A Short Monsoon Diary Summary & Notes - CBSE Class 8 English Honeydew

Summary of A Short Monsoon Diary

Chapter 8 of the Class 8 English Main Coursebook – Honeydew, consists of prose – A Short Monsoon Diary, which consists of a few extracts from Ruskin Bond’s diary. In this chapter, he describes his experience in Mussoorie during the monsoon season. Read the prose summary of CBSE Class 8 English Prose Notes – A Short Monsoon Diary in CBSE English Notes Class 8 format to explore the chapter in detail. We hope this concise summary will guide students to have a solid understanding of the chapter and prep up for their English exam.

To prepare for the writing section of the Class 8 English exam, students must practice essays on various topics. By doing so, they can easily score marks in essay writing.

CBSE Class 8 English A Short Monsoon Diary Summary

A Short Monsoon Diary consists of a few excerpts from the author, Ruskin Bond’s diary. He is a nature lover. He describes his experiences with the natural surroundings during the monsoon season in his diary. He enjoys the beauty of nature and observes the simultaneous changes that happen in the flora and fauna during this season. This chapter depicts his day-to-day experiences in the midst of the rainy season in Mussoorie.

On 24th June, the first monsoon mist hit the hill station. The mist was like a white blanket that covered the hills, and the birds were also silent. He could anticipate that Bijju was calling out to his sister and running about on the hillside. Due to the mist, he was unable to see Bijju. The forest seemed to be silent and still due to the mist, as though it were midnight.

On June 25th, there was some genuine monsoon rain that was warm and humid. However, it was more comfortable than the winter rain. The flowers were blooming everywhere, and the mist gave a certain privacy to the residents. When a schoolboy asked the author to describe the hill station, Ruskin Bond described it as ‘A paradise that might have been’.

On 27th June, the rain brought some seasonal visitors, such as a leopard and thousands of leeches. A leopard was seen preying on several animals and lifting dogs from the neighbourhood. The author said that he got habituated to the presence of the leeches as they sucked blood every day. Some new birds, like scarlet minivets, also arrived in the area. These birds are vibrant-coloured as they usually sit silently among the leaves. Besides, the neighbourhood also saw the blooming of seasonal flowers. A tree creeper rapidly moved up the trunk of the oak tree and snapped the insects up all the way.

On the night of 2nd August, it rained heavily, and the drumming of the rain on the tin roof delighted him. Although he was inside his cottage untouched by the rain, he felt in touch with the rain.

On 3rd August, it stopped raining, and there was some sunshine peeping from the hill. A woman was chopping some sticks, and he could hear the tinkling sound of cowbells. The author noticed that the animals and birds were coming out to soak in some sunlight. He was pleasantly surprised to hear the song of a whistling thrush that came from the depths of the valley.

On August 12th, there was endless rain along with a permanent white mist covering the valley. There had been no sunshine for the past few days. Everything around looked very damp and soggy. The author looked out of the window and noticed a few bobbing umbrellas. Although it wasn’t cold, the rain brought a vibrant and lush appearance to the late-monsoon flowers, such as wild balsam, begonias, dahlias and ground orchids.

By 31st August, the lush monsoon growth had reached its peak and could be seen everywhere. The seeds of the cobra lily started to become red, which indicated that the rains were coming to an end. Snakes and rodents had started taking shelter in roofs, attics and godowns as their homes underground were flooded with rainwater. On the same day, the author also received a cheque for a small amount in the mail.

On 3rd October, the monsoon departed, and the winter rain began. There was snow at higher altitudes. After the evening hailstorm, the sky was filled with beautiful and bright golden light.

On January 26th, the author wrote a few beautiful lines about the winter rain. He mentioned that the winter rain gave him a lonely feeling, and a friend who was staying with him had also left the place. He sat quietly, surrounded by the rhythm of the rain, but there were no flowers in the winter rain like the monsoon rain. The trees were also not green anymore, and this brought a sense of loneliness in him.

By 23rd March, winter had ended, and the author could see a rainbow forming in the clear sky after a gloomy hailstorm.

Conclusion of A Short Monsoon Diary

The chapter – A Short Monsoon Diary highlights the experiences of the author, Ruskin Bond, about the monsoon season that brings fresh changes in the natural surroundings. Presenting the CBSE Class 8 English Honeydew Prose Summary of A Short Monsoon Diary that must have helped 8th Standard students to have an in-depth understanding of the chapter.

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