🌦️ Unit 1, Lesson 3: Children in School
When she saw the gate of the new school, Totto-chan stopped. The gate of the school she used to go to had fine concrete pillars with the name of the school in large characters. But the gate of this new school simply consisted of two rather short posts that still had twigs and leaves on them.
"This gate's growing," said Totto-chan. "It'll probably go on growing till it's taller than the telephone poles!"
The two 'gates' were clearly trees with roots. When she got closer, she had to put her head to one side to read the name of the school because the wood had blown the sign askew. To-mo-e Ga-ku-en."
Totto-chan was about to ask Mother what 'Tomoe' meant, when she caught a glimpse of something that made her think she must be dreaming. She squatted down and peered through the shrubbery to get a better look, and she couldn't believe her eyes.
"Mother, is that really a train! There, in the school grounds!"
For its classrooms the school had made use of six abandoned railroad cars. To Totto-chan it seemed something you might dream about. A school in a train!
The windows of the railroad cars sparkled in the morning sunlight. But the eyes of the rosy-cheeked little girl gazing at them through the shrubbery sparkled even more.
"I like this school!"
A moment later, Totto-chan let out a whoop of joy and started running toward the "train school," calling out to Mother over her shoulder "Come on, hurry, let's get on this train that's landing still." Startled, Mother began to run after her. Mother had been on a basketball team once, so she was faster than Totto-chan and caught hold of her dress just as she reached a door.
"You can't go in yet," said Mother, holding her back. "The cars are classrooms, and you haven't even been accepted here yet. If you really want to get on this train, you'll have to be nice and polite to the headmaster. We're going to call on him now, and if all goes well, you'll be able to go to this school. Do you understand?" Totto-chan was awfully disappointed not to get on the "train" right away, but she decided she had better do as Mother told her.
"All right," she said. And then added, "I like this school a lot."
Mother felt like telling her it wasn't a matter of whether she liked the school but of whether the headmaster liked her. But she just let go of Totto-chan's dress, took hold of her hand, and started walking toward the headmaster's office.
All the railroad cars were quiet, for the first classes of the day had begun. Instead of a wall, the not very spacious school grounds were surrounded by trees, and there were flower beds full of red and yellow flowers.
The headmaster's office wasn't in a railroad car, but was on the right-hand side of a one-story building that stood at the top of a semicircular flight of about seven stone steps opposite the gate.
Totto-chan let go of Mother's hand and raced up the steps, then turned around abruptly, almost causing Mother to run into her.
"What's the matter?" Mother asked, fearing Totto-chan might have changed her mind about the school.
Standing above her on the top step, Totto-chan whispered to Mother in all seriousness, "The man we're going to see must be a stationmaster!"
Mother had plenty of patience as well as a great sense of fun. She put her face close to Totto-chan's and whispered, "Why?"
Totto-chan whispered back, "You said he was the headmaster, but if he owns all these trains, he must be a stationmaster."
Mother had to admit it was unusual for a school to make use of old railroad cars, but there was no time to explain. She simply said, "Why don't you ask him yourself! And, anyway, what about Daddy? He plays the violin and owns several violins, but that doesn't make our house a violin shop, does it?
"No, it doesn't," Totto-chan agreed, catching hold of Mother's hand.
The Headmaster (full text)
When Mother and Totto-chan went in, the man in the office got up from his chair. His hair was thin on top, and he had a few teeth missing, but his face was a healthy color. Although he wasn't very tall, he had solid shoulders and arms and was neatly dressed in a rather shabby black three-piece suit.
With a hasty bow Totto-chan asked him spiritedly, "What are you, a schoolmaster or a stationmaster?"
Mother was embarrassed, but before she had time to explain, he laughed and replied, "I'm the headmaster of this school."
Totto-chan was delighted. "Oh, I'm so glad," she said, "because I want to ask you a favor. I'd like to come to your school."
The headmaster offered her a chair and turned to Mother. "You may go home now. I want to talk to Tottochan."
Totto-chan had a moment's uneasiness, but somehow felt she would get along all right with this man. "Well, then, I'll leave her with you," Mother said bravely, and shut the door behind her as she went out.
The headmaster drew over a chair and put it facing Totto-chan, and when they were both sitting down close together, he said, "Now then, tell me all about yourself. Tell me anything at all you want to talk about."
"Anything I like?" Totto-chan had expected him to ask questions she would have to answer. When he said she could talk about anything she wanted, she was so happy she began straight away. It was all a bit higgledy-piggledy, but she talked for all she was worth. She told the headmaster how fast the train went that they had come on; how she had asked the ticket collector; but he wouldn't let her keep her ticket; how pretty her homeroom teacher was at the other school; about the swallows' nest; about their brown dog, Rocky, who could do all sorts of tricks; how she used to go snip- snip with the scissors inside her mouth at kindergarten, and the teacher said she mustn't do that because she might cut her tongue off, but she did it anyway; how she always blew her nose because Mother scolded her if it was runny; what a good swimmer Daddy was, and how he could dive as well. She went on and on. The headmaster would laugh, nod and say, "And then?" And Totto-chan was so happy she kept right on talking. But finally she ran out of things to say. She sat with her mouth closed trying hard to think of something.
"Haven't you anything more you can tell me?" asked the headmaster.
What a shame to stop now, Tottochan thought. It was such a wonderful chance. Wasn't there anything else she could talk about, she wondered, racking her brains? Then she had an Idea.
She could tell him about the dress she was wearing that day. Mother made most of her dresses, but this one came from a shop. Her clothes were always torn when she came home in the late afternoon. Some of the rips were quite bad. Mother never knew how they got that way. Even her white cotton panties were sometimes in shreds. She explained to the headmaster that they got torn when she crossed other people's gardens by crawling under their fences, and when she burrowed under the barbed wire around vacant lots. So this morning, she said, when she was getting dressed to come here, all the nice dresses Mother had made were torn so she had to wear one Mother had bought. It had small dark red and gray checks and was made of jersey, and it wasn't bad, but Mother thought the red flowers embroidered on the collar were in bad taste. "Mother doesn't like the collar," said Totto-chan, holding it up for the headmaster to see.
After that, she could think of nothing more to say no matter how hard she tried. It made her rather sad. But just then the headmaster got up, placed his large, warm hand on her head, and said, "Well, now you're a pupil of this school."
Those were his very words. And at that moment Totto-chan felt she had met someone she really liked for the very first time in her life. You see, up till then, no one had ever listened to her for so long. And all that time the headmaster hadn't yawned once or looked bored, but seemed just as interested in what she had to say as she was.
Totto-chan hadn't learned how to tell time yet, but it did seem like a rather long time. If she had been able to, she would have been astonished, and even more grateful to the headmaster. For, you see, Mother and Totto-chan arrived at the school at eight, and when she had finished talking and the headmaster had told her she was a pupil of the school, he looked at his pocket watch and said, "Ah, it's time for lunch." So the headmaster must have listened to Totto-chan for four solid hours!
Neither before nor since did any grown-up listen to Totto-chan for as long as that. And, besides, it would have amazed Mother and her homeroom teacher to think that a seven-year-old child could find enough to talk about for four hours nonstop.
Totto-chan had no idea then, of course, that she had been expelled and that people were at their wit's end to know what to do. Having a naturally sunny disposition and being a bit absent-minded gave her an air of innocence. But deep down she felt she was considered different from other children and slightly Grange. The headmaster, however, made her feel safe and warm and happy. She wanted to stay with him forever.
That's how Totto-chan felt about Headmaster Sosaku Kobayashi that first day. And, luckily, the headmaster felt the same about her.
Necessary Words and Phrases
| Word | Definition | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| used to (Modal Verb Phrase) | IPA: /ˈjuːst tuː/ | /ˈjuːst tuː/ Bengali: অভ্যস্ত ছিল; পূর্বে করত Synonyms: formerly did, habitually did (past) |
She used to visit the library every week. |
| large characters (Noun Phrase) | IPA: /lɑːdʒ ˈkærəktəz/ | /lɑːrdʒ ˈkærəktərz/ Bengali: বড় অক্ষর; বৃহৎ প্রতীক Synonyms: big letters, bold type |
The building sign was displayed in large characters. |
| consisted of (Phrasal Verb) | IPA: /kənˈsɪstɪd ɒv/ | /kənˈsɪstɪd ʌv/ Bengali: গঠিত হয়েছিল; অন্তর্ভুক্ত ছিল Synonyms: was made up of, comprised, included |
The meal consisted of rice, fish, and vegetables. |
| twigs (Noun) | IPA: /twɪɡz/ | /twɪɡz/ Bengali: ডালপালা; ছোট শাখা Synonyms: sprigs, small branches |
The bird collected twigs to build its nest. |
| put her head to one side (Verb Phrase) | IPA: /pʊt hər hɛd tuː wʌn saɪd/ | /pʊt hər hɛd tuː wʌn saɪd/ Bengali: মাথা একদিকে হেলানো Synonyms: tilted her head, inclined her head |
The puppy put its head to one side, listening curiously. |
| askew (Adverb/Adjective) | IPA: /əˈskjuː/ | /əˈskjuː/ Bengali: বাঁকা; তির্যক Synonyms: crooked, lopsided, slantwise |
The picture frame was hanging slightly askew. |
| 'Tomoe' (Proper Noun) | IPA: /ˈtoʊmoʊ.eɪ/ | /ˈtoʊmoʊ.eɪ/ Bengali: 'তোমোয়ে' (একটি নাম) Synonyms: (N/A, specific name) |
The name 'Tomoe' is often associated with nature. |
| glimpse (Noun) | IPA: /ɡlɪmps/ | /ɡlɪmps/ Bengali: ক্ষণিকের ঝলক; এক পলক Synonyms: quick look, flash, brief sight |
She caught a glimpse of the celebrity as the car drove by. |
| squatted down (Phrasal Verb) | IPA: /ˈskwɒtɪd daʊn/ | /ˈskwɑːtɪd daʊn/ Bengali: বসে পড়া; হাঁটু গেড়ে বসা Synonyms: crouched, knelt down, hunched down |
The gardener squatted down to inspect the plant. |
| peered through (Phrasal Verb) | IPA: /pɪəd θruː/ | /pɪrd θruː/ Bengali: এর মধ্য দিয়ে উঁকি দেওয়া Synonyms: gazed through, looked intently through |
The child peered through the keyhole. |
| shrubbery (Noun) | IPA: /ˈʃrʌbəri/ | /ˈʃrʌbəri/ Bengali: গুল্মরাজি; ঝোপঝাড় Synonyms: bushes, foliage, dense growth |
A path led through the dense shrubbery. |
| sparkled (Verb) | IPA: /ˈspɑːkld/ | /ˈspɑːrkld/ Bengali: ঝকমক করেছিল; চিকচিক করেছিল Synonyms: glittered, gleamed, shimmered |
The dew drops on the grass sparkled in the sun. |
| let out (Phrasal Verb) | IPA: /lɛt aʊt/ | /lɛt aʊt/ Bengali: প্রকাশ করা; আওয়াজ করা Synonyms: emitted, uttered, gave a cry |
He let out a sigh of relief. |
| a whoop of joy (Noun Phrase) | IPA: /ə huːp ɒv dʒɔɪ/ | /ə huːp ʌv dʒɔɪ/ Bengali: আনন্দের চিৎকার Synonyms: a joyful shout, yell of delight, cheer |
The team let out a whoop of joy after scoring. |
| run after (Phrasal Verb) | IPA: /rʌn ˈɑːftə/ | /rʌn ˈæftər/ Bengali: পিছু দৌড়ানো; ধাওয়া করা Synonyms: pursue, chase, follow |
The dog began to run after the squirrel. |
| get on (Phrasal Verb) | IPA: /ɡɛt ɒn/ | /ɡɛt ɑːn/ Bengali: আরোহণ করা; ওঠা Synonyms: board, step into, enter |
We need to hurry to get on the last bus. |
| call on (Phrasal Verb) | IPA: /kɔːl ɒn/ | /kɑːl ɑːn/ Bengali: দেখা করতে যাওয়া; আহ্বান করা Synonyms: visit, pay a call to, stop by |
The politician decided to call on the local community leaders. |
| awfully disappointed (Adverb + Adjective) | IPA: /ˈɔːfəli ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪntɪd/ | /ˈɑːfəli ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪntɪd/ Bengali: ভয়ানক হতাশ; অত্যন্ত নিরাশ Synonyms: greatly disheartened, profoundly saddened, extremely upset |
She was awfully disappointed when the trip was cancelled. |
| flower beds (Noun) | IPA: /ˈflaʊə bɛdz/ | /ˈflaʊər bɛdz/ Bengali: ফুলের বাগান; ফুলের টব Synonyms: borders, floral plots, flower gardens |
The park had beautiful flower beds full of tulips. |
| railroad car (Noun) | IPA: /ˈreɪlrəʊd kɑː/ | /ˈreɪlroʊd kɑːr/ Bengali: রেলগাড়ি; রেলের বগি Synonyms: train carriage, railway wagon, coach |
The old railroad car was converted into a small cafe. |
| let go of (Phrasal Verb) | IPA: /lɛt ɡəʊ ɒv/ | /lɛt ɡoʊ ʌv/ Bengali: ছেড়ে দেওয়া; হাত ছেড়ে দেওয়া Synonyms: released, dropped, unclasped |
She decided to let go of her old worries. |
| raced up (Phrasal Verb) | IPA: /reɪst ʌp/ | /reɪst ʌp/ Bengali: দ্রুত উপরে ওঠা; ছুটে যাওয়া Synonyms: hurried up, ran rapidly up, sprinted up |
The children raced up the stairs to their room. |
| turned around (Phrasal Verb) | IPA: /tɜːnd əˈraʊnd/ | /tɜːrnd əˈraʊnd/ Bengali: ঘুরে দাঁড়ানো; পিছে ফেরা Synonyms: spun around, pivoted, rotated |
He turned around to see who was calling his name. |
| run into (Phrasal Verb) | IPA: /rʌn ˈɪntuː/ | /rʌn ˈɪntuː/ Bengali: ধাক্কা খাওয়া; অপ্রত্যাশিতভাবে দেখা হওয়া Synonyms: bump into, collide with, meet unexpectedly |
Be careful not to run into the railing. |
| whispered (Verb) | IPA: /ˈwɪspəd/ | /ˈwɪspərd/ Bengali: ফিসফিস করে কথা বলা Synonyms: murmured, spoke under her breath, breathed |
She whispered a secret in her friend's ear. |
| three-piece suit (Noun) | IPA: /θriː piːs suːt/ | /θriː piːs suːt/ Bengali: তিন-টুকরো স্যুট Synonyms: formal attire, vested suit, complete suit |
The groom wore a smart black three-piece suit. |
| hasty bow (Noun Phrase) | IPA: /ˈheɪsti baʊ/ | /ˈheɪsti baʊ/ Bengali: দ্রুত প্রণাম; দ্রুত অভিবাদন Synonyms: quick nod, hurried inclination, rushed gesture |
He gave a hasty bow before leaving the stage. |
| drew over (Phrasal Verb) | IPA: /druː ˈəʊvə/ | /druː ˈoʊvər/ Bengali: কাছে টেনে আনা Synonyms: pulled near, moved closer, dragged |
She drew over the blanket to keep warm. |
| higgledy-piggledy (Adjective/Adverb) | IPA: /ˌhɪɡəldi ˈpɪɡəldi/ | /ˌhɪɡəldi ˈpɪɡəldi/ Bengali: বিশৃঙ্খলভাবে; এলোমেলোভাবে Synonyms: disorganized, messy, chaotic |
The toys were scattered higgledy-piggledy on the floor. |
| swallows' nest (Noun Phrase) | IPA: /ˈswɒləʊz nɛst/ | /ˈswɑːloʊz nɛst/ Bengali: আবাবিল পাখির বাসা Synonyms: bird's nest (specifically swallow's), avian home |
The swallows' nest was tucked under the eaves of the roof. |
| snip- snip (Onomatopoeia) | IPA: /snɪp snɪp/ | /snɪp snɪp/ Bengali: কাঁচির আওয়াজ Synonyms: cutting sound, clicking noise, shearing sound |
The tailor worked, making a steady snip-snip with his scissors. |
| ran out of (Phrasal Verb) | IPA: /ræn aʊt ɒv/ | /ræn aʊt ʌv/ Bengali: ফুরিয়ে যাওয়া; শেষ হয়ে যাওয়া Synonyms: finished, depleted, used up |
We ran out of milk this morning. |
| racking (Verb) | IPA: /rækɪŋ/ | /rækɪŋ/ Bengali: তীব্রভাবে চেষ্টা করা; মগজ খাটানো Synonyms: straining, exhausting, torturing (as in 'racking one's brain') |
He spent hours racking his brain for the answer. |
| rips (Noun) | IPA: /rɪps/ | /rɪps/ Bengali: ছেঁড়া স্থান; ফাটল Synonyms: tears, slits, snags, gashes |
The jeans had several small rips in the knees. |
| cotton panties (Noun) | IPA: /ˈkɒtən ˈpæntiz/ | /ˈkɑːtən ˈpæntiz/ Bengali: সুতির প্যান্টি Synonyms: cotton underpants, underwear, undergarments |
She packed several pairs of cotton panties for the trip. |
| in shreds (Prepositional Phrase) | IPA: /ɪn ʃrɛdz/ | /ɪn ʃrɛdz/ Bengali: টুকরো টুকরো; ছিন্নভিন্ন Synonyms: torn to pieces, ragged, completely ruined |
After the accident, the tire was left in shreds. |
| burrowed (Verb) | IPA: /ˈbʌrəʊd/ | /ˈbʌroʊd/ Bengali: গর্ত করা; সুড়ঙ্গ খোঁড়া; গুঁড়ি মেরে যাওয়া Synonyms: tunnelled, dug, squeezed through |
The mouse burrowed under the floorboards. |
| barbed wire (Noun) | IPA: /bɑːbd waɪə/ | /bɑːrbd waɪər/ Bengali: কাঁটাতার Synonyms: concertina wire, spiked wire, razor wire |
The field was secured by a fence made of barbed wire. |
| embroidered (Verb) | IPA: /ɪmˈbrɔɪdəd/ | /ɪmˈbrɔɪdərd/ Bengali: সূচিকর্ম করা; সেলাই করে নকশা করা Synonyms: stitched, patterned, ornamented |
The cushion cover was beautifully embroidered with flowers. |
| yawned (Verb) | IPA: /jɔːnd/ | /jɑːnd/ Bengali: হাই তোলা Synonyms: gaped, stretched mouth, opened wide |
The speaker yawned, trying to stay awake. |
| astonished (Adjective) | IPA: /əˈstɒnɪʃt/ | /əˈstɑːnɪʃt/ Bengali: বিস্মিত; অবাক Synonyms: amazed, astounded, flabbergasted |
She was astonished by the unexpected gift. |
| sunny disposition (Noun Phrase) | IPA: /ˈsʌni ˌdɪspəˈzɪʃən/ | /ˈsʌni ˌdɪspəˈzɪʃən/ Bengali: প্রফুল্ল স্বভাব; হাসিখুশি প্রকৃতি Synonyms: cheerful nature, bright personality, happy outlook |
His sunny disposition made him popular among his colleagues. |
| Grange (Proper Noun) | IPA: /ɡreɪndʒ/ | /ɡreɪndʒ/ Bengali: গ্রেঞ্জ (একটি নাম বা শব্দ) Synonyms: (N/A, specific term) |
(Assuming 'Grange' is used as a term meaning 'strange' in context, but using it as a name for the example sentence.) The old Grange building stood alone on the hill. |
1. Multiple Choice Questions
- What was unusual about the gate of Totto-chan’s new school?
- It was made of tall concrete pillars.
- It was decorated with large characters and lanterns.
- It was completely covered with flower garlands.
- It consisted of two short tree posts with twigs and leaves.
- Why did Totto-chan tilt her head when reading the school name?
- The letters were too small to read.
- The sign was hanging askew on the wooden post.
- The sign was placed upside down.
- Sunlight was blocking her view.
- What surprising thing did Totto-chan see in the school grounds?
- A large playground with animals.
- A tiny wooden cottage used as a classroom.
- Six abandoned railroad cars used as classrooms.
- A moving train full of students.
- Why did Mother stop Totto-chan from entering the “train school” immediately?
- The classrooms were being cleaned.
- It was not visiting hours.
- Totto-chan had not been accepted into the school yet.
- The headmaster asked them to wait outside.
- Why did Totto-chan think the headmaster might be a stationmaster?
- Because the school used railroad cars and she assumed he owned them.
- Because he wore a train conductor’s uniform.
- Because she saw him holding a ticket puncher.
- Because he introduced himself as a stationmaster.
- What did the headmaster ask Totto-chan to do during their conversation?
- Answer a series of test questions.
- Write an application essay.
- Describe why she left her previous school.
- Tell him anything she wanted to talk about.
- Which of the following topics did Totto-chan NOT mention during her long talk?
- Her experience learning to play the violin.
- Her dog Rocky and his tricks.
- How fast the train traveled.
- The swallows’ nest she saw.
- Why were many of Totto-chan’s dresses torn?
- She often fell while playing sports.
- She crawled under fences and burrowed under barbed wire.
- Her dog used to pull on her clothes.
- She washed them too often.
- How long did the headmaster listen to Totto-chan talk?
- One hour.
- Two hours.
- Three hours.
- Four hours.
- Why did Totto-chan feel especially connected to the headmaster?
- He gave her gifts and treats.
- He let her play inside the train cars.
- He listened to her patiently without looking bored.
- He reminded her of her previous teacher.