West Bengal (WBBSE)Class 10Subject library

West Bengal (WBBSE) Class 10 English

Chapter-wise notes, previous year papers, sample papers and Q&A for West Bengal (WBBSE) Class 10 english — free, syllabus-aligned, exam-ready.

22 chapters~348 min read totalFree · printable

Chapters

22 chapters — sequenced for revision and exam prep.

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A Letter to God (G.L. Fuentes)

'A Letter to God' by Gregorio Lopez y Fuentes — a Mexican farmer Lencho's deep faith in God leads him to write a letter asking for money after his crops are destroyed by hail. The story explores faith, hope, irony, and human nature. CBSE Class 10 English (First Flight) Chapter 1.

CBSE⏱ 18 minRead chapter

Nelson Mandela — Long Walk to Freedom

An autobiographical extract from Nelson Mandela's 'Long Walk to Freedom' — the inauguration of South Africa's first democratic government in 1994, end of apartheid, Mandela's reflections on freedom, oppression, and the meaning of courage. CBSE Class 10 English (First Flight) Chapter 2.

CBSE⏱ 22 minRead chapter

Two Stories About Flying

Two contrasting stories about flying — 'His First Flight' (a young seagull overcomes fear to take his first flight) and 'The Black Aeroplane' (a pilot lost in a storm is guided by a mysterious black plane). Themes of fear, courage, mystery, and survival. CBSE Class 10 English (First Flight) Chapter 3.

CBSE⏱ 20 minRead chapter

From the Diary of Anne Frank

An extract from Anne Frank's famous diary — written by a Jewish teenage girl hiding from Nazis in Amsterdam during World War II. Themes of loneliness, friendship, growing up, and the power of writing. CBSE Class 10 English (First Flight) Chapter 4.

CBSE⏱ 20 minRead chapter

Glimpses of India

Three short pieces — 'A Baker from Goa' (Portuguese bakery culture), 'Coorg' (Karnataka's coffee paradise), and 'Tea from Assam' (Assam's tea gardens) — celebrating India's diverse cultural and natural heritage. CBSE Class 10 English (First Flight) Chapter 5.

CBSE⏱ 22 minRead chapter

Mijbil the Otter

Gavin Maxwell's true account of his pet otter Mijbil — adopted in Iraq, transported to London. The story explores the human-animal bond, otter behaviour, and life with an unusual pet. CBSE Class 10 English (First Flight) Chapter 6.

CBSE⏱ 18 minRead chapter

Madam Rides the Bus

A short story by Vallikkannan about Valliammai (Valli), an 8-year-old Tamil girl, who saves money to take her first solo bus ride to town. The story explores childhood curiosity, independence, and the realities of life and death. CBSE Class 10 English (First Flight) Chapter 7.

CBSE⏱ 18 minRead chapter

The Sermon at Benares

An account of the Buddha's first sermon at Benares (Varanasi) — including the famous parable of Kisa Gotami's grief over her dead son. The story teaches that sorrow and death are universal, and acceptance brings peace. CBSE Class 10 English (First Flight) Chapter 8.

CBSE⏱ 16 minRead chapter

The Proposal

A one-act comedy play by Anton Chekhov — Lomov visits Chubukov's house to propose marriage to his daughter Natalya, but petty quarrels (over land, then a dog) repeatedly derail the proposal. A hilarious satire on marriage and trivial disputes. CBSE Class 10 English (First Flight) Chapter 9.

CBSE⏱ 18 minRead chapter

Dust of Snow (Robert Frost)

A short, beautiful poem by Robert Frost. A simple incident — snow falling from a hemlock tree shaken by a crow — transforms the poet's mood from sadness to hope. Themes of nature's healing power and unexpected joy. CBSE Class 10 English (First Flight) Poetry.

CBSE⏱ 10 minRead chapter

Fire and Ice (Robert Frost)

Another Robert Frost gem — a tight 9-line meditation on how the world might end. Fire (desire) and ice (hatred) are equally destructive. A compact poem of big ideas, perfect for extract-based questions. CBSE Class 10 English (First Flight) Poetry.

CBSE⏱ 10 minRead chapter

A Tiger in the Zoo (Leslie Norris)

Leslie Norris contrasts a tiger's natural wild majesty with its sad captivity in a concrete cell. A powerful poem about freedom, confinement, and the cruelty of keeping wild animals caged. CBSE Class 10 English (First Flight) Poetry.

CBSE⏱ 12 minRead chapter

How to Tell Wild Animals (Carolyn Wells)

Carolyn Wells offers a comically absurd guide to identifying wild animals — if a tiger eats you, it's a Bengal Tiger; if a bear hugs you to death, it's a bear. A humorous poem with dark undertones. CBSE Class 10 English (First Flight) Poetry.

CBSE⏱ 12 minRead chapter

The Ball Poem (John Berryman)

A boy loses his ball, and the world tells him — there's no buying it back. John Berryman's quiet, profound poem about learning to cope with loss. First experience of the EPISTEMOLOGY OF LOSS. CBSE Class 10 English (First Flight) Poetry.

CBSE⏱ 12 minRead chapter

Amanda! (Robin Klein)

Every child knows an Amanda — the daydreamer who escapes constant adult nagging into a world of mermaids, orphans, and Rapunzel. Robin Klein's beloved poem captures the tension between parental control and a child's need for imaginative freedom. CBSE Class 10 English (First Flight) Poetry.

CBSE⏱ 12 minRead chapter

A Triumph of Surgery (James Herriot)

Tricki, a pampered dog, is loved to sickness by his rich owner Mrs Pumphrey. Veterinarian James Herriot 'kidnaps' the dog to save its life — and the cure is simple: no food, just play. A heartwarming, humorous story about overindulgence. CBSE Class 10 English (Footprints Without Feet) Chapter 1.

CBSE⏱ 16 minRead chapter

The Thief's Story (Ruskin Bond)

A 15-year-old thief, a trusting man named Anil, and a stolen bundle of rupee notes returned before dawn. Ruskin Bond's gentle, profound story about how trust and kindness can transform a person. CBSE Class 10 English (Footprints Without Feet) Chapter 2.

CBSE⏱ 14 minRead chapter

A Question of Trust (Victor Canning)

Horace Danby is a 'respectable' thief who robs once a year to feed his love of rare books — until he meets a mysterious young woman who turns the tables on him completely. CBSE Class 10 English (Footprints Without Feet) Chapter 4.

CBSE⏱ 16 minRead chapter

The Midnight Visitor (Robert Arthur)

Secret agent Ausable is fat, speaks with an American accent in Paris, and has a room on the 6th floor — with no balcony. When a rival agent with a gun demands a secret document, Ausable spins a tale that turns the tables. CBSE Class 10 English (Footprints Without Feet) Chapter 3.

CBSE⏱ 14 minRead chapter

Footprints without Feet (H.G. Wells)

A brilliant scientist discovers how to turn himself invisible — and immediately descends into theft and violence. H.G. Wells' classic tale asks: what happens when power falls into the hands of someone without morals? CBSE Class 10 English (Footprints Without Feet) Chapter 5.

CBSE⏱ 14 minRead chapter

The Making of a Scientist (Robert W. Peterson)

Richard Ebright was a curious child who collected butterflies in Pennsylvania. He became one of the world's leading molecular biologists — discovering how cells read their DNA. This is the story of how curiosity, competition, and perseverance 'make' a scientist. CBSE Class 10 English (Footprints Without Feet) Chapter 6.

CBSE⏱ 16 minRead chapter

Bholi (K.A. Abbas)

Bholi — the 'simpleton' — was ugly, stammering, and an object of ridicule. Then education gave her a voice. K.A. Abbas's powerful story about how a school transforms a girl into a woman who can say 'no'. CBSE Class 10 English (Footprints Without Feet) Chapter 8.

CBSE⏱ 18 minRead chapter