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SUMMARIES - PRELIMINARY ENGLISH

THE BOSS CAME TO DINNER BY BHISHAM SAHNI
Bhisham Sahni was an Indian writer, playwright in Hindi and an actor, most famous
for his novel and television screenplay Tamas. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan for
Literature in 1998 and Sahitya Akademi Fellowship in 2002.
Mr. Shamnath was a corporate executive in an office. Once he invited his boss to
dinner. Therefore, on the day of the dinner, he and his wife started arranging things and
decorating their house. When they were busy keeping things in order they thought over their
old mother.
Shamnath considered his mother to be an odd thing. He did not want his mother to be
seen in the presence of the guests. His wife suggested sending their mother to the
neighborhood where she would pass the night. Shamnath said if the mother went to the old
woman in the neighborhood, the woman would come frequently to their house. He did not
like the wife’s proposal. However, he could not decide the place where the mother should
stay. Finally, he asked her to sit in the verandah on a chair. He asked her not to sleep and
snore. He instructed his mother to stay in the verandah when he would receive the guests in
the drawing room and when the guests would move to the verandah, he wanted her to slip
into the drawing room through the bathroom. The mother was also instructed to wear white
kameez and salwar on his orders and sat on the verandah.
The boss arrived at Shamnath’s house along with his wife. They were accompanied
by some Indian colleagues of Shamnath and their wives. The dinner was very successful. At
first they took drinks and started gossiping. The Sahib was as joyful at Shamnath’s home as
he was strict in the office. He was an American. His wife was in a black gown and wore a
necklace made of pearl. She was the chief attraction on the occasion. She was so free with
Mrs. Shamnath that it seemed as if they were old friends.
They came out of the drawing room. Shamnath was leading them. When they reached
the verandah Shamnath saw his mother sleeping and swaying on the chair. She also snored.
She woke up and got confused seeing so many people around her.
The boss was in a jovial mood and he said “namaste” to the mother of Shamnath. The
mother tried to greet the boss with folded hands. Since her right hand was inside the dupatta
holding beads she extended her left hand. The boss held her left hand. Shamnath told the boss
that his mother was living in the village. She was from a rural background. The officer said
he liked rural folks. He guessed Shamnath’s mother must know folk dances and folk-songs.
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Shamnath asked her mother to sing. The mother refused. She had no idea of singing.
Shamnath repeated his request to his mother. She rejected his request. Finally, he told her to
sing a couplet or two of the pomegranate song. There was bit of harshness in the voice of
Shamnath. The mother sang an old wedding song. The verandah resounded with applause.
The Sahib also clapped. The mother introduced a new note in the party.
The clapping stopped. The subject of discussion changed to village industry products
of Punjab. Shamnath told the boss that he would present many products of the village
industry in the office. Then he said that he would present the boss a phulkari. He explained
that a phulkari is an embroidered piece of cloth. The mother showed the Sahib an old
phulkari. It was torn and threadbare. Shamnath told the boss that he would ask her to knit a
phulkari for him. The Sahib nodded and proceeded towards the dining table with other guests.
The mother returned to her room. She sat against the wall and wept. There was a flood of
tears in her eyes. She tried to control herself. She folded her hands and prayed to God for the
long life of her son. All the guests departed at midnight. Silence prevailed. Shamnath
knocked on the door of his mother and asked her to open it. The mother was afraid with a
thought that she had committed a mistake. She opened the door. Shamnath embraced her,
praising that she had done wonders in the party.
The old mother asked the son to leave her at Haridwar. Shamnath got angry and asked
her if she wanted to discredit him by going to Haridwar. The mother said that she should not
be misunderstood. She wanted to pass the rest of her life in meditation leaving the son and the
daughter-in-law in peace. Shamnath asked her if she would not make a phulkari for the boss
that he had promised in her presence. The mother refused, telling that her eyes could not
stand any strain. He pleaded that if the officer was pleased with him he would be promoted to
the next higher post, and then the mother agreed to knit a phulkari for the boss. Then
Shamnath left her mother telling her to sleep.
The story The Boss came to Dinner brings to the forefront the true character of
Shamnath especially through his behaviour towards his mother.
THE GIFT OF THE MAGI BY O’HENRY
O’ Henry is the pseudonym of William Sydney Porter, an American short story writer
whose tales focused on the life of ordinary people in New York City. He had published over
300 stories. The story The Gift of the Magi was first published in the New York Sunday
World in 1905 and later was published in the collection titled The Four Million in 1906. The
story The Gift of the Magi is about a young married couple Della Dillingham Young and
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James Dillingham Young and how they deal with the challenge of buying secret Christmas
gifts for each other.
The story begins on Christmas Eve, with Della lamenting the fact that she has only
saved $1.87, despite months of pinching pennies at the grocer, butcher, and vegetable man.
She flops down on their shabby couch and cries, while the narrator goes on to introduce the
young couple, Della and James Dillingham Young. The narrator then describes their
apartment, remarking upon its cheapness—8 dollars a week—and lack of a working doorbell.
Della stops crying but is still at a loss for how she might buy a Christmas present worthy
of Jim. She suddenly remembers the pier-glass—a sort of thin mirror between the windows of
the apartment—and stands before the glass, releasing her hair to fall to its full length. Here,
the narrator describes the couple’s most prized possessions: Della’s long, brown hair that falls
below her knees and Jim’s gold watch that was passed down from his grandfather. He
compares these items to King Solomon’s treasures and the queen of Sheba’s jewels.
Della runs downstairs onto the street, where she finds a hair shop run by a Madame
Sofronie. After a brief exchange during which Madame Sofronie evaluates Della’s hair, Della
sells her long locks for twenty dollars.
Della spends the next two hours looking for a perfect present for Jim. She decides
finally on a simple platinum chain for Jim’s watch, comparing the watch’s lack of
ornamentation and value to Jim’s personality, which is equally quiet and valuable.
Della returns home to fix her hair into curls and prepare dinner before waiting
for Jim at the door. She says a little prayer hoping that Jim will still find her pretty without
her long hair.
When Jim enters the door, he freezes, staring at Della’s hair without expression. Della
runs to Jim and tells him that she had her hair cut and sold in order to buy him a Christmas
present. Jim continues to stare, and Della repeats that her hair is gone—but that her love for
him is immeasurable. Jim finally moves, throwing a package on the table. He has purchased
the set of combs which Della had longed to buy in Broadway. He reassures her that no
haircut could make him like her any less, but that he was shocked because of the present he
bought for her.
Jim flops down on the couch and smiles, saying that they should put their presents
away for now and that they’re too nice to use just yet—before admitting that he sold
the watch to buy the combs for Della. They decide to have dinner, and the narrator sums up
the story with a little paragraph on the magi. He describes them as wise men who invented
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the art of giving Christmas presents, and he compares Jim and Della to the magi—saying that
of all who give gifts, these two are the wisest.
The Gift of the Magi is a sentimental story with a moral lesson about giving gifts.
A SNAKE IN THE GRASS by R.K. NARAYAN
Rasipuram Krishnaswami Narayan (1906-2001) was one of the most accomplished
and well known Indian writers in English. He was awarded with the Sahitya Academy Award
in 1960. We find realism, irony and humor, in his works. He paints the foolish acts of people
in the most artistic and psychological way, hitting mercilessly on it. His expression very well
touches the sentiments of the reader. He wrote a number of books. His literary production
includes— ‘The Guide (Novel), ‘Next Sunday’ (Collection of essays) and ‘Lawley Road’
(collection of short stories.) “A snake in the Grass” is a satirical story taken from “An
Astrologer’s Day and Other Stories.”
One afternoon the members of a family were taking rest inside the hosue. A cyclist
rang the bell of his cycle and announced that he had seen a snake entering the compound of
the house. Making announcement, he followed his way.
The family consisting of the mother and her four sons assembled at the gate after listening it.
They found their old servant Dasa sleeping in the shed. They woke him up and made him
known about the entry of the snake in the compound of their bunglow. The servant tried to
ignore the matter. They forced him to search the cobra. They threatened him to dismiss if he
failed to trace the snake out. Some neighbours, too gathered there and charged the servant
with being lazy. The servant defended himself saying his regular demand of a grass-cutter
machine. They talked over it and its price for a while. In the meantime, a college-boy of the
family came in. He read out the statical data, he had collected about the death of people due
to snake-biting.
The boys of the family brought in bamboo-sticks and pressed one into the hands of
the servant also. They worked with creepers, bushes and everything in the garden but they
could not find the snake. When there was nothing more he done, the servant asked
triumphantly where the snake was.
In the meantime, an old she-beggar cried at the gate for alms. They asked her not to
disturb as they wee hunting a snake. Hearing this, the old woman announced it to be G
Subramanya ang forbade its killing. Mother agreed to her statement remembering her
promised ‘Abhishekam’. She gave a coin to the old woman.
Shortly an old man appeared at the gate and announced himself as a snake-charmer.
They gathered around him. He narrated the story of his victories over snakes. They asked him
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to catch the cobra but helplessly, he said to them that he could do nothing unless they show
him where the cobra was. He gave them his name and address and asked to call him if they
saw the snake.
At five in the evening, they threw sticks and started talking about their strategy to
meet the critical situation. In the meantime the old servant appeared with a pot in his hand
and declared that he caught the snake. The servant bragged about his bravery and asked them
not to blame him calling a dull and idle. He talked to hand over the snake to the snake-
charmer who was living nearby. The mother appreciated him and he went away.
It was five minutes since Dasa had gone when the youngest son cried, “See there ! a
cobra came out of a hole in the compound” It paused for a moment to look at the gathering
and then crawled under the gate and disappeared along a drain. A mystery remained whether
there were two snakes there or not. If not, what was in the pot, the servant had gone out with.
Had they checked the pot, it would have been cleared.
THE GIFT OF INDIA BY SAROJINI NAIDU
The poem ‘The Gift of India’ by Sarojini Naidu is a patriotic poem that glorifies the
contributions and sacrifices given by the sons of soil i.e. the Indian soldiers who served in
World War I and also laments their loss.
During that World war period, around one million Indians served in the British Army
on the foreign lands. Thousands of them wounded and hundreds of thousands never returned
back. The poem consists of four stanzas having 6 lines each and the rhyme scheme is in the
pattern of AABBCC.
Stanza 1
The speaker here is either Mother India or collective of Indian mothers whose sons
fought wars. The mother raises a rhetorical question that has she denied clothes, food or gold
i.e. has the Mother India ever denied anything when the world asked for?
She answers herself that she has given the priceless treasures i.e. her sons who were torn from
her breast i.e. separated from her to fight in the East and The West.
In the next line, she says that she has given the sons of her injured womb (because the
sons were inseparable from her yet they were separated) to the drum-beats of the duty i.e. for
doing duty and the duty was the sabres of doom i.e. fighting in the war.
Thus, in the stanza I Mother India tells the world that her beloved sons are mercilessly
separated from her only to fight and die in deadly wars.
Stanza II
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Mother says that her sons are gathered like pearls in their alien graves. It means that
they were buried in foreign countries. They are sleeping silently along the Persian waves and
are scattered like shells on Egyptian sands. They are lying there with pale but brave foreheads
and broken hands. Their bodies are scattered like flowers which have been trimmed by
chance on the meadows of Flanders and France which have turned red with their blood.
Stanza III
Stanza III is full of rhetorical questions. Mother India asks if they can measure the
grief of the tears which she weeps everyday or they can understand the griefs and sorrows
which she has or the pride that thrills her heart and a little hope which she has because of her
painful prayers (for the safety of her sons) and also the sadness which she sees beyond the
torn red banners of victory.
Stanza IV
The speaker says that when the terror and the tumult of hate i.e. deadly war will end,
and life be refashioned on anvils of peace i.e. the life will go to normal in the peace time
(anvils of peace). At that time, the people will remember and thank out of love and respect,
the comrades who fought in dauntless ranks i.e. the brave soldiers who fought with fear. The
people will also honour the deeds of the deathless ones. And they will remember the blood of
her martyred sons for eternity.

HUMAN SEASONS BY JOHN KEATS

The poem presents the different stages of life rendered as four seasons of the year.
Instead of describing the physical nature of these stages however, they are the seasons present
in the mind of man. For every season of life, man has a different outlook.
First, he lives his “lusty spring” during which anything seems possible and he
deserves “all beauty”. The idea that in Spring man can take in all beauty with an “easy span”
suggests a certain immaturity in youth where one thinks all beauty. Spring occupies only two
lines of this sonnet, which further reflects the brevity of a childish outlook on life.
Next comes his summer, which lacks the lust and ease of Spring, but during which he
can ruminate on Spring’s “youthful thought’. What were once youthful fleeting thoughts can
in Summer, be reflected on with more clarity and maturity. During his Summer, by reflecting
on his Spring, man gains a sense of enlightenment, or dreaming high, that is “nearest unto
heaven”.
While growing nearer to heaven man literally aging towards a time of death, man
enters the “quite coves” of Autumn. These quite coves contrast the image of man’s mind
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ruminating on his “honied cud of youth”. While the language Keats uses to illustrate Summer
evokes exposure and clarity, Autumn suggests a resignation into one’s own thoughts and
some emotional closure. Keats symbolizes man’s soul in autumn as a bird that “furleth close”
its “wings”. The image of a bird unlike that of a cow, suggests an ability to transcend powers
of higher imagination.
Autumn receives the largest portion of the poem with four lines. Man, in his autumn
seems to be waiting, aware of his environment, but no longer driven by its delights.
Then, man has his Winter, which brings man’s “pale misfeature”, a phrase that can be read as
death. The odd and ghostly description of death finalizes the natural process of living.
In this poem, man embraces every stage of life he finds himself in, and seems aware
of that stage fully while never entirely acknowledging the next. Keats died at the age of
twenty-five, and it is amazing that he was able to produce this kind of reflective work so
young. By animating the seasons, Keats creates a vision of human life that mirrors natural
processes, reinforcing the bond between humans and environment.

WHEN I WAS GROWING UP BY NELLIE WONG

DESIGN BY ROBERT FROST

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This sonnet starts off innocently enough, the steady iambic rhythm, familiar and safe,
taking the first person speaker outdoors, where a slightly unusual spider is discovered on a
wild flower, called a heal-all.
The spider has probably just eaten. It's fat, well fed, dimpled like a baby, and sits on a
flower - white against white.
White is highly significant in this poem because it is mentioned several times. It is a
symbol of purity and innocence and is often associated with angelic beings in the bible.
And the flower is aptly named. It is a panacea for many different ills in herbal medicine so
the fact that the spider is sitting on this plant suggests there is a benevolent relationship
between the two?
Hardly. The poet is being ironic, choosing white to contrast deeply with the dark
business of the hunting and devouring spider, in cahoots with the ironically named heal-all.
The moth is a prize being held high by the spider, like a piece of rigid satin cloth. This
implies that the cloth has been ripped, a parallel with the death veils that cover the dead in a
casket or coffin, now raised like a flag.
The predator is victorious, the image becoming a little sinister - from the initial
innocence fear is creeping in. And this fear mixes with surrealism in the fifth line, an echo of
a breakfast commercial coming through as the three 'ingredients' are likened to a broth, no
ordinary broth it turns out.
In Shakespeare's Macbeth the three witches appear in the first scene, and taunt the
leading protagonist with their hubble bubble toil and trouble chants. They eventually forecast
his downfall, undermining the concept of freewill, implying that there is some grand design
behind all life.
The last two lines of the octet describe in rather playful terms what these special
ingredients are - so the spider is a snow-drop, the flower a froth (a foam which was
supposedly dropped on plants by the moon) and the moth's wings a paper kite.
The sestet suggests that there is no definitive black and white answer to the questions of
design or no design? Malevolent intelligence? Good God?
The manifested world, in this case the spider, moth and flower, reveal only so much to
the speaker who is left with nothing but questions. Three in total, in keeping with the
symbolism inherent in the sonnet. Three ingredients, three witches, three in the holy trinity,
three questions.
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In the case of the flower, it is the perception of the speaker that is called into question.
The speaker sees white, a freak of nature, because the actual heal-all is blue, the color of
revelation.
And how come the spider got to just the right height in time and space? Note the
word kindred which means that the flower and the spider shared the same spirit; they were in
relation to one another when the unfortunate moth came along.
The speaker is attempting to make the case for a purposeful, fateful intelligence which
is behind the movements of spider and the 'steered' moth, which brought them together at an
exact time and place on the flower.
The final question suggests that this design is dark in nature, intended to appall, that
is, shock and nauseate. Note that appall has as its root a latin word which means 'to pale.'
Frost must have chosen this word to further complicate proceedings. The final line then
brings uncertainty but the word 'govern' implies that there is a power in charge somehow, in
some way, pulling the strings.
MOTHER’S DAY BY J. B. PRIESTLEY
Mother’s day is a play by J. B. Priestley. It is a satirical and humorous depiction of the
status of the women, in particular, a housewife in a family. Moreover, a housewife dedicates all
her time in the service of her family, but her family takes her service for granted and never takes
notice of her needs. The family never acknowledge her services or thank her for all that she does
for them. Everyone neglects her and this issue is prominent and relevant today. Many houses out
there sulk and suffer in silence. Also, the issue the play raises is genuine the issue can’t be set by
mere changes of the personality of husbands, sons, and daughters. In order to give wives the
praise they deserve, the family needs to give them the desired attention.
Mother’s Day portrays the practical experience of a mother, Mrs Pearson. On a daily
basis, her kids disrespect and disregard her. In her own home, she was treated as a slave. Thus,
she felt disheartened every day not only because of the ill treatment from her Daughter Doris
and son Cyril but also from her husband George Pearson who has completely turned a blind eye
from his wife.
Mrs Pearson life turns when she meets Mrs Fitzgerald, a fortune teller, and discusses her
family members and their terrible behaviour. She tells Mrs Fitzgerald everything about her
family behaviour. Moreover, Mrs Fitzgerald (strong and sinister personality) recommends her to
exchange personalities. So as to teach her family a good lesson. At first, Mrs Pearson didn’t
agree but after some encouragement, she agrees to switch bodies.
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After that, Mrs Fitzgerald casts a spell and swaps her personality with Mrs Pearson. In a
matter of seconds, their personality switch and Mrs Pearson who was calm and composed is
now smoking and drinking. And Mrs Fitzgerald is now sitting idle.
The scene changes, and now Mrs Pearson is in her home and Doris enters home. She
hands her a dress and asks her to iron as she has to go on a date with her boyfriend Charlie
Spence. Also, she even objects her mother’s smoking. And when she asks her, Mrs Pearson
replies very harshly and advises her to do her work herself. Further, she makes fun of her
boyfriend. Afterwards, Doris feels miserable and shamed and starts crying when her mother
insults and rebuke her.
After this, her son Cyril enters, asks his mother hurriedly if his tea is ready. On which
Mrs Pearson refuses and advises him to prepare it himself. After seeing her mother’s reaction
and her sister crying he raises his voice. Also, calls Mrs Fitzgerald an old hag on which Mrs
Pearson instructs him to mind his language.
When the kids talk about being worn-out after work. She makes it very clear to both of
them that they all will work equally from that day onwards. And she will not work at weekends
and enjoy with her friends.
At that point, Mr Pearson enters the house and expresses his surprise on seeing her wife
drinking and smoking. He objects, Mrs Pearson makes him realise that if he can drink then she
too can. Further, she tells him that instead of spending his time with his wife he is spending time
with people who are making fun of him behind his back.
Mrs Pearson on seeing her family being insulted asks Mrs Fitzgerald to stop all this.
However, she doesn’t let her speak until she teaches all of them a good lesson of respecting and
honouring their mother. Soon after they switch their personalites again. And after that, the son,
daughter, and husband learn their lesson and start supporting their mother and wife.
Through the play, Mother’s Day, the writer wants to highlight that we all should respect,
care, and help our mother for all the hardship she does for us. The story ends with a message to
treat mothers with love and respect.
OLD MAN RIVER by DOROTHY DEMING
Scene I
It is a late afternoon in March, the Marshall sisters and their neighbour Rose are
hanging out in the Marshall household. Rose looks out of the window and points to the small
lake that has formed in the backyard because of the heavy rain. Amy and Betty join in on her
observation and the younger sister informs that the radio said the river had crossed the flood
stage.
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While the three are discussing, their other neighbour Jim makes an entry. Jim breaks
the news that the downpour is a cloudburst and the river water is rising fast. He informs that
the situation is turning grim.
A phone call makes it known that Mrs. Marshall is stuck at a friend’s place and will
not be able to make it to their house. Rose is asked to stay at the house and the kids get in
action. Jim, who served in the Junior Red Cross emergency squadtakes leadership and assigns
duties to the girls. Betty is assigned with searching for candles, torches and lanterns, while
Rose has to fill water and Amy and Jim, will gather food supplies and warm clothes for
everyone.
As Rose and Betty leave, Jim turns to Amy and tells her that the house is in direct line
of the river. With the dam broken, they are stranded and can only hope for a rescue to boat to
reach them as both the exits are flooded. The water keeps rising and reaches around the
garage.
Amy begins to panic and Jim assures her by reminding how the old pals have always
stuck together in every problem and managed to solve them all, including the fire at the
school. He tells her that they must remain calm and not panic, gather all supplies and if the
need arises then they would climb to the roof. Once on the roof, they would signal for help.
As the four were conversing, they heard a child’s voice. The voice belonged to none
other than Rose’s younger sister Sara. The little girl followed her sister and was now stranded
on the playhouse porch. Although the playhouse was on high ground it is almost afloat and
sooner than later it would submerge.
Jim sets out to fetch Sara and is soaked with the water reaching his knees. Amy tells
Betty to get some of Mr. Marshall’s clothes for Jim and Dick’s for Sara. Jim enters with a
very happy Sara on his back. Sara unaware of the gravity of the situation is in a playful mood
and demands more piggyback rides.
While Amy was about to fetch some supper, the power goes out. They all gasp and
Betty screams. Jim who was trying to stay calm, casually adds that the power house must be
out of commission and asks Betty to light her candles. Betty gets her flashlight and lights
three candles. Fortunately, they can still have supper as their stove is oil operated.
The kids not letting their spirits dampen, march to the kitchen, humming. With little time on
their hands until the water invades their house, Jim decides to go to the roof and signal for
help. He is certain that someone will see the light and come to help them. Both Jim and Amy
are terrified but being the older ones, they keep a brave front.
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Scene II
The same group sits in the hall, except Jim who is on the roof. Sara is asleep and
Betty unsuccessfully tries to read a book in the dim candlelight. The clock has struck 11 but
none of them could sleep. A noise is heard and Rose rushes to the window but sees nothing
except pitch darkness. She thinks something bumped against the house and that caused the
noise. A scared Betty asks everyone to stay close.
Jim returns from the roof hopeful that someone must have spotted his light before the
batteries died. Jim once again takes charge and suggests they should start moving to the attic
since the rain has stopped pouring. Betty rushes to get her new spring coat and Rose gently
wakes up Sara. Amy seems to prioritize books and jewels and Jim reminds her they need
water and food for survival.
Jim was interrupted by a shout from outside and they realise it’s a recuse boat. Betty
too excitedly comes to look. Amy and Jim call for them from inside. Mr. Peters and Miss
Marsh have come with their boat. Miss Marsh is a Red Cross nurse. Jim asks them to direct
the boat towards the back porch and enter from there. The helpers come in and Betty
excitedly calls for Sara.
Just as they were speaking a loud crash and crying sound emerges and Rose shouts
that Sara has fallen off the ladder. Jim fixes some chairs for Sara to settle on and Mr. Peters
carries her and places her on the chairs. Miss Marsh helps a crying Sara and assures her that
she will take Sara home safely.
Miss Marsh takes the elder children to a side and informs that Sara has broken her
right leg below the knee and needs to be taken to the Red Cross hospital in Armoury. They
prepare a makeshift splint for Sara with pillows and umbrella. Sara, Rose and Betty are taken
along with Mr. Peters and Miss Marsh while Amy and Jim are kept behind for a second ride.
They wish each other luck and Jim and Amy raise a coffee toast in gratitude of being rescued.
Throughout the entire calamity, although fearful the kids did not let their fear overpower their
sense of survival and quick wit. Amy and Jim especially, incredibly fulfilled their roles of
being the eldest and smartest. If anything, this story teaches us to bravely face all difficulties
that life presents before us. It teaches one to calmly understand the issue and not panic. When
one panics, they lose their control over the problem and their emotions then cloud the
judgement.
One must also have some knowledge of first aid and volunteer in aiding programs. It
is important to remember that, everyone needs help and when you can, you must be the
helper.
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THE MS DHONI STORY - PLAYING FOR INDIA BY GULU EZEKIEL 

Gulu Ezekiel is an Indian sports journalist, who has worked with various publications
such the Indian Express in Chennai, the Asian Age and the Financial Express in New Delhi
and NDTV. He is the author of several sports books, Playing for India is an extract from his
book Captain Cool: The Ms Dhoni's Story.

Ezekiel gives a clear picture of wicket keepers in the Indian Cricket team from 2000
to 2005. He lists out the players who served as wicket keepers: in 1997-2000 Tour of
Australia, M S.K. Prasad played as the wicket Keeper for test series while Sameer Dighe
played as the wicket keeper in the ODI tri series

There was a constant shuffle of the players in the Indian Cricket team, In 1999, Nayan
Mongia who served as a wicket keeper got injured and Rahul Dravid was selected as the
wicket keeper. and he played till 2003 and into part of 2004. In 2000, Syed Saba Karim was
the wicket Keeper, due to his eye injury, Nayan Morgia played for o brief period followed by
Deep Dasgupta as the wicket Keeper. Then many players were given the role of  Wicket
keepers: Vijay Dahiya, Ajay Ratra, Parthiv Patel and Dinesh Karthik.

M.S. Dhoni made this entry.in the  ODI debut in Dec 2004. while Dinesh Karthik was
selected to play. in ODI in England. Karthik and Dhoni were in the team while they played.
matches against the Zimbabwe team.  Karthik played the first four matches and he played as
a  specialist batsman and Dhoni was given the  opportunity of a wicket Keeper. Dhoni had 11
victims in the match, Seven catches and four  stumpings and he also scored 45 runs from 48
balls.

After playing against Zimbabwe, Dhoni  got an opportunity  to be part of the tri-
nation tournament in Kenya. India played under the captaincy of Sairaj Bahatule, India lost
the first match to Kenya by 20 runs. Then they won the match with Pakistan, Dhoni got the
top score of  70 runs and won the International Man  of the Match award.

India was on a winning streak with  matches against Kenya and Pakistan. Dhoni got 
his national recognition. On 16th August 2004, he won the first International century against
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Pakistan. He scored 120 runs  from 122 balls (10 fours and 2 sixes) and with Gautam
Gambhir, the duo scored 208 runs from 192 balls.

As  they had to play three matches against each team, Dhoni played well and scored 
119 runs not out against Pakistan. He won the Man of the Match award and was the talk of
the town in the Gymkhana Club ground in Nairobi.  India won the final match against
Pakistan.

Dhoni in his interview to Sportstar on 29th April 2006 stated that the  Nairobi
tournament was a big breakthrough for him. He managed  to play against Kenya and
Pakistan.  He also shared his learning experience during the tour. He was glad  that he got an
opportunity and also had a  good exposure and the matches helped him boost his morale and
confidence

After the Nairobi Tournament, Dravid and Karthik played as the wicket keepers of the
Indian Cricket team. As  Karthik played the Test Matches against South Africa and
Bangladesh well,  he was retained as the wicket keeper for the test matches and the Selection
team chose  Dhoni for the ODI series in Bangladesh in Dec 2004. Thus Dhoni's debut match
was at M.A. Aziz Stadium in Chittagong  on 23rd Dec 2004.

India won the  opening  match by 11 runs, India scored 245 runs  for 8 wickets. 
Dhoni  who entered in the 42nd over was run out with a duck in a ball. In the second match
on   Boxing Day,  many changes. were made.  Rahul Dravid, Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan
and Sachin Tendulkar were given rest. India faced its defeat inspite of scoring  229 runs  for 9
wickets. Dhoni played well and got his first ODI catch of the opener Nafees Iqbal in Ajit
Agarkar’s bowling. He also batted well and added 25 runs with  Kaif. 
   
India lost its match. against Bangladesh, so they played the third and final game well
and won the game by 91 runs. Dhoni got 3 catches and  2 stumpings. Ganguly recommended
and retained Dhoni as  the wicket keeper.

In March 2005,  Dhoni  played well  against the Pakistan Team and he scored 102
runs from 96 balls. Dhoni also played well in the domestic matches in the Ranjit Trophy
and Deodhar Trophy.He scored 101 runs against West Zone  and 87 runs against Central in
 15

the Deodhar Trophy. When they played in the Ranjit Trophy, Jharkhand, they lost in the
Semifinals  with Haryana team. Dhoni scored 99 runs against Kerala. 128 runs against
Orissa.  He also took 21 catches. in the matches played i between 2004-2005. In March 2005,
he  played his last domestic match against Haryana. He then got  his opportunity to  play for
the Indian team in international matches. 

Thus Ezekiel in the essay titled PLAYING FOR INDIA highlights Dhoni’s entry into
the Indian cricket team. 

LONG WALK TO FREEDOM BY NELSON MANDELA

Mandela starts his autobiography right at the beginning of his life. Born in
1918 in Mvezo, South Africa, to a village chief, Mandela was named Rolihlahla Mandela.
This name, Rolihlahla, directly translated to “pulling the branches of trees”, which means
“troublemaker”. Mandela would later acquire the clan name Madiba and the name he is most
famous for, Nelson, was given to him by his first teacher. 
Nelson’s Father was the son of a man who was part of the Ixhiba house, a
lesser house of the Madiba clan of the Thembu tribe. Nelson’s Father was the acting
equivalent of a president for Thembuland. He was an appointed, non-hereditary leader.
However, his leadership came to an end when Nelson was young due to a display of
insubordination by the local white magistrate.
Nelson’s Father losing his job meant that Nelson grew up in severe poverty
and that he and his mother had to move to a village called Qunu, near Umtata, when Nelson
was an infant. This is where Nelson grew up. Within this era of South Africa, most fathers
lived away from their families, often working in big cities like Johannesburg. Therefore,
Nelson was mainly raised by his mother, who spent her time tending to maize and sorghum
crops as her work. 
Nelson spent his childhood engaging in stick fights with boys from other
villages and going to church with his mother, who became a Methodist when Nelson was
young. During his childhood, Mandela was helping his family with the herd of sheep and
tending calves. The boys of his time used to play with toys made by themselves. He
humorously describes how he was pushed down when he tried to sit over a donkey and felt
embarrassed. Sometimes the boys and girls used to play together, games like ndize (hide and
seek) and icekwa (touch-and-run). But Mandela’s favourite was khetha, where the girls choose
 16

the boy they like as their partner in the game. The most popular game among the boys was
thinti, a kind of stick fight where boys from other villages too took part.
Mandela then describes how his father used to tell stories of historical battles
and his mother used to entertain them with moral stories. He proudly says that they aquired
knowledge mainly through observation. Every family used to imitate the lifestyle of their
ancestors. Thus, his life was basically shaped by the customs and traditions of Xhosas. The
whites in the village of Qunu were used to be treated with a mixture of fear and respect.
The only rivalry between different tribes was that between the Xhosas and the
amaMfengu. The AmaMfengu who were refugees used to work in white farms. Because of
their contact with the whites they were considered superior than other Africans. Also among
the African group, they were the first to become Christians. However they were two
amaMfengu brothers who were in good terms with Mandela’s father. George, the elder one
was a retired teacher, and the younger one Ben was a police sergeant. Nelson’s father
remained uninspired by their religion, but his mother was influenced to become a Christian.
Mandela himself was baptized and was sent to school at the age of seven. He was the only
child who got the oppurtunity of school education in his family. He proudly describes how he
was made to wear his father’s cut-off pants.
On the first day of the school, his teacher, Miss. Mdingane gave him an English
name Nelson as it was the custom.