Madhu's Wish — Class 3 English (CBSE)
From the current Class 3 English Santoor textbook, Unit 3: Good Food, Chapter 9. A gentle story that teaches the value of water and of thinking before we wish. These notes help students read for meaning, learn new food words, and write answers in their own words.
1. Chapter at a glance
- Text type: A story with a moral (lesson).
- Main character: Madhu, a child who loves to eat.
- Main theme: Water is precious — more important than treats — and we should think before we wish.
- What to notice while reading: Madhu's kind act, his wish, the problem it causes, and the lesson he learns.
2. The Story
Madhu loved food more than anything. He loved laddoos, fruits, and all kinds of tasty snacks.
One day, Madhu sat under a big banyan tree to eat his lunch. An old man, tired and hungry, came by. Kindly, Madhu shared his lunch with him. The old man was so grateful that he told Madhu the tree was magical and would grant him a wish.
Madhu was thrilled. He wished for all the food in the world — and at once the tree gave him laddoos, fruits, savouries, sharbat, kheer, and badam milk. Madhu ate and ate until he had the hiccups!
Now Madhu badly needed water. But when he asked the tree, no water came — because he had wished only for food, not for water. At last he asked the tree clearly for water, and the cool water came and stopped his hiccups.
Madhu learned an important lesson: water is the most precious thing of all, and we must think carefully before we make a wish.
3. Summary
Madhu, who loves food, shares his lunch with a hungry old man under a banyan tree. As thanks, the old man lets the magical tree grant Madhu a wish. Madhu greedily wishes for every kind of food and eats so much that he gets hiccups. He needs water desperately, but the tree gave only food, not water. When he finally wishes for water, it comes and helps him. Madhu realises that water is more precious than any treat, and that wishes should be made thoughtfully.
4. Theme and values
- Kindness — Madhu shares his lunch with the old man.
- Water is precious — no treat can replace water.
- Think before you wish — a hasty wish can cause trouble.
- Moderation — eating too much, too fast, causes problems.
Connect the value to an action: Madhu shows kindness because he shares his lunch even though he loves food.
5. New words and meanings
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| banyan tree | a very large Indian tree with hanging roots |
| grateful | feeling thankful |
| savouries | salty or spicy snacks |
| sharbat | a sweet cool drink |
| kheer | a sweet rice pudding |
| hiccups | sudden, repeated sounds from the throat |
| precious | very valuable and important |
6. Let Us Think (comprehension)
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What did Madhu love the most? Madhu loved food more than anything — laddoos, fruits, and tasty snacks.
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What kind thing did Madhu do under the banyan tree? He shared his lunch with a tired, hungry old man.
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What did Madhu wish for? He wished for all kinds of food in the world.
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Why couldn't the tree give Madhu water at first? Because Madhu had wished only for food, not for water.
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What lesson did Madhu learn? He learned that water is the most precious thing of all, and that we should think before we wish.
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What would you have wished for? Why? Answers will vary. Talk about a thoughtful, helpful wish.
7. Language and grammar practice
Food naming words (nouns)
From the story: laddoo, fruit, savouries, sharbat, kheer, badam milk — all are food and drink words.
Joining words (and / but)
- Madhu loved food ____ he shared his lunch. (but)
- The tree gave laddoos ____ fruits ____ kheer. (and)
Past tense
| Now | Before (past) |
|---|---|
| share | shared |
| eat | ate |
| give | gave |
| wish | wished |
8. Writing and speaking practice
- Writing: Write 4-5 lines about why water is important for us.
- Speaking: Tell the story in your own words using first, next, then, finally.
9. Common mistakes
- Mistake: Saying the tree gave water immediately. Fix: The tree gave only food first, because Madhu wished only for food.
- Mistake: Forgetting the lesson of the story. Fix: The lesson is that water is precious and we should think before we wish.
- Mistake: One-word answers for why questions. Fix: Use a full sentence with because.
10. Practice set
- What did Madhu love the most?
- What kind thing did Madhu do for the old man?
- What did Madhu wish for?
- Why could the tree not give Madhu water at first?
- What lesson did Madhu learn?
- Write 4-5 lines on why water is important.
11. Answer key
- Madhu loved food most of all.
- He shared his lunch with a hungry old man.
- He wished for all kinds of food.
- Because he had wished only for food, not water.
- That water is the most precious thing, and we should think before we wish.
- Answers will vary — check for reasons like drinking, cooking, cleaning, and life.
12. Fun activity
My Thoughtful Wish
If a magic tree gave you ONE wish, what would you choose? Draw it and write two sentences explaining why it is a good, thoughtful wish.
Save Water Poster
Make a small poster with one slogan to save water, for example: "Don't waste water — every drop counts!"
13. Quick revision
- Unit 3: Good Food · Chapter 9 · a story with a moral.
- Madhu shares his lunch, then wishes only for food and gets hiccups.
- The tree gives water only when he asks for it clearly.
- Lesson: water is precious; think before you wish.
- Answer in full sentences and give one example from the story.
Unit 3: Good Food
This chapter is part of Unit 3: Good Food. The three chapters in this unit are:
- Chapter 7: The Big Laddoo — an imagination poem about giant things
- Chapter 8: Thank God — a story about gratitude and good thinking
- Chapter 9: Madhu's Wish — a story about why water is precious
