The Smell of Food

English in Daily Life — Block 3: Media and Entertainment

🎯 Learning Objectives

Read and understand the play 'The Smell of Food' (3 scenes)
Appreciate Mullah Nasruddin's wit and wisdom
Understand vocabulary of laughter (titter to bellow)
Use 'USED TO' and 'WOULD' correctly to talk about past habits
Listen to and sequence a story ('The Feast of Punjab')
Talk about films and TV programmes using appropriate vocabulary

4.1 Reading — The Play 'The Smell of Food'

📚 Background

Setting: A market place in Baghdad or Kabul. Famous eatery 'Mehboob Husseini Kabab'. A court presided over by the Quazi.
Characters: Abdul (poor man), Mehboob Husseini (greedy eatery owner), Mullah Nasruddin (wise, witty, kind), The Quazi (judge).
Theme: Wit overcomes greed.

Scene	Summary
Scene 1: The Market	Abdul (a poor man) wanders into the market and smells the wonderful food at Mehboob Husseini's shop. He enjoys the aromas but has no money. When he tries to leave, Husseini demands PAYMENT for the smells. Abdul refuses — 'I have not tasted any food!' A scuffle follows. Husseini threatens to take him to the Quazi's court next day.
Scene 2: The Mullah's Doorstep	Next morning, Abdul visits Mullah Nasruddin looking terrified 'like a goat about to be slaughtered.' He tells the whole story. The Mullah scratches his head, thinks, then says 'Come, let's go' — he has a plan.
Scene 3: The Quazi's Court	Husseini presents his case. The Quazi rules Abdul must pay. The Mullah offers to pay. He takes out a cloth bag of coins, sits close to Husseini, and shakes the bag next to his ear — CHINK, CHINK! 'DO YOU HEAR THE MONEY?' Husseini says yes. Mullah: 'He smelled your food — YOU HEARD the money. The dues are clear!' The Quazi agrees. Court dismissed!

Comprehension Answers:

Question	Answer
What caught Abdul's fancy?	The delicious smells of food from Mehboob Husseini's kebab shop
Was Husseini proud? Evidence?	Yes — 'Isn't Mehboob Husseini's fare extraordinary?' Also offered Abdul to taste the food
What did Husseini threaten?	To take Abdul to the Quazi's court for stealing the smell of his food
How did the Mullah help?	He used equal wit: sound of coins = payment for smell. Declared dues cleared after Husseini heard the coins.
Qualities of Husseini?	Sharp business sense, greedy, vain, dishonest, bullying, sly and smooth talking
The story best illustrates?	Tit for tat, nothing's better than that.
Mullah was a ___ person?	A clever and KIND person.

4.2 Vocabulary — Words of Laughter

Level	Word	Meaning
1 (quietest)	titter	A quiet, embarrassed or nervous kind of laugh
2	giggle	A light, silly laugh, often in a group
3	chuckle	A quiet, private laugh at something amusing
4	chortle	A joyful, cheerful laugh, often with a snort
5	laugh	The general, standard word for expressing amusement
6	guffaw	A loud, unrestrained burst of laughter
7	rumble (with laughter)	A deep, rolling laugh, like distant thunder
8	roar (with laughter)	A very loud, uncontrolled laugh
9 (loudest)	bellow (with laughter)	The loudest possible laugh — shouting with laughter

Word for 'Give'	When Used	Example
administer	Give medicine or administer an oath/punishment formally	The nurse carefully administered the medicines.
mete out	Give out punishment (formal, strong)	The court meted out severe punishment.
dole out	Give out money or food in small portions	Several countries regularly dole out money to the unemployed.
present	Give as a gift formally or publicly	My students presented me with a book.
confer	Bestow a title, degree, or honour	The college conferred on him the title of Professor Emeritus.

4.3 Grammar — 'Used To' and 'Would'

USED TO — Past States and Habits

Used for past STATES and HABITS that no longer exist.
Can describe a STATE that existed in the past.

• We used to live in this house. (State — no longer)
• My mother used to bake cakes on birthdays. (Habit)

WOULD — Past Habits Only

Used ONLY for REPEATED PAST ACTIONS / characteristic behaviour.
CANNOT describe past states.

• She would carry her dictionary to all meetings. (Predictable habit)
• I would just clam up. (Characteristic behaviour)

Sentence	Answer	Why
My brother ___ keep white mice as pets.	used to keep	STATE + HABIT — use 'used to'
I ___ know her well. We ___ often meet.	used to know / would often meet	'Know' = state → used to. 'Meet' = habit → would
This ___ be a cinema theatre in the 1970s.	used to be	STATE (it was a cinema — no longer is) → used to
The warden ___ sneak upon us at night.	would sneak	Characteristic/predictable behaviour → would
My sister ___ play tricks on people.	used to play	Habit → used to
She ___ fly into a rage.	would fly	Predictable reaction → would

4.4 Listening — 'The Feast of Punjab' (Correct Sequence)

Order	Event
1	Once Afzal visited his friend Imanullah in Kashmir.
2	Imanullah prepared a good feast; he expected compliments.
3	Afzal only remarked the food was good but not like the feast in Punjab.
4	Imanullah was disappointed. He decided to give a bigger feast and took out all cook books.
5	The second time too Afzal said the feast of Punjab was much better.
6	Imanullah called a cook from another city — the grandest feast of all.
7	This time too Afzal had the same thing to say. Imanullah gave up.
8	In winter Imanullah visited Afzal in Punjab and waited eagerly for the famous feast.
9	Imanullah waited but servants brought only two chapattis, some vegetables, and some curd.
10	Afzal said: people in Punjab work hard and eat simple food. The simple food is their feast.

💡 Moral of the Story

'Simple food eaten after honest hard work is a feast in itself.' — True happiness comes from simplicity, effort, and contentment — not grandeur.

Practice Questions & Answers

Q1. Summarise 'The Smell of Food'. What is the main message?

Abdul smells food at Mehboob Husseini's shop. When he tries to leave, Husseini demands payment for the smells! In court, Mullah Nasruddin's brilliant solution: 'You smelled my food — I heard my money. We're even!' The Quazi agrees.
Main message: Cleverness and wit can overcome injustice and greed.

Q2. What qualities does Mullah Nasruddin show?

1. KINDNESS — immediately agrees to help Abdul
2. WISDOM — understands the law and uses it cleverly
3. WIT — thinks of a brilliant logical solution
4. FAIRNESS — fights injustice using justice's own logic
5. COURAGE — stands up in court and argues confidently

Q3. Arrange words of laughter from quietest to loudest.

titter → giggle → chuckle → chortle → laugh → guffaw → rumble (with laughter) → roar (with laughter) → bellow (with laughter)

Q4. What is the difference between 'used to' and 'would'? Give 3 examples each.

USED TO: For past states AND habits.
1. We used to live in that house. (state)
2. My mother used to bake cakes. (habit)
3. There used to be a huge tree here. (state)
WOULD: For REPEATED PAST ACTIONS only (not states).
1. She would carry her dictionary to all meetings.
2. I would just clam up when asked a question.
3. The warden would sneak on us at night.

Q5. Complete with 'used to' or 'would': a) My sister ___ play tricks. b) This ___ be a cinema in the 1970s. c) She ___ fly into a rage.

a) My sister USED TO play tricks. (habit/state)
b) This USED TO BE a cinema theatre. (past state — no longer a cinema)
c) She WOULD fly into a rage. (characteristic/predictable behaviour — a reaction)

Q6. What is the moral of 'The Feast of Punjab'?

MORAL: Simple food eaten after honest hard work is a feast in itself. Happiness does not come from grandeur or luxury — it comes from simplicity, effort, and contentment.
Afzal's 'feast' is just chapattis, vegetables, and curd — but to the people of Punjab who work hard all day, this simple meal IS their feast.

Q7. Use 5 different words for 'give' in sentences.

1. The court meted out severe punishment.
2. The nurse carefully administered the medicines.
3. Several NGOs regularly dole out food to the homeless.
4. The college conferred on him the title of Professor Emeritus.
5. My students presented me with a beautiful gift on Teacher's Day.

Q8. What elements should a good story contain?

1. CHARACTERS — each with their own personality
2. CONVERSATION (dialogue) — makes story lively
3. SETTING — specific time and place
4. CONFLICT/PROBLEM
5. RISING ACTION
6. CLIMAX — most exciting moment
7. RESOLUTION — how problem is solved
8. ENDING/CONCLUSION

Q9. Talk about a film or TV show you enjoy.

Sample: 'Last weekend I watched a wonderful film called 3 Idiots. It is a story about three college friends who challenge the education system. It is a COMEDY with excellent TIMING and very TRUE TO LIFE situations. The script is brilliant — full of racy, memorable DIALOGUES. The DIRECTOR Rajkumar Hirani creates scenes that are both hilarious and deeply moving. I especially liked it because the THEME is so relevant — it asks us to follow our hearts, not just run after grades.'

Q10. What are 'extraordinary', 'customary', 'scuffle', and 'appropriate' from the play?

extraordinary: Greater or better than usual. Husseini asks 'Isn't my fare extraordinary?' (remarkably good?)
customary: Habitual; usual; in accordance with custom. 'The beard customary to the place' — typically worn in that region.
scuffle: A short and not very violent fight or struggle.
appropriate: Suitable or fitting for the purpose.

Let Us Sum Up — Quick Revision

Play: Abdul smells food, Husseini demands payment, Mullah's solution: sound of coins = payment for smell. Wit beats greed.
Words of Laughter: titter → giggle → chuckle → chortle → laugh → guffaw → rumble → roar → bellow
Words for Give: administer (medicine), mete out (punishment), dole out (charity), present (gift), confer (honour)
Feast of Punjab: Imanullah impressed by Afzal's boasting. But Afzal's 'feast' = simple chapattis. Moral: simplicity is true richness.
'Used to': For past STATES and HABITS. 'We used to live there.'
'Would': For past REPEATED HABITS only (not states). 'She would carry her dictionary.'

BEGLA-135 Study Notes — Block 3 Unit 4: The Smell of Food

The Smell of Food

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