1. Who was Doctor Dolittle? What was he fond of?

John Dolittle, also known as Doctor Dolittle, was a respected physician who lived in a town called
Puddleby-on-the-Marsh. He was known to all the town people and they considered him quite clever.
He was loved by the dogs and children, who would run up and follow the doctor.

He was fond of animals and kept many pets in his house. He had a goldfish in the bottom of his garden,
rabbits in the pantry, white mice in his piano, a squirrel in the linen closet, a hedgehog in the cellar,
a cow and a calf, a twenty-five years old horse, chickens, pigeons, two lambs, and many such animals.
He was so fond of animals that he kept on getting more of them.

2. Who were Doctor Dolittle’s favourite pets?

Doctor Dolittle’s favourite pets were Dab-Dab the duck, Jip the dog, Polynesia the parrot, and the owl
Too-Too.

3. Describe the house of Doctor Dolittle.

Doctor Dolittle lived in a pretty small house, but it had a beautiful and large garden. He had many pets
and used to live with his sister Sarah Dolittle in that house.

4. Who was Sarah Dolittle?

Sarah Dolittle was the sister of Doctor John Dolittle, and together they used to look after their house.
She was not much in favour of Doctor Dolittle’s love of having so many animals in the house.

5. What happened when an old lady with rheumatism came to see the doctor?

When an old day suffering from rheumatism came to visit Doctor Dolittle, she sat on the hedgehog,
who was sleeping on the sofa. After that incident, she had never visited Doctor Dolittle for
consultation.

6. What did the doctor’s sister use to grumble about?

The doctor’s sister, Sarah Dolittle, used to grumble about all of Doctor Dolittle’s pets as they made
the house messy and untidy.

7. Why did Doctor Dolittle’s patients stop going to him?

Doctor Dolittle had many pets such as goldfish, rabbits, mice, squirrels, hedgehog, horse, lambs,
chickens, pigeons, and parrots in his house. It stopped his patients from coming to him.

8. Why did Sarah Dolittle say ‘ridiculous’ to her brother?

Sarah Dolittle tried to make her brother Doctor Dolittle understand that his love for animals was
getting in the way of his profession. Sick people would stop visiting him if he continued to have more
animals in the house, and they would turn poorer every day. But Doctor Dolittle refused to listen to
her, which made her say ‘ridiculous’ to her brother.

9. Who was the Cat’s-Meat-Man?

Cat’s-Meat-Man was the only patient who had no problem with the animals in Doctor Dolittle’s house
like the other patients. He was not a rich person and used to get sick only once a year. He gave a
valuable piece of advice to Doctor Dolittle on becoming an animal doctor.

10. Why did Doctor Dolittle’s savings get dried up?

Doctor Dolittle’s patients stopped consulting him because of all the animals in his house. But he
continued to have more pets, and it required a lot of money to feed them. As a result, his savings
started to dry up.

11. Why did the Cat’s-Meat-Man come to visit the doctor? What did he advise Doctor Dolittle to
do?

The Cat’s-Meat-Man came to visit the doctor because he had a stomach ache.

The Cat’s-Meat-Man advised Doctor Dolittle that he should become an animal doctor because he had
immense knowledge about animals than many of the vets of Puddleby. The book he wrote on cats
speaks volumes of this. Moreover, he could make a lot of money by treating animals.

12. Who was Polynesia? What was she doing when Doctor Dolittle was having a conversation with
the Cat’s-Meat-Man?

Polynesia was a parrot and one of the favourite pets of Doctor Dolittle.

She had been sitting in the kitchen window, enjoying her time by looking out at the rain and singing a
sailor song to herself. She stopped her singing only to listen to the conversation between Doctor
Dolittle and the Cat’s-Meat-Man.

13. What did Polynesia say after listening to the conversation between Doctor Dolittle and the
Cat’s-Meat-Man?

After listening to the conversation between Doctor Dolittle and the Cat’s-Meat-Man, Polynesia flew
off the window and sat on the Doctor’s table. She emphasized the Cat’s-Meat-Man’s suggestion of
Doctor Dolittle becoming an animal doctor. She further said that if the people of Puddleby could not
understand that he was the best doctor they could have, then Doctor Dolittle also should not bother
himself with them.

14. What did Polynesia say about the other animal doctors?

Polynesia said that although there was plenty of animal doctors none of them was good at all.

15. How did the Cat’s-Meat-Man propose to help Doctor Dolittle?

The Cat’s-Meat-Man told Doctor Dolittle that if he became an animal doctor, then he would send all
the old women who had sick dogs and cats, farmers who had old horses and weak lambs to him. There
would not be any scarcity of patients for Doctor Dolittle.

16. How many languages can a parrot talk?

A parrot can talk in two languages- people’s language and bird language.

17. How did Polynesia help Doctor Dolittle?

Polynesia informed Doctor Dolittle that parrots talk in both people’s and bird language- something
which was unknown to the doctor and gave a quick demonstration. After that, Polynesia sat on the
kitchen table and for the entire afternoon dictated the bird words to Doctor Dolittle who noted them
down. It further told the doctor how animals communicate not just with their mouth but also through
body language- with their ears, feet, and tails. It was of much help to the doctor as he learnt the
animals’ language so well that he started communicating with the animals in their language and
became an animal’s doctor.
18. What was Doctor Dolittle excited about?

Doctor Dolittle was excited about learning the bird’s language from his favourite pet- the parrot,
Polynesia.

19. Why did the doctor rush over to the dresser-drawer?

The doctor rushed over to the dresser-drawer to get a book and pencil so that he could note down
the ABC of the Birds’ language from Polynesia.

20. Why was the plough-horse ‘terribly glad’?

The plough-horse was ‘terribly glad’ because he had found a man who could talk in horse-language.

21. What was wrong with the plough-horse? Why couldn’t the previous doctor cure him?

The plough-horse had an eye problem as it was getting blind in one eye. Hence, he required
spectacles. But the previous doctor was treating him for spavins which were completely unrelated to
his blindness and gave him many pills. As a result, he was not getting cured.

The previous doctor didn’t know any bit of horse-language. Hence, he couldn’t fathom what the
plough-horse told him and instead gave him pills for spavins. This was why the previous doctor
couldn’t cure the plough-horse.

22. What words of wisdom did the plough-horse say to Doctor Dolittle about being an animal’s
doctor?

The plough-horse told Doctor Dolittle that contrary to what people think, it takes a much cleverer man
to be a well-animal physician than it takes to become a good people’s doctor.

23. What became a common sight in the town of Puddleby?

In the town of Puddleby, it became a regular sight to see farm animals wearing glasses, and blindness
among the horses became an unknown and unheard thing.

Reference to the Context:

1. “You can make a lot of money doctoring animals.”

a) Who said this and to whom?

b) Why did the speaker say this?

Ans.

a) The Cat’s-Meat-Man said the above-quoted words to Doctor Dolittle.

b) The speaker, the Cat’s-Meat-Man, felt that Doctor Dolittle knew all about animals and much more
than many vets of Puddleby. Moreover, the book Doctor Dolittle wrote about cats was wonderful in
every aspect. So, he advised Doctor Dolittle to become an animal doctor and earn money.

2. “Did you know that animals can talk?”

a) Who said this and to whom?

b) What did the speaker do after saying this?
Ans.

a) The parrot Polynesia said the above-quoted words to Doctor Dolittle.

b) After saying this, Polynesia told Doctor Dolittle that parrots could talk in both people’s language
and bird language, and gave him a quick demonstration. Polynesia first said that he wanted a cracker
in people’s language and then said ‘Ka-ka, oi-ee, fee-fee’ in bird language, which meant he wanted to
know if the porridge was hot.

3. “But that silly man over the hill never even looked at my eyes. He kept on giving me big pills.”

a) Who said this and to whom?

b) Who was the ‘silly man over the hill’?
c) What did the man do?

Ans.

a) The plough-horse said the above-quoted words to Doctor Dolittle.

b) The ‘silly man over the hill’ refers to the vet to whom the plough-horse went to consult before
coming to Doctor Dolittle.
c) The vet treated the plough-horse for spavins for six weeks instead of treating him for blindness. As
a result, the plough-horse was not cured.
4. “This is interesting- very interesting- something quite new.”

a) Who was the speaker?

b) What was ‘quite new’?

Ans.

a) The speaker was Doctor Dolittle.

b) Learning the Birds’ ABC was a new thing for Doctor Dolittle, for he did know about the existence of
the bird’s language until Polynesia told him about it.
5. “I’ll have them for you next week.”

a) Who said this and to whom?

b) What will the speaker have in the next week?

Ans.

a) Doctor Dolittle said the above-quoted words to the plough-horse.

b) The plough-horse was getting blind in one eye for which he needed spectacles. Doctor Dolittle
would make the spectacles ready for the plough-horse in the following week and asked him to come
on Tuesday.
1. List all the items that are sold in the bazaars of Hyderabad.

The items that are sold in the bazaars of Hyderabad are turbans of crimson and silver colour, tunics
of purple brocade, amber framed mirrors, jade studded daggers, saffron, lentil, rice, sandalwood,
henna, spice, chessmen, ivory dice, fruits such as citron, pomegranate, and plum.

2. Explain the meaning of the line, ‘Mirrors with panels of amber’.

‘Mirrors with panels of amber’ means the mirrors that have amber edges and they belong to the
antique times. These mirrors are sold by the merchants in the bazaar of Hyderabad.

3. Explain the meaning of the line, ‘daggers with handles of jade’.

‘Daggers with handles of jade’ means the handle of the daggers is studded with jade- a green coloured
stone. These daggers are sold by the merchants in the bazaar of Hyderabad.

4. How is a pedlar different from a vendor?

A pedlar is a travelling salesman whereas a vendor is someone who has his cart or stall and sells daily
use commodities.

5. What do the pedlars sell? Do they sell expensive items?

The pedlars sell chessmen and ivory dice- all related to board games.
Yes, they sell expensive items for the dice is made up of ivory.

6. What are magicians doing in the bazaar?

The magicians are chanting spells to attract people to the bazaar of Hyderabad. They provide
entertainment to the people and sell spells that will last for a longer period of time.

7. Describe the bazaars of Hyderabad as has been portrayed by the speaker in the poem.

The speaker, Sarojini Naidu, has portrayed the bazaars of Hyderabad most realistically and
attractively. She talks about the different occupations of the people through the items that are being
sold in the bazaar. The sheer mention of crimson- and silver-coloured turbans, purple brocade tunics,
antique mirrors, jade-studded daggers, saffron, and ivory dice speak volumes of royalty. Some
essential commodities such as lentils, rice, fruits such as citron, pomegranate, and plum are also sold.
The maidens grind sandalwood, henna, and spice which shows that female participation has also been
there. The musicians and magicians provide entertainment to the people by playing several musical
instruments and chanting spells respectively. Her depiction of the bazaar of Hyderabad throws light
on the rich tradition of India.

8. What does ‘cry’ in the line ‘What do you cry, O, ye fruitmen?’ refer to?
‘Cry’ in the line ‘What do you cry, O, ye fruitmen?’ refers to the sharp calls given by the fruit sellers to
attract the buyers to their wares.

9. What do the fruitmen sell in the bazaars of Hyderabad?

The fruitmen sell fruits such as citron, pomegranate, and plum in the bazaars of Hyderabad.

10. Which instruments are played by the musicians in the bazaars of Hyderabad?

The musicians played cithar, sarangi, and drums in the bazaars of Hyderabad, thereby providing
entertainment and enjoyment to the people.

11. What message does the poet convey in the poem ‘In the bazaars of Hyderabad’?

The poet, Sarojini Naidu, conveys the message India is a land that is rich in culture and tradition. The
Indian market is vibrant and sells expensive goods which are consumed by the Indians.

Reference to the Context:

1. “What do you sell, O ye merchants?

Richly your wares are displayed.”
a. Where are the merchants selling their wares? What are they selling?

The merchants are selling their wares in the bazaar of Hyderabad. They are selling crimson- and silver-
coloured turbans, tunics of shining purple brocade, mirrors that had amber edges, and daggers with
handles studded with jade.

b. Is the speaker amazed by the display of ‘wares’? Which word shows the magnificence of the
display?

The speaker is amazed by the display of ‘wares’ in the bazaar of Hyderabad. The word that shows the
magnificence of the display is ‘richly’.

2. “What do you weigh, O ye vendors?

Saffron and lentil and rice.”
a. What kind of vendor is the speaker talking about?

The speaker is talking about a vendor who sells essential commodities needed in day-to-day life.

b. What do the vendors weigh?

The vendors weigh saffron, lentil, and rice which forms a part of the everyday requirements of the
Indians.

3. “What do you chant, O magicians?

Spells for aeons to come.”
a. What do the magicians chant?

The magicians chant spells to attract people to the bazaar of Hyderabad.

b. Explain the meaning of the line, ‘Spells for aeons to come.’

The given quoted line means that the magicians announce themselves with chant and sell spells that
will last for many ages in the future. They do this to entertain the people who have come to the bazaar
of Hyderabad.

4. “What do you grind, O ye maidens?

Sandalwood, henna and spice.”

a. Where are the maidens seated?

The maidens are seated in the bazaar of Hyderabad.

b. Explain their role in the poem.

The maidens themselves grind sandalwood, henna, and spice. They are used in day-to-day life for
various purposes and also on other special occasions.
1. Sachin met Achrekar Sir at the age of ______________. Eleven
2. Achrekar Sir accepted Sachin to the camp after his _____________ trial. Second
3. Sachin’s _____________ suggested he move school. Coach
4. _________________ can never substitute for matchplay. Net practice
5. The scorer credited _________ extra runs to Sachin. Six
6. In Mumbai, Sachin's house was at ______________. Bandra
7. Sachin moved to ___________________ on Achrekar Sir's insistence. Sharadashram Vidyamandir
8. In the first match that Sachin played for his club, he got out on a ______________________. Golden
duck
9. During the journey to Achrekar Sir's camp, Ajit and Sachin used to discuss about the nuances of
___________________. Batting
10. While giving trials at the sub-junior nets, Sachin felt _______________ with the crowd around.
Overawed

State True or False:

1. 'Learning the Game' is an extract from Sachin Tendulkar's autobiography Playing It My Way. - TRUE
2. Sachin's practice schedule was rigorous and demanding. - TRUE
3. Sachin started playing cricket at an early age with a tennis ball. - TRUE
4. At Achrekar Sir's camp, Sachin gave his trial at the junior nets. -FALSE
5. By the end of the summer camp, Achrekar Sir informed Ajit of Sachin's potential to become a good
cricketer. – FALSE

Answer these questions:

Was Sachin only interested in batting from the very start?

Ans. Apart from batting, Sachin had a keen interest in bowling and used to try his hand at a medium
pace, off-spin, and leg-spin- different kinds of deliveries.

How could Sachin perform well at the summer camp trials?

Ans. Initially, Sachin was unable to put his best performance before Achrekar Sir at the summer camp
trials because of his nervousness, but in the second trial, when Sir was not around, he felt more at
ease and performed so well that Sir allowed him to join his camp.

Describe the daily ritual of Sachin and his uniform.

Sachin’s practice at the camp consisted of an everyday morning at 7.30 a.m. and 10.30 a.m., followed
by lunch at his home and an evening session at Shivaji Park. It was a hectic schedule, for he had to
take a forty minutes early-morning bus from Bandra to reach Shivaji Park.
Sachin had only one set of uniforms, which he had to wash after coming from his practice sessions. As
a result of this, he had to play for the entire duration of the camp with wet pockets.

How did Sachin find moving schools beneficial?

On Achrekar Sir’s insistence, Sachin moved to ShardashramVidyamandir, where Sir was a cricket
coach, and the ambience was conducive for the game. It offered him the opportunity to play
competitive matches regularly, which eventually improved his game because only competitive
situations force one to think deeper and help to improvise the game.
Why was the final incident not ‘a happy occurrence’?

The final incident involved Sachin’s first appearance in a newspaper. The rule in Mumbai stated that
a player’s name only appeared in the print if he had scored thirty runs. While Sachin had scored only
24 runs, the scorer accorded a few extras of the innings to Sachin’s score. When Achrekar Sir found
this, he was upset and advised him not to add extra runs to his tally.

Who took young Sachin to Ramakant Achrekar? Why did he take him there?

Sachin’s brother, Ajit took him to Ramakant Achrekar’s nets in Shivaji Park to try his luck because
Achrekar Sir was one of the most accomplished coaches in Mumbai during the time of Sachin.

Why was young Sachin unable to perform well before Achrekar sir?

Young Sachin had no prior experience of batting in the nets, and that too when a crowd is watching
him play. So for his trials at Achrekar Sir’s summer camp, when he had to bat at the sub-junior nets he
felt uncomfortable as Sir was watching him closely and was unable to perform well.

What has served as a personal coaching manual for Sachin?

Ajit, Sachin’s brother, once gave him a note containing some thoughts and ideas about batting which
he kept close all through his career. It served as a personal coaching manual.

How did Sachin play cricket with his colony friend?

Ans. From quite an early age, Sachin played tennis-ball cricket with his colony friends and loved
watching cricket on the television. In their matches, he used to emulate the mannerisms and
techniques of his favourite players Sunil Gavaskar and the West Indian legend Viv Richards.

When did Achrekar Sir inform Ajit about Sachin’s performance?

Ans. By the middle of the summer camp, Achrekar Sir informed Ajit about the prospect of Sachin
becoming a good cricketer.

How was Sachin’s debut match for the school?

Sachin’s debut match for the school was quite impressive, for he had scored 24 runs and won that
match. It became a memorable one for him because it taught him to play the sport with honesty and
integrity in future.

What was Sachin’s experience of playing the first few matches for his club?

Sachin’s experience of playing the first few matches for his club wasn’t impressive, for he was out on
a golden duck in the first match. In the second match also, he got out, and his game did not improve
until the third match, where he scored his first run, having survived seven deliveries.

Why did Sachin move to Shardashram Vidyamandir?

Achrekar Sir informed Ajit that Sachin had the potential to become a good cricketer if he practiced
throughout the year. Since Sachin’s present school lacked the necessary cricket facilities, he moved to
ShardashramVidyamandir, where Sir was a cricket coach.

Sachin describes a rigorous schedule he had to follow to keep improving his performance and work
towards his dream. Do you believe that following a fixed schedule makes it easier to achieve our
goals? If so, how?

Following a fixed schedule makes it easier to achieve our goals because a fixed schedule makes us
strict and disciplinarian and also, puts us in regular practise. For we know practice makes a man
perfect.

Reference to the Context:

“Achrekar Sir was an ardent believer in this principle”-
a. Who was Achrekar Sir?

Ramakant Achrekar or Achrekar Sir, as Sachin fondly called him, was one of the most accomplished
cricket coaches. He started playing cricket at the age of eleven in 1943. He used to train aspiring
cricketers at his summer camp in Shivaji Park after getting through the trials.

b. What did he believe in?

Achrekar Sir was a firm believer of the principle that net practice can never be considered as a
substitute for matchplay.

“I used to keep a diary that contained all the information from these games…”-
Who used to keep a diary?

Sachin used to keep a diary.

What were the contents of the diary?

The dairy that Sachin used to keep contained all the information about the games of the first few
matches he played for the club where he mostly used to get out, until the third match when he scored
his first run.

What happened to the diary afterward?

Sachin afterward probably lost his diary for that diary is no longer in his possession.

“I was delighted, and I must say it was an opportunity that transformed my life”-
a. Who was the speaker?

Sachin Tendulkar was the speaker.

b. Why was he delighted?

He was delighted because he succeeded in the trials and Achrekar Sir allowed him to join the camp.

c. What was the life-changing moment for the speaker?

Receiving training under Achrekar Sir at his camp was considered a life-changing moment for Sachin
since Achrekar Sir was one of the most accomplished cricket coaches. It was because of his guidance
and training that Sachin excelled in the game.

“Achrekar Sir, as I refer to him, started playing cricket at the age of eleven in 1943, which is the age
I was when I went to him for the first time.”
Who was the speaker?
a. Why had the speaker met Achrekar Sir?

Sachin Tendulkar was the speaker.

b. Did Achrekar Sir play an important part in Sachin’s life?

Sachin went to meet Achrekar Sir because he was one of the most accomplished cricket coaches and
in his summer camp in Shivaji Park, anyone could come for trials. But the final decision was taken by
Sir whom to accept.

Achrekar Sir played an important part in Sachin’s life for it was under his guidance and training that
his game improved and later on he went to become the Sachin Tendulkar whom we know today.

“In the second match, I got out for another duck, and it was only in our third game that I managed
to score my first run, having survived seven deliveries. I was seriously relieved to get off the mark.”
a. Who is the speaker?

Sachin Tendulkar is the speaker.

b. What do these lines reflect about the speaker?

These lines reflect on the fact that Sachin was trying desperately to improve his game in the matches
which he played for the club. He was unable to score any runs until the third match.

c. Why was the speaker ‘seriously relieved to get off the mark’?

The speaker, for the consecutive two matches got out and didn’t score any runs. It was only on the
third match that he scored his first run. Hence, he felt relieved to have started scoring runs.