Hard work means putting in sincere effort and continuing to work towards a goal even when the task is difficult.
2. Give three reasons why hard work is important.
Answer:
- Hard work helps us achieve our goals.
- It improves our skills and knowledge.
- It teaches us patience, discipline and confidence.
3. Share three ideas you would give to someone who needs to work hard.
Answer:
- Set a clear goal and work towards it every day.
- Do not give up when difficulties arise.
- Be patient and learn from mistakes.
Let Us Write – Description of a Banana
A possible completed description is:
- When I like to eat a banana: At breakfast or during a break.
- Smell: Fresh and fruity.
- Healthy because: It gives energy and contains vitamins.
- Outer covering: Smooth and slightly soft when ripe.
- Taste: Sweet and creamy.
- Colour: The peel is usually yellow when ripe and the fruit inside is white or cream-coloured.
The textbook provides these categories and suggested words for creating the description.
Page 12 – Question 1: Write Eight Sentences About a Banana
Answer:
- A banana is a popular and nutritious fruit.
- I like to eat a banana at breakfast.
- A ripe banana has a sweet and creamy taste.
- Its peel is usually yellow when it is ripe.
- The fruit inside is soft, smooth and creamy.
- A banana has a fresh and fruity smell.
- Bananas provide energy and are rich in nutrients.
- Bananas are easy to peel and can be eaten without much preparation.
Question 2: Develop a Script Based on ‘A Bottle of Dew’
A Bottle of Dew – Short Dialogue Script
Characters: Rama Natha, Madhumati and Sage Mahipati
Scene 1 – Rama Natha's House
Rama Natha: Madhumati, I have heard that there is a magic potion that can turn anything into gold.
Madhumati: Rama Natha, you have already spent so much money searching for this potion. I am worried that soon we will have no money left.
Rama Natha: But I must find it. I will not give up.
Scene 2 – Meeting the Sage
Rama Natha: O Sage Mahipati, do you know about the magic potion?
Sage Mahipati: Yes, I have heard about it. But making it is difficult.
Rama Natha: Please tell me how to make it.
Sage Mahipati: Plant banana plants and look after them yourself. During winter, collect the dew from their leaves and store it in a bottle. When you have five litres of dew, bring it to me.
Rama Natha: I will do exactly as you say.
Scene 3 – The Banana Plantation
Rama Natha: I have planted many banana plants. I must look after them carefully.
Madhumati: I will help you too. I can take the bananas to the market and sell them.
Rama Natha: Together, we will work hard.
Scene 4 – Six Years Later
Rama Natha: At last, I have collected five litres of dew!
Madhumati: And our banana plantation has become huge.
Rama Natha: I will now take the dew to the sage.
Scene 5 – The Truth
Sage Mahipati: Sprinkle a few drops on this copper vessel.
Rama Natha: Nothing happened! The vessel has not turned into gold. You cheated me!
Sage Mahipati: Rama Natha, there is no magic potion. Look at these gold coins.
Rama Natha: Where did all this money come from?
Sage Mahipati: Your hard work created this wealth. You looked after the banana plants and Madhumati sold the fruits in the market.
Madhumati: So our hard work made us wealthy!
Rama Natha: Now I understand. Real wealth comes from hard work, not magic.
Sage Mahipati: Exactly. Continue working hard and use your understanding wisely.
Rama Natha: I will. I have finally understood the lesson.
Let Us Explore – Banana Varieties in India
The textbook asks students to find different varieties of bananas grown and eaten in different parts of India. The book itself provides the National Horticulture Board as a source for this activity.
As a model answer, some banana cultivars listed by the National Horticulture Board (NHB) include Dwarf Cavendish, Robusta, Rasthali, Poovan, Nendran, Red Banana, Basrai, Grand Naine and Karpuravalli. The varieties differ from state to state. NHB also lists Basrai among the cultivars grown in Madhya Pradesh.
Examples
| State/Region | Some banana varieties |
| Madhya Pradesh | Basrai |
| Kerala | Nendran, Palayankodan, Rasthali, Red Banana |
| Maharashtra | Dwarf Cavendish, Basrai, Robusta, Grand Naine |
| Tamil Nadu | Virupakshi, Robusta, Red Banana, Poovan, Nendran |
| Karnataka | Dwarf Cavendish, Robusta, Rasthali, Poovan |
| Andhra Pradesh | Dwarf Cavendish, Robusta, Rasthali, Poovan |
These are examples rather than a complete list of all banana varieties grown in India.
Important Lesson from A Bottle of Dew
The central message of A Bottle of Dew is that hard work is the real source of wealth and success.
Rama Natha initially believed that magic would make him rich. Because of this belief, he ignored his land and wasted money searching for a magical potion. Sage Mahipati cleverly gave him a task that required patience and continuous effort.
By planting and caring for banana plants, Rama Natha eventually developed a huge plantation. Madhumati sold the bananas in the market. Their wealth therefore came from their work, patience and proper use of their resources, not from magic.
Moral of the Story
There is no shortcut to success. Hard work, patience and determination create real wealth and lasting success.
Quick Revision
Chapter: A Bottle of Dew
Book: NCERT Poorvi – Grade 6 English
Unit: Fables and Folk Tales
Author: Sudha Murty
Main Characters
- Rama Natha – Believes in a magic potion and later learns the value of hard work.
- Madhumati – Rama Natha's practical and supportive wife.
- Sage Mahipati – Uses a clever method to teach Rama Natha an important lesson.
Main Lesson
Hard work is more valuable than magical shortcuts.
Important Vocabulary
- Potion: A liquid believed to have magical properties.
- Dew: Small drops of water that form on leaves during the night.
- Tended: Looked after carefully.
- Muttered: Spoke in a low voice.
- Precious: Very valuable.
- Wisdom: Deep understanding.
