Q1.
Here is a message for you from Hopper, the frog.
Dear Reader,
Hello! I am Hopper. I am writing this message to you from my big lily leaf pad. I like splashing water when it rains. My favourite hobby is sitting in water puddles and croaking.
I love eating mosquitoes and other insects. What do you like to do?
Your friend,
Hopper
Write a reply to Hopper in your notebook and share it with your class.
Answer
How a short message is built. Look at Hopper’s message first — your reply should have the same four parts.
| Part | What goes there | Hopper’s message |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Greeting | Whom you are writing to | Dear Reader, |
| 2. Opening | Say hello and say who you are | Hello! I am Hopper. |
| 3. Body | What you like doing, where you live, what you eat | I like splashing water… My favourite hobby is… |
| 4. Closing | A friendly ending and your name | Your friend, Hopper |
What a good reply needs: answer Hopper’s question (“What do you like to do?”); tell him something about your own life; ask him a question back, so the friendship carries on; keep it short — six to ten sentences is plenty.
Sample answer:
Dear Hopper,
Thank you for your letter. I was very happy to get a message from a frog!
My name is Meera and I am in Class 5. I live in a small house near the fields, so I hear your family croaking all through the rainy nights. I did not know that croaking was your hobby. Now, when I hear it, I will know that somebody is enjoying himself.
You asked what I like to do. I like reading story books, and I like playing kho-kho with my friends after school. Like you, I love the rain. When it rains I make paper boats and race them in the water beside our gate. I do not eat mosquitoes, though — I like idli and coconut chutney best.
Thank you for eating the mosquitoes near our house. Because of you and your friends, we get far fewer bites at night.
May I ask you something? How far can you jump in one leap? And is it cold sitting on a lily leaf in the rain?
Please write to me again.
Your friend,
Meera
Thank you for your letter. I was very happy to get a message from a frog!
My name is Meera and I am in Class 5. I live in a small house near the fields, so I hear your family croaking all through the rainy nights. I did not know that croaking was your hobby. Now, when I hear it, I will know that somebody is enjoying himself.
You asked what I like to do. I like reading story books, and I like playing kho-kho with my friends after school. Like you, I love the rain. When it rains I make paper boats and race them in the water beside our gate. I do not eat mosquitoes, though — I like idli and coconut chutney best.
Thank you for eating the mosquitoes near our house. Because of you and your friends, we get far fewer bites at night.
May I ask you something? How far can you jump in one leap? And is it cold sitting on a lily leaf in the rain?
Please write to me again.
Your friend,
Meera
Why this reply works: It thanks Hopper, it answers his question, it tells him something real about the writer, it finds one thing they share (both love the rain), it says thank you for something useful he does, and it asks two questions back. A letter that asks nothing is a letter that ends the friendship.
When you read it out: Stand up, hold your notebook a little low so your voice is not covered, and read slowly enough for the last bench to hear the words.