Class 10

Haryana State Board HBSE 10th Class English Solutions Footprints without Feet Chapter 9 Bholi Textbook Exercise Questions and Answers.

Haryana Board 10th Class English Solutions Footprints without Feet Chapter 9 Bholi

HBSE 10th Class English Bholi Textbook Questions and Answers

Read and Find Out (Page – 54)

1. Why is Bholi’s father worried about her?
Answer:
Bholi’s father was worried about her as she had neither good looks nor intelligence. He did not know how he would find a suitable groom for her.

2. For what unusual reasons is Bholi sent to school?
Answer:
The Tehsildar had performed the opening ceremony of the primary school for girls that had just opened in Randal’s village. He told Ramlal that as he was a representative of the government in the village, he should set an example for the villagers by sending his daughters to the school. When Ramlal discussed this matter with his wife, she said that if girls were sent to school, no one would marry them. Since Ramlal did not have the courage to disobey the Tehsildar, his wife suggested that they should send Bholi to the school. She felt that as there were little chances of her getting married with her ugly face and lack of sense, she might as well go to the school.

Read and Find Out (Page – 55)

1. Does Bholi enjoy her first day at school?
Answer:
Bholi found everything new at the school. She felt glad to see many girls of her age present there. She was fascinated by the bright colours of the pictures on the walls. She cried when she kept stammering on being asked her name. However, she saw how kind the teacher was and finally, managed to speak her name. She was given a book by the teacher. The teacher behaved with her like no one had ever done, thereby filling her with confidence. At the end of her first day at school, her heart was throbbing with a new hope and a new life.

2. Does she find her teacher different from the people at home?
Answer:
Yes, she found her teacher different from the people at home. Her teacher was very kind and spoke to her affectionately. She did not scold or command her, but encouraged her in a soothing voice. She told her that in time, she would be more learned than anyone else in the village, and no one would ever be able to laugh at her. People would listen to her and respect her. This filled Bholi with a new hope.

Read and Find Out (Page – 58)

1. Why do Bholi’s parents accept Bishamber’s marriage proposal?
Answer:
Bholi’s parents believed that nobody would ever marry Bholi because of her black pock-mark ridden face and lack of sense. They were anxious by the thought of not knowing what to do with her for the rest of their life. When Bishamber’s marriage proposal arrived, Bholi’s parents felt that if they did not accept Bishamber’s proposal, she might remain unmarried all her life. Her mother said that they were lucky that Bishamber was from another village and hence, did not know about Bholi’s pock-marks and her lack of sense. Moreover, he had not even asked for any dowry. Hence, Bholi’s parents accepted the marriage proposal.

2. Why does the marriage not take place?
Answer:
The marriage did not take place because Bholi refused to marry Bishamber. When the groom saw that her face was covered with pock-marks, he declared that he would marry her only if her father paid him a dowry of five thousand rupees. Bishamber did not budge from his stand in spite of repeated pleadings by Ramlal. Finally, Ramlal placed the dowry amount at the groom’s feet. Consequently, when Bishamber was about to place the garland around Bholi’s neck, she struck out her hand and the garland was flung into the fire. She said that she was willing to marry that man only because of her father’s honour. However, on seeing that the man was mean, greedy and contemptible, she decided not to go ahead with the marriage.

Think about It

1. Bholi had many apprehensions about going to school. W hat made her feel that she was going to a better place than her home?
Answer:
Bholi felt that she was going to a better place than her home when she got the treatment that she had never got before. New clothes had never been made for Bholi. The old dresses of her sisters were passed on to her. No one cared to mend or wash her clothes. However, before being sent off to the school, she received a clean dress. She was even bathed, and oil was rubbed into her dry and matted hair. It was then that she began to believe that she was being taken to a place better than her home.

2. How did Bholi’s teacher play an important role in changing the course of her life?
Answer:
Bholi’s teacher played a very important role in changing her life. She was the first one to
have spoken to her affectionately. She encouraged her to speak out her name without any fear. She gave her a book, thereby aiming to inculcate in her the desire to learn. She told her that in time, she would be more learned than anyone else in the village, and no one would ever be able to laugh at her. People would listen to her and respect her. This filled Bholi with a new hope.

3. Why did Bholi at first agree to an unequal match? Why did she later reject the marriage? What does this tell us about her?
Answer:
At first, Bholi had agreed to marry an old man because of her father’s honour, thereby placing her family’s interest over her own. However, she later refused to marry him because she saw how mean, greedy and contemptible he was. By demanding a hefty dowry, he took advantage of her bad looks and the desperateness of her father to get her married. This is why she rejected the marriage and silenced everybody else who called her shameless. This tells us that Bholi had grown in confidence and could very well speak for herself.

4. Bholi’s real name is Sulekha. We are told this right at the beginning. But only in the last but one paragraph of the story is Bholi called Sulekha again. Why do you think she is called Sulekha at that point in the story?
Answer:
Sulekha was called Bholi because everyone considered her to be a backward child and a simpleton. The name Bholi thus symbolises her under confidence and ignorance. After mentioning her real name at the beginning of the story, the author mentions it again only in the second-last paragraph. This is a deliberate attempt on the part of the author to show that Sulekha has finally attained her true identity by literally throwing aside the veil that hid her personality.

5. Bholi’s story must have moved you. Do you think girl children are not treated at par with boys? You are aware that the government has introduced a scheme to save the girl child as the sex ratio is declining. The scheme is called Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Save the Girl Child. Read about the scheme and design a poster in groups of four and display on the school notice board.
Answer:
Do it yourself.

Talk about It

1. Bholi’s teacher helped her overcome social barriers by encouraging and motivating her. How do you think you can contribute towards changing the social attitudes illustrated in this story?
Answer:
This chapter explains the social discrimination against a girl child, through a well presented story. The teacher, in this story, helps Bholi to overcome her fear and disability of stammering. In society, these evil practices still prevail. To futher my efforts in eradicating these practices, I will organise ‘nukkad natak’ with a theme based on that of the chapter. If I find any violence or discrimination at a place, I will report it to the concerned authority. Today, the government has initiated so many plans to empower women, to educate girl child, to act legally on dowry
cases, sanitation programmes, etc. I will volunteer for the drive for empowering women and will spread awareness among the people.

2. Should girls be aware of their rights, and assert them? Should girls and boys have the same rights, duties and privileges? What are some of the ways in which society treats them differently? When we speak of ‘human rights’, do we differentiate between girls’ rights and boys’ rights?
Answer:
Girls should be aware of their rights and simultaneously they must be empowered to assert these rights. In today’s scenario, our society is taking a great leap to bring the discriminatory wall of notions down and thus removing the barriers from a girl’s life. The ways in which our society treats the girls differently are, not allowing the girl cadet to fly a fighter plane in combat, not allowing them to step out in night, not giving them a right in paternal property. But above ways are changing now. The Indian Air Force has recently got its first all women fighter crew, recently a boat of all women crew of Indian Navy sailed the entire globe and now there is a legal right which a girl has in her paternal property. While speaking of ‘human rights’, boys and girls are all equal for the constitution, hence the rights are same for both.

3. Do you think the characters in the story were speaking to each other in English? If not, in which language were they speaking? (You can get clues from the names of the persons and the non-English words used in the story?)
Answer:
The characters in the story were not speaking in English, rather they were conversing in Hindi. This can be seen from various instances in the story, like, names of the character, the places, names, the job position of the girl’s father and calling father by ‘Pitaji’.

HBSE 10th Class English Bholi Important Questions and Answers

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
How did Bholi persuade her father of not marrying?
Answer:
Bholi told her father not to worry. She consoled him by saying that she would serve him and the mother in their old age. She would start teaching in the same school where she had learnt so much.

Question 2.
Why is Sulekha called ‘Bholi’?
Answer:
Sulekha is called ‘Bholi’ because she is a simpleton due to her suffering from some brain damage after falling off a cot when she was ten months old. As a result, she is not as smart as children of her age.

Question 3.
What happened to Bholi when she was two years old?
Answer:
Bholi fell a victim to small pox at the age of two years. Her face and body became full of pock-marks. She was still fortunate as her eyes had remained untouched and were fine.

Question 4.
How did Bholi react when the teacher asked her name?
Answer:
Bholi stammered when she spoke and could not tell her name completely when the teacher asked her to do so. So, she broke into tears.

Question 5.
Why do Bholi’s parents accept Bishamber’s marriage proposal? [CBSE 2015]
Answer:
Bholi’s parents accepted Bishamber’s marriage proposal because they were happy that he was well off and had not asked for dowry.

Question 6.
The last line of the text talks about an artist and the masterpiece. Elaborate.
Answer:
The ‘artist’ is the teacher and the ‘masterpiece’ is Bholi. It was her teacher who had turned Bholi into a strong and independent girl who was aware of her place in society.

Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
What did Bholi do when Bishamber saw the face of Bholi and demanded five thousand rupees?
Answer:
When Bishamber demanded five thousand rupees after seeing the face of Bholi, she flung the garland into the fire. Then she got up and threw away the veil. There was a cold contempt in her eyes and she straight away denied marrying the lame old man Bishamber.

Question 2.
What was the teacher’s basis of reposing so much confidence in Bholi that she said she would be more learned than anyone else in the village?
Answer:
When the teacher asked Bholi’s name, she was not able to pronounce it due to her stammering. But gradually, after trying she finally pronounced her name. Observing her never say die attitude, the teacher reposed this much confidence in her. Moreover, she wanted to encourage Bholi to come to school everyday.

Question 3.
Bholi was fascinated by the walls of the classroom. Why?
Answer:
The walls of the classroom had bright and colourful pictures of a horse, a goat, a parrot and a cow. They all looked familiar to Bholi and were like the ones in the village. That is why she was fascinated to see those pictures.

Question 4.
Bholi found her teacher to be different from others. How?
Answer:
Others had always neglected Bholi. They made fun of her all the time. But, she found her teacher to be different. Her voice was calm, her manner comforting and touch was full of affection.

Question 5.
What filled Bholi, a dumb cow, with a new hope in her? [CBSE2015]
Answer:
Bholi’s first day of school brought her a hope of a new life. She had found a loving and kind
teacher. The teacher had inspired her and given her a book and had made Bholi feel confident about herself.

Question 6.
In what way did the village change over time?
Answer:
The village changed into a small town over a period of time. The primary school had become a high school. The village had a cinema and a cotton ginning mill. The mail train also stopped at the village railway station.

Question 7.
What objections does Ramlal have to Bishamber’s proposal?
Answer:
Ramlal was not very happy with the proposal. He did not like the fact that Bishamber was of his age. He had a limp and his children were quite grown up. It was not a very satisfactory proposition.

Question 8.
Why were Bholi’s sisters envious of her luck?
Answer:
Bishamber Nath was quite prosperous. The procession for Bholi’s marriage had a brass band and the groom rode a decorated horse. Such pomp and show impressed everyone. All this made her sisters envious of her.

Question 9.
Why did Bishamber’s marriage with Bholi not take place? [CBSE2013]
Answer:
Bishamber’s marriage with Bholi did not take place because he had demanded a dowry of five thousand rupees from her father for the marriage. Seeing that how greedy, mean and contemptible he was, Bholi refused to marry him.

Question 10.
Why was Ramlal thunderstruck?
Answer:
Ramlal had always taken his daughter to be dumb. He was thunderstruck when she loudly asked him to take back the money and declared that she was not going to marry Bishamber because of his greed.

Question 11.
What kind of mother was Ramlal’s wife? [CBSE 2014]
Answer:
Ramlal’s wife was a traditional housewife who believed that daughters should not be
educated, as it would be difficult to find husbands for them. She neglected looking after her daughter Bholi because she was a slow learner.

Essay Type Questions

Question 1.
‘Dowry is negation of the girl’s dignity’. Discuss with reference to the story ‘Bholi’.
Answer:
A girl is an individual in her own right. Equal opportunities in life can help her become
independent and strong. She is not a burdensome object to be given away with money as compensation. Thus dowry negates the girl’s dignity and self respect.
The story ‘Bholi’ shows this in a dramatic manner. Bholi is thought to be ugly and dumb by her parents. Therefore, they are willing to pay dowry to an old man with a limp so that he marries her. Bholi, on the other hand, refuses to marry that man. She is educated; assertive and capable of taking care of herself. She dedicates her life to the service of her parents and teaching at school.

Question 2.
Bholi chose a dignified life of service rather than surrendering herself to a greedy old
man for the rest of her life. Education provides the required stimulus to overcome one’s personal barriers. Explain the role of education in shaping the life of a child with respect to the lesson ‘Bholi’. [CBSE 2012]
Answer:
Education is the answer to all social ills. Illiteracy and ignorance bring nothing but poverty, suffering and misery. Bholi lacks confidence initially because of her disabilities. She is silent, timid and weak in mind. Her ugliness and stammer do not let her progress. She is afraid to speak as others make fun of her.
School changes her life completely. It opens a new world of hope for her. Her teacher treats her with love and kindness. Her affection and support help Bholi to have faith in herself. She studies and grows into a confident young woman. She knows her rights and she asserts them as well. She refuses to marry a man who demands dowry. Thus, being educated changes the life of Bholi.

Question 3.
The chapter ‘Bholi’ highlights the discrimination against the girl child. Analyse.
Answer:
Nature does not discriminate, but society does. From time immemorial the world has
discriminated against the girl child. The chapter, ‘Bholi’ throws up many such instances. Ramlal’s sons go to school and college. His daughters are not educated but married off. Her mother does not think it necessary to take Bholi’s consent for her marriage. The groom is old and lame. Still he demands dowry. Her father is also ready to pay him. It is the girl herself who raises her voice against this marriage. She is criticised and humiliated for standing up for her dignity. But she is firm and decides the course of her life.

Question 4.
Bholi is a child different from others. This difference makes her an object of neglect and laughter. Elaborate.
Answer:
Society does not tolerate difference very easily. Bholi is not like others. She is slow for her age. She stammers when she speaks. Small pox leaves her all covered with pock-marks. As a result, she has to suffer a lot.
Her parents do not even bathe her. She is ignored and neglected. They take her only as a burden. People laugh at her. Children imitate her when she speaks. So, she remains silent most of the time. She has no confidence or self esteem.
Society must realise that it must accept those who are different. They must be treated with the same love and respect as others.

Question 5.
“Put the fear out of your heart and you will be able to speak like anyone else” These words of encouragement from the teacher highlight that change of social attitude and encouragement can help a child like Bholi to become confident and face the world bravely. Taking help from the lesson ‘Bholi’ write how the social attitude towards Bholi made her an introvert. What should be done to help such children to face the world bravely?
Answer:
Bholi suffered a weak mind due to her accident (falling from her cot) during her infancy. She also started to stammer while speaking. Then she became ugly due to pock-marks on her face and body on contracting the small pox disease. All these made her family and other children treat her badly, resulting in her becoming an introvert. To help such children face the world bravely, we must treat them with love and affection and encourage them to join mainstream society. We must not mock their disabilities; instead we should give them hope that they can be as good as the other children by motivating and uplifting them.

Bholi Summary

‘Bholi’ Introduction

About the Author

Khwaja Ahmad Abbas (7 June 1914 – 1 June 1987), popularly known as K. A. Abbas, was an Indian film director, screenwriter, novelist, and a journalist in the Urdu, Hindi and English languages.
He won four National Film Awards in India. As a director and screenwriter, Khwaja Ahmad Abbas is considered one of the pioneers of Indian parallel or neo-realistic cinema, and as a screenwriter he is also known for writing Raj Kapoor’s best films.

Asa screenwriter, he penned a number of neo-realistic films, such as Dharti Ke Lai (which he directed), Neecha Nagar (1946) which won the Palme d’or at the first Cannes Film Festival, Naya Sansar (1941), Jagte Raho (1956), and Saat Hindustani (which he also directed). He is also known for writing the best of Raj Kapoor’s films, including the Palme d’or nominated Awaara (1951), as well as Shree 420 (1955), Mera Naam Joker (1970), Bobby (1973) and Henna (1991).

Pardesi (1957) was nominated for the Palme d’or at the Cannes Film Festival. Shehar Aur Sapna (1963) won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film, while Saat Hindustani (1969) and Do Boond Pani (1972) both won the National Film Awards for Best Feature Film on National Integration.

His column Hast Page’ holds the distinction of being one of the longest-running columns in the history of Indian journalism. The column began in 1935, in The Bombay Chronicle, and moved to the Blitz after the Chronicle’s closure, where it continued until his death in 1987. He was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 1969.

Gist of the Story

The story is about a simple village girl named Bholi. Her real name was Sulekha. Fate had deceived her when she was ten months old when she fell off the cot damaging some part of her brain. At birth, she was fair and pretty but at the age of two she had an attack of small-pox that left her with black spots all over the body. She picked up speech only after five years of age along with stammer. The other children often made fun of her and mimicked her.

Bholi was seven years old when a primary school opened in their village. The tehsildar came to perform the opening ceremony of the school. He told Ramlal that as a revenue official and as a representative of the government in the village, he should send his daughter to the school and set an example before the villagers. Despite his wife’s disapproval, Ramlal decided to send Bholi to the school.

Next day, Ramlal dropped her off in the school where she sat in a corner in the class. When her teacher asked her name, she stammered and the children started laughing. At this Bholi started weeping. But the teacher encouraged her and finally she told her full name. Then the teacher told her that if she would come daily to school, she would speak without a stammer and would become the most educated girl in the village.

Years passed and the village turned into a small town. One night Ramlal consulted his wife about the marriage proposal made by Bishamber, a grocer in the neighbouring village. His wife readily agreed to it. On the day of the marriage, when the bridegroom was about to garland Bholi, some lady pulled her veil down showing her face to him. The bridegroom asked Ramlal to give him five thousand rupees as dowry in order to marry that ugly girl. After some arguments, Ramlal handed over the money to Bishamber. But Bholi asked his father to take the money back from him as she did not want to marry that old lame and greedy person. Everybody was surprised because Bholi was not stammering at all. The bridegroom went back with his baraat. Ramlal could not lift his head due to shame and grief. He worried as who will marry her daughter now. Bholi pacified her father and told him that she would serve her parents in their old age and teach in the same school where she had learnt so much.

‘Bholi’ Summary

Brief introduction: Bholi was the fourth daughter of Numberdar Ramlal. Her real name was Sulekha. But since her childhood, every one called her Bholi.

Suffered from numerous problems in childhood days: When Bholi was ten months old, she had fallen off the cot on her head. It damaged some part of her brain. At birth, she was very fair and pretty but at the age of two years, she had to suffer an attack of small-pox. Her body was completely disfigured by deep black pock-marks.

Family details of Ramlal: RamlaTs family was prosperous. He had plenty to eat and drink. He had three sons and four daughters. Except Bholi, all the children were healthy and good looking. But Bholi had neither good looks nor intelligence. So, Ramlal always remained worried about her.

Bholi sent to school: The Tehsildar Sahib inaugurated a new primary school for girls in the village. He told Ramlal to send her daughters to school and set an example for other people of the village. Since Ramlal had no courage to disobey the Tehsildar, he sent Bholi to school. She did not know what a school was like. She was taken to school by Ramlal.

School environment: The environment of the school was good. The children were in their classrooms. There were several rooms. Children were either reading from books or writing on slates. There were so many girls similar to her age.

Generous teacher: Her teacher was very generous. Bholi was not able to understand what she was saying. The colours on the wall impressed her very much. When the teacher asked her name, she stammered a lot. The teacher’s voice was soft and soothing. After a lot of persuasion, she said “Bh-Bh-Bho-Bholi”. The teacher patted her affectionately. Bholi was even given the book full of pictures. It was really very attractive.

Marriage plan of Bholi: Years passed and Bholi’s father made a plan of her marriage. The offer of marriage for Bholi came from Bishamber Nath, a well-to-do grocer. He was similar to the age of Bholi’s father. He was from another village and did not know about the pock-marks and her lack of sense. Bholi’s parents were happy at the only thing that their daughter was going to get married.

Adequate arrangement of wedding made: Elaborate and adequate arrangement of wedding was made. Bishamber came with a big party of friends and relatives with him for the wedding. A decorated horse, a brass-band playing a popular tune from an Indian film, etc., were properly arranged. Ramlal had never dreamt that Bholi’s marriage would get solemnised at such a grand wedding.

Auspicious moment came: Ultimately, the auspicious moment came. Bholi was clad in a red silken bridal dress. There was a garland in her hand. In the meantime, a woman slipped back the silken veil of Bholi. Bishamber also took a quick glance and the garland remained poised in his hands. He shouted loudly that she had pock-marks on her face. So, if he was to marry her, Ramlal would have to pay five thousand rupees as dowry. At last, Ramlal went in, opened the safe and counted the notes and put them at the feet of Bishamber Nath. Now, he was ready to tie a nuptial knot with Bholi.

Drastic change in Bholi’s behaviour: After Bishamber Nath got agreed, there came a drastic change in Bholi’s behaviour. He raised the garland to place it around Bholi’s neck but Bholi struck out her hand like a streak of lightning. The garland was flung into the fire. She threw away the veil and spoke loudly before her parents and relatives. She told her father to take the money back. Ramlal called Bholi crazy and also advised not to do so for the prestige of the family. At this, Bholi replied that she would not marry to such a mean, greedy and contemptible coward man. Bishamber returned with his relatives and friends. Now, Bholi said in a loud voice that there was no need to worry about her. She would teach in the same school where she had studied. She would also take proper care of her parents.

Lesson at a Glance

• Bholi was the fourth daughter of Numberdar Ramlal.
• When she was ten months old, she had fallen off the cot on her head and some part of her brain got damaged.
• She was very fair and pretty when she was a child.
• She had an attack of small-pox when she was barely two years old. Due to this, her body was disfigured by black pock-marks.
• She used to stammer while speaking.
• All other children mimicked and made fun of her.
• Except Bholi, all the members of the family were healthy and strong.
• Bholi had neither good looks nor intelligence.
• The Tehsildar inaugurated a primary school for girls.
• Ramlal was a revenue official in the government.
• The Tehsildar told him to send his daughter Bholi to government school for education and set an example before the villagers.
• Although Bholi’s mother was against this, Ramlal could not disobey the order of Tehsildar.
• The next day, Ramalal took Bholi to school. She did not know what the school was all about.
• Bholi had never worn new dress. She had only worn the old dresses of her sisters.
• That day Bholi was given a clean dress. She was bathed and oil was rubbed into her dry and matted hair.
• Bholi was not even acquainted with school. But she was glad to be present amidst girls of her age.
• When the teacher asked her name she stammered a lot. Even then she could not pronounce her name properly.
• She kept her head down and did not even dare to look up at the girls of her class.
• Hearing her sobbing, the teacher told her in a friendly manner to get up.
• Bholi was very happy to see the book full of nice pictures.
• The teacher encouraged her to read more and be more learned than anyone else in the village.
• The years passed and the village became a small town. All the things of the village changed drastically.
• Now, the offer for marriage came from a prosperous grocer, Bishamber, for Bholi.
• He was a man of fifty-five or fifty years of age. It was the perception of Ramlal that Bishamber was from other village so he did not know about the pock-marks of Bholi.
• Bholi was like a dumb cow.
• Bishamber was a rich grocer. So, he came with a big party of friends and relatives with him for the wedding. All the arrangements were properly done.
• It was really a wonderful moment for Ramlal. He was more enthusiastic to see such pomp and splendour.
• Ramlal never thought that her fourth daughter would get married in such a way.
• When Bishamber was ready to garland Bholi, he saw her pock-marked face.
• He put a condition before Ramlal that he would not marry to his daughter unless he was paid five thousand rupees.
• Then Ramlal went and placed his turban at Bishamber’s feet and told him to take two thousand rupees.
• In the end, Ramlal went inside and came out with a bundle of notes and placed it at the bridegroom’s feet.
• Bishamber got agreed to marry. As he was about to put garland in her neck, Bholi had only the feeling of cold contempt towards her prospective husband.
• She flung the garland into the fire.
• She could now speak in a clear loud voice. She said before all the members that she was not going to marry that lame old man.
• Ramlal called her crazy and asked what she would do as no one would ever marry her.
• Bholi said that she would serve the parents in their old age. She would also teach in the same school where she had learnt.
• There was a deep satisfaction on Bholi’s face.

Character Sketch

Bholi: Sulekha had been called Bholi the simpleton since her childhood. She was the fourth daughter of Numberdar Ramlal. She suffered from an attack of small pox in her childhood when she was two-years old. There were pock-marks over her face and body. She was sent to study in school. Her teacher encouraged her a lot and taught how to read and write. One day, her father Ramlal decided to get her married to Bishamber Nath, a rich grocer. But he was a very greedy and mean person. He demanded five thousand rupees from Ramlal to get married to Bholi. But she told her father not to do this as she did not want to marry to a mean and contemptible person. All this shows that Bholi was now not a dumb cow. She had become bold and courageous and could take decision on her own terms.

Ramlal: Ramlal was the father of Bholi. He had seven children. All his children were good and healthy except Bholi. He was very much worried about her. She was neither good looking nor intelligent. Ramlal was a numberdar of the village. So he had much prestige and honour in the society.

‘Bholi’ Word-Meanings

Haryana State Board HBSE 10th Class English Solutions Footprints without Feet Chapter 8 The Hack Driver Textbook Exercise Questions and Answers.

Haryana Board 10th Class English Solutions Footprints without Feet Chapter 8 The Hack Driver

HBSE 10th Class English The Hack Driver Textbook Questions and Answers

Read and Find Out (Page – 47)

1. Why is the lawyer sent to New Mullion? What does he first think about the place?
Answer:
The lawyer was sent to New Mullion to serve summons on Oliver Lutkins, who was needed as a witness in a law case.
He had expected the place to be a sweet and simple country village.

2. Who befriends him? Where does he take him?
Answer:
The lawyer was befriended by a delivery man who introduced himself as Bill. He told him that he knew Lutkins and would help the lawyer in finding him. He took him to all the places where Lutkins was seen or was known to hang out. He took the lawyer to Fritz’s shop, where Lutkins played a lot of poker; to Gustaff’s barber shop and then to Gray’s barber shop; to the poolroom and several other places before finally taking him to Oliver’s mother’s farm. However, Oliver Lutkins was not found.

3. What does he say about Lutkins?
Answer:
Bill told the lawyer that Lutkins was a hard fellow to catch. He was always up to something or the other. He owed money to many people, including Bill, and had never even paid anybody a cent. He also said that Oliver played a lot of poker and was good at deceiving people.

Read and Find Out (Page – 50)

1. What more does Bill say about Lutkins and his family?
Answer:
Bill told the lawyer that he knew Lutkins’ mother. He said that she was a terror. He narrated an incident when he took a trunk to her once and she almost took his skin off because he did not treat it like a box of eggs. He also said that she was about nine feet tall and four feet thick. She was very quick and could talk a lot. He said that Oliver Lutkins must have heard that somebody was chasing him and consequently, would have gone into hiding at his mother’s place.

2. Does the narrator serve the summons that day?
Answer:
No. The narrator did not serve the summons that day.

3. Who is Lutkins?
Answer:
The hack driver himself was Oliver Lutkins. He was an important witness in a law case.

Think about It

1. When the lawyer reached New Mullion, did ‘Bill’ know that he was looking for Lutkins? When do you think Bill came up with his plan for fooling the lawyer?
Answer:
It is more likely that Oliver made the plan to fool the lawyer right after he came to know
from the latter that he was looking for a man named Oliver Lutkins. Oliver knew that he was needed as a witness in a law case. So it is entirely possible that he was prepared for such a situation. It was a matter of chance that the lawyer ran into Oliver himself.

2. Lutkins openly takes the lawyer all over the village. How is it that no one lets out the secret? {Hint: Notice that the hack driver asks the lawyer to keep out of sight behind him when they go into Fritz’s.) Can you find other such subtle ways in which Lutkins manipulates the tour?
Answer:
Lutkins was always the first to enter the places where he took the lawyer. He prevented the lawyer from directly talking to the people at these places. In this manner, he would take them into his confidence. This is probably the reason why no one let out the secret. After they did not find Lutkins at Fritz’s, they went to Gustaff’s barber shop, where again he went in first and the lawyer lingered at the door. Before going to Lutkins’ mother’s house, he gave a terrifying description of Lutkins’ mother and urged the lawyer to let him try and talk to her. Again, Lutkins was the one who went up to her first. The lawyer was only standing back and listening. He told her everything about the lawyer and why he had come, which was a sufficient clue for her to understand what was going on. It should also be noted that at the station, he had asked the lawyer if he was in a hurry to find Lutkins. The lawyer told him that he had to catch the afternoon train back to the city. This perhaps helped him concretise his plan to take the lawyer around the town till it was time for him to catch the train back to the city. In this way, he always kept ahead of the lawyer and managed to manipulate the entire tour.

3. Why do you think Lutkins’ neighbours were anxious to meet the lawyer?
Answer:
Lutkins took the lawyer all across New Mullion in search of Lutkins himself. He successfully fooled the lawyer-an educated man of the city. During this process of deception, almost all the people in the town got to see the lawyer. This episode would have become the talking point of the town. According to Lutkins, his neighbours were the only people in town who had missed seeing the lawyer and hence, wanted to meet the lawyer.

4. After his first day’s experience with the hack driver the lawyer thinks of returning to New Mullion to practise law. Do you think he would have reconsidered this idea after his second visit?
Answer:
After his first day’s experience with the hack driver, the lawyer had considered returning to New Mullion to practise law. However, he realised during his second visit that he had been literally taken for a ride by the hack driver (who himself was Lutkins). In this, Lutkins was helped by the townspeople. After becoming the laughing stock of the town, it is most likely that the lawyer would have reconsidered his initial idea of working there.

5. Do you think the lawyer was gullible? How could he have avoided being taken for a ride?
Answer:
It can be said that the lawyer was gullible. He could have avoided being taken for a ride if he had noticed what the hack driver was doing. The hack driver was the one who did all the talking and the lawyer remained a mere spectator. The lawyer could have taken control of the proceedings by asking the hack driver to step aside and by doing his work himself. Instead, he allowed the hack driver to take control of the situation. The lawyer was too impressed by the hack driver’s pleasant and friendly personality, and was thus ignorant of what was actually taking place.

Talk about It

1. Do we come across persons like Lutkins only in fiction or do we encounter them in real life as well? You can give examples from fiction, or narrate an incident that you have read in the newspaper, or an incident from real life.
Answer:
Yes, the people like Lutkins do exist in reality. There was a report on such incidence in newspaper recently. A woman deceived the state government authorities by acting as an IFS officer. She was provided with official security and all the perks of being an IFS officer for ten months. Later on, upon inspection she came out to be a con woman.

2. Who is a ‘con man’, or a confidence trickster?
Answer:
A con man is a person who wins the trust of someone and then leverage it for personal gains. In the given story, Lutkins first gets into the good books of the lawyer and on the pretext of helping him to find the witness, he gets unfair money from him. A con man or a confidence trickster means the same thing.

HBSE 10th Class English The Hack Driver Important Questions and Answers

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
Was the help offered by the hack driver out of brotherly love or something else?
Answer:
The hack driver helped the lawyer in finding Lutkins all day, but his helpfulness was not entirely of brotherly love. The young lawyer was paying him two dollars for an hour and thus he paid him for six hours, including the lunch hour too.

Question 2.
Why did the narrator call his work unpleasant?
Answer:
The narrator was sent to serve summons. Fie had to go to all sorts of dirty and dangerous places. At times, he was also beaten by those very people. That is why he called his work unpleasant.

Question 3.
Describe the hack driver’s appearance in your own words.
Answer:
The hack driver looked to be about forty years in age. His face was red. He wore dirty and worn out clothes but he was cheerful.

Question 4.
‘But he was no more dishonest than I’. Explain.
Answer:
The narrator meant to say that the hack driver was as dishonest as him because he was getting paid for riding the narrator on his cart on the pretence of helping him.

Question 5.
The narrator was happy though he had not found Lutkins. Why?
Answer:
The narrator had hated city life. This ride through the village made him very happy. He was overjoyed to meet the hack driver. So he was happy though he had not found Lutkins.

Question 6.
What impressed the narrator most about Bill? Mention any two things.
Answer:
The first quality that struck the narrator was that Bill was a cheerful, friendly and helpful man. Secondly, he loved Bill for his simple and philosophical wisdom.

Question 7.
How did the chief react when the narrator returned to his town?
Answer:
The chief was furious at the narrator’s failure to serve summons on Lutkins. He decided to send a man who knew Lutkins with the narrator the next day to serve summons on Lutkins.

Question 8.
Why did Lutkins pretend to be Bill Magnuson?
Answer:
Lutkins pretended to be Bill Magnuson as he did not want to accept the summons and be a witness in the case.

Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
How did the young lawyer feel when he got to know about the reality of hack driver?
Answer:
The young lawyer enjoyed the hack driver’s company while finding Lutkins. But as he came
to know that the hack driver himself was Lutkins, he was hurt. This was especially when Lutkins and his mother laughed at the lawyer as if he were a bright boy of seven. Later, he acknowledged their loving kindness too.

Question 2.
How did Lutkins’ mother react when she saw the lawyer?
Answer:
In search of Lutkins, the hack driver took the young lawyer to his mother. He told Lutkins’ mother that the lawyer had come to serve summons to her son and had legal right to search the property. The mother got irritated and attacked him with hot iron rods. They both got scared and ran away from there.

Question 3.
Why was the narrator a little bit worried about his failure?
Answer:
The narrator (lawyer) could not locate Oliver Lutkins so that he could serve him the summons. But Bill Magnuson befooled him. He wanted to return to New Mullion with a view to practising law. Even after serving summons to Oliver Lutkins, he and his mother laughed at him. It really hurt him.

Question 4.
Why does the hack driver offer to ask about Oliver Lutkins? [CBSE2012]
Answer:
The hack driver was none other than Oliver Lutkins himself. He did not wish to take the
summons and go as a witness. So, he pretended to be a hack driver. He offered to help the lawyer so that the lawyer could not come to know about him from someone else.

Question 5.
How does the narrator find Lutkins eventually?
Answer:
The narrator’s companion had seen Lutkins. When the narrator pointed out the hack driver to him, he told him that the hack driver was Lutkins himself. In this way, the narrator found Lutkins eventually.

Essay Type Questions

Question 1.
Why could the narrator not succeed in his mission on his first visit to New Mullion?
Answer:
The narrator (lawyer) was a junior level assistant clerk in a reputed firm. His only work was
to serve summons. He was sent to New Mullion with a view to summoning Oliver Lutkins. He had ignored all the letters. That was why he was needed as a witness in a law case.
When the narrator visited New Mullion for the first time, he could not get the trace of Oliver Lutkins. But it was not at all the fault of Oliver Lutkins. All these things happened due to the hack driver, Bill who met him at New Mullion and took him from one person to another. He also told a lie that he had met Oliver Lutkins a little while ago. Wherever he had gone, he kept the narrator standing behind him at the door. He took him to Gustaff’s barber shop then to Fritz’s and then to the poolroom. At all the places he got the same answer that Lutkins had left just a while ago. All these things were done by Bill just to befool the narrator.
Ultimately the narrator could not succeed in his mission on his first visit to New Mullion because he could not achieve his goal. And this visit proved to be a failure to him. For this, he even had to face the reprimand of his boss.

Question 2.
The narrator strikes us as a romantic idealist. Do you agree? Support your answer from the text.
Answer:
The narrator is definitely a romantic idealist. He is fresh out of law school. He wants to have a real case. But, as a part of training, he is sent to serve summons. He finds it difficult to understand. He simply dislikes his job as he has to go to all dirty places. Further, he has a very romantic view of the country. He believes that villages are all pure and peaceful. There is no ugliness of the city in them. He also thinks that villagers are very honest and decent people. He has a habit of trusting people blindly. He believes in whatever someone says. In fact, he is very gullible. Later on, he realises that a village can also be ugly. He also experiences that villagers are not always simple and honest.

Question 3.
Describe ‘Bill’ as seen through the eyes of the narrator.
Answer:
The narrator was much impressed with Bill. He first meets him at the station. He finds him to be friendly and cheerful. Bill is very helpful in his eyes as he offers to take him around in search of Lutkins. The narrator admires him when he goes looking for Lutkins on his behalf. Bill is full of a wonderful village charm. The narrator finds Bill to have a unique country wisdom. He admires him as a storyteller. He appreciates him a lot when Bill even goes to Lutkins’ mother’s place to find him. For the narrator, Bill is a friendly man who helps others generously. He is so impressed by Bill that he decides to settle down in the village.

Question 4.
‘Appearances are often deceptive’. Comment on the statement in the light of your reading of the story.
Answer:
Things are not always what they seem to be. Appearances are often deceptive. The narrator reaches a village in search of Oliver Lutkins. He meets a hack driver at the station. The driver warns him about Lutkins. He takes him on a tour of the entire village in search of Lutkins. He tells the narrator about his experiences and about the village and its people. The narrator likes him for his helpful and kind nature.
He even forgets all about Lutkins. But, the next day he finds out that the hack driver was Oliver Lutkins himself. He realises that a simple and kind person was a trickster in reality.

Question 5.
Do you think Lutkins was right in befooling the lawyer and earning money by using unfair means? What precautions should one take to avoid a situation like the one in which the lawyer was placed?
Answer:
Lutkins was not right in befooling the lawyer and earning money by using unfair means. This shows that Lutkins did not care for the law at all. If we are in the lawyer’s place, we should not believe in things as they are seen. We should judge every action taken by the other person carefully before accepting it. Instead of depending on others, we should carry out our enquiries ourselves. The lawyer was befooled because he let Lutkins do the finding and questioning and did not do anything himself. This resulted in his failure to serve the summons on Lutkins.

The Hack Driver Summary

‘The Hack Driver’ Introduction

About the Author

• Sinclair Lewis was bom on February 7, 1885, in Sauk Centre,
• Minnesota, Sinclair Lewis studied at Yale University and worked as a newspaper journalist before becoming an acclaimed novelist.
• Sinclair Lewis was a journalist and Nobel Prize winning novelist known for 20th century works like Main Street, Elmer Gantry and Babbitt.
• In 1930, he became the first U.S. writer to win the Nobel Prize in Literature.
• Lewis died on January 10, 1951 in Rome, Italy.

Gist of the Story

In this lesson, a young lawyer is made to serve summons instead of practising law. He hates his job as sometimes he is beaten up while serving summons in the shadowy comers of the city. Once he is directed by the law firm to serve summons on a man called Oliver Lutkins, who lived in a village called New Mullion. The young lawyer goes to the village with some expectations of village life but he is disappointed. He meets a hack driver who is a very helpful man according to him. He drives him in his horse-carriage around the village. He takes him to the people who know Lutkins, one by one in a quest of finding him. But no results to avail. He returns empty-handed to the city. There, he is reprimanded by the chief of his firm and is sent back to New Mullion along with a person who had worked with Lutkins. After reaching at the New Mullion station, the lawyer came to know that the person, who drove him around the village, himself was the Lutkins.

‘The Hack Driver’ Summary

Brief introduction: The narrator was a junior assistant clerk in a reputed law firm after doing his graduation with honours. He only appeared to serve summons. He did not prepare legal briefs. The narrator hated this unpleasant work and also the city life.
The narrator sent to serve summons: The narrator was sent to serve summons to Oliver Lutkins as he had ignored all his letters and was needed as a witness in a law case.

Went out to search for Oliver Lutkins: The narrator went out to search for Oliver Lutkins at New Mullion. The place was very muddy. It was not properly maintained. He reached there and met a delivery man with a hack. His name was Bill. He was a middle-aged man of forty years. The narrator told the hack driver that he had come there to serve summons to Oliver Lutkins. He also hired the narrator for two dollars per hour.

The narrator was taken around the town: The hack driver, Bill took the narrator around the town from one place to another. He first took him to Fritz’s Place. He told that Oliver Lutkins was there sometime ago. He might have gone to Gustaff’s barber shop for shaving. After going there he knew that Oliver Lutkins had already gone. Then they proceeded to Fritz’s and his mother’s house. But he was not there. The narrator was very much impressed with his behaviour and cooperative nature.

The narrator got frustrated: The narrator could not get Oliver Lutkins. He got frustrated. He was also apprehensive that his boss would reprimand him. After reaching at the office, he was ordered to go back to New Mullion again with a man who could recognise Lutkins.

Lutkins, none other than Bill: After reaching by the train at New Mullion, the narrator found Bill standing near his cart. He also narrated him the entire episode how Bill helped him. He was much happy with his cooperation. At this, the companion of the narrator was very surprised. He told that this man was none other than Oliver Lutkins and he knew him very well.

The narrator got hurt: When the narrator served the summons to Oliver Lutkins, he and his mother laughed at him. It seemed as if he were a bright boy of seven. This thing really hurt the narrator.

Lesson at a Glance

• The narrator became a junior assistant clerk in a reputed law firm after graduating with honours.
• He was not assigned to prepare legal briefs but to serve summons like a cheap private detective.
• Even he had to go to dirty and shadowy comers of the city to seek out victims. Sometimes he was also beaten up.
• He hated this unpleasant work.
• So he thought of fleeing to his own hometown where he could practise law.
• One day he was sent to a town named New Mullion to serve summons to Oliver Lutkins.
• Nothing was good there except the delivery man at the station.
• A hack driver agreed to help him in finding out Lutkins for two dollars per hour.
• The name of the hack driver was Bill. He was very nice and friendly.
• The narrator also believed in whatever the hack driver told him.
• It was also difficult to find out the location.
• The hack driver knew the whereabouts of Oliver Lutkins.
• In his view, he was a dishonest person.
• He said that Lutkins still owed his fifty cents on a poker game.
• Bill said that he never paid anybody even a single cent.
• The hack driver led him to Fritz’s. After enquiring about Lutkins, he told that he had gone over to Gustaff’s barber shop to have a shave.
• Lutkins was not present there. Bill said that he must have probably gone to Gray’s shop for a shave. But, he had also not paid Gustaff the previous amount.
• Bill had also gone to the place where Lutkins’ mother lived. But Lutkins was found nowhere.
• Ultimately the narrator returned to the station without giving summons to Lutkins.
• The narrator was reprimanded by his boss in the office.
• The boss ordered the narrator to go back to New Mullion.
• He also sent with the narrator a man who knew Oliver Lutkins very well. Because he had worked with him.
• After reaching at New Mullion, the narrator found that Bill was standing at the platform near his hack.
• The narrator introduced Bill to his companion and also narrated how he had helped him in searching Oliver Lutkins.
• But to his great surprise, he told the narrator that he was not Bill but Oliver Lutkins himself.
• The narrator served summons to Lutkins.
• At this Lutkins and his mother laughed at him as if he were a boy of seven.

Character Sketch

The narrator (Lawyer): In this story, the narrator is a lawyer by profession. He had done his graduation with honours. He was a junior assistant clerk in a reputed law firm. He wanted to do his legal practice at hometown. He was sent to serve the summons to Oliver Lutkins. After reaching at New Mullion, he met Bill, the hack driver, who gave him misleading information about Lutkins. The narrator was taken from hither to thither but he could not perform his job well and returned to his office. Later on, he was sent along with a companion who could recognise Lutkins. From his way of working, it is quite evident that he was not a seasoned legal practitioner.

Oliver Lutkins: Oliver Lutkins was a fraud and dishonest man. He lived in a small shanty town, New Mullion. When the narrator went to serve him the summons, he was easily cheated. Oliver Lutkins befooled him in the name of Bill Magnuson, the hack driver. He took the narrator to the entire town to know the whereabouts of Oliver Lutkins. He was even taken to many shops but could not identify the real man. When the narrator returned and went to the New Mullion again along with a companion, then he (the companion) recognised him as Oliver Lutkins. This way the hack driver befooled him. He always misled the people. It is quite evident from his personality that he was not a trustworthy man.

‘The Hack Driver’ Word-Meanings

Haryana State Board HBSE 10th Class English Solutions Footprints without Feet Chapter 7 The Necklace Textbook Exercise Questions and Answers.

Haryana Board 10th Class English Solutions Footprints without Feet Chapter 7 The Necklace

HBSE 10th Class English The Necklace Textbook Questions and Answers

Read and Find Out (Page – 39)

1. What kind of a person is Mme Loisel? Why is she always unhappy?
Answer:
Mme Loisel was a pretty young lady bom in a family of clerks. She felt that she was bom for all the delicacies and luxuries. Instead, she had to live a simple and economical life. She completely disliked her circumstances. This made her angry and unhappy.

2. What kind of a person is her husband?
Answer:
Her husband was a clerk in the office of the Board of Education. Unlike Mme Loisel, he was content with his life. While Mme Loisel used to suffer thinking about luxuries and delicacies, he could derive great sense of satisfaction even from a humble ‘potpie’. He was also a loving husband, as is seen from his behaviour towards his wife. He readily parted with the four hundred francs that he had saved to buy a gun, so that Mme Loisel would be able to wear a nice dress to the Minister’s ball. This shows that his wife’s happiness was more important to him.

Readand Find Out (Page – 41)

1. What fresh problem now disturbs Mme Loisel?
Answer:
After buying a pretty dress, Mme Loisel was bothered by yet another problem. She had no jewel to adorn herself with. She said that she would have a poverty-stricken look. Her husband suggested that she should wear some natural flowers. However, she refused and said that there was nothing more humiliating than to have a shabby air in the midst of rich women.

2. How is the problem solved?
Answer:
Mme Loisel’s husband solved this problem. He told his wife to request her friend, Mme Forestier to lend her some jewels. When she went to Mme Forestier, the latter brought a jewel case, so that Mme Loisel could choose whichever jewels she liked.

Rand Find Out (Page – 42)

1. What do M. and Mme Loisel do next?
Answer:
When M. and Mme Loisel realized that the necklace was missing, they tried finding out where she could have lost it. They concluded that it could have been dropped in the cab. They did not know its number. Therefore, Loisel went over the track where they had walked. When he found nothing, he went to the police and to the cab offices. He even put an advertisement in the newspapers, offering a reward. He then asked Matilda to write a letter to Mme Forestier, explaining that she had broken the clasp of the necklace and would get it repaired. This gave them time to find the necklace. However, they eventually decided to replace the necklace with a new one.

2. How do they replace the necklace?
Answer:
Loisel asked Matilda to write a letter to Mme Forestier, explaining that she had broken the clasp of the necklace and would get it repaired. They found a chaplet of diamonds in a shop of the Palais-Royal. This necklace seemed to be exactly like the one that had been lost. They could buy it for thirty-six thousand francs. Loisel had eighteen thousand francs, which his father had left him. He borrowed the rest from various sources. Finally, he bought the necklace and gave it to Matilda for her to take it back to Mme Forestier.

Think about It

1. The course of the Loisel’s life changed due to the necklace. Comment.
Answer:
The course of the Loisel’s life changed due to the necklace. After replacing the lost necklace with a new one, they had to repay all the money that they had borrowed to buy the new necklace. They sent away the maid and changed their lodgings. They rented some rooms in an attic. Matilda learnt the odious work of a kitchen. She washed the dishes, soiled linen, their clothes and dishcloths. She took down the refuse to the street each morning and brought up the water, stopping at each landing to catch her breath. She went to the grocer’s, the butcher’s, and the fruiterer’s, with her basket on her arm, shopping, haggling to save her money. Loisel worked in the evenings, putting the books of some merchants in order. At night, he did copying at five sous a page. This lasted for ten years, and at the end of the said period, they were able to repay their lenders.

2. What was the cause of Matilda’s ruin? How could she have avoided it?
Answer:
The cause of Matilda’s ruin was her dissatisfaction with whatever life offered to her. She was always unhappy. She felt that she was bom for all the delicacies and luxuries. She disliked her circumstances.
She could have avoided this situation by being content with what she had.

3. What would have happened to Matilda if she had confessed to her friend that she had lost her necklace?
Answer:
If Matilda would have confessed to her friend that she had lost her necklace, she might have been in lesser trouble than what she faced after having replaced the necklace. Her friend would definitely be angry with her. Most probably, she would have asked Matilda to replace it. She would have given her the details from where she had bought the necklace and how much it had cost her. Matilda would thus have known that the jewels in the necklace were not real diamonds. It would have cost her a far lesser amount to replace it. Matilda would thus have saved herself and her husband from all the troubles they went through.

4. If you were caught in a situation like this, how would you have dealt with it?
Answer:
This question requires you to use your own perspective as well as your analytical skills. The answer to the question would vary from one person to another. It is suggested that you read the text carefully and try attempting it on your own.

Talk about It

1. The characters in this story speak in English. Do you think this is their language? What clues are there in the story about the language its characters must be speaking in?
Answer:
The characters in the story speak in English but this is not their language. They must be speaking French and there are many clues from which it can be proved. Like the currency they used was ‘francs’, the Minister’s ball invination carried some specific French words, the name of the jewellery shop Palais-Royal and the names of the characters in the story, shows the French backdrop.

2. Honesty is the best policy.
Answer:
Do it yourself.

3. We should be content with what life gives us.
Answer:
Do it yourself.

HBSE 10th Class English The Necklace Important Questions and Answers

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
When did the party end? What did Matilda find when she reached home?
Answer:
The party ended at four o’clock in the morning. Matilda and her husband returned their home. She stood in front of the mirror to see herself again. But she was shocked to find that she had lost the necklace.

Question 2.
What would Matilda often dream of?
Answer:
Matilda would often dream of all the delicacies, luxuries, elegant dinners, marvellous dishes, rich silver, beautiful dresses, jewels, adoration and a life of glory. She would escape into her dreams from the dullness of her very humble existence.

Question 3.
Why did Matilda throw the invitation spitefully?
Answer:
Matilda was simply displeased when her husband showed the invitation. She felt humiliated and threw the invitation spitefully as she had nothing beautiful enough to wear at such a grand gathering.

Question 4.
Describe Mme Loisel’s success at the ball.
Or
Do you think Mme Loisel had an enjoyable evening at the ball? Give reasons for your answer. [CBSE 2014]
Answer:
Mme Loisel was the centre of attraction at the ball. Her beauty, her grace, her joy and the gorgeous smile captivated all. Men sought to be presented to her. She danced happily at her conquest of all.

Question 5.
How was Mme Loisel’s condition after ten years?
Answer:
Ten years of poverty and hardship took away Matilda’s youth and beauty. Now she had become a strong and hard woman, who was poorly dressed with untidy hair and red ragged hands.

Question 6.
Why was Matilda’s friend astonished to see her at the end of the story?
Answer:
Mme Forestier, Matilda’s friend, could not recognise her as she seemed to be an old and worn out poor woman. Matilda was no longer in her former beautiful and joyous self.

Question 7.
Comment on the use of irony in the text.
Answer:
The irony in the story is based on the fact that the Loisels spend 10 years of toil and frugality paying for a necklace which turns out to be a cheap imitation.

Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
Why did Matilda think that she was born in a family of clerks due to some error of destiny?
Answer:
Matilda was a young and beautiful lady with high dreams and aspirations. She had, no hopes, no fame and no wealth. She had lost all her hopes of marrying a rich man. Realising that her dreams are high and to fulfil those she should have been born into an affluent family, she termed her birth in the family of clerks some error of destiny.

Question 2.
What did Matilda and her husband do to find the necklace?
Answer:
They checked into the folds of Matilda’s dress, her cloak and pockets. Her husband went back on the route to the party venue to search for the necklace. He returned at seven o’clock. Then he informed the police. He also gave an advertisement in the newspaper and also announced a reward. But the necklace was found nowhere.

Question 3.
Why did Matilda not like to visit her rich friends?
Answer:
Matilda was bom in the family of clerks but her dreams were very high. She dreamt of a grand house, costly dishes, good dresses and jewels. She was disillusioned that she was not able to get them. When she visited her rich friend, she really suffered because she became intensely conscious of her poverty in the presence of her rich friend. She suffered more when she returned to her modest and miserable surroundings.

Question 4.
What excuse did Loisels put up to explain the delay in returning the necklace?
Answer:
Loisels had lost the necklace and needed time to find an identical one. Thus, Loisels wrote a letter to Mme Forestier with an excuse that the clasp of the necklace was broken and they needed time to get it repaired.

Question 5.
How did Loisels manage to pay for the necklace?
Answer:
The necklace cost Loisels thirty six thousand francs. Loisel had to chip in his entire inheritance of eighteen thousand francs and the rest he had to borrow from the usurers.

Question 6.
How did Mme Loisel now know the life of necessity? [CBSE 2016]
Answer:
To pay the debt of eighteen thousand francs, Loisels let go of their decent living. They lived
in impoverished neighbourhood. Matilda had to cook, clean, wash, mend, bring water and bargain with the butcher and grocer. Her husband worked day and night to save every sou.

Question 7.
What do you think of Mme Loisel as a husband? Cite instances from the text to support your answer.
Answer:
Mme Loisel was a caring and supportive husband. He sacrificed his wishes and the money he inherited from his father for his wife. This can be shown when he gave four hundred francs saved for the gun to her wife so that she could buy a new dress for Minister’s ball.

Essay Type Questions

Question 1.
Do you think that Matilda’s dream was fulfilled at the Ball party? Why did the people in the party want to mix up with her?
Answer:
Matilda always believed in pomp and show although her means did not support her. After getting invitation for the Ball party, she wanted to present herself for this occasion. She did not want to show her poverty-stricken image amidst the rich ladies and gentlemen of the society. To attend this party, she purchased a new costume. Later on, she changed her mind and expressed her desire for a jewel. It was beyond the means of Mr. Loisel. So, he advised her to take the necklace from her friend. Matilda also took the necklace from her friend, Mme Forestier and wore at the Ball party. She enjoyed the party a lot and danced with much enthusiasm. Her only intention was to get admiration from others. This way Matilda’s dream was fulfilled.

Matilda was very elegant and graceful. She was the most beautiful lady. That is why all the men noticed her. All the people asked her name and wanted to mix up with her. Her personality was really appealing.

Question 2.
Mme Loisel’s disposition invites her doom. Comment in the context of the text you’ve read.
Answer:
Mme Loisel belongs to a family of clerks. Her existence is quite average. They live on meagre income, enough for basic needs but not to fulfil aspirations. She gets married to a clerk and is so caught up with her dreams of wealth and pleasure that she is out of touch with the truths of her real life. In order to keep up appearances just to flatter her pride, she blows up four hundred francs on a gorgeous dress. And, not contented, she goes on borrowing a necklace from her friend. And, all of this is just to impress the wealthy and the rich with her beauty and glamour. No doubt, her pride is flattered and her wish of fine dining, expensive dresses and jewels satisfied but at a great price. Unfortunately, the necklace is lost and the couple has to cough up their entire inheritance and borrow as well to replace it. Repayment of the debt eats away the next ten years of their youth. They live poor. All the household chores and cares of a life of poverty visit them. Hence, her disposition invites her doom.

Question 3.
Mme Forestier proved to be a true friend. Elucidate. [CBSE 2015]
Answer:
Mme Forestier turns out to be an interesting character. She plays a vital role in the story.
As a friend to Matilda, we find her to be really genuine as she helps Matilda in the hour of her need. When Mme Loisel needs to borrow jewels, she turns to Mme Forestier. Mme Forestier does not refuse. Displaying her generosity, she opens up the entire array of her jewels for Matilda to choose from. Also, she is considerate when Loisels delay the return of the necklace. Surprisingly, at the end of the story, she concludes the entire narrative. Without even a moment’s hesitation, she reveals to Matilda that her necklace was just a fake. She is not at all worried in the light of the fact that she may have to return the necklace. It shows her honesty. Rather, she, like a true friend, feels bad for Matilda at her unnecessary suffering. We find her sympathising with Mme Loisel. She is indeed a gem of a friend.

Question 4.
Do you think the story is aptly titled? Justify your answer.
Answer:
The whole narrative of the story ‘ The Necklace’ revolves around a young woman Matilda, who in her foolish pride borrows a necklace inviting misery and sorrow for herself as well as for her husband. The necklace has lost and the Loisels fall into a tremendous debt. They spend the next ten years of their life in paying debt for the replacement of the lost necklace. Their entire life moves around impoverished, everyday saga of misery and hunger and the necklace, in fact, changes the very course of their life. Also, it is against the backdrop of the necklace that Matilda’s pride and dishonesty are highlighted. At the same time, the necklace serves a twist at the end as it turns out to be a fake one. The story is, hence, most aptly titled as the necklace is, in fact, the leading character of this ironic tale of desire, the doom and the tragedy.

The Necklace Summary

‘The Necklace’ Introduction

About the Author

• Henri Rene Albert Guy de Maupassant (5 August 1850 – 6 July 1893) was a French writer, remembered as a master of the short story form, and as a representative of the naturalist school of writers. He who depicted human lives, destinies and social forces in disillusioned and often pessimistic terms.
• Maupassant was a protege of Gustave Flaubert and his stories are characterised by economy of style and efficient, effortless denouements (outcomes).
• He wrote some 300 short stories, six novels, three travel books, and one volume of verse. His first published story, “Boule de Suif’ (“Ball of Fat”, 1880), is often considered his masterpiece.
• Guy De Maupassant penned his own epitaph: “I have coveted everything and taken pleasure in nothing.”

Gist of the Story

Matilda, a young and pretty lady was bom into a family of clerks. She was simple and had married a pretty office clerk. She dared not to visit his friendly schoolmate’s house which was richly furnished. One day Mr Loisel and Mme Loisel got invitation of dinner from the Minister of Public Instruction. The husband felt elated to get the select invitation but the wife got irritated because she didn’t have proper clothes and jewellery to wear. Her husband gave her money to buy a dress. She got herself a very beautiful dress for the ball but was still sad as she didn’t have any jewellery to wear. At her husband’s suggestion, Mme Loisel went to Mme Forestier’s house, she got ready to lend her entire jewellery. However, she borrowed only the diamond necklace.

Mme Loisel danced at the ball with enthusiasm. She looked pretty. It made her swell with joy. After the party her husband wrapped her shoulders in modest wraps while exiting the gate. They hired a carriage and reached home instantly. She noticed that the necklace was missing. They looked all around but they didn’t find it, then Loisel found a chaplet of diamonds in a shop. It was exactly like the lost necklace, they bought it for thirty six thousand francs. They handed the jewel to Mme Forestier but she did not open it.

The Loisel sent away the maid and lived in rented room in an attic. They led miserable life for few years. This way, they repaid their loan. When Mrs Loisel met Mme Forestier while they were taking a walk she revealed that her false necklace was only worth five hundred francs.

‘The Necklace’ Summary

Brief Introduction: This story revolves around Matilda and her necklace. Matilda had to pay a lot for pomp and show.

Matilda, pretty young lady: Matilda was a very pretty, young lady. But, unfortunately, she was bom into a family of clerks. She did not want to be married either to a rich or distinguished person. She was simple but unhappy. She married to a petty clerk in the office of the Board of Education.

Pained at her miserable condition: She was pained at her miserable condition. She was bom for all delicacies and luxuries. She suffered from the poverty of her apartment, the shabby walls and the worn chairs. All these things always pained her. She loved attractive frocks, dishes and jewels.

An invitation card given to Mr. Loisel: Matilda’s husband, Mr. Loisel was given a printed card. It was an invitation card for a dinner organised by the Minister of Public Instruction. At this place, her husband worked. He anticipated that his wife would be delighted to get the invitation. But she was annoyed. She told that she had nothing to wear on such a big occasion. She would not go there without a dress. He should give it to others. Hearing this, his husband got annoyed. He was also frustrated to hear such a thing. Then he asked her about the cost of the dress. She told that it would cost 400 francs. He agreed to pay the amount which he had kept to buy a gun for his hunting parties.

Day of the Ball approached: The day of the ball approached. But Mme Loisel was sad, and anxious. Her husband asked her the reason of anxiety. He also asked her what the matter was. At this, Matilda replied that she had not got a jewel. It was a humiliating thing for her to be in the company of rich ladies. An idea struck in Mr. LoiseTs mind. He told her to borrow jewels from her friend, Mme Forestier.

Matilda reached at Mme Forestier’s house: Matilda reached at Mme Forestier’s house and narrated her the entire story. Hearing her story, Mme Forestier went to open her jewel case and told her to choose any item whatever she liked. After seeing a lot of items, Matilda’s eyes fell on a diamond necklace. Her friend gave it to her happily. She became happy and went to her house.

Mme Loisel more elegant: The Ball started. Mme Loisel was looking very beautiful and elegant. She was the most attractive personality in the party. All wanted to get mix up with her and also to be introduced to her.

Mme Loisel’s necklace got lost: After the party finished, all the people went home. Mme Loisel had a full view of herself in her glory before the mirror. She cried noisily. There was no necklace around her neck. The necklace was lost. Knowing this, Mr. Loisel went out of his room, searched the necklace into the streets, went to cab offices to police and also advertised in newspapers, offering a reward. But it did not work. No necklace was found. They were hopeless now. They went into the shop and found the same necklace valued at forty thousand francs. Ultimately, they got it for thirty-six thousand francs.

Miserable condition of Mme Loisel: To purchase the necklace, Mr. Loisel took eighteen thousand francs which his father had left and borrowed the rest. Later they purchased the same type of necklace and gave to Mme Forestier. She did not open the jewel box and kept it in the case. Later on, the scenario completely changed. Her condition became miserable. Now Mme Loisel washed the dishes and linen, did all the household chores and rented some rooms in the attic. Mr. Loisel worked in the evening at some merchant’s office. He did copying at five sous a page at night. They had to toil hard to pay their debts. After ten years, they paid all their debts.

False Necklace: One day, Mme Loisel met Mme Forestier while taking a walk. But she did not recognise her. Matilda told her that she had to do a lot of struggle due to her necklace. She also narrated the entire story pertaining to the necklace. She had to work hard to buy the lost necklace. It changed the entire course of action of her life. At this, Mme Forestier replied, ‘Oh! My poor Matilda, my necklace was false.’ It was not worth more than five hundred francs.

Lesson at a Glance

• Matilda (Mme Loisel) was a very pretty, young and attractive lady.
• Due to errors of destiny, she was bom into a family of clerks.
• It was her perception that she was only bom for all delicacies and luxuries of life.
• The poverty of her apartment, the shabby walls and the worn chairs always tortured and angered her.
• She only liked lavish food served in marvellous dishes.
• One day, her husband gave her a printed card. It was an invitation to a ball party.
• At this, she did not feel delighted. Instead she threw the invitation card upon the table.
• When her husband told about the party, she told that she didn’t have a proper dress. So, she could not attend this party.
• She also told her husband to give this card to some colleague whose wife was better fitted out.
• Mr. Loisel asked her about the cost of a good and fancy dress. She told him that it would cost four hundred francs.
• As the day of the ball approached, Mme Loisel was very anxious and dejected.
• After this, she told that she did not have a jewel to adorn herself with. Her look seems to be poverty-stricken. So she would not attend the party.
• Her husband also told to wear some natural flowers but she did not get ready.
• Then he advised her to borrow jewels from her friend Mme Forestier.
• She went to Mme Forestier’s house and told her about the necklace. Then she brought before Mme Loisel a large jewel-case.
• After going through a lot of items, she chose a superb necklace of diamonds. She was very happy after seeing this.
• When she asked her friend Mme Forestier about this, she replied affirmatively.
• Mme Loisel wore this and she was looking elegant and gracious. All the men looked at her and also wanted to have her company.
• She enjoyed the party and danced with more enthusiasm.
• After reaching her house when she removed the wraps from her shoulders before the glass, she found that there was no necklace around her neck. She cried suddenly.
• Mr. Loisel went out in search of the lost necklace. He went to the police, cab offices and also gave an advertisement in the newspapers.
• At the end of the day, they had become hopeless. Now, they went to a shop of the Palais-Royal and bought a necklace for thirty-six thousand francs.
• Apart from eighteen thousand francs of Mr. Loisel’s father, he borrowed the rest.
• She handed over the diamond necklace to Mme Forestier.
• Mme Loisel now knew the horrible life of necessity. To pay this debt, they sent away the maid, changed their lodgings and rented some rooms in an attic. She also washed the dishes, clothes and dishcloths etc.
• The husband also worked in evenings and put the books of some merchants in order.
• Mme Loisel was too old now. She had become a strong and hard woman. Now she spoke in a loud tone.
• One Sunday, she met a woman walking with a child. It was Mme Forestier.
• Now Matilda narrated the entire story of her miserable condition. And the necklace was only responsible for this.
• At this, Mme Forestier said that it was the false necklace. It was not worth than five hundred francs.

Character Sketch

Matilda: Matilda (Mme Loisel) was a beautiful, elegant and charming lady. Although she wanted to lead a luxurious life but she did not have the means to do so. She married to a petty clerk in the office of the Board of Education. She was simple but always remained unhappy. Matilda got an invitation to the Ball party. But she replied negatively to her husband and told about the fancy dresses. When it was made available to her, she demanded a necklace. She only believed in fun and frolic. Although she did not have the proper means yet she wanted to lead a luxurious life. She wanted appreciation and admiration from others. She felt happy when people appreciated her beauty, elegance and grace just to show off a day at the Ball party. She lost her necklace which she had borrowed from Mme Forestier. For this, she had to lead a miserable life for almost ten years. This way it can be said that Matilda did not know how to live within limited resources. She always believed in living beyond means. That is why she suffered from this sort of problem.

Mr Loisel: Mr Loisel was just opposite to his wife. He adopted all means to fulfil the desire of Mrs. Loisel. He was an honest and down-to-earth man. When he got the invitation to a ball with his wife, he felt elated. He suggested his wife to borrow a necklace from her rich friend Mme Forestier. But, unfortunately Matilda lost her necklace and he used his hard-earned savings to buy a diamond necklace. For this, he had to work very hard to repay the debt. He was a man who lived his life within his means.

‘The Necklace’ Word-Meanings

Haryana State Board HBSE 10th Class English Solutions Footprints without Feet Chapter 6 The Making of a Scientist Textbook Exercise Questions and Answers.

Haryana Board 10th Class English Solutions Footprints without Feet Chapter 6 The Making of a Scientist

HBSE 10th Class English The Making of a Scientist Textbook Questions and Answers

Read and Find Out (Page – 32)

1. How did a book become a turning point in Richard Ebright’s life?
Answer:
By the time Richard Ebright was in the second grade, he had collected all twenty-five species of butterflies found around his hometown. According to him, this would probably have been the end to his butterfly collecting. However, a book made him think otherwise. The book titled ‘The Travels of Monarch TC became a turning point in his life. The book was about how monarch butterflies migrated to Central America. This opened up the world of science to the eager young butterfly collector. At the end of the book, readers were invited to help study butterfly migrations. He actively participated in tagging butterflies to help in the research being conducted by Dr Frederick A. Urquhart. He went on to raise an entire flock of butterflies in the basement of his home. Thus, it can be said that the book had managed to keep his enthusiasm alive by making him aware of the never-ending possibilities in the world of science.

2. How did his mother help him?
Answer:
Richard Ebright’s mother helped him by encouraging his interest in learning. She took him on trips, bought him telescopes, microscopes, cameras, mounting materials and other equipments, and helped him in many other ways. If he did not have anything to do, she found things for him to leam. Even the book that became a turning point in his life was given to him by his mother. Hence, it can be said that his mother played a crucial role in the making of the scientist.

Read and Find Out (Page – 34)

1. What lesson does Ebright learn when he does not win anything at a science fair?
Answer:
When Richard Ebright did not win anything at the science fair, he realized that the winners
had tried to conduct real experiments. He, on the other hand, had simply made a neat display. He had shown slides of frog tissues under a microscope. It was the first time that he got a hint of what real science was. This event served to develop the competitive spirit in him. Ultimately, it was this spirit of enthusiasm and competitiveness that drove him to achieve new heights in science.

2. What experiments and projects does he then undertake?
Answer:
After losing out at the science fair, Richard Ebright undertook various experiments and projects. For his eighth grade project, he tried finding the cause of a viral disease that killed nearly all monarch caterpillars every few years. He tried raising caterpillars in the presence of beetles as he thought the disease might have been carried by a beetle. He did not get any results. However, he went ahead and showed that he had tried the experiment, and this time he won.

The next year, his science fair project was to test the theory that viceroy butterflies copied monarchs in order to prevent being eaten by birds. His project was to see whether birds would eat monarchs. He found that a starling would not eat ordinary bird food, but ate all the monarchs it could get. This project was placed first in the zoology division and third overall in the county science fair.

In his second year at high school, he did the research that led to the discovery of an unknown insect hormone. It also led to his new theory on the life of cells. He tried to find the purpose of the twelve tiny gold spots on a monarch pupa. Along with another excellent science student, he built a device which showed that the spots were producing a hormone necessary for the butterfly’s full development. This project won the first place in the county fair and also an entry into the International Science and Engineering Fair, where it was adjudged the third best in zoology.
In his senior year, he grew cells from a monarch’s wing in a culture and showed that the cells would divide and develop into normal butterfly wing scales only if they were fed the hormone from the gold spots. That project won first place in zoology at the International Fair.

The summer after his freshman year at Harvard, Richard worked on the hormone secreted from the gold spots, and was able to identify the chemical structure of the hormone. During his junior year, he got the idea for his new theory on the life of cells. Along with his room¬- mate, James R. Wong, he worked on his theory and wrote a paper explaining the same.

3. What are the qualities that go into the making of a scientist?
Answer:
The author mentions three qualities that go into the making of a scientist, i. e., mind, curiosity, and the will to win for the right reasons. Richard Ebright was a very intelligent student. He was also a champion debater, a public speaker, a good canoeist and an expert photographer. He always gave that extra effort. He was competitive, but for the right reasons. From the first he had a driving curiosity along with a bright mind; and it was this curiosity that ultimately led him to his theory about cell life.

Think about It

1. How can one become a scientist, an economist, a historian… ? Does it simply involve reading many books on the subject? Does it involve observing, thinking and doing experiments?
Answer:
This question requires you to use your own perspective as well as your analytical skills. The answer to the question would vary from one person to another. It is suggested that you read the text carefully and try attempting it on your own.

2. You must have read about cells and DNA in your science books. Discuss Richard Ebright’s work in the light of what you have studied. If you get an opportunity to work like Richard Ebright on projects and experiments, which field would you like to work on and why?
Answer:
This question requires you to use your own perspective as well as your analytical skills. The answer to the question would vary from one person to another. It is suggested that you read the text carefully and try attempting it on your own.

Talk about It

1. Children everywhere wonder about the world around them. The questions they ask are the beginning of scientific inquiry. Given below are some questions that children in India have asked Professor Yash Pal and Dr Rahul Pal as reported in their book, Discovered Questions (NCERT, 2006).
(i) What is DNA fingerprinting? What are its uses?
(ii) HOW do honeybees identify their own honeycombs?
(iii) Why does rain fall in drops?
Can you answer these questions? You will find Professor Yash Pal’s and Dr Rahul Pal’s answers (as given in Discovered Questions) on page 75.
Answer:
(i) DNA fingerprinting is a method used to identify an individual from a sample of DNA
by looking at unique patterns in their DNA.

Uses of DNA fingerprinting:

• It is widely used to find out the real biological parent in paternity-maternity disputes.
• It is used to identify the real culprit involved in crimes, such as murder, rape etc.
• It is also used to find the original background and historical migration of a particular racial group.
• It is also used in gene therapy.

(ii) Honeybees have an incredible sense of direction and smell. They are guided by the queen pheromone which is unique to the hive. Bees smell their pheromone secreted by them on their own hive and identify their hive combs.
(iii) Water remains suspended in the clouds and when the force of gravity exceeds the force of updraft, it starts falling.
Because of surface tension of water, it forms spherical or round drops, as a sphere has the minimum surface area for a given volume.

2. You also must have wondered about certain things around you. Share these questions with your class, and try and answer them.
Answer:
Do it yourself.

HBSE 10th Class English The Making of a Scientist Important Questions and Answers

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
Richard became a collector at an early age. How?
Answer:
Richard was the only child of his parents. He had no company at home to play with. So, he started collecting things in his spare time. He would collect coins, fossils, rocks and butterflies as a hobby.

Question 2.
Comment on the role played by Richard’s mother in his success.
Or
How did Ebright’s mother help him in becoming a scientist?
Answer:
Richard’s mother made his son the centre of her life. She would buy microscopes, telescopes and books for him. She arranged trips for him and would also prepare difficult tasks for him. This helped him to learn a lot.

Question 3.
How did ‘The Travels of Monarch X’ prove a turning point in his life?
Answer:
Richard was bored with collecting butterflies. At this time, his mother got the book ‘The Travels of Monarch X for him. After reading the book, he studied the migration of butterflies and it opened the world of science to him.

Question 4.
Which project did Richard undertake in the eighth grade?
Answer:
Richard undertook the project to find the cause of a viral fever that had killed thousands of butterflies. He thought that a beetle might carry the virus although he was not able to prove it.

Question 5.
Richard’s project on the purpose of the twelve tiny gold spots on a monarch pupa was highly valuable in two ways. List the two ways.
Answer:
This project had a huge impact. First, he discovered a hormone that was necessary for the growth of the pupa. Secondly, he got a chance to work at a famous laboratory.

Question 6.
Mention any two of Ebright’s contributions to the world of science.
Answer:
Ebright discovered a hormone that was necessary for the growth of a butterfly. His other important contributions proved to be his study of how cells read their DNA.

Question 7.
In addition to science, what were the other interests of Richard?
Answer:
In addition to science, Richard was a good debater and a public speaker as well as a canoeist and an all-around-outdoor person. He loved photography as well.

Question 8.
Hobbies play a very important role in one’s life. Elaborate this with reference to “The Making of a Scientist”.
Answer:
Richard Ebright started collecting butterflies as a hobby. This led him to research and discover many things. Hence, hobbies play an important role in one’s life.

Question 9.
What were the factors which contributed in making Ebright a scientist?
Answer:
Three qualities of Ebright which contributed in making him a scientist were; a first rate mind, a sense of curiosity and a will to win for the right reason.

Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
What rare achievement did Richard manage at the age of twenty-two?
Answer:
Richard had a rare honour at the age of twenty-two. He wrote an article with his friend about a theory of how cells work. The article was published in the scientific journal ‘Proceedings of the National Academy of Science’. No one had this achievement at such a young age before him.

Question 2.
Why did Richard lose interest in tagging butterflies?
Answer:
Richard raised thousands of butterflies, tagged them and released them to study their migration. But soon, he lost interest because only two of his tagged butterflies returned to him and they had travelled only seventy-five miles.

Question 3.
Mr. Weiherer pays a glowing tribute to Richard. What did he say?
Answer:
Mr. Weiherer was Ebright’s social studies teacher. He praised him for his brilliant mind, his curiosity and a will to win for the right reason. He also admired Richard for his spirit to do his very best all the time.

Question 4.
Why do viceroy butterflies copy the monarch butterflies?
Answer:
Birds eat viceroy butterflies because they taste good to them, whereas monarch butterflies do not taste good to the birds. So the viceroys try to copy the monarchs to protect themselves from the birds.

Question 5.
Ebright’s basement became a home to thousands of monarch butterflies. How?
Answer:
Ebright’s basement became a home to thousands of monarch butterflies because he raised some of the butterflies in his basement. He catched a monarch butterfly, took her eggs and raised them. He also taggled the wings of butterflies and let them go.

Essay Type Questions

Question 1.
Richard’s mother had a great influence on him. Discuss.
Or
Discuss the role of Ebright’s mother in making him a scientist. [CBSE 2011]
Answer:
Richard’s mother played an important role in making him a great scientist. She would take him on trips to encourage learning. He was a single child. After the death of his father his mother made him the focus of her life. She would buy him all kinds of microscopes, telescopes and other equipment. After dinner, she gave him problems to solve. This helped Richard to learn a lot. She was his only companion for a long time. It was his mother who got him the book ‘The Travels of Monarch N. This book opened the world of science for Richard. She also wrote to Dr Urquhart to guide her son. The scientist helped Richard and guided him. Thus, his mother actually shaped him into an extraordinary scientist.

Question 2.
Ebright’s study of monarch pupas had a far reaching impact. Elaborate.
Answer:
For a long time the scientific community had regarded the bright spots on a monarch pupa as purely ornamental. But Dr Urquhart did not believe it. Nor did Richard. He started his experiments on the monarch pupa. He built a device with the help of a friend. This led to the discovery of a hormone. Richard proved that the hormone was necessary for the growth of the butterfly. This discovery got him many honours. Also, it led to another important study. He began working on how cells read their DNA. DNA is the carrier of heredity and is called the blueprint of life. His theory could find answers to many cancers and diseases.

Question 3.
Richard Ebright displayed a well-rounded personality. Do you agree? Elucidate in the
context of the given text. [CB SE 2016]
Answer:
Richard’s genius was obvious by the time he was in his second grade. He managed to collect all twenty-five species of butterflies around his hometown and classify them. He also loved to collect coins, fossils and rocks. Science was not his only passion. He was an active member of his school’s oratory club and model United Nations club and was an effective debater and a public speaker. He loved photography as well.
He was an enthusiastic canoeist and an all-around outdoors-person. Learning was easy for him. So he found it simple to devote time and energy to many other interests. He became a champion in whatever he did. He believed in the spirit of competition to win. But, he did not wish to defeat others just to win. He wanted to win to do his best. Thus, he displayed a well- rounded personality.

Question 4.
Dr Urquhart contributed significantly to Ebright’s growth as a scientist. Explain.
Answer:
Richard had become bored with collecting butterflies. His mother got him a book on the
migration of butterflies. Richard came in contact with Dr Urquhart through the book. Dr Urquhart directed him to study the migration pattern of butterflies.
When he did not win any prize in the science fair in seventh grade, he again wrote to Dr Urquhart to guide him. The scientist gave him many suggestions for new experiments. Richard performed these experiments throughout his high school and won many prizes. Later, he worked on why bright spots are found on a monarch pupa, motivated by Dr Urquhart. It led to the discovery of a new hormone. The discovery of this new hormone further led to an important theory. The theory was about how cells read their DNA. In this way Dr Urquhart proved to be his true mentor.

Question 5.
What are the values required to become a successful scientist like Richard Ebright? Elaborate with reference to the lesson ‘The Making of a Scientist’.
Answer:
Curiosity to know more and a motivation to find reasons for existence of anything or any phenomenon are necessary for becoming a successful scientist. The urge to know more develops the scientific aptitude in a person. At a very young age, Ebright became competitive by participating in various county fairs. He never lost hope and kept on trying to do better. In addition to curiosity and motivation, Ebright displayed the qualities of hard work, sincerity, determination and patience. He also accepted failure and success in the right spirit. Thus, he became a successful scientist.

Question 6.
What role did Ebright’s mother play in his life? Discuss it on the basis of the lesson.
Answer:
After the death of Ebright’s father, her mother played an instrumental role in his life. She also
stood behind him. Every evening they spent together at the dining table. She also developed
his interest in learning. She took him on trips, bought him microscopes, telescopes, cameras and other instruments. She worked as a bridge between her son and Urquhart. Ebright was mainly interested in collecting things. When he was in third, her mother gave him a children’s book called ‘The Travels of Monarch X. It aroused his curiosity in collecting butterflies. This way we can say that Ebright’s mother was a source of inspiration for him. Through her inspiration, he could become a great scientist.

The Making of a Scientist Summary

‘The Making of a Scientist’ Introduction

About the Author

• Robert W. Peterson (1925 – February 11,2006 Warren, Pennsylvania) was an American newspaper writer who later became a freelance author of magazine articles and books, mainly on the topics of sports and Scouting. His 1970 chronicle of Negro league baseball titled Only the Ball Was White was hailed by The New York Times as having “recaptured a lost era in baseball history and a rich facet of black life in America”.
• He was raised in Warren, Pennsylvania Peterson played baseball while attending Upsala College. He was a writer and editor with the old New York World-Telegram newspaper, which folded in 1966. Peterson died of lung cancer on February 11,2006, in Salisbury, Pennsylvania. At the time of his death, he was on a committee selecting Negro league players for the Hall of Fame.
• Peterson’s book, The Boy Scouts: An American Adventure, was written in 1984 on the eve of the 75th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). Peterson also wrote numerous articles for Scouting magazine between 1970s -1990s, such as a tribute to William Hillcourt in 1985, acclaiming the influential BSA leader as “the foremost influence on development of the Boy Scouting program”. He subsequently wrote another article for Scouting magazine about Hillcourt in 2001. Among the articles Peterson penned for the BSA’s Scouting magazine was an account of Scouting activities in the Japanese-American internment camps during World War II.

Gist of the Story

Richard H. Ebright published the theory of how cells work in an article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science at the age of twenty two.

Richard H. Ebright grew up in north of Reading in Pennsylvania. There he was not able to do anything. He was not able to play football or baseball too. But he collected things only.
In kindergarten, Ebright collected butterflies. He also collected rocks, fossils, and coins. He would observe sky at night too. His mother developed his interest in learning. She took him on trips, bought him telescope, microscope, cameras, mounting materials, and other materials required for learning. He lost his father when he was in third grade. Her mother always discussed with him every night and gave him mental exercise instead of physical exercise, which he wanted to learn. Ebright had also collected all twenty five species of butterflies found around his hometown.

Richard’s mother gave him a children’s book called “The Travels of Monarch A” which discussed how monarch butterflies migrate to Central America.

At the end of the book, readers were asked to tag butterflies for research by Dr. Frederick A. Urquhart of the University of Toronto, Canada. Anyone who found a tagged butterfly was asked to send the tag to Dr Urquhart.
Richard rose a flock of butterflies. Caught a female monarch, took her eggs, and raised them in his basement through their life cycle, from egg to caterpillar to pupa to adult butterfly. Then he would tag the butterflies’ wings and let them go. For several years, his basement was home to thousands of monarchs in different stages of development.

He got a hint of what real science is when he entered a county science fair. He lost there and said that that was a sad feeling to sit there and not to get anything while everybody else had won something. He realized that winners had tried to do real experiments.
Ebright also tried to find the cause of a viral disease that killed nearly all monarch caterpillars every few years. Ebright thought the disease might be carried by a beetle. So he rose caterpillars in the presence of beetles. But he didn’t get any real result. But he went ahead and showed that he had tried the experiment.

His science fair project also tested the theory that viceroy butterflies copy monarchs. Monarchs don’t taste good to birds. Viceroys, on the other hand, do taste good to birds. So the more they look like monarchs, the less likely they are to become a bird’s dinner. Ebright’s project was to see whether, in fact, birds would eat monarchs. He also found that a starling would not eat ordinary bird food. It would eat all the monarchs it could get. This project was placed first in the zoology division and overall third in the county science fair.

Richard Ebright also began the research that led to his discovery of an unknown insect hormone. Indirectly, it also led to his new theory on the life of cells. The question he tried to answer was simple: What is the purpose of the twelve tiny gold spots on a monarch pupa?
Ebright and other science students built a device that showed that the spots were producing a hormone necessary for the butterfly’s full development to find the answer.

This project won Ebright first place in the county fair and entry into the International Science and Engineering Fair. Richard Ebright continued his advanced experiments on the monarch pupa.

‘The Making of a Scientist’ Summary

Brief Introduction: In this lesson, the author has presented the views of a scientist on the scientific world with a new theory.

Article published in the magazine: Richard H. Ebright and his college roommate explained the theory in an article published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science when he was barely twenty-two years of age. He excited the scientific world with a new theory on how cells work. His first experiment started with butterflies.
Fascination for collecting butterflies: Ebright did not play football or basketball. He had fascination only for collecting butterflies. He also collected rocks, fossils and coins.

Mother – a driving force: His mother was a driving force in his career. She also encouraged his interest in learning. She helped him in many ways. She provided him telescopes, microscopes, cameras, mounting materials and also took him on trips. After the death of his father, he was the only ray of hope for her. Every evening at the dining room table she made him leam many things. When he was in the second grade, Ebright had collected twenty-five species of butterflies around his hometown.

The Travels of Monarch X: Ebright’s mother gave him the book The Travels of Monarch X which discussed how monarch butterflies migrate to central America. It also opened the world of science to the young collector. Readers were also invited to help them study butterfly migrations. They were asked to tag butterflies for research by Dr Frederick A. Urquhart of Toronto University. Ebright also attached light adhesive tags to the wings of monarchs. He also made an experiment on female monarch, took her eggs, raised them in his basement through their life cycle. The life cycle was like this:
egg → butterfly → pupa → adult butterfly
His basement was home to thousands of monarchs in different stages of development.

Finding the cause of viral disease: While in eighth grade, Ebright tried to find the cause of a viral disease which killed all monarch caterpillars every few years. According to him, the disease might be carried by a beetle. He was also testing the theory that viceroy butterflies copy monarchs. Ebright’s project was also placed first in the zoology division. In the county science fair, it also stood third.

Continuing his advanced experiments: Richard Ebright continued his advanced experiments on the monarch pupa when he was in his high school junior. He went ahead and grew cells from a monarch’s wing in a culture. It showed that the cells would divide and develop into normal butterfly wing scales only if they were fed the hormone from the gold spots. This project gave him first place for zoology at the International Fair.

Identifying hormone’s chemical structure: Through the sophisticated instruments of laboratory, Ebright identified the chemical structure of the hormone. He also got the idea for his new theory about cell life. He also knew how the cell can read the blueprint of its DNA, the substance in the nucleus of a cell that controls heredity. It also determines the form and function of the cell. DNA is also the blueprint for life.

Extra-curricular activities: Richard Ebright was also interested in other extra-curricular activities. He became a champion debater, public speaker, a good canoeist and an all-around outdoors-person. He had much fascination for photography particularly of nature and scientific exhibits. Richard A. Weiherer was the most important person for him. He opened his mind to new ideas.

Qualities of a scientist: Ebright had all the qualities which a scientist should have. He did not believe in the dictum.
Winning for winning’s sake: He just wanted to be the best. He had a scientific bent of mind. He never lost his scientific curiosity.

Lesson at a Glance

• Richard H. Ebright and his college roommate published the theory on how cells work in an article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.
• Ebright grew up in the north of Reading, Pennsylvania.
• He could not play football or baseball but he could only collect things.
• Ebright collected butterflies in kindergarten. He also collected rocks, fossils and coins.
• He was a curious astronomer who gazed at stars throughout night.
• His mother encouraged his interest in learning.
• She often took him on trips, bought him telescopes, microscopes, cameras, mounting materials and other equipment.
• His father died only when he was in third grade.
• He earned up top grades in school.
• When he was in the second grade, Ebright had collected twenty-five species of butterflies found around his hometown.
• A children’s book, “The Travels of Monarch X’ told how monarch butterflies migrated to Central America and opened the world of science to Ebright.
• Readers were also invited to help study butterfly migration.
• Dr Frederick A. Urquhart of the University of Toronto, Canada told them to tag butterflies for research.
• Around Reading, the butterfly collecting season went on for six weeks.
• Ebright raised a flock of butterflies, caught a female monarch, took her eggs, and raised them in his basement through their life cycle. This cycle ranged from egg to caterpillar to pupa to adult butterfly.
• His basement was home to a number of monarchs in different stages of development.
• In the seventh grade, he got a hint of what real science is.
• He was only concerned with the subject of insects.
• Dr. Urquhart gave Ebright suggestions for experiments which gave him prize in country and international science fairs.
• Ebright tried to find the cause of a viral disease which kills all monarch caterpillars every year.
• The next year his science fair project was testing the theory that viceroy butterflies copy monarchs.
• Ebright found that a starling would not eat ordinary bird food.
• Richard Ebright also led to his discovery of an unknown insect hormone.
• He wanted to know the purpose of the twelve tiny gold spots on a monarch pupa.
• It was the assumption of everyone that the spots were just ornamental.
• To get its answer, Ebright and his colleagues built a device that showed that the spots were producing a hormone that is essential to the full development of the butterfly.
• This experiment gave him a new recognition into the International Science and Engineering Fair.
• When he was in his senior level, he grew cells from a monarch’s wing in a culture. It also showed that the cells would divide and develop into normal butterfly wing scales only if they were fed the hormone from the gold spots. This project won him first place for zoology at the International Fair.
• Ebright also did more work on the hormone from the gold spots.
• Now, he was able to identify the hormone’s chemical structure.
• DNA is the substance in the nucleus of a cell that controls heredity. It determines the form and function of the cell. Thus DNA is the blueprint for life.
• Richard Ebright did his graduation from Harvard with the highest honours.
• Richard Ebright was also a champion debater and public speaker and a good canoeist.
• He was very competitive.
• He was not interested in winning for winning’s sake.
• He just wanted to do the best job he could.
• Ebright had all the qualities of a scientist prevalent in him.

Character Sketch

Richard H. Ebright: Richard H. Ebright was a great scientist and debater. He was really a genius. He created a sensation in the scientific world with a new theory on how cells work. He did his experiments on butterflies. Since childhood, he had the fascination of collecting butterflies. He also did a lot of work on monarch butterflies, the cell and its DNA. It determines the form and function of the cell. It is also the blueprint for life. His mother was a source of inspiration for him.

Dr Urquhart: Dr Urquhart played an instrumental role in Ebright’s life. He taught at the University of Toronto, Canada. He was famous for his work on monarch butterflies. He moulded the career of Ebright with new ideas and suggestions.
Richard A. Weiherer: Richard A. Weiherer taught social studies to Ebright. Ebright respected and admired him most. He turned Ebright’s energy towards the Debating and Model, United Nations clubs. He also played an important role in his life.

‘The Making of a Scientist’ Word-Meanings

Haryana State Board HBSE 10th Class English Solutions Footprints without Feet Chapter 5 Footprints without Feet Textbook Exercise Questions and Answers.

Haryana Board 10th Class English Solutions Footprints without Feet Chapter 5 Footprints without Feet

HBSE 10th Class English Footprints without Feet Textbook Questions and Answers

Think about It

Read and Find Out (Page – 26)

1. How did the invisible man first become visible?
Answer:
Griffin was completely invisible until he happened to step in some mud, which caused him to leave footprints as he walked. His footprints were seen by two boys, who followed him as long as the prints were visible. On getting rid of them, he went into a big London store to put on some warm clothes. After the store was shut, he got dressed by putting on shoes, an overcoat and a wide-brimmed hat. This made him visible to the people who came to work at the store the next day.

2. Why was he wandering into the streets?
Answer:
Griffin was a lawless person. His landlord disliked him and tried to get rid of him. In revenge, he set fire to the house. He had to remove his clothes to get away without being seen. That was why he had become a homeless wanderer – without clothes and money.

Read and Find Out (Page – 28)

1. Why does Mrs Hall find the scientist eccentric?
Answer:
The arrival of a stranger at an inn in winter was in itself a strange occurrence. In addition, the stranger had an uncommon appearance. In spite of Mrs Hall’s attempts to be friendly, he would respond in a cold manner. He told her that he had no desire to talk, and that all he wanted was solitude. He did not wish to be disturbed in his work. For all these reasons she regarded him as an eccentric scientist.

2. What curious episode occurs in the study?
Answer:
A clergyman and his wife were awakened very early in the morning by noises coming from the study. They crept downstairs and heard the chink of money being taken from the clergyman’s desk. With a poker grasped firmly in his hand, the clergyman hoped to surprise the thief. However, it was he who was surprised when he found the room to be empty. He and his wife looked under the desk, behind the curtains, and even up the chimney. There was nobody. Yet the desk had been opened and the housekeeping money was missing. It was a curious episode, and the clergyman kept saying the words “extraordinary affair” for the rest of the day.

3. What other extraordinary things happen at the inn?
Answer:
Apart from the study room incident, many other extraordinary things happened at the inn. When the landlord and his wife saw the scientist’s door open, they entered his room. They saw that the clothes and bandages that he always wore were lying about the room. Suddenly, Mrs Hall heard a sniff close to her ear. A moment later, the hat on the bedpost leapt up and dashed itself into her face. Then, the bedroom chair became alive and charged straight at her. As she and her husband turned away in terror, the chair pushed them out of the room, and then appeared to slam and lock the door after them. Mrs Hall, who almost fell down the stairs in hysterics, was convinced that the room was haunted by spirits, and that these spirits had something to do with the strange scientist.
Griffin was strongly suspected of having a hand in the burglary at the clergyman’s home. When Mrs Hall questioned him on the strange happenings in his room, he threw off his bandages, whiskers, spectacles and false nose. The people were horrified to see a headless man. When the police arrived, he threw off one garment after another, thereby becoming invisible and running away.

Think about It

1. “Griffin was rather a lawless person.” Comment.
Answer:
Griffin was a lawless person. His landlord disliked him and tried to get rid of him. In revenge, he set fire to the house and ran away. He had no money. Therefore, he stole and robbed people after becoming invisible. When he went into the London store, he gave himself the pleasure of clothing. He fed himself regardless of expenses. Later, he went to Drury Lane, which was the centre of the theatre world. He went to a suitable shop and came out wearing bandages round his forehead, dark glasses, false nose, big bushy side-whiskers, and a large hat. He was visible then. To escape without being seen, he callously attacked the shopkeeper from behind, and robbed him of all the money he could find. When he had exhausted all the money he had stolen, he robbed a clergyman. He even attacked the innkeeper and his wife when they tried to sneak into his room. Later, when the police came to arrest him, he threw off his clothes, thereby becoming invisible and running away.

2. How would you assess Griffin as a scientist?
Answer:
After repeated experiments, Griffin had discovered how to make the human body transparent. This was a big achievement. However, he misused his discovery for personal gains and for hurting others. Thus, though he can be termed as a brilliant scientist, he was not a noble one.

Talk about It

1. Would you like to become invisible? What advantages and disadvantages do you foresee, if you did?
Answer:
Do it yourself.

2. Are there forces around us that are invisible, for example, magnetism? Are there aspects of matter that are ‘invisible’ or not visible to the naked eye? What would the world be like if you could see such forces or such aspects of matter?
Answer:
Yes, there are forces which are present around us and are invisible. Like, gravitational force, magnetic force, electromagnetic force, etc.
Yes, there are aspects of matter that are invisible to us. If we could see these invisible forces and aspects, then we would have known some more things about the origin, pattern, propagation and behaviour of the various forces.

3. What makes glass or water transparent (what is the scientific explanation for this)? Do you think it would be scientifically possible for a man to become invisible, or transparent? (Keep in mind that writers of science fiction have often turned out to be prophetic in their imagination!)
Answer:
Glass or water is transparent to our eyes. This is because glass and water don’t absorb most of the light and majority of the photons pass through them.
Glass being an amorphous (not having a crystalline structure) will not reflect light and there is not enough energy in the photons to excite the electrons of the atoms to move them to a different energy level. So the light passes unabsorbed through the glass making it transparent.
Water will behave the same way for the same reason. This only happens in the visible region (380-700 nm). Scientifically it is possible for a man to become invisible, in the coming years. The vision is shown in the movies.

HBSE 10th Class English Footprints without Feet Important Questions and Answers

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
What made Mrs Hall angry with Griffin?
Answer:
In the hotel room, Griffin had attacked Mr and Mrs Hall and even hurled a chair on Mrs Hall. Moreover, he had not paid the rent for a long time. This made Mrs Hall angry.

Question 2.
What did Griffin do in the clergyman’s house?
Answer:
After living for a considerable amount of time at the hotel in Iping, Griffin ran out of money. He decided to steal it from the clergyman’s house. He entered the house invisibly and stole money from the desk.

Question 3.
Why did Griffin decide to slip into a big London store? [CBSE2011]
Answer:
Griffin decided to slip into a big London store, because the season was mid-winter, due to
which it became difficult to wander around without clothes in London.

Question 4.
What did Griffin do in the shop of a theatrical company? [CBSE2012]
Answer:
The second time Griffin tried the stock of a theatrical company in the hope of finding not
only clothes but also something like side whiskers, glasses, false nose, bandages, hat, etc. that would hide the empty space above his shoulders.

Question 5.
What happened to Jaffers when he tried to catch the invisible scientist?
Answer:
When constable Jaffers tried to catch Griffin, he became invisible by removing his clothes.
Jaffers found himself struggling with someone who couldn’t be seen. He was hit by blows and soon was knocked unconscious by Griffin.

Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
Why did Mrs Hall, the landlady at Iping inn at first try to be friendly with Griffin?
Answer:
It was not usual for visitors to come to Iping in winters. So, when Mrs Hall noticed that a
visitor, Griffin, had come to stay there and moreover he had paid the rent in advance, she was obliged to welcome him and therefore tried to be friendly with him. She also excused Griffin’s irritable habits.

Question 2.
Why were the two boys in London surprised and fascinated?
Answer:
The two boys in London were surprised and fascinated when they saw fresh muddy footprints of a human being on the steps of a house, but no man was there making them. As they looked, a fresh footprint appeared from nowhere. Further, more footprints followed. The boys got fascinated and followed them until they disappeared.

Question 3.
How was Griffin a lawless man?
Answer:
Griffin was lawless because he had committed many anti-social deeds for which he never felt guilty. He set fire to his landlord’s house and ran away, he stole foodstuffs and clothes from a London store, stole other goods from a theatrical company and also stole money from a clergyman’s house to pay his bills.

Question 4.
How did Griffin find himself invisible but naked in the chilled January air for the second time?
Answer:
When the London store opened in the morning, Griffin panicked as he had overslept in the store and he was chased by store assistants. He had to take off his newly found clothes to become invisible and escape, so he found himself invisible but naked in the chilled January air for the second time.

Question 5.
What did the Halls see in the scientist’s room? [CBSE2013]
Answer:
As the door of the room was open and nobody appeared to be inside, the Halls entered the scientist’s room. They saw that the bedclothes were cold, showing that the scientist must have been up for some time; and stranger still, the clothes and bandages that he always wore were lying about the room.

Question 6.
How did the visible man become invisible? What did he do then? [CBSE 2014]
Answer:
The invisible man got angry with Mrs Hall for asking an explanation for the mysterious happenings and threw off all he was wearing on his head so that he became a man without a head. Soon the constable Jaffers arrived to arrest him, but the invisible man threw off all his clothes to become invisible and, in the ensuing scuffle he knocked Jaffers unconscious and escaped.

Question 7.
What was the explanation of ‘mystery’ as discussed in the lesson Footprints Without Feet?
Answer:
The two boys followed muddy footprints, being made fresh without seeing anybody making the prints, which was a ‘mystery’ for them. The explanation was that the bewildered boys had been following a scientist who had just discovered how to make the human body transparent, and thus invisible, by swallowing certain drugs.

Essay Type Questions

Question 1.
Why did Griffin set fire to his landlord’s house? What happened after that?
Answer:
Griffin was a genius but eccentric scientist. He made a number of experiments. He also discovered how to make human body transparent and invisible. He also misused his scientific knowledge to settle his personal gain. He was also a lawless person. Griffin’s landlord did not like him. So, he wanted to eject him. He was very furious. So, he decided to take revenge. In retaliation, he set the house of the landlord on fire. After setting the house on fire, to avoid arrest he had to remove his clothes. He removed his clothes and became invisible. But, he had to face the consequences for all the things which he had committed. Now, he was without clothes, money etc. He had now become a homeless wanderer. He also entered the London store to warm himself with clothes and also to feed himself.

Question 2.
Griffin was not a true scientist as he misused his scientific discovery. Illustrate this point by giving two incidents from the story.
Answer:
A true scientist is a law-abiding person. A scientist is also called a ‘natural philosopher’. Griffin was not a true scientist as he did not use his discovery of how to make himself invisible for good uses. He lost control of himself and behaved like a criminal. First, he set fire to his landlord’s house and ran away. Then he stole food without paying for it in a London store. Besides, he robbed the owner of a theatrical company and stole money from a clergyman’s desk. All the incidences show that Griffin was not a true scientist. He did nothing that could give a new dimension to the world. He was a genius. But he did not apply his intelligence in the discovery of new things. This way he did nothing for the society.

Question 3.
Describe the landlord’s and his wife’s experience with the strange scientist.
Answer:
Both Mrs Hall and her husband were surprised to find the scientist’s room door open because normally it was always locked. So they peeped in, but found nobody inside there. The clothes and bandages that he always wore were lying about the room. Suddenly Mrs Hall heard a sniff close to her ear and the hat on the bedpost leapt up and dashed itself into her face. Then the bedroom chair sprang into the air and pushed them both out of the room and then appeared to slam and lock the door after them. Mrs Hall became hysterical and almost fell down the stairs. She thought that her furniture was haunted. They decided to confront the scientist next time when they met him.

Question 4.
What impression do you form of Griffin after reading the lesson, “Footprints Without Feet”?
Answer:
Griffin was a brilliant but eccentric scientist, as he discovered a drug due to which his body became as transparent as a sheet of glass after swallowing it. This made him invisible. But he was a lawless person. Because of his misdeeds, he became a homeless wanderer without clothes and money. He was an introvert with a desire for solitude. He was always seeking adventure. He was also fond of mysterious things. However, he was unscrupulous, he robbed various people to complete his work, besides he got angry very quickly, which caused him to become a fugitive. After reading the lesson, we come to the conclusion that Griffin was not a scientist in the real sense of the term. Had he been a true scientist, he would have given something new to the society through his inventions. He would not have committed such type of silly mistakes.

Question 5.
If, somehow you discovered how to become invisible, how would you use that opportunity?
Answer:
If I discovered how to become invisible, I would use this opportunity to punish all those people who cause trouble to others for their own selfish motives. I would catch them and hand them over to the police without letting them know that I was behind them. I will also help the law-enforcing agencies when they conduct raids on criminal hideouts, as I will be able to move in the open without fear of being seen. This will help the people of the country to become more law-abiding citizens.

Footprints without Feet Summary

‘Footprints without Feet’ Introduction

About the Author

• H.G. Wells was a writer of science-fiction works – including The Time Machine and War of the Worlds – who had a great influence on our vision of the future.
• H.G. Wells was bom in England in 1866. His parents were shopkeepers in Kent, England. His first novel, The Time Machine was an instant success and Wells produced a series of science fiction novels which pioneered our ideas of the future. His later work focused on satire and social criticism. Wells laid out his socialist views of human history in his Outline of History. He died in 1946.

Gist of the Story

This story is about a scientist, Griffin, who discovers a drug which makes a person invisible. He uses that drug for his personal gains. He was a brilliant but lawless scientist. He consumed the drug and a series of incidents ensued. Upon ejected by the landlord, he burned his house down. Then he became a wanderer with no clothes, money and home. It was mid-November and the winter was getting on its peak. To get rid of the cold, he stayed at a store where he was chased by the store assistants but he used his invisibility and got away. After this, he stole some items from a theatrical shop and went to Iping, a village where he took refuge in a hotel room. He convinced the landlord not to disturb him as he was there to feel a sense of solitary. As he ran out of money, he stole again from a clergyman’s house and scared the landlord and his husband with a show of his invisibility and short-temper. After reporting the incidence of theft at clergyman’s house to the police, a constable arrives at the hotel to arrest the invisible scientist but a scuffle takes place between the two and the scientist removes all his clothes to go unnoticed by the constable and the people. Thus he fled again.

‘Footprints without Feet’ Summary

Brief Introduction: Griffin was a great but eccentric scientist. He was a lawless person. He used to become invisible.

Muddy imprints of bare feet: There were two boys who were much surprised to see the muddy imprints of a pair of bare feet on the steps of a house in London. The boys got fascinated towards the muddy impressions but they became fainter and later on disappeared.

Obscurity of imprints: The obscurity of imprints was very simple. The bewildered boys had been following a scientist who had just discovered how to make the human body transparent.

Griffin-an eccentric scientist: Griffin was an eccentric scientist. He did numerous experiments to prove that human body too could become invisible. He galloped certain rare drugs and his body became as transparent as a sheet of glass. He was a lawless person also. His landlord disliked him. So, he set his house on fire in revenge.

Griffin-a homeless wanderer: After burning the house down, Griffin became a homeless wanderer. He had neither money nor clothes. If he wanted himself to be unseen by the people, he had to remove all his clothes.

Entry into a big store: In the mid-winter, the air was bitterly cold. It was not possible to live without clothes. Instead of walking around the streets, he decided to enter into a big London store for warmth. Griffin broke open boxes and wrappers. He fitted out himself with warm clothes. He wore shoes, an overcoat and a hat. Now, he became a fully dressed and visible person. He also took cold meat and coffee and also sweets and wine. Lastly, he slept on a pile of quilts. He did not get up until the assistants of the shop arrived next morning. When they started chasing him, he tried to escape and also became invisible quickly taking off his clothes. He became naked in chilled January once again.

Entry into Iping village: Griffin came out of the crowded London and took a train to the village Iping. He booked two rooms at the local inn. The entry of a stranger in the village was really an unusual event. The owner’s wife, Mrs Hall wanted to be friendly with him. But he was not interested in doing so. He wanted to live in solitude. She was paid in advance. So, she was prepared to excuse his strange habits and irritable temper. But the stolen money did not last long. Now, he was expecting his new cheque.

Curious episode occurred: All of a sudden, the curious episode occurred. In the early morning, a clergyman and his wife heard the chink of money being taken from the clergyman’s desk. Without making a noise, the clergyman opened the door. But to his utter surprise, he realised that the room was empty. They looked into the entire room but there was not a sign of anybody. The desk had been opened and the housekeeping money was missing.

A unique behaviour: The landlord and his wife were surprised to see the scientist’s door open. His door always remained shut. He even got irritated when someone entered his room. They looked out of the window but saw none. Suddenly Mrs Hall heard a sniff close to her ear. Within a moment, the hat on the bedpost leapt up and dashed itself into her face. The bedroom chair became alive. They were pushed out of the room. The door was slammed and locked after them. Suddenly Mrs Hall fell down the stairs in frenzy. She was convinced that the room was haunted by spirits. It was the thinking of people that the trouble was caused by witchcraft. When the news of the burglary at the clergyman’s house came into light, it was suspected that there was the hand of Griffin behind it. This suspicion even became stronger when he produced some ready cash.

The village constable arrives: The village constable arrived at the spot. Instead of waiting for the constable, Mrs Hall went to the scientist, who had somehow appeared mysteriously from his bedroom. The scientist became furious and threw off bandages, whiskers, spectacles, nose, etc.

Jaffers totally surprised: The village constable, Mr Jaffers was quite surprised to find that he had to arrest the man who was without head. But he had to do his duty. In the meanwhile, there occurred a new scene. The policeman who was trying to get hold of the man was becoming more and more invisible. He threw off one cloth after another. Ultimately, a shirt flew into the air. The policeman was struggling within himself. The people who tried to help him were hit by blows that came from nowhere. Ultimately, Jaffers got unconscious while he was making an attempt to hold on to the unseen scientist. Now Griffin was invisible and free.

Lesson at a Glance

• There were two boys who were surprised to see the muddy imprints of a pair of bare feet.
• The boys were fascinated to see the impressions until they became fainter and later disappeared.
• They were following the scientist who had just discovered how to make the human body transparent.
• Griffin, who was a great scientist, carried out a lot of experiments to prove that the human body could become invisible.
• In spite of being great, he was rather a lawless person.
• His landlord did not like him. So, Griffin set fire to the house in revenge.
• To become invisible, he had to remove his clothes.
• He became a homeless wanderer without clothes, money etc.
• He easily escaped enough from the boys who followed his footprints in London.
• In the mid-winter and bitterly cold season, Griffin could not live without clothes.
• Instead of wandering into the streets, he decided to slip into a big London store for warmth.
• So, Griffin entered the store and took the pleasure of clothing and feeding himself without any expenses.
• He broke open boxes and wrappers and also wore warm clothes.
• In no time, he became a fully dressed and visible person.
• He also enjoyed cold meat and coffee with sweets and wine. He slept on a pile of quilts.
• Next morning, the employees came and saw him dressed.
• When they approached Griffin, he panicked and started running.
• The employees started chasing him and he escaped only by taking-off his newly found clothes.
• Once more he became invisible but naked in January.
• He came to Drury Lane and wore bandages round his forehead, false nose, big bushy side- whiskers and a large hat.
• Leaving London, he reached the village of Iping and booked two rooms at the local inn.
• The landlord’s wife, Mrs Hall wanted to be friendly with Mr. Griffin but he did not show his inclination towards it.
• Mr. Griffin told her that he only wanted to live in solitude.
• Griffin was an eccentric scientist. So Mrs Hall excused his strange habits and irritable temper.
• Griffin had no cash. So, he burgled a clergyman’s house to get it.
• When the clergyman and his wife looked under the desk, money was missing.
• One day the landlord and his wife were surprised to see the scientist’s door wide open. It was usually kept shut and locked.
• When they came to the stranger’s room, they found that his hat was hitting into Mrs Hall’s face.
• Mrs Hall was now fully convinced that the room was haunted by spirits.
• All the people suspected that there was the hand of the scientist behind the burglary in the clergyman’s house.
• Suspicion grew even stronger when he produced some ready cash.
• The constable was called for when Mrs Hall went to the scientist’s room. He suddenly appeared from his empty bedroom.
• Mrs Hall asked Mr Griffin how he had entered the locked room.
• He was quick-tempered. So, he became furious.
• Griffin threw off bandages, whiskers, spectacles and even nose.
• When the constable Mr Jaffers arrived, he was quite surprised to see that the man whom he had to arrest was a headless man.
• As the policeman was trying to get hold of a man, he was becoming more and more invisible. He was throwing off one garment after another.
• Jaffers and the men who came to help him were hit by blows from nowhere.
• Ultimately, Jaffers was knocked unconscious when he made a last attempt to hold on to the invisible scientist.
• Now Griffin had shaken himself free and no one knew where to lay hands on him.

Character Sketch

Griffin: Griffin is the main character of the story. The entire story revolves around him. Griffin was a brilliant but eccentric scientist. He made one experiment after other. He discovered that the human body could become invisible and transparent. But he misused his discovery. Griffin even committed theft and burglaries. He was a lawless person. His invisibility was possible only when he did not wear any clothes. The burglary committed in the clergyman’s house was really a shameful act to the people like Griffin. All these things brought infamy to him.

Mrs Hall: Mrs Hall was the wife of the house owner at Iping. She was happy to see the guest in her house in the lean period. Griffin had paid her in advance. That was why she excused his strange habits and irritable behaviour. The strange behaviour of furniture in her room made her convince that the room was haunted by spirits.

Jaffers: Jaffers was the village constable. He was very particular to his duty. He was called in at the time when the stranger made uproar and chaos. But there was an undaunting task before him. He was called to arrest such a person who was without head. He made each and every attempt to catch the burglar but of no avail. Ultimately, Jaffers was knocked down unconscious.

‘Footprints without Feet’ Word-Meanings

Haryana State Board HBSE 10th Class English Solutions Footprints without Feet Chapter 2 The Thief’s Story Textbook Exercise Questions and Answers.

Haryana Board 10th Class English Solutions Footprints without Feet Chapter 2 The Thief’s Story

HBSE 10th Class English The Thief’s Story Textbook Questions and Answers

Think about It

Read and Find Out (Page – 8)

1. Who does ‘I’ refer to in this story?
Answer:
In this story, ‘I’ refers to the thief.

2. What is he “a fairly successful hand” at?
Answer:
He is “a fairly successful hand” at stealing and robbing people.

3. What does he get from Anil in return for his work?
Answer:
When Hari Singh asked Anil if he could work for him, Anil said that he could not pay him. Finally, the agreement was that if he would cook, then Anil would feed him. However, Anil soon found out that he did not know how to cook. Therefore, he taught him how to cook and later on how to write his name. He promised that he would teach him how to write whole sentences and how to add numbers. Apart from this, when Hari Singh went out to buy the day’s supplies, he would make a profit of a rupee a day.

Read and Find Out (Page -10)

Question 1.
How does the thief think Anil will react to the theft?
Answer:
The thief thought that on discovering the theft, Anil’s face would show a touch of sadness. The sadness would not be for the loss of money, but for the loss of trust.

2. What does he say about the different reactions of people when they are robbed?
Answer:
As a thief, he had leamt how to make a study of men’s faces when they lost their goods. He
said that the greedy men showed fear; the rich men showed anger and the poor men showed acceptance.

3. Does Anil realise that he has been robbed?
Answer:
Yes, Anil had realized that he had been robbed. He knew this probably because all the notes were wet and damp from the rain. However, he did not say anything to the thief and behaved normally.

Think about It

1. What are Hari Singh’s reactions to the prospect of receiving an education? Do they change over time? (Hint: Compare, for example, the thought: “I knew that once I could write like an educated man there would be no limit to what I could achieve” with these later thoughts: “Whole sentences, I knew, could one day bring me more than a few hundred rupees. It was a simple matter to steal – and sometimes just as simple to be caught. But to be a really big man, a clever and respected man, was something else.”) What makes him return to Anil?
Answer:
Initially, when Anil offered to educate him, he thought of it as a bright prospect for himself. He knew that once he could write such as an educated man, there would be no limit to what he could achieve in his field. For him, the motivation behind getting educated was robbing people. However, later, when he had stolen Anil’s money and then missed his train in which he would have escaped, he realized that he had completely forgotten about the whole sentences that Anil had promised to teach him to write. He thought about getting educated in a different light. He thought that it was a simple matter to steal and be caught, but to be a really big, clever and respected man was something else. He was inspired by the trusting and simple nature of Anil. This motivation to earn someone’s trust and be respectable made him return to Anil.

2. Why does not Anil hand the thief over to the police? Do you think most people would have done so? In what ways is Anil different from such employers?
Answer:
Anil does not hand over the thief to the police because he realized that Hari Singh had learnt his lesson and had changed for the better. Otherwise, he would never have come back and kept the money at the same place from where he had stolen it. Anil even knew how Hari Singh cheated him of a rupee a day while buying the day’s supplies. But he never said anything to him. This is such a case where most people would have handed him over to the police. Anil was different from such employers because he was a modest and trusted man. He had offered to teach Hari how to cook and also to educate him. When he found out that Hari Singh had stolen the money, but had kept it back, he knew that it was Hari’s conscience that had made him do so. He could have easily run off with the money, but he did not. This made Anil give him another chance and build him into a better person that he could already see him becoming.

Talk about It

1. Do you think people like Anil and Hari Singh are found only in fiction, or are there such people in real life?
Answer:
Yes, people like Anil and Hari Singh are found in real life. They are not merely characters of fiction. The persons like Anil who is humble, helpful, responsible and caring do exist in reality. Anil helped Hari Singh by allowing him to stay and feed at his abode. He taught him how to read and write, which shows him as a responsible person.

Contrary to it, Hari Singh was a thief initially. He was only interested in robbing people and had only goal, to steal.
It is reflected in the way of his thinking when he perceives the ability of reading and writing as an enhancement to his stealing skills. But later, his heart changes for good and he perceives education as a way of living a decent life. People like Hari Singh also exist who were bad at first but as life unfolds, they become good humans.

2. Do you think it a significant detail in the story that Anil is a struggling writer? Does this explain his behaviour in any way?
Answer:
Yes, this detail of Anil being a struggling writer is a significant detail. Being a struggling writer, he used to earn on some days only. This detail explains his behaviour of being tenacious and not to opt for shortcuts and wrong ways of getting money. Despite getting money intermittently, he didn’t plan any conspiracy of stealing. Rather he taught Hari Singh how to read and write.

3. Have you met anyone like Hari Singh? Can you think and imagine the circumstances that can turn a fifteen-year-old boy into a thief?
Answer:
Do it yourself.

4. Where is the story set? (You can get clues from the names of the persons and places mentioned in it.) Which language or languages are spoken in these places? Do you think the characters in the story spoke to each other in English?
Answer:
The story is set in slum area of one of Uttar Pradesh’s cities. In Uttar Pradesh, Hindi language is spoken and the characters in the story were talking in Hindi only. It can be referred from the instance of Hari Singh, since he was illiterate and couldn’t speak English. Words like maidan, bazaar show that the language they used was Hindi.

HBSE 10th Class English The Thief’s Story Important Questions and Answers

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
Why did Hari Singh not have many friends?
Answer:
In Hari Singh’s opinion, friends were more troubles than help. Moreover, he did not intend to make anyone curious about him.

Question 2.
Why did Anil hire Hari Singh?
Answer:
Hari Singh showed his desire to work for Anil but he was not in a position to pay him. Hari Singh asked if he could feed him. Then Anil replied if he knew how to cook then he might work for him.

Question 3.
What did Anil do to earn his living?
Answer:
Anil was a writer. He used to write for the magazines to earn his living. He had no regular source of income.

Question 4.
Why, according to Hari Singh, was it difficult to rob a careless man?
Answer:
According to Hari Singh it was an easy job to rob a greedy man as he could afford to be robbed. But it was difficult to rob a careless man because he would hardly notice that he had been robbed and that would take all the pleasure out of stealing.

Question 5.
Why did Hari Singh approach Anil?
Answer:
Hari Singh was a thief who had not much luck in his work recently. So he approached Anil with the intention of robbing him, as he seemed to be an easygoing and simple man. According to Hari Singh winning Anil’s confidence was an easy task.

Question 6.
‘Anil walked away. I followed casually’. Why do you think the narrator followed Anil?
Answer:
The narrator’s purpose of robbing Anil had not yet been served. He followed Anil to gain his
trust and look for an opportunity that may help him give shape to his plans.

Question 7.
Did Hari like working for Anil? Give reasons in support of your answer.
Answer:
Yes, Hari liked working for Anil. He was happy to carry on the chores for him and was grateful for the education he was getting. He used to make profit of about a rupee a day as well, which was a decent amount besides being fed.

Question 8.
How do you think Anil may have come to know about the theft?
Answer:
Anil may have come to know about the theft because of the dampness of the notes drenched in rain. He was a kind but wise man. It wouldn’t have been difficult for Anil to make out the series of events that would have taken place in the night.

Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
Why did Hari Singh tell a lie to Anil about his cooking?
Answer:
Hari Singh wanted to go along with Anil as he had evil plan of robbing him in his mind. In order to execute his plan, he was looking for an opportunity to stay with him, so Hari Singh asked if he could feed him. Before answering to his question, Anil asked if he could cook. As Hari Singh did not know how to cook even then he said that he knew it. He saw himself of losing out on an opportunity for manifesting his plans into reality. To keep his plans in place and not losing contact with Anil, Hari lied about his cooking.

Question 2.
Regarding which context did Hari Singh feel grateful? Why?
Answer:
After cooking terribly, Anil told Hari Singh that he would teach him cooking food. He taught him to write his name and promised to teach him to write whole sentences and to add numbers. In this context, Hari Singh felt grateful as he knew that once he could write like an educated man, there would be no limit to what he could achieve.

Question 3.
Was Hari Singh successful in robbing Anil? Was Anil the only one who was robbed or did Hari Singh also rob himself of something?
Answer:
Yes, Hari Singh was successful in robbing Anil. But Anil was not the only one who was robbed at that time. Hari had robbed himself as well. He had lost the chance of receiving education and being literate. He had robbed Anil monetarily but he had robbed himself of the chance for a better and brighter future, which was much more valuable.

Question 4.
What did Anil and Hari Singh agree upon to be the mode of payment?
Answer:
When Anil stated his inability to pay Hari Singh he questioned Hari if he could feed him. Herealised that he had misjudged his target and moulded the situation for his benefit. Anil then agreed to feed him if he knew how to cook.

Question 5.
What made Hari Singh go back to Anil’s house?
Answer:
Hari Singh realised the importance of education he was getting from Anil. He knew that learning how to read and write and being a literate person would open doors to many opportunities. He was sure that he would then be able to earn more than a few hundred rupees he had in hand at that time. This made him go back to Anil.

Question 6.
What incidents took place on the night of the theft?
Answer;
The night of robbery was quite eventful for Hari Singh. After stealing Anil’s money and leaving his house, Hari Singh went to the railway station but didn’t board the Lucknow Express. He walked slowly through the bazaar as he did not know anyone who would provide him shelter except Anil, for he didn’t have any friends. He was forced to take shelter under the clock tower later when it started raining heavily. That is where he realised the importance of education and decided to go back to Anil.

Question 7.
How was the morning after the night of the theft?
Answer:
The morning after the night of the theft was just like a normal one. Hari Singh woke up late and Anil had made tea by then. Anil gave a fifty rupee note to Hari Singh and told him that he would then be paid regularly. He was aware that Anil knew about the theft but he didn’t show anything.

Question 8.
Had Anil really forgiven Hari Singh? Support your answer with evidence.
Answer:
Yes, Anil had forgiven Hari Singh. It is evident because Anil handed over to Hari Singh a fifty rupee note as soon as he woke up. Though he knew that Hari Singh had robbed the money at the first instance but his subsequent actions gave him hope of change in his character.

Essay Type Questions

Question 1.
‘He was the most trusted person I had ever met.’ Elucidate it with reference to the lesson.
Answer:
After talking to Anil, Hari Singh comprehended Anil’s nature quite well. Even after knowing about telling lie of cooking, Anil allowed him to work for him and also taught him how to cook. Hari Singh knew every subtle trick of his stealing job. He made one rupee every time he bought the day’s supplies. Though Anil knew about it, he did not mind it at all. He had, in fact, given one of his keys to Hari Singh. This made him think about Anil that he was the most trusted person and it became quite difficult for him to rob a trusting and careless person. Notwithstanding all these kinds of situations, Hari Singh stole the money from Anil one night. Anil also knew about the theft but didn’t show that he saw Hari Singh placing the money back under the mattress.
Trust begets trust. Finally, Hari Singh realised that the only person who could help him was the man whom he had robbed. Naturally, Anil was the most trusted person Hari had ever come across. Later he also rewarded Hari Singh by giving him a fifty-rupee-note and promising to pay him regularly.

Question 2.
‘Money can’t make a man as much as education can! Elucidate the statement.
Answer:
The statement stands true in almost all the aspects of life. Money may buy us all the luxuries and fulfil our needs but it cannot buy us knowledge, civilised thinking, skills and abilities to achieve our dreams. Education lays the platform for all to act upon our goals according to our abilities. It enables us to keep up with the fast moving world. It opens the door to opportunities we do not know even exist. Money, on the other hand, can assist us to a certain level. It can buy us a plan but education gives us the knowledge of its execution. Just as in the story ‘A Thief’s Story’, Hari Singh prioritised the chance of being literate over a few hundred rupees, we must understand that education can help us to achieve whatever we desire.

Question 3.
Hari Singh didn’t board the Lucknow Express and returned to Anil. Why did he return? On what values does this incidence put light on?
Answer:
Hari Singh was a thief and he had stolen Anil’s money. After the theft, he realised that he had robbed not only Anil but also himself of the chance of being literate and having a bright future. His conscience pricked him to think what all he could have got had he not done this. It was difficult for him to rob Anil but it was tougher for him not to back. He realised that he could not make tea, buy daily supplies and learn how to read and write then. His inner self did not agree to bypass this and forced him to return.
Hari Singh return to Anil shows that despite indulging in criminal acts, he still had a practical and positive attitude towards life. It is the awakening of his conscience and Anil’s love and care that reformed Hari Singh’s character. It teaches us that love alone can change a person. Anil’s understanding nature and care changed Hari Singh’s thinking to mend his ways for good.

The Thief’s Story Summary

‘The Thief’s Story’ Introduction

About the Author

• Ruskin Bond is an award winning Indian author of British descent, much renowned for his role in promoting children’s literature in India.
• A prolific writer, he has written over 500 short stories, essays and novels. His popular novel ‘The Blue Umbrella’ was made into a Hindi film of the same name which was awarded the National Film Award for Best Children’s Film, in 2005.
• He is also the author of more than 50 books for children and two volumes of autobiography.
• Bom as the son of a British couple when India was under the colonial mle, he spent his early childhood in Jamnagar and Shimla.
• His childhood was marred by his parents’ separation and his father’s death.
• He sought solace in reading and writing, and wrote one of his first short stories at the age of 16.
• He then moved to the U.K. in search of better prospects, but returned to India after some years.
• He earned his living by freelancing as a young man, writing short stories and poems for newspapers and magazines.
• He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1999 and Padma Bhushan in 2014.

Gist of the Story

Anil, a young writer used to write for the magazines to earn money. One day Anil was watching a wrestling match and Hari Singh knew it well how to befriend an unknown person. He used his own formula of flattering the person. Thus, he befriended Anil and started living with him. Anil taught him how to cook tasty food and how to write and add numbers. Hari Singh would buy daily needs and have profit of one rupee daily. Anil knew it but he did not mind it.
One day he saw Anil putting a bundle of notes under the mattress. He decided to rob Anil that night. After taking dinner Anil slept peacefully. Hari crept to the bed and slipped his hand under the mattress. He found the notes and ran away on the road. He also made up his mind that he would directly go to the railway station and would catch the Lucknow Express.
As he reached the railway station, good sense prevailed in him. The inner voice told him not to betray Anil. The train was moving but Hari did not dare to catch it. He thought that Anil would not worry about the money but he might feel bad that the man had broken his trust. He did not want to lose trust of Anil. He felt more uncomfortable as he had cheated an innocent person.

Then he went to the Clock Tower to save himself from the rain. He found that all the notes were wet. He crept again and secretly put back the money under the mattress. The next day Anil woke up and handed over fifty rupee note to Hari and told him that he would be regularly paid now. Hari took the note and found that it was still wet. He understood that Anil knew about the last night episode.

‘The Thief’s Story’ Summary

Anil’s meeting with Hari Singh: Hari who was only 15 years old met Anil. He was watching a wrestling match when Hari approached him. Anil was a tall, lean fellow of 25 years. He looked easy¬going, kind and simple enough for his purpose. Hari Singh wanted to take Anil into his confidence. To avoid arrest from the police, he changed his name frequently. This time he introduced himself as Hari Singh.

Hari Singh wanted to work for Anil: Hari Singh wanted to do work for Anil. But Anil was not in a condition to pay him in lieu of his service. Anil asked him if he could cook. Hari Singh lied that he knew how to cook. But the food that he cooked that night was really terrible. That was why Anil gave all food to the stray dog. He also taught Hari Singh how to write his name, to add numbers and write whole sentences.

Working for Anil, a better experience: It was really a pleasant experience for Hari Singh to work for Anil. He made tea in the morning and bought the day’s supplies. It fetched him a profit of about a rupee per day. This way he made little money.

No regular source of income: Anil had no regular source of income. He wrote for magazines only. He borrowed for one week and lent the next. He always remained worried for his next cheque.

Anil’s money was stolen: One day Anil had sold out a book to a publisher. So he came out with a small bundle of notes. He put it under the mattress. Hari Singh had the experience of cheating on the shopping. The key of the door was also with him. All things were left on him. He was the most trusted person of Anil. According to him, it was difficult to rob a careless man like Anil. When Anil was sleeping, he took the money and quickly wandered out of the room. After coming out of the room, he walked slowly and counted the notes of 600 rupees in fifties. This way, he could live like an oil-rich Arab for a week or two.

Good sense prevailed: When Hari Singh was about to jump into one of the compartments of the Lucknow Express, he hesitated a little bit and left the train.

Hari Singh alone in this world: Hari Singh was now alone in this world. He had no friends. The only person whom he knew really well was the man whom he had robbed. He left the railway station.

Study of different faces: Within his short span of career as a thief, he had learnt how to make study of men’s faces. The greedy man showed fear, the rich man showed anger and the poor man showed acceptance. But, in this case, it was not for the loss of money but for the loss of trust.

Hari Singh returned to Anil’s house: Hari Singh returned to Anil’s house with his money. It had got wet due to the rain last night. He had forgotten about education in the name of theft. He opened the door quietly and put the notes under the mattress. When Hari Singh met Anil the next morning, he gave him a fifty-rupee note and even explained that he would be paid regularly.

Anil did not say anything: Anil told Hari Singh that now they would start writing sentences. He knew all the things but neither his lips nor his eyes showed anything.

Lesson at a Glance

• A boy named Hari Singh met Anil.
• Although he was 15 years old, he was very experienced and had fairly successful hand.
• Anil was a tall, lean fellow. He was 25 years of age.
• Anil was watching a wrestling match when Hari Singh approached him.
• After the introduction, Anil talked about the famous wrestlers.
• Hari Singh wanted to work for Anil. But he was not in a position to pay him.
• Anil asked if he could cook for him.
• Hari Singh was taken over the Jumna Sweet Shop where he was told to sleep on the balcony.
• The meal that Hari Singh had cooked that night was very terrible. So, Anil gave it to a stray dog.
• Later on, Anil told him not to get worried and he would teach him how to cook.
• Anil also taught Hari Singh how to read and write, make whole sentences and to add numbers.
• Hari Singh was working pleasantly for Anil.
• He would also take time buying the day’s supplies and made a profit of about a rupee a day.
• One evening, Anil came out with a small bundle of notes. He told that he had just sold a book to a publisher. He kept his money under the mattress.
• Hari Singh was working for Anil for almost a month. He had the only experience of cheating on the shopping.
• Anil had given him a key to the door. So he could come and go frequently; whenever he liked.
• Anil was the most trusted person for Hari Singh.
• It is easy to rob a greedy man but difficult to rob a careless man.
• While Anil was sleeping, he took out the money and quickly crawled out of the room.
• After coming out on the road, he started running. He counted the notes. There were 600 rupees in fifties.
• Hari Singh thought that he could live like a rich Arabian for a week or two.
• After reaching at the platform, he just wanted to board the Lucknow Express. It was just to pick up the momentum. Hari Singh wanted to jump into one of the compartments but he hesitated due to some reason.
• He had no friends. He believed that friends were more trouble than help.
• Hari Singh thought that the only person whom he knew really well was the man he had robbed.
• Hari Singh had done the study of men’s faces very minutely. According to his observation, the rich man showed anger, the poor man showed acceptance, but Anil’s face showed only sadness.
• This sort of sadness was not for the loss of money but for the loss of trust.
• In the excitement of theft, Hari Singh had forgotten about all the things which Anil had made accessible to him.
• Hari Singh thought that he should go back to Anil.
• He went back to the room and put the wet notes under the mattress from where he had stolen it.
• Next morning, Anil stretched out his hand towards him and kept a fifty-rupee note between his fingers.
• Anil told that now he would pay him regularly.
• In fact, Anil knew everything about the theft but didn’t show or tell anything about it.

Character Sketch

Anil: Anil is the main character of the story. He is a very kind, noble and generous man. He loves wrestling very much so he watches it. He is not economically sound. So, he cannot employ Hari Singh as a cook. Later, he not only teaches Hari how to cook, but also how to read, write and add numbers. Anil is quite acquainted with the fact that Hari Singh steals money but he ignores such thing. Anil writes for magazines and earns money. Although he earns money by hard means, he keeps them under the mattress. Moreover, when Hari Singh tried to steal money, Anil did not pay heed to it. He even told Hari Singh that now he would be paid regularly. Anil knew everything but did not say anything to him.

Hari Singh: The real name of the narrator of the story is not Hari Singh. He frequently changed his name. To escape from the arrest of police, he changed his name to Hari Singh. He goes to Anil for some work. He has no capacity to pay him. He even teaches Hari Singh how to cook food and also how to read, write and add. He even steals a little money from the groceries of Anil daily. Hari Singh even takes the money of Anil which he keeps under the mattress. Hari makes up his mind to steal the money and goes to the station to board the Lucknow Express. But good sense prevails and he returns to Anil with his money. This way, he keeps the door of friendship open.

‘The Thief’s Story’ Word-Meanings

Haryana State Board HBSE 10th Class English Solutions Footprints without Feet Chapter 1 A Triumph of Surgery Textbook Exercise Questions and Answers.

Haryana Board 10th Class English Solutions Footprints without Feet Chapter 1 A Triumph of Surgery

HBSE 10th Class English A Triumph of Surgery Textbook Questions and Answers

Think about It

Read and Find Out (Page -1)

1. Why is Mrs Pumphrey worried about Tricki?
Answer:
Mrs Pumphrey was worried and distraught because Tricki would not eat anything. It even refused its favourite dishes. It had bouts of vomiting. It spent all its time lying on the rug and panting. It did not want to go for walks or do anything.

2. What does she do to help him? Is she wise in this?
Answer:
She called the doctor to help Tricki. Yes, her decision was wise. The doctor suggested that Tricki should be hospitalised. She swooned and wailed, but let the dog go with the doctor. Ultimately, the doctor was successful in curing Tricki.

3. Who does ‘I’ refer to in this story?
Answer:
In this story, ‘I’ refers to the veterinary surgeon, Mr Herriot.

Read and Find Out (Page – 3)

1. Is the narrator as rich as Tricki’s mistress?
Answer:
Though not clearly stated, there are instances in the story which suggest that the narrator is not as rich as Tricki’s mistress, Mrs Pumphrey.
While the narrator is able to provide Tricki with a warm loose box as a bed, at Mrs Pumphrey’s house, Tricki has a day bed, a night bed, cushions, toys, rubber rings, a breakfast bowl, a lunch bowl, a supper bowl, a whole wardrobe of tweed coats and perhaps many more things. The reference of ‘happy period’ when the narrator and his partner had two eggs for breakfast and calling the lunch a ‘ceremonial occasion’ with two glasses of wine shows that the narrator had an ordinary lifestyle which was not as rich and luxurious as that of Mrs Pumphrey.

2. How does he treat the dog?
Answer:
The doctor gave Tricki no food, but plenty of water for two days. Slowly, the dog started showing interest in his surroundings and began mixing with the other dogs at the surgery. On the third day, the doctor saw Tricki licking the empty supper bowls of the other dogs. Next day, a separate bowl was kept for it and the doctor was pleased to note that Tricki had run to eat its food with enthusiasm. From that day onwards, its progress was rapid. It did not require medicinal treatment of any kind and recovered quite well at the end.

3. Why is he tempted to keep Tricki as a permanent guest?
Answer:
Mrs Pumphrey had started bringing around eggs to make Tricki more energetic. Later, even bottles of wine and brandy began to arrive. The narrator and his partners started enjoying the eggs, wine and brandy meant for Tricki. According to the narrator, they were days of deep content for them – starting with the extra egg in the morning, then the midday wine, and finally finishing the day with brandy. This was the reason why the narrator was tempted to keep Tricki as a permanent guest.

4. Why does Mrs Pumphrey think the dog’s recovery is “a triumph of surgery”?
Answer:
Mrs Pumphrey thought that the dog’s recovery was “a triumph of surgery” because in two weeks, Tricki had recovered completely and had been transformed into a hard-muscled animal. When Tricki saw her, it leaped into her lap and licked her face. She was so excited that tears started rolling out of her eyes. She declared Tricki’s recovery as a triumph of surgery to express her happiness and gratitude towards the doctor.

Think about It

1. What kind of a person do you think the narrator, a veterinary surgeon, is? Would you say he is tactful as well as full of common sense?
Answer:
The narrator is lull of common sense. He was very concerned for Tricki when he saw its appearance. He immediately told Mrs Pumphrey to stop giving it food and sweets, and to take it out for daily walks. When she called him to describe Tricki’s deteriorating condition, he immediately took the dog with him to the surgery. He took good care of it all the while and helped it recover completely.
He could be called tactful as he enjoyed the eggs, wine and brandy that Mrs Pumphrey had brought for the dog. He was even tempted to keep Tricki as a permanent guest in order to continue enjoying these luxuries. However, he was a good man. Thus, he called Mrs Pumphrey and told her to take the dog home when it had fully recovered.

2. Do you think Tricki was happy to go home? What do you think will happen now?
Answer:
Yes, Tricki was very happy to go home. He jumped out of the narrator’s arms and leaped into
Mrs Pumphrey’s lap as soon as he saw her. Tricki licked her and barked. After this, if Mrs Pumphrey takes good care of the dog and does not feed him a lot, he will be as healthy as he is at the end of the story.

3. Do you think this is a real-life episode, or mere fiction? Or is it a mixture of both?
Answer:
This story could be a mixture of both: real-life episode and a mere fiction. The spoiling of
the dog’s health by a rich mistress is believable and could also be a real life incident. The doctor’s advice also depicts real life situation. However, the extremely speedy recovery of the dog could be fictitious. Also, the enjoyment of the luxuries (eggs, wine and brandy) by the narrator could be termed as a real life episode as there are people who would do so. The giving up of these luxuries because the owner of the dog would be getting worried is another episode that could be both real life and fiction. At the end, the happiness of Mrs Pumphrey on seeing her dog healthy seems to be a real life happening. Therefore, the story is a mixture of both real-life and fiction.

Talk about It

1. This episode describes the silly behaviour of a rich woman who is foolishly indulgent, perhaps because she is lonely. Do you think such people are merely silly, or can their actions cause harm to others?
Answer:
The actions of Mrs Pumphrey in this episode show that she was not able to relate the ramifications to her actions. She was in the delusion that feeding her dog and pampering him all the time will satisfy her conscience, whereas in reality her out of love actions were making her dog vulnerable to health issues. It was indeed silly of her that even after Mr Herriot’s advice she didn’t act wisely.
Ultimately, her actions harmed the dog by making him sedentary which made the dog nongregarious.

2. Do you think there are also parents like Mrs Pumphrey?
Answer:
Yes, there are parents like Mrs Pumphrey who pamper their kids to such an extent that their overprotective nature starts to cause trouble for their children as they grow. They lack self-confidence and are emotionally weak.

3. What would you have done if you were: (i) a member of the staff in Mrs Pumphrey’s household, (ii) a neighbour? What would your life have been like, in general?
Answer:
(i) If I were have played a member of the staff in Mrs Pumphrey’s household, I would with Tricki ruggedly, daily in the evening. I would have added some activities in his routine like mountain trekking once in a week, trained him life saving tactics, to keep his health in check.
My life would have been like of a personal dog trainer then.
(ii) If I were a neighbour of Mrs Pumphrey, I would have asked her to take Tricki along with me for a morning run daily. As a neighbour, I would have played with him and helped Mrs Pumphrey in her dog caring.
My life would have been like a friend of Mrs Pumphrey.

4. What would you have done if you were in the narrator’s place?
Answer:
If I were in the narrator’s place, I would have done the same as he did, except one thing. When Mrs Pumphrey sent the eggs, brandy and wine for the speedy-recovery of Tricki, I would have denied her to send anything and returned the delivered items.
Moreover, while returning Tricki to her, I would have told her the reality of her dog’s condition and the way he was treated. I would have strongly and explicitly advised her not to spoil the dog with the food for which he was not made to eat regularly.

HBSE 10th Class English A Triumph of Surgery Important Questions and Answers

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
Was Mrs Pumphrey a rich lady? How?
Answer:
Yes, Mrs Pumphrey was a rich lady. She had many servants and maids. She also had a pet, named Tricki and had a separate room for him, which had a separate wardrobe for her pet. She used to feed him a lot of dishes, sweets and snacks. All these traits show that she was a wealthy lady.

Question 2.
Why was the staff of Mrs Pumphery at work when Tricki was going to the hospital?
Answer:
Tricki was Mrs Pumphrey’s beloved pet and if he was going to the hospital, then the entire staff
had to work. His wardrobe, favourite cushions, toys, food bowls were being loaded into Mr Herriot’s car by them. Mrs Pumphrey did not want her pet to live uncomfortably in any way.

Question 3.
What made Mrs Pumphrey call the vet?
Answer:
Tricki’s condition made Mrs Pumphrey call the vet for help. Tricki had become fat and lazy. He just used to lie on his rug and pant. He also refused to eat food, even his favourite dishes. His bouts of vomiting added to Mrs Pumphrey’s worry. That is why she called James Herriot.

Question 4.
Was Tricki suffering from any ailment in reality? If not, then what made him inactive and lethargic?
Answer:
No, Tricki was not suffering from any ailment. It was his greed for food and the love of his mistress that spoilt his health to such an extent. He was being overfed everyday and that made him obese and lethargic. That is why his health showed rapid improvement when his diet was controlled.

Question 5.
Briefly describe Herriot’s days of content.
Answer:
The time of Tricki’s stay at the hospital was a period of content for Herriot. He used to enjoy the treat that arrived in the name of Tricki, as he could not afford all this for himself. Herriot used to relish the fresh eggs in breakfast, wine before and during lunch and brandy in the night.

Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
What type of man was Dr Herriot in your opinion?
Answer:
Dr Herriot was a very noble, generous and practical man. When he saw Tricki, he advised Mrs Pumphrey to curtail his food and enhance the quantity of water. After getting ill, Herriot advised that Tricki should be hospitalised and kept under his supervision for a fortnight. He took proper care of Tricki and cured him within two days. This way, he was a good natured man.

Question 2.
How was Dr Herriot sure about the hospitalisation of Tricki?
Answer:
Tricki was moving in the house unsteadily and he was not eating anything, not even his favourite food. He was having many bouts of vomiting. Observing these symptoms, Dr Herriot was sure that if his food was not cut down and exercise was not included in his routine, he would become really sick soon.

Question 3.
What made James Herriot expect a call from Mrs Pumphrey? [CBSE 2015]
Answer:
James Herriot’s encounter with Mrs Pumphrey and Tricki made him expect a call for help.
He was sure that the extra diet and no physical activity would soon put Tricki’s health in danger. And just as anticipated, Mrs Pumphrey called the vet a few days afterwards.

Question 4.
What ‘extra’ did Mrs Pumphrey start to give Tricki and why?
Answer:
Mrs Pumphrey thought that Tricki was suffering from malnutrition, as he was weak and listless. So, she started to give him extra snacks like cod-liver oil and malt between the main meals and Horlicks after dinner to make him stronger. She also continued his cream cakes and chocolates.

Question 5.
How can you say that it was hard for Mrs Pumphrey to part with her doting pet?
Answer:
Mrs Pumphrey treated Tricki as her own child. She loved him very much. It was very
difficult for her to see Tricki in such a situation. She was distraught when she had to make the decision to hospitalise Tricki, for her love for him knew no bounds. It was a terrible and tearful moment for her but she agreed to Herriot’s suggestion for the betterment of her pet.

Question 6.
What kind of treatment was given to Tricki? Did it help in his recovery?
Answer:
Tricki was given a non-medicinal treatment. His diet regimen was altered depending upon his body’s response to it. He was kept on liquid diet for the first two days and then his diet was gradually increased. Yes, this treatment did help Tricki as it built up energy in him. He had transformed into an energetic, hard-muscled dog in just a fortnight.

Question 7.
Do you think Tricki was enjoying his stay at the hospital?
Answer:
Yes, Tricki was definitely enjoying his stay at the hospital. He had befriended the gang of shaggy household dogs. He had found a new joy in being bowled over, tramped on and squashed. He had also become very energetic. He used to play and run all day long with the dogs. He was having a great time.

Essay Type Questions

Question 1.
Why did Mrs Pumphrey say, “This is a triumph of surgery”? Elaborate it with reference to the lesson.
Answer:
Mrs Pumphrey loved her dog, Tricki very much. He got seriously ill. He did not even eat anything and vomitted at frequent intervals. So, Mrs Pumphrey was very much worried. She called the veterinary surgeon, Dr Herriot. He took Tricki to his surgery and did not give food for two days. He was given only lots of water and exercises. He was now completely changed into a lithe and hard-muscled dog. Now Tricki was completely cured. Seeing Tricki cured, Mrs Pumphrey became emotional and expressed gratitude to Dr Herriot saying that “This is a triumph of surgery’.’

Question 2.
Excess of everything is bad. Comment in the wake of Mrs Pumphrey’s love for Tricki.
Answer:
Mrs Pumphrey was a rich woman who loved her dog very much. She loved to live a
comfortable and lavish life and also wanted her dog to spend a similar one. She had maintained a wardrobe full of fancy fur coats, dresses, beds, etc. for Tricki. Apart from this, she used to overfeed Tricki out of her love and concern. She used to serve him cod-liver oil and malt between the main meals and Horlicks after dinner to give him strength. She never realised that Tricki was a greedy dog and this would spoil his health. She could not even refuse to answer Tricki drooling for cream cakes and chocolates. Her overfeeding worsened Tricki’s condition. This made the dog lazy, inactive and obese. He used to lie on his rug and pant all day long. Mrs Pumphrey fed him excessively, spoiling Tricki’s health to such an extent that he had to be hospitalised. Even in the hospital she continued to convey Tricki her love through eggs, wine and brandy. Her fondness and care for Tricki proved that excess of everything made him fall sick.

Question 3.
Pen down incidences in support of values one should inculcate from Mr James Herriot.
Answer:
Mr Herriot was a capable veterinary surgeon who treated Tricki. He was a very compassionate doctor and a wise and sympathetic human being. He showed his capabilities almost immediately when he advised Mrs Pumphrey to put Tricki on a strict diet after understanding his symptoms. He can also be said to be an understanding and tactful person as he knew exactly how to free Tricki from the spoiling love of Mrs Pumphrey for his betterment. He does not operate upon the poor dog unnecessarily and adopts a practical approach to treat him. Mr James Herriot was a caring and polite individual as he successfully allays Mrs Pumphrey’s anxiety about Tricki’s recovery patiently. He was in all a good human being and a successful professional.

Question 4.
Do you think parents like Mrs Pumphrey exist? If yes, is it a good thing to pamper children? Why or why not?
Answer:
Yes, parents like Mrs Pumphrey definitely exist. These people spoil their children by making sure all their demands are met. They spoil their children in the name of love and care. They not only feed them junk food but also spoil their social habits. This kind of a behaviour is very harmful for children. Such overprotective parental behaviour hinders their growth as adults. In fact, it sows the seeds of greed and dependency in them. They become stubborn and do not learn to value anything. For them, hard work is a myth as they get everything easily. Over pampered children often fail to face the hardships of life later, as for them life has been a cakewalk. Pampering children in moderation is healthy, but excess of it is harmful. It is not just bad for humans but also for animals, as we see in the story ‘A Triumph of Surgery’.

Multiple Choice Questions

A Triumph of Surgery Summary

‘A Triumph of Surgery’ Introduction

• James Herriot was a British veterinarian and author bom on October 3, 1916, in Sunderland, England.
• He attended veterinary college in 1933 and worked as a well- respected veterinarian for many decades.
• Herriot’s first book If Only They Could Talk was published in 1970 followed by It Shouldn’t Happen to a Vet.
• In the U.S., these books were published under the title A// Creatures Great and Small in 1972. Two films and a television show were based on this book.
• Herriot died on February 23, 1995, in Yorkshire, England.

Gist of the Story

Mrs Pumphrey, a rich and emotional lady had a cute pet called Tricki. She loved him very much and took proper care of the pet. Tricki had put on a lot of weight which made him lethargic. When doctor Herriot saw the fat dog like a bloated sausage he was shocked. He told Mrs. Pumphrey that Tricki needed treatment for an ailment which was possible only in the hospital. The doctor knew that Mrs. Pumphrey would not be able to keep the dog on a proper diet. When the greedy dog went to the hospital he had to remain hungry. He was given food at fixed intervals. Soon he shed off a lot of his body weight and became quite active.
When Tricki was at home he was pampered by Mrs. Pumphrey. He had a luxurious life when he was served with cream cake, chocolate and horlicks. But when he came to the doctor he became all right. When Mrs. Pumphrey saw her dog fit and active, she thanked the doctor and felt that it was a triumph of surgery.

‘A Triumph of Surgery’ Summary

Brief Introduction of Tricki: Tricki was a small dog. He was pampered and overfed by his rich mistress. All of a sudden, he fell seriously ill. So, Mrs Pumphrey consulted a veterinary surgeon. James Herriot got anxious: James Herriot, a veterinary surgeon was too anxious to see Tricki. Tricki had become very fat. His eyes were red and rheumy. His tongue lolled from his jaws.
Mrs Pumphrey thought that the dog was suffering from malnutrition. So, she gave him malt, cod- liver oil and a bowl of Horlicks daily at night. But it did not work upon him.

Doctor’s advice to Mrs Pumphrey: Dr James Herriot advised Mrs pumphrey to cut down Tricki’s food. He told that Tricki should be given some exercises otherwise he would fall ill.

Tricki fell ill: After a few days, Mrs. Pumphrey called on Dr. Herriot because Tricki fell seriously ill. He had not been eating for the last two days and vomitting at regular intervals. He did not go even for walk. Mrs. Pumphrey was very disturbed. The doctor advised that Tricki should be kept under observation. So, he should be hospitalised for a fortnight.

Tricki admitted to the hospital: Tricki was to admitted to the hospital. Everybody was in distress. At the surgery, the household dogs surged around Tricki. He was lying motionless on the carpet. A bed for him in a warm loose box was made. For two days, he was only given plenty of water but no food. After two days, he started to take some interest in his surroundings and began to whine when he heard the dog in the yard.

Tremendous progress in Tricki: After two days, there was tremendous progress in Tricki. He was not given any kind of medical treatment. He started running behind other dogs and became an accepted member of the gang. Each time Mrs Pumphrey was eager to know about his health. The doctor intimated her that Tricki was recovering rapidly. She was very much happy. After this, she started to bring round fresh eggs, bottles of wine to improve his health.

Tricki handed over to Mrs Pumphrey: After getting cured, the doctor phoned her to tell that Tricki had recovered well and was awaiting collection. Tricki was handed over to her. It was really an unbelievable moment for her.

Thankful to the doctor: Mrs Pumphrey was very much thankful to Dr Herriot. She had no words to express her gratitude. Now, Tricki had become a hard-muscled animal. Seeing Tricki, tears were in her eyes and her lips trembled. At last, she told that this is a triumph of surgery.

Lesson at a Glance

• Tricki was a very small dog. He was pampered and overfed by his rich mistress.
• The dog fell seriously ill. Mrs Pumphrey consulted a veterinary surgeon for her illness.
• Dr Herriot, the veterinary surgeon had been very upset to see the dog, Tricki.
• The dog was very fat, bloodshot and rheumy.
• Mrs Pumphrey thought that the dog lacks energy due to malnutrition. So, he was given some little extras like malt, cod-liver oil and a bowl of Horlicks.
• Tricki never refused anything to eat. He was always ready to take a meal at any hour of the day or night.
• But now Tricki had not been eating anything for the last few days. He had bouts of vomiting.
• The surgeon advised Mrs Pumphrey to cut his food down and give him more exercise.
• But Tricki lay down panting and didn’t go for walks.
• Dr Herriot advised Mrs Pumphrey for the hospitalisation of Tricki for a fortnight to be kept under supervision.
• Tricki was wrapped in a blanket and the entire staff were busy in bringing things for him.
• At the surgery, the household dogs gathered around him and thought that he was an uninteresting object and ignored him.
• For two days, Tricki was not given food but only plenty of water.
• After two days, Tricki started showing some interest in his surroundings and began to whimper when he heard the dogs in the yard.
• Next day, the doctor was very happy to see Tricki jostling his way to food bowl.
• There was much progress in Tricki. He was not given medical treatment of any kind and ran about with the dogs throughout the day.
• The doctor told her that Tricki was recovering rapidly.
• After hearing this news, Mrs Pumphrey started arranging different kinds of food, wine, etc. Later on, the doctor went to handover the dog to Mrs. Pumphrey. It was really an amazing moment for her.
• Mrs Pumphrey had no words to express her gratitude to Dr Herriot.
• She told the doctor that it was really a triumph of surgery.

Character Sketch

Tricki: Tricki was a small dog. He had much fascination for food. He was very fond of sweets, cakes and chocolates. Excessive food made him fat. His eyes had become bloodshed and rheumy. His tongue lolled from his jaws. Tricki became obese due to overeating. Dr Herriot advised Mrs Pumphrey to cut his food and give him more exercise. Because he was getting ill. But Mrs Pumphrey ignored the doctor’s advise. After a few days, Tricki left eating and started vomiting at regular intervals. Later on, he was hospitalised and kept under observation for a fortnight. He was not given food but plenty of water only. After two days, there was much improvement in his health. Now, he got cured and became a hard-muscled dog.

Mrs Pumphrey: Mrs Pumphrey was a very rich lady. All sorts of facilities were available in her house. She had a lot of servants and maids to take care of. But, she was much attached to her pet, Tricki. She took special care of the dog. Tricki was given malt, cod-liver oil and Horlicks. So, Tricki became excessively fat. Mrs Pumphery was very sad and disappointed. She took proper care of the dog. She was a very caring lady. Tricki was provided all comforts, bed, cushion, etc. When Tricki became ill, she was taken to the hospital under the supervision of Dr Herriot. After getting cured, Mrs Pumphrey thanked Dr Herriot for saving Tricki’s life. She called it “A Triumph of Surgery”. Dr James Herriot: Dr James Herriot was a veterinary surgeon. Seeing the physique of Tricki, he became very sad. That is why he advised Mrs Pumphrey to keep Tricki on a very strict diet. When Tricki became ill and was admitted to the hospital, he did not give any food but lots of water to the dog. Through this method, Dr Herriot cured the dog. Then Mrs Pumphrey expressed her gratitude towards the doctor calling it “A Trimph of Surgery”.

‘A Triumph of Surgery’ Word-Meanings

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