Page 112 - English Class 07

Ranji was supposed to be preparing for his exams, only a fortnight away, but he couldn’t

resist one or two more games before getting down to history and algebra, and other
unexciting things.

‘I’m going to be a Test cricketer when I grow up,’ he told his mother. ‘Of what use will
maths be to me?’

‘You never know,’ said his mother, who happened to be more of a cricket fan than his
father. ‘You might need maths to work out your batting average. And as for history,
wouldn’t you like to be a part of history? Famous cricketers make history!’

‘Making history is all right,’ said Ranji, ‘as long as I don’t have to remember the date on
which I make it!’

Since the park was not available, Ranji and his friends would play on the river bank against
their rivals, the village boys. The match was to be held the following Sunday. The village
team was quite good because the boys lived near each other and practised a lot together,

whereas Ranji’s team was drawn from all parts of the town. Sometimes their fathers also
turned up for a game. They weren’t very good, but you couldn’t tell them that. After all,
they helped to provide bats and balls, and pocket money.

spectator : somebody who watches cricket matches
snout : nose

A regular spectator at these matches was Nakoo the crocodile, who lived in the river. Nakoo
means Nosey, but the village boys were very respectful and called him Nakoo-ji, Nakoo - sir.
He had a long snout , rows of ugly-looking teeth (some of them badly in need of fillings), and

a powerful scaly tail. He was nearly fifteen feet long, but you did not see much of him; he

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