English Notes Chapter 2.4 – The Mouse Merchant Class 6 Maharashtra Board

Introduction

• This story is about Somadatta, a poor orphan boy.
• He starts his business with a dead mouse and becomes rich.
• The story teaches us the importance of hard work, intelligence, and patience.

Important Characters

1. Somadatta – A poor but smart and hardworking orphan boy.
2. The Rich Merchant – A wise businessman who believes a clever person can earn from anything.
3. The Merchant’s Son – A rich boy who thinks money is everything.
4. The Shopkeeper – Buys the dead mouse from Somadatta for his cat.
5. The Laborers – Give Somadatta sticks in exchange for food and water.
6. The Potter – Trades pots for sticks with Somadatta.
7. The Gardener – Gives Somadatta free flowers, which he sells to rich people.

Summary of the Story (Step-by-Step Events)

1. The Merchant and His Son

• A rich merchant’s son boasts that rich people can buy anything.
• The merchant teaches him a lesson, saying a wise man can earn even from a dead mouse.
• Somadatta listens to this and decides to prove it.

2. Somadatta Sells the Dead Mouse

• Somadatta takes the dead mouse and sells it to a shopkeeper.
• The shopkeeper gives him two handfuls of gram for the mouse to feed his cat.

3. Somadatta Trades Food for Sticks

• Somadatta offers roasted gram and water to tired laborers.
• The laborers have no money, so they give him sticks in return.

4. Somadatta Sells the Sticks

• He sells the sticks to a potter in exchange for pots and pitchers.

5. Somadatta Sells Flowers

• Somadatta gives water to a gardener and gets free flowers.
• He sells the flowers along with the pots to rich people.

6. Somadatta Becomes Rich

• Somadatta keeps working hard, saves money, and grows his business.
• He becomes a successful merchant.

7. Somadatta Gives the Merchant a Golden Mouse

• He goes to the rich merchant and gives him a golden mouse.
• He tells him, “This is in return for the dead mouse that helped me start my journey.”
• The merchant is impressed with his intelligence and hard work.

Moral / What We Learn from the Story

Hard work and intelligence bring success.
We can start small and grow big with patience.
Money is not everything; wisdom and effort matter more.
Helping others brings opportunities.

New Words and Their Meanings

 Opposite Words from the Story

Grammar Practice from the Story

Find the nouns in these sentences:

1. “Somadatta was a poor orphan boy.” → Somadatta, orphan, boy
2. “The merchant’s son wasted money.” → Merchant, son, money
3. “Somadatta became rich through trading.” → Somadatta, trading

Make opposite words using “Un-” or “In-“: