Summary: “Uruka Adventure” is Lesson 2 from the ASSEB (Assam State Board of Secondary Education) Class 7 English textbook Sunbeam English Reader II. The story revolves around five boys — Mahen (short for Mahendra), Sanju, Nantu, Rinku, and Rumon — who plan a daring Uruka night adventure. Uruka is the eve of Magh Bihu, the Assamese harvest festival celebrated in mid-January. On this special night, it is an age-old custom for boys to stay awake in their bhelaghar (a temporary feasting hut), cook a grand meal together, and go out picking vegetables from neighbours’ gardens as part of the festive fun.
On this particular Uruka night, Mahen proposes an exciting plan: they will sneak into the garden of Shantiram, a retired army officer who is very fond of farming and has grown cabbages, brinjals, and carrots in his plot. The boys wait until midnight when the village is silent, then creep quietly through a bamboo gate (nongola) toward the garden. It is a cold January night, the nightjar shrieks eerily, and the atmosphere feels haunting. In the garden, Mahen spots a large black heap near the vegetable rows. The boys assume it is a pile of garbage. Suddenly, the black heap jerks up and rushes at them! Convinced they have seen a ghost, the terrified boys flee as fast as their legs can carry them. The next morning, they discover the truth: the “ghost” was Shantiram himself, who had suspected the boys’ plan and had been sitting in his garden wearing a black blanket, waiting to give them a fright. The lesson humorously highlights Assamese Bihu traditions and the playful spirit of Uruka night.
A. Understanding the Lesson
1. Who led the group of boys on the Uruka night adventure? What was his proposal?
Answer: Mahen (Mahendra) led the group of boys on the Uruka night adventure. His proposal was that the five friends — Sanju, Nantu, Rinku, and Rumon — should go on an adventurous excursion on Uruka night. Specifically, Mahen proposed that they sneak into Shantiram’s garden at midnight and pick vegetables, following the age-old Uruka custom of boys going out to collect vegetables from neighbours’ fields while everyone else was asleep.
2. What is Uruka? What is the age-old custom associated with it?
Answer: Uruka is the eve of Magh Bihu, the Assamese harvest festival celebrated in the middle of January every year. It is a night of great festivity and merriment. The age-old custom associated with Uruka is that boys build a bhelaghar (a temporary feasting hut) in a field, cook a special communal feast there, eat and celebrate together around a bonfire, and then go out picking vegetables from neighbours’ gardens while the rest of the village sleeps. This tradition of “stealing” vegetables on Uruka night is considered a playful and accepted part of the festival.
3. Who was Shantiram? Why did the boys choose his garden for their adventure?
Answer: Shantiram was a retired army officer who lived in the village. After his retirement, he had developed a great love for farming and gardening. He grew cabbages, brinjals, and carrots in his vegetable garden with great care. The boys chose his garden because it had the best and most plentiful vegetables in the neighbourhood, making it an attractive target for their Uruka night vegetable-picking adventure.
4. Describe the atmosphere when the boys crept into Shantiram’s garden at midnight.
Answer: The atmosphere at midnight was cold, still, and eerie. It was a cold January night and the entire village was fast asleep. There was complete silence all around. To add to the haunting atmosphere, a nightjar — a small nocturnal bird — began to shriek with its eerie, rasping call somewhere in the darkness. The boys walked quietly through the bamboo gate (nongola) into the garden, their hearts beating with a mixture of excitement and nervousness. The combination of the cold night, the deep silence, and the nightjar’s unsettling cry made the whole venture feel both thrilling and frightening.
5. What did Mahen spot in the garden? What did the boys think it was?
Answer: While creeping through the garden, Mahen spotted a large black heap lying near the rows of vegetable plants. It was still and shapeless in the darkness. The boys assumed it was a heap of garbage or a pile of waste material that Shantiram had dumped in the garden. They paid little attention to it at first and continued moving toward the vegetables. However, they soon received the shock of their lives when the “garbage heap” suddenly moved.
6. What happened when the boys were about to pick the vegetables? How did they react?
Answer: Just as the boys were about to pick the vegetables, the black heap they had noticed suddenly jerked up and came rushing toward them at great speed. The boys were completely terrified. In the dark, cold midnight, they could not make out what the rushing figure was. Convinced that they had encountered a ghost, all five boys turned and fled as fast as they could, scrambling out through the bamboo gate and running all the way back without stopping. They did not dare look back. Their Uruka adventure, which had started with great excitement and bravado, ended in utter panic and flight.
7. What was the truth behind the “ghost”? How did the boys come to know about it?
Answer: The truth was that there was no ghost at all. The mysterious black heap was Shantiram himself. He had anticipated that boys might come to his garden on Uruka night, so he had gone there in advance and sat quietly among the vegetable rows, wrapped in a dark blanket, deliberately disguising himself in the darkness. When the boys came close, he suddenly stood up and rushed toward them, giving them the fright of their lives. The boys discovered this truth the following morning, most likely when the story spread through the village, and they realised that their “ghost” had been the clever, retired army man all along.
B. Quick Recall
(a) Name the five boys in the story.
Answer: The five boys in the story are Mahen (Mahendra), Sanju, Nantu, Rinku, and Rumon.
(b) What is a bhelaghar?
Answer: A bhelaghar is a temporary feasting hut or shelter made of bamboo and thatch, built by boys in a field or open area during the Uruka celebration (the eve of Magh Bihu). It serves as a gathering place where the boys cook their communal feast, eat together, sing, and celebrate through the night.
(c) What vegetables did Shantiram grow in his garden?
Answer: Shantiram grew cabbages, brinjals, and carrots in his garden.
(d) What is a nongola?
Answer: A nongola is a bamboo gate or a simple gate made of bamboo poles used to close the entrance to a garden or field in traditional Assamese villages.
(e) What bird’s cry added to the eerie atmosphere of the night?
Answer: The cry of the nightjar added to the eerie atmosphere of the night. The nightjar is a small nocturnal bird known for its unsettling, rasping shriek, which sounds ghostly in the still darkness.
(f) How did Shantiram disguise himself in the garden?
Answer: Shantiram disguised himself by wrapping himself in a dark (black) blanket and sitting perfectly still among the vegetable rows in his garden. In the darkness, he looked like a shapeless black heap, which the boys mistook for a pile of garbage.
C. Arrange in Order
Arrange the following events in the correct order in which they happened in the story:
Answer: The correct order of events is:
- The boys celebrated Uruka by cooking a feast in their bhelaghar.
- Mahen proposed an adventure to pick vegetables from Shantiram’s garden.
- The boys waited until midnight when the village was asleep.
- The five boys crept quietly through the bamboo gate (nongola) into Shantiram’s garden.
- Mahen spotted a black heap near the vegetables.
- The black heap suddenly jerked up and rushed at the boys.
- The terrified boys fled from the garden, believing they had seen a ghost.
- The next morning, the boys discovered that the “ghost” was Shantiram himself in a black blanket.
D. Word Study
1. Word Meanings
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Uruka | The eve of Magh Bihu; the annual feast night before the Assamese harvest festival |
| bhelaghar | A temporary feasting hut made of bamboo and thatch, built for Uruka celebrations |
| nongola | A bamboo gate used to close the entrance to a garden or field |
| nightjar | A small nocturnal bird with an eerie, rasping cry; often active at night |
| propose | To suggest or put forward an idea or plan for consideration |
| restless | Unable to stay still; feeling uneasy or eager for action |
| custom | A traditional practice or behaviour accepted and followed by a community over time |
| feast | A large and special meal, often eaten as part of a celebration |
| frantically | In a hurried, disorganised, and desperate manner; wildly with fear or urgency |
| adventure | An exciting or daring experience involving some risk |
| authority | The power to give orders and make decisions; a person who has such power |
| creep | To move slowly and quietly so as not to be noticed |
| eerie | Strange and frightening; unsettling, especially in a dark or quiet setting |
| anticipated | Expected something to happen beforehand; looked forward to or planned for |
| disguise | To change one’s appearance so as not to be recognised |
| gleefully | In a manner showing great delight and excitement |
| excitedly | In an eager and enthusiastic manner |
| lovingly | In a tender and affectionate manner |
2. Match the Word with Its Meaning
Match the words in Column A with their meanings in Column B:
| Column A | Column B |
|---|---|
| propose | to suggest a plan or idea |
| custom | a traditional practice followed by a community |
| feast | a large special meal eaten during celebrations |
| restless | unable to stay still; uneasy |
| frantically | in a hurried, desperate, and disorganised manner |
| eerie | strange and frightening; unsettling |
| anticipated | expected something beforehand |
| authority | the power to give orders; a person in command |
3. Words Ending in -ly
Find words ending in -ly from the lesson and use each in a sentence:
| Word (-ly) | Meaning | Sample Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| excitedly | in an excited manner | Mahen jumped up excitedly when his friends agreed to the adventure. |
| quietly | in a quiet, silent manner | The boys walked quietly through the bamboo gate into the garden. |
| gleefully | in a manner showing great delight | The children gleefully ran to their bhelaghar on Uruka night. |
| lovingly | in a tender, caring manner | Shantiram lovingly tended to his vegetable garden every day. |
| frantically | in a hurried, desperate manner | The boys ran frantically when the black heap jumped up and rushed at them. |
E. Grammar
1. Contractions with ‘will’
In spoken and informal written English, pronouns are often combined with will to form contractions. The apostrophe (‘) replaces the letters that are omitted.
| Full Form | Contraction | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| I will | I’ll | I’ll lead you to Shantiram’s garden. |
| You will | You’ll | You’ll have to be very quiet. |
| He will | He’ll | He’ll never know we were there. |
| She will | She’ll | She’ll celebrate Uruka with her family. |
| We will | We’ll | We’ll go to the garden at midnight. |
| They will | They’ll | They’ll be waiting at the bhelaghar. |
| It will | It’ll | It’ll be an exciting adventure tonight. |
Exercise: Expand the contractions in the following sentences:
(a) We’ll go to Shantiram’s garden tonight.
Answer: We will go to Shantiram’s garden tonight.
(b) They’ll celebrate Uruka in the bhelaghar.
Answer: They will celebrate Uruka in the bhelaghar.
(c) I’ll be the leader of this adventure.
Answer: I will be the leader of this adventure.
(d) He’ll never know who came to his garden.
Answer: He will never know who came to his garden.
(e) You’ll have to be completely silent.
Answer: You will have to be completely silent.
2. Past Tense of Irregular Verbs
Some verbs do not follow the regular pattern of adding -ed to form the past tense. These are called irregular verbs. Many irregular verbs ending in the sound -ght are common in English. Study the table below:
| Base Form (Present) | Past Form | Past Participle |
|---|---|---|
| catch | caught | caught |
| teach | taught | taught |
| bring | brought | brought |
| fight | fought | fought |
| think | thought | thought |
| buy | bought | bought |
| seek | sought | sought |
| run | ran | run |
| creep | crept | crept |
| flee | fled | fled |
| see | saw | seen |
| sit | sat | sat |
Exercise: Write the past tense of the verbs in brackets:
(a) Mahen __________ (bring) his friends together on Uruka night.
Answer: Mahen brought his friends together on Uruka night.
(b) The boys __________ (creep) quietly through the bamboo gate.
Answer: The boys crept quietly through the bamboo gate.
(c) When the black heap moved, the frightened boys __________ (flee).
Answer: When the black heap moved, the frightened boys fled.
(d) Shantiram __________ (sit) in his garden all night, wrapped in a black blanket.
Answer: Shantiram sat in his garden all night, wrapped in a black blanket.
(e) Mahen __________ (think) the black heap was a pile of garbage.
Answer: Mahen thought the black heap was a pile of garbage.
3. Change to Future Tense
Rewrite the following sentences in the future tense using ‘will’:
(a) Mahen called his friends for the adventure.
Answer: Mahen will call his friends for the adventure.
(b) The boys decided to celebrate Uruka together.
Answer: The boys will decide to celebrate Uruka together.
(c) They went to pick vegetables from the garden.
Answer: They will go to pick vegetables from the garden.
(d) Shantiram sat in the garden wearing a black blanket.
Answer: Shantiram will sit in the garden wearing a black blanket.
(e) The frightened boys ran away from the garden.
Answer: The frightened boys will run away from the garden.
F. Activities and Writing
1. Describe a Festival You Have Celebrated
Activity: Write a short paragraph (5–8 sentences) describing a festival you have celebrated. Use past-tense verbs and include details about the planning, the people involved, the food, and what happened.
Answer (Sample — Bihu Festival): Last year, our family celebrated Rongali Bihu with great joy and enthusiasm. My mother and aunts started preparing traditional rice cakes like pitha and laru two days before the festival. On the main day, we all wore new traditional Assamese clothes — I wore a mekhela chador. Our entire neighbourhood gathered on the open ground near the village tank in the evening. The young men and women danced the Bihu dance while the dhol players beat a lively rhythm. We sang Bihu songs and ate a delicious meal of fish curry, duck meat, and various pithas. Our elders gave us blessings and gifts. In the evening, the bonfire lit up the sky and everyone cheered together. It was truly a festival of colours, food, music, and togetherness.
2. January Festivals
The story is set during Magh Bihu. Write about one or two January festivals celebrated across India, including how they are celebrated.
Answer:
Magh Bihu (Assam): Magh Bihu, also called Bhogali Bihu, is the harvest festival of Assam celebrated in January when the crop harvesting season ends. Uruka, the night before the main festival day, is the most exciting time. Boys build bhelaghars and cook a great feast. On the main day (bihu), people burn the bhelaghar and the meji (a tall bamboo and thatch structure) in a bonfire early in the morning, symbolising the farewell to the old season and welcoming a new one. People eat traditional foods like pitha, laru, and jolpan. It is a time of communal feasting, singing, and dancing.
Republic Day (All India — 26 January): Republic Day is celebrated across India on 26th January every year to commemorate the day in 1950 when the Constitution of India came into force. The main celebrations are held in New Delhi at Rajpath (now Kartavya Path), where a grand parade is organised with colourful tableaux representing the states, military displays, and cultural performances. Schools and colleges across the country hoist the national flag, hold patriotic programmes, sing the national anthem, and distribute sweets. Republic Day reminds us of our responsibilities as citizens of a democratic nation.
3. Make a Poster
Activity: Design a poster celebrating a nature-linked festival such as Magh Bihu. Include the name of the festival, when it is celebrated, its significance, and a slogan.
Answer (Sample Poster Content):
MAGH BIHU — THE FESTIVAL OF HARVEST AND TOGETHERNESS
When: January (mid-January, on the first day of the Assamese month of Magh)
Significance: Celebrates the end of the rice harvest season in Assam. It is a time to thank nature for its bounty, share food with neighbours, and celebrate the community spirit through feasting, singing, and dancing.
Special Traditions: Building bhelaghar, cooking communal feasts on Uruka night, burning the meji bonfire at dawn, eating pithas and larus.
Slogan: “Let the Meji Flames Rise — Celebrate the Harvest, Celebrate Life!”
G. Additional Questions and Answers
1. What qualities does Mahen show as the leader of the group?
Answer: Mahen shows several qualities of a natural leader. He takes the initiative by proposing the Uruka adventure to his friends. When they agree, he jumps up excitedly with an air of authority, showing confidence and enthusiasm. He leads the group to the garden and is the first to spot the black heap. Although the adventure ends in a humorous fright, his boldness and willingness to act make him the clear leader of the group. His energy and adventurous spirit inspire his friends to follow him.
2. Why do you think Shantiram decided to trick the boys instead of simply stopping them from entering his garden?
Answer: Shantiram was a retired army man who understood the spirit of Uruka traditions. Rather than angrily confronting the boys or forbidding them from entering, he chose to trick them by giving them a good fright. This shows that he had a sense of humour and understood that the boys’ vegetable-picking was part of the age-old Uruka custom. He did not want to spoil the fun of the festival, but he also wanted to have the last laugh. His trick turned the boys’ adventure into a memorable lesson — they went in to scare him (by taking his vegetables) and he ended up scaring them instead.
3. What does the story tell us about the importance of community traditions and festivals in Assamese culture?
Answer: The story beautifully highlights the importance of community traditions and festivals in Assamese culture. The Uruka celebration is not just about food — it is about togetherness, shared experiences, and the playful bonds that tie a community together. The tradition of boys going out to pick vegetables on Uruka night is an age-old custom accepted and understood by all, including the “victims” like Shantiram. Even Shantiram’s trick is part of the same spirit — he participates in the tradition in his own way. The story shows that festivals keep cultural memories alive, strengthen bonds between people of different ages, and fill life with laughter and shared stories.
4. How does the nightjar contribute to the mood of the story?
Answer: The nightjar plays a small but important role in building the mood of the story. Its eerie, rasping shriek in the silent midnight darkness creates a haunting atmosphere. The sound of the nightjar in the cold January night makes the garden feel mysterious and slightly frightening even before anything actually happens. This sets the reader (and the boys) on edge, making the sudden movement of the “black heap” all the more terrifying. The nightjar’s cry is a literary device — it foreshadows the fright the boys are about to receive and heightens the suspense of the climax.
5. Imagine you are Sanju, one of the boys. Write three sentences describing what you felt when the black heap suddenly moved.
Answer: My heart almost stopped when that shapeless black heap suddenly jerked up in the darkness of the garden. For a split second, I froze completely — every hair on my body stood on end — and then pure terror took over as the dark figure rushed toward us with terrifying speed. I have never run so fast in my life; all I could think of was getting as far away as possible from whatever that thing was, and I did not dare stop or look back until we were well clear of Shantiram’s gate.
6. What is the humour in this story? Do you think the boys deserved to be frightened? Give reasons.
Answer: The humour of the story lies in the complete reversal of the boys’ intentions. They set out boldly to “steal” vegetables and have a grand adventure, full of confidence and bravado. But in the end, they are the ones who are thoroughly terrified and put to flight — not by a ghost, but by the very man whose garden they came to raid. The hunter becomes the hunted. Whether the boys “deserved” to be frightened is a matter of opinion. On one hand, they were following a harmless, age-old Uruka tradition. On the other hand, Shantiram had every right to guard his garden, and his trick was a perfectly harmless and clever way to teach them a lesson. Either way, the fright they received adds a wonderful, laugh-out-loud quality to the story that makes it memorable and enjoyable.
7. Magh Bihu is also called Bhogali Bihu. What does the word “Bhogali” mean and why is it used for this festival?
Answer: The word “Bhogali” comes from the Assamese word bhog, which means enjoyment, feasting, or eating. Magh Bihu is called Bhogali Bihu because it is essentially a festival of feasting and enjoyment. It marks the end of the harvest season when the granaries are full and there is food in abundance. The entire celebration revolves around cooking and eating together — from the great communal feast cooked in the bhelaghar on Uruka night to the traditional pithas and rice cakes prepared at home. The name Bhogali perfectly captures the spirit of this festival: a time to rejoice in the bounty of the harvest and share that abundance with family, friends, and neighbours.
8. Write five sentences about the ASSEB Class 7 English textbook Sunbeam English Reader II.
Answer: Sunbeam English Reader II is the Class 7 English textbook published by the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), Assam, for students of the Assam State Board of Secondary Education (ASSEB). The textbook is designed to develop the English language skills of Class 7 students through interesting and culturally relevant prose lessons and poems. Each lesson in the book includes a rich passage followed by a variety of exercises covering comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and writing skills. The lessons draw from both Assamese cultural settings (such as “Uruka Adventure”) and broader themes, making the content relatable and engaging for Assamese students. The textbook helps students build a strong foundation in reading comprehension, creative writing, and English grammar as they progress toward their secondary-level board examinations.