7.1 I Dream of Spices

I Dream of Spices

My mother would say:

“Little boy Raj…

Go to Muthu’s

and get some

cinnamon, betel leaves

and ginger and garlic.”

And so I go to the shops

singing all the way

and when Muthu asks me

what I’d want

I rattle off a list:

“Sesame seeds, onions

tomatoes and pickles”

And back home,

Mother twists my ears

Ouch!

– Raj Arumugam

Glossary

cinnamon – the bark of a tree that gives a delicious flavour to food

garlic – a small bulb with a strong taste used in cooking

rattle off – recite

sesame seeds – gingelly seeds

ouch – sound that expresses pain

Summary of the Poem

“I dream of spices” is a small funny poem written by Raj Arumugam. A little boy Raj is the narrator of the poem. One day his mother asked him to go to Muthu’s shop and buy some cinnamon, betel leaves, ginger and garlic. He happily sang songs on his way to the shop, dreaming about the spices. When Muthu asked him what he wanted to buy, he completely forgot his list and rattled off a new list. He said he wanted sesame seeds, onions, tomatoes and pickles! When he went back home with the wrong list of items, his mother twisted his ears, and he cried “Ouch” in pain.

1. Answer the following questions.
1. Who is Raj?
2. Where did Raj’s mother send him?
3. Who is Muthu?
4. What did mother ask Raj to buy?
5. What did Raj buy?

Answers:
1. Raj is a little boy.
2. Raj’s mother sent him to Muthu’s shop.
3. Muthu is the owner of the shop.
4. Mother asked Raj to buy cinnamon, betel leaves and ginger, and garlic.
5. Raj bought seasame seeds, onions, tomatoes, and pickles.

2. Choose the correct answers.
1. Mother called ___________________.
a. Muthu b. Raj c. Ram

2. Mother did not ask for ___________________.
a. cinnamon b. cardamom c. betel leaves

3. Raj did not buy ___________________.
a. onions and sesame
b. ginger and garlic
c. tomato and pickles

Answers:
1. b. Raj
2. b. cardamom
3. b. ginger and garlic

3. Find an example of alliteration in the poem. Alliteration is repetition of the consonant at the beginning of two or more words in a line.

Answers:

1. “and ginger and garlic.”

2. “And so I go to the shop”

3. “what I’d want”

4. “Mother twists my ears”