Page 88 - English Class 07

When you want to read at night, you simply press a switch and the electric bulb gives

you light. Do you know who invented the electric bulb? He was an American named Thomas
Alva Edison.

Even in his childhood Edison loved to do experiments. He was fond of asking questions
and he was never satisfied till he got the right answers. There are many stories about his
childhood and here are a few of them.

One day, when young Edison was at school, the teacher was telling the children a story
about birds. He got up and asked the teacher, “Madam, why can’t man fly like a bird?”

“Because man has no wings,” replied the teacher.

The young boy thought for a moment and asked her again, “But, kites have no wings
and still we can fly them in the sky.”

All the other boys laughed and the teacher lost her patience. She thought the boy was
stupid and naughty and she asked his parents to take him out of school. His parents took
him home but they knew that he was not a stupid boy. Edison was just eight years old when

this happened.
Young Edison found in his mother his best teacher. She was patient enough to answer all
his questions and with her help and guidance he made good progress. He used to observe

things very closely and do a lot of experiments. Some of his experiments were silly, but he
learnt a lot from them.

stupid : foolish
patient : full of patience
observe : to look closely

English-7 88