CBSE Class 10 English Language and Literature

NCERT Solutions
Footprints Chapter 7
The Necklace

Page No: 39 Read and Find Out

1. What kind of a person is Mme Loisel − why is she always unhappy?

Ans: Mme.Loisel is a woman who lives in the world of dreams. She gives
much value to her dreams and hence over-looks the realities of life. That is
why, she is always unhappy as dreams are a virtual reality and can’t be
true .

2. What kind of a person is her husband?

Ans: Her husband is a very simple and kind- hearted person. He is an
ordinary man ,who just like others, is caring and wants his wife to be happy.

Page No: 41 Read and Find Out

1. What fresh problem now disturbs Mme Loisel?

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

2. How is the problem solved?

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

Page No: 42 Read and Find Out

1. What do M. and Mme Loisel do next?

Ans: When M. and Mme Loisel realized that the necklace was missing,
they tried finding out where she could have possibly lost it. They concluded
that it might have dropped in the cab they were traveling in. But they did not
remember its number.So, in an attempt to find the necklace, Loisel went
over the track where they had walked. When he found nothing, he went to
the police and to the cab offices. He even put an advertisement in the
newspapers, offering a reward. Meanwhile he asked Matilda to write a
letter to Mme Forestier, explaining that she had broken the clasp of the
necklace and would get it repaired and return it soon. This gave them time
to find the necklace. However, they eventually decided to replace the
necklace with a new one.

Page no: 46 Thinking about the text

1. The course of the Loisels’ life changed due to the necklace.

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

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

3. What would have happened to Matilda if she had confessed to her

friend that she had lost her necklace?
Ans: If Matilda would have confessed to her friend that she had lost her
necklace, she might have been in lesser trouble than what she had to
face after having replaced the necklace. Her friend would have definitely
been angry with her. Most likely, she would also have asked Matilda to
replace it and given her the details from where she had bought the
necklace and how much it had cost her. Matilda would have thus known
that the jewels in the necklace were actually not real diamonds. It would
have cost her a far lesser amount to replace it. Matilda would thus have
saved herself and her husband of all the trouble they went through and life
would have been much better and easier for them.

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 CBSE Class 10 English Language and Literature
NCERT Solutions
Footprints Chapter 8
The Hack Driver

Page No: 47 Read and Find Out

1. Why is the lawyer sent to New Mullion? What does he first think
about the place?
Ans: The lawyer is sent to New Mullion to serve summons on a person
named Oliver Lutkins, who was needed as a witness in a law case.

He had expected the place to be a sweet and simple country village.

2. Who befriends him? Where does he take him?

Ans: The lawyer was befriended by a delivery man who introduced himself
as Bill. He told him that he knew Lutkins and would help the lawyer in
finding him. He took him to all the possible places where Lutkins was seen
or was known to hang out. He took the lawyer to Fritz’s shop, where
Lutkins was a frequent visitor to play poker ; to Gustaff’s barber shop and
then to Gray’s barber shop; to the poolroom and several other places
before finally taking him to Oliver’s mother’s farm. However, so much of
roaming around did not yield any result as they failed to find Oliver Lutkins.

3. What does he say about Lutkins?

Ans: Bill told the lawyer that Lutkins was a clever fellow hard enough to
catch. He was always up to something or the other. He owed money to
many people, including Bill, and had never even paid anybody a cent. He
also said that Oliver played a lot of poker and was good at deceiving
people.

Page No: 50

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

2. Does the narrator serve the summons that day?

Ans: No,the narrator does not serve the summons that day.

3. Who was Lutkins?

Ans: The hack driver,who called himself Bill, was Oliver Lutkins.

Page No: 53 Think about It

1. When the lawyer reached New Mullion, did ‘Bill’ know that he was
looking for Lutkins? When do you think Bill came up with his plan
of fooling the lawyer?
Ans: Lutkins act of taking the lawyer for a ride clearly indicates that he is a
very cunning person.The way he tried to deal with the lawyer shows how
quick he is in making plans to fool people.His idea to not to disclose his
true identity to unknown persons shows how clever he is and it seems to be
his regular practice to dupe people ,especially the newcomers.As soon as
the lawyer told Bill his purpose of visit to that place, Bill instantly knew how
he would be fool the lawyer.

2. Lutkins openly takes the lawyer all over the village. How is it that no
one lets out the secret? (Hint: Notice that the hack driver asks the
lawyer to keep out of sight behind him when they go into Fritz’s.)Can
you find other such subtle ways in which Lutkins manipulates the
tour?
Ans: Lutkin never allows the lawyer to the place where the imaginary
Lutkins is supposed to be present at a given time. He asks him to keep out
of sight, weaving vague stories about Lutkin’s vagabond nature. Bill also
tries to scare away the lawyer ,cooking up different stories about Lutkin’s
mother.He did all this just to save himself from being summoned in the
case.
3. Why do you think Lutkins’ neighbours were anxious to meet the
lawyer?
Ans: Lutkin’s neighbors were not anxious to meet a person who could be
easily duped. They just wanted to enjoy the lawyer’s predicament.

4. After his first day’s experience with the hack driver the lawyer
thinks of returning to New Mullion to practice law. Do you think he
would have reconsidered this idea after his second visit?
Ans: After his first day’s experience with the hack driver, the lawyer got a
lesson for life that not to befriend anybody so easily.However, he realized
during his second visit that he had been literally taken for a ride by the hack
driver (who himself was Lutkins') and people of that town were just trying to
enjoy the situation he was in. After becoming the laughing stock of the
town, it is most likely that the lawyer would have reconsidered his initial
idea of practicing law in that village.

5. Do you think the lawyer was gullible? How could he have avoided
being taken for a ride?
Ans: The lawyer seems to be a simpleton and inexperienced person. He
has yet to come to terms with the way the people in this world
function.Being a lawyer, he could have easily avoided being duped by a
stranger.Before visiting that village,he could have gathered
important information regarding Lutkin's .He could have taken a photograph
of Lutkin's along with him. Most importantly, he should not have discussed
his purpose of his visit with a total stranger, as it was a matter that involved
law and security.
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CBSE Class 10 English Language and Literature

NCERT Solutions
Footprints Chapter 9
Bholi

Page No: 54 Read and Find Out

1.Why is Bholi’s father worried about her?

Ans: Bholi’s father is worried about her as she has neither good looks nor
intelligence. He did not know how he would find a suitable groom for her.

2. For what unusual reasons is Bholi sent to school?

Ans: Bholi is sent to school because there is little chance of her getting
married because of her ugly face and lack of sense.Also her father has to
send her as the village headman has commanded him to do so.
 Page No: 55 Read and Find Out

1. Does Bholi enjoy her first day at school?

Ans: Yes, Bholi enjoys her first day at school as she was glad to find so
many girls almost of her own age present there. She hoped that one of
these girls might become her friend.

2. Does she find her teacher different from the people at home?
Ans: Yes, she finds her teacher different from the people at home as the
teacher was affectionate,polite and this touched her heart.

Page No: 58 Read and Find Out

1. Why do Bholi’s parents accept Bishamber’s marriage proposal?

Ans: Bholi's parents accept Bishamber's marriage proposal because if they
don't accept it, she would not be married for the rest of her life.

2. Why does the marriage not take place?

Ans: The marriage does not take place because the groom demanded
dowry.

Page No: 62 Think about It

1. Bholi had many apprehensions about going to school. What made

her feel that she was going to a better place than her home?
Ans: Bholi had many apprehensions about going to school. She
remembered how their old cow, Lakshmi, had been turned out of the house
and sold. When she got a clean dress, was bathed and her hair were
properly done with oil,only then she felt that she was going to a better place
than her home.

2. How did Bholi’s teacher play an important role in changing the

course of her life?
Ans: Bholi's teacher played an important role in changing the course of her
life. She was polite and friendly which touched her heart. She encouraged
her every time and was affectionate towards her. The teacher transformed
her into a confident person who could read, write and speak clearly.This
gave her the required confidence. Moreover, teacher’s appreciation and
encouragement helped her overcome her low morale.

3. Why did Bholi at first agree to an unequal match? Why did she later
reject the marriage? What does this tell us about her?
Ans: This is a normal practice in India that girls seldom oppose their
parent’s choice for a groom. The upbringing of daughters does a kind of
mental conditioning which doesn’t give them enough courage to rebel
against their parent’s wish. Bholi more or less followed the tradition of being
an ideal Indian girl and agreed to an unequal match because she felt lucky
to get a well-to-do groom who owned a big shop, had a house of his own
and had several thousands in the bank. Moreover, he was not asking for
any dowry. Bholi also heard her mother saying that he did not know about
her pock-marks and her lack of sense. If the proposal was not
accepted ,she might remain unmarried all her life.Later on when the groom
bared his greed to everyone, it repulsed Bholi and she opposed the
marriage. Unlike her sisters ,Bholi is educated and has a mind of her own.
She is as independent as any other modern girl of a big city. On seeing
her father pleading and getting humiliated ,she decided not to marry him.
This tells us that she loves and respects her parents , has self respect and
knows what is right or wrong and is able to take a wise decision.

4.Bholi’s real name is Sulekha. We are told this right at the beginning.
But only in the last but one paragraph of the story is Bholi called
Sulekha again. Why do you think she is called Sulekha at that point in
the story?
Ans: The world Bholi means a simpleton. Throughout the story she had
been a simpleton ,hardly expressing her opinion in any matter. The word
Sulekha means the person with beautiful sense of letters. In this story this
word has a larger meaning . It depicts being a literate, intelligent and
mature individual. After her education Bholi has really changed to Sulekha
and her assertion during marriage is her announcement to the world that
she is no more a Bholi but Sulekha.