Chapter 8 : Forest Fire 

Hard Words and Their Meanings:

1. Unheeded

   • Meaning (English): Ignored or disregarded.

   • Meaning (Hindi): अनदेखा, उपेक्षित

2. Underbrush

   • Meaning (English): Dense vegetation or shrubs beneath trees.

   • Meaning (Hindi): झाड़ियों, पेड़ों के नीचे की झाड़ियां

3. Stealthily

   • Meaning (English): In a secret or sneaky manner.

   • Meaning (Hindi): गुप्त रूप से, चुपके से

4. Guessed

   • Meaning (English): To estimate or conclude without sufficient information.

   • Meaning (Hindi): अनुमान लगाना

5. Breeze

   • Meaning (English): A gentle wind.

   • Meaning (Hindi): हल्की हवा, बयार

6. Quickened

   • Meaning (English): To speed up or make faster.

   • Meaning (Hindi): तेज़ होना

7. Embers

   • Meaning (English): The glowing, hot remains of a fire.

   • Meaning (Hindi): अंगारे, आग की चिंगारी

8. Blazing

   • Meaning (English): Burning fiercely and brightly.

   • Meaning (Hindi): जलता हुआ, धधकता हुआ

9. Spread

   • Meaning (English): To extend or stretch over a large area.

   • Meaning (Hindi): फैलना

10. Blackened

    • Meaning (English): Made black, usually by burning or charring.

    • Meaning (Hindi): काला हो जाना, जलकर काला होना

11. Campfire

    • Meaning (English): An open fire made in a camp.

    • Meaning (Hindi): शिविर की आग, कैम्प की आग

12. Blazing

    • Meaning (English): Burning brightly or fiercely.

    • Meaning (Hindi): धधकता हुआ

13. Passing by

    • Meaning (English): Moving past something or someone.

    • Meaning (Hindi): गुजरना, निकल जाना

14. Spare

    • Meaning (English): To have extra time or resources.

    • Meaning (Hindi): बचा हुआ, खाली समय

15. Care

    • Meaning (English): Feel concern or interest.

    • Meaning (Hindi): चिंता करना, परवाह करना

Explanation in Hindi (Line-by-Line):

Someone dropped a burning match Unheeded by the way;
किसी ने जलती हुई माचिस गिरा दी, जिसे रास्ते में अनदेखा कर दिया गया।

It caught on fire some underbrush; It's user did not say.
इससे नीचे की कुछ झाड़ियां जल गईं, लेकिन जिसने यह किया उसने कुछ नहीं कहा।

From grass to brush, from brush to tree,
घास से झाड़ियों तक, झाड़ियों से पेड़ों तक आग फैल गई।

So stealthily it ran,
यह इतनी चुपके से फैली,

That no one ever guessed or knew Just where that fire began.
कि किसी ने अनुमान भी नहीं लगाया कि यह आग कहां से शुरू हुई थी।

Someone built a campfire And failed to put it out.
किसी ने शिविर में आग जलाई और उसे बुझाना भूल गया।

A breeze came up and quickened; The embers spread about;
एक हल्की हवा चली और आग तेजी से फैलने लगी; अंगारे इधर-उधर बिखर गए।

And soon the woods were blazing.
और जल्द ही जंगल जलने लगे।

The fire spread and spread;
आग फैलती चली गई;

The trees that took long years to grow Stand blackened now and dead.
वह पेड़, जिन्हें बढ़ने में सालों लग गए, अब जलकर काले हो गए और मर चुके हैं।

Someone saw a little fire As he was passing by.
किसी ने एक छोटी सी आग देखी जब वह वहां से गुजर रहा था।

He did not stop to put it out; He did not even try.
वह उसे बुझाने के लिए रुका नहीं; उसने कोशिश भी नहीं की।

He had not started it, of course; He had no time to spare;
बेशक, उसने आग शुरू नहीं की थी; उसके पास समय भी नहीं था।

That it might start a forest fire He did not even care.
कि इससे जंगल में आग लग सकती है, इसकी उसे परवाह नहीं थी।

Summary in Easy Language:

This poem talks about how small careless actions, like dropping a matchstick or leaving a campfire burning, can lead to a huge forest fire. The fire starts quietly, unnoticed by anyone, and spreads rapidly through grass, bushes, and trees. Even though people see the fire, they don't try to stop it because they think it's not their responsibility. As a result, the trees, which took years to grow, are destroyed. The poem serves as a reminder of how small acts of negligence can cause great damage and how important it is to take responsibility for even the smallest actions.

Reading Comprehension:

A. Fill in the blanks:

1. Forest fires are started by careless actions.

2. The fire spreads from grass to brush to trees.

3. Campfires, if not put out, can cause forest fires too.

4. People do not care to put out a little fire.

B. Extract and Questions:

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:

The fire spread and spread;
The trees that took long years to grow
Stand blackened now and dead.

1. Where did the fire spread?
   The fire spread through the grass, brush, and finally the trees, consuming the entire forest.

2. Why does the poet say, "Stand blackened now and dead”?
   The poet says this because the trees, which took many years to grow, have been completely burned and are now charred and lifeless.

C. Answer the following questions:

1. How did the underbrush catch fire?
   The underbrush caught fire when someone carelessly dropped a burning matchstick, which ignited the dry vegetation.

2. Why could no one guess the origin of the forest fire?
   No one could guess the origin of the forest fire because it spread stealthily and rapidly, without drawing much attention in the beginning.

3. Why did the passer-by ignore the fire that he saw?
   The passer-by ignored the fire because he did not start it, did not have time, and felt no responsibility to put it out.

4. How are forests important to us?
   Forests are important because they provide oxygen, habitat for wildlife, timber, and play a crucial role in maintaining the ecological balance.

5. How can we conserve forests?
   We can conserve forests by preventing careless actions like leaving campfires burning, enforcing laws against deforestation, replanting trees, and educating people on the importance of forest conservation.