"Any queries on the Robin Hood lesson?" enquired Mrs. Mohan, as she closed her book.

Neetu raised her hand. "Ma'am, my question has to do with clothing. I understand that the outlaws were clad in green to blend with the trees in Sherwood Forest, but what exactly is Lincoln green?"

"Good question, Neetu," said Mrs. Mohan. "I should have explained that without your asking. Lincoln green is a bright green cloth, named after Lincoln in eastern England, where it was first manufactured."

"That's interesting, Ma'am," said Varun. "Are there other fabrics named after places?"

"From our very own Kashmir comes Cashmere, a fine wool made from the cashmere goat," said Mrs. Mohan. "Can you think of another material whose name has its roots in India?"

"I'm not too sure about this," said Jessie, "but is it Calico from Calicut, which is now Kozhikode?"

"Very good, Jessie," said the teacher. "Calico goes back to the mid-16th century, when it was exported from the port of Calicut. Now, what about Muslin? Think of a city that sounds like that word?"

"Mussolini," said Varun, with an impish grin.

"Mrs. Mohan smiled. "We're talking places, not people. Muslin comes from Mosul in northern Iraq, where it was originally produced. What should be of particular interest to you all is the Denim from which your jeans are made.

The word was used about two hundred years ago for a kind of strong cloth made in Nimes in southern France. Serge de Nimes, or just de Nime, later came to mean the hard-wearing woven cotton so popular today."

"How about - - -"

"No time today, Ravi," said Mrs. Mohan. "We shall return to textiles from towns tomorrow.

Meanwhile, here is some homework on the subject. Find out the names of the fabrics that derive from the following: a) Gaza  b) Damacus  c) Cambria d) Bukhara  e) Laon."

Select the blank space below to view answers

a) Gauze  b) Damask  c) Cambric  d) Buckram  e) Lawn