NCERT Book Class 8 English (It So Happened) Chapter 7 Jalebis

7 Jalebis
I
• An honest boy is on his way to school carrying money in his pocket
to pay the school fees.
• The sight of crisp, syrupy jalebis in the market excites him and
the coins in his pocket begin to jingle.
• After a long debate with himself, he yields to the sweet
temptation.

IT happened many years ago. I was in the fifth standard at the
government school, Kambelpur, now called Atak. One day, I went
to school with four rupees in my pocket to pay the school fees and
the fund. When I got there I found that the teacher who collected
the fees, Master Ghulam Mohammed, was on leave and so the fees
would be collected the next day. All through the day the coins simply
sat in my pocket, but once school got over and I was outside, they
began to speak.
All right. Coins don’t talk. They jingle or go khanak-khanak.
But I’m telling you, that day they actually spoke! One coin said,
“What are you thinking about? Those fresh, hot jalebis coming out
of the kadhao in the shop over there, they’re not coming out for
nothing. Jalebis are meant to be eaten and only those with money

khanak-khanak: sound of jingling of coins jalebis: syrupy Indian sweet kadhao: large,
open pot for cooking/boiling