A Life Message from my Father(Abdul Kalam)

My father, Janab Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen, gave me a lesson when I was a young boy. What was that lesson? My father was elected the President of Rameswaram Panchayat Board. I was at that time studying in school. Those days we did not have electricity and we used to study under ration kerosene lamps. I was reading the lessons loudly and I heard a knock at the door. We never used to lock the door in Rameswaram in those days. Somebody opened the door, came in and asked me where my father was. I told him that father had gone for evening Namaz. Then he said, "I have brought something for him, can I keep it here?" I asked the person to leave the item on the cot. After that I continued my studies. After some time my father came in and saw a tambalum kept on the cot. He asked me "What is this? Who has given that?" I told him, "Somebody came and has kept this for you". He opened the cover of the tambalum and found there was a costly dhoti, angawastram, some fruits and some sweets and he could see the slip that the person had left behind. I was the youngest child of my father, he really loved me and I also loved him a lot. That was the first time I saw him very angry and also that was the first time I had got a thorough beating from him. I got frightened and started weeping. Then my father came and touched my shoulder lovingly with affection and advised me not to receive any gift without his permission. He quoted an Islamic Hadith, which states that, "When the Almighty appoints a person to a position, He takes care of his provision. If a person takes anything beyond that, it is an illegal gain." Then he told me that it is not a good habit. Gift is always accompanied by some purpose and a gift is a dangerous thing. It is like touching a snake and getting the poison in turn. This lesson stands out always in my mind even when I am in my seventies. This incident taught me a very valuable lesson for my life. It is deeply embedded in my mind.

1)Who is the speaker here ?

• father.

• Abdul Kalam

• panchayat President.

• a stranger.

What did the speaker learn?

• not to accept any gift.

• not to touch a snake.

• Illegal gain will be punished by the Almighty.

• Honesty is the best policy

Why did the stranger leave a gift?

• to influence father

• to thank father

• to congratulate father.

• to help father

It is illegal to take

• anything beyond what a person's position entitles him to

• gifts that are very expensive

• gifts when it is accompanied by greed

• provisions without paying for them.

'Tambalum' probably means

• a basket.

• a vessel without a lid.

• a bowl

• a plate with a cover

Doors were not locked in those days. It implies that

• it was very peaceful.

• there were no criminals.

• they are locked now.

• there were no locks on doors.