Std 10 English chapters › Unit 4
In short: A neglected, stammering village girl gains confidence through a kind teacher and bravely refuses to marry a greedy old man who demands dowry.
(दुर्लक्षित, तोतरे बोलणारी खेड्यातील एक मुलगी एका प्रेमळ शिक्षिकेमुळे आत्मविश्वास मिळवते आणि हुंडा मागणाऱ्या लोभी, वयस्कर माणसाशी लग्न करण्यास धैर्याने नकार देते.)
- Type: Prose (short story)
- Author: K. A. Abbas
- Main characters: Bholi (real name Sulekha), her father Ramlal, her mother, her teacher, and Bishamber, the man chosen as her husband
- Unit: 4
4.2 Bholi: English Workshop Question Answers
Answers to every activity in the Std 10 English Kumarbharati textbook (Maharashtra Board), written by a practising English teacher. Read the story in your textbook first, then try each activity here before you check the answer.
Warming up 1: Degrees of comparison
| Positive | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|
| simple | simpler | simplest |
| pretty | prettier | prettiest |
| deep | deeper | deepest |
| intelligent | more intelligent | most intelligent |
| good | better | best |
| affectionate | more affectionate | most affectionate |
| young | younger | youngest |
| near | nearer | nearest |
| quick | quicker | quickest |
| much / many | more | most |
Warming up 2: Hindi words in the story
| Hindi word | English alternative |
|---|---|
| Bholi | simpleton |
| Numberdar | village revenue official |
| Tehsildar sahib | revenue officer, sir |
| Pitaji | father |
| izzat | honour, respect |
Warming up 3: City life and village life
| Advantages | Drawbacks | |
|---|---|---|
| City life | 1. Good schools, colleges and hospitals 2. More jobs 3. Better transport and facilities |
1. Pollution and noise 2. High cost of living 3. Crowds and stress |
| Village life | 1. Fresh air and peaceful life 2. Close, helpful neighbours 3. Fresh food from farms |
1. Fewer schools and hospitals 2. Fewer jobs 3. Poor roads and transport |
✍️ Discuss the two group topics first.
Show sample discussion points
Social evils: Big cities: crime, drug abuse, pollution, loneliness. Small towns: unemployment, dowry, poor sanitation. Villages: dowry, child marriage, superstition, neglect of girls’ education.
Why few youngsters choose social work: It pays less, families want “safe” jobs like engineering or medicine, there is little social recognition, and the work is hard and slow to show results.
Short questions from the story (margin questions)
- What shows that Bholi was unwilling to go to school?
She shouted “N-n-n-n No, no-no-no” in terror and pulled her hand away from her father’s grip. - Why did Ramlal’s wife oppose sending Bholi to school?
She believed that if girls went to school, no one would marry them. - How did Bholi’s parents change her appearance?
She was given a clean dress that no longer fitted Champa, she was bathed, and oil was rubbed into her dry, matted hair. - What made the class attractive to Bholi?
There were many girls of her own age, and colourful pictures of a horse, a goat, a parrot and a cow on the wall. - Why did Bholi feel ashamed?
She could not say her name because she stammered, and she thought the girls were laughing at her. - How would you describe the teacher’s attitude towards Bholi?
She was kind and patient, spoke in a soft, soothing voice, encouraged her with “Well done”, and gave her a picture book and hope. - Which words could Bholi utter whole?
“Bholi” and “Yes”. - How did the teacher encourage Bholi to overcome her stammering?
She praised every effort, told her to put the fear out of her heart, asked her to come to school every day and promised that she would become more learned than anyone in the village. - What were the drawbacks of Bishamber as a bridegroom?
He was old, almost Ramlal’s age, he limped, and he had grown-up children from his first wife. - Why were Bholi’s parents eager to accept the proposal?
Bishamber was rich, asked for no dowry, and did not know about Bholi’s pockmarks. They feared she would otherwise remain unmarried. - Why did the bridegroom refuse to garland Bholi?
He saw the pockmarks on her face and demanded five thousand rupees before he would marry her. - What was the expression on Bholi’s face?
Neither anger nor hate, only cold contempt. - What shocked the family members?
Bholi spoke in a clear, loud voice without the slightest stammer. - Besides humiliation and grief, what was Ramlal afraid of?
That no one would ever marry Bholi now. - Name the artist and the masterpiece.
The artist is Bholi’s teacher, and the masterpiece is Bholi herself.
Q1. Complete the sentences using the words in the brackets
👉 Choose the right word for each sentence, then tap Check my answers.
Answer key
| Sentence | Word |
|---|---|
| (a) After the accident, Juhi's face was … | disfigured |
| (b) It took a long time to straighten the … bundle of wool. | matted |
| (c) After class, students … out for their lunch break. | scurried |
| (d) One should never … disabled people. | humiliate |
| (e) Nutan was … of her sister, who won the award. | envious |
| (f) Corruption is a … act. | contemptible |
| (g) We are … seriously about buying a new apartment. | contemplating |
| (h) I was … to see a snake in my room. | startled |
Q2. Social problems in the story and their solutions
| Social problem / evil practice | Probable solution |
|---|---|
| 1. Discrimination between a boy child and a girl child | Both must be treated equally at family, school and society levels. |
| 2. Dowry | Strict use of the law against dowry; young people must refuse to give or take it. |
| 3. Neglect and mocking of a child with a disability | Treat such children with love; give them speech therapy and special support. |
| 4. Belief that educated girls will not get married | Spread awareness that education makes girls independent and respected. |
| 5. Marrying a young girl to a much older man | Respect the girl’s choice and consent in marriage. |
Q3. Characters in the story by their specialities
- Numberdar: Ramlal, the village revenue official and Bholi’s father
- Teacher: the kind lady who changed Bholi’s life
- Tehsildar: the officer who opened the school
- Grocer: Bishamber Nath, the greedy bridegroom
- Headmistress: received Bholi at school
Q4. Bholi before and after meeting the teacher
| Before | After |
|---|---|
| 1. She was called a simpleton; children made fun of her and mimicked her. | 1. She became confident and was able to say her name. |
| 2. She stammered and talked very little. | 2. She spoke in a clear, loud voice without stammering. |
| 3. She was frightened and cried easily. | 3. She was brave enough to refuse a greedy bridegroom. |
| 4. She had no hope or self-respect. | 4. She decided to serve her parents and teach in the school. |
✍️ Write two paragraphs on the change in her character.
Show model paragraphs
Before she met her teacher, Bholi was a frightened, neglected girl. She had been called a simpleton since childhood because of her slow mind, her pockmarked face and her stammer. Other children mocked her, so she hardly spoke. Even her parents treated her like a “dumb cow” and sent her to school only because they thought nobody would marry her.
The teacher’s love and encouragement changed her completely. Bholi gained knowledge and confidence, and her stammer disappeared. At her wedding, she spoke clearly and fearlessly, threw the garland into the fire and refused to marry a mean, greedy man. She became a self-respecting young woman who decided to serve her parents and teach other girls.
Q5. Synonyms from the story
🎯 Game: tap each word and its synonym from the story.
Synonyms
Writing Skills: Question Answers
Q6. Expand the proverb: “Where there is a will, there is a way.”
✍️ Write your own expansion first.
Show a model answer
This proverb means that if we have a strong desire and determination to do something, we will surely find a way to do it. Difficulties may come, but a determined person does not give up. He keeps trying until he succeeds. Bholi in the story is a good example. She was mocked, she stammered and her family did not value her, but with her teacher’s help and her own will, she learned to speak clearly and stood up against injustice. Thomas Edison failed many times before he invented the electric bulb, but he never lost hope. Arunima Sinha lost a leg in an accident, yet she climbed Mount Everest. In our own lives too, a student who is weak in Maths can improve with daily practice. Many people fail not because they lack ability, but because they lack will. So we should never give up. With strong willpower, hard work and patience, we can turn the impossible into the possible.
Q7. Narrate the beginning of the story as Sulekha
✍️ Write it in your notebook first, beginning with “I was named Sulekha”.
Show a model answer
I was named Sulekha, but since childhood everyone has called me Bholi, the simpleton. I am the fourth daughter of Numberdar Ramlal. When I was ten months old, I fell off the cot on my head, and perhaps it damaged my brain. At birth I was fair and pretty, but when I was two, I had smallpox, which left deep black pockmarks all over my body. I could not speak until I was five, and then I stammered. Other children made fun of me, so I talked very little. We were seven children: three brothers and four sisters, and I was the youngest. My brothers went to the city to study. My eldest sister Radha was married, and Mangla’s marriage was settled. My sisters were good-looking and healthy, so it was easy to find bridegrooms for them. But my father was worried about me.
Q8. Interview a person who fought social injustice
- What inspired you to fight against social injustice?
- What was the first injustice you saw as a child?
- What problems did you face when you started?
- Did your family support you?
- Were you ever threatened or attacked?
- What kept you going in difficult times?
- What was your biggest success?
- Who helped you on your journey?
- How has society changed because of your work?
- What role can education play in ending injustice?
- What can students like us do to help?
- What message would you like to give young people?
Language Study: Question Answers
1. Indirect speech
- The teacher told Bholi to put the fear out of her heart and said that she would be able to speak like everyone else. Bholi looked up as if to ask whether it was really so.
- His wife agreed certainly and said that Bholi would be lucky to get such a well-to-do bridegroom.
- She asked what that witless one would say and said that she was like a dumb cow. Ramlal muttered that perhaps she was right.
- Ramlal requested Bishamber to be a little considerate and said that if he went back, he could never show his face in the village. Bishamber told him to give five thousand.
- Bholi told her father to take back his money and said that she was not going to marry that man. Ramlal shouted and asked Bholi if she was crazy.
2. Degrees of comparison
👉 Tap the correct sentence.
(a) You are not as young as she is. (Comparative)
Answer: She is younger than you. The meaning must not change: she is the younger one.
(b) His fourth daughter's wedding was the grandest of all. (Positive)
Answer: No other wedding was as grand as his fourth daughter's wedding. Use “No other … as grand as” for the positive degree.
(c) Bholi was younger than all his other daughters. (Superlative)
Answer: Bholi was the youngest of all his daughters. “younger than all others” becomes “the youngest of all”.
3. Correct the errors (verbs and subjects)
👉 Tap the correct sentence.
(a) All children, except Bholi, was healthy and strong.
Answer: All children, except Bholi, were healthy and strong. “children” is plural, so use “were”.
(c) If girls goes to school, who will marry them?
Answer: If girls go to school, who will marry them? “girls” is plural, so use “go”.
(e) The garland were flung into the fire.
Answer: The garland was flung into the fire. “garland” is singular, so use “was”.
(h) I will teaches in the same school.
Answer: I will teach in the same school. After “will”, use the base form “teach”.
Show all eight corrected sentences
- All children, except Bholi, were healthy and strong.
- Since childhood, everyone had been calling her Bholi.
- If girls go to school, who will marry them?
- New clothes were never made for Bholi.
- The garland was flung into the fire.
- Do you want to hear more?
- Isn’t that right?
- I will teach in the same school.
मराठी टीप: एकवचनी कर्ता → is/was/has; अनेकवचनी कर्ता → are/were/have. will/do/does नंतर क्रियापदाचे मूळ रूप वापरा.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote the story 'Bholi'?
'Bholi' was written by K. A. Abbas, an Indian film director, novelist and journalist.
What was Bholi's real name?
Her real name was Sulekha. She was called Bholi, meaning simpleton.
Why did Bholi stammer and look different?
She fell off a cot at ten months and perhaps damaged her brain, and smallpox at the age of two left deep pockmarks on her body. She stammered when she began to speak at five.
Why did Bholi refuse to marry Bishamber?
Bishamber demanded five thousand rupees as dowry after seeing her pockmarks. Bholi refused to marry such a mean, greedy and contemptible man.
Who changed Bholi's life?
Her kind teacher changed her life by encouraging her to put the fear out of her heart and giving her education and confidence.
Summary in English
Sulekha, called Bholi (‘simpleton’), is the youngest daughter of Ramlal, a well-off farmer who is the village numberdar. A fall as a baby has left her slow, smallpox at the age of two has marked her face, and she stammers. Her family treats her as a burden, and she has no friends.
When a girls’ school opens, Bholi is sent there, partly because nobody expects her to marry. Her teacher treats her with great kindness, encourages her to speak without fear and promises that learning will make her respected. Bholi slowly gains confidence.
Years later, her parents arrange her marriage to Bishamber, an older, lame grocer. At the wedding he sees her pockmarked face and demands five thousand rupees as dowry. Her father pays, but Bholi, speaking clearly without stammering, refuses to marry such a greedy, mean man. She says she will stay, serve her parents in their old age and teach in the school where she learned.
मराठीत सारांश (Summary in Marathi)
सुलेखा, जिला सगळे भोली (‘भोळी’) म्हणतात, ही गावातील नंबरदार आणि सधन शेतकरी रामलाल यांची सर्वात लहान मुलगी आहे. लहानपणी पडल्यामुळे ती मंद झाली, दोन वर्षांची असताना देवीमुळे तिच्या चेहऱ्यावर व्रण उठले आणि ती तोतरे बोलते. कुटुंब तिला ओझे समजते आणि तिला मैत्रिणी नाहीत.
गावात मुलींची शाळा सुरू होते तेव्हा भोलीला शाळेत पाठवले जाते, कारण तिचे लग्न होईल अशी कोणाला आशा नसते. तिची शिक्षिका तिच्याशी खूप प्रेमाने वागते, न घाबरता बोलायला प्रोत्साहन देते आणि शिक्षणामुळे तुला मान मिळेल असे आश्वासन देते. भोलीचा आत्मविश्वास हळूहळू वाढतो.
काही वर्षांनी आई-वडील तिचे लग्न बिशंबर नावाच्या वयस्कर, लंगड्या किराणा दुकानदाराशी ठरवतात. लग्नात तिचा व्रणांचा चेहरा पाहून तो पाच हजार रुपये हुंडा मागतो. वडील पैसे देतात, पण भोली न अडखळता स्पष्टपणे बोलून अशा लोभी, नीच माणसाशी लग्न करण्यास नकार देते. ती म्हणते की ती आई-वडिलांची म्हातारपणी सेवा करेल आणि जिथे शिकली त्याच शाळेत शिकवेल.
Theme and Message (मध्यवर्ती कल्पना)
Education and kindness give a person confidence and dignity. The story also speaks out against neglect of girls and the evil of dowry.
शिक्षण आणि प्रेमळ वागणूक माणसाला आत्मविश्वास आणि प्रतिष्ठा देतात. ही कथा मुलींकडे होणारे दुर्लक्ष आणि हुंडा या कुप्रथेविरुद्धही आवाज उठवते.
Useful Words (शब्दार्थ)
| Word | मराठी अर्थ | Use it in a sentence |
|---|---|---|
| neglect | दुर्लक्ष करणे | Do not neglect your health. |
| stammer | तोतरे बोलणे | He stammers when he is nervous. |
| dowry | हुंडा | Asking for dowry is a crime. |
| confidence | आत्मविश्वास | Practice gives you confidence. |
| greedy | लोभी | The greedy man wanted more money. |
| dignity | प्रतिष्ठा, आत्मसन्मान | She faced the problem with dignity. |
For the Exam (परीक्षेसाठी)
- Be ready to describe Bholi’s change from a frightened child to a confident young woman, and the teacher’s role in it.
- Be ready to give your opinion on dowry and on why girls’ education matters.
- The story is told in the past tense; revise with Lesson 6: Past Tense and the tenses practice set.
Think and Write (विचार करा, लिहा)
- Write about a teacher who changed the way you think about yourself.
- Was Bholi right to refuse the marriage? Give reasons.
- Write a short speech against the dowry system.
🎮 Practice Games: Bholi
Extra practice for revision, beyond the textbook activities. Play every game, then check your total score and stars! (उजळणीसाठी खेळ.)
🎬 Story order
Put Bholi’s story in order.
From silence to strength
- A fall and smallpox leave Bholi slow, marked and stammering.
- A girls' school opens in the village.
- Her kind teacher helps her speak without fear.
- Her marriage is fixed with Bishamber, an older grocer.
- Bishamber demands five thousand rupees as dowry.
- Bholi refuses to marry the greedy man.
🔤 Word meanings
🎯 Tap the English word and its Marathi meaning.
English ↔ मराठी
⚡ Quick quiz
👉 Tap the correct answer.
What was Bholi’s real name?
Answer: ‘Bholi’ means simpleton.
Who changed Bholi’s life?
Answer: Her kindness gave Bholi confidence.
Why did Bholi refuse to marry Bishamber?
Answer: She would not marry such a mean man.
What did Bholi decide to do in the end?
Answer: Education gave her independence and dignity.
🎯 Before and after school
🗂️ Was Bholi like this before or after her schooling?
Before or after?
Online test · 15 questions
4.2 Bholi: Lesson Test
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शिक्षकांसाठी: धडा शिकवून झाल्यावर ही test वर्गाला पाठवा. प्रत्येक विद्यार्थ्याचे गुण तुम्हाला आपोआप मिळतील.
These are original study notes and answers by englishresources.in to help you revise. Read the story in your Balbharati textbook first: these notes do not replace it. Only short phrases from the story and the activities are quoted, for reference.