Intelligent But Mischievous
Bal's father Gangadhar Ramachandra Tilak was a
Sanskrit scholar and a famous teacher. Because of his scholarship, he had
become'Gangadharpant' to every one.
Bal learnt all the . lessons at home and there was noth ing left to learn at school.
Though Bat was very intelligent, he was not his teachers' favourite because of his
mischievousness. From his childhood, he used to form independent views. He took an
independent stand always. He was very much different from boys of his age.
Those were the days of his schooling in the
primary school at Ratnagiri.
One afternoon the teacher entered the class after the interval and foundgroundnut shells
scattered in the classroom. Naturally he grew angry.He took his cane andasked, "Who
scattered the groundnut shells like this?"
There was silence. The teacher's anger rose.
"Speak, who ate the groundnuts?" No one confessed. The teacher lost his temper.
He decided to punish the entire class. He began to give each boy two cuts with his cane.
When Bal's turn came, he did not hold out his hand."I did not eat the ground- nuts.
So I will not receive the cuts."
"Then who ate the groundnuts?" "It
is said that carrying tales is bad. So I won't tell."
Bal's straightforwardness and truthfulness made the teacher himself uncomfortable.
He became angry, too. He sent him out of the
school.And Bal's fatherGangadharpant received a complaint against his son.
Next day, the father brought Bal to the school. He said that what his son had said was
true. Bal was not in the habit of eating anything outside his home and he, the
father,never gave his son money to buy anything.
Even at that young age it was Tilak's nature to protest against injustice.
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