English story Reading practice

Rekha was seventeen years old. As she was very
beautiful, many men wanted to marry her. She did not want to
marry the men in her village. Rekha said to her father, “I am
very beautiful and I have many jewels. I want to live in a large
house and I don’t want to do any work in the house”.

Rekha’s father replied “We don’t know any one who is
rich. I am sure you wouldn’t like living in a town. You will be
better off in the village. Why don’t you marry Ajay? He is
indeed a very good bridegroom”. But Rekha remained firm and
said, “I will marry only a rich man.”

One day an artist reached that village. He drew many
pictures and painted them in colours. On seeing Rekha the artist
observed to her father; “Your daughter is very beautiful. I want
to draw her picture and colour it.” Rekha’s father obliged the
artist’s request.

Hence the artist began drawing Rekha’s picture and
colouring it. The artist visited Rekha’s house everyday to do hisjob. One day he said to her, “Your eyes in the picture look very
beautiful. If you adorn those eyes with jewellery they will look
even better.” These comments made Rekha part with two of her
jewels to adorn her eyes in the picture.

The next day the artist continued to make a few more
comments, “Your lips in the picture are simply charming. A
few pieces of jewellery on them will make the picture even more
charming.” Rekha gladly parted with two more of her jewels to
adorn the lips in the picture.

On the third day the artist observed, “You have beautiful
jewels on your ears and your fingers. If you adorn your picture
with those jewels, the portrait will simply be graceful.”
Immediately Rekha took the jewels out of her ears and
fingers and gave them to the artist. The artist said, “It will take
me some time to place those pieces of jewellery perfectly on this
picture. So I will take them home and do it there. Tomorrow I
will bring you back your picture which will be the most
beautiful picture in the world”. Then he went away.

Some days later, Rekha’s father wanted to know where
her jewels were. Rekha admitted to having given them to the
artist for adorning her picture. Rekha’s father was enraged and
said, “We do not know where he lives. What will you do if he
doesn’t come back at all?”

Rekha’s father was quite correct. The artist never came
back. Rekha lost all her jewels owing to her folly.
Then Rekha married Ajay and lived happily in the
village. Whenever Ajay insisted that they should visit the town,
she always observed, “I’m happier in the village and I don’t
want to visit the town”.