Chapter 5 Princess September Summarynotes class 8th English-It So Happened

CBSE Class 8 English Princess September Summary

Short Summary

The author of the story is William Somerset Maugham. It is a story about a princess, September. The king had gifted a parrot to all the nine princesses. But princess September’s parrot died. While she was weeping all alone in her room, a little bird came into her room. He sang about the king’s garden, the goldfish, and the willow tree.

The princess caged the bird but it could not sing. Later, she understood her fault and released him. The bird used to come to her and sing for her. She was then married to the King of Cambodia and lived a happy life.

Princess September Summary in English

The story is set in Thailand. There live a king and his queen with many daughters. To make it easy to remember the names of his daughter, he kept their names on months. His youngest daughter was named ‘September’.

The king gave away gifts on his birthday. Once he gave green parrots in a golden cage to all his daughters. The princesses were fond of the parrots and taught them to talk. ‘God save the king’ and ‘Pretty Polly’.

One day Princess September found her parrot lying dead in the cage. It was heart-rending to her. She kept on crying at the loss. Her maids of honor tried to comfort her but failed in their effort.

So they went to the queen who did not pay heed to her distress. The maid of honor was to go to a party left the princess crying in bed with taking supper. Then they entered a little bird and hopped into her room.

It started singing a beautiful song about the lake in the king’s garden, willow trees; goldfish etc. that made September forget all her sadness and hunger. The little bird offered herself in place of her pet parrot. Princess September was delighted to own such a melodious singing bird.

The next morning, he wished her good morning when the maid of Honour brought her breakfast; it was fed to him by the Princess. His singing impressed the audiences and the princess feels elated.

She then took him to tour to her sisters and parents’. Everyone was delighted by his performance. Queen did not like the parrots saying repeated lines.

Whereas the king admired the parrot saying ‘God save the king’. Yet condemned ‘Pretty Polly’. That discouraged the princesses and their parrot. September enjoyed the song of the bird.

That went on for a few days unless the other sister poisoned the mind. They said that she had to bear the death of her pet and they would arrange a parrot for her.

But September replied that she did not need parrot anymore as she had a better bird. They asked the whereabouts of the bird. To which she replied that the bird flew off to meet his father-in-law.

The princesses tried to scare her that he might not come back because he was not caged. Their persistent nagging made her uncomfortable.

Insecure Princess September felt that something might happen to him. She was worried that hawks or someone might have trapped his. All she wanted was his safety.

Then appeared the bird and started chirping in her ears. She grew angry. The bird told her that he would not have replied as his father – in – law was giving a party.

He wanted him to attend the party. But he knew that she would be worried so he returned. September was not willing to take any chance further, she decided to cage him she put him in the cage.

The bird was shocked at the sudden reaction of her. The reason she gave was that the queen’s cat might harm her. The bird agreed to it but for once only. He wanted to sing after supper but could not continue as he did not feel like.

The next morning he wanted to be free. His desperation grew, he beat against the door and shout but all his efforts went in vain. Rather eight princesses were delighted to see him in pain.

On the request to set him free, September replied that she knew what’s better of him. She wanted him to sing for her and offered him a piece of sugar. He could not sing inside the cage.

He wanted to see the trees, the lake and willow trees all by himself. He was not willing to see through the cage. He gave up eating and singing, then anxious princess turned to her sisters for their opinion.

They called him obstinate and wanted her to conform to her stand. September agreed to their suggestion and felt the same way. She assumed that he might be accustomed to bars of the cage.

The next morning she wished the bird but got no answer. She was shocked to see that the bird was lying unmoved in the cage. She took him out of the cage and started crying. When her tears fell on him, he looked up.

He pleaded that he could not sing inside the cage and if he could not sing, he would die. She freed him then and there. He promised her that he would return to her. She sobbed and was feeling lonely. Her sisters mocked at her. But he returned to her and sang beautiful songs for her.

She kept her windows open to let him go or come whenever he felt like. She grew beautiful and got married to the king of Cambodia and was carried on a white elephant. Her sisters were married to the councilor only as they were not as beautiful.

Princess September Summary in Hindi

स्याम देश के राजा तथा रानी की अनेकों बेटियाँ हुई। उनका नाम याद रखने की कठिनाई के कारण राजा ने राजकुमारियों का नाम महीनों के नाम जैसे जनवरी, फरवरी और मार्च आदि पर रखा। अंतिम बेटी का नाम सितम्बर रखा गया।

स्याम के राजा की एक विचित्र आदत थी। अपने जन्मदिन पर उपहार लेने की बजाय वह हर किसी को उपहार दिया करता था। एक साल अपने जन्मदिन के अवसर पर उसने हर राजकुमारी को एक-एक हरा तोता सोने के पिंजरे में बंद भेंट किया। बेटियों ने उन तोतों को सात भाषाओं में यही सिखाया कि ‘परमात्मा राजा को उनके जन्मदिन पर लम्बी आयु प्रदान करें’ अथवा ‘सुन्दर पोली’।

एक दिन राजकुमारी सितम्बर ने अपने तोते को मृत पाया। वह रो पड़ी। रानी ने उसे उसकी मूर्खता कहा तथा उसे भूखा ही सुला दिया। सितम्बर एक छोटे पक्षी के गाने के कारण जग गई। उसने एक छोटे गायक पक्षी को कमरे में प्रवेश करते देखा तथा उसका गाना सुना। वह रोना भूल गई। वह उसे अपने मृत तोते के स्थान पर रखने को सहमत हो गई।

जब वह अगली प्रातः जगी तो पक्षी को कमरे में ही पाया और पक्षी ने ‘सुप्रभात’ कहकर उसका अभिवादन किया। उसने उसके हाथ से चावल खाया। हर कोई यह देखकर दंग रह गया। सितम्बर ने सोचा कि अपने पक्षी को वह अपनी आठ बहनों को भी दिखाये। उनमें से प्रत्येक के लिये पक्षी ने एक नया गाना गाया। तोते तो केवल ‘परमात्मा! राजा की रक्षा करें ही कह पाते थे। पक्षी का गीत सुनकर राजा तथा रानी आश्चर्यचकित तथा आनन्दित हुए।

राजा तथा रानी का मन उन तोतों का गायन (सुन्दर पोली शब्द) सुनकर ऊब गया था। सभी आठों राजकुमारियाँ अब चिन्तित हो गईं। तोते भी उदास हो गये। केवल राजकुमारी सितम्बर ही महल में लार्क पक्षी की भाँति गाती हुई दौड़ती रही। ईर्ष्यालु बहनों ने एक गंदा निर्णय लिया। उन्होंने अपनी सबसे छोटी बहन को समझाया कि अपने पक्षी को पिंजरे में बंद करके रखो, कहीं वह सदा के लिये ही चला न जाये।

छोटा पक्षी उस शाम देर से लौटा। सितम्बर को चिन्ता हो गई कि कहीं वह बाज पक्षी का शिकार अथवा शिकारी के जाल में न फंस गया हो। अतएव जैसे ही पक्षी आया, सितम्बर ने उसे पिंजरे में धकेल कर दरवाजा बंद कर दिया। पक्षी हैरान रह गया। उसे आशा बनी रही कि प्रात: उसे मुक्त कर दिया जायेगा। पर वह अपनी आजादी के लिये निष्फल रोता चिल्लाता रहा। परिणामस्वरुप वह अपनी गायन कला भूल गया। उसने भूख हड़ताल भी करें दी।

अगले दिन सितम्बर ने पक्षी की आँखें बंद देखीं तथा उसे लेटे हुए पाया। उसकी हालत देखकर सितम्बर उसे सोने के पिंजरे से मुक्त करने के लिए राजी हो गई। पक्षी ने वचन दिया कि हर दिन वह उसके पास लौटकर आयेगा और गीत गाया करेगा। सितम्बर की बहनें उसका मजाक उडाने लगीं। वे बोलीं कि पक्षी कभी भी लौट कर नहीं आयेगा। पर अंतत: वह लौट आया। वह सितम्बर के कंधे पर बैठा और उसके हाथों से खाना खाया फिर उसके लिए गाना भी गाया।

सितम्बर अपने कमरे की खिड़की रात दिन खोले रखती ताकि पक्षी इच्छानुसार आये जाये। खुली खिड़की से आती ताजी हवा ने राजकुमारी को अति सुन्दर बना दिया। इस कारण उसका विवाह कम्बोडिया के राजा से हो गया। पर उसकी बहनें जो अपनी खिड़कियाँ बंद करके सोती थी कुरुप हो गई तथा बद मिजाज भी। इसीलिए, उनका विवाह राजा के मंत्रीगणों से कर दिया गया।