A Bottle of Dew – Class 6 English Poorvi Question Answer (NCERT 2026–27)

Complete NCERT Solutions for Class 6 English Poorvi Unit 1 (Fables and Folk Tales) – “A Bottle of Dew” by Sudha Murty: summary, theme, about the author, word meanings and every textbook exercise (Let us discuss, Let us think and reflect, Let us learn, Let us listen, Let us speak, Let us write, Let us explore) answered in full. The questions are reproduced exactly as in the NCERT book, and every table, fill-in and matching task is written out as readable text.

Class: 6 Subject: English Book: Poorvi Unit: 1 – Fables and Folk Tales Type: Story (Sudha Murty) Session: 2026–27
On this page

About the chapter

“A Bottle of Dew” is a wise and gentle folk tale from Unit 1, ‘Fables and Folk Tales’. It tells the story of Rama Natha, a rich landlord’s son who wastes his time and money searching for a magic potion that can turn objects into gold. A clever sage named Mahipati sends him on a six-year task – growing banana plants and collecting morning dew – that secretly teaches him the real ‘magic’ behind wealth: honest, patient hard work. The story celebrates the dignity of labour and the wisdom of a teacher who shows, rather than tells.

About the author

Sudha Murty (born 1950 in Shiggaon, Karnataka) is one of India’s most loved writers, an engineer, a teacher and a social worker. She was the first woman engineer hired at TELCO and later chaired the Infosys Foundation, doing wide-ranging work in education, health and rural development. She writes warmly and simply in English and Kannada, and is best known for her short stories and retellings of Indian folk tales for children, including books such as How I Taught My Grandmother to Read and The Magic Drum and Other Favourite Stories. Her writing often carries a quiet moral about kindness, honesty and the value of hard work, exactly as “A Bottle of Dew” does.

Summary

Rama Natha was the son of a rich landlord who left him large tracts of land. Instead of looking after his fields, Rama Natha wasted all his time chasing a strange belief: that there existed a magic potion which could turn any object into gold. People often cheated him by promising to reveal the secret, and he kept spending money on them. His wife, Madhumati, grew tired and worried, fearing they would soon be ruined.

One day a famous sage called Mahipati visited their town. Rama Natha became his follower and begged him about the potion. To his surprise, the sage agreed to help. He told Rama Natha to plant banana plants, water them with his own hands, and collect the morning dew from their leaves in winter. When he had gathered five litres of dew, the sage would chant magic words to turn it into the potion. Rama Natha worried that this would take years, but the sage insisted he must do everything himself.

Rama Natha went home and, with his wife’s help, cleaned his long-empty fields and planted rows of banana plants. He tended them carefully and collected dew each winter, while Madhumati sold the banana crop at the market for a good price. Over six years their plantation grew huge, and at last he collected five litres of dew. He proudly took it to the sage, who muttered over it and told him to try it. But when Rama Natha sprinkled it on a copper vessel, nothing turned to gold. Angry, he accused the sage of cheating. The sage then called Madhumati, who opened a box full of gold coins. He explained that there is no magic potion – the real wealth had come from Rama Natha’s hard work on the land and his wife’s sales at the market. Rama Natha understood the wisdom behind the trick and worked even harder from that day on.

Theme & message

The central theme is the true value of honest, patient hard work over the dream of easy magic. Rama Natha wastes years hunting for a shortcut to riches, but the sage’s clever plan teaches him that real wealth is created by effort, care and time – not by spells. The story also celebrates the wisdom of a good teacher who guides a learner gently, and the quiet, supportive partnership of Rama Natha and Madhumati. Its message is that there are no shortcuts to success; dedication, labour and persistence are the only real ‘magic’.

Word meanings

WordEnglish meaningHindi meaning
landlorda person who owns land or propertyजमींदार / भूस्वामी
large tracts of landlarge areas of landभूमि के बड़े हिस्से
potiona liquid with magical propertiesजादुई औषधि / मंत्रित द्रव
give upto stop tryingहार मान लेना / छोड़ देना
sagea wise and holy personआचार्य / साधु / ज्ञानी पुरुष
followera person who admires and obeys anotherअनुयायी / शिष्य
dewsmall drops of water on leaves that form during the nightओस
chantto repeat or sing a word or phraseमंत्र पढ़ना / जपना
plantationa large area where one type of plant is grownबागान / रोपण-क्षेत्र
tendedlooked afterदेखभाल की / संभाला
vessela container such as a pot or bowlबर्तन / पात्र
mutteredspoke in a low voiceबुदबुदाना / धीमे से बोलना
sprinkledscattered small drops over somethingछिड़काव / छिड़काव
preciousvaluableबहुमूल्य / कीमती
wisdomdeep understandingज्ञान / समझ
wealtha large amount of money or richesधन / संपदा
worriedfeeling anxious or troubledचिंतित
surprisea feeling caused by something unexpectedआश्चर्य
cropplants grown and harvested for foodफसल

Let us discuss

Let us discuss (Part I)

1. What did Rama Natha believe?

ANSWERRama Natha believed that there was a magic potion which could turn any object into gold. Because of this funny idea, he spent all his time and money trying to learn how to make such a potion, instead of looking after the land his father had left him.

2. How did the sage help Rama Natha?

ANSWERThe sage Mahipati told Rama Natha that he could make the magic potion. He asked him to plant banana plants, water them with his own hands, and in winter collect the morning dew from the leaves into a bottle. When he had five litres of dew, the sage promised to chant magic words over it to make the potion. In this clever way, the sage led Rama Natha to start working hard on his land.

3. Do you think Rama Natha will be able to collect the dew? Give a reason.

ANSWER (sample)Yes, I think Rama Natha will be able to collect the dew, but only with a lot of time and patience. Since winter lasts only a few months, he must plant many banana plants and gather just a little dew each day. If he keeps working steadily, year after year, he will slowly collect his five litres of dew.

Let us discuss (Part II)

1. Why was Rama Natha angry?

ANSWERRama Natha was angry because, after working hard for six long years to collect five litres of dew, the ‘magic potion’ did not turn the copper vessel into gold. Nothing happened when he sprinkled it. He felt cheated by the sage and believed he had wasted six precious years of his life for nothing.

2. How did Rama Natha and Madhumati create wealth?

ANSWERThey created wealth through honest hard work. Rama Natha cleaned his fields and planted rows of banana plants, tending them carefully for six years until he had a huge plantation. Meanwhile, Madhumati gathered the banana crop and sold it in the market for a good price. The gold coins came from years of farming and selling fruit – not from any magic potion.

Let us think and reflect

I. Read the lines and answer

1. Extract – “He spent all his time to learn about the magic potion. People cheated him often, promising to tell him about it, but he did not give up. His wife, Madhumati, was tired of this and also worried because she saw how much money Rama Natha was spending. She was sure that soon they would be without money.”

ANSWER (i) Rama Natha did not ‘give up’ because he strongly believed that a magic potion really existed and was determined to find the secret of making it, no matter how often he was cheated. (ii) Read the column which shows ‘what happened’ and write the correct outcome:
What HappenedOutcome
A. People promised to tell Rama Natha about the magic potion.They cheated him and took his money, but never told him any real secret.
B. Rama Natha was spending a lot of money.His wife Madhumati became worried and was sure they would soon be left without any money.
ANSWER – (iii) True or False A. Madhumati was troubled about what her husband did. → True B. Rama Natha was very happy digging his fields. → False (at first he never even looked after his land) C. The sage wanted to show the right path to Rama Natha. → True

2. Extract – “Carefully, he took the bottle to the sage. The sage smiled and muttered something over the water. Then he returned the bottle and said, ‘Try it out.’ Rama Natha sprinkled a few drops on a copper vessel and waited for it to turn to gold. To his surprise nothing happened!”

ANSWER (i) Choose the option that lists the events in the correct order:
A. The sage smiled.   B. Rama Natha gave the bottle to the sage.   C. Rama Natha dropped a few drops of water on a copper vessel.   D. He said something in a low voice over the water.   E. Rama Natha waited to see if the magic worked.
Correct option: (b) b, a, d, c, e (ii) Fill in the blank with the correct word from the lines above:
Seeing that the plant had dried up, the gardener sprinkled some water on it. (iii) How might Rama Natha have felt when nothing happened to the copper vessel? Rama Natha must have felt shocked, disappointed and angry. After six years of hard work he expected gold, so when nothing happened he felt cheated and thought he had wasted precious years of his life for nothing.

II. Answer the following questions

ANSWER 1. What did the sage ask Rama Natha to do to make the magic potion? The sage asked Rama Natha to plant banana plants and water them regularly with his own hands. In winter he had to collect the morning dew that formed on the leaves and store it in a bottle. When he had collected five litres of dew, he was to bring it to the sage, who would chant magic words to turn it into the potion. 2. Why did the sage ask Rama Natha to do everything himself? The sage wanted Rama Natha to learn the value of hard work. By making him plant, water and tend the banana plants himself, the sage ensured that Rama Natha would actually work on his land. The real aim was not the dew, but to lead him to earn wealth through his own honest effort. 3. How could Rama Natha have a big banana plantation after six years? To collect enough dew, Rama Natha planted more and more banana plants every year and tended them with great care. As the years passed, these plants multiplied and spread across his fields, so by the end of six years his land had grown into a huge banana plantation. 4. How did the sage make Rama Natha believe that there is no magic potion? When the dew failed to turn the copper vessel into gold, the sage called Madhumati, who showed a box full of gold coins earned by selling bananas. The sage then explained that the wealth came from Rama Natha’s hard work on the land and his wife’s sales, not from any potion – proving the magic potion did not exist. 5. Fill in the ‘before’ and ‘after’ table about Rama Natha:
What he did before meeting the sageWhat he did after meeting the sage
(i) He wasted all his time searching for a magic potion and never looked after his land.(i) He cleaned his empty fields and planted rows of banana plants, tending them carefully himself.
(ii) He spent his money on people who cheated him, leaving the family close to ruin.(ii) He collected dew each winter and, with Madhumati selling the crop, the family earned real wealth.

Let us learn

1. Complete the paragraph using the words from the story

Use the words (promised, remember, spending, huge, cheated, difficult, luck, market) to complete the paragraph. There are two extra words in the box that you do not need.

ANSWERThere was a farmer who had a huge coconut plantation. He worked hard and did not depend on luck. Every day was difficult but he did not give up. One day, a man bought a bag of coconuts from him, and promised to pay him the money the next day. Days passed and the man did not pay him anything. The farmer felt cheated. About two months later, he met the same man and asked him about his money. The man said, “Oh! I had forgotten. Now, I remember buying coconuts from you.” And he paid the money. (The two extra words not needed are ‘spending’ and ‘market’.)

2. Homophones – complete the meanings

Complete the meanings of the words in Column B. Words that have the same sound but different spellings and meanings are called homophones.

Column AColumn BMeaning of word in Column B
Ieyethe part of the body we use to see
youryou’reshort form of ‘you are’
dewduehappening at some time in the future; expected
sonsunthe star that gives the Earth light and heat
onewonpast tense of win
ateeightthe number 8
seeseaa large body of salty water

3. Sentences using homophone pairs

Choose four pairs of homophones from the table above, and for each pair write a sentence that uses both homophones in the same sentence. (Example: I ate eight bananas for breakfast today.)

ANSWER (sample) (i) I shut one eye to look at the bright sun in the sea. — (one / won not used together here; see next) (i) My son sat in the warm sun on the beach. (ii) The team that won the match scored only one goal. (iii) If you’re ready, please pick up your bag. (iv) I could see a small boat far out on the sea.

4. Match phrases with connecting words

Match the phrases in Column A with Column B, using the connecting words (because, before, as soon as, as) to make meaningful sentences.

ANSWER (i) The children submitted their work before the deadline. (ii) He did not want to try rock climbing because of his fear of heights. (iii) The children ran towards the gate as soon as the bell rang. (iv) Nitin was late to school today as there was a traffic jam.

5. Make your own tongue twister

Read these sentences faster each time, then create your own tongue twister.
• Bunty bhaiya bought a big bunch of bananas.
• A big bunch of bananas was bought by Bunty bhaiya.

ANSWER (sample)Read each line slowly first, then speed up. A sample tongue twister of your own could be: “Rama Natha rapidly raised ripe red bananas by the river.” Practise saying it faster each time and share it with your classmates.

Let us listen / speak / write / explore

Let us listen

Listen to what Madhumati does with the bananas from her plantation. Number the events in the correct order in which they happen. (Refer to the transcript on page 36.)

ANSWER (from the transcript) Correct order of events: 1. Visits her mother and gives her two dozen bananas. (event 3) 2. Goes to the market to sell the bananas. (event 7) 3. Meets her friend Kalawati in the market. (event 2) 4. Gives twelve bananas to her friend. (event 6) 5. Chooses to go home as only some bananas were left. (event 4) 6. Gives two bananas to a boy who is hungry. (event 1) 7. Visits her neighbour and gifts them a bunch of bananas. (event 5)

Let us speak

I. Read aloud the words (sage, promising, wisdom, surprise, trees) and note the sound of the letter ‘s’. Then write the sound of ‘s’ (/s/ or /z/) next to each word read by your teacher: beds, sand, clothes, sea, was, keys, bags, nose.

ANSWER beds – /z/  •  sand – /s/  •  clothes – /z/  •  sea – /s/ was – /z/  •  keys – /z/  •  bags – /z/  •  nose – /z/

II. Discuss with a partner: 1. What does hard work mean to you? 2. Give three reasons why you think hard work is important. 3. Share three ideas you would give to someone who needs to work hard.

ANSWER (sample) 1. Hard work means putting in honest, steady effort to finish a task well, without giving up when it becomes difficult. 2. Hard work is important because: firstly, it helps us reach our goals; secondly, it builds patience and confidence; lastly, it earns the respect of others and brings real, lasting success. 3. Three ideas: to begin with, make a small daily plan and follow it; next, take short breaks to stay fresh; finally, do not lose hope when things feel hard – keep trying a little every day.

Note: This is a speaking activity. The answers above are sample responses – speak clearly with your teacher and classmates and use your own ideas and experiences.

Let us write

1. Complete the description of a banana (taste, colour, smell, touch, when you like to eat it, why it is healthy) and then write eight sentences about a banana.
2. On the basis of the story ‘A Bottle of Dew’, develop a script with dialogues and enact it.

ANSWER (sample – eight sentences about a banana) 1. A banana is a sweet and creamy fruit.
2. Its outer covering is usually yellow when it is ripe.
3. The peel feels smooth and slightly soft to touch.
4. A ripe banana has a pleasant, fruity smell.
5. I like to eat a banana at breakfast or during the break at school.
6. Bananas are healthy because they give us energy.
7. They are also rich in vitamins and good for our skin.
8. A banana is a filling fruit, so it keeps us full for a long time.

Note: For activity 2, write a short play with dialogues between Rama Natha, Madhumati and the sage Mahipati, then enact it with expressions in class. There is no single fixed answer – use the events of the story in your own words.

Let us explore

Find out the varieties of bananas which are grown, cultivated and eaten in different parts of India (for example, from websites such as the National Horticulture Board, nhb.gov.in).

ANSWER (guided)India grows many varieties of bananas in different regions, such as Robusta, Dwarf Cavendish, Poovan, Nendran, Rasthali, Red Banana and Grand Naine. There is also a special kind called the Blue Java banana, named for its blue skin and known as the ‘Ice Cream banana’ because it is creamy and tastes like ice cream; it grows in South-East Asia and Hawaii and can reach fifteen to twenty feet in height. Find out which varieties grow in your own state and share your findings with your class.

Note: This is an exploration/project task. Use trusted sources and your teacher’s help, and present your own findings in class.

Extra questions

Short answer (30–40 words)

1. What did Rama Natha’s father leave him, and how did Rama Natha treat it?

ANSWERRama Natha’s father left him large tracts of land when he died. However, Rama Natha did not spend even a single day looking after this land, because he was busy chasing his dream of finding a magic gold-making potion.

2. Why was Madhumati worried about her husband?

ANSWERMadhumati was worried because Rama Natha was spending a great deal of money on people who promised to tell him about the magic potion. She could see that they were being cheated again and again, and she feared the family would soon be left with no money.

3. What was the sage’s real purpose behind the dew-collecting task?

ANSWERThe sage’s real purpose was to make Rama Natha work hard on his land. By asking him to plant bananas and collect dew himself, the sage cleverly turned him into a hard-working farmer who would earn true wealth through his own honest effort.

4. How long did it take Rama Natha to collect five litres of dew, and why so long?

ANSWERIt took Rama Natha six years to collect five litres of dew. It took so long because dew forms only on winter mornings, which last just a few months, so he could gather only a little dew each day from his banana leaves.

5. What lesson did Rama Natha learn at the end of the story?

ANSWERRama Natha learnt that there is no magic potion that turns things into gold. He understood that real wealth comes only from honest, patient hard work. After grasping this wisdom, he worked even harder on his plantation from that day on.

Long answer (100–120 words)

6. Describe how the sage Mahipati cleverly changed Rama Natha’s life.

ANSWERWhen Rama Natha begged the sage Mahipati about the magic potion, the sage did not scold him or argue. Instead, he cleverly told him to plant banana plants, water them with his own hands, and collect five litres of morning dew. Rama Natha worked for six years, tending a huge plantation, while his wife Madhumati sold the bananas for good money. When the dew failed to make gold, the sage revealed a box of gold coins and explained that the wealth had come from their hard work, not magic. By tricking Rama Natha into working, the sage cured him of his foolish belief and taught him the lasting value of effort – changing him into a hard-working, wiser man.

7. How does ‘A Bottle of Dew’ teach the value of hard work over shortcuts?

ANSWERThe story shows that there are no shortcuts to success. At first, Rama Natha wastes years and money searching for an easy, magical way to become rich, and is cheated again and again. Only when the sage tricks him into farming does real wealth appear – built slowly from planting, watering, tending crops and selling them honestly. The ‘magic potion’ is a clever lie that hides the true secret: patient, steady labour. When Rama Natha finally understands that his gold came from six years of hard work and not from any spell, he respects the lesson and works even harder. The tale gently teaches readers that dedication and effort, not luck or magic, create lasting success.

MCQs & Assertion–Reason

1. Who was Rama Natha?

(a) a sage   (b) the son of a rich landlord   (c) a banana seller   (d) a poor farmer

ANSWER(b) the son of a rich landlord.

2. What did Rama Natha believe the magic potion could do?

(a) cure illness   (b) bring rain   (c) turn any object into gold   (d) make plants grow

ANSWER(c) turn any object into gold.

3. What was the name of the sage in the story?

(a) Mahipati   (b) Madhumati   (c) Mahanta   (d) Kalawati

ANSWER(a) Mahipati.

4. What did the sage ask Rama Natha to collect?

(a) rainwater   (b) morning dew   (c) flower petals   (d) river water

ANSWER(b) morning dew.

5. How many litres of dew did Rama Natha have to collect?

(a) two litres   (b) five litres   (c) ten litres   (d) one litre

ANSWER(b) five litres.

6. From which plant’s leaves did Rama Natha collect the dew?

(a) mango   (b) coconut   (c) banana   (d) neem

ANSWER(c) banana.

7. How many years did it take to collect the five litres of dew?

(a) three years   (b) four years   (c) six years   (d) ten years

ANSWER(c) six years.

8. Who sold the bananas at the market?

(a) Rama Natha   (b) the sage   (c) Madhumati   (d) Kalawati

ANSWER(c) Madhumati.

9. What did the box that Madhumati opened contain?

(a) bananas   (b) gold coins   (c) dew   (d) seeds

ANSWER(b) gold coins.

10. What real lesson did the sage teach Rama Natha?

(a) magic is powerful   (b) luck brings wealth   (c) hard work creates wealth   (d) gold is everywhere

ANSWER(c) hard work creates wealth.
MCQ Answer Key: 1-(b), 2-(c), 3-(a), 4-(b), 5-(b), 6-(c), 7-(c), 8-(c), 9-(b), 10-(c)

Assertion–Reason – choose: (a) A and R true, R explains A; (b) A and R true, R does not explain A; (c) A true, R false; (d) A false, R true.

1. Assertion (A): Madhumati was worried about her husband.

Reason (R): Rama Natha was spending a lot of money trying to find the magic potion.

ANSWER(a) Both true and R correctly explains A.

2. Assertion (A): The sage asked Rama Natha to do all the work with his own hands.

Reason (R): The sage secretly wanted Rama Natha to learn the value of hard work.

ANSWER(a) Both true and R correctly explains A.

3. Assertion (A): The copper vessel turned into gold when Rama Natha sprinkled the dew on it.

Reason (R): The sage had chanted powerful magic words over the bottle of dew.

ANSWER(d) A is false (nothing happened to the vessel); R is also untrue as a cause, but the assertion itself is clearly false.

4. Assertion (A): Rama Natha worked even harder on his plantation after meeting the sage.

Reason (R): He understood the wisdom that real wealth comes from hard work, not magic.

ANSWER(a) Both true and R correctly explains A.

5. Assertion (A): Rama Natha became angry with the sage and called it cheating.

Reason (R): After six years of effort, the dew failed to turn the copper vessel into gold.

ANSWER(a) Both true and R correctly explains A.

Exam tips & common mistakes

Exam tips

• Remember the key sequence: belief in potion → meeting the sage → planting bananas → collecting dew for six years → no gold → box of gold coins → lesson learnt.
• Always name the author (Sudha Murty), the main characters (Rama Natha, Madhumati, sage Mahipati) in long answers.
• In theme questions, clearly state the message: hard work, not magic, creates wealth.
• For value-based questions, mention honesty, patience and the dignity of labour.

Common mistakes

• Do not write that the potion actually worked – nothing happened to the copper vessel.
• The dew was collected from banana plants, not coconut or mango plants.
• It took six years, not a few months, to gather five litres of dew.
• The gold came from selling bananas at the market, not from any magic spell – do not confuse the trick with real magic.

FAQs

Who wrote ‘A Bottle of Dew’ and which unit is it in?

It was written by Sudha Murty and appears in Unit 1, ‘Fables and Folk Tales’, of the Class 6 English textbook Poorvi.

What is the main message of ‘A Bottle of Dew’?

The story teaches that there is no magic shortcut to wealth. Real success and riches come only from honest, patient and steady hard work.

Why did the sage ask Rama Natha to collect dew himself?

The sage wanted Rama Natha to work on his own land. By making him plant bananas and collect dew himself, the sage cleverly turned him into a hard-working farmer who earned real wealth.

How did Rama Natha and Madhumati actually become rich?

They became rich through farming. Rama Natha grew a huge banana plantation over six years, and Madhumati sold the bananas at the market, earning a box full of gold coins.

Questions are taken verbatim from the NCERT Poorvi textbook; the summary, author note and all answers are written originally by ClearStudy.

Scroll to Top