Nuts like a man's head The following is how Ibn Battuta described the coconut:
These trees are among the most peculiar trees in kind and most astonishing in habit. They look exactly like date-palms, without any difference between them except that the one produces nuts as its fruits and the other produces dates. The nut of a coconut tree resembles a man's head, for in it are what look like two eyes and a mouth, and the inside of it what it is green looks like the brain, and attached to it is a fibre which looks like hair. They make from this cords with which they sew up ships instead of (using) iron nails, and they (also) make from it cables for vessels. Questions:
(i) Explain the uses of the coconut.
(ii) Explain the difference between coconut tree and palm tree.
(iii) How has the coconut been described similar to man's head?
(iv) Do you agree or not with the explanation given by Ibn Battuta? Explain.
(i) Coconut is used to obtained fruit, oil and fibre. Its fibre look like hair make cords with which people sew ships. In place of using iron nails people also make cables for coconut fibre for vessels. Some people prepare carpets of coconut fibre.
(ii) The nut of a coconut tree resembles a man's head for in it are what look like two eyes and a mouth, and the inside of it when it is green looks like the brain,
and attached to it is a fibre which looks like hair.
(iii) The coconut produces nut as the fruit and palm tree produces date.
(iv) I don’t agree with the explanation given by Ibn Battuta fully because he does not know complete knowledge about the trees of dates and coconut. No doubt his some point of description are correct but coconut is used by people of our country in several other ways. For example some people use it in temple at the time of worship. Some people use coconut in food. For example in south India several diets are prepared with coconut.
