Children at work class 8 NCERT Solutions, Supplementary Reader

Children at work class 8 NCERT Solutions: Children at work is the lesson 2 from class 8, Supplementary Reader It So Happened. Here you will get Children at work class 8 NCERT Solutions.

Children at work class 8 Summary in English

The story Children At Work is a story that revolves around a young eleven years old boy named Velu. He ran away from home as his father was a adducted to drinking, and used to snatch away all his money and beat him regularly. Being fed up with this everyday beating, he decided to run away from home.

He left home and roamed around in his town until he boarded the Kanyakumari Express. He boarded the train without any ticket as he had no money with him. Luckily, the ticket collector didn’t entered in the unreserved compartment.

The Kanyakumari Express pulled in at Chennai Station. Velu got down and sat on a bench. He had never before seen so many people with their luggage. Velu was surprised to see so many people in the railway station who were in a hurry. He was feeling tired, miserable and hungry. 

Suddenly, he heard the rough voice of a girl around his own age. The little girl named Jaya approached him and talked to him. The girl was carrying a big bag. She was picking up plastic cups and putting them into the sack. She sat down next to him. 

Velu was hesitant to talk to her, but when she told him that she could arrange some food for him to eat, he decided to follow her. She helped him cross the busy streets jammed with big vehicles as Velu was afraid to see so many vehicles on the street all at once.

The two got to the road. Smoke and dust made Velu’s head spin. The girl dragged him to the other side of the street. She took him on to a bridge. Velu peeped over the railing. The road under him ran to the city. Velu saw big buildings in the distance. Jaya warned him not to get caught otherwise he would be in jail. His bare feet burned on the hot tar road as he walked.

In search of food, they finally stopped in front of a big building. A marriage was going to be performed inside. Behind the hall was a garbage heap. Jaya went towards the garbage bin and picked two bananas and a vada thrown in the pile. She offered it to Velu to eat, but he was hesitant to consume food that was thrown in the garbage bin.

But Velu was too hungry and was left with no other option, so he ate a banana and a vada. Jaya just ate a banana and thereafter, Then the girl went to home to drop her full bag and get another one. Velu also went after her.

Jaya and Velu walked along the roads and came to a bridge across a dirty drain. She used to stay in a slum house that was made of waste materials such as plastic sheets, old tires and broken bricks.

Soon, Jaya gave a sack to Velu and asked him to help her in collecting the scrap articles. He wondered what work she wanted him to do. She told him that they were rag pickers. They collected things from rubbish bins-paper, plastic and glass. It was sold to Jaggu, a junk dealer. Velu had no option. 

Thus, Velu became a ragpicker too. However, he decided that when he finds a better job, he would quit this ragpicking job forever.

Children at work class 8 Summary in Hindi

Children at work एक ग्यारह साल के युवा लड़के वेलु के इर्द-गिर्द घूमती है।  वह घर से भाग गया क्योंकि उसके पिता शराब पीने के आदी थे, और उसके सारे पैसे छीन लेते थे और उसे नियमित रूप से पीटते थे।  रोज-रोज की इस पिटाई से तंग आकर उसने घर से भागने का फैसला किया।

वह घर से निकल गया और कन्याकुमारी एक्सप्रेस में चढ़ने तक अपने शहर में घूमता रहा।  वह बिना टिकट के ट्रेन में चढ़ गया क्योंकि उसके पास पैसे नहीं थे।  गनीमत रही कि टिकट कलेक्टर ने अनारक्षित डिब्बे में प्रवेश नहीं किया।

कन्याकुमारी एक्सप्रेस चेन्नई स्टेशन पर रुकी।  वेलू नीचे उतर कर एक बेंच पर बैठ गया।  उसने इतने लोगों को अपने सामान के साथ पहले कभी नहीं देखा था।  रेलवे स्टेशन पर इतने लोगों को देखकर वेलू हैरान रह गए, जो जल्दी में थे।  वह थका हुआ, दुखी और भूखा महसूस कर रहा था।

अचानक उसे अपनी ही उम्र की एक लड़की की कर्कश आवाज सुनाई दी।  जया नाम की छोटी लड़की उसके पास आई और उससे बात की।  बच्ची के पास एक बड़ा बैग था।  वह प्लास्टिक के कप उठाकर बोरी में डाल रही थी।  वह उसके बगल में बैठ गई।

वेलू उससे बात करने में झिझक रही थी, लेकिन जब उसने उससे कहा कि वह उसके लिए खाने की व्यवस्था कर सकती है, तो उसने उसके पीछे चलने का फैसला किया।  उसने बड़े वाहनों से भरी व्यस्त सड़कों को पार करने में उसकी मदद की क्योंकि वेलू सड़क पर एक साथ इतने सारे वाहनों को देखने से डरता था।

दोनों सड़क पर आ गए।  धुएं और धूल ने वेलू का सिर घूमा दिया।  लड़की उसे खींचकर गली के दूसरी ओर ले गई।  वह उसे एक पुल पर ले गई।  वेलू ने रेलिंग पर झाँका।  उसके नीचे की सड़क शहर तक जाती थी।  वेलू ने दूर-दूर तक बड़ी-बड़ी इमारतें देखीं।  जया ने उसे चेतावनी दी कि वह पकड़ा न जाए अन्यथा वह जेल में होगा।  चलते-चलते गर्म टार रोड पर उसके नंगे पैर जल गए।

भोजन की तलाश में वे आखिरकार एक बड़ी इमारत के सामने रुक गए।  अंदर एक शादी होने वाली थी।  हॉल के पीछे कूड़े का ढेर था।  जया कूड़ेदान की ओर गई और ढेर में फेंके गए दो केले और एक वड़ा उठाया।  उसने वेलू को खाने के लिए पेशकश की, लेकिन वह कूड़ेदान में फेंके गए भोजन को खाने से हिचकिचा रहा था।

लेकिन वेलू बहुत भूखा था और उसके पास कोई दूसरा विकल्प नहीं बचा था, इसलिए उसने एक केला और एक वड़ा खाया।  जया ने बस एक केला खाया और उसके बाद, लड़की अपना पूरा बैग छोड़ने और दूसरा लेने के लिए घर चली गई।  वेलू भी उसके पीछे-पीछे चला गया।

जया और वेलू सड़कों के किनारे चले और एक गंदे नाले के पुल पर आ गए।  वह एक झोपड़पट्टी के घर में रहती थी जो प्लास्टिक शीट, पुराने टायर और टूटी ईंटों जैसे अपशिष्ट पदार्थों से बना था।

जल्द ही, जया ने वेलू को एक बोरी दी और उसे कबाड़ के सामान इकट्ठा करने में मदद करने के लिए कहा।  उसने सोचा कि वह उससे कौन सा काम करना चाहती है।  उसने उसे बताया कि वे कूड़ा बीनने वाले थे।  उन्होंने कचरे के डिब्बे-कागज, प्लास्टिक और कांच से चीजें एकत्र कीं।  इसे जंक डीलर जग्गू को बेच दिया गया था।  वेलू के पास कोई विकल्प नहीं था।

इस प्रकार, वेलू एक कचरा बीनने वाला भी बन गया।  हालांकि, उन्होंने फैसला किया कि जब उन्हें एक बेहतर नौकरी मिल जाएगी, तो वह हमेशा के लिए इस कूड़ा बीनने वाली नौकरी को छोड़ देंगे।

NCERT Solutions of Children at work Class 8 English

Comprehension Check

1. Velu stood on the platform but he felt “as if he was still on a moving train”. Why ?

Ans: Velu stood on the platform but he felt as if he was still on a moving train because he had travelled a long distance in the train. So when he got off at the station his legs still felt wobbly as the effect of the moving train usually remains for a while even after the journey has ended.

2. What made him feel miserable ?

Ans: Velu felt miserable because he had run away from his village two days ago. He had not eaten anything except some peanuts and a piece of jaggery for two days. The journey also restless too.

3. (i) Velu travelled without a ticket. Why ?

Ans: Velu travelled without a ticket because he had no money.

(ii) How did he escape the ticket collector’s attention ?

Ans: He escaped the ticket collector’s notice because the ticket collector did not come to the unreserved compartment.

4. Why had Velu run away from home ?

Ans: Velu had run away from home because of the harsh attitude of his drunkard father. He could not tolerate any more the merciless beating of his father. His father would snatch away all the money Velu and his sisters earned. He would spend this money on drink.

5. Why did he decide to follow the ‘strange’ girl ?

Ans: Velu decided to follow the ‘strange’ girl because he was hungry and the girl prom­ised to get food for him.

NCERT Solutions for Children at work Class 8 English

Comprehension Check

1. Can Velu read Tamil and English ? How do you know ?

Ans: Velu can read Tamil but not English. When the girl showed him the big building with the wall around it Velu read the sign 'Central Jail' which was written in Tamil. When Velu saw the huge signboards written in English but he did not know what it meant.

2. “If you are not careful, you will soon be counting bars there,” the girl said.

(i) What is she referring to ?

Ans: She is referring to Central jail.

(ii) What does she mean when she says “If you are not careful...”?

(She says something a little later which means the same. Find that sentence.)

Ans: She pointed out to Velu that doing wrong was not so important as escaping the police or getting caught.

The sentence is: ‘You don’t have to do anything. Just don’t get caught, that’s all’.

3. (i) Where did the girl lead Velu to ?

Ans: The girl led Velu to a marriage hall.

(ii) What did they get to eat ?

Ans: They got some leftover food from the garbage bin.

4. What work did she do ? Think of a one-word answer.

Ans: Rag picking.

Children at work class 8 English Questions Answers

Comprehension Check

1. (i) What material are the ‘strange’ huts made out of ?

Ans: The ‘strange’ huts are made out of tin sheets, bricks, wood and plastic.

(ii) Why does Velu find them strange ?

Ans: Velu finds those huts strange because in his own village the huts were made of mud and palm leaves.

2. What sort of things did Jaya and children like her collect and what did they do with those things ?

Ans: Jaya and other children like her collected paper, plastic, and glass etc. They sold all that to a kabadi or junk-dealer.

3. Is Velu happy or unhappy to find work ? Give a reason for your answer.

Ans: Velu is not at all happy. He had never done such a dirty job in his village. He just wants to do it, until he finds a better job.