Children in School

Unit 1

Lesson 3

Children in School

This is an excerpt from a memoir, Totto-chan: The Little Girl at the Window by Tetsuko Kuroyanagi. The author is a Japanese television personality and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. It is based on her childhood recollection of her school in Tokyo, during World War II.

The New School

When she saw the gate of the new school, Totto-chan stopped. The gate of the school she used to go to had fine concrete pillars with the name of the school in large characters. But the gate of this new school simply consisted of two rather short posts that still had twigs and leaves on them.
"This gate's growing," said Totto-chan. "It'll probably go on growing till it's taller than the telephone poles!"
The two "gateposts" were clearly trees with roots. When she got closer, she had to put her head to one side to read the name of the school because the wind had blown the sign askew.
"To-mo-e Ga-ku-en."
Totto-chan was about to ask Mother what "Tomoe" meant, when she caught a glimpse of something that made her think she must be dreaming. She squatted down and peered through the shrubbery to get a better look, and she couldn't believe her eyes.
"Mother, is that really a train! There, in the school grounds!"
For its classrooms, the school had made use of six abandoned railroad cars. To Totto-chan it seemed something you might dream about. A school in a train!
The windows of the railroad cars sparkled in the morning sunlight. But the eyes of the rosy-cheeked little girl gazing at them through the shrubbery sparkled even more.

"I like this school!"
A moment later, Totto-chan let out a whoop of joy and started running toward the "train school," calling out to Mother over her shoulder, "Come on, hurry, let's get on this train that's standing still." Startled, Mother began to run after her. Mother had been on a basketball team once, so she was faster than Totto-chan and caught hold of her dress just as she reached a door.
"You can't go in yet," said Mother, holding her back. "The cars are classrooms, and you haven't even been accepted here yet. If you really want to get on this train, you'll have to be nice and polite to the headmaster. We're going to call on him now, and if all goes well, you'll be able to go to this school. Do you understand?"
Totto-chan was awfully disappointed not to get on the "train" right away, but she decided she had better do as Mother told her.

"All right," she said. And then added, "I like this school a lot."

Mother felt like telling her it wasn't a matter of whether she liked the school but of whether the headmaster liked her. But she just let go of Totto-chan's dress, took hold of her hand, and started walking toward the headmaster's office.
All the railroad cars were quiet, for the first classes of the day had begun. Instead of a wall, the not very spacious school grounds were surrounded by trees, and there were flower beds full of red and yellow flowers.

The headmaster's office wasn't in a railroad car but was on the right-hand side of a one-storey building that stood at the top of a semicircular flight of about seven stone steps opposite the gate.

Totto-chan let go of Mother's hand and raced up the steps, then turned around abruptly, almost causing Mother to run into her.
"What's the matter?" Mother asked, fearing Totto-chan might have changed her mind about the school.
Standing above her on the top step, Totto-chan whispered to Mother in all seriousness, "The man we're going to see must be a stationmaster!"
Mother had plenty of patience as well as a great sense of fun. She put her face close to Totto-chan's and whispered, "Why?"
Totto-chan whispered back, "You said he was the headmaster, but if he owns all these trains, he must be a station master."
Mother had to admit it was unusual for a school to make use of old railroad cars, but there was no time to explain. She simply said, "Why don't you ask him yourself! And, anyway, what about Daddy? He plays the violin and owns several violins, but that doesn't make our house a violin shop, does it?"
"No, it doesn't," Totto-chan agreed, catching hold of Mother's hand.

 

Summary

Totto-chan goes with her mother to see a new school. When she reaches the gate, she is surprised because it is made of living trees instead of concrete pillars. Inside the school grounds, she sees something amazing—old train cars are used as classrooms. Totto-chan becomes very excited and immediately loves the school. She wants to run inside the train classrooms, but her mother stops her and explains that she must first meet the headmaster and behave politely to be accepted. As they walk toward the office, Totto-chan imagines that the headmaster must be a stationmaster because the school has trains. The scene shows Totto-chan’s curiosity, imagination, and joy about learning in a very unusual school.

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সংক্ষিপ্ত সারাংশ

টোট্টো-চান তার মায়ের সঙ্গে একটি নতুন স্কুল দেখতে যায়। স্কুলের গেটে পৌঁছে সে অবাক হয়ে যায়, কারণ গেটটি কংক্রিটের নয়, বরং জীবন্ত গাছ দিয়ে তৈরি। স্কুলের ভেতরে সে আরও আশ্চর্যজনক কিছু দেখে—পুরোনো ট্রেনের বগি দিয়ে শ্রেণিকক্ষ বানানো হয়েছে। এতে টোট্টো-চান খুব খুশি হয়ে যায় এবং সঙ্গে সঙ্গে স্কুলটিকে ভালোবেসে ফেলে। সে ট্রেনের ভেতরে ঢুকতে চায়, কিন্তু তার মা তাকে থামিয়ে বলেন যে আগে প্রধান শিক্ষকের সঙ্গে দেখা করতে হবে এবং ভদ্র আচরণ করতে হবে। অফিসের দিকে যেতে যেতে টোট্টো-চান কল্পনা করে যে প্রধান শিক্ষক নিশ্চয়ই একজন স্টেশন মাস্টার, কারণ স্কুলে এত ট্রেন রয়েছে। এই অংশে টোট্টো-চানের কৌতূহল, কল্পনাশক্তি এবং শেখার প্রতি আনন্দ ফুটে ওঠে।

 

 

Essential Vocabularies

 

The Headmaster

When Mother and Totto-chan went in, the man in the office got up from his chair. His hair was thin on top and he had a few teeth missing, but his face was a healthy colour. Although he wasn’t very tall, he had solid shoulders and arms and was neatly dressed in a rather shabby black three-piece suit.

With a hasty bow, Totto-chan asked him spiritedly, “What are you, a schoolmaster or a stationmaster?"
Mother was embarrassed, but before she had time to explain, he laughed and replied, “I’m the headmaster of this school.”
Totto-chan was delighted. “Oh, I’m so glad,” she said, “because I want to ask you a favour. I’d like to come to your school."
The headmaster offered her a chair and turned to Mother. “You may go home now. I want to talk to Totto-chan."
Totto-chan had a moment’s uneasiness but somehow felt she would get along all right with this man. "Well, then. I’ll leave her with you,” Mother said bravely, and shut the door behind her as she went out.
The headmaster drew over a chair and put it facing Totto-chan, and when they were both sitting down close together, he said, “Now then, tell me all about yourself. Tell me anything at all you want to talk about.”
“Anything I like?” Totto-chan had expected him to ask questions she would have to answer. When he said she could talk about anything she wanted, she was so happy she began straight away.
It was all a bit higgledy-piggledy, but she talked for all she was worth. She told the headmaster how fast the train went that they had come on; how she had asked the ticket collector but he wouldn’t let her keep her ticket; how pretty her homeroom teacher was at the other school; about the swallows nest; about their brown dog, Rocky, who could do all sorts of tricks; how she used to go snip-snip with the scissors inside her mouth at kindergarten and the teacher said she mustn’t do that because she might cut her tongue off, but she did it anyway; how she always blew her nose because Mother scolded her if it was runny; what a good swimmer Daddy was, and how he could dive as well. She went on and on. The headmaster would laugh, nod, and say, “And then?” And Totto-chan was so happy she kept right on talking. But finally she ran out of things to say. She sat with her mouth closed trying hard to think of something.

“Haven’t you anything more you can tell me?” asked the headmaster.
What a shame to stop now, Totto-chan thought. It was such a wonderful chance. Wasn’t there anything else she could talk about, she wondered, racking her brains? Then she had an idea. She could tell him about the dress she was wearing that day. Mother made most of her dresses, but this one came from a shop. Her clothes were always torn when she came home in the late afternoon. Some of the rips were quite bad. Mother never knew how they got that way.

Even her white cotton panties were sometimes in shreds. She explained to the headmaster that they got torn when she crossed other people’s gardens by crawling under their fences, and when she burrowed under the barbed wire around vacant lots. So this morning, she said, when she was getting dressed to come here, all the nice dresses Mother had made were torn so she had to wear one Mother had bought. It had small dark red and gray checks and was made of jersey, and it wasn’t bad, but Mother thought the red flowers embroidered on the collar were in bad taste.
“Mother doesn’t like the collar,” said Totto-chan, holding it up for the headmaster to see.
After that, she could think of nothing more to say no matter how hard she tried. It made her rather sad. But just then the headmaster got up, placed his large, warm hand on her head, and said, “Well, now you’re a pupil of this school.”
Those were his very words. And at that moment Totto-chan felt she had met someone she really liked for the very first time in her life. You see, up till then, no one had ever listened to her for so long. And all that time the headmaster hadn’t yawned once or looked bored but seemed just as interested in what she had to say as she was.
Totto-chan hadn’t learned how to tell time yet, but it did seem like a rather long time. If she had been able to, she would have been astonished, and even more grateful to the headmaster. For, you see, Mother and Totto-chan arrived at the school at eight, and when she had finished talking and the headmaster had told her she was a pupil of the school, he looked at his pocket watch and said, “Ah, it’s time for lunch.” So the headmaster must have listened to Totto-chan for four solid hours!
Neither before nor since did any grown-up listen to Totto-chan for as long as that. And, besides, it would have amazed Mother and her homeroom teacher to think that a seven-year-old child could find enough to talk about for four hours nonstop. Totto-chan had no idea then, of course, that she had been expelled and that people were at their wit’s end to know what to do. Having a naturally sunny disposition and being a bit absent-minded gave her an air of innocence. But deep down she felt she was considered different from other children and slightly strange. The headmaster, however, made her feel safe and warm and happy. She wanted to stay with him forever.
That’s how Totto-chan felt about headmaster Sosaku Kobayashi that first day. And, luckily, the headmaster felt the same about her.

 

Short Summary

Totto-chan meets the headmaster of the new school for the first time. At first, she jokingly asks whether he is a schoolmaster or a stationmaster. Instead of getting angry, the headmaster laughs kindly, which makes Totto-chan feel comfortable. He asks Totto-chan to talk about herself and allows her to say anything she wants. Totto-chan happily talks nonstop about her life, her family, her habits, her school, and even her clothes. The headmaster listens patiently for a very long time without interrupting or showing boredom. After listening to her for nearly four hours, he gently tells her that she is now a student of the school. Totto-chan feels deeply happy because, for the first time in her life, an adult truly listens to her and accepts her just as she is.

 

সংক্ষিপ্ত সারাংশ (বাংলা)

টোট্টো-চান প্রথমবারের মতো নতুন স্কুলের প্রধান শিক্ষকের সঙ্গে দেখা করে। সে মজা করে তাকে জিজ্ঞেস করে তিনি স্কুলমাস্টার নাকি স্টেশনমাস্টার। প্রধান শিক্ষক রাগ না করে হাসেন, এতে টোট্টো-চান স্বস্তি পায়। তিনি টোট্টো-চানকে নিজের সম্পর্কে যেকোনো কথা বলতে বলেন। টোট্টো-চান খুব আনন্দের সঙ্গে নিজের জীবন, পরিবার, অভ্যাস, আগের স্কুল, এমনকি তার পোশাক সম্পর্কেও অনেকক্ষণ ধরে কথা বলতে থাকে। প্রধান শিক্ষক ধৈর্য ধরে চার ঘণ্টার মতো সব কথা শোনেন এবং একবারও বিরক্ত হন না। শেষে তিনি স্নেহের সঙ্গে জানান যে টোট্টো-চান এখন এই স্কুলের একজন ছাত্রী। এই ঘটনায় টোট্টো-চান খুব খুশি হয়, কারণ এই প্রথম কোনো প্রাপ্তবয়স্ক মানুষ তাকে এত মনোযোগ দিয়ে শুনেছে এবং গ্রহণ করেছে।

 

 

Essential Vocabularies

 

Overall Short Summary

The story describes Totto-chan’s first experience at an unusual school called Tomoe Gakuen. She is amazed to see that the school gate is made of living trees and that old train cars are used as classrooms. Totto-chan instantly loves the school because it feels different and exciting. When she meets the headmaster, he treats her kindly and listens to her patiently for several hours while she talks freely about her life. His deep attention and understanding make Totto-chan feel accepted and valued. By the end of the meeting, the headmaster admits her to the school, marking the beginning of a joyful and supportive learning environment for her.

সার্বিক সংক্ষিপ্ত সারাংশ

গল্পটিতে টোট্টো-চানের টোমোয়ে গাকুয়েন নামের একটি ব্যতিক্রমধর্মী স্কুলে প্রথম অভিজ্ঞতার কথা বলা হয়েছে। স্কুলের গেট জীবন্ত গাছ দিয়ে তৈরি এবং শ্রেণিকক্ষ হিসেবে ব্যবহৃত হয়েছে পুরোনো ট্রেনের বগি—যা টোট্টো-চানকে খুবই আনন্দিত করে। স্কুলটি তার কাছে আলাদা ও আকর্ষণীয় মনে হয়। প্রধান শিক্ষকের সঙ্গে সাক্ষাতে তিনি টোট্টো-চানের সব কথা ধৈর্য ধরে দীর্ঘ সময় শোনেন। এতে টোট্টো-চান নিজেকে গ্রহণযোগ্য ও গুরুত্বপূর্ণ মনে করে। শেষ পর্যন্ত প্রধান শিক্ষক তাকে স্কুলে ভর্তি করে নেন, যা তার জীবনে একটি সুখী ও সহানুভূতিশীল শিক্ষাজীবনের সূচনা করে।

Question & Answers
1. Why was Totto-chan surprised when she first saw the new school?
Answer: Totto-chan was surprised because the school gate was made of living trees and the classrooms were old train cars, which was very different from normal schools.
(উত্তর: টোট্টো-চান অবাক হয়েছিল কারণ স্কুলের গেটটি জীবন্ত গাছ দিয়ে তৈরি ছিল এবং শ্রেণিকক্ষ হিসেবে পুরোনো ট্রেনের বগি ব্যবহার করা হয়েছিল, যা সাধারণ স্কুলের থেকে একেবারেই ভিন্ন।)

2. What made Tomoe Gakuen different from other schools?
Answer: Tomoe Gakuen was different because it used train cars as classrooms and followed a child-friendly, imaginative approach to education.
(উত্তর: টোমোয়ে গাকুয়েন ভিন্ন ছিল কারণ সেখানে শ্রেণিকক্ষ হিসেবে ট্রেনের বগি ব্যবহার করা হতো এবং শিশুদের জন্য সহানুভূতিশীল ও কল্পনাশক্তি-ভিত্তিক শিক্ষা দেওয়া হতো।)

3. How did Totto-chan react when she saw the train classrooms?
Answer: She became extremely excited and happy, and immediately wanted to run inside the train classrooms.
(উত্তর: সে খুব আনন্দিত ও উত্তেজিত হয়ে পড়ে এবং সঙ্গে সঙ্গে ট্রেনের শ্রেণিকক্ষে ঢুকতে চায়।)

4. Why did Totto-chan think the headmaster might be a stationmaster?
Answer: She thought so because the school had many train cars, and she believed that someone who owned trains must be a stationmaster.
(উত্তর: স্কুলে অনেক ট্রেন থাকায় টোট্টো-চানের মনে হয়েছিল যে যিনি ট্রেনের মালিক, তিনি নিশ্চয়ই স্টেশনমাস্টার।)

5. How did the headmaster behave during his first meeting with Totto-chan?
Answer: The headmaster behaved kindly, patiently, and respectfully, making Totto-chan feel comfortable and safe.
(উত্তর: প্রধান শিক্ষক সদয়, ধৈর্যশীল ও সম্মানজনক আচরণ করেন, যা টোট্টো-চানকে স্বস্তি ও নিরাপত্তা দেয়।)

6. What was unusual about the headmaster’s way of talking to Totto-chan?
Answer: Instead of questioning her, he allowed her to talk freely about anything she liked and listened without interruption.
(উত্তর: তাকে প্রশ্ন করার বদলে প্রধান শিক্ষক টোট্টো-চানকে যেকোনো বিষয়ে স্বাধীনভাবে কথা বলতে দেন এবং কোনো বাধা ছাড়াই শোনেন।)

7. What kind of things did Totto-chan talk about during the meeting?
Answer: She talked about her family, school experiences, habits, pets, clothes, and many small details of her daily life.
(উত্তর: সে তার পরিবার, স্কুলজীবন, অভ্যাস, পোষা প্রাণী, পোশাক এবং দৈনন্দিন জীবনের নানা ছোটখাটো বিষয় নিয়ে কথা বলেছিল।)

8. Why was listening to Totto-chan for four hours important?
Answer: It showed that the headmaster truly valued her thoughts and personality, something no adult had done before.
(উত্তর: এতে বোঝা যায় প্রধান শিক্ষক টোট্টো-চানের চিন্তা ও ব্যক্তিত্বকে গুরুত্ব দিয়েছিলেন, যা আগে কোনো প্রাপ্তবয়স্ক করেনি।)

9. How did Totto-chan feel after being accepted into the school?
Answer: She felt deeply happy, safe, and loved because she was accepted just the way she was.
(উত্তর: সে গভীর আনন্দ, নিরাপত্তা ও ভালোবাসা অনুভব করেছিল, কারণ তাকে যেমন সে তেমনভাবেই গ্রহণ করা হয়েছিল।)

10. What message about education does the story convey?
Answer: The story suggests that true education should respect individuality, encourage freedom of expression, and show patience and understanding toward children.
(উত্তর: গল্পটি বোঝায় যে প্রকৃত শিক্ষা হওয়া উচিত ব্যক্তিস্বাতন্ত্র্যকে সম্মান করা, মত প্রকাশের স্বাধীনতা দেওয়া এবং শিশুদের প্রতি ধৈর্য ও সহানুভূতি দেখানো।)

 

 

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)