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The promise
Textbook: Part 3, pp. 34–36
GoalUnderstand the value of a promise; state rules for keeping your word.
New words
promise · va’daword · so‘zto manage, cope with · uddalamoqtrustworthy · ishonchli
Explanation
Making a promise is easy, but keeping it takes responsibility. “If you promise, keep it,” the people say. In the textbook story “Va’da” (The promise) by Xurshid Davron, we read about the lesson that our great ancestor Mirzo Ulugbek learned in childhood. Mirzo Ulugbek (1394–1449) was a grandson of Amir Temur and a great astronomer who had an observatory built in Samarkand. We do not repeat the story; we read our own text.
Worked examples
“The book promise”. Dilfuza borrowed her classmate Aziza’s book and said: “I will return it on Saturday.” But on Saturday she forgot the book at home. Aziza said nothing, but was upset. On Sunday Dilfuza brought the book, apologised and began writing herself reminders. “A given word is a debt,” she said to herself. After that everybody trusted Dilfuza.
Rule: write the promise down; if you cannot keep it, say so beforehand.
Class activity
“Promise card”: each child writes a small weekly promise for themselves and checks at the end of the week whether it was kept.
Practice
1
What did Dilfuza promise Aziza?
To return the book on Saturday
2
Why could she not keep her promise?
She forgot the book at home.
3
What did Dilfuza do afterwards?
Brought the book and apologised.
4
What did she decide for the future?
To write reminders
5
What did Mirzo Ulugbek have built in Samarkand?
An observatory