NCERT Book Class 10 English (First Flight) Chapter 9 The Proposal

BEFORE YOU READ
Activity
1. The word ‘proposal’ has several meanings. Can you guess what
sort of proposal the play is about?
(i) a suggestion, plan or scheme for doing something
(ii) an offer for a possible plan or action
(iii) the act of asking someone’s hand in marriage

A Russian Wedding

Do you know anything about a Russian marriage ceremony?
Read this article about a Russian wedding.
Preparations for a Russian Wedding: A Russian wedding
is very simple. The planning only includes arranging for
rings, brides’ dress, cars, and a reception. Earlier, the bride’s
family paid for the reception, but now-a-days brides’ and
grooms’ families usually share expenses. A Russian wedding
lasts for two days; some weddings last as long as a week,
and the occasion becomes something to remember for years.
The necessary part of the wedding ceremony is a wedding
procession of several cars. The best friends of the groom/
bride meet before the wedding a few times, make posters,
write speeches and organise contests. When the groom
arrives to fetch the bride for the registration, he has to fight
to get her! Russians usually live in apartments in tall
buildings, and the groom has to climb several stairs to reach
his bride. But at each landing he must answer a question
to be allowed to go up. The bride’s friends ask difficult
questions (sometimes about the bride, sometimes just
difficult riddles), and the groom must answer with the help
of his friends. For example, he may be shown a few photos
of baby girls and he must say which one his bride is. If he
guesses wrong, he must pay cash to move ahead. After the