1st Puc English Notes by Ehthashamuddin. J. Sheikh

P.U.
C I YEAR, ENGLISH
REFLECTIONS ENGLISH COURSE NOTES
Prepared By
Ehthashamuddin. J. Sheikh, M.A., M.ED, IIST
# 116, T.K.A.R Building, G. Block,
Champion Reef’s (P.O), Kolar Gold Fields,
Kolar District, Karnataka State.
Mobile Number: - 9738483214
Use E-Papers, Save Trees

Above line hide when print out
THE GENTLEMEN OF THE JUNGLE
AN ANALYSIS JOMO KENYATTA
Characters in the story.
The Man (dynamic character)

Mr. Elephant
Mr. Lion
Mr. Rhinoceros
Mr. Leopard
Mr. Fox
Mr. Buffalo
Mr. Hyena
Mr. Alligator
Themes:
 Injustice
 Colonization
 Abuse of Power
Injustice: The elephant was allowed to help choose members of the C.O. E. All of the members were already on the elephant's side
before the case even started. The C.O.E only listened to the elephant's story.
Colonization: It was originally the man's property, but the animals took over. The actual meaning of the story, is the invasion of
the Europeans in Africa.
Abuse of Power: Because of the elephant's title in the jungle, he was able to lie and get away with it. The rhinoceros ordered the
man to give up, knowing that the man is scared of him.
Initially, the conflict is between the man and the elephant. Eventually, it develops later into a conflict between the man and all of
the animals in the jungle.
SUMMARY
Once an elephant made friendship with a man. The man had built a hut to live. One day a thunderstorm broke out. The elephant
requested the man to allow it to keep its trunk inside the hut. The man agreed. The elephant put its trunk inside the hut and slowly
occupied the hut and pushed the man out. The man and elephant started a quarrel for the hut. Lion the king of the jungle came to
solve the problem and appointed a commission of inquiry. Fox was the president and leopard was the secretary. The commission
of enquiry gave the report in favour of elephant because the elephant said that it occupied the hut to save it from the hurricane. The
man built another hut but rhinoceros occupied it. All the huts built by man were occupied by other animals. At last, the man built a
big hut. Many animals occupied that big hut and the man set fire to that hut.
I. Answer the following questions in a word, a phrase or a sentence each: -
1. What particular event in Kenya’s history does Kenyatta give reference to?
Ans: - The division of Africa among themselves by the chief European powers in the late 19 th century.
2. Where had the man built his hut in the gentleman of the jungle?
Ans: - At the edge of the forest.
3. Who or what does the man in the fable represent?

Ans: - The Africans who were colonized by the Europeans.

4. What do the animals in the story represent?
Ans: - The European colonizers.
5.What did the elephant want to protect from the rain?

Ans: - Protect its trunk.
6. What did the lion desire to have in his kingdom?

Ans: - Peace and tranquility.
7. What did the lion do to solve the problem?

Ans: - Appointed a Commission of Enquiry.
8. Who commanded the ministers to appoint a Commission of Enquiry in the fable?

Ans: - The lion.
9. Name any two members appointed to the Commission of Enquiry.

Ans: - Mr. Buffalo and Mr. Alligator.
10.Who were appointed as the chairman and secretary of Commission of Enquiry?

Ans: - Mr. Fox and Mr. Leopard.
11.Why there were no men from the man’s side in the Commission of Enquiry?
Ans: - They were not educated enough to understand the intricacies of jungle law.
12.What was the man’s belief?

Ans: - That he could get impartial justice.
13. Who made the friend ship with a man?

Ans: - The Elephant
14. Who had a little hut at the edge of the forest?

Ans: - A man
15. Who requested the man to put his trunk inside the hut?
Ans: - The Elephant
16. When did the elephant request the man to put his trunk inside the hut?
Ans: - At the time of torrential rain.
17. The Elephant intended to protect his delicate skin from _________.
Ans: - Hail storm
18. Why did all the animals of forest gather?

Ans: - All the animals started gather because of heard the noise of man
19. What did make turmoil to the lion?

Ans: - The heated argument between the man and the Elephant.
20. -------- was one of the high ministers of Jungle.

Ans: - The Elephant
21. What did lion wanted to have in his Kingdom?

Ans: - Peace and tranquility
22. What did the man was pleased?

Ans: - The sweet words from the king of the jungle
23. Who did innocently wait for the hut would be returned to him?
Ans: - The man

24. Mention the members of commission of enquiry?
Ans: - Mr. Rhinoceros, Mr. Buffalo, Mr. Alligators, the Rt. Hon Mr. Fox and Mr. Leopard.
25. Who was the chairman of commission of enquiry?

Ans: - Rt. Hon Mr. Fox
26. Who was the enquiry commission first called off?

Ans: - Mr. Hon. Mr. Elephant
27. After Mr. Elephant’s evidence, whom did the enquiry commission call for?
Ans: - Mr. Hyena
28. Whom did the Mr. Hyena support?

Ans: - The Elephant
29. Who arranged the delicious meal for the enquiry commission?
Ans: - Rt. Hon. Mr. Elephant
30. Who ordered the man to quit and built another hut?
Ans: - Mr. Rhinoceros
31. When did Mr. Rhinoceros charge the man and order to quit the hut?
Ans: - As soon as he built another hut.
32. Where the man ultimately built a bigger and better hut?
Ans: - A little distance away
33. How did Mr. Hyena appear to the new house?

Ans: - Howled for a place in the shade
34. Mr. Alligators appear to the new house on----------

Ans: - The roof
35. What did man ultimately say?

Ans: - Peace is costly, but it is worth the expense
36. How did the lion decide to solve the problem?

Ans: - To construct the commission.
37. What kind of judgment did the man expect?

Ans: - The hut would be returned to him.
38. In whose favour was the judgment given?

Ans: - Mr. Elephant
39. Why did the man accept the suggestion of building a new hut?
Ans: - The house was decayed by animals and it is near to pieces.
40. How did the man buy peace finally?

Ans: - By set the hut on the fire and burnt it completely.
II. Answer the following questions in a paragraph of 80-100 words.
1. Why was the commission of enquiry appointed by the king of the jungle?
Ans: - The man protested the wrong doing of Elephant and he started to grumble. All the animals in the nearby forest heard the
noise and came to see what the matter was. All stood around listening to the heated argument between the man and his friend the
elephant. In this turmoil the lion came along roaring, and asked the reason in a loud voice. The lion wanted to have 'peace and
tranquility’ in his kingdom. So he commands his ministers to appoint a Commission of Enquiry to go thoroughly into this matter.

2. Why did the animals decide not to have anyone from the man’s side on the commission of enquiry?
Ans: - The Commission of Enquiry decided not to have any one from the man’s side because they thought that they did not have
enough knowledge about the jungle animals and their characteristics and also not knew the rules of jungle law.
3. How did the elephant justify in act of occupying the hut?

Ans: - Elephant justify in his act of occupying the hut that man’s skin is harder than his, and as there is not enough room for both
of them. So the elephant told the man that he can afford to remain in the rain while it was protecting his delicate skin from the
hailstorm.'
4. Why was the Commission of Enquiry appointed by the King of the jungle?
Ans: - Once there lived a man and an elephant in a jungle who were close friends. A thunderous rain broke out one day. The
elephant came to his friend & requested him to allow him to keep his trunk inside the hut. The man allowed the elephant to keep
his trunk. as his but was small. The elephant slowly sneaked inside the hut & flung the man outside the hut in the rain. When the
elephant threw the man out of his own but he began to grumble. The animals in the nearby forest head the noise & came to see what
the matter was. All stood around listening to the heated argument between the man & his friend. The lion. came to see why peace
of his kingdom was being disturbed. After the elephant explained that they were having a little discussion regarding the possession
of the hut the lion decided to command his ministers to appoint a Commission of Enquiry to go thoroughly into the matter and
report to him.
5. On what grounds did the Commission of Enquiry give its verdict?

Ans: - The Commission of Enquiry gave the verdict on the following grounds; The elephant had not cheated the man instead it
helped the man as the hut was not fully occupied by him, it might have been blown off due to the impact of the hurricane if the
elephant had not occupied it. The second thing was that due to the misunderstanding that the man is incompetent (hopeless) to
understand the intricacy (difficulty) of the Jungle law. In the opinion of the members the dispute had arisen through a regrettable
(disappointing) misunderstanding due to the backwardness of man's ideas. According to them, the’ elephant helped the man &. not
cheated him. The Commission further asked the elephant to continue the possession of the hut and asked the man to look for a
suitable site and build a new hut.
III. Answer the following question in about 200 words.
1. “An act of kindness is misunderstood as weakness". Discuss this with reference to the story.
Ans: - The man was very kind enough to share his hut with an elephant. When it requested him to allow him to keep its trunk inside
his but to protect it from the torrential rain. It proved to be a mistake because it was that act of kindness which led to his being
driven out of his own hut. Though his but was small & he admitted the fact to the elephant, he was generous enough to allow the
elephant to keep only its trunk inside the hut.
Similarly, when the case was decided against him saying that the dispute had arisen through a regrettable misunderstanding due to
the backwardness of his ideas, he went away quietly and built himself another house. However, this house and the ones he builds
later, were all occupied by various animals and he was left with no shelter at all. All animals considered him weak and exploited
him. Thus their treatment led to his violent action of setting the to the house and destroying all the animals.
2. “Peace is costly but it is worth the expense.”. What is the ironical significance of this statement?
Ans: - It is ironical that wars are waged continuously by countries in order to show their strength and also to establish peace. Most
of the countries in the world have a wrong notion that violent attacks on the other killing thousands of people, destroying them will
force the country to submit and maintain peace. But do we really enjoy the peace? Have we really achieved peace? But even if
peace is achieved; it is the 'Silence of the dead, not the peace of the satisfied’.
There will be resentment (dislike) in the mind of the country, which has been' subjugated (dominated). This resentment will, sooner
or later, surface and lead to confrontation (battle) again. In the story, the man is free of all exploitation by the animals after he kills
them, but does he really enjoy freedom? No, he is left lonely without any friends to share himself. That Was the price he had to pay
for securing peace through violence.
It takes a lot of effort from everyone concerned to achieve peace in a country, and it can happen only when everyone is aware of
the necessity for peace, and is motivated to achieve it through peaceful means.
‘We shall never know all the good that a simple smile can do’.

The School Boy
SUMMARY
William Blake
The poem throws light on the mindset of a school boy. He is unhappy. He loves outdoor life. He hears the birds sing. The blowing
of horn by the huntsmen pleases him. He wants to enjoy the company of the skylark. But he can find such joy only on a summer
morning.
Instead of living like a free bird, the boy is made to go to school. It makes him sad. He hates going to school because of his cruel
old teacher. There the small children spend the day from morning to evening and get disappointed.
Sometimes the boy sits for hours with his head hanging down but he is caged. He finds no joy in reading his book. The school is a
cheerless place for him. He gets fed up with the shower of words from his teacher
The boy compares himself to a bird who is born free to fly and enjoy life but he is caged, he cannot sing in the cage. The boy has
the feeling of being a prisoner at school. He is all the time afraid of the teacher. As a caged bird he lets his wings droop down and
forgets to share the joy of spring.
The poet calls upon tie parents not to be so harsh or cruel to the children. School going kids are as delicate as birds and flowers.
They need fresh air and free movement to grow healthy and happy. Keeping them under excess cage will make them unhappy
If a plant is denied air and is kept in dark, it won't grow well and never bear fruit.
STANZAWISE EXPLANATION
STANZA -ONE (ONE)
I love to rise in a summer morn,
When the birds sing on every tree;
The distant huntsman winds his horn,
And the sky-lark sings with me.
O! what sweet company.
The speaker, a young boy, is joyful in getting up in a sweet and beautiful summer
morning. Sweet singing of the bird’s thrills and excited the boy. He likes the
companionship of the hunters who move in the wood searching for his hunt. He likes to
enjoy the sweet melodious music of the skylark.
STANZA –TWO (2)

But to go to school in a summer morn,
O! it drives all joy away;
Under a cruel eye outworn.
The little ones spend the day,
In sighing and dismay.
But whenever the boy thinks of going to the school, all his enjoyment and
entertainment disappear gradually away. He does not enjoy or learn anything under the
cruel and fearful look of the teacher. Little kids like the boy spend their day in
utter worry, unhappiness and disappointment.
STANZA –THREE (3)

Ah! then at times I drooping sit,
And spend many an anxious hour,
Nor in my book can I take delight,
Nor sit in learnings bower,
Worn thro' with the dreary shower.
With a sad loose figure the boy does not pass hours in worry. He enjoys the lessons
taught nor does the way his teacher teaches. Bower refers to green shelter. And

here ‘bower’ means to the school or the classroom in which the feels imprisoned. He
does not enjoy any lesson communicate in a dull manner.
STANZA FOUR – (4)

How can the bird that is born for joy,
Sit in a cage and sing.
How can a child when fears annoy.
But droop his tender wing.
And forget his youthful spring.
The poet here brings the example of a bird. A bird which is meant for joy and freedom
will never be sing in a cage. Likewise a child who is always under a situation of fear
will forget his childlike tenets and drop down his wing of freedom and ecstasy. He
will forget his childhood innocence and activities.
STANZA –FIVE (5)

O! father & mother. if buds are nip'd,
And blossoms blown away,
And if the tender plants are strip'd
Of their joy in the springing day,
By sorrow and care's dismay.
In this stanza the poet gives a message to the parents asking them some questions and
familiar to some situations. If the buds are destroyed before blooming; if the flowers
are driven away by the strong wind;
STANZA –SIX (6)

How shall the summer arise in joy.
Or the summer fruits appear?
Or how shall we gather what griefs destroy,
Or bless the mellowing year,
When the blasts of winter appear?
If the plants are stripped of their branches and leaves, how will the summer become
joyous and impart joy for us or how will the fruits appear to elate and thrill us?
Comprehension: I
1. Who, do you think, ‘I’ refers to in the poem?

I refer to William Blake in the poem
2. ‘Sweet company’ refers to

d. All the above three
3. What drives the boy’s joy away?

The very thought of going to school drives the boy’s joy away.
4. How do the little ones spend the day in the school?

The little ones spend the day in the school by sighing (grief) and dismay (Helplessness).
5. What does ‘cage’ stand for in the poem?

Cage stands for School, where the children are entrapped.
6. Pick the phrase from the following which does not refer to formal schooling.
b. Fruits are gathered.
7. Relate the seasons mentioned under column A with the stages of life.
1. Spring - Childhood 2. Summer -Youth 3. Winter -Old age

Comprehension: II
1. What does the school boy love to do on a summer morn? What drives his joy away?
William Blake suggests that the educational system of his day destroys the joyful innocence of youth. In the poem the poet speaks
in the persona of a school child that wakes up in the morning. He loves to rise early in summer morning to enjoy the chirping
sound of the birds, Huntsman’s horn and the melody of skylark singing. But all the happiness gets driven away when he realizes
that he has to go to school. The main theme is the sorrow that the boy feels at the very thought of going to school. While he
wishes to enjoy the summer, he wishes to be very much outside in the nature.
2. Describe the boy’s experience in the school.

Child loves to rise early in summer morning to enjoy but all the happiness disappears when he realizes that he has to go to school.
The main theme is the sorrow that the boy feels at the very thought of going to school. While he wishes to enjoy the summer.
The boy longs for the freedom of the outdoors and cannot take delight in his book. He is compelled to experience many anxious
hours. The image of the bird is used in the poem. The birds sing happily when they are free but if they are in a cage they cannot
do it the same way. In the same way the boy feels he is imprisoned at school.
School boy in school and the bird in the cage are seen as equal not only at the natural level under physical subjection but at the
spiritual level too. Both represent the caging and entrapping of imaginative vision.
3. According to the poet how does formal education curb a learner’s potential?
Poet appeals that adults must realize that children are like plants, which needs to be look after and given proper care. They have to
bear fruit later on. School should be the place where children are allowed to think freely.
He wishes that school should provide students with challenges, competition and opportunities to enhance their creativity. It should
be a place where children are provided with for practical play and develop at their own place.
Comprehension: III
Formal schooling not only takes away the joy of childhood but also hinders the child’s growth forever. Explain.
Or
Do you think the poet is arguing against education? Discuss.
Here the poet is complaining a young boy of being shut inside at his school work instead of playing outside in the sun. He really
criticizes the education system of his day. To him school destroys the joyous innocence of youth. He wishes that the child should
rise with the company of many natural joys. He intended not just the huntsman but ‘birds sing on every tree’ and ‘the sky-lark
sings with him. The poet does not emphasize the oppression of the school room.
He is reminding that books and learning can be natural. He gave us a distinct picture of crushed and destroyed life in the school
room. Here the poet has successfully conveyed to the loss and lassitude of the school boy. He even criticizes the child restrains
the assault on him by the oppressive personality of a teacher. By unnecessary lecturer he spends his day in boredom. Only
Company of nature brings him joyous experience. As like a bird which is born cheerful and jovial, never sing if caged. Similarly
the child annoying fear and tension, he can never enjoy. Here the poet complains to the highest authority to father and mother.
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS
1. In whose company did boy wanted to sing and play?

Ans: - In the company of nature
2. Which is drives boy’s joy away?

Ans:-The school
3. When did the boy go to school?

Ans:-on a summer morning
4. From whom supervision did the boy spend his day?

Ans: - Under cruel eye/ teacher
5. How does the boy spend all day?

Ans: - In sighing and dismay.
6. How did the boy sit in the class room?

Ans: - With shrinking spirit/drooping/loss of enthusiasm
7. What cannot child find in books?

Ans: - Delight/joy
8. Where does the bird not sing?

In the cage
9. What the bird represent for?

Ans: - freedom
10. Where does the boy disturb?

Ans: - When he was fears
11. The condition of child is compared to---------

A bird in a cage
12. Who droop the boy’s tender wings?

Ans: - The teacher
13. When did the boy forget his youthful spring?

Ans: - When he was in fear/ annoy
14. Who nipped the buds of a boy?

Mother and father/parents
15. Sweet company refer to

A) Skylark
B) Huntsman’s horn
C) Bird’s song
D) All the above three.
Ans: D) all the above three.
16. How do the little ones spend the day in the school?
In sighing and dismay
17. What drives the boy’s joy away?

Ans: The school
18. What does ‘cage’ stand for in the poem?

Ans:- Jail/ curtail of freedom
19. Which phrase representing the formal schooling?

A) Buds are nipped
B) Fruits are gathered
C) Plants are stripped
D) Blossoms are blown away
20. What does the school boy love to do a summer morn?
Ans:-sing like a bird
21. What drives the school boy’s joy away?

Ans: - Fear about the school

Around a Medicinal Creeper
K.P. Poornachandra Tejaswi
SUMMARY
This story is written by Poorna Chandra Tejaswi. One day Tejaswi and Mara were erecting a bamboo frame. Sanna brought some
creepers to tie the bamboo frame. There was a medicinal creeper in the bundle. All of them went to see the creeper and Mara tied
the creeper to a nearby plant so that it could be found when needed. Mara said that every inch of it is useful. Tejaswi came to
know about the uses of that creeper after twenty years from Krishna. Once Krishna, a farm hand, was suffering piles. Krishna had
approached a Malayali Godman for the cure of piles. Tejaswi and Krishna searched for that creeper, dug out its tubor, ground it
and took it with milk for five days. He was cured of piles.
I. Answer the following questions in a word or sentence each.
1 What did Mara do when they found the creeper?

Ans: - Mara caught hold of the one of the tendrils and tied it to the nearby tree.
2 Mention the curse about the plant.

Ans: - Medicinal plant has a curse that when someone needs this plant, they shall not find it for dear life.
3 What surprised the white man?

Ans: - There was no blood, no wound- in fact no sign of any wound having been there on Mara’s hand.
4 How did the mongoose and Cowcal cure themselves of snakebite?

Ans: - Mongoose and Cowcal cured themselves of snake bite by found the leaf and chew them.
5 Why had Mara lost his teeth on the right side?

Ans: - Because of brush his teeth nearby plant in the forest.
6 What did Mara’s wife find on opening the packet of meat?

Ans: - Mara’s wife found wild buck instead of meat.
7 What happened when the milk was mixed with the juice of the creeper’s leaves?
Ans: - It has been firm and rubbery.
8 When would the medicines lose their potency according to the belief of native doctors?
Ans: - Native doctors believed that if they told others about their medicines, they would lose their potency.
9 India `s native medicines systems are on the verge of ----------

Ans: - extinction
10 There are various types swelling that occur in the human body and this panticuler plant may be effective on only--------
a) Same of them
b) All of them
c) A few of them
11 How has a coffee sweep bed to be protected from the sun?

Ans: - By putting up a shade over the coffee seed bed.
12 Who want sent to forest to get some exeepers?

Ans. Sanna
13 When did Mara scold Sanna?

Ans: - while Mara opened the bundle and sifting it Mara scolded Sanna
14 What answer did Sanna give to mare about the creeper?

Ans: - There was plenty of that creeper in the forest.

15 Why did author go along with Mara and Sanna to the forest?
Ans: - Out of sheer curiosity to know about that medicinal creeper.
16 When Sanna showed the plant, Mara become Very -------

a) Active b) dull c) Hyperactive d) angry
17 According to Mara, who did the creeper cursed by?

Ans: - Sage
18 Why did Mara tie that creeper immediately to the tree?

Ans: - When you want it and search for it, we won`t able to find it. So that Mara tied that creeper immediately to the tree plant.
19 The creeper leaves resembling betel leaves and bears fruits in a bunch like-----
Ans: - Grapes
20 When the creeper did come up flowers again?

Ans: - Only after rains quickly.
21 Why does Mara’s story are bizarre?

Ans: - Because one does not know which is true and which is false.
22 The entire system of Indian medicine suffers from this kind of -----
a) Mystification b) Justification c) Classification
23 From whom did the narrator wandering in the forest?

Ans: - Masti, Byra, Appanna, Mara and others.
24 While wandering the forest, what did the narrator gleaned?

Ans: - Learnt about some plants and herbs.
25 Why did the people leaving us one by one?

Ans: - Because of forest were disappearing.
26 When did the doctor friends of the narrate annoy?

Ans: -While he tried to discuss the unique properties of plants and herbs with them.
27 What did the narrator’s doctor friends call about the narrator?
Ans: -Ignoramus
28 While Mara typing up the plant, how did Mara Praise that plant to the skies?
Ans: - Every inch of the plant was medicinal.
29 Did Mara tell the narrator what exactly the medicinal creeper cured?
Ans: - No, he did not tell anything about its medicinal qualities.
30 How did Mara’s stories instead they were not true?

Ans: - His stories were marvelous.
31 When did Mara’s hands thrust?

Ans: -When Mara was cutting the shoot, accidently he cut his hand.
32 Who brought some leaf and pressed against the wound of Mara and bandaged it?
Ans: -Someone near with Mara.
33 For who did Mara went for proper dressing?

Ans: - Hulihindulu / a white man
34 How did Mara convince the white man?

Ans: -Mara convinced the white man by show all the blood on his clothes.

35 What offer did Mara get from white man?
Ans: - If Mara was showed the plant to the Whiteman he would give him his entire plantation.
36 Why did White man angry about Mara?

Ans: - The Whiteman was angry about Mara because he would greedy and not satisfied.
37 What was the response of white man by pointing the gun to Mara?
Ans: -“If you do not show it to me, I will shoot you down”.
38 What did the author think about the stories of Mara?

Ans: -Stories of Mara are cock and bull stories and totally fabricated.
39 Mara did not have any teeth on the ----- side of the mouth
a) Left b) right c) both left and right d) only front teeth
40 Why did Mara thank God?

Ans: - Mara thanked god because he was saved his right side teeth by not to brushed all his teeth by the creeper.
41 Long ago, Mara and a friend of his laid a trip and caught ---------
a) Buck b) barking deer c) Peacock d) Rabbit
42 Why did the narrator speechless while the heard the story of Mara?
Ans: - Narrator was speechless because of Mara’s inventive genius.
43 Who did the narrator met with the creeper?

Ans: - Chandru
44 Who was Chandru?

Ans: - A Plant pathologist.
45 What did the scientist friends told to the narrator?

Ans: - Scientist friend told to the narrator that they were wasting a liter of milk be listening to all kind of cock and bull stories.
46 While the narrator inverted the vessel the whole thing fell out like a ------
Ans: - Moulded cost
47 What disease Krishna earlier had?

Ans: -Piles
48 What was only allopathic treatment for piles?

Ans: -Surgery.
49 What had Malayali God man treated?

Ans: -Krishna’s earlier disease of developing boils on his body.
1. How long did it take the narrator to learn the facts about the medicinal creeper? What does it signify?
The writer K.P Poornachandra Tejaswi’s was with Mara and his friends for a long time to know more about the medicinal herbs.
It took almost twenty years for the author to learn about the medicinal creeper, all because of the unwillingness of the local people
to share their knowledge regarding these medicinal plants.
This signifies that there were a lot of myths (legends) regarding this creeper. Nobody was sure of the type of disease that it could
cure, its availability, in what form it must be taken and so on.
2. What does the incident of Mara’s wife throwing the leaves into the fire tell us about Indians in general?
Mara and his friend had caught a barking deer. They skinned (painful) and cleaned it and divided the meat. Mara covered his
share of meat with certain leaves and took it home. His wife prepared the masala with spices, put the water to boil and opened the
packet with the leaves. To her surprise, she found a live wild buck instead of the meat. In anger and out of frustration she threw
those leaves into the fire, while Mara ran behind the buck. She ignorantly threw the leaves into fire, thus remaining ignorant about
her own local medicines. This tells us that Indians have a casual attitude towards the medicinal plants though it can do wonders.

3. How is Krishna Cured of his illness?
Ans: - Being a Rickshaw driver, Krishna had piles. So had started passing blood with his stools. Now he had become serious and
tired. So Krishna went to see the Malayali God man. Now He had become too old. Apparently, he told Krishna that he did not
have the strength to search for the plant. He simply describes it. Krishna had to search for this plant, dig out the tuberous root, mix
it with milk and drink the medicine for five days. Within a day his piles improved. He was completely cured in five days.
III. Answer the following questions in 200 words.
1. Do you think the author is suggesting that Indian herbal medicine is better/ safer than allopathic medicine?
OR
What has made the modern man lose the knowledge of traditional medicine? Do you think Ayurveda will make a
comeback in a successful way?
The writer K.P Poornachandra Tejaswi’s is trying to suggest that Indian Herbal Medicine is better and safer than allopathic
medicine. People like Mara and his wife were ignorant and neglected the significance of the medicinal creeper and this took the
author almost twenty years to test, if there was some Truth in what Mara and other illiterates claimed.
The author tries to show that Indian herbal medicine can do wonders, when allopathic medicine becomes a failure or settle as the
one with side effects than benefits, through surgery. Allopathic Practitioners have regarded Ayurveda as ‘Bunkum’ but the reality
is that there is a wealth of knowledge to be explored in the Indian Herbal Medicine. Today people are seen giving more
importance to the herbal cosmetics and other products having a tag ‘herbal’. This shows that ‘Ayurveda’ will make a comeback.
2. “Our Natural Resources are our vital resources.” Explain the statement in the light of several developmental projects
that are being promoted today.
Natural resources are indeed the vital resources. In this story we realize the importance of natural resources such as medicinal
herbs. The mismanagement of these natural resources has led to various disasters and natural calamities, global warming, climatic
changes, new diseases and epidemics. Water, air, land and space have been polluted beyond imagination. We have lost
innumerable flora and fauna in the name of some developmental projects.
Recycling the natural resources and finding alternate sources of energy would help us conserve the precious natural resources.
Harnessing (tie together) solar energy for various purposes in the form of solar cells, cooker and heater will help save a lot of
other resources. Rain water Harvesting should be made mandatory in order to save water. Opting for alternative sources like wind
energy and tidal energy to generate electricity can be utilized. Finally, by following the principles of 3R’s Reduce, Reuse and
Recycle, one can conserve the natural resources for the generations to come.

Oru Manushyan
Vaikom Muhammad Basheer
SUMMARY
This story has been written by Vaikom Mohammed Basheer. The narrator in this story is living one thousand five hundred miles
away from his home. He was working as a teacher. He was teaching English to migrant laborers. He was teaching to write address
in English. He had saved fourteen rupees from his earnings. He was getting up every day at 4 pm to save the expenses on morning
tea and noon meal. One day he got up in the evening and went to a restaurant. He ate chapatti and meat curry and drank tea. But
he could not pay the bill of eleven Annas because someone had picked his wallet. But the owner of the restaurant did not believe
him. He asked him to to take off his clothes one by one. But the narrator could not take off his trousers because he had nothing on
underneath. Every one demanded to take off the trouser but one tall man with a red turban came to his help. He paid the bill, took
the narrator to a bridge outside the town and returned his wallet. He was the thief.
I. Answer the following questions in a word or sentence each.
1. How far was the big city from the narrator’s home?
Ans: - Some thousand five hundred miles.
2. What was the traditional profession of the people in the story ‘Oru Manushyan’?
Ans: - By tradition the people were professional soldiers.
3. How were the inhabitants in the story Oru - Manushyan?

Ans: - Never known for quality of mercy and were cruel people.
4. What was valued much by the people?

Ans: - Money was highly valued by them.
5. Where did the narrator stay in the big city?

Ans: - Stayed in a very small, dingy room on a dirty street.
6. What was the profession of the narrator?

Ans: - Teaching English to some migrant labourers.
7. Which skill was taught by the narrator in the story?

Ans: - The skill of writing addresses in English.
8. What was the working hours of the narrator?

Ans: - From 9:30 till 11:00 in the night.
9. What amount was paid to people for writing postal addresses at the post office?
Ans: - Between one Anna and 4 Annas.
10. What time did the narrator wake up every day?

Ans: - Wake up at 4 in the evening.
11. How much money did the narrator had in his wallet?
Ans: - 14 rupees.
12. Where did the narrator go to take his meal?

Ans: - In a crowded restaurant.
13. What did the narrator order in his meals at the restaurant?
Ans: - Full meals consisting of chapattis and meat curry and tea as well.
14. Why did the narrator begin to sweat profusely in the restaurant?
Ans: - As the narrator put his hands in the pocket he realized that his wallet was missing.

1. Sketch the character of strange man.

Ans: - The strange man was fair complexion. He had six foot tall. He had wearied with a red turban and white trousers. He had a
handle- bar moustache and had blue eyes. He had avoided the shamefulness of removing the trousers for paid amount for a meal
and a tea. He had paid the money to the restaurant keeper. He took the narrator to the deserted bridge and requested him not to say
any one if they ask him whether he had seen him. He even gave his wallet along with his money. He was appeared to a human
being while compare to all civilized person of the city. All citizens are treated him inhumanly. But the stranger treated him
humanly as a good being. Instead of a pickpocketed he is absorbed human being.
2. Describe the people and the place where the incident took place.
Ans: - In a faraway big city in the valley of mountain the narrator stayed in a small and shabby room on a dirty street. Here the
narrator had a profession of teaching English to migrant laborers. They were cruel people. Murder, robbery, pick-pocketing were
daily occurrences. By traditions they were professional soldiers. Some of them went to distant places and lent out money on
interest. Many others served as watchman in banks, mills and large commercial establishments in big cities. Money was highly
valued by them. For money they would do anything. They hey would ready to commit murder for money.
3. Give an account of the embracing experience of the narrator at the restaurant.

Ans: - one day the narrator as usual got up at 4 p. m and went out for a meal. He carried a wallet consists of fourteen rupees. He
ate a full meal and he drank a tea. The bill was eleven Annas. While he put his hand in a coat pocket to pay for it, he was really
swatting because his wallet was not there in a coat. He told to this to the restaurant owner. He caught his coat lapels and cried that
to pay the amount without played any tricks. All the people around him looked him like a hungry wolf. In the meantime, the
restaurant keeper forced him to remove his coat, shirt and even his trousers also. It was great embracing movement to the narrator.
4. What was the routine of the narrator in the city?

Ans: - The narrator stayed in a small, dingy room on a dirty street. He made his living by teaching English to some migrant
laborers from 9:30 to 11 in the night. He taught them to write the addresses in English. Just to avoid the expense of morning tea
and afternoon meals, he slept whole day and woke up only at four in the evening. This was his daily routine.
1. Does this story talk about transformation in a person? Discuss.

Ans: - Yes, this story is about the transformation of a pick-pocketer into a more considerate and humane person. The author in a
far off place from his native land is struggling to earn his bread. Sometimes he foregoes his morning tea and afternoon lunch to
cut his expenses. It so happens one evening after consuming a full meal and a cup of tea he realizes that his wallet that contained
fourteen rupees was missing. This was followed by threats from the restaurant keeper. When he was on the edge of getting
stripped, a fair complexioned man, six-foot-tall, with a red turban and white trousers with blue eyes and handle-bar moustache
appeared as a God-man to save him. He pays the eleven Annas and takes the author to a deserted bridge. There he asks him to
pick his wallet among the five wallets he had flicked.
2. Do you think the restaurant keeper was over reacting when the narrator could not pay the bill? If so, what accounts for
his behavior?
Ans: - The inhabitants of the big city in the valley of a mountain were cruel and known for robbery, pick-pocketing and murder.
Money was highly valued by them. They would even commit murder for money. It so happened that the narrator took up a
profession of teaching English to migrant laborers in that place. To save the expense he would forego his morning tea and noon
lunch. One evening as usual he went to a crowded restaurant and ate a full meal and drank tea. But to his horror he realizes his
wallet has been picked by someone. He conveys to the owner of the restaurant about the same. The restaurant keeper with a loud
laughter caught him by the lapels of his coat and cried out loudly saying that such tricks would not work there and if he fails to
pay the bill, his eyes would be gouged out. Here the restaurant keeper was a little over reacting and drawing the attention of the
crowd. He was rude and his act was a humiliating one when he decided to strip the author and gouge his eyes.
***********

Money Madness
D.H. Lawrence
SUMMARY
Money madness is a poem written by D H Lawrence. In this poem, the author speaks about the effect of money on people. The
people are mad about money. They are not ready to give money to anyone. They may give one pound but they are not ready to
give ten pound to others. We are not afraid of money but we are afraid of money madness. People want to exploit others. If
someone has no money they give him a little food and make him work like a slave. The author is afraid of exploitation by others.
The author wants food, shelter and fire to be free. He says that the money mad people may kill each other in future.
Comprehension: I
1. How do people feel when they give

A. One Pound?
B. Ten Pound?
A. One Pound-People are not happy to give away the pound note, they feel a pang.
B. Ten Pound-If a person thinks to give away ten-pound note, and then he feels tremors within him and feels dejected. He under
goes a lot of pain
2. “Money has got us down” it means

Ans: - It has made us its slaves.
3. How are people without money, usually treated?

Ans: - The people without money are usually treated as beggars; they are humiliated, degraded by all.
4. What things should be made available free of cost?

Ans: - Bread, fire, shelter should be made available free of cost “to all and anybody”.
5. The speaker is frightened of

Ans: - Having no money.
6. What happens if we do not regain our sanity about money?

Ans: - If we do not regain our sanity about money, we will start killing each other for money.
Comprehension: II
1. How does Money trigger fear in an Individual?

Or
2. How does an individual measures the value of another individual in terms of money?
Ans: - The poet D.H. Lawrence says that if an individual has money; he is treated with respect & dignity by others. If he has a lot
of money, the respect increases. However, if the individual does not have any money, people are happy to leave him starve to
death. They say, ‘Let him eat dirt & go cold’. Money madness makes people so insensitive that they are ready to kill one another
for the sake of money.
Comprehension: III
1. Collective madness about money affects the individuals also. How does the poem bring this out?
Or
2. What according to the poet, might happen if people do not regain sanity about money? What solution does he offer?
Ans: - Money has become a powerful player in societies of today and holds primary importance in the modern day life style. The
poet says that wherever we look there is madness for money; infact money can be termed as symbol for the word madness. He
shivers as if he has been robbed. Money makes us kneel in front of it. It makes us fearful and a sense of apprehension (worry) and
stress hold us, as we try to overcome it.

Poet feels that no one cares for moral values and behavior, instead society judges a man by his riches. If one has no money then
he well deserves all the guilt, criticism and blame that come with poverty.
It lends him little money which is enough to buy a piece of bread in the name of humanity. But even this small offering doesn’t
come freely. Poor man has to eat dirt (humiliation) to get it; suffering through pain and criticisms. Poet announces that bread,
shelter and fire should be free to anybody and everybody all over the world.

1. What are the ideas about the money madness dealt in the poem by D.H. Laurence?
or
2. Write the summary of the poem “Money Madness”
Ans: - “Money Madness” by D.H. Lawrence is one of the important poems of his time. It presents a personalized view of the
horror of money. It also critically evaluates rush affluences of Money that are visible all around us. It becomes a powerful player
in societies of today and holds more importance than anything else in the modern day lifestyle. So that the poet has tried to
exemplify money madness in the society and how it degenerates social and moral values of society.
In the poem Lawrence's says that wherever we look there is madness for money, infect wealth inverts control him. So therefore he
used money used as a metaphor for the word madness. And this madness is not on small or individualistic levels. It is the madness
of the multitude, in numbers unimaginable and at levels incredible. And since the multitude as a whole is mad, so every person in
this world carries his share of this madness. His share of this insane race after money, the poet doubts that there exists a human in
this world who hands out a pound note to someone without feeling a pang at heart. No matter how noble he may feel while giving
away that note. His heart always wishes if only he could do all that good without having to take out a note from his own pocket.
And when that note turns to a ten-pound note, we experience real tremors within us. We tremble from inside while giving away
that note, as if we have been robbed. Money makes us kneel in front of it. It makes us fearful, and a sense of apprehension and
stress grips us as we try to overcome a loss as materialistic and small as ten-pounds. It has an exaggerating power to influence our
life.
The poet goes on to say that if one has no money, the World would give him little money, only enough to perhaps buy a piece of
bread, in the name of humanity. But even this small offering doesn’t come for free. He has to eat dirt to get it, suffering through
pains unheard and criticisms unparalleled. The poet says it is this pitiful and inhumane situation that he is afraid of. He fears that
such madness for money might result in the world going completely insane. It is this fear of money-mad fellow-men going into a
state of delirium that resides within him.
***********

Babar Ali
Samarpita Mukherjee Sharma

SUMMARY
Babar is the first person in his family to get a formal education. And the heartwarming story is that it (the learning) didn't end with
him, it was the beginning. At the tender age of nine, Babar Ali had the heart, the vision and the dedication to bring education to
hundreds of children in his village. Babar Ali was a person from Murshidabad, West Bengal. He is known as the "youngest
headmaster of the world". He was given this title by BBC, in the year 2009. Babar Ali was still a student when he started
teaching. He initially began teaching as a time pass, just for fun.
Comprehension: I
1. Where does Babar Ali run classes for poor children?

Ans: - Babar Ali runs classes for poor children in the backyard of his house in Murshidabad, West Bengal.
2. How is Babar Ali’s routine described by the writer?

Ans: - Babar wakes up every morning at seven and starts his day by doing some house hold chores. Then he takes an auto
rickshaw first and later walks five kilometers to his class as a student of XII.
3. Give a picture of Babar Ali s school

Ans: - Babar Ali’s school is made up of a dilapidated concrete structure covered in half torn posters. Children study under the
open blue sky. Some sit in the mud while others on rickety benches under a rough homemade shelter.
4. Why is Babar Ali called ‘a fortunate soul’ in his village?

Ans: - Babar is called a fortunate soul in his village because unlike most children he received formal education because he was
firmly supported by his father Nasiruddin Sheikh.
5. What according to Babar’s father, is true religion?

Ans: - According to Babar’s father Nasiruddin Sheikh Education is man’s true religion.
6. Why is sending children to school, a costly affair for parents?

Ans: - Poor families find sending children a costly affair because even though children are provided with free education, parents
still have to bear the cost of uniforms and other books.
7. Tulu Rani Hazra is________

Ans: - An illiterate educationalist
8. The teaching staff of Babar Ali’s school is made up of____

Ans: - High school student volunteers.
9. Babar Ali gets the children to listen by______

Ans: - Making friends with them.
Comprehension: II
10. Why do you think Babar Ali took the initiative to start his own school?
Or
11. What started as a game resulted in a much sought after school for the unprivileged.’ Explain.
Or
12. Do you think that Babar Ali’s act of thoughtfulness has enabled the poor children move towards growth? Discuss
Ans: - Babar Ali noticed how most of his friends in his village had not received formal education. Although children were
provided with free education, the parents still had to bear the cost of books and uniform, instead of going to school most of the
boys worked as mechanics, day laborers, grass cutters live stock herders whereas girls worked as maid servants, cooking,
cleaning, and washing clothes and dishes for their employers. So Babar Ali wanted to bring about a change in their lives.
Nasiruddin Sheikh, Babar’s father a jute seller believed that education is man’s true religion. So he supported his son to open a
school and provided free meals for the poor students.

Babar Ali actually started his school Anand Shiksha Niketan when he was nine. It grew out of a game. Babar Ali and his friends
used to play school-school with him as a teacher. As his friends had never experienced school atmosphere they enjoyed playing as
students. While they played, his friends would end up learning arithmetic and this was what led him to open his own institution,
for his friends and other children like them in his own village. Teaching in Ali’s school is taken care of by high school student
volunteers. According to Babar Ali teaching learning process has become more effective as the generation gap is less between the
teacher and the students, and this is a big advantage. Education is free and books are made available to the students.
Comprehension: III
1. According to Nasiruddin ‘Education is man’s True Religion’. How does Babar Ali’s school prove this?
Or
2. The increasing strength of Babar Ali’s school reflects the transformation in our society’s attitude towards education.
Substantiate.
Or
3. Do you feel that Babar Ali’s initiation is a success story? Explain
Ans: - Education is a boon and this is a remarkable story of the desire to learn amid the direst (extreme) poverty. So Ali’s
thoughtfulness and initiative turned an impossible mission into a possible one. Success cannot be measured by money or fame
that is visible but by the positive transformation caused by a small act of courage.
The School which was started in a very humble manner in the backyard of Babar Ali’s house with eight students has been
transformed today to the one with eight hundred students, with 60 regular attendees and over 220 students on roll call. Anand
shiksha Niketan consists of ten volunteer teachers teaching grade 1 to 8. It is registered with the West Bengal Government. This
means that the children who gain access to education will also have more career opportunities. Text books are free from class 1 to
5. The School provides free mid-day meals and opportunity to get into the High School. Students join his School with lots of
enthusiasm and interest. Moreover, they are very keen to study when a person receives education it uplifts his way of thinking and
improves the quality of his life. The school has not only created confidence in young children but also enhanced self confidence
of the entire villagers in this process of education. People like Tulu Rani Hazra a fish monger, high school volunteers, Debarita
Bhattachary, Monks at the local Rama Krishna Mission, IAS officers and local cops have participated in the school’s activities
which reflect their devotion towards education. In short, Babar Ali’s foresight has given opportunities for hundreds of deprived
students.
***********

If I Was a Tree
Mudanakudu Chinnaswamy
SUMMARY
 This poem has been written by Mudnakudu Chinnaswamy. In this poem he is speaking on behalf of the untouchables. He loves
the life of a tree instead of being an untouchable because a tree is acceptable to society but an untouchable is not acceptable to
society. Even in modern times an untouchable is disliked and kept out of society. If he becomes a tree, a bird may build its nest on
the tree without thinking of the tree as untouchable. Sun light would not discriminate him as untouchable tree. An untouchable's
shadow is considered unclean but a tree's shadow is not untouchable. Rain would have fallen on it without discrimination. A cow
is considered very sacred but it would come and touch the tree. At last, the dry broken wood of the tree may be used for the
funeral of good people. Through this poem, the author condemns the blind belief called untouchability.
 Mudnakudu Chinnaswamy has written on the evils of untouchability in this poem. The feeling of anger and dejectedness is
expressed through a young boy who feels that if he had been a tree, he could have birds build its nest without asking him which
caste he was, sun would have embraced him and his friendship with the breeze and leaves would have been cool and pleasant.
The boy states that if he had been a tree, the rain would not turn its back because he was an untouchable and the mother earth
would not have run to take bath because his roots were touching hers. Through this, the boy states the attitude of the people
towards him and how hurt he was.
He also states that as a tree, he would allow the cows to scratch its skin against the rough surface of the bark and in turn he would
get blessings from the thousand gods and goddess who were supposed to be residing in the cow’s stomach
The boy also yearns to be purified in some way or the other and states his wish that if he had been a tree, he would have been
broken into pieces and would have been used for some holy rituals, or would have been used to burn a sinless person or would
have been used to carry the body of the dead by touching the shoulders of four men. He calls the four men as “good” because
only those people are allowed to carry all the bodies of all the caste people.
Comprehension: I
1. The speaker wants to be a tree because

Ans: - Trees are not treated as objects of defilement.
2. What wouldn’t the bird ask the tree?

Ans: - The bird wouldn’t ask what caste the tree belongs to before it builds its nest.
3. When does the sacred cow scrape her body onto the bark?
Ans: - Sacred cow scrapes her body onto the bark of the tree when it felt an itch, or whenever it get itched.
4. How does the speaker want to be purified?

Ans: - By burning in the holy fire the speaker wanted to be purified.
5. The phrase ‘dog –eater’ refers to Untouchable.
6. What uses of the wood does the speaker see?

Ans: - The wood can be used in a holy fire for sacrifices or rituals. It also becomes the bier for a sinless dead body on the
shoulders of four good men.
Comprehension: II
1. Why would mother earth not flee according to the speaker?

or
2. How do the life forces-sunlight and the cool breeze enforce nature’s idea of equality?
Ans: - The poem if I was a tree by Mudnakudu Chinnaswamy is a satire on social discrimination as it portrays how even a tree is
treated better than a human being who belongs to the lower castes. Literally Dalit means oppressed or crushed. In earlier times,
these people were made to live outside the villages and cities and their touch or even shadow was considered polluting. These
groups were not entitled to education or any position of status and authority. However, the sad reality is that it is still in practice in
a lot of place around the country.

The poet feels that if he was a tree he would not have to face discrimination at the hands of people. The poet says if he was tree
then the bird wouldn’t ask for his cast before it built its nest on him, his shadow wouldn’t feel defiled (polluted) if the sunlight
embraced him. He further thinks that his friendship with the breeze and leaves would be sweet and congenial (friendly, pleasing)
The poet is trying to tell us that nature does not differentiate between upper and lower caste; it does not reserve its resources only
for the upper castes. Forces like the rain, the wind, water serve all human beings in the same way. It is in the name of caste and
creed that man differentiates and oppresses those who come from the lower castes.
The poet feels that the sacred cow would scrape her body on the tree’s bark whenever he feels the need to scratch its body and the
three hundred thousand Gods sheltering inside her would touch him as well.
Even if it is cut and made into pieces it may be used to light the holy fire or used as a bier for a sinless body being carried by four
good men on the shoulders.
How can someone be purified by a bath if their inner selves are polluted with the idea of discriminating individuals? The poet
feels it is convenient to be a tree that is beyond the boundaries of caste rather than being a human being who belong to the
untouchable caste and suffer from caste politics.
*********

Watchman of the Lake
SUMMARY R. K. Narayan
Mara is pleading with the headman who was in the process of constructing the road as the king would be visiting soon, to allow
him to meet the king. He wants to inform the king about the warning received from the River Veda about building a tank around
it so that no farmers will suffer. The headman was in a hurry to complete the road work because the king was to pass by that way
the next day and the road had to be ready for use.
The headman doesn’t understand his dream and throws him in the cell with his hands and legs tied. He hid himself in the
branches of tree to draw the attention of the king to tell about his dream which has revealed to him by Goddess. It was the
goodness of Bhima that Mara was able to escape and meet the king by falling from a tree and stopping the king’s procession.
Mara tells a story from the epic about the spot that standing in front of the king below the tree, Mara says that that place is a
sacred spot because Lord Hanuman had stood there once. That was the day when Lakshmana was wounded in the battlefield at
Lanka and lay in a deadly faint. Guided by omens, Hanuman came to that spot and then went up the mountain. On the peak of the
mountain he found Sanjeevini. He flew to Lanka with it, and at its breath Yama's messengers fled, and Lakshmana rose to his feet
with a new life. Such was the power of Sanjeevini; and where it grew there rose a steam which came down the mountain and
flowed near the village.
Mara, the watchman of the lake allows people and animals to drink water at the lake. He doesn't tolerate anyone killing birds or
animals there. Mara threatens the man who was fishing in the lake that if he ever dared to fish in the lake, he would abuse him and
push him into tank. He tells his son also to be as strict as he was with such people. He tells him that the lake is sacred and belongs
to the Goddess, and her command is that nothing flies or swims or walks in these parts should ever be killed. When Mara sees a
man taking his cow to the water edge, he sends his son to warn that man not to go to deep into the water. We see Mara as a proud
watchman of the lake, doing his duty of protecting the water from cruel human beings very sincerely. He is not afraid of anyone
and says that even the village headman will have to beg Mara for permission if he wants to touch the water.
The first time, when the Goddess appeared before Mara, he recognized her immediately as the divine mother and fell at her feet.
He was struck by her grand look, he gives description of her appearance that her hair was flying in the wind and she had worn
coronet which had stars. Her garment was woven in gold.
The second time, when the Goddess appeared before Mara, he understood that she was in angry and had terrible look. This time
she laughed loudly and she had carried a sword. She did not speak as she spoke at the first time. She wanted to destroy the tank
which was built by her wish. Now listening her command, he prostrated before her and begged.
We see that the same river as the saviour and destroyer. Initially, Goddess herself appears in the dream of Mara and informs him
to construct a tank to imprison river Veda which is her plaything. Mara also follows the same as it was told by Goddess. But when
everything is going smoothly, the Goddess shows another form of hers which is terrible to witness. She informs to Mara that she
is in a reckless mood to slash the bounds of the lake which is extended more than a tank. Being helpless Mara couldn't think of
anything else except to meet and deliver the message to the king. But people in general claim that they will have control over
nature. But this play breaks down those false notions. Being a mortal being Mara couldn't do anything except sacrifices his own
very life for the sake of people. His only request is to make his son the next watchman and his grandson and great grandsons after
his son to be subsequent watchmen of the lake.
We see that Ganga is the watchman of the lake and he narrates to his son when he took over his father's duty. From his narration
we come to know that the king had come personally to inform Ganga that his father was no more. The king had also asked Ganga
to start doing his father's duty immediately. The king had also built a shrine with two figures - one of the Guardian Goddess on
the top pedestal and one immediately below it - of Mara. By the king's order, worship was to be performed every Tuesday and
Friday. Ganga remarks that scores of people since then had come from far and near to worship. Thus, we see that Mara, who was
called a lunatic by the village headman, was worshipped by thousands of villagers.
Comprehension: I
1. Where does the action take place?

Ans: - In Sakkrepatna.
2. Who is the rustic hero referred in the drama?

Ans: - Mara.

3. Which lake was Mara watching?
Ans: - Ayyanakere.
4. Why were the roads being repaired in the town?

Ans: - Because the king was approaching the city.
5. Why was the headman in a hurry to complete the road work?

Ans: - The king Rukmangada was expected pass through the village next day.
6. Where is Sakkrepatna?
Ans: - On the base of Baba Budan Hills.
7. Who is lunatic according to village headman?

Ans: - Mara.
8. Why did the village headman get angry with Mara?

Ans: - He thought that Mara was a lunatic & always disturbed the work.
9. Why did the village headman call Mara a lunatic?

Ans: - Because he was engaged with his own work disturbing the workers.
10. Where was Mara when he was called a lunatic?

Ans: - Behind a rock.
11. How did Mara spring off according to the workmen?

Ans: - Like a buck.
12. Why did the headman order his workers to stop all work?
Ans: - To catch Mara and bring Mara before him.
13. Why did the village head decide to lock Mara up in the cellar?
Ans: - He did not want Mara to trouble the King.
14. What will Mara do if the headman locks him up in the cellar?
Ans: - Mara will sit there and pray.
15. What would the headman offer Mara if he behaves like a good fellow?
Ans: - Gift
16. Who gave Mara the greatest gift according to him?

Ans: - His father-in-law.
17. What was the greatest gift given?

Ans: - His wife was the greatest gift.
18. Where was Mara imprisoned?

Ans: - In the cellar behind the old temple.
19. Who was asked to guard Mara? /who was asked to keep Mara in the cellar?
Ans: - Bhima.
20. How was Bhīma to look at?

Ans: - Bhima was a giant and could swing an elephant by its tail.
21. How did Bhima manage to grow so fat?

Ans: - Bhima's mother gave him iron decoction when he was a baby and at every dawn he ran up the hill with a large grind-stone
on his back.
22. Who helped Mara to escape from the cellar?

Ans: - Bhima

23. Why did jailor let Mara out of cellar?
Ans: - On knowing about his dream.
24. Where was Mara waiting for the king?

Ans: - In a tree.
25. Why was Mara waiting for the king on the tree?
Ans: - He wanted to tell about his dream to the king, but was afraid of the village headman.
26. What was the confusion at the arrival of the king?

Ans: - Someone jumped down from the tree as the king was about to arrive.
27. Who came in Mara's dream?

Ans: - The goddess of the river.
28. How was the goddess' garment?

Ans: - Her garment was of gold woven with lightening.
29. Which / what was the plaything of the goddess?

Ans: - Veda.
30. Where was Veda born?

Ans: - In the fleeting mists of the mountain top.
31. What did the goddess command Mara to tell the king?
Ans: - To build a tank.
32. Why did goddess ask the king to build a tank?

Ans: - Not to let Veda leave the village.
33. What did Mara call himself as?

Ans: - An unworthy dog.
34. How does the king respond to Mara's information about the tank?
Ans: - When Mara revealed his dream about the goddess, the king believed him and invited him to his palace.
35. Where did Hanuman find Sanjeevini?

Ans: - On the crest of mountain in Sakkrepatna
36. Who was Ganga?

Ans: - Ganga was Mara's son.
37. What was Ganga watching when Mara called him?

Ans: - A man was finishing in the lake.
38. Why did the visitor approach Mara?

Ans: - The visitor had come to ask for water from Mara's tank as the crops had parched up and cattle were dying of drought.
39. Who would guard the lake after Mara?

Ans: - His son Ganga.
40. What is the command of goddess about the animals in that area?
Ans: - The animals should never be killed.
41. Who summoned the king one late night?

Ans: - Mara.
42. What condition was Mara in?

Ans: - Battered by rain.

43. What message did Mara bring to the king about the lake?
Ans: - It is about to smash it’s bounds/the goddess is going to destroy the lake.
44. On what condition did Mara make the goddess wait for him?
Ans: - He requested the goddess not to destroy the tank wall till he came back after informing the king about the danger to the
lake.
45. What did the king want the announcer to announce?

Ans: - It was the last day of the world.
46. What did Mara give the king to save the tank?
Ans: - Solution to kill himself
47. What was Mara's last request?

Ans: - To make Ganga as watchman of the lake.
48. Where is the figure of the Guardian Goddess of lake?

Ans: - On the top pedestal.
49. When is the worship performed by the king's order?

Ans: - On the evenings of every Tuesday & Friday.
Comprehension: II
1. What was the significance of Mara's dream?

Ans: - Mara narrated the king about his dream in which the goddess of the river commanded him to tell the king to build a tank
around the river Veda & stop its flowing away. Mara where he met the king told him that the place where they stood was a sacred
spot because that was the place Lord Hanuman had stood upon once. Later. He had gone up the mountains to bring Sanjeevini.
The magical herb. From the place where the herb grew, a stream began, came down the mountain & became the river Veda which
flowed near the town. Its water was the life saver of the people of Sakkarepatna, but in the summer months, it dries up & the town
has to go without water. If the king believed Mara's dream & acted upon it, the town of Sakkarepatna would never be deprived of
water, even in the hottest summer.
2. "Nature is both protective & destructive"- how does the play bring out this idea?
Ans: - The goddess of the river is the symbol of nature in this story. Once she came in Mara's dream and commanded him to tell
the king to construct a tank around the stream of Veda and not let her flow away from that place. The place was a sacred spot. The
goddess claims herself that Veda is her plaything and she plays with it as she wants. She wanted to make the nature protective by
constructing a lake so that the people never have to suffer drought. Things were calm for some years. One evening, Veda started
swelling. It became stormy. Mara fears floods will destroy the tank and prays to the goddess, she appears and says that she is in a
mood to 'kick away the miserable stones they have piled up imprison the waters of her Veda. Thus she wants to destroy the whole
thing.
Comprehension: III
1. How is Mara's role brought out in protecting the lake?

Ans: - Mara is central character of the play Mara struggles a lot to meet the king. He wanted to meet the king Rukmangada as he
wanted to narrate his dream in which the goddess of the river came and commanded Mara to tell the king to construct a lake/tank
around Veda -Her plaything. The village headman was busy with his workmen repairing the roads as the king was going to pass
through that village next day. He called Mara, a lunatic and even put Mara in a cellar.
Mara could escape from the prison and climbed up the tree expected king's arrival, though the village headman avoids him, Mara
shows his commitment for the livelihood issue of the drought hit villagers. Then the king appointed him as the watchman of the
lake. He shows total commitment to the welfare of the living beings depending on the lake. He prevents the people from polluting
it. One stormy night, Mara observes the river Veda. Waves rose and harmed the back of the lake. He prays the goddess to let him
to inform the king and wait until he comes back. At last she has given a word that she won't damage till he returns from the
palace. That was enough for Mara to save the lake. He goes to the palace to inform the king and decided not to go to back to the
lake. He asked the king to kill him. The goddess is kept waiting for the return of Mara. She has not done any harm to the lake.
Thus Mara gives a message to selfish society through his selfless life. His sacrifice saved the people.
***********

The Farmer’s Wife
Volga
SUMMARY
The farmer's wife is a poem written by Volga. In this poem the poet has spoken on behalf of a farmer's wife. The farmer's wife is
sad and sorrowful because he had committed suicide. He has died because he had borrowed money for his crop from money
lenders. But he was unable to repay the loan. He had grown cotton crop. But there was no yield from the fields. Cotton pods were
eaten by worms. So, he could not repay the loan. He took poison. But he forgot his responsibility as a husband and as a father.
Now she has to answer the money lenders. She has to look after the children. She has to feed the children. She has to educate the
children. She has to do all this alone and so she is sadly thinking about future.
Comprehension: I
1. Who is 'you' in the poem ‘The farmer's wife'?

Ans: - The farmer
2. Who do "I" in the poet refer to?

Ans: - The farmer's wife.
3. Who is the 'virtuous man' according to ‘The farmer's wife’?

Ans: - Her husband.
4. Why does she call her husband as 'virtuous man'?

Ans: - Because he has managed to escape from the creditors.
5. Who is the 'poor sinner' in the poem?

Ans: - The farmer's wife.
6. Why does she refer herself a 'poor sinner'?

Ans: - Because she is alive and facing the creditors every day,
7. Why has the farmer committed suicide?

Ans: - Due to bad harvest, he could not repay the loan he had taken.
8. What does the phrase ' you crossed over' mean?

Ans: - Relief from the troubles.
9. How did the farmer die?

Ans: - By consuming poison.
10. Name the crop grown by the farmer?

Ans: - Cotton
11. What has the farmer poisoned his wife?

Ans: - Her bitter existence.
12. Name one of the troubles given by the farmer to his wife?
Ans: - Abused / kicked / reviled.
13. When did he trouble his wife?

Ans: - When he was drunk.
14. What did the farmer's wife think when he troubled her?
Ans: - He is but a man.
15. What remained even after the farmer's death?

Ans: - Debt.

16. How many children did the farmer have?
Ans: - Four children.
17. Where has the farmer's wife remained?

Ans: - Before his creditors
18. What happened to the dignity of the family?

Ans: - Dignity hit the dust.
19. What did the farmer imagine about his wife?

Ans: - Her back would bear the burden of 4 children.
20. What is meant by 'harvest of my womb?

Ans: - Means her children.
21. What needs a firm heart according to the farmer's wife?

Ans: - To ask questions like what is this? Why is this?
22. What does the farmer's wife decide to teach her children?
Ans: - To clench a fist.
23. What does the farmer's wife want to embrace?

Ans: - Life.
Comprehension: II & III
1. What series of contrasts does the speaker draw between herself and her husband?
Ans: - The farmer's wile sarcastically refers to her husband as the virtuous one and herself as the 'sinner.' She refers so because
her husband has managed to escape from the creditors, where as she is alive and facing the creditors' every day. She also says that
he could never bend his head in front of others or stretch his hand to ask for help. He could not even sell his crops. But his wife
was submissive right from her birth used to stretch her hand in front of everyone and also familiar with being sold. She also says
that her husband died, unable to bear the burden of his children, but she will not only bear the burden of 4 children, but teaches
her children to clench a fist against the odds.
2. What memories of her husband trouble her now?

Ans: - The wife refers her husband as virtuous who was managed to escape from the creditors, remembers him as a proud person
who wouldn't bend his head in front of anyone. She is also troubled by the abuses & kicks the husband had heaped on her when
he was alive. She had forgiven him then, but now, in the light of his suicide & consequent desertion of her, she feels betrayed. She
realizes that her life with him has been a continuous story of sadness & deprivation.
3. How does the poem bring out the plight of farmer's wife?
Ans: - The poet Volga depicts farmer's suicide for many reasons. His death leaves behind his wife and children. In this poem, the
farmer's wife calls herself "a sinner' as she has remained to face the creditors, where as the farmer, who is a 'virtuous' is gone. The
farmer dies because he is unable to repay his loan and could not ask any one for help by bending his head or stretching out his
hand. He was not able to sell his crop. But, she was born to be humiliated & ask help from everyone; she was also used to being
sold. The poison released him from frustration, but has poisoned the wife's life & made it bitter forever.
She recalls the days with her husband.The life were not always happy. She had shed tears, faced abuses & violence from him &
tolerated all pains. She thought that he had right to do so since he was a man. But his suicide blew the worst of her life. The crop
was gone, but the debt remained and their dignity suffered immensely. She asked him how she could bear the burden of 4
children. Committing suicide is easy where as living while facing the challenges is very difficult. She asserts that she will not
escape like him, but live & teach her children to face all the odds of life. She also gets ready to struggle for life.
*********

Frederick Douglass
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

SUMMARY
Frederick Douglass was born into slavery sometime in 1817 or 1818. Like many slaves, he is unsure of his exact date of birth. ...
Lloyd owns hundreds of slaves, who call his large, central plantation the “Great House Farm.” Life on any of Lloyd's plantations,
like that on many Southern plantations, is brutal.
Remembering Frederick Douglass' escape from slavery. Frederick Douglass escaped from slavery on September 3, 1838, aided by
a disguise and job skills he had learned while forced to work in Baltimore's shipyards. Douglass posed as a sailor when he
grabbed a train in Baltimore that was headed to Philadelphia.
Frederick Douglass does not know his true age or date of birth because he is a slave. He also states that none of the slaves
he has ever met could not tell of their birthday either. ... Frederick Douglass' relationship with his mother is not good, seeing that
they are both working on separate plantations.
As a slave, Douglass did not know his parents well. His father was most likely his master, and his mother was on a neighboring
planation and died when he was still a young boy. ... He was separated from his mother as an infant, as was the custom with
slaves. She would come and visit him, but he barely knew her.
Frederick Douglass is mainly famous as an abolitionist. After he escaped from slavery, he became one of the leading abolitionist
speakers and writers in the United States. He was definitely the most important African American male abolitionist. He pushed
for black freedom in many ways.
Frederick Douglass was an escaped slave who became a prominent activist, author and public speaker. He became a leader in the
abolitionist movement, which sought to end the practice of slavery, before and during the Civil War.
Captain Anthony - Douglass's first master and probably his father. Anthony is the clerk for Colonel Lloyd, managing Lloyd's
surrounding plantations and the overseers of those plantations. Anthony is a cruel man who takes pleasure in whipping his slaves,
especially Douglass's Aunt Hester.
Douglass used a simple, straightforward narrative style with a focus on the details of his life as a slave.
Douglass was the important leader in the Abolitionism movement. Abolitionism was a movement to end slavery. It gained
prominence in US during the Civil War. Frederick Douglass was the most prominent African American abolitionist and an
important leader in the movement.
Douglass devoted his life to abolish slavery but his work did not end when in 1861 President Lincoln ended the institution of
slavery. Douglass fought for civil rights and to empower African Americans to develop their own skills and to take responsibility
for their actions.
Douglass is essentially willing to die for his freedom. He believes that man was created to be free and utterly detests his condition
as a slave. Freedom is the ultimate gift in Douglass's opinion, and he suffers through extraordinary obstacles to gain his
independence.
Frederick Douglass has been called the father of the civil rights movement. He rose through determination, brilliance, and
eloquence to shape the American nation. He was an abolitionist, human rights and women's rights activist, orator, author,
journalist, publisher, and social reformer.
Comprehension: I
1. Who was Frederick Douglass?

Ans: - He was a slave boy.
2. What was the earlier name of Frederick Douglass?

Ans: - Frederick Augustine Washington Bailey.
3. When was he born?

Ans: - In 1817or 1818.

4. Why was he sent to Baltimore?
Ans: - To be a house servant/child servant.
5. Who taught him to read and write?

Ans: - His master's wife.
6. When did he escape from slavery?

Ans: - In 1938.
7. Where did he go after escaping from slavery?

Ans: - He went to New York City
8. Where was he born?

Ans: - Born in Tuckahoe.
9. Where is Tuckahoe?
Ans: - Tuckahoe is near Hillsborough, about 12 miles from Easton, in Talbot County, Maryland.
10. Why did he write "narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass."?

Ans: - Because he was such an impressive orator that numerous persons doubted if he had ever been a slave.
11. Name the autobiographical works of Frederick Douglass

Ans: - "My Bondage and my Freedom" and "Life and Times of Frederick Douglass".
12. Why didn't Frederick Douglass know his correct age?

Ans: - Because he has no authentic record.
13. What would the master look at the enquiries about the slave's birthday?
Ans: - The master considered the enquiries about the slave was improper & impertinent & evidence of a restless spirit.
14. Who was Frederick Douglass’s mother?

Ans: - Harriet Bailey.
15. What was whispered about his father?

Ans: - It was whispered that his own master was his father.
16. When was he separated from his mother?

Ans: - When he was just an infant.
17. Why were the children separated from their mothers at an earlier age?
Ans: - To hinder the development of the child's affection of the mother for the child.
18. Who takes care of the separated children?

Ans: - An old woman who is too old for field labor.
19. What was the penalty to the field hand for not being in the field at Sunrise?
Ans: - A whipping.
20. How old was Douglass when he lost his mother?

Ans: - He was about seven year’s old.
21. Name the person who was believed to be both Douglass' father & master'?
Ans: - Captain Anthony.
22. Who are mulatto Children?

Ans: - A child with one white parent & the other black parent.
23. How did Douglass receive the tidings of his mother's death?
Ans: - As the death of a stranger.

24. Who was Anna Murray?
Ans: - Douglass's wife.
25. Why did Mr. Anthony acquire the name Captain Anthony?
Ans: - Because by sailing a craft on the Chesapeake Bay.
26. How many farms did him own?

Ans: - He owned two or three farms.
27. Who was Mr. Plummer?

Ans: - He was an overseer, a miserable drunkard, a profane swearer, & a savage monster.
Comprehension: II
1. What kind of hardships did the slaves suffer at the hands of the slave holder and his mistress?
Ans: - The slaves suffer a lot of hardships at the hands of the slave holder and his mistress. They were a constant offence to their
mistress. She was forever disposed to find fault with them. They could never do anything to please her; she took pleasure in
seeing them whipped. Especially, when she suspected her husband of showing greater concern towards his mulatto children than
the other black slaves. To please the mistress. The master was forced to sell such slaves to human flesh-mongers. The only
alternative to this cruel deed was to whip them himself or see one white son tie up his brother & ply the gory lash to his naked
back.
2. What was Mr. Plummer? Give instances to show his ruthlessness.

Ans: - Mr. Plummer was an overseer. He was a miserable drunkard. A profane Swearer and a savage monster. He looked after
Captain Anthony's farms. He always went armed with a cow skin and a heavy cudgel. He would cut and slash the women's heads
so horribly that even masters would be enraged at his cruelty. He used to tie up to a joist and whip them upon to their naked backs
till they were literally covered with blood. No words, No tears, No Give prayers, from his gory victim, seemed to move his iron
heart from its bloody purpose. The louder they screamed the harder he whipped; and where the blood ran fastest, there he
whipped longest. He could stop whipping only when he was tired.
Comprehension: III
1. How does the passage comment on the dreadful experience of slavery?

Ans: - The passage reveals the emotional & physical torture slaves have to undergo at the hands of their masters. Right from the
time of their birth, they were not allowed to have any sense of their identity, except the realization that they were inferior to the
white children. Their birth dates or names of parents were not revealed. The children were separated from their mothers in infancy
itself in order to avoid any bond forming between the mothers and the children. The mother would be sent to a distant farm and
child was placed under the care of very old slave woman.
The children were made to do all kinds of tasks in the house and on the fields without any rest. They were not allowed to ask for
any favours. Impertinence or mistakes of any kind resulted in their being whipped till blood flowed on their backs. They were
deliberately kept ignorant. The mistress would find fault in their work and take pleasure in punishing them. To please the
mistress, the master was forced to sell his own children to human flesh mongers. Unless he would do that, he must not only whip
them himself, but see one white son tie up his brother and play the gory lash to his naked back. Douglass points out how the
masters manipulate the circumstances to suit their Convenience. Blacks are not born subhuman, but are dehumanized to such
heartless practices of the slave Owners.
***********

An Old Woman
Arun Kolatkar
SUMMARY
An introduction and occasion of the poem

The poem ‘An Old Woman’ gives a graphic picture of an old beggar woman. The decay of the old woman here symbolizes the
decay in our own lives. She grabs hold of the sleeve of a person and tags along with him till the person gives him a coin in alms.
Like all other beggars, she insists on getting something from others. She is a poor woman who has lost the promises of her past
and is reduced to the present state. The speaker, in the poem, views her squarely and becomes aware that decay has set in her
person.
Summary of the poem

 An old beggar woman catches hold of the sleeve of the speaker and insists on getting a fifty paisa con in alms. She tags along
with him and promises that she will take him to the horseshoe temple. If he tells her that he has already seen the temple, she
hobbles along with him and catches hold of his shirt tightly and again insists on getting a fifty paisa coin. She will not let him go.
Like all other old women, she, too, sticks to him life a burr (prickly seed case of plants which stick to clothes). He turns around
and wants to get rid or her. In order to end this useless activity, he tells her firmly to leave him. When she remarks,
“What else can an old woman do
On hills as wretched as these”.
He looks right at the sky in contemplation. As he looks on her, he finds that the cracks that begin around her eyes have spread
beyond her skin. The decay of the old woman has spread to the hills and the temples and in our lives. The old woman stands there
alone. And he is reduced to the small change in her hand.
 Someone may be walking and a woman may grab ahold of his or her sleeve. For a price, she will take what seems to be a
sightseer to a nearby shrine. The man will not interested: he has seen the shrine before. However, the woman will be insistent; the
man may want to dismiss her because she is an old woman, and they cling and won't let go.
The man will turn, about to end their association, to put her in her place and demand that she leave, but she will look at him and
explain that there is little else left for an old woman to do in the hills where she abides: how can she live? She seems to imply.
The shock the man receives is looking at the sky, perhaps as blue as the woman's eyes: but what stops him is the sense that her
eyes are like bullet holes—this image is shocking and riveting, as is, perhaps, his enlightened perception of this woman and her
connection to this old land.
The man will note that as he looks at the woman, and the cracks around her eyes, the cracks will seem to spread to the landscape
around her: to the hills, the temples and even the sky. But he will see, as he watches, that even though the sky may fall and shatter
around her, she is untouched: "shatterproof."
In the midst of the life that has reduced her to trying to earn some money as a guide for tourists, and seen only an old woman to
the tourists—not worth their time and barely worth their notice—her resolve is strong. She is a part of the land, as old as it is: she
is as immovable. She lives, the man will see, with what is made available to her.
It would seem, that in the face of the man's realization, he will feel as if he has been reduced to nothing more than his money,
for he does not have that kind of connection to his land or his heritage. And perhaps, in light of the trials and tribulations of
life, he is really the unimportant one—beyond the small change in his pocket—but she stands, unbreakable and strong.
Comprehension: I
1. Who is 'you' in this poem?

Ans: - The reader/anyone.
2. What does the old woman grab?

Ans: - The sleeves of the tourist.
3. Why does she grab sleeve?

Ans: - Because she wants a fifty paise coin.
4. What would she do if you pay her a fifty paise coin?

Ans: - She would take them to the holy shrine.
5. Where would she take the tourists?

Ans: - To the horse-shoe shrine.

6. Where is the horse-shoe shrine?
Ans: - In Jejuri.
7. How does the old woman walk?

Ans: - She hobbles along the way.
8. Why does she tighten her grip on the shirt?

Ans: - Because the tourist should not slip away/go away from her.
9. How do the old women stick?

Ans: - Like a burr.
10. What does she expect for her service?

Ans: - A fifty paise coin.
11. How would he end the farce?

Ans: - By giving the old woman a fifty paise coin.
12. What does she ask when you would like to end the farce?
Ans: - What else can an old woman do on hills as wretched as these?
13. What does 'the cracks that begin around her eyes' suggest?
Ans: - That the woman is very old.
14. Where do the cracks spread?

Ans: - The cracks spread beyond her skin.
15. What is meant by the hills crack/temple crack/The sky falls?

Ans: - Hill/temple/sky are the hard things that are unshaken even they crack, but the old woman is harder than these objects who
could tolerate all the difficulties of life.
16. How does she stand?

Ans: - Alone.
Comprehension: II
1. How does the speaker's attitude undergo a change?

Ans: - The speaker is on a visit to the temple at Jejuri. He meets an old woman there. She is not an ordinary old Woman. She
represents the degradation of human values. The old woman offers her service of taking the tourist to horse shoe shrine for just a
50 paise coin. She hobbles along the way.
She holds the tourist by the sleeves & sticks like a burr. The speaker feels that she is being exploited by her. Then later, he
understands that she is doing this as there is no other ways for her livelihood. There are cracks around her eyes & they spread
beyond her skin. She faces many difficulties in her life like the cracks in the hills & temples. Even the sky be falls on her she
stands all alone, firm and bring change in the self-esteem of the speaker. The speaker is reduced to so much and he keeps a small
change that is a fifty paise coin in her hand.
Comprehension: III
1. How is the plight of the old woman depicted in the poem?

Ans: - The old woman is depicted as a helpless lonely pitiable person, who is forced to beg for her living, but she is proud enough
to render a small service for the money that she asks; she will take the tourists to the horse shoe shrine) When the tourist says that
he has seen the shrine & tries to walk away, she tags along. Though she is unable to walk properly, she hobbles along the tourist
gets irritated with her & turns around to scold & sends her away. She asks what a lonely, old helpless woman could do, if not beg
from people He looks into the sunken eyes which look like bullet holes & sees the innumerable wrinkles which seem to stretch all
around her up to the sky His irritation vanishes & his pride collapses in front of her helplessness. He feels guilty for not being able
to help her in any substantial manner. She is shatterproof, having faced such tourists & being asked such questions every day.
There is nothing more in life to surprise or excite her. He just gives her some coins & goes away. She goes back & is forced to
enact the same behavior with another tourist.
*********

Two Gentlemen of Verona
A. J. Cronin
SUMMARY
The narrator is driving through the foothills of the Alps along with his companion. While driving on the outskirts of Verona, two
young boys who sell wild strawberries stop their car. The small boys appear to be quite shabby and the driver is not keen on
buying strawberries from them. Then the narrator’s companion gets to know that the boys are brothers. The elder one aged 13 is
Nicola, and the younger brother, aged 12, is Jacopo. The narrator and his companion buy the biggest basket of strawberries from
the boys and go towards the city. The next morning, they again see the same two boys doing the shoe shining job and on being
asked, they say that they do many things for a living. They also tell the narrator and his companion that they could work as guides
and show the visitors places of interest in the town. So, the narrator asks them to take them to Juliet’s tomb. During the time of
their stay in the town, the two young boys turn out to be very helpful to the visitors.
Then, the boys are found with a bundle of unsold newspapers and are ready to sell them when the last bus arrived one night. The
narrator then talks to them and asks them why they are working so hard. He also told them that they seem to fetch sufficient
money, so why were they not spending anything on clothes and food. Nicola tells him that they had something in their minds but
he does not elaborate.
Jacopo then requests the narrator to drop them in his car to the village polenta that is around 30 kilometers away. He requests him
and says that it would be a great favor. Although, Nicola does not like the fact that his brother is troubling the narrator. But the
narrator gladly agrees to help the boys with reaching that place. So, the next afternoon, he along with his companion drives to the
village. After dropping them, the small boys enter a large red-roofed villa, which is actually a hospital.
The narrator hesitates to enter the hospital room. He tries to find out from the nurse about the girl in the hospital and the boys.
Later, the nurse tells him that Lucia is the sister of these two boys and is suffering from tuberculosis. She also mentions that a
bomb destroyed their home during the war. And even their father, a widower, had got killed during the early part of the war.
When he died, his three children were left to starve. She told the narrator that the boys also started hating the Germans who came
to rule the city and even became a part of the resistance movement. Once the war was over, Lucia got afflicted with tuberculosis
and the boys had to admit her to the hospital. So, they have been trying their best to make the payments regularly to the hospital.
The narrator waited outside the room. He did not say anything to the boys on their way back in order to give the impression that
they did not know about their secret.
Comprehension: I
1. Name the boys mentioned in the story.

Ans: - Nicola & Jacopo
2. Where did the narrator first meet the two boys?

Ans: - On the outskirts of Verona.
3. Name the mountain mentioned in the story

Ans: - Alps.
4. What were the boys selling, when the narrator met them?
Ans: - Wild berries, bright scarlet berries.
5. How did the berries look?

Ans: - Delicious.
6. Who is Luigi?
Ans: - Luigi is the narrator's car driver.
7. Why doesn't the driver approve of the narrator buying fruit from the two boys?
Ans: - The driver suspected that the boys had stolen the fruit & were selling them.
8. Why was Luigi not interested to buy from the boys?

Ans: - Because of their shabby appearance.
9. How did the boys try to satisfy the needs of the narrator & other реople?
Ans: - By their cheerful competence.

10. Who was the elder brother?
Ans: - Nicola
11. How old was Nicola?

Ans: - Thirteen years.
12. How old was Jacopo?

Ans: - Nearly twelve years.
13. Who have reputed to live in Verona city?

Ans: - Romeo and Juliet.
14. Why was Verona lost its bridges?

Ans: - Because it was bombed in the recent wars.
15. Mention one of the things the boys used to do to earn money.
Ans: - Sold fruits/hawked newspapers/shined shoes/conducted tourists round the town/ran errands for tourists.
16. What was the surprising fact that strike one about the two boys?
Ans: - Their unremitting willing ness to work.
17. What qualities in the two boys attracted the narrator?

Ans: - The boys' remitting willingness to work, their friendliness, cheerfulness & their seriousness attracted the narrator.
18. Why Nicola's face drawn by fatigue?

Ans: - A bundle of unsold newspaper lay at his feet.
19. Why were boys waiting for the last bus?

Ans: - To sell the unsold newspapers.
20. What kind of meal do the 2 boys usually have?

Ans: - Black bread and figs.
21. Where do the boys make a visit on every Sunday?

Ans: - To Poleta.
22. How far is Poleta from Verona city?

Ans: - It is 30 kms.
23. How would they usually go to Poleta?

Ans: - By hiring bicycles.
24. Why was Nicola not pleased when Jacopo asked the narrator to drive them to Poleta?
Ans: - He did not want to ask any one for favours.
25. Why did the boys go to Poleta every Sunday?

Ans: - To meet their sister
26. Why did they want the narrator not to follow them?
Ans: - They did not want the narrator to know their problems.
27. Name the sister of the two boys.

Ans: - Lucia.
28. Why was the boy's sister in Poleta?

Ans: - She was undergoing treatment.
29. Who/Whom did the narrator see, as he reached the villa?

Ans: - A trained nurse.

30. Why did the narrator not follow the boys?
Ans: - To respect their privacy
31. How old was Lucia?

Ans: - About 20 years
32. What was their father?

Ans: - A well-known singer at La Scala.
33. What had the boys and their sister known always?
Ans: - A comfortable & cultured life.
34. What had made the 2 boys & their sister homeless?
Ans: - A bomb explosion.
35. How had the three suffered after their father's death?
Ans: - They had suffered horribly from near starvation & exposure to the cold Veronese winter.
36. Who established headquarters in Verona?

Ans: - The German Elite Guard.
37. How long did they rule the city?

Ans: - For 3 years.
38. How did they rule the city?

Ans: - With ruthless severity
39. Why were the brothers made immensely valuable?

Ans: - Their youth, insignificant size, intimate knowledge of the neighboring village made them immensely valuable.
40. Why were the two boys used in the resistance movement?
Ans: - To carry messages to the forces of Liberation.
41. How did the boys carry letters to the force of Liberation?
Ans: - By keeping letters in their shoes.
42. How did Lucia contract the disease?

Ans: - During the miseries.
43. How long had she been in the hospital?

Ans: - For the past twelve months.
44. What did the boys persuade the hospital authorities?

Ans: - To take Lucia into the hospital.
45. What are the boys hoping to see their sister?

Ans: - Good progress, she will walk and sing again.
46. What has not broken the spirit of the boys?

Ans: - War.
47. How had the boys accepted the problems?

Ans: - With dignity and courage.
48. What have the selfless action of the boys brought?

Ans: - A new mobility to human life, gave promise of a greater hope for human society.
Comprehension: II
1. 'Appearance are deceptive.' How does the story bring out this idea?

Ans: - When Luigi, the driver of the narrator's car, asked him not to buy fruit from the boys. He had implied that the two boys,
might be thieves selling the fruit they had stolen. This suspicion proved to be totally false as in the coming days/The narrator saw
that the boys did all kinds of odd jobs and never spent the money they earned on themselves. As the narrator comes to know later,
the children had led a comfortable cultured life before the death of their father. They were always cheerful and friendly, yet they
were doing all this for the sake of their sister who was sick & in hospital. Though they spoke in a lively manner, they never talked
about their problems.
2. "War may destroy one's home, but not one's heart. --- Discuss.
Ans: - Nicola & Jacopo's father was killed in the early part of the war. A bomb destroyed their home & they become homeless.
Till then they had a very comfortable life. The 2 boys & their sister Lucia had suffered horribly from starvation & cold winter for
months. They shelter with their own hands amidst the rubble. There the German Elite guard established headquarters and ruled
Verona city mercilessly for 3 years. The boys hated the unwanted masters of the German & joined the resistance movement. Then
the boys were used to keep letters in their shoes, go through the mountain in the darkness by risking their lives. When the war was
over, they come back to their sister & found her suffering from tuberculosis of the spine. They persuaded the hospital people to
admit her. They were very eager to see their sister able to walk one day.
Comprehension: III
1. Two gentlemen of Verona" is telling comment on the character of gentlemen -Elaborate.

Ans: - Nicola and Jacopo were truly the gentlemen of Verona. They were very refined and sensitive in character. The tests in their
lives began after their father's death and the destruction of their home in the bomb blast. The 3 children built a shelter and lived
there. When Verona was occupied by the Germans, the 2 boys joined the resistance & acted as messengers. They moved around
at night through mountain passes carrying messages in their shoes.
Their sister Lucia was suffering from tuberculosis of the spine & was hospitalized for treatment. The boys were devoted to her &
in order to earn money for her treatment, they undertook all kinds of jobs available in Verona. They sold fruit, shined shoes ran
errands & hawked newspapers throughout the day. This shows that they did not consider any job below their dignity. They were
selfless because they earnestly saved money. They earned in order to pay the hospital. They never spent on clothes or on good
food. They were very proud boys. Even when the narrator took them to the hospital, they went in by themselves & did not speak
about their sister. The boys prove to be gentlemen & gain respect from the narrator. They arouse feelings of love & respect in the
nurse of the hospital too.
***********

Do Not Ask Of Me, My Love
SUMMARY Faiz Ahmad Faiz
‘Do not ask of me, my love’ poem does two things: it puts our own losses and sorrows in outlook when held against the great
evils that exist in the world, and it asks that we do not reside on what has been tried failed, but rather look to the future and to
fixing those existing ills—those things over which we may as yet have some control. The poem is spoken to an old lover, and the
first seven lines concern the relationship between this person and the speaker; the lovers lived, at that time, in a world populated
only by each other. “Beyond your eyes,” the speaker wondered, “what could the world hold?” At that time, “the world’s grief was
far.”
But with the dissolving of their relationship the reality and vastness of the world crept back into the speaker’s life, and his or her
own trials suddenly seem unimportant in comparison to all else that the world contains. “The world knows sorrows other than
those of love, / Pleasures beyond those of romance.” Life is not one person’s relationship, but a vast global empire of emotion, of
beauty and terror and everything in between. And after counting a handful of the terrible things that are going on in the world
today—slavery, war, defeat —the speaker asks two questions. “My gaze returns to these: what can I do? / Your beauty still haunts
me: what can I do?”
With this association, the speaker affirms that there are ways he or she can be useful in the fight against evil in the world; there
are no ways he or she can be useful in pining for a lost lover. The latter of these things is hopeless; the former is not—it is instead
a good fight, and an honorable one. And so, at the end of the poem, the speaker repeats that the world is greater than the sum of
one couple’s lost love; that there is real, damaging suffering occurring all around us, and so the speaker asks of his own pa st
lover, “Do not demand that love which can be no more.” There are greater ills which demand our attention—things that can still
be changed.
Comprehension: I
1. Who is 'I' in the poem?

Ans: - The poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz is 'I' in the poem.
2. Who is 'you' in the poem?

Ans: - 'His Love'
3. What does the speaker ask his love?

Ans: - Not to ask the love that once he had for her.
4. What did the speaker once have for her?

Ans: - The Love.
5. How was life for the poet?

Ans: - Life was bright, young, and blooming.
6. What was much more than any other pain to the poet?
Ans: - Her sorrow
7. What did her beauty give the spring?

Ans: - An everlasting youth.
8. What we’re everything for him?

Ans: - Her eyes.
9. When does the speaker realise what he thought about love was not true?
Ans: - When he moved around in the world & saw many sorrows, he realized what he thought about love was not true.
10. What does the poet think when his beloved was with him?
Ans: - The world was his.
11. What was an illusion for him?

Ans: - The thought that the world was his when his beloved was with him was an illusion.

12. Where have the bodies risen from?
Ans: - Cauldron of diseases.
13. What are the things that poet finds other than love?
Ans: - Sorrow, Pleasures.
Comprehension: II & III
1. What harsh realities of life have drawn on the speaker's attention much more than the beauty of his beloved?
Ans: - The poet loves his beloved very much. Her sorrow was more than anything else to him when he was young. Her beauty
gave an 'everlasting youth' for spring. Her eyes were everything to him. He thought that he owned the world when she was with
him. But the images what 'he had for his love was an illusion' or the image suddenly changes when the poet comes out of the
world of fantasy, to the world of reality where sorrows preceded love and other pleasures.
The brutal curses of countless centuries, woven, silk, satin, & brocade are highlighted. The sufferings caused in the world by war,
the blood, and the dust covered bodies of soldiers, the miseries of those suffering from chronic, deadly diseases, their sores that
ooze out pus, the woes of slaves who are ill-treated and sold in the market like animals. These are the harsh realities that have
drawn the writer's attention away from the beauty of his reality.
2. What transformation in the perception of love do you see in the poem?

Ans: - When the poet was young, he was immersed in the love of a beautiful girl. As long as the girl was with him, he felt the
whole world was his. The sorrow of separation from her was the only sorrow for him at that time. He loved her eyes and felt that
her beauty made spring time young. However, he moved around in the world and saw many things which were totally different
from what he was used to till now. He saw sufferings caused by war and conflicts, the bodies of soldiers covered with blood and
dust, the miseries of those afflicted with chronic, deadly diseases, their wounds that ooze out pus, the woes of slaves who are
tortured and sold in the market like animals, and many more things.
These made him realize that the pain of separation from his beloved was not the only sorrow, but there are many more in the
world. He assures his beloved that she is still beautiful, but tells her that he is helpless because he has to take the responsibility of
other sufferings in this world. He realizes the responsibility of serving the society is greater than pleasing his beloved. Hence, he
requests her not to ask him to love her in the same manner.
*********


1st Puc English Notes by Ehthashamuddin. J. Sheikh

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

1st Puc English Notes by Ehthashamuddin. J. Sheikh

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

P.U.

REFLECTIONS ENGLISH COURSE NOTES

Use E-Papers, Save Trees

AN ANALYSIS JOMO KENYATTA

Characters in the story.

The Man (dynamic character)

I. Answer the following questions in a word, a phrase or a sentence each: -

3. Who or what does the man in the fable represent?

Use E-Papers, Save Trees

5.What did the elephant want to protect from the rain?

6. What did the lion desire to have in his kingdom?

7. What did the lion do to solve the problem?

8. Who commanded the ministers to appoint a Commission of Enquiry in the fable?

9. Name any two members appointed to the Commission of Enquiry.

10.Who were appointed as the chairman and secretary of Commission of Enquiry?

12.What was the man’s belief?

13. Who made the friend ship with a man?

14. Who had a little hut at the edge of the forest?

18. Why did all the animals of forest gather?

19. What did make turmoil to the lion?

20. -------- was one of the high ministers of Jungle.

21. What did lion wanted to have in his Kingdom?

22. What did the man was pleased?

Use E-Papers, Save Trees

25. Who was the chairman of commission of enquiry?

26. Who was the enquiry commission first called off?

28. Whom did the Mr. Hyena support?

33. How did Mr. Hyena appear to the new house?

34. Mr. Alligators appear to the new house on----------

35. What did man ultimately say?

36. How did the lion decide to solve the problem?

37. What kind of judgment did the man expect?

38. In whose favour was the judgment given?

40. How did the man buy peace finally?

II. Answer the following questions in a paragraph of 80-100 words.

Use E-Papers, Save Trees

3. How did the elephant justify in act of occupying the hut?

5. On what grounds did the Commission of Enquiry give its verdict?

III. Answer the following question in about 200 words.

Use E-Papers, Save Trees

STANZA –TWO (2)

STANZA –THREE (3)

Use E-Papers, Save Trees

STANZA FOUR – (4)

STANZA –FIVE (5)

STANZA –SIX (6)

1. Who, do you think, ‘I’ refers to in the poem?

2. ‘Sweet company’ refers to

3. What drives the boy’s joy away?

4. How do the little ones spend the day in the school?

5. What does ‘cage’ stand for in the poem?

Use E-Papers, Save Trees

2. Describe the boy’s experience in the school.

1. In whose company did boy wanted to sing and play?

2. Which is drives boy’s joy away?

3. When did the boy go to school?

4. From whom supervision did the boy spend his day?

5. How does the boy spend all day?

Use E-Papers, Save Trees

6. How did the boy sit in the class room?

7. What cannot child find in books?

8. Where does the bird not sing?