Unit 1 Eidga
How wonderful (ஒண்டர்புல்=அருமையான) and beautiful (ப்யூடிஃபுல் = அழகான) was the morning (மார்னிங்=காலைப் பொழுது) of Eid (ஈத்) !
The trees looked (லுக்ட் =தோன்றியது) greener (கிரீனர்=பசேல்), the field more festive (பெஸ்டீவ்=விழாக்கோலம் ), the sky had a lovely (லவ்லீ =அழகான) pink (பிங்க்=ஊதா) glow (க்ளோ=ஒளிரும்).
The sun seemed (சீம்டு =தோன்றியது) brighter (பிரைட்டர்=பிரகாசமாக) and more dazzling (டாசலிங்= ) than before to wish the world (வேர்ல்ட்=உலகம்) a very happy Eid.
The village was filled (ஃபில்ட்=நிரம்பி) with excitement (எக்ஸ்சைட்மெண்ட் = உற்சாகம்).
Everyone was up early (ஏர்லி=விரைவாக முன்கூட்டி) to go to the Eidgah.
The boys were more excited than the others.
They had been talking about it all the time.
Finally (ஃபைனலி=இறுதியாக / முடிவாக) the day had come.
And now they were impatient (இம்பாஷண்ட்=பொறுமை இல்லாமல்).
They were taking their treasure (ட்ரஷர்=செல்வம்) out of their pockets (பாக்கெட்ஸ்), counting (கவுன்டிங்=எண்ணிக்கை எண்ணுதல்) and re-counting it before putting it back.
Mahmood counted “One, two, ten, twelve”– he had twelve (ட்வெல்வ்=12) coins (காயின்ஸ்).
Mohsin had “One, two, three, eight, nine, fifteen” coins. With this money, they would buy countless (கவுன்ட்லெஸ்=எண்ணமுடியாத அளவு) things: toys, sweets, paper-pipes, rubber balls – and much more.
The happiest (ஹாப்பீயஸ்ட்=மிக சந்தோஷமான ) of the boys was Hamid. He was only four, thin and poorly (பூர்லி=வறுமையில்) dressed (டிரஸ்ட் = உடை அணிந்து).
Last year his father had died of cholera (காலரா).
Then his mother also died. From then Hamid lived (லிவ்ட்=வாழ்ந்து) with his old Granny (க்ரானி ) Ameena and was as happy as a lark (லார்க் = வானம்பாடி).
She told him that his father had gone to earn money. And that his mother had gone to Allah to get lovely gifts (கிப்ட்ஸ்=பரிசுகள்) for him. This made Hamid very happy.
Hamid had no shoes (ஷூஸ் ) on his feet; the cap (கேப்=தொப்பி) on his head was soiled (சாய்ல்டு=அழுக்கு ஆகி) and tattered (கந்தல் ஆகி);
He knew (நியூ=தெரிந்தது) that his father would come back with sacks (சாக்ஸ் = சாக்கு மூட்டை) full of silver (சில்வர்=வெள்ளி) and his mother with gifts from Allah. Then he would have more than Mahmood, Mohsin, Noorey and Sammi.
Hamid’s Granny Ameena was sad (சாட் = வருந்தி). It was Eid and she did not have even a handful (ஹான்ட்புல்=கை நிறைய) of grains (க்ரெய்ன்ஸ் = தானியம்).
If only her son were there, it would have been a different (டிஃபரெண்ட்= வேற மாதிரி) kind of Eid! Hamid went to his grandmother (கிராண்ட்மதர்=பாட்டி/ஆயா) and said, “Granny, I will be the first to get back.
Don’t worry!” Ameena was worried (வொர்ரிட்=கவலைப்படு ). Other boys were going out with their fathers. How could she let him go to the fair all by himself (ஹிம்செல்ஃப் =அவனே )?
Hamid left with the other boys. Hamid was like one with wings (விங்ஸ் = இறக்கை ) on his feet.
They ran on ahead (அஹெட்= முந்தி செல்) of the elders and waited for them under a tree. They reached (ரீச்ட் = போய்சேர்ந்தான்) the suburbs (சப்அர்ப் = புறநகர்) of the town.
On both sides of the road were big houses of the rich. In the gardens, mango and leechee (லிச்சி பழம்) trees were full of fruits. Then they came across the stores of the sweets - vendors. All decorated (டெகரேட்டட்=அலங்காரம் செய்து ) so gaily (கெய்லி=மகிழ்ச்சியுடன் )! Every store had sweets piled (பைல்ட்=அடுக்கி ) up in heaps (ஹீப்ஸ் =குவியல்) like mountain (மௌன்டென்=மலை).
