1. The Last Lesson

 Content: This story by Alphonse Daudet is set during the Franco-Prussian War and focuses on the significance of one's language and identity. It narrates the experience of Franz, a student, attending his final French lesson.

 Objective: Understand the themes of patriotism, the importance of language, and the emotional impact of colonization on personal identity.

 2. Lost Spring

 Content: Written by Anees Jung, this chapter talks about the lives of children from deprived backgrounds, focusing on their struggles in the slums and child labor. It presents two stories: one about ragpickers in Seemapuri and the other about a boy working in a glassblowing industry.

 Objective: Gain insight into the social issues of poverty, child labor, and exploitation, and understand the deep-rooted reasons behind these issues.

 3. Deep Water

 Content: This autobiographical account by William Douglas narrates his fear of water and how he overcomes it. The story emphasizes perseverance and determination.

 Objective: Learn about overcoming personal fears and the role of determination and courage in conquering life’s challenges.

 4. The Rattrap

 Content: Selma Lagerlöf’s story revolves around a vagabond who sells rattraps and falls into the trap of his own greed. It illustrates the transformation of the protagonist when shown kindness.

 Objective: Understand the moral lesson that everyone is capable of change through compassion, kindness, and trust.

 5. Indigo

 Content: This chapter by Louis Fischer focuses on Mahatma Gandhi's efforts in Champaran, where he worked to alleviate the suffering of indigo farmers oppressed by British landlords.

 Objective: Study Gandhi’s principles of nonviolence and civil disobedience, and his role in India’s struggle for independence.

 6. Poets and Pancakes

 Content: Written by Asokamitran, this chapter gives a humorous account of the film industry and the working of Gemini Studios. It also reflects on the complexity of relationships and creativity within the industry.

 Objective: Gain insight into the workings of a film studio and the cultural changes in postcolonial India, along with the role of language and literature in society.

 7. The Interview

 Content: This chapter consists of two parts: the first by Christopher Silvester explores the nature of interviews and their significance, while the second part is an excerpt from an interview with Umberto Eco, discussing his ideas on writing and literature.

 Objective: Understand the art of interviewing and the role it plays in journalism, along with Eco’s approach to writing and literature.

 8. Going Places

 Content: This story by A.R. Barton narrates the dreams and aspirations of Sophie, a teenager who fantasizes about a glamorous life, contrasting it with her mundane reality.

 Objective: Reflect on themes of adolescent fantasies, class differences, and the conflict between dreams and reality.

 9. My Mother at SixtySix

 Content: A poem by Kamala Das, it reflects the poet’s feelings of loss and fear of separation as she watches her aging mother. It touches on the theme of mortality and the emotional bond between a mother and daughter.

 Objective: Understand the expression of personal emotions, human relationships, and the inevitability of aging and death.

 10. Keeping Quiet

 Content: A poem by Pablo Neruda that urges people to pause from their daily lives, embrace silence, and introspect to understand themselves and the world better.

 Objective: Grasp the idea of peace, self reflection, and the importance of mutual understanding in a world filled with chaos.

 11. A Thing of Beauty

 Content: This poem by John Keats celebrates the enduring power of beauty in human life. The poet explains that beautiful things bring joy and provide an escape from life's troubles.

 Objective: Appreciate the concept of beauty as a source of perpetual happiness and relief from worldly worries.

 12. A Roadside Stand

 Content: A poem by Robert Frost about a roadside stand where poor farmers attempt to sell their goods to passersby, expressing the disparity between rural and urban life.

 Objective: Understand the economic and social disparity faced by rural populations and the indifference of urban society towards them.

 13. Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers

 Content: A poem by Adrienne Rich that discusses the oppression faced by women in patriarchal societies, as illustrated through Aunt Jennifer’s embroidery of tigers, symbolizing strength and fearlessness.

 Objective: Analyze the themes of gender roles, oppression, and the quest for freedom and empowerment through art.