Back to: West Bengal Board Class 6th English Guide and Notes
Table of Contents
Characters
- Naini: An ill-tempered old woman who lived on the outskirts of the village.
- Bholenath: The potter and the protagonist of the story.
- Bholenath’s wife: She ties Bholenath to the horse.
- The King: He is impressed by Bholenath’s bravery.
Introduction
‘It All Began with Drip-Drip’ is a funny story about how a man became famous only for his luck and got fame and position though he did not deserve these at all. We like to read this story as it creates fun and laughter. The misinterpretation starts when the tiger thinks that the words ‘drip drip’ mentioned by the old lady is some dreadful animal. She meant only the raindrops that were dripping from her roof. Then Bholenath mistakes the tiger for his donkey, takes it to his home, and ties it up. The tiger somehow escapes into the forest and the villagers praise Bholenath for his courageous act.
Summary
Bholenath ties a tiger outside his hut
The story starts with a tiger getting caught in a storm when he was wandering into the fields looking for something to eat. He stood close to Naini’s wall for shelter. Naini in the hut was quite agitated as the roof leaked badly. She had to move her bed and tin trunks from time to time to keep them dry. In anger, she slammed a small wooden box against the wall. This frightened the tiger, he thought “drip-drip” was a dreadful creature.
Bholenath passed by in search of his donkey, he misunderstood the tiger to be his donkey went running towards it and pulled its ear, and kicked it. The tiger was frightened and followed the potter. Bholenath tied him outside his hose with a sturdy rope without noticing that it was not a donkey.
Bholenath’s bravery reaches to the king
The next morning. Bholenath’s wife saw the tiger and alarmed the whole village. Bholenath immediately went to see what the commotion was about and as he saw the tiger he and his wife ran back to the hut, shutting the door and pushing their bed and trunks against it. The terrified tiger chewed the rope and ran back to the jungle. After a while when other villagers came to visit Bholenath, he proudly told them about his bravery of how he kicked and pulled the tiger’s ear. The King came to know about the incident and made Bholenath the General in the army.
One evening, the neighbour king had declared war and was at the border with eighty thousand men. The King appointed Bholenath as his commander-in-chief to prove his bravery. Bholenath was in despair and told his wife that he didn’t even know to ride a horse. His wife came up with a plan that she would tie him to the horse so that he doesn’t fall.
Bholenath proves his bravery
The next morning a messenger came to inform Bholenath that the king has ordered him to ride into the battle. Bholenath’s wife did as she told and tied her husband to the horse. The horse felt uncomfortable and galloped off with Bholenath holding on desperately. The horse-headed towards the enemy camp, Bholenath tried to stop by trying to pull himself up in a banyan tree but the horse was so fast that the roots came off and hung flapping in his hands
The horse galloped straight to the enemy camp. The soldiers saw a wild-looking man, his hair and clothes flapping, ropes all around him on a fierce black stallion waving tree roots and shouting. The soldiers thought him to be a demon and ran away as soon as possible leaving their camp. By the time Bholenath reached the middle of the camp, it was empty and led the horse back home. The king’s army had ridden out to join their Commander. They met him walking wearily home. He told them that the enemies had left. The soldiers rode to the camp to see for themselves. The camp was empty. The soldiers rode triumphantly into the city and told the king what had happened. Even today, the people tell the story of the valiant potter who caught a tiger and defeated an entire army all by himself.
Conclusion
The story “It all began with drip drip” is an amusing yet ironic children’s story. The story is based on the bravery of Bholenath that was not there. The story depicts how certain situations are wrongly deciphered which in turn leads to something great. The real truth is that Bholenath was a poor potter but ends up chasing away the tiger and the enemies of the land.
