Once there was a bird. It was an utterly foolish bird. It sang songs, but did not read the scriptures. It flew, it jumped, but did not have the faintest sense of etiquette.
The King said, “Such birds! They are of no use at all. They only eat the fruits in the orchards and the royal fruit-market runs a deficit.”
He called the minister, and commanded, “Educate it.”
The King’s nephew was given the responsibility of educating the bird.
The scholars held long discussions, the subject being – “What is the reason behind the foolishness of this creature?”
The conclusion was: much learning could not be stored in the tiny nest that the bird could make with just chips and twigs. So, first of all, it was necessary to build a good cage for it.
The scholars got amply rewarded and went home merrily.
The goldsmith started building the cage. The cage turned out to be so exquisite that everyone under the sun rushed to see it. Some said, “Education indeed!” Others said, “Education or no education, at least the bird has got the cage! What a lucky bird!”
The goldsmith got a bagful of rewards. He set out for home cheerfully.
The pundit came to teach the bird. He took a pinch of snuff and said, “A few books won’t do.”
The nephew summoned the scribes. They copied from the books and copied from those copies and made an enormous mound of such things. Whoever saw it, said, “Bravo! Learning is going to overflow!”
The scribes got cartfuls of rewards. At once they rushed home. None of their descendants faced any poverty ever since.
The nephew was always busy, doing endless number of things regarding the surveillance of the precious cage. Repairs were quite frequent. Apart from that, there was the washing and the cleaning and the polishing of the cage. Everyone admitted, “Sure signs of improvement.”
Many people were employed and to supervise them, many more people were employed. Each of them got a handful of coins every month and filled their chests with them.
They, their brothers, sisters and cousins began to live in great luxury and happiness.
Bangla Translation:
একবার একটি পাখি ছিল। সেটি ছিল একেবারেই নির্বোধ পাখি। গান গাইত, কিন্তু শাস্ত্র পড়ত না। উড়ত, লাফাত, কিন্তু শিষ্টাচারের সামান্যতম ধারণাটুকুও তার ছিল না।
রাজা বললেন, “এই ধরনের পাখি! এগুলো কোনো কাজের নয়। এগুলো শুধু বাগানের ফল খায় আর রাজকীয় ফলের বাজারে ঘাটতি দেখা দেয়।”
তিনি মন্ত্রীকে ডেকে বললেন, “এটাকে শিক্ষিত কর।”
রাজপুত্রকে পাখিটিকে শিক্ষিত করার দায়িত্ব দেওয়া হলো।
পণ্ডিতেরা দীর্ঘ আলোচনা করলেন, যার বিষয়বস্তু ছিল – “এই জীবটির নির্বুদ্ধিতার কারণ কী?”
উপসংহার দাঁড়াল: যেহেতু পাখিটি ছোট ছোট কাঠি আর খড়কুটো দিয়ে যে বাসা বানায়, তাতে বেশি শিক্ষা ধরে না। তাই, প্রথমেই একটি ভালো খাঁচা তৈরি করা অত্যাবশ্যক।
পণ্ডিতেরা প্রচুর পুরস্কার পেলেন এবং আনন্দে বাড়ি ফিরে গেলেন।
স্বর্ণকার খাঁচা বানাতে শুরু করলেন। খাঁচাটি এতই অসাধারণ হলো যে, পৃথিবীর সবাই তা দেখতে ছুটে এল। কেউ বলল, “এটাই শিক্ষা!” কেউ বলল, “শিক্ষা হোক বা না হোক, অন্তত পাখির একটা খাঁচা হয়েছে! কী ভাগ্যবান পাখি!”
স্বর্ণকার একটি থলিভর্তি পুরস্কার পেলেন। তিনি আনন্দে বাড়ি ফিরে গেলেন।
পণ্ডিত পাখিটিকে পড়াতে এলেন। তিনি এক চিমটি জর্দা নিলেন এবং বললেন, “কিছু বই যথেষ্ট নয়।”
রাজপুত্র লেখকদের ডেকে পাঠালেন। তারা বই থেকে নকল করল, আবার সেই নকল থেকে আরও নকল করল এবং এরকম প্রচুর বইয়ের স্তূপ তৈরি হলো। যারা দেখল, তারা বলল, “বাহ! শিক্ষার ঢল নামবে!”
লেখকেরা গাড়িভর্তি পুরস্কার পেল। তারা তৎক্ষণাৎ বাড়ি ফিরে গেল। তাদের কোনো বংশধর আর কখনো দারিদ্র্যের মুখ দেখেনি।
রাজপুত্র সবসময় ব্যস্ত থাকতেন, খাঁচার দেখভালের অসংখ্য কাজ নিয়ে। মেরামত প্রায়ই করা হতো। এছাড়া খাঁচা ধোয়া, পরিষ্কার করা এবং পালিশ করার কাজও চলত। সবাই স্বীকার করল, “উন্নতির নিশ্চিত লক্ষণ।”
অনেক লোক কাজ পেল, আর তাদের তদারকি করার জন্য আরও অনেক লোক কাজ পেল। তাদের প্রত্যেকে প্রতি মাসে একমুঠো কয়েন পেত এবং নিজেদের সিন্দুক ভরিয়ে নিত।
তারা, তাদের ভাই–বোন এবং আত্মীয়স্বজন বিলাসিতা ও সুখের সঙ্গে জীবনযাপন শুরু করল।
1. Choose the correct answer from the alternatives: Marks 0.5×10=5
a. What does the word ‘exquisite’ mean?
(i) ugly (ii) beautiful (iii) large (iv) strange
b. What does the word ‘scholars’ refer to in the passage?
(i) writers (ii) thinkers (iii) learners (iv) preachers
c. What does the word ‘surveillance’ mean?
(i) observation (ii) cleaning (iii) repairing (iv) education
d. What does the phrase ‘filled their chests’ imply?
(i) became rich (ii) stored books (iii) had cages (iv) learned a lot
e. Why did the King want the bird to be educated?
(i) It sang well. (ii) It was foolish.
(iii) It made no sense. (iv) It destroyed fruit orchards.
f. Who was given the responsibility of educating the bird?
(i) The King (ii) The minister
(iii) The King’s nephew (iv) The goldsmith
g. What was the conclusion of the scholars about the bird’s foolishness?
(i) It didn’t read scriptures.
(ii) Its nest was too small for learning.
(iii) It ate too much fruit.
(iv) It didn’t sing well.
h. Who built the cage for the bird?
(i) The King (ii) The goldsmith
(iii) The minister (iv) The pundit
i. What did the pundit say was necessary for the bird’s education?
(i) A large cage (ii) Many books
(iii) Polishing the cage (iv) Copies of books
j. Why were so many people employed in relation to the cage?
(i) To take care of the bird’s education.
(ii) To make the bird fly better.
(iii) To maintain and improve the cage.
(iv) To create scriptures.
k. What does the reaction of the people toward the cage suggest?
(i) They valued appearance over education.
(ii) They admired the bird’s songs.
(iii) They were eager to learn from the bird.
(iv) They disliked the King’s decision.
l. What message can be inferred from the story?
(i) Outer beauty is more important than inner growth.
(ii) Excessive focus on appearances can overshadow true education.
(iii) Education should be given only to those who deserve it.
(iv) Luxury and happiness come through learning.
m. What does the word ‘deficit’ mean?
(i) loss (ii) profit (iii) excess (iv) abundance
n. What does the phrase ‘Bravo! Learning is going to overflow!’ suggest?
(i) The scribes were unhappy.
(ii) There was an abundance of knowledge.
(iii) The bird learned a lot.
(iv) The cage was overflowing.
p. What does the term ‘etiquette’ refer to?
(i) songs (ii) manners (iii) education (iv) jumping
q. What is the meaning of the word ‘descendants’?
(i) family members (ii) rulers
(iii) offspring (iv) employees
r. What does the word ‘ample’ mean?
(i) limited (ii) sufficient (iii) minimal (iv) small
s. Why was the cage considered necessary for the bird?
(i) To store books. (ii) To protect the bird.
(iii) To ensure learning. (iv) To make the bird look better.
t. How did the King perceive the bird?
(i) As a great singer.
(ii) As a useless creature.
(iii) As a loyal companion.
(iv) As a threat to the kingdom.
u. Who made copies of the books?
(i) The pundits (ii) The scribes
(iii) The goldsmith (iv) The minister
v. What was the reaction of people toward the cage?
(i) They criticized it. (ii) They appreciated its beauty.
(iii) They ignored it. (iv) They wanted it destroyed.
w. What role did the goldsmith play in the story?
(i) He taught the bird. (ii) He built the cage.
(iii) He wrote books. (iv) He supervised the scribes.
x. Why did the King reward the scholars and scribes?
(i) For their efforts in improving the bird’s intelligence.
(ii) For enhancing the beauty of the cage.
(iii) For helping the bird to fly better.
(iv) For keeping the royal fruit-market running.
y. Why was the cage polished and cleaned frequently?
(i) To make the bird comfortable.
(ii) To maintain its exquisite appearance.
(iii) To ensure it could store books.
(iv) To prevent the bird from escaping.
z. What does the bird symbolize in the story?
(i) A foolish creature. (ii) Misplaced priorities in education.
(iii) The King’s wealth. (iv) The value of learning.
z1. Why did the King consider the bird useless?
(i) It couldn’t read. (ii) It didn’t have manners.
(iii) It ate the fruits from the orchards. (iv) It refused to sing songs.
z2. What happened to the people employed to maintain the cage?
(i) They became rich. (ii) They lost their jobs.
(iii) They were unhappy. (iv) They wrote more books.
z3. What is the underlying criticism in the story?
(i) Mismanagement of resources. (ii) Lack of proper education systems.
(iii) Focus on appearances over substance. (iv) All of the above.
z4. What lesson can be derived from the story?
(i) True education is about substance, not appearance.
(ii) Material wealth ensures happiness.
(iii) A beautiful cage signifies success.
(iv) Education is unnecessary for certain creatures.
B. Answer the following questions: 3×5=15
a. Why did the King decide the bird needed to be educated?
b. What was the initial conclusion of the scholars about the bird’s foolishness?
c. Who was responsible for implementing the King’s command to educate the bird?
d. How did the scholars justify building a cage for the bird?
e. What did the goldsmith contribute to the bird’s education process?
f. What does the King’s attitude toward the bird reveal about his priorities?
g. Why do you think the King focused on the bird’s lack of etiquette instead of its natural abilities?
h. Who benefited the most from the process of educating the bird?
i. How did the King’s nephew approach his responsibility of educating the bird?
j. What does the nephew’s focus on the cage tell us about his understanding of education?
k. What does the bird symbolize in this story?
l. How does the cage represent misplaced priorities?
m. Why was the beauty of the cage more celebrated than the bird’s learning?
n. What might the enormous mound of books symbolize in the context of the story?
o. Why do you think the people focused more on polishing the cage than teaching the bird?
p. How does the King’s solution to the bird’s foolishness reflect real-world issues in education systems?
q. What criticism of society might the author be making through the characters’ actions?
r. Why were the scholars, scribes, and workers rewarded, even though the bird did not become educated?
s. How might the story change if the bird had actually been taught something meaningful?
t. What does the reaction of the people to the cage say about societal values?
3. a. Make a flow chart showing what steps the King and his advisors took to educate the bird.
identifying the bird’s foolishness → consulting scholars → building the cage → employing scribes → rewarding contributors.
b. Make a flow chart showing how the scholars, goldsmith, scribes, and the King’s nephew contributed to the bird’s so-called education.
(This can illustrate the roles and actions of each character, leading to the final state of the bird and the cage.)
c. Make a flow chart showing what the outcomes of the efforts were to educate the bird, and who benefited in the process(This flowchart can show the results, such as the exquisite cage, the wealth of those involved, and the unchanged state of the bird.)