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Haryana State Board HBSE 10th Class English Solutions First Flight Chapter 10 The Sermon at Benares Textbook Exercise Questions and Answers.

Haryana Board 10th Class English Solutions First Flight Chapter 10 The Sermon at Benares

HBSE 10th Class English The Sermon at Benares Textbook Questions and Answers

Before You Read

Activity

Use a dictionary or ask for your teacher’s help as you discuss the following questions in groups.

1. What is a sermon ? Is it different from a lecture or a talk ? Can this word also be used in a negative way or as a joke (as in “my mother’s sermon about getting my work done on time …”) ?
Answer:
A sermon is a ‘spoken or written discourse on a religious or moral subject. It is serious in nature. It is different from a lecture or a talk because a lecture or a talk can be on any subject, while a sermon is on religion or a moral subject.
The word “sermon’ can be used in a negative way or as a joke also. In that case it means a taunt, an irony or a sarcasm. For example, “Mohan is always sermonizing on any topic.”

2. Find out the meanings of these words and phrases given in the box :
afflicted with
be composed
desolation
lamentation
procure
be subject to
Answer:
Afflicted with means to be affected with bodily or mental trouble.
Be composed means to have control over our mental faculties or to at peace with self.
Desolation means a ruined or neglected state.
Lamentation means expressing one’s sorrow or grieving.
Procure means to obtain, to get, to find, etc.
Be subject to means to be governed by some rules, etc.

3. Have you heard of the Sermon on the Mount ? Who delivered it ? Who do you think delivered a sermon at Benares ?
Answer:
I think the ‘Sermon on the Mount’ was delivered by Jesus Christ. ‘A Sermon at Benares’ was delivered by Gautama Buddha. It was his first sermon after he got Enlightenment.

Thinking about the Text

1. When her son dies, Kisa Gotami goes from house to house. What does she ask for? Does she get it ? Why not?
(जब उसका बेटा मर जाता है, किसा गौतमी घर-घर जाती है। वह क्या माँगती है ? क्या उसे वह मिलता है? क्यों नहीं?)
Answer:
Gotami goes from door to door and asks for a medicine which could bring her dead son back to life. She does not get it because there is no medicine that can revive the dead. It is so because death is inevitable. – (गौतमी घर-घर जाती है और ऐसी औषधि की माँग करती है जो उसके मृत बेटे को जीवित कर दे। वह इसे प्राप्त नहीं करती है क्योंकि ऐसी कोई औषधि नहीं है जो मृत को जिन्दा कर सके। ऐसा इसलिए है क्योंकि मृत्यु अटल है।)

2. Kisa Gotami again goes from house to house after she speaks with the Buddha. What does she ask for, the second time around ? Does she get it ? Why not?
(बुद्ध से बात करने के पश्चात् किसा गौतमी फिर घर-घर जाती है। वह दूसरे चक्कर में क्या माँगती है ? क्या उसे वह मिलता है ? क्यों नहीं ?)
Answer:
When she goes door to door for the second time, she asks for a handful of mustard-seed. But there is one condition. She wants mustard-seed from a house where there has not been any death. She does not get it because she finds no house in which there has never been a death. Death spares nobody who has been born.
(जब वह दूसरी बार घर-घर जाती है, तो वह एक मुट्ठी सरसों के बीजों की माँग करती है। लेकिन एक शर्त है। उसे ऐसे घर से सरसों के बीज चाहिएँ जिस घर में कभी कोई मौत न हुई हो। वह इसे प्राप्त नहीं कर सकी क्योंकि उसे कोई ऐसा घर नहीं मिलता है जिसमें कभी किसी की मौत न हुई हो। जिस किसी का भी जन्म हुआ है मौत उसे नहीं छोड़ती है।)

3. What does Kisa Gotami understand the second time that she failed to understand the first time ? Was this what the Buddha wanted her to understand ?
(दूसरी बार में किसा गौतमी की समझ में क्या आता है जो वह पहली बार समझने में नाकाम रही थी ? क्या बुद्ध उसे यही समझाना चाहते थे ?)
Answer:
Now Gotami understands that death is inevitable. She thinks over the fate of men. She realises that man’s life is like the light of the city which flickers and extinguishes again. Yes, it is the very thing that Gautama the Buddha wanted her to understand.
(अब गौतमी को समझ आ जाता है कि मृत्यु अटल है। वह मनुष्यों के भाग्य के बारे में सोचती है। वह सोचती है कि मनुष्य का जीवन शहरी रोशनियों की तरह है जो बार-बार टिमटिमाती रहती हैं। हाँ, गौतम बुद्ध उसे यही बात समझाना चाहते थे।)

4. Why do you think Kisa Gotami understood this only the second time ? In what way did the Buddha change her understanding ?
(आपके विचार में किसा गौतमी ने यह बात दूसरी बार में ही क्यों सीखी ? बुद्ध ने उसकी समझ को कैसे बदल दिया?)
or
How did Kisa Gotami come to realize the fact that death is the common end of life.
(किसा गौतमी ने यह कैसे समझा कि मृत्यु जीवन का सामान्य अंत है?)
Answer:
She understood this only the second time because she finds not even a single family in which there has been no death. Then they asked her not to remind them of their deep grief. Thus in a wise manner, Buddha made her understand that death is inevitable.
(उसने यह बात केवल दूसरी बार में सीखी क्योंकि उसे एक भी परिवार ऐसा नहीं मिला जिसमें किसी की मौत न हुई हो। तब उन लोगों ने उससे कहा कि वह उनको उनके गहरे दुःखों की याद न दिलाए। इस प्रकार से एक बुद्धिमतापूर्ण तरीके से, बुद्ध ने उसको यह समझा दिया कि मृत्यु अटल है।)

5. How do you usually understand the idea of ‘selfishness’? Do you agree with Kisa Gotami that she was being ‘selfish in her grief?’
(आप प्रायः ‘स्वार्थ’ के विचार को कैसे समझते हैं ? क्या आप किसा गौतमी से सहमत हैं कि वह अपने दुःख के कारण स्वार्थी हो गई थी ?)
Answer:
The idea of ‘selfishness’means thinking of oneself only and only of those things that concern one only. I agree with Kisa Gotami that she is selfish in her grief. She now understands that death is common to all. One should not grieve over a thing which is inevitable.
(‘स्वार्थीपन’ के विचार का अर्थ है केवल अपने बारे में सोचना या फिर उन चीज़ों के बारे में सोचना जिनका केवल एक व्यक्ति से ही सम्बन्ध है। मैं किसा गौतमी से सहमत हूँ कि वह अपने दुःख के कारण स्वार्थी है। अब उसकी समझ में आ गया है कि मृत्यु सभी के लिए साझी है। व्यक्ति को किसी अटल चीज़ के ऊपर दुःख प्रकट नहीं करना चाहिए।)

Thinking about Language

I. This text is written in an old-fashioned style, for it reports an incident more than two millennia old. Look for the following words and phrases in the text, and try to rephrase them in more current language, based on how you understand them.

1.  give thee medicine for thy child
2. Pray tell me
3. Kisa repaired to the Buddha
4. there was no house but someone had died in it
5. kinsmen
6. Mark !

Answer:

1. Give the medicine to your child
2. I request you to tell me
3. Kisa went to the Buddha
4. There was no house in which someone had not died
5. Relatives
6. Listen /pay attention

II. You know that we can combine sentences using words like and, or, but, yet and then. But sometimes no such word seems appropriate. In such a case we can use a semicolon (:) or a dash (-) to combine two clauses.
She has no interest in music ; I doubt she will become a singer like her mother. The second clause here gives the speaker’s opinion on the first clause.
Here is a sentence from the text that uses semicolons to combine clauses. Break up the sentence into three simple sentences. Can you then say which has a better rhythm when you read it, the single sentence using semicolons, or the three simple sentences ?
For there is not any means by which those who have been born can avoid dying; after reaching old age there is death ; of such a nature are living beings.
Answer :
There is not any means by which the born can avoid dying. After reaching old age there is death. Living beings are of such a nature.
The three simple sentences have more beauty and rhythm than the single sentence using semicolons.

Speaking

The Buddha’s sermon is over 2500 years old. Given below are two recent texts on the topic of grief. Read the texts, comparing them with each other and with the Buddha’s sermon. Do you think the Buddha’s ideas and way of teaching continue to hold meaning for us? Or have we found better ways to deal with grief? Discuss this in groups or in class.

I. A GUIDE TO COPING WITH THE DEATH OF A LOVED ONE

Martha is having difficulty sleeping lately and no longer enjoys doing things with her friends. Martha lost her husband of 26 years to cancer a month ago.
Anya, age 17, doesn’t feel like eating and spends the days in her room crying. Her grandmother recently died.
Both of these individuals are experiencing grief. Grief is an emotion natural to all types of loss or significant change.

Feelings of Grief
Although grief is unique and personal, a broad range of feelings and behaviours are commonly experienced after the death of a loved one.

* Sadness. This is the most common, and it is not necessarily manifested by crying.
Anger.”This is one of the most confusing feelings for a survivor. There may be frustration at not being able to prevent the death, and a sense of not being able to exist without the loved one.
Guilt and Self-reproach. People may believe that they were not kind enough or caring enough to the person who died, or that the person should have seen the doctor sooner.
Anxiety. An individual may fear that she/he won’t be able to care for herself/himself.
Loneliness. There are reminders throughout the day that a partner, family member or friend is gone. For example, meals are no longer prepared the same way, phone calls to share a special moment don’t happen.’
Fatigue. There is an overall sense of feeling tired.
* Disbelief. This occurs particularly if it was a sudden death.

Helping Others Who Are Experiencing Grief
When a friend, loved one, or co-worker is experiencing grief–how can we help? It helps to understand that grief is expressed through a variety of behaviours.
Reach out to others in their grief, but understand that some may not want to accept help and will not share their grief. Others will want to talk about their thoughts and feelings or reminisce.
Be patient and let the grieving person know that you care and are there to support him or her.

II. GOOD GRIEF

AMITAI ETZIONI

Soon after my wife died — her car slid off an icy road in 1985 — a school psychologist warned me that my children and I were not mourning in the right way. We felt angry; the proper first stage, he said, is denial.
In late August this year, my 38-year-old son, Michael, died suddenly in his sleep, leaving behind a 2-year-old son and a wife expecting their next child.

There is no set form for grief, and no ‘right way to express it. There seems to be an expectation that, after a great loss, we will progress systematically through the well-known stages of grief. It is wrong, we are told, to jump to anger or to wallow too long in this stage before moving towards acceptance.

But I was, and am, angry. To make parents bury their children is wrong; to have both my wife and son taken from me, for forever and a day, is cruel beyond words.

A relative from Jerusalem, who is a psychiatrist, brought some solace by citing the maxim: ‘we are not to ask why, but what.’ The ‘what’ is that which survivors in grief are bound to do for one another. Following that advice, my family, close friends and I keep busy, calling each other and giving long answers to simple questions like, “How did your day go today?” We try to avoid thinking about either the immediate past or the bereft future. We take turns playing with Max, Michael’s two-year-old son. Friends spend nights with the young widow, and will be among those holding her hand when the baby is born.
Focusing on what we do for one another is the only consolation we can find.
Answer:
To be discussed at class level.

Writing

Write a page (about three paragraphs) on one of the following topics. You can think about the ideas in the text that are relevant to these topics, and add your own ideas and experiences to them.
1. Teaching someone to understand a new or difficult idea
2. Helping each other to get over difficult times
3.” Thinking about oneself as unique, or as one among billions of others
Answers:
1. Teaching someone to understand a new or difficult idea
It is very difficult to teach someone to understand a new or difficult idea. Generally people don’t like to change their old or settled ideas or opinions. When James Watt discovered steam engine, people laughed at him. They said that no force other than that of horses could pull wagons. But with the passage of time, they were adapted to it. In the same way, when Copernicus said that the Sun is stationary and the earth revolves round it, people laughed at him.
Thus if you have a new or difficult idea and want it to be understood, you will have to work hard. You should be prepared to be the object of people’s satire or even violence. But if you are true, you should not lose heart. If your idea is workable, people will learn it sooner or later.
You should make people understand your idea by giving practical examples. You should demonstrate to them that your idea has practical benefits. You should never give up. Only this way you can teach others to understand your idea.

2. Helping each other to get over difficult times

Our life is a mixture of joys and sorrows. It is a cycle of good and difficult times. Man is a social animal. He lives in society. Therefore it is not possible to avoid the sufferings and difficulties of others. If we find someone in a difficult time, we must extend our helping hand to him.
But sometimes, the whole community or group of people face difficult times. For example, there can be flood, an earthquake or a draught. When such a calamity is there, many people suffer. In such a situation, the best remedy is to work together and fight the calamity together. One good example of this was the calamity of Tsunami which struck the people of Tamil Nadu a few years ago. Then the people worked together and faced the calamity.
When such a difficult time comes, we should not think only of ourselves. But we must work collectively. We must pool our resources together and distribute them among all of us. The younger and able bodied people must help the weaker and older people. Children and women should also be given preference. We must teach others the lesson of courage.

3. Thinking about oneself as unique, or as one among billions of others

It is not a good idea to think about oneself as unique, or as one among billions of others. If we nourish such an idea it will do us more harm than good. Moreover, having this kind of idea means that we are very proud of ourselves. And we know that pride is an evil. Pride has a fall.
History is full of examples where this kind of idea led to destruction. Hitler believed that he was one of a kind in billions. He thought that he belonged to a superior caste. He got millions of Jews killed. He attacked other countries in order to establish the superiority of the Germans. But what was the result? His egotism resulted in the Second World War and there was a lot of destruction.
Guru Nanak has said, “O Nanak, remain low and humble. When the storm comes, the tall and proud trees are uprooted. But the humble grass remains unaffected.” Thus be like a drop of water and mix with the ocean. Don’t become a stone which comes in the way of others and earns curses.

HBSE 10th Class English The Sermon at Benares Important Questions and Answers

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
When was Siddhartha Gautama born ?
Answer:
Siddhartha Gautama was born in 563 B.C.

Question 2.
At what age was Siddhartha married ?
Answer:
He was married at the age of sixteen years.

Question 3.
What did Gautama chance to see one day?
Answer:
One day he chanced to see a sick man, an old man, a dead man’s funeral procession and a monk.

Question 4.
At what age did Gautama leave home for enlightenment ?
Answer:
He left home at the age of twenty-five for enlightenment.

Question 5.
How long did Gautama wander in search of wisdom ?
Answer:
He wandered for seven years in search of wisdom.

Question 6.
After how many days of meditation did he get enlightenment ?
Answer:
He got enlightenment after the meditation of seven days.

Question 7.
What is the meaning of Buddha ?
Answer:
The meaning of Buddha is the Awakened or Enlightened.

Question 8.
Where did Buddha give his first sermon ?
Answer:
Buddha gave his first sermon at Benares.

Question 9.
What did Buddha ask Kisa Gotami to bring ?
Answer:
Buddha asked Gotami to bring a handful of mustard-seeds from a house where no one had died.

Question 10.
What did Kisa Gotami realise in the end ?
Answer:
In the end she realised that death is inevitable.

Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
Who was Gautama Buddha? Where was he born ?
Answer:
Gautama Buddha was a prince in northern India. He was born in a royal family. His full name was Siddhartha Gautama and he was sent away for schooling at the age of twelve. He married Yashodhara when he returned after four years.
(गौतम बुद्ध उत्तर भारत का एक राजकुमार था। उसका जन्म एक शाही परिवार में हुआ था। उसका पूरा नाम सिद्धार्थ गौतम था और उसे बारह वर्ष की आयु में शिक्षा ग्रहण करने के लिए भेजा गया। जब वह चार वर्ष बाद लौटा तो उसकी शादी यशोधरा से कर दी गई।)

Question 2.
How did Siddhartha Gautama get the name of Buddha? (सिद्धार्थ गौतम ने बुद्ध का नाम कैसे हासिल किया ?)
Answer:
Siddhartha Gautama sat under a big peepal tree, where he vowed to stay until enlightenment came. He was enlightened after seven days. He began to teach and share his new understandings. Then he came to be known as Buddha.
(सिद्धार्थ गौतम यह प्रतिज्ञा करके पीपल के एक बड़े पेड़ के नीचे बैठ गए कि जब तक ज्ञान की प्राप्ति नहीं होगी उठेंगे नहीं। सात दिन के पश्चात् उन्हें ज्ञान की प्राप्ति हुई। उन्होंने अपने नए ज्ञान का प्रचार-प्रसार करना शुरु कर दिया। तब वे बुद्ध के नाम से जाने जाने लगे।)

Question 3.
What did Buddha ask the lady to do? (बुद्ध ने महिला से क्या करने को कहा ?)
Answer:
Buddha asked the lady to bring a handful of mustard-seeds. But these must be taken from a house where no one had ever lost a child, husband or a friend. Then he would be able to help her..
(बुद्ध ने महिला से एक मुट्ठी सरसों के बीज लाने को कहा। लेकिन उसे ये बीज एक ऐसे घर से लाने थे जिसमें कभी किसी बच्चे, पति या मित्र की मृत्यु न हुई हो। तब वह उसकी मदद कर सकेगा।)

Question 4.
What does Gautama Buddha say about the life and death of human beings ? (गौतम बुद्ध मनुष्यों के जीवन और मृत्यु के बारे में क्या कहते हैं ?)
Answer:
Gautama Buddha says that the life of human beings in this world is troubled, brief and combined with pain. It is because there is not any means by which those that have been born can avoid dying.
(गौतम बुद्ध कहते हैं कि इस संसार में मनुष्यों का जीवन कष्टों से भरा और पीड़ा से युक्त है। ऐसा इसलिए है क्योंकि ऐसा कोई तरीका नहीं है कि जिसने जन्म लिया है वह मृत्यु से बच जाए।)

Question 5.
Can an aggrieved person get peace of mind by weeping or grieving? (क्या एक दुःखी आदमी रोने से और विलाप करने से शांति हासिल कर सकता है ?)
Answer:
No, nobody can get peace of mind by weeping or grieving. Rather, his pain will be greater and his body will suffer by doing so. He will make himself sick and pale.
(नहीं, कोई भी व्यक्ति रोने या विलाप करने से मन की शांति हासिल नहीं कर सकता है। बल्कि, उसकी पीड़ा और ज्यादा होगी और ऐसा करने से उसका शरीर भी पीड़ित होगा। वह अपने-आपको बीमार और कमजोर बना लेगा।)

Question 6.
Where did Buddha preach his first sermon? (बुद्ध ने अपना पहला उपदेश कहाँ दिया था ?)
Answer:
After attainment of enlightenment, Buddha preached his first sermon at the holy city of Benares. which is situated on the sacred river Ganges.
(ज्ञान की प्राप्ति के पश्चात्, बुद्ध ने अपना पहला उपदेश पवित्र नगरी बनारस में दिया था जोकि पवित्र नदी गंगा के तट पर स्थित है।)

Question 7.
Why did the Buddha choose Benares to preach his first sermon?
(बुद्ध ने अपना पहला धर्मोपदेश का प्रचार करने के लिए बनारस को क्यों चुना?)
Answer:
Benares is considered to be the most holy place on the banks of the sacred river Ganges. Many people come here to get rid of their sorrows and sufferings and to repent for their sins. As the Buddha wanted to lesson their sorrows and sufferings, he chose Benares to preach his first sermon.
(बनारस को पवित्र नदी गंगा के किनारे सबसे पवित्र स्थान माना जाता है। बहुत-से लोग अपने दुःखों और कष्टों से छुटकारा पाने के लिए आते हैं। जैसा कि बुद्ध अपने दुःखों और कष्टों को कम करना चाहते थे। उन्होंने अपने पहले धर्मोपदेश का प्रचार करने के लिए बनारस को चुना।)

Essay Type Question

Question 1.
Who was Gautama Buddha? What made him renounce his royal life and become a monk ?
(गौतम बुद्ध कौन थे ? किस कारण से वे अपना शाही जीवन छोड़कर भिक्षु बन गए ?)
Answer:
Gautama Buddha was born in 563 B.C. He was born in a royal family. His name was Siddhartha Gautama. At the age of twelve, he was sent away for schooling. He studied all the sacred Hindu scriptures. At the age of sixteen he married a princess. They had a son. For ten years the couple passed a happy life. Siddhartha had been shielded from the sufferings of the world. However, when he was twenty-five, Siddhartha saw a sick man, then an aged man, then a funeral procession. Finally, he came across a monk begging for alms. This was his first encounter with the harsh realities of life. These sights made him so sad that he decided to renounce the worldly pleasures. He left his family and became a monk. He went out into the world to seek spiritual knowledge.
” (गौतम बुद्ध का जन्म 563 ई०पू० में हुआ था। उनका जन्म एक शाही परिवार में हुआ था। उनका नाम सिद्धार्थ गौतम था। बारह वर्ष की आयु में, उसे शिक्षा ग्रहण करने के लिए भेज दिया गया। उन्होंने हिन्दू धर्म के सभी पवित्र धार्मिक ग्रन्थों का अध्ययन किया। सोलह वर्ष की आयु में एक राजकुमारी से उसकी शादी हो गई। उनका एक बेटा था। दस वर्ष तक दम्पति खुशहाल जीवन व्यतीत करते रहे। सिद्धार्थ को संसार के कष्टों से दूर रखा गया था। लेकिन, जब वह पच्चीस वर्ष का था तो एक दिन उसने एक बीमार आदमी को, एक वृद्ध आदमी को, एक मृत आदमी की शव-यात्रा को देखा। अंत में, उसने एक भिक्षु को देखा जो भिक्षा माँग रहा था। जीवन की कड़वी सच्चाइयों से यह उसका पहला साक्षात्कार था। इन दृश्यों ने उसे इतना उदास कर दिया कि उसने सांसारिक सुखों का त्याग करने का मन बना लिया। उसने अपने परिवार का त्याग कर दिया और एक भिक्षु बन गया। वह बाहरी संसार में आध्यात्मिक ज्ञान की खोज में चला गया।)

Question 2.
Why did Siddhartha come to be called the Buddha ? Where did he give his first sermon? (सिद्धार्थ को बुद्ध क्यों कहा जाने लगा ? उन्होंने अपना पहला उपदेश कहाँ दिया ?)
Answer:
Siddhartha Gautama wandered for seven years in search of wisdom and truth. Finally, he sat down under a big peeple tree to meditate. He vowed to stay there until he got enlightenment. After seven days, Gautama got enlightenment. He named the tree as the ‘Bodhi Tree’. , that is ‘The tree of wisdom.’ He became known as the Buddha’ which means ‘enlightened’ or the awakened’. He began to teach and to spread his message of wisdom and truth. The Buddha gave his first sermon at Benares. It is the holiest of places on the bank of the Ganges. His first sermon reflects his wisdom about one kind of suffering i.e. death. Here the Buddha tells about the universality of death which is inevitable and can’t be escaped.
(सिद्धार्थ गौतम ने सात वर्ष तक ज्ञान और सत्य की खोज की। अंत में वे पीपल के एक बड़े पेड़ के नीचे समाधि में बैठ गए। उन्होंने प्रतिज्ञा की कि जब तक ज्ञान की प्राप्ति नहीं होगी उठेंगे नहीं। सात दिनों के बाद गौतम को ज्ञान की प्राप्ति हुई। उन्होंने उस वृक्ष का नाम ‘बोधि वृक्ष’ अर्थात् ‘ज्ञान का वृक्ष’ रख दिया। वे बुद्ध के नाम से जाने जाने लगे जिसका अर्थ है ‘प्रकाशमयी’ और ‘जागृत’ । उन्होंने ज्ञान और सच्चाई के अपने संदेश का प्रचार करना शुरु कर दिया। बुद्ध ने अपना पहला उपदेश बनारस में दिया। यह गंगा के तट पर स्थित स्थानों में सबसे पवित्र स्थान है। उसका पहला उपदेश उसके ज्ञान की झलक देता है एक प्रकार के मृत्यु रूपी दुःख का वर्णन करता है। यहाँ पर बुद्ध मृत्यु की सार्वभौमिकता के बारे में बताते हैं जोकि अटल है और इससे बचा नहीं जा सकता।)

Question 3.
How did the Buddha made Kisa Gotami realize that death is inevitable ? (बुद्ध ने किसा गौतमी को इस बात का अहसास कैसे कराया कि मृत्यु अटल है ?) Or
Why did Kisa Gotami go from house to house? In what way did the Buddha change her understanding?
(किसा गौतमी घर-घर क्यों गई? बुद्ध ने उसकी सोच को कैसे बदला?)
Or
Why did Kisa Gotami go to the Buddha ? What did the Buddha say to her and why? (किसा गौतमी बुद्ध के पास क्यों गई? बुद्ध ने उससे क्या कहा और क्यों?)
Or
Who was Kisa Gotami? How did Buddha Change Kisa Gotami’s understanding of life and death? (किसा गौतमी कौन थी? बुद्ध ने किसा गौतमी की जीवन और मृत्यु की सोच को कैसे बदला?) [2020 (Set-D)]
Answer:
A lady named Kisa Gotami had only one son. One day, her son died. She wanted that her child should become alive again. She wanted some medicine to bring her son to life. People called her mad. At last she came across a man. He advised her to meet the Buddha. She approached the Buddha with a request to give her a medicine so that her only son could be live again. After a deep thought, the Buddha asked her to bring a handful of mustard-seed. But there was a condition. She must bring it from a house where no one had died. Kisa Gotami went from door to door to get the mustard-seed. She found mustard-seed in every home but she could not find a house where nobody had ever died. By evening, she was sad and tired. She saw the lights of the city. They were trimming. Soon there was darkness of the night. Now she considered the fate of man. Now . she realised that death is inevitable. No one can escape it.
(किसा गौतमी नाम की एक महिला का एकमात्र बेटा था। एक दिन उसका बेटा मर गया। वह चाहती थी कि उसका बच्चा फिर से जीवित हो जाए। वह कोई औषधि चाहती थी जो उसके बेटे को जीवित कर दे। लोग उसे पागल कहते थे। अंततः वह एक आदमी से मिली। उसने उसे बुद्ध से मिलने की सलाह दी। वह एक प्रार्थना के साथ बुद्ध के पास पहुँची कि उसे कोई औषधि दी जाए ताकि उसका एकमात्र बेटा फिर से जीवित हो सके। गहरे विचार के बाद, बुद्ध ने उसे एक मुट्ठी सरसों के बीज लाने को कहा। लेकिन वहाँ एक शर्त थी। उसे ये बीज ऐसे घर से लाने थे जहाँ कभी किसी की मौत न हुई हो। किसा गौतमी घर-घर सरसों के बीज लेने के लिए गई। उसे सरसों के बीज तो हर घर में मिले लेकिन कहीं ऐसा कोई घर नहीं मिला जिसमें किसी की मौत न हुई हो। शाम तक वह थक चुकी थी और उदास थी। उसने शहर की रोशनियों को देखा। वे टिमटिमा रही थीं। शीघ्र ही रात्रि का अंधेरा छा गया। अब मनुष्य का भाग्य उसकी समझ में आ गया। अब उसे अहसास हो गया कि मृत्यु अटल है। कोई भी इससे नहीं बच सकता।)

Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1.
Gautama was born in :
(A) 563 B.C.
(B) 483 B.C.
(C) 463 B.C.
(D) 383 B.C.
Answer:
(A) 563 B.C.

Question 2.
Which family did Gautama belong to?
(A) farmer
(B) royal
(C) monk
(D) none of the above
Answer:
(B) royal

Question 3.
In his childhood what was Gautama shielded from ?
(A) pleasures
(B) money
(C) wisdom
(D) sorrows of world
Answer:
(D) sorrows of world

Question 4.
Gautama was sent for schooling at the age of.
(A) eight years
(B) ten years
(C) twelve years
(D) sixteen years
Answer:
(C) twelve years

Question 5.
Gautama was married at the age of :
(A) sixteen years
(B) twenty years
(C) thirty years
(D) he was never married
Answer:
(A) sixteen years

Question 6.
At what age did Gautama leave home for wisdom ?
(A) sixteen years
(B) twenty years
(C) twenty two years
(D) twenty five years
Answer:
(D) twenty five years

Question 7.
Gautama left home in search of …..
(A) power
(B) money
(C) enlightenment
(D) all of the above
Answer:
(C) enlightenment

Question 8.
Where did Gautama give his first sermon?
(A) Benares
(B) Patna
(C) Haridwar
(D) Gaya
Answer:
(A) Benares

Question 9.
What is inevitable?
(A) life
(B) enlightenment
(C) death
(D) youth
Answer:
(C) death

Question 10.
For how many years did Gautama wander in search of enlightenment ?
(A) five years
(B) seven years
(C) ten years
(D) sixteen years
Answer:
(B) seven years

Question 11.
Kisa Gotami went from house to house demanding a handful of …….
(A) rice
(B) food
(C) mustard seed
(D) all of the above
Answer:
(C) mustard seed

Question 12.
According to Buddha the life how is the life of the mortals in this world?
(A) troubled
(B) brief
(C) combined with pain
(D) all of the above
Answer:
(D) all of the above

Question 13.
Gautama Buddha was born in ……. ……. India.
(A) northern
(B) southern
(C) central
(D) eastern
Answer:
(A) northern

The Sermon at Benares Important Passages for Comprehension

Read the following passages and answer the questions that follow :

PASSAGE 1

Gautama Buddha (563 B.C.-483 B.C.) began life as a prince named Siddhartha Gautama, in northern India. At twelve, he was sent away for schooling in the Hindu sacred scriptures and four years later he returned home to marry a princess. They had a son and lived for ten years as befitted royalty. At about the age of twenty-five, the Prince, heretofore shielded from the sufferings of the world, while out hunting chanced upon a sick man, then an aged man, then a funeral procession, and finally a monk begging for alms. These sights so moved him that he at once became a beggar and went out into the world to seek enlightenment concerning the sorrows he had witnessed.

Word-meanings : Sacred = pious (पवित्र); scriptures = religious books (धार्मिक पुस्तकें); befitted = suited (उचित था); royalty = kingly family (शाही परिवार); heretofore= till then (तब तक) shielded = protected (रक्षा की); funeral procession = procession on a dead body for cremation (शव-यात्रा)।

Questions :

(a) What did Siddhartha Gautama study ?
(b) When was he married ?
(c) When did he see a sick and old man ?
(d) What was the effect of these sights on Gautama ?
(e) Find a word from the passage which means “holy books’.
Answers :
(a) Siddhartha Gautama studied holy books.
(b) He was married at the age of sixteen.
(c) He saw an old and sick man when he went out for hunting.
(d) On seeing these sights, he decided to renounce the world and become a beggar.
(e) ‘Scriptures.’

PASSAGE 2

He wandered for seven years and finally sat down under a fig tree, where he vowed to stay until enlightenment came. Enlightened after seven days, he renamed the tree the Bo Tree (Tree of Wisdom) and began to teach and to share his new understandings. At that point he became known as the Buddha (the Awakened or the Enlightened). The Buddha preached his first sermon at the city of Benares, most holy of the dipping places on the River Ganges.

Questions :

(a) How long did the Buddha wander in search of wisdom ?
(b) After how many days of meditation did he get enlightenment ?
(c) Why did he name the tree as the “Tree of Wisdom’?
(d) Where did he give his first sermon ?
(e) Find a word from the passage which means ‘took a pledge’.
Answers :
(a) He wandered for seven years in search of wisdom.
(b) He got enlightenment after seven days.
(c) He named it as such because under it he got ‘Enlightenment, i.e., wisdom.
(d) He gave his first sermon at Benares.
(e) ‘Vowed.’

PASSAGE 3

Poor Kisa Gotami now went from house to house, and the people pitied her and said, “Here is mustard – seed; take it !” But when she asked, “Did a son or daughter, a father or mother, die in your family ?” They answered her, “Alas ! the living are few, but the dead are many. Do not remind us of our deepest grief.” And there was no house but some beloved one had died in it.

Kisa Gotami became weary and hopeless, and sat down at the wayside watching the lights of the city, as they flickered up and were extinguished again. At last the darkness of the night reigned everywhere. And she considered the fate of men, that their lives flicker up and are extinguished again. And she thought to herself, “How selfish am I in my grief! Death is common to all; yet in this valley of desolation there is a path that leads him to immortality who has surrendered all selfishness.”

Questions :

(a) What did Kisa Gotami ask the villagers ?
(b) What reply did Kisa Gotami get ?
(c) What happened to Kisa Gotami in the end ?
(d) What did Kisa Gotami realize in the end ?
(e) Name the chapter.
Answers :
(a) Kisa Gotami asked the villagers to give her a handful of mustard.
(b) She got the answer that many members of their families had died earlier.
(c) In the end she became weary and hopeless.
(d) In the end she realized that death is common to all.
(e) The name of chapter is “The Sermon at Benares”.

PASSAGE 4

And the girl said, “Please tell me, sir, who is it?” And the man replied, “Go to Salyamuni the Buddha.”
Kisa Gotami repaired to the Buddha and cried, “Lord and Master, give me the medicine that will cure my boy.”
The Buddha answered, “I want a handful of mustard-seed.” And when the girl in her joy promised to procure it, the Buddha added, “The mustard-seed must be taken from a house where no one has lost a child, husband, parent or friend.”

Questions :

(a) Name the chapter.
(b) What suggestion did a man give to Gotami?
(c) What request did Gotami make to the Buddha?
(d) What did Buddha ask the girl to do?
(e) Find a word from the passage which means the same as ‘to get’.
Answers :
(a) Chapter : The Sermon at Benares.
(b) A man suggested her to go to Salyamuni the Buddha.
(c) She requested the Buddha to give her medicine that could cure her son.
(d) Buddha asked her to bring a handful of mustard-seed from a house where no one has not lost a family member.
(e) Repaired.

The Sermon at Benares Summary in English

The Sermon at Benares Introduction in English

Gautama Buddha was born in 563 B.C. He was a philosophical fellow even in his childhood. He was sent for schooling at the age of twelve. He was married at the age of sixteen. They had a son. When he was twenty-five years old, one day when he was going for hunting he caught sight of a sick man, an aged man, a dead man’s funeral procession and a monk. He realised that this world is a home of sufferings. He left home in search of wisdom. He wandered for seven years and got enlightenment.

The Sermon at Benares Summary in English

Gautama Buddha was born in 563 B.C. He was born in a royal family. He was a prince. His name was Siddhartha Gautama. At the age of twelve he was sent away for schooling. He studied all the sacred Hindu scriptures. He returned after four years. At the age of sixteen he married a princess. They had a son. For ten years the couple passed a happy life. Siddhartha had been shielded from the suffering of the world. However, when he was twenty-five, Siddhartha saw a sick man, then an aged man, then a funeral procession. Finally, he came across a monk begging for alms. This was his first encounter with the harsh realities of life. These sights made him so sad that he decided to renounce the worldly pleasures. He left his family and became a beggar. He went out into the world to seek spiritual knowledge.

Siddhartha Gautama wandered for seven years in search of wisdom and truth. Finally, he sat down under a fig tree to meditate. He vowed to stay there until he got enlightenment. After seven days, Gautama got enlightenment. He named the tree as the ‘Bodhi Tree’, that is ‘The tree of wisdom’. He became known as the Buddha’ which means “enlightened’ or ‘the awakened’. He began to teach and to spread his message of wisdom and truth. He became known as the Buddha (the enlightened).

Buddha gave his first sermon at Benares. It is the holiest of places on the bank of the Ganges. His first sermon reflects his wisdom about one inscrutable kind of suffering i.e. death. Here, the Buddha tells about the universality of death which is inevitable and can’t be escaped.

A lady named Kisa Gotami had an only son. One day, her son died. She wanted that her child should become alive again. She wanted some medicine to bring her son to life. People called her mad. At last she came across a man. He advised her to meet the Buddha. She approached Buddha with a request to give her a medicine so that her only son could be live again. After a deep thought, the Buddha asked her to bring a handful of mustard-seed. But there was a condition. She must bring it from a house where no one had died. Kisa Gotami went from door-to-door to get the mustard-seed. She found mustard-seed in every home but she could not find a house where nobody had died. By evening, she was sad and tired. She saw the lights of the city. Soon there was darkness of the night. Now she considered the fate of man. Now she realised that death is inevitable. No one can escape it.

She came back to the Buddha and asked for his blessings. The Buddha in his sermon told her that our life is brief and painful. Everyone who takes birth has to die. The vessel made by the potter is not permanent. It has to break one day. In the same way, everyone has to die. Death spares none. A father cannot save his son. Everyone grieves when someone dear dies. But grieving cannot bring the dead back to life. So death and sufferings are unavoidable. The wise persons do not grieve as they know the truth. Weeping does not bring peace to the mind. On the other hand a person’s pain becomes greater by grieving. His body also suffers. One who has learnt to control his grief shall have peace of mind. That person is blessed, who has overcome his sorrow.

The Sermon at Benares Summary in Hindi

The Sermon at Benares Introduction in Hindi

(गौतम बुद्ध का जन्म 563 ई०पू० में हुआ था। वह बचपन से ही दार्शनिक विचारों का था। बारह वर्ष की आयु में उसे शिक्षा ग्रहण करने के लिए भेजा गया। सोलह वर्ष की आयु में उसकी शादी हो गई। उनका एक बेटा था। जब वह पच्चीस वर्ष का था, एक दिन जिस समय वह शिकार करने जा रहा था तो उसकी नज़र एक बीमार आदमी, एक वृद्ध आदमी, एक मृत आदमी की शव-यात्रा और एक भिक्षु पर पड़ी। उसने महसूस किया कि यह संसार दुःखों का घर है। उसने ज्ञान की खोज में घर छोड़ दिया। वह सात साल तक भटकता रहा और ज्ञान की प्राप्ति हो गई।)

The Sermon at Benares Summary in Hindi

गौतम बुद्ध का जन्म 563 ई०पू० में हुआ था। उसका जन्म एक शाही परिवार में हुआ था। वह एक राजकुमार था। उसका नाम सिद्धार्थ गौतम था। बारह साल की उम्र में उसे स्कूली शिक्षा के लिए भेजा गया। उसने सारे पवित्र हिन्दू धार्मिक ग्रंथों का अध्ययन किया। वह चार वर्ष बाद लौटा। सोलह साल की उम्र में उसकी शादी एक राजकुमारी से हुई। उनका एक बेटा हुआ। दस साल तक इस युगल ने बड़ा प्रसन्नतापूर्वक जीवन व्यतीत किया। सिद्धार्थ को अब तक संसार के दुःखों से दूर रखा गया था। मगर जब वह पच्चीस साल का था तो सिद्धार्थ ने एक बीमार व्यक्ति देखा, फिर एक बूढ़ा व्यक्ति देखा और फिर उसने एक शव-यात्रा देखी। अंत में, उसने एक भिक्षु को देखा जो भीख माँग रहा था। यह उसका जीवन की वास्तविकताओं से पहला साक्षात्कार था। इन दृश्यों ने उसे इतना उदास कर दिया कि उसने सांसारिक सुखों को त्याग देने का प्रण कर लिया। उसने अपने परिवार को छोड़ दिया और एक भिक्षु बन गया। वह संसार में आध्यात्मिक ज्ञान की खोज में निकल पड़ा।

सिद्धार्थ गौतम सात साल तक ज्ञान और सच्चाई की खोज में भटकता रहा। अंत में, वह मनन करने के लिए एक वट वृक्ष के नीचे बैठ गया। उसने प्रण किया कि वह वहाँ पर तब तक बैठा रहेगा जब तक उसे ज्ञान की प्राप्ति नहीं हो जाती। सात दिन के बाद उसे आध्यात्मिक ज्ञान मिला। उसने उस वृक्ष का नाम ‘बोधि वृक्ष’ रख दिया अर्थात् ‘ज्ञान का वृक्ष’ । उसे लोग ‘बुद्ध’ के नाम से जानने लगे अर्थात् “ज्ञान वाला” अथवा “जागृत”। उसने शिक्षा देना और ज्ञान और सच का संदेश फैलाना आरंभ कर दिया।
बुद्ध ने अपना पहला उपदेश बनारस में दिया। यह गंगा के तट पर सबसे पवित्र स्थान है। उसका पहला उपदेश रहस्यमयी कष्ट अर्थात् मृत्यु के बारे में उसके ज्ञान को दर्शाता है। इसमें बुद्ध मृत्यु की सार्वभौमिकता के बारे में बताता है जोकि अटल है और उससे बचा नहीं जा सकता।

किसा गौतमी नाम की एक स्त्री का एकमात्र बेटा था। एक दिन उसके बेटे की मृत्यु हो गई। वह चाहती थी कि उसका बेटा फिर से जीवित हो जाए। वह चाहती थी कि कोई ऐसी औषधि मिल जाए जो उसके बेटे को जीवित कर दे। लोगों ने उसे पागल कहा। आखिर उसे एक आदमी मिला। उसने उसे सलाह दी कि वह बुद्ध से मिले। वह बुद्ध के पास आई और उससे प्रार्थना की कि वह उसे कोई औषधि दे ताकि उसका बेटा फिर से जी उठे। काफी गहरे विचार के बाद बुद्ध ने उसे कहा कि वह एक मुट्ठी भर सरसों के बीज ले आए। मगर एक शर्त थी। उसे सरसों उस घर से लानी थी जहाँ कोई भी व्यक्ति नहीं मरा था। किसा गौतमी सरसों लाने के लिए घर-घर गई। उसे सरसों तो हर घर में मिली मगर ऐसा कोई घर नहीं मिला जहाँ कभी किसी की मृत्यु नहीं हुई हो। शाम तक, वह उदास हो गई और थक गई। उसने शहर की रोशनियाँ देखीं। शीघ्र ही रात का अंधेरा हो गया। अब उसने मनुष्य के भाग्य के बारे में सोचा। अब उसने महसूस किया कि मौत अवश्यम्भावी है। इससे कोई भी नहीं बच सकता।

वह बुद्ध के पास लौट आई और उससे आशीर्वाद माँगा। अपने उपदेश में बुद्ध ने उसे बताया कि हमारा जीवन संक्षिप्त और कष्टपूर्ण है। हर प्राणी जो जन्म लेता है, मरता है। कुम्हार द्वारा बनाया गया बर्तन स्थायी नहीं है। एक दिन इसे टूट जाना है। इसी प्रकार हर व्यक्ति को मरना है। मौत किसी को नहीं छोड़ती। कोई पिता अपने बच्चे को नहीं बचा सकता। जब कोई प्रिय मरता है तो हर व्यक्ति रोता है। मगर रोने से मरा हुआ व्यक्ति वापस नहीं आ जाता। इसलिए मौत और कष्ट अटल हैं। अक्लमंद व्यक्ति अफसोस नहीं करते क्योंकि वे सच को जानते हैं। रोने से मन को शांति नहीं मिलती। इसके विपरीत विलाप करने से व्यक्ति की पीड़ा बढ़ जाती है। उसके शरीर को भी कष्ट होता है। वह व्यक्ति जिसने अपने दुःख पर काबू पाना सीख लिया है, उसे मन की शांति मिलती है। जिसने अपने दुःख पर काबू पा लिया है, उसे आशीर्वाद मिलता है।

The Sermon at Benares Translation in Hindi

[PAGE 133]: गौतम बुद्ध (563 ईस्वी पूर्व-483 ईस्वी पूर्व) ने अपना जीवन उत्तरी भारत में सिद्धार्थ गौतम के नाम से शुरु किया था। 12 वर्ष की आयु में, उसे हिन्दू धार्मिक ग्रन्थों का अध्ययन करने के लिए भेज दिया गया और चार वर्ष पश्चात् एक राजकुमारी से शादी करने के लिए वह घर लौटा। उनका एक बेटा था तथा दस वर्ष तक उन्होंने एक शाही परिवार वाला जीवन बिताया। लगभग 25 वर्ष की आयु में, राजकुमार, जिसे अब से पहले तक संसार के कष्टों से बचाकर रखा गया था, शिकार पर जाते समय उसे एक बीमार आदमी, फिर एक बूढ़ा आदमी, फिर एक मृत आदमी की शवयात्रा और अन्त में भीख माँग रहा एक भिक्षु मिल गया। इन दृश्यों ने उसे इतना हिला दिया कि वह तुरन्त उन दुःखों के बारे में ज्ञान प्राप्त करने के लिए बाहरी संसार में चला गया जो उसने देखे थे। वह सात साल तक घूमता रहा और अंततः एक पीपल के वृक्ष के नीचे बैठ गया, जहाँ उसने तब तक बैठे रहने की प्रतिज्ञा की जब तक उसे ज्ञान की प्राप्ति नहीं हो जाती।

[PAGE 134] : सात साल के पश्चात् ज्ञान की प्राप्ति होने पर उसने उस वृक्ष का पुनः नामकरण करते हुए उसे बोधि वृक्ष (ज्ञान का पेड़) का नाम दे दिया और वहाँ पर उपदेश देना तथा अपनी नई समझ का प्रसार करना शुरु कर दिया। उस समय वह बुद्ध (जागृत एवं ज्ञानी) के रूप में प्रसिद्ध हो गया। बुद्ध ने अपना पहला उपदेश बनारस शहर में दिया था, जो गंगा नदी पर स्थित स्नान घाटों में सबसे अधिक प्रसिद्ध है। उस उपदेश को सुरक्षित रखा गया जो यहाँ पर दिया गया। इससे एक अति कठिन प्रकार के दुःख के बारे में बुद्ध की बुद्धिमता का पता चलता है।

किसा गौतमी का एक इकलौता पुत्र था, और वह मर गया। अपने दुःख में वह उस मृत बच्चे को अपने सभी पड़ोसियों के पास लेकर गई, और उनसे औषधि की माँग की और लोग कहते थे, “वह पागल हो गई है। यह लड़का मर गया है।”

अंततः किसा गौतमी एक आदमी से मिली जिसने उसकी प्रार्थना का उत्तर दिया, “मैं तुम्हें तुम्हारे बच्चे के लिए औषधि नहीं दे सकता हूँ लेकिन मैं एक चिकित्सक को जानता हूँ जो औषधि दे सकता है।”
और औरत ने कहा, “भगवान के लिए मुझे बताइए, श्रीमान जी, वह कौन है ?” और उस आदमी ने उत्तर दिया, “शाक्यमुनि, बुद्ध के पास जाओ।”
किसा गौतमी बुद्ध के पास चली गई और रोते हुए बोली, “भगवान और स्वामी, मुझे औषधि दीजिए जो मेरे लड़के को ठीक कर देगी।”

बुद्ध ने उत्तर दिया, “मुझे मुट्ठी-भर सरसों के दाने चाहिएँ।” और जब औरत ने अपनी प्रसन्नता में इसे प्राप्त करवाने का वायदा किया तो बुद्ध ने आगे कहा, “सरसों के दाने ऐसे घर से हासिल करने हैं जिस घर में किसी बच्चे, पति, माता-पिता या फिर मित्र की मौत न हुई हो।”

बेचारी किसा गौतमी घर-घर भटकती रही तथा लोग उस पर दया व्यक्त करते हुए कहते, “ये रहे सरसों के दाने, इन्हें ले लो!” लेकिन जब वह पूछती, “क्या कोई बेटा या बेटी, पिता या माता की तुम्हारे परिवार में मृत्यु हुई है ?” वे उसे उत्तर देते, “अफसोस! जीवित तो बहुत थोड़े हैं परन्तु मृत अनेकों हैं। हमें हमारे अत्यन्त गहरे दुःखों की याद न दिलाओ। तथा वहाँ कोई ऐसा घर नहीं था जहाँ किसी प्रियजन की मृत्यु न हुई हो।

किसा गौतमी हताश और निराश हो गई, और सड़क के किनारे बैठकर शहर की रोशनियों को निहारने लगी, जैसे-जैसे वे चमक रही थीं और फिर लुप्त हो जाती थीं। अंत में रात का अन्धेरा सभी जगह छा गया। तथा वह मनुष्य के भाग्य के बारे में सोचने लगी कि उनके जीवन टिमटिमाते हैं और फिर बुझ जाते हैं। तथा वह अपने मन में सोचने लगी, “मैं अपने दुःख में कितनी स्वार्थी हूँ! मृत्यु तो सभी के लिए सांझी है, फिर भी गहरे दुःखों की इस घाटी में, एक रास्ता है जो ऐसे व्यक्ति को अमरता की ओर ले जाता है जिसने सारे स्वार्थों का त्याग कर दिया है।”

बुद्ध ने कहा, “इस संसार में नश्वर लोगों का जीवन कष्टों से भरा हुआ है और बहुत छोटा तथा पीड़ा से युक्त है।”

[PAGE 135] : क्योंकि कोई भी ऐसा तरीका नहीं है कि जिसका इस पृथ्वी पर जन्म हुआ है उसकी मृत्यु न हो। बुढ़ापे में पहुँचने के पश्चात् मौत आती है। जीवित जीवों की प्रवृत्ति ऐसी ही होती है। क्योंकि पके हुए फलों के नीचे गिरने का खतरा पहले होता है, इसलिए नश्वर जीव जब जन्म लेते हैं तो उनके लिए हमेशा मौत का खतरा है। जिस प्रकार कुम्हार के द्वारा बनाए गए मिट्टी के सभी बर्तनों का अंत टूटने से होता है, नश्वर जीवों का जीवन भी वैसा ही होता है। छोटे तथा बड़े दोनों ऐसे जो मूर्ख हैं तथा वे जो बुद्धिमान हैं सभी मृत्यु के वश में आ जाते हैं। सभी मृत्यु के अधीन हैं। .

“वे, जिनकी मृत्यु आ जाती है, जीवन से प्रस्थान कर जाते हैं, एक पिता अपने पुत्र को नहीं बचा सकता है, न ही सम्बन्धी अपने किसी रिश्तेदार को। देख लीजिए। जिस समय सम्बन्धी देख रहे होते हैं और विलाप कर रहे होते हैं एक-एक करके नश्वरों को उसी प्रकार से उठाकर ले जाया जाता है जैसे किसी बैल को वध करने के लिए ले जाया जाता है। इसलिए संसार मृत्यु और जीर्णता से पीड़ित है, इसलिए बुद्धिमान लोग संसार की सीमाओं का ज्ञान रखते हुए दुःख प्रकट नहीं करते हैं।”

“न तो रोने से और न ही दुःखी होने से किसी व्यक्ति को मन की शांति मिलती है, बल्कि इसके विपरीत उसकी पीड़ा और बढ़ जाती है और उसका शरीर पीड़ित होता है। वह स्वयं को बीमार और कमजोर बना लेता है, फिर भी उसके विलाप करने से मृत को नहीं बचाया जा सकता है। वह जिसे शांति चाहिए होती है उसे विलाप करने, शिकायत करने और दुःखी होने के तीर को निकाल बाहर फैंक देना चाहिए। वह जिसने इस तीर को बाहर निकाल लिया है और शांत हो गया है उसे मन की शांति मिलेगी। वह जिसने सारे दुःखों पर काबू पा लिया है, वह सारे दुःखों से मुक्त हो जाएगा और भगवान का आशीर्वाद प्राप्त करेगा।”

The Sermon at Benares Word-Meanings in Hindi

[PAGE 133] : Sacred = pious (पवित्र); scriptures = religious books (धार्मिक पुस्तकें); befitted = suited (उचित था); royalty =kingly family (शाही परिवार); heretofore=till then (तब तक); shielded = protected (रक्षा की); chanced upon = saw by chance (संयोग से देखा); funeral procession = procession of a dead body for cremation (शव-यात्रा); monk= mendicant (भिक्षु); alms = beggings (भिक्षा); enlightenment = spiritual knowledge (आध्यात्मिक ज्ञान); witnessed = saw (देखा); vowed = swore (कसम खाई)।

[PAGE 134] : Preached = gave sermons ; sermon = preaching; dipping places = place where people take bath (नहाने के स्थान); preserved = protected (रक्षा की); reflects = shows (दिखाना); inscrutable = mysterious (रहस्यपूर्ण); at length = in the end (अंत में); physician = doctor (डॉक्टर); repaired = (here) went (गया); mustard-seed = an oil seed (सरसों); procure= get (प्राप्त करना); grief = sorrow (दुःख); weary = tired (थक गई); hopeless = in despair (दुःख में); flickered up = shone (चमका); extinguished = put out (बुझ गया); desolation = deep sorrow (गहरा दुःख); immortality = deathlessness (अमरत्व); surrendered = submitted (हार मान लेना/समर्पण करना); mortals = human beings (नश्वर)।

(PAGE 135] : Earthen vessels =’pot made of baked clay (मिट्टी का बर्तन); potter = one who makes pots (कुम्हार); overcome = controlled by (नियंत्रित होना); depart= go away (चले जाना); kinsmen = relatives (रिश्तेदार); mark = look (देखना); lamenting = grieving (अफसोस करना); slaughter = killing (वध करना); afficted with = affected by (पीड़ित होना); decay = rotting/degeneration (गलत/पतन होना); pale = yellow (पीला); composed = controlled (शांत); blessed = the one who gets blessing (जिसे आशीर्वाद मिला हो)।

Haryana State Board HBSE 10th Class English Solutions First Flight Poem 10 The Tale of Custard the Dragon Textbook Exercise Questions and Answers.

Haryana Board 10th Class English Solutions First Flight Poem 10 The Tale of Custard the Dragon

HBSE 10th Class English The Tale of Custard the Dragon Textbook Questions and Answers

Thinking about the Poem

1. Who are the characters in this poem? List them with their pet names.
Answer:
The characters in this poem are Belinda, a little black kitten, a little grey mouse, a little yellow dog, a little pet dragon and a pirate.
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2. Why did Custard cry for a nice, safe cage? Why is the dragon called a “cowardly dragon”?
Answer:
Custard cried for a nice, safe cage because it was a coward. It is called a ‘cowardly dragon’ because everybody else in the house was brave. Belinda was as brave as a barrel full of bears. Ink and Blink are described as so brave that they could chase lions down the stairs and Mustard was as brave as a tiger in rage. Compared to them, Custard is a coward because it cried asking for a nice and safe cage.

3. “Belinda tickled him, she tickled him unmerciful…” Why?
Answer:
Belinda tickled the dragon unmercifully because it was very scared and cried for a safe cage. They all laughed at it as it was a coward.

4. The poet has employed many poetic devices in the poem. For example: “Clashed his tail like iron in a dungeon” – the poetic device here is a simile. Can you, with your partner, list some more such poetic devices used in the poem?
Answer:
In the entire poem, the poet has made extensive use of similes. Apart from simile, another poetic device that has been used is repetition. For example, the repetitive use of the word Tittle’ in the first stanza to emphasise how everything from the house to Belinda to her pets were all little. Also, in the seventh stanza, the poet has made use of incorrect spelling as a poetic device to maintain the rhyme scheme of the poem. He has chosen to write ‘winda’ instead of‘window’ as ‘winda’ rhymes with ‘Belinda’, whereas ‘window’ does not. He has also used alliteration in the poem. For example, in the tenth stanza, ‘Custard’ has ‘clashed’ his tail with a ‘clatter’ and a ‘clank’. Similarly, in stanza eleven, the pirate ‘gaped’ at the dragon and ‘gulped’ some ‘grog’.

5. Read stanza three again to know how the poet describes the appearance of the dragon.
Answer:
Do it yourself.

6. Can you find out the rhyme scheme of two or three stanzas of the poem?
Answer:
The rhyme scheme of each stanza of this poem is aabb.

7. Writers use words to give us a picture or image without actually saying what they mean. Can you trace some images used in the poem?
Answer:
Some such images used in the poem are ‘mouth like a fireplace’, ‘chimney for a nose’, ‘brave as a barrel full of bears’, ‘brave as a tiger in a rage’, ‘went at the pirate like a robin at a worm’, etc.

8. Do you find The Tale of Custard the Dragon to be a serious or a light-hearted poem? Give reasons to support your answer.
Answer:
The Tale of Custard the Dragon is a light-hearted poem. It is almost a parody. The names of the pets of Belinda are all rhyming and funny. Belinda has been compared to a barrel full of bears. The kitten and mouse, both little, could chase lions down the stairs. The little yellow dog was as brave as a tiger, while the dragon was a coward and they all teased him. However, when the pirate came to their little house, all of them were engulfed in fear and had hid themselves. Ironically, the ‘cowardly’ dragon came to their rescue and jumped snorting like an engine. It clashed its tail and charged at the pirate like a robin at a worm and ate him up. Even as everybody became happy to see the bravery of the dragon, they again came back to glorify themselves that they could have been twice or thrice braver than the dragon. Finally, at the end of the poem, the situation again came back to the other pets being brave and the dragon being the coward.

9. This poem, in ballad form, tells a story. Have you come across any such modern song or lyric that tells a story? If you know one, tell it to the class. Collect such songs as a project.
Answer:
Do it yourself.

HBSE 10th Class English The Tale of Custard the Dragon Important Questions and Answers

I. Short Answer Type Questions (20-30 words & 2 marks each)

Question 1.
In which way did everyone react after Custard ate the pirate?
Answer:
Custard the dragon had killed the pirate. So, Belinda hugged him. Mustard licked him. This way they showed their affection. Ink and Blink danced merrily around Custard in happiness.

Question 2.
How was the appearance of the pirate? Discuss.
Ansswer:
The pirate was very horrifying. He carried pistols in both his hands. He stuck a dagger in his teeth. The pirate had black beard and one of his legs was of wood. All these things show that his appearance was dreadful.

Question 3.
Why was Custard the dragon called ‘percival’?
Ansswer:
Belinda considered Custard the dragon a coward. She always made mockery of the dragon. All the pets including Ink, Blink and Mustard also made sarcastic remarks on the timidity of Custard and lack of courage. That is why Custard the dragon was called ‘percival’.

Question 4.
Describe the appearance of the dragon.
Ansswer:
Custard, the dragon had a formidable appearance, with sharp teeth, toes like daggers, spikes on back and scales on the belly. Its mouth was a fireplace and the nose was always fuming like a chimney. However, in sharp contrast to the appearance its temperament was extremely timid.

II. Short Answer Type Questions (40-50 words & 3 marks each)

Question 1.
What message does the poet convey to the readers through this poem?
Ansswer:
The poet gives a very clear message to the readers. One should be energetic and physically fit. But it does not mean that outward appearances and physical strength make a person brave. One must be strong from within. One must have the strength of mind and self-confidence.
Although Custard the dragon had lot of physical strength even then he was bullied. He was retorted for his timidity and cowardly behaviour.

Question 2.
Do you find ‘The Tale of Custard the Dragon’ to be a serious or a light-hearted comedy? Give reasons to support your answer.
Ansswer:
‘The Tale of Custard the Dragon’ is a humorous, light-hearted poem as the characters display behavioural attributes contrary to their appearance as well as nature. It is extremely funny to imagine a fierce looking dragon crying for a safe cage or mouse raging like a lion.

Question 3.
Is there any hidden message that the poet is wishing to convey or do you think that entertainment is the sole purpose of writing this poem?
Ansswer:
The interpretation of the message in the poem may vary for different readers. The situation narrated, underscores a basic truth that the real test of courage is seen during a crisis. The dragon though never put his strength on display, exhibited it in action when it was required to do so.

Question 4.
What do you think changed the attitude of the other animals and that of Belinda towards the dragon?
Ansswer:
Custard, the dragon initially commanded no amount of respect from Belinda and the other pets, on account of its cowardice; but when the house was attacked by an armed pirate, all others panicked and ran for shelter. Only the dragon savagely attacked the pirate and ate it up. Thus, the other animals realised his worth and came to respect him genuinely.

III. Long Answer Type Questions (100-120 words & 5 marks each)

Question 1.
Why was Custard the dragon called ‘cowardly’? But he proved everyone wrong. How?
Answer:
Custard the dragon was physically strong. But each moment he cried for a nice safe case. It was his aspiration that the little house in which he lived with Belinda was not safe. He appeared to be a coward as he always cried for a safe cage. When the pirate entered the house of Belinda, everyone was terrified. The face of Belinda had become pale due to fear. Custard faced the pirate boldly and hit him hard. It led to the death of the pirate. Through these activities, we can say that he proved everyone wrong.

Question 2.
‘Bravery is spontaneous’. Explain it with reference to the poem.
Answer:
Custard was truly brave and did not boast like Belinda and her other pets. Custard had the courage to face real danger, whereas everyone only boasted of their bravery. Custard faced the pirate and killed him, and he proved it by not running away. Bravery and courage are the qualities, which are exhibited when someone actually faces a dangerous situation. Thus these qualities are spontaneous.

Question 3.
Belinda was as brave as a barrel full of bears.
And Ink and Blink chased lions down the stairs,
Mustard was as brave as a tiger in a rage,
But Custard cring keeps for a nice safe cage.
Discuss the humorous elements in the given passage.
Answer:
The extract from “The Tale of Custard the Dragon” is humorous in vein. The poet gives a vivid description of Belinda and her pets. Belinda was very brave. She was as brave as a barrel full of bears. Ink and Blink also chased the lions down the stairs and showed their strength. Mustard showed his bravery like a tiger in anger. But Custard demanded for a nice safe cage to hide himself. This way Belinda and her pets like Mustard, Ink, Blink, etc., have been shown as courageous. The poet has presented all these things in a humorous vein. He also says that one must be strong from within so that one can have the strength of mind and self-confidence.

Reference To Context

Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow:

1. Belinda lived in a little white house,
With a little black kitten and a little grey mouse,
And a little yellow dog and a little red wagon,
And a realio, trulio, little pet dragon.

Paraphrase: Belinda lived in a little white house with her pets. A little black kitten, a grey mouse, a yellow dog, a red wagon, little pet dragon etc. were her pets.

Choose the correct option:

(a) For whom are the words ‘realio’ and ‘trulio’ used?
(i) Belinda
(ii) Dragon
(iii) Cat
(iv) Mouse
Answer:
(ii) Dragon

(b) With whom did Belinda live?
(i) A little brown kitten and a little white mouse
(ii) A little black kitten and a little grey mouse
(iii) A little white kitten and a little brown mouse
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(ii) A little black kitten and a little grey mouse

(c) Belinda lived in a little ___________—-.
(i) black house
(ii) brown house
(iii) red house
(iv) white house
Answer:
(iv) white house

(d) What was the colour of wagon?
(i) Green
(ii) Red
(iii) White
(iv) Blue
Answer:
(ii) Red

(e) Who were the pets of Belinda?
(i) Kitten
(ii) Mouse
(iii) Dog
(iv) All of these
Answer:
(iv) All of these

2. Now the name of the little black kitten was Ink,
And the little grey mouse, she called him Blink,
And the little yellow dog was sharp as Mustard,
But the dragon was a coward, and she called him Custard.

Paraphrase: The name of the little black kitten was Ink, little grey mouse was Blink, little yellow dog was Mustard and the name of the dragon was Custard, who was a coward.

Choose the correct option:

(a) Who was a coward?
(i) Ink
(ii) Belinda
(iii) Blink
(iv) Dragon
Answer:
(iv) Dragon

(b) What were the colours of dog and mouse respectively?
(i) Red and green
(ii) White and black
(iii) Yellow and grey
(iv) Yellow and brown
Answer:
(iii) Yellow and grey

(c) The little yellow dog was sharp as ___________-.
(i) Custard
(ii) Blink
(iii) Ink
(iv) Mustard
Answer:
(iv) Mustard

(d) What did Belinda call the dragon?
(i) Blink
(ii) Mustard
(iii) Custard
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(iii) Custard

(e) Who was Blink?
(i) A cat
(ii) A mouse
(iii) A dog
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(ii) A mouse

3. Custard the dragon had big sharp teeth,
And spikes on top of him and scales underneath,
Mouth like a fireplace, chimney for a nose,
And realio, trulio daggers on his toes.

Paraphrase: Custard the dragon had big sharp teeth. There were sharp spikes on top of him and scales were below him. The mouth of the dragon looked like a fireplace and nose like a chimney. There were daggers on his toes.

Choose the correct option:

(a) What was like a fireplace?
(i) Custard’s toes
(ii) Custard’s mouth
(iii) Blink’s mouth
(iv) Ink’s nose
Answer:
(ii) Custard’s mouth

(b) Which of the following is not a characteristic of Custard?
(i) Scales
(ii) Spikes
(iii) Sharp teeth
(iv) Fair skin
Answer:
(iv) Fair skin

(c) Custard the dragon had big .
(i) sharp teeth
(ii) tail
(iii) mouth
(iv) body
Answer:
(i) sharp teeth

(d) How did the nose of dragon look like?
(i) Tree
(ii) River
(iii) Chimney
(iv) Mountain
Answer:
(iii) Chimney

(e) Who had sharp spikes on top of him?
(i) Ink
(ii) Custard
(iii) Blink
(iv) Mustard
Answer:
(iv) Mustard

4. Belinda was as brave as a barrel full of bears,
And Ink and Blink chased lions down the stairs,
Mustard was as brave as a tiger in a rage,
But Custard cried for a nice safe cage.

Paraphrase: Belinda was very brave like a barrel full of bears. Ink and Blink were so brave that they could chase lions down the stairs. Mustard was brave like a tiger in anger but Custard always wanted a cage to hide.

Choose the correct option:

(a) Who chased the lions down the stairs?
(i) Ink, Blink
(ii) Blink, Belinda
(iii) Belinda, Custard
(iv) Custard, Ink
Answer:
(i) Ink, Blink

(b) How brave was Mustard?
(i) As a cat
(ii) As a dog
(iii) As a tiger
(iv) As a mouse
Answer:
(iii) As a tiger

(c) Belinda was as brave as a barrel .
(i) full ofjuice
(ii) full of bears
(iii) both (i) and (ii)
(iv) none of these
Answer:
(ii) full of bears

(d) The bravery of Mustard has been compared with whom?
(i) Roar of lion
(ii) Chirping of birds
(iii) Anger of tiger
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(iii) Anger of tiger

(e) Who wanted a cage to hide?
(i) Custard
(ii) Mustard
(iii) Dragon
(iv) All of these
Answer:
(i) Custard

5. Belinda tickled him, she tickled him unmerciful,
Ink, Blink and Mustard, they rudely called him Percival,
They all sat laughing in the little red wagon
At the realio, trulio, cowardly dragon.

Paraphrase: Belinda tickled the dragon and she tickled him in an unmerciful way. Ink, Blink and Mustard called the dragon, ‘Percival’. They all sat together laughing in the little red wagon.

Choose the correct option:

(a) By what name was Custard rudely called?
(i) Ink
(ii) Percival
(iii) Mustard
(iv) Trulio
Answer:
(ii) Percival

(b) Who is tickling whom?
(i) Belinda is tickling Ink.
(ii) Blink is tickling Ink.
(iii) Belinda is tickling Custard.
(iv) Ink is tickling Custard.
Answer:
(iii) Belinda is tickling Custard.

(c) Ink, Blink and Custard sat laughing in the .
(i) white car
(ii) red wagon
(iii) blue boat
(iv) all of these
Answer:
(ii) red wagon

(d) How did Belinda tickle the dragon?
(i) Merciful way
(ii) Unmerciful way
(iii) Embarrassing way
(iv) Naughty way
Answer:
(ii) Unmerciful way

(e) How is dragon?
(i) Coward
(ii) Innocent
(iii) Honest
(iv) Rude
Answer:
(i) Coward

6. Belinda giggled till she shook the house,
And Blink said Weeck! which is giggling for a mouse,
Ink and Mustard rudely asked his age,
When Custard cried for a nice safe cage.

Paraphrase: Belinda giggled very loudly till the entire house shook its foundation. Blink also giggled like a mouse. Ink and Mustard asked the age of Custard and made his mockery.

Choose the correct option:

(a) What did Blink say?
(i) Greek
(ii) Breek
(iii) Weeck
(iv) Dreek
Answer:
(iii) Weeck

(b) How had Belinda shaken the entire house?
(i) With her superpower
(ii) With her giggling
(iii) With her friends
(iv) With her talks
Answer:
(ii) With her giggling

(c) Ink and Mustard made fun of Custard by asking his
(i) name
(ii) home town
(iii) age
(iv) none of these
Answer:
(ii) home town

(d) What happened with the giggling of Belinda?
(i) The foundation of entire house shook,
(ii) All members went out of house.
(iii) Nothing happened.
(iv) Both (i) and (ii)
Answer:
(i) The foundation of entire house shook,

(e) Who also giggled like a mouse?
(i) Mustard
(ii) Ink
(iii) Blink
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(iii) Blink

7. Suddenly, suddenly they heard a nasty sound,
And Mustard growled, and they all looked around.
Meowch! cried Ink, and ooh! cried Belinda,
For there was a pirate, climbing in the winda.
Paraphrase: Suddenly, they heard a very nasty sound. Mustard growled in the way all looked him. Ink cried, ‘Meowch!, Belinda cried ‘ooh’! They saw that a pirate was climbing through a window.

Choose the correct option:

(a) Who growled at the nasty sound?
(i) Ink
(ii) Custard
(iii) Mustard
(iv) Belinda
Answer:
(iii) Mustard

(b) How did Ink cry?
(i) Meowch!
(ii) Ooh!
(iii) Ouch!
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(i) Meowch!

(c) They all saw a ………………… climbing through the window.
(i) dog
(ii) pirate
(iii) monkey
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(ii) pirate

(d) How did Belinda cry?
(i) Meowch!
(ii) Ooh!
(iii) Ouch!
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(ii) Ooh!

(e) For which word is ‘Winda’ used?
(i) Pirate
(ii) Window
(iii) Sound
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(ii) Window

8. Pistol in his left hand, pistol in his right,
And he held in his teeth a cutlass bright,
His beard was black, one leg was wood;
It was clear that the pirate meant no good.

Paraphrase: The pirate had pistols in both his hands. There was a dagger in his teeth. The beard of the pirate was black and one of his legs was of wood. It clearly indicated that the pirate entered their house with a bad intention.

Choose the correct option:

(a) Which weaponry did the pirate carry?
(i) Knife and sword
(ii) Knife and pistol
(iii) Gun and cannon
(iv) Sword and pistol
Answer:
(iv) Sword and pistol

(b) The pirate held the short sword in his
(i) hands
(ii) teeth
(iii) legs
(iv) feet
Answer:
(ii) teeth

(c) The beard of pirate was _______
(i) black
(ii) white
(iii) Both (i) and (ii)
(iv) none of these
Answer:
(i) black

(d) One of the legs of the pirate was of
(i) iron
(ii) wood
(iii) plastic
(iv) none of these
Answer:
(ii) wood

(e) How was the intention of the pirate?
(i) Bad
(ii) Good
(iii) Neither bad nor good
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(i) Bad

9. Belinda paled, and she cried Help ! Help !
But Mustard fled with terrified yelp,
Ink trickled down to the bottom of the household,
And little mouse Blink strategically mouseholed.

Paraphrase: Seeing the pirate, Belinda got frightened. She became pale and cried for help. Mustard also ran away crying. Ink hid under the bottom of the household and Blink hid under the hole.

Choose the correct option:

(a) Who trickled down to the bottom of the household?
(i) Ink
(ii) Blink
(iii) Belinda
(iv) Custard
Answer:
(i) Ink

(b) What did Belinda cry for?
(i) Benefit
(ii) Help
(iii) Blessings
(iv) Advantage
Answer:
(ii) Help

(c) Mustard fled with __________ yelp.
(i) loud
(ii) terrified
(iii) mild
(iv) none of these
Answer:
(ii) terrified

(d) How was the condition of Belinda after seeing the pirate?
(i) She fainted.
(ii) She laughed.
(iii) She got frightened.
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(iii) She got frightened.

(e) Where did Blink hid?
(i) Under the window
(ii) Under the hole
(iii) Under the bed
(iv) Nowhere
Answer:
(ii) Under the hole

10. But up jumped Custard, snorting like an engine,
Clashed his tail like irons in a dungeon,
With a clatter and a clank and a jangling squirm,
He went at the pirate like a robin at a worm.

Paraphrase: Mustard jumped and snorted like an engine. His tail clashed with the pirate like irons in the jail. With a clattering and clanking sound, he jumped upon the pirate like a robin jumped upon a worm.

Choose the correct option:

(a) Who is doing all the actions in the given stanza?
(i) Belinda
(ii) ink
(iii) Blink
(iv) Custard
Answer:
(iv) Custard

(b) How was Custard snorting?
(i) Like a horse
(ii) Like a lion
(iii) Like an engine
(iv) Like an ape
Answer:
(iii) Like an engine

(c) Custard went at the pirate like a ______________ at a worm.
(i) robin
(ii) housefly
(iii) butterfly
(iv) none of these
Answer:
(i) robin

(d) Who snorted like an engine?
(i) Mustard
(ii) Custard
(iii) Belinda
(iv) ink
Answer:
(ii) Custard

(e) Whose tail clashed with the pirate?
(i) Mustard
(ii) Ink
(iii) Blink
(iv) Custard
Answer:
(i) Mustard

11. The pirate gaped at Belinda’s dragon,
And gulped some grog from his pocket flagon.
He fired two bullets but they didn’t hit,
And Custard gobbled him every bit.

Paraphrase: The pirate watched intently at Custard, swallowed some wine taking out a small container from his pocket. The pirate fired two bullets but it did not hit Custard the dragon. Custard gobbled every bit of the pirate.

Choose the correct option:

(a) At whom did the pirate fire?
(i) Belinda
(ii) Ink
(iii) Blink
(iv) Custard
Answer:
(iv) Custard

(b) What drink was the pirate carrying?
(i) Lemonade
(ii) Soda water
(iii) Alcohol
(iv) Mint-tea
Answer:
(iii) Alcohol

(c) gaped at Belinda’s dragon.
(i) Mustard
(ii) The pirate
(iii) Ink
(iv) Blink
Answer:
(ii) The pirate

(d) What did the pirate fire?
(i) One bullet
(ii) Two bullets
(iii) Three bullets
(iv) Four bullets
Answer:
(ii) Two bullets

(e) Who gobbled every bit of pirate?
(i) Mustard
(ii) Custard
(iii) Dragon
(iv) Ink
Answer:
(ii) Custard

12. Belinda embraced him, Mustard licked him,
No one mourned for his pirate victim.
Ink and Blink in glee did gyrate Around the dragon that ate the pirate.
Paraphrase: Belinda hugged Custard and Mustard licked him. No one wailed for the pirate victim who was dead. Ink and Blink danced merrily around the dragon.

Choose the correct option:

(a) Who embraced Custard?
(i) Belinda
(ii) Blink
(iii) Mustard
(iv) Ink
Answer:
(i) Belinda

(b) Who danced in happiness?
(i) Belinda and Mustard
(ii) Ink and Blink
(iii) Blink and Belinda
(iv) Mustard and Ink
Answer:
(ii) Ink and Blink

(c) Everyone _________ Custard because he killed the pirate.
(i) embraced
(ii) reprimanded
(iii) condemned
(iv) none of these
Answer:
(i) embraced

(d) Who wailed for the dragon?
(i) Custard
(ii) Mustard
(iii) Belinda
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(iv) None of these

(e) Who licked Custard?
(i) Mustard
(ii) Blink
(iii) Belinda
(iv) No one
Answer:
(i) Mustard

13. But presently up spoke little dog Mustard,
I’d have been twice as brave if I hadn’t been flustered.
And up spoke Ink and up spoke Blink,
We’d have been three times as brave, we think,
And Custard said, I quite agree
That everybody is braver than me.

Paraphrase: The little dog Mustard started speaking. He told had he not flustered, he would have been twice as brave as he was. According to Ink and Blink, they would have been thrice time as brave as they had been. In their response, Custard told that all are braver than him.

Choose the correct option:

(a) Who claimed that they had been three times as brave as Custard?
(i) Ink and Blink
(ii) Blink alone
(iii) Belinda
(iv) Mustard
Answer:
(i) Ink and Blink

(b) How was Custard?
(i) Hateful
(ii) Jealous
(iii) Unkind
(iv) Humble
Answer:
(iv) Humble

(c) __________ had not flustered.
(i) Blink
(ii) Mustard
(iii) Belinda
(iv) Ink
Answer:
(ii) Mustard

(d) Who considered themselves braver three times more?
(i) Ink and Blink
(ii) Custard and Mustard
(iii) Belinda and Mustard
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(i) Ink and Blink

(e) Who accepted that everybody is braver than him?
(i) Mustard
(ii) Blink
(iii) Custard
(iv) Belinda
Answer:
(iii) Custard

14. Belinda still lives in her little white house,
With her little black kitten and her little grey mouse,
And her little yellow dog and her little red wagon,
And her realio, trulio little pet dragon.

Paraphrase: But Belinda still lives in her little white house along with her little black kitten, grey mouse, little yellow dog and red wagon. Her pet dragon realio, trulio are also with her.

15. Belinda is as brave as a barrel full of bears,
And Ink and Blink chase lions down the stairs,
Mustard is as brave as a tiger in a rage,
But Custard keeps crying for a nice safe cage.

Paraphrase: Now, Belinda is as brave as a barrel full of bears. Ink arid Blink chase lions down the stairs. Mustard is much brave like a tiger in a rage. But, Custard the dragon is crying for a nice safe cage.

The Tale of Custard the Dragon Summary

The Tale of Custard the Dragon Introduction

About the Poet

• Frederic Ogden Nash (August 19, 1902 – May 19, 1971) was an American poet well known for his light verse. He wrote more than 500 pieces of verse. With his unconventional rhyming schemes, he was declared the country’s best-known producer of humorous poetry.
• Nash died at Baltimore’s Johns Hopkins Hospital on May 19, 1971. He was buried in East Side Cemetery in North Hampton, New Hampshire.
•  At the time of his death in 1971, The New York Times said his “droll verse with its unconventional rhymes made him the country’s best- known producer ofhumorous poetry.”
• A biography of Ogden Nash: The Life and Work of Americas Laureate of Light Verse, was written by Douglas M. Parker, published in 2005 and in paperback in 2007. The book was written with the cooperation of the Nash family, and quotes extensively from Nash’s personal correspondence as well as his poetry.

Central Idea of the Poem

‘The Tale of Custard the Dragon’ is a humorous poem. It gives a detailed description of a little girl Belinda and her pets. She lives with her pets like a kitten, a mouse, a dog and a dragon. All the dwellers of the house except Custard,pride themselves on their fearlessness. They mock poor Custard for his timidity. The mouse and the kitten are so brave that they can even chase lions. Custard the dragon is such a coward that it always wants to live under the cage to protect itself. However,when the real danger comes, all other run away in panic except Custard. The pirate who comes to Belinda’s house is killed by the dragon with his heroic act. The bravery of Belinda and rest of her pets fails. They all shout for help and it is Custard who rescues them from the pirate.

The Tale of Custard the Dragon Summary

This is a story of a girl Belinda, who has some strange pets. They have queer names. She calls the black kitten Ink, the little grey mouse Blink, the yellow dog Mustard and the cowardly dragon Custard. Belinda, the kitten, the mouse and the dog are very brave but the dragon is timid. One day, a pirate, armed with a pistol, enters their house. Except the dragon Custard, all the others become afraid of the pirate. Custard attacks the pirate and gobbles him up. Belinda then embraces him while Mustard licks him. Even after this brave incident, Custard does not give up his cowardly ways. He still keeps on crying for a safe cage.

Poem at a Glance

• Belinda lived in a little white house with her pets.
• Blank kitten, Ink, grey mouse, Blink, yellow dog, Mustard and a dragon named Custard were her pets.
• All the pets were sharp and brave except Custard. Custard was a coward who always cried for a nice safe cage.
• Custard had a big sharp teeth with spikes on the top and scales below him.
• Belinda and Mustard always made mockery of timidity of Custard and called him ‘Percival’.
• Belinda and Blink giggled loudly. Custard was insulted by asking his name.
• All of a sudden, they saw a pirate climbing up through the window.
• The pirate had pistols in both his hands and a dagger in his mouth.
• Seeing the pirate, Belinda got frightened and cried for help. She also became pale in fear.
• Mustard ran away in terror and cried. Ink reached in the household and Blink reached in the mousehole.
• Custard snorted like an engine and struck his tails like irons in a prison.
• The pirate gaped at Belinda’s dragon and gulped down some wine. He even fired two bullets but they did not hit.
• Belinda hugged Custard, Mustard licked him, Ink and Blink danced around him in glee.
• On the bravery of Mustard, Ink and Blink, Custard agreed that everybody was braver than him.
• Belinda still lives in her white house alongwith little black kitten, grey mouse, yellow dog, red wagon and realio, trulio, her little pet dragon.
• Belinda is very brave like a barrel full of bears. Ink and Blink, Mustard are also brave but Custard cries for a nice safe cage.

The Tale of Custard the Dragon Word-Meanings

Haryana State Board HBSE 10th Class English Solutions First Flight Poem 7 Animals Textbook Exercise Questions and Answers.

Haryana Board 10th Class English Solutions First Flight Poem 7 Animals

HBSE 10th Class English Animals Textbook Questions and Answers

Thinking about the Poem

1. Notice the use of the word ‘turn’ in the first line, “I think I could turn and live with animals…”. What is the poet turning from?
Answer:
The poet is turning away from living with other humans because he finds them complicated and false. He would rather live with animals that are self-contained and non-complaining. Human beings are not content and they always complain about something or the other.

2. Mention three things that humans do and animals don’t.
Answer:
The poet has drawn three comparisons between humans and animals.
(a) Humans sweat and work to make a living, but animals don’t do that.
(b) Humans lie awake at night and cry for the wrongs they have done, but animals do not repent such things. They sleep peacefully.
(c) Humans make each other sick by discussing with them their duties to God, while animals live and survive without any prayer.

3. Do humans kneel to other humans who lived thousands of years ago? Discuss this in groups.
Answer:
Yes, humans kneel to other humans who lived thousands of years ago. They worship their ancestors and pray by kneeling in front of their portraits. They hold religious sermons and ceremonies in their memory.

4. What are the ‘tokens’ that the poet says he may have dropped long ago, and which the animals have kept for him? Discuss this in class.
{Hint: Whitman belongs to the Romantic tradition that includes Rousseau and Wordsworth, which holds that civilisation has made humans false to their own true nature. What could be the basic aspects of our nature as living beings that humans choose to ignore or deny?
Answer:
The tokens that the poet says he might have dropped long ago are true nature of man, his affection, kindness, friendship, etc. As humans came closer to civilisation, they gradually deviated away from their true nature. As they came close to civilisation, they chose to leave behind the virtues of kindness, sincerity, unselfishness, joy, satisfaction, respectability and sharing. They adopted the path of greed, selfishness, desire to capture everything, and other such inhuman characteristics. Animals have carried forward the real instincts and characteristics, which the poet looks at and tries to remember where he had negligently lost his true nature.

HBSE 10th Class English Animals Important Questions and Answers

I. Short Answer Type Questions (20-30 words & 2 marks each)

Question 1.
What makes the poet sick?
Answer:
Humans do all kinds of sins and discuss with one another about their duties to God. It makes the poet sick. It shows the hypocrisy of humans, but animals do not repent such things.

Question 2.
What is the poet’s yearning?
Answer:
The poet’s yearning is to live with animals. Animals lead quite peaceful lives. They are
satisfied and never complain about it. Humans hanker after worldly possessions. Their desire and greed can never be satiated. That is why the poet wants to live with animals.

Question 3.
What does the poet say about animals in the poem?
Answer:
The poet says that animals are placid, calm, peaceful and self-contained. They never compromise with anything.

II. Short Answer Type Questions (40-50 words & 3 marks each)

Question 1.
In what respect are animals better than human beings?
Answer:
Animals are more sympathetic and considerate than human beings. They are quiet, calm and self-satisfied. They have no ill-will, grudge or envy against anyone. So, animals are better than human beings in numerous ways.

Question 2.
What qualities of animals have attracted the poet most?
Answer:
The noble virtues of animals have attracted the poet most. Animals are independent. They are not jealous, envious. They do not show unnecessary respect for their ancestors or to their fellow beings. They do not possess anything like human beings. These qualities of animals have attracted the poet most.

Question 3.
What is the underlying idea in the poem ‘Animals’?
Answer:
The idea depicted in the poem ‘Animals’ is the difference between human beings and animals. Initially, both animals and humans were similar in their innate goodness but over the years, humans have lost this natural goodness whereas it is still intact in animals. The peaceful, self-contained and happy nature of animals compels the poet to contemplate on man’s lost goodness.

Question 4.
Explain the satisfaction that animals have and humans don’t.
Answer:
Animals do not wish to possess worldly things. Whereas, humans’ desire grows constantly and they are never satisfied with what they have. The lack of this greed in animals keeps them satisfied and the presence of it in humans makes them dissatisfied.

III. Long Answer Type Questions (100-120 words & 5 marks each)

Question 1.
Do you think that the poem ‘Animals’ presents a contrast between humans and animals?
Answer:
Human beings are jealous, envious, selfish and self-centred lot while animals are quiet, calm,
self-contained and happy lot. Animals do not lie awake at night, cry over their sins and discuss their duty towards God as human beings do. They have no intention of possessing things. They never kneel down before others. There are noble virtues inherent in them. But, humans lack all these things. They just change their perception according to circumstances. Animals remain whatever they are. They do not do things like that.

Question 2.
‘It is not complaining but accepting a situation, is the key to happiness in life.’ Elaborate this in context of the poem ‘Animals’.
Answer:
In the poem ‘Animals’, the poet has brought out the differences between animals and humans on the basis of their characteristics. In poet’s opinion, animals are ranked higher than humans, as they do not complain about anything and thus they are considered much happier than humans. Animals always live in their natural surroundings but humans tend to mould their surroundings as per their need and greed. Even after altering their habitat, humans remain sad and complaining.

Question 3.
Why do you think the poet has called the desire to own things, a mania? Is the poet right in doing so? Write your own views.
Answer:
The poet uses words such as ‘demented’ and ‘mania’ for never ending desire of human beings to own things. These words show that the poet is comparing this desire to madness. The poet stands right in doing so as this desire makes us so greedy. It traps us in a vicious circle of yearning more and more. Animals that are free from any possession are also free from sins, worries and complaints. In order to gain more wealth, all the important values such as morality and kindness are left behind.

Question 4.
What, according to you, should be the virtues that humans should possess? Discuss with reference to the poem, ‘Animals’.
Answer:
Human beings should be gentle not only to their own kind but also to everyone and everything. Virtues such as kindness bring other values like innocence and honesty. That makes the world a better place to live in. The lack of such values results in a corrupt society where people commit sins and repent in dark. They get dissatisfied and unhappy in their life. Human beings probably had these virtues in them but along with the advancement of civilisation, they have left them behind and adopted greed and cunningness.

Question 5.
Not one kneels another, nor to his kind that lived thousands of years ago,
Not one is respectable or unhappy over the whole earth,
So they show their relation to me and I accept them
What does the poet want to convey through this?
Answer:
In this poem, it is the ardent desire of the poet to live among animals. According to him, the animals are quiet, calm and satisfied. One of the most important qualities of animals is that they neither feel happy nor sad over anything. Like human beings, they neither kneel down before others to show respect either to their elders or their ancestors. Animals want to lead independent life. They are quite indifferent to human beings. Animals are not greedy like human beings. The poet is quite happy with the behaviour and habits of animals. They just want to lead their own lives without bothering others. There is no greed, envy, hatred, ill-will, grudge, etc., prevalent among animals. So, the poet wants to live in the company of animals.

Reference To Context

Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow:

1. I think I could turn and live with animals, they are
so placid and self-contain’d,
I stand and look at them long and long.

Paraphrase: The poet has drawn differences between human beings and animals. The poet wants to live in the company of animals. Because they are quiet, calm and self-satisfied. Animals impress him so much that he looks upon them constantly for a long time.

Choose the correct option:

(a) Why does the poet want to live with the animals?
(i) They are calm and self-contained.
(ii) They are good to be friend with.
(iii) They run errands for him.
(iv) They entertain him.
Answer:
(i) They are calm and self-contained.

(b) At whom does the poet look long and long?
(i) Himself
(ii) Friends
(iii) Animals
(iv) Poet’s family members
Answer:
(iii) Animals

(c) The poet says that the animals are .
(i) disturbing
(ii) noisy
(iii) calm and self-contained
(iv) none of these
Answer:
(iii) calm and self-contained

(d) Between whom has the poet drawn differences?
(i) Animals and human beings
(ii) Animals and birds
(iii) Nature and mankind
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(i) Animals and human beings

(e) Why does the poet look at animals for long time?
(i) Because they disturb him
(ii) Because they impress him.
(iii) Both (i) and (ii)
(iv) Neither (i) nor (ii)
Answer:
(ii) Because they impress him.

2. They do not sweat and whine about their condition,
They do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins,
They do not make me sick discussing their duty to God.

Paraphrase: Animals do not whine about their miserable condition. They just take their sound sleep at night and never weep for their sins. Animals do not make anyone sick by discussing their duties to God.

Choose the correct option:

(a) What do the animals not complain about?
(i) They do not care for other animals.
(ii) They do not complain about their condition.
(iii) They do not have greed.
(iv) All of these
Answer:
(ii) They do not complain about their condition.

(b) What makes the poet sick?
(i) When someone discusses their duty to God.
(ii) When animals bite him.
(iii) When he eats poisonous food.
(iv) When the poet travels.
Answer:
(i) When someone discusses their duty to God.

(c) …………………. do not lie awake in the dark.
(i) Animals
(ii) Human beings
(iii) Thieves
(iv) Nature
Answer:
(i) Animals

(d) Who does not whine about their miserable condition?
(i) Human beings
(ii) Animals
(iii) Beggars
(iv) The rich people
Answer:
(ii) Animals

(e) Why do animals not weep for their sins?
(i) They are innocent.
(ii) They lack sense.
(iii) They are aggressive.
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(i) They are innocent.

3. Not one is dissatisfied, not one is demented with
the mania of owning things,
Not one kneels to another, nor to his kind that
lived thousands of years ago,
Not one is respectable or unhappy over the whole earth.
So they show their relations to me and I accept them,

Paraphrase: There is no sense of dissatisfaction among the animals. They do not believe in possessing things like human beings. They do not kneel down before others to show respect either to their elders or to those who were bom thousands of years ago. According to them, nobody is respectable or unhappy on this earth.

Choose the correct option:

(a) What are the traits of animals?
(i) Satisfaction, not crazy about owning things
(ii) Anger, lust and restlessness
(iii) Loyal but lazy
(iv) Dissatisfied and mad
Answer:
(i) Satisfaction, not crazy about owning things

(b) What type of relation is being talked about here?
(i) Husband-wife
(ii) Brother-sister
(iii) Human-animal
(iv) Parents-kids
Answer:
(iii) Human-animal

(c) Animals do not before others like human beings.
(i) stand
(ii) kneel
(iii) sit
(iv) think
Answer:
(ii) kneel

(d) According to animals, who is respectable?
(i) Nobody
(ii) Human beings
(iii) God
(iv) All of these
Answer:
(i) Nobody

(e) In which things do animals not believe?
(i) God is one.
(ii) Possession of things
(iii) All are equal.
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(ii) Possession of things

4. They bring me tokens of myself, they evince
them plainly in their possession
I wonder where they get those tokens,
Did I pass that way huge times ago and negligently drop them?

Paraphrase: Animals show the token of noble virtues because they are full of such things. The poet is awestruck on this thing. After all from where animals got those qualities. The noble virtues have been left by the humans centuries ago.

Choose the correct option:

(a) What have the human beings lost?
(i) Grudge, ill-will
(ii) Tokens of noble virtues
(iii) Hatred
(iv) All of these
Answer:
(ii) Tokens of noble virtues

(b) How is the reaction of the poet in the last line?
(a) Exciting
(b) Surprising
(c) Gloomy
(d) Neutral
Answer:
(b) Surprising

(c) Animals show the token of …………………
(i) honesty
(ii) Noble virtues
(iii) discipline
(iv) incivility
Answer:
(ii) Noble virtues

(d) How is the mood of the poet?
(i) He is awestruck on such thing.
(ii) He is disappointed
(iii) He is optimistic.
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(i) He is awestruck on such thing.

(e) When did the human beings leave the noble virtues?
(i) Ten years ago
(ii) Hundred years ago
(iii) Centuries ago
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(iii) Centuries ago

Animals Summary

Animals Introduction

About the Poet

•  Walt Whitman was bom on May 31,1819 in West Hills, Huntington.
• He was an American poet, essayist, and journalist.
• He incorporated transcendentalism and realism.
• Whitman worked as a j oumalist, a teacher and a government clerk.
• He also volunteered for nurse during the American Civil War.
• Whitman’s major work, Leaves of Grass, was first published in 1855.
• He died in 1892 at the age of 72.

Central Idea of the Poem

The poet has very beautifully drawn out a contrast between human beings and animals. According to him, human beings are greedy, selfish and envious whereas animals are simple and loyal. He wants to live among the animals who are always satisfied and do not possess things. They do not have any kind of falsehood. They just enjoy their lives in their surroundings.

Animals Summary

In the poem, ‘Animals’, the poet has portrayed a beautiful description of animals. The poet desires to live among the animals, because they are quiet, calm and self-contained. They do not bother about their guilt or sin. They neither feel too happy nor get frustrated over anything.
The animals are always satisfied. They do not possess the mania of possessing things. They do not show respect for the others. But, such is not the case with human beings. They hanker after worldly pleasures and money. They do not get satisfaction. They show respect to the elders.
The poet has a deep desire to leam from the animals since they show their deep concern for him. They pay him respect in the form of a token and show their plain feelings. They do not have any kind of falsehood. The poet is much surprised at their quality.

Poem at a Glance

• The poet has tried to find out the differences between animals and human beings.
• The poet feels comfortable in the company of animals.
• Because animals are quiet, calm and satisfied.
• The poet looks at them for a long time.
• The animals neither repent over their miserable conditions nor weep for their sins.
• The animals are not mad after possession of things.
• Although human beings have lost their tokens of love but it still persists in animals.
• Human beings have become jealous, envious, greedy but animals are not so.

Animals Word-Meanings

Haryana State Board HBSE 10th Class English Solutions First Flight Poem 6 Amanda Textbook Exercise Questions and Answers.

Haryana Board 10th Class English Solutions First Flight Poem 6 Amanda

HBSE 10th Class English Amanda Textbook Questions and Answers

Thinking about the Poem

1. How old do you think Amanda is? How do you know this?
Answer:
Amanda is a school going girl. She may be about 9-10 years old. It is apparent from the instructions given to her not to bite her nails or to do homework.

2. Who do you think is speaking to her?
Answer:
It seems that the poet is speaking to her.

3. Why are Stanzas 2,4 and 6 given in parenthesis? „
Answer:
Stanzas 2, 4 and 6 are given in parenthesis because they are the thoughts of the child. And these are given in different conditions.

4. Who is the speaker in Stanzas 2, 4 and 6? Do you think this speaker is listening to the speaker in Stanzas 1, 3, 5 and 7?
Answer:
In Stanzas 2,4 and 6, the speaker is the child, Amanda. No, she is not listening to the speaker in Stanzas 1,3,5 and 7. She is lost in her thoughts and she is clearly not listening to anybody.

5. What could Amanda do if she were a mermaid?
Answer:
If Amanda were a mermaid, she would have drifted slowly on a languid emerald sea. She would be the sole inhabitant of the relaxed green sea.

6. Is Amanda an orphan? Why does she say so?
Answer:
No, Amanda is not an orphan. She says so because she wants to be alone. She wants to roam around the street alone. She finds silence ‘golden’ and freedom ‘sweet’. It is for this reason that she calls herself an orphan.

7. Do you know the story of Rapunzel? Why does she want to be Rapunzel?
Answer:
Rapunzel was a fairy. Amanda wants to be Rapunzel because she wants to live alone. Rapunzel lived alone in a tall tower and had long, beautiful hair. She was held captive by her grandmother, who came up the tower by climbing her long hair. The girl also wants to live alone in a tower as she would not have to care about anything as life in a tower would be tranquil, peaceful and rare. However, she also decided that she would never throw down her hair for anyone to come up as she wanted to live alone always.

8. What does the girl yearn for? What does this poem tell you about Amanda?
Answer:
The girl yearns for freedom. She wants to stay alone. If she were a mermaid, she would have wanted to drift slowly on a calm sea where she would be the only inhabitant. She imagines herself to be an orphan, roaming the street in silence and freedom. She also wishes to be Rapunzel though she would not let her hair down for anybody to climb up. This shows that she is fed up with the continuous scolding she receives from her mother. She wants to go away from her home to some place where she would not be constantly teased or rebuked by anybody and would be able to live peacefully.

9. Read the last stanza. Do you think Amanda is sulking and is moody?
Answer:
It does not seem that she is sulking, though she could be moody. She is completely lost in her thoughts. She is not even listening to her mother. Her mother perceives her to be sulking as she does not react to her instructions at all. Since Amanda does not listen to her, she concludes that she is very moody and continues to nag her.

HBSE 10th Class English Amanda Important Questions and Answers

I. Short Answer Type Questions (20-30 words & 2 marks each)

Question 1.
What does Amanda imagine herself to be while day-dreaming and reaching the sea?
Answer:
While reaching the sea in her daydream, Amanda imagines of being a mermaid. She finds the sea relaxed and peaceful as she dreams of drifting on the waves blissfully.

Question 2.
What sort of instructions did Amanda get?
Answer:
Amanda is instructed not to bite her nail, complete her homework and clean her room. She is even asked not to hunch her shoulders. She is told to sit only in a straight manner.

Question 3.
What can you depict of Amanda’s nature?
Answer:
Amanda is a moody girl. She is nagged most of the time. She often escapes from reality, which makes her moody and uninterested.

Question 4.
How does Amanda describe herself as an orphan?
Answer:
Amanda says that she is an orphan. She roams the street freely. There is dust under her bare feet. With her bare feet, she creates patterns on the dust. Silence is golden and freedom is sweet.

Question 5.
Why is Amanda told not to eat chocolates?
Answer:
Amanda is told not to eat chocolates because she had been suffering from acne. Eating more chocolates will cause pimples on her face. That is why she is told so.

II. Short Answer Type Questions (40-50 words & 3 marks each)

Question 1.
What is the importance of punctuation in a language? Why has the poet used the exclamation mark after Amanda in the title of the poem?
Answer:
Punctuation in a language makes the sense of a text clear. It helps in conveying the message with clarity. It is further used to structure and organise a piece of writing. The exclamation mark used in the title ’Amanda’ is to show the mother’s surprise on seeing Amanda. Amanda is a moody girl and this trait of hers upsets her mother.

Question 2.
Who is instructing Amanda? Is he/she constantly giving instructions fulfilling some-thing?
Answer:
Amanda’s mother is instructing Amanda. When she keeps on instructing her, Amanda sulks and becomes moody. Her mother intends to make her well-behaved by constantly giving instructions to her but Amanda doesn’t care much and nor can she ignore her mother, so she sulks down rather than executing all the instructions.

Question 3.
Despite imagining to be Rapunzel, Amanda does not want to do what Rapunzel did. Why?
Answer:
Amanda wants to be Rapunzel to live a peaceful life in a tower. But she does not intend to
elope with a prince because she does not want to depart from the peaceful life on the top of the tower.

Question 4.
Why does Amanda seem moody most of the times?
Answer:
Amanda seems moody because she is constantly trying to make an escape from her reality where she is instructed all the time. It is indeed a sorry state for a little kid like Amanda to bear. Here, the only solution she finds to escape this reality is her imaginary world. Therefore, it makes her look moody and indifferent towards her mother’s instructions.

III. Long Answer Type Questions (100-120 words & 5 marks each)

Question 1.
Why does Amanda want to escape into the dreamy world of mermaids and fairies? Discuss it on the basis of the poem ‘Amanda’.
Answer:
In this world, each one (including child, young, old, etc.) wants to lead the life of freedom. Amanda also like other child loves freedom. She does not want to be a pampered child. Amanda does not want that her parents should control and guide her activities. She wants to do the activity of her own choice. She does not want to be dictated by anyone. She creates a world of her own choice. Amanda wants to live in the dreamy world of mermaids and fairies. She wants to enjoy freedom roaming around the streets like an orphan. Like Rapunzel, Amanda wants to live in an imaginary tower. She does not like the nagging of her mother. This way Amanda wants to escape into the dreamy world of mermaids and fairies.

Question 2.
How has the poet discussed the importance of proper upbringing with reference to the poem, ‘Amanda’?
Answer:
Every child is bom with some innate quality. Their upbringing plays an important role in sharpening their personality. It is the moral duty of the parents to instil good values and moral principles in a growing child. Amanda shows how a child feels trapped in instructions. She is instmcted to do numerous things. Amanda is very frustrated. She wishes to be an orphan. She is even instmcted not to eat chocolate because it causes acne. She wants to live alone and lead a carefree life. So, children should be reared up with proper care.

Question 3.
State the value points in the poem ‘Amanda’.
Answer:
Every child is unique in its own way. There are some positive and negative aspects in each child. It requires a great deal of patience and love to make them understand this. Parents should impart proper education to children, as they leam through experiences as well. If children do leam some bad habits, it requires great level of understanding and right approach to rectify them. Children cannot be taught everything in one day. They should be told to behave properly. It is natural for a child like Amanda to seek freedom at her place. Growing up of child should not be about do’s and don’ts only. The fact is that Amanda is forbidden to do anything without seeking permission. She can’t sit lazily around. She can’t eat chocolate because it could cause acne. Life of Amanda is very suffocating and limited in itself. She desires for more freedom and choice. The fact is that Amanda is innocent and naive. She is too small to understand the benefits of advice. That is why Amanda wishes to be an orphan. That is why she wants to be free.

Question 4.
I am an orphan, roaming the street
I pattern soft dust with my hushed bare feet.
The silence is golden, the freedom is sweet.
What does Amanda imagine herself to be? What does the poet want to convey through this?
Answer:
Through this paragraph, the poet has tried to depict the state of a little girl’s mind and also instructs her to do something good and change her habit. When the poet tells her so, she assumes that had she been an orphan, she would have roamed into the street. She would have made design on the soft dust with her feet quietly. According to her, silence is golden and freedom is the sweetest thing in the world. She wants to lead the life of freedom not of bondage. Through golden silence, the poet estimates the worth of silence. Amanda seeks peace and calmness. It is absent in her reality. Through this paragraph, the poet wants to say that freedom is the sweetest thing in the world. Not only the girl like Amanda but all living beings want freedom.

Reference To Context

Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow:

1. Don’t bite your nails, Amanda!
Don’t hunch your shoulders, Amanda!
Stop that slouching and sit up straight,
Amanda!

Paraphrase: In this paragraph, the mother is instructing Amanda not to bite her nails because it is considered to be a bad habit. She even tells her to sit straight in right posture without bending her shoulders.

Choose the correct option:

(a) What was Amanda biting?
(i) A piece of cake
(ii) Bread crumbs
(iii) Strawberry
(iv) Nails
Answer:
(iv) Nails

(b) What does the poet mean by ‘sit up straight’?
(i) The poet tells Amanda to straighten up her hair.
(ii) The poet tells Amanda not to bend while sitting.
(iii) The poet tells Amanda to go straight.
(iv) The poet tells Amanda to bend down.
Answer:
(ii) The poet tells Amanda not to bend while sitting.

(c) The poet tells Amanda to stop .
(i) telling
(ii) walking
(iii) slouching
(iv) writing
Answer:
(iii) slouching

(d) What does her mother consider it?
(i) Good habit
(ii) Bad habit
(iii) Both (i) and (ii)
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(ii) Bad habit

(e) To whom is the mother instructing here?
(i) Amanda
(ii) Her friend
(iii) Her father
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(i) Amanda

2. (There is a languid, emerald sea,
where the sole inhabitant is me—
a mermaid, drifting blissfully.)

Paraphrase: Amanda imagines herself to be sitting near a calm and small island. She wants to be the only resident of the beautiful green sea. She imagines herself like a mermaid who leads her life in a relaxing way.

Choose the correct option:

(a) What is emerald here?
(i) The poet
(ii) The girl
(iii) The sea
(iv) Gemstone
Answer:
(iii) The sea

(b) What does Amanda imagine her to be?
(i) An actor
(ii) A chef
(iii) A fish
(iv) A mermaid
Answer:
(iv) A mermaid

(c) The poet uses brackets to present the
(i) trust
(ii) imagination
(iii) disappointment
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(ii) imagination

(d) What does Amanda want?
(i) She wants to be the only resident of the beautiful Green Sea.
(ii) She does not want anything.
(iii) She only wants to play.
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(i) She wants to be the only resident of the beautiful Green Sea.

(e) What type of life does Amanda want to lead?
(i) Disappointing
(ii) Relaxing
(iii) Miserable
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(ii) Relaxing

3. Did you finish your homework, Amanda?
Did you tidy your room, Amanda?
I thought I told you to clean your shoes,
Amanda!

Paraphrase: Amanda was enquired whether she had finished her homework or not. She was even enquired whether she had cleaned her room or not. She was even instructed to clean her shoes.

Choose the correct option:

(a) What was Amanda asked to clean?
(i) The house
(ii) The dishes
(iii) The room
(iv) The curtains
Answer:
(iii) The room

(b) What did the poet think about Amanda?
(i) She thought that she had told her to clean her shoes.
(ii) She thought that she had asked her to buy grocery.
(iii) She thought that she had told her to tidy her room.
(iv) She thought that she had told her to watch out for birds.
Answer:
(i) She thought that she had told her to clean her shoes.

(c) Amanda is a very girl.
(i) careful
(ii) careless
(iii) stupid
(iv) none of these
Answer:
(ii) careless

(d) What did her mother enquire first?
(i) About the completion of homework
(ii) About her imagination
(iii) About her dirty habits
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(i) About the completion of homework

(e) What does Amanda’s mother want from her?
(i) To learn bad habits
(ii) To learn good habits
(iii) To speak fitiently
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(ii) To learn good habits

4. (I am an orphan, roaming the street.
I pattern soft dust with my hushed, bare feet.
The silence is golden, the freedom is sweet.)

Paraphrase: Amanda imagines herself to be an orphan who is roaming into the street. It implies that had she been without parents she would have wandered freely into the street. She is barefoot. She would have made designs on the soft dust with her bare feet quietly. In her opinion, silence is golden and freedom is the sweetest thing in the world.

Choose the correct option:

(a) What kind of silence does Amanda envision?
(i) Amazing
(ii) Silver
(iii) Sweet
(iv) Golden
Answer:
(iv) Golden

(b) What does Amanda do with her feet?
(i) Makes design on the deposited dust
(ii) Hushes the little puppies
(iii) Runs along the road
(iv) Roam in the street
Answer:
(i) Makes design on the deposited dust

(c) Amanda wants to roam like a/an
(i) dishonest
(ii) honest
(iii) orpan
(iv) stupid
Answer:
(iii) orpan

(d) What is golden here?
(i) Silence
(ii) Conversation
(iii) custom
(iv) Tradition
Answer:
(i) Silence

(e) What is the sweetest thing in the world?
(i) Passion
(ii) Freedom
(iii) Imagination
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(ii) Freedom

5. Don’t eat that chocolate, Amanda!
Remember your acne, Amanda!
Will you please look at me when I’m speaking to you,
Amanda!

Paraphrase: Amanda’s mother is instructing her not to eat chocolates. She reminds of her pimples which she has due to eating chocolates. She even reminds her for not paying attention to what her mother says.

Choose the correct option:

(a) What is Amanda asked to do?
(i) To look into the mirror
(ii) To look at the narrator
(iii) To look inside the tidy room
(iv) To look before crossing the road
Answer:
(ii) To look at the narrator

(b) When does the narrator want Amanda to look at her?
(i) When she is speaking to her
(ii) When she needs a make up.
(iii) When she asks a question.
(iv) When she waves at her.
Answer:
(i) When she is speaking to her

(c) Amanda should not eat chocolate because it will cause .
(i) disappointment
(ii) irritation
(iii) acne
(iv) none of these
Answer:
(iii) acne

(d) Amanda’s mother is instructing her not to eat—
(i) cake
(ii) chocolates
(iii) fruits
(iv) none of these
Answer:
(ii) chocolates

(e) What does her mother remind her of?
(i) For not paying attention to her advice
(ii) For studies
(iii) For playing
(iv) All of these
Answer:
(i) For not paying attention to her advice

6. (I am Rapunzel, I have not a care;
life in a tower is tranquil and rare;
I’ll certainly never let down my bright hair!)

Paraphrase: Amanda only imagines herself to be Rapunzel, (a character from a fairy tale), who lives in a tower. But Amanda does not care for anybody. She wants to live alone in a quiet and calm tower. She also tells that she will never let her hair down to anyone so that nobody could come to her in the tower.

Choose the correct option:

(a) Who does Amanda envision to be?
(i) Snow-white
(ii) Cinderella
(iii) Rapunzel
(iv) Sleeping beauty
Answer:
(iii) Rapunzel

(b) What legend is related with Rapunzel?
(i) Long-bright hair
(ii) Missing sandal
(iii) Beauty and the Beast
(iv) Magic mirror
Answer:
(i) Long-bright hair

(c) The life of Rapunzel in a tower is .
(i) disturbing
(ii) calm and quiet
(iii) illusory
(iv) none of these
Answer:
(ii) calm and quiet

(d) Who is Rapunzel?
(i) A character-from–the Ramayana
(ii) A character from the fairy tale
(iii) A character from the folk tale
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(ii) A character from the fairy tale

(e) Why does Amanda not care for anybody?
(i) Because she wants to live alone.
(ii) Because she is not interested in studies.
(iii) Because she does not want to do any work.
(iv) All of these
Answer:
(i) Because she wants to live alone.

7. Stop that sulking at once, Amanda!
You’re always so moody, Amanda!
Anyone would think that I nagged at you,
Amanda!

Paraphrase: Amanda’s mother warns her not to feel unhappy and disappointed. She should be more happy. Amanda is very moody. She is of unstable nature. Her mother tells her to remain cheerful, otherwise her mother will be blamed for harassing her.

Choose the correct option:

(a) Who would think that the narrator is nagging at her?
(i) Anyone
(ii) Amanda
(iii) Poet
(iv) Her friends
Answer:
(i) Anyone

(b) Amanda’s nature is said to be
(i) moody and happy
(ii) sulky and moody
(iii) cheerful and excited
(iv) calm and composed
Answer:
(ii) sulky and moody

(c) The narrator tells Amanda to stop .
(i) talking
(ii) sulking
(iii) walking
(iv) writing
Answer:
(ii) sulking

(d) What does her mother advise her?
(i) She tells her to remain cheerful.
(ii) She tells her to talk agressive.
(iii) Does not say anything
(iv) All of these
Answer:
(i) She tells her to remain cheerful.

(e) Who will be blamed for harassing her?
(i) Amanda’s father
(ii) Amanda’s mother
(iii) Amanda’s sister
(iv) Amanda’s friends
Answer:
(ii) Amanda’s mother

Amanda Summary

Amanda Introduction

About the Poet

• Robin Klein was bom on 28 February, 1936, in Kempsey, New South Wales, Australia.
• She wrote more than 40 books, including Hating Alison Ashley, Halfway Across the Galaxy and Turn Left and Came Back to Show You I Could Fly.
• She left school at the age of 15 and did several jobs to establish herself as a writer.
• She won the CBCA Children s Book of the Year Award in both the Younger Readers and the Older Readers categories, and a Human Rights Award for Literature in 1989.
• Klein is considered one of the most prolific and beloved authors of Australia.

Central Idea of the Poem

‘Amanda’ is the poem of a young girl who does one thing after other but she is instructed not to do so, by the poet. It is the ardent desire of every child to enjoy the beauty of the dreamy world of childhood. The instructions given by the poet curtail her freedom. As the poet tells her not to eat chocolates, she considers it to be an infringement of her freedom. She only wants to remain in fantasy. Amanda does not want to grow up. She wants to remain a child now.

Amanda Summary

The poem ‘AmandaV depicts the state of a little girl’s mind. She is constantly instructed about do’s and don’ts by her elders. The narrator scolds and instructs her. She is told not to bite her nails. She is told not to hunch her shoulders and to sit up straight. The girl imagines that she is in an emerald sea. She is told to finish her homework and tidy her room. She is an orphan, that is why she roams in the street. She is forbidden from eating a chocolate because she has acne on her face. But all the time, the little girl Amanda keeps dreaming of a life of freedom in the open. She dreams of mermaids in the sea, of roaming barefoot in the dusty street and of the golden-haired Rapunzel who lived alone in a high tower. She takes no note of what is being said to her. Then she is rebuked for being moody and sulking all the time. This way the girl has been advised.

Poem at a Glance

• This poem is about a girl, Amanda who bites her nails.
• The poet asks her not to do so and also sit straight.
• The girl is lost in the world of dreams and fantasy.
• She imagines as if she were a mermaid.
• Amanda lives in a peaceful emerald sea all alone.
• She roams all around freely like a mermaid.
• Amanda lives in a peaceful emerald sea all alone.
• She roams all around freely like a mermaid.
• The poet asks if she has finished her homework and cleaned the room.
• She is told to clean her shoes but she has not done so.
• She does not care for all the things.
• Amanda wants to walk on the dust with her bare feet.
• She is told not to eat chocolates as it might cause her some problem.
• Amanda is told to inculcate good manners. But she ignores all these things.
• Amanda imagines herself as Rapunzel living in a tower.
• There is the atmosphere of peace and tranquillity here.
• The poet calls Amanda moody.
• She asks her not to be unhappy.

Amanda Word-Meanings

Haryana State Board HBSE 10th Class English Solutions First Flight Poem 5 The Ball Poem Textbook Exercise Questions and Answers.

Haryana Board 10th Class English Solutions First Flight Poem 5 The Ball Poem

HBSE 10th Class English The Ball Poem Textbook Questions and Answers

Thinking about the Poem

1. Why does the poet say, “I would not intrude on him”? Why doesn’t he offer him money to buy another ball?
Answer:
The poet says so because the boy has lost his ball. He is quite unhappy. He wants the boy to learn the meaning of loss on his own. He does not offer him money to buy another ball because according to him, money or another ball is worthless. The boy was trying to understand his responsibility because he had lost something, which could not be brought back.

2. staring down/All his young days into the harbour where/His ball went…”
Do you think the boy has had the ball for a long time? Is it linked to the memories of days when he played with it?
Answer:
Yes, it seems like the boy has had the ball for a long time. He had more affection with the ball. When it bounced into the water, all his memories of the childhood days flashed in his mind. This led to a realisation that those moments would not come back, just like the ball. He can buy new balls but the moments which had gone would never come again.

3. What does “in the world of possessions” mean?
Answer:
“In the world of possessions” means the materialistic world. Here everything and every action is made to possess something, whether it is the possession of land, property, money, or anything else. This would make the boy realise that this is the world of possessions where one can possess more things by buying them. One cannot buy what has been lost.

4. Do you think the boy has lost anything earlier? Pick out the words that suggest the answer.
Answer:
No, it seems that the boy has not lost anything earlier. The words that suggest so are ‘He senses first responsibility, in the world of possessions’.

5. What does the poet say the boy is learning from the loss of the ball? Try to explain this in your own words.
Answer:
The poet suggests that from the loss of the ball, the boy is just learning about the loss and how it hurts. The boy gets upset with this loss. The boy is learning what it means to lose something. Every man has to stand up after such losses. The boy too will learn how to stand up and leave the losses behind as he would have understood the true meaning and nature of loss.

6. Have you ever lost something you liked very much? Write a paragraph describing how you felt then, and saying whether — and how — you got over your loss.
Answer:
Yes, I have lost numerous things, but the loss of a dictionary really shocked me. The price of money does not matter here but the dictionary of Dr. Kamil Bulke – from English to Hindi really was an indispensable book to me, because I had leamt a lot of words and their uses from it. It not only enriched my vocabulary but also helped me learn idioms and phrases. I had bought it by saving my pocket money, that is why I really liked it much. Finally my loss was compensated. One of my friends suggested me to go to the store where I got an old piece of dictionary. I got really happy and purchased it. This way I overcome the loss.

HBSE 10th Class English The Ball Poem Important Questions and Answers

I. Short Answer Type Questions (20-30 words & 2 marks each)

Question 1.
How was the ball valuable for the boy?
Answer:
The ball was valuable for the boy is obvious from his reaction after losing it. He was much disappointed, dejected, shocked, fixed and stared at the place constantly where the ball had fallen.

Question 2.
What responsibility is the poet referring to?
Answer:
The poet is referring to the responsibility of the boy, who lost his ball and then stands up and bears the loss through self-understanding.

Question 3.
Write the sum and substance of the poem ‘The Ball Poem’.
Answer:
The poet, John Berryman tells us how quickly our childhood can go, like the pace at which the ball is lost in the poem and how at times we must face the hardships like loss unsuspectingly in our life.

Question 4.
What is the boy’s state of mind at the loss of his ball?
Answer:
The boy is very disturbed at the loss of his ball. He keeps staring at the ball with his desperate eyes.

II. Short Answer Type Questions (40-50 words & 3 marks each)

Question 1.
“And no one buys a ball back. Money is external.” What does these lines denote?
Answer:
These lines denote that no one can buy something that is lost for good. Here, the poet has compared money with an external thing. Nobody can buy the boy that very ball which he has lost. Money is a medium of possessing things. Even money cannot buy a ball back to the boy. The poet wants to make the boy aware of the loss.

Question 2.
What message does the poet want to convey through ‘The Ball Poem’?
Answer:
The poet has given a very positive message through the poem. He has tried to convey that gain and loss are the part and parcel of life. But one must be aware about the knowledge of loss. We may repent over the losses we have suffered from. But one must try to face even the adverse circumstances with good stead.

Question 3.
How did the boy react to the loss of the ball or was he fearful of something? Explain on the basis of the poem.
Answer:
When the ball of the boy lost, he was very upset. He was not fearful of anyone. He was really shocked, grief-stricken and disappointed. The ball might be a little thing and easily available, but the loss of the ball taught a lesson to the boy. Money can give only external happiness and satisfaction. It can not give us emotional satisfaction.

Question 4.
Write the theme of the poem, ‘The Ball Poem’.
Answer:
Each individual has fascination for something. But if we lose something that we love, we
should not feel disappointed, desperate and dejected. We should just try to bear the loss through our understanding. This is what the poem is all about.

Question 5.
Why does the poet say, “Balls will be lost always”?
Answer:
Here, balls symbolise man’s possession. These are dearer to us than the others. But nothing is permanent in this world. Everything is transitory. When we lose something, we suffer from a sense of loss. It happens in everyone’s life. That is why the poet says the ball will always be lost.

Question 6.
Why did the poet not console the boy?
Answer:
There are two reasons behind it. Firstly, the boy was too shocked and grief-stricken to know about the loss of the ball. Secondly, the boy was trying to bear the loss on his own through self-understanding which is much more lasting. Due to these reasons, the poet did not console the boy.

III. Long Answer Type Questions (100-120 words & 5 marks each)

Question 1.
What is the epistemology of loss in this world of possessions? How far has the child learned to stand up in life? Substantiate it on the basis of the poem.
Answer:
The poet has tried to show that gain or loss are the part and parcel of life. These are the two facets of the same coin. At the loss of his ball, the boy is very depressed and dejected. It is not only the matter of an ordinary ball but the boy’s association and memories with the ball. The ball once lost will be lost for ever. But what is the ultimate solution to this problem? In this materialistic world, it is the notion of people that money can buy everything. But this notion is totally wrong. Money has its own limitations. It can compensate the financial losses to certain extent but it can not compensate the losses that a person suffers emotionally or internally. No money can buy back that ball that has been lost for good. It cannot buy even the lost childhood. But even in the adverse circumstances, the boy will have to stand in good stead. He must not repent over the losses. On the contrary, he should have to go ahead in his life.

Question 2.
Elaborate the idea that “one should learn to accept and let go and not stick to something that we can not have.”
Answer:
It is important for everyone to experience to accept the loss and be bold and get on with life. Staying strong is the only way to survive. One should understand that the past is gone and will never come back. Sometimes loss helps us to grow up and we are able to face hardships like loss. We also leam to accept and let go and not to stick to something which we can not have.

Question 3.
Why is it important for everyone to experience loss and to stand up after it?
Answer:
It is important for everyone to experience loss and to stand up after it in order to be strong and to get on with life. One must be strong irrespective of how much it hurts inside. Staying strong is the only way to survive. Moreover, one needs to leam to accept and let go and not cling to something that they can never have. One should understand that the past is gone and it will never come back. Sometimes loss helps us to grow up and face hardships. So, we must look at it with positive perspective.

Question 4.
I would not intrude on him,
A time, another ball, is worthless. Now
He senses first responsibility
In a world of possession.
On the basis of the given passage, what message does the poet want to convey through this?
Answer:
Through this, the poet has tried to convey that this world is materialistic. The boy who has lost his ball must understand the profoundness or intensity of loss. Although the ball is a small thing and it does not matter if it gets lost, he must understand to take the responsibility from the very beginning of his life. Another ball is worthless for the boy. Because he has lost something dear to him. He suffers from a sense of loss. He senses responsibility when his possessed ball is lost. The main thing that the poet wants to convey to us is that money cannot compensate for the loss of boy. Through this the poet also realises what is his first responsibility in such a world. The boy must inculcate the value of loss or gain from his childhood because then only he can become a sensible and rational man in the latter part of his life.

Reference To Context

Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow:

1. What is the boy now, who has lost his ball,
What, what is he to do? I saw it go
Merrily bouncing, down the street, and then
Merrily over – there it is in the water!

Paraphrase: In this paragraph, the poet is talking about a boy who has lost his ball while playing. He wants to know about him and his reaction after losing his ball. He said that the ball was bouncing and jumping up and down into the street. The ball skipped from the hands of the boy and lost into the water for ever.

Choose the correct option:

(a) Which thing was bouncing merrily down the street?
(i) Ball
(ii) Water
(iii) Poet
(iv) Boy
Answer:
(i) Ball

(b) Where did the ball go ultimately?
(i) Rooftop
(ii) Water
(iii) Road
(iv) Pit
Answer:
(ii) Water

(c) After bouncing, the ball went down the
(i) street
(ii) corner
(iii) home
(iv) nowhere
Answer:
(i) street

(d) “Merrily bouncing, down the street, and then
Merrily over-there it is in the water!”
Which literary device has been used here?
(i) Metaphor
(ii) Alliteration
(iii) Simile
(iv) Anaphora
Answer:
(iv) Anaphora

(e) About whom does the poet talk about?
(i) A boy who has lost his ball.
(ii) A boy who has lost his memory
(iii) A boy who has lost his pen.
(iv) A boy who has lot his school bag
Answer:
(i) A boy who has lost his ball.

2. No use to say ‘O there are other balls’:
An ultimate shaking grief fixes the boy
As he stands rigid, trembling, staring down
All his young days into the harbour where
His ball went.

Paraphrase: There is no advantage of consoling the boy by saying that he will get another ball in lieu of the lost ball. The boy is very disappointed. He is shaking with grief. He is trembling with fear. He is staring at the ball that has gone into the harbour. The loss of the ball reminds him of his childhood days that have been lost in the harbour.

Choose the correct option:

(a) What fixes the boy unlimitedly?
(i) Happiness
(ii) Grief
(iii) Madness
(iv) Calmness
Answer:
(ii) Grief

(b) How is the boy standing?
(i) Laughing
(ii) Rigid
(iii) Fearful
(iv) Joking
Answer:
(ii) Rigid

(c) The boy is in because his ball has been lost.
(i) bad mood
(ii) anger
(iii) imagination
(iv) grief
Answer:
(iv) grief

(d) Where has the ball gone?
(i) Into the harbour
(ii) Into the room
(iii) Into the field
(iv) Nowhere
Answer:
(i) Into the harbour

(e) What is the condition of the boy?
(i) He is very happy.
(ii) He trembles with fear
(iii) He is in high temper.
(iv) All of these
Answer:
(ii) He trembles with fear

3. I would not intrude on him;
A dime, another ball, is worthless. Now
He senses first responsibility
In a world of possessions.

Paraphrase: The poet does not want to intrude on the boy. He cannot console the boy saying that he can buy him another ball. He says so because the new ball will not bring the sense of belonging to the boy. It is the time for the boy to learn the responsibility of taking care of the things. He must realise what is his first responsibility in this world.

Choose the correct option:

(a) What does the boy sense?
(i) Taste of ice-cream
(ii) A gust of wind
(iii) Presence of a dog in bushes
(iv) First responsibility
Answer:
(iv) First responsibility

(b) What is worthless here?
(i) Another bottle of milk
(ii) A dime for another ball
(iii) Company of friends
(iv) Putting efforts in something
Answer:
(ii) A dime for another ball

(c) The ‘world of possessions’ depicts that the world is .
(i) transient
(ii) materialistic
(iii) spiritual
(iv) none of these
Answer:
(ii) materialistic

(d) What should the boy realise?
(i) His first responsibility
(ii) His first priority
(iii) Both (i) and (ii)
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(i) His first responsibility

(e) What will the new ball not bring?
(i) Attitude
(ii) Belongingness
(iii) Manners
(iv) All of these
Answer:
(ii) Belongingness

4. People will take
Balls, balls will be lost always, little boy.
And no one buys a ball back. Money is external.
He is learning, well behind his desperate eyes,
The epistemology of loss, how to stand up
Knowing what every man must one day know
And most know many days, how to stand up.

Paraphrase: In this materialistic world, many of his belongings will be lost. The poet says that the boy is learning how to withstand the sense of losses. Once a ball has been lost, it can be replaced with another one. Here money is external. It can buy us ball but not the memories and emotions related with it. The boy with his hopeless eyes sees the nature of loss and also thinks how to come out of that situation. The poet says that one must learn to accept the miseries of life and stand up again. This is the truth of life.

Choose the correct option:

(a) What is the boy learning?
(i) How to gain
(ii) The epistemology of loss
(iii) How to become passive
(iv) How to compensate
Answer:
(ii) The epistemology of loss

(b) What must every person learn at the end of the day?
(i) To run away
(ii) To stand up even in odds
(iii) To cook
(iv) To laugh
Answer:
(ii) To stand up even in odds

(c) The boy sees this loss with _________ eyes.
(i) desperate
(ii) optimistic
(iii) gazing
(iv) all of these
Answer:
(i) desperate

(d) What is external here?
(i) Ball
(ii) Money
(iii) Harbour
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(ii) Money

(e) What does the poet say?
(i) One must accept the miseries of life.
(ii) One must not accept the miseries of life.
(iii) One must be ignorant from all these.
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(i) One must accept the miseries of life.

The Ball Poem Summary

The Ball Poem Introduction

About the Poet

• John Berryman was bom on October 25, 1914 in McAlester, Oklahoma in America. He was a renowned scholar and famous American poet.
• He was concerned with the literary movement, viz., Confessional Poetry.
• The Dream Songs’ is one of his notable works. It is an intensely personal sequence of 385 poems.
• He was bestowed with Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, Bollingen Prize, etc.
• He died on January 7, 1972.

Central Idea of the Poem

In this poem, the poet has described the grief of a boy over the loss of his ball. This is the world of materialism. In this materialistic world, the things which you love will not always remain with you. In this life, you will be forced to do things that you do not want to do and you will have to give up the things which you love the most. All these may happen due to circumstances. In spite of all the circumstances, you must have to stand in good stead. It does not matter how much does it hurt. It teaches us to leam to accept and do not cling onto something that you can never have.

The Ball Poem Summary

In ‘ The Ball Poem ’, the poet has narrated the desperation and disappointment of a boy who has lost his ball. It was more lovable to him. For a common man, the loss of a ball is of minor significance. But to a little boy, this is not so. Money is external; it cannot buy back our love. It can also not replace the things that we love. The loss of the ball will teach the boy a lesson. This way he will leam how to accept the loss with tolerance and pleasure. Everyone has to lose something or the other in this world if he has to survive and fulfil his obligations. It is the part and parcel of life. But if you lose something you will have to stand up to be strong and get on with your life.

Poem at a Glance

• This poem is about a boy who lost his ball while playing.
• He saw the ball bouncing down the street.
• But ultimately it fell down into the river and lost for good.
• All the incidents occur before the boy but he is unable to do anything.
• He only repents at the loss of a ball.
• Although the loss of a ball is considered to be an ordinary incident but the poet has given a deep thought to it.
• According to the poet, the loss of the ball is the loss of childhood and his dreams.
• If it is lost once, it never comes back again.
• The child is sad that the ball he has lost cannot be brought back.
• At last, change comes in the life of a boy.
• He draws this conclusion that loss is a part of human life.
• One should not grieve over one’s loss.
• The loss cannot break one’s spirits.
• One should face such losses with courage and determination.

The Ball Poem Word-Meanings

Haryana State Board HBSE 10th Class English Solutions First Flight Poem 3 A Tiger in the Zoo Textbook Exercise Questions and Answers.

Haryana Board 10th Class English Solutions First Flight Poem 3 A Tiger in the Zoo

HBSE 10th Class English A Tiger in the Zoo Textbook Questions and Answers

Thinking about the Poem

1. Read the poem again and work in pairs or groups to do the following tasks.
(i) Find the words that describe the movements and actions of the tiger in the cage and in the wild. Arrange them in two columns.
(ii) Find the words that describe the two places, and arrange them in two columns.
Now try to share ideas about how the poet uses words and images to contrast the two situations.
Answer:
table

(i) Movements and actions of Tiger in the cage | Movements and actions of Tiger in the wild Stalking
Lurking Hearing
Snarling Staring
Baring his white fangs Ignoring
Sliding, Terrorising
A Tiger in the Zoo
359

(ii)
Places in the cage Few steps of his cage Concrete cell
, Places in the wild Long grass Water hole Houses at the jungle’s edge
Locked
Behind bars
Village

2. Notice the use of a word repeated in lines such as these:
(i) On pads of velvet quiet,
In his quiet rage.
(ii) And stares with his brilliant eyes
At the brilliant stars.
What do you think is the effect of this repetition?
Answer:
Repetition is a poetic device used by the poet in order to enhance the beauty of the poem.
‘Velvet quiet’ refers to the quiet velvet pads of the tiger’s paws. He can only walk around the limited space in the cage. The use of quiet rage’symbolises the anger and ferocity of the tiger. He wants to run out into the forest and hunt a deer, but his rage is quiet because he is caged and can not come out in the open. The use of ‘quiet’ has brought immense beauty to the poem. Similarly, the use of “brilliant for the tiger’s eyes as well as the stars also bring out the magnificence of these lines.

3. Read the following two poems – one about a tiger and the other about a panther. Then discuss:
Are zoos necessary for the protection or conservation of some species of animals? Are they useful for educating the public? Are there alternatives to zoos?

The Tiger
The tiger behind the bars of his cage growls,
The tiger behind the bars of his cage snarls,
The tiger behind the bars of his cage roars.
Then he thinks.
It would be nice not to be behind bars all
The time
Because they spoil my view
I wish I were wild, not on show.
But if I were wild, hunters might shoot me,
But if I were wild, food might poison me,
But if I were wild, water might drown me.
Then he stops thinking
And…
The tiger behind the bars of his cage growls,
The tiger behind the bars of his cage snarls,
The tiger behind the bars of his cage roars.
– PETER NIBLETT

The Panther

His vision, from the constantly passing bars,
has grown so weary that it cannot hold
anything else. It seems to him there are
a thousand bars; and behind the bars, no world.
As he paces in cramped circles, over and over,
the movement of his powerful soft strides
is like a ritual dance around a centre
in which a mighty will stand paralysed.
Only at times, the curtain of the pupils
lifts, quietly. An image enters in,
rushes down through the tensed, arrested muscles,
plunges into the heart and is gone.
– RAINER MARIA RILKE
Answer:
To some extent, zoos are necessary for the protection or conservation of some species of
animals. In the forest, they might be hunted down, poisoned by some wild food, or could be drowned in water. But, a zoo is not the correct alternative to a forest. In a zoo, an animal feels caged and bound. They cannot roam freely as in the wild. Only due to this reason, wildlife sanctuaries and national parks have been made in order to conserve several endangered species. These places provide protection as well as natural surroundings to these species. They can roam freely in their habitats and are safe too. The public can visit these parks and get educated about the animals and their lifestyles. The parks and sanctuaries are run using a strict set of rules, the most prominent being the ban on hunting. If animals roam in the open, visitors would not be able to feed them and would not misbehave or try to play with them as they are under strict supervision. Such incidents have been recorded in zoos where people irritate and tease the animals. Hence, a wildlife sanctuary is a good alternative for animals to be safe as well as free to move in their natural surroundings. Yes, they are quite useful for educating the public. The public may get proper information about them.

4. Take a point of view for or against zoos, or even consider both points of view and write a couple of paragraphs or speak about this topic for a couple of minutes in class.
Answer:
Hints:
• Teaches about the importance of nature.
• Provides recreation to the visitors.
• Scientists do study about wild animals.
• Saves from danger of extinction.

On the hints given above, the students may develop their views accordingly.

HBSE 10th Class English A Tiger in the Zoo Important Questions and Answers

I. Short Answer Type Questions (20-30 words & 2 marks each)

Question 1.
Enlist some of the activities of the tiger, as described in the poem.
Answer:
Some of the activities of the tiger are – walking along the cage, hearing the patrolling of cars, ignoring visitors and staring at the brilliant stars of the sky.

Question 2.
Why does the tiger express his anger quietly?
Answer:
The tiger expresses his anger quietly, because he is helpless. He can do nothing from behind the bars. He is no longer independent in the cage the way he was in the forest.

Question 3.
How does the tiger terrify the villagers?
Answer:
The tiger growls at the villagers who pass through that way. He also shows his white sharp teeth and ferocious claws to the villagers to terrify them.

Question 4.
Why does the tiger not take much interest in the visitors?
Answer:
The tiger is imprisoned in the cage. He feels uncomfortable and is in a rage. He wants to enjoy freedom. That is why the tiger does not take much interest in the visitors.

Question 5.
Why are the eyes of the tiger said to be brilliant? What is common between the tiger’s eyes and the stars?
Answer:
The eyes of the tiger shine brightly in the darkness of night. That is why they are said to be brilliant. And it is this brilliance that is common between the tiger’s eyes and the stars.

II. Short Answer Type Questions (40-50 words & 3 marks each)

Question 1.
Is living in the wild safe for tigers these days?
Answer:
It is ideal for tigers to live in the wild. But looking at today’s jungles where poachers are always on the hunt of innocent animals, frequent forest fires caused by men are on the rise, it is becoming less viable for wildlife to thrive in natural habitat.

Question 2.
How does the tiger hunt in his natural habitat, i.e., jungle?
Answer:
The ferocious tiger roams freely in his natural habitat. He is wary of catching his prey. He waits for his prey lurking invisibly in the shadow of trees. He slides through the long grass stealthily and unnoticed. He comes to the water hole where he can hunt his favourite prey, i.e., plump deer.

Question 3.
Why should the tiger snarl around houses at the edge of the forest?
Answer:
The tiger should snarl around houses at the edge of the forest so that the villagers do not disturb the peace of the forest and they do not kill the wild animals to fulfil their selfish motive.

Question 4.
What message does the poet want to convey through the poem, ‘A Tiger in the Zoo’?
Answer:
All creatures of the earth, i.e., human beings, animals, etc., want freedom. It is quite unwise and cruel to keep the wild animals in the zoo. They feel angry, and irritated there. So, their freedom should not be caged. The tiger should be allowed to live only in forests not in cages.

Question 5.
How does the poet make a contrast between the tiger in the cage with tiger in the forest?
Answer:
The poet makes a very beautiful contrast between the tiger in the cage with tiger in the forest.
In the cage, the tiger is not free. He is quite angry and irritated. While the tiger in the forest remains free and lives with ease. The tiger walks in the tall grass and hunts the deer that passes by the water hole.

III. Long Answer Type Questions (100-120 words & 5 marks each)

Question 1.
Love for freedom is the natural instinct of every living being. Comment.
Answer:
It is absolutely true that love for freedom is the natural instinct of every living being. Everyone prefers to live without restrictions and tends to deny any kind of confinement. Likewise, the caged tiger also longed for freedom. He was so fed up that he even ignored the visitors who would always be awestruck looking at him. He took to and fro steps inside the cage as if looking for an opportunity to escape the captivity. God has made all living beings equal and therefore the animals too have the right to freedom. They are not supposed to be caged. It is their right to enjoy their natural habitat in the wild. Hence, humans should not cage them out of sheer selfishness and respect them as well.

Question 2.
Do you agree that wild animals should be caged? Comment with reference to the poem.
Answer:
Wild animals should not be caged at any cost. This is a well-known fact that tiger is a royal species. They are on the verge of extinction. In ancient times, tigers moved around freely in the forests. But today, they are caged and left in the zoo for the entertainment of people. In fact, they are not meant for confinement only. The result is that their offsprings also do not learn how to hunt, when they are caged. Caging wild animals also leads to disturbance of ecological balance. So, wild animals should be left free. They belong to the forest. Cages are not meant for any wild animal, specially a tiger.

Question 3.
“Captivity is the greatest curse one suffers from. No creature likes to stay behind the bars.” Discuss with reference to the poem, ‘A Tiger in the Zoo’.
Answer:
Since the evolution of human civilization on the earth, we have been finding that man has tried to exploit others for his own benefit. The weak have been enslaved and made to bow before the master. A bird also does not want to live in a caged nest but wants to live and sing freely under the sky. Leslie Norris, the poet has depicted the irony of the situation for the tiger. A ferocious animal like tiger has to satisfy itself by moving in the closed bars. His strength is behind the bars where instead of terrorising, he himself is being terrorised.

Question 4.
But he’s locked in concrete cell, His strength behind bars, Stalking the length of his cage, Ignoring visitors. On the basis of the given passage, explain how the tiger looks like from the outside of the cage. What does the poet want to convey through this?
Answer:
The poet, Neslie Norris has given a vivid description of a tiger in the zoo. In the zoo, the tiger can’t lead his natural life. He remains helpless there. He remains locked in a cage, i.e., a concrete cell. His strength is locked behind bars. The tiger moves slowly and quietly along the length of the cage. He walks to and fro in utter helplessness. The tiger also ignores the visitors because he considers them devoid of feelings. Nobody tries to help him come out of the cage. He is under the strict surveillance of the curator. Actually, this is not the natural habitat of the tiger in which he is living. He is really helpless in the cage and draws pity for his condition. Through this, the poet wants to convey that everybody loves freedom whether it is a human being or an animal. Nobody wants to lead the life of bondage and slavery. God has made all living beings free. So their right to freedom must not be snatched at any cost.

Reference To Context

Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow:

1. He stalks in his vivid stripes
The few steps of his cage,
On pads of velvet quiet,
In his quiet rage.

Paraphrase: The poet has given a vivid description of the tiger. The tiger is confined in the zoo and roams in the cage. The stripes are visible on his skin. He walks quietly on the pads of velvet in his cage without showing his anger.

Choose the correct option:

(a) What does the tiger do in his cell?
(i) Hunts
(ii) Hides
(iii) Stalks
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(iii) Stalks

(b) How is the cage?
(i) It is very small.
(ii) It is very big.
(iii) Both (i) and (ii)
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(i) It is very small.

(c) The tiger stalks in his vivid
(i) zoo
(ii) cage
(iii) stripes
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(iii) stripes

(d) Why can one not hear the footsteps of tiger?
(i) Because the tiger has no feet.
(ii) Because he has very soft feet.
(iii) Because there is problem in his feet.
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(ii) Because he has very soft feet.

(e) What does the tiger do to control his anger?
(i) The tiger does nothing.
(ii) The tiger barks violently.
(iii) The tiger walks quietly in the limited area of his cage.
(iv) Both (ii) and (iii)
Answer:
(iii) The tiger walks quietly in the limited area of his cage.

2. He should be lurking in shadow,
Sliding through long grass
Near the water hole
Where plump deer pass.

Paraphrase: According to the poet, had this tiger been free, he would have hid himself behind the long grass near the waterbodies and could have easily caught a deer in order to have its prey. But the tiger is not in a position to do so, because he is entrapped in a cage.

Choose the correct option:

(a) How should the tiger walk through the grass?
(i) Sliding through long grass
(ii) Jumping through long grass
(iii) Walking through bushes
(iv) Both (ii) and (iii)
Answer:
(i) Sliding through long grass

(b) Who passes by the water hole?
(i) Tiger
(ii) Rabbit
(iii) Langur
(iv) The plump deer
Answer:
(iv) The plump deer

(c) The tiger lurks in shadow to wait for his
(i) friend
(ii) prey
(iii) mother
(iv) none of these
Answer:
(ii) prey

(d) What is the rhyming scheme of the above stanza?
(i) aabb
(ii) abab
(iii) abcb
(iv) none of these
Answer:
(iii) abcb

(e) Had the tiger been free what would he have done?
(i) He would have hid himself behind the long grass.
(ii) He would have done nothing.
(iii) He would have attacked on the animals of the forest.
(iv) Both (ii) and (iii)
Answer:
(i) He would have hid himself behind the long grass.

3. He should be snarling around houses
At the jungle’s edge,
Baring his white fangs, his claws,
Terrorising the village!

Paraphrase: The poet says that if the tiger would have been free, he would have roamed around freely. The tiger would have been snarling around houses on the outskirts of the jungles. He would terrorise the village people with his sharp teeth and claws.

Choose the correct option:

(a) Whom does the tiger terrorise?
(i) The zoo people
(ii) The town people
(iii) The villagers
(iv) All of these
Answer:
(iii) The villagers

(b) How will the tiger terrorise the people?
(i) With sharp teeth and claws
(ii) With his nails
(iii) By roaring
(iv) By attacking upon them
(i) He would have hid himself behind the long grass.
Answer:
(i) With sharp teeth and claws

(c) The tiger should be snarling around the
(i) forests
(ii) zoos
(iii) houses
(iv) fields
Answer:
(iii) houses

(d) How would the village people feel?
(i) They would be scared.
(ii)They would be in panic.
(iii) They would feel happy.
(iv) They would be sad.
Answer:
(ii)They would be in panic.

(e) What are the ‘white fangs’ referred to?
(i) Claws
(ii) Jaws
(iii) Teeth
(iv) Nails
Answer:
(iii) Teeth

4. But he’s locked in a concrete cell,
His strength behind bars,
Stalking the length of his cage,
Ignoring visitors.

Paraphrase: The tiger is inside the cage. He is confined in a concrete cell. His strength and ferociousness is also hidden behind the bars. He is stalked in the cage. The tiger is locked in
the cage, so he does not pay heed to the visitors.

Choose the correct option:

(a) Where is the tiger locked?
(i) Concrete cell
(ii) In the house of a hunter
(iii) In the forest
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(i) Concrete cell

(b) What is found behind the bars of cage here?
(i) Criminals
(ii) Children
(iii) Tiger’s strength
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(iii) Tiger’s strength

(c) The tiger is stalked in the
(i) cage
(ii) wall
(iii) waterfall
(iv) none of these
Answer:
(i) cage

(d) Along with the tiger what is also behind bars?
(i) Tiger’s ferociousness
(ii) Tiger’s nature
(iii) Tiger’s weaknesses
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(i) Tiger’s ferociousness

(e) Whom does the tiger ignore?
(i) Friends
(ii) Relatives
(iii) Visitors
(iv) All of these
Answer:
(iii) Visitors

5. He hears the last voice at night,
The patrolling cars,
And stares with his brilliant eyes
At the brilliant stars.

Paraphrase: The tiger hears the sounds of the patrolling cars at night. He gazes at the shining stars with his eyes. It shows that the tiger is sad and he is confined in the cage.

Choose the correct option:

(a) With which eyes does the tiger stare?
(i) Tired
(ii) Sleepy
(iii) Ferocious
(iv) Brilliant
Answer:
(iv) Brilliant

(b) Where is the tiger staring at?
(i) Stars in the sky
(ii) Walls of the cage
(iii) Television screen
(iv) Visitors
Answer:
(i) Stars in the sky

(c) The tiger hears the voice of the
(i) animals
(ii) trains
(iii) human beings
(iv) patrolling cars
Answer:
(iv) patrolling cars

(d) How is the mood of the tiger?
(i) Happy
(ii) Sad
(iii) Nostalgic
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(ii) Sad

(e) What is the rhyming scheme of the above stanza?
(i) aabb
(ii) abab
(iii) abcb
(iv) none of these
Answer:
(iii) abcb

A Tiger in the Zoo Summary

A Tiger in the Zoo Introduction

About the Poet

• George Leslie Norris (May 21, 1921 – April 6, 2006), was a famous poet and short story writer. He was born in Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales. He is considered one of the most important Welsh writers of the post-war period.
• Norris published his first poem in 1938. By 1943, he published his first book of poetry. His first collection of poetry was Finding
• Gold that was published in 1967. By 1980, Norris published three volumes in the Phoenix Living Poets.
• The Loud Winder, Sliding, The Girl from Cardigan, Holy Places, etc., are some of his important works.
• He was bestowed with Cholmondeley Poetry Prize, the Katherine Mansfield Memorial Award, the AML Award for poetry and many more awards. He was also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and the Welsh Academy.
• Leslie died on April 6, 2006 in Provo.

Central Idea of the Poem

The poem ‘A Tiger in the Zoo’ deals with the feelings of a tiger inside the cage. He is not free to move freely as he is restricted to its boundaries. The animals, like tiger is meant to roam in the open terrorising the village with his paws and roars. He never harms anyone until provoked. He yearns to get out of the cage while watching the stars at night. The tiger values his freedom like humans do and we should not earn out livelihood at the expense of the freedom of animals.

A Tiger in the Zoo Summary

DO In the poem, ‘A Tiger in the Zoo’, the poet has presented a contrast between a tiger when it is in its natural habitat and when it is imprisoned in a zoo. The poet sees a tiger in a zoo on a starry night. The tiger moves slowly up and down in his cage. He is full of anger. The poet says that the tiger should have been in the jungle. He should have been lurking quietly in the shadows near some water hole, and waiting for a plump deer to pass that way. But he is locked in a concrete cell. He does not take cognizance of the visitors and is looking at the brilliant stars with his brilliant eyes. Now he is content with merely looking at the stars. He is no longer free to move in his natural habitat and look at the brilliant stars from there.

Poem at a Glance

The tiger is not free to roam.
It is confined to a caged habitat in a zoo.
There are dark spots on the skin of a tiger. It is visible from a distance.
The tiger walks quietly with his velvety soft feet.
But in the forest, the tiger terrorises the villagers by opening his white fangs, long teeth and the claws.
But the tiger has no intention of terrorising the villagers.
A lot of visitors come to see him in the zoo but he does not like the stares of the visitors.
He does not take much cognizance of the visitors.
Now, the tiger limits his movements only to the caged habitat.
Late night, he hears the noise of the patrolling cars moving around the zoo.
The tiger looks at the shining stars in the night.
He just watches the shining stars standing in the caged habitat.

A Tiger in the Zoo Word-Meanings

Haryana State Board HBSE 10th Class English Solutions First Flight Poem 2 Fire and Ice Textbook Exercise Questions and Answers.

Haryana Board 10th Class English Solutions First Flight Poem 2 Fire and Ice

HBSE 10th Class English Fire and Ice Textbook Questions and Answers

Thinking about the Poem

1. There are many ideas about how the world will ‘end’. Do you think the world will end some day? Have you ever thought what would happen if the sun got so hot that it ‘burst’, or grew colder and colder?
Answer:
The poet has presented two ideas about the end of this world. Nothing is permanent in this world and everything will perish one day. If the sun gets too hot, each and everything will turn into ashes. And, on the contrary, if the sun grows colder and colder, life from the universe will vanish. Nothing will remain in this world as the Sun is the source of life.

2. For Frost, what do ‘fire’ and `ice’ stand for? Here are some ideas:

greed
avarice
cruelty
lust
conflict
fury
intolerance
rigidity
insensitivity
coldness
indifference
hatred.
Answer:
“Fire’ stands for greed, avarice, lust, conflict and fury.
‘Ice’stands for cruelty, insensitivity, coldness, indifference and hatred.

3. What is the rhyme scheme of the poem? How does it help in bringing out the contrasting ideas in the poem?
Answer:
The rhyme scheme of the poem is as follows:
1st stanza: a b a a
2nd stanza: a b a b a

The contrasting ideas of ‘fire’ and `ice’are presented using this rhyme scheme. He mentions that both fire and ice are probable ends of this world. While he talks about how fire represents desire and can, therefore, be a cause of the end of the world, he also mentions ice in the poem to symbolise that the coldness and indifference towards one another will also be enough to end the world. In the second stanza, he says that he knows enough of hate in the world to be sure that even destruction through ice would be sufficient to bring about the end of the world.

HBSE 10th Class English Fire and Ice Important Questions and Answers

I. Short Answer Type Questions (20-30 words & 2 marks each)

Question 1.
Which underlying idea is represented in the poem ‘Fire and Ice’?
Answer:
The poet compares fire to ‘desire’and ice to ‘hatred’. Both of these are surging exponentially. If we don’t keep a check on their rapid growth, the world will perish. Therefore, we must control our desires and hatred.

Question 2.
Why did the poet say about the world perishing twice?
Answer:
The poet said about the world perishing twice because, at first if some parts of the world are left out of apocalypse through fire, the remaining parts would definitely be destroyed by ice.

Question 3.
How is ice sufficient to bring destruction?
Answer:
In the poem, ‘ice’ denotes hatred. It does not matter what type of hatred it is. There is much hatred in this world. It will certainly destroy.

II. Short Answer Type Questions (40-50 words & 3 marks each)

Question 1.
What do ‘fire’ and `ice’ stand for and what is the general opinion regarding the world?
Answer:
Fire stands for fury, hatred, anger, cruelty; ice stands for insensitivity, coldness and intolerance. In general, it is the opinion of some people that fire will destroy the world while some say that ice will destroy it.

Question 2.
What does the poet say regarding the end of the world?
Answer:
It is a universal truth that everything has a beginning and it will certainly come to an end. Either ‘fire’ or ‘ice’may cause the end of the world. Some day the existing world will certainly end.

III. Long Answer Type Questions (100-120 words & 5 marks each)

Question 1.
Why does the poet say he is in favour of fire ending the world?
Answer:
In this poem, the poet has used an analogy between fire and greed. In his opinion, the nature of fire is just like that of desire, greed, lust or avarice. The more we try to satisfy these, the more they grow. They spread like fire spreading throughout a forest and embracing trees, animals in its agony and leaving nothing but the ash. Likewise, the never-ending desires of humans pose a danger to this world. It can be seen from the past trends. The forest cover has been shrinking. Since the inception of Industrial Revolution, many animal species have become extinct and some are in endangered category. All this happened and is still happening because of human’s never satisfying greed. The poet could visualise the ramifications of uncontrolled desires and this is why he is in favour of fire ending the world.

Question 2.
How can ice end the world?
Answer:
The word ‘ice’ is a metaphor representing cruelty, hate, coldness, unkind nature and rigidity. Time has seen it all, how a feeling of hatred in one person spreads to thousands of them, wiping out an entire generation or a community, e.g., Hitler’s hatred for a particular faith inspired him for his infamous atrocities. There had been wars to become the ultimate superpower and the intention to carry out such cowardly acts was based on unkind nature of an individual.
So, considering all this in mind, the poet referred ice as a way of ending this world.

Question 3.
Is it possible to avoid the end of the world? How can we prevent the fire and ice to carry out the ending of this world? Answer:
Yes, it is possible to avoid the apocalypse. If we humans are responsible for the catasrophe so far, we also have the capability to deter. To save this world from fire and ice, we must act upon our necessities and not desires. We must go for inner engineering to know, observe, analyse and learn the ways this nature works. Moral education should be inculcated at a young age, knowledge about feeling of being content should be imparted, to control the feelings of anger, lust, hatred, we must practise meditation. All these little steps will produce a large return towards the benefit of
humankind and thus deter our world from evils.

Question 4.
Some say the world will end in
fire some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favour fire.
On the basis of the given passage, explain how will the world end? Substantiate.
Answer:
Through the given passage, the poet wants to convey two things about the world. According to some people, the world will end in fire. But some people also opine that the world will end in ice. Both of these are the contradictory opinions. But one similar thing between them is that both of them would destroy everything in the world. In the poem, fire stands for desire and ice stands for hatred.

So, the poet gives a clear message to us that nothing is eternal in this world. Everything will perish either in fire or ice. Hatred and desire will end this world. This fire of passions and desire will lead the end of the world. Cold reasoning and hate will lead this world to destruction. But the poet is with those who think that fire of passions and desires will lead to the destruction of this world.

Reference To Context

Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow:

1. Some say the world will end in fire
Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favour fire.

Paraphrase: The poet expresses that the world would end in two ways – either by ice or by fire. It is the opinion of some people that the world would end in fire. It denotes that fiery desires and passion will lead to the destruction of the world. On the other hand, some people opine that the world would end in ice. Hatred, jealousy etc. will lead to the destruction of this world.

Choose the correct option:

(a) Who are ‘some’ in the given stanze?
(i) Aliens
(ii) Martians
(iii) Humans
(iv) All of these
Answer:
(iii) Humans

(b) What does ‘fire’ here symbolise?
(i) Hatred
(ii) Desire
(iii) Satisfaction
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(ii) Desire

(c) The world would end in either of ways.
(i) one
(ii) two
(iii) three
(iv) none of these
Answer:
(ii) two

(d) What does the poet compare fire and ice with?
(i) Constructive features of human emotions
(ii) Destructive features of human emotions
(iii) Both (i) and (ii)
(iv) Neither (i) nor (ii)
Answer:
(ii) Destructive features of human emotions

(e) What is the rhyming scheme of the given extract?
(i) aaab
(ii) abab
(iii) aabb
(iv) abaa
Answer:
(iv) abaa

2. But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice

Paraphrase: If this world has to perish twice, ice would be stronger or more effective in doing this work. Hatred will lead towards the destruction of this world. Ice is sufficient enough to cause the destruction of this world.

Choose the correct option:

(a) What would be more effective in the end of this world?
(i) Fire
(ii) Ice
(iii) Fury
(iv) Intolerance
Answer:
(ii) Ice

(b) What poetic device has the poet used in the line, “To say that for destruction, ice is also great”?
(i) Imagery
(ii) Alliteration
(iii) Oxymoron
(iv) Metaphor
Answer:
(i) Imagery

(c) _______ is also good for destruction.
(i) Belief
(ii) Ice
(iii) Honesty
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(ii) Ice

(d) What would be a better option to end the earth?
(i) Ice
(ii) Fire
(iii) Both (i) and (ii)
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(iii) Both (i) and (ii)

(e) What would be the consequences if we don’t control our emotions?
(i) It will lead us on the verge of destruction.
(ii) It will lead us on the verge of death.
(iii) It will lead to chaos.
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(i) It will lead us on the verge of destruction.

Fire and Ice Summary

Fire and Ice Introduction

Central Idea of the Poem

It is a universal truth that nothing is permanent in this world. On the one hand, some people think that the world will end in fire while on the other hand, some people think that the world will end in ice. The poet equates the fire with desire and ice with hate. As the ice destroys the world melting slowly, in the same way hatred will also destroy the world. Because greed, hatred, strife, intolerance, etc., bring much destruction to the society. So, human beings should live peacefully.

Fire and Ice Summary

‘Fire and Ice’ is a short poem by Robert Frost. In this poem, the poet refers to two predictions of how the world will end. Some say it will end in fire whereas others say it will end in ice. According to the poet, ‘fire’ stands for desire, greed, avarice or lust. The more you try to satisfy them, the more they grow. There is no end to it. They spread rapidly like fire and engulf your whole life. One becomes selfish and sometimes cruel too. On the other hand, ‘ice’ according to the poet, stands for hatred, coldness and rigidity. One becomes insensitive and indifferent towards the feelings of others. The poet says that both fire and ice are growing with such a rapid pace that the world would soon perish either way, in fire or in ice.

Poem at a Glance

• It is the perception of poet that the world will certainly come to an end.
• This world will end either in fire or in ice.
• Fire has been compared to human emotion of desire or passions.
• Ice has been compared to hate.
• Fire or ice can destroy the world once but hatred can destroy it twice.
• So, we should try to live peacefully in this world.

Fire and Ice Word-Meanings

Haryana State Board HBSE 10th Class English Solutions First Flight Poem 1 Dust of Snow Textbook Exercise Questions and Answers.

Haryana Board 10th Class English Solutions First Flight Poem 1 Dust of Snow

HBSE 10th Class English Dust of Snow Textbook Questions and Answers

Thinking about the Poem

1. What is a “dust of snow”? What does the poet say has changed his mood? How has the poet’s mood changed?
Answer:
A “dust of snow” means particles of snow. The poet’s mood changed because of shaking down of something from the hemlock tree. He was holding the day in regret when this dust of snow fell on him and this simple little thing brought him some joy.

2. How does Frost present nature in this poem? The following questions may help you to think of an answer.
(i) What are the birds that are usually named in poems? Do you think a crow is often mentioned in poems? What images come to your mind when you think of a crow?
(ii) Again, what is “a hemlock tree”? Why doesn’t the poet write about a more ‘beautiful tree such as a maple, or an oak, or a pine?
(iii) What do the “crow’ and ‘hemlock’ represent – joy or sorrow? What does the dust of snow that the crow shakes off a hemlock tree stand for?
Answer:
(i) In poems, usually birds like nightingales and sparrows are mentioned. Frost has presented nature in quite an unconventional manner. The poet has used a crow in this poem. A crow is usually not mentioned in poems. A crow is usually considered to be dark, black and foreboding. That is why other poets usually mention singing nightingales or beautiful white doves in their poems.
(ii) A hemlock tree is a poisonous tree with small white flowers. The poet has not written about a more beautiful tree such as a maple, or oak, or pine because these trees symbolise beauty and happiness. Frost wanted to symbolise the feelings of sadness, despondency and regretfulness, that is why he has used a hemlock tree.
(iii) The crow and the hemlock tree represent sorrow and grief. The dust of snow that is shaken off by the crow stands for joy that Frost experiences. He has, therefore, used an unconventional tree and bird in order to contrast them with joy in the form of snow.

3. Have there been times when you felt depressed or hopeless? Have you experienced a similar moment that changed your mood that day?
Answer:
Several times I felt depressed or hopeless. One day, one of my classmates told me that I had got only 40 marks in English out of 80. At that time, I felt depressed and dejected. But after an hour, the result was announced and I got 75 out of 80. The English teacher also congratulated me on my success, and after this, I felt relaxed and happy.

HBSE 10th Class English Dust of Snow Important Questions and Answers

I. Short Answer Type Questions (20-30 words & 2 marks each)

Question 1.
What is the underlying message for us in our hectic life with reference to the poem, ‘Dust of Snow’?
Answer:
The underlying message for us in our hectic life is that we should enjoy nature more often and should have a positive attitude even towards simple acts because they can lead to the learning of greater lessons of enjoying life.

Question 2.
Why does the poet say that he had saved some part of the day he had rued?
Answer:
In the morning, the poet was sad and listless. He thought that the entire day would go waste. But, the falling of dust of snow on him changed his mood suddenly. It brought a ray of hope in him. This way he felt that he had saved some part of the day.

II. Short Answer Type Questions (40-50 words & 3 marks each)

Question 1.
Why did the poet use poetically uncommon bird and tree?
Answer:
The poet appears to be in a depressive and sorrowful mood. In this kind of state, one can not look at the beautiful things which nature has to offer, only gloomy and miserable thoughts strike in one’s mind. Therefore, the poet has used the poetically uncommon bird and tree which reflect his depressed state of mind.

Question 2.
Does the poet present a bright and pleasant side of nature in the poem?
Answer:
No, the poet does not present a bright and pleasant side of nature in the poem. He presented the situation as a dull and depressive cold day. The fall of fine dust of snow does bring a sudden change in the mood of the poet by uplifting his spirits and refreshing his mind.

Question 3.
What message does the poet want to convey through the poem ‘Dust of Snow’?
Answer:
The poet conveys that sadness, hopelessness and disappointment do come into the life of mankind. It makes them feel dejected and depressed. But there is always happiness behind sadness. If sadness comes, happiness is bound to come in our life. As the poet was sad and low in spirits in the morning but the falling of dust of snow on him brought a sudden change in his mood. So, we should not get disheartened in any circumstance.

III. Long Answer Type Questions (100-120 words & 5 marks each)

Question 1.
No matter how ordinary or unimportant an incident may be, it’s the reaction or the response that matters. Taking inspiration from the poet’s reaction write how inherent values can be picked up and learnt. Mention any two lessons for students like you that could be useful.
Answer:
Yes, response matters a lot. Inherent values can be picked up by adopting a positive attitude towards nature, because nature is a great teacher. Each little thing in nature can teach us some important lessons at times and even a small flake of snow has its own significance. We should not judge anything by its appearance. Although crow and hemlock tree are considered as bad omen but even then they can bring cheerfulness in uplifting poet’s mood. So nothing is useless in nature. Nature is very beautiful. One should live one’s present cheerfully.

Question 2.
Robert Frost opens before us a new world in which at times evil doer by chance do a good act before us. Discuss the philosophy of life with reference to the poem ‘Dust of Snow’.
Answer:
Robert Frost opened a different world before us through the poem ‘Dust of Snow’. It gives us a philosophy of life that at times when we are completely dejected and in bad mood, we get surprised. In fact, it also depicts his philosophy of life through which he passed. In the poem, ‘Dust of Snow’ the poet is wandering in a dejected mood. The whole mood changes when bad omen of crow is shown. Snow falls from the hemlock tree and mood of the poet changes. So evil is released by good luck.

Question 3.
In life, people feel sad and frustrated. It is his thinking that things will never change.
But suddenly change occurs in his life and his sadness is converted into happiness.
Discuss it on the basis of the poem, ‘Dust of Snow’.
Answer:
Life is full of miseries. The circumstances in life never remain the same. They keep on changing with the passage of time. So far the poem is concerned, the poet is in sad and frustrated mood. At the beginning of the day, he feels sad. He feels that his entire day has been wasted. But, it does not happen. The falling of the fine dust of snow on him brings a sudden change in his mood. He realises that all is not lost. Although he has lost the most part of the day. The change of landscape has changed his mood. His spirits are not listless. The sudden change has changed his heart and mood. So, we should not be sad and disappointed.
Life is a cycle. Happiness and sorrow are its two wheels.

Question 4.
Has given my heart
A change of mood
And saved some part
of a day I had rued.
What type of change in the mood does the poet talk about? Discuss it with reference to the given passage.
Answer:
The famous poet, Robert Frost has given a vivid description about the change of his mood. The arrival of a crow and its sitting on the hemlock tree is not a very big incident. It is a very ordinary incident. The poet has used symbolism here. Here crow denotes an ‘ill omen’ and hemlock tree symbolises ‘Poison’. But these things create a deep impression on the mind of the poet. According to the poet, this is a dull and disappointing day and it is not good for him.

But the falling of flakes and dust of snow on him are good or welcome signs for the poet. This phenomenon has suddenly changed the mood of the poet. His mood is now better and spirits are highly enthusiastic. He realises that the whole day has not gone waste. The moment the snow falls on him is the most happiest moment of the day. They lift up his mood and also gladden his heart. Ultimately, he realises that at least some part of the day has been spent happily. Now the moment of disappointment has changed into a happier one.

Reference To Context

Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow:

1. The way a crow
Shook down on me
The dust of snow
From a hemlock tree

Paraphrase: The poet was walking by a hemlock tree in the morning hour. He was perhaps in a bad mood. Hemlock tree is considered to be a poisonous tree. As he was walking, a crow threw some dust of snow on him. The “crow’ and ‘hemlock tree’ denote “sadness’ and ‘gloom’. The poet thought that day was not good for him.

Choose the correct option:

(a) Which tree is covered with snow?
(i) Acacia
(ii) Hemlock
(iii) Areca palm
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(ii) Hemlock

(b) Which bird shook down the tree?
(i) Sparrow
(ii) Ostrich
(iii) Crow
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(iii) Crow

(c) The crow was on a …………………. tree.
(i) hemlock
(ii) palm
(iii) coconut
(iv) mango
Answer:
(i) hemlock

(d) What is the rhyme scheme of the given extract?
(i) abab
(ii) cdcd
(iii) abcd
(iv) Free Verse
Anwer:
(i) abab

(e) What does “Dust of Snow” represent?
(i) The cool weather
(ii) The healing power of nature
(iii) The nature of mankind
(iv) The particles of snow
Answer:
(ii) The healing power of nature

2. Has given my heart
A change of mood
And saved some part
Of a day I had rued.

Paraphrase: The falling of the snow on the poet’s head made his mood upbeat. Till now, he had spent his day in a bad mood but now his mood had changed and also saved some part of the day. The poet here emphasises that inauspicious things can also bring joy and happiness to us.

Choose the correct option:

(a) What did lift the mood of the poet instantly?
(i) Falling of the snow on his head
(ii) Falling of the leaves of trees on his head
(iii) Drizzling on his body
(iv) All of these
Answer:
(i) Falling of the snow on his head

(b) What does the poet talk about here?
(i) Change of his mood
(ii) Change of his nature
(iii) Change of his habits
(iv) All of these
Answer:
(i) Change of his mood

(c) The poet saved same part of the ……………… being rued.
(i) night
(ii) day
(iii) life
(iv) all of these
Answer:
(ii) day

(d) What can inauspicious things even bring too?
(i) Only sadness
(ii) Joy and happiness
(iii) Nothing
(iv) Our past memories
Answer:
(ii) Joy and happiness

(e) What does the poet suggest through this?
(i) Dust of snow is very useful.
(ii) Crow is an insignificant bird.
(iii) Hemlock tree has a lot of importance.
(iv) Small things can bring big changes in life.
Answer:
(iv) Small things can bring big changes in life.

Dust of Snow Summary

Dust of Snow Introduction

About the Poet

Robert Frost was born on March 26, 1874 in San Francisco, California, to journalist William Prescott Frost, Jr., and Isabelle Moodie. His mother was a Scottish immigrant, and his father descended from Nicholas Frost of Tiverton, Devon, England, who had sailed to New Hampshire in 1634 on the Wolfrana. Frost was a descendant of Samuel Appleton, one of the early settlers of Ipswich, Massachusetts, and Rev. George Phillips, one of the early settlers of Watertown, Massachusetts. His notable works are A Boy’s Will, North of Boston, etc. Frost’s father was a teacher and later an editor of the San Francisco Evening Bulletin (which later merged with The San Francisco Examiner), and an unsuccessful candidate for city tax collector. After his death on May 5, 1885, the family moved across the country to Lawrence, Massachusetts, under the patronage of Robert’s grandfather William Frost, Sr., who was an overseer at a New England mill. Frost graduated from Lawrence High School in 1892. Frost’s mother joined the Swedenborgian church and had him baptized in it, but he left it as an adult. Although known for his later association with rural life, Frost grew up in the city, and he published his first poem in his high school’s magazine. He attended Dartmouth College for two months, long enough to be accepted into the Theta Delta Chi fraternity. Frost returned home to teach and to work at various jobs, including helping his mother teach her class of unruly boys, delivering newspapers, and working in a factory maintaining carbon arc lamps. He did not enjoy these jobs, feeling his true calling was poetry. Frost was honoured frequently during his lifetime, receiving four of his Pulitzer Prizes for Poetry for his book “New Hampshire’. He became one of America’s rare “public literary figures, almost an artistic institution.” He was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 1960 for his poetic works. On July 22, 1961, Frost was named poet laureate of Vermont. He died on January 29, 1963 at the age of 88 in Boston.

Central Idea of the Poem

Through this poem, the poet conveys that worst time often comes in the life of mankind. But a little good thing can change the entire course of action. The crow, dust and the hemlock tree symbolise bad things which make the people believe that something wrong is bound to happen. The poet is in quite disappointed mood. When he comes out of his home to wander in the snow, a crow shakes and snow falls on him. It makes him quite happy. So, the poet conveys that one should hope for the best even in the worst situation.

Dust of Snow Summary

The short poem by Robert Frost throws light upon the unimaginable healing power of nature and tiny things. From a bad mood to ill-health, there is nothing that can’t be cured by nature. The poet was experiencing one such bad day when a crow’s movement near a hemlock tree dusted snow upon him. The soft and cold touch of snow changes the poet’s mood from despondency to happiness. He starts feeling soothed and refreshed. In this way, a simple moment proves to be very significant and saves the rest of the day of the poet from being wasted and held in regret. The black crow is a symbol of death and fear.

Since the crow is not associated with goodness, it is ironic that in this poem, it is doing a good deed by shaking off the snow. The poet uses the elements of the fearsome crow and poisonous hemlock tree to do something good – shake the white, pure snow off the branches.

The poem, “Dust of Snow’ reiterates that the little things in life can make huge changes in our future. It also shows that if we can take the hard times of life in stride, eventually something will happen to change our situation into happier times. The simple things we do for others can make all the difference. Just think about those random acts of kindness we do and how much they brighten our day and sometimes change our future.

Poem at a Glance

On a winter day, the poet was quite upset and sitting under the hemlock tree.
Suddenly, a crow alighted on the hemlock tree.
The snowflakes fell down on the poet while he was sitting under the tree.
The falling of snowflakes on the poet made a tremendous effect on him.
Now, he was feeling refreshed.
It changed the mood of the poet and also his mental state.
A little thing saved the entire day of the poet.

Dust of Snow Word-Meanings

Haryana State Board HBSE 10th Class English Solutions First Flight Chapter 11 The Proposal Textbook Exercise Questions and Answers.

Haryana Board 10th Class English Solutions First Flight Chapter 11 The Proposal

HBSE 10th Class English The Proposal Textbook Questions and Answers

Before You Read 

Activity

1. The word ‘proposal has several meanings. Can you guess what sort of proposal the play is about?
(i) a suggestion, plan or scheme for doing something
(ii) an offer for a possible plan or action
(iii) the act of asking someone’s hand in marriage
Answer:
(iii) The act of asking someone’s hand in marriage

2. Do you think Indian and Russian weddings have any customs in common? With the help of a partner, fill in the table below.

Answer:

Thinking about the Play

1. What does Chubukov at first suspect that Lomov has come for? Is he sincere when he later says “And I’ve always loved you, my angel, as if you were my own son”? Find reasons for your answer from the play.
Answer:
Chubukov suspects that Lomov has come to borrow money. He is not at all sincere when he says so. He has decided that he will not give Lomov any money if he tries borrowing from him. If he had truly meant what he has said, then he would not have thought of not giving him money. He said so only because Lomov had come with the proposal to marry his daughter.

2. Chubukov says of Natalya: “… as if she won’t consent! She’s in love; egad, she’s like a lovesick cat…” Would you agree? Find reasons for your answer.
Answer:
Chubukov thought that Lomov was a very suitable candidate for his daughter. He had been waiting for this proposal for a long time. When Lomov expressed his doubt regarding Natalya’s consent to the proposal, Chubukov immediately told him that she was in love with him. However, this was not true. Natalya did not seem to be in love with Lomov at any point in the play. It seemed that she was more attached to her land, meadows and dogs than to Lomov. Their argument of trivial matters suggests that neither Lomov nor Natalya was in love with each other.

3. (i) Find all the words and expressions in the play that the characters use to speak about each other, and the accusations and insults they hurl at each other. (For example, Lomov in the end calls Chubukov an intriguer; but earlier, Chubukov has himself called Lomov a “malicious, doublefaced intriguer.” Again, Lomov begins by describing Natalya as “an excellent housekeeper, not bad-looking, well educated.”)
Answer:
(i) Lomov calls Chubukov – Intriguer, grabber
(ii) Lomov calls Natalya – Well educated, an excellent housekeeper, not bad-looking
(iii) Natalya calls Lomov – the rascal, monster
(iv) Chubukov calls Lomov – My precious

(ii) Then think of five adjectives or adjectival expressions of your own to describe each
character in the play.
Answer:
Chubukov – cunning, mean, insensible
Lomov – weak, frail, stupid, simpleton
Natalya – immature, foolish, parsimonious, miserly, mingy

(iii) Can you now imagine what these characters will quarrel about next?
Answer:
From the play, it is clear that they quarrel over petty matters and will do so even later on.

Thinking about Language

I. 1. This play has been translated into English from the Russian original. Are there any expressions or ways of speaking that strike you as more Russian than English? For example, would an adult man be addressed by an older man as my darling or my treasure in an English play?

1. Read through the play carefully, and find expressions that you think are not used in contemporary English, and contrast these with idiomatic modern English expressions that also occur in the play.
Answer:
Expressions not used in contemporary English

1. “my darling”; “my beauty”, “my precious”“my angel” (In this play, an older man is addressing to an adult man)
2. “…and so on…” (It is used to complete a sentence)
3. “…and all that sort of thing.”
4. “the scarecrow”; “the stuffed sausage”; “the wizen-faced frump” (derogatory remarks to insult each other)

Modern English expressions

• “Madam”, “my heart; “honoured Natalya Stepanovna” (used by Lomov for Natalya)
• “Honoured Stepan Stepanovitch” (used by Lomov for Chubukov)
• “My dear fellow” (Chubukov addressing Lomov)
• “malicious, double-faced intriguer”; “fool” (Chubukov insulting Lomov)

2. Look up the following words in a dictionary and find out how to pronounce them. Pay attention to how many syllables there are in each word, and find out which syllable is stressed, or said more forcefully.

palpitations
interfere
implore
thoroughbred
pedigree
principle
evidence
misfortune
malicious
embezzlement
architect
neighbours
accustomed
temporary
behaviour
documents
Answer:
Do it yourself.

3. Look up the following phrases in a dictionary to find out their meaning, and then use each in a sentence of your own.
(i) You may take it that
(ii) He seems to be coming round
(iii) My foot’s gone to sleep
Answer:
(i) You may take it that I am lying, but in fact it will help you in the long run.
(ii) He seems to be coming round after the trauma of his father’s death.
(iii) After the three hour long yoga session, my foot’s gone to sleep.

II. Reported Speech

A sentence in reported speech consists of two parts: a reporting clause, which contains the reporting verb, and the reported clause. Look at the following sentences.

(a) “I went to visit my grandma last week,” said Mamta.
(b) Mamta said that she had gone to visit her grandma the previous week.

In sentence (a), we have Mamta’s exact words. This is an example of direct speech. In sentence (b), someone is reporting what Mamta said. This is called indirect speech or reported speech. A sentence in reported speech is made up of two parts — a reporting clause and a reported clause.

In sentence (b), Mamta said is the reporting clause containing the reporting verb said. The other clause — that she had gone to visit her grandma last week — is the reported clause.
Notice that in sentence (b) we put the reporting clause first. This is done to show that we are not speaking directly, but reporting someone else’s words. The tense of the verb also changes; past tense (went) becomes past perfect (had gone).

Here are some pairs of sentences in direct and reported speech. Read them carefully, and do the task that follows:

1. (i) LOMOV : Honoured Stepan Stepanovitch, do you think I may count on her
consent? (Direct Speech)
(ii) Lomov asked Stepan Stepanovitch respectfully if he thought he might count on her
consent. (Reported Speech)
2. (i) LOMOV : I’m getting a noise in my ears from excitement. (Direct Speech)
(ii) Lomov said that he was getting a noise in his ears from excitement. (Reported Speech)
3. (i) NATALYA : Why haven’t you been here for such a long time? (Direct Speech)
(ii) Natalya Stepanovna asked why he hadn’t been there for such a long time. (Reported Speech)
4. (i) CHUBUKOV : What’s the matter? (Direct Speech)
(ii) Chubukov asked him what the matter was. (Reported Speech)
5. (i) NATALYA : My mowers will be there this very day! (Direct Speech)
(ii) Natalya Stepanovna declared that her mowers would be there that very day. (Reported Speech)

You must have noticed that when we report someone’s exact words, we have to make some changes in the sentence structure. In the following sentences fill in the blanks to list the changes that have occurred in the above pairs of sentences. One has been done for you.

1. To report a question, we use the reporting verb…………….asked……………. (as in Sentence Set 1).
2. To report a statement, we use the reporting verb
3. The adverb of place here changes to
4. When the verb in direct speech is in the present tense, the verb in reported speech is in the…………….tense (as in Sentence Set 3).
5. If the verb in direct speech is in the present continuous tense, the verb in reported speech changes to ……………. tense. For example, changes to was getting.
6. When the sentence in direct speech contains a word denoting respect, we add the adverb ……………. in the reporting clause (as in Sentence Set 1).
7. The pronouns I, me, our and mine, which are used in the first person in direct speech, change according to the subject or object of the reporting verb such as ……………., ………………. or ………….. in reported speech.
Answer:
1. To report a question, we use the reporting verb asked.
2. To report a statement, we use the reporting verb declared.
3. The adverb of place here changes to there.
4. When the verb in direct speech is in the present tense, the verb in reported speech is in the past tense.
5. If the verb in direct speech is in the present continuous tense, the verb in reported speech changes to past continuous tense. For example, am getting changes to was getting.
6. When the sentence in direct speech contains a word denoting respect, we add the adverb respectfully in the reporting clause.
7. The pronouns I, me, our and mine, which are used in the first person in direct speech, change according to the subject or object of the reporting verb such as he/she, him/her, their or his/her in reported speech.

III. Here is an excerpt from an article from the Times of India dated 27 August 2006.
Rewrite it, changing the sentences in direct speech into reported speech. Leave the other sentences unchanged.

“Why do you want to know my age? If people know I am so old, I won’t get work!” laughs 90-year-old A. K. Hangal, one of Hindi cinema’s most famous character actors. For his age, he is rather energetic. “What’s the secret?” we ask. “My intake of everything is in small quantities. And I walk a lot,” he replies. “I joined the industry when people retire. I was in my 40s. So I don’t miss being called a star. I am still respected and given work, when actors of my age are living in poverty and without work. I don’t have any complaints,” he says, adding, “but yes, I have always been underpaid.” Recipient of the Padma Bhushan, Hangal never hankered after money or materialistic gains. “No doubt I am content today, but money is important. I was a fool not to understand the value of money earlier,” he regrets.
Answer:
90-year-old A.K. Hangal, one of Hindi cinema’s most famous character actors, asked why we wanted to know his age. If people knew he was that old, he would not get work. For his age, he is rather energetic. We asked him what the secret was. He replied that his intake of everything was in small quantities and he walked a lot. He said that he had joined the industry when people retired. He had been in his 40s. So he did not miss being called a star. He was still respected and given work, when actors of his age were living in poverty and without work. He said he did not have any complaints, adding that he had always been underpaid. Recipient of the Padma Bhushan, Hangal never hankered after money or materialistic gains. He said that no doubt he was content at present, but money was important. He said regretfully that he was a fool not to understand the value of money before.

Speaking and Writing

1. Anger Management: As adults, one important thing to learn is how to manage our temper. Some of us tend to get angry quickly, while others remain calm. Can you think of three ill-effects that result from anger? Note them down. Suggest ways to avoid losing your temper in such situations. Are there any benefits from anger?
Answer:
Anger is a basic human emotion. It is usually experienced as an unpleasant feeling. When it gets out of control, it can lead to numerous problems, like ill-effects to health, tension, accidents, etc.

• Anger can result in domestic violence.
• It affects rational thinking. Hence, it leads to wrong decisions.
• It reduces emotional feelings and causes physiological arousal.

Tips to prevent Anger

Certainly, there is no benefit from anger. Following tips can be helpful.

• Meditation
• Sense of discipline
• Improve your analytical capacity
• Be sociable
• Be tolerant

2. In pairs, prepare a script based on the given excerpt from The Home and the World by Rabindranath Tagore. You may write five exchanges between the characters with other directions such as movements on stage and way of speaking, etc.

One afternoon, when I happened to be specially busy, word came to my office room that Bimala had sent for me. I was startled.
“Who did you say had sent for me?” I asked the messenger.
“The Rani Mother”.
“The Bara Rani?”
“No, sir, the Chota Rani Mother.”

The Chota Rani! It seemed a century since I had been sent for by her. I kept them all waiting there, and went off into the inner apartments. When I stepped into our room I had another shock of surprise to find Bimala there with a distinct suggestion of being dressed up. The room, which from persistent neglect, had latterly acquired an air of having grown absentminded, had regained something of its old order this afternoon. I stood there silently, looking enquiringly at Bimala.

She flushed a little and the fingers of her right hand toyed for a time with the bangles on her left arm. Then she abruptly broke the silence. “Look here! Is it right that ours should be the only market in all Bengal which allows foreign goods?”

“What, then, would be the right thing to do?” I’asked.
“Order them to be cleared out!”
“But the goods are not mine.”
“Is not the market yours?”
“It is much more theirs who use it for trade.”
“Let them trade in Indian goods, then.”
“Nothing would please me better. But suppose they do not?”
“Nonsense! How dare they be so insolent? Are you not…”
“I am very busy this afternoon and cannot stop to argue it out. But I must refuse to tyrannise.”
“It would not be tyranny for selfish gain, but for the sake of the country.”
“To tyrannise for the country is to tyrannise over the country. But that I am afraid you will never understand.” With this I came away.
Answer:
Sahib is sitting in his office room. It is afternoon. He seems to be very busy. All of a sudden, a messenger comes to him and says that Bimla had sent a message for him. Hearing this, he gets surprised.

Sahib asked the messenger suddenly. “Who did you had sent for me? The messenger speaks hesitatingly that the Rani Mother has sent me. Sahib tells Bara Rani? Messenger says, no, the Chota Rani Mother.

It seems that the Chota Rani had been sent for by her since ages. When the messenger entered the room, he gets surprised and asks Bimla to get dressed. The room was not properly arranged. The messenger stood there silently and enquired about Bimla.

Bimla flushed a little and the fingers of her right hand toyed with the bangles on her left arm. She broke the silence and told that it should be the only market in Bengal which allows foreign goods.

Sahib asked, “What would be the right thing to do?” The Rani Sahib ordered them to be cleared out. Sahib told that goods do not belong to him. It seems to be the trade done by the English merchants. But, let them sell Indian goods. Sahib does not approve it. He advocates for the traders. He seems a bit confused how to convey his thoughts to Rani Mother. He can’t stop selling foreign goods in Bengal. The Rani advocates for the country. But Sahib thinks it would be selfish to drive away the traders though he prefers ‘Swadeshi goods. Sahib fails to communicate and convey his feelings. Above all, he was busy and had no time to discuss over the matter for a long time. Taking an excuse he left the place, immediately.

3. In groups, discuss the qualities one should look for in a marriage partner. You might consider the following points.
Personal qualities
– Appearance or looks
– Attitudes and beliefs
– Sense of humour

Value system
– Compassion and kindness
– Tolerance, ambition
– Attitude to money and wealth

Education and professional background
Answer:
Marriage partner should be co-operative, compassionate, tolerant and kind. She should have
sense of humour. Education also plays a significant role. She should be professional, rational and active. Money and wealth also should be taken into consideration. Honesty and integrity, respect and affection, etc. should be there.

4. Are there parts of the play that remind you offilm scenes from romantic comedies? Discuss this in groups, and recount to the rest of the class episodes similar to those in the play.
Answer:
Do it yourself.

HBSE 10th Class English The Proposal Important Questions and Answers

Short Answer Type Questions (20-30 words & 2 marks each)

Question 1.
What was Chubukov’s reaction when Lomov told him the reason of his coming home?
Answer:
Lomov visited Chubukov to ask for her daughter’s hand for marriage. Listening that, Chubukov became overwhelmed with joy. He embraced and kissed Lomov and told him that he had expected that to happen. He further told Lomov that he had always loved him as his own son.

Question 2.
Why did Lomov want to marry Natalya despite knowing that Natalya was not his real love?
Answer:
Though Natalya was not Lomov’s real love, he still wanted to marry her. It was so because he was already at a critical age of 35 and wanted to lead a quiet and regular life. Moreover, he would never get married if he kept looking for an ideal love and also Natalya was beautiful and educated.

Question 3.
Who is Lomov and why does he visit Chubukov?
Answer:
Lomov is a landowner in Russia. He is about thirty-five years old which is a critical age for marriage. He visits Chubukov’s house in his best dress to put his proposal for Natalya. But Chubukov thought that he had come here to borrow money.

Question 4.
What did Lomov say to Nataya and Chubukov to prove that he is the rightful owner of Meadows?
Answer:
Lomov told Nataya and Chubukov that his aunt’s grandmother had given the Meadows for free use of Chubukov’s grandfather’s peasants on temporary basis. That is why he is the rightful owner of Meadows.

Short Answer Type Questions (40-50 words & 3 marks each)

Question 1.
Was Lomov a quarrelsome person?
Answer:
Yes, Lomov was a quarrelsome person. He came to Chubukov’s house to ask Natalya’s hand for marriage but started arguing about the meadow. Later, he kept on proving that his dog Squeezer was better than Chubukov’s dog Guess. During all this, he did not care of his health and his proposal of getting married to Natalya.

Question 2.
How was Natalya not convinced that Oxen Meadows were owned by Lomov?
Answer:
When Lomov said that his Oxen Meadows touched Natalya’s birchwoods, a verbal duel started between them. Natalya asserted that they owned Oxen Meadows for nearly 300 years. It was ridiculous if somebody else claimed it to be his own. Natalya’s father, Chubukov also joined the quarrel.

Question 3.
Why did the marriage proposal remain unmade during Lomov’s first visit?
Answer:
The proposal of Lomov remained unmade during his visit to Chubukov’s house as he was very nervous. He did not understand how to put forward his proposal of marriage. But, somehow he told about it to Natalya’s father. When Natalya came, they began to quarrel on a piece of land. He got very much excited and left the room, cursing and threatening the old
man and his daughter. In this chaos, he forgot everything about his proposal.

Question 4.
What happened when Lomov was thought to be almost dead?
Answer:
Lomov had come with the proposal of marrying Natalya. When he fell unconscious in an armchair, both the father and the daughter got worried. Natalya started crying thinking Lomov to be dead. Chubukov called for a doctor and he threatned to shoot himself or cut his throat. When Lomov became conscious, Chubukov grabbed the opportunity to bless them for a happy married life.

Question 5.
What was the matter of controversy about dogs?
Answer:
Natalya claims that Squeezer, her dog, is better than Guess, who is the dog of Lomov. He claims that Guess is a first rate dog. Each one wants to dominate the other on dog. Lomov says that Squeezer is overshot. His lower jaw is shorter than the upper. But Natalya says that Guess is very old and ugly. This was the only matter of controversy. 6. What do you learn about Natalya from the play, “The Proposal?? Ans. Natalya is the only daughter of the landowner, Chubukov. She was very possessive about her land. She was a short-tempered lady. She used to quarrel with anyone even on petty matters. She always pinpointed the amount of help she had offered to her neighbours. She did not want to give a part of it to anyone.

Essay Type Question

Question 1.
Justify the title of the play ‘The Proposal’.
Answer:
The title of the play ‘The Proposal is very appropriate.A thirty-five year old bachelor, Lomov wants
to propose Natalya for marriage. He goes to her house with the same purpose. Being confused, he doesn’t propose at once. He beats about the bush. He talks irrelevantly. As Natalya doesn’t know that he has come to propose her, she thinks that he has come to claim Oxen Meadows as his own. She starts quarrelling. This results in one after another quarrel. After Chubukov’s interference, Natalya comes to know that he has come to propose her. Then atonce she forgets the issue of fighting. Then the proposal is made and accepted. Finally, they getengaged. Thus, it can be said that the title of the play is quite apt.

Question 2.
‘Discussions and disputes seldom solve a problem’. Describe the dispute between Natalya and Lomov over the dogs and their superiority.
Answer:
Natalya and Lomov had a hot discussion over the superiority of their dogs – Squeezer and Guess. Lomov was aware of the fact that despite many qualities, Guess had two major defects, i.e., the dog was old and short in the muzzle. Lomov was proud of his dog’s pure breed and its well sprung ribs. It was also a good hunter. On the other hand, Natalya’s Squeezer was a bad hunter. Natalya pointed out that her dog Squeezer was better than Guess. She remarked that Guess was old, ugly and a worn out cab horse. She also called Guess a lame dog. Though Lomov had come there to propose Natalya as he wanted to marry her, they involved themselves in silly arguments – that also over petty issues. Their main purpose was sidelined in the dispute. But such petty arguments should never come in the way of matrimony. Rather it is the attribute of tolerance and acceptance that paves the way to good relationship.

Question 3.
What are the main points of pleading between Chubukov and Lomov over Oxen Meadows?
Answer:
On hearing about quarrel between Natalya and Lomov, Chubukov comes at the spot.
Immediately Natalya asks her father about the ownership of Oxen Meadows. Chubukov too pleaded that these were the properties of theirs. But Lomov denied their ownership. He pointed out that it was his aunt’s grandmother who gave the meadows to the peasants of Chubukov’s grandfather on the pretext that they would prepare bricks for his aunt. 4. Neighbours must have a cordial relationship which Lomov and Natalya do not have.

Question 4.
Describe the first fight between them.
Answer:
Lomov and Natalya were next-door neighbours. One day, Lomov came to Natalya to propose
her. Natalya, who didn’t know that he had come to propose her, thought that he had come to claim Oxen Meadows as his own. When Chubukov, Natalya’s father, interfered with them and also pleaded that the Oxen Meadows were the properties of Chubukov, the fight aggravated. For a few moments, Lomov’s real purpose was overshadowed by that issue and he continued the bias that meadows belonged to his aunt’s grandmother who gave them to the peasants of Chubukov’s grandfather on the condition that they would prepare bricks for her. So how it would be considered as Natalya’s property. Though both Lomov and Chubukov, Natalya’s father, were very rich landlords, they quarrelled over a tiny piece of land, called, “Oxen Meadows. But that was not the end of quarrel. Natalya didn’t agree with Lomov’s explanation. Instead, she offered to make a present of it to Lomov who, in turn, rejected the suggestion. And the quarrel continued endlessly. Such first meeting of Lomov and Natalya had in itself seeds of things (quarrels over petty issues)
to be expected in their married life.

Question 5.
Natalya and Lomov lose their temper on trivial issues. It shows their poor skills at anger management. Suggest some ways that help you in maintaining cordial relationship with people around you.
Answer:
Anger is a basic human emotion. Someone controls over anger but someone gets outburst
within a very short span of time. Angry people even lose their temper on trivial issues. But anger should be controlled. It always leads to destruction. In the play, Natalya and Lomov lose their temper on petty issues. It could somehow be controlled by them. Some ways that help us in maintaining cordial relationships with people around us are:

• good behaviour
• etiquette
• manners
• give due respect to others
• be co-operative
• patience

Question 6.
“In the first place, I’m already 35-a critical age, so to speak. In the second place, I ought to lead a quiet and regular life. I suffer from palpitations. I’m excitable and always in my right eyebrow. But the very worst of all is the way I sleep.” On the basis of the passage given what does the author want to say through this?
Answer:
Through this passage, the author wants to highlight the physical features and mental state of Lomov. This is conversation between Lomov and Chubukov. Lomov was a funny man. He was physically weak but economically sound. He was a rich bachelor and he wanted to marry Natalya. He was 35 years old. He wanted to lead a quiet and regular life. But the worst things about him was the way he slept. He always suffered from palpitations. Sometimes he got upset. His tips also trembled with fear. At this critical age, be would never get married if he kept looking for an ideal life. So, the only intention of Lomov was to get married at any cost because he was just on verge of expiry of marriage. After getting married he wanted to lead a quiet and regular life.

Question 7.
“Don’t excite yourself, my precious one. Allow me, your Guess certainly has his good points. He’s purebred, firm on his feet, has well spring ribs, and all that. But, my dear man, if you want to know the truth, that dog has two defects he is old and he’s short in the muzzle.” In the given passage, what has been discussed here?
Answer:
Through this passage, the author has discussed the merits and defects of Guess, the dog.
Chubukov tells that Guess has numerous merits. He has certainly some good points. His bred is pure. He has very firm or strong feet on which he can stand at stretch. He has well-spring ribs. But that is not the reality of the dog. There are two defects in dog. The dog is short and old in the muzzle. So, Chubukov asks Lomov not to excite himself. Guess is loyal and obedient to his master. He keeps a strict vigil on his master’s house. His master also likes him and takes proper care of the dog. This way Guess is a the good and loyal servant to his master. Except a few defects, Guess is a fit and fine.

Reference To Context

Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow:

1. CHUBUKOV : [aside] He’s come to borrow money. Shan’t give him any!
[aloud] What is it, my beauty?
LOMOV : You see, Honoured Stepanitch… I beg pardon Stepan Honouritch… I
mean, I’m awfully excited, as you will please notice… In short, you alone can help me, though I don’t deserve it, of course… and haven’t any right to count on your assistance….

Choose the correct option:

(a) What does Lomov need?
(i) Money
(ii) Help
(iii) Property
(iv) All of these
Answer:
(ii) Help

(b) Who has been referred to as ‘beauty’in the above extract?
(i) Lomov
(ii) Money
(iii) Natalya
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(iii) Natalya

(c) Lomov stutters while speaking to Chubukov because he is awfully.
(i) sad
(ii) excited
(iii) depressed
(iv) none of these
Answer:
(ii) excited

(d) Who does not rely on anyone’s assistance?
(i) Lomov
(ii) Chubukov
(iii) Natalya
(iv) Stepanitch
Answer:
(i) Lomov

(e) Find out a word from the passage similar in meaning to ‘support.’
(i) contradict
(ii) oppose
(iii) helpless
(iv) assistance
Answer:
(iv) assistance

2. I’ve been hoping for it for a long time. It’s been my continual desire. [Sheds a tear] And I’ve always loved you, my angel, as if you were my own son. May God give you both – His help and His love and so on, and so much hope… What am I behaving in this idiotic way for? I’m off my balance with joy, absolutely off my balance! Oh, with all my soul… I’ll go and call Natalya, and all that.

Choose the correct option:

(a) For how long has Chubukov been hoping?
(i) For 1 minute
(ii) For a long time
(iii) For 1 hour
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(ii) For a long time

(b) Who considers himself behaving in an idiotic way?
(i) Lomov
(ii) Natalya
(iii) Chubukov
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(iii) Chubukov

(c) Natalya getting married to Lomov has been Chubukov’s continual
(i) dejection
(ii) desire
(iii) inspiration
(iv) none of these
Answer:
(ii) desire

(d) Who is referred to as “angle’ here?
(i) Chubukov
(ii) Lomov
(iii) Natalya
(iv) Stepanitch
Answer:
(ii) Lomov

(e) Find out a word from the passage opposite in meaning to “despair.’
(i) decide
(ii) reject
(iii) hope
(iv) degrade
Answer:
(iii) hope

3. Natalya Stepanovna is an excellent housekeeper, not bad-looking, well-educated. What more
do I want? But I’m getting a noise in my ears from excitement. [Drinks] And it’s impossible for me not to marry. In the first place, I’m already 35 — a critical age, so to speak. In the second place, I ought to lead a quiet and regular life. I suffer from palpitations, I’m excitable and always getting awfully upset; at this very moment my lips are trembling, and there’s a twitch in my right eyebrow. But the very worst of all is the way I sleep. I no sooner get into bed and begin to go off, when suddenly something in my left side gives a pull, and I can feel it in my shoulder and head… I jump up like a lunatic, walk about a bit and lie down again, but as soon as I begin to get off to sleep there’s another pull! And this may happen twenty times…

Choose the correct option:

(a) Who is Natalya Stepanovna?
(i) An excellent orator
(ii) An excellent housekeeper
(iii) A good scholar
(iv) A good sportswoman
Answer:
(ii) An excellent housekeeper

(b) How old is Lomov?
(i) Twenty-five years old
(ii) Thirty years old
(iii) Thirty-five years old
(iv) Forty years old
Answer:
(iii) Thirty-five years old

(c) Lomov suffers from
(i) palpitations
(ii) asthma
(iii) influenza
(iv) none of these
Answer:
(i) palpitations

(d) What happens with Lomov while he goes for sleeping?
(i) He faints from time to time.
(ii) He gets one pull after another.
(iii) Both (i) and (ii)
(iv) Neither (i) nor (ii)
Answer:
(ii) He gets one pull after another.

(e) Find out a word from the passage similar in meaning to ‘maniac’.
(i) sensible
(ii) reasonable
(iii) sane
(iv) lunatic
Answer:
(iv) lunatic

4. But you can see from the documents, honoured Natalya Stepanovna. Oxen Meadows, it’s true, were once the subject of dispute, but now everybody knows that they are mine. There’s nothing to argue about. You see my aunt’s grandmother gave the free use of these Meadows in perpetuity to the peasants of your father’s grandfather, in return for which they were to make bricks for her. The peasants belonging to your father’s grandfather had the free use of the Meadows for forty years, and had got into the habit of regarding them as their own, when it happened that…

Choose the correct option:

(a) What were once the subject of dispute?
(i) Oxen Meadows
(ii) Oxen Shadows
(iii) Sea Springs
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(i) Oxen Meadows

(b) Oxen Meadows belongs to whom?
(i) Natalya
(ii) Lomov
(iii) Ivan Vassilevitch
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(ii) Lomov

(c) The peasants belonging to Natalya’s father’s grandfather made ………….. for her in return.
(i) bricks
(ii) cement
(iii) iron
(iv) plastic
Answer:
(i) bricks

(d) How many years did they make free use of the Meadows?
(i) Twenty years
(ii) Twenty-five years
(iii) Forty years
(iv) Fifty years
Answer:
(iii) Forty years

(e) Find out a word from the passage similar in meaning to “permanently’.
(i) temporarily
(ii) perpetuity
(iii) momentary
(iv) transitory
Answer:
(ii) perpetuity

5. What a surprise! We’ve had the land for nearly three hundred years, and then we’re suddenly told that it isn’t ours! Ivan Vassilevitch, I can hardly believe my own ears. These meadows aren’t worth much to me. They only come to five dessiatins, and are worth perhaps 300 roubles, but I can’t stand unfairness. Say what you will, I can’t stand unfairness.

Choose the correct option:

(a) What can the speaker not tolerate?
(i) People
(ii) Fairness
(iii) Unfairness
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(iii) Unfairness

(b) What is the cost of these meadows?
(i) 300 roubles
(ii) 400 roubles
(iii) 500 roubles
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(i) 300 roubles

(c) …………….. can hardly believe her own ears.
(i) Natalya
(ii) Lomov
(iii) Vassilevitch
(iv) Stepanitch
Answer:
(i) Natalya

(d) What is ‘dessiatins’?
(i) A unit of land measurement in Russia
(ii) A unit of land measurement in England
(iii) Both (i) and (ii)
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(i) A unit of land measurement in Russia

(e) Find out a word from the passage similar in meaning to ‘value.’
(i) frugal
(ii) worth
(iii) worthless
(iv) insignificant
Answer:
(ii) worth

6. I can make you a present of them myself, because they’re mine! Your behaviour, Ivan Vassilevitch, is strange, to say the least! Up to this we have always thought of you as a good neighbour, a friend; last year we lent you our threshing-machine, although on that account we had to put off our own threshing till November, but you behave to us as if we were gypsies. Giving me my own land, indeed! No, really, that’s not at all neighbourly! In my opinion, it’s even impudent, if you want to know.

Choose the correct option:

(a) What is the matter of dispute between both the characters?
(i) Land
(ii) Meadows
(iii) Cows
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(ii) Meadows

(b) Till which month did the narrator put off their own threshing?
(i) October
(ii) November
(iii) December
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(ii) November

(c) Last year Natalya lent Lomov their
(i) threshing-machine
(ii) binding-machine
(iii) washing-machine
(iv) all of these
Answer:
(i) threshing-machine

(d) How is the behaviour of Ivan Vassilevitch?
(i) Rude
(ii) Strange
(iii) Good
(iv) Ill-tempered
Answer:
(ii) Strange

(e) Find out a word from the passage opposite in meaning to “respectful.’
(i) impudent
(ii) sycophant
(iii) dissident
(iv) satisfied
Answer:
(i) impudent

7. Don’t excite yourself, my precious one. Allow me. Your Guess certainly has his good points.
He’s purebred, firm on his feet, has well-sprung ribs, and all that. But, my dear man, if you want to know the truth, that dog has two defects: he’s old and he’s short in the muzzle.

Choose the correct option:

(a) What are the major defects of Guess, according to the speaker?
(i) Old and short in the muzzle
(ii) Young and stout
(iii) Short and thin
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(i) Old and short in the muzzle

(b) What kind of breed is the dog?
(i) Purebred
(ii) Mixedbred
(iii) Monobred
(iv) None of these
Answer:
(i) Purebred

(c) Chubukov asks Lomov not to himself.
(i) oppress
(ii) enthuse
(iii) incite
(iv) excite
Answer:
(iv) excite

(d) What are the good points of Guess?
(i) Weak feet and well sprung ribs
(ii) Firm feet and well sprung ribs
(iii) Flexible feet and inflexible ribs
(iv) All of these
Answer:
(ii) Firm feet and well sprung ribs

(e) Find out a word from the passage similar in meaning to definitely’.
(i) excitedly
(ii) uncertainly
(iii) certainly
(iv) roughly
Answer:
(iii) certainly

The Proposal Summary

The Proposal Introduction

• Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (29 January, 1860 — 15 July, 1904) is considered one of the greatest writers of short fiction in history.
• He completed his school education in 1879.
• He was a physician, short-story writer and playwright of Russia.
• “The Seagull’, ‘Uncle Vanya’, ‘The Three Sisters’ and ‘The Cherry Orchard are some of his notable plays.
• He was bestowed with the coveted Pushkin Prize for the best literary production.

Gist of the Lesson

In ‘The Proposal, the author Anton Chekhov has given a detailed description of the marriage. Its theme is based on two people who love each other by fighting. It is a story about Stepanovitch Chubukov and his neighbour Lomov. Natalya is the daughter of Chubukov. The main purpose of the play is to increase their estates and land properties.

Lomov enters the house of Chubukov with a request. Chubukov thinks that Lomov has come to take some money. But that is not true. Instead Lomov has come to ask for Natalya’s hand. At this, Chubukov gets happy and embraces Lomov. Chubukov gives his consent and also tells him that Natalya is also in love with him. Natalya is beautiful and educated. So he wants to lead a happy and married life with Natalya.

When Natalya comes and asks about his visit, he changes the track of conversation. Lomov tells that he has great respect for his family. When Lomov talks about Oxen Meadows, birchwoods, there starts a verbal duel between the two. At this, Natalya refuses Lomov’s claim.

Lomov calls Chubukov a land grabber and threatens to drag Chubukov into the court. They start abusing each other. Chubukov calls Lomov the villain and the scarecrow. Natalya calls Lomov ‘a rascal’. They also quarrel over their dogs. They also want to prove each other’s dog superior. Lomov’s heart starts palpitating. But after a few moment, he regains his consciousness and Chubok tells him that Natalya is ready to marry. But ultimately they tie a nupital knot. And they start leading their married life.

The Proposal Summary

Lomov and Chubukov meet: Lomov in a formal evening dress comes to visit Chubukov. He is so excited about the purpose of his visit that he beats around the bushes rather than saying his purpose.

Lomov asks for Natalya’s hand: After gathering courage, Lomov finally speaks up to Chubukov that he has come to ask for Natalya, his daughter’s hand in marriage.

Chubukov calls Natalya: Chubukov becomes very happy at the proposal of Lomov and calls Natalya. Lomov asks Chubukov whether she will accept his proposal. Chubukov consoles him by saying that she is like a lovesick cat and will accept his proposal.

Lomov’s thoughts about Natalya: Lomov thinks that Natalya is an amazing house-keeper, educated and beautiful. He should not miss this opportunity of getting married at the age of thirtyfive.

Lomov’s reasons of getting married: Lomov suffers from serious diseases like palpitation, excitement and insomnia. Therefore, he wants to settle down and have a peaceful married life.

Natalya enters the drawing-room: Natalya sees Lomov in drawing-room and welcomes him. She compliments his dress which excites Lomov before he can tell his proposal.

Lomov’s claim of Oxen Meadows: Lomov starts talking how their families had good relations over many decades and also his Oxen Meadows touch their birchwoods.

Lomov and Natalya quarrel: Natalya opposes Lomov’s claim of calling Oxen Meadows his as the meadows belongs to her family. They both quarrel over the ownership of the Oxen Meadows. Lomov goes out after listening to the insults of her family.

Natalya gets to know the proposal: Chubukov enters the drawing room and gets angry on how Lomov dared to come with marriage proposal for his daughter and insulted him afterwards.

Natalya feels sad: After knowing about the proposal, Natalya becomes sad and repents for the fight she picked up with Lomov. Chubukov goes out to call Lomov.

Natalya pacifies Lomov: Natalya calms down Lomov by saying that the Oxen Meadows belongs to him. But Lomov is still disturbed and therefore, he starts praising his dog Guess, that he purchased for 125 roubles.

Another fight between Lomov and Natalya: Natalya says that her dog, Squeezer which she purchased for 85 roubles, is better than his dog Guess. They both start fighting over the qualities of their dogs.

Lomov falls unconscious: Chubukov also sides with his daughter rather than ending their quarrel. While throwing abuses at each other, Lomov falls into the armchair. Both Chubukov and Natalya think he is dead. She laments that her chance of getting married to Lomov has gone.

Lomov and Natalya decide to marry: After a few moments, Lomov regains his consciousness and without missing this opportunity, Chubukov tells him that Natalya is ready to marry him. He asks them to kiss each other. Later, they playfully debate over their dogs’ qualities again.

Lesson at a Glance

• Chubukov and Lomov are neighbours. They both are landowners.
• Lomov is thirty-five years old and he wants to live a peaceful married life.
• Lomov goes to Chubukov’s house to ask for his daughter Natalya’s hand in marriage.
• In Lomov’s opinion, Natalya is an amazing housekeeper and not bad looking either.
• After coming to her house, he forgets the purpose of his visit and starts fighting with Natalya over the ownership of Oxen Meadows.
• Chubukov enters and asks what the matter is about. He supports his daughter in the quarrel.
• Lomov threatens them to go to the court. They further abuse one another.
• Later, Natalya comes to know about the marriage proposal Lomov has come up with. She is annoyed with her father that he did not tell her about the proposal.
• She asked her father to bring Lomov back, else she would end her life.
• Lomov comes back and this time they start quarrelling over their dogs.
• Natalya asserts that her dog Squeezer is better than Lomov’s dog Guess.
• Chubukov also takes his daughter’s side and says that Squeezer is the best dog in the district.
• In between all this fighting, Lomov becomes excited and his palpitations start rising.
• He falls down in the chair and loses his consciousness.
• Chubukov gets confused and threatens to cut his throat or shoot himself.
• Gradually, Lomov regains his consciousness and Chubukov tells them to get married soon.

Character Sketch

Lomov: Lomov was a funny man. He was physically weak but economically sound. He was a rich bachelor who wanted to marry Natalya. He was not really in love with Natalya but wanted to marry her because he thought that she was a good-housekeeper and beautiful. Lomov said if he had desired for an ideal or real love, he would never have got married. It was his feeling that at the age of 35, he must lead a quiet and regular life. When he went to propose her, Natalya thought that he had come to claim Oxen Meadows as his own. That is why quarrel took place between them. They even quarrelled over their dogs. Before finally proposing to her, he fainted and after that shouted a lot but finally succeeded to get acceptance.

Chubukow: Chubukov was a landowner. He loved his daughter a lot. He was in search ofa good match for his daughter. He called Lomov, angel, treasure etc. He was a cunning man. Whenever Chubukov fought with Natalya, he supported his daughter. He even abused Lomov and told him to leave his house.

Natalya: Natalya was a very short-tempered girl. She was much concerned about the honour of her family and land. She had even hot discussion with Lomov about the ownership of Oxen Meadows and her dog, Squeezer. She was also ready to tie a nupital knot.

Word-Meanings

Haryana State Board HBSE 10th Class English Solutions First Flight Chapter 9 Madam Rides the Bus Textbook Exercise Questions and Answers.

Haryana Board 10th Class English Solutions First Flight Chapter 9 Madam Rides the Bus

HBSE 10th Class English Madam Rides the Bus Textbook Questions and Answers

Activity

1. Look at the words and phrases given below. Then put a tick against the ones you think you will find in the text.

______ a set of passengers
______ get on the bus
______ get off the bus
______ platform
______ Tickets, please
______ a roar and a rattle
______ a row of seats
______ slowing down to a crawl
______ blowing a whistle
Answer:
a set of passengers
get on the bus
get off the bus
a roar and a rattle

2. You must have travelled by bus more than once. What can you see from a fast-moving bus ? Given below are some suggestions. Speak briefly about some of these scenes, or about other such scenes that you have seen; or write a sentence or two about them.

rivers
roadside shops
moving trains
a crowd
green fields
market places
vehicles on the road
clothes in shops
hills
railway tracks
trees
animals
Answer:
Usually the following scenes can be seen from a fast-moving bus :

• green fields
• roadside shops
• market places
• grazing animals
• moving trees
• a crowd
• vehicles on the road
• crops in fields
• people walking on the road
• factories
• distant hills
• rivers
• valleys

The above scenes are generally visible when the bus is moving in the plains and passing through cities. When the bus leaves the city, we can see green fields on both side of the road. In these fields we can see the grazing animals, standing crops, etc. We also see the trees moving towards us when the bus runs. We also see factories and the people walking on the road. When the bus passes through the cities, we can see market places, crowds of people and roadside shops. But when the bus passes through a hilly area, we can see hills, far off mountains, rivers, valleys, etc. All these things look very charming and beautiful.

Oral Comprehension Check (Page 119)

1. What was Valli’s favourite pastime ? (वल्ली का प्रिय शौक क्या था?)
Answer:
Valli’s favourite pastime was to stand in the doorway of her house and watch what was happening in the street outside.
(अपने घर के सामने वाले दरवाजे पर खड़े होकर गली में घट रही घटनाओं को देखना वल्ली का प्रिय शौंक था।)

2. What was a source of unending joy for Valli ? What was her strongest desire ?
(वल्ली के लिए प्रसन्नता का कभी समाप्त न होने वाला स्रोत क्या था? उसकी सबसे मज़बूत इच्छा क्या थी?)
Answer:
The sight of the bus filled each time with a new set of passengers was a source of unending joy for Valli. Her strongest desire was to enjoy a ride on that bus.
(हर बार नए यात्रियों के समूह से भरी हुई बस का दृश्य वल्ली के लिए कभी समाप्त न होने वाला प्रसन्नता का स्रोत था। . उसकी सबसे अधिक मज़बूत इच्छा उस बस पर सवार होकर सफर करने की थी।)

3. What did Valli find out about the bus journey ? How did she find out these details ? (बस यात्रा के बारे में वल्ली को क्या जानकारी हासिल हुई? उसने ये जानकारियाँ कैसे हासिल की?)
Answer:
Valli found out about the bus journey that the bus fare was thirty paise one way.The town was six miles from the village. She found out these details after hearing the conversation between her neighbours and those who had travelled by the bus.
(वल्ली को बस यात्रा के बारे में पता चल गया कि बस यात्रा का एक तरफ का किराया तीस पैसे था। कस्बा गाँव में छह मील की दूरी पर था। उसने ये जानकारियाँ अपने पड़ोसियों और उन लोगों की बातचीत से हासिल की थीं जो बस की यात्रा कर चुके थे।)

4. What do you think Valli was planning to do? (आपके विचार में वल्ली क्या करने की योजना बना रही थी?)
Answer:
She was planning to save money so that she could ride on the bus. She could take the one-o’clock afternoon bus, reach the town at one forty-five and be back home by about two forty-five.
(वह पैसे बचाने की योजना बना रही थी ताकि वह बस पर सवार हो सके। वह दोपहर बाद एक बजे वाली बस ले सके, एक बजकर पैंतालिस मिनट पर कस्बे में पहुँच सके और दो पैंतालिस पर अपने घर लौट सके।)

Oral Comprehension Check (Page 122)

1. Why does the conductor call Valli ‘madam’?
(परिचालक वल्ली को ‘मैडम’ क्यों कहता है?) ।
Answer:
The conductor was amused to see the self-confidence of Valli. She behaved like a grown up woman. She was quick in her answers to the conductor’s questions. So he addresses Valli as ‘madam.’
(परिचालक वल्ली के आत्मविश्वास से अति प्रसन्न था। वह एक सयानी महिला की तरह व्यवहार कर रही थी। वह परिचालक के प्रश्नों का तेजी के साथ उत्तर दे रही थी। इसलिए वह वल्ली को ‘मैडम’ कहता है।)

2. Why does Valli stand up on the seat ? What does she see now ? (वल्ली सीट पर क्यों खड़ी हो जाती ? अब वह क्या देखती है?)
Answer:
Valli stands up on the seat because she couldn’t see outside as the bus curtain had covered the lower part of her window. Now she sees the outside scenes and is filled with wonder.
(वल्ली सीट पर खड़ी हो जाती है क्योंकि वह बस से बाहर नहीं देख सकती है क्योंकि बस में लगे पर्दो ने उसकी खिड़की के निचले भाग को ढक रखा है। अब वह बाहर के दृश्यों को देखती है और आश्चर्य से भर जाती है।)

3. What does Valli tell the elderly man when he calls her a child ? (वल्ली वृद्ध आदमी को क्या बताती है जब वह उसे बच्ची कहकर पुकारता है?)
Answer:
Valli feels angry when the elderly man calls her a child. She tells him that she is not a child and that she has a full ticket for the bus journey.
(वल्ली क्रोधित हो जाती है जब वृद्ध आदमी उसे बच्ची कहकर पुकारता है। वह उसे बताती है कि वह बच्ची नहीं है और उसके पास बस यात्रा का पूरा टिकट है।)

4. Why didn’t Valli want to make friends with the elderly woman ? (वल्ली वृद्ध महिला के साथ मित्रता क्यों नहीं करना चाहती थी?)
Answer:
Valli did not want to make friends with the elderly woman because she looked ‘repulsive’ and ‘smelled foul.’
(वल्ली वृद्ध महिला के साथ मित्रता नहीं करना चाहती थी क्योंकि वह ‘घृणित’ लग रही थी और उससे ‘बुरी गंध’ आ रही थी।)

Oral Comprehension Check (Page 125)

1. How did Valli save up money for her first journey ? Was it easy for her ?
(वल्ली ने अपनी पहली यात्रा के लिए धन कैसे बचाया? क्या यह उसके लिए आसान था?)
Answer:
Valli saved up money for her first journey by resisting the temptation to buy peppermints, toys, balloons, etc. It was difficult for her. She even suppressed her desire to enjoy a merry-go-round at the village fair.
(वल्ली ने पिपरमिंट की गोलियाँ, खिलौने, गुब्बारे इत्यादि खरीदने से अपने आपको रोककर धन बचाया। यह उसके लिए कठिन था। उसने गाँव के मेले में झूले का आनन्द लेने की अपनी इच्छा को भी दबाया।)

2. What did Valli see on her way that made her laugh ? (वल्ली ने रास्ते में क्या देखा जिससे वह हँसने लगी?)
Answer:
Suddenly a cow which came before the bus with her raised tail. The driver sounded the horn. But more he honked, the animal became more frightened and the faster it galloped. This made Valli laugh.
(अचानक ही एक गाय जिसने अपनी पूँछ उठा रखी थी बस के आगे आ गई। चालक ने हॉर्न बजाया। लेकिन जितना ज्यादा वह हॉर्न बजाता था, जानवर उतना ज्यादा डर जाता था और तेजी से भागने लग जाता था। इससे वल्ली हँस पड़ी।)

3. Why didn’t she get off the bus at the bus station? (वह बस स्टेशन पर बस से नीचे क्यों नहीं उतरी?)
Answer:
Valli didn’t get off the bus at the bus station because she was going back on the same bus. So she gave the money to the conductor for the ticket for her return journey.
(बस स्टैण्ड पर वल्ली बस से नीचे नहीं उतरी क्योंकि वह उसी बस से वापस जा रही थी। इसलिए उसने चालक को उसकी वापसी की यात्रा के टिकट के पैसे दे दिए।)

4. Why didn’t Valli want to go to the stall and have a drink? What does this tell you about her?
(वल्ली दुकान पर जाकर शीतल पेय क्यों नहीं पीना चाहती थी? इससे आपको उसके बारे में क्या जानकारी मिलती है?)
Answer:
Valli did not want to go to the stall and have a drink because she didn’t have the money for that. The conductor offered to pay for her. But she declined this offer. It tells that she was a wise and confident girl.
(वल्ली दुकान पर नहीं जाना चाहती थी और पेय पदार्थ नहीं लेना चाहती रो क्योंकि उसके पास इसके लिए धन नहीं था। परिचालक ने इसके लिए पैसे देने की पेशकश की। लेकिन उसने इस पेशकश को इंकार कर दिया। इससे पता चलता है कि वह एक बुद्धिमान और विश्वस्त लड़की थी।)

Thinking about the Text

1. What was Valli’s deepest desire ? Find the words and phrases in the story that tell you this.
(वल्ली की तीव्रतम इच्छा क्या थी? कहानी में से वे शब्द या वाक्यांश छाँटिए जो इसके बारे में आपको बताते हैं।)
Answer:
Valli’s deepest desire was to ride on the bus which ran from her village to the nearby town. The words and phrases which tell this are : ‘Day after day she watched the bus’, ‘she wanted to ride on that bus’, “This wish became stronger and stronger.’ ‘until it was an overwhelmin
(वल्ली की तीव्रतम इच्छा थी कि वह अपने गाँव से निकटतम कस्बे में जाने वाली बस की सवारी करे। जो शब्द या वाक्यांश हमें इसके बारे में बताते हैं कि-‘दिन-प्रतिदिन वह बस को निहारती थी’, ‘वह बस पर सफर करना चाहती थी’, ‘यह इच्छा मज़बूत-से-मजबूत होती गई’, ‘जब तक कि यह एक अनियंत्रित इच्छा नहीं बन गई।)

2. How did Valli plan her bus ride? What did she find out about the bus, and how did she save up the fare?
(वल्ली ने अपनी बस की यात्रा की योजना कैसे बनाई? उसने बस के बारे में क्या जानकारी हासिल की, और उसने किराया कैसे बचाया?)
Answer:
Valli planned her bus ride after knowing all the related facts like the fare, the time it took to reach the town, when it started to and fro. She found out all these details by listening carefully to conversation between her neighbours and the persons who had travelled by the bus. :
(वल्ली ने बस के बारे में सारे तथ्यों; जैसे किराया, शहर पहुँचने में लिया जाने वाला समय, यह यहाँ और वहाँ से किस समय चलती थी जानने के बाद अपनी बस यात्रा की योजना बनाई। उसने ये सारी जानकारियाँ अपने पड़ोसियों और उन लोगों की बातचीत को जो बस की यात्रा कर चुके थे ध्यान से सुनकर हासिल की थीं।)

3. What kind of a person is Valli? To answer this question, pick out the following sentences from the text and fill in the blanks. The words you fill in are the clues to your answer.
(वल्ली किस प्रकार की लड़की है? इस प्रश्न के उत्तर के लिए पाठ से निम्नलिखित वाक्य लो और खाली स्थान को भरो। जो शब्द आप भरेंगे वही आपके उत्तर के लिए संकेत होंगे।)
(i) “Stop the bus ! Stop the bus!” And a tiny hand was raised
(ii) “Yes,I .go to town,” said Valli, still standing outside the bus.
(iii) “There’s nobody here ______.” she said haughtily.“I’ve paid my thirty paise like everyone else.”
(iv) “Never mind,” she said, “I can ____ . You don’t have to help me. I’m not a child, I tell you,” she said,
(v) “You needn’t bother about me. I _____________. “Valli said, turning her face toward the window and staring out.
(vi) Then she turned to the conductor and said, “Well, sir, I hope ____.”
Answer:
(i) commandingly
(ii) simply have to
(iii) who’s a child
(iv) get on by myself
(v) can take care of myself
(vi) to see you again

4. Why does the conductor refer to Valli as ‘madam’ ?
(परिचालक वल्ली को मैडम क्यों कहता है?)
Answer:
The conductor was impressed by Valli’s self-confidence. She behaved like a grown up woman. She was quick in her answers to the conductor’s questions. She was self-dependent. So he addressed Valli as ‘madam.’

(परिचालक वल्ली के आत्मविश्वास से अति प्रसन्न था। वह एक सयानी महिला की तरह व्यवहार कर रही थी। वह परिचालक के प्रश्नों का तेजी के साथ उत्तर दे रही थी। वह आत्म-निर्भर थी। इसलिए वह वल्ली को ‘मैडम’ कहता है।) .

5. Find the lines in the text which tell you that Valli was enjoying her ride on the bus. (अध्याय में से पंक्तियाँ छाँटिए जो आपको बताती हैं कि वल्ली अपनी यात्रा का आनन्द ले रही थी।)
Answer:
The following lines tell us that Valli was enjoying the bus ride : ‘Suddenly Valli clapped her hands with glee,’ ‘Somehow this was very funny to Valli,’ ‘She laughed and laughed …,’ ‘Struck dumb with wonder, Valli gaped at everything.’

6. Why does Valli refuse to look out of the window on her way back ? (घर वापसी में वल्ली खिड़की से बाहर देखने से क्यों मना कर देती है?)
Answer:
On her way back, Valli sees the dead cow. It makes her sad. So she refuses to look out of the window on her way back because what was so beautiful a little while ago now looked so horrible. The memory of the dead cow haunts her. It dampens her enthusiasm.
(वापसी में, वल्ली एक मृत गाय को देखती है। इससे वह उदास हो जाती है। इसलिए घर वापसी पर वह खिड़की से बाहर देखने से मना कर देती है क्योंकि थोड़ी देर पहले जो कुछ इतना सुन्दर था अब इतना भयानक लग रहा था। मृत गाय की याद उसे परेशान कर रही है। यह उसके उत्साह को ठंडा कर रही है।)

7. What does Valli mean when she says, “I was just agreeing with what you said about things happening without our knowledge.”
(वल्ली का क्या भाव है जब वह कहती है “मैं तो सिर्फ आपकी बात से सहमत हो रही थी जो हमारी जानकारी के बिना चीजों के घटित होने के विषय में आप ने कहा था।”)
Answer:
Valli means to say that many things happen in our midst and in the world outside. We do not know about them all. Even if we know them, we can’t understand them completely.
(वल्ली के कहने का भाव है कि हमारे बीच में और बाहर संसार में बहुत-सी चीजें घटित होती हैं। हम उनके बारे में सब कुछ नहीं जानते। यदि हम उनके बारे में जानते भी हैं तो हम उन्हें पूर्णतया समझ नहीं सकते हैं।)

8. The author describes the things that Valli sees from an eight-year-old’s point of view. Can you find evidence from the text for this statement ?
(लेखक चीज़ों का वर्णन उस रूप में करता है जिस रूप में एक आठ साल की लड़की वल्ली उन्हें देखती है। क्या आप अध्याय से कुछ प्रमाण ढूँढ सकते हैं जो इस कथन की पुष्टि करते हैं?)
Answer:
The following evidence from the text tells us that the poet describes the things that Valli sees from an eight-year old’s point of view :
“The most fascinating thing of all was the bus that travelled between her village and the nearest town,’
“Valli devoured everything with her eyes,’
‘Oh, it was all so wonderful!’ palm trees, grassland, distant mountains, and the blue, blue sky,”
‘Valli’s stands to look outside as the bus curtain covers the lower part of her window,’
‘Somehow this was very funny to Valli’ (seeing the cow run ahead of the bus),
“She laughed and laughed until there were tears in her eyes.

Speaking

This story has a lot of people talking in it. The conductor jokes and laughs with Valli, some passengers try to show their concern for her, and her mother and her aunt spend time chatting.
Read the conversations carefully. Then think of similar people, or similar situations that you have experienced. Mimic a person or persons who spoke to you, saying what they said, along with your replies.
Answer:
I often travel by a bus. The memory of one such journey is till fresh in my mind. The conductor of the bus was a very jolly person. He was perhaps a man who could never be sad. He replied to every question in a humorous way. I saw the bus stand. I went near it asked the conductor where the bus would go. He looked at me and said, “How can the bus go? Do you find any legs attached to the bus?” Everyone laughed. I too enjoyed the joke. In the meantime someone had told me that the bus was going to Delhi. It was the right bus so I boarded it. After sometime a person asked the conductor as to what was the last stop of the bus. At this conductor replied, “The last stop of every bus is the junk dealer’s shop.” Again everybody laughed. At next stop, an old man boarded the bus. He was a stammered while talking. He said something to the conductor, who replied, “Sir, applying the brakes is the driver’s job. Why do you apply brakes when speaking?” Thus the conductor kept making humorous remarks. As a result, I and the other passengers had a good time.

Writing

Write a page—about three paragraphs on one of the following topics.

1. Have you ever planned something entirely on your own, without taking grown-ups into your
confidence ? What did you plan, and how ? Did you carry out your plan ?
Answer:
What I Planned Entirely on My Own

I remember that once I planned a visit to the International book fair on my town, without taking any elders into confidence. I am a book lover. When I learnt that an international book fair was being held in Delhi, I could not resist the temptation of visiting it. I told my father that I wanted to visit my uncle who lived in Delhi. After some hesitation, my father agreed. A few days ago I had won a cash prize at a declamation contest held in our school. So I had money in my pocket for the books. My father gave me the bus fare. I was very happy. On reaching Delhi, I boarded a local bus for the Pragati Maidan. After one hour, I reached the book fair site. I was thrilled to see so many book stalls there. I kept money only for the return fare and spent the rest of money on the books. I purchased some very good books. I shall always remember that visit.

2. Have you made a journey that was unforgettable in some way? What made it memorable ?
Answer:
My Unforgettable Journey

Once I went to Ludhiana by bus. That journey will always remain fresh in my mind. Everything went wrong from the start to the finish. First of all I was late for the bus. I hired an auto-rickshaw for the bus stand. But the auto-rickshaw struck an electric pole and turned over. Luckily I escaped without any injury. I rushed to the bus stand and found the bus just leaving. I ran very hard and was able to catch it. But as I entered the bus, I collided against a lady who was standing. She asked me if I was blind. Everyone laughed at me. I was red in the face. Then the bus broke down on the way. After waiting for one hour for the bus to be repaired, I finally took another bus. I reached Ludhiana at night. Then I forgot the adder’s of my friend. I kept wandering in his colony. However, all is well that ends well. Luckily I found my friend coming in the street. I went to his room and heaved a sigh of relief.

3. Are you concerned about traffic and road safety ? What are your concerns ? How would you
make road travel safer and more enjoyable ?
Answer:
My Concern about Traffic and Road Safety

I am concerned about the traffic and the road safety. In India, the traffic rules are very commonly ignored. As a result, there are many accidents in which numerous people lose their lives.

We must follow the traffic rules for our own and others’ safety. We should keep to the left while driving on the road. We should use the zebra crossing while crossing the road. When we are driving a vehicle, we must slow it when we approach the zebra crossing. The most important thing is that public should be educated about traffic rules and traffic safety. The police must check the traffic violations strictly. Those who violate the traffic rules should be punished severely.

HBSE 10th Class English Madam Rides the Bus Important Questions and Answers

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
Who was Valli?
Answer:
Valli was an eight years old village girl.

Question 2.
What was Valli’s favourite pastime ?
Answer:
Her favourite pastime was standing in the front doorway of her house, watching what was happening in the street outside.

Question 3.
How old was Valli ?
Answer:
Valli was eight years old.

Question 4.
Who did Valli live with ?
Answer:
Valli lived with her mother.

Question 5.
What was the most fascinating thing for Valli ?
Answer:
The sight of the bus, filled each time with a new set of passengers was the most fascinating thing for Valli.

Question 6.
When would Valli be jealous ?
Answer:
Valli would be jealous when one of her friends described the sight of the town to her.

Question 7.
What did Valli carefully listen to ?
Answer:
Valli carefully listened to conversations of her neighbours who used the bus regularly.

Question 8.
How far was the town from the village ?
Answer:
It was at a distance of six miles.

Question 9.
What type of a man was the bus conductor ?
Answer:
The bus conductor was a jolly and fun loving type of person.

Question 10.
How much money did Valli save for the bus ride ?
Answer:
She saved sixty paisa for the bus ride.

Question 11.
What made Valli sad ?
Answer:
The sight of the dead cow made Valli sad.

Question 12.
What was Valli’s deepest desire?
Answer:
Valli’s deepest desire was to have a bus ride to the town.

Question 13.
What does the bus conductor call Valli?
Answer:
The bus conductor calls her ‘madam’.

Question 14.
What did Valli buy from the town?
Answer:
She bought nothing from the town.

Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
Write down the conductor’s advice to Valli?
(परिचालक के द्वारा वल्ली को दी गई सलाह लिखिए।)
Answer:
Calling Valli a child, the conductor requested her to sit down. It will make her comfortable. Standing up again and again can make her fall and get hurt because the bus can make a sharp turn.
(वल्ली को बच्ची कहते हुए, परिचालक ने उसे नीचे बैठ जाने को कहा। इससे वह आरामदायक रहेगी। बार-बार खड़े होने से वह गिर सकती है और उसे चोट लग सकती है क्योंकि बस को तीव्र मोड़ काटने पड़ते हैं।)

Question 2.
How did Valli manage to leave the house?
(वल्ली ने घर से जाने का प्रबंध कैसे किया?)
Answer:
Valli knew that after lunch her mother would nap for about one to four or so. It was Valli’s habit to engage these hours for her excursions and move outside the village.
(वल्ली जानती थी कि दोपहर का खाना खाने के बाद उसकी माँ एक बजे से लेकर चार बजे तक हल्की नींद लेती थी। वल्ली की आदत थी कि वह इन घंटों का प्रयोग भ्रमण करने या गाँव में इधर-उधर घूमने में करती थी।)

Question 3.
What did Valli calculate and plan?
(वल्ली ने क्या गणना की और क्या योजना बनाई?)
Answer:
Valli calculated and planned that if she took one o’clock afternoon bus, she would reach the town at one forty-five. On reaching town if she stayed in her seat and paid another thirty paise she could return home by the same bus by about two forty-five.
(वल्ली ने गणना की और योजना बनाई कि यदि उसने दोपहर बाद एक बजे वाली बस पकड़ ली तो वह एक पैंतालिस पर शहर पहुँच जाएगी। शहर पहुँचकर यदि वह अपनी सीट पर ही बैठी रही और अतिरिक्त तीस पैसे का भुगतान कर दिया तो वह उसी बस से दो बजकर पैंतालिस मिनट तक घर पहुंच जाएगी।)

Question 4.
What type of person was the conductor?
(परिचालक किस प्रकार का व्यक्ति था?)
Answer:
The conductor was very wise man and knew how to tackle and talk with the passengers. He was fond of jokes and in his jolly tone interrogated Valli many times.
(परिचालक बहुत ही बुद्धिमान व्यक्ति था और जानता था कि यात्रियों से किस तरह व्यवहार किया जाना चाहिए। वह मजाक पसंद करने वाला था और उसने कई बार मजाक की मुद्रा में वल्ली से बात की।)

Question 5.
What did Valli’s mother say about the things happening without our knowledge?
(वल्ली की माँ ने हमारी जानकारी के बिना घटित होने वाली चीज़ों के बारे में क्या कहा?) ।
Answer:
Valli’s mother said that so many things happen amidst us and in the world outside. We cannot know about everything. Even when we know about something we often can’t understand it completely.
(वल्ली की माँ ने कहा कि कितनी सारी चीजें हमारे बीच में और हमारे से बाहर की दुनिया में घटित होती हैं। हम प्रत्येक चीज़ के बारे में नहीं जान सकते हैं। यहाँ तक कि यदि हम कभी किसी चीज़ के बारे में जान भी लेते हैं तो हम उसे पूर्ण रूप से समझ नहीं सकते हैं।)

Essay Type Question

Question 1.
Who was Valli? What was her overwhelming desire?
(वल्ली कौन थी? उसकी तीव्र इच्छा क्या थी?)
or
Who was valli? What was her favourite pastime?
(वल्ली कौन थी? उसका प्रिय शौंक क्या था?)
Answer:
Valli was an eight-year old girl. She was a curious girl. She wanted to know many things. She did not have playmates of her own age. Her favourite pastime was standing in the front doorway of her house to see what was happening outside. The most fascinating thing of all was the bus that passed through the street each hour. The bus travelled between her village and the nearest town. The sight of the bus was a source of unending joy for Valli. It was a great joy for her to watch new sets of passengers everytime the bus passed through the street. As she watched the bus day after day, she developed a wish to have a ride on that bus. Her wish became stronger and stronger until it was an overwhelming desire.

(वल्ली एक आठ वर्ष की लड़की थी। वह एक जिज्ञासु लड़की थी। वह बहुत-सी चीजें जानना चाहती थी। उसके पास उसकी उम्र के साथी नहीं थे जिनके साथ वह खेल सके। उसका प्रिय शौक था अपने घर के सामने वाले दरवाजे में खड़े होकर गली में हो रही घटनाओं को निहारना। उसके लिए सबसे आकर्षक चीज़ थी गली में से हर घंटे गुजरने वाली बस। यह बस उसके गाँव और निकटतम कस्बे के बीच चलती थी। बस का दृश्य वल्ली के लिए कभी न समाप्त होने वाली प्रसन्नता का स्रोत था। जैसे-जैसे वह गली में से प्रतिदिन बस को गुजरते हुए देखती गई बस में सवार होने की उसकी इच्छा विकसित होती रही। उसकी इच्छा मजबूत-से-मजबूत होती रही, जब तक कि वह अनियंत्रित इच्छा में नहीं बदल गई।)

Question 2.
How did Valli plan to have a bus ride?
(वल्ली ने बस की यात्रा करने की योजना कैसे बनाई?)
or
How did Valli plan her visit to the town ?
(वल्ली ने अपने शहर जाने की योजना कैसे बनाई? व्याख्या करें।).
Answer:
Valli carefully listened to the conversations between her neighbours and people who had travelled on the bus or who regularly used it. She asked some casual questions also. She came to know that the town was six miles away from her village. It took forty-five minutes to reach there. The fare was thirty paise for one way. Valli planned her journey to the town and back. It would be her first journey out of her village. She saved every paisa by resisting her desire to buy icecream, toys, balloons, etc. She had also killed her desire to visit the village fair and have a ride in the merry-go-round. When she had saved sixty paise, she was ready for her first bus journey. Then she planned how she would slip out of house. She knew that her mother slept daily after lunch. She decided to use these hours for her journey.

(वल्ली अपने पड़ोसियों तथा उन लोगों के वार्तालाप को बड़े ध्यान के साथ सुनती थी जो बस की यात्रा कर चुके थे या बस का नियमित रूप से प्रयोग करते थे। वह कुछ सामान्य प्रश्न भी पूछती थी। उसे पता चल गया था कि कस्बा उसके गाँव से छह मील की दूरी पर है। वहाँ पहुँचने में पैंतालिस मिनट लगते हैं। एक तरफ का किराया तीस पैसे था। वल्ली ने शहर जाने और वापस आने की योजना बनाई। गाँव से बाहर की यह उसकी पहली यात्रा थी। उसने आईसक्रीम खाने, खिलौने खरीदने, गुब्बारे खरीदने इत्यादि की इच्छा को दबाकर पैसे बचाए। उसने गाँव के मेले में जाने और झूला झूलने की इच्छा को भी दबा दिया। जब उसने साठ पैसे बचा लिए, तो वह अपनी पहली बस यात्रा के लिए तैयार थी। तब उसने योजना बनाई कि वह घर से बाहर कैसे निकलेगी। वह जानती थी कि उसकी माँ दोपहर का खाना खाने के बाद सोती है। उसने इन घंटों का प्रयोग अपनी यात्रा के लिए करने का निर्णय लिया।)

Question 3.
What did Valli notice after she boarded the bus? (बस में सवार होने के पश्चात् वल्ली ने क्या देखा?)
Answer:
Valli looked around in the bus. It had soft and comfortable seats. It had a beautiful clock above the wind screen. The overhead bars shone like silver. Then she tried to look outside. She found her view cut off by a curtain that covered the lower part of her window. So she stood on her seat to enjoy the outside scene. The bus was going along the bank of a canal. She saw palm trees, mountains and the blue sky. On the other side, there were green fields. Suddenly an elderly man warned Valli not to stand on the seat. He called her a child and said that she could fall and get hurt. But Valli did not care for him. She told him proudly that she was not a ‘child’. She had paid the full fare like the others. The conductor told the man that Valli was a grown up madam. Valli looked at the conductor angrily and said that she was not a madam.

(वल्ली ने बस में चारों ओर देखा। इसमें नरम और आरामदायक सीटें थीं। हवा रोकने वाले शीशे के ऊपर एक सुन्दर घड़ी लगी हुई थी। ऊपर लगी हुई सलाखें चाँदी की तरह चमक रही थीं। तब उसने बाहर देखने का प्रयास किया। उसने पाया कि उसकी खिड़की के निचले भाग पर लगा हुआ पर्दा उसके बाहर देखने में बाधा बना हुआ था। इसलिए वह अपनी सीट पर खड़ी होकर बाहर के दृश्यों का आनन्द लेने लगी। बस एक नहर के किनारे-किनारे जा रही थी। उसने खजूर के वृक्ष, पर्वत और नीला आसमान देखे। दूसरी ओर हरे वृक्ष थे। अचानक ही एक वृद्ध आदमी ने वल्ली को सीट पर खड़ा न होने की चेतावनी दी। उसने उसे बच्ची कहकर सम्बोधित किया और कहा कि वह गिर जाएगी और चोट खा लेगी। लेकिन वल्ली ने उसकी बात पर ध्यान नहीं दिया। उसने उसे गर्व से कहा कि वह ‘बच्ची’ नहीं है। उसने भी दूसरों की भाँति पूरा टिकट खरीदा है। परिचालक ने उस आदमी को बताया कि वल्ली एक समझदार मैडम है। वल्ली ने परिचालक की ओर क्रोधपूर्वक देखा और कहा कि वह मैडम नहीं है।)

Question 4.
Describe Valli’s return journey. (वल्ली की वापसी यात्रा का वर्णन करो।) .
Answer:
The bus resumed its return journey. There were the same wonderful sights. Valli enjoyed the scene again. But suddenly she saw a young cow lying dead, by the roadside. It had been struck by a fast moving vehicle. She asked the conductor if it was the same cow they saw earlier. The conductor nodded. Valli became sad. It had been a lovable, beautiful creature just a little ago. But now the cow was without its charm and its life. The bus moved on. The memory of the dead cow haunted Valli. She no longer wanted to see out of the window. She kept sitting on her seat until her village came. She got down and wished the conductor to see him again. The conductor smiled. He told Valli that whenever she felt like riding the bus she could come and join them.

(बस ने अपनी वापसी की यात्रा आरम्भ की। रास्ते में वही अद्भुत दृश्य थे। वल्ली ने पुनः दृश्यों का आनन्द लिया। लेकिन अचानक ही उसने एक छोटी गाय को सड़क के किनारे मृत पड़े हुए पाया। इसको किसी तेज गति वाले वाहन ने टक्कर मार दी थी। उसने परिचालक से पूछा कि क्या यह वही गाय है जो उन्होंने पहले देखी थी। परिचालक ने हाँ में सिर हिलाया। वल्ली उदास हो गई। थोड़ी देर पहले तो वह एक प्यारा, सुन्दर जीव था। लेकिन अब गाय अपने आकर्षण और जीवन के बिना थी। बस आगे बढ़ गई। मृत गाय की याद वल्ली को परेशान कर रही थी। अब वह खिड़की से बाहर नहीं देखना चाहती थी। जब तक उसका गाँव नहीं आया वह सीट पर ही बैठी रही। वह बस से नीचे उतरी और परिचालक से पुनः मिलने की कामना की। परिचालक मुस्कराया। उसने वल्ली को बताया कि जब भी उसका दिल बस की सवारी करने को करे तो वह उनके पास आ जाए।)

Question 5.
Why does Valli refuse to look out of the window on her way back?
(घर लौटते समय वल्ली खिड़की से बाहर देखने से क्यों मना कर देती है?)
Answer:
On her way to the town Valli laughed heartily to see a young cow running at high speed in the middle of the road just in front of their bus. But on her way back, she saw a young cow lying dead near the road. She asked the bus conductor if it was the same cow that was running in front of the bus. The bus conductor nodded. She was shocked and sad. So she refuses to look out of the window on her way back because what was so beautiful a little while ago now looked so horrible. The memory of the dead cow haunts her. It dampens her enthusiasm.

(शहर जाते समय वल्ली अपनी बस के आगे-आगे सड़क के बीच में तेज गति से भागती हुई एक युवा गाय को देखकर खूब जोर से हँसी। लेकिन घर लौटते समय उसने एक युवा गाय को सड़क किनारे मृत पड़े पाया। उसने बस कंडक्टर से पूछा कि क्या यह वही गाय है जो बस के आगे दौड़ रही थी। बस कंडक्टर ने हाँ में सिर हिलाया। उसे आघात लगा और वह उदास हो गई। अतः वह घर लौटते समय बस से बाहर देखने से भी मना कर देती है क्योंकि थोड़ी देर पहले जो चीज इतनी सुंदर लग रही थी अब वह बहुत दर्दनाक दिख रही थी। मृत गाय की याद उसे परेशान कर रही है। यह उसके उत्साह को ठंडा कर रही है।)

Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1.
How old was Valli ?
(A) eight years
(B) ten years
(C) twelve years
(D) fourteen years
Answer:
(A) eight years

Question 2.
Valli’s favourite pastime was :
(A) riding the bus
(B) visiting the town
(C) standing at her door
(D) all of the above
Answer:
(C) standing at her door

Question 3.
How far was the town from Valli’s village ?
(A) four miles
(B) six miles
(C) eight miles
(D) ten miles
Answer:
(B) six miles

Question 4.
Who did Valli live with ?
(A) her father
(B) her mother
(C) her aunt
(D) all of the above
Answer:
(B) her mother

Question 5.
What type of a man was the bus conductor ?
(A) jolly
(B) wise
(C) fun loving
(D) all of the above
Answer:
(D) all of the above

Question 6.
Valli had the strongest desire of :
(A) swimming
(B) riding on the bus
(C) playing
(D) dancing
Answer:
(B) riding on the bus

Question 7.
How much time the bus takes from her village to the town?
(A) forty-five minutes
(B) one hour
(C) an hour and half
(D) two hours
Answer:
(A) forty-five minutes

Question 8.
The conductor called Valli as :
(A) child
(B) madam
(C) baby
(D) auntie
Answer:
(B) madam

Question 9.
Who did Valli find in her home when she returned from the town?
(A) her father
(B) her teacher
(C) her aunt
(D) all of the above
Answer:
(C) her aunt

Question 10.
What did Valli buy from the town ?
(A) a set of bangles
(B) cold drinks
(C) a frock
(D) nothing
Answer:
(D) nothing

Question 11.
What made Valli sad?
(A) the cow running in front of the bus
(B) the dead cow
(C) the sights in the town
(D) all of the above
Answer:
(B) the dead cow

Question 12.
Who is the author of the lesson ‘Madam Rides the Bus’?
(A) Gavin Maxwell
(B) Vallikkannan
(C) Anton Chekov
(D) Arup Kumar Datta
Answer:
(B) Vallikkannan

Madam Rides the Bus Important Passages for Comprehension

Read the following passages and answer the questions that follow :

PASSAGE 1

There was a girl named Valliammai who was called Valli for short. She was eight years old and very curious about things. Her favourite pastime was standing in the front doorway of her house, watching what was happening in the street outside. There were no playmates of her own age on her street, and this was about all she had to do.
But for Valli, standing at the front door was every bit as enjoyable as any of the elaborate games other children played. Watching the street gave her many new unusual experiences.
The most fascinating thing of all was the bus that travelled between her village and the nearest town. It passed through her street each hour, once going to the town and once coming back. The sight of the bus, filled each time with a new set of passengers, was a source of unending joy for Valli.

Word-meanings : Curious = eager (उस्तुक); pastime = hobby (शौका); elaborate = detailed (विस्तृत)

Questions :
(a) Name the chapter and its author.
(b) What was full name of Valli.
(c) What was Valli’s favourite pastime ?
(d) How many playmates of her age did Valli have ?
(e) Find words from the passage which mean the same as : (a) eager, (b) hobby.
Answers :
(a) Chapter : Madam Rides the Bus, Author : Vallikkannan.
(b) The full name of Valli was ‘Valliammai’.
(c) Valli’s favourite pastime was standing in the front doorway of her house, watching what was happening in the street outside.
(d) She had no playmates of her own age
(e) (a) curious, (b) pastime.

PASSAGE 2

Day after day she watched the bus, and gradually a tiny wish crept into her head and grew there: she wanted to ride on that bus, even if just once. This wish became stronger and stronger, until it was an overwhelming desire. Valli would stare wistfully at the people who got on or off the bus when it stopped at the street corner. Their faces would kindle in her longings, dreams and hopes. If one of her friends happened to ride the bus and tried to describe the sights of the town to her, Valli would be too jealous to listen and would shout, in English: ‘Proud ! proud” Neither she nor her friends really understood the meaning of the word, but they used it often as a slang expression of disapproval.

Word-meanings : Gradually = slowly (धीरे धीरे); overwhelming = strong (मजबूत); wistfully = with longing (इचासे); disapproval = refusal (असहमति).

Questions :
(a) What was Valli’s ‘tiny wish’?
(b) What would Valli wistfully stare at?
(c) When were Valli’s longings, hopes and dreams kindled?
(d) When would Valli be jealous?
(e) Find a word from the passage which means “excite’.
Answers :
(a) Valli’s tiny wish was to travel by a bus.
(b) She would stare wistfully at the people who got on or off the bus.
(c) The sight of the bus passengers would kindle in her longings, dreams and hopes.
(d) She felt jealous when one of her friends described the sights of the town to her.
(e) “kindle.

PASSAGE 3

Over many days and months Valli listened carefully to conversations between her neighbours and people who regularly used the bus, and she also asked a few discreet questions here and there. This way she picked up various small details about the bus journey. The town was six miles from her village. The fare was thirty paise one way— “which is almost nothing at all,” she heard one well-dressed man say, but to Valli, who scarcely saw that much money from one month to the next, it seemed a fortune. The trip to the town took forty-five minutes. On reaching town, if she stayed in her seat and paid another thirty paise, she could return home on the same bus. This meant that she could take the one-o’clock afternoon bus, reach the town at one forty-five, and be back home by about two forty-five …

Word-meanings : Discreet = quiet (शांत); various = many (कई); scarcely = hardly (मुश्किल से )

Questions :

(a) What did Valli carefully listen to?
(b) What seemed ‘a fortune’ to Valli ?
(c) How much time did the bus take from Valli’s village to the city?
(d) How far was the town from the village?
(e) Find a word from the passage which means ‘hardly.’
Answers :
(a) Valli listened carefully to conversations of her neighbours who used the bus regularly.
(b) “Thirty paise’ seemed ‘a fortune’ to Valli.
(c) It took forty-five minutes.
(d) It was six miles away.
(e) ‘scarcely.’

PASSAGE 4

The conductor was a jolly sort, fond of joking. “Oh, please don’t be angry with me, my fine madam,” he said. “Here, have a seat right up there in front. Everybody move aside please – make way for madam.”.
It was the slack time of day, and there were only six or seven passengers on the bus. They were all looking at Valli and laughing with the conductor. Valli was overcome with shyness. Avoiding everyone’s eyes, she walked quickly to an empty seat and sat down.

“May we start now, madam?” the conductor asked, smiling. Then he blew his whistle twice, and the bus moved forward with a roar.
It was a new bus, its outside painted a gleaming white with some green stripes along the sides. Inside, the overhead bars shone like silver. Directly in front of Valli, above the windshield, there was a beautiful clock. The seats were soft and luxurious.

Word-meanings : Slack time = when there is not much work ( जब अधिक काम न हो); luxurious = comfortable (आरामदाकाया))!

Questions :

(a) How does the author describe the conductor?
(b) By what name did the conductor call Valli?
(c) What does the author mean by ‘the slack time of day’ ?
(d) How were the seats of the bus?
(e) Find a word from the passage which is the opposite of ‘serious’.
Answers :
(a) The conductor was a jolly sort of man.
(b) He called Valli ‘madam’.
(c) The author means that there were not many passengers riding the bus at that time.
(d) The bus had soft and luxurious seats.
(e) “jolly’.

PASSAGE 5

Valli devoured everything with her eyes. But when she started to look outside, she found her view cut off by a canvas blind that covered the lower part of her window. So she stood up on the seat and peered over the blind.
The bus was now going along the bank of a canal. The road was very narrow. On one side there was the canal and, beyond it, palm trees, grassland, distant mountains, and the blue, blue sky. On the other side was a deep ditch and then acres and acres of green fields—green, green, green, as far as the eye could see. Oh, it was all so wonderful!

Word-meanings : Devoured = looked attentively (ध्यान से देखना); peered over = looked over (ऊपर देखना); ditch = pot hole (खड्डा) !

Questions :

(a) How was Valli’s view cut off?
(b) Why did Valli stand up on the seat?
(c) There were fields on one side of the road. What was there on the other side?
(d) Was the road wide?
(e) Find a word from the passage which means ‘curtain’.
Answers :
(a) Vallli’s view was cut off by a canvas curtain.
(b) She stood up on the seat because a canvas blind cut off the view for her.
(c) There was a canal on the other side.
(d) No, the road was narrow.
(e) ‘blind.’

PASSAGE 6

An elderly woman came and sat beside her. “Are you all alone, dear?” she asked Valli as the bus started again.
Valli found the woman absolutely repulsive – such big holes she had in her ear lobes, and such ugly earrings in them! And she could smell the betel nut the woman was chewing and see the betel juice that was threatening to spill over her lips at any moment. Ugh! – who could be sociable with such a person?

“Yes, I’m travelling alone,” she answered curtly. “And I’ve got a ticket too.” “Yes, she’s on her way to town,” said the conductor. “With a thirty-paise ticket.”
“Oh, why don’t you mind your own business,” said Valli. But she laughed all the same, and the conductor laughed too.

Word-meanings : Absolutely = compulsive (पूरी तरह से); ugly = dirty (गंदी); betel = a chewing leaf (पान); spill over = fall (गिरना)

Questions :

(a) What did the elderly woman ask Valli?
(b) How were the woman’s ear lobes and earrings?
(c) What was the woman chewing?
(d) Did Valli like the elderly woman sitting beside her?
(e) Find a word in the passage which means “completely’.
Answers :
(a) She asked Valli if she was travelling all alone.
(b) Her ear lobes had big holes and her earrings were ugly.
(c) She was chewing a betel nut.
(d) ‘No, she found the woman repulsive.
(e) “absolutely.

PASSAGE 7

After she had enough money saved, her next problem was how to slip out of the house without her mother’s knowledge. But she managed this without too much difficulty. Every day after lunch her mother would nap from about one to four or so. Valli always used these hours for her “excursions’ as she stood looking from the doorway of her house or sometimes even ventured out into the village; today, these same hours could be used for her first excursion outside the village.

Word-meanings : Slip out = go to secretly (चुपके से जाना), excursion = a short journey (सैर), ventured ont = going somewhere (बहार निकलना)

Questions :

(a) What was her next problem?
(b) What time did she use for her excursions?
(c) What was Valli’s first excursion outside the village?
(d) Find the word from the passage which means ‘went cautiously’.
(e) Name the chapter and its author.
Answers :
(a) Her next problem was how to slip out of the house without her mother’s knowledge.
(b) When her mother would nap from about one to four or so.
(c) Going to the town by bus was her first excursion outside the village.
(d) Ventured
(e) Chapter : Madam Rides the Bus, Author : Vallikkannan.

PASSAGE 8

Sometimes the bus seemed on the point of gobbling up another vehicle that was coming towards them or a pedestrian crossing the road. But lo! somehow it passed on smoothly, leaving all obstacles safely behind.

Trees came running towards them but then stopped as the bus reached them and simply stood there helpless for a moment by the side of the road before rushing away in the other direction.
Suddenly Valli clapped her hands with glee. A young cow, tail high in the air, was running very fast, right in the middle of the road, right in front of the bus. The bus slowed to a crawl, and the driver sounded his horn loudly again and again. But the more he honked, the more frightened the animal became and the faster it galloped – always right in front of the bus.

Word-meanings : obstacles = hindrances (रुकावटें); honked = sounded (बजाया); galloped = ran (भागी) :

Questions :
(a) Name the chapter.
(b) What did the bus seem on the point of gobbling up ?
(c) Why did Valli clap her hands with glee?
(d) Why did the driver sound the horn again and again ?
(e) Find a word from the passage similar in meaning of ‘gobbling up.’
Answers :
(a) The name of the chapter is ‘Madam Rides the Bus’.
(b) The bus seemed on the point of gobbling up another vehicle that was coming up towards them.
(c) Valli clapped her hands with glee to see a young cow, tail high in the air, running fast in the middle of the road just in front of the bus.
(d) The driver sounded the horn again and again for the cow to get away.
(e) Swallow.

Madam Rides the Bus Summary in English

Madam Rides the Bus Introduction in English

This is a story about the first bus journey of an eight year old girl, Valli. She was a curious girl. She had a strong desire to go to the nearest town by riding on a bus. She saves money for this purpose. When she has money for the ticket, she boards the bus. She enjoys her first bus journey. She does not get down the bus in the town. She remains sitting at her seat. She pays another thirty paise for the ticket and reaches home back.

Madam Rides the Bus Summary in English

This is a story about the first bus journey of an eight-year old girl. Her name was Valliammai. She was called Valli for short. She was a curious girl. She wanted to know many things. She did not have playmates of her own age. Her favourite pastime was standing in the front doorway of her house to see what was happening outside.

Watching the happenings in the street gave her many new unusual experiences. The most fascinating thing of all was the bus that passed through the street each hour. The bus travelled between her village and the nearest town: The sight of the bus was a source of unending joy for Valli. It was a great joy for her to watch new sets of passengers everytime the bus passed through the street. As she watched the bus day after day, she developed a wish to have a ride on that bus. Her wish became stronger and stronger until it was an overwhelming desire.

Valli carefully listened to the conversations between her neighbours and people who had travelled on the bus or who regularly used it. She asked some casual questions also. In this way, she learnt about small details about the journey. She came to know that the town was six miles away from her village. It took fortyfive minutes to reach there. The fare was thirty paise for one way. One could keep sitting in the bus and return to the village by paying another thirty paise. Valli planned her journey to the town and back. It would be her first journey out of her village. She saved every paisa by resisting her desire to buy ice cream, toys, balloons, etc. She had also killed her desire to visit the village fair and have a ride in the merry-go-round. When she had saved sixty paise, she was ready for her first bus journey.

Then she planned how she would slip out of house. She knew that her mother slept daily after lunch. She decided to use these hours for her journey. She decided to board the bus at one o’clock so that she could be back by two forty-five. So one fine spring day Valli boarded the bus. The conductor was surprised; but seeing her confidence, he allowed her to board the bus. He was a jolly fellow. He understood that Valli spoke with pride. He called her Madam and offered a seat. He asked others to make way for the ‘madam’. There were only six or seven passengers in the bus. They were all looking at Valli. They and the conductor were laughing. Valli overcame her shyness, quickly walked to an empty seat and sat down.

Valli looked around her in the bus. The bus had a fine painting of green stripes on the white. It had soft and comfortable seats. It had a beautiful clock above the wind screen. The overhead bars shone like silver. Then she tried to look outside. She found her view cut off by a curtain that covered the lower part of her window. So she stood on her seat to enjoy the outside scene. The bus was going along the bank of a canal. She saw palm trees, mountains and the blue sky. On the other side, there were green fields. Suddenly an elderly man warned Valli not to stand on the seat. He called her a child and said that she could fall and get hurt. But Valli did not care for him. She told him proudly that she was not a child’. She had paid the full fare like the others. The conductor told the man that Valli was a grown up madam. Valli looked at the conductor angrily and said that she was not a madam. The conductor told her that she should not stand on the seat. She could fall when the bus took sharp turns. But Valli ignored his remarks also.

On the way bus stopped and some new passengers got on. Afraid of losing her seat, Valli finally sat down. An elderly woman came and sat beside her. Valli looked at the woman. She found her repulsive. She had big and ugly earrings. She was chewing a betel. Valli could see that the betel juice was likely to spill over her lips. That woman asked Valli whether she was travelling all alone. Valli told her that she was alone and she had got a ticket too. Then the old woman asked her if it was proper for a child to travel alone. She also asked whether Valli knew exactly where she was going in town. Valli told the old woman that she need not bother about her. Then she turned her face towards the window.

The bus moved on across a bare landscape. Valli enjoyed the outside scene. Trees came running towards them. Sometimes, the bus seemed to strike the oncoming vehicle. But both passed safely. Suddenly Valli clapped her hands with joy. A cow was running in the middle of the road, in front of the bus. The bus slowed down. The driver sounded the horn again and again. But the cow became more frightened and continued running before the bus. Valli laughed and laughed until there were tears in her eyes. At last the cow moved off the road. The bus passed by the side of a railway crossing. Valli enjoyed the scene of trains. Then the bus entered the city area. There were huge crowds of people. Valli looked at different things with surprise. Then the bus reached the city bus stand and stopped. Everybody got off the bus except Valli. The conductor asked Valli to get down.

But she told him that she was going back on the same bus. He was surprised and asked her why she had come to the city. She replied that she just wanted to take a ride on the bus. He asked Valli if she would like to have look at the sights outside the bus. Valli said that she was afraid of that. He asked to have a cold drink. Valli said that she had not enough money for that. The conductor offered to pay for her drink. But Valli did not accept the offer.

The bus resumed its return journey. There were the same wonderful sights. Valli enjoyed the scene again. But suddenly she saw a young cow lying dead, by the roadside. It had been struck by a fast moving vehicle. She asked the conductor if it was the same cow they saw earlier. The conductor nodded. Valli became sad. It had been a lovable, beautiful creature just a little ago. But now the cow was without its charm and its life. The bus moved on. The memory of the dead cow haunted Valli. She no longer wanted to see out of the window. She kept sitting on her seat until her village came. She got down and wished the conductor to see him again. The conductor smiled. He told Valli that whenever she felt like riding the bus she could come and join them.

Valli reached home. She found her mother was awake. She was talking to her aunt who lived in the South Street. She was a chatterbox. She asked Valli where she had been. But Valli just smiled. Her mother and the aunt were discussing about the things outside the world. Her mother said that no one could know about everything. At this Valli remarked that there were many things happening without our knowledge. Her mother asked her what she meant. Valli’s aunt called her a chit of a girl She took interest in things which did not concern her. She behaved as if she were a grown up lady. Valli smiled to herself. She didn’t want them to understand her smile.

A Letter to God Summary in Hindi

Madam Rides the Bus Introduction in Hindi

(यह एक आठ वर्षीय वल्ली नाम की लड़की की पहली बस यात्रा की कहानी है। वह एक जिज्ञासु लड़की थी। उसकी तीव्र इच्छा थी कि वह बस में सवार होकर निकटतम कस्बे की यात्रा करे। इस उद्देश्य के लिए वह पैसे एकत्र करती है। जब उसके पास टिकट के पैसे हो जाते हैं, तो वह बस में सवार हो जाती है। वह बस की अपनी पहली यात्रा का आनंद लेती है। वह कस्बे में बस से नीचे नहीं उतरती है। वह अपनी सीट पर बैठी रहती है। वह टिकट के लिए और तीस पैसे का भुगतान करती है तथा वापस घर पहुँच जाती है।)

Madam Rides the Bus Summary in Hindi

यह कहानी आठ साल की एक लड़की की पहली बस यात्रा की है। उसका नाम वलियामायी था। उसे संक्षेप में वल्ली कहा जाता था। वह एक जिज्ञासु लड़की थी। वह बहुत-सी चीज़ों के बारे में जानना चाहती थी। उसके अपनी उम्र के खेल के साथी नहीं थे। उसका पसंदीदा शौक था अपने घर के दरवाजे में खड़ा हो जाना और देखना कि बाहर क्या हो रहा है।

गली की घटनाओं को देखने से उसे बहुत-से असाधारण अनुभव हुए। इनमें से सबसे अधिक आकर्षक चीज़ थी वह बस जो गली में से हर घंटे बाद गुज़रती थी। वह बस उसके गाँव और नजदीक के शहर के बीच चलती थी। बस को देखना वल्ली के लिए असीमित प्रसन्नता का स्रोत था। जब भी बस गली में से गुजरती थी तो वल्ली के लिए हर बार नए प्रकार के यात्रियों को बस में देखना एक बड़ी खुशी की बात थी। बस को दिन-प्रतिदिन देखते रहने से उसके अन्दर एक इच्छा पैदा हो गई कि वह भी बस की सवारी करे। उसकी यह इच्छा अधिक मज़बूत होती गई और एक दिन यह बहुत तीव्र इच्छा बन गई।

वल्ली अपने पड़ोसियों और उन लोगों के बीच की बातचीत को ध्यान से सुनती थी जो बस में सफर कर चुके थे या जो नियमित रूप से इसका प्रयोग करते थे। उसने कुछ सामान्य से प्रश्न भी पूछे। इस प्रकार, उसने यात्रा के बारे में छोटी-छोटी बातें भी जान लीं। उसे पता चला कि शहर गाँव से छह मील दूर है। वहाँ तक पहुँचने में पैंतालिस मिनट लगते हैं। एक तरफ का किराया तीस पैसे है। कोई व्यक्ति चाहे तो तीस पैसे और देकर बस में बैठा रह सकता है और वापस गाँव में आ सकता है। वल्ली ने शहर जाने और फिर वहाँ से वापस आने की यात्रा की योजना बनाई। यह उसकी अपने गाँव से बाहर पहली यात्रा होगी। उसने आईसक्रीम, खिलौने, गुब्बारे आदि खरीदने की अपनी इच्छा को दबाकर प्रत्येक पैसा बचाया। उसने गाँव के मेले में जाने और वहाँ पर झूले का आनन्द उठाने की अपनी इच्छा को भी दबाया। जब उसके पास साठ पैसे इकट्ठे हो गए तो वह अपनी पहली बस की यात्रा करने के लिए तैयार थी।।

तब उसने योजना बनाई कि वह घर से बाहर कैसे निकलेगी। वह जानती थी कि उसकी माता रोज़ दोपहर के खाने के बाद सोती है। उसने उन घंटों को अपनी यात्रा के लिए प्रयोग करने की बात सोची। उसने फैसला किया कि वह बस में एक बजे सवार होगी ताकि वह दो बजकर पैंतालिस मिनट तक वापस लौट आए। इस प्रकार, बसंत के एक सुंदर दिन को वल्ली बस में सवार हुई। परिचालक हैरान हो गया; मगर उसके विश्वास को देखकर, उसने उसे बस में सफर करने दिया। वह एक हँसमुख व्यक्ति था। वह समझता था कि वल्ली गर्व से बोल रही है। उसने वल्ली को ‘मैडम’ कहकर पुकारा और उसे एक सीट दी। उसने दूसरों को भी ‘मैडम’ के लिए रास्ता बनाने के लिए कहा। बस में केवल छह या सात यात्री ही थे। वे सभी वल्ली को देख रहे थे। वे और परिचालक हँस · रहे थे। वल्ली ने अपने शर्मीलेपन पर काबू पाया, जल्दी से एक खाली सीट पर गई और बैठ गई।

वल्ली ने बस में अपने चारों ओर देखा। बस में सफेद रंग पर सुंदर हरी धारियों का पेंट किया हुआ था। इसकी सीटें नरम और आरामदायक थीं। हवा रोकने वाले शीशे के ऊपर एक सुंदर दीवार घड़ी लगी हुई थी। ऊपर का डंडा चाँदी की तरह चमक रहा था। तब उसने बाहर झाँकने का प्रयत्न किया। उसने देखा कि बाहर का दृश्य एक पर्दे से रुका हुआ है जिसने खिड़की के नीचे के भाग को ढक रखा था। इसलिए बाहर के नज़ारे को देखने के लिए वह अपनी सीट पर खड़ी हो गई। बस एक नहर के किनारे के साथ-साथ जा रही थी। उसने खजूर के वृक्षों, पहाड़ों और नीले आसमान को देखा। दूसरी तरफ, हरे खेत थे। अचानक एक वृद्ध व्यक्ति ने उसे चेतावनी दी कि वह सीट पर खड़ी न हो। उसने उसे बच्ची कहकर पुकारा और कहा कि वह गिर सकती है और उसे चोट लग सकती है। मगर वल्ली ने उसकी परवाह नहीं की। उसने उसे गर्व से बताया कि वह ‘बच्ची’ नहीं है। उसने अन्य लोगों की तरह पूरा किराया दिया है। परिचालक ने उस व्यक्ति को बताया कि वल्ली एक विकसित मैडम है। वल्ली ने परिचालक को गुस्से से देखा और कहा कि वह मैडम नहीं है। परिचालक ने कहा कि उसे सीट पर खड़ी नहीं होना चाहिए। जब बस एकदम मोड़ लेगी तो वह गिर सकती है। मगर वल्ली ने उसकी बातों की भी उपेक्षा कर दी।

रास्ते में बस रुकी और कुछ अन्य यात्री सवार हुए। अपनी सीट को खो देने के भय से वल्ली आखिर बैठ गई। एक बुजुर्ग महिला आई और वल्ली के पास बैठ गई। वल्ली ने महिला को देखा। उसे वह महिला घृणित लगी। उसने बड़ी और गंदी बालियाँ पहनी हुई थीं। वह पान चबा रही थी। वल्ली ने देखा कि पान की पीक उसके होठों से कभी भी गिर सकती है। उस महिला ने वल्ली से पूछा कि क्या वह अकेली सफर कर रही है। वल्ली ने उसे बताया कि वह अकेली है और उसके पास टिकट भी है। तब उस बूढ़ी महिला ने पूछा कि क्या एक बच्ची के लिए अकेले सफर करना उचित है। उसने यह भी पूछा कि वल्ली जानती है कि शहर में वह निश्चित रूप से कहाँ जा रही है। वल्ली ने उस बूढ़ी महिला से कहा कि वह उसके बारे में चिंता न करे। तब उसने अपना चेहरा खिड़की की ओर कर लिया।

बस एक खाली भू-दृश्य के बीच से गुजरी। वल्ली ने बाहर के दृश्य का आनंद उठाया। वृक्ष उनकी तरह भागते हुए प्रतीत होते थे। कई बार, ऐसा लगता था कि बस सामने से आते हुए किसी वाहन से टकराने वाली है। मगर वे दोनों सुरक्षित गुजर जाते थे। अचानक वल्ली ने खुशी से तालियाँ बजाईं। एक गाय बस के आगे-आगे सड़क के बीचों-बीच भाग रही थी। बस धीमी हो गई। ड्राइवर ने बार-बार हॉर्न बजाया। मगर गाय और भी भयभीत हो गई और बस के आगे भागती रही। वल्ली तब तक हँसती रही जब तक उसकी आँखों में आँसू नहीं आ गए। आखिर गाय सड़क से हट गई। बस एक रेलवे फाटक के पास से गुजरी। वल्ली ने गाड़ियों के दृश्य का आनंद लिया। तब बस ने शहर के क्षेत्र में प्रवेश किया। वहाँ पर लोगों की बहुत भीड़ थी। वल्ली ने विभिन्न वस्तुओं को हैरानी से देखा। तब बस शहर के बस स्टैंड पर पहुँची और रुक गई। वल्ली के अलावा हर व्यक्ति बस से उतर गया। परिचालक ने वल्ली से उतर जाने को कहा।

मगर उसने उसे बताया कि वह उसी बस से वापस जा रही है। वह हैरान हो गया और पूछा कि वह शहर में क्यों आई है। उसने कहा कि वह केवल बस की सवारी करना चाहती थी। उसने वल्ली से पूछा कि क्या वह बस से बाहर के दृश्यों को देखना चाहेगी। वल्ली ने कहा कि उसे इन सबसे डर लगता है। उसने उससे कहा कि वह शीतल पेय ले ले। वल्ली ने कहा कि उसके पास इसके लिए पैसे नहीं हैं। परिचालक ने उसके पेय के लिए पैसे देने की पेशकश की। मगर वल्ली ने उसकी पेशकश को स्वीकार नहीं किया।

बस ने वापसी की यात्रा आरंभ की। वे अद्भुत दृश्य फिर से आए। वल्ली ने दृश्य का फिर से आनंद उठाया। मगर अचानक उसने सड़क के किनारे पड़ी एक मरी हुई गाय देखी। वह किसी तेज़ चलते हुए. वाहन से टकरा गई थी। उसने परिचालक से पूछा कि क्या वह वही गाय है जिसे उन्होंने पहले देखा था। परिचालक ने हाँ में अपना सिर हिलाया। वल्ली उदास हो गई। केवल कुछ समय पहले से यह एक प्यारी और सुंदर प्राणी थी। मगर अब यह गाय बिना आकर्षण और बिना जीवन के थी। बस चलती रही। मरी हुई गाय की याद वल्ली को बार-बार आती रही। अब खिड़की से बाहर देखने की उसकी इच्छा नहीं थी। वह तब तक अपनी सीट पर बैठी रही जब तक कि उसका गाँव नहीं आ गया। वह उतर गई और उसने परिचालक को कहा कि वे फिर मिलेंगे। परिचालक मुस्कराया। उसने वल्ली को बताया कि जब भी उसका बस में सफर करने का मन करे तो वह आ सकती है।

वल्ली घर पहुँची। उसने देखा कि उसकी माता जाग गई है। वह उसकी चाची से बात कर रही है जो दक्षिण गली में रहती थी। वह बहुत बातूनी थी। उसने वल्ली से पूछा कि वह कहाँ थी। मगर वल्ली केवल मुस्करा दी। उसकी माता और चाची बाहर के संसार की वस्तुओं के बारे में बात कर रही थीं। उसकी माँ ने कहा कि कोई भी हर चीज़ के बारे में नहीं जान सकता। इस पर वल्ली ने कहा कि ऐसी बहुत-सी बातें हो रही हैं जिनका हमें ज्ञान नहीं है। उसकी माँ ने पूछा कि उसका अभिप्राय क्या है। वल्ली की चाची ने कहा कि वह तो एक छोटी-सी लड़की है। वह ऐसी बातों में रुचि लेती है जिनसे उसका कोई वास्ता नहीं है। वह ऐसे व्यवहार करती है जैसे कि वह एक बड़ी स्त्री हो। वल्ली अपने आप में मुस्कराई। वह नहीं चाहती थी कि वे उसकी मुस्कराहट का अर्थ समझें।

Madam Rides the Bus Translation in Hindi

[Part I]

[PAGE 116] : यह उसके जीवन और मृत्यु का रहस्य है। वह इस बात के अंतर को समझती है कि हम मौत के बारे में क्या जानते हैं और क्या समझते हैं।

[PAGE 117] : वलियामायी नाम की एक लड़की थी जिसे संक्षेप में वल्ली कहते थे। वह आठ साल की थी और चीज़ों के बारे में बहुत उत्सुक रहती थी। उसका प्रिय शौक अपने घर के सामने वाले दरवाजे में खड़े होकर यह देखना था कि बाहर गली में क्या हो रहा है। उसकी गली में उसके साथ खेलने के लिए उसकी उम्र के साथी नहीं थे और वह तो बस यही करती थी।
लेकिन वल्ली के लिए, अपने सामने वाले दरवाजे पर खड़ा होना उतना ही आनंददायक था जितना कि अन्य लड़कों के लिए कोई विस्तृत खेल खेलना । गली में देखना उसे बहुत-से नए असाधारण अनुभवों का ज्ञान कराता था।

[PAGE 118] : उसके लिए सबसे अधिक आकर्षक चीज़ वह बस थी जोकि उसके गाँव और निकटतम कस्बे के बीच चलती थी। यह हर घंटे बाद उसकी गली में से गुजरती थी, एक बाहर कस्बे में जाते समय और एक बार वहाँ से वापस आते समय । हर बार नए यात्रियों से भरी उस बस का दृश्य, वल्ली के लिए निरंतर आनंद का स्रोत था।

दिन-प्रतिदिन वह बस देखती थी, और धीरे-धीरे एक छोटी-सी इच्छा उसके दिमाग में रेंगने लगी और वहाँ पैदा हो गई। वह बस पर सवार होना चाहती थी चाहे सिर्फ एक बार ही। यह इच्छा मज़बूत-से-मज़बूत होती गई, जब तक कि वह एक तीव्र इच्छा नहीं बन गई। वल्ली बहुत ही गहन इच्छा के साथ एकटक भाव से लोगों को बस में चढ़ते और उतरते हुए देखती थी तब वह गली के कोने पर रुकती थी। उनके चेहरे उसकी इच्छाओं, सपनों और आशाओं को प्रकाशित करते थे। यदि उसकी कोई सहेली बस में सवार हो जाती है और वह उसे शहर के दृश्यों के बारे में बताती, तो वल्ली को उससे इतनी ईर्ष्या होती थी कि वह उसकी बात नहीं सुनती थी और अंग्रेजी में चिल्ला उठती थी ‘घमंडी! घमंडी!’ न तो वह स्वयं और न ही उसकी सहेलियाँ इस शब्द का अर्थ समझती थीं लेकिन वे असहमति का भाव प्रकट करने के लिए इस शब्द का प्रयोग करती थीं।

बहुत-से दिनों और महीनों तक वल्ली सावधानीपूर्वक अपने उन पड़ोसियों और लोगों के बीच की बातचीत को सुनती थी जो नियमित रूप से बस में सफर करते थे और कभी-कभार वह उनसे कुछ शांत से सवाल भी पूछ लिया करती थी। इस तरह से बस की यात्रा के बारे में उसने कई छोटी-छोटी जानकारियाँ हासिल कर ली थी। कस्बा उसके गाँव से छह मील की दूरी पर था। एक तरफ का किराया तीस पैसे था–“जोकि लगभग न के बराबर था” उसने एक अच्छी पोशाक पहने हुए व्यक्ति को कहते सुना, लेकिन वल्ली ने इतना अधिक धन कभी नहीं देखा था। एक महीने से दूसरे महीने, उसके लिए तो यह बड़ी धन-सम्पत्ति था। कस्बे तक की यात्रा में पैंतालिस मिनट लगते थे। शहर पहुँचकर यदि वह अपनी सीट पर बैठी रहती और तीस पैसे का भुगतान कर देती, तो वह उसी बस पर गाँव लौट सकती थी। इसका अर्थ था कि वह एक दोपहर बाद एक बजे की बस ले सकती थी और एक बजकर पैंतालिस मिनट पर कस्बे में पहुँच सकती थी और लगभग दो बजकर पैंतालिस मिनट तक घर लौट सकती थी…।।
जैसे-जैसे वह गणना और पुनर्गणना, योजना और पुनर्योजना बनाती गई उसके मन में विचार चलते रहे।

[PART-II]

[PAGE 119] : बसंत ऋतु में एक सुहावने दिन को जब दोपहर बाद वाली बस में गाँव से जाने ही वाली थी और मुख्य मार्ग पर मोड़ मुड़ने ही वाली थी, एक छोटी-सी बच्ची के चिल्लाने की आवाज़ सुनाई दी, ‘बस को रोको! बस को रोको!’ और आदेशात्मक मुद्रा में एक छोटा-सा हाथ उठा।
बस की गति धीमी हो गई और परिचालक ने दरवाजे से सिर बाहर निकालकर कहा, ‘जल्दी करो! जो कोई भी आ रहा है उसे जल्दी आने को कहो।’
‘यह मैं हूँ,’ वल्ली ने चिल्लाकर कहा, ‘मैं ही अकेली हूँ, जिसे बस में चढ़ना है।’
अब तक बस रुक चुकी थी और परिचालक ने कहा, ‘ओह, सचमुच! तुम ऐसा नहीं कहते!’
‘हाँ, मुझे तो सिर्फ कस्बे में जाना है,’ वल्ली ने अभी भी बस से बाहर खड़े हुए कहा, ‘और ये मेरे पैसे हैं’ उसने उसे कुछ सिक्के दिखाए।
‘ठीक है, ठीक है, लेकिन तुम पहले बस पर तो चढ़ जाओ’, परिचालक ने कहा और उसने उसे ऊपर चढ़ाने में मदद करने के लिए अपना हाथ आगे बढ़ाया।
‘चिन्ता मत करो, मैं स्वयं ही बस में चढ़ जाऊँगी। आपको मेरी मदद करने की आवश्यकता नहीं है,’ उसने कहा। __ परिचालक एक हँसमुख स्वभाव का मजाक का शौकीन व्यक्ति था, “ओह, मेरी सुन्दर मैडम कृपया मुझसे नाराज मत होइए’ उसने कहा, ‘वहाँ सामने एक सीट ले लीजिए। कृपया सभी रास्ते से हट जाइए। मैडम के लिए रास्ता बनाइए।”

यह दिन का मंदी वाला समय था और बस में केवल छह या सात सवारियाँ थीं। वे सभी वल्ली की ओर देख रही थी और परिचालक के साथ हँस रही थीं। वल्ली को शर्म आ रही थी। सभी की नज़रों से बचते हुए, वह तेजी से एक खाली सीट तक गई और बैठ गई।

[PAGE 120] : “मैडम, क्या अब हम चल सकते हैं?” परिचालक ने मुस्कराते हुए पूछा। तब उसने दो बार अपनी सीटी बजाई और एक शोर के साथ बस आगे चल दी।
यह एक नई बस थी, इसके बाहर चमकदार सफेद रंग हुआ था जिस पर हरे रंग की कुछ पट्टियाँ बनी थीं। अंदर ऊपर लगी लोहे की सलाखें चाँदी की तरह चमक रही थीं। वल्ली के बिल्कुल सामने हवा रोकने वाले शीशे के ऊपर वहाँ एक सुन्दर घड़ी लगी थी। सीटें नर्म और आरामदायक थीं।
वल्ली ने अपनी नज़रों से सब कुछ खोजा। लेकिन जब उसने बाहर देखना शुरु किया, उसने पाया कि उसकी नज़र को मोटे कपड़े से बने एक पर्दे से रुकावट पैदा हो रही थी जो उसकी खिड़की के निचले भाग को ढके हुए था। इसलिए वह उठकर सीट पर खड़ी हो गई और पर्दे के ऊपर से झाँकने लगी।
अब बस एक नहर के किनारे के साथ-साथ जा रही थी। सड़क बहुत तंग थी। उसके एक ओर तो नहर थी तथा इसके पार खजूर के पेड़, घास के मैदान, दूरी पर पर्वत व नीला-नीला आसमान था। दूसरी ओर एक गहरी खाई थी और फिर कई एकड़ में फैले हरे खेत, चारों ओर जहाँ तक नज़र जाती थी हरियाली-ही-हरियाली थी।।
‘ओह, यह सब कुछ कितना अद्भुत था।
अचानक ही वह एक आवाज़ सुनकर चौंक पड़ी, “सुनो, बच्चे,” आवाज़ ने कहा, “तुम्हें इस तरह से खड़े नहीं होना चाहिए, नीचे बैठ जाओ।”।

[PAGES 121-122] : नीचे बैठते हुए, उसने यह देखने का प्रयास किया कि कौन बोला था। वह एक बूढ़ा आदमी था जो सचमुच में उसके प्रति परवाह कर रहा था, लेकिन वह उसके ध्यान की वजह से नाराज़ हो रही थी।
“यहाँ ऐसा कोई नहीं है, जो बच्चा है,” उसने घमंडपूर्वक कहा, “मैंने भी अन्य सभी की तरह तीस पैसे का भुगतान किया है।”
परिचालक बीच में बोल पड़ा, “अरे, श्रीमान जी, लेकिन यह तो एक बहुत ही व्यस्क मैडम है। आपके विचार में क्या मात्र एक लड़की अपना किराया खुद दे सकती है और बिल्कुल अकेली शहर जा सकती है?”
वल्ली ने क्रोधित नज़रों से परिचालक की ओर देखा और कहा, ‘मैं मैडम नहीं हूँ। कृपया यह बात याद रखना कि आपने अभी तक मुझे मेरा टिकट नहीं दिया है।”
“मैं याद रखूगा,” परिचालक ने उसकी आवाज़ की नकल उतारते हुए कहा। हर कोई हँसने लगा और धीरे-धीरे वल्ली भी हँसी में शामिल हो गई।
परिचालक ने एक टिकट पर नम्बर छेदे और उसे वल्ली को पकड़ा दिया, “अब आराम से बैठ जाओ। जब तुमने सीट के पैसे दे रखे हैं तो तुम खड़ी क्यों हो?” .
“क्योंकि मैं खड़ा होना चाहती हूँ,” उसने उत्तर दिया, फिर से खड़ी होते हुए।
“लेकिन यदि तुम सीट के ऊपर खड़ी होती हो तो तुम गिर सकती हो और तुम्हें चोट लग सकती है। जब बस कोई तेज मोड़ काटेगी। बच्ची यही कारण है कि हम चाहते हैं कि तुम बैठ जाओ।” .
“मैं एक बच्ची नहीं हूँ, मैं आपको बता देती हूँ”, उसने चिढ़ते हुए कहा, “मैं आठ साल की हूँ।” ‘निःसंदेह, निःसंदेह। मैं भी कितना मूर्ख हूँ! आठ साल! हे भगवान!’
बस रुक गई, कुछ नए यात्री अंदर आए और थोड़ी देर के लिए परिचालक व्यस्त हो गया। अपनी सीट के खो जाने के भय से वल्ली अंततः नीचे बैठ गई।
एक वृद्ध महिला उसके पास आकर बैठ गई। “प्रिय, क्या तुम बिल्कुल अकेली हो?” जैसे ही बस पुनः चली उसने वल्ली से पूछा।
वल्ली को वह औरत पूर्णतया घृणाजनक लगी। उसके कानों के तलवों में कितने बड़े-बड़े सुराख थे और उनमें कितनी भद्दी बालियाँ थीं तथा वह उस सुपारी की गंध सूंघ सकती थी जिसे वह महिला चबा रही थी और पान के उस रस को देख सकती थी जो किसी भी पल उसके होठों से गिरने का भय पैदा कर रहा था। ओह! इस तरह के व्यक्ति के साथ कौन मिलनसार हो सकता है?

[PAGE 122] : “हाँ, मैं बिल्कुल अकेली यात्रा कर रही हूँ” उसने तीखे स्वर में उत्तर दिया। “और मैंने टिकट भी लिया है।” “हाँ, वह शहर जा रही है’ परिचालक ने कहा, तीस पैसे का एक टिकट लेकर”। “ओह, आप अपने काम पर ध्यान क्यों नहीं देते हो?” वल्ली ने कहा। लेकिन वह फिर भी हँस पड़ी और परिचालक भी हँसने
लगा।
लेकिन बूढ़ी औरत ने अपनी बकबक जारी रखी। “क्या इतने छोटे व्यक्ति के लिए अकेले यात्रा करना उचित है? क्या तुम्हें सही-सही पता है कि तुम शहर में कहाँ जा रही हो? कौन-सी गली है? क्या मकान नम्बर है?”
“आपको मेरे बारे में चिंता करने की आवश्यकता नहीं है। मैं अपना ख्याल खुद रख सकती हूँ।” वल्ली ने खिड़की की ओर अपना चेहरा घुमाते हुए कहा और बाहर देखने लगी।

[PART-III]

उसकी पहली यात्रा इसके लिए उसको कितना ध्यानपूर्वक, परिश्रम के साथ और सोच-समझकर योजनाएँ बनानी पड़ी थीं! जो भी छोटे-छोटे सिक्के उसके हाथ लग जाते थे कितनी किफायत के साथ उन्हें बचाकर के रखा था और कैसे अपने-आपको पुदीने की गोलियाँ, खिलौने, गुब्बारे और इस तरह की अन्य चीजें खरीदने से रोककर रखा था और आखिरकार उसने 60 पैसे बचा लिए थे। यह सब कुछ उसके लिए कितना कठिन था, खासतौर पर गाँव के मेले वाले दिन लेकिन उसने दृढ़ निश्चय के साथ झूलों पर सवार होने की अपनी इच्छा को दबा दिया था, जबकि उसके पास पैसे भी थे।

उसने पर्याप्त धन बचा लिया था, उसके बाद उसकी अगली समस्या थी अपनी माँ को बिना बताए कैसे घर से बाहर निकले। लेकिन बिना किसी अधिक कठिनाई के उसने इसकी व्यवस्था कर ली। दोपहर का भोजन करने के पश्चात् उसकी माँ एक बजे से लेकर चार बजे तक हल्की नींद लिया करती थी। वल्ली इन घंटों का प्रयोग हमेशा अपने ‘सैर-सपाटे’ के लिए किया करती थी। जब वह अपने घर के दरवाजे पर खड़ी होकर बाहर देखती थी या फिर कई बार गाँव में भी जाने का साहस कर लेती थी। आज वह इन घंटों का प्रयोग गाँव से बाहर उसके पहले भ्रमण के लिए करेगी।

[PAGE 123] : कभी बस एक पेड़ रहित भूमि क्षेत्र, कभी किसी छोटे-से गाँव से भागती हुई तथा रास्ते के किनारे बनी किसी दुकान के पास से निकलती हुई आगे बढ़ रही थी। कई बार ऐसा प्रतीत होता था कि बस अपनी ओर आते हुए किसी दूसरे वाहन अथवा सड़क पार कर रहे किसी पद यात्री को निगल जाएगी। लेकिन यह तो सभी बाधाओं को सुरक्षित भय से पीछे छोड़ते हुए आराम से निकल जाती थी। वृक्ष उनकी ओर भागते हुए प्रतीत होते थे लेकिन जब बस उनके पास पहुँचती थी तो वे वहीं रुक जाते थे और सड़क के एक ओर एक पल के लिए असहाय हुए खड़े रहते और फिर दूसरी दिशा में भागने लगते।

अचानक ही वल्ली ने (खुशी से) अपने दोनों हाथों से ताली बजा दी। एक छोटी-सी गाय हवा में अपनी पूँछ को उठाकर बहुत तेजी से भाग रही थी, बिल्कुल सड़क के बीच में, ठीक बस के सामने। बस की गति धीमी हो गई और चालक बार-बार हॉर्न बजा रहा था। लेकिन वह जितना ज्यादा हॉर्न बजाता पशु उतना अधिक भयभीत हो जाता तथा और तेजी से भागता हमेशा ठीक बस के आगे।

[PAGE 124] : यह बात वल्ली को बहुत अधिक मनोरंजक लगी। वह तब तक हँसती रही जब तक कि उसकी आँखों से आँसू नहीं आ गए।
‘अरे युवती, क्या तुम बहुत ज्यादा नहीं हँस ली हो?’ परिचालक ने आवाज लगाई, ‘बेहतर होगा, कुछ हँसी कल के लिए बचाकर रख लो।’
अंततः गाय सड़क से हट गई और शीघ्र ही बस एक रेलवे क्रॉसिंग के पास आ गई। दूर से रेलगाड़ी एक छोटे-से धब्बे के समान दिखाई दे रही थी, जैसे-जैसे वह निकट आ रही थी, बड़ी और बड़ी होती जा रही थी। तब वह बहुत अधिक शोर और खट-खट के साथ क्रॉसिंग गेट को पार कर गई, बस को हिलाते हुए। तब बस चल दी और उसने स्टेशन को पार किया। वहाँ से उसने एक अच्छी तरह से सजी हुई दुकानों वाले बाजार को पार किया और मुड़ने के बाद एक अधिक चौड़े रास्ते पर आ गई। इतनी बड़ी, चमकदार दुकानें। वस्त्रों तथा बेचने की अन्य चीज़ों का कितना चमकदार प्रदर्शन हो रहा था। इतनी ज्यादा भीड़!
हैरानी के कारण मूक बनी वल्ली हर चीज़ को मुँह खोले देखती रही। ‘हे युवती,’ परिचालक ने कहा, ‘क्या तुम नीचे उतरने के लिए तैयार नहीं हो? तुम्हारे तीस पैसे तुम्हें यहीं तक ला सकते थे।’
‘नहीं, वल्ली ने कहा, ‘मैं इसी बस पर वापस जा रही हूँ।’ उसने अपनी जेब से और तीस पैसे निकाले तथा सिक्के परिचालक को सौंप दिए।
‘क्यों, क्या कुछ बात हो गई है?’ ‘नहीं, कोई बात नहीं है। मैं तो सिर्फ बस की सवारी करना चाहती थी और वह मैंने कर ली।’ ‘क्या तुम कुछ दृश्यों को नहीं देखना चाहोगी, अब तब तुम यहाँ आ ही गई हो।’ ‘बिल्कुल अकेली? अरे, मुझे बहुत अधिक डर लगेगा।’
लड़की के बोलने के ढंग से अत्यधिक प्रसन्न होकर परिचालक ने कहा, ‘लेकिन तुम्हें बस में आते समय तो डर नहीं लगा।
‘उसमें डर वाली कोई बात नहीं थी, उसने उत्तर दिया। ‘ठीक है, तो फिर तुम वहाँ उस दुकान पर जाकर कुछ पीना क्यों नहीं चाहोगी? उसमें तो डरने की भी कोई बात नहीं है।’ ‘अरे नहीं, मैं ऐसा नहीं कर सकती हूँ।’ ‘तो ठीक है, मुझे तुम्हारे लिए एक शीतल पेय लाने दो।’ .

[PAGES 125-126] : ‘नहीं, मेरे पास पर्याप्त पैसे नहीं हैं। बस मुझे तो मेरा टिकट दे दो, यही काफी है।’ यह मेरी तरफ से दावत रहेगी और इसका तुम्हें कोई खर्च नहीं करना पड़ेगा। ‘नहीं, नहीं’ उसने दृढ़तापूर्वक कहा, ‘कृपया नहीं।’
परिचालक ने अपने कंधे सिकोड़ लिए तथा वे प्रतीक्षा करते रहे जब तक कि बस की वापसी की यात्रा का समय नहीं हो गया। दोबारा बस में फिर से अधिक यात्री नहीं थे।

[PART-IV]

‘क्या तुम्हारी माँ तुम्हें ढूंढ नहीं रही होगी?’ परिचालक ने पूछा जब उसने उसे टिकट दिया। ‘नहीं, कोई भी मेरी तलाश नहीं कर रहा होगा,’ उसने कहा। बस चल दी और फिर से वहाँ वहीं अद्भुत दृश्य थे।
वल्ली का मन बिल्कुल भी नहीं ऊबा और वह प्रत्येक चीज़ का उसी उत्साह से स्वागत कर रही थी जैसा पहली बार देखने पर किया था। लेकिन अचानक ही उसने एक छोटी गाय को सड़क किनारे मृत पड़े हुए पाया, ठीक उसी स्थान पर जहाँ किसी तेज रफ्तार वाले वाहन ने उसे टक्कर मारी थी।
‘क्या यह वहीं गाय नहीं है जो शहर आते समय हमारी बस के आगे भाग रही थी?’ उसने परिचालक से पूछा।
परिचालक ने हाँ में सिर हिलाया और उस पर उदासी छा गई। कुछ ही समय पहले जो एक प्यारा, सुन्दर जीव था अब अचानक अपनी सुन्दरता और जीवन खो चुका था और इतना भयानक और डरावना लग रहा था। जब वह वहाँ पड़ा हुआ था, टाँगें फैली हुईं, बेजान आँखों में एक स्थायी टकटकी भरे हुए और सब जगह खून के साथ।
बस आगे चल दी। मृत गाय की याद उसे परेशान कर रही थी, उसके उत्साह को ठंडा कर रही थी। अब वह खिड़की से बाहर नहीं देखना चाहती थी।
वह अपनी सीट पर तब तक चिपकी हुई बैठी रही जब तक कि तीन चालीस पर बस उसके गाँव नहीं पहुंच गई। वह उठी और उसने एक अंगड़ाई ली। तब वह परिचालक की ओर मुड़ी और कहा, ‘अच्छा श्रीमान जी, मैं आपसे फिर मिलने की आशा रखूगी।’

[PAGE 126] : ‘ठीक है, मैडम,’ उसने उसे मुस्कराते हुए उत्तर दिया, ‘जब कभी भी बस की सवारी करने को तुम्हारा मन करे, तो हमारे साथ आ जाना और अपना किराया लाना मत भूलना।’
वह हँसी और उसने बस से छलाँग लगा दी। तब वह सीधी घर की ओर भाग गई।
जब वह घर में घुसी तो उसने अपनी माँ को जागा हुआ पाया और दक्षिणी गली में रहने वाली वल्ली की एक मौसी से बातें करते हुए पाया। वह मौसी वास्तव में एक बातूनी थी, यदि एक बार बोलना शुरु कर देती थी तो कभी अपना मुँह बंद नहीं करती थी।
‘और तुम कहाँ थी?’ उसकी मौसी ने पूछा जब वल्ली अंदर आई। वह बहुत बेरुखी से बोली, उसे उत्तर की आशा नहीं थी। इसलिए वल्ली सिर्फ मुस्कराई और उसकी माँ तथा मौसी अपने वार्तालाप को जारी रखती रही।
‘हाँ, तुम ठीक हो,’ उसकी माँ ने कहा, ‘कितनी सारी चीजें हमारे में और हमारे से बाहर की दुनिया में होती हैं। हम संभवतः हर चीज़ के बारे में कैसे जान सकते हैं और यदि हमें किसी बात के बारे में पता भी चल जाता है तो हम उसे पूर्णतया समझ नहीं पाते हैं, क्या समझ पाते हैं?’
‘ओह, हाँ!’ वल्ली ने सांस लेते हुए कहा।
‘ओह, वल्ली ने कहा, ‘मैं तो केवल उस बात से सहमति व्यक्त कर रही थी जो आप कह रही थी हमारी जानकारी के बिना घटित होने वाली बातों के बारे में।
‘एक छोटी-सी लड़की है वह,’ उसकी मौसी ने कहा।
‘और देखो वह हमारी बातचीत में बिना किसी मतलब के अपनी टाँग अड़ा रही है जैसेकि वह एक समझदार औरत हो।’
वल्ली स्वयं पर मुस्कराई। वह नहीं चाहती थी कि वे उसकी मुस्कराहट का अर्थ समझें। लेकिन फिर इसकी कोई ज्यादा सम्भावना भी नहीं थी, क्या थी?

Madam Rides the Bus Word-Meanings in Hindi

[PART-I]

[PAGE 116] : Induction = entry (प्रवेश); mystery = secret (रहस्य); gap = difference (अंतर)।
[PAGE 117] : Curious = eager (उत्सुक); pastime = hobby (शौक); elaborate = detailed (विस्तृत)।
[PAGE 118] : Fascinating = attractive (आकर्षक); gradually = slowly (धीरे-धीरे); overwhelming = strong (मज़बूत); stare = look fixedly (घूरना); wistfully = with longing (इच्छा से); kindle = create (पैदा करना, उकसानां); longings = strong desires (तीव्र इच्छाएँ); slang = informal language (अनौपचारिक भाषा); disapproval= refusal (असहमति); discreet = quiet (शांत); various = many (कई); scarcely = hardly (मुश्किल से); calculated = made a count (गिनती करना)।