6. ACHILLES
The Rose-Beetle Man carried, on his
Warm-up (page 82)
a. have one’s back to the wall: have no means
of escape
b. have a chink in one’s armour: have a small
weakness or fault
c. have feet of clay: have a defect in one’s
character
d. shoot oneself in the foot: harm or cause
harm to oneself
In-text questions (pages 82–85)
• The narrator first met the Rose-Beetle
Man on a lonely road leading to one of the
remote mountain villages.
• The phrase ‘fairy tale air’ means that there
was something magical about the Rose-
Beetle Man. He seemed like an imaginary
character from a storybook.
• We know that the Rose-Beetle Man
cared well for his pets by the way he had
maintained the tortoises, polished their
shells and decorated their front legs with
little bows.
• The narrator selected one particular tortoise
for it had a shell that was the size of a tea-
cup and seemed sprightlier than the others.
Its eyes were bright and its walk alert.
• Roger and Achilles were rivals because
both loved grapes equally.
• Achilles found Roger irritating because
Roger would always vigorously lick the
grape juice that Achilles had dribbled on
himself.
Making connections (page 87)
Quick answers
1. a. The narrator first met the Rose-Beetle
Man on a lonely road leading to one of
the remote mountain villages.
b.
back, bamboo cages full of pigeons and
young chickens and several mysterious
sacks.
c. The narrator liked the small tortoise
because he was small, alert and sprightly.
d. The narrator says that Achilles is an
intelligent beast because he learnt his
name soon and responded well to others.
e. Achilles liked human company as he
would appear whenever anyone came
into the garden.
Reference to context
2. a. The Rose-Beetle man and the narrator
are being referred to here. They were
trying to negotiate the price for the
tortoise.
b. T h e y w e r e n o t h a v i n g a v e r b a l
conversation because the Rose-Beetle
Man could not speak.
c. The Rose-Beetle Man agreed to reduce
the price of the tortoise to half—five
instead of ten.
3. a. The narrator knew that Achilles liked
strawberries because he would become
hysterical at the mere sight of them.
b. Achilles ate the small strawberries in
a gulp, whereas he would grab the big
ones, take them to a quiet spot and eat
them at leisure.
c. After Achilles was fed, Roger would
vigorously lick the juice Achilles had
dribbled upon himself.
4. a. Achilles escaped through the garden
gate that was left open.
b. T h e f a m i l y m e m b e r s s h o u t e d
‘strawberries’ as they searched for
Achilles because Achilles loved
strawberries and the family members
thought that it could get him out of his
hiding.
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 c. The family finally found Achilles in a The way the author describes Achilles
well. He was dead and he could not be shows that he was special to the narrator.
revived. The narrator’s observation of Achilles’
behaviour and feeding habits also goes on
Read, reflect and write to show his love for the animal. Also, the
5. The Rose-Beetle Man had a fox-like face fact that the narrator held a funeral service
with large eyes. His dress was fantastic. for the animal after burying him in the
On his head was a hat with a wide, floppy garden indicates the importance of Achilles
brim. His shirt was worn. Round his neck in his life.
dangled a cravat of startling blue satin. The
pockets of his coat bulged, the contents Word wall (pages 88–89)
almost spilling out. His patched trousers 1. a. foolproof b. bulletproof
drooped over a pair of leather shoes with c. lifeless d. overuse
upturned toes. He carried on his back e. fireproof f. overrate
bamboo cages full of pigeons and young g. underground h. overhead
chickens, and several mysterious sacks. He i. underwent
held his pipe in one hand, and in the other, 2. a. poodle b. the classroom
he held a number of lengths of cotton, with c. silent d. admirer
rose-beetles tied to each one. e. Serbia f. funeral
6. When the narrator realized that the g. retina h. March
Rose-Beetle Man could not speak, he
started communicating with him through Grammar time (pages 89–90)
gestures. This shows the narrator was very 1. a. Where b. Why
perceptive, sensitive and understanding. c. How d. Why
7. Encourage the students to think creatively and e. How f. How
formulate their own answers. 2. a. How often does the postman deliver
Roger kept on wagging his tail throughout mail?
the funeral service that was held for b. When will the rehearsal begin?
Achilles, despite the narrator’s protests. It c. Where did you fall down?
could mean that he was missing Achilles d. Why are you happy?
or was happy that his rival was dead. e. When did you read this book?
8. Yes, the narrator was certainly an animal f. When did you shift here?
lover. It is indicated by his fascination with g. Where did the robbers hide the loot?
the Rose-Beetle Man and his tortoises. h. When is the monsoon expected to arrive?
He had a dog at home and also got a
tortoise. Later, when Achilles died, he
Pronunciation (pages 90–91)
bought a pigeon from the Rose-Beetle Man. 1. a. re-cord (n)
The narrator’s love for animals is evident re-cord (v)
in his fond narration of animal behaviour. b. ob-jects (n)
9. The students should expand upon the following ob-ject (v)
points. c. pre-sent (n)
pre-sent (v)

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 d. pro-gress (n)
pro-gress (v)
e. pro-duce (n)
pro-duce (v)
f. con-test (n)
con-test (v)
Write well (pages 91–92)
1. Answers will vary.
Sample review:
To Kill a Mocking Bird is a Pulitzer Prize
winning novel written by American novelist
Nelle Harper Lee in 1960. Set in the 1930s
America, the story is narrated by Scout Finch,
a central character in the book. The story is
about Scout and her brother Jeremy (Jem),
who live with their dad Atticus Finch in an
imaginary town called Maycomb in Alabama.
Atticus is a widower and a middle-aged
lawyer who raises Jem and Scout with the
help of their housekeeper named Calpurnia.
The book starts by giving you a picture
of Scout and Jem’s childhood activities
and their curiosity about their mysterious
neighbour Arthur Radley. After a description
of Maycomb, its people, and their values and
practices, the book moves into more serious
happenings.
The book beautifully chronicles the trials that
the family goes through when Atticus opts
to fight a case for Tom Robinson, an Afro-
American. Through the course of this case,
we get to see the growth of Jem and Scout and
the change in their perceptions as they interact
with various people in their neighbourhood
and also with their father, who is a strong and
endearing character. The book teaches you
to look at the world from another person’s
perspective. Despite the serious issues of
racism and equality rights, the book holds
certain warmth and humour that make it a
great read for all ages.
Listen and speak well (pages 92–93)
1. a. The first one is a turtle, the second one
a tortoise.
b. • Two similarities:
i. Both have shells.
ii. Both belong to the same family of
reptiles.
• Three differences:
ii. Tortoises live on land, turtles in
water.
iii. Tortoise shells are heavier; turtle
shells are lighter.
iii. Tortoises have sturdy feet; turtles
have legs that are converted to
large flippers to help them swim.
c. i. False ii. True
iii. True iv. True
v. False
2. Students may be encouraged to speak on their
own.
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