𝐇𝐈𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐒𝐇𝐔 𝐏𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐘

WE'RE NOT AFRAID TO DIE……

IF WE CAN ALL BE TOGETHER
-Gordan Cook And Alan East

Notice these expression in the text

Infer their meaning from the contest.

♦ honing our seafaring skills

»» To work on the skills of travelling through the sea and make it perfect.

♦ ominous silence
»» an unpleasant and threatening silence which makes us feel, something bad is going to
happen.

♦ Mayday calls
»» Mayday is an emergency procedure word used internationally to signal a life threatening
emergency primarily by aviators and mariners.

♦ pinpricks in the vast ocean

»» It's the significance of two small islands in the vast ocean.

♦ a tousled head
»» It refers to hair in disarray or a disarranged manner.

Understanding the Text

Question 1:
List the steps taken by the captain—
● to protect the ship when rough weather began
● to check the flooding of the water in the ship
Answer —»» The steps taken by the captain are:-
● In order to protect the ship when rough weather began, the captain dropped a storm
jib to slow down the speed of the boat and then they double lashed everything. They
carried their life-raft drill, attached lifelines, donned life jackets and oilskins.
● To check the flooding of the water, the narrator put a waterproof hatch to cover the
gaping holes, which resulted in a lot of water being diverted to the other side. Soon
after, his hand pumps were blocked due to debris and his one electric pump was
short-circuited. Luckily, he found a second electric pump. He attached that to an
exhaust pipe and started it.

Question 2:
Describe the mental condition of the voyagers on 4 and 5 January.
Answer —»» On 4th January, the voyagers took a sigh of relief as the situation had
improved to a great extent. After thirty-six hours of continuous hard work, they ate for the
first time in almost two days. Right then, at 4 p.m. the weather changed again and within an
hour the storm started moving at a high speed of 40 knots and high waves started to rise in
the ocean. By the morning of January 5th, their situation had turned gloomy again, which
hurt them a lot and gave mental stress as well. They all were also tormenting the fear of
their ensuing death. The narrator went inside to comfort the children too.

Question 3:
Describe the shifts in the narration of the events as indicated in the three sections of the text.
Give a subtitle to each section.
Answer —»» As indicated in the text, there are 3 shifts in the narration of the events are as
follows:-
→Happy sailing journey begins: The author began the journey with his family, during
which he also took two crewmen. He enjoyed the initial days a lot and passed the days
happily. They faced high waves continuously for a few weeks from the second day onwards
and the size of waves was terrifying. Despite that bad weather, they happily enjoyed the
Christmas Fest with full joy and gaiety.
→Struggled in a fierce battle with disastrous waves : Right after, the waves became
gigantic. Narrator made some resort but it wasn't looking fruitful as the roar increased to a
thunder and ruined everything. Along with this, the narrator also got injured and Sue's head
also swelled. It was a tough and hard time for them. The Wavewalker's condition was so bad
that now it could not take them far safely. They had removed a lot of water from inside the
ship and rested for a couple of hours. Once again, dark clouds rolled in and everyone was
so scared.
→Victory with high spirit and courage: When the narrator went inside to console the
children, John said,"Daddy, we are not afraid to die if we all stay together", which shook the
narrator to re-struggle with his all efforts. In these difficult situations, the children not only
supported the parents but also encouraged them as well, made their caricatures and tried to
make them laugh. At the same time, the narrator put all his efforts and tried his best to bring
positive results. And finally, they really made it. John tells his father that he is the best father
and the best captain in the whole world.

Thinking about Language

Question 1:
We have come across words like ‘gale’ and ‘storm’ in the account. Here are two more words
for ‘storm’: typhoon, cyclone. How many words does your language have for ‘storm’?
Answer:
Our "pahadi" language has following words for storms like Dhaan, Bayaau

Question 2:
Here are the names of different kinds of vessels that are used to travel on water: yacht, boat,
canoe, ship, steamer, schooner. Think of similar words in your language.
Answer:
Question 3:
Catamaran’ is a kind of boat. Do you know which Indian language this word is derived from?
Check the dictionary.
Answer:
The word ‘Catamaran’ is derived from Tamil, where it means ‘tied wood’. ‘Catamaran’ is a
yacht or other boat with twin hulls in parallel. The dictionary defines it as ‘a fast sailing boat
with two hulls’.

Question 4:
Have you heard any boatmen’s songs? What kind of emotions do these songs usually
express?
Answer:
Yes, These songs call upon other sailors to awaken, arise and set out to the sea to explore
its rich wealth. These songs are full of inspiration and provide moral support to the sad and
disappointed boatmen.

Discuss the following questions with your partner.

Question 1:
What difference did you notice between the reaction of the adults and the children when
faced with danger?
Answer:
Yes, There is a lot of difference between the way in which the adults and the children reacted
while faced with danger. The adults felt a bit stressed of the circumstances, they were
worried but at the same time trying their best to come out of that troubled hour and they
prepared themselves well to face the danger. They were optimistically looking for the result.
The narrator performed his role as captain with courage, determination and with full
responsibility. While, on the other hand children were silenced and patiently looking forward.
They were too supportive and encouraged their parents. Sue, who didn't want to let her
father know about her injury in difficult situations, so that he doesn't get more worried and
tense. Johnathan, who was very courageous and not afraid to die if they all stay together.

Question 2:
How does the story suggest optimism helps to “endure the direst stress”?
Answer:
The story suggests the optimism has to "endure the direct stress" as the narrator and his
family remained optimistic while facing extremely dangerous problems. While facing
problems, the narrator didn't lose his courage, hope and presence of mind. He did not worry
about the loss of equipment. Mary stayed at the wheel for all those crucial hours. She did not
lose hope or courage either. Narrator tried his best as he could. His self confidence and
practical knowledge helped them to steer out of the storm and reach the Ill Amsterdam
island.

Question 3:
What lessons do we learn from such hazardous experiences when we are face to face with
death?
Answer:
Hazardous experiences may bring us face to face with death, but this impart us many
important lessons of conduct. Happiness is not always found in life, sometimes difficulties in
life also test our patience, cleverness and intelligence, to whom we should face with full of
courage, fearlessness, presence of mind, patiently and calmly. Those who are cowards, they
get to death only because of their stupidity. They get nervous in difficult situations and don't
even dare to face them with courage.

Question4:
Why do you think people undertake such adventurous expeditions in spite of the risks
involved?
Answer:
The willingness to accept challenges and the intention to meet them, despite the risks,
motivates people to do so. People like to try different elements of nature whereas some of
the people just do it as their passion. Surely, people already know of the risks involved in
such hazardous activities and they don't hesitate to try it out.