THE BOY WHO BROKE THE BANK

Learning outcomes
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
● infer the message behind a humorous situation.
● identify rumour as the central character in the story.
● note the delineation of characters as types and not as individuals.
● sympathise with the underdog.
● note the detailing of action in the narration.
● relate to a story by a famous Indian writer.

Pre-reading
1. Why do you think gossip travels fast?
2. What can we do to stop rumours from spreading?
3. How can we spread good news? What would be the effect?

Understanding the Text
Read the text / Play the audio from the Smart
Book.
Nathu, the sweeper-boy, grumbled to…hoisted his
bag on his shoulders and went on his way.
Ask students:
How is Nathu introduced to us? (As a sweeper-
boy working in a small bank owned by Seth Govind
Ram. He is not happy at his job.) How does he show
dissatisfaction with his job? Why is he unhappy?
What has he planned to do about it? How do we
know Sitaram is Nathu’s friend? (He asks him why
he is in a temper and offers to look out for a job for
him.) Who is Sitaram? How does the speaker arouse
our sympathy for him? (Sitaram is a washerman’s
son delivering pressed clothes to customers’ houses.
He carries such a huge bundle on his head that it
hangs from his head and shoulders. Also, he walks
barefoot.) Who is the lady that is willing to employ
Nathu? What did she learn from Sitaram? What is
the reason Sitaram provides for Nathu not being
given his pay? Why is Sitaram happy with what
he has done? (He has helped both his friend and his
customer.)
Discuss:
What does the introduction of the episode reveal
to its readers? (The introduction describes the setting,
introduces three characters and presents a problem.)
What is the problem? Is it a complicated problem?
(The problem seems fairly simple and could be
resolved easily.)
Soon after, Mrs Prakash set out for the bazaar…The
elderly gentleman did not believe it.
Ask students:
What is wrong with the way Mrs Prakash shares
the news with her friend, Mrs Bhushan? (1. She is
wrong to exaggerate that the bank had not paid its
employees when she heard that only one sweeper
has not been paid. 2. She lies that she heard it from
the sweeper-boy himself when she actually heard
the information from the boy’s friend.) How did

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 Mrs Bhushan carry the gossip forward? What
impact did the news have on the proprietor, Jugal
Kishore? Why? How did Mrs Bhushan spice up
her story? What did Jugal Kishore say to make the
rumour cause panic? (He said the bank was about
to collapse.) How did the barber’s customer, an
elderly gentleman, react to the news? Why was the
gentleman unwilling to believe that Seth Govind
Ram was holidaying in Kashmir? (He had heard
that the bank had collapsed and was in a panic that
he had lost his money. So, he preferred to believe
that Seth had left the town to escape the wrath of
investors like him.)
Tell students:
The plot develops and more characters are
introduced. As the gossip spreads more and more
people are introduced and the rumour is built up
each time it passes from one person to the next.
He hurried back to the barber’s shop and…And he
put the telephone down.
What did they presume was the reason for the
collapse of the bank? (They put it down to the
owner’s expensive style of living.) What were the
rumours about the Seth’s whereabouts? What
was the effect of the call the elderly gentleman
made from the public phone? (The news spread
panic through the town. People gathered to discuss
the aftermath of the collapse and the crises it could
create among the investors.) Why did the clerk at
the bank think everyone had gone mad? (He could
not understand why people were trying to take out
their deposits when he could see no reason for any
panic.) How did the clerk from the bank clarify the
situation?
By afternoon the bank had gone through all…
advertised the bank’s assets.
Describe the commotion outside the bank.
(Some of the clients drew out their money and the
bank manager could not satisfy the others as the
government banks from which he could draw funds
were closing. As the clerks closed the counters, people
shouted to get their money back and to see Seth
Govind Ram who, they insisted, was hiding in one of
the safety vaults. They also threatened to break into
the bank. Even those who did not have an account in
the bank joined in the fray for the fun of it. They were
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not pacified even when the manager assured them
that they could withdraw their assets the next day.
Some even resorted to pelting stones.)
Discuss:
What does the commotion outside the bank tell
the reader about the people portrayed in this
episode? (People had a tendency to exaggerate a
story and to be interested in other people’s concerns,
even when it does not affect them. They also behave
poorly when in a crowd because they can remain safe
and anonymous. They are ready to believe negative
stories and rumours. People can also be instrumental
for panic and violence to spread like wildfire.)
Then the police arrived… how it could have
happened…”
Ask students:
Who brought the situation under control? What is
the irony in Nathu’s response to the mess in front
of the bank? (He grumbles at having to clear the
increased mess without realising that he was indirectly
responsible for the debris.) Did Nathu benefit from all
the commotion he had inadvertently created? (No,
he had more work to do, clearing up the mess people
had created in front of the bank.)
Discuss:
Who do you think will be more affected by the
collapse of the bank? Businessmen like Seth
Govind Ram or workers like Nathu? (Daily-wage
earners like Nathu will be more affected since he
and his family would rely on his earnings to meet
their daily expenses.) In your opinion, who was
truly responsible for ‘breaking’ the bank—was it
Nathu, Sitaram, the bank clerk, Seth Govind Ram
or the town? Give reasons for your answer.
(Gossip-mongers like Mrs Prakash and Mrs Bhushan
created the panic through a baseless rumour
that grew with each telling. The investors, and the
mischief-makers who joined them, acted without
verifying the rumours.)
Are the readers aware of something about the
collapse of the bank that the characters in the
episode do not know? Does this add humour to the
situation?
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 Post-reading
Discuss:
Do you know of any situation where good news
has spread and positive action has been taken to
act on it? Share your stories in the class.
Appreciating the Text
The writer has used the narrative strategy of ‘show;
don’t tell’ to great effect in this story. It can be
developed as a comic-strip:
1. In the beginning, Nathu shows his feeling of
resentment through his actions, sweeping
hurriedly and carelessly, raising dust that settles
back, keeping the place as dirty as ever. He also
bangs the pan against the dustbin to show his
irritation at not being paid for nearly two months. a. People tend to spread negative news more
In the end, Nathu curses those who have
created a mess in front of the bank. He
grumbles at his plight.
among mischief-mongers and bystanders
because of the inherent human tendency to
spike up a rumour while narrating.
3. Mrs Prakash and Mrs Bhushan are caricatured
as typical women, eager to spread gossip with
no thought of the consequences. The men are
caricatured as a mindless crowd, carried away
by hearsay.
4. Nathu and Sitaram add to the humour in
the situation as the innocent culprits who
inadvertently caused the rumour and the stir
that ensued. Eventually, they were amazed at
the ‘news’ that the bank had collapsed.
5. The story is also a comment on general human
behaviour:
than good news. They are eager to believe it
and act on it without taking the trouble to
verify its credibility.

Though the scenes make for humour, they also
draw our attention to the plight of the poor and
their anxiety when they are not paid in time for
their labour.
2. The humour is developed through the life and
vitality of a baseless rumour that begins with
Mrs Prakash exaggerating a harmless bit of
information about Nathu not being paid by
the bank. The rumour takes on a life of its own
creating panic among investors and excitement
b. People have no concern for the underdog.
No one, not even Mrs Prakash who knows
that Nathu had not been paid, bothered to
find out how he is coping with the situation.
The investors are concerned only about
their deposits.
c. People in a crowd develop mob mentality.
Panic spreads easily in a mob and people
destroy public property.

Grammar and Usage future time

Expressing Future Time
Tell students there are different ways of expressing future time:

Tell students:
The future continuous tense describes an action that will continue over a period of time in the
1. 
future.
● It is used when there are two actions, with one in the middle of another.
Example: When Raju goes for the conference, he will be meeting many scientists.
● It is used when the action is pre-arranged and scheduled.
Example: Our class will be travelling to Hyderabad, next week on a study tour.

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 2. The simple present tense and the present continuous tense expresses the future.
● Simple present tense Example: Our vacation starts next month.
● Present continuous tense Example: I am going to the shop with my sister.
3. Going to, will expresses future time.
Example: The students are going to write their Maths exam next Tuesday.
The students will write their Maths exam next Tuesday.
Priya is going to graduate next month.
Priya will attend her graduation ceremony next month.
4. The future continuous
Example: The students will be writing their Maths exam next Tuesday.
Priya will be graduating next month.
The future perfect tense describes an action that will be completed or finished at a point in the
5. 
future.
Example: The students will have written their Maths exam by next Wednesday.
Refer to the table given in the Reader for further examples.
Guide students to do the exercise given in the Reader.

Words in Use speaking words, fixed expressions

Speaking Words
Recollect reporting verbs from their learning of reported speech. Ask them for a list of these verbs and
what they show.
warned, said, requested, commanded, exclaimed, regretted, and so on.
Explain how such reporting verbs convey to the reader the tone of the conversation.
Example:
“Come here,” coaxed the mother. (This is gentle persuasion.)
“Come here!” ordered the man. (This is a strict order.)

Fixed Expressions
Tell students:
A fixed expression is a form of expression that takes on a more specific meaning than the words
themselves. It is a standard way of expressing an idea or a concept, in certain situations.They are
● a combination of words that are frequently used together and cannot be interchanged.
● words or phrases that are not meant to be taken literally.

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 For example:
be done with: complete it
do for a living: earn one’s livelihood
Brainstorm for more examples.
Guide students to do the exercise in the Reader.

Writing paragraph writing to support a point

Write a paragraph on any one of the following or any other issue that interests you:
1. Let’s keep our streets clean.
2. Street Dogs
● Introduce the issue with a striking opening sentence: Who can keep our streets clean? We, of
course… / We have to keep our neighbourhood clean to keep our city clean. / Who makes our streets
a disgrace?
● Expand on the ways we litter our streets without thinking.
● Explain how we can come together to prevent littering and to see to the regular clearance of
garbage.
● Conclude with a general statement about our civic responsibility and co-operative effort.
Guide students to do the exercise in the Reader.

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 WORKSHEET
THE BOY WHO BROKE THE BANK GRAMMAR WORKSHEET

Name of Student: Class:

A. Complete the passage with the correct forms of the verbs in brackets.
1. He met his friend when he (work) in Agra.
2. Where (you / lunch) yesterday?
3. My mother (go) to the shop. She will be back soon.
4. Anita (speak) to my father a minute ago.
5. If my brother (not arrive), I’ll send him a text message.

B. Rewrite these sentences using the correct forms of the verbs to express future time.
1. We will go to our hometown for Diwali.

2. My parents will order pizzas for dinner on Friday.

3. My brother will play for the Indian cricket team.

4. The football tournament begin from Friday.

5. I go to call my teacher in an hour.

THE BOY WHO BROKE THE BANK VOCABULARY WORKSHEET

Make sentences with the expressions given below.

have a thick skin   next of kin   save one’s own skin   to ring a bell

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 WORKSHEET
THE BOY WHO BROKE THE BANK WRITING WORKSHEET

Name of Student: Class:

Write a paragraph on:

Our trees have to thrive if we have to survive.

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 ANSWER KEY TO THE WORKSHEETS

THE BOY WHO BROKE THE BANK

Answer key to grammar worksheets
A. 1. was working   2.  did you have your lunch   3.  has gone   4.  spoke   5.  does not arrive
B. 1. We are going to our hometown for Diwali.
2. My parents will be ordering pizzas for dinner on Friday.
3. My brother will be playing for the Indian cricket team.
4. The football tournament begins from Friday.
5. I am going to call my teacher in an hour.

Answer key to vocabulary worksheets

Free response

QUESTION BANK WITH ANSWER KEY

THE BOY WHO BROKE THE BANK

1. Read the line and answer the questions.
I hear they have stopped paying their employees—no salary for over three months!
a. What information does the speaker share with the listener?
b. How did the speaker gather this information?
c. What effect did the information have on the listener?
Answers:
a. The speaker, Mrs Bhushan informs Mr Jugal Kishore that Seth Govind Ram’s bank was going
bankrupt.
b. Mrs Prakash told Mrs Bhushan that Seth Govindram’s Bank did not pay his employee properly
because the bank may not have enough money. Mrs Bhushan immediately wanted to share the
information with her husband.
c. The moment Mr Jugal Kishore heard the news, he jumped and rushed out to call and inform his
neighbour, who had an account with the bank.

2. Answer in brief.
a. How did Nathu, the sweeper boy, express his anger?
Answer: Nathu was vexed with his employer Seth Govind Ram for not paying his salary on time.
Annoyed by this, Nathu swept the place hurriedly, raising dust everywhere and banging the pan
against a dustbin. He also swore to Sitaraman that he would quit the job the moment he received
his salary.
b. Why did the rumour spread so fast in the small town?
Answer: The small town in the foot hills was a quiet town and people in the town lived a peaceful
life. It had not faced any major crisis of any sort. It was not even affected by natural calamities.

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 Hence, the news of the bank going bankrupt spread like wildfire and caused a lot of excitement
among the people.

3. Answer in detail.
Give a brief account of what ensued when the rumour of the bank collapse spread?
Answer: The news spread like wildfire. There was total pandemonium and a riot-like situation in that
small, sleepy, quiet town. Those who had an account in the bank panicked and rushed in groups to the
bank. They demanded for their deposited money back. Even a few miscreants joined in the melee by
throwing stones, though they were in no way connected to the money or the bank. In groups, people
discussed the situation. No one remotely thought of checking if there was any truth to the matter. No
amount of assurance from the bank manager assured anyone.

4. Answer in detail. (Think and answer)

Ruskin Bond has a message for the readers through this short story, The Boy Who Broke the Bank.
Identify and elaborate.
Answer: The story tells us how important it is not to share any important news in public without
making sure about the authenticity of the information. In the story, we see how Sitaram, Mrs Prakash
and Mrs Bhushan are the initial contributors to the chaos in this quiet town. Mrs Bhushan, in particular,
should have been careful while sharing information in public. Her loud announcements that the bank
was entering bankruptcy made many run in panic to the bank. People, in general, are more liable to
believe negative news than positive information. As panic and violence come quickly and easily to
humans, we should take care not to initiate anything that would encourage such happenings.

STUDENTS’ BOOK ANSWER KEY

THE BOY WHO BROKE THE BANK

Understanding the Text
1. Nathu, the sweeper-boy, was annoyed because his employer, Seth Govind Ram’s careless business
dealings had almost left him penniless. Nathu hadn’t even received his regular pay for two
months. Govind Ram owned a small local bank and Nathu could not understand how he could
hold up a poor man’s salary.
2. Mrs Prakash informed Mrs Bhushan that Seth Govind Ram’s bank was not being able to pay its
employees for two months, which included Nathu, the sweeper-boy of the bank. Mrs Bhushan
concluded that if the bank was failing to pay its sweeper, then it must have gone bankrupt.
She then told her husband and others that the bank had not paid its employees for three months.
This is how the news about the bank changed from Mrs Prakash’s telling to Mrs Bhushan’s.
3. Faiz Hussain, the barber, was so shocked to hear the news of the bank going bankrupt that his
hands shook and he nicked his customer’s right ear. The customer, an elderly gentleman, yelped
with pain and distress – pain because of the cut and distress because of the news he had just
heard.
“With one side of his neck still unshaved, he ran out of the shop to a general store where there was
a telephone.” This line shows that the customer was more worried about his money than his injury.
4. a. The elderly customer at the barbershop ran out as soon as he got to know of the bank going
insolvent. He went to a general store which had a telephone and dialled Seth Govind Ram’s

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 number. The Seth was not at home. He was holidaying in Kashmir. The elderly gentleman
speculated that Seth Govind Ram had the left town. When this piece of information did its
rounds in the bazaars, everyone else was convinced that the Seth had run away.
b. Among the absurd rumours that were spreading about the Seth, one was that he had fled
the state. Others insisted that he had fled the country. Some believed that he was hiding
somewhere close by, possibly within the town.
c. Yes, the Seth’s reputation made the rumours easier to believe. This is because the Seth was
known for his pleasure-loving attitude and careless business dealings. His frivolous ways made
it difficult for the simple townsfolk to trust him entirely. Hence a lot of them withdrew their
money from the bank, way ahead of the speculated crash.
5. a. A clerk at the bank, which had supposedly gone bankrupt, said these words over the
telephone to a relative. The relative had called him to get facts about the bank’s collapse.
The clerk said these words because he did not know anything about the alleged bankruptcy.
He could not even understand why half the town was at the bank, trying to take their
money out.
b. The incident of the entire town gathering at the bank and demanding their money,
threatening to break in reflects the “madness of the town at its peak”. Mischief-makers, who
had no investment in the bank, had also joined the crowd. When the manager tried to pacify
them by declaring that the bank had plenty of money, nobody seemed to believe him. A few
stones were hurled and the manager went inside closing the iron-grill gate. A brick smashed
into the plate-glass window which advertised the bank’s assets.
This frenzied mob was ultimately dispersed off by timely police action.
6. a. No, the town residents did not show any concern for workers like Nathu, the sweeper-boy.
While the entire town protested against the bank going insolvent, everyone forgot about
Nathu whose delayed pay had led to the speculation in the first place. On being probed, the
clerks admitted that they have had their salaries. It was a few of the part-time workers who
were getting paid late.
b. Part-time workers like Nathu will get more affected by the collapse of the bank than its rich
owner, Seth Govind Ram. If the bank did shut down eventually, workers like Nathu would
possibly never get their dues or salaries.
7. (Answers may vary. Accept all logical answers.)
It was Nathu who was responsible for ‘breaking the bank’. Nathu had complained to Sitaram, the
washerman’s son, about the irregular payment of his salary. In his idle conversation with
Mrs Prakash, Sitaram mentioned that the bank could not pay its employees. Mrs Prakash informed
her friend, Mrs Bhushan who immediately concluded that the bank had gone insolvent.
From Mrs Bhushan, the rumour spread across the town like wildfire.

Appreciating the Text

1. The readers know that the bank had really not collapsed. Nathu and Sitaram are not aware of this.
While going through the text, the readers witness the making and spreading of a rumour.
The starting point of this rumour was Nathu, the sweeper-boy, who complained of the irregularity
of his salary from the bank to Sitaram. In an idle conversation with Mrs Prakash, Sitaram
mentioned that the bank failed to pay its employees. From Mrs Prakash, the news spread like
wildfire across the town. Everyone who got to know of the news added his own interpretation
before spreading it further.
The reaction of every other ordinary townsfolk upon hearing the insolvency of the bank adds
humour to the text. The barber nicks the ear of his customer who is less perturbed by the pain
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 than the news. The customer yelps and runs out of the shop with half of his face still unshaved.
Such hysteric reactions add to the vivid imagery of the text which in turn makes the narrative
humorous.
2. a.   b.    c.    d.    e.    f.    g.    h.  
The author keenly observed the nuances of human behaviour of a frenzied small town. The town
in the foothills was otherwise peaceful. It never had a crisis, never had floods, earthquakes or
drought. So the imminent crash of the local bank sent all the townsfolk speculating and
rumour-mongering. The result was panic and mass hysteria. Some boasted of their farsightedness,
congratulating themselves on having already taken out their money, or on never having invested
any in the bank. Others blamed Seth Govind Ram’s pleasure-loving ways for the demise of
the bank.
Human beings have a tendency of panicking once they get some unfavourable news. Since they
are social animals, it is their natural instinct to share the news with a friend or a relative who might
panic and pass on the news to someone else. At the end of this cycle, the news may have altered
altogether.
Rarely are there instances of people keeping calm and verifying the credibility of news.

Grammar and Usage

A. 2. rang  3. replied  4. is  5. knew  6. have not heard  7. need
8. was riding  9. were / have been  10. 
thought  11. have been
12. have been really enjoying
B. Good morning. Today, I will talk (talk) about the future of technology in our country. Technology will
have changed (change) much more in the next 50 years than in the past century. We will be breaking
(break) new ground in artificial intelligence. In the coming decade, we will have mastered (master) the
technology used in micro surgeries. Research will continue (continue) on machines that can predict
our needs. We will develop (develop) more sophisticated technology on augmented reality. By the
year 2030, robots will become (become) a household presence, taking over our chores. I will show
(show) you a short video that demonstrates my points. After that, we will throw (throw open) the
topic open for discussion.

Words in Use
A. “Have you heard the rumour?” I cried (para 13) as I dashed into the classroom. “Mrs Sharma is going to
hold a surprise test after lunch!” Nupur fell off the bench and yelped (para 17), “No! But I’m not ready.
Where did you hear this?”“I heard the peon ask the computer bhaiyya to print out 30 copies of the
paper in time for Mrs Sharma’s class. What else can it be?” I asked. “But our unit tests got over just last
week,” grumbled (para 1) Murthy. “Maybe she wants to give us practice papers?” Naz speculated
(para 21). Just then, the bell rang. We all rushed back to our seats as Mrs Sharma walked in. “I should
have stayed home sick today,” muttered (para 34) Murthy under his breath. We all looked at
Mrs Sharma anxiously. She said, “Children, the government has declared (para 26) a holiday tomorrow.
So, I thought we could solve an old question paper over the long weekend.” We only heard the word
holiday and the room exploded with cheers. We chanted (para 27), “You’re the best, Mrs Sharma, you’re
the best!”
B. 1. The police are on the lookout for a middle-aged man with a scar on his left cheek in connection to
the spate of robberies in Chennai.
2. Mr Roberts, Ini can’t come to school today. She has a viral fever and is in a bad way.
3. I smelled freshly baked cake as soon as I entered the house. So I made a beeline for the kitchen.
4. If I don’t come to play today, put it down to the project. It’s due tomorrow.

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 Listening
Listening Text
Ali: Neha, I’ve got exciting news! The UNESCO has declared our country the best country in the world!
Neha: Not only that, Ali. The UNESCO has also declared the peacock the best bird in the world and
the mango everyone’s favourite fruit!
Ali: What? Really?
Neha: No! Ali, that’s fake news! Our country is amazing, yes, but UNESCO put out an official statement
saying they have no such awards. Did you get this wonderful information from a Whatsapp forward?
Ali: Yeah, I did. How did you know?
Neha: Whatsapp is really not a reliable source of news, you know? You’re better off with real
newspapers or news sites for that.
Ali: Oh, you’re right. Anyone can type out anything on whatsapp, send it to a thousand people and
call it breaking news.
Neha: Yeah, unlike newspapers which generally verify the source of news before publishing it. But
fake news is everywhere today—on TV, Facebook, Twitter, you name it.
Ali: But why? What are people getting out of writing lies?
Neha: Money? People post fake articles online with dramatic headlines and we get so tempted to
read them. And the more people who read such articles, the more money the website makes.
Ali: No one is making money from Whatsapp forwards, right? The UNESCO awards message was
just a silly prank, I guess. Funny, actually!
Neha: Yeah, maybe that was harmless. But recently in a village in Maharashtra, five innocent people
were killed because the villagers thought they were child kidnappers. It seems that for months
before the killings, fake Whatsapp forwards and videos about child kidnappers had been
doing the rounds, scaring people. There have actually been many more incidents like this.
Ali: Oh dear! We really need to watch what messages we forward, don’t we?
Neha: Yeah, a simple googling of the news, just to see if other trustworthy news sites have reported
it, would be so useful.
1. b  2. c  3. c  4. a  5. a
Writing
Sample paragraph: Everyone loves to connect and catch up over a cup of tea. It is healthy and
important that we do so. Gossiping is part of this act of connecting in every culture. However,
criticising someone or spreading rumours in the name of gossiping is damaging to all involved.
Whether it is a simple remark on something or an hour long conversation about someone else’s
habits is harmful gossiping and is detrimental to one’s mental wellbeing. If a situation or a person is
really bothersome, complaining about it will not make it better.
Rumours are unverified pieces of information. This means that the person sharing the information
does not know for certain that it is true. Most of the time, people who spread rumours do not verify
if there is any truth to the information. Typically, rumours are spread from person to person and can
change slightly each time they are told. As a result, they become exaggerated over time.
In the age of Internet and telecommunication, a rumour spreads like wildfire through social media
portals like WhatsApp and Facebook. These rumours are more readily believed and accepted as true
facts by a large number of people. More often than not, these rumours are used to bring down the
reputation of famous people.
The problem lies with the intention. But one can challenge their gossiping habits by understanding
their motives. Having done this, one is in a position to stop gossiping and help others do the same.
It is pointless to stay stuck in the vicious culture of whispering.
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