English Revision Notes XII

FLAMINGO
CH-1 THE LAST LESSON

ANECDOTE
• INTRODUCTION
➢ Boy named Franz gets late for school
➢ Not prepared for lesson on participles given by teacher – M. Hamel
➢ Afraid of scolding
➢ Thinks of bunking day Bright weather, chirping of birds,
➢ But had the strength to resist open field, Prussian soldiers drilling
• BEFORE REACHING SCHOOL
➢ Crowd in front of bulletin board
➢ Franz ignores as he was getting late
➢ Blacksmith, Watcher stops Franz For the last two years all bad news
➢ Says not to hurry. Plenty of time had come from there — the lost
➢ Franz ignores and takes it as fun on him battles, the draft, the orders of the
• SCHOOL OBSERVATION commanding officer
➢ Everything quiet as Sunday morning
➢ Different from usual
➢ Franz saw classmates from outside Usually, great noise, opening and
window closing of desks, repeating sounds
➢ Saw M. Hamel walking up and down with of lessons, sound of teacher’s ruler
Iron ruler under his arms striking on table
➢ Franz tries to get inside without getting
noticed
• CLASS OBSERVATION
➢ M.Hamel saw Franz but told nothing
➢ Says, “We were about to begin without you”
➢ Franz sat down at desk
➢ After a moment, observes very different things 1. Teacher had beautiful green
➢ M.Hamel announces coat, frilled shirt, black silk cap
➢ Order from berlin to schools of Alsace and Lorraine which he only wore on inspection
➢ To teach only German in schools from tomorrow days and prize days
➢ This is the last French lesson
• FRANZ’s REACTION 2. so quiet class rooms
➢ Came as thunder clap to him 3.Back benches, which were always
➢ Hardly knew how to write empty were occupied by village
➢ Felt sorry for not learning lesson
people sitting quietly: old Hauser,
➢ Books that earlier seemed to be heavy weight were now like with his three-cornered hat, the
old friends which he did not wanted to give up on former mayor, the former
➢ Idea of M. Hamel going away made Franz forget about his postmaster, and several others
ruler and how strict he was
➢ Realised blacksmith’s words 4. Everyone looked sad
➢ Realised why old men of village were sitting
➢ While Franz was thinking about all this, 1. they felt sorry about not going
➢ His name gets called to recite participles to school
➢ Stands up, got mixed on first few words, does not look up
2. it was their way of thanking
master for 40 YEARS OF FAITHFUL
SERVICE
3.show respect to country

• M.HAMEL EXPLAINS
➢ Tells Franz that he will not scold Franz
➢ But says that Franz should feel bad
➢ Every day student say they have plenty of time, will do it later, but time has ended
➢ Fellows will say, “You are Frenchmen but still do not know to read or write French.”
➢ Says we all have great excuses
➢ Taunts that parents would have made Franz to work for money
➢ Says in taunting manner that it is his fault that he sent Franz to water gardens and
announced holidays when he wished going for fishing (Which in real sense, M. Hamel does
not)
➢ M.Hamel talks about French language
➢ Says it the most beautiful, clearest and logical language in the world
➢ Frenchmen should guard it among themselves and never forget it
➢ because when a people are enslaved, as long as they hold fast to their language it is as if
they had the key to their prison
• M.HAMEL EXPLAINS GRAMMAR LESSON
➢ M.Hamel reads grammar lesson and explains
➢ Franz amazed to see how well he understood it
➢ Realises he never listened that carefully and that M. Hamel had never explained with such
patience
• LESSON IN WRITING
➢ M.Hamel had new copies for them
➢ written in a beautiful round hand — France, Alsace, France, Alsace
➢ looked like little flags floating everywhere in the school-room
➢ every one set to work, very quiet, only sound was the scratching of the pens over the paper
➢ Once some beetles flew in; but nobody paid any attention to them
➢ “Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons?”
• M.HAMEL’S EMOTIONS
➢ Franz observes his teacher
➢ M. Hamel sitting motionless in his chair and gazing first at one thing, then at another, as if he
wanted to fix in his mind just how everything looked in that little school-room
➢ forty years he had been there in the same place, with his garden outside the window and his
class in front of him
➢ it must have broken his heart to leave it all, to hear his sister moving about in the room
above, packing their trunks
➢ But he had the courage to hear every lesson to the very last
• ENDING OF CLASS
➢ church-clock struck twelve
➢ trumpets of the Prussians, returning from drill
➢ M. Hamel stood up, very pale, in his chair
➢ “My friends,” said he, “I—I—” But something choked him. He could not go on.
➢ he turned to the blackboard, took a piece of chalk
➢ wrote as large as he could — “Vive La France!”
➢ stopped and leaned his head against the wall
➢ without a word, he made a gesture with his hand — “School is dismissed — you may go.”
FLAMINGO
CH-2 THE LOST SPRING- STORIES OF STOLEN CHILDHOOD: ANEES JUNG
ANECDOTES
 ‘SOMETIMES I FIND A RUPEE IN THE GARBAGE’

➢ Saheb, rag picker, searching (scrounging) in the garbage
➢ “Why do you do this?” author asks Saheb whom she encounters every morning
➢ “I have nothing else to do,” he mutters
➢ “Go to school,”
➢ “There is no school in my neighbourhood. When they build one, I will go.”
➢ “If I start a school, will you come?” author asks, half-joking. “Yes,” he says, smiling broadly.
• FEW DAYS LATER
➢ Author saw Saheb running up to her asking if the school is ready
➢ “It takes longer to build a school,” author says, embarrassed at having made a promise that
was not meant
• AFTER MONTHS OF KNOWING SAHEB
➢ Author asks Saheb’s full name
➢ “SAHEB-E-ALAM”- lord of the universe
➢ Author says Saheb would not believe this if he gets to know the meaning of his name
➢ Saheb roams the streets with his friends, an army of barefoot boys
➢ Author seen children walking barefoot, in cities, on village roads
➢ not lack of money but a tradition to stay barefoot, is one explanation
➢ only an excuse to explain away a perpetual state of poverty
• AUTHOR REMEMBERS A STORY FROM UDIPI
• SEEMAPURI, WHERE SAHEB LIVES PRESENTLY
➢ Seemapuri, a place on the periphery of Delhi yet miles away from it, metaphorically
➢ who live here are squatters (type of refugees) who came from Bangladesh (Saheb: from
Dhaka, Bangladesh) in 1971, many storms that swept away their fields and homes
➢ Seemapuri, a shabby place
➢ 10,000 ragpickers In structures of mud, with roofs of
➢ lived here for more than thirty years without an tin and tarpaulin, devoid of sewage,
identity, but with ration cards that enable them to drainage or running water
buy grain
➢ Food is more important for survival than an identity
➢ They give reason for living their beautiful homes
➢ Wherever they find food, they make tents around, children
grow up in them, becoming partners in survival and If at the end of the day we can feed
survival in Seemapuri means rag picking our families and go to bed without
• GARBAGE TO THEM IS GOLD an empty stomach, we would rather
➢ Why for parents? means of survival, source of their daily live here than in the fields that gave
bread, a roof over their heads us no grain
➢ Why for children? garbage wrapped in wonder, like a
game to find things, fills more hope to find more if a rupee found, excites children
• SAHEB, NO LONGER A RAGPICKER
➢ One morning, author saw Saheb, wearing shoes with holes, watching tennis
➢ Saheb, on his way to milk booth, holding a tea canister in his hand
➢ He now works in a tea stall, salary- 800 Rs. And all meals
➢ Does he like the job? Author asks
➢ Saheb has lost the carefree look ok his face, steel canister seems heavier than the plastic
bag he would carry. The bag was his. The canister belongs to the man who owns the tea
shop.
➢ Saheb is no longer his own master!
 “I WANT TO DRIVE A CAR”
• MUKESH’S DREAM
➢ Insists on being a motor mechanic
➢ “Do you know anything about cars?” author asks. “I will learn to drive a car,”
• MUKESH’S TOWN- FIROZABAD, THE CITY OF BANGLES
➢ Every family engaged in making bangles
➢ Spent generations working around furnaces, welding glass and making bangles.
➢ Mukesh’s family among them
➢ None of them know that it is illegal for children like him to 1. furnaces with high temperatures
work
➢ law, if enforced, could get him and all those 20,000 children 2. dark dingy cells (small rooms)
out without air and light
➢ Mukesh volunteers’ author to take her home which he
3. spend their daylight hours, often
proudly says is being rebuilt
losing the brightness of their eyes
• MUKESH’S SOCIETY
➢ SOCIETY 1. stinking lanes with garbage
• INSIDE MUKESH’S HOUSE
➢ Wife of Mukesh’s elder brother 2. homes with crumbling walls,
➢ Mukesh’s father wobbly doors, no windows
➢ Mukesh’s grandmother
1. is a bangle maker 1. making food

1. says “It is his karma, his 2. weak and young
destiny,” 2. long years of hard labour, first as
a tailor, then a bangle maker 3. not much older in years, but
2. has watched her own begun to be commanded as bahu
husband go blind with the 3. failed to renovate a house, send
dust from polishing the glass his two sons to school 4. in charge of three men
of bangles 4.All he has managed to do is teach
3. “Can a God-given lineage them is the art of making bangles
ever be broken?” she implies
➢ Born in the caste of bangle makers, seen nothing but bangles in every other house, every
street in Firozabad piled on four-wheeled handcarts, pushed by young men along the narrow
lanes
➢ in dark hutments, girls with their fathers and mothers, welding pieces of coloured glass into
circles of bangles
Their eyes are more adjusted to the
• OTHER PEOPLE IN FIROZABAD
dark than to the light outside. That
➢ Savita, a young girl, soldering pieces of glass, her
is why they often end up losing
hands move mechanically like the tongs of a machine
their eyesight before they become
➢ Savita does not know the sanctity of bangles,
adults.
symbolises an Indian woman’s Suhag, auspiciousness
in marriage
➢ “Ek waqt ser bhar khana bhi nahin khaya,” says old women- not enjoyed even one full meal
in her entire lifetime
➢ The cry of not having money to do anything except carry on the business of making bangles
➢ Years of mind-numbing toil have killed all initiative and the ability to dream
• WHY NOT A COOPERATIVE, ASKS AUTHOR
➢ fallen into the vicious circle of middlemen who trapped their fathers and forefathers
➢ even if they get organised, they will be caught by the police, beaten and dragged to jail for
doing something illegal
➢ no leader among them, no one who could help them see things differently. Their fathers
are as tired as they are
➢ They talk endlessly from poverty to apathy to greed and to injustice
• AUTHOR SAW TWO DISTINCT WORLDS
➢ Together they have imposed the baggage on the child 1. one of the family, caught in a web
➢ Before he is aware, he accepts it as naturally as his father of poverty
➢ To do anything else would mean to dare
2. the other a vicious circle of the
➢ For them, daring is not part of his growing up
sahukars, the middlemen, the
• MUKESH IS DIFFERENT
policemen, the keepers of law, the
➢ Author cheered when senses a flash of daring in Mukesh
bureaucrats and the politicians
➢ “I want to be a motor mechanic,’ he repeats, He will go to a
garage and learn. But the garage is a long way from his
home. “I will walk,” he insists.
➢ “Do you also dream of flying a plane?”
➢ Mukesh silent. Stares at the ground
➢ there is an embarrassment that has not yet turned into regret
➢ But he sticks onto his plan, dreams, this fills in ray of hope in author
➢ Few airplanes fly over Firozabad.
FLAMINGO
CH-3 DEEP WATER BY WILLIAM DOUGLAS
ANECDOTES
• INTRODUCTION
➢ An incident happened, 10 or 11 years old 2-3 feet at the shallow and
➢ Decided to learn to swim at the Y.M.C.A pool in Yakima, safe pool gradually going up to 9 feet
➢ From the starting had an aversion(fear) to water because of the
incident happened when he was 3-4 years old
➢ After 2-3 days at the pool, misadventure happened Father took to beach in California –
• THE MISADVENTURE stood together- waves came- author
➢ Went early, no one was there, quiet place knocked down-was frightened –
➢ Feared going alone in pool so sat on side of pool to wait father laughed but saved.
for others
➢ Big bruiser boy came, 18 years old, made fun of him
➢ Picked author and threw him at the deeper end of pool
• INSIDE THE POOL- THE FIRST TIME
➢ Swallowed water. Frightened, 1. when feet will bottom, he would make a
➢ Made a plan big jump
➢ Seemed a long way down 2. come to the surface like a cork, lie flat
➢ 9 feet like 90, lungs about to burst
➢ When touched bottom, applied all his energy 3. paddle to the edge of pool
➢ He thought he would come to surface like cork
And bach gaya!
➢ Instead came slowly
➢ Opened eyes, saw nothing but water, reached
to grab rope but of no use
➢ Was suffocating, tried to yell, no sound came out
➢ Eyes and nose came out of water but not mouth
➢ Tried to bring legs up, but they hung like dead weight
➢ Screamed but went back to the bottom of pool
• INSIDE THE POOL- THE SECOND TIME
➢ Lost all breath, lungs ached, heart throbbed 1. when feet will bottom, he would make a big
➢ But remembered the strategy jump
➢ Went down endlessly, opened eyes, saw
nothing 2. come to the surface like a cork, lie flat
➢ Screams frozen, only the beating of heart and
3. paddle to the edge of pool
pounding of head were a sign that he was alive
➢ Reached bottom, jumped with all his energy And bach gaya!
➢ Jump made no difference
➢ Looked for ropes, ladders, nothing but water
➢ shook and trembled with fright. Arms wouldn’t move. Legs wouldn’t move
➢ Nothing happened
➢ there was light, eyes and nose were almost out
➢ but started down a third time
• INSIDE THE POOL- THE THIRD TIME
➢ Sucked for air- got water
➢ Got surrounded by blackness
➢ Too tired to jump, felt no pain and got fainted
• OUT OF THE POOL
➢ When eyes opened, found himself out of the pool, vomiting beside the pool
➢ Hours later, walked home, weak, trembling, could not have dinner, cried on bed
➢ Never went back to pool, feared water
• FEW YEARS LATER
➢ Whenever thought of going in water legs would become paralysed. Icy horror would grab his
heart
➢ This fear ruined his fishing trips
➢ Could not feel the joy of canoeing, boating, and swimming
➢ Used every way to overcome fear but all waste
➢ Finally, 1 October, decided to get an instructor and learn to swim
• LEARNING SWIMMING
➢ went to a pool and practiced five days a week, an hour each day
➢ The instructor put a belt around him, and connected it to a rope. The rope was further
around a pulley. This way, the instructor made Douglas go into the water back and forth
by pulling and releasing the rope.
➢ He made Douglas swim bits by bits. Gradually, he made him learn to exhale and inhale
while in water and many other strokes.
➢ The author earlier doubted whether he would be able to swim but later commanded over
his legs.
➢ In April, the instructor assured Douglas that he has learnt swimming
➢ But Douglas was not confident and went to different places to check Wentworth lake,
➢ This went till July. islands, glaciers etc.
➢ At once, he got scared a bit during swimming but laughed and
overcame it confidently.
➢ He shouted with joy. He finally overcame his fear with his determination and will power.
➢ The experience taught him many things and had a deep meaning in his life.
• CONCLUDING NOTES
➢ In death there is peace. There is terror only in the fear of death.
➢ “All we have to fear is fear itself”
➢ At last he felt released — free to walk the trails and climb the peaks and to brush aside
fear
FLAMINGO
CH-4 THE RATTRAP BY SELMA LANGERLOF
ANECDOTES
❖ A poor peddler, sold rattraps, not profitable
❖ Used to beg, steal to fill stomach
❖ Lived a sad and monotonous life
❖ One day he got an idea
❖ Whole world is a rattrap
❖ Wishes, money, desires are all bait
❖ But he was not caught in this rattrap 1. world had never been kind to
❖ Liked thinking about this all time him, so he liked speaking ill about it
❖ One dark night, saw little cottage
❖ Asked for shelter, given 2. it became his favourite past time
❖ Crofter, no wife, no children welcomed him
3. he was happy that he had not
❖ Was happy to talk to someone as was lonely
fallen into the rattrap of the world
❖ Crofter made the peddler comfortable
❖ Told the peddler that earlier crofter worked
at Ramsjo Ironworks, left job due to age 1. gave him food
❖ Now has cows
2. gave him tobacco roll
❖ got up and went to the window, took down a
leather pouch, showed peddler 30 kronors 3. got out an old pack of cards and
❖ next morning, both leave cottage at the same played ‘mjolis’
time
❖ after half an hour, peddler return, smashes
window, steals the money, puts the pouch back, runs away
❖ dared not to continue on public highway, went through forest
❖ big and confusing forest, walked and walked, realises he is lost
❖ realises the first time that he has fallen into the rattrap and the money was bait
❖ saw no way out, tired to death
❖ heard a sound—a hard regular thumping, got up, and went in the direction of the sound.
❖ Reaches the Ramsjo Ironworks, asks for shelter, given
❖ Ironmaster- Mr. Williamson, comes for inspection
❖ Saw the peddler, mistakes him as an old friend Captain von Stahle
❖ Peddler thinks of taking advantage for money, acts as old friend
❖ Ironmaster invites home, peddler denies
❖ Ironmaster sends daughter Edla Williamson
❖ Convinced him, took him in carriage
❖ Edla doubtful, thinks either this man has stolen money or escaped from jail
❖ In carriage, peddler realises again that he is caught into a rattrap
❖ next day was Christmas Eve, ironmaster came into the dining room for breakfast
❖ thinks to help his friend, Edla talks about the peddler, says man does not seem as educated
as a captain
❖ door opened, peddler enters, truly clean and well dressed
1. She has made a promise with
❖ suit of clothes which belonged to the ironmaster
peddler
❖ truth realised, peddler insulted, ironmaster asks to leave
❖ Edla supports the peddler 2. It was Christmas eve
❖ Peddler surprised
❖ Ironmaster agrees 3. peddler got only one day to enjoy
4. Edla was kind hearted

❖ Peddler eats, sleeps, eats whole day as if he had never slept that good
❖ Later, eats the Christmas fish and porridge
❖ Receives present, Suit also gifted
❖ next morning the ironmaster and his daughter got up
❖ go to the early Christmas service, did not disturb the sleeping peddler
❖ in the Church, get to know about the old crofter
❖ hurries down to home, tensed
❖ ironmaster asked the valet whether the stranger was still there and what did he take
❖ valet answers that peddler gone,
❖ did not take anything with him but had left a package for Edla
❖ package contained- a small rattrap, 30 kronors and a letter
❖ letter says that Edla had been very nice to the peddler
❖ treated him like captain
❖ so, he wanted to behave like captain
❖ requests Edla to give the money back to crofter
❖ rattrap is a Christmas gift to Edla by the peddler who would not have come out of the
rattrap if Edla would not have treated him like a captain
❖ SIGNS AS CAPTAIN VON STAHLE
❖ Edla cries with joy
FLAMINGO
CH-5 INDIGO BY LOUIS FISCHER
SUMMARY CUM ANECDOTE
❖ Author first visited Gandhi in 1942 at his ashram in Sevagram, central India
❖ The urging of departure of the British was in 1917
❖ He had gone to the December 1916 annual convention of the Indian National Congress
party in Lucknow
❖ There were 2,301 delegates and many visitors
❖ One among them was Rajkumar Shukla from Champaran, a peasant
❖ He had come to the Congress session to complain about the injustice of the landlord
system in Bihar and requested him to come to his district
❖ Gandhi told Shukla he had an appointment in Cawnpore and was also committed to go to
other parts of India
❖ Shukla was illiterate but resolute

▪ Shukla accompanied him everywhere
▪ Shukla followed him to the ashram
▪ For weeks he never left Gandhi’s side
▪ “Fix a date,” he begged
❖ Impressed by Shukla’s desire and story Gandhi said, ‘‘I have to be in Calcutta on such-and-
such a date. Come and meet me and take me from there.”
❖ MONTHS PASSED……
THE ROAD MAP
❖ Gandhi and Shukla met again in Calcutta
❖ Both boarded a train for the city of Patna, Bihar
❖ Shukla led him to the house of Rajendra Prasad

▪ Lawyer then president of congress then president of India
▪ Prasad was not at home
▪ Servants took Gandhi as another untouchable poor peasant as Shukla
▪ Was not allowed to draw water from well
❖ Shukla and Gandhi then first went to Muzzafarpur, en route to Champaran to obtain more
complete information about conditions which Shukla was NOT ABLE TO IMPART
▪ For this, Gandhi ji sent a telegram to prof. J.B Kriplani, of the arts college in
Muzzafarpur whom he had seen at Tagore’s shantiniketan school.
▪ Train arrived at midnight, 15 April 1917
❖ Gandhi stayed in Muzzafarpur for 2 days in the home of prof. Malkani, a teacher in govt.
school
▪ Gandhi appreciates the fact that Malkani even being a govt. teacher made a
place to stay at his own house for Gandhi
❖ News of Gandhi’s nature of mission spread quickly through Muzzafarpur and to Champaran
❖ Sharecroppers began appearing on foot to see their CHAMPION
❖ Gandhi chided the lawyers when they told about how they have fought cases for peasants
and also told Gandhi about the size of their fee. Gandhi ji, said that, where the peasants
are so crushed and fear stricken, law courts are useless and does no good. The real relief
for them is TO BE FREE FROM FEAR
MAJRA KYA THA? WHAT WAS THE MATTER?
❖ Most of the arable land in Champaran district was divided into large estates owned by
Englishmen and worked by Indian tenants
❖ Chief commercial crop was INDIGO
❖ Landlords ordered all tenants to plant 15% of their holdings with indigo AND
SURRENDER ENTIRE HARVEST AS RENT
❖ This was a long-term contract
❖ Presently, in 1917 landlords learned that Germany had developed synthetic indigo
❖ So, they obtained agreements from sharecroppers to pay them compensation for being
released from 15% arrangement.
❖ Many signed willingly not knowing their intentions

▪ Those who did not sign and resisted hired lawyers but govt. hired thugs
❖ When information of synthetic indigo reached illiterate peasants, they wanted their money
back.
❖ At this point, Gandhi arrived in Champaran
❖ First, he visited secretary of British Landlord Association

▪ Gandhi was not given any information claiming that he was an outsider
▪ Gandhi replied, HE IS NOT AN OUTSIDER
❖ Then he called on the British Official Commissioner of the Tirhut division in which
Champaran district lay
▪ Commissioner bullied Gandhi
▪ Advised Gandhi ji to leave
▪ Gandhi ji did not leave.
❖ Instead of leaving, he proceeded to Motihari, the capital of Champaran

▪ Several lawyers accompanied him
▪ Went to a house and used it as a Head Quarter
▪ Continued his investigations
❖ Report came that a peasant had been maltreated in a nearby village

▪ Gandhi ji decided to go and see him
▪ Next morning, Gandhi started on back of an elephant
▪ Police superintendent’s messenger overtook him
▪ Ordered him to return to town
▪ Gandhi disagreed
▪ Messenger drove Gandhi home and served him with an official letter TO QUIT
CHAMPARAN IMMEDIATELY
▪ Gandhi ji wrote on paper that HE WILL DISOBEY.
▪ Result- GANDHI RECEIVED A SUMMON TO APPEAR IN COURT NEXT DAY
❖ All night, Gandhi ji remained awake
❖ Telegraphed Rajendra Prasad to come from Bihar with influential friends
❖ Sent instructions to ashram
❖ Wired a full report to viceroy
❖ Morning found the town of MOTIHARI BLACKED WITH PEASANTS
❖ Officials felt powerless without Gandhi’s co-operation
❖ He helped them regulate the crowd. Was polite and friendly
❖ Govt. was baffled
❖ Prosecutor requested judge to postpone the trial

▪ As they wanted to consult their superiors
❖ Gandhi ji protested against the delay
❖ He said that he DISREGARDED the ‘ORDER TO LEAVE’ NOT for the want of respect for the
lawful authorities, BUT IN OBEDIENCE TO HIGHER LAW OF OUR-BEING, THE VOICE
OF CONSCIENCE
❖ Magistrate announced that he would pronounce sentence after 2 hours break
❖ Asked Gandhi ji to furnish bail for those two hours
❖ Gandhi ji refused
❖ Judge released him without bail
❖ Later, judge announced that he would not deliver the judgement for several days
❖ Meanwhile, allowed Gandhi ji to remain at liberty
❖ Rajendra Prasad, Brij Kishore Babu and several other known lawyers had arrived from Bihar
❖ They had a discussion with Gandhi ji
❖ What would they do if Gandhi ji is sent to prison, Gandhi ji asked?
❖ Senior lawyer replied, “they had come to advice and help him, if he went to jail there will
be nobody to advice and they will go home.”
❖ Gandhi ji demanded, “WHAT ABOUT INJUSTICE TO THE SHARECROPPERS?”
❖ They withdrew to consult and THOUGHT AMONG THEMSELVES that Gandhi ji was totally a
stranger, YET he was prepared to go EVEN TO PRISON for the peasants
❖ They on the other hand had given services to peasants and are the residents of the
neighbourhood districts. IF THEY DO NOT STAND UP, IT WILL BE SHAMEFUL.
❖ Lawyers accordingly went back to Gandhi and told him that THEY WERE READY TO
FOLLOW HIM TO JAIL
❖ Gandhi ji exclaimed, “THE BATTLE OF CHAMPARAN IS WON”
❖ Then he took a piece of paper and divided the group into pairs and put down the order in
which each pair was to COURT ARREST
❖ Several days later, Gandhi received a written communication from Magistrate informing
him that the Lieutenant governor had ordered the case to be dropped.
❖ CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE HAD WON THE FIRST TIME IN MODERN INDIA.

❖ Gandhi ji and lawyers now proceeded to conduct a far-flung inquiry into the problems of
the farmer
▪Depositions by about 10,000 peasants were written down and notes made on
other evidences.
▪ Documents were collected
❖ The whole area was throbbed with the activity of investigators, in short tabahi mach
gayi!
❖ In June, Gandhi ji was called by Sir Edward, the Governor

▪ Before he went, he met leading associates and led detailed plan for civil
disobedience if he does not return
❖ Gandhi ji had 4 interviews with the Governor
❖ As a result, the Governor appointed an official commission of inquiry into the indigo
sharecropper’s situation
▪ Commission consisted of landlords, govt. officials
▪ Gandhi ji was the only representative of the peasants
❖ Gandhi ji remained in Champaran for seven months straight, then used to come in between
❖ This occupied almost 1 year in Gandhi Ji’s life
❖ Official inquiry gathered mountain of EVIDENCES AGAINST BIG PLANTERS.
❖ They urged to make refunds to peasants
❖ Asked Gandhi ji about how much to pay
❖ HE ASKED ONLY 50%
❖ Thinking probably that he will not give way, the representative of planters offered to
refund 25%
❖ TO EVERYONE’S AMAZEMENT, GANDHI AGREED THUS, BREAKING
THE DEADLOCK.
❖ Gandhi ji explained,
❖ 1. That the amount of refund was less important than the fact that landlords had to
surrender their PART OF MONEY AND ALSO, THEIR PART OF PRIDE

❖ 2. As far as the peasants are concerned, earlier the planter had BEHAVED AS LORDS
ABOVE THE LAW. Now the peasant saw that HE HAD RIGHTS AND DEFENDERS, HE
LEARNED COURAGE
❖ Events justified Gandhi
▪ Within few years, British planters abandoned their estate

▪ Indigo sharecropping disappeared
❖ During his long stay in Champaran, Gandhi ji kept a long-distance watch on ashram.
❖ He sent regular instructions by mails and asked for financial accounts.
❖ Champaran episode WAS A TURNING POINT IN GANDHI’S LIFE
❖ He explained that what he did was very ordinary thing that he declared, that THEY COULD
NOT ORDER HIM IN HIS OWN COUNTRY
❖ Champaran episode grew out as an attempt TO REMOVE DISTRESS OF LARGE NUMBER OF
POOR PEASANTS.
❖ This was GANDHI JI’s TYPICAL WAY
❖ His politics were linked with the day-to-day problems of the millions. HE WAS A
LOYALTY TO HUMAN BEINGS.
❖ HE TRIED TO MULD A NEW FREE INDIAN WHO COULD STAND ON HIS OWN FEET
AND THUS MAKE INDIA FREE.
❖ Gandhi ji never contented himself with large political or economic solutions.
❖ He saw the cultural and social backwardness in Champaran villages and wanted to do
something immediately
❖ HE APPEALED FOR TEACHERS
▪Mahadev desai and Narhari Parikh, 2 young men and disciplines along with
their wives volunteered for work
▪ Several other came from Bombay, Pune and other parts of the land
❖ Devadas, Gandhi ji’s youngest son arrived from ashram and so did Mrs. Gandhi. Primary
schools were opened in 6 villages
❖ Kasturbai taught the ashram rules on personal cleanliness and community sanitation
❖ Gandhi ji got a doctor to volunteer his services for 6 months
❖ Gandhi ji noticed the bad state of women’s clothes. Asked Kasturbai to talk to them
▪ The saree incident
❖ Early, in Champaran episode, Charles Andrews, the English pacifist who had become a
devoted follower of Gandhi came to bid Gandhi farewell.
❖ Lawyers thought it would be a good idea for Andrews to stay in Champaran and help them.
❖ Andrews was willing if Gandhi ji agreed
❖ BUT GANDHI JI OPPOSED
❖ He said that the cause is just and they should rely on themselves to WIN THE
BATTLE. They should NOT SEEK HELP OF ANDREWS as he is an Englishman and
THIS WILL SHOW THE WEAKNESS OF THEIR HEARTS
❖ THIS WAY GANDHI JI TAUGHT THEM A LESSONIN SELF RELIANCE
❖ SELF-RELIANCE, INDIAN INDEPENDENCE AND HELP TO SHARECROPPERS WERE

ALL BOUND TOGETHER.
😊 For Easy-Hindi Explanation of This Chapter, You Can Search “CBSE Winners” on YouTube 😊
FLAMINGO
CH-6 POETS AND PANCAKES BY ASOKAMITRAN
ANECDOTES CUM SUMMARY
❖ Taken from the book, “My Years with The Boss” by Ashokamitran
❖ Author used to work at Gemini Studios
▪ Film producing studio
▪ Ordered and used make up brand “Pancakes” in truck loads (huge amount)
❖ Gemini Studios had a make-up room on the third floor
Very popular brand, used
▪ Earlier believed to be Robert Clive’s stables by famous celebrities like
▪ Had the look of hair cutting salon miss Gohar
▪ Lights at all angles and 6 large mirrors
▪ All incandescent lights
English soldier who expanded
▪ Fiery misery of those subjected to make-up as bulbs emitted a British Power in India, fought
lot of heat which were not comfortable. some impossible battles and
married a young woman in
▪ First headed by a Bengali who left for bigger opportunities, then
Madras.
Maharashtrian, an Andhra, a Madras Indian Christian, an Anglo-
Burmese and the usual local Tamils – shows that there was a great deal of national integration long
before A.I.R and Doordarshan began broadcasting programmes on national integration
▪ Had the ability to turn any simple looking human into an ugly creature using heaps of Pancake
products Near about 5 percent movies were shot outdoors
▪ Followed a hierarchy of applying make-up and rest of them were shot indoors. So, the indoor
and making them ugly: lighting and set up required the actors to wear
loads of make up to look presentable in front of the
Chief make up man lead actors and actresses camera.
Senior assistant the ‘second’ hero & heroine
Junior Assistant Main Comedian
Office boy making the remaining crowd look ugly at times of crowd shooting
❖ Office Boy
▪ Make-up studio had its own office boy
▪ Not a boy but a man in early forties
▪ Joined the studio with the dream of becoming an actor or screen-writer, director or lyricist
❖ Ashokamitran- The Author
▪ Duty- to cut out newspaper clippings on variety of subjects and store them in files.
▪ Many of these had to be written by hand
▪ Was given a small area in a room with French windows on two sides
▪ Most people thought that the job was insignificant (koi zyada mehnat wala kaam nahi tha)
▪ People including office boy would lecture him about how talent was getting wasted
▪ Author wished for more crowd shootings to protect him from lectures
😊To Support Me in My Journey Towards 100% FREE Education, contribute at: https://p-y.tm/19tx-4u
❖ The boy from the make-up department blamed that the main reason for all his discomfort and distress was
Kothamanglam Subbu
❖ Subbu
▪ Got better opening in films than the make-up boy even though he was less educated and entered this
field in initial stages
▪ Was born a Brahmin which was considered to be a virtue (good luck)
▪ Cheerful man
▪ Capable of keeping a happy face even after his film was a flop
▪ Was bad at doing things on his own
▪ But his loyalty made him a man of importance
▪ Everyone thought that he was creative and a perfect fit for film-making
▪ Would come up with many different ways to perform a scene in a minute
▪ Gave definition and direction to Gemini Studios
▪ Had a separate identity as a poet
▪ Had the opportunity of getting his poetry extraordinary recognition but he still chose to recite it
personally to the masses.
▪ Composed various folk story poems and the infamous (famous for wrong reasons) novel, “Thillana
Mohanambal”
▪ a realistic actor, not interested in playing the protagonist (hero of the film)
▪ Whichever role he performed, he performed it better than the lead actors
▪ Respectful, affectionate (pyaar karne waala) and welcoming
▪ Author not sure about the reason behind such hatred towards Subbu
▪ Guessed it to be because his closeness with boss, and that he praised the boss to gain favours
▪ The boy in the make-up room department wished terrible things for Subbu
❖ Subbu was under a department called the Story Department comprising a lawyer, writers and poets.
❖ The Lawyer
▪ Referred to as the ‘legal adviser’ but people used to call him the opposite because of an incident
▪ The incident- Once an angry actress started throwing tantrums (nakhre) on set leaving everyone in
shock while the lawyer secretly switched on the recording. He played it when the actress stopped,
leaving her shocked. It became very hard for her to recover from the tone, volume and tantrums she
used. Due to this experience, it marked the end of her short but brilliant acting career.
▪ The lawyer wore different unique clothes, different from the usual uniform- khadi dhoti and Khadi shirt
▪ He wore pants, tie and sometimes a coat
▪ Narrator called him a ‘neutral man in the assembly of Gandhiites and Khadiites’ because he was
different from the rest of them
▪ Was allowed to produce his own film, gets flop-lots of make-up used
▪ Finally, the boss shut down the story department
▪ Narrator tells in a sarcastic way that this is the first time where a lawyer lost his job because the poets
were asked to go home
❖ Gemini Studios was frequently visited by famous poets

❖ Mess at studio was excellent
❖ The congress rule meant restrictions and a cup of coffee with friends was the only source of entertainment- only
the office boys and clerks worked
❖ Poets wore clothes made of Khadi and respected Gandhi ji for its prevelance (commonness) but were not
politically inclined.
❖ Poets hated terms like Communism
▪ Communist- a person who believes that all the land and property should be owned by the
public/government sector and everyone be paid according to the work they do
▪ They thought that a Communist did not love his family. He would not hesitate in killing them.
▪ They thought that a communist is there to create violence among innocent people.
▪ This thought was popular in South India and the poets
❖ Gemini Studio welcomed Frank Buchman’s Moral Re-Armament Army (MRA)
▪ Came to Madras in 1952 consisting of 200 people
▪ Referred to as the international circus though they were not very good
▪ Performed two plays again and again to different parts of Madras and gained appreciation.
▪ Costumes and sets were near to perfect
▪ The MRA was opposed to Communism
▪ However, bosses and businesses remained unaffected
▪ Staff of Gemini Studios enjoyed hosting 200 people as it was different from their usual routine of crowd
performances where pancakes were applied
❖ After a few months, Gemini Studios got another chance to welcome a poet from England
▪ People made guesses about who was going to visit them next
▪ Was not a poet but an editor of a newspaper daily
▪ Highest level of managers at The Hindu were involved which meant that the editor was an important
personality
▪ Staff at the Studio never heard of his name.
❖ Arrival of Guest
▪ Guest was tall, serious-looking British face
▪ Boss of the Studio welcomed him with a speech which was evident that he did not know much about the
guest.
▪ No one could understand anything because of his British accent
▪ His visit became a mystery
❖ Ashokamitran’s views on writing
▪ Feels that writing cannot be performed by the intelligent because it is a task of those who are patient
▪ A writer should not have any feelings of rejection
❖ An incident
▪ The Hindu advertised that there was a short story contest
▪ Organised by a British Publication- ‘The Encounter’
▪ Writers at Gemini Studio had not heard of the name.

▪ Author wanted to know about the publication before sending his entry
▪ Went to the library, saw many copies of The Encounter
▪ Author pleased by the Editor: Stephen Spender and sent his entry
❖ Many years later
▪ Writer left Gemini Studios
▪ Had plenty of time but not much money
▪ Saw books being sold at footpath on sale which attracted him
▪ Priced at 50 paisa each
▪ Took a copy of the book titled, ‘The God That Failed’
▪ It had 6 essays by six famous men who wrote about communism
▪ One among the author was Stephen Spender, WHO HAD VISITED THE GEMENI STUDIOS
▪ Book became important to him
▪ He was reminded of him and the reaction to Stephen Spender at the Studios was no longer a mystery
▪ Thought that the boss at Gemini Studios may not be concerned with Spender’s poetry.
FLAMINGO
CH-7 THE INTERVIEW BY CHRISTOPHER SILVESTER
ANECDOTES
❖ Interviews: invented 130 years ago

❖ Has become commonplace for journalism, every educated is believed to read an
interview at least once.
❖ Almost every celebrity has been interviewed once or more than once
❖ Different views about interview by different people
▪ For: believe it to be a path towards complete truth and consider its practice to be
an art.
▪ Against: From interviewee’s (Jo interview de raha hai) point of view, it is like an
unwanted interference in their personal life.
▪ “In some primitive(ancient) culture, it is believed that if one takes a
photographic portrait of somebody then one is stealing that person’s
soul.” It creates a picture in in the
❖ Many famous personalities have a bad impression in their mind minds of readers and viewers
about interviews. which according to an old
▪ V.S. Naipaul, writer saying, steals the original
 Feels that a bad interview has the tendency of leaving identity of the person.
them wounded for life.
▪ Creator of Alice in Wonderland
 Never consented (to give permission) to be interviewed
 Because was too scared of the interviewer
 Feared that a lot of attention would be drawn towards him
 Would later narrate his success tales of avoiding interviews with satisfaction
and enjoyment.
▪ Rudyard Kipling, Poetic Writer
 Strongly against the idea of getting interviewed
 Wife recorded one incident when their day in Boston was ruined by two
reporters
 Husband refused to appear for the interview
 According to him, interviews are immortal (never dying)
 Calls interviewing a crime which should have punishment just like other crimes
 Extremely unpleasant experience
 No man with self-respect would ask or give interview
▪ Saul Bellow, writer
 Described interviews as being like thumbprints on his windpipe.
▪ But according to Denis Brian Means that he felt
 Interviews give us clear impression of the people choked &
suffocated when he
-------------------------PART II----------------------------------------------------- sat for interviews.
“I am a professor who writes novels on Sundays”- Umberto Eco
❖ Extract from an interview of Umberto Eco

❖ Interviewer: Mukund Padmanabhan from The Hindu
❖ Interviewee: Umberto Eco, professor at the University of Bologna in Italy
😊To Support Me in My Journey Towards 100% FREE Education, 🙏 contribute at: https://p-y.tm/19tx-4u
• Scholar for his idea on semiotics (the study of signs), literary

interpretation before he turned to writing fiction (khud ke man se
banayi hui stories)
• Achieved superstardom with the publication of ‘The Name of the
Rose’ in 1980, sold more than 10 million copies
❖ -----------------------the interview begins-------------------------------------------
(refer to the Video by CBSE Winners on YouTube to understand the rest part.”
FLAMINGO
CH-8 GOING PLACES BY A.R. BARTON
ANECDOTES
• Sophie, Jansie two friends

• Sophie: day dreamer, Jansie: realistic
• Sophie day dreams: owning a boutique, being a manager, actress
• Jansie knows both earmarked for the biscuit factory
• Sophie Reaches home, father taunts, little brother taunts
• Went to look for brother Geoff, repairing motorcycle in room, is an apprentice mechanic
• Travels to other side of city for work every day, Sophie dreams of being on bike with him
• Geoff did not speak much, words had to be prized out of me, Sophie jealous of silence
• To grab attention, Sophie lies that she met Danny Casey, the famous football player, plays
for United, Geoff’s favourite
• Geoff does not believe, asks where “I met Danny Casey,” Sophie said.
• Sophie says she was looking at the clothes in Royce’s He looked around abruptly.
“Where?” “In the arcade — funnily
window when someone came and stood beside me
enough.” “It’s never true.”
It was Danny Casey
• all of them gather near television “I did too.” “You told Dad?”
• Geoff tells father Sophie met Danny Casey
She shook her head
• Father ignores, keeps on telling his story
• Geoff argues with father about how Danny Casey is the best All right, what does he look like?”
player “Oh, come on, you know what he
• Sophie speaks again, makes up and says Danny Casey’s looks like.”
going to buy a shop “Close to, I mean.” “Well — he has
• Father warns green eyes. Gentle eyes. And he’s
• brother’s bedroom wall, large poster of United’s first team not so tall
• Sophie makes up another story
• tells Geoff she’s going to meet danny
(this conversation is not important for paper) (this conversation is not important for paper)
Excuse me, but aren’t you Danny Casey? Promise you’ll tell no-one?” Sophie said. --- “Nothing to tell is
he said, “Yes, that’s right there?” ------- “Promise, Geoff — Dad’d murder me.” --------
“Only if he thought it was true.” ---“Please, Geoff.” --------
I asked him for an autograph for little Derek, “Christ, Sophie, you’re still at school. Danny Casey must have
but neither of us had any paper or a pen. So strings of girls.” ----------“No he doesn’t.”------------------------------
then we just talked a bit. About the clothes in ---- “How could you know that?” he jeered.---------------------------
Royce’s window. He seemed lonely. he said, if - “He told me, that’s how.” ----------“As if anyone would tell a
I would care to meet him. girl something like that.” “Yes he did. He isn’t like that. He’s...
quiet
he would give me an autograph then. Of
course, I said I would.”
“As if he’d ever show up.”
“You do believe me now, don’t you?”
“It’s the unlikeliest thing I ever heard,” Geoff

said
• On Saturday they made their weekly pilgrimage to watch United

• United won because of Danny Casey
• Jansie asks Sophie about meeting Danny Casey
• Sophie angry at Geoff but makes up story, asks Jansie to not tell anyone
• After dark Sophie walked by the canal
• wooden bench beneath, sat down to wait, perfect place
• waiting, she imagined Danny Casey coming
• time elapsed, realised Danny Casey not coming, realises Geoff’s words
• became sad, hard burden to carry, everyone will doubt her
• gets past father’s cycle, relaxed that her father not yet got back to home
• again, imagines Danny Casey Danny Casey meeting
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SOPHIE AND JANSIE
Sophie Jansie
1. day dreamer 1. realistic
2. escapist 2. faces reality
3. introvert 3. nosey
4. wants to open 4. knows she has to

boutique like Mary work in the biscuit
Quant factory
VISTAS
THE THIRD LEVEL BY JACK FINNEY
ANECDOTES
❖ Story about Charley, 31 years old

❖ Claimed that he had gone to the third level at the Grand Central Station which only has two levels in reality
❖ Told this to his friend who is a psychiatrist
❖ Friend explained that
• Charley was experiencing hallucination
▪ Also, Charley was unhappy
▪ Due to the burden of modern world problems, he was experiencing something which was not present
❖ Charlie begins to believe that he has been experiencing all this to escape the harsh realities of the modern
world Collecting stamps called
❖ Even his stamp collecting is present in order to make him feel protected. Philately.
❖ But Charlie denies, says his grandfather started stamp collection even when there was peace, harmony and
security
❖ Even President Roosevelt collected stamps
❖ WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENED?
▪ Charlie was wearing a suit and a hat with fancy band
▪ Wanted to get home to Louisa, his wife Where one boarded
▪ Entered the Grand Central and took the stairs to the first level trains like 20th century.
▪ Went down another floor to reach the second level
▪ Entered a doorway and got lost Where the sub urban
▪ Found nothing new about it as he usually got lost every time, he came to trains leave..
The Grand Central.
▪ Walked into an unusual corridor, entered into the third level
▪ Thought he is back to the second level but then noticed some things 1. Smaller rooms, fewer
ticket windows, fewer
▪ To make sure, he went to the newspaper boy who was selling ‘The World’
train gates, information
A newspaper which was discontinued years ago. Date on the newspaper
booth was old looking
Was June 1, 1894
▪ Went to the ticket window to get tickets for Galesburg, Illinois for him and 2. saw that everyone was
His wife Wonderful town with lot of greenery, everyone living in dressed like 1890’s
peace before the 2 World Wars took place. 3. saw a very small
Currier& Ives locomotive
▪ Took out money, the clerk informed that this is not acceptable legal money which made him sure
▪ Charley realised that the currency used that time was different, ran away about which time he is in.
as did not wanted himself to get in jail
▪ Next day went to withdraw his entire savings and got them converted into old money
▪ Unfortunately, he could not find the way to the third level corridor again even after trying so hard
❖ After a while, he went back to finding distractions with the help of stamps
❖ One day, Sam disappeared
❖ Charley suspected that Sam had gone to Galesburg because:
It is an envelop with a stamp on it, that stamp
▪ One night, Charley came across a first-day cover.
collectors mail to themselves on the first day of
▪ found by surprise one of his grandfather’s old first
the sale of that stamp to mark the date. The
day covers. envelop is blank and not meant to be opened.
▪ Someone had mailed it to his father at his home at
Galesburg.
▪ Post mark showed that it had been there since July 18, 1894.
▪ It had a letter inside:
▪ The note signed as Sam

❖ Charlie found out from the coin store that Sam had bought old currency worth eight hundred dollars which
was to be utilised to set up grain business which Sam always wanted to do.
❖ Also, Charlie thought that Sam would not be able to his old business which he used to do in the present time.
Which old business?
❖ The business of being a psychiatrist
❖ Sam, was Charlie’s psychiatrist
-------------------------------------------------------END----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VISTAS
CH-2 THE TIGER KING BY KALKI
ANECDOTES
I
❖ Maharaja of Pratibandapuram, Jilani Jung Jung Bahadur
❖ Also called Tiger King- protagonist (leading character of a story)
❖ Very courageous but now dead, manner of death is very interesting
❖ Great miracle took place at his birth.
▪ Astrologers foretold that the child will grow up to become hero of heroes, champion of champions
but ...will die one day
▪ Ten days old Jilani Jung Jung Bahadur spoke up, “O wise prophets!”
▪ Further says that everyone will die one day, would believe their studies if they could tell the manner
of his death.
▪ Everyone in shock, ten days old baby opening lips, also raising intelligent questions!
▪ Astrologers reply, prince born in hour of bull, bull and tigers are enemy, so death will be because of
tigers and advice the prince to be aware of tigers
▪ Prince replies, “let tigers beware!”
II
1. drank milk of an English cow
❖ Crown prince grew taller and stronger day by day
2. brought up by an English nanny
❖ Born and brough up like other princes
3. tutored in English by an English man
❖ Became king at age of 20
❖ Everyone remembered astrologer’s prediction 4.saw only English films
❖ Tiger king started tiger hunt, killed a tiger and called the
Astrologers
❖ Astrologers replied that he may kill 99 tigers but the 100th tiger will be the cause of his death
❖ What if the 100th tiger were also killed? asks king
❖ “I shall cut off my tuft, crop my hair and become an insurance agent” replies astrologer
III
❖ State banned tiger hunting except Maharaja

❖ Any disobedience would lead to snatching of wealth and property
❖ Maharaja continued on killing tigers, faced dangers, fought tigers with bare hands at times. Each time
Maharaja won.
❖ One day, Danger of losing his throne
▪ High ranking British officer visited Pratibandapuram, was fond of hunting tigers and then getting
photographed.
▪ Maharaja refused permission
▪ Because he prevented a British officer, the maharaja stood in danger of losing his kingdom itself
▪ To prevent this, 50 expensive rings was sent to officer’s wife to choose one or two rings, but all rings
were taken
▪ Bill of 3 lakh rupees, but managed to retain his kingdom
IV
❖ Maharaja’s tiger hunts continued to be highly successful

❖ Within 10 years, he was able to kill 70 tigers
❖ Then, tiger population became extinct in Pratibandapuram
❖ Maharaja calls dewan, decides to get married to a royal family who lives in state with huge number of tigers,
dewan followed orders
❖ Maharaja killed 5-6 tigers every time he visited his father-in-law’s
❖ In this manner, 99 tigers were killed
V
❖ Maharaja dreamt of 100th tiger day and night
❖ Tigers got extinct even in his father-in-law’s kingdom
❖ Became impossible to locate tigers anywhere
❖ Maharaja announced 3 years exemption (free) from all taxes for village which found out the tiger
❖ Tiger still not found
❖ Maharaja became angry, ordered dewan to double the land taxes and warned him about losing his job
❖ Dewan saw that a tiger had been brought from the People’s park in Madras
❖ At midnight, dewan and his wife dragged the tiger to the place where king was hunting
❖ Maharaja fired a bullet, tiger fell down
❖ Maharaja became extremely happy of killing the 100th tiger, went back happily
❖ Hunters went to take a closer look at tiger and realised that the bulled missed the shot and the tiger just
fainted from the sound of the bullet. Hence, 100th tiger was not killed.
❖ In fear if losing jobs, no one told it to maharaja and one of the hunters killed the tiger
❖ A few days later, Maharaja’s son’s 3rd birthday was celebrated
❖ Maharaja went to shopping centre and searched every shop. Finally, he spotted a wooden tiger in a toy shop
and decided to buy it.
❖ Wooden tiger was very cheap but due to fear of maharaja, the shopkeeper demanded 300Rs.
❖ Maharaja took it and played with his son and the wooden tiger
❖ Wooden tiger was made by an unskilled carpenter and had tiny slivers of wood all over it
❖ One of those slivers pierced the maharaja’s right hand
❖ In four days, it developed into a suppurating sore(pus) and spread all over his arm
❖ 3 famous surgeons from Madras were brought and the operation took place
❖ Surgeons came out of the theatre and announced, “The operation was successful. Maharaja is dead.”
❖ In this manner, the hundredth tiger took its final revenge and killed the tiger king.
VISTAS
JOURNEY TO THE END OF EARTH BY TISHANI DOSHI
ANECDOTES
❖ Revolves around the world’s most preserved place, Antarctica where a south Indian person (author) went on
an expedition(journey) with a group of teenagers linked with ‘Students on Ice’ programme who takes young
minds to different places to make the “future generation of policy makers” learn about the planet at a very
early age.
❖ Initiative was introduced by Geoff Green who got tired of his regular job once he got rich and wanted to give it
back in some way.
❖ In the beginning, the author talks about her journey to one of the coldest, driest and windiest continents on
Earth; Antarctica.
❖ author began journey from Madras and on her journey, crossed 9 time zones, 6 checkpoints, 3 water bodies
and 3 ecospheres
❖ took her about 100 hours of combined travelling by car, aeroplane and then a ship
❖ when she first set her feet on the continent, she felt utmost (greatest) relief as it was all white, and the sight
of blue horizon was very comforting Horizon- line at which land and sky appear to meet
❖ Was astonished by the fact that there was a time when
Indian and Antarctica were geographically connected
Part of History
❖ 650 million years ago, there was a super continent known as Gondwana comprising of present-day India and
Antarctica
❖ there was no humans and the climate were warmer which gave rise to huge varieties of flora and fauna
(plants and animals)
❖ it was present for 500 million years until dinosaurs got extinct and human beings came into existence
❖ the huge continent was then forced to separate and form countries as we know today
❖ according to the author, if one wants to have a view of history and to see where we are headed, Antarctica is
the right place
❖ it is the best place to research and understand about mountain ranges, ozone and carbon.
❖ It was a very different experience for the author as being a South Indian sun-worshipping woman, it was hard
for her or anyone else to imagine living in a place where 90 percent of the Earth’s total ice volumes are stored.
❖ Not only biologically or physically difficult, but also for imagination. A place untouched by humans and their
inventions, it gives an experience that makes us forget about all the other things
❖ From small creatures like mites to huge creatures like blue whales, everything can be found in Antarctica
❖ Days are never ending with sun light all the time falling on the southern hemisphere
Human Impact
❖ Human life on earth has been since only 12,000 years which converts into a few seconds on the geological
clock
❖ In this small time, humans have exploited each and every resource creating a chaos in the nature
❖ This exploitation has created a blanket of carbon dioxide around our planet which is further increasing the
average global temperature, thus leading to global warming.
❖ Global warming and climate change are high priority concerns these days
❖ According to the author, if one wishes to study and analyse Earth’s past, present and future, Antarctica is the
place to go
❖ The programme ‘Students on Ice’ has been very successful because it is very easy to sit at home and talk
about real issues, but actually seeing glaciers collapsing gives a glimpse into the future
❖ Antarctica is one of those places with limited biodiversity and has a less complicated eco system.
❖ As a result, little changes in environment can have drastic effects.
❖ “Take care of the small things and the big things will fall into place.”
Walk on the Ocean

❖ At the end, the author thought upon the capability of nature to maintain its balance.
❖ She wondered what it would be like if Antarctica, the place that houses over 90 percent of world’s ice
becomes warm again.
❖ She wonders if we will be there to see it if it ever happens but who knows.
❖ Thus, by seeing the spirit of teenagers who still have the courage to save the world, she talks about the
uncertainty of events that can happen over a million years.
----------------------------------------END OF CHAPTER------------------------------------------------
VISTAS
CH-4 THE ENEMY BY Pearl S. Buck
ANECDOTES
❖ main character of the story- Dr. Sadao Hoki

❖ house situated on the coast of Japan, used to climb up trees in his childhood
❖ his father used to point towards the islands, would say that those were the stepping stones towards the
future of Japan
❖ his father never played or joked with him, was very concerned about his education, sent him to America at
age of 22 to study surgery and medicine
❖ Sadao returned at the age of 30, became famous as a surgeon as well as a scientist, father died after seeing
him successful
❖ Sadao was not sent abroad as a doctor along with the army
1. he was working on a research to
❖ Had a wife, named Hana, met her in America at a Professor’s house who
discover a treatment for wounds
Arranged a party for foreign students
which would make them instantly
❖ He waited to fall in love with her until he was sure that she was Japanese
clean
As Sadao knew that his father would never accept her unless she was a
Japanese 2. General was suffering from a
❖ Married in Japan in a traditional way, had two children disease which needed to be
❖ They were looking towards the beach when they saw a figure appear out operated upon in case of an
Of the beach, was a man, heavily injured, lied down on the coast, fainted emergency.
❖ Both ran downstairs to help him, Sadao turned the man’s head, Hana
realized he was a White man (an American)
❖ The man had yellow hair, was wounded badly, blood all over, a gun wound
❖ There was no one except Sadao, Hana and the White man
❖ Sadao answered to himself that the best thing was to put the man back into the sea but his hands could not
stop preventing the blood to flow
❖ Sadao and his wife were in a dilemma (confusion)
❖ Sadao said that if they give him shelter, they would be arrested for sheltering an enemy
❖ If they handed him to the Japanese army as a prisoner, he would die in the prison
❖ Because both options were not suitable, the best option was to put him back to the sea, but none of them
moved
❖ Sadao picked up the cap and read the words, “U.S. Navy” written on the cap, the man was a prisoner of war
❖ Both discussed that the man must have tried to escape from the prison and had been shot in the back.
❖ Were not able to get the courage to throw him back to the sea
❖ Sadao reasoned that if the man was well, he would hand him over to the police without any hesitation but he
was concerned because the man was injured
❖ Hana said that if he could not throw him into the sea, the second option was to carry him home
❖ Sadao concerned that servants would object as they were sheltering an enemy
❖ Hana said that they would tell the servants that they will hand the man to the police when he gets recovered,
told Sadao to think of their future and told him to hand over the man to the police after recovery or they will
be in danger, Sadao agreed
❖ Lifted the man together, carried him to Sadao’s father’s bedroom
❖ Sadao asked Hana to get hot water for washing the man, Hana called Yumi (a servant) for washing the man
❖ Man’s heartbeat was very faint, Sadao had to operate to prevent the man from dying
❖ Hana terrified, Sadao walked out of room to inform other servants, Hana followed as did not wanted to stay
alone with the enemy 1. Old gardener spoke bluntly to Hana and advised that Sadao should not
❖ Servants reaction treat the man because if they treated enemy, they would be punished by
Japan (Also told some superstitions)
2. Yumi bought the hot water but denied washing the White man
3. All servants were terrified also.

❖ Hana screamed at Yumi but later realised that servants can tell this to police officers, hence changed her tone
❖ Hana said Yumi to return to her work, left alone with the White man
❖ Hana took a small clean towel and washed his face, cleaned his upper body, became more restless, called
Sadao
❖ Sadao came carrying his emergency bag and wearing his surgeon’s coat, prepared to operate the White man
❖ Sadao started his work, Hana very obedient, helped Sadao in every way possible, brought towels, laid down
mats, told Sadao about Yumi denying washing the White man but Sadao paid no attention, hands working
very fast
❖ Sadao told Hana to inject anaesthesia to patient, Hana never done that earlier, Sadao said that it was very
easy, Sadao removed the packing and the blood came out, Hana could not see it, choked, ran out, Sadao
heard sound of vomiting
❖ As Sadao needed Hana’s help to operate, he thought that it would be better for her to empty her stomach so
that she would not feel uneasy again.
❖ Sadao felt irritated that he was not able to help her wife due to the man lying like a dead body
❖ Sadao thought that there was no reason for him to save the man because there was no reason for him to live.
Even then, his hands continued working and operating the White man.
❖ Hana entered room confidently, asked what she was supposed to do, Sadao told her to put some anaesthetic
on cotton and to place the cotton near the man’s nostril, also told her to remove the cotton when the man
started to breathe heavily
❖ Sadao was quick, saw bullet near the kidney, made some surgical cuts on the body and removed the bullet,
the White man murmured “guts”, later became silent, Sadao check pulse again
❖ Sadao stopped Hana from giving more anaesthesia, filled a syringe with the medicine and pushed the vaccine
into the man’s left arm
❖ Man woke up, was full of fear, Hana served him food as the servants refused to enter that room
❖ Hana said man to not be afraid, man surprised that Hana could speak English, Hana told that she lived in
America for a long time, Hana said to man that he would soon become strong
❖ Sadao visited the man on the third day after operation, man was weak and sitting, Sadao screamed and
ordered him to lie down as he could die if not taken proper rest
❖ White man asked what Sadao would do with him, Sadao said that he himself did not know, disclosed that he
know that the man is a prisoner of man, stopped man from speaking further
❖ Hana came, told Sadao that servants would not stay with them if the American White man lived anymore and
that Yumi and servants thought that Hana and Sadao liked Americans
❖ Sadao denied, said Americans were their enemies but he had been trained in such a way that he could not let
a man die and would help him in whichever way he could
❖ Servants taunt Sadao and Hana 1. Old gardener said that the master should have let the White man
❖ Hana felt that the servants were right bleed when he was so close to death
But she had some feelings for the man
That she herself could not analyse 2. the cook said disrespectfully that their master was so proud of his
❖ She did not like the prisoner, injured skill at saving lives that he did not bother whose life he was saving.
man told his name “TOM” to Hana, she
3. Yumi got worried about the children and wondered that when
ignored, injured man was a great trouble
they will grow up, they would be labelled as the children of traitor
to her and was a threat to Sadao and her
(dhokebaaz) and as Sadao was helping an American, all people of
❖ Sadao doing his role of doctor perfectly,
Japan would consider him to be an enemy of Japan.
Would examine the wound everyday
❖ On the 7th day, two incidents happened, 1. the servants of the house left in the morning, Hana did not show
her feelings to the servants and paid them off gracefully and also thanking them for their services, Yumi cried
❖ Hana gets worried, asked Sadao that why were they not behaving with the prisoner of war just like other
Japanese would have and let him die? why are they not clear about what to do? Sadao said nothing and went
into the room where the prisoner of war was resting
❖ Instructed the White man to stand for 5 minutes today and increase the time every day, said it would be good
for everyone that the man gets healthy as soon as possible, hinted that they wanted to get rid of the American
❖ Man said “Okay”, thanked Sadao for everything, Sadao said to not thank him too early, terror on man’s face
appeared
❖ 2nd incident on the 7th day, a messenger wearing official uniform came to the house, Hana scared, felt that
servants must have told that they were sheltering an enemy, unable to speak, messenger stood in front of
Sadao
❖ Messenger said that Sadao was supposed to go with the messenger to the palace, said that the old General
was in pain and Sadao was supposed to treat him as a doctor, Hana relieved, took a deep breath
❖ Sadao said goodbye to Hana, Hana told that she thought that the messenger has come to arrest Sadao
❖ Sadao became sad knowing how Hana is in too much stress due to all the incidents, decided that he must get
rid of the man by any way
❖ Sadao went to the General, narrated him the entire story
❖ General felt that Sadao was a necessary part of his life at that moment and said that Sadao cannot be
arrested, added that if Sadao gets death sentence and the General needs to get operated the next day, then
who would operate upon him, said that he would not let this happen
❖ Sadao suggested that there were many other surgeons in Japan, General replied that he did not trust anyone
else other than Sadao, added that the best surgeons had been trained by the Germans and for them, the
operation would be successful even if the General died
❖ Very interesting lines: then he asked Sadao that being a Japanese, could he not combine the two foreign
elements
▪ 1. The harsh nature of the Germans- referring to giving the prisoner of war to the Japanese army
▪ 2. With the emotional nature of Americans- referring to saving his life during operation
Sadao said that he was not sure about it but he was willing to try, General said that the General must not be
the trial case
❖ General said that the best solution was to kill the man silently. Said that the White man would not be killed by
Sadao but by General’s hired killers (assassins)
▪ General would send two killers to Sadao’s house that night or any night
▪ Wanted Sadao to keep the door open of the room where the prisoner rested
▪ Killers would come, kill the White man and would take away his body
❖ Sadao went back home, kept on thinking about the plan, thought that in this way, he would not be involved in
the death of the America man, decided to not tell Hana about it
❖ Sadao came into the prisoner’s room, surprised to see the man out of his bed, warned the man not to stand
and walk
❖ Man thanked Sadao and said that if he had not reached Sadao that day, then he would have died, added that
if all the Japanese people would have been like Sadao, then the war would not have happened
❖ Sadao said that maybe this could be true, bowed to him and said goodnight
❖ Sadao was restless all night as the killers had to come, imagined the sound of footsteps and that some men
were carrying the American’s dead body, could not sleep the whole night
❖ In the morning, Sadao made an excuse to go to the American’s room, saw the man asleep, could hear the
sounds of his breathing
❖ Hana asked again that what would they do with the man, Sadao promised that he would decide in one or two
days
❖ Sadao thought that maybe the killers would come the next night, waited, found out that the American was
still there the next morning, waited for another night, both Sadao and Hana got scared of the sound of loud
crash, American still alive and present the third morning
❖ Man announced happily that he was well, Sadao could not withstand waiting for the killers to come the next
night, he was not bothered about the man’s life but he could not bear the stress any more
❖ Sadao said to the man that he was well now and strong enough to sail a boat, planned that if he arranged a
boat, filled it with food and extra clothing, the man would be able to row it to the nearby island which was not
guarded and not inhabited (matlab koi rehta bhi nahi tha us island par and koi army wagerah bhi nahi thi),
instructed the man to live there until he spotted a Korean fishing boat pass by and go along with it
❖ White man stared at Sadao and asked whether it was necessary for him to do so. Sadao appealed that the
place he was living in was known to everyone, White man agreed
❖ Sadao made arrangements, pulled out a big boat in the night, placed food, water and two quilts in it, worked
without a torch as did not want to be spotted by anyone
❖ Checked the man’s body temperature and heartbeat, high heartbeat as the American was excited
❖ Young man said to Sadao that he was saving his life once again, Sadao said that it was not like that and that he
was sending him because he could not keep him any longer
❖ Sadao gave the man his own torch, instructed him that if the food gets over before the Korean boat arrives,
then the man must signal Sadao with two flashes of the torch at the dusk time (evening jab sunset ho raha
hota ha), asked him to be careful 1. to not use torch during night
❖ American shook hands and walked away towards the boat
2. can eat raw fish but must not cook it as
---------------------next scene---------------------------------------------------- the fire could be spotted by the guards
❖ A week ago, the General had been operated in an emergency by Sadao, General was weak after the operation
❖ Sadao informed him that the man escaped, he did not have the courage to ask General about what happened
to the killers he was about to send to kill the White man
❖ At Sadao’s home, servants returned, everything was normal
❖ The General was surprised and said that as he was suffering from bad health, he had forgotten about the
promise that he had made of sending those killers
❖ General felt sorry for being careless, added that it was not that he did not love Japan or he was escaping from
his duty, looked at Sadao expecting support
❖ Sadao said that he understood the General’s position, he understood that the General was in his control and
as a result, Sadao was safe, said that he trusted the loyalty of General towards Japan
❖ General was relaxed and said that Sadao was a good man and that he would be rewarded for his goodness
❖ but for Sadao, he got his reward when he found no trace of torch light in the evening which meant that the
White man found a Korean boat and had gone with it safely back home
❖ stood at the veranda and thought “WHY COULD I NOT KILL HIM?”
*MAGIC SENTENCE: Sadao’s heads and hands were moving in different directions
------------------------------------------------------END OF CHAPTER--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VISTAS
SHOULD WIZARD HIT MOMMY BY JOHN HOYER UPDIKE
ANECDOTES
❖ Story revolves around Jack and his daughter Jo

❖ Every evening, Jack used to tell his daughter a bedtime story
❖ This habit started when Jo was 2 years old, now she was 4 years old
❖ Jack did not have any creative ideas for the story
❖ Most of the stories he told revolved around the same plot
▪ There was an animal named Roger, a different animal in every story
▪ Had some problem, would go to the wise owl who would tell him to go to the wizard
▪ Wizard would help in exchange of pennies (money) generally a bit more than what Roger had
▪ After helping, wizard would ask him to go to a certain place to fetch more pennies
▪ Roger would do exactly like that, would the go back and played with all other animals
▪ Would be very happy and later return to his home, would have dinner, story over
❖ Jack started getting tired of his daily routine, had run out of ideas for stories
❖ Also, Jo didn’t sleep listening to the story anymore, had started feeling that the practise was just a waste of
time, noticed that Jo had started growing big
❖ When Jack asked Jo, who should be the story about that day, Jo thought and replied to be that of a skunk
❖ Jack started the story
❖ Started with there was a skunk, named Roger, a foul-smelling animal, no one played with him
❖ Jo questioned whether the skunk would go to the wise owl, Jack did not want to hurry as he wanted to convey
a message with the story
❖ Suddenly, Jack heard the voice of a chair being pulled, realized that he must go down to help his pregnant wife
in painting the living room, but continued the story as Jo did not sleep
❖ Continued that Roger skunk went to the wise owl, shared his problem
❖ Jo shouted enthusiastically that the wise owl would ask him to go to the wizard as she already knew the basic
plot
❖ Jack got irritated, scolded Jo, asked her to lie down peacefully and continue listening the story
❖ Jack continued that skunk went to the wizard
❖ Jo interrupted again, asked if the magic spells that wizards used were real
❖ Jack realized that Jo was coming into the reality phase and had started asking questions about things her
parents tell her, noticed that she no longer believed her parents blindly, Jack replied that the spells were real
in stories
❖ Continued the story, skunk knocked the door, old wizard with long white beard and a blue pointed hat came
out, asked what the skunk wanted, told Roger skunk that he smelled very bad
❖ Roger replied that he knew he smelled bad, told that all other animals ran away from him
❖ Wizard asked Roger what he wanted to smell like, Roger wished to smell like roses, wizard did his magic,
Roger started smelling like roses
❖ Wizard asked for more pennies, directed Roger to go to well to fetch more pennies, brought money, went
back to ground, played with other animals, later went home to his mom
❖ Jo had started getting bored, more interested in looking out of window, thought that the story was over
❖ Jack continued story asking Jo to be more attentive,
❖ Continued that Roger skunk’s mom asked from where was the bad smell coming, Roger replied that it was him
❖ Roger’s mom got angry, took Roger to the wizard, took out her umbrella, hit the wizard on his head, wizard
changed Roger’s smell back to original, Roger told his mom that all friends ran away from him, mom said she
did not care
❖ Jo interrupted the story, imagined her own story that the wizard hit mommy skunk and did not change the
smell back, father told nothing like that happened, Jo interrupted again but Jack stopped her and told her that
it was his story
❖ Continued the story that, after some time when Roger skunk was sleeping, his mom came back, hugged him,
told him that he smelled again like her baby skunk and that she loved him a lot
❖ Jack ended the story, Jo asked that did the other animals run away from Roger skunk again
❖ Jack replied ‘no’ because they slowly got habitual to the smell of the skunk
❖ Jo resisted, thought what mommy skunk did was not right and that it was stupid, Jack took it personally, said
‘no’, ordered her to sleep
❖ Jo stood up on bed, started jumping, asked her father to tell a story the next day that wizard took magic stick
and hit skunk’s mom
❖ Jack explained that this was not what the story said 1. the skunk loved his mother more than any of the
❖ Told her that the story gave a message other animals
❖ Jo kept on insisting that the next day, he
Would have to tell her the story like the one she 2. his mother knew what was right for him and what
was not
Wanted, started throwing tantrums, became
Stubborn (ziddi) 3. one should never change for anyone.
❖ Jack ordered her to sleep, closed the door, went to
His wife, thought that both him and his wife are caught in a cage like situation in their marriage
----------------------------------------------------------------------END OF CHAPTER----------------------------------------------------------------
VISTAS
Evan Tries an O-Level by Norman Colin Dexter
ANECDOTES
Telephonic conversation
❖ Story begins when the Secretary of the examination board received a call from Governor, Oxford prison
▪ Governor said, it was a strange request but they wanted to help the person
▪ Named Evans
▪ Told him that, Evans started taking night lessons in O-level of German language, last September
▪ Evans was interested in achieving educational qualification
▪ Secretary agreed to give him a chance, would send all forms required, asked whether Evans was a
violent person
▪ Governor said that there was no such record, nice guy, humorous,
▪ Decided to conduct test in Evans’s own lock up, would call a churchman from a nearby church as
invigilator
About Evans
❖ Was called “Evans the Break” by the police officers

❖ Had escaped from prison thrice
On the Day before Examination- 7th June, Monday
❖ At 8:30 p.m. the German teacher shook hands with Evans

❖ Said “Guten Gluck”, Evans could not understand, teacher said all the best
❖ Teacher commented that Evans was not prepared, said there was not even the slightest chance for Evans to
pass the exam
❖ Evans replied that he may surprise everybody
On the Day of Examination- 8th June, Tuesday Stephens- newly appointed officer
❖ Morning 8:30, Evans was visited by two men

Jackson-senior police officer
▪ Evans had not shaved, wearing a dirty hat on
his head
▪ Asked Jackson to excuse him as he was going to shave
▪ Jackson told Stephen that this reminded him that Stephen should take away his razor as soon as he
had completed shaving his ugly looking face, also taunted Evans
▪ Jackson replied that he took his nail cutter too, told him it was the Governor’s order
▪ Jackson told Evans that only had 30 minutes to get ready, told him to remove his dirty hat
▪ Evans requested to keep it as it was his lucky charm, Jackson agreed.
❖ 8:45 a.m. same Morning

▪ Stuart Mc lee, member of the church started coming towards the prison
▪ Wore a black overcoat, a clerical hat, carried a small brown suitcase Sealed question paper
❖ Exam was planned to begin at 9:15 a.m., two hours envelope, yellow supervisor
form, special permission
❖ Stephen sets up the prison
card, blunt knife to cut seal
▪ Brought two small tables, placed opp. to each other of paper, a Bible
▪ Brought two chairs, placed opp. to each other
▪ Placed a secret microphone but Evans noticed it, asked Jackson who would be hearing? Governor
▪ Evans questioned him that why to they think that he would run, Jackson replied that no one would
trust him, wished him luck before leaving
❖ Mc Lerry signed his name in the visitor’s book, followed the prison officer, joined Stephens
❖ Jackson ordered Stephens to remove the razor from the cell, told him to keep a close watch
❖ Evans was sitting quietly
❖ At 9:10 a.m., Governor switched on the microphone receiver, ordered Jackson to be careful as they had
installed a microphone in his cell, thought there is no way Evans could escape
❖ Governor was worried for Mc Lerry as there were chances that he could have brought some weapons
unknowingly and Evans could take advantage of it, called up at 9:12 and ordered to check the priest
❖ Jackson checks Mc Lerry, everything was fine but there was one thing in the suitcase which was confusing him
❖ It was a semi-inflated (half-filled) rubber ring, Mc Lerry informed that he was suffering from piles
❖ Jackson felt sorry, discovered paper knife in the suitcase, took it away
❖ At 9:18 a.m., Governor heard voices again, understood that exam will start a little late
❖ Mc Lerry said that he will tell Evans when to start and would inform him again when only 5 minutes will be
left, gave him instructions to write index number, centre number etc. Evans followed it quietly
❖ Evans interrupted and complained of not being able to concentrate because of Stephens continuously
watching him, Governor called Jackson and ordered him to get Stephens out of the cell
❖ At 9:25 a.m. Mc Lerry announced the beginning of the exam, there was a great peace
❖ At 9:40 a.m. the Assistant Secretary called up from the examination board to speak to the Governor
▪ He told the Governor that someone had not placed the correction slip in the examination package
▪ Tried to seek help from the Governor
▪ A line of thoughts came to the Governor’s mind about the call being fake
▪ Cross checked it by dialling the number of examination board, number was busy
▪ Governor redirected the call of the assistant secretary to Jackson
❖ He then received a call from Magistrate’s court
▪ There was a need of a prison van and some officer
▪ Governor thought it to be a fake call
▪ Then thought that he was thinking too much and his imagination is getting out of control
❖ Exam kept on going smoothly, Stephens kept on looking after every minute
❖ At 10:50 a.m. Governor found that he had almost forgotten about Evans.
❖ He heard Evans asking to wrap a blanket around his shoulder as it was cold, allowed
❖ At 10:51 a.m. Stephens opened the peep hole and was surprised to see Evans with the blanket, seemed
strange to him, thought of reporting to Jackson, but told himself that he should not overthink as there might
be cold inside
❖ At 11:20 a.m., Mc Lerry told Evans that only 5 minutes were left
❖ At 11:22 a.m. Jackson shouted to Stephens as the Governor wanted to speak to him
▪ Governor ordered him that it was his duty to accompany Mc Lerry to the main gate
▪ Ordered that Stephen had to be fully assured that Evan’s cell is properly locked
❖ At 11:25 a.m. Governor heard the final talks between Evans and Mc Lerry
▪ Mc Lerry asked Evans to stop writing, told him to arrange his sheets in order
▪ Evans said thank you to Mc Lerry, Mc Lerry asked about how his exam was, Evan replied that it was
not too bad
❖ Exam was over
❖ Stephen asked Mc Lerry did Evan’s exam go well, Mc Lerry said that he didn’t think so, his accent was a bit
different and his overcoat was reaching close to his knees
Mc Lerry exits
❖ Stephens felt very happy that the Governor had asked him, and not Jackson, to see Mc Lerry off
❖ Stephens wanted to have a last look at Evans
❖ Stephens looked inside Evan’s cell, he was shocked to see the situation inside, he cried and yelled.
❖ For few seconds he thought that it was Evans but later realised that it was Mc Lerry, hair soaked in blood
❖ Stephens shouted loudly to call Jackson, Mc Lerry screamed, cried out of pain, Jackson came, ordered
Stephens to call ambulance and police
❖ Injured Mc Lerry raised himself and told them that they should not worry about him as he is fine, asked for the
Governor as he knew where Evans had gone, Jackson and Stephens took him to Governor
❖ Injured Mc Lerry opened the German question paper, wanted to show something important to the Governor
❖ Governor noticed that a photocopied sheet was cleverly laid on the blank space of the question paper, it was
in German, Governor knew German, translated the text partly
❖ It was written on plan that
▪ Everything should go by the plan
▪ Had to do just 3 minutes before the exam ends
▪ Told to hit on Mc Lerry’s head
▪ Was warned for not overdoing his Scottish accent
❖ By this time, detective Carter came and saluted the Governor asked what the matter was, Injured Mc Lerry
interrupts in between, said that Evans had gone to Elsfield, was breathing heavily, Governor sent injured Mc
Lerry to hospital along with Carter
❖ Governor started reading the text again and discovered that it was a route towards the examination board
❖ Governor concluded that somebody from the examination board had helped him, scold Stephens and Jackson
❖ Stephen said that it was him who took Evans out (in form of Mc Lerry ) as he had received a call from
Governor, Governor denied, concluded that it was a fake call
❖ Governor scolded Jackson for being so confident. Scolded that they spent two hours in checking Evan’s cell
but even then, Evans was able to hide a false beard, spectacles and other stuff and also had a weapon to hit
Mc Lerry
❖ Finally, Governor decoded the place from the text, felt Evans was careless in leaving the question paper and
that he would be caught soon
❖ Detective Carter called Governor, told him that Mc Lerry had seen Evans in Elsfield, informed him that since
Injured Mc Lerry had grown very weak, they took him to examination office, and then called up the
ambulance
❖ Governor inquired about the injured person in hospital but found out that the ambulance went but came
empty as there was no one
❖ Governor did not speak anything, understood the whole truth.
❖ After a gap of 15 minutes, they found the real Reverend Mc Lerry who was tied up by two men at his own
house since 8:15 a.m.
❖ It was clear that the man who was taken to the prison door by Stephens was not Evans but Evans was the
one who stayed inside the cell and pretended to be injured Mc Lerry
-----Story moved up to Evans
❖ After having delicious food, Evans decided to go back to his hotel room, was wearing a new hat, recalled how
funny it was to wear a fake beard
❖ Evans unlocked his room, turned back and was shocked to see someone in his room. It was the Governor
❖ Evans looked around hopelessly, Governor told him that there is no use of it as he had his men all around
❖ Evans looked disturbed, said it was the correction slip he guessed, the Governor accepted and said that the
Governor knew some German
❖ Evans then relaxed over some time and explained that it was not an actual mistake as it was necessary for
them to know the exact time at which the paper started so that they could make a call exactly before the end
of the exam to make the Governor and other officers busy while making clear way for fake Mc Lerry
❖ Evans said that the correction slip gave him both the hotel name and the time of exam, it was like killing two
birds with one stone, Governor agreed.
❖ Evans then queried how did the Governor get to know that he was staying in which hotel as their were
hundreds of them, Governor said the index number 313 and centre number 271 were the six figure refernce
for the map
❖ Governor stood up and asked him where he got blood from, it was from the rubber ring Governor guessed,
Evans told him that they got pig blood easily from a meat shop
❖ Governor took Evans with him and walked down the stairs
❖ Governor asked him how he planned this as he had no visitors or letters for him, Evans replied that he had
many friends, also the German teacher was his friend, Governor was shocked
❖ The receptionist said that the van was ready. Both Evans and the receptionist winked at each other.
❖ Evans was chained by the prison officer and both climbed the van, Governor bid him farewell
❖ Soon the van turned right, the prison officer removed the handcuffs from Evans and asked the driver to drive
fast. The driver asked Evans where to go, HENCE,
AT LAST Evans was able to escape once again with the help of his friends who were now pretending to be the prison
officer and the driver.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------CHAPTER ENDS------------------------------------------------------------------

English Revision Notes XII

Uploaded by

Document Information

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

English Revision Notes XII

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

FLAMINGO

CH-1 THE LAST LESSON

3.show respect to country

 ‘SOMETIMES I FIND A RUPEE IN THE GARBAGE’

1. is a bangle maker 1. making food

4. Edla was kind hearted

❖ The urging of departure of the British was in 1917

❖ There were 2,301 delegates and many visitors

❖ One among them was Rajkumar Shukla from Champaran, a peasant

system in Bihar and requested him to come to his district

other parts of India

❖ Shukla was illiterate but resolute

such a date. Come and meet me and take me from there.”

THE ROAD MAP

❖ Gandhi and Shukla met again in Calcutta

❖ Both boarded a train for the city of Patna, Bihar

❖ Shukla led him to the house of Rajendra Prasad

❖ Sharecroppers began appearing on foot to see their CHAMPION

for them is TO BE FREE FROM FEAR

MAJRA KYA THA? WHAT WAS THE MATTER?

Englishmen and worked by Indian tenants

❖ Chief commercial crop was INDIGO

SURRENDER ENTIRE HARVEST AS RENT

❖ This was a long-term contract

released from 15% arrangement.

❖ Many signed willingly not knowing their intentions

❖ First, he visited secretary of British Landlord Association

❖ Instead of leaving, he proceeded to Motihari, the capital of Champaran

❖ Report came that a peasant had been maltreated in a nearby village

❖ All night, Gandhi ji remained awake

❖ Telegraphed Rajendra Prasad to come from Bihar with influential friends

❖ Sent instructions to ashram

❖ Wired a full report to viceroy

❖ Morning found the town of MOTIHARI BLACKED WITH PEASANTS

❖ Officials felt powerless without Gandhi’s co-operation

❖ He helped them regulate the crowd. Was polite and friendly

❖ Govt. was baffled

❖ Prosecutor requested judge to postpone the trial

lawful authorities, BUT IN OBEDIENCE TO HIGHER LAW OF OUR-BEING, THE VOICE

❖ Magistrate announced that he would pronounce sentence after 2 hours break

❖ Asked Gandhi ji to furnish bail for those two hours

❖ Judge released him without bail

❖ Meanwhile, allowed Gandhi ji to remain at liberty

❖ They had a discussion with Gandhi ji

❖ What would they do if Gandhi ji is sent to prison, Gandhi ji asked?

be nobody to advice and they will go home.”

❖ Gandhi ji demanded, “WHAT ABOUT INJUSTICE TO THE SHARECROPPERS?”

stranger, YET he was prepared to go EVEN TO PRISON for the peasants

neighbourhood districts. IF THEY DO NOT STAND UP, IT WILL BE SHAMEFUL.

FOLLOW HIM TO JAIL

❖ Gandhi ji exclaimed, “THE BATTLE OF CHAMPARAN IS WON”

which each pair was to COURT ARREST

❖ CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE HAD WON THE FIRST TIME IN MODERN INDIA.

❖ In June, Gandhi ji was called by Sir Edward, the Governor

❖ This occupied almost 1 year in Gandhi Ji’s life

❖ Official inquiry gathered mountain of EVIDENCES AGAINST BIG PLANTERS.

❖ They urged to make refunds to peasants

❖ Asked Gandhi ji about how much to pay

❖ HE ASKED ONLY 50%

❖ TO EVERYONE’S AMAZEMENT, GANDHI AGREED THUS, BREAKING

surrender their PART OF MONEY AND ALSO, THEIR PART OF PRIDE

❖ Events justified Gandhi

▪ Within few years, British planters abandoned their estate

❖ He sent regular instructions by mails and asked for financial accounts.